Wine Offerings

Wine Matchup for Thanksgiving Feast: A Pack of Ten Picks to Enhance the Food, Reawaken the Appetite and Renew Weary Taste Buds ($279) + Recent Arrival Traversing Burgundy in Six Wines with Domaine Manuel Olivier (6-Bottle Pack $459)

A true masterpiece is composed of many elements, and all the details must be in precise balance: The forearm musculature on Michelangelo’s ‘David’ for example—the intake of breath in the nostril of Sanmartino’s ‘Veiled Christ.’ This is as true for a magnificent meal as it is for a sculpture, and any constituent of your Thanksgiving Day spread that’s treated as an afterthought may glare more than the successes.

Naturally, we consider wine to be an indispensable part of this annual meal, not only to reinforce the overall sensory enjoyment, but as a nod to a greater sense of appreciation for things that we, as human beings, get right.

It’s possible to overanalyze your wine choices, of course—many of the other elements of a Thanksgiving feast are as fixed as the solar system. Wine is one factor that is not only less preordained, but can (and should) change with vintages and tastes.

When dealing with alcohol-by-volume, any multi-course meal where wine is served as an accompaniment should follow a simple rule: When possible, go low so your guests don’t get too high. Whether you consider food/wine match-ups to be an art, a science, or simply a way to expand your horizons with a variety of different styles and appellations, there are some tricks to the trade we try to emphasize with our holiday picks: Contrast or complement but never overshadow and keep the octane at a lower level than you otherwise might in order to make sure that everyone returns home to tipple another day.

This Thanksgiving, Elie’s is offering an eclectic line-up (10 bottles for $279) that should delight and entice while keeping your guests on the safe side of celebration. Our suggestions are culled from new arrivals and old standbys, and are offered as interval highlights at various stages of the meal. They reflect the balance that all cooks, winemakers and artists strive for in rhythm, emphasis, unity and variety.

To Serve Before Dinner and with Appetizers

When your guests arrive, an icebreaker does not need to contain ice, but the appropriate chill is always appreciated. Red wines, in particular, tend to be served too warm. In this case, the light and perfumed carbonically-macerated Cabernet France from Sébastien David hits its refreshing high water mark and around 55°F, somewhat lower than the typical household room temperature. Likewise, the tendency is to transfer white wine directly from refrigerator to glass, which is too cold to appreciate the nuances of Blard & Fils Roussette de Savoie. Give it ten or fifteen minutes to pick up some ambient room warmth—it will show much better. Of course, these effervescent, quaffable and refreshing cidres will be fine with a brisk November chill.

Hard Cider

1 Maison Hérout ‘Micro – Cuvée No 1’, 2020 AOP Cidre Cotentin Tranquil ($24) 5.5% abv
A fizzy, bright gold organic cidre aged for three months in Calvados barrels (leading to the slightly higher alcohol content). It shows aromas of fallen lemon and earth with a lightly tannic, vibrant and compelling body that shows brisk dried peach, hay and parchment on the finish

2 Maison Hérout ‘Cuvée Tradition’, 2020 AOP Cidre Cotentin – Brut ($19) 5% abv
Bright gold in the color with frothy bubbles and the heady aromas of picked apple. Slightly earthy with a tannic, vibrant, fruity light-to-medium body and compelling hints of minerality.

Maison Hérout
Normandy

The Hérout estate is located near the town of Auvers, where apples thrive in a lush oceanic climate. The Hérout family began producing cider in the 1940s; today, Marie-Agnès Hérout has taken over the farm and remains true to her heritage by producing some of the finest ciders available from this region. After picking, the apples are grated, macerated, and then pressed with the help of a rack press dating back to 1920, whereupon the juice is left to ferment for four to seven months, often in used Calvados barrels.

Marie-Agnès also continues the family tradition of planting apple trees for future generations and in 2000, began a campaign with the Syndicat de Promotion du Cidre du Cotentin to earn the region’s certification for Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée Cotentin status. In May of 2016, after 16 years of hard work and perseverance, the quest succeeded.

White Wine

3 Blard & Fils, 2020 Roussette de Savoie ‘Altesse’ ($27) 12.5% abv
Nowhere in the world does Altesse reign as regally as in Roussette de Savoie, an AOP which has adopted the grape’s nickname ‘Roussette’ as its own. Late to ripen, and turning pink near harvest, the variety produces small grapes with a tight-bunch structure.

This wine is 100% Altesse from Abymes, from vines that are 35 years old. As always, Thomas Blard ferments naturally, with 20% of the juice seeing skin contact for 10 days. Aged on the lees for 10 months before bottling, the wine presents a terrific nose of green grass, salt, lemon and ripe apricot. The palate follows with green tea, lime zest, and herbs behind an exhilarating, Chablis-like texture.

Blard & Fils
Savoie

Jean-Noël and Thomas Blard are a father/son team who has taken their family domain to new quality heights while moving steadily toward fully organic and natural viticulture. In the 1990’s, Jean-Noël became one of the first vignerons in the appellation to diversify into Pinot Noir, and was also eager to raise the quality bar on Jacquère and Mondeuse—the latter by aging in neutral oak for a minimum of two years. With 25 acres under Blard control, grassed over and fertilized naturally, the Blards use a technique known as ‘intercep’ to remove unwanted greenery before finishing the job by hand.

Five generations of Blard have snatched victory from the jaws of defeat: In 1248, the side of Mont Granier (one of the major formations of the Savoie’s Chartreuse Massif) collapsed, and a wave of boulders and scree crushed the landscape below, forever changing the soil structure. Apremont means ‘bitter mountain’ and Abymes means ‘ruin’ and as a result of the natural upheaval, it is today it is considered to be the best place in the Savoie (and by extension, all of France) to grow Jacquère.

Red Wine

4 Sébastien David ‘Hurluberlu’, 2023 VdF Loire-Touraine ‘Cabernet Franc’ ($25) 13% abv
Working with whole clusters, David ferments ‘Hurluberlu’ on wild yeasts, employing carbonic maceration for 25 days followed by a light pressing to preserve the fruit’s freshness, and to create a wine that is as animated as its name, resplendent with sizzling cherry, bright raspberry and tart cranberry that deserves to be served slightly chilled.

Sébastien David
The Loire Valley

No comment on E.F. Hutton, but when Sébastien David speaks, you should probably listen. He is the fifteenth-generation to make wine in an estate that dates back to 1634. And when he speaks, he says, “I believe in the energy of the land.”

The family owns 37 acres of Cabernet Franc Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil, with the vines aged 35-100 years old. Sébastien heed the call of the land’s energy after his grandfather died in the late 1990s—Sébastien’s first vintage was 1999, and has since focused on producing natural wines from fruit that is Ecocert certified.

“My insistence has been to listen to the soil,” he says. “We are organic, biodynamic and are currently exploring permaculture, where grass grows between rows. In the cellar I use concrete eggs as well as amphorae. The pH here in Saint-Nicolas is higher due to more sand in the soil and the concrete allows me to accentuate the more floral notes of Cabernet Franc rather than the green pepper notes you might get from a Chinon.”

To Toast With

A post-election country may have as much to mourn as to toast, so take a moment with your guests to acknowledge the passing of another interesting year and fondest hopes for the next four.

France’s ingenious méthode champenoise makes the quintessential toasting wine, but such singular improvements have been made throughout the world of bubbles that now is an ideal time to expand your horizons beyond the familiar world of Chardonnay/Pinot Noir blends. Even Cava, Spain’s answer to Champagne, relies primarily on Parellada, Macabeu and Xarel·lo grapes, but there’s another dimension to Spanish sparklers that takes a different, and exciting, route.

Sparkling White Wine

5 Cellers Carol Vallès ‘Parellada i Faura’, 2021 Cava Reserva Brut-Nature D-08/2024 ($22) 11.5% abv
30% Parellada, 30% Xarel·lo and 40% Macabeu aged on lees for over two years. A fruity and lively cava reflecting prominent notes of peach and lemon peel with apple, butter and peach.

Cellers Carol Vallès
Catalunya

Nothing summarizes Thanksgiving better than the lure of family tradition, and this is the magnet that drew Joan Carol back to the farmhouse of Can Parellada that his grandparents acquired more than a century ago. There he founded Cellers Carol Vallès where, with Teresa Vallès, he began to craft cavas in the style he was most passionate about, using traditional methods, unique blends and the long aging times.

To Complement Dinner

When the curtain rises on the main event, cast and crew must be on cue; no more dress rehearsal holidays, this is opening night. And although we’d only recommend diva wines for this important matchup, the fact is that fancy-costume labels should not be a deciding factor when there are plenty of remarkable main-floor wines available for mezzanine prices. Alsace produces wine in a spectacular array of styles that with a little labor-of-love practice; Penedès offers fascinating new varietals while Beaujolais and Burgundy have long offered traditional, but perfect solutions to the myriad flavors of the holiday.

White Wine

6 Domaine Dirler-Cadé, 2022 Alsace Riesling ($33) 12.5% abv
Built from declassified Grand Cru grapes, Dirler-Cadé’s basic Riesling retains many of the markers of their vineyards of origin, juicy, supple, and aromatic, with intricacies of lime, verbena, herbs, and spice.

Domaine Dirler-Cadé
Alsace

As the name suggests, Domaine Dirler-Cadé is the union of two historical Alsatian winegrowing families. Jean Dirler is a 5th generation winemaker whose family had been making wine in the tiny village of Bergholtz, tucked into the lower hills of the Vosge Mountains, since 1871. Ludvine Cadé’s family owned vineyards in nearby Guebwiller, known as Domaine Hell-Cade. The marriage of Ludvine and Jean in 2000 produced Domaine Dirler-Cadé, one of the finest domains in Alsace, with almost half of their 44 acres in Grand Cru vineyards, as well as plots in five lieux-dits.

Rosé Wine

7 Can Sumoi ‘La Rosa’, 2023 Penedès ($24) 12% abv
60% Sumoll and 40% Xarel-lo; a shimmery, orange-pink wine offering vibrant ripe cherry flavors and spicy tangerine with a touch of anise in the mid-palate, finishing with a sharp, chalky minerality.

Can Sumoi
Catalunya

At two thousand feet above sea level (in the Serra de l’Home range) Can Sumoi is the highest estate in the Penedès; Mallorca and the Ebro Delta are visible from the rooftop of the winery’s 350-year-old farmhouse. Below, vineyards sprawl across limestone-rich soil between stands of oak and white pine, which to the ecology-driven Pepe Raventós, share equal importance with the vines. “Forests,” he says, “protect the biodiversity of the estate; they are the green lungs of the world.”

It is a spiritual quest, he admits; the smells and flavors of Catalunya are unique and exist in his soul as surely as in his wine. “To express origin, you really need to bring a lot of life into your farm. The principle is simple: the more diversity on your property, the more richness there is, the more resistant and strong your vines will be. The fewer treatments they need, the more authentic the wine will be. I left the idea of making perfect wine a long time ago. I think my duty is to make the most authentic wine possible.”

Red Wine

8 Clos de Mez ‘Mademoiselle M’, 2022 Fleurie ($27) 13.5% abv
Semi-carbonic fermentation, then aged nine months in vats, Marie-Élodie Zighera’s signature Fleurie offers an attractive floral nose with notes of cherry and strawberry. The backbone is nicely spun through with acidity and the mineral-driven terroir shines through to the finish.

