Shamrock Selections is a monthly subscription service that brings you the best wines from around the world. Each month’s selection is carefully chosen by sommelier Keegan Sparks and his team. He keeps a keen eye out for wines that are unique, rare, and new to our market. Shamrock Selections is ideal for enthusiasts and explorers who delight in finding hidden gems and trying new, exclusive vintages. Each month, you can join us on a journey of sampling and learning about some of the greatest wines in the world. Each selection of wine comes with detailed tasting notes and food pairing suggestions from our team.
This month, we’re highlighting the second round of wines that we imported directly from France. These wines are so special, and they’re unlike anything you’ll find on our shelves, or anywhere else in Arkansas, for that matter. A theme you will notice this month selections, and in previous selections is “old vines”. As vines age, the size of their grapes become smaller. This, in turn, results in a wine is more concentrated and complex. Old vineyards are rare and finding two wines from vineyards that are over seventy years old is a real treat.
Domaine D’Aupilhac l’Hérault “Les Servières” Rouge
This is the second time we’ve had a wine from Domaine D’Aupilhac and we’re thrilled to bring you another of their fantastic wines. The domain is owned by Sylian Fadet, whose family has been farming this land since the nineteenth century. The “Les Servières” is a truly amazing wine. The vineyard was planted in 1900 on extremely rocky terrain composed of clay and limestone. The resulting wine is deep and complex with ripe flavors of strawberry, cherry and an underlying savouriness. Composed entirely from cinsault, this is the greatest example of the grape I have ever tasted. I recommend decanting the wine as it’s a bit tight and angular at first sip. Given just a few minutes to breath, it opens up to reveal a great depth of flavor and remarkably smooth texture. I’d recommend enjoying it with hearty winter food like pot pie and roasts.
André & Michel Quenard Vin de Savoie Chignin “Vielles Vignes”
If you happened to guess that “Vielles Vignes” is French for “old vines” you’d be right. The vines here are all over seventy years old and were originally planted in the 1930s by Michel’s grandfather. Today he farms these old vines with the help of this two sons Guillaume and Roman. When I taste this wine I am immediately transported back in time to a summer I spent in the alps of Switzerland and France. The grape here is jacquere and it has that fresh crispness of mountain air combined with a surprising richness from a wine grown so high in the mountains. Drinking it makes me crave a big pot of fondue or raqulette.
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