100-Year-Old Wine Producer Makes Rioja Wine From Old Vines

Posted on October 5, 2024 by damewine

The tiny, precious hands of the little girl were shaking as she held on to the trunk of a baby Tempranillo grape vine while her grandmother pushed dirt into the hole where the young vine was being held so they could plant this vine together, as for many generations, it has been passed on from grandmother to granddaughter. The little girl was always in awe of her grandmother’s beautiful hands, which were strong yet gentle, depending on whether she was laboring in the vineyards or stroking her granddaughter’s hair. She hoped that one day she could have such hands, the hands of a superhero, as there was no one else as amazing as her grandma.

In 1882, the wine region of Rioja, Spain, enjoyed a boom in wine sales as French producers were buying the wines of Rioja to help supplement their own demand, as many of their vineyards had been destroyed by the pest, phylloxera. So, the multi-generational grape growers in Rioja planted more vines of their cherished native Tempranillo red grape variety. It was a very exciting time; the grandmother told her precious little grandchild that the incredible vineyards of their people were finally receiving the glory they deserved and that her granddaughter would have a much better life that would be unimaginable, even to her grandmother.

By 1893, phylloxera had made its way down to Rioja a few years earlier and this pest started to feed on the roots of locals’ beloved Tempranillo grape vines, where it would either kill or stunt the growth of some of the vines. It seemed that the hope for the region had plummeted overnight and the grandmother passed away from the intense stress, leaving her 18-year-old granddaughter alone as the sole guardian trying to protect their small plots of vines as her parents wanted to rip out the vines so they could plant grain instead. With tears running down her face, she begged her mother not to pull out the one vine she had planted with her grandmother but in the end, it was torn out of the ground, destroying the most precious memory she had of her childhood with her hero. A local young man who had been courting this 18-year-old lady for years saw his opportunity to comfort her. He asked her to marry him and to move to Madrid for better opportunities. Overwhelmed with grief and the great disappointment of her parents killing something so precious, she went to Madrid with this young man. She married him, feeling at that moment that she would never return home again. 

During this time, a man named Ramón Bilbao from a small town called Etxebarri in northern Spain, around 60 miles north of Haro—the main town of Rioja—moved to Haro to start his own business. He open a grain warehouse as well as planted vines in 1914, which was a gamble considering that something else, like the devastation of phylloxera, could happen again in the vineyards. 

Ramón Bilbao

Sign of Ramón Bilbao
Photo Credit: Ramón Bilbao

Unfortunately, in 1929, five years after the winery, Bodega Ramón Bilbao, opened,  Ramón passed away, leaving his son Enrique to fulfill his dream, which he did with Bodega Ramón Bilbao becoming a very successful wine producer in Rioja, celebrating their 100th anniversary this year. Not only do they own their own vineyards but they have had a long-term partnership with multi-generational grape growers in the area to expand their sourcing of grapes from a wide range of small plots that include Tempranillo grape vines that are 80 to over 90 years old. No other wine showcases that beautiful partnership as does their wine, Mirto. 

Harvesting grape bunches by hand
Photo Credit: Ramón Bilbao

The first vintage of Mirto was in 1999, when the technical and general director, Rodolfo Bastida, joined Bodega Ramón Bilbao. He had been walking through the vineyards with a local grower in the sub-region of Rioja Alta, discussing the 1999 vintage, and the grower said to him, “Año de mirto año de vino,” which translates into English, “year of myrtle, year of wine.” Then he pointed to all the myrtle plants growing on the edge of the plot. It is a local expression that means thriving myrtle plants are an excellent sign for the vines and when the myrtle is great, the wine will be great. So Rodolfo decided to make a 100% Tempranillo wine sourced from multiple old vine plots and call it Mirto and the 1999 Mirto was a lovely wine out of the gates and after many years of cellaring, still impresses.

Rodolfo Bastida
Photo Credit: Ramón Bilbao

Mirto is just one of the projects that Rodolfo is spearheading as Ramón Bilbao founded a winery in 2019 called Lalomba (translating to hill), which is devoted to the exploration of a single vineyard estate called Lalinde which is located on a hill in the most eastern sub-region named Rioja Oriental. A section of the vineyard makes an ultra-premium rosé wine that is a field blend of the local red Garnacha grape and the white Viura grape made from vines that are almost half a century old. It makes a concentrated rosé wine with lots of freshness and minerality that improves with age.

Rodolfo is a native of Rioja and a multi-generational winemaker as his father and grandfather were also winemakers. He feels that he has come full circle with spending most of his time in the vineyards as he knows that thinking back to the 1800s, locals who made wine in Rioja lived in the vineyards and as more professional wineries started to become established, there was a change as his grandfather spent all his time in a lab with his white lab coat as it was crucial for Rioja to develop modern practices in the winery, analyzing samples to make sure they produced commercially viable wine. Then, his father spent half the time in the lab and half in the vineyards; as Rioja had established itself as a fine wine region globally with sound practices in the winery, there was a resurgence of appreciating the vineyards again. And now, Rodolfo spends almost all of his time among Rioja’s most precious jewels, those old vines planted so long ago that have been protected by generation after generation.

Nothing More Important 

It took many years before that young woman, who left Rioja in the late 1800s, spoke to her parents again and by the time she was in her mid-40s in 1938, she had her own daughter and granddaughter. The Spanish Civil War had been raging for a few years, with Madrid massively bombed by rebel planes; her husband was dead, her daughter’s husband was dead and it was only the three of them now. She knew a friend who lived in Madrid who was going back home to Rioja and she asked her to bring a letter to her mother telling her that she was bringing her daughter and granddaughter to visit them.

Then, there she was, in front of her parent’s house on their family’s piece of land in Rioja, where, to her surprise, they had started to replant vines. Her mother opened the door with a stoic look, staring at her daughter, granddaughter, and great-granddaughter with an expressionless face and then walked past them with a bucket in her hand, making her way to her vineyard. The woman followed her mother, motioning for her daughter and granddaughter to follow her, racking her brain about what to say to her mother as she knew she had abandoned her parents for decades and didn’t know how to apologize. Then, her mother placed the bucket on the ground near a hole she had already dug. She beckoned for her granddaughter and little great-granddaughter to kneel next to her as they would plant a grapevine together. As they all started to push the earth around the trunk of the vine, the woman looked up at her daughter, who stood there in shock, and smiled at her as tears rolled down her eyes. She knew at that moment that there was no forgiveness needed as nothing was more important than family.

And that is what Rodolfo Bastida sees every day when he walks through the vines to make his wines for Bodega Ramón Bilbao – all the stories of the generations that came before him and how his mission is to honor those stories. 

***Link to original Forbes article: https://www.forbes.com/sites/cathrinetodd/2024/03/21/100-year-old-wine-producer-makes-rioja-wine-from-old-vines

Lineup of Ramón Bilbao Mirto wines
Photo Credit: Cathrine Todd
Lalomba by Ramón Bilbao
Photo Credit: Cathrine Todd

Lalomba by Ramón Bilbao

2017 Lalomba, Finca Lalinde, Monte Yerga, Rioja Oriental, Rioja, Spain: A blend of 90% Garnacha and 10% Viura from the single vineyard estate named Lalinde. A stunning rosé with a pale pink color with highlights of copper with grapefruit and lemon zest aromas with creamy lemon meringue and candied violet flavors on the palate with bright acidity and intense minerality.

2022 Lalomba, Finca Lalinde, Monte Yerga, Rioja Oriental, Rioja, Spain: A blend of 90% Garnacha and 10% Viura from the single vineyard estate named Lalinde located on a hillside on the Yerga mountain range. An intriguing rosé with smoky minerality and a bouquet of wildflowers on the nose with delicious mixed berries and juicy white peaches that has a refreshing finish with notes of wet river stones.  

Mirto by Ramón Bilbao 

1999 Ramón Bilbao ‘Mirto’ Villalba, Rioja Alta, Rioja, Spain: 100% Tempranillo. From plots in the village of Villalba near the town of Haro with old vines around 70 years old. A multifaceted nose with smoldering cigar, fresh tobacco leaf, touch of bacon fat and broken earth with rich blackberry flavors intermixed with exotic spice and very fine tannins that caress the palate.

2006 Ramón Bilbao ‘Mirto’ Villalba, Rioja Alta, Rioja, Spain: 100% Tempranillo. From plots in the village of Villalba near the town of Haro with old vines around 80 years old. Beautiful fruit aromas on the nose with hints of licorice and fresh herbs that has fleshy black cherry fruit flavors with a broad body. 

2010 Ramón Bilbao ‘Mirto’ Ábalos, Rioja Alta, Rioja, Spain: 100% Tempranillo. It comes from plots in the village of Ábalos near the town of Haro with old vines around 80 years old. Wafting notes of espresso and cocoa nibs entice with its delicious aromas, plush texture, generous fruit flavors, and complex cigar boxes and tar notes.

2016 Ramón Bilbao ‘Mirto’ Cuzcurrita, Rioja Alta, Rioja, Spain: 100% Tempranillo. From plots in the village of Cuzcurrita near the town of Haro with old vines over 90 years old. An enchanting bouquet of violets on the nose with delectable blueberry tart flavors on the palate with very silky tannins that are finely sculpted and has a long, flavorful finish.

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Meet The Italian Wine Outsiders Who Raised The Quality Of Chianti Wine

Posted on October 5, 2024 by damewine

As the teenage boy reclined on the white limestone rocks under the bright sun, the gentle sounds of the pristine turquoise sea gently lapping at the grotto near him, one would think that his passionate gaze was transfixed on the young Mediterranean women who seemed like goddesses in the golden rays of sunlight. Surprisingly though, something very different gripped the mind of this young man. As he stared out to the Adriatic Sea, he craved something more than the stunning raw beauty around him. Despite his home being a paradise, it was a poor area with minimal opportunity for work prospects and it seemed things would only get worse in time. He was an adolescent who had his back to the wall; food was scarce and the future seemed bleak for the wine-grape growing family in Puglia, the southern Italian region that experienced bleak times in the 1950s and 1960s.

Despite things being hopeless, this young man, Antonio Mario Zaccheo, came from a family that never gave up as they continued to experiment in the vineyards even though it seemed pointless as Puglia didn’t exist for the rest of the world. So, their grapes were worth very little.

Antonio, at 19 years old, received a professional wine certification after a couple of years of schooling as that was common over 60 years ago, and he then met Giovanni Carlo Sacchet, a young Italian man from North Italy whose family made gelato. Together, they formed a partnership that focused on achieving the dream of producing high-quality wine in Tuscany. They were outsiders who challenged the Tuscan wine aristocracy to make the great Chianti Classico wines wine drinkers know today, which was unheard of at the time as many were satisfied to keep it a humble, quaffable wine. 

Carpineto

Carpineto vineyard
Photo Credit: Carpineto

These young entrepreneurs purchased an estate from a church auction in the cooler climate section of Chianti Classico, in the tiny town of Dudda, in the area of Greve. They called their winery Carpineto, taking its name from the Greek word “carpos,” meaning fruit, which has always been their primary focus, growing the highest quality fruit from the beginning. This focus is evident in their native Sangiovese grapes which express themselves beautifully and elegantly. The journey to change Chianti for the better started for Antonio and Giovanni when they founded Carpiento in 1967.

Like much of Europe, Italy is a country where people associate themselves with their region, sometimes just their town, more than their whole country. So Tuscany is a country within itself and Antonio, coming from the South, and Giovanni, from the North, were treated like foreigners who were missing the privileges that a long-standing family would be given, especially considering that the majority of the vineyard owners back in the 1960s were the multi-generational noble families who, many times, placed a famous ancestor on their wine labels. 

