Viticoltori De Conciliis – Pioneers of Southern Italy

“Naima” Aglianico (Paestum IGT 2007) Red
Special Price: ~$49/bottle

Viticoltori De Conciliis is a family affair. It was established in 1996 after siblings Bruno, Luigi, and Paola convinced their father, Alessandro, to transform the family poultry farm into world-class vineyards. It was a visionary idea, as this stretch of coastal Campania known as Cilento (forming the lower “shin” of Italy’s boot) was not particularly prized for wine production at the time.

Cilento still remains very much a wild and woodsy region but the volcanic soils, steep slopes, southern exposure, and coastal climate of the De Conciliis estate have proven to create wines of significance – on par or surpassing the quality of the best wines from the better known regions of Campania farther north above the city of Naples.

Today, Bruno De Conciliis leads the way at the estate, somehow creating wines that are simultaneously cutting-edge and steeped in the ancient lands they come from. He is an organic winemaker in an Italian region where chemically based farming has been the status quo since the end of the Second World War and he has introduced many biodynamic farming practices to this corner of Italy.

His primary focus is on growing and vinifying Campania’s most noble grape varieties, Fiano (white) and Aglianico (red), with a vibrancy and rich character that many ascribe to his unique, isolated growing sites which lie on land where there has never been any commercial, chemically based agriculture.

Bruno is a lover of jazz. His signature wine “Naima” is named after a John Coltrane tune. The 2007 vintage “Naima” is 100% Aglianico fermented with indigenous yeasts and then aged in barriques (one, two, and three-year-old) for a year, large neutral wood barrels for two years, stainless steel for six months, and finally one year in the bottle before release. The result is a wine rich with fruit, redolent of wild berries and herbs, with firm tannins, and a refreshing brightness on the close. This is a wine to pair with a fine hunk of roasted red meat. Only 6,800 bottles were produced.

The major ancient Greek city of Paestum and the Cilento represent an area of immense cultural and geographical significance – so much so that in 1998, they were collectively granted UNESCO World Heritage Site status.

Also available from Viticoltori De Conciliis (extremely limited)

“Antece” Fiano (Cilento 2009) white
$69/bottle

“Antece” is a 100% Fiano wine that is only made in the best vintages. It is a skin-contact white wine (made like a red wine) that allows it to extract more complex aromatics and textures from the grape skins. After fermentation with indigenous yeasts the wine is aged in large oak barrels for two years and then another year in bottle before release. Intense aromas of peach, pineapple and almond precede an opulent richness before finishing with a long and textured finish. This is a white wine that needs full-flavored seafood like mackerel and tuna or most any preparation of pork. Only 3,500 bottles produced.

In the video below, vineyard manager Paola De Conciliis talks about some of the biodynamic treatments she does on the estate. (Click on CC for subtitles in English.)

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Posted on 2016.09.21 in Saturday Sips Wines, Italy, Campania  |  Read more...

2014 Domaine Bart Marsannay – Classic Red Burgundy, Classic Price

Domaine Bart “La Montagne” (Marsannay) Red
Special Price: $167/6-pack (~$28/bottle)

Stretching from the village of Fixin at its southern end to the city of Dijon at its northern end, Marsannay vineyards are on the famous Côte d’Or that continues north from Gevrey-Chambertin. Although Marsannay has no Premier Cru designated vineyards there are a handful of lieu-dits, “La Montagne” prime among them, on a shortlist for this status upgrade once the French wine governing authority catches up with the the level of excellence coming out of these vineyards. For now, we can revel in the relative affordability of single vineyard Marsannay wines.

Pierre Bart is the sixth generation at Domaine Bart. Since 2009 he’s been running the 49 acre domaine along with his uncle, Martin. His grandmother comes from the same family as Domaine Bruno Clair, explaining why there are holdings in the Grand Crus of Bonnes-Mares and Chambertin-Clos de Bèze, as well as Santenay. Indeed, a good portion of the estate’s holdings come from the split of the renowned Domaine Claire-Daü between Domaine Bart and Domaine Bruno Clair. Domaine Claire-Daü was one of the most heralded and respected producers in the region, nearly singlehandedly bringing the appellation of Marsannay its current status.

