January 2026 Wine Club
Les Haute Terres Rouge 'Panorama' 2023
The vibe: Happy New Year Petite clubbers! What a wild ride this last year has been, eh? We’re so thankful you’re riding shotgun with us, we couldn’t ask for better company. Personally, the past few weeks have been a bit of a blur (no thanks to, ahem, copious glasses of sparkling wine) so we’re going back to basics with this month’s wine selection to focus on a single category of wines that probably most of you are in the mood for these dark and dreary days. Red wine! It’s popular for a reason, and hey, as much as we like to showcase full bodied whites and textural skin contacts, we think this month is worthy of an all-red showdown. First up, we’ve got this full bodied beauty from down under, Southwest France that is. Les Haute Terres is a winery in the Langeudoc on the boundary of the Limoux appellation, a region made famous for its fizzy crémant de Limoux. In fact, we drank so much of this winery’s crémant over the holidays we blew through the entire Washington allocation. Whoopsie. Thankfully there is more of this beauty in stock and boy is it good. We think Merlot gets a bad rap but in reality it’s just another grape! Actually, that does it a disservice. It’s a gorgeous grape. This is a classic Bordeaux blend with Merlot taking the top notes of violets, underpinned by crunchy, stemmy Cab Franc and a dash of acid from Cab Sauv. There’s a reason this combination just works. Serve it at cellar temp with your favorite hearty stew or whip up a fancy midwinter steak. Go ahead and get classy with it. She’s kind of a classy wine!
The winemaker: Les Hautes Terres is located on the very western edge of the Languedoc in the tiny village of Roquetaillade. Here on the boundary of the Limoux appellation, Geneviève and Gilles Azam live and work at the very top of a 600m summit that is surrounded by an amphitheater of vineyards. The fossil filled clay-limestone and sandstone slopes offer countless expositions and unique microclimates, perfect for crafting honest wines that showcase this unique terroir. For nearly 20 years Geneviève and Gilles have been slowly building the Domaine, which is now over 30 hectares. All the Domaine’s vineyards are farmed organically, the grapes hand harvested, and all wines ferment spontaneously using only native yeasts. Vinification and élevage for both sparkling and still wines are in used demi-muids and foudres. Apart from minimal sulfur additions, there are no enological additions to the wines.
The geeky details: 50% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon. The different grape varieties are harvested and whole cluster fermented separately in a combination of large concrete and stainless-steel tanks. Whole cluster maceration lasts 5-10 days depending on the grape variety, after which the grapes are pressed and transferred back to large concrete and stainless-steel tanks to complete fermentation and further aging for at least 6 months.
Serve: Cellar temp.
Food pairing: Merlot’s mellow, easy tannins complement ratatouille or braised meats.
Album pairing: The Offline - La Couleur de La Mer
Lo-Fi Cabernet Franc Santa Barbera County 2024
The vibe: Carbonic Cab Franc! You know how the wine glass emoji on your iPhone is red wine? We think this wine is what’s in that glass. Ok so that’s a large claim and there’s a *chance* it’s actually Josh, but just know, when we send that emoji this is what we mean. Crack it open. Get it in your glass. Swirl and let that classic Cabernet Franc aroma hit your nostrils like a fresh bottle of your favorite perfume. Playing favorites with varietals can get messy quick and it’s obviously hard to choose but little Cabby F is up there for us. This wine utilizes carbonic maceration (whole cluster, sealed fermentation) á la Beaujolais to achieve a juicy, crunchy lil ripper of a red. Light-medium bodied but with a level of depth you don’t encounter very often with carbonic reds, especially not this side of the Loire. Serve it with a light chill and notice how it opens up over the course of the evening. This is emoji wine. In the absolute best way. By the way, bonus points for the label. We like our wines like we like our music, analog.
The winemaker: A winery that has taken on this aesthetic in both technique and name is Lo-Fi Wines out of Santa Barbara County, California. Lo-Fi’s ethos is to embrace the unpredictable and uncontrollable factors in vintage and vinification, much like an audiophile derives pleasure from the clicks, pops, and hiss of their favorite vinyl record. The duo behind Lo-Fi, Mike Roth and Craig Winchester, make wines without frills or fillers. Wines that are simple, hand-crafted, and an honest expression of what a grape can offer. Lo-Fi is marked by easy drinking, low alcohol, neutral barrel—if any—oak, native yeasts, little or no sulfur, or other interventions that hide the fruit or the vintage that spawned it. Nothing added and nothing is taken away. They are leading the way for a new generation of California winemakers that aren’t seeking points or collectors, but getting back to the roots of what makes wine exciting and enjoyable.
The geeky details: 100% Cabernet Franc. Whole cluster, 12-day carbonic maceration. Juice was periodically drained during fermentation, then tanks fully drained and pressed. Free run and press wine blended post-fermentation. Aged in large wood and concrete tanks.
Serve: With a light chill.
Food pairing: This juicy, cozy red deserves an equally cozy beef stew, spaghetti and meatballs or roasted red peppers and eggplant.
Album pairing: Robert Glasper Experiment - Black Radio
Luddite ‘Saboteur’ Red Blend 2021
The vibe: Here’s something we haven’t had in the club yet - a South African wine! Obviously, there’s a ton of political, societal and economic history in this part of the world and this wine is a bit of a symbol of growth and restoration. Luddite Wines was founded with the goal of creating natural wines that express the South African terroir and they have more than achieved that. Call us Luddites because just as the 19th century English textile workers fought against the Industrial Revolution, we believe this wine and others like it are the pinnacle of winemaking. No need to introduce new technologies or complicated stabilization processes or nasty additives. Winemaking shouldn’t require newfangled approaches to a process that has existed since literally forever. This is drinking great right now and we’re so excited to offer it in the club.