Antonio and Giovanni didn’t have noble roots; on the contrary, they were both from humble backgrounds. Yet they had innovative minds and neither shied away from hard work. But when they bought the estate, they found a print of the painter Rubens in the corner of the building and since Rubens himself was a very distinguished-looking gentleman of stature, they placed him on their wine labels.

Sticklers for Quality

From the very beginning, Antonio and Giovanni were always about showcasing the native varieties of Chianti, mainly Sangiovese with a small amount of the other grape Canaiolo, which still holds true today and went to great lengths in the vineyards, such as lower yields and overall maintenance that required much more man hours, that was costly and simply exhausting, while still having to keep prices extremely low for decades as Chianti was seen only as an easy-going wine, not worth a higher price. This horrified their neighbors as they had a formula that worked: make lots of cheap wine that sold in large volumes; that way, one could make a decent profit.

Sangiovese grape bunch in a Carpineto vineyard Photo Credit: Carpineto

But these young men were going to prove that people would eventually pay more for great Chianti Classico wine and they did not have the baggage of a multi-generational Tuscan family holding them back. So their intense, youthful passion was unfettered, allowing them to push the limits of quality, even if it meant they went bankrupt. They had nothing to lose and everything to gain so they were not afraid to flip the industry on its head.

As all Italian wine lovers know today, Chianti Classico is an incredible success and Tuscany as a wine region is one of the most sought-after and prestigious in the world. That young man from Puglia eventually had a son, aptly named Antonio Michael Zaccheo, who ended up getting an MBA from U.C. Davis, worked for a multinational U.S. company and learned to speak five languages, all before he came back to help run Carpineto with Giovanni’s daughter, Caterina Sacchet, the head winemaker, and other family members on both sides who work for the company.

Today, Puglia is a popular tourist destination that brings people from all over the world to bask in its natural splendor; its current popularity is a heartwarming thought to Antonio Michael Zaccheo, knowing how hopeless things were for his father and grandparents in Puglia, back in the ’50 and ’60s. Even though he would not wish their tough lives on anyone, he knows that tough beginning in life was the key for his father to build a remarkable Tuscan wine empire, which today also includes estates in Montepulciano, Montalcino and Maremma, as well as being a key to his own successful experience in the U.S. that is now an asset to his family’s company.

And so, even though it is undoubtedly beneficial to be born into a family with wealth and prestige, the lack of such things didn’t stop Antonio and Giovanni; if anything, they used it to their benefit. And that fearless drive for quality was passed down to their children as they are the inheritors of that path that was carved out decades ago by their fathers, who changed the course of Chianti wines, rebuilding its foundation on quality that reverberated across the Tuscan region.

Link to original Forbes article: https://www.forbes.com/sites/cathrinetodd/2024/03/09/italian-wine-outsiders-who-raised-the-quality-of-chianti-wine

2019 Carpineto, Chianti Classico Riserva
Photo Credit: Cathrine Todd

2019 Carpineto, Chianti Classico Riserva, Tuscany, Italy: 80% Sangiovese and 20% Canaiolo. Pristine red cherry fruit notes are simply breathtaking in this wine with hints of spice and floral notes, complex layers of limestone and smoldering earth that has silky tannins with a long, expressive finish.

2019 Carpineto, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Riserva, Tuscany, Italy: 80% Sangiovese and 20% Canaiolo. Rich, brooding fruit with blueberry and blackberry that has espresso and cocoa nib notes in the background with a full body and refreshing acidity.

2019 Carpineto, Brunello di Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy: 100% Sangiovese. Enchanting nose with rose oil and wild lilacs that has hints of minerality with crushed rocks and river stones with marked acidity that lifts the juicy fruit and finely etched tannins.

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Top-Rated Italian Wine Vintages Represent One Of Italy’s Most Important Wines

Posted on August 17, 2024 by damewine

As he arrived in Montalcino, a hillside town in Tuscany, the young Italian man noted to himself that it was no wonder that Tuscany was the name that captured the hearts of those who wanted to live a life filled with beauty and enjoyment. Being Italian was one thing; even further, being Tuscan was something else. Still, the rolling valleys covered with vines, forests and olive groves, accented by the iconic centuries-old cypress trees created an enchanting world that made Montalcino like no other place on earth. Surrendering to the glory of great wine, delicious local food and the peaceful energy that is at once electrifying and meditative brings one to an ancient way of life that has survived extinction.

Leonardo Berti had already worked as an assistant winemaker at the legendary Tignanello estate while also participating in essential studies at the University of Florence regarding research into vineyards and their relationships to making great wine. Tignanello is a “Super Tuscan” wine where the famous Italian native red grape Sangiovese is blended with Bordeaux grape varieties. But Montalcino, especially the winegrowing areas for the Brunello di Montalcino wines, is about only 100% Sangiovese and is the purest expression of Italy’s most arguably important grape.

Leonardo Berti
Photo Credit: Poggio di Sotto

Eventually, Leonardo moved to Montalcino in 2016, and although he was well acquainted with beauty and living his best life as an Italian, he truly was taken by this Garden of Eden called Montalcino, which was rich with the abundance of some of the most delightful delectables in life, such as truffles, wild boar, excellent olive oil and wines that expressed the exquisite aromatics and flavors of the noble Sangiovese grape, all wrapped up in lush green woodlands. He found his wine home as the winemaker at the Poggio di Sotto estate, a place with remarkably steep vineyards and various clones (a.k.a. biotypes) of the noble grape, different Sangiovese vines that have slightly different characteristics, and the courage to be very hands-off in the winery, respecting the purity of expression that comes from this enchanting land.

Recently, he was happy to showcase several different vintages of Poggio di Sotto, Brunello di Montalcino, with five of them receiving the top rating of five stars from the wine trade organization, Consorzio del Vino Brunello di Montalcino, who set the ratings for the Brunello wine vintages.

Uniquely Beautiful Estate

Sangiovese grape bunch
Photo Credit: Poggio di Sotto

“It is the easiest job in the world to be the winemaker at Poggio di Sotto,” said Leonardo, discussing their uniquely beautiful estate and the incredible Sangiovese grown in their vineyards. The sole mission of Poggio di Sotto is to express the multifaceted “noble soul” of Sangiovese that is enhanced by the mixture of soils, different elevations, as well as the various clones of the grape variety that are all special facets of the estate.

But Leonardo also brought attention to the fact that from the very beginning of the establishment of Poggio di Sotto as a winemaking estate in 1989, the owner, who knew nothing about making wine, brought on Giulio Gambelli, known as one of the great masters of Sangiovese. Gambelli believed nothing was better than the “purity of Sangiovese” that wasn’t covered up with too much oak or over-extraction. So even though there was a trend to make big, structured wines with lots of oak to help compete with other ultra-premium wines in steakhouses in the 1990s, Poggio di Sotto always stayed true to the elegance of Sangiovese.

A piece of galestro in the Poggio di Sotto vineyards Photo Credit: Poggio di Sotto

The energy in Montalcino is a mystical force that cannot be explained entirely but must be experienced. Part of that enchanting mystery in the wines is due to keeping to the ancient practices and continuing to follow the advice of the masters who truly understood how to allow space for the “noble soul” of Sangiovese to blossom. So, it is about keeping a hands-off approach in the cellar and honoring the old ways in the vineyards by randomly replanting the different clones of the Sangiovese grape. The estate has always used massal selection, taking cuttings from old vines to propagate new ones. Poggio di Sotto has a unique collection of 182 clones in a research vineyard on the property. Yet, keeping faithful to trusting the place and past generations more than some systematic approach, as they will aimlessly pick cuttings to use from this collection, although the Sangiovese masters might say that there is a greater power at work that does have an aim, as those in Montalcino pray at the alter of their vineyards.

Top Rated Vintages

Sangiovese grape vine
Photo Credit: Poggio di Sotto

The tasting that Leonardo led had eight vintages; as noted above, five were given the top rating. The 2010 vintage was seen as the vintage of the century at the time, that is, until 2016 and 2019, which were also represented in the tasting. For longtime Brunello lovers, it is undoubtedly a great time to be alive and a fantastic opportunity for those who always wanted to try this titan of the Italian wine world. Above all, the vintages share the qualities of multifaceted aromas and flavors, impeccable balance, distinctive expression of terroir (a.k.a. sense of place) and overall elegance.

2015, also a top-rated vintage, shares these qualities but had the great misfortune of being followed by the exceptional 2016 vintage with deeper concentration and more structure, so it is more sought after by collectors who want a wine that can be cellared for several decades. Finally, the fifth outlier of the top-rated group is 2012, a heterogeneous vintage with varying quality levels among producers depending on the exposition of their vineyards and the timing of their harvests. Some wines are off-balanced with too much ripeness, too little acidity, and, in some cases, green, rough tannins. Others, such as Poggio di Sotto, have juicy fruit, fresh acidity, and silky tannins, so it was a five-star vintage for some, but others may not live up to that prestigious rating.

Emotional Sensation

Since it seems that Poggio di Sotto was very smart in the choices they made in the toughest of vintages as well as the easy ones, it was interesting to note that even though Leonardo has an impressive background in researching viticulture and winemaking, he says that it is the “emotional sensation” that drives his decisions at Poggio di Sotto. Yes, they do conduct analyses of the grapes in various sections of their vineyards for many days before they decide when and how to pick the grapes, yet the emotional response they have when they taste the grapes from the vines, as they will taste grapes as well as place them through analyses, will have precedence over the scientific readout of the composition of the grapes. And they will go to great lengths to make great wine out of a challenging growing season, allowing the “emotional sensation” to lead them in the right direction, such as the 2011 vintage, where they picked berry by berry as some of the berries in a bunch were excellent while others were too overripe and desiccated.

In many ways, globalization has brought opportunities to those even in the far-flung, isolated areas of the globe. Yet, in other ways, it has made others abandon the ancient ways of their cultures to keep up with an international standard. It is not so black and white, where one is wrong and the other right, but it is more about finding equilibrium in a world where it is easy to go to one extreme or the other. It seems absurd to think that at one time, the locals were giving land away in Tuscany during desperate times, even in Montalcino, and now it is one of the world’s top travel and wine destinations. Among the Brunello producers, some keep up with international trends, while others keep to the old ways, even when it seems it could be a detriment to their business.

And so when Leonardo, a man who has already studied and worked with some of the top people in the wine industry, walks through the collection of 182 different grapes clones on the Poggio di Sotto property, knowing that some of the clones could have been continuously propagated from a vine that can be traced back hundreds of years, and stands there among these great treasures passed on by several generations, he hears the voice of the late Sangiovese master Giulio Gambelli to keep the purity of Sangiovese, Montalcino’s most precious jewel, at all cost. Leonardo doesn’t need to seek excellence by using techniques and equipment from the outside world, as excellence is already right in front of him, preserved by great sacrifices from those who stayed during the darkest of times, and all he needs to do is not ruin it.

Poggio di Sotto Vertical
Photo Credit: Cathrine Todd

Vertical of Poggio di Sotto, Brunello di Montalcino:

2010 Poggio di Sotto, Brunello di Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy: 100% Sangiovese. Stunning pristine fruit flavors of red cherries highlighted with notes of rosebud that is underpinned by a stony minerality with an exquisitely fine texture and a good amount of fleshy fruit on the palate with added complex layers of espresso and cocoa nib with a magnificent finish with lots of energy and an incredible mouthfeel.

2011 Poggio di Sotto, Brunello di Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy: 100% Sangiovese. Overall juicy wine with cassis flavors intermixed with fresh red strawberries with a touch of plush fruit on the palate with incredibly silky tannins.

2012 Poggio di Sotto, Brunello di Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy: 100% Sangiovese. Spice box right off the bat with hints of toasted sesame seeds that has a broad body with lots of rich fruit that is lifted by floral notes and has an overall delicacy in structure that is simply charming.