Pierre’s wines are balanced and classic Burgundy, understated with grace and elegance. It begins in the vineyard with sustainable and organic farming practices on every parcel. Each parcel is worked by hand according to its specific microclimate. The use of new oak is judicious and depends on the parcel. According to Pierre, “We make very fruity wines in classic style. The main words at our domaine are fruit and balance, balance between fruit, acidity and tannins. So we don’t produce big extracted wines. We try to respect the fruit.”

“La Montagne” is from a single vineyard of 25-30 year-old vines grown on south-facing slopes over hard limestone. Its fleshy fruit is balanced by a core of minerality. While drinking beautifully now it will develop in a proper cellar for another eight years or more.

More 2014 Burgundy in Stock from Domaine Bart (very limited)

“Les Echezots” (Marsannay)
$31/bottle
The Les Echezots vineyard gets more cool winds from the Hautes-Côtes, subsequently the grapes ripen later there and it is always the last parcel to be harvested. The result is a wine with a bit more nerve compared to La Montagne.

“Les Hervelets” (Fixin, Premier Cru)
$55/bottle
Dark fruits, hints of earth and spice, and a bit of heft from the more pronounced tannic structure allow this expression longer term aging potential.

Bonnes-Mares (Grand Cru)
$180/bottle
Domaine Bart’s Bonnes Mares parcels are next to those of Comte de Vogüe. It is a powerful, long-lived wine. Only ten barrels are produced.

Chambertin Clos du Bèze (Grand Cru)
$200/bottle
Generally Clos de Bèze is considered to be more concentrated than Bonnes Mares but in the case of Domaine Bart’s parcels it’s the other way around. Expressive and intense, only five barrels are produced.

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Posted on 2016.09.14 in France, Saturday Sips Wines, Burgundy  |  Read more...

Côte Rôtie vs. Hermitage – Two Outstanding Northern Rhône Syrahs from the 2013 Vintage

The vineyards of the northern Rhône, particularly Côte Rôtie and Hermitage, are some of the smallest in France, yet they produce some of the finest expressions of Syrah in the world. Join us this Saturday for a comparative tasting of these two top vineyards in northern Rhône. These wines are from the same producer, same vintage, and same grape variety. There is no better way to explore the nuances of terroir.

Barruol “La Boisselée” (Côte Rôtie 2013)
Special Price ~$62/bottle  SOLD OUT

The appellation of Côte Rôtie is around 650 acres entirely based on the southeast-facing slope next to the Rhône River just south of the city of Lyon. The slopes are steep and gradients can reach 60 degrees in places. This is vine growing at its most extreme. Work in the vineyards – which includes moving soil back to the top of the slopes – requires pulleys and monorails. But the effort is worthwhile as these slopes are bathed in sun all day and the hard rock retains heat overnight allowing for full ripeness and concentration. The cuvée “La Boisselée” comes from 30-50 year-old vines in the lieu-dit of Le Plomb, in the schist soils of the Côte Brune.

Barruol “La Pierrelle” (Hermitage 2013)
Special Price ~$58/bottle SOLD OUT

With a mere 336 acres of vineyards all on one hill overlooking the Rhône, Hermitage is one of the most famous and smallest production zones in all of France. The slopes here are on the river’s east bank, giving the vines exposure to south and west while protecting them from the prevailing north winds. Although not as precipitous as Côte Rôtie, the steep slopes still require the backbreaking work of manual erosion repair as the topsoil annually washes down the hill. The granite soil based lieu-dit “La Pierrelle” lies at the top of the hill known for the most highly aromatic wines of Hermitage. The name, Pierrelle, refers to the galet stones littering the vineyard.