Clos de MEZ
Beaujolais

Marie-Élodie Zighera has roots in the past; a metaphor that is not really a metaphor since her oldest vines were planted so long ago that when France entered the First World War, they were already producing. “Vines have been in my maternal family for four generations,” she says. “The grapes they grew were delivered to the cooperative cellar by my grandmother and mother up until I arrived at the domain as a winegrower. However, this did not deter my grandmother or mother from taking great care of our 17-hectare vineyard. At that time, I was living in Paris with my family and we would come to Fleurie for the holidays. I used to love this time so much, being in close contact with nature.”

Red Wine

9 Domaine Manuel Olivier ‘Vieilles Vignes’, 2020 Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Nuits ($49) 12.5% Abv
The Pinot Noir from this old-vine Burgundy originate on a gentle, east/southeast facing slope. 50% of the grapes are de-stemmed; cold maceration follows for a week, then natural fermentation on ambient yeasts. The wine spends 15 months on fine lees in young oak barrels and delivers a rich, fleshy palate with cherry, raspberry and a touch of underbrush.

Domaine Manuel Olivier
Burgundy

Despite a childhood spent among the vines, Manuel Olivier did not follow in the family footsteps directly out of the gate. First, he traveled to Switzerland to pursue his passion for skiing, and along the way, decided that he was equally passionate about wine. He entered the field (literally) with a few acres of vines in 1990, which has grown to nearly 30 in Hautes-Côtes de Nuits, the Côte de Nuits and the Côte de Beaune. Using wild yeast, his goal is to produce approachable, subtle wines where the fruit expressed delicacy. He says, “This can only be obtained by an obsessive attention to detail; handpicking, low temperature maceration and use of natural yeast. I destem half of my harvest and take a minimum of seven days low-temperature maceration prior to fermentation.”

With Dessert

On Thanksgiving, there are those who consider dessert an entirely separate meal, generally offered after a breather and, in the case of football fans, a nail-biter game. Hedonism is a given, and a sugar blast from confections is as easy as pie or as complex and elaborate as your inner pastry chef can concoct. Whether it’s an introduction or renewed acquaintance with an old friend, Banyuls, the produce of sea, mountain, sun and wind, are wines created for pleasure.

Red Dessert Wine

10 Coume del Mas ‘Galateo’, 2017 Banyuls ($30) 500 ml 16% abv
100% old vine Grenache Noir from a plot near the sea. The grapes fortified on their skins—a process that helps extract color, tannin and prevents oxidation, then aged in 225-liter oak casks for a minimum of six months before bottling. The wine is packed with smoky dark fruit and shows great acidity to balance 90 gram/liter residual sugar.

Coume del Mas
Roussillon

Created in 2001 by Roussillon pioneers Philippe and Nathalie Gard, Coume del Mas spreads across 40 acres of difficult terrain, principally on the steep schist slopes around Banyuls-sur-Mer; Andy Cook handles the winemaking. Viticulture in this extreme environment is almost entirely done by hand, and the wines reflect the through dry wines of elegant concentration while the dessert wines display both oxidative and modern ‘rimage’ style requiring an oxygen-free environment of stainless steel. Says Philippe: “Our Banyuls are produced from intense, extremely ripe Grenache Noir grapes that are fortified at around 8% with neutral grape spirit. Akin to Port in some respects, these wines are lower in alcohol and much ‘finer’, fresher and balanced—they are true Mediterranean treasures.”

RECENT ARRIVAL

Traversing Burgundy in Six Wines
with Manuel Olivier
($459)

Karen MacNeil, author of ‘The Wine Bible,’ states, “The pleasure of Pinot Noir is the surprising way the wine pulls you into it and reveals numerous facets of flavor. And precisely because a good Pinot is so complex, it also has an incredible range when it comes to pairing with food. That is why it’s perfect for Thanksgiving when everything from cranberries to squash to roast turkey are all on the same plate.”

Manuel Olivier

Manuel Olivier understands these principles intimately, and his range of red Burgundies navigates multiple appellations explores the nuanced terroirs of each. He manages forty vineyard acres across the Hautes-Côtes de Nuits, Côte de Nuits and Côte de Beaune.

As a side note, since 2019 Olivier has been actively involved in the renaissance of the Dijon vineyards and the development of a new Bourgogne Dijon AOP.

Regional Burgundy

So specific are the cru vineyards of Burgundy that régionale vineyards may exist in the literal shadow of more renowned domains, occasionally separated by hundreds, or even as little as dozens of feet. Régionale wines tend to be culled from vineyards located along the foot of more prestigious wine-growing slopes on limestone soil mixed with some clays and marls, where the earth is stony and quick-draining.

Unlike Bordeaux, where classifications are based on individual châteaux (capable of buying other vineyards and expanding), Burgundian label classifications are more geographically focused. A single vineyard, therefore, may have multiple owners, each with a small piece of the action.

The ‘Bourgogne’ label first appeared in 1937, and in 2017, a further classification permitted wines from vineyards located within the Côte d’Or to be labeled as ‘Bourgogne Côte d’Or’; it’s a great tool for a consumer looking to explore the wide diversity of vineyard among the Hills of Gold while maintaining a terroir-focused, climat approach to Burgundy.

1 Domaine Manuel Olivier, 2020 Bourgogne ‘Pinot Noir’ ($27)
A lightly smoky and refreshingly bright wine; not overly ambitious, but developing nicely and probably ready to consume.

*click photo for more info

2 Domaine Manuel Olivier ‘Vieilles Vignes’, 2020 Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Nuits ($49)
Pinot Noir from 30-year-old vineyards, aged 18 months in oak barrels. It shows silken notes of ripe raspberry and spice with with earthy, black tea tannins.

*click photo for more info

Pommard (Côte-de-Beaune)

If Burgundy is a volume of poetry, Pommard might be thought of as its Alfred, Lord Tennyson, offering power and rich structure, a charge of the Light Brigade, only with a substantially safer outcome. Pommard is the beginning of serious Pinot Noir in Burgundy; nothing else is grown and nothing else allowed besides (perhaps inexplicably) a few vineyards of the Lemberger/ Sankt-Laurent cross ‘André.’ Aptly named for Pomona, the Roman god of fruit trees, Pommard’s most muscular wines hail from its mid-slope Premier Cru vineyards which run in a nearly uninterrupted from the commune boundaries of Beaune in the north to Volnay in the south. Even that may belie the quality of these wines; most experts believe that the Les Épenotes and Les Rugiens Premier Crus should be promoted to join Corton in its Grand Cru status. Once in line for this prestigious upgrade, the vignerons of the time were wary of the restrictive Grand Cru production laws and declined the offer.

3 Domaine Manuel Olivier, 2019 Pommard ($76)
From 30-year-old vines grown in chalk/clay soil at the top of the hill; it spends 18 months in contact with fine lees in 30% new barrels, 30% 1-year-old and 30% over-3-year barrels to show macerated black cherry and earth notes with fine-grained tannins.

*click photo for more info

Nuits-Saint-Georges (Côte-de-Nuits)

With the village of Nuits-Saint-Georges itself as the fulcrum, the robust appellation extends to the north as far as the border of Vosne-Romanée, while the southern section lies partly in Nuits-Saint-Georges and partly in Prémeaux. The wines from each section are unique in style and according to experts, with differences defined (in the main) by the lay of the land. The soils in the northern sector are built around the pebbly alluvium that washes down from up-slope, and in the low-lying parts, around silty deposits from the river Meuzin. In the southern sector the alluvia at the base of the slopes originate in the combe of Vallerots where there are deep marly-limestone soils, while at the top of the slope, the soil has nearly all eroded away and the rock is near the surface. In both regions, favored exposures are mostly to the east or southeast.

Producing predominantly red wine, Nuits-Saint-Georges bottles display the muscularity and breeding most sought after in Burgundy—the ability to improve with bottle age. When young, the wine display aromas of cherry, strawberry and blackcurrant, and when matured, leather, truffle, fur and game.

4 Domaine Manuel Olivier, 2019 Nuits-Saint-Georges ($81)
From an east-facing lieu-dit known as Aux Allots where the vines are 40 years old and grow in clay/limestone. The grapes are partially destemmed and fermented on ambient yeast, then aged 18 months on fine lees. The wine shows floral intensity and dense, yet delicate layers of blackberry, currant and dark cherry.

*click photo for more info

Gevrey-Chambertin (Côte-de-Nuits)

“The Emperor would drink only Chambertin.” – Louis Constant Wairy, Napoleon’s valet.

As those schooled in Burgundian lore know, during the nineteenth century it became fashionable for villages in the Côte d’Or to adopt double-barreled names, adding a hyphen followed by the name of their most famous vineyard: Thus Chambolle added Musigny and Gevrey added Chambertin.

In minimalism, less may be more, and in wine—especially those with a hyphenated name—more may be less; a village-level Gevrey-Chambertin, for example, does not seek to compete with the quality of ‘Le Chambertin’ itself. But if nothing else, its name reminds you that it comes from a rarefied zip code. And to be sure, the region is hallowed grapeland, graced with the Holy Trinity of terroir—elevation, climate and soil structure. Contained within the appellation are nine Grand Crus and 26 Premier Crus (whose name on the label may be followed by the name of the climat of origin) as well as well as nearly a thousand acres of Villages wine.

Gevrey-Chambertin wines are full-bodied, rich, and meaty in their youth and mature to feature notes of leather, game and underbrush.

5 Domaine Manuel Olivier, 2019 Gevrey-Chambertin ($87)
From the lieu-dit La Brunelle, located in the heart of the village, where 40-year-old vines thrive on deep, iron-rich soils. The wine is aged for 18 months on fine lees and shows cherries and cassis alongside Gevrey’s typical profile of smoked meats, sweet soil and orange rind.

*click photo for more info

Vosne-Romanée (Côte-de-Nuits)

Originally named just Vosne, the village took the suffix Romanée in 1866 in honor of its most prized vineyard, La Romanée—a habit of many Burgundy communes of the era. From the perspective of a wine lover, it may be grouped together with neighboring Flagey-Echézeaux; while the villages are entirely separate, their finest vineyards are clustered together immediately north of Vosne-Romanée and take that latter title.

The entire surface area of Vosne-Romanée Grand Crus vineyards (excluding Flagey-Echézeaux) is 67 acres, about half the size of the single Clos de Vougeot climat just across the commune boundary. Even so, the commune of Flagey-Echézeaux with the Echézeaux and Grands-Echézeaux sites included, has more Grand Cru surface area than the Premier Crus and Villages combined. Vosne-Romanée is divided between six individual climats—La Grande Rue, La Tâche, Richebourg, La Romanée, Romanée-Saint-Vivant and the most famous, Romanée-Conti. The best vineyards lie on the mid-slope of the Côte d’Or escarpment. Around these prestigious sites are dotted the Premier Cru vineyards and some entirely unclassified land—the difference between a Grand Cru vine and one deemed worthy only of the regional Bourgogne appellation is sometimes a matter of a few feet.

6 Domaine Manuel Olivier, 2019 Vosne-Romanée Premier Cru Les Damaudes ($144)
Les Damaudes is a steep, landlocked Premier Cru found between La Grande Rue, La Tâche and La Romanée Conti where the airy clay-limestone soil contains 50% disintegrated lava. The wine boasts an elegant, refined nose of blackberry jelly, roasting coffee bean with a hint of chocolate and a long spicy finish with notes of nutmeg, cinnamon and wood smoke.

