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Orange Wine Blind Tasting

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Orange Wine Blind Tasting

The challenge was to organize an Orange Wine tasting that would be up to the panel of participants, a selected group of sommeliers, restaurateurs and wine experts. We have never backed off challenges, so we were set to work on this one.

The first objective was deciding how to organize the tasting, that is, what criteria to follow for selecting wines, and then how to organize them. To do this, it was necessary to take into account that it would not be a standard tasting in which we could compare some wines to others, since by the own characteristics of the Orange Wines, these could not be compared. With this in mind, we would choose wines produced with different varieties, from different countries and with different winemaking methods. After a thorough research, we came to the selection of ten different wines from six countries. Some of the wines used autochthonous grapes, others used international varieties.

The next step was to decide the tasting order. The decision was to start with the wines whose period of maceration on the skins was smaller and increase this period with each wine. This would allow us to see the influence of maceration with some independence of variety. Not much, but a bit at least.

The third decision was to conduct it as a blind tasting. This way each taster would face each glass of wine without knowing what was ahead, with the only clue of the maceration period and method of aging.

The wines selected and their order of presentation were as follows:

  1. Erea Da Vila 2015, Godello, Doña Blanca, Colgadeira. Daterra Viticultores. Galicia (Spain). Five days of maceration, ten months of aging in oak barrels and clay amphora.
  2. Malvasia 2014, Azienda Agricola Skerk. Carso-Kras (Italy). Ten days of maceration, twelve months in the barrel.
  3. Jakot 2010, Friulano, Azienda Agricola Dario Prinčič. Venezia Giulia IGT (Italy). Twenty-two days of maceration and twenty-four months in the barrel.
  4. Riserva di Oslavia 2012, Ribolla Gialla, Azienda Agricola Primosic, Collio DOC (Italy). Twenty-four days of maceration, twenty-four months in the barrel.
  5. SV Jakov Malvazija 2012, Malvasia, Clai Wines, Istria (Croatia). Forty days of maceration, twelve months in the barrel.
  6. Rkatsiteli 2015, Rkatsiteli, Pheasant’s Tears, Kakheti (Georgia). Three months of maceration, XXXXXXXX months in the barrel.
  7. Hirschkäfer 2014, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Weingut Andreas Tscheppe, Steirerland (Austria). Six months of maceration in the barrel.
  8. Roter Traminer 2013 Traminer, Weingut Ronald Tauss, Steirerland (Austria). Six months of maceration in the barrel.
  9. Lunar 2008, Chardonay, Movia, Brda (Slovenia). Eight months of maceration, three months in the barrel.
  10. Sol a Sol 2011, Airen, Esencia Rural, La Mancha (Spain). Fourteen months of maceration, three months in the barrel.

The tasting was not over at this point, we had another wine to offer. Being the progression from five days to fourteen months, this wine was out of position, as we planned the tasting to be ten wines, but by its characteristics, it was worth tasting it:

  1. 2014 Pinot Blanc, Pinot Blanc, Amphorenwein, Steirerland (Austria). Six months of maceration in amphora, three months of aging in amphora.

The wines showed everything. Some of them were appreciated a lot, some others were just dull. The best thing was to see the wide range of types of orange wine making and how maceration and aging affect the final result. Then the wines were graded. A simple method: choose the three wines you liked the most. To the chosen ones in first position they were given 3 points. Two points to the chosen ones in second position and a point to the chosen ones in third position. The result for the wines scored came up as follows:

  1. Riserva di Oslavia 2012, Primosic: 29 points.
  2. Malvasia 2014, Skerk: 9 points.
  3. SV Jakov Malvasia 2012, Clai Wines: 9 points.
  4. Hirschkäffer 2014, Weingut Andreas Tscheppe: 9
  5. Erea Da Vila 2015, Daterra Winegrowers: 8 points.
  6. Jakot 2010, Azienda Agricola Dario Princic: 7 points.
  7. Sol a Sol 2011, Essence Rural: 1 point.

We have to say that the wines not getting points was not due to lack of quality. All wines were good and very good. But sometimes, in comparison, a wine feels a bit out of place. Lunar 2008 and Pinot Blanc 2014 were very good wines in our opinion. The Rkatsiteli, for example, was a true example of what an Orange wine should be, especially coming from the place these kind of wines were originating, Georgia, but it didn’t show anything of interest.

It was a great evening, very interesting wines.

Bernabé Navarro, Orange Wines in Alicante

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Bernabé Navarro, Orange Wines in Alicante

It is very nice to be recommended a restaurant in a village lost in the mountains of which you are told that you eat very well. The second thing you think about is what kind of wine you’ll find on it. And to myself I say “Alicante … on the mountain …. It is possible that the usual suspects … “. So I almost decided to ask for some Coca-Colas, which maridan well with everything. But hope is the last thing that is lost, even in the mountains. Taking a look at the wine list I begin to see what I feared. So I asked the owner: “And Rafa Bernabé has something?” Looks at me and tells me: “I have Longdrink and Beryna”. Smile of satisfaction, a clear among the clouds. “So do not talk anymore. First the first and second the second. “

So we enjoyed the good food from the site, which it was and a lot, with two wines that were well worth it. LongdrinkMonastrell 2013 is a 100% fermented in stainless and without aging. Wine young and rich. Beryna 2012 Monastrell and Garnacha is 14 months in new oak is also very rich.

These two were the first wines we enjoyed a winery located in Villena, Alicante Province. A few months went by and at that time we began to plan a visit and write about this Alicante winery. Meanwhile, fell into our hands a bottle of your Benimaquia Tinajas 2015, Orange wine that captivated us from the first drink. Meseguera and Moscatel six months of contact with the skins and aged in earthenware jars. A very striking color, a very intense nose and a mouth that represents what must be an orange wine made in jar.

Later, but not much, we had the opportunity to test two sparkling Barnabas, both made according to the ancestral method: Acequión 2013, Muscat of Alexandria 100%. A wine that is well worth it. With Benimaquia still recent in our taste buds, Acequión offered us the same aromas and flavors but with the peculiarity of having bubbles. Very rich and very pleasant to drink. Tipzzy 2015, Monastrell and Garnacha. Another good example of Rafa Barnabé’s work with sparkling wines.

After tasting these wines, it seemed Bodegas Bernabé Navarro write about and its owner and winemaker, Rafa Bernabé. And especially about