August’s club selections are in!

The Olympics are here. Brazil is all the rage. The headlines read, “Hidden Track Bottle Shop Brings Home the Gold with August’s Selections!”

We are very excited to offer you these wines, and here’s why: Many vintages ago, there was a small cult winery called Sans Liege that rippled rumors of grapeness throughout the world of wine. As the roots of these rumors grew stronger, so did the canopy of its tales of wine. A storied row was planted, and many followed, for this row was one that would ferment a revolution – a revolution that would incite an understanding of the “Hidden Track.” The perfect example of an expression of passion that can only be found from a patience of palate. The palate that follows a different row…a row outside the mainstream.

Whoa…let us take another sip…

We found this amazing producer years ago and have been members of their wine club. We had to be. The wine was great. It was scarcely known. It was not the norm.

Sans Liege was founded by Curt and Kara Schalchlin. They wanted to bring emphasis to Rhône varietals in California’s central coast. Sourcing fruit from a handful of great vineyard sites, they were able to create a unique cult following for their wines. A true journey of starting with a small vision of quality and letting it grow organically, the Schalchlins grew an amazing wine club and continued their growth by allocating certain wines to distributors. The Sans Liege name became a name that was discussed by strangers in wine bars, or distributors trying to one up each other by claiming they had just received an allocation of Counoise from the Sans Liege wine club. Sans Liege grew into Hall of Fame status, providing Curt with opportunities to create another label, Groundwork. Groundwork is more of a varietal focused project, while Sans Liege is more proficient in blends.

Curt Schalchlin is responsible for making August’s selections possible, having signed off on the deal to bring them to you. With that, we are very happy to present Groundwork Viognier and Groundwork Grenache for Hidden Track Bottle Shop’s August wine club. Thanks, Curt!

Groundwork Viognier 2014
Only 400 cases produced of this beauty, sourced from a few select vineyards in Santa Barbara County. We have to quote Curt’s description of this wine to give you the best example of what you are getting into: “Like stepping from a springfed mountain lake into an ancient citrus orchard, the 2014 Groundwork Viognier is the perfect accompaniment to any summer moment: snapped orange skin, chalk dust, New York Seltzer Lemon Lime, fennel seed, clean linens and whetstone. Elegant, refined and fresh.”

Groundwork Grenache 2014
Just about 900 cases made. Grenache (aka Garnacha) has been one of the best received varietals from our club. (Remember the Fagus? We know you do – you’re still talking about it and asking for more!) So when this example of Grenache was tasted, we giggled a little and agreed that the club would be very happy with it. This wine is what Fall in AZ is all about. Light yet complex. Balanced acid, fruit, and what is that…a bit of tannin? This wine would enhance a variety of food, but it could also be paired with another glass, a monsoon sunset, a Sunday-funday, or any day that ends in “y.”

Enjoy these wines. Enjoy this winery! Enjoy some Hidden Tracks!

Cheers,

Craig & Danielle