2023 Les Sabots d’Helene 'Anticonstitutionnellement' White Blend

Alban Michel started his winery back in 2005 and until somewhat recently was a grossly underappreciated producer. His wines are still pretty under the radar and come to California via a small and somewhat new importer called Camo & Co. His winery is quite close to the sea but he’s somewhat on his own island with no other wineries or vineyards around him. His isolated 13 acres allow for him to fully express his style without much input from others. Another plus to no neighbors is that he farms organically so there are no chemical drifts or byproducts even remotely close to him. The vines he works with are 30-100 years old and mostly everything is done by hand. He seeks to make everyday wines that people can just sit back and enjoy. Alban created a term to describe it, pifculteur, ‘pif’ is a slang term in French meaning “simple and humble everyday wine.” Because Alban is so isolated he has a lot of wildlife coming through the vineyards; mainly wild hogs who decimate his grape bunches. His whites tend to be quite wild and raw and the reds while fuller in body have a soft warm o the vine quality to them. We are always excited to get his wines in, and this one is no exception.

‘Anti-Constitutionellement’ is 100% Grenache Blanc, when in years past it did have some Macabeu and Muscat in addition. This wine is on the skins for an extended period of time giving this some fun punchiness, savory, and bright fruit character. The nice thing about this wine is that it retains freshness and isn’t cloying so it can go with a lot of dierent flavors and cuisine. Nice peachy nose and palate with some apricots and herbs with lingering acidity.

Pairing Suggestions: A simple yet satisfying melon, prosciutto and ricotta salad with arugula or a grilled salmon steak with broccolini and zatar or simple chicken and/or veggie skewers with a lemony yogurt dip.