Stagiaire Wine 'Sultana of Swat' 2023

The vibe: Yes yes YES. Not sure how it’s taken us this long to discover Stagiaire Wine but we had to get a bottle of this insane Carignan in the shop immediately to share with y’all before it runs out. In August's wine club we talked about the French term ‘buvabilité’ to describe the drinkable quality of Philippe Tessier’s ‘Grain Noir’ and it absolutely applies here too, which makes sense given winemaker Bren Mayeaux’s timing apprenticing (or, staging) in France. This being an old vine Carignan (120 year old vines), it gives Southern France or even Ardeche; the wines of Le Mazel immediately come to mind, and not just because of their preference for bottling under crown cap rather than cork. This wine screams ‘drink me right now!’ Wines like this are the perfect example of a layered, complex wine made in a style that is anything but complex to understand. You understand the assignment, don’t you? Throw a chill on this, crack it open with friends or drink the whole bottle. It’s here for a good time and not a long time and we’re absolutely here for that.

The winemaker: Stagiaire Wine is the brainchild of New Orleans native Brent Mayeaux. The project takes its name from Brent’s time spent as an apprentice - or stagiaire - at various wineries around the world at the beginning of his career. He began by working under more conventionally-minded winemakers in California, but it was during experiences in Australia and then France, where his head was turned towards natural wine by the likes of luminaries such as Philippe Bonard in the Jura and Gareth Belton of Gentle Folk in the Adelaide Hills. Mayeaux returned to California in 2018 armed with a more European sensibility around winemaking and the role of the vineyard. He now makes wine in a former industrial space on Treasure Island, a reclaimed piece of land in the middle of the San Francisco Bay.

The geeky details: Organically farmed 100-120 year old (!!) Carignan vines from Hopland, Mendocino County. Whole cluster maceration for 10 days followed by pressing, fermentation in tank and aging in neutral barrels for one year.

Serve: With a light chill.

Food pairing: Carignan is a classic food wine and this one should be no different. The brambly, herby and subtly earthy profile should pair up nicely with roasted or grilled veggies like pumpkin, eggplant or mushrooms. Serve it with anything seasoned with five spice or fresh herbs.

Album pairing: Felipe Gordon - Natural Born Climber EP