2013 Poggio di Sotto, Brunello di Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy: 100% Sangiovese. 2013 didn’t receive a five-star rating, perhaps because with the higher acidity and lower ripeness it doesn’t impress with a bang but instead wins one’s heart with its subtle complexity and vibrancy that is represented by dried herbs, crushed rocks and fresh leather that has zingy cranberry fruit with blackcurrant leaves with an electric, linear drive on the finish.

2015 Poggio di Sotto, Brunello di Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy: 100% Sangiovese. The structure of this wine is breathtaking, like delicate lace that caresses the palate with nuanced finesse and has an extraordinary purity of fruit that is expressive on the very long finish. This wine is showing exceptionally well right now.

2016 Poggio di Sotto, Brunello di Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy: 100% Sangiovese. 2016 will take a lot longer to fully mature than 2015. Still, it is already a legendary vintage with intense concentration and layers beyond layers of complex aromatics such as black truffles, smoldering earth and hints of bacon bits with decadently delicious flavors of cherry tart and raspberry preserves that has big tannins that are seamlessly intertwined with the wine and an overall freshness that gives an ideal balance to such intense concentration.

2018 Poggio di Sotto, Brunello di Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy: 100% Sangiovese. Leonardo is very proud of this wine as it was an extremely challenging growing season and he said it is really easy to make a great wine in a year like 2016 but the toughest vintages separate those willing to go the extra mile from the rest. This vintage is an incredible achievement for Poggio di Sotto because the best estates can be trusted to make top wine even in the worst vintages and they have risen to the occasion. Savory spices, forest floor and bright red cherries with finely sculpted tannins and broken earth with dried flowers that has crunchy cranberry fruit on the palate.

2019 Poggio di Sotto, Brunello di Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy: 100% Sangiovese. Leonardo noted that 2019 is extremely young at this time and is not showing its complete potential. Still, for those that are well experienced with various Brunello vintages, its potential greatness is unmistakable as it has a seductively plush palate with multilayer red and black fruit with subtle notes of blossoming jasmine and rose oil that is already extremely satisfying even though it is evident that there is still so much more to come with cellaring. The lively acidity brings a brilliance that makes this wine almost perfect.

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Rising California Wine Star Expressing Dramatic Cabernet Sauvignon Vineyards Owned By Telecom Pioneer

Posted on July 31, 2024 by damewine
Steep terraced vineyards at Skipstone near pond Photo Credit: Courtesy of Skipstone

It was as if a dream had materialized with the steepest slope he had ever seen with gorgeously maintained Cabernet Sauvignon vines nestled into carved terraces, no less. Not much impressed this self-made telecom pioneer as he had traveled all over the world and seen every kind of natural beauty one could imagine. At a time, he wasn’t even thinking of making wine; the pure power of this estate’s resplendence was like a siren song he could not deny, and within an hour, he bought the property.

Fahri Diner is a man who has always been bold in taking on a challenge or dreaming big, even without the connections and wealth to make it happen. He was raised in Cyprus, the island country located east of Greece, and grew up in a farming family who loved making olive oil. An academic scholarship brought him to the U.S. to study electrical engineering at Florida Tech, and he went on to become a founder of the fiber-optic company, Qtera, which would eventually sell for $3.25 billion. Even though Fahri has taken on other business ventures since Qtera, he sought out another passion that had deep roots in his family and he wanted to reconnect to small-scale farming, creating high-quality produce such as the olive oil his family made. But would he stay in Florida? Go back to Cyprus? Or find a ranch in the gorgeous state of California?

Alexander Valley

View of terraced vineyards from the Residence Photo Credit: Courtesy of Skipstone

Fahri did what he always did when having to make a big decision. He went to a lake and skipped a stone; if it skipped three times, he would go to California and look for a ranch to reconnect to his farming roots. It was three times, hence, his two-year journey seeking out a unique property throughout California, from as south as Santa Barbara to as north as Alexander Valley in Sonoma County, began. Most people told him Napa was the place to be but Fahri has always trusted his instincts and didn’t see any properties that felt right. One day, in 2001, someone told him about a property in the Alexander Valley area in Sonoma County. When he had that moment of coming over the crest of the road, taking in those terraced vineyards on an extremely steep slope, he knew that this was the place, especially since there were olive trees so that he could make olive oil.  

At first, he sold the grapes from the vineyards to local wineries eager to get them. Still, it bothered him that these rare vineyards were not getting the acknowledgment they deserved. So, he hired a team of experts, such as winemaker Philippe Melka, a true living legend in the wine industry, to express the place’s unique terroir and aptly take on the name Skipstone as a wine producer. The journey of him reconnecting to his roots while combining it with his love for the U.S., his second home that has given him so much opportunity to succeed, has finally kicked off, full force, with the recent completion of the new Skipstone winery with the initial building of it colliding with taking on a fulltime head winemaker to lead the charge, rising winemaking star Laura Jones.

Landscape view with terraced vineyards
Photo Credit: Jak Wonderly

Alexander Valley may not be a household name for Cabernet Sauvignon wines. Still, it is considered by many in the California wine industry to be one of the most important wine regions for Cabernet Sauvignon, only second to Napa Valley. Many well-known wine producers source Cabernet Sauvignon grapes from Alexander Valley, giving little attention to the place, and there are some ultra-premium Cabernet producers with Alexander Valley on their labels. Still, the wine producer often sticks with customers, while Alexander Valley often goes unnoticed. But that was part of what drew Fahri to this place; it was an underdog such as himself, and it deserved someone who would show its full potential.

Laura Jones

Laura Jones
Photo Credit: Jak Wonderly

His new head winemaking star, Laura Jones, is also an underdog who built a pedigree based on intelligence, talent and hard work, as she is originally from Wyoming but was able to get herself on the track of going into medical research in California, but when she was looking into grad schools, an encounter with someone in the wine world placed her on another path. So, she graduated from the prestigious graduate program in Viticulture and Enology from U.C. Davis and then went on to not only work in stellar wineries in California, such as Aubert Wines and Cliff Lede, but also spent some time in New Zealand and in Burgundy, France, at Domaine Armand Rousseau to give her an international perspective as well. 

Even though there are only 27 acres of vineyards out of the 200-acre estate, the first thing Laura wanted to do was to employ precision viticulture practices by assessing the nuanced differences of each plot. So she installed three weather stations, one on the steeper hillside, one near the flatter part of the vineyards and one halfway up the hillside. During the summertime, there can be a seven to eight-degree difference between some parcels. 

Laughing Laura Jones
Photo Credit: Jak Wonderly

One of the things that Laura loves about Skipstone, other than the uniquely outstanding vineyards, is that they have a full-time vineyard crew, which is atypical as many times, the majority of a vineyard crew are temporarily hired for the busiest times of the year. But since Skipstone has a 180-degree amphitheater with an intense 60% degree slope, there is always lots of work to be done year round as it requires a lot of manpower to maintain vines planted in these extreme locations. Skipstone’s vineyard manager, Juan Alcantara, has been there for 16 years and half the crew has been there for 15 years, another aspect of Skipstone that goes against the norm since there is typically lots of turnover in the wine business. This is an aspect that Laura is excited about, as it will allow her to refine vineyard management with the same team over the years. The team has been working organically as they have been CCOF certified since 2008. Still, she is excited to place more energy into more precise expressions of each parcel, as she digs into the rockier soils that give more concentration, the gravel which is ideal for Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc and the clay dominant plots where Merlot and Malbec thrive.

Going Beyond Pedigree 

Philippe Melka will remain a consulting winemaker but Fahri knew that to bring the wines to the next level, he needed someone whose whole focus was the Skipstone wines, hence, his search to hire a head full-time winemaker. He was undoubtedly impressed by Laura’s pedigree in terms of her education and her work experience. Still, the idea that she had no advantages in the business made it even more impressive. He is someone who knows that it takes more than pedigree to catch lightning in a bottle, as the person who can think beyond the norms and commit her life to a business is more valuable than her start in life. Not only does Laura have that special spark that he has always looked for when starting a new venture but the idea that Laura is married to the general manager of Skipstone, Brian Ball, ensures that she can devote her life to this winery.

But it wasn’t easy, as with any married couple, each person wants to have their own achievements and that has been their journey since they met each other at U.C. Davis all those years ago. Laura has worked for well-established top producers and she could certainly have gone down a different path but one is never sure that a winery team will stay together; one can almost guarantee nowadays that people will come and go, and in a way, causing a step back in progress as the group synergy will take time to come together to make extraordinary things happen. Yet as she kept coming up to visit Brian at Skipstone, talking to Fahri about his commitment to excellence, seeing the most remarkable vineyards she had ever seen and tasting wines that had aromatics and textures that blew her away, and knowing that the vineyard team was there to stay, she understood that everything she had learned around the world all led up to the great things she could accomplish as a wine family at Skipstone.

***Link to original Forbes article: https://www.forbes.com/sites/cathrinetodd/2024/02/10/rising-california-wine-star-expressing-dramatic-cabernet-sauvignon-vineyards-owned-by-telecom-pioneer/

Bird’s Eye View of the Residence
Photo Credit: Jak Wonderly

The estate of Skipstone can now be experienced with stays offered at the Residence at Skipstone, where one can live like a vintner but in the most luxurious way. The residence at Skipstone was the home of Fahri, his wife Constance and their small children. No expense was spared, so the house looks like a European castle with the stone exterior made up of stones pulled out of the property, and every sink in the house is a single boulder from the estate that has been cut and polished. Those are just a few stunning facets of this incredible 8,344 square foot home with five en suite bedrooms and a gourmet kitchen. But Fahri and his wife moved back to her home in Switzerland as they wanted their kids to grow up surrounded by family, and so, now their home is available to book for up to ten people. They have an estate director who will attend to every need, whether securing reservations at top restaurants, organizing winery visits, access to the Mayacama Country Club’s golf course, or arranging a wine tasting at the residence. Wine tastings that include not only Skipstone wines but also anything from Fahri’s personal cellar are available for purchase, which includes old Bordeaux, Napa and Sonoma benchmark producers from the early 1990s to 2000s and a wide selection of Champagne, just to name a few perks.

Also, Skipstone is building a second floor of their winery which will act as a stunning hospitality center to welcome guests. Sustainability is at the foundation of all these projects and they expect that when they are finished with everything, including being powered by 100% renewable energy, they will be only the fourth Platinum-certified winery by the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED).

Lineup of Skipstone wines
Photo Credit: Cathrine Todd

The 2021 vintage was a small harvest for Skipstone, with their entire 2021 production consisting of only 2,000 cases.

2021 Skipstone, Preface Proprietary Red Blend, Alexander Valley, Sonoma County, California: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, a blend of various Cabernet Sauvignon parcels on the estate. Preface is a selection from Cabernet Sauvignon vines that make a wine that drinks well at an earlier stage and it is at an approachable price point, so it is a great introduction to the Skipstone portfolio. This wine also allows for a stricter selection for their flagship, Oliver’s Blend. Lovely balance with red cherries and black raspberries with hints of broken earth and a beautiful texture finishing with a pretty floral quality.  

2021 Skipstone, Malbec, Alexander Valley, Sonoma County, California: 100% Malbec. Since they have a fair amount of Malbec that does really well in the clay-dominant parcels, they wanted to make a varietal bottling of Malbec to showcase that particular section. Laura loves the “inherent deliciousness” of their Malbec as they go out of their way to thin the crop, sometimes 50%, to get the highest quality. Yet, she balances out the fruit’s generosity by placing a portion of the wine in amphora, which brings out a savory quality. Decadent dark fruit with juicy blueberry and plum tart on the palate with a hint of allspice and dry herbs with a silky texture and long, flavorful finish.

