FRUIT OF THE VINES: A BRIEF FOREWORD TO OUR WINE LIST FROM THE LEGENDARY HANGING GARDENS OF BABYLON WHERE THE GRAPEVINES CAUGHT THE LIGHT LIKE shattered glass to the sun-swept piazzas of ancient Rome where a glass of wine was seen as a democratic right, winemaking has been inextricably intertwined with the advent of Western civilization. At Bold Monk, we honor both grains and grape.
Just as our Belgian inspired beers pay homage to the monastic traditions of the great Trappist brewers, our wine list is rooted in the winemaking traditions of the European monasteries who kept the ancient craft of viticulture alive through the Dark Ages and cultivated it into the masterful works we enjoy today. We’re proud to offer producers who have centuries-old connections to the spirit of the monk, and whose family histories lie at the heart of a timeless art. FRANCE BURGUNDY DOMAINE ALBERT BICHOT BURGUNDY IS perhaps the truest representation of monastic viticulture practices. For centuries, nearly every terroir was documented for character and fertility. Meticulous record-keeping ranging from vines and weather to fermentation and aging brought an element of science into the art of winemaking and enabled a level of mastery previously unknown.
FAMED FOR their heraldry of a prancing doe and dating back to the early 13th century, the Bichot family played a pivotal role in this transition. They settled into the fief of Châteauneuf-en-Auxois in 1350, and for nearly 7 centuries, observed the monastic heritage to produce internationally acclaimed wines.
SPARKLING NV Crémant de Bourgogne Brut Réserve … 16 / 56 NV Crémant de Bourgogne Sparkling Rosé … 14 / 46 WHITE 2018 Mâcon-Villages Chardonnay ... 13 / 42 2018 Bourgogne Blanc, Chardonnay ... 12 / 38 2017 Saint-Véran Chardonnay … 50 RED 2017 Coteaux Bourguignons, Gamay/Pinot Noir ... 11 / 36 2017 Bourgogne Rouge, Pinot Noir ... 12 / 38 2017 Secret de Famille Pinot Noir ... 60 CHAMPAGNE GROWER CHAMPAGNES are produced by the estate that owns the vineyards where the grapes are grown. They’re noted by the distinctive label, the designation Récoltant Manipulant (RM). Both our producers are heirs to the monastic traditions of Champagne. Liébart-Régnier is the amalgamation of two famed, ancestral vineyards in the Marne valley. The Chiquet family planted their first vines in 1746, and 8 generations later, continue to preserve and honor the family legacy.
LIÉBART -RÉGNIER NV ‘Les Sols Bruns’ Grower Champagne Brut ... 75 GASTON CHIQUET NV Grower Brut Tradition (375 mL) ... 48 BORDEAUX CHATEAU DE FONTENILLE th LOCATED IN the lush, Entre-Deux-Mers region of Bordeaux, the Château Fontenille’s storied history begins in the 14 century. A pilgrimage route limns the vineyards and cuts through to the neighboring Sauve-Majeure Abbey, where mo nks tended the vines for hundreds of years.
WHITE 2017 Entre-deux-Mers Blanc … 9 / 30 RED
2016 Entre-deux-Mers Rouge … 10 / 33 ALSACE DOMAINE SCHLUMBERGER PERCHED UPON the dizzying heights of the Guebwiller hills with slopes reaching 50°, this southern, mountain-side vine yard is one of the most breathtaking in Alsace. They utilize biodynamic farming to ensure the durability and regeneration of the vineyard. Each generation imparts and ingrains respect of nature: an essential element of the Schlumberger life and ancestral craft.
WHITE 2018 Pinot Grigio … 46 2018 Pinot Blanc ... 10 / 33 2018 Riesling … 46
FRUIT OF THE VINES
ITALY ALTO ADIGE ABBAZIA DI NOVACELLA NESTLED WITHIN the Isarco River Valley Abbazia di Novacella is one of the oldest wineries in the world, and arguably the most unique. Founded in 1142 by the Augustinian Order of Canons Regular, the monks work to support themselves as part of their community. They’ve long been known for producing world-class whites, and maintain a small school devoted primarily to viticulture studies. The ir reputation as a winery is long-standing and international: in 2009, the abbey’s enologist was named winemaker of the year.
WHITE 2017 Pinot Grigio … 13 / 42 2018 Kerner, Dry … 46 RED 2018 Pino Nero … 42 CHIANTI COLTIBUONO IN 1051, the Monk Giovanni Gualberto received a donation from a powerful aristocratic family, the church of San Lorenzo a Coltibuono, to build a monastery to host monks and pilgrims. The Latin name was Badia a Cultus Boni: “good culture”, “good agriculture” or “good harvest”. The monks revived Etruscan and Roman practices and supported major cultivation of the land. The first mention of Chianti emerges in 12th century documents from a Coltibuono monk.
RED 2018 Coltibuono Chianti Cetamura … 8 / 27 2017 Badia A Coltibuono Chianti Classico Estate … 58 PIEMONTE PIO CESARE PIO CESARE limits its production by using only the most mature and healthy grapes. Their ripening is carefully monitored, and the harvest is rigidly controlled and selected by hand. Piedmont rests between the Alps and Mediterranean Sea; the confluence of brisk, Alpine, air and warm, maritime, breezes crowns it in a misty glow or “nebbia”. The Nebbiolo grape is named for this condition.
WHITE 2018 Cortese Di Gavi … 40 2018 Chardonnay L’Altro … 40 RED 2016 Barbera D’Alba … 15 / 52 2017 Dolcetto D’Alba … 52 2015 Barolo ... 100
SPAIN PRIORAT LA CONRERIA D’SCALA DEI THE FIRST recorded evidence of grape cultivation and wine production emerged in the 12th century at the Carthusian Monastery Cartoixa d’Scala Dei: literally, the steps to god. These priors lent their name to the rugged region of Priorat and introduced the art of viticulture. The monks tended the vineyards for centuries until 1835 when they were expropriated by the state. A priest, teacher, and winemaker revived their practice in 1997, and continue to honor their unparalleled impact on Western wines.
WHITE 2016 ‘La Morera’ Vi De La Vila Blanc … 42 2017 ‘Les Brugueres’ Vi Blanc … 58 RED 2017 ‘Black Slate’ Escaladei Vi De La Vila … 14 / 46
FRUIT OF THE VINES
AUSTRIA BURGENLAND HEINRICH In the 10th to 12th centuries, Cistercian Monks brought Burgundian wine culture to Austria via Heiligenkreuz Abbey. Bavarian dioceses and abbeys along the Danube River administered the clearing and cultivation of river valleys and were instrumental in establishing terracing culture in Wachau. This biodynamic viticulture sustains in Heinrich today.
WHITE 2017 Heinrich ‘Naked’ White … 42 RED 2017 Heinrich Red … 38 2015 Heinrich Zweigelt … 40
GERMANY PFALZ VILLA WOLF The Pfalz region has a long, tumultuous history of viticulture. Relics of winemaking have been found in Celtic graves as early as 550 B.C. The Romans, realizing the potential of the northern winds and steep hillsides, fostered winemaking within the region to support their flourishing garrisons and settlement outposts. With the fall of Rome, wine was outlawed in many Germanic tribes. Vineyards lay dormant until viticulture was revived by Christian Monasteries in the 7th Century.
WHITE 2018 Pinot Gris … 8 / 27 2018 Dry Riesling … 8 / 27 ROSÉ 2018 Pinot Noir Rosé … 9 / 30 RED 2017 Pinot Noir … 11 / 36