Iconic Wine Producer’s Theme For New 2019 Release Relates To The World’s Covid Journey

Posted on February 24, 2022 by damewine

As a 29-year-old man took a big gulp of water after his daily run, he could not help but feel a little off; his body felt a little sluggish and it seemed impossible for him to catch his breath. But it was February in New York City, which meant that the height of flu and cold season was still in full force and so he decided to go to the gym and do a vigorous workout as his philosophy of pushing through an impending cold, nipping it in the bud, always worked out for him before. But within a week, his girlfriend abruptly woke him up before his alarm as his lips had a faint hint of blue, and her doctor, who she consulted with before she woke him, told her to get him to the emergency room as soon as possible.

As they jumped into an Uber, the girlfriend grew even more concerned as her boyfriend seemed to ramble on as if he was back in high school dealing with his mother taking him to the doctor. At that point, she knew that either the lack of oxygen or his high temperature was keeping him out of touch with reality. As she ran into the emergency room announcing the symptoms, everyone hurried to make sure to try to cover themselves with personal protective equipment (PPE). Yet, one nurse who leaped into action to bring the man to an area to receive supplemental oxygen couldn’t fully protect herself with proper gear.

At that time, in February of 2020, it was impossible to know that the extremely healthy young man who came into the hospital had Covid-19, as it was seen as a virus that hadn’t made it to the U.S. yet, and even if it did, it only severely affected the most vulnerable of the population. Within a matter of a month, the place known as “the city that never sleeps” was in lockdown indefinitely.

The coronavirus journey of New York City started around the same time as Italy as the international city of Milan was one of the hardest-hit early on as well as NYC getting the first fierce brunt in the U.S., and through time it spread throughout both countries with it making its way quickly to the famous wine region of Tuscany. As one looks back, it is hard to know when it arrived in both countries as some have a theory that it was already present by December, as the first version could have been less contagious and through time, mutations made it capable of spreading like wildfire.

Many questions may never be answered, but the one thing that each person knows is when Covid became real to him.

2019 Ornellaia 

Ornellaia Estate during a summer night
Photo Credit: Ornellaia

The iconic producer Ornellaia, in the special vineyard area of Bolgheri within Tuscany, is getting ready to release their 2019 flagship Bolgheri Superiore Ornellaia on April 1st, 2022, and it is a vintage that displays gorgeous aromas and flavors already in its youth as well as being a vintage that represents an intense journey for the world. The estate director of Ornellaia, Axel Heinz, spoke about the 2019 vintage which they have named ‘Il Vigore’ (‘Vigor’) as it shows the “strength of the healthy growth of the vines” and it further represents the “active vigor of mind and body”.

Going back to the spring of 2019, when the vineyards of Ornellaia first started to go through bud break – when the vines wake from their winter slumber – there was only hope and excitement for the year to come as despite Ornellaia already being considered one of the most outstanding wines in the world, over the past few years Axel has seen a significant leap in quality within the vineyards, and hence, the resulting wines. That hope and excitement turned into unbridled joy during the nearly perfect growing season during the summer, which assisted a balanced ripeness, with the lower temperatures at the end of September retaining finesse and delicate aromatics, resulting in a wine that has an intense concentration yet it is beautifully elegant. 

Estate director, Axel Heinz, in the Ornellaia Estate vineyards
Photo Credit: Ornellaia

That time seems like over a century ago, as the world is so different today in ways that were unimaginable at one time. No one could have ever guessed just two-and-a-half years ago, in the Fall of 2019, how quickly life would change around the globe. And so when Axel and his team were going through the process of making the wine in October, November and December, they were still in the state of blissful ignorance of what was to come, as most of the Western world was, as they marveled at the great potential of the wine they were producing. 

The first wave of Covid in Italy started in February but seemed isolated within the regions of Lombardy and Veneto, and then, before protocols or procedures could be in place as there were still many unknowns, it started to spread across Italy as it did in the U.S., as well as many other countries.

As there were many tragic deaths, destroyed economies and traumatized populations around the world, it became unknown for a time how long lives would be placed on hold. 

Ornellaia Vendemmia d’Artista 

Two years later, the world is still trying to find a balance while living under the uncertainty of Covid yet Italy, like the U.S., has tons of experience in managing Covid, and there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

As the 2019 Ornellaia, named ‘Il Vigore’, is going to be released as hope starts to enter the world and their Vendemmia d’Artista project, which is a collaboration with a new artist each year, will showcase the theme of metamorphosis on a label. This artists’ label will grace one of the six 750ml bottles in every case of Ornellaia, as well as having a limited edition of 111 large-format bottles with some taking on a fantastical, unconventional form of expressing the theme such as sculpting material that looks like the soil with objects representing the beauty that comes from it on the largest formats. 

Vendemmia d’Artista 2019 9L Ornellaia Bottle Photo Credit: Ornellaia

For the first time since the Vendemmia d’Artista was established in 2009, two artists have been chosen, Nathalie Djurberg and Hans Berg, with Nathalie noting that their art reveals the “hidden beauty” of the earth and the “secret” within the ground that no one thinks about. Hans expanded on Nathalie’s words by saying that they wanted to showcase the “capacity of nature” with its regenerative powers and part of that is the process of metamorphosis – the transformation from an immature form to an adult form.

As the world cautiously and slowly starts to find a way back to life, each person’s metamorphosis cannot be underestimated during these tough couple of years. Like any transformation there is a lot of fear, pain and mourning of what was lost in the process. At times it seemed life as the world knew it was being torn away before people had a chance to prepare mentally, and there is an innate desire to go back to the pre-pandemic life, the life that was comfortable and predictable. But the world is seeing that things have changed forever, and there is grieving with such a realization but that doesn’t mean things are worse; some are finding that their life could be better. As that man who lost his job, or that woman who lost her friend or that man who almost lost his life have discovered, after the trauma there is a secret in each of them that they are finally tapping into, that they are a lot more than the life they were allowing themselves to live. Why be trapped in circumstances by fear when the worst thing that one could imagine has already happened?

Ornellaia ‘Il Vigore’ represents that fearful process of metamorphosis that ultimately leads to the opportunity to awaken that potential within someone so he can transform his life into what it was always meant to be.

***This article was originally published on Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/cathrinetodd/2022/02/17/iconic-wine-producers-theme-for-new-2019-release-relates-to-the-worlds-covid-journey/

Ornellaia Vendemmia d’Artista 2019 Il Vigore Photo Credit: Ornellaia

2019 Ornellaia ‘Il Vigore’ Bolgheri DOC Superiore will be released onto the market on April 1st, 2022.

Ornellaia 2019 Il Vigore Case
Photo Credit: Ornellaia

The 2019 Ornellaia Vendemmia d’Artista project will include a label styled by the artists on one of the six 750ml bottles in every case of Ornellaia. As in previous years, the project includes a limited release of 111 large-format bottles (100 Jeroboams – 3-liter, ten Imperials – 6-liter, and one Salmanazar – 9-liter) which are numbered and personally signed by the artists. Every year a selection of these bottles is auctioned by Sotheby’s and the profits go to support the Mind’s Eye program at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation. Ornellaia has raised over two million dollars for the Mind’s Eye program – assisting visitors who are blind or have low vision in experiencing art by using all the senses.

2019 Ornellaia ‘Il Vigore’ Bolgheri DOC Superiore
Photo Credit: Cathrine Todd

2019 Ornellaia ‘Il Vigore’ Bolgheri DOC Superiore, Bolgheri, Tuscany: 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot and 3% Cabernet Franc. Ornellaia is historically known to have more plantings of Merlot than other top “Super Tuscan” producers but over the years they have been planting more Cabernet Sauvignon in areas where it will do well, and 2019 was a great vintage for the Cabernet Sauvignon, according to Axel. This wine has a nose that sings from the start with notes of violets, rich blackberry and blueberry fruit with spicy and herbal notes intertwined that had a touch of lushness on the mid-palate yet balanced exquisitely by bright acidity and lots of vitality along the fine, silky tannins that had an extraordinarily long length of flavor finishing with a refined saline mineral note.

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Champagne House That Saved A Town During WWI Is Now Saving Environment

Posted on February 17, 2022 by damewine

Another blast sets a young woman’s nerves on edge as she whispers to herself, “I don’t think I can take much more.” The walls vibrated continuously, bringing anxious thoughts of whether the integrity of the building could hold and each hit triggered the battle she was fighting within herself; was it better to live above ground taking her chances of being bombed? Or was it better to resign herself to live underground with the possibility of being buried alive? During World War I, she was temporarily living in Champagne Lanson’s cellar, deep within the earth, among her family and neighbors in their beloved city of Reims, in the Champagne wine region of France. 

Today it is much more common to focus on “the Greatest Generation” during WWII as it was a glorified time in history that shaped the future in ways that are still evident today, but another generation is often times not talked about… the “Lost Generation”. 

Champagne Lanson 1760

Champagne Lanson Green Label
Photo Credit: Champagne Lanson

“Lanson has been through good times and less good times,” noted François van Aal, president of Champagne Lanson 1760, and the main facilities of Lanson, located in the center of town, only a 15-minute walk from the famous Reims Cathedral, found itself housing many of the townspeople of Reims during WWI. Other Champagne houses also provided shelter deep within their cellars during that time, but Lanson’s short distance from the Reims Cathedral, which was specifically targeted during the attacks, made the horrific reality of war that much more real for those living within their cellars.

François said that basic needs such as beds for sleeping and chairs and tables for eating were provided in the Lanson cellars, but makeshift schools and churches were also erected with significant life events such as weddings taking place all underground. And today, many of the descendants of those who survived while living in Lanson’s cellars are grape growers who have had long relationships with the Champagne house, selling their cherished family grapes to them every year. 

The winemaker of Champagne Lanson, Hervé Dantan, says that his relationship with the growers is extremely important and that, in general, Champagne winemakers are spending more and more time in the vineyards as at one time they were mainly seen as master blenders that blended a multitude of small plots and back-vintages to make the house style of their non-vintage (NV) Champagne. Blending is still a vital skill and Hervé proudly states that their non-vintage “Black Label” Lanson Champagne is made up of a “minimum of 50% of Grand Cru and Premier Cru vineyards” as well as a significant amount of reserve wines (back vintages of wine preserved in stainless steel vats) such as what is blended into the current market release of the NV Lanson “Black Label” containing 35% of reserve wine that goes as far back as 2006. Blending high proportions of top quality vineyards has always been a key factor to Lanson’s house style that has been recently enhanced by a 20 million Euros investment, over the past 15 years, into their winery and cellaring facilities that allow them to vinify and preserve smaller plots of grapes that Hervé finds to have special qualities, hence bringing more precision to his blending.

Hervé Dantan, on the left, in the vineyards
Photo Credit: Champagne Lanson

Besides selecting high-quality grapes throughout the Champagne region, the two other key qualities to create the Lanson style are a long cellaring period before release and retaining more acidity during their winemaking process that creates “freshness”.

