“Wine goes with life”
February 10, 2022
Cambridge, MA
When choosing wines, trust in your Sommelier is critical. Stanislas “Stan” Hilbert is French, having spent most of his childhood there. With no hint of a French accent, it is not immediately apparent. But like all the French, he has that “je ne sais quoi” when he speaks about wine. When he tells you a wine is beautiful, you believe him. When he says that wine pairs well with this dish, you change your order. Because you trust him.
We recently sat down with his by the glass wine list and it was a lovely wander through the wine regions of Gascony, the Rhône, Languedoc in France, Jumilla and Catalunya in Spain and Georgia – possibly the oldest winemaking culture in the world. His emphasis is on natural wines made with minimal intervention so that the purity of the fruit shines through.
It is not often you see such an innovative wine list, so I was really excited to sit down and taste with him. His wine list changes over time, but his current wine are as follows:
2020 “4 Cepages”, Domaine de Pajot, Gascony. This is a Sauvignon Blanc, Colombard, Ugni Blanc and Gros Manseng blend that is perfectly balanced. The Sauvignon Blanc’s intensely aromatic character and high acidity are toned down by the other more neutral, fruity grapes, but come through with an expressive flourish. Apples, Pears, hints of stone fruit, a bit of herbaceousness, some minerality combine to taste almost sweet even though the wine is absolutely dry. It pairs well with spicy, rich dishes, such as the mussels, the rock shrimp or the creamy brandade.
2017 Bloom, Vin des Potes x Remi Pouizin, Viognier / Clairette / Grenache Blanc. One reviewer described this wine as, “a springtime landscape. A Provencal path that you take while sniffing the flowers, almond trees and fruit trees. Without heaviness thanks to its freshness balancing its generosity, it is an easy and pleasant wine.” I fear I cannot improve on this description but I can add that it is also a bit yeasty and rich, so it pairs well with the cider-braised cabbage or the Fattoush salad.
2019 “On est pas bien la…?” Petit Domaine, Languedoc. This wine is considered an orange wine – white wine fermented with the skins – but it is light and refreshing. Made with Grenache Blanc, which has a round, fuller body, the 3 days of skin fermenting add a lovely texture to the wine that allows it to pair well with several dishes on the menu, including the mussels, phyllo-wrapped Reading cheese and black Spanish radishes.
2020 Parajes del Valles, Monastrell, Jumilla. This wine is not what I was expecting. Monastrell, also knows as Mourvedre and Mataro, seems to be a chameleon. I have mostly had dark, inky, almost thick and tannic Monastrells, but this wine is a bright ruby red, with light red fruit aromas on the open and some black fruit on the end, and is perfectly balanced between its acid and tannin. Aged in neutral concrete, the quality of the fruit shines through. It pairs with the red wine poached monkfish, the herb rubbed chicken and the smoked beef tongue.
2018 Chubini, Saperavi, Kakheti, Georgia. This is the wine on the list that is most chewy. It has dark fruit and earth and tannins and even a bit of a floral nature, and will stand up to the short-rib sloppy joe and the lovage-cured Macomber turnip. Aged in quevri, the traditional amphorae of ancient times and left on the skins for 6 months, it is layered in complex aromas and flavors.
We also tasted one of Stan’s wines of the night. It was the “BB,” made by Partida Creus from Catalunya and it was another beautiful surprise. Made with the not commonly imported Bobal grape, it was bright and tart and almost had candied aromas – somewhat like a Pinot Noir – but it was also minerally and had slightly fuller bodied. It would go with everything on the menu, so if he showcases this tiny production wine again, grab it!