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Tuesday, November 25, 2014
November/December offers
Saturday, November 15, 2014
Thursday, September 25, 2014
Harvest time has arrived - Donatella Cinelli Colombini
Harvest time has arrived in Montalcino. Over the next two weeks all the sangiovese will be de-stemmed, softly crushed and start its journey to eventually becoming wonderful Brunello di Montalcino
Here are some pictures from Donatella’s vendemmia.
Here are some pictures from Donatella’s vendemmia.
Gently does it
The grapes are quickly transferred to the press after picking
La donna herself, Donatella Cinelli Colombini
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
Schiava - Another grape variety from the north of Italy
Grapefriend made the following comments: "This used to be most grown grape in the region (Alto Adige), basically used to make table wine in bulk.
Schiava actually means “slave” in Italian – a real workhorse grape for them back in the day. Now people have dialed back the yields and are pumping out some really nice wines.
It’s whole purpose is to be a very light, easy drinking red that you can even serve with a little chill. There’s always a note of tarragon/herbal goodness too which makes it phenomenal with charcuterie, especially the regional fave speck
Tuesday, September 23, 2014
Mirabella Franciacorta - if you like champagne you will love Franciacorta
Mirabella has established itself as one of the most important and prestigious producers of Franciacorta in Lombardy, Italy
Quality and intuition, tradition, passion and entrepreneurial spirit, are some of the features which distinguish the Mirabella winery of Rodengo Saiano.
Now, with a productive reality of 450,000 bottles each year the farm cultivates more then 50 hectares of vineyards, 40 among them inserted on the register of D.O.C.G. of Franciacorta..
The Franciacorta was the first Italian wine produced exclusively by the method of second fermentation in the bottle (classic method), to be awarded in 1995 the Denomination of Origin Controlled and Guaranteed. Today on the label reads only the name Franciacorta, the only term that defines the territory, the method of production and wine. In Europe, only three are made with the second fermentation in the bottle: Cava, Champagne and Franciacorta.
After 30 years of passionate work and dedication, Mirabella has been able to boast a collection of both national and international industry awards.At least 55 of these prestigious prizes have been won for outstanding quality.
The care and knowledge of the vineyards are allowing MIRABELLA to obtain grapes always in the best health possible, these conditions, together with the use of nitrogen in different stages of winemaking, make the chemical intervention on the Franciacorta DOCG (in particular sulphites) is in steady decline for 10 years now (legal limit 200 mg / liter of total sulfite, Franciacorta DOCG MIRABELLA average level of 40-50 mg / liter) and the use of other potential allergens (milk and eggs) completely eliminated.
The ultimate goal of this "philosophy" has led the company, in collaboration with UNIVERSITY 'of VICOLTURA and WINE to Milan, to create by 2010 a vintage Franciacorta DOCG free of allergens including sulfur dioxide, (9 mg / liter of total sulfite duced by yeast fermentation, the declaration limit is set at 10 mg / liter)
To date, the Consortium has 105 member wineries and a total of 3,150 hectares of vineyards of which amounted to 2,800 for the production of Franciacorta DOCG.
There are three principle grapes used in Franciacorta of which Chardonnay is by far the most prominent. Chardonnay has been grown in Franciacorta for some decades now, although it is difficult to pin down the exact date of the introduction of this eminently noble white grape variety. Some producers, who recognised its potential and the qualities of its wine, were likely utilising it already in the early 1950s. It certainly began to be widely planted in Franciacorta around 1950, appearing in vineyards right alongside pinot bianco. This promiscuous planting led to confusion between the two grape varieties, since no one was much concerned with maintaining a clear distinction between the two. But even in those early years, when the nursery operators obtained genetic material for propagating budwood for planting, they were always looking for vines with the best growth characteristics, which meant crop consistency, good cluster formation, high sugar levels, and a golden colour in the skin. That turned out to mean chardonnay. Only in 1963 was a clear distinction drawn between the two varieties, when under the auspices of the Istituto Agrario in San Michele all’Adige, a vineyard was planted 100% to chardonnay, from vines imported from France. That enabled differences between the two grapes to be finally drawn quite clearly. And that process highlighted the superior qualities of chardonnay, which resulted from the grape’s successful adaption to conditions in Franciacorta, where it found a habitat very similar to its original homeland. In 1978, chardonnay was officially listed in the national catalogue of grape varieties, and in 1980 it became authorised and recommended by the province of Brescia. Chardonnay vineyards currently occupy over 2,000 officially-enrolled hectares in Franciacorta, some 80% of its total area.
The chardonnay vine displays average vigour, and has a light green leaf and a distinctive cluster that is greenish in colour tending to yellow, with average compactness; the grapes have hardy, thick skins. Chardonnay is particularly subject to the Flavescenza dorata disease, which over the last few years has devastated numerous vineyards.