All grapes are hand-harvested and sorted during harvest. Fermentation takes place in cement tank and the wines are aged on average for 15 months in barrel (one or two years old). These are miniscule production wines and quantities are limited.

Fourteenth generation winemaker Louis Barruol took over the Gigondas family domain of Château de St-Cosme in 1992, it’s 500th anniversary year. Once the site of a Roman villa, Louis’ cellars show spectacular remains of old, Roman vinification vats carved into the limestone. Not entirely satisfied taking over the family business, Louis decided to craft a range of “micro-négociant” wines with the goal of saving the authenticity and the identity of exceptional parcels in Côte Rôtie, Hermitage, and Crozes-Hermitage. “My aim is to create wines that express their origin above all; for me that is the value of wine. To be reminded of a place on earth, especially when you are 10,000 kilometers away, is something fantastic for me.”

2013 Northern Rhône Vintage Report

The 2013 vintage in northern Rhône was quite late but saw more outstanding wines than ever. Yields were generally low. Due to cool spring and summer conditions that helped to preserve acidity, the wines have great energy and balance, with more than adequate tannin structure to allow for modest aging. For enthusiasts that prefer the graceful rather than powerhouse northern Rhône Syrah, 2013 is proving to be an outstanding vintage.

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Posted on 2016.09.07 in France, Saturday Sips Wines, Northern Rhone  |  Read more...

From Spain to Detroit – a Few Special Collaborative Cuvées

If you’ve enjoyed a Spanish wine from our shop it likely came from a local, Detroit-based enterprise that has collected a portfolio of distinguished, passionate producers from some of the most exciting wine production regions in Spain. VIN°VI & CO is led by Núria Garrote i Esteve, a native Spaniard, born, raised, and educated in Barcelona. For the past ten years she has been patiently pursuing the work of an elite Franco-Iberian group of trailblazers producing seminal wines.

Through her partnerships with some of Spain’s leading winemakers, Núria has begun to assemble a few special collaborative cuvées named after her young daughter, Ona. These are wines available only in the North American market, and each wine has a story to tell.

Ona (Priorat 2013) Red
Special Price: ~$19/bottle
525 Cases Produced

Although winemaking has been going on for centuries in the tiny mountain district of Priorat, it wasn’t until the mid-1990s, when a group of winemakers moved in and began making revolutionary wines, that it came to international attention. This is the landscape in which the young Blai Ferré, in collaboration with Núria, created the Ona bottling. Ona is Priorat in the raw, a wine of intensity and balance with little elaboration, merely the core of great fruit showing the potential for creating the type of wine Priorat has become known for: Upscale wines intended for the cellar that reveal an insight into time and place after years of development.

Blai fell in love with winemaking while a teenager working the fields with Alvaro Palacios – one of the leading winemakers not only in Priorat, but all the world. He then purchased two small lots of his own, about 12 acres worth of land. He likes being self-sufficient and doing everything himself and produces a scant 3,400 bottles of Ona, bottling the rest of the harvest in two other cuvées.

2013 Ona Priorat is a blend of Garnatxa, Syrah, Carinyena and a splash of Cabernet Sauvignon. Cultivation is organic and the harvest is hand-picked and hand-sorted. Half of the wine is aged in stainless steel vats and the other half in French oak for eight months. We’ve found that it’s a wine that always outperforms its price level. A fantastic bottle to have on-hand for guests or to bring to parties. And it’s versatile enough to be paired with a simple cheese plate to roast lamb and everything in-between.

Ona (Penedès 2014) White
Special Price: ~$16/bottle
400 Cases Produced

Núria’s relationship with the visionary winemaker Raimon Badell of Masia Can Tutusaus began when she sought out his award winning Cava and brought it into the U.S. Almost all Cava production is centered in the Penedès region of Spain, a short distance west of the city of Barcelona. But it’s the mountainous sub-zone of the Massís del Garraf, where soil and microclimate yield fruit with the concentration and balance required for singular, world-class, sparkling wine.