2021 Skipstone, Ripple Effect, Alexander Valley, Sonoma County, California: 92% Cabernet Sauvignon with 8% Merlot, mainly from the Skipstone estate vineyards, with a tiny portion coming from another plot on the hillside outside of their estate. This wine is called Ripple Effect because they sourced a small amount from a hillside outside of their estate, it is the ripple effect of Skipstone emanating out of their vineyards. This wine illustrates the parcels on the estate that have more mountain fruit quality, which has slightly firmer tannins and high-toned fruit; hence, why they sourced outside fruit that would help highlight those qualities. Cocoa nibs and sandalwood incense on the nose with black cherry skins and broader tannins give more structure and shape with a vibrant and well-focused finish.

2021 Skipstone, Faultline Vineyard, Alexander Valley, Sonoma County, California: Blend of Cabernet Franc and Merlot. This is their Right Bank inspired blend as it is Cabernet Franc and Merlot – the percentages change every year, and these parcels are located on a fault line. The Mayacamas fault line which runs through their property, is one of the most active faults in the area, which is good for them as it relieves pressure and lessens potential future disasters. The U.S. Geologic Survey has three permanent installations on the Skipstone property, so they are an official earthquake measuring station. Aromas transport one into a walk in the forest with notes of tree bark and morels with elegant red and black fruit on the palate with a fine-laced structure with a long, expressive finish, leaving wildflowers in one’s head.

2021 Skipstone Oliver’s Blend Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley, Sonoma County, California: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, a blend of a couple of parcels on the estate. This wine is mainly made up of the oldest vines on the terraced hillside, with a small portion of a couple blocks on the non-terraced slope. The lush texture of this wine is absolutely stunning, and the combination of the outstanding mouthfeel and complex aromatics of crushed rocks, fresh tobacco, and pristine fruit makes this wine a jaw-dropping beauty. Only 550 cases were made.

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Malbec Wine Pioneer Releases Argentinan Cabernet Franc Fine Wine

Posted on June 2, 2024 by damewine

As the sun was rising in the distance, the peaks of the mountains looked like gigantic, mythical waves frozen in time. The multifaceted colors of these behemoths had a primary palette of terra cotta in the sunlight with patches of navy blue and touches of dark purple with an enchanting dusting of white snow. As the California winemaker gazed upon the scene, half asleep, he felt that he must have been dreaming, laying in his bed in Sonoma County in a deep sleep, having the best dream of his life. But no, he quickly remembered that he had left it all behind, a chance of a lifetime no less, to pursue uncharted territory in South America, as the wines during that time were still struggling to build an export market. He was in his mid-30s and he knew if there was a time to take a risky leap, leaving the comfort of a great job in a stable economy for the unknown, it was either at that moment or never.

But he could have never imagined that instead of his original plan to travel to Chile, the only known South American wine country in the U.S. during the 1980s, that he’d go to Argentina instead, where most of the wines were drunk domestically during that time. Whenever he would talk to people in the wine world back home in the U.S. about Argentina, they would say, “That’s in Chile, right?” not knowing that it was its own country.

Paul Hobbs in the vineyards
Photo Credit: Viña Cobos

Yet this young man, Paul Hobbs, went to Argentina in 1988 and found his place working for a multi-generational wine-producing family, and eventually, he would become a key figure in producing the fantastic Argentinian Malbec wines that would become popular globally. Today, he has taken the next step in making a single vineyard Malbec that expresses a unique sense of place and he is also finding that Cabernet Franc is thriving in particular vineyards as well.

Argentina Malbec 

One of his contacts from U.C. Davis in California, Paul Hobbs’ alma mater, connected him with a gentleman from Argentina named Jorge, and so, when it came time for Paul to make that fateful trip to Chile, he thought it would be a good idea to invite Jorge as Paul didn’t speak Spanish at the time. Unfortunately, he didn’t know he was committing a major faux pas with the man hosting him in Chile, as he was ignorant of the complicated relationship that Chile and Argentina had with each other in 1988. So, his Chilean host told Paul to get rid of Jorge, which he tried to do, but little did Paul know at the time that Jorge had no intentions of leaving his side because he wanted to convince him to work in Argentina. The Chilean host kicked them both out, leaving Jorge the opportunity to drive Paul through the Andes Mountains into Argentina.

At that time within the wine world, Argentina had a lousy reputation for inferior wine which was due to political instability, making it impossible for them to participate in international trade over many decades. Their winery equipment was outdated, leaving much of their wine to oxidize. Since the wine was made mainly for local consumption, they didn’t bother bottling it and it was sold very cheaply in bulk. But the second Paul saw his first vineyard in Argentina, he was astonished by what he saw as there were rocky soils that would give enough drainage to create healthy roots and enough stress for quality vines. Also, he was utterly shocked that much of the vineyards were high-density plantings, which creates competition for minerals, creating a bit of stress that places enough energy into the development of the fruit and not too much into the canopy of the leaves. Argentina may have been backward regarding the wineries and cellars but they had a multitude of great vineyards that were ideally planted for quality wine.

Marchiori Vineyard
Photo Credit: Viña Cobos

His companion, Jorge, not only came from an Argentinian multi-generational wine-producing family but he came from the Catena family. They had been wine pioneers for around a century, and today, they are considered the royal wine family of Argentina. The day after Paul arrived in Argentina and surveyed the vineyards, Jorge flew him to Buenos Aires to meet his older brother Nicolás Catena, who today is a living legend in the wine world, and there they began their partnership. 

Malbec grape bunches
Photo Credit: Viña Cobos

Paul started to develop a program at Catena that significantly improved winemaking but also the overall management of the vineyards. “I was essentially that year in a learning situation,” admitted Paul, as he knew very little about Malbec and the vineyards of Argentina, and since there had been no significant viticulture research, he was starting from scratch. So, he used what he knew from his training and his time in California. They began to improve vineyard management by using less irrigation, opening the canopy for better aeration and sunlight exposure – as the fruit was placed in a sort of cocoon because of the hail storms in many areas of Argentina, and finally, pushing to get better pay for the growers as they needed to be paid for expending more effort to make quality grapes. 

Even though Paul already saw a tremendous amount of potential in the vineyards he visited in Argentina, he was further excited to notice that they had higher elevation land on the foothills of the Andes to plant vineyards that would get cooler weather yet with all the benefits of a dry, warmer region that includes low disease pressure and plenty of sunshine. But it was no easy task, as Argentine agronomical engineers, what they were called back then, thought the idea of planting in the foothills of the Andes was crazy. Yet he persisted, eventually getting Catena to plant the “first high altitude, high-density planting ever in Argentina” which they called Domingo after Nicolás Catena’s father. Paul notes that starting in the mid-1990s, many people, even the Europeans, started looking into planting vines in the wine region of Uco Valley in Mendoza, where the Domingo vineyard was located. “We had a massive expansion that created the Valle de Uco [Uco Valley] as we know it today,” said Paul.

But one of the reasons that Paul wanted to come to South America, especially as the son of a farmer, was that he wanted to have his own vineyards and make his own wine. So he left Catena to start his venture, Viña Cobos.  

Viña Cobos

Viña Cobos Winery
Photo Credit: Viña Cobos

Paul founded Viña Cobos in 1998 with Andrea Marchiori and Luis Barraud and his partnership with this married couple was extremely fortunate as the company might have folded without them. Paul wanted to learn more about how old vine Malbec would express different terroirs, sense of place, because affinity for terroir expression is one of the markers of a high-quality grape variety. This project would source old vines in Mendoza, Argentina, from a few key areas to show the differences between these terroirs.

Unfortunately, since Paul and his partners were a small company with very limited resources, only $70,000 to start a capital-intensive business, their grapes were often sold out from under them to bigger wine companies with a lot more money. They would have an agreement with growers to buy their grapes as long as they employed practices for growing quality fruit, which was unnerving for the growers as they were sacrificing quantity for quality; since Viña Cobos had very little capital, the growers were already nervous. So even though agreements were in place, once Paul and his partners showed up at the vineyards to collect their grapes, they found out that their grapes were sold to one of the big companies, as the growers didn’t even bother to let them know that they had already sold the grapes. But Paul completely understands the growers’ desperate situation, yet it placed his tiny company, barely hanging on, in a tenuous position until his partner Andrea Marchiori’s father said they could use his vineyard, Marchiori estate. The vineyard is located in the well-known wine sub-region of Luján de Cuyo, and they would be allowed to implement extreme practices to achieve the most excellent fruit quality possible.

And so, the initial plan for Viña Cobos had to change; hence, instead of making a single vineyard comparison between a few different plots of old vine Malbec, they made premium entry-level to mid-level priced wines that were incredible expressions of Mendoza as a wine region. And those wines have sustained Viña Cobos till this day and contributed to the love for Argentina Malbec. 

Working in Viña Cobos vineyard
Photo Credit: Viña Cobos

But finally, Paul has been able to return to his original dream of making the case for Malbec as a noble grape. First, he has released a bottling called ‘Vinculum’ that showcases the best grower fruit from that vintage. Another way that Paul has helped increase the quality of Malbec wine was to set up a new way of paying growers, which is unheard of. He sets the price upfront with them via a contract instead of waiting for the wine critics’ appraisal of the vintage to set the price; he even gives prepayments to the growers. That way, they have some money upfront to do the costly practices to grow the highest quality fruit and be guaranteed a very good price no matter how the critics sum up the overall vintage. Since Paul was raised on a farm, he knows that not getting enough money for any harvest can make or break a grower. 

And so, across the board, they can bring in the best quality. Yet, Paul has added some fun into the mix by introducing a contest for their ‘Vinculum’ bottling, where the best two or three growers that year are used in that bottling. The selected growers are announced at a party that Viña Cobos puts on to bring all the growers together, celebrating the glorious vineyards of the famous sub-regions of Mendoza: Luján de Cuyo and Valle de Uco.

The other project involves vineyard designate bottlings of not only the Malbec grape but also the Cabernet Franc grape. 

Single Vineyard Cabernet Franc 

Zingaretti Vineyard
Photo Credit: Viña Cobos

Paul now makes single-vineyard bottlings from the following vineyards: Hobbs Estate (Luján de Cuyo), Zingaretti Estate (Valle de Uco), Marchiori Vineyard (Luján de Cuyo) and Chañares Estate (Valle de Uco), and interestingly Chañares Estate is located near where Paul oversaw the planting of Catena’s Domingo vineyards all those years ago. 

Chañares Estate
Photo Credit: Viña Cobos

Chañares Estate was purchased by Paul 10 years ago. Still, he didn’t do the initial planting of the vineyard as it was originally done by three professors from the University of Mendoza. Surprisingly, these professors placed pyramids with stones inside to pull energy from the cosmos, something that one would never expect professors to do. Yet Paul says that they were ingenious in a way, as they left “natural zones,” leaving plants and trees and clearing paths around various sections of the vineyard that allow water to drain away. Since the vineyard is almost 4,000 feet on the foothills near the Andes Mountains, it can receive heavy rains, so the pathways allow the shower to wash away. Another benefit is the lack of hail storms since the storms “don’t really form this deep into the Andes,” as Paul notes. They are further down the slope, allowing him to avoid using hail nets, which he feels can sometimes get in the way of growing high-quality grapes. 

Bird’s-eye view of Chañares Estate
Photo Credit: Viña Cobos

Also, this vineyard has lots of rocky, stony soil encrusted with limestone. Even though the vines are only around 12 to 14 years old, their extremely thin root hairs go down over three feet, and because the root hairs are so thin, they can “glean very fine micro-nutrients,” which gives a distinctive sense of place to this vineyard. They have own-rooted Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc vines planted in the vineyard, and funny enough, Paul says that despite Cabernet Sauvignon being known as a hardy variety that can grow almost anywhere, it doesn’t perform well in the Chañares Estate. Yet, Cabernet Franc shines in this vineyard. Even though Cabernet Sauvignon is more widely recognized, the stunning quality of the Cabernet Franc is undeniably excellent so he will replant the Cabernet Sauvignon with either Cabernet Franc or Malbec. He is hoping that Cabernet Franc’s popularity will grow among wine drinkers down the line, and notes that once these vines reach 20 to 25 years old, they will hit their peak and stride in quality.