*click photo for more info

Notebook …

Solar Vintages Roll: 2018, 2019 And 2020

On average, Burgundy sees 1900 hours of sunshine per year; glance at a diagram and you’ll see a neat curve that peaks in July with around 258 sunlit hours and then drops off precipitously for the rest of the year. Vintages that bring considerably more sun hours are referred to as ‘solar’ vintages. 2018, 2019 and 2020 go down as a triumvirate of such vintages.

Even before en primeur orders were placed, 2018 was being hailed as a vintage that resembled the ideal conditions of 1947. Hopes ran high that the atypical ripeness and plushness of the wines might represent a ‘new normal’ in Burgundy. Part of the success of the vintage, in particular for the whites (which show gobs of energetic freshness and alluring fruit) was a particularly wet preceding winter that raised water tables high enough that the ensuing drought was handled easily, especially by more mature vines. The factor most crucial to success was determining harvest dates—pick too soon, and the fruit will not be phenologically ripe; too late, the grapes will flab out and lose acidity.

2019 followed with another bullseye. Dimitri Bazas, director of Maison Champy in Beaune, said, “If you offer me a contract for 30 years and it promises me that every year will be like 2019, then I would say, where do I sign?” The ideal ripeness and special personality of the vintage lies in a growing season that was the third-warmest year of the last century. Two short blasts of extreme heat at the end of June and the end of July were offset by enough rain to prevent serious drought stress to the vines.

2020 cranked up the above conditions another notch; it became a vintage in which one said ‘despite’ rather than ‘because of.’ Even the most experienced taster doubted that the heat and dryness, forcing harvest in August, could possibly produce such a fresh and joyous style. This was a vintage that tested Burgundian vignerons to the max; adaptability and careful attention to the vagaries of nature was key. In 2019, wine from high on the slopes of the Côte d’Or showed the highest levels of dry extract and salty minerality, providing balance for the ripe fruit, while in 2020, the extract combined with fresh acidity to make the wine truly electric.

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Posted on 2024.11.21 in Fleurie, Nuits-Saint-Georges, Vosne-Romanée, Gevrey-Chambertin, Hautes-Côtes de Nuits, Cidre, France, Wine-Aid Packages, Cava | Read more...

Spanish Viticultural Polygamy: Pioneering Producers Explore Galicia’s Wealth of Ancestral Varieties, Transcend Boundaries and Make Transformative Wines.

Given a coloring book, Michelangelo would probably have stayed within the heavy black lines and Picasso would have redrawn all the images and colored them with the blunt end of the crayon. The charm in either approach depends on the quality of the end product and the taste of the viewer.

Likewise, the rules of winemaking have imposed restrictions aimed at improving wine in a given region, but the same rules have often put creative re-interpretation in a strait jacket.

This week we will take a glance at Galician winemakers who have played both Renaissance masters and modern iconoclasts, demonstrating that each approach has it merits in an ongoing effort to tame nature’s coloring book in a rugged landscape while simultaneously coaxing her to reveal her true colors.

Galicia: Spain’s Moody Atlantic Landscape

The cliff-battering waves and darkly sensuous landscape of Galicia on Spain’s northwest coast have given rise to a unique language and a distinctive culture. Among wine lovers, the Galician patchwork vineyards have often been viewed as a synonymous with Albariño. But nothing is as simple as it seems, particularly in a region that the wine world has pigeonholed at best, and at worst, overlooked entirely.

Of course, some Galician wine has earned the overlook: The region, inextricably linked to the ocean, is famous for its mariscos—seafood—and much of the vinous output (cultivated on seaside slopes) was simple, slightly fizzy, bone dry, light-bodied white wine similar to the Vinho Verde made over the border in Portugal. These wines are considered the stereotypical match for the renowned Galician shellfish—oysters, goose-neck barnacles, velvet clams, cockles and scallops along with the working-class octopi and lobsters.

But the further inland you go, the greater the wealth of indigenous grapes and styles, from the light, tart, deep-colored reds of Ribeiro to the mineral-driven whites of Valdeorras. These unusually fragrant and elegant wines are finding an expanding market outside the region and underscore the fact that Albariño is merely the tip of the Galician iceberg.

Like most of Europe, Galicia is facing a future in which climate change will affect every aspect of life. Having long embraced its inherent green abundance, which has been likened to that of Ireland, the region is under recent pressures of drought and excessive heat.

María Sagrario Pérez Castellanos, General Director of Environmental Quality in Galicia, has an ambitious plan in the work, aiming for a 2050 climate neutrality target: “If we don’t manage to involve every individual, every citizen, such a goal is impossible,” she says. “This is our issue to tackle, not something that ‘the wise men of the world will solve.’ And it’s clear that this involves you: in every behavior, from when you buy a product, to the waste you generate, when you turn the lights on or off, when you are using renewable energy sources… It involves you.”

In The Galician Middle Belt: Coloring Outside the Lines

If Galicia has ‘belts’, they are more climatic than geological; the region has heterogenous soils throughout— sand, alluvial matter, slate, clay, and granite are all found in various proportions. Different microclimates produce terroirs heavily influenced by the proximity to the Atlantic Ocean. The further into the interior of the landscape, the more pronounced the transition becomes, with a slow change from a maritime to a continental climate. Stretching from the Atlantic to Castilla y León, much of the Galician countryside is region dominated by small-scale viticulture and family-run domains, and where sea mists (leading to mildew) are an issue, the vines are trained on pergolas, allowing for an easier passage of drying air. This technique has the added benefit of allowing farmers to raise other crops below the grapes.

The predominance of small vine growing operations has opened the door for a new wave of experimental winemakers like Curro Bareño and Jesús Olivares, who currently operate out of Galicia’s ‘middle belt,’ enjoying elevation as well as the positive effects of the ocean.

Bareño says, “Originally, we sourced grapes from Abeleda in the part of Ribeira Sacra that lies in the province of Ourense and in the Bibei valley—the river that borders the D.O. Valdeorras. But in 2016, we left the appellation and started Peixes from vineyards upstream of the Bibei, beyond the borders of any D.O.

Olivares adds, “This move entirely changed our outlook on the area. We realized that the two banks of the Bibei river were not two different regions. Now we source grapes from Valdeorras, Ribeira Sacra and Viana do Bolo, but none of our wines carry the seal of a D.O.”

Fedellos

Fedellos means ‘mischievous’ in Galician, and that pretty much summarizes the philosophy of Madrid-born iconoclasts Curro Bareño and Jesús Olivares. Having settled on the high elevations above the Bibei river, they find that a prolonged growing season makes it easier to produce fresh, elegant wines from vineyards exposed to the morning sun, which are cooler and healthier since the dew evaporates earlier.

Founded in 2011, Bareño and Olivares were the talented team behind Ronsel do Sil, one of the most heralded estates in Ribeira Sacra. But their partnership began earlier in the Sierra de Gredos, where were instrumental in producing the winery’s elegant and nuanced expressions.

Curro Barreño & Jesús Olivares, Fedellos

Curro Bareño maintains that the ‘mischievous’ decision to abandon Ribeira Sacra and Valdeorras and head south into the uplands, where scattered vineyards are found amid steep terraced hillsides surrounded by hardwoods and pines, was the right one. These are ancient sites, carved into the remote hillsides centuries ago, had now been nearly abandoned: “Many local winemakers viewed these vineyards as a nightmare, suitable for only making rustic peasant wines. We intended to prove conventional thinking wrong. With proper care, these wines outside the D.O. cannot be understood as anything other than minutely rendered snapshots of ‘terruño’ just as profound as the wines we made within a D.O.”

“Cellar work is vital to achieve this goal,” Olivares adds. “We follow our Gredos style: spontaneous fermentations with indigenous yeasts, long, gentle macerations with very little extraction, lasting 45 to 60 days for reds and about five days for whites, and aging in well-seasoned oak vessels.”

Fedellos ‘Bastarda’, 2021 Galicia Red ($53)
100% Merenzao, labeled under a feminized version of the grape’s Portuguese moniker ‘Bastardo.’ Originating in the Jura, where it is called Trousseau (from its bunched resemblance to a bride’s trousseau), in Spain the varietal produces lush and airy wines, translucent and dense. Fedellos’ example comes from vines between 20 and 70 years old grown on granite, schist and sand. The grapes are hand harvested, whole cluster fermented on natural yeast fermentation in stainless steel tanks followed by 40-60 day maceration. It shows spicy red berries with undertones of anise; the wine is perfumed and fresh with light, integrated tannins.

Fedellos ‘As Xaras’, 2021 Galicia Red ($32)
100% Mencía, a thick-skinned, violet-blue grape indigenous to northwest Spain, where high altitudes have proven amenable to bring out the best qualities in the varietal. This example is a blend of two sites on opposite sides of the River Xaras; hence, the name. Fermented whole cluster on native yeasts, then aged in a combination of concrete tank and neutral French oak. It shows complex yet bright purple fruit; plum and currant with a bracing acidity and chalky tannins.

Fedellos ‘Peixe da Estrada’, 2021 Galicia Red ($29)
Bareño and Olivares’ ‘Peixes’ project is confined to grapes grown in Viana do Bolo, where vineyards planted on terraces between one thousand a 2600 feet sea level, where growing conditions are colder and harsher, with a high risk of frost and a challenging ripening process. Mencía, Gran Negro, Mouratón, Tintorera and Merenzao are the red grapes cultivated. Godello, Doña Blanca, Palomino represent the whites. All are bush vines, all more than 70 years old, planted in small plots on soils that shine with mica. ‘Peixe da Estrada’ is a blend of 90% red and 10% white grapes, displays cassis and berry aromas with floral notes and a hint of balsam on the finish.

Fedellos ‘Peixes da Rocha’, 2020 Galicia Red ($40)
A blend of Mencía, Mouratón, Grao Negro, Garnacha Tintorera, Merenzao, Godello, Doña Blanca and Palomino grown on sand, granite, mica and quartzite, a blend similar to Estrada but from terraced sites at a higher elevation. The grapes are hand harvested and the whole clusters undergo natural yeast fermentation in vat with a gentle maceration lasting two months, followed by a full year in neutral 500-liter French oak demi-muids. The wine is bright with high-altitude vivacity, elegant with black fruit and floral notes.

Fedellos ‘Conasbrancas’, 2022 Galicia White ($36)
A field blend of 85% Godello, 10% Doña Blanca and 5% Treixadura suffused with minerality and invigorating acidity. The nose shows the saline influence of the sea with pie spice and hints of beeswax. Like the reds, there is no D.O. on the label since the gang at Fedellos prefer to march to the beat of their own vinous drummer.

RECENT ARRIVALS

In Ribeira Sacra: Coloring Within the Lines

Vertigo is not a condition that thrives in Ribeira-Sacra. Suffice to say that the steeply sloped vineyard terraces that tower over silvery, slow-moving rivers are a challenge even to the most mountain-goatish among wine growers. But is precisely the physicality of the landscape that allows Ribeira-Sacra such a wide diversity of grapes, expositions, altitudes, slope angles, bedrock types and topsoil compositions.