After all the various wines in their individual vats are blended to create the house style that has the qualities of “freshness, fruitiness and elegance”, the wine is placed in bottles to go through the second fermentation that creates the bubbles, and then each bottle ages on its lees (residual yeast left over from fermentation). According to Champagne regulation, each non-vintage Champagne must age in its bottle for at least 15 months before it is released onto the market, but Lanson ages their Black Label in bottle for four years as Hervé notes that giving each bottle of Champagne that significant amount of time will allow it to find an ideal “balance”. 

The last part of Lanson’s tenets, retaining an intense vitality and freshness, has been a critical factor in differentiating themselves from most other Champagnes. That freshness is retained by mostly avoiding malolactic fermentation (MLF), which is the process where tart malic acid is converted into softer lactic acid. Only 20% to 25% of their Black Label has gone through the MLF process, but the rest of their wines, such as their vintage Champagnes and single vineyard bottlings, have no MLF allowed on any of the wines that are used for the blend. Although Lanson has had an excellent reputation among those who know the great quality for their reasonable price compared to other Champagnes, Lanson is undoubtedly not on the same level of fame as some of the top Champagne houses on the international market. Some in the past had thought when heavier, creamier Champagne was in vogue, it was not the best marketing choice to retain so much freshness, but Lanson, having a loyal customer base, decided to keep true to their style and today such vitality in a Champagne is appreciated a lot more.

Clos Lanson vineyard located in the heart of Reims, Champagne
Photo Credit: Champagne Lanson

But through the years, a stronger focus on sustainability has become a top mission for Lanson despite Champagne growers thinking it was impossible in the past with bouts of significant rain and intense cold throughout the growing season. Yet Hervé explained that it has become essential for the survival of the land and the environmental quality of life for the local community, and being the son of a Champagne grape grower himself, he has a deep personal investment in protecting his home for future generations. 

As of 2018, Lanson now has the “Green Label” sourced from a single vineyard they own in Champagne that is certified organic and certified biodynamic. Lanson owns 125 acres of the over 1,000 acres of vineyards across Champagne that goes into their various bottlings, and their own organic and biodynamic vineyards are becoming an inspiration for the other grape growers. Hervé says that the single vineyard for the “Green Label” is a way for Lanson to find the “future of viticulture” for Champagne, and many of the grape growers that work with him are now becoming certified sustainable through the HEV (High Environmental Value) program in France. 

To Know What the Future Holds

As a college-age woman ponders her seemingly bleak and hopeless world, she walks past the handsome red brick house of Lanson that first welcomes guests into their tasting room in Reims. The woman stops and takes a deep breath as she thinks about her great-great-grandmother, who was around the same age when she took shelter in the Lanson cellars during World War I. The woman had recently been given journals that contained drawings from her great-great-grandmother during and after that time; during two world wars, during the pandemic of 1918, during the Great Depression and during a rapidly changing world. At first, the drawings were hopeful and beautiful with only a few dark and disturbing images throughout, yet the last couple of journals became more disturbing with their imagery that hinted towards her great-great-grandmother being overwhelmed by desperation as she became part of the generation known as the “Lost Generation” – a generation that was disillusioned by all the death and carnage they witnessed as well as eventually feeling lost in a quickly evolving modern world. 

The young woman felt a deep connection with her great-great-grandmother through those drawings, and she felt as if she was part of another lost generation herself, living during a pandemic that put all future opportunities in limbo, and the uncertainly of a world with clean air and clean water for all weighed on her every night. Through time she wanted to know if her great-great-grandmother eventually became optimistic again… she went through her parents’ basement and closets looking for other journals that would suggest a happy ending. But the young woman’s mother was insistent that she already had the last journals, with the darkest and most bleak drawings, and that it would have to be assumed that there was only despair at the end. 

As the young woman wiped away the tears starting to stream down her face, she took comfort in the fact that her grandmother, let alone her great-great-grandmother, could never imagine a world where so much attention was given to the grape growers of Champagne to the point where the son of a grape grower would end up being the head winemaker, a.k.a. chef de caves, and that they would have a granddaughter who, herself, could consider going down the path of becoming a winemaker. As she opened the door to the Lanson tasting room, she saw the “Green Label”, the Champagne she was most eager to try, a wave of hope warmed her heart with the idea that her generation would not be lost as they know the values they want to see in the world, and the world is responding.  

***This article first appeared on Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/cathrinetodd/2022/02/11/champagne-house-that-saved-a-town-during-wwi-is-now-saving-environment/

NV Lanson Black Label Brut Champagne Photo Credit: Cathrine Todd

NV Lanson “Black Label” Brut Champagne: 50% Pinot Noir, 35% Chardonnay and 15% Pinot Meunier from around 100 vineyards in Champagne made up of 50% Grand Cru and Premier Cru vineyards. Stony minerality at the core of this lovely Champagne with aromatic notes of lime blossom and spice that had a toasted almond note on the elegantly expressive finish. 

Champagne Lanson Green Label
Photo Credit: Champagne Lanson

NV Lanson “Green Label” Brut Champagne: 50% Pinot Noir, 20% Chardonnay and 30% Pinot Meunier from grapes that are certified organic and certified biodynamic, and ages on the lees for four years. Beautiful pristine pear and nectarine fruit with hints of honeycomb and an enchanting floral quality on the finish. 

2009 Lanson Vintage Brut Champagne: 52% Pinot Noir and 48% Chardonnay made solely from Grand Cru and Premier Cru vineyards. A warm vintage that expressed delicious notes of candied orange peel and pastries with an underlying note of chalky minerality.

2009 Vintage, 2007 Clos Lanson and NV Rosé Photo Credit: Cathrine Todd

2007 Lanson “Clos Lanson” Brut Champagne: 100% Chardonnay made exclusively from biodynamic grapes from the “Clos Lanson” plot. Lemon drops with peach pie and dried violet notes that had a creamy texture with fierce acidity, intense drive and focus.

NV Lanson Rosé Brut Champagne: 53% Pinot Noir, 32% Chardonnay and 15% Pinot Meunier from around 100 vineyards in Champagne made up of 50% Grand Cru and Premier Cru, and aged four years on the lees. Light pink color with fresh raspberry and strawberry flavors that had a floral hint with more weight mid-palate on the body than other Champagnes yet plenty of bright acidity.

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Top Wine Industry Leader Worked From The Bottom-Up

Posted on February 11, 2022 by damewine

A woman could feel her palms sweat as she entered the traditional fine wine store filled with dark, beautifully carved wood shelves that contained expensive wine bottles from all over the world. She had been reading about one particular bottle from Burgundy, France that she wanted to purchase but she was new to wine and the anxiety of having to ask for the bottle was starting to build. As one of the staff members decked out with a jacket and tie approached her, she began to question her apparel in jeans and a t-shirt. “May I help you ma’am?” asked the man, and instantly the woman shouted, “I’m sorry, I am in the wrong store!” as she stormed out and caught her breath on the street corner. It was a moment that many, whether male or female, have lived through themselves when it has come to either visiting a high-end wine store or having to deal with an overwhelming wine list at a restaurant.

But interestingly enough, one of the top wine industry leaders in the U.S. breaks many stereotypes of how the traditional wine expert should look or what path she would have to take to achieve such status.

First Work, Dream Later

Annette Alverez-Peters
Photo Credit:
©Mcklyn Cole Valenciano

Annette Alvarez-Peters started working in the audio merchandise department at Costco almost 40 years ago. She did not go to college but instead went straight to work after high school and found a company which promoted from within if workers were willing to put in the hard work and make the sacrifices that helped them become one of the best in the specialty retail store industry. Of the 37 years she worked there, she worked 25 years in the beverage alcohol department as vice president and general merchandise manager, and she eventually led a team in the United States that brought in $4.8 billion in global sales (2019). Since wine information wasn’t accessible to the masses like it is today via the internet, she felt she had to “step up her game” and she ended up taking wine classes at the WSET (Wine & Spirit Education Trust) and Society of Wine Educators.

Through time she became one of the most influential wine buyers in the world and a vital part of introducing wine to a broader consumer base, making the U.S. one of the most significant wine drinking countries in the world. But from the beginning, it was about Annette consistently doing the work over several decades, and over time she became part of a retailer giving American consumers a friendlier and more inclusive wine buying experience.

Avoiding Being Placed in a Box

Others have also found unconventional paths into wine that each have their individual map and speak to different situations.

Wanda Mann
Photo Credit: ©Doug Young

Wanda Mann, East Coast editor of The Somm Journal and founder of Wine with Wanda, had a different expectation than the path she ended up taking since she had attended prestigious schools such as Phillips Academy (Andover) and Pomona College, which has one of the lowest acceptance rates of any U.S. liberal arts college. Some thought she would become a lawyer or work towards becoming an executive in the corporate world but she followed her passion of creating and promoting high-profile events in New York City and eventually became one of the top voices in the wine world. “Everyone’s path to wine looks different, and our paths shouldn’t be the same, and that is what adds so much richness and texture to this industry,” explained Wanda.

Another woman leading the charge in the wine industry almost followed the path to becoming a lawyer yet after university there was something about “the pace of that kind of work that didn’t connect” with her. Today, Mandy Oser has been the owner and wine director of Ardesia Wine Bar in the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City, for 13 years. She encourages people to talk to as many people as possible in varying sectors of the wine world to find out where they belong, whether it is sales, retail, restaurant, writing, etc., as each has its own unique qualities and she noted that even an honest 15-minute conversation with someone working in that sector could give someone an idea of whether it would be a good fit. 

Mandy Oser
Photo Credit: ©Melanie Dunea

Mandy was able to learn about the inner workings of the restaurant world through her former boss, who was on the Board of Directors at City Harvest, a local food rescue organization. She could never envision working in such an environment before that time but she realized it was the “right fit immediately”. Mandy explained that there was something about being surrounded by “food, wine and hospitality” that really clicked with her. Before opening Ardesia, Mandy worked alongside chef Eric Ripert and co-owner Maguy Le Coze at The New York Times four-star rated Le Bernardin restaurant. As the director of strategic partnerships, for over nine years, she oversaw and managed chef Ripert’s business operations.

Although she has always greatly valued her staff as a business owner, during the pandemic, she discovered that she wasn’t utilizing all the talents of each staff member. She and her manager would have to take over kitchen duties when the chef was out, and she had someone from the kitchen take over front of house duties when staff members were out for weeks. Her biggest takeaway from the pandemic is that as a business, they had “quite a rigid view of how the roles should be set and what people should do” and not only does Mandy see that sort of viewpoint being bad for creating a dynamic environment but that it is terrible for the overall moral; she sees that her employees have a greater chance of being “happy” and “more satisfied” with their work-life if she doesn’t put them in a box. 