The American Dream 

A brilliant young winemaker who was raised on a small family farm in upstate New York not only became the winemaker of a well-respected winery in Sonoma County but then, once the LVMH conglomerate purchased it, he was part of the most influential company specializing in luxury goods. He earned more than he could have ever dreamt and traveled the world, spending time in some of the most impressive headquarters worldwide. But it felt wrong over time; he was spending more and more time in boardroom meetings and participating in executive activities than in the vineyards. Was he crazy to even fathom the very thought of leaving? Did he not appreciate an opportunity that many would have died for?

Or maybe it is lucky to know oneself early enough to do something about it and knowing that sitting in the most luxurious offices in the world and owning expensive things will never fulfill someone who craves to be out in the vineyards, hands in the soil, working side by side with those who feel the same pull towards the land. 

As he gazes out of a gorgeous window with a jaw-dropping view during another board meeting, all he can see are those vineyards in his mind, and he wonders about vineyards in undervalued places in other exciting areas of the world. So he takes that leap to trade one American dream for a completely different one; creating a dream that didn’t even exist in reality, to make great wine in South America.  

***Link to original Forbes article: https://www.forbes.com/sites/cathrinetodd/2024/01/26/wine-pioneer-of-top-malbec-wine-in-argentina-releases-cabernet-franc-fine-wine/

2019 Viña Cobos Wines ‘Vinculum’ Malbec, Chañares Estate Malbec & Cabernet Franc
Photo Credit: Cathrine Todd

Paul doesn’t like fining his wines as he believes it “clips their wings,” and he wants his wines to be free to “fly.”

2019 Viña Cobos, ‘Vinculum’ Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina: 100% Malbec from the best Viña Cobos growers selected for the 2019 harvest, 82% comes from Valle de Uco and 18% comes from Luján de Cuyo. Elegant nose with blackcurrant, touch of fresh herbs and violets with an underlying note of crushed rocks with silky tannins and subtle fruit and spices on the palate that has an overall quality of pure finesse.

2019 Viña Cobos, Vineyard Designate Chañares Estate, Malbec, Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina: 100% Malbec from the Chañares vineyard, located 3,888 feet above sea level. Deep color with ruby core and purple edge that telegraphs the rich blueberry and plum pie flavors that are delectable with a mouth-filling lush texture balanced by vibrant acidity and savory notes such as wild thyme with a long, flavorful finish. 

2019 Viña Cobos, Vineyard Designate Chañares Estate, Cabernet Franc, Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina: 100% Cabernet Franc from the Chañares vineyard, located 3,888 feet above sea level. Complex layers on the nose that are extremely intriguing with tree bark, dried wildflowers and an intense chalky minerality with ripe black cherry fruit on the palate that is shaped by finely etched tannins that give drive to this wine, finishing with a saline quality that is spectacular.

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Woman From Famous Fine Wine Family Takes Winery In Organic Direction

Posted on June 1, 2024 by damewine

The tall, thick stalk reached an unbelievable height through the base of long, light green leaves that fanned around its base as if they were presenting a rare jewel. Adoring the top of the stalk was an explosion of thin yellowish-green leaves that shot out with spikes, all together forming a big, closed-tulip shape with turquoise flowers nestled throughout, making it an otherworldly plant with no equal.  

The South American country of Chile is known for its extraordinary exotic beauty; its native plant, Chagual, is one of the many exotically entrancing natural aspects that grows on the central coast. It is an integral part of the biodiversity of certain areas, as a specific type of butterfly, the Mariposa del Chagual – the largest butterfly in Chile – feeds on the top of the Chagual when it is a caterpillar and then, when it turns into a butterfly, it pollinates the flower, helping the Chagual plant continue to propagate. This butterfly species is already endangered and if there were no more Chagual, these butterflies would become extinct; without these butterflies, these remarkable Chagual plants would cease to exist as well.

And so, a prestigious Chilean winery, Los Vascos, has decided to place an impressionistic drawing of the Chagual on their first two organic wines, which are aptly named after this incredible plant.

Los Vascos 

Los Vascos winery
Photo Credit: Viña Los Vascos

Los Vascos is owned by the Rothschilds, the most famous fine wine family worldwide. One of the family members, Baron Éric de Rothschild, who has been in charge of the First Growth Bordeaux, Château Lafite Rothschild, since 1974, became fascinated with the vineyards of Chile in the 1980s. So, he asked the legendary head winemaker of Lafite, Gilbert Rokvam, to go to Chile to see what he thought of the vineyards out there. Gilbert found great potential in the estate vineyards of Los Vascos in Colchagua Valley, considered today the superstar wine region in Chile. However, it was unknown in the international wine world when Gilbert first surveyed the vineyards. It didn’t take long, once Éric de Rothschild bought Los Vascos in 1988, to attract major investment and make it the Chilean region with the top wine producers.

But Éric de Rothschild has a way of bringing great success wherever his energies are placed; when he was put in charge of Lafite Rothschild in the mid-1970s, the wines were having a lot of ups and downs in regards to quality and they were not living up to their place in history. Still, the same could be said for much of Bordeaux during that time. Not being one to rest on his laurels, as the wines still had no problems selling, he decided to make significant investments in the vineyards and winery, and since the 1982 and 1996 vintages, they have been making some of their best wines. Some argue that, today, they are some of the best wines on the planet.

The interesting thing about Château Lafite Rothschild is that it is located in the Bordeaux appellation of Pauillac, which has the largest number of First Growths from the 1855 classification with a total of three, and has several other esteemed châteaux that are classified. The great wines of Pauillac are known as big, well-structured wines that will last for many decades. Even though Lafite is certainly known as a wine with a long life, it stands out in Pauillac as the wine with the most finesse and, simply, the epitome of elegance that many other wineries have tried to emulate worldwide.

Saskia de Rothschild

Eric de Rothschild and his daughter Saskia de Rothschil
Photo Credit: Viña Los Vascos

Over four years ago, Saskia de Rothschild, the daughter of Éric de Rothschild, took over running Los Vascos, bringing a much stronger focus on sustainable practices. Saskia is 36 years old and has a fresh, new energy reinvigorating this Chilean estate but she is experienced beyond her years. Not only has she worked at stellar estates in Bordeaux such as Château L’Evangile in Pomerol and Château Lafite Rothschild, but she has had her own career as an investigative journalist, interviewing inmates at La Maca prison in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, filming the first female U.S. Marines sent to the frontlines of Afghanistan and investigated the mining industry in Greenland, just to name a few. She has traveled extensively, going deep into the culture and ways of the people, like any good investigative journalist. So, it is important to her to express the unique qualities of the Colchagua Valley in Chile.

According to the estate director of Los Vascos, Philippe Rolet, they have been organically managing around 200 to 250 acres of vineyards over the past 10 years. Still, since Saskia has taken over, they have significantly increased it to 800 acres and in the future, they would like to manage all of their 1,500 acres of vineyards organically. As mentioned, she has spearheaded the production of their first organic wines, fittingly called ‘Chagual.’

Elegance In The Most Unlikely Places 

Worker on a horse on the Los Vascos estate Photo Credit: Viña Los Vascos

It always seemed an unbelievable feat how Château Lafite Rothschild, under the guidance of Eric de Rothschild, would be able to produce some of the most elegant wines in the world in the prestigious appellation of Pauillac, known for its power. And Saskia is already tapping into the elegance that is within the power of the wines made in Chile’s Colchagua Valley, just like her father, with a great estate director by her side, Philippe Rolet, to find even deeper nuances of a graceful quality, within an area known for generous fruit ripeness, that is exemplified in their ‘Le Dix’ wine. And, especially, their top red wines are undeniably powerful, just like Château Lafite Rothschild.

But power doesn’t always have to push its way into a room aggressively or fiercely demand attention, sometimes real power is quiet and reserved, unafraid to take its time, so, once it does slowly reveal its secrets to the drinker, it is a moment that is profoundly gratifying.

***Link to original Forbes article: https://www.forbes.com/sites/cathrinetodd/2024/01/12/woman-part-of-the-most-famous-fine-wine-family-takes-winery-into-organic-direction/

Le Dix Wine
Photo Credit: Viña Los Vascos
2022 Los Vascos ‘Chagual’ Sauvignon Blanc Photo Credit: Cathrine Todd

2022 Los Vascos ‘Chagual’ Sauvignon Blanc, San Antonio, Chile: 100% organic Sauvignon Blanc grapes. They sourced these grapes in the much cooler coastal area of San Antonio from organic vineyards as they wanted a fresh, bright Sauvignon Blanc. Very refreshing nose of thyme and lemon peel with a zingy palate with flavors of lemon curd and mouthwatering acidity.  

2022 Los Vascos ‘Cromas’ Gran Reserva Chardonnay and Cabernet Franc Photo Credit Cathrine Todd
2022 Los Vascos ‘Cromas’ Gran Reserva Chardonnay and Cabernet Franc
Photo Credit: Cathrine Todd

2022 Los Vascos ‘Cromas’ Gran Reserva Chardonnay, Colchagua Valley, Chile: 100% Chardonnay. Stony minerality and white peach aromas with ripe apricots and hints of spice on a moderately rich body balanced by high acidity.

2020 Los Vascos ‘Cromas’ Gran Reserva Cabernet Franc, Colchagua Valley, Chile: 100% Cabernet Franc. Crushed rocks with wild brambly fruit, a hint of fresh herbs and tree bark with a fine texture and a long, aromatic finish.

2020 Los Vascos ‘Cromas’ Gran Reserva Carménère Photo Credit Cathrine Todd
Los Vascos ‘Cromas’ Gran Reserva Carménère Photo Credit: Cathrine Todd

2020 Los Vascos ‘Cromas’ Gran Reserva Carménère, Colchagua Valley, Chile: 100% Carménère. Earthy nose with dusty earth and tobacco leaf with richer fruit flavors on the palate of blackcurrant preserves and sage leaves with firm tannins that give shape to the generous fruit.

2019 Los Vascos ‘Le Dix’ Colchagua Valley, Chile: 92% Cabernet Sauvignon from old vines and 8% Syrah. This is Los Vascos’ top wine that represents the best of the best of the Colchagua Valley, where the outstanding achievement of the Rothschilds in Chile can be best experienced. It is called ‘Le Dix’ as that is the French word for 10 and it was first released in 1998 to celebrate Éric de Rothschild’s tenth anniversary with Los Vascos. This wine is mainly comprised of Cabernet Sauvignon from 80-year-old vines that come from a vineyard called El Fraile, which means the Monk, and it is the oldest vineyard at Los Vascos. Floral aromas delight the nose with blackcurrant leaf and a touch of cocoa nib, and black cherries mingling with cinnamon stick and grated nutmeg flavors along the silky tannins with a broad body that finishes with great precision.

Los Vascos ‘Le Dix’
Photo Credit: Cathrine Todd

2010 Los Vascos ‘Le Dix’ Cosechas Antiguas, Colchagua Valley, Chile: 85% Cabernet Sauvignon from old vines, 10% Carménère and 5% Syrah. The “Cosechas Antiguas” noted on the label indicates that it has been cellared at Los Vascos under a wax closure, and so, the 2010 and below 2003 are both “Cosechas Antiguas” bottlings. Layers of complexity with cigar box, black truffles and wild mushrooms with juicy black fruit on the palate encased in breathtakingly silky, fine texture.