As in most wine regions, climate dictates success. The west and north end of Ribeira Sacra is more impacted by Atlantic winds and precipitation tends to be heavy due to the absence of any significant mountain range. Between the Atlantic and the Ribeiro and Ribeira Sacra regions, some small mountains curb the influence of oceanic winds. Toward the south and east the mountains rise to higher altitudes and maintain a much stronger continental influence.

Rivers remain a dominant feature of the microclimates; inside river gorges there is an abundant supply of exposures and slope angles—a saving grace for the vineyards because as the climate changes, growers can shift from the hottest exposures to cooler ones while maintaining the same superb bedrock, topsoil and all other characteristics imparted by the local terroir. This practice has already taken hold in the area, with many growers exploring potential vineyard sites that in the past would not have been advantageous.

Here we feature dynamic winemakers who adhere to the rules of their Denominación de Origen to unleash the full potential of their plots of the planet.

Fento

Hard-working vigneron Eulogio Pomares is a rising star in the far northwest corner of Spain where he receives accolades from critics and consumers alike. Although perhaps best known for his work with the region’s Albariño variety as the seventh generation winemaker at Zárate, his family’s estate, Eulogio can’t be contained and is branching out into some of “Green Spain’s” other subregions.

Eulogio Pomares, Fento

Fento is a partnership of Eulogio with his wife Rebeca that works with both rare and common indigenous grapes found within Galicia. Organic viticulture is difficult in the region due to humidity and mildew pressure, but Eulogio is applying the methods to bring the Fento vineyards into full organic cultivation, relying on native cover crops and natural products to do most of the work.

Fento ‘Xabre’, 2022 Ribeira-Sacra ‘Val do Bibei’ Red ($32)
Mencía 95%, 3% Mouratón and 2% Grao Negro. Named for the slate and granite sands of the region, the grapes come from terraced vineyards in Quiroga-Bibei subzone where vines are planted at between a thousand and 2200 feet. The oldest of these vines are over eighty years. Fermentation is done in 500-liter barrels, followed by 10 months in French oak and six more months in foudres. The wine shows elegant floral and balsamic nuances offset the rich forest fruit. 158 cases produced.

Sílice Viticultores

Founded in 2013 by brothers Carlos and Juan Rodríguez and Galician-Swiss DJ-turned-winemaker Fredi Torres, Sílice Viticultores is a project of family and friends. The project’s lifeblood is the intense manual work on the precipitous slopes above the Sil River Canyon. Their 20 acres—planted primarily on granite with some schist and gneiss parcels, in the zones of Amandi, Doade, and Rosende—are farmed organically, with copper and sulfur treatments applied as needed. Like many top producers in the region, Sílice Viticultores chooses to work outside of the D.O. Ribeira Sacra.

Fredi Torres, Carlos and Juan Rodríguez, Sílice Viticultores

Production is necessarily small, and the wines are racy, focused and fun, but with the structure to age. Both farming and winemaking prioritizes bright Atlantic fruitiness and the expression of their individual parcels and zones without sacrificing the fierce natural energy of the region or its great red grape, Mencía. Choosing the perfect moment of harvest, fermenting multiple red and white varieties together with the strategic use of stems, cold maceration and gentle extraction is Sílice Viticultores guarantee of expression of both location and vintage.

Sílice Viticultores ‘Sílice’, 2021 Galicia ‘natural’ Red ($31)
80% Mencía, 10% Garnacha Tintorera, 5% Merenzao and 5% Palomino—only 625 cases made. The grapes are hand-harvested, of course (there is no alternative in the vertical vineyards of the Sil River Canyon) and vinified using indigenous yeasts. 80% of the grapes are destemmed, and 20% are whole-cluster. The wine ages for nine months on its lees in a combination of neutral oak foudre, stainless steel tanks and concrete vats.

Notebook …

A Study in Contrast: 2020 & 2021 Show Climate Change’s New Reality

Getting complacent with climate change is a prescription for disaster, but learning to live with our new reality is the only way that agriculture will survive as an industry. As we have seen in countless examples, winemakers are abandoning areas which have grown too wet, too dry, too warm or too cold to produce products that live up to former standards, while at the same time finding that these same changes open up new areas for exploration, many abandoned for decades.

The speed at which these changes are happening is astonishing. In 2020, Spain saw an ‘early’ year with high temperatures bringing in early spring seeing plant growth begin around 2-3 weeks ahead of the average schedule, which together with heavy spring rain saw almost tropical conditions in many regions such as Rioja, Catalunya and Galicia. The only region that fully escaped damage was Ribera del Duero, where the altitude and extreme cold of the winter months means that bud-break occurs later, avoiding mildew damage in the wet spring weather. Galicia saw a much earlier harvest than usual, with picking starting at the end of August. Spring also saw outbreaks of mildew and botrytis, which affected production, although in general the harvest was of good quality. The size varied a lot according to the area: D.O. Monterrai saw a record harvest and the harvest is predicted to be around 15% larger than that of 2019 whereas in Ribeira Sacra the harvest was around 15% smaller than an average year.

The following year, the opposite condition prevailed in Galicia, with a long wait for veraison due to a cool summer. Still, the harvest was so abundant that Regulatory Board increased yields from 12,000 kilogram/hectare to 13,500 kilogram/hectare. The ability to overcome cooler weather was largely a grape-to-grape proposal with thicker-skinned varieties faring best. As for the quality of the wines, the general impression among Galician producers is that it was very good. Xurxo Alba of Bodegas Albamar says, “Although we have had a bumper crop, the wines have structure, volume, lower alcohol than in recent years and good acidity.”

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Posted on 2024.11.14 in France, Misc Spanish, Wine-Aid Packages, Ribeira Sacra | Read more...

Loire Valley Powerhouse in The Making: Vanguard Producers Transform Saumur Wines into Soulfully Complex and Savory Reds and Whites, Expressive of Their Individual Terroir with Innate Freshness. 8-Bottle (5-Red & 3-White) Package $299

One of the most rewarding part of our wine journey at Elie’s is highlighting old names with new faces. Saumur, long a source for easy-drinking wines and uninterested in moving the complexity needle too far, has finally awoken to smell not the coffee, but the limestone. A new breed of talented young vignerons has seized Saumur’s hidden potential and are proving that the region is capable of much greater things that history has dictated. Long grouped together (rather clumsily) with Anjou and overshadowed by Savennières and Vouvray whites and Bourgueil and Chinon reds, Saumur has reared up to become a powerhouse in its own right.

Saumur: Loire Valley’s Heartland

The story of terroir is first carved into stone, and in Saumur—as in Champagne and Chablis—its foundation is a peculiar geological phenomenon known as the Paris Basin. Surrounded by high-ground massifs, the basin formed following the withdrawal of an inland sea that covered much of central France 70 million years ago. A drive through the region shows an elemental shift in landscape, even from its neighbor Anjou. Today, Saumur’s alternating beds of limestone, sand and clay have combined with a nouveau drive to improve cellar work, including barrel fermentations with modest lees-stirring.

Meanwhile, the region has successfully organized itself into quality tiers like Burgundy, likewise recognizing the benefits in exploiting parcels and lieux-dits. Combined with a warming climate which has left Saumur with conditions not unlike Northern Rhône, Saumur wines are a new force with which the world of viniculture is reckoning. Modern Saumur has become not only a vinous titan, but in terms of quality, an affordable alternative to increasingly-expensive Burgundy.

Saumur Progresses: New Wave Vignerons

The changes that have allowed Saumur to sidle gracefully into the modern world of winemaking is, of course, the result of a new generation recognizing that the region has long rested on its laurels and that the potential beneath the soil was capable of much, much more. Unlike the acidic soils of Anjou, to whom Saumur is linked via maps but not geology, the terroir of Saumur is built on limestone.

Chenin, for example, (known in Saumur as Pineau de la Loire) find the loose, gravelly soils close to the banks of the Loire and tuffeau rich soils further up to be an ideal stage to unfold its wings; Saumur Chenins are dry, mineral-drive and finely-etched with expression.

Although Saumur’s dominant red grape is Cabernet Franc, wine growers have taken cues from Burgundy more than from Cab Franc’s ancestral home in Bordeaux. In fact, Sébastien Bobinet (whose Saumurois roots go back centuries) maintains that there are two paths for Cabernet Franc: “The first is Bordeaux-like—intense extraction and long cellar aging. The second is more Burgundian in style; less extraction and less cellar time with a nod toward early drinkability without sacrificing age-worthiness.”

Rising appellation stars who have opted to follow the latter path are featured in our wine package: Théo Blet—a talented young man who took his family’s storied terroirs and became a winemaker rather than a vine grower, organically-focused Guillaume Reynouard; twins Guillaume and Adrien Pire, who grew up in Madagascar and bring to the Loire degrees in agronomy and viticulture and Sylvie Augereau, whose background is communication and whose passion is communicating through wine.

Varietal Revival: The Ascendancy of Chenin & Cabernet Franc

If ever a grape variety deserves the Chameleon Award, it’s Chenin in the Loire. Its sheer versatility makes it surprising that American palates have tended to champion somewhat one-dimensional (if beautifully structured) Sauvignon Blancs from Pouilly-Fumé and Sancerre, and laud the briny, if simple Muscadet as a go-to shellfish accompaniment, while most would be hard pressed to name a Chenin from the Loire beyond Vouvray. And yet, with relative ease, Chenin makes outstanding wines that are dry, sweet, sparkling and every nuanced shade between.

Over the past couple of decades the grape has risen to prominence in the relatively small region of Saumur, where beyond magnificent dry Chenin, a unique sparkling style is often made from a blend of Chenin, Chardonnay and Cabernet Franc.

As for reds, grape vines are the canary in the coal mine. Particularly sensitive to temperature and rainfall flux—hence the clichéd ‘good vintage’ vs. ‘poor vintage’—vines are among the most effective agricultural tools we have to gauge the effect that climate change is having on cash crops. Cab Franc is a naturally late-ripening variety that thrives in warming regions like Saumur, where longer hang times eliminates any weediness and allow the Saumurois to consistently produce wines that display a classically ethereal interplay of fruit, minerals and herbs.

Domaine Théo Blet

When you live at the confluence of two limestone rivers—one made of pliably-soft tuffeau and the other of hard Jurassic stone from the Paris basin—you can afford to be a minimalist. Thus, Théo Blet works his 40 acres of prime Saumur vineland with a nod toward the simplest search for expression: His fruit is harvested by hand, fermentations start spontaneously and the wines are aged in third and fourth-fill 400-liter French oak barrels.

“I was born into a family deeply rooted in the viticulture of Saumur, representing the fourth generation entrusted with the stewardship of these vineyards,” he points out. “I have been guided by the wisdoms of my grandfather (who inherited the vines from his in-laws) and my father, who continued the legacy and started the process of converting to organic farming.”

Théo Blet

Blet’s own legacy is sealed in his decision to isolate the best grapes he grows and bottle them under his own name rather than follow in the footsteps of his forebears, who sold their produce to the local cooperative. When terroir is placed under a microscope, identifying the best parcels of vines—those capable of producing the highest quality wine—is part of a global trend which has symbolized the Burgundian ‘lieu-dit’ ethic for centuries. Blet found that his two most iconic properties were La Peyanne and Les Fabureaux (from which ‘le Corbin’ originates).Peyanne is a parcel of Chenin planted on a slight rise of land oriented north and south while Fabureaux is planted with Cabernet Franc on sandier clay-limestone soils with a gentle south-facing slope.

