Cool Kids Wine Club

Cool Kids Wine Club

Cool Kids Wine Club is a mixed bunch. They are statement-making, interesting, and approachable wines. These wines and producers are at the forefront of wine discourse. Names to know, people to meet.

If you are old and shaggy but want to be in the know, try these.

Cool Kids Vol. 18

The ebbs and flows of the classics that are relevant again today, veterans of their regions, survivors and visionaries. We start with the very old producer Lopez de Heredia, move on to Mas de Daumas Gassas, which started in the late 70s in a region nobody cared about, and finally Domaine des Ardoisieres, which has led the revival of a forgotten region. This trio delivers a complete narrative of structural contrast and textural depth.

At their core, these three producers refuse the path of least resistance, proving that wine greatness stems from conviction rather than conformity. R. López de Heredia in Rioja Alta stands as an unshakable monument to historical tradition; founded in 1877, the family estate continues to ignore modern cellar shortcuts in favor of wild-yeast fermentations, decades of barrel aging in ancient American oak, and patient releases.

A century later, Aimé Guibert championed a different kind of defiance in an overlooked corner of France's Languedoc. By planting non-appellation Cabernet Sauvignon on the cool, glacial-dust soils of the Gassac valley in the late 1970s, he built Mas de Daumas Gassac into a bottle that stunned global critics and earned the moniker "Grand Cru of the Languedoc," proving an ignored region could yield age-worthy masterpieces.

Domaine des Ardoisières carries this torch into the modern era by pulling the alpine slopes of Savoie out of relative obscurity. Re-established in the late 1990s on 60-degree gradient schist terraces of Cévins, the estate rescued forgotten local varieties through painstaking hand-cultivation and biodynamic farming. Winemaker Brice Omont transformed what was historically dismissed as simple ski-resort table wine into razor-sharp, crystalline benchmarks now found on world-class wine lists.

Together, López de Heredia’s stubborn preservation, Daumas Gassac’s pioneer spirit, and Ardoisières’ high-altitude rescue demonstrate that classic status isn't dictated by market trends or prestige appellations but forged through singular terroir and unwavering discipline.

Mas de Daumas Gassac Rose Frizant 2024 $25.00

Softly carbonated, bright red berry fruit, and 11% alcohol, made with an 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Mourvèdre blend for a fresh aperitif. This refreshing, low-alcohol sparkler delivers vivid fruit and direct Mediterranean energy.

Grown on the cool, high-altitude slopes of the Haute Vallée du Gassac, this lightly sparkling rosé comes from organically grown vines and is made using a modified charmat-style tank fermentation. Hand-harvested fruit undergoes a brief cold maceration to extract delicate color and fresh aromatics before an unforced, natural fermentation in closed stainless steel pressure tanks captures the fine, native bubbles.

A pale, vibrant pink hue with a gentle, soft mousse introduces aromas of fresh wild strawberry, tart raspberry, red currant, and crushed rose petals. The palate is light and crisp, bursting with sour cherry, pink grapefruit, and a hint of white pepper balanced by subtle leesy softness. Bright, driving acidity cuts straight through the delicate carbonation, giving the wine a refreshing, mouthwatering weight. It finishes clean and snappy, leaving a persistent note of citrus zest and damp limestone.

Domaine des Ardoisieres Vin des Allobroges Blanc Cuvee Silice 2024 $32.00

Cuvée Silice 2024 shifts the palette toward alpine precision, where 100% jacquère grown on black slate delivers razor-sharp acidity, citrus pith, and salty minerality.

Domaine des Ardoisières is a defining estate of modern Savoie, born from the restoration of abandoned mountain terraces above Cévins in the late 1990s. Michel Grisard initiated the project, and Brice Omont has led it since 2005, with vineyards farmed organically and according to biodynamic principles on extraordinarily steep, rocky slopes. The domaine works Alpine varieties including Altesse, Jacquère, Mondeuse, Persan and Mondeuse Blanche. Native fermentations, restrained sulfur and gentle élevage preserve the wines' vivid acidity, herbal detail and striking mineral intensity, making them reference points for mountain wine.

This white wine is a pure varietal bottling from Brice Omont, produced from organically and biodynamically managed vineyards in Savoie. The jacquère grapes are hand-picked from ancient, terraced plots on steep, rocky slopes rich in silica and limestone.

It displays a bright straw-yellow color, releasing clean aromas of green orchard fruit, lemon flesh, and white flowers over a stony mineral background. A sleek, medium-bodied frame pairs crisp apple flavors with an underlying flinty mineral core. A lively wave of natural acidity cuts through the texture, maintaining great freshness. The fine-grained texture builds nicely across the mid-palate, avoiding any heavy weight or butteriness. It finishes dry and crisp, leaving a lingering saline trace.

R. Lopez de Heredia Vina Tondonia Reserva 2013 $70.00

Finally, Viña Tondonia Reserva 2013 grounds the flight with 6 years of barrel maturation, weaving dried cherry, tobacco, and iron ore around a classic tempranillo-dominant blend.

This family-owned winery makes highly individual wines in a style essentially unchanged since its inception in 1877. They grow all their grapes using organic methods, ferment using only natural yeasts, and do not filter their wines.

López de Heredia's reputation as the ultimate Rioja traditionalist is indisputable: craft, farming, and winemaking are all here and have been for a long, long time. Another remarkable feat is that they also pioneered the single-vineyard model in Rioja. Gravonia, Tondonia, Bosconia and Cubillo are all individual vineyards which have been in the family for generations.

Patience is a family watchword, as this bodega thinks nothing of waiting twenty years before releasing a wine. Their “Crianzas” are aged like others’ “Reservas” and “Gran Reservas”; the “Reservas” as long as others’ top “Gran Reservas”. Both red and white versions can achieve staggering longevity.

Sourced from the iconic 100-hectare Viña Tondonia vineyard along the banks of the Ebro River in Rioja Alta, this classic blend thrives on alluvial soils mixed with limestone and gravel. Hand-harvested fruit ferments spontaneously with native yeasts in historic oak vats before aging for 6 full years in neutral American oak barrels crafted in the estate’s own cooperage.

A deep ruby color with brick highlights introduces savory aromas of dried cherry, tobacco leaf, cedar box, and dried orange peel. The palate delivers classic flavors of tart red plum, leather, clove, and sweet forest floor, supported by silky, fine-grained tannins and a vibrant line of natural acidity. The mid-palate is elegant and light-to-medium in weight, feeling both polished and energetic. It finishes long, dry, and distinctly savory, leaving a lasting impression of crushed stone, dried herbs, and toasted oak.

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