Jirka Jireh, who grew up in a house with no alcohol, moved to New York City to pursue the hip-hop world and she initially worked as a food runner in a restaurant. She was fortunate to have a couple of wine directors encourage her to taste wines and empowered her with wine knowledge. Through time, she discovered that wine had everything she loved about hip-hop: creativity, rawness and real stories. A couple of years ago, she left NYC for the West Coast to advocate for “BIPOC and LGBTQIA+1 representation amongst domestic natural winemakers,” and she is the co-founder of Industry Sessions, a digital wine education program exclusively for marginalized people that spans 14 cities in the U.S. and Canada.

Jirka Jirak
Photo Credit: ©Liz Moughon

“Seeing a room filled with people who looked like me and have the same passion made my heart burst with love,” Jirka passionately declared. Because she knows first hand, if one doesn’t see herself in the wine world, it is never considered a possible option. Although her primary mission is to push for representation for underserved communities, her overall passion is to have deep connections with people who don’t look like her or who have different backgrounds and that it will create a healthier and more fair wine industry as people’s fate will no longer be decided by a handful of gatekeepers. That old attitude of having to jump through hoops for the gatekeepers of the wine world, which sometimes forced people to choose between their dignity or their career, is being torn down by the younger generation. One doesn’t have to go to a wine class that makes them feel inferior because of their background, as Jirka has noted that one can learn anything on the internet and that platforms like TikTok can offer a safe way to educate oneself about wine without having to be humiliated.

As recent investigations have shown that some of those gatekeepers to the wine world were demanding sexual favors from women for educational opportunities and career advancement, it becomes essential to create other avenues for success that are not only vital for women but for those men who themselves have been ostracized for calling out such bad behavior.

Allowed to Dream 

People’s journey to their wine dream can significantly vary, with some entering it with no formal education at a young age and others starting a second career after 20 years in a completely different industry and sometimes some don’t initially have that dream on their radar because they could never visualize themselves in that world.

Annette Alvarez-Peters greatly appreciates those opportunities she was given at Costco to learn, grow, and ultimately become one of the most powerful wine buyers in the world. “Working for Costco was the most wonderful time in my life,” noted Annette and it was a big decision when she decided to retire a couple of years ago after being there for 37 years. She loved that time in her life but she needed to prioritize her personal life as she sacrificed a lot working long hours as well as weekends and holidays. But as she moves into another stage of life with the creation of her own wine consultant business, annette a.p. Wine and Spirits Inc, and the role of mentor as she is on the advisory board for Wine Unify, a non-profit organization to promote and celebrate diversity in the wine industry, she starts to rethink how her own dream came true. As that dream only developed because she was empowered and educated by Costco, and in turn, she was a loyal employee that always delivered what the company needed from her.

Yet now, as she has time to reflect, she knows how important it is for the wine industry to create an infrastructure that is open to all and rewards hard work and passion instead of being an exclusive club. As she still remembers how “intimidating” and “overwhelming” wine seemed, and hence, she wants to be part of making it more accessible to people willing to do the work. And in the long run, it will not only create more ethical working environments but also help companies find ideal candidates that will eventually move up to powerful positions. As in the past, the perfect candidate may have been toiling away, stuck in a dead-end job, because she never envisioned herself in that world, in that position; the person loses out, the company loses, and the wine industry loses out because of circumstances not allowing someone to dream.

***Link to original article on Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/cathrinetodd/2022/02/03/top-wine-industry-leader-worked-from-the-bottom-up/

This article was inspired by the discussion that took place during the Winebow Imports’ Women in Wine Leadership Symposium (WWLS) held on January 24th, 2022 via Zoom.

1BIPOC is an acronym that stands for Black, Indigenous and People of Color and LGBTQIA+ is an inclusive term that includes people of all genders and sexualities.

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Remarkable Ageability Of Wines Made From The Tempranillo Grape Variety

Posted on January 22, 2022 by damewine
Photo Credit: Cathrine Todd

As a group of friends gathered together to celebrate a special 50th birthday back in the first month of 2020, before Covid took a stranglehold on the world, the anticipation of a 50-year-old wine about to be poured started to build among the group. The wine would be poured blind and the only clues were that it was from 1970 and it was obviously red by the garnet color. The extraordinarily complex nose made one of the friends shout out, “Pomerol!” as he remembered that the ‘70 Château Trotanoy, a Right Bank Bordeaux located in the commune of Pomerol, was still showing beautifully but then another friend noted that the ethereal and enchanting delicacy of the wine would suggest a Barolo from Piedmont, Italy, and perhaps a great producer such as Conterno the friend added; but then another suggested Chappellet from Napa Valley with vineyards located at high elevations in Pritchard Hill and she remembered that their 1970s bottlings were showing really well recently.

CVNE Imperial Grand Reserva Rioja
Photo Credit: CVNE (COMPAÑÍA VINÍCOLA DEL NORTE DE ESPAÑA)

Obviously many had done their homework as they scoured the internet for 1970 bottlings that were still in ideal shape before attending this festive celebration of life as well as searching their own notes of older wines they had tasted within the past five years or so.

But the birthday boy who had poured the wine smiled and said that no one was close as neither the main variety nor even the country was guessed and he took off the paper bag disguising the bottle to reveal to everyone’s shock that it was a bottle of Rioja from Spain; but not just any bottle of Rioja, it was a CVNE Imperial Gran Reserva that had over 80% of Tempranillo and the remaining, most probably, being other local Spanish varieties commonly used in Rioja such as Graciano and Mazuelo.

Tempranillo in Rioja and Ribera del Duero

The wine appellation of Rioja has done a spectacular job of introducing the world to the incredible Spanish grape variety Tempranillo which makes up the majority, sometimes 100%, of a Rioja red wine. But because the tannins of the Tempranillo grape variety can many times seem well-integrated with not too many harsh edges, combined its moderate acidity, it is a wine that can be completely enjoyed young whether it is the ‘Joven’ Rioja wines that sees very little oak and displays the red fruited beauty of the grape or enjoyed older as a Gran Reserva Rioja wine that requires at minimum 60 months of aging (combination of barrel and bottle) before it can be released onto the market and display the multi-layered complexity of aromas and flavors that many would deem as being in its prime.

But even though the highest categories of wines such as Rioja Reserva and Gran Reserva have certainly become known and loved throughout the world over the past few decades as they are evolved wines ready to drink, when it comes to acquiring extremely older wines, or cellaring them for 20 years or more, Rioja and its Tempranillo grape are not on the top of the list of wines that one thinks of making great old bones that would gracefully age up to 50 years.

But those collectors of the great wines of Spain know better – they know that a great vintage of CVNE Imperial Gran Reserva or Viña Real Gran Reserva can hold up to any great Bordeaux, Barolo or Napa wine when it comes to elegantly aging for many, many decades. The grape varieties that dominate the top of the list of those wines known for great longevity certainly first start with Cabernet Sauvignon as well as Merlot dominated wines especially from Pomerol and of course the king of Italian wine grape varieties – Nebbiolo right behind it – but there are still many wine drinkers around the world who do not know the full power of Tempranillo.

The CEO and fifth-generation family owner of CVNE, Victor Urrutia, described Tempranillo as a “variety well-suited for aging” and his opinion is rooted in the fact that his family has made wines in Rioja going back to the “beginning of the 20th century” that have stood the test of time. But Tempranillo’s ability for a long life is also dependent on the health of the vines, the vineyards, how the grapes are harvested as well as everything that happens in the cellars, according to Victor. CVNE is well-known for owning top vineyards throughout Rioja and Victor particularly brought attention to their high-elevation limestone based vineyards that are dry-farmed in regards to giving an example for growing high quality Tempranillo.

Victor discussed that their Rioja wines that come from the heart of the village of Haro in the northern area of Rioja Alta (one of three zones of the Rioja wine region) tend to have a “leaner edge, more acid and a lighter body” and overall they tend to be more “classic” Rioja wines; the CVNE Imperial is a good example. But another zone called Rioja Alavesa “is more diverse” in the range of styles, as Victor explains, and in recent times there have been a range of producers making “excellent wines from specific vineyards”. In general he notes that the best Rioja Alavesa wines are “more full-bodied” that typically have more “power”; and so his CVNE Viña Real and Viñedos del Contino wines, located in Rioja Alavesa, are the other side of great Rioja.

Macán Estate in Rioja, Spain
Photo Credit: Tempos Vega Sicilia

The CEO and owner of Tempos Vega Sicilia which includes the legendary Vega Sicilia estate in Ribera del Duero (the other home for Tempranillo), Pablo Álvarez, spoke about his love for the Tempranillo grape by saying, “It is an exceptional variety and for us, the best variety in the world when its maturation is perfect.” But Ribera del Duero, which is around 125 miles southwest of Rioja, has more extreme climatic conditions and intense swings in temperatures, where frost risk is much higher, produces grapes from the best vineyards of Tempranillo that have an incredible combination of concentration, structure and acidity that make the wines very long-lived. The famous ‘Unico’ from Vega Sicilia which today is made up of 95% Tempranillo (called Tinto Fino in Ribera del Duero) is typically released after ten years of aging in both barrel and bottle; although in the past, for example the 1970 vintage, had less Tempranillo in the blend – although still a significant 70% dominating it – it was more of a matter of Pablo through time discovering how to get the best out of the Tempranillo vines on the Vega Sicilia estate so he could increase its percentage in the blend. Unico has certainly won over many a Bordeaux wine collector and it is considered one of the greatest wines in the world, not just Spain.

Although Pablo makes one of the most famous Tempranillo dominant wines in the fine wine world, he is still fascinated by other areas of Spain such as the classic wine region of Rioja and so he also has a winery called Macán in the North East area of Rioja Alta near the foothills of the Sierra Cantabria mountains; Pablo loves the subtle nuances and the overall elegance from their Macán estate that makes 100% Tempranillo wines. He is still discovering what the vineyards are capable of and the different methods in the winery to best express the terroir but he is excited for the future of these wines and the different type of greatness that Macán will be able to express.

Bodegas Montecillo Box Set that includes 2005 Gran Reserva Rioja
Photo Credit: Cathrine Todd

But even a producer that is known for great value Tempranillo in Rioja understands that reminding the world of the incredible ageability of the grape from its classic home is important in regards to having a true respect for its potential; and so Bodegas Montecillo, the third oldest winery in Rioja at over 150 years old celebrated their 150th anniversary in 2020 by releasing bottles of a special 150th anniversary Gran Reserva edition of the 2005 vintage as well as recently releasing bottlings of 1973, 1982, 1994 and 2001. Since their wines are widely known to over-deliver for their modest pricing, one tends to not consider the cellaring potential of them. Montecillo’s winemaker, Mercedes García Rupérez, spoke about how making wines built for aging has always been a priority at the winery from the very beginning that is best represented by their 19th-century cellar that has Montecillo bottles that go back as far as 1926; yet when a producer has been listed on the “best value” lists of top wine magazines many times, it is easy to see how one discounts the ageability of their highest quality wines.