“Wine from these lieux-dits are drawn from slightly over one hectare [2.5 acres] and produce only a few thousand bottles each. I still sell the rest of our fruit to the local co-op. I would have no issue expanding my line of lieu-dit wines, but only if I can grow fruit that matches the quality of La Peyanne and Les Fabureaux.”

1 Domaine Théo Blet ‘Le Corbin’, 2022 Saumur Rouge ($38)
After fermentation in 10% new oak, the wine ages for 12 months in 400-liter barrels and shows the lovely, Cab Franc aromas of earth-spice, mint, raspberry, strawberry and layers of sweet cassis.

2 Domaine Théo Blet ‘La Peyanne’, 2022 Saumur Blanc ($38)
From Chenin vines between five and 25 year old grown in thin soils where tuffeau bedrock is immediately below the surface, the grapes are hand-harvested and spend 24 hours cooling, following which they are direct pressed and allowed a natural yeast fermentation. After that, there is a ten-month period spent in large used oak barrels and the wine is bottled without malo. The wine shows beautifully managed tension; classic fruit-forward Chenin with loads of fresh apple, pear, citrus and mineral notes.

Manoir de la Tête Rouge

Intense, driven and passionate, Guillaume Reynouard is the fox in charge of the chicken coop—as well as being a winemaker, he is president of the Syndicat des Vins Saumur and has a particular enmity for growers who rip out Pineau d’Aunis in favor of easier-to-grow varietals.

Taking charge of Domaine Manoir de la Tête Rouge in 1995, Guillaume soon converted to organics and was certified Biodynamic in 2010. The estate enjoys remarkably productive clay/ limestone terroir and he takes pride in ‘living vineyards’ where the soil is worked by hand to ensure that roots go deep and grass grows between rows to promote insect and other plant life; synthetic chemicals are prohibited. In the cellar, grapes are fully destemmed, indigenous yeasts are preferred, with no additions and very minimal sulfur use.

Guillaume Reynouard, Manoir de la Tête Rouge

According to Reynouard, “Responsible agriculture is a way of life and of thinking. When growing grapes, I aspire to act sensibly for the planet—a state of mind that develops naturally from a respectful relationship with nature. Knowing how to adapt to a changing environment requires constant questioning while the planting of forgotten varieties such as Pineau d’Aunis, the incorporation of trees into the cultivation of the vine (agroforestry) and the gradual abandonment of ‘modern’ oenology are avenues that I have followed for more than 20 years.”

3 Manoir de la Tête Rouge ‘Bagatelle’, 2020 Saumur ‘Cabernet Franc’ ($21)
A bagatelle is something easy; something that requires little effort. This is not a comment on the precision that is de rigueur in Guillaume Reynouard’s winemaking, especially since the tech sheet for this wine specifies the terroir as 30% Jurassic limestone, 60% Turonian limestone and 10% silt, and the vines as being pruned in alternating Guyot-Poussard. Rather, the wine itself is created simply and naturally, macerated three weeks without yeasting, without chaptalization and without additives, then matured without sulfur. These minuses equal an ultimate plus; a pure Cabernet Franc with aromas of plum, raspberry, and cherry with notes of red pepper, spice, and graphite with silky tannins and bright acidity.

4 Manoir de la Tête Rouge ‘Tête de Lard’, 2018 Saumur-Puy-Notre-Dame Rouge ($27)
100% Cabernet Franc from two parcels averaging 20 years of age, ‘Tête de Lard’—Head of Bacon’—is fermented on native yeasts and spends a year in used 300-liter barrels. The final blend is done in concrete tanks, where the wine rests for 4 months before bottling. Filled with ripe tones of blueberry and cassis with a slight vegetal edge, this is a natural wine suited for the cellar, but one that should be tasted every couple years to keep an eye on the progress.

5 Manoir de la Tête Rouge ‘l’Enchentoir’, 2018 Saumur-Puy-Notre-Dame ‘natural’ Rouge ($43)
In the sub-appellation Saumur-Puy-Notre-Dame, ‘l’Enchentoir’ is a venerable Cabernet Franc lieu-dit. Planted over Turonian limestone in 1959 using ‘sélections massales’, the pressed wine is aged in 300-liter barriques for one year plus another six months in Béton cuves (pre-cast concrete tanks). It displays depth and delicacy, showing blackberry and cherry over violets, rose petals and savory herbs.

6 Manoir de la Tête Rouge ‘l’Enchentoir’, 2018 Saumur ‘Chenin’ ‘natural’ ($47)
Enchantoir boasts the silty soil over tuffeau chalk that is considered best for Loire Blanc to unfurl it’s pageant of honey-sweet acacia flowers, lime blossom and fall fruit cocktail; it is harvested by hand, directed pressed and aged a full year in used barrels before being bottled without fining or filtration.

Domaine Fosse-Sèche

If a single concept can describe the most profound change that has seized modern European winemaking, it is biodynamics—techniques that their forebears may have practiced by necessity without naming it, but which today is a nod to the cosmic continuum of which agriculture is only a part. Nowhere is this visionary approach more conspicuous than at Château de Fosse-Sèche, where twin brothers Guillaume and Adrien Pire (who grew up in Madagascar) bring with them not only degrees in agronomy and viticulture, but a deep respect for the wild land of their youth. Along with their wives Julie and Cécile, they have instilled Fosse-Sèche’s 800 year history with an abiding belief in a holistic remake of all phases of winemaking.

Adrien and Guillaume Pire, Château de Fosse-Sèche

Like an iron-red ruby amid the seafoam of limestone, the soils of Fosse-Sèche are rather unique in the Loire—a fact that has been recognized since the 13th century, when Benedictine monks first planted vines there. Move the clocks ahead to 1998, when the Keller-Pire family took over the estate, enraptured by the beauty of the surroundings and its exceptional terroir, composed of iron oxide and flinty silex just beneath the topsoil. Two-thirds of the Fosse-Sèche property is a natural reserve, with a bird sanctuary, acres of honey flowers, goats and thriving wetlands; of the hundred eleven acres of property, only 37 are used for vines. The single parcel is planted to Cabernet Franc (70%) and Chenin (30%).

Hélène Berteau, a beekeeper, also tends hives on the estate and benefits directly from everything that is done for the ecosystem. Guillaume Pire says, “We maintain between 2 and 5.5 hectares of pollen fallow. The logic of this mixture: bee plants attract pollinating insects and legumes fix nitrogen from the air. These plants loosen and aerate the soil, attract auxiliary insects (ladybugs, butterflies, etc.) and release seeds for birds. The deficiency of pollen and nectar is an important factor in the gradual extinction of populations of bees and other pollinating insects. These flowers are also shelters and potential sources of food for wildlife thanks to this richness in insects.”

7 Domaine Fosse-Sèche ‘Arcane’, 2020 VdF Loire-Saumur Blanc ($45)
Most Saumur vineyards are grown on a porous yellow limestone known as tuffeau. However, Fosse-Sèche’s biodynamic Chenin vines are planted on a distinctive Jurassic-era flint plateau with gravel and clay. The unique soils and the curved aspect of the vineyards allow for the fresh breeze to cool the vines rooted in heat-absorbing flint soils. The wine displays this bright ripeness; the nose features subtle flavors of honey, pineapple, green apple and pear, leading to a long finish replete with salinity and minerality.

Sylvie Augereau

With her background in literature, Sylvie Augereau is at home in either a bibliothèque or a vinothèque; she has chosen the latter to represent this phase in an exciting life. After a career in communications and a long journey across France shedding light on small producers, she founded ‘La Dive’, a festival celebrating natural wine, uniting 250 winemakers in a cave overlooking the Loire. And then, 2014, realizing her lifelong dream of owning a vineyard near Le Dive, she acquired 3.4 acres of land planted to Chenin, Cabernet Franc, Grolleau and Pineau d’Aunis.

Sylvie Augereau

“My growing principles embrace biodynamics,” she says. “All work in the vineyard is done manually or with the help of horses—we scrupulously avoid the use of machines. I see that an energy exchange between humans and vines fosters a deep connection. And yes, I talk to my vines and play music in the vineyard.”

With her husband Nicolas Reau by her side and Thierry German working in the cellar, Sylvie champions authenticity by allowing wine to evolve naturally without interference: “The commitment to expressing the purest reflection of the vineyard’s essence shines through such an approach,” she maintains. “The is how we harness invisible dimensions.”

8 Sylvie Augereau ‘Les Manquants’, 2020 VdF Loire-Anjou Rouge ‘natural’ ($51)
Translating as ‘the Missing,’ this 100% Cabernet Franc originates in a 3-acre, century-old lieu-dit between Saumur and Angers. The concentration and structure of the wine is remarkable; it displays rich cassis, shatteringly crisp graphite notes and freshly-turned earth along with an herb blend dominated by bay leaf.

Notebook …

Climate Change in the Loire Valley Favors Chenin

If the climate hands you lemons, it may be times to rethink grapes. In regions where warming trends are playing havoc on many stand-by varietals in their traditional stomping grounds (wine pun intended), even a slight rise in temperature and small decrease in rainfall changes the game considerably. Chenin is no stranger to the Loire, of course, but areas that did not produce top-shelf wines from the grape are finding that longer hang-times and judicious cellar manipulations can tame the sharp acids that have long prevented Chenin from becoming a true rival to Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. Not only that, but unlike these two familiar grapes, harvesting Chenin later does not seem to significantly decrease the ‘freshness’ quality so prized by tasters. Barrel-fermented and cask-aged Chenin are poised to take their due place on the world’s wine stage; a small upside to a global disaster.

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Posted on 2024.11.07 in France, Wine-Aid Packages | Read more...

Burgundy’s Rustic Wine Belt New Found Opportunities: Changing Climate Advantages Lesser Known Regions; Ambitious Producers Elevate The Wines To New Heights (Auxey-Duresses, 7-Bottle Pack $479) (Monthélie, 5-Bottle Pack $299) (Saint-Romain, 3-Bottle Pack $169)

Climate change gets a lot of ink in this newsletter, and there’s a reason for it: Consistently elevated temperatures and unpredictably violent weather is having a profound effect on some of the world’s most celebrated wine regions, and the new normal is becoming ‘adapt or fade away.’

This week, we will take a peek behind the Doppler radar curtain to see how regions once considered marginal by grape-growing standards are finding new opportunities in the shifting panoply of weather patterns and rising, rung by rung, up the ladder of excellence.

The Impact of Climate Change on Burgundy: Upending The Status Quo

Dateline Burgundy, 2022: “As a fourth consecutive growing season is marred by extreme heat and frost, historical and predictive data suggests we can expect the same this year, too.”

2022 came close to fulfilling this prophecy, with a salvaging rain in June. 2023, just drawing to a close, mirrored these conditions, with excessive heat and a bit more rain. In general, however, even with adequate rainfall, consistently above-average daytime temperatures have become a feature in modern Burgundian vineyards. The effect is felt across the entire European continent, of course, and everywhere that grape vines thrive, but Burgundy’s Achilles heel is that it has placed the bulk of its eggs in two baskets: Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Pinot, being thin-skinned, suffers from too much direct sunlight; alternately, excessive rain may encourage the multiple mildews that Pinot’s flesh is heir to. Chardonnay, while better suited to the heat, may be devastated by late or severe frosts, which are appearing with greater frequency under the changing climate.

And now, the flip side of the coin: Burgundy, long beholden to classification, has begun to see once-marginal sites producing better wines, and it has been suggested that the entire system be revamped. Naturally, fundamentalists express disdain for the step taken by wine boards in Bordeaux: Approving the inclusion of new varieties better able to withstand spring frosts and dog-days heat. Previously neglected or abandoned grapes such as Aubin, Roublot, Sacy, Melon, César and Tressot are among the Burgundian candidates, some of which are already planted in small amounts around the region.

Although Burgundy’s reputation is built upon tradition, with many of the established estates having dominated the scene for centuries, the danger of ignoring the shifting tides of climate is the greatest threat of all. Without a profound re-imagining of habits built up through generations of winemaking, classified Burgundy wine may become what we consider to be unthinkable: Ordinary.

Solar Vintages Roll: 2018, 2019 And 2020

(7-Bottle Pack $479)

Auxey-Duresses

There was a time when the wines of Auxey-Duresses were sold under false premises—the reds were named Volnay and the whites, Meursault. In fact, experts could easily tell the difference. Yet, the differences have begun to evaporate as a new generation of winemakers in the appellation, coupled with a changing climate, has realized that Auxey-Duresses grapes may have the breeding to rival their hallowed neighbors without the need of fraud.

The first obstacle they had to overcome was geography. Unlike Meursault and Volnay, Auxey-Duresses vines cling to a variety of high slopes and have traditionally produced a hard red wine that is frequently sold to négociants for Bourgogne Rouge blends. But with patience, these same grapes, when bottled at estates within the appellation, improve immeasurably and become silken gems that may rival nearby powerhouses at a fraction of the cost.

Likewise Auxey-Duresses whites that may initially produce the hazelnut whiffs familiar to fans of Meursault, are beginning to produce wines of increasing depth that improve exponentially in the cellar. The warmer weather has been a godsend to intrepid vignerons who have raised the value of Auxey-Duresses far beyond its current price tag.

Domaine Raymond Dupont-Fahn

Raymond Dupont-Fahn is a fifth generation winemaker who began working in the family business as a child. After earning a Bac d’Oenologie diploma, he took over 12 acres of vines from his father, including plots in Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet and Auxey-Duresses. The domain is located in the village of Tailly in Meursault. As a winemaker, Raymond has cut down on the use of new oak (from the 40% used by his father to just 10%), with barrels that are no newer than three years. He uses no pesticides in the vineyards, aiming to be as sustainable as he can, and harvests slightly earlier than his neighbors to produce wines with better acidity and lower alcohol.

Raymond Dupont-Fahn

“My secret to success is no secret at all,” he says. “I work hard in the vineyard, without pesticides/herbicides and keep a meticulously clean cellar. I am not a fan of new oak or racking; I only stir to avoid overt reduction.”

He also tends to harvest right as the fruit reaches peak maturity, avoiding over-ripeness in a quest for a bright, pure and transparent style of Chardonnay.

•1• Domaine Raymond Dupont-Fahn, 2019 Auxey-Duresses ‘Derrière le Four’ ($55)
Meaning ‘behind the oven’, ‘Derrière le Four’ is heavily scented with crushed raspberry, wild strawberry, and pomegranate along with hints of white pepper and herbs. It is an ideal Pinot Noir with delicate floral aromas to offset the tension between crunchy acidity and refined tannins.

•2• Domaine Raymond Dupont-Fahn, 2018 Auxey-Duresses ‘Derrière le Four’ ($55)
The 2018 incarnation of ‘Behind the Oven’ with an extra year under its belt. Same profile as above with a tighter lens focused on this label’s potential.

•3• Domaine Raymond Dupont-Fahn, 2019 Auxey-Duresses ‘Les Vireux’ Blanc ($59)
‘Vireux’ might be directly translated as ‘noxious’ but here comes from ‘virer’, meaning ‘change’, as in the expression ‘virer de tout vent’—to be as changeable as the wind. The vineyard is located five hundred feet above the Meursault ‘Les Clous’ with northeast exposure; the wine shows lithe notes of crisp apple braced by a minerality that approaches salinity.

Domaine Rodolphe Demougeot

No one has summarized the trajectory of excellence in winemaking more succinctly than Rodolphe Demougeot: “One first needs to learn to be a good farmer, and only then learn to improve performance in the cellar.”

He further explains that in order to move away from the chemical farming used at the family estate he took over in 1992, he had to deprogram first himself and then the vineyards, an undertaking of several years. In the meantime, his interest in the inexplicable but observable energies of the cosmos and its influence on grapes and wine came to be central to his decision making: “The moon is my compass for the timing of processes during growing, farming, picking, racking, and bottling,” he says.

Rodolphe Demougeot

He plows most of his twenty acres by tractor, but in his top sites, like the Pommard, Premier Cru Les Charmots, he works with a horse. His cluster selection is made early in the season to concentrate the energy of the vines to fewer clusters through the fruiting season.

He describes his holdings like this: “We are principally between Meursault and Pommard, with only a single Premier Cru site in Pommard (Les Charmots) and many favorable village parcels between the two. In Meursault, all three parcels are on the south end of the appellation in fabulous spots above and below the great Premier Crus, Perrières, Genevrières, and Charmes. I have a small collection in Beaune, both red and white, as well as a village and Premier Cru in Savigny-lès-Beaune. Additionally, I work sites in Auxey-Duresses and Monthélie, fine and savory wines for those moments you need a stroll through the wet forest and all of its lovely fresh smells.”

•4• Domaine Rodolphe Demougeot, 2015 Auxey-Duresses ‘Les Clous’ ($79)
‘Les Clous’ comes from Demougeot’s single acre of Pinot Noir planted in a direct south exposition—perfect for this sometimes cooler to the west of Meursault and between Monthélie and Saint-Romain. It does not receive much rain, and other than hail, it is a lieu-dit with a bright future in the face of climate change. The wine is aged in 85% French oak barrels with between one and six vintages of use for 14-16 months, resulting in a dynamic blend of ripe red fruit and integrated and elegant tannins.

Domaine Lafouge

Gilles Lafouge’s recipe for success can be broken down into three rudiments: Old vines, properly cultivated soils and classical winemaking techniques: “That these wines age beautifully, I can personally testify, having enjoyed a lovely 1969 Auxey-Duresses Premier Cru La Chapelle last summer—an unexpected but happy encounter on a local wine list,” says William Kelley of Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate.

Gilles Lafouge

The family’s estate, whose history in the area traces back to 1670, covers 25 acres in Auxey-Duresses, including plots in Premier Cru Climats du Val, La Chapelle, Les Duresses and Les Ecussaux.

In 1986, after wine school and national service, Gilles came back to work with his father, Jean and initiated a small revolution: Estate-bottling. The next generation is already heavily involved rather than simply waiting in the wings; Maxime Lafouge will represent the new vintage of winemakers who may indeed launch his own revolution.

•5• Domaine Lafouge, 2016 Auxey-Duresses Premier Cru La Chapelle ($87)
‘La Chapelle’ is a climat within Les Breterins and Reugne on the steep slope of la Montagne de Bourdon, facing south/southeast. The vines are well-placed in mid-slope and are around sixty years old, making it the most generous of the three Lafouge Premier Crus. The soils are partially marnes blanches, contributing to the supple style—a classically proportioned blend of black cherries, a touch of cocoa powder, lovely soil tones, currant leaf, bonfire smoke and cedar.

Domaine Florence Cholet

Domaine Florence Cholet is an estate formed by Florence’s father Christian in 1976 (as Domaine Christian Cholet-Pelletier) who was joined in 1982 by his wife Anne. Located in the tiny village of Corcelles-les-Arts east of Puligny Montrachet and directly across from Meursault, the 18 acres of marl and limestone are planted to 75% Chardonnay and 25% Pinot Noir; vines range from 25 to 75 years in age and the estate bottles about 1400 cases per year.

Florence Cholet

Having gained work experience across France (Chapoutier), the United States (Walla Walla, Washington) and Australia, their daughter Florence studied biology and biochemistry at the University of Burgundy in Dijon where she earned a license in viticulture and a Master’s degree in oenology. In 2019, she returned to Corcelles-les-Arts to take over the estate from her parents, renaming it Domaine Florence Cholet. Among the innovations she brings to the domain is a policy against herbicides and pesticides; she ploughs by horse and allows natural fermentation on native yeasts. New oak is used sparingly at a maximum of 25% and wines are bottled using only a minimum of filtration.

•6• Domaine Florence Cholet, 2020 Auxey-Duresses Premier Cru Les Ecussaux ($79)
Les Ecussaux is a Premier Cru vineyard on the Montagne du Bourdon, just to the east of the Auxey-Duresses village, between the roads to Beaune and to Meursault, whose junction forms its most westerly point. To the north lie the Premier Crus Les Duresses and Bas des Duresses. The wine displays firm tannins, crisp blackberry and mulberry, a touch of white pepper and a fleshy finish.

•7• Domaine Florence Cholet, 2020 Auxey-Duresses ($68)
From 60-year-old vines grown between Meursault and Monthélie; Cholet’s penchant for gentle pressing and prolonged fermentation makes this a modern-style Burgundy filled with freshness and perfume. On the palate, there is cranberry crunch with wild strawberries and a touch of dried herb.

(3-Bottle Pack $169)

Saint-Romain

Saint-Romain is a village of 200 inhabitants nestling within a valley behind Auxey-Duresses and surrounded by steep cliffs. Neither the population nor the wine trade ever really recovered from the phylloxera blight of the 19th century, and today, only about 7% of the land is under vine. Like Chorey-lès-Beaune, Saint-Romain has no Grand or Premier Cru sites.

The village is divided in two parts, Saint-Romain-le-Haut and Saint-Romain-le-Bas, one on top of the cliffs and one below, with the bulk of the vineyards in the lower section. It is, nonetheless, a geologist’s Valhalla: Saint-Romain sits on the lias (the earliest period of the Jurassic) and the blend of limestones and marls includes patches of clay. The vines face south/southeast and north/northeast at altitudes varying from 900 to nearly 1300 feet.

Saint-Romain has always been an appellation that needed warm weather to thrive; it is simply too cold at these elevations to produce stellar wines in normal years. As such, they represent wines to seek out in solar vintages like 2018, 2019 and 2020.

•1• Domaine Florence Cholet, 2020 Saint-Romain ‘Sous la Velle’ ($59)
‘Sous la Velle’, meaning ‘Under the Calf’, is a steep-sloped, south-east facing vineyard of 50-year-old Pinot Noir vines. It produces wines that boast electrical ‘joie de vivre’ rather than great concentration or structure and (according to Florence Cholet) should be at the top of their game four to five years from harvest. The nose is pure wild raspberry and rhubarb with crystalline delicacy and finely powdered, chalky tannins.

Domaine Alain Gras

Established in 1979, Alain Gras refers to his domain as ‘young’, and considering that Saint-Romain has been occupied for more than 6000 years, there may be truth to that. His vines spread over 30 acres in Saint-Romain, Meursault, and Auxey-Duresses.

Alain Gras

Gras has found himself as a true ambassador of the Saint-Romain appellation: From a lineage of Burgundy vignerons that dates back five generations, he settled in Saint-Romain with his wife Nathalie and from the outset, their firm mission was to promote the appellation’s value. Joined by his son Arthur, Gras has advanced that value by his passion for rational viticulture and traditional vinification.

Locally acknowledged as Saint-Romain’s pre-eminent vigneron, Alain credits luck as much as talent: “My vineyards are wonderfully sited with a greater proportion of limestone than any other commune in Burgundy. It has also benefited greatly from recent climate change, meaning that sites that were previously overly cool due to their high altitude are now routinely achieving full ripeness and physiological maturity.”

•2• Domaine Alain Gras, 2019 Saint-Romain Rouge ($59)
Pure Pinot from vines averaging 35 years old; the bunches are 100% de-stemmed, fermented on the skins for 12 to 15 days with daily pump-overs, then aged in 15% new oak for 12 months. The wine shows black-cherry on the nose with notes of licorice and cinnamon in the background, creating an unpretentious profile with a bright floral finish.

•3• Domaine Alain Gras, 2019 Saint-Romain Blanc ($53)
From a clay-limestone vineyard where vines—treated with lutte raisonnée—average 40 years old. Green harvesting is practiced and all grapes are hand-harvested; 20% to 30% of the grapes are destemmed before pressing and fermentation takes place in barrels, following which the wine is aged in oak, including 20% new barrels and bottled after 12 months ageing. The wine shows hazelnuts, toasted bread and vanilla, whose delicate wood notes serve only as a background.

(5-Bottle Pack $299)

Monthélie

Author Pierre Poupon describes Monthélie as being “…prettily nestled into the curve of the hillside like the head of Saint John against the shoulder of Jesus. Monthélie resembles a village in Tuscany.”

The appellation is home to 15 Premier Cru climats concentrated in one area to the east of the village, bordering the more prestigious vineyards of Volnay. A rose is a rose, but not all Premier Cru sites are created equal, and traditionally, those of Monthélie are not considered among Burgundy’s finest. Classic Monthélie wines are similar to those of neighboring Volnay (the villages are only a mile apart) but are not quite as full flavored or elegant, but they are generally considered to be superior to the red wines of Auxey-Duresses, also just a mile away in the other direction. Again, these are ideal terroirs to stir in a little extra warmth via global warming and follow the improvements with a corkscrew and glass.

Domaine Monthélie-Douhairet-Porcheret

The triumvirate of names each has its own special significance to the estate. Named first for the 300-year-old Southern Burgundy village in which it is located, Monthelie-Douhairet was run by the Douhairet family for many years. In the early 1970s, the two sisters Armande and Charlotte Douhairet inherited the vines and decided to separate; Armande fought to keep her share while Charlotte sold hers. Then, in 1989, Madame Douhairet asked renowned winemaker André Porcheret to take charge and subsequently, added his name to the domain.

Cataldina Lippo and husband Vincent Monfort

André Porcheret has been one of the great figures in Beaune; prior to overseeing Domaine Monthélie-Douhairet he was the cellar manager at the Hospices de Beaune, then worked for Lalou Bize Leroy to make wines at the newly created Domaine Leroy—whereupon, he returned to the Hospices de Beaune for another five year stint. Today, with his granddaughter Cataldina Lippo, he produces wines on M-D-P’s fifteen acres that are classic, elegant and true to the terroirs of Pommard, Volnay, Meursault and Monthélie.

•1• Domaine Monthélie-Douhairet-Porcheret ‘Cuvée Miss Armande’, 2019 Monthélie ($48)
Armande Douhairet, known universally as ‘Miss Armande’, passed away in 2004, and to her memory, this cuvée is dedicated. The elevation of the vineyards, lieux-dits Les Plantes and Les Longènes, is obvious in the brightness of the red fruit, evoking pie cherries, orange rind and raw cocoa. The texture is satiny and succulent, with a core of richness framed by lively acids and powdery tannins.

•2• Domaine Monthélie-Douhairet-Porcheret, Monthélie ‘Clos du Meix Garnier’ Monopole ($52)
‘Clos du Meix Garnier’ is a vineyard entirely owned by the estate—making it a monopole. From these three acres, about 8000 bottles are produced annually; the grapes are 100% de-stemmed and treated to gentle, old school fermentation and maceration before being aged for 18 months in barrels (10% new). Aromas of blood orange, raspberries and plums introduce a satiny wine with tangy acids and chalky tannins.

•3• Domaine Monthélie-Douhairet-Porcheret, 2019 Monthélie Premier Cru Les Duresses ($76)
The 16 acres of Les Duresses is the only Premier Cru vineyard on the western side of Monthélie between Volnay and Meursault. Les Duresses is planted to 82% Pinot Noir, although there is some Chardonnay on the upper slope. Soils are pebbly marl with a good proportion of clay, especially lower down the slope. Argovian (Jurassic) limestone provides the minerality for which these wines are famous. The wine displays a similar depth to the Meix Garnier, but is fruitier, like ‘Miss Armande’. There is more muscle, too, with raspberry and strawberry notes showing above slight oak and leading to a lengthy finish.

•4• Domaine Monthélie-Douhairet-Porcheret, 2019 Monthélie Premier Cru Le Meix Bataille ($76)
The 5.6 acre ‘Le Meix Bataille’ vineyard sits on the hillside to the northeast and immediately above the village of Monthélie itself on the Volnay side; it is part of the main cluster of Premier Cru vineyards in the appellation that lie on south-facing slopes. Terroir is built around steep slopes with favorable exposures and soils made of the same Bathonian limestone that is found in some of Volnay’s more famous vineyards. The wine shows black cherry confit with discreet oak and fine-grained, vigorous tannins and rather intense minerality that gives is superb aging capability.

Domaine Thierry et Pascale Matrot

In 1914, Joseph Matrot and his wife Marguerite took up residence in Marguerite’s family home with the intention of developing the property into a respected wine estate. Over the course of several generations, Domaine Matrot expanded to fifty acres, and in 2000, began harvesting the vineyards organically.

From left: Adèle (left), Thierry, Pascale and Elsa Matrot

Of the change, Thierry Matrot says, “It’s not a revolution, it’s an evolution. Technology has made things easier, but our winemaking philosophy has changed very little. The vinification is about the same. We don’t use new oak for the village wines or the Premier Crus; we prefer to allow the terroir to express itself and to show the character of each vintage. And my father worked in just the same way.”

The estate extends across five villages, producing both regional appellations and several Premier Crus in Meursault and in neighbouring Puligny-Montrachet. Three quarters of the production is white and about 60% is destined for the export market.

•5• Domaine Thierry et Pascale Matrot, 2019 Monthélie ($59)
From an acre of 40-plus-year-old vines just in front of the Clos des Chênes in Volnay. It shows a concentrated floral bouquet of iris and rose petal that complements crunchy red berries. The palate is well-balanced with a fine bead of acidity and a harmonious, long and elegant, Volnay-like finish.

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Posted on 2024.11.01 in Côte de Beaune, Monthélie, Auxey-Duresses, Saint-Romain, France, Burgundy, Wine-Aid Packages | Read more...

Spanish Roots & Routes: Four Energetic and Inventive Winemakers in Valencia and Rioja are Pushing into the Future With New Ways, Going Against Established Practices, Exploring Legacy Varieties. Valencia Pack (3 Bottles, $175), Rioja Pack (3 Bottles, $430)

Spanish Roots: Reviving Ancient Vineyards

‘Thinking outside the matchbox’ is a pretty fair tagline for a new cast of innovative winemakers working out of Valencia, Spain, rediscovering indigenous grapes and releasing small batches of unique wine. No one exemplifies this garagista gang better than Javi Revert, whose family has farmed the region for generations and who may prefer the description, ‘an iconoclastic traditionalist.’

This week, we are proud to feature a selection of Revert’s quiet revolution—transparent gems reflective of the soul of his particular terroir and his spirit as a modern winemaker. Some of the varieties Javi uses ring strangely to the ear; they are as new to us as they are to you. But these grapes have—like Javi Revert—grown up in the Valencian landscape alongside the herbs, the olives and the almond trees.

This is a unique opportunity for wine lovers to travel an unusual route along the Iberian Peninsula’s far east coast to experience some personal wine evolution while sampling Revert’s wine revolution.

The Case for Rescuing Heirloom Grape Varieties

Endangered animal species get a lot of press, especially if they are cute and cuddly or have magnificent wing spans. Gnarled old Tortosí vines struggling in the scrublands of rural Spain don’t always feel the same love. But for those of us interested in exploring and preserving the heritage of grapes which have fallen out of commercial favor, the case for search and rescue is easy to make, especially in the Mediterranean.

According to an international group of pros called ‘Wine Mosaic,’ it is estimated that 155 Mediterranean varieties are planted on less than 24 acres, putting them perilously close to extinction. Another 200 regional varieties have grown increasingly rare, with fewer than 250 acres planted. Says Alain Carbonneau, Wine Mosaic’s vice president, “Preserving rare grapes is not just a matter of variety on wine-store aisles. Recent DNA research has shown that unusual and unknown grape varieties provide clues to wine history.”

Researcher Antero Martin—recently awarded the Order of Merit for Agriculture for his work studying and preserving grape varieties—adds, “It’s important to keep them around, indispensable in fact. They offer researchers a genetic toolbox for overcoming challenges of climate change, vine disease and changing consumer tastes.”

Each endangered grape has its own backstory, of course. The devastation of phylloxera wiped out many varieties at the end of the 19th century, and even more disappeared in the last decades of the 20th century when indigenous grapes were replaced by more marketable international varieties.

The good news? Many of these nearly forgotten grapes still grow in lost vineyards either repurposed or abandoned. In fact, it is this very scenario that inspired our featured winemaker, Javi Revert.

Valencian Bounty: Remarkable Bounty of Old Vine Indigenous Material

The regional term ‘Levant,’ which many of us associate with the Middle East, is also used to describe Valencia, where in Spanish it refers to ‘the getting up place,’ as its location on the Iberian Peninsula places is closest to the rising sun.

For years, Valencia was a forgotten (but productive) child in the Spanish wine scene, known for an output of bulk juice that wine connoisseurs may consider ‘wine’ only by dictionary default. The Mediterranean Sea and its associated climate is conducive to ripening both grapes and the region’s famous oranges and so copious are the fish and shellfish pulled from its waters that it should come as no surprise that Valencia is the birthplace of paella.

‘Big blends’ wines are rarely picky about variety, and this phenomenon is in part responsible for the survival of many indigenous old-vine grapes which may be unrecognizable in name and stand-alone taste, but which may find their way into the blends of bulk winemakers, but also form a foundation for a new generation of winemakers eager to raise the bar on expectations.

Rubén Sanz Ramiro, a Spanish sommelier, sums it up this way: “The progressive work and commitment of this new generation of growers have demonstrated that there is great potential in Valencia and very compelling wines can be produced there. Particularly those wines made with their indigenous varieties (Bobal, Verdil, Moscatel) have something distinctive to say and can be utterly delicious, displaying both personality and a sense of a place.”

Javi Revert
Javi Revert Viticultor
Valencia – La Font de la Figuera

“One of the Most Exciting Young Growers in The Mediterranean Zone of Spain.” Luis Gutiérrez, The Wine Advocate January 2024

As the story goes, Javi was walking with his grandfather in the fields between Valencia and Murcia when they came upon an old vineyard planted by his great-grandfather. The plots hadn’t been worked for years and had merged into a patchwork of wild flora. This set the wheels in motion; Javi realized that these abandoned vines with north-facing exposures had the potential to transform the world’s understanding of quality wines from the region.

After studying viticulture, Javi worked at Celler del Roure before returning to his home town of La Font de la Figuera where has family has farmed for generations. Initially working the plots his great grandfather had planted, he began to meticulously refurbish other nearby mountain terraces where he found small plots of Tortosí, Trepadell, Malvasía, Merseguera, Verdil, Monastrell and Arcos. In doing so, he learned each macro- and micro-climate. With this insight, he began planting new plots, working hard to make wines of increasing purity and precision.

Javi Revert

In addition to his own wines, Javier also works in collaborative projects with Finca Sandoval and La Comarcal. He says, “By understanding the land, making soil-based decisions and practicing traditional viticulture, I try to produce wines capable of changing preconceived notions of what Mediterranean Spain can do. From the beginning, the focus has been on the vineyard, giving total importance to the location and betting on a location on the north face of the highest mountain in the area. There, we have recovered old vines planted by our ancestors, but we have also replanted in old abandoned plots with steep slopes, immersed in the heart of the mountain.”

Javi cultivates thirty acres, roughly divided in half; old mountain vineyards make up one portion and young vineyards replanted in traditional, but long-abandoned locations make up the rest.

“We work organically, following biodynamic and sustainable practices. We promote biodiversity in our vineyards, encouraging the presence of beneficial plants and animals to maintain the balance of the ecosystem. I firmly believe that it is the combination of places and people that is responsible for the legacy of winemaking everywhere.”

1 Javi Revert Viticultor ‘Micalet – Parcel·la Pla del Micalet’, 2022 Valencia White ($62)
A field blend of Tortosí, Trepadell, Malvasía, Merseguera and Palomino from Pla del Micalet—a six-acre vineyard in the foothills of the Penya Foradà mountains with a northwest orientation and at an altitude well over 2000 feet. The vines were planted in 1948. Each year, two harvests are made; the first is of the un-grafted old vines that mature earlier due to their lower vigor and production. About 10 days later, the other half of the plot of grafted vines is harvested. On the day of each harvest, it is vatted without destemming until it lands in the pneumatic press for direct pressing. Static racking for 12 hours, then it is racked into a concrete egg where fermentation begins spontaneously and lasts 9 months. The wine shows chalky citrus and salted nuts; a sea-kissed white of remarkable clarity and precision. 1,600 bottles made.

2 Javi Revert Viticultor ‘Simeta – Parcel·la Lossal de l’Àngel’, 2021 Valencia Red ($77)
100% Arcos from a one-acre plot on the south side of the Penya Foradà planted in 1970 on calcareous soil. The grapes are fermented in a concrete tank on native yeast; maceration, with 70% whole cluster, lasts around three weeks. The wine undergoes malolactic fermentation in concrete, after which it is aged in 500-liter barrels for one year, then refined for another three months in a concrete egg. It is bottled without filtration, and displays all the hallmarks of a luscious, dewy Mediterranean summer day, with wild berry notes behind tart cherry with a hint of dark chocolate. 1,400 bottles were filled in March 2023.

3 Javi Revert Viticultor ‘Sensal – Paratge Els Juncarejos’, 2022 Valencia Red ($36)
A blend of Monastrell, Bonicaire and Garnacha. Sensal is a village-style made from five plots located in Font de la Figuera that contain both old and young vines to reflect the viticultural identity of a town. The soils are primarily limestone-based and of various depths. Each plot is fermented separately on native yeasts after whole-cluster maceration lasting two weeks. The wine is then aged for nine months in concrete. The deeply tinted Monastrell and spicy Arcos combine to create a vibrant wine bursting with wild strawberry, cranberry, raspberry and cherry notes tinged with coastal herbs. 5,500 bottles made. It was bottled in May 2023.

Spanish Routes: Setting the Path to the New Rioja

When a generational shift overtakes an old, familiar wine zone, the first casualty is often conditioning. In days of yore, Rioja meant big, blustery, barrel-bludgeoned reds, where quality was measured by ‘crianza’—the years a Tempranillo blend spent first in oak, then in bottles. The farther the wine was away from the vineyard, the better it was supposed to be. Entry level Crianza wines undergo a two-year old process which keeps them at least a year in fifty-gallon barrels. Riserva sees three years of aging; Gran Reserva, five-years, with at least two years in oak. These wines are, by intent, filled with complexity, with the oldest displaying matured tertiary flavors of tobacco, leather, truffle, etc.

It’s a style of wine has its legions of apostles, but in a general sense, freshness over oak and a sense of place rather than a sense of wood is name game in of the modern era. Less ripeness is traded for more bracing acidity. Rioja may have been a bit slow to get the memo, and wine drinkers in America even more so, but the new wave of younger winemakers in Spain’s most famous wine-producing region are spreading the wings of innovation so wide that we can’t help but feel the influence.

In this package, we will feature three bodegas run by three charismatic winemaker who are offering a fresh take on an old style, breaking with tradition and frequently loosening the Tempranillo stranglehold in favor of a cornucopia of other varieties.

Arturo De Miguel Blanco
Artuke
Rioja ‘Alavesa’ – Baños de Ebro

“We fight to preserve our culture, not to transform it,” announces Arturo de Miguel Blanco.

With his brother Kike (who joined him in 2010—‘Artuke’ is a portmanteau of both their first names), he cultivates about fifty acres of decades-old, high-elevation vineyards in Baños de Ebro in Rioja Alavesa. Working with blends of Tempranillo, Garnacha, Graciano, and Mazuelo (and often with white grapes in the mix) they are creating the sort of bright, fruit-and-mineral driven wines that best mirror both their terroir and new trends in Rioja.

Arturo de Miguel Blanco, Artuke

“We buck the norms and also bureaucracy,” he says. “For example, we plant all bush vines, even our newest ones. Government aid goes to trellised vines because they can be mechanized and the yields are larger, but their resistance to water stress is lower. It sadden me to see the loss of old bush vines in this area; they’re being replaced by trellised plants.”

Blanco’s father Roberto produced bulk wine from the same land, but the brothers have seen fit to explore opportunities their soil might provide by doing a detailed study of various plots in Baños de Ebro, Ávalos, San Vicente de la Sonsierra and more recently, in Samaniego. Arturo’s conclusion was eye-opening:

“Rioja should be bottled along regional, village and single vineyard lines, similar to the Burgundian approach, and we should begin to eschew the traditional Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva classifications.”

1 Artuke ‘La Condenada’, 2020 Rioja – Baños de Ebro Red ($135)
80% Tempranillo with a blend of Graciano, Garnacha and Palomino Fino. The grapes are from vines about 40 years old grown on sandy soil at an altitude of about 1800 feet. Harvested by hand and aged in French oak barrels for 14 months, then bottled without sulfur after a soft filtration, it shows dynamic blackberry, cherry and strawberry notes swirling amid toasty vanilla and roast coffee beans with a finish well-balanced with spice and mineral note. 1,502 bottles made.

Benjamín Romeo
Bodega Contador
Rioja ‘Alta’ – San Vicente de la Sonsierra

We’re fond of saying cavemen made wine by discovering naturally-fermented fruit while foraging, and then translating that natural happenstance to their rocky shelters. In 1995, Benjamín Romeo, winemaker and vine-grower, joined their ranks when he acquired a centuries-old cave hewn into the rock beneath the Castle of San Vicente de la Sonsierra in Rioja. He began to experiment with small-scale wine projects in the cave as he purchased more vineyard land, and meanwhile outfitted his parents’ garage with equipement to increase his capacity.

And then came his dream winery: “Between 2004 and 2006, I worked with architect Hector Herrera on the design,” says Benjamín. “It was built over the following two years and opened in June, 2008 to coincide with the summer solstice.”

Benjamin Romeo, Bodega Contador

It is a nature-centered endeavor with terraces covered with plants that blend in with the local vegetation. The winemaker adds, “The bodega has exposed concrete walls so that gradually they become coated with dust and end up melding with the earth from which they came.”

Benjamín Romeo currently owns 124 acres of vineyards spread across 60 different plots, most of which are bush vines. He works with organic compost and shreds vine shoots over the soil to increase moisture retention. Selection, both on the vineyard and the winery, is essential to Romeo’s way of operating: He uses 10,000-liter wooden vats; malolactic fermentation is mostly done in barrels; aging times for red wines range from 16 to 18 months and he takes moon cycles into account when it comes to handling wines.

Both the 2004 and 2005 vintages of Contador received 100-point scores on Robert Parker’s Review—an unprecedented achievement for a Spanish winery. In fact, it’s a feat so tough that only a caveman could do it.

2 Bodega Contador ‘Alma Contador’, 2020 Rioja – San Vicente de la Sonsierra Red ($135)
Romeo’s new red blend, 2020 Alma Contador, originates in three vineyards in San Vicente de la Sonsierra, each at different altitudes. It blends 92% Tempranillo with 8% Garnacha, which then matures in new French barriques for 20 months. The ‘soul’ of Contador is meant to showcases the power and elegance of Tempranillo with notes of black fruit, spice and vanilla. It is still quite young, but displays a structured palate with firm tannins and a long, lingering finish. 10,000 bottles produced.

Telmo Rodríguez
Granja Nuestra Señora de Remelluri
Rioja ‘Alavesa’ – Labastida de Álava

In September, 2021 a wine that had been in the making for almost a decade was released at the Place de Bordeaux. Called ‘Yjar,’ it is a single vineyard cuvée from the foothills of the Sierra de Toloño in Rioja.

The wine was the brainchild of Telmo Rodríguez, who in 2011 returned to the idyllic family estate of Granja Nuestra Señora de Remelluri in Labastida after an 11-year absence. Intent on improving the bodega’s standing in the wine world while introducing ecologically-sound practices (viñedo ecológico, or organic vineyard, is one such example), his first step was to isolated those grapes grown at Remelluri from grapes sourced from long-standing suppliers, sending the latter to Lindes de Remelluri, a village wine range that includes a red wine from San Vicente de la Sonsierra and another one from Labastida.

Telmo Rodríguez, Remelluri

“Remelluri has not been ill-treated since the Middle Ages,” Telmo says with pride. “When my parents bought it in the 1960s, it was farmed with animals, fertilized with manure, and grass grew freely among the vines. What’s so special about it is the proximity to the mountains, something that other properties lack.”

Now extending to nearly 370 acres, vineyards stretch across three valleys; the central area known as Remelluri, plus Valderremelluri and Villaesclusa. Soils vary within the clay-limestone sphere at elevations that range from of the Sonsierra. Elevation ranges from 2000 feet to nearly 3000—remarkably high for viticulture. These higher plots are reserved for white varieties.

3 Remelluri ‘Yjar’, 2018 Rioja – Labastida de Álava Red ($160)
Pronounced (more or less) ‘Yar,’ the wine is a field blend of Tempranillo, Graciano, Garnacha, Gran Negro and Rojal. The vineyard, 9 acres in size, sits on an eroded slope with its own water supply patter; the soil contains a high concentration of carbonates, accumulated to a depth of around two feet. The wine is juicy with black cherry, crushed blueberry and cocoa powder that evolve to truffle, black pepper, incense and freshly chopped herbs. 5,988 bottles produced.

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Posted on 2024.10.25 in France, Wine-Aid Packages | Read more...

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