Chardonnay has pride of place in the base wines for Franciacorta DOCG, but has a much smaller role in the Curtefranca Bianco still wine. Wines from chardonnay display appreciable weight, a bouquet that is intense, fragrant, and complex, with varietal aromas of fruit and flowers, and it exhibits full body and an appealing crispness.
Pinot Nero is the second most-widely planted grape in Franciacorta, occupying some 15% of the total area. Originating in Burgundy, the variety can behave in quite different ways, and at times can react quite unpredictably to its environment. It is capable of impressive results as a red wine and as a sparkling wine.
The pinot noir vine is fairly hardy and robust. The dark green leaves are normally 5-lobed, and the cone-shaped cluster very compact and rather small in size. Pinot noir is utilised above all in Franciacorta Millesimato and in Riserva DOCG, since it provides added body and longevity to these wines. It is also crucial for the cuvées of Franciacorta Rosé, which must contain a minimum of 25% pinot noir.
Pinot bianco is the third variety utilised in Franciacorta. Of French origin, it belongs to the extensive pinot family of grapes, and its vineyards now occupy about 5% of Franciacorta’s total area.
The Pinot bianco vine is quite vigorous; it exhibits a deep green leaf, and its clusters tends to appear less golden and more loosely structured than that of chardonnay. Pinot bianco is not used 100% in the base wines for Franciacorta nor in the Curtefranca Bianco still wines; it may constitute up to 50% of the blends for these wines. The wine from this grape is full-bodied and elegant, with a generous acidity, while its bouquet offers impressions of just-baked bread. Some ageing will bring rich notes of bitter almond.
The cellars of Mirabella
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The franciacorta of Mirabella on display
Franciacorta is now available in Australia at www.italianwineimporters.com.au
Sassotondo winery - organic and biodynamic excellence
Sassotondo winery is
located in the province of Grosseto in the Maremma area of Tuscany close to the towns of Pitigliano and Sovana.
Conducted according to the methods of organic farming utilising biodynamic techniques, Sassotondo is one of the most respected organic wineries in Tuscany.
The property covers 72 acres straddling the towns of Pitigliano and Sovano and occupies the foothills of the volcanic basin of Bolsena. The volcanic soils add a great dimension to the wines.
The vineyards, which fall in D.O.C. Bianco di Pitigliano and Sovana, dwell on a total area of 10 hectares, 8 red grapes and white grapes 2.
Ciliegiolo is an historic grape in Maremma, and is found in the old vineyard of San Lorenzo, its ideal terroir.
The production of Sassotondo is an expression of this powerful and mysterious territory: the unique grapes and a somewhat extreme environment, with the volcanic soil which gives rise to wines naturally concentrated, savory and spicy.
The owners are Carla Benini and Edvoardo Ventimiglia
It was 1992 when Edvoardo and Carla decided to buy this farm 6 km from Sovana and 5 km from Pitigliano, in the Maremma area of Tuscany. They called it then Sassotondo in honor of the stone of the area. Carla is a trained agronomist.
Carla and Edvoardo bought
the vineyard in 1992. Ciliegiolo was grown there from the 70s.
For personal lifestyle choices, they adopted
the biological regime and since 2007 they oriented to biodynamics. In the
cellar they do not use yeast and use the lowest amount of sulfur.
They maintain non-interventionist
winemaking. They respect the land and the vines in order to bring healthy grapes in the cellar.
They make a superb Ciliegiolo. Here are some of their wines.
They are now available in Australia through Italian Wine Importers.
The influence of terroir on winemaking - Montalcino
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The following article highlights the issue of assuming that all wines in an area will suffer the same outcomes due to the climatic influences of a particular vintage
Some thoughts on Brunello 2009
by Riccardo Viscardi 19-09-2014
Completing Doctor Wine’s ‘Essential Guide’ took a lot of effort but it was also very gratifying. I can now take advantage of some of the tasting we did for the guide to look at the area I love the most: Montalcino.
Last year, writing about 2008, I criticized the various doomsayers, especially foreign ones, who were too negative and fretful in their evaluations of vintage 2008. Some of the Brunello Riserva 2008 that have come out have confirmed that it was an interesting year, especially for a few ‘enclaves’ in the area. Vintage 2009 is another story because it was a truly difficult year and it is important to take certain factors into consideration. I totally agree with the opinion of Andrea Gabbrielli, who knows Montalcino well, that ‘’you cannot judge a territory by the weather’’, this also because when things get tough the best producers, the best vineyards and, above all, how they were managed made a big difference in the final product. This does not mean the weather is not important, on the contrary. Weather makes the difference between a great year and a minor one, the important thing is not to generalize. Another consideration is that Montalcino is a very complex area with a wide variety of soils, microclimates and water resources in the various zones and subzones (if which there at least eight) and this creates substantial differences which in poor years are amplified. In Montalcino, 2009 was complex due to two particular and unfavorable situations that came together. At the end of May there was too much rain which delayed the growth of the vines. Then a heatwave struck in July, August and September with average temperatures 2°C above the norm for the past decade. During this time the difference in day and nighttime temperatures were below normal. Making matters worse was that there was no rain during the hot months which stunted growth and caused many grapes to dry out. Furthermore, the best soils are those that drain well and so they did not retain the early rainfall. Obviously, the hottest and dries area suffered the most, especially in those vineyards where some producers
continued to follow a local tradition and prune their leaves leaving the grape bunches exposed to the sun and scalding heat. The best bet was to leave the bunches as covered as possible and to work the soil in such a way as to retain any humidity. Some zones have a deep clay substrata that holds the moisture better and those vines with deeper roots, the older ones, probably suffered less if they benefitted from having sufficient covering by the leaves. (It is illegal to irrigate in Montalcino, an interesting question but not one for this article). Due to the delays these conditions caused, the harvest period came late yet some producers decided to harvest early due to the poor condition of their grapes and the results were dismal. Many others waited too long and got caught by the rains of late September, which were not much compared to the heavy rain that came in October and caused even more problems, although not for everyone. Nevertheless, there were produces who made the right choices and came out with wines that were a tribute to their intelligence, agricultural skill and economic sacrifice (with little Brunello made). Another determining factor was the possibility for some to make a careful selection of grapes, discarding the ones that had dried out due to the heat and those that had mold due to too much rain during harvest. Sorting tables were a big help in doing as were the automatic sorting machines.Given that it was such a complex year, it was strange that nine million bottles of Brunello 2009 DOCG were produced, more than in good years like 2006 or 2007 and from the same number of vines. Is this Italian fluke? How was it possible?
I had expected a significant drop in production, also because those who made some excellent Brunello 2009 had a significant drop in yield. And then there were those like Pieve di S. Restituta, who did not even produce a Brunello because they did not think it could be good enough.A friend finally explained it to me. In simple terms it was this: Brunello is a wine that demands the best price through the big distributors and so bottlers and others pay very well for Brunello even in poorer years, when it is easier to buy the wine to then re-sell it under another name with a DOCG label. Thus in difficult years a lot of wine, which nevertheless respects DOCG regulations, reaches the market through this channel and allows the winemakers to balance their budgets. I, personally, believe that this harms Brunello’s image also for consumers who may not buy it often but are large in number, especially over the long term. But that’s the way the world turns: one wants everything and right away without thinking of the consequences.
In the end, what we have are very few Brunello 2009 that are truly exceptional, while the number of good ones is on the rise despite the difficulties faced, an indication that a growing number of producers have clear ideas on how to deal with adversities both in the vineyard and in the winery. Unfortunately, there was also a lot of mediocre wine. It is amazing how three of the best Brunello 2009 came from the same area, a cru I consider to be the best in Montalcino: eastern Cerbaie. Here, three producers, two of whom are very famous and the other a rising star, gave us not only some excellent wines but also wines from that a cru that adequately demonstrated the difference the altitude of a vineyard can make. As for their names, you will have to wait for the guide.
Friday, July 18, 2014
Capolino Perlingieri, Campania
With 13 hectares of vines, Alexia Perlingieri heads up family producer, Capolino Perlingieri. Situated in Campania just over 100 kilometres from Naples it is a great wine growing area.
Alexia with her mother at the Estate
The 13 hectares of vineyards are located in Solopaca, in the Sannio, at an altitude between 200 and 300 meters. The soil is mainly clay, very hot summers and cold winters.
The estate building is the end result of various transformations and expansions which have taken place over the centuries.
The oldest part corresponds to the peculiar structure of two towers, where you'll find more wall thickness (up to 1.6 m), which is probably dating between the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries.
The estate makes some very good wines under the direction of Alexia and her team.
These include Fiano, Greco, Falanghina, Aglianico and Sciasci
The whites are very highly rated with the 2012 Greco scoring 91+ points from Stephen Tanzer. They are now available in Australia at www.italianwineimporters.com.au
Monday, May 26, 2014
Le Chiuse Fourth interview
Le Chiuse Montalcino.
This is the fourth interview with the Le Chiuse family, descendants of the founders of Brunello
Where the first clone of Brunello was grown and the vineyard that was designated as the Riserva vineyard for Biondi Santi
Ferruccio Biondi Santi
Credited with cloning the first Brunello in the 19th century
Tancredi Biondi Santi, son of Feruccio who developed the world market for his Brunello
Early family picture preparing to deliver Brunello from Montalcino
The family today. Simonetta (standing) granddaughter of Tancedi Biondi Santi
with husband Niccolo and their family.
The beautiful oak room of Le Chiuse
Here is the link to our fourth interview with the owners of Le Chiuse in Montalcino.
Niccolo doing a pumpover of the Brunello
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