Surrendering to What One is Supposed to Be

“It is of another world… a world that values a quiet beauty and subtle complexity that makes one have to be very quiet to truly understand its power,” the woman who tasted the 1970 CVNE Imperial Gran Reserva Rioja blind noted. Once she found out that it was from a wine region and grape variety that is viewed as not being equal to Bordeaux or Barolo when it comes to its tenacity to thrive for many decades, her face lit up with a big smile. Yes, Tempranillo does not innately have the harshness of a rough tannic structure or fierce acidity in its relative youth that traditionally would be considered a wine ideal to cellar but that is what makes it so heavenly as it does not loudly pronounce its superiority but instead it comes with humility and generosity at every stage of its life.

It made this woman smile because it just reaffirmed that one needs to stay true to herself no matter whether she is appreciated by the outside world because all she needed was just one person in one moment to recognize her incredible potential beyond her sweet and kind countenance – as losing that sweetness was not an option. As in that moment she fully recognized the power of Tempranillo in that glass… a glass of wine that fully allowed the world to see what it was and where it came from without trying to be anything else than what it is supposed to be.

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Wine Grape Growers Take Leap To Make Fine Wines In A Spanish Wine Region Dominated By Icons

Posted on January 13, 2022 by damewine
Old Tempranillo Vine Budding Photo Credit: Bodegas Vilano

Crouched down near the ground, a sharp pain went up his knees and lower back as weathered hands reached out to old grape vines, around 50 years old, to harvest the few bunches of concentrated Tempranillo grape bunches that looked like they hung on a skeleton of a bush plant with its thick, gnarly trunk. The sun beating down on top of his head forced his eyes to squint to combat the glare and the dirt on his face and hands lessened the brutal effects of the sun as he picked his precious fruit. His wife and children were there to help; his ten-year-old son already a seasoned harvester with his skill and speed; his parents, who were advanced in age, would still stubbornly insist on helping out even though many times they would only be able to get through a few vines by the end of the day – each vine only producing a relatively small amount of fruit.

It is not so unbelievable to think that a wine grape grower and his family would place such a tremendous amount of backbreaking work into their own vineyard which produced incredibly concentrated and well-balanced Tempranillo grapes but the true shock is that, for decades, it went into making bulk wine.

Ribera del Duero

Today Ribera del Duero is a famous wine region in Spain with such wine producers as Vega Sicilia and Pesquera who both helped to associate that wine region with outstanding red fine wines made from their native Tempranillo (called Tinto Fino in Ribera del Duero) grape and in Vega Sicilia’s case, a small amount of Bordeaux varieties blended in some bottlings. Bodegas Vega Sicilia has had a long history that goes back to 1864 which is quite impressive considering it survived the Spanish Civil War and 36 years of Franco’s dictatorship rule that, many times, targeted those Spanish people and citizens who were considered part of demonized elite class; serendipitously, Pesquera’s first vintage was 1975 – the year that Franco died. Francisco Franco was a man who didn’t drink much wine and he is said to have had no appreciation for it outside of it being an economic driver for Spain; this attitude led to the destruction of many vineyards, especially those producing white wines, and a demand for an enormous quantity for bulk red wine; he even outlawed artisanal cheese made by small cheesemakers.

And even though many of the old Tempranillo vines owned by generations of grape growers in Ribera del Duero were spared by staying under the radar during Franco’s rule, they were forced to sell the fruit off to bulk wine production; those precious grape bunches from those incredible old vines were thrown in with a mixed bag of grapes.

Row of old Tempranillo vines at Bodegas Vilano during fall
Photo Credit: Bodegas Vilano

Spain as a whole still grapples with its past that involved Franco as he is thought by some as the man who brought order to a chaotic Spain and eventually brought the Spanish Miracle that started in 1959 (tremendous growth in Spain’s economy) as opposed to others thinking of him as a ruthless dictator who was responsible for the death, torture and destruction of many Spanish families that still carry the scars from Franco’s time even today. The iconic Spanish wine producer Miguel Torres talked about how his own father, Miguel Torres senior, was thrown into one of Franco’s concentration camps and still today, due to an agreement after Franco’s death to look only to the future, the amount of people he killed and locked away is still not known as the full impact of his destructive reign has not been completely recognized by Spain’s government; such avoidance of trying to fully make amends for the past, unlike what Germany has done in regards to the crimes against humanity of the Nazi party, has kept Catalonia’s bid for independence still alive as no other region suffered as much as Catalonia under Franco’s rule. Miguel Torres said that people still lived in fear for decades after Franco’s death as it was never clear if his way of ruling had ever left – many thinking that behind closed doors “Francoism” could still exist and hence why many had stayed silent about the atrocities committed against their own families until recently.

Bodegas Vilano

Bodegas Vilano Winery
Photo Credit: Bodegas Vilano

And so it makes sense, considering the history of Spain, why family owners of such extraordinary old Tempranillo vines would just keep their heads down and give away such valuable fruit to make cheap bulk wine under the surveillance of the government. But in 1957 ten grape growers in Ribera del Duero, with vines that were half a century old, decided to form a cooperative that eventually took the name of Bodegas Viña Vilano so they could pool their resources to make and sell their wines themselves. Of course it was still risky at the time to do anything that way seen as the creation of a premium product and so they sold their wine as regular table wine which was only a few steps up from nationalized bulk wine.

But in 1999, with around 80 local grape growers becoming part of the cooperative, as well as witnessing how well-received other Ribera del Duero wine producers had become for making fine wine, they invested in state of the art winery equipment and quality barrels to raise the quality of their wines while also changing the name to simply Bodegas Vilano.

Today the grandchildren of those growers still farm their own small plots of vineyards while producing more premium offerings that range from Roble, Crianza and Reserva Tempranillo wines that are sold domestically but a couple of “Signature” bottlings of fine wine, that express the special qualities of their old vines, have made their way to the U.S. market: Terra Incognita and La Baraja.

Bodegas Vilano vineyards at night
Photo Credit: Bodegas Vilano

Terra Incognita is a selection of the oldest vines among the members, vines which range from 80 to over 100 years old – many of the original ten members’ vines were already 50 years old in the mid-1950s; and La Baraja, which is the only blended wine of Bodegas Vilano as all of their red wines are 100% Tempranillo like the Terra Incognita, is a blend of 75% Tempranillo from 70-year-old vines and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Merlot that comes from 35 to 37 year-old vines – La Baraja is from a single vineyard called La Baraja and so it is only made in the best years for this vineyard.

Symbiotic Relationship in a Wine Region with Icons

The easiest thing for any leader to do is blame bad times on a particular group – a strategy that has been used many times throughout history with tragic consequences; contrasted with great leaders who take the difficult path of doing what is right for the country as a whole which involves taking full responsibility for the ups and downs of people’s livelihoods even when the reality of life is that many things, such as national economies, cannot be controlled by one person or even one government – some cycles in life are beyond direct human control.

Weathered hands of grape grower
Photo Credit: Bodegas Vilano

And through time, the benefits of these iconic producers in Ribera del Duero are being realized; as they have gambled with their own money and took on a stressful amount of overhead, they have made it possible for the old vines of these family farmers to be appreciated for the great wines that they are able to produce. Many of the current members of Bodegas Vilano know that their grandparents could have never imagined that their vines would be so greatly respected nationally, let alone globally.

And so when a grandson goes into the vineyards like his grandparents did, it is still the same sun that beats on his head, the same dirt that covers his face and hands and the same vines that have just gotten thicker, more gnarly trunks over time but there is one big difference – instead of it being soul-crushing work with no future, no hope and no value, it is now a fulfilling task of being a part owner of a company that is making your grandparents’ long cherished grapes into a thrilling fine wine that is appreciated as something rare and special around the world.

***This article was originally published on Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/cathrinetodd/2021/12/31/wine-grape-growers-take-leap-to-make-fine-wines-in-a-spanish-wine-region-dominated-by-icons/?sh=2e4d75ac2d1d

2019 Bodegas Vilano ‘Terra Incognita’
Photo Credit: Cathrine Todd

2019 Bodegas Vilano, ‘Terra Incognita’, Ribera del Duero, Spain: 100% Tempranillo (called Tinto Fino in Ribera del Duero) ranging from vines 80 to over 100 years old. Rich, brooding dark fruit flavors and hints of cocoa powder that had a fleshy entrance that was accompanied by more fine tannic structure mid-palate and great precision on the finish with a lifted orange peel note.

2016 Bodegas Vilano ‘La Baraja’ La Baraja Vineyard
Photo Credit:
Cathrine Todd

2016 Bodegas Vilano, ‘La Baraja’, La Baraja Vineyard, Ribera del Duero, Spain: 75% Tempranillo (called Tinto Fino in Ribera del Duero) from 70-year-old vines and 15% Cabernet and 10% Merlot from 35 to 37-year-old vines. A lovely mixture of blackberry and red cherry fruit with an added complexity of fresh leather and crushed rock aromas in the background with lace-like tannins that knitted together good concentration of fruit on the palate; an elegant and powerful wine all at once. Since La Baraja is from a single vineyard called La Baraja, it is only made in the best years for this vineyard and so the next vintage will not be until the 2019 is released after aging.

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Three Wine Regions In Chile That Excel At Great Value Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon And Carménère

Posted on January 12, 2022 by damewine

How Carménère grape varieties got confused with Merlot grapes in Chile is a mystery to one of the most celebrated winemakers of that country, Marcelo Papa – who oversees Casillero del Diablo and Marques de Casa Concha lineup of wines for one of the largest wineries in Chile, Concha y Toro, established in 1883. “Around the 1870s people in Chile wanted to push the quality for wine and so naturally during that time they looked towards Bordeaux,” noted Marcelo. Carménère was one of the red grape varieties brought back from Bordeaux as well with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot but throughout the 1900s vines that were labeled as Merlot were, in actuality, Carménère; so in 1994 when the world was starting to fall in love with Chilean Merlot, and the country was just beginning to make a name for itself in the wine world, it was discovered that much of the Merlot was Carménère. And so, initially, it was a blow for the wine industry in Chile as many around the world looked down at Carménère as it was an unknown grape; some questioned whether Bordeaux gave up on it as a grape variety because it has low quality potential but that would prove to be false as not only have winemakers such as Marcelo in Chile showed otherwise but wine producers in Bordeaux are starting to plant Carménère again.  

Marcelo Papa
Photo Credit: Marques de Casa Concha

Marcelo Papa, who has been with Concha y Toro for over 20 years, is known as the “seeker of noble roots” as well as the “terroir hunter” for his relentless mission to explore every pocket of the various wine areas within Chile, a country that spans 2,600 miles in length. This characteristic of Marcelo has made it possible for him to blend a multitude of vineyards across Chile to achieve impressive consistency for their Casillero del Diablo line that makes millions of bottles a year and retails $10 and below, as well as overseeing the much smaller production of Marques de Casa Concha that focuses on high quality vineyards in wine regions that are ideal for a specific variety, that only retails for around $20. One of the most famous wine regions is Maipo for Cabernet Sauvignon which sells like hot cakes around the world as well as garners acclaim from top wine critics but convincing people that Chile has an ideal wine region for Pinot Noir is a much more challenging feat.

