Trying this wine for the first time was one of my most exciting tasting moments all summer. Why? Because I've never had anything like it. It was extremely exciting and refreshing to taste something completely different and in its own league.
Lori Haon started his winery just 6 years ago at the age of 21! Now look at him?! He's turning the heads of wine nerds like me all over the world. Lori had three years of very bad luck when he started his winery in Southern Rhône and he fell victim to a wild boar attack on his grapes, a year of rot, and a year of drought. With some serious patience and perseverance, he was able to make his first good vintage of wine 2019 and the years following have been super impressive. He's a young wild-man who isn't scared to blend grapes that don't usually go together in a bottle. He grows 13 different varieties of grapes on a very small plot of land. He's a real cool dude doing real cool things.
Speaking of 13 grape varieties, they all have found their way into this bottle! La Partouze (I'll let you look up the lustful translation) is a combination of...deep breath...grenache, carignan,. syrah, mourvèdre, pinot, cinsault, cabernet, melot, grenache gris, grenache blanc, riesling, roussanne, and viognier...phew! The coolest thing about this wine is that it's not red, it's not white, and it's not rosé either. It's in its own world as a perfectly juicy, playful, and zippy wine that should be enjoyed with a best friend.
This one took me right back to sour patch kids and peach rings. Its bouquet on the nose brought a smile to my face and the flavor brought me back to my childhood. Grab one today because they won't be around too long. This is a perfect example of how wine should be fun. Thanks, Lori, for keeping us young!