2003 Los Vascos ‘Le Dix’ Cosechas Antiguas, Colchagua Valley, Chile: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from old vines. Intriguing smoldering earth and tantalizing cured meats, such as saucisson, with uplifting notes of anise seeds and fresh blackberry fruit with a lot of energy on the finish with a linear drive.

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100-Point Score Given To Nephew Of ‘Dean Of American Winemaking’ For Washington Cabernet Sauvignon

Posted on April 20, 2024 by damewine

Life returned to the charming streets of Paris as men and women danced in the streets with laughter and opening wine bottles, becoming the music to which they moved, and strangers hugged each other fiercely as they kissed each cheek with tears streaming from their eyes. Finally, the Nazi rule was over, as the Allies won World War II, and Paris, which was a ghost of its former self during Nazi rule, showed that the exuberant enjoyment of life, joie de vivre, was not wholly dead; if anything, it had become stronger than it was before the war.

Quilcda Creek Mach One vineyard
Photo Credit: Quilceda Creek Winery

Alex Golitzin’s family, who had escaped from the Russian Revolution to move to the wine region of Loire Valley in France, as that is what many free-thinking and talented people did during that time, as they knew that they could only be safe in the countryside of France, that is until WWII broke out. Alex was born in the Loire Valley but moved to Paris with his parents during the war. As enchanting as Paris was once the war ended, they knew it wasn’t safe for them, as Russia started to gain power relatively quickly and the idea that no one stood in their way of aggressively taking over other Eastern European countries with a repressive iron fist, was outright unnerving to many Russian immigrants in Europe.

The Golitzin family could have never guessed that their son Alex would become a key player in establishing the production of great Washington State Cabernet Sauvignon and even more unbelievable that he would be helped by an uncle who would become arguably the most famous U.S. winemaker of all time.

Napa & Washington Wine Excellence

Luckily, Alex had a maternal uncle in the United States who could help him and his family emigrate but it wasn’t just any Russian uncle – it was the legendary André Tchelistcheff, known as the ‘Dean Of American Winemaking’, who was a crucial part of helping Napa Valley achieve their greatness that is now known worldwide. André survived being left for dead in the Russian Civil War to become a well-known, talented chemistry and agronomy student in Paris. A Frenchman named Georges de Latour convinced André to work for him at his winery, Beaulieu Vineyard, in Napa Valley in the late 1930s, and the rest is history.

André went on to help his nephew, Alex Golitzin, and his wife, Jeannette, to start a winery in Washington State that would become one of the critical pillars of establishing Columbia Valley, Washington State fine wine. André’s main advice was to “make one wine and make it really well.” And so, they made one outstanding Cabernet Sauvignon and named their winery after a nearby creek, Quilceda Creek Winery, releasing their first vintage in 1979.

Alex and Jeannette’s son, Paul Golitzin, was bitten by the winemaking bug at an early age, and it is no wonder, considering his great-uncle was André Tchelistcheff. Paul learned a great deal from André and his son Dimitri, which keeps Paul, to this day, always trying to find improvement in reaching a higher level of excellence. 

It’s In The Blood

Paul Golitzin and vineyard manager Dan Nickolaus Photo Credit: Quilceda Creek winery
Paul Golitzin & vineyard manager Dan Nickolaus Photo Credit: Quilceda Creek winery

A great winemaking prowess is undoubtedly present in the very talented Paul Golitzin as he refines the balance between power and elegance in his Cabernet wines as the director of winemaking. But interestingly, as he approaches the 50th anniversary of his family winery, his current focus is to express the nuanced differences of terroir and sense of place in his wines. Over the years, the Golitzin family has acquired some premium vineyards, such as owning 79% of one of the oldest vineyards in Washington, Champoux vineyard, and the cooler climate Mach One vineyard.  

Some might think it is a departure for Paul to get so obsessive about the vineyards. Still, even though his great-uncle André Tchelistcheff was known for establishing modern American winemaking practices, he was a man who had an incredible ability to spot an excellent vineyard as well as express its true sense of place.

The famous Napa vineyard owner Andy Beckstoffer, who owns some of the most prestigious vineyards in California, let alone the world, said that André Tchelistcheff was his first viticulturist. And it was André who recognized the uniquely outstanding terroir of the plot in Bolgheri, Tuscany, that would go on to create one of the most excellent Italian cult wines, Masseto. And so, even though his legend was built on his winemaking achievements, he had a knack for finding and expressing greatness from the land.

Cabernet Sauvignon clone 8 in the Galitzine vineyard
Cabernet Sauvignon clone 8 Galitzine vineyard Photo Credit: Quilceda Creek winery

So Paul has been working towards not only single vineyard bottlings of his Cabernet Sauvignon but also adding another facet to the expression of place, a single clone Cabernet Sauvignon grape variety that matches the aspect and soil of a particular plot. Those who know red Burgundy, or even great new world Pinot Noir, will be aware that the clone of the Pinot Noir grape variety used is an essential part of the characteristics of that wine, as qualities will significantly differ among various clones of the Pinot Noir grape. Quilceda Creek, which was the winery to make the world take Washington State Cabernet Sauvignon seriously, is now taking another leap forward by bringing attention to the unique “thumbprint” of each clone, especially when it is partnered, through trial and error, to the ideal piece of land. 

One recent bottling of 2020 Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon ‘Palengat’ was awarded 100 points from the Wine Advocate, which is sourced from a plot of their Mach One vineyard using the Cabernet Sauvignon clone 685.

When it comes to assessing a historically significant person’s legacy, it is always difficult to say whether they achieved more while they were alive or if they achieved more after their death. With some, it is easy to see which side they will land but with André Tchelistcheff, it is not so easy. There wouldn’t be the Napa Valley that one knows today if it wasn’t for what he accomplished while he was alive but numerous wine producers after him have reached extraordinary heights because of the legacy he left. 

It is a debate that has merit on both sides. Still, there is one definite thing: Paul Golitzin benefited from the knowledge passed on from André like so many others. Yet, the blood that pumps through his veins gives him that fiercely pioneering spirit that will not allow him to settle for having one of the great Cabernet Sauvignon wines; no, he’s going to show the world that there is so much more to Cabernet then previously known. 

Quilceda Creek winery Photo Credit: Quilceda Creek winery
Quilceda Creek winery
Photo Credit: Quilceda Creek winery

***Link to original article on Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/cathrinetodd/2024/01/06/nephew-of-dean-of-american-winemaking-receives-100-point-wine-score-for-washington-cabernet-sauvignon-wine/

The below Quilceda Creek, Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is the only wine they sell to the market, select retail stores and restaurants. The remaining Cabernet Sauvignon wines are sold 100% to their wine club membership. Currently, it is a year to a year and a half for the waitlist to join the wine club. The below wines are back vintages tasted with the current vintage of 2020 to show how well these wines age. 

2012 Quilceda Creek, Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, Washington State: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. A dark and decadent wine with black raspberry compote and blackcurrant preserves with an uplifting hint of sage that has a broad, lush palate with flavors of cocoa nibs and candied violets with round, silky tannins.  

2018 Quilceda Creek, Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, Washington State: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Fresh thyme with dried wildflowers on the nose and layers of red and black fruit flavors intertwined with ribbons of silk that caress the palate and has a long, flavorful, and gorgeously textured finish that goes on and on.

2020 Quilceda Creek, Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, Washington State: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from six vineyards, including Champoux and Mach One. The aromas slowly unravel teasingly as hints of freshly picked flowers, wet stones and warm red cherries each delight with blueberry and blackberry fruit flavors and a touch of spice that displays an impressive depth and concentration in harmony with an overall delicate beauty. The suggested retail price is $250, with 5,450 cases produced.

Quilceda Creek ‘Palengat’ Cabernet Sauvignon Clone 685 Photo Credit: Quilceda Creek Winery
Quilceda Creek ‘Palengat’ Cabernet S. Clone 685 Photo Credit:
Quilceda Creek Winery

The wines below are only offered to wine club members with these single vineyard, single clone wines, each priced at $250. Also, the wines below were double-decanted the night before, and the suggestion for the future 2021s is to double-decant them a couple of days before and drink them on the third day. 

2020 Quilceda Creek ‘Palengat’ Cabernet Sauvignon Clone 685, Horse Heaven Hills, Columbia Valley, Washington State: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon clone 685 from a plot in the Mach One vineyard. Even though these wines are said to hit their ideal peak in 10-15 years, this exquisite beauty is just breathtaking right now with a lovely structure, as the tannins feel like delicate lace, with exotically pretty aromas of jasmine, cumin seeds and star anise with deliciously black berried juicy fruit yet it is wrapped up in an overall finesse and eloquent delivery that has an extraordinarily long and outstandingly enchanting finish. Palengat is Paul’s mother’s maiden name, as all the single vineyard and single clone bottlings are named after the family. Only 930 cases were made.

2020 Quilceda Creek ‘Tchelistcheff’ Cabernet Sauvignon Clone 412, Horse Heaven Hills, Columbia Valley, Washington State: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon clone 412 from a plot in the Mach One vineyard. Multilayered aromas on the nose, such as tobacco leaf, dried herbs and pressed rosebud, with a firm, distinguished structure that hints at classic Bordeaux qualities, which seems very fitting since their wine is a homage to André Tchelistcheff, yet there is a succulence to this wine that traditional Bordeaux had issues achieving in the past and so this wine is the best of both worlds. A minuscule 250 cases were made.

2020 Quilceda Creek, Galitzine Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Clone 8, Red Mountain, Yakima Valley, Columbia Valley, Washington State: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon clone 8 from their namesake vineyard called Galitzine in the Red Mountain AVA, one of the warmest appellations in Washington State. Big, brawny tannins with broad shouldered structure yet the quality of the tannins is excellent with no rough edges that has brooding flavors that are irresistible as they beacon to the drinker with a mysterious air that is balanced by a vibrancy in the wine that is electric and brings a great focus to the finish. Only 1,275 cases were made.

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Revisiting Top Wine Vintages From Bordeaux Back To Outstanding 1982

Posted on March 5, 2024 by damewine

The young French boy was wholly enthralled in his parents’ conversation during dinner, which was very unusual as, most of the time, he was trying to figure out a way to sneak out as soon as possible to get more play time in before bedtime. But this night was different as they lived in a small community in Bordeaux, France, where most of the time, talk at the table was about neighbors, family, or bills, as the little boy’s world was very tiny and the rest of the world seemed so far away. But there was a Japanese man who was the son of the founder of one of the oldest alcoholic beverage distribution companies in the world, Keizo Saji, and he had just bought a Third Growth classified château in the Saint-Julien appellation of the Haut-Médoc in Bordeaux, called Château Lagrange.

The French boy’s parents were not in the wine business so it was odd for them to talk about it but the idea of an Asian company buying the estate scared his parents yet fascinated the little boy.

Château Lagrange cover photo
Photo Credit: Château Lagrange

The end of the 1970s and early 1980s were a financially difficult time for the Bordeaux wine region as despite them being the most famous fine wines in the world, the cost of running the châteaux, vineyards and investment needed for new wineries had escalated to the point that many of the producers were hemorrhaging money. So, some of the classified growths were forced to sell their grand estates. The idea that the successful Japanese company, Suntory, would purchase one of the classified growths for ten million US dollars seemed extraordinary as despite it being nothing compared to what châteaux cost today, it was an unfathomable amount of money to the local people at the time. Amazingly, they invested 30 million dollars into renovating the whole property and buying all the tools they needed to achieve excellence.