But finding the ideal vineyards for Carménère has become just as important to Marcelo as it is to find the ideal homes for famous international varieties, and it is one of his favorite grapes – he has certainly been able to display its greatness even as it still sits in the shadow of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Peumo D.O. in Cachapoal Valley

Carménère Grape Bunch
Photo Credit: Marques de Casa Concha

Since Carménère originally came from Bordeaux, it is not surprising that it shares the same father with Cabernet Sauvignon – Cabernet Franc. But a key difference is that Carménère needs a longer growing season than Cabernet and so it is a very “demanding variety when it comes to soil and climate” according to Marcelo and hence why, in the past, with constant issues with frost in Bordeaux, it became a variety unpractical to grow in that area. Marcelo noted that Carménère is typically the last variety that they pick and it is harvested at least two weeks after Cabernet Sauvignon. But despite Carménère’s tendency to be difficult, Marcelo is taken by the variety as he says enthusiastically, “It is soft without the sweet impact that Merlot has and in that way I like it.” Although Carménère has thick skins, the qualities of the tannins are “beautiful” if it is grown in the right place.

The Peumo D.O. designated wine region in Cachapoal Valley, 93 miles south of Santiago, is one of the best places Marcelo has found for Carménère. He thinks there is a misconception that Carménère has to be in a warm climate as he believes the bigger issue is frost considering the long season and so the most important thing is to plant it in an area where there is no risk of frost during budding in the spring or harvest at the end of the season. Their Peumo Vineyard is well-suited for Carménère as it sits right in between the Pacific Ocean and Andes Mountains with the addition of having hills that surround it and so it is not greatly influenced by cold breezes from either side, hence avoiding frost and allowing a moderate climate so the grapes can hang on the vine longer; the porous soil which allows access to a water table in the Peumo Vineyard is also helpful with its mixture of clay, silt and sand – 1/3 of each – that contains a decent amount of nutrients, both the water and nutrients assist in sustaining the long life of Carménère grape bunches on the vine.

Originally Cabernet Sauvignon was the main grape planted in the Peumo area in the Cachapoal Valley due to its popularity but Marcelo notes that it was never that good and that the Carménère there was stunning and hence there are many wine producers nowadays with Carménère vineyards there. The richness of the soil that is so vital for Carménère is detrimental for high quality Cabernet Sauvignon wine.

Puente Alto D.O. in Maipo Valley

Puente Alto D.O. in Maipo Valley
Photo Credit: Marques de Casa Concha

Cabernet Sauvignon in the Maipo Valley, located right outside of Santiago, was key in showing the world that Chile could make fine wines that could stand up to the great wines of the world as well as show the ability to express place. The Puente Alto and Pirque vineyards in the Puente Alto D.O., that goes into their Marques de Casa Concha Cabernet Sauvignon, are in the coolest part of Maipo as there are no wind breaks, such as hills, hence leaving the vineyards open to the cold wind from the Humboldt Current traveling up from Antarctica; the Humboldt Current combined with the vineyards’ altitude at 2,100 feet both contribute to these plots being able to produce cool climate Cabernet Sauvignon. The diurnal swings in temperature that can range from 30 to 40 Fahrenheit is conducive to assisting the Cabernet grapes finding a balance of ripe fruit, soft tannins and good amount of acidity as well as allowing the retention of more aromatics; and on top of that, the poor nutrient alluvial soil – with a subsoil of gravel – makes Cabernet struggle which adds to its high quality potential.

But there is no need to convince wine drinkers today of the wonderful Cabernet Sauvignon wines that are coming out of Chile, especially Maipo Valley, as it has become a classic place to grow Cabernet Sauvignon. Although convincing the wine world that Chile can make world class Pinot Noir wine is something entirely different as it is already a struggle to get some to consider anything outside of Burgundy as being worthy of consideration, and even when other wine regions are deemed to be worthy of making Pinot Noir it is due to their vineyards having similar qualities to Burgundy vineyards.

Limarí D.O. in Limarí Valley

Limarí DO
Photo Credit: Marques de Casa Concha

It is difficult to initially wrap one’s mind around Chile, a country that is generally placed in the category of having a Mediterranean climate, as being capable of growing high quality Pinot Noir grapes that make elegant wines. But the couple examples above already show the extreme diversity of terroir in Chile.

The Limarí Valley, 200 miles north of Santiago, offers a unique place for such a finicky grape as Pinot Noir as its desert-like landscape averages only four inches of rain a year and so the lack of moisture is a positive aspect for this thin-skinned grape variety that can be prone to mildew in wet conditions. Yet the designated wine region of Limarí D.O. in the Limarí Valley is on the 30th parallel south of the equator, which also passes through Egypt and northern Mexico, and so one would think it would be too hot. This is where becoming a terroir hunter like Marcelo comes in handy as he has found a plot called Quebrada Seca Vineyard that is only 13 miles from the Pacific Ocean and so the Humboldt Current can have a strong effect in this vineyard, which is also located 620 feet above sea level; the vineyard never gets much beyond 75 Fahrenheit, according to Marcelo, even during the hottest time of the year. There is still the danger of too much sunlight intensity as this area is significantly close to the equator but that is again when picking the right site comes in handy as a decent amount of the Limarí area has cloudy skies practically every morning and so the sun has a natural filter, and then the clouds disappear in the later afternoon only giving a few hours of unfiltered sun to the Pinot Noir grapes.

Limestone is found in the soils located in the Limarí Valley which is rare in Chile and hence it has made its name with the Chardonnay grape that loves the finesse that can come from limestone, and Marcelo also makes a Marques de Casa Concha Chardonnay wine as well as a Pinot Noir from their Quebrada Seca Vineyard. But Marcelo notes that there is not just limestone but also a mixture of clay which produces Pinot Noir wines with good concentration combined with overall elegance and a sense of minerality.

Different Background but Same Result

Even with all the unique qualities that are part of the topography and climate of Limarí Valley, when comparing it to other Chilean wine regions, the idea of high quality Pinot Noir from Chile is still a concept that many refuse to accept. Actually, the Limarí Valley is known for Chardonnay and Syrah wines, with two different styles of Syrah grown – a cool climate style from the coast and a warm climate style from more inland vineyards. There is a kind of sanctity when it comes to really good Pinot Noir wine and one can understand it if she knows Burgundy wines well.

But just like a person’s success is typically mapped out by first starting with a respected pedigree, whether it be history of ancestors, a recognized education or both, and those in Burgundy have the history for great Pinot Noir and the education that has been passed down for several generations, through time people have realized that is not the only way. There are certainly those who don’t get the best start in life, they have no strong guidance early on and go against the traditional idea of what is necessary for success, and yet they change the world through determination and an unquenchable passion, and that was Chile in many ways when it first entered the wine industry. And as Chile has taken leaps and bounds raising the quality of their wines just over the past 30 years, Marcelo Papa, the terroir hunter, will not only rest with the success of Cabernet Sauvignon or even Carménère, as there are spots within the 600 miles of vineyards he works with throughout the year that are unimaginable when people think of Chile’s vineyard potential; and it may sometimes be a marketing nightmare when dealing with Pinot Noir but he is committed to matching the right grape to the right terroir even if that bring a whole slew of challenging misconceptions.

***This article was originally published on Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/cathrinetodd/2021/12/30/three-wine-regions-in-chile-that-excel-at-great-value-pinot-noir-cabernet-sauvignon-and-carmenere/?sh=5fed15516842

2018 Marques de Casa Concha, Quebrada Seca Vineyard Chardonnay
Photo Credit: Cathrine Todd

2018 Marques de Casa Concha, Quebrada Seca Vineyard Chardonnay, Limarí D.O., Limarí Valley, Chile: 100% Chardonnay. A lovely salinity to this wine with hints of oyster shell and lemon blossom that had a subtle note of hazelnut and touch of juicy peach to balance out the bright acidity.

2018 Marques de Casa Concha, Peumo Vineyard Carménère Photo Credit: Cathrine Todd

2019 Marques de Casa Concha, Quebrada Seca Vineyard Pinot Noir, Limarí D.O., Limarí Valley, Chile: 100% Pinot Noir. Beautiful red and black cherry, purple flowers and intense minerality with crisp acidity, a really delicate and pretty Pinot Noir.

2018 Marques de Casa Concha, Peumo Vineyard Carménère, Peumo D.O., Cachapoal Valley, Chile: 94.67% Carménère, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon and 0.33% Cabernet Franc. A tasty savory herbal note of fresh bay leaf and oregano with wet earth and silky tannins with lots of juicy blackberry fruit and a spicy finish.

2018 Marques de Casa Concha, Cabernet Sauvignon from Puente Alto Vineyard and Pirque Vineyard Photo Credit: Cathrine Todd

2018 Marques de Casa Concha, Cabernet Sauvignon from Puente Alto Vineyard and Pirque Vineyard, Puente Alto D.O., Maipo Valley, Chile: 86.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc, 2.1% Syrah and 1.4% Petit Verdot. Cassis flavor with precision that had gravel and tobacco leaf notes adding complexity with well-managed tannins, round with only a touch of grip, and finished with a lifted fresh sage aroma.

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Premium Italian Sparkling Wine Producer Commits To Age-Worthy Wines

Posted on January 11, 2022 by damewine

The endless festively decorated convention stands where various Italian wines were being poured had tons of laughter and boisterous conversations emanating from them bringing an electricity that created a new magical world for a five-year-old girl. It was 1974 and she was there with her brother and mother at a wine trade fair called Vinitaly in the romantic city of Verona, located in the region of Veneto in Italy; it was Vinitaly’s seventh year of showcasing the fantastical array of Italian wines to international wine buyers and journalists. Although this little girl came from her own magical world in the province of Brescia, which lies in the northwestern Italian region of Lombardy, she was not used to such liveliness as she lived tucked away in the countryside surrounded by her family’s vineyards and she had never experienced such frenetic energy; it seemed she lived the best of both worlds as she was transported to ancient times when she played in her family’s 16th century stone wine cellar, counter-balanced with the excitement of witnessing her mother introduce their traditional sparkling wines to the rest of Italy and eventually to the world.

Lucia Barzanò in the vineyards
Photo Credit: Mosnel

That young girl grew up to be Lucia Barzanò and she would end up working side by side with her brother Giulio, the winemaker of their family winery, to continue their mother’s mission when it comes to making some of the greatest traditional sparkling wines in the world that are meant for long-term aging from the high-quality designated appellation of the Franciacorta DOCG.

Mosnel Franciacorta Wines

Giulio e Lucia Barzanò in the cellar
Photo Credit: Mosnel

The name Franciacorta is known among many Italian wine drinkers as one of the best sparkling wines and Lucia says that, many times, when Italians want a top sparkling wine when they go to a nice restaurant in Milan or Rome they will specifically ask for Franciacorta by name. Lucia’s mother’s side of the family has been in what is now considered the Franciacorta wine area, one of the top sparkling Italian appellations, since 1836 and Lucia with her brother are 5th generation winemakers running their Mosnel family winery.

