Medium Plus

How about some Rhône! Such a treat to work with Cornas and the like from A. Clape. How about that Vin des Amis though, coming in at 10.5% ABV? Let’s get a chill on that pronto, and a breezy creekside. 🏖️

You don’t have to look too close to see the connection between these two w**e labels. Both Beaujolais w**es carry the image of a horse. But who are these trusty steeds? Both images actually depict the same animal – a race horse named Roilette. But the connection goes deeper. Roilette was the racehorse of a former w**e estate owner in the newly designated Fleurie appellation in the 1920’s. The owner was reportedly furious that his vineyards had been classified as Fleurie instead of neighboring Moulin-à-Vent. In protest, he replaced the name of the cru on the label with an image of his racehorse, Roilette.

In 1967, Fernand Coudert purchased the neglected estate, replanted the vineyards, and restored the clos. His son Alain joined him in 1984, and today the Coudert family continues to farm this remarkable piece of the Fleurie–Moulin-à-Vent border.

Domaine Coudert is used for w**es made from Coudert family parcels outside the original Clos de la Roilette vineyard. That includes Cuvée Christie. Its roughly three hectares are near the village of Fleurie but are separate from the historic clos, with more typically granitic Fleurie soils. Because the parcels are outside the clos, the label uses the Coudert family name instead of “Clos de la Roilette.”

I am super excited to be hosting a tasting featuring the w**es of Kobayashi this Friday at 7pm. W**emaker Travis Allen will be in the house!

Having become a powerful force on the Washington scene over the last decade, Travis and his wife Mario have developed a vibrant following for their w**es. The program highlights Rhône grape varieties, along with innovative production techniques, Japanese family heritage, and energetically delicious flavors. Their production volume is intentionally capped, allowing quality to be maintained, although the w**es now sell out faster than ever.

I first met Travis and Mario back in December of 2019 at an event with Modernist Cuisine, shortly before the world changed for a while, and I was able to unearth a photo from that evening, seen below. Since then I have been lucky to get to know them as friends, while following the ascent of Kobayashi as the w**es continue to gain fame.

Travis takes direct inspiration from the likes of Gangloff, Allemand, and Selosse, and elements of those legendary producers shine through in the w**es. Sidestepping the increasingly busy appellation structure within Columbia Valley, the labels typically carry the unassuming title of Washington State, although exceptional vineyard sources are used, including WeatherEye near Red Mountain. This reminds me of the great Tuscan producers who have opted to use Toscana IGT in lieu of the tangled web of Chianti and other appellations, allowing the w**es to speak for themselves with less noise on the label.

Speaking of Tuscany, Podere Il Carnasciale of that region has become a collaborator with Kobayashi in recent years. They became famous for their emphasis on the unique Caberlot grape variety, which they favor bottling in magnum as a default format. The collaboration bottling of “Kobayashi x Caberlot” is a superbly rare release, and we are excited to feature this w**e in the lineup, along with other Kobayashi treats like the Light of The Night Marsanne dessert w**e.

RSVP available on the Medium Plus website.

Thank you for reading, and I hope you can join for the event, or another one of our tastings coming up soon.

Best,
Nick

Medium Plus, Seattle