The winemaker: Niels and Penny met at Elsenburg Agricultural College and quickly decided to dive head first into the wine industry. Sadly, these were the darkest days of Apartheid and things were not so simple. With a horrible regime nearly defeated, but fighting to the bitter end, South Africa offered virtually no opportunity to prosper. So, the couple was forced to leave their homeland in 1990 in search of greener pastures. Niels was fortunate during this time to make wine in France, Chile, New Zealand, Australia, and Greece, while Penny worked alongside him in the vineyards. They returned to South Africa in 1995 and worked 8 vintages at Beaumont, before moving up the hill to a 16 hectare patch of land. The clearing and planting process took 10 years and in the end, Luddite was one of the first to plant Shiraz in Both River, and their minimal intervention wines are shining examples of what is possible in this region. Their daughter Alice makes wine alongside them today and we had the great pleasure of meeting her a couple months back. Truly a mom and pop (and daughter) operation!
The geeky details: Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache Noir and Mourvèdre were all fermented in small batches in open bins. Most of the Shiraz was fermented in stainless steel tanks with regular pump overs. All the components were pressed directly into barrel and aged separately. Some of the batches did malolactic fermentation in barrel which gives a fuller mouth feel and structure. This vintage was in barrel for 12 months with 20% new French Oak. A small portion of the Grenache Noir is from the 2022 vintage which lifts the freshness and red fruit spectrum of this wine.
Serve: Cellar temp.
Food pairing: Barbecue in the winter?? Call us crazy but this would go great with smoky, charred skewers and grilled meat. Not feeling like stepping outside to grill? Try spiced sausage and meat pies.
Album pairing: Kabza De Small - The Konka Mixtape
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EASYYYYY
Bodegas Krontiaras ‘Mikron’ Malbec 2024
The vibe: Another first in the club - wine from Argentina! Not sure how it took us this long but it’s been worth the wait. Mendoza is almost synonymous with Malbec, in fact odds are you’ll find more Malbecs from Argentina in your average shop than from Cahors, where the grape originated. Though originally used in blends, Malbec thrives in the high-altitude, sunny Andean climate and was unaffected by Phylloxera epidemics so there is plenty of it. This wine comes from a biodynamic, family owned winery with high elevation plantings at 1000 meters. Unlike most other Mendoza Malbecs that rely on oak to lend depth, this Malbec sees no oak and leans on its fruit and terroir for its depth. It’s so easy to drink, and it’s the perfect wine for midwinter dinner pairings.
The winemaker: Bodegas Krontiras was created in 2004 by Constantinos Krontiras and Silvina Macipe-Krontiras. Their love for Argentina and their passion for good wine gave birth to a family owned, organic and biodynamic project whose wines offer a distinguished natural expression of the Mendoza terroir.
Producer notes from Krontiras Wines:
"Right in the middle of the hills of Luján de Cuyo, in the province of Mendoza, out of sight from the world, there is a winery where, Constantino and Silvina Krontiras, nested their love for wine. The sacred geometry of the location gently embraces the fruit of its biodynamic vineyards from which our wines are born, as a pure expression of terroir. The winery is naturally integrated with our Lunlunta vineyard. The building architecture is inspired by biodynamic principles based on ancient “sacred geometry”. We apply the golden ratio φ (1.618) and π (3.14) to create an excellent environment for winemaking and aging. Natural insulating materials such as straw, have been used to save energy, making sure that the use of natural resources is truly rational."
The geeky details: 100% hand-harvested Malbec, fermented without oak. 10+ year old vines planted at 3000 feet.
Serve: Cellar temp.
Food pairing: Leaner cuts of red meat and grilled veggies are always a go-to pairing for Argentinian Malbec. Go for the full effect and whip up some asado and Chimichurri!
Album pairing: Tame Impala - Currents
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WHAT THE FUNK?!
Pomalo Wine Co. Plavina
The vibe: Don’t tell anyone but this is secretly the wine we’re sipping on while writing the club notes this month. It’s just that good. Despite the beachy scene on the label, this is actually the perfect red for literally any occasion, 365 days a year. We love a light red moment to take a pause from reds with “Big T” tannin energy. Hailing from Croatia’s temperate Dalmatian coast, this is a single varietal Plavina, an indigenous Croatian grape often overlooked for its more robust peers like Plavac Mali. It’s an incredible example of a coastal light-bodied chillable red that can be served with a light chill (or just leave it outside for a bit)!
The winemaker: In Croatia, ”pomalo” is rooted in the coastal and island lifestyle and the general state of mind of the Dalmatians. It means to slow down and take it easy, something we should all be doing this year! To capture this lifestyle in liquid form, Pomalo teamed up with a few local growers to find hidden and underexposed varietals along the Dalmatian coast, to produce some of the best natural Hrvatska expressions. The goal was simple: to showcase indigenous Croatian grapes, produced naturally and through fresh and authentic expressions that can be universally enjoyed amongst locals and tourists, wine geeks and casual wine drinkers alike.
The geeky details: 100% Plavina. Maceration for 10 days then pressed midway through fermentation. After fermentation has finished, the wine is allowed to naturally settle for one week and then racked. Wine receives a light filtration at bottling and minimal sulphur addition at bottling.
Serve: With a light chill.
Food pairing: This would be the perfect refreshing pairing for heartier foods like a smash burger or Balkan beef kebab. If you want to stay on the lighter side, a grilled halloumi salad or roasted beetroot!
Album pairing: TABLE - 01 DISC - EP