Lucia’s mother, Emanuela Barzanò Barboglio, was an important force in establishing what Franciacorta is today as she was one of the 11 producers to be part of being awarded DOC high-quality status for the wines of Franciacorta and then she became part of the lobbying process to receive the highest-quality status for only their sparkling wines with DOCG which was awarded in 1995. Today Lucia, with her brother Giulio, continue the few tenets that their mother established: decent percentage of Pinot Blanc (Pinot Bianco in Italian), low sugar dosage and longevity built into the wines. 

As Lucia likes to note, Franciacorta has a multitude of deep meaning for Italians as it is part of the culture of the area as sparkling wines have been made there since the 16th century and on a personal note, her mother’s family has been making these wines for almost 200 years, as well as Franciacorta being a designated place that has been recognized for top sparkling wine and finally it is a method of production as well – that deep meaning translates to today Italy representing 80% of Mosnel sales. The Franciacorta method is similar to the Champagne method as it goes through its second fermentation in bottle and then it spends many months in that same bottle aging on its lees (sediment left after fermentation that adds complexity) but for Champagne, the minimum for Non-Vintage is 15 months of lees aging where Franciacorta enforces a minimum of 18 months – Mosnel goes even further with a minimum of 24 months; both regions use Chardonnay and Pinot Noir (Pinot Nero in Italian) for the majority of the blend but Franciacorta allows Pinot Blanc to be used. And Pinot Blanc is an important aspect to the Mosnel style as it gives a fuller body that assists with long-term aging as well as giving pretty floral aromatics when it is properly grown.

Today Mosnel has almost 100 acres of vineyards that are organically farmed and the composite of their estate vineyards break down to 70% Chardonnay, 15% Pinot Noir and 15% Pinot Blanc with only their estate vineyards being used for their wines. They are one of the few wineries that use such a high percentage of Pinot Blanc and so that is one of the reasons it distinguishes Mosnel from many other Franciacorta producers. But as climate change makes the summers warmer, Lucia and her brother have been looking for other ways to keep the fierce acidity that is preferred for such premium sparkling wines and they have found the “ancient, local variety” called Erbamat as a possibility for the future as it has higher acidity levels.

Mosnel Estate
Photo Credit: Cathrine Todd

Part of the incredible ageability for Mosnel Franciacorta sparkling wines is due to a part of the wines fermenting and aging in small French used oak barrels as well as the low sugar in the whole range of the Mosnel wines. Just like in Champagne, when the wines are disgorged to remove the sediment of the lees after a certain amount of time of aging, a small amount of wine needs to be added to take up what volume was removed with the sediment and at this time sugar (a.k.a. dosage) is also added. The sugar many times counter-balances the high acidity in Champagne wines as well as in Franciacorta wines but Mosnel will only have, for example, four grams of sugar per liter in their Brut which is less than half of what the average dosage is in Brut Champagne. Actually Mosnel currently has five different bottlings of Franciacorta that have no sugar added that range from a Brut Nature to a handful of different Vintage Franciacorta to a Riserva that ages ten years on the lees as the wines are already balanced without any sugar added.

According to Lucia, they believe that the low amount of dosage, or none at all, helps make their wines built better for age; the final thing that makes their wines age-worthy is the use of reserve wines added to the blend that average around ten years old, giving more depth and concentration to the final blend.

Built to Last

It was such a special upbringing for Lucia as, from a young age, she was able to see her mother change an industry by showing Italy that they were capable of making great sparkling wine. And Lucia couldn’t be prouder than to follow in her mother’s footsteps as well as working with her brother who she is always ready to brag about as being one of the most talented winemakers she knows; her pride runs even deeper with her two daughters working at Mosnel becoming the 6th generation. At one time, getting Italians at fine dining restaurants in Italy to drink any other bubble than Champagne was impossible but Lucia’s mother was able to make Franciacorta a household name. Of course there is still that bridge to overcome in the U.S. market as, for many Americans, even dining in Italian restaurants, the name Franciacorta means very little; so for now Mosnel is sold as a small family production, estate-grown, organic premium Italian sparkling wine and that seems to get a lot more attention. But just like her mother, Lucia is happy to take on the challenge and she will not give up on the idea that one day Franciacorta will have the same deep meaning as it does in her home country.

Mosnel Brut Nature, Brut and Rosé
Photo Credit: Cathrine Todd

Mosnel, Brut Nature, Franciacorta DOCG, Lombardy, Italy: 70% Chardonnay, 20% Pinot Blanc and 10% Pinot Noir. No dosage. Saline minerality, chamomile and lemon rind on the nose with fine bubbles and intense minerality with crisp acidity.

Mosnel, Brut, Franciacorta DOCG, Lombardy, Italy: 60% Chardonnay, 30% Pinot Blanc and 10% Pinot Noir. 4 grams per liter dosage. The Brut has more weight, more flavors with juicy nectarine and more of a background note of minerality that isn’t as intense in the Nature with a lovely expressive finish of roasted almonds.

Mosnel, Brut Rosé, Franciacorta DOCG, Lombardy, Italy: 40% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay and 20% Pinot Blanc. 5 grams per liter dosage. Fresh strawberries with warm raspberry and stony minerality, elegant with pristine fruit flavors and a fantastic freshness – takes you to the edge of giving good intensity of fruit but doesn’t go too far keeping lots of acidity and minerality in play.

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The U.S. Wine Region Attracting Wine Producers Seeking Challenges And A State Of Fluctuation

Posted on January 10, 2022 by damewine

It takes a certain type of person to do really well in the Virginia wine industry – one who wants to be part of building the foundation of a wine region, where things are changing year in and year out; for some it is an overwhelmingly frustrating place to work yet for others it is extremely exciting. “Virginia is very selecting of its people in that way,” noted Ben Jordan, winemaker of Early Mountain Vineyards, a wine producer in the town of Madison, Virginia. Despite Ben being born and raised in Virginia, it is a place that still surprises him all the time and one doesn’t have to necessarily be born there to have such a spirit to survive it as the wine industry is finding momentum and bringing in people from all over the world as interns – as long as they are looking for a place with lots of challenges then Virginia is for them. Ben says that it certainly says something about someone who stays after spending a vintage in Virginia as it is not a place for the faint of heart – its continental climate can bring brutal winters as well as ill-timed rains right before harvest and for many in the wine industry, those aspects of it would seem like impossible hurdles to overcome. But for those who have made the firm commitment to be part of the Virginia wine industry, they realize that they can’t just follow the practices of wine producers in California or even France as what they have is not exactly like any other place. 

Ben Jordan in the winery
Photo Credit: Early Mountain Vineyards

Virginia is finding what makes them special in a very unique way – by trying grape varieties that are not that commonly known or pushing the envelope of those varieties that are known as well as understanding that Virginia producers are not placed into a box because of their climate; there are ways to match the ideal place to the ideal grape through trying what makes sense for their particular set of circumstances. Sometimes taking a shot in the dark when it comes to using unconventional techniques for classic grape varieties can pan out really well too.

Early Mountain Vineyards

Jean and Steve Case bought the Early Mountain Vineyards property in 2010 and although it was a dream, the dream wasn’t only personal as they envisioned making world class wines, backed with a good marketing and distribution infrastructure, that would bring national attention to Virginia as a wine region; becoming a robust industry that would help Virginia’s economy as a whole, especially considering that they themselves saw the significant increase in quality of Virginia wines over the years. Jean and Steve have been both extremely successful with their careers as Steve was one of the co-founders of AOL and Jean was an executive in the private sector that included marketing and branding for AOL. Together they started the Case Foundation which is a philanthropic organization that invests in people and ideas that change the world.

Since Early Mountain Vineyards is more widely marketed and distributed into small restaurants and retail stores that value unique, high quality wines, they have also been a part of helping other Virginia wineries who do not have the resources to do so. Early Mountain Vineyards has also garnered some widely publicized acclaim by winning USA Today’s Best American Tasting Room in 2016 and was one of the finalists for Wine Enthusiast’s American Winery of the Year – 2018. Yet their mission is to not just become a well-known name themselves, it is to bring more visibility to the quality wines of Virginia, and so they offer tastings in their popular tasting room under the title of the ‘Best of Virginia’ that showcases a range of established wineries in Virginia as well as young and cutting edge producers.  

Early Mountain Vineyards tasting room Photo Credit:
Early Mountain Vineyards

But the Cases’ mission would have no chance if they didn’t have the right winemaker and that is where Ben Jordan comes in. He is someone who found his way into wine when he left Virginia by working in wine sales in San Francisco; there he was able to taste wines from all over the world to develop his palate. But as time went on, he wanted to get a better understanding of the process of making wine, working his way through the process which started in the vineyards up to the final product and he found himself working at a winery in the Russian River Valley as well as having a few other shorter stints in other areas of Sonoma County. He came back to Virginia to make use of his knowledge by working at one of the next generation pioneers of Virginia, Michael Shaps Wineworks – a custom crush facility that works with fruit from all over Virginia. As a winemaker working with various vineyards, Ben really got a first hand education into the wide range of quality and characteristics of Virginia vineyards and that is when he discovered that the soil could be a stronger factor than climate in certain sites; it is also when he discovered his love for the Petit Manseng grape variety.

Unusual Grape Varieties and Unusual Practices

Quaker Run Vineyard
Photo Credit: Early Mountain Vineyards

Petit Manseng is a white grape variety that finds its original home in southwestern France in the area of Jurançon. It is many times either seen as a sweet or off-dry wine and when it is dry it is usually blended. It is barely seen in the U.S. market and so for most people it is a grape that they have never heard of and that within itself brings a big challenge. Yet according to Ben, it is a vinifera grape (vinifera is the species of grape varieties most known for high quality wine) that deals with mildew better than most as well as the “architecture of the grape cluster is such that it can really hang through rain and on top of that it has the ability to retain concentration of sugar.” Petit Manseng has thick skins and a tendency to develop rich fruit and higher alcohol levels while retaining acidity and if anything, a wine producer has to make sure the alcohol doesn’t get out of hand if allowing the grape to hang on the vines longer as well as the tendency to become too rich and overpowering. Hence, Ben will pick the Petit Manseng grapes destined for a dry varietal bottling in three different passes as to make sure to get grapes at different ripeness levels.

But for an area that has an issue with ripening certain grape varieties as well as an ill-timed rain before harvest, the rain can help to “tap down the power” of Petit Manseng and make it a more balanced wine.

