MCF Rare Wine
Iruai - Channeling the Spirit of Shasta
About an hour's drive west of the legendary Mount Shasta, in Northern California, approaching the border with OR, lies the town of Etna...yes, just like the volcano in Sicily.
In the town of Etna, lives a small winery called Iruai, started by Chad Hinds and his wife Michelle. Obsessed with the alpine wines of France, from places like the Savoie and the Jura, they were determined to make wines in the style of these regions, but that also articulated the soul of California.
It just so happened that the places that seemed to work the best for such an undertaking, were those that surrounded Michelle's hometown of Etna. So, this is where they settled and, over the past few years, they've slowly built up their contracts with sites around Shasta and up into Oregon's Rogue Valley to make Alpine California a thing.
And quite a thing they have created...
Now, there's a lot I love about these wines. First off, they're fun and delicious and have all the natty vibe that the kids love, but they're not just juice bomb session wines. These are subtle, serious wines that have plenty to say...albeit somewhat amusingly.
There's a YouTube channel that my family loves called The Why Files, which humorously deals with all kinds of unexplained phenomenon, etc., and one of my favorite episodes is the one dealing with the legends and mysteries surrounding Mount Shasta.
So, while my palate had already been taken by the wines, hearing that they came from the Shasta area made me love them even more.
This intrigue about Shasta is subtly/smartly woven into the winery's whole aesthetic, with wizards and silhouettes of Bigfoot on labels or names like 'Cosmic Cowboy'. Not only do the wines transparently communicate the soul of the land, but, in their playfully delicious style, they also capture its wild spirit.
Plus, they have some of the most gorgeous bottles on the market...
...which never hurts...
Alpine California, baby!
IRUAI
Oregon Rosé 2023 - The Oregon Rosé, a 50/50 blend of Tempranillo and Grenache from Oregon's Applegate Valley AVA, is a juicy, stony, berry-fruited beauty with just a kiss of candied brightness, to go along with that wild Iruai spirit. It's refreshing, it's delicious, and it has just the right amount of natty texture.
Shasta Cascade Red 2022 - This blend of .40 Trousseau, .25 Pinot Noir, .20 Gamay, .10 Mondeuse and .5 Blaufrankisch kind of encapsulates the brilliance of what Chad and Michelle are after at Iruai. It's super fragrant, precise, high-toned, berry-fruited, peppery, savory and extremely light on its feet, just like a proper Savoie or Jura red that it aims to emulate. It does so with that sunny California make-up and wild, Shasta spirit, of course...
Sylvan Trousseau 2022 - Iruai's Trousseau is one of the great expressions of this grape from outside of the Jura...seriously. It's light, bright, pungent, juicy, racy, earthy and, despite the tart finish, deceptively weighty in a way that defies logic. Per Iruai's own description - buy the ticket, take the ride...
You may order by calling 212.255.8870.
Matt Franco
MCF Rare Wine, Ltd
249 West 13th Street NYC 10011
212.255.8870
Looking for a wine you loved from a past newsletter or a favorite you can't find anywhere? Email Raphael at raphael@mcf-rarewine.com, and we'll do our best to find it for you!