Two Sides Of The Same Coin

Rainbow on Château Lagrange estate Photo Credit: Château Lagrange

Today, French and Japanese cultures go hand in hand as they are both known for their fierce dedication to reaching as close to perfection as possible; back in the 1800s, the French chef Escoffier codified the five mother sauces and simplified French techniques that would become the basis for Western fine dining cuisine for decades. But it was the Japanese top chefs who eventually dazzled their French counterparts as despite the aesthetics and ingredients being different, its outstanding quality was undeniable. The Japanese discipline to achieve excellence, for example, forces one who wants to become a sushi chef to study making rice for three years with a total of ten years of study, which was immensely admirable to the French and would inspire admiration worldwide.

Keizo Saji kept everything French at Château Lagrange as he greatly respected the culture; he would use his resources and deep respect for Château Lagrange to bring it to its full potential. Keizo Saji was not only an important businessman but also a renowned Haiku poet and a second-generation master blender of Japanese whisky, his father was Japan’s first master blender. And so, at a recent Château Lagrange tasting of some of the best vintages over the past 40 years in New York City, it was an excellent opportunity to see if there was a significant quality improvement over the years.

Vertical Of Château Lagrange

Matthieu Bordes leading a vertical tasting
Photo Credit: Château Lagrange

Matthieu Bordes, the current general manager of Château Lagrange, talked about what drew Mr. Keizo Saji to purchase the property in the early 1980s before he led the vertical tasting. “Mr. Saji knew that land was the key point; to make a great wine, you must have a great terroir,” noted Matthieu. He further explained an interesting aspect of the vineyard situation of the classified growths in the Haut-Médoc of Bordeaux: the châteaux were classified in 1855 according to the value of their wines at the time and the vineyards were not classified. What this means, in reality, is that a château that was awarded the highest classification of a First Growth was given such a placement based on the wine they made from the vineyards in 1855. Still, since the château name holds the classification, it is allowed to expand the vineyards which go into its top selection wine as long as it is within its appellation. So hypothetically, a Second Growth châteaux in Saint-Julien can source its grapes from anywhere in the Saint-Julien delimitated area, over 2,000 acres of vineyards, and place it into its Second Growth classified wine.

Château Lagrange vineyard
Photo Credit: Château Lagrange

Matthieu explained, “Mr. Saji noticed that the vineyards for Lagrange hadn’t changed in almost 400 years as the whole vineyard is one block around the château, located on the highest point of the land.” Today, Château Lagrange has only bought additional vineyards to make white wine. However, they haven’t purchased any vineyards to go into their Third Growth classified red wine, as it is still the same estate vineyard established in 1631.

First, the vertical started with the enchanting 2016 vintage, dancing along the palate with its aromatic beauty and fine texture. The 2010 and 2009 – the dueling superstar vintages back to back, the more structured, broad-shouldered giant next to the plusher, more accessible seducer, respectively, then the highly structured 2000 and more accessible 1990, showing that both are aging gracefully with even the 1990 still having a lot of life. And last, the 1982 is a legendary vintage for many reasons.

1982 Château Lagrange Photo Credit:
Cathrine Todd

The 1982 vintage began a new age for Bordeaux wines, heralding the modern style of wines we know today. Since the vintage had consistently warm, dry weather, the grapes achieved a balanced ripeness. As before, it was a common practice, not only in Bordeaux but also in many wine regions in France, to add sugar to unfermented grape must that would then all be fermented to produce a higher alcohol wine – a process called chaptalization because in the past, Bordeaux had a problem with underripe grapes that produced wines that were so low in alcohol that they were unbalanced. Many top Bordeaux experts have said there hadn’t been such a consistent level of high-quality wines across Bordeaux since the extraordinary 1961 vintage. Since the 1982 vintage, Bordeaux has had a multitude of vintages that, despite differing in specific traits, have excellent quality wines across the region.

1982 was also a vintage that increased interest in a much broader audience around the world as Bordeaux was no longer just for a select group of people who had come from a family drinking Bordeaux for years and had the resources to cellar it for several decades; these wines now showed their deliciously intriguing qualities earlier, so one could understand its worth without having had the privilege of growing up with these wines. And it was no longer vital to cellar wines that were undrinkable in their youth, although they still age for decades as the structure is still there because it is a finer structure with less green notes that no longer dominate but instead add a nice nuance in the background.

Even with 1982 being an outstanding vintage, there was a gigantic leap in quality from that point to the 2016 vintage of Lagrange, as more money was placed into properly taking care of the vineyard as well as technology that would help to preserve the quality of the grapes coming into the winery.

On The Threshold

The nine-year-old boy was playing with his friends, running through the vineyards during harvest time as it was always the most exciting time of year in the normally sleepy little town tucked away in Bordeaux. All of a sudden, the sound of a plane was heard overhead; he started running under it, pretending he could leap up in the air and desperately grab on, traveling to an exciting destination as it seemed he would be like everyone else in his family – never stepping foot outside of Europe.

This harvest seemed like every other harvest to this little boy as he had no idea that the 1982 vintage would change his world forever. The following year, his parents would be talking about a prestigious Japanese company buying one of the classified growths and over two decades later, he would be traveling the globe as the general manager of that prestigious estate. Such a partnership between Suntory and Château Lagrange would become a beautiful symbiotic relationship as the great Keizo Saji knew it was a precious jewel that had become tarnished over time, needing someone to bring back its sparkle and preserve it at all costs. His legend lives on with this legendary property. 

Lineup of Château Lagrange wines
Photo Credit: Château Lagrange

***Link to original article published on Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/cathrinetodd/2023/12/21/revisiting-top-wine-vintages-from-bordeaux-starting-with-outstanding-1982

2016 Château Lagrange, Saint-Julien, Bordeaux: 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot and 6% Petit Verdot. An enchanting wine that dances and prances on the palate with remarkable agility and grace with an incredible bouquet of violet, sandalwood incense and forest floor notes that has a stunning purity of fruit on the palate with redcurrants and blackberries, and the silky tannins caress the palate; such a beauty.

2010 Château Lagrange, Saint-Julien, Bordeaux: 75% Cabernet Sauvignon and 25% Merlot. Enthralling aromas of intense minerality, fresh morel mushrooms, and an Asian spice box with broad-shouldered tannins that give lots of lift and structure to this wine and marked acidity that all give this wine an incredible depth of flavor, complexity and overall brightness along the sustained finish.  

2009 Château Lagrange, Saint-Julien, Bordeaux: 73% Cabernet Sauvignon and 27% Merlot. Decadent nose with cocoa nib and raspberry liqueur that has hints of dried flowers with blueberry tart flavors on the palate and silky tannins with a long, flavorful finish.  

2000 Château Lagrange, Saint-Julien, Bordeaux: 76% Cabernet Sauvignon and 24% Merlot. Firm, big tannins yet with a lovely overall quality and complex layers of cigar box, graphite and fresh sage finishing with a perfumed red fruit note.

1990 Château Lagrange, Saint-Julien, Bordeaux: 44% Cabernet Sauvignon, 44% Merlot and 12% Petit Verdot. Lots of concentration with rich cassis fruit and layers of aromas such as jasmine, smoky minerality and gravelly soil.

1982 Château Lagrange, Saint-Julien, Bordeaux: The exact blend is not known; smoldering cigar with sweet black cherry fruit and a touch of lushness on the mid-palate balanced by black tea notes that is still juicy with lots of fruit and lots of energy.

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Young Woman Leads Great Italian Wine Family Into Exciting New White Wine Project

Posted on February 24, 2024 by damewine
The Barolo & Barbaresco World Opening Grand Tasting in NYC
Photo Credit: Cathrine Todd

It was the first of its kind outside of Italy as all of the prestigious Barolo and Barbaresco wine producers from the wine region of Piedmont gathered together in New York to present their top offerings. Some of the most outstanding red Italian wines made by some of the most iconic wine producers were all in the same room; a room that was worthy of such guests with its soaring ceiling and its expansive, open space as many wine professionals, as well as passionate wine lovers, enthusiastically went from table to table, experiencing the greatest hits of the Italian wine world.

Of course, the esteemed Pio Cesare multi-generational wine producer was there with their great Barolo and Barbaresco red wines. Pio Boffa, one of the family owners leading the winery, was in attendance. But he wasn’t the kind of man who just wanted to quickly talk to as many people as possible. Instead, he was more about the deeper one-on-one connections to allow others to truly understand his family’s legacy and the core values he fought for daily.

Pio Boffa
Photo Credit: Pio Cesare

When he talked to someone, he fully registered that person wanting to know who they were, where they came from and what was most valuable to them. That day, he would make the few deep connections he always searched for, even when many warned him and others not to go to New York City. This extravaganza, aptly called “Barolo & Barbaresco World Opening,” was happening in the heart of Manhattan at the beginning of February 2020. Despite NYC seemingly having no known issues with a COVID-19 outbreak because they didn’t have tests yet, unbeknownst to many, it was spreading like wildfire as people from all over the world came in and out of the densely populated city on a daily basis.

Within a couple of weeks, NYC was in an extreme lockdown that many could only envision existing in a post-apocalyptic movie.

Pio wouldn’t have issues getting back home safely during that time, but sadly, after only a little more than a year later, he passed away after battling Covid at the too-young age of 66. It was a devastating moment for the Italian wine world as he had been a vital part of running his family’s winery for over 40 years.

Federica Boffa

Pio Boffa was prepared by his father to take over the winery since he was a child, making him grow up quickly as every free moment was devoted to the business. And so it wasn’t only in his DNA; it was also part of the air he breathed every day and it determined the rhyme of his life that was in sync with his beating heart. His daughter, Federica Boffa, followed the same path. Even though she was only in her early 20s during the Barolo & Barbaresco World Opening in 2020, Pio talked about how he could already see that she would be a greater leader than he had been. So, he was assured at that time that she would take their legacy to the next level.

Cesare Benvenuto and Federrica Boffa Photo Credit: Pio Cesare

Superficially, Federica Boffa doesn’t look like her father, still, she has the same strength of character in her eyes and desire to deeply connect with those who are interested in her family’s wines. Today, she oversees Pio Cesare with her cousin, Cesare Benvenuto, who worked alongside Pio Boffa for many years.

Recently, Federica talked about all the major projects they are taking on such as building two new facilities within the “historic center of Alba,” as it was once known as the production capital for Barolo and Barbaresco. Pio Cesare is one of the last foundational families of Barolo still there with their original winery, and now, they are placing more investment into this historic place that “has many problems,” according to Federica, and if they don’t preserve and restore the birthplace of Barolo winemaking then who will? She insists that they have no intention of increasing production but want to give themselves more room for cellaring bottles, allowing for more wine to age, hence increasing quality, and another facility will be dedicated to the sole purpose of making wine.

White Wines

The Pio Cesare wine family has made a few different white wines in tiny quantities over the years as Pio Boffa loved them. They make a Cortese di Gavi, a common traditional white wine of the area. Still, many years ago, as a young man in the early 1970s, he tried to convince his father to plant Chardonnay but his father was extremely traditional and wouldn’t allow it. Finally, in 1981, Pio Boffa got to plant his Chardonnay in one of their cooler Barbaresco vineyards and the neighbors were sure that he had lost his mind. Pulling out the sacred Nebbiolo red grape variety that produces their legendary wines was one thing, but so that he could plant a foreign French white variety no less! But through time, the beautiful expression of place in their small production of Chardonnay wine has won over a strong following and its style is similar to Burgundy with its finesse and freshness, yet it is an expression of a specific vineyard in Barbaresco.

Federica Boffa
Photo Credit: Pio Cesare

Actually, the idea that their Chardonnay is Burgundian in style is quite fitting as many red Burgundy lovers also appreciate red Barolo and Barbaresco, despite their profile on the palate being sometimes quite the opposite, depending on the vineyard and vintage. Yet, they both have two significant things in common: affinity for expression of place and a complex, aromatic nose.