Allowing natural fermentation to take place Photo Credit: Early Mountain Vineyards

When it came to Early Mountain trying their hand at making a Bordeaux blend from certain vineyards around the estate, they realized that those vines were better for lighter reds or rosé wines. And this goes back to their philosophy that nothing should be forced – if a high quality Bordeaux blend cannot be made, no matter how badly they want to make one, it is not going to be part of their portfolio of wines. Yet they were able to take over another vineyard called Quaker Run in 2014 that really showed the power of site in Virginia. Quaker Run Vineyard is only 20 minutes from Early Mountain Vineyards estate but it is on the side of the Blue Ridge Mountains which is rocky and steep and it is able to grow Merlot and Cabernet Franc in some sections that are concentrated with plenty of acidity and structure for ageability, balanced by beautiful aromatics and an overall elegance. They were also able to get a premium Chardonnay wine from Quaker Run as well that comes from 20 year-old vines. That may not be considered old by European standards, but Ben says that they act like mature vines showing a lovely balance of finesse and richness.

Another discovery for Ben has been how much Cabernet Franc shows an affinity to displaying terroir like Pinot Noir – a grape that he is familiar with from his Sonoma County days. And that has led Early Mountain to bottle five different kinds of Cabernet Franc, two regional and three vineyard designated sites. And even though Ben is happy that he got a chance to work in a wine region like Sonoma that has most things figured out, it is a different kind of thrill to work in a region where every step has to be discovered and that there is no other well-known wine region in the world that they can successfully copy as Virginia has a unique set of circumstances.

Site Outperforming the Weather

But there is no doubt that it takes a lot of courage and it takes a strong will that can get one past the many failures that will be faced in working in an area that has no handbook for success and actually working like another known wine region will only lead one down a path of mediocrity. There is nothing wrong with facing the fact that Virginia has a tough climate when it comes to comparing it to California or even France but that doesn’t mean there is not something special about Virginia as a wine region. Ben is starting to see, even to his own amazement, that sites will outperform the weather and that there are certain underappreciated grape varieties that can shine in Virginia, and as Ben likes to remind people, it is still a very young wine industry and is just the beginning of them discovering where they excel. 

***This article originally appeared on Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/cathrinetodd/2021/12/28/the-us-wine-region-attracting-wine-producers-seeking-challenges-and-a-state-of-fluctuation/?sh=466291ef24b7

2020 Early Mountain Vineyards, Pétillant Natural, Virginia
Photo Credit: Cathrine Todd

All of the Early Mountain Vineyards wines use ambient yeasts for a spontaneous fermentation with the exception of their rosé wine.

Early Mountain Vineyards is part of the Monticello AVA (American Viticultural Area), which was the first established AVA in Virginia and the area encompasses the eastern slopes of the Blue Ridge Mountains. It is an historic area due to the fact that it was the home of Thomas Jefferson and that there are records dating back to the 1700s noting that Jefferson hired an Italian winemaker to make wine from native grapes in Monticello. Early Mountain Vineyards is located in the town of Madison and almost all of the below grapes are sourced from the Monticello AVA with the exception of the 2019 Early Mountain Vineyards, Shenandoah Springs Vineyard Cabernet Franc wine which is from Shenandoah Valley AVA in Virginia.

2020 Early Mountain Vineyards, Pétillant Natural, Virginia: 71% Malvasia Bianca and 29% Muscat Blanc. This sparkling white wine is a Pét-Nat, a natural wine where the bubbles are created by the fact that it is bottled during fermentation – an ancient technique for sparkling wines – this Pét-Nat is disgorged so there is some sediment but not as much as you would see in many other Pét-Nat wines. Floral notes with lemon confit and hints of blanched almonds with a mouthwatering acidity. Early Mountain Vineyards makes Pét-Nat and Champagne method sparkling wines as their associate winemaker and viticulturist Maya Hood White has a real passion for sparkling wines.

2020 Early Mountain Vineyards, Pétillant Natural, Virginia
Photo Credit: Cathrine Todd

2020 Early Mountain Vineyards ‘Five Forks’, Virginia: 61% Petit Manseng, 32% Sauvignon Blanc, 4% Chardonnay and 3% Pinot Gris. At the heart of this blend is the Petit Manseng and sometimes Chardonnay and Pinot Gris are added depending on the vintage. The brightness and slight herbaceous quality of the Sauvignon Blanc balances the richness of the Petit Manseng. A mix of stone fruit, nectarines and minerality on the nose with green mango on the palate with a background of dried herbs that is overall a bright, very drinkable wine.

2019 Early Mountain Vineyards, Petit Manseng, Virginia: 100% Petit Manseng. They do three different passes when it comes to harvesting the Petit Manseng for this wine as Ben Jordan notes that the first pick gives more orchard fruits like apple, the second gives slightly riper, sweeter fruit qualities associated with peach and apricot and the final pick has more tropical fruit notes. Golden color because of the thick skins of the grapes with a delicious nose of honeysuckle, ripe pineapple and golden apple with a rich nuttiness from the long fermentation of this wine.

2019 Early Mountain Vineyards, Quaker Run Vineyard, Chardonnay, Virginia: 100% Chardonnay. Goes through full malolactic fermentation as it has high acidity but they don’t allow all of their Chardonnay wines to go through full malolactic fermentation as it depends on the site. The grapes from the Quaker Run Vineyard have the ability to ripen a week or two after the other grapes while retaining acidity and so the wines are concentrated yet still vibrant and fresh. Pretty nose with lime blossom and wet stones with richer juicy peach flavors on the palate with good weight and mineral-driven finish.

2019 Early Mountain Vineyards, Shenandoah Springs Vineyard Cabernet Franc
Photo Credit: Cathrine Todd

2019 Early Mountain Vineyards, Shenandoah Springs Vineyard Cabernet Franc, Virginia: 100% Cabernet Franc. The Shenandoah Springs Vineyards is in the Shenandoah Valley which is a big AVA so it is around 150 miles from the south to the north so hard to generalize but two things do stand out about this area: less rain and higher elevations. Ben believes that Cabernet Franc has an affinity for showing terroir just like Pinot Noir and this was one of the sites that convinced him of it – hence they make five Cabernet Franc wines, two regional and three vineyard designated sites. Enchanting note of violets with ripe blueberry jam (2019 was a hotter and drier vintage and so this is an expression of the vintage) with big, round tannins and hints of broken earth on the finish.

 2019 Early Mountain Vineyards ‘Eluvium’ Virginia: 80% Merlot, 19% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc. Ben says he employs whole cluster fermentation in this wine that averages around 10%-25% mainly on the Merlot grapes as it comes from the Quaker Run site and that Merlot does really well with whole cluster as it gives it more aromatics with a tannic backbone without any greenness as the stems of the grapes are fully ripe. They also source from other vineyards, one called Capstone Mountain and another called Russ Mountain; Russ is riper and it has more base notes and Capestone is higher elevation so it has more linear, aromatic, high-tone notes and when they are blended together they will get the same result from Quaker Run which produces wines that are ripe and deep as well as linear and aromatic. Multilayered fruit with blackcurrant preserves (again 2019 was a hotter vintage), blueberry pie and fresh black cherries that had finely etched tannins with gravelly earth and a stony minerality undertone with a long, aromatic finish of floral and spicy notes.

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Wines From Tuscany Made Possible By A Man Who Lived Beyond The Wheelchair That Confined Him

Posted on January 9, 2022 by damewine

Gian Annibale Rossi di Medelana seemed to have everything in life – a noble Italian family line dating back to the 1200s, one of the biggest estates in Tuscany, Italy, which he inherited from his family and having the reputation as a true gentleman – a Renaissance painting come to life in how he carried himself and his various interests in art and culture. But one day, as a young man with his whole life ahead of him, his love for riding horses took a bad turn as an accident left him without use of his legs. That could have been the end of his zest for life but, rather, he was able to find a level of joy that was beyond his comprehension by becoming part of the Super Tuscan movement, showing the world that Bordeaux grape varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon had a home in the village of Bolgheri, near the coastline of Tuscany, as well.

Castello del Terriccio

Castello del Terriccio
Photo Credit: Castello del Terriccio

Gian Annibale’s family estate, Castello del Terriccio, is around 3,700 acres with 160 acres of vineyards and almost 100 acres of olive groves and although it was always an estate devoted to agriculture with over 50 sharecropper families living there up until the mid-70s, and even today around 15 families still live on the estate, Gian Annibale was the first to get serious about wine. Once he took over, in 1975, he made Castello del Terriccio a place dedicated to researching the vineyards as well as finding the ideal clones of grape varieties in Bordeaux to bring back to his estate. His first wine – a white wine – was released in 1985 called Con Vento, and today it still exists with Viognier and Sauvignon Blanc in the blend, but he knew that if he wanted to make wines at the same level of Château Latour he would need to find the right consultant to help him.

Castello del Terriccio Vineyards
Photo Credit: Castello del Terriccio

That is when Gian Annibale met a young Carlo Ferrini, who eventually became one of the most iconic winemaking consultants in Italy, yet at the time, although impressive as a winemaker working with the Consorzio of Chianti Classico producers, some might have thought that picking someone older, more well-experienced and perhaps from Bordeaux would have been a better choice. But Gian Annibale not only was a great student of art and culture, he had a great understanding of human nature and how to study the character of a person. Carlo Ferrini immediately gave him the impression of someone who was about the land, the terroir, and that his commitment to excellence of expressing sense of place was as great as Gian Annibale’s own; today Castello del Terriccio remains one of Carlo Ferrini’s longest clients.

Gian Annibale Rossi di Medelana Photo Credit: Castello del Terriccio

The Castello del Terriccio is located right outside of the famous Super Tuscan winemaking area of Bolgheri – both being the same distance from the sea – and it actually covers two provinces in Tuscany: Pisa and Livorno. In general, Castello del Terriccio is more hilly and windy than the valley of Bolgheri, not counting the smaller amount of plantings on the hill, and so generally they enjoy a more moderate climate with good conditions for low disease pressure that is more conducive for healthy grapes. Gian Annibale was friends with many of the leading wine producers of Super Tuscan wines and his top selection Bordeaux blend ‘Lupicaia’ would be considered a more affordable alternative to a friend’s top selection: Tenuta San Guido ‘Sassicaia’, as both wines are based on Bordeaux varieties as well as having vineyards planted on hillsides. Gian Annibale wines became very well-respected among his colleagues as he was meticulous in finding the ideal clones of grape varieties for each plot among his vineyards with the help of Carlo Ferrini – both being men of the land first and foremost.

Vittorio and Gian Annibale
Photo Credit: Castello del Terriccio

A little over two years ago, Gian Annibale passed away at 78 years old and despite not having a wife or children, he did have a nephew, Vittorio, who he treated as his own who inherited Castello del Terriccio. Some of the best parts of Vittorio’s childhood were spent with Gian Annibale on the estate as his uncle was a hero of epic proportions allowing nothing to stand in his way of living his dream; and Castello del Terriccio was a dream to Vittorio as a boy with the massive gates to the property opening up to a tree-lined road that seemed to go on forever, finally opening up to those extraordinary vineyards that meant so much to his uncle – a man who taught him the meaning of life just by his very being. It took Vittorio no time after learning of his uncle’s death to decide to leave the finance world in Rome and move to the property so he could make sure to continue his uncle’s dream that was rooted in his own childhood.  