Indeed, of all the areas in Penedès producing the trinity of indigenous Catalan Cava grapes (Parellada, Macabeo, and most importantly Xarel-lo, which is considered the backbone of Cava’s unique character) only Massís del Garraf, the home of Masia Can Tutusaus, offers the cooling significance of altitude that nurtures a higher acidity in the grapes.

It was this superior geography and the high quality of the Xarel-lo grapes (pronouced shah-REHL-loh) that led Núria and Raimon to bottle a still version of Xarel-lo with all the intense aromatics, yellow fleshy fruit, and freshness that the variety has to offer.

Ona (Penedès 2014) Red
Special Price: ~$16/bottle
415 Cases Produced

On one of her many visits with Raimon at his vineyards Núria tasted a unique red wine that was being produced only for consumption by Raimon and his friends. The grape was Marselan – a variety created by crossbreeding Cabernet Sauvignon with Grenache that was developed in 1961 specifically for the Languedoc region of France but never fully adopted due to its low yields.

It was clear that this wine showing both the exuberant red fruit ripeness of Grenache and the elegant structure of Cabernet Sauvignon was fitting for the Ona label. Its vibrancy and freshness illustrating why a new breed of winemakers have begun planting this variety across the Mediterranean, although it is in the higher altitude, cooler regions like Massís del Garraf where it shines.

Raimon believes in making contemporary wines that respect Mediterranean culture without becoming mired in convention. Certified biodynamic in Spain, he has the utmost respect for his vines and soil and it shows in every glass.

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Posted on 2016.08.31 in Saturday Sips Wines, Spain DO, Penedes, Priorat DOQ  |  Read more...

Rully – High Class White Burgundy on a Budget

The Côte Chalonnaise continues as a regular chain of hills along the same lines as the Côte d’Or to its north. But the countryside is much less uniform and turns into a jumble of limestone slopes on which vineyards appear amongst orchards and pasture. Local weather patterns are equally varied, giving importance to long proven production zones like Rully.

The white wines of Rully are said to convey suggestions of cool polished marble. They certainly have a recognizable style all their own, with a subtle fragrance similar to Chassagne-Montrachet coupled with a mineral charm. These two featured wines are the pinnacle of Chardonnay expression in the oft-overlooked Côte Chalonnaise – rich, complex, and destined for the dinner table.

Winemaker Claudie Jobard produces from 23 acres in both Rully and Côte de Beaune, including prime parcels in Pommard from family ties with Domaine Gabriel Billard. She’s the daughter of Laurence Jobard, Joseph Drouhin’s winemaker/enologist for 30 years. Her family has been propagating and selling vines in Rully for the last 60 years. Clearly, wine is in her blood.

Rully “Montagne la Folie” (2014) White
Special Price: ~$23

Chardonnay from a six acre, clay and limestone plot situated due east in the northern section of Rully with an average vine age of 42 years. Fermentation and aging take place entirely in French oak barrels of which 30% are new. The frequency of bâtonnage and barrel aging duration vary depending on the vintage. The result is a golden wine with notes of butterscotch, creamy citrus, and a backbone of stone.

Rully “Les Cloux” (Premier Cru 2014) White
Special Price: ~$33

Les Cloux is one of Rully’s best sites. The Chardonnay vines are 50-60 years old, planted on a southeast-facing, pebble-rich slope of clay and limestone. The wine was fermented in large 342-litre oak barrels, of which just 25% were new, and aged for up to 16 months. More heft than the “Montagne la Folie” its rich, creamy intensity is beautifully balanced by zesty freshness underneath heady aromatics of citrus and orchard blossoms with a hint of cedar.

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Posted on 2016.08.24 in Saturday Sips Wines, France, Burgundy  |  Read more...

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