But now they are investing in a white wine called Timorasso that is not only on the same high level as their Chardonnay but is indigenous to the area.

Timorasso is a native white variety that has existed since the Middle Ages. Some Latin documents trace it back to the town of Tortona, located in the Piedmont region. A few years ago, the Pio Cesare wine family bought land in the Colli Tortonesi Timorasso area, where they have planted Timorasso. In the future, they will release aged Timorasso onto the market, which will be around 800 cases in production. Some have described Timorasso as similar to the Riesling white grape variety because it has honey aromas with lots of minerality and high acidity, making great old bones as a flinty minerality starts to become more noticeable with cellaring. Hence, Federica and her cousin will release it onto the market when it shows that wonderfully complex note.

Honoring Her Father  

The Pio Cesare Chardonnay, established by Pio Boffa, is named ‘Piodilei,’ which means ‘Pio for the ladies’ as it is a dedication to the women in the family, who in the past had to be behind the scenes due to the convention of the time. Pio Boffa was very passionate about the Chardonnay when he was a young man and it took that extreme passion to overcome tradition so he could plant a few rows. When he tasted an excellent Chardonnay, it reminded him of some of the strongest people he knew – the women in his family – because it was powerful with plenty of structure while also being elegant with an overall finesse.

When Pio passed away in 2021, Federica decided to place the original label on their 2020 Chardonnay wine, the vintage that was next in line to be bottled at the time, as a dedication to the hero in her life who empowered her to become the woman she is today.

Back in the early 1980s, Pio Boffa could have never imagined that when he was honoring the women in his family with his ‘Piodilei’ Chardonnay wine, the woman who would be the most incredible representative of those qualities wouldn’t even have been born yet. But today, she leads the family business in ways that Pio himself could only dream of and she not only honors her father by placing the original label on the 2020 vintage but she honors him every day by being the extraordinary woman whom he saw very early on in his little girl’s eyes.

Link to original Forbes article: https://www.forbes.com/sites/cathrinetodd/2023/12/20/young-woman-leads-great-italian-wine-family-into-exciting-new-white-wine-project/?sh=601046503ac9

Lineup of Pio Cesare Wines
Photo Credit: Cathrine Todd

2019 Pio Cesare’ Piodilei’ Chardonnay, Langhe DOC, Piedmont, Italy: 100% Chardonnay from their family-owned vineyard Il Bricco. Pretty nose with citrus blossom and stony minerality with juicy white peach flavors, crisp acidity and elegant textural contrast with broad body and fine structure that gives lift along the expressive finish.

2019 Pio Cesare, Barbaresco DOCG, Piedmont, Italy: 100% Nebbiolo from family-owned vineyards Treiso and San Rocco Seno d’Elvio. An enticing floral nose of lilacs with delicious note of warm raspberries with subtle red cherry flavor on the palate and very fine tannins.

2019 Pio Cesare, Barolo DOCG, Piedmont, Italy: 100% Nebbiolo from family-owned vineyards in Serralunga d’Alba, Grinzane Cavour, La Morra, Novello and Monforte. The earthier intensity of broken rocks and, on the palate, ripe red cherries balanced by zingy cranberries with hints of spices and fresh bay leaves with lace-like tannins.

2019 Pio Cesare, Il Bricco Vineyard, Barbaresco DOCG, Piedmont, Italy: 100% Nebbiolo that comes from the highest part of the family-owned vineyard of Il Bricco. Intriguing nose of sandalwood and cinnamon stick with darker fruit and bigger structure with marked acidity, and this wine will stand up to long-term cellaring.

2019 Pio Cesare, Ornato Vineyard, Barolo DOCG, Piedmont, Italy: 100% Nebbiolo from the family-owned prestigious vineyard Ornato in Serralunga d’Alba. A bright, inviting wine with lots of verve and life that presents delightful, pristine fruit such as red cherries, boysenberries and red currants that is balanced by savory herbs such as thyme with an elegant body and aromatic finish with aniseed notes.

2019 Pio Cesare, Mosconi Vineyard, Barolo DOCG, Piedmont, Italy: 100% Nebbiolo from the family-owned stellar vineyard Mosconi in Monforte d’Alba. This wine seduces from the first sip with lush fruit and silky tannins that caress the palate and the delectably rich, multi-layered fruit is balanced by fresh acidity and complex notes of tar and an intense minerality at its core. Despite its lush palate, it is still finely delineated with perfect precision on the very long finish. A fantastic wine that is already a superstar now but these wines age really well so try to muster up every ounce of willpower to put a few of these glorious beauties in the cellar.

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Wine Books Released By Influential Chef Who Led Best Restaurant In The World

Posted on February 11, 2024 by damewine

“Take out four fondues! The last dish in the history of El Bulli… as a restaurant! Take them out! Come on!”

An enormous roar from the clapping crowd started as intense emotions swept over the group – was it heartbreak? Sadness? Hopelessness? One might think it was at least one of those emotions but no, it was joy; joy from the sheer gratitude that they would be given one of the greatest gifts in the world – time. For there is nothing more precious in the world than to be given more time to create, think, achieve and accomplish the Herculean mission to stimulate people’s creativity worldwide and find balance within the body and mind.

Former El Bulli restaurant which is now the ‘elBulli1846’ Museum Photo Credit: Pepo Segura

El Bulli, the restaurant that ceased to exist after July 30th, 2011, allowed El Bulli, the culinary center, to be born the next day. It is fair to say that El Bulli was the best restaurant in the world and its leader, Ferran Adrià, is the most influential chef of modern times. The list of awards and accolades seems never-ending, with the proclamation of “best” and “most influential” stated numerous times during its time under the reign of the master, Ferran Adrià. Even those who achieved such awards as the “best” after he closed the restaurant were mainly chefs who either studied under him or have been greatly influenced by his accomplishments.

Ferran pushed the boundaries of avant-garde cuisines to impossible levels and didn’t simply have a key selection of celebrated dishes he would bring out year after year. Instead, he would close the restaurant each winter to create new recipes that would makeup the around 35-course meal for the following year. In the 1990s, Ferran did the unthinkable – he established gatherings where he would share his recipes with other chefs, which was unheard of at the time. But since he was always creating new ways to first give people happiness and then, second, to make them think, there was no need to jealously guard his recipes as his mission was not just to create a name for himself but instead empower all cooks to spread happiness by enlightening the minds of their patrons.

It is no wonder that when he announced the permanent closure of El Bulli the restaurant, the news was placed on the front pages of many of the most esteemed international newspapers worldwide.

Linking Knowledge

Ferran Adrià
Photo Credit: elBullifoundation

The master, Juvé & Camps, who had spent so much time bringing happiness to others, finally realized the happiest day of his own life – after he closed the restaurant. El Bulli was undoubtedly known as the best restaurant in the world. But despite two million people requesting tables per season for a restaurant that only had 52 seats per seating, with demand never being their issue, it was still barely getting by, financially. Ferran wanted to make it accessible by only charging around $325 per person as it would allow everyone to have a fair opportunity to experience such a meal. It’s shocking, considering it was considered by many the greatest of the greats, and many top restaurants in New York City easily charge $1,000 per person. So El Bulli couldn’t wholly pay all of their staff, which included 40 chefs in the expansive, ultra-modern kitchen, and Ferran said that they just got used to having no money and many talented young chefs jumped at the chance to learn from the master. But Ferran was never about having an elitist restaurant; he wanted to make people “happy” by getting them to “think” in different ways on a conscious and unconscious level and so, at a certain point, he felt the best way to devote himself to such a mission was to close the restaurant and take the time to work towards the best situation to link various types of knowledge with different disciplines, such as engineering, neuroscience, philosophy, art and cuisine, to name a few.  

Eventually, he started the El Bulli Foundation in February of 2013 with the mission to safeguard the legacy of the El Bulli restaurant, to share experiences in management and innovation that could be applied to any entrepreneurial project and to generate high-quality content for the fine dining world.

Bullipedia Wine Sapiens Volume 1
Wines Contextualization and Viticulture
Photo Credit: Cathrine Todd

Part of their mission of producing high-quality content was to devise a methodology called ‘Sapiens,’ which in Latin refers to a discerning, wise person. This methodology is both “holistic” as well as “systemic.” So, it is a system that draws on a multitude of perspectives and experiences that are all interconnected, even if their connections are not apparent at first. Yes, they have released a series of books on cuisine but, recently, they have released a series of books on wine using the Sapiens method. 

“What are a scientist, a sommelier, a philosopher, and the ‘best chef in the world’ doing at the same table?” 

That is how the Wine Sapiens books started, according to Ferran Centelles, the wine director of the El Bulli Foundation, as well as a longtime sommelier at the restaurant, and after ten years of investigative research, which is still ongoing, eight volumes with more than 4,500 pages including wine observations from a scientific, artistic and gastronomic perspective have been produced by Ferran Adrià and Ferran Centelles gathering a team of experts that spent countless hours on “discoveries, arguments, surprises, and a few (momentary) frustrations.”

Bullipedia Wine Sapiens Volume 2
Vinification and classifications
Photo Credit: Cathrine Todd

The family-owned Spanish winery, Juvé & Camps, known for their high-quality Gran Reserva Cava sparkling wines, not only helped with the research of these books by allowing them to use their expertise and research but they also took on the cost to translate volumes I and II of the Bullipedia Wine Sapiens collection so they could be available in English.

Freeing The Mind

The woman was surprised when she sat in the dining room as it was comfortable, warm and inviting, as if she had been transported to a hacienda home of a local family tucked away in a remote cove on the Costa Brava in the Spanish region of Catalonia. In a few moments, over 30 dishes would be presented to her throughout the meal and she tried to take deep breaths to subdue her nerves, which intensified with each passing second. It was exhilarating and terrifying simultaneously, as if standing at the edge of a cliff where she was ready to take that leap of faith and give herself over entirely to the journey about to start.

The first presented creation triggered the fear she had recently felt from previous sleepless nights, as it didn’t look like anything she had eaten before. Even though many called this the best gastronomic experience of their lives, others had said that they felt quickly sick by an overwhelming panic and had to stop the journey of a parade of creations, destroying the dream that they, too, would have the experience of a lifetime. But those fears that kept her in her comfort zone for most of her adult life, that were part of a slow downward spiral that started to dull her excitement and joy for living as there seemed to be nothing else to discover, were not going to stop her this time. She cleared her mind and picked up the creation that expressed itself not only by its unique color and shape but also by how it was placed on a tiny plate with waves sculpted into it, making her pick up the creation as intended. Then, after she put it in her mouth, the smell in her head, the taste, the texture and the still prevalent imprint of the visual impression all came together to give her one of the most precious things that had been taken away too early in life. She had become a child again, eating something for the first time that instantly formed many connections in her brain, giving her a tidal wave of joy and happiness that brought her back to a place in development that she could no longer remember.

That is what eating at the El Bulli restaurant did for some, while others decided not to jump off the cliff. This is what the Wine Sapiens collection also intends to accomplish: to free one’s mind so she can tap into that pure happiness of discovery that was lost long ago. 

***Link to original Forbes article: https://www.forbes.com/sites/cathrinetodd/2023/12/15/wine-books-released-by-most-influential-chef-who-led-best-restaurant-in-the-world/

2016 Juvé & Camps, Gran Reserva Cava
Photo Credit: Cathrine Todd

2016 Juvé & Camps, Gran Reserva Cava, Catalonia, Spain: Blend of Xarel·lo, Macabeo, Chardonnay and Parellada. Such a beautiful minerality from this Cava from the first sip with juicy white peach flavors enhanced by lemon peel brightness with a touch of complex aromas of spiced toast and almond cookies with an impressive overall balance of richness, acidity and delicate texture created by the finesse of the tiny bubbles caressing the palate.

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