A Roadblock Leading to a Fulfilling Journey

Gian Annibale was known as a man with many interests who enjoyed parties and going out on a regular basis and it was thought that perhaps his accident gave him a chance to focus on a bigger project – to become part of the Super Tuscan movement which seemed like an impossible task in the beginning. It is a similar story to the celebrated theoretical physicist and cosmologist Stephen Hawking who spent much of his time at university going to parties and hanging out with friends until he was struck down by a neurodegenerative disease that gradually paralyzed him over decades and it forced him to go more inward and hence he was able to unlock a few of the great mysteries of the universe. Both of these men did not decide to focus on what they lost in life but instead looked for the gifts and opportunities such roadblocks brought and the worlds they lived in are both richer for them finding deeper fulfillment within a seemingly tragic circumstance.  

Vertical of Castello del Terriccio ‘Lupicaia’
Photo Credit: Cathrine Todd

Below are selections of Castello del Terriccio wines with ‘Con Vento’ being their white blend, ‘Tassinaia’ being the second wine to their top selection Super Tuscan red ‘Lupicaia’ and ‘Castello del Terriccio’ displaying Gian Annibale love for Syrah with its first release in 2000. Petit Verdot started making it in the blend more consistently in recent vintages as it was known to be Gian Annibale’s last passion.

2020 Castello del Terriccio ‘Con Vento’ Photo Credit:
Cathrine Todd

2020 Castello del Terriccio ‘Con Vento’ Bianco Toscana IGT, Tuscany, Italy: Blend of Viognier and Sauvignon Blanc. Nose of saline minerality and lemon zest with peach peel on the palate with good texture and bright acidity.

2017 Castello del Terriccio ‘Tassinaia’ Rosso Toscana IGT, Tuscany, Italy: Blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Earthy nose with gravelly notes with a hint of dried purple flowers in the background and subtle black cherry intermixed with fresh leather – lots of finesse with this wine.

2016 Castello del Terriccio ‘Castello del Terriccio’ Rosso Toscana IGT, Tuscany, Italy: Blend of Syrah and Petit Verdot. Cracked black pepper and multi-layered black fruit that had a mix of wild flowers and fresh thyme that had a chewy texture with plenty of fleshy fruit to balance it out and a lifted, bright finish.

2006 Castello del Terriccio ‘Lupicaia’
Photo Credit:
Cathrine Todd

2016 Castello del Terriccio ‘Lupicaia’ Rosso di Toscana IGT, Tuscany, Italy: Blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. Graphite and blackcurrant with rich cassis flavor that brings more overall weight than the 2011 and 2006 but it is still elegant in its delivery.

2011 Castello del Terriccio ‘Lupicaia’ Rosso di Toscana IGT, Tuscany, Italy: Blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. Savory nose with fresh sage and dried oregano that had pretty red cherry flavor and fine tannins that had a long, expressive finish. 

2006 Castello del Terriccio ‘Lupicaia’ Rosso di Toscana IGT, Tuscany, Italy: Blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot. Fresh mint notes with more of a dried red cherry quality when it comes to fruit and extremely complex with truffle and tar notes that evolved to dusty earth on the silky finish.

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Fate Has Midwestern Woman Lead Sonoma Winery To Next Evolution

Posted on January 8, 2022 by damewine

As a little girl smelled intriguing aromas of grapes and leaves wafting in the air, her face beamed with a joyful curiosity as her parents drove her around Sonoma County and Napa Valley during harvest time for wine producers. Although her father worked for the Miller Brewery Company back in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in the 70s and early 80s, he had a deep love for wine as well as the San Francisco Bay Area and his daughter not only grew up witnessing her parents’ love for wine at home but enjoyed the stories about the recent California graduates of University of California- Davis (U.C. Davis), which today has one of the top winemaking programs in the world; these graduates would come out to Miller to intern during those times – but would quickly run back to California once they experienced their first Midwestern winter. Although the Midwest is not known as a great winemaking area, it would end up being the home of the next winemaker at the helm of Jordan Vineyard & Winery, a producer in Alexander Valley in Sonoma County which is famous for their elegant, old-world style of Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay wines.

Father and Top University Points Towards Wine

Maggie Kruse Photo Credit: Jordan Vineyard & Winery
Maggie Kruse
Photo Credit: Jordan Vineyard & Winery

That little girl, Maggie Kruse, would end up excelling in science in high school and falling in love with hands-on work in the lab and so her dad suggested that she should go to the winemaking program at U.C. Davis. But she wanted to keep her options open and so she visited other well-respected universities but while she was checking out other schools, such as the prestigious school Barnard College, she talked about her interest in winemaking and going to U.C. Davis and she was instantly told she should definitely go for it since the winemaking path seemed so much more interesting than any other path she was considering – and this was from people trying to woo her to attend their schools.

Maggie was only 17 years old when she graduated from high school and so she did a year at Napa Valley College before going into U.C. Davis allowing her to have the amazing experience of living in Napa Valley at only 17 years old. “I would spend a lot of weekends driving around and getting a feel for things,” noted Maggie and she remembers driving to neighboring Sonoma County and loving how it could be quaint and have a small town vibe during the winter yet become energetic and vibrant during the summer and harvest time with people traveling there from all over the world. After graduating from U.C. Davis she became an intern at J Vineyards & Winery which so happened to be owned at the time by Judy Jordan, the sister of John Jordan – owner of Jordan Vineyard & Winery in Sonoma County as well. After spending a year with J Vineyards she ended up getting an assistant winemaking job at Jordan in 2006 and studying under longtime winemaker Rob Davis until he retired in 2019 giving way for Maggie to become the head winemaker.

Next Evolution of Jordan Vineyard & Winery

Jordan Petit Verdot Vineyards Photo Credit Brian Baer
Jordan Petit Verdot Vineyards
Photo Credit: Brian Baer

When John Jordan took over Jordan Vineyard & Winery from his parents in October in 2005 he went to head winemaker at the time Rob Davis and asked how they could make subtle changes over time to make the wine better as he wanted to make the best wine possible. Rob knew that it would be better to only use the best blocks from their estate vineyards as well as purchase fruit from long-time multi-generational family growers in the area instead of just using all the fruit from the estate. And so this would give them a chance to spend the next 15 years to analyze all of the different plots on their property to study the soil and various aspects of each section of vines and determine if the site could make great fruit by being replanted and reworked, or if it was going to be fruit that they would always sell off. Maggie said that through time they have really been able to get excellent fruit out of blocks that previously were not performing the way they wanted but even today John Jordan would never make her use a block that she thought was not worthy of the Jordan name; so she is grateful that she only places top lots of wine into the final blend making it possible to produce their elegant premium Cabernet Sauvignon every year.

Another exciting evolution for Jordan over the past 15 years has been to implement a cork sourcing program that would make sure they were getting the top performing corks in the world. From day one, Maggie was placed in charge of corks and so she would go through many of the batches of corks to see if there was any issues with TCA (a compound that has a moldy smell like wet cardboard) or any other off-aroma that would taint the wine and she would find too many instances of tainting off-aromas. Since screw caps just wouldn’t work for them, she decided that the Diam cork was the best type of cork to use. The process of Diam is fascinating as it is a cork that has been broken down into tiny pieces that goes through a “super critical process” that is similar to decaffeinated coffee and it takes out all of the off-aromas, not only TCA but Maggie says she has smelled “pine and ash tray characteristics” taken out and then microsphere adhesives are used to bind it all back together. One is not only left with a cork that has no taint of any kind but it is perfectly uniform and hence will have the same oxygen transmission rate for each cork – this translates into each bottle aging at the same rate as compared to regular corks which have imperfections that will have the same case of wine, for example, containing bottles which age at different rates.

Jordan Estate Cabernet Sauvignon grapevines Alexander Valley sunset Andy Katz
Jordan Estate Cabernet Sauvignon grapevines Alexander Valley sunset
Photo Credit: Andy Katz

Another step in their cork program involves their recently released 40th Anniversary of their Chardonnay and represents Maggie’s first vintage as head winemaker, 2019 Jordan Chardonnay, under the Origine closure by Diam which uses beeswax as a binder for the Diam cork making it a more natural product overall. Maggie has been trialing the Origine herself in their cellars for four years and she is impressed by the results and hence why she feels confident releasing the 2019 Chardonnay with it; the Cabernet Sauvignon does not have the Origine closure yet as she knows their customers age their Cabernet for many years so it may take ten, 15, maybe even 20 years before they decide to release their Cabernet under the Origine closure.

Jordan’s Chardonnay is sourced from the Russian River Valley in Sonoma County and Maggie has been part of the evolution of that wine as well as they have been sourcing more fruit from western parts of the Russian River with cooler temperatures which produces wines with more finesse. Also they have been recently experimenting with a concrete egg fermenter that they believe will bring more texture, as well as retain the distinctive minerality for their Chardonnay wine.

Timing Advantageous For Both

Dana Grande and Maggie Kruse
Photo Credit: Jordan Vineyard & Winery

Maggie is so thankful that the timing worked out in her favor as not only did she get to have Rob Davis, the first winemaker for Jordan since 1976, as her mentor as well as take over for him in 2019 but she came at a time when John Jordan took over for his parents and he was open to change. Because of the timing she notes, “I was able to appreciate the way Jordan was doing things in the past as well as be really excited and enthusiastic about where our future was heading.” And although many of her wine colleagues used to joke about how long she stayed at Jordan since her arrival in 2006, as it is very unusual especially nowadays for winemakers to stay anywhere for a significant length of time, she couldn’t feel more fortunate that she found a place very early on that ideally suits her; she is challenged, constantly learning yet she is fully respected for the choices she makes and given the freedom to do what is best for the wines.

And by the same token, the timing worked out for Jordan Vineyard & Winery as after having their first winemaker for so long it would seem they wouldn’t be so lucky twice to find someone else who was such an ideal candidate to take Rob’s place and yes, it is more than understandable that many times it doesn’t work out and someone needs to go another way… but when it does work out with a passionate, hardworking and ever curious winemaker, it is a great sign that no matter how wonderful the wines are now, there is so much more to come.

***This article originally appeared in Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/cathrinetodd/2021/12/27/fate-has-midwestern-woman-lead-sonoma-winery-to-next-evolution/?sh=5c02868072a0

2019 Jordan Chardonnay, Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, California
Photo Credit:
Cathrine Todd
2017 Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley, Sonoma Valley, California Photo Credit Cathrine Todd
2017 Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley, Sonoma Valley, California
Photo Credit:
Cathrine Todd

2019 Jordan Chardonnay, Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, California: 100% Chardonnay. A lovely balance of richness and brightness with notes of lemon custard and citrus blossom that has fresh acidity on the finish with a lasting note of wet stones.

2017 Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley, Sonoma Valley, California: 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 8% Petit Verdot and 2% Malbec. Deep, rich blackberry flavors with added complexity of broken rocks and fresh sage with round tannins and long length of flavor with a wonderful balance that included plenty of fruit, freshness and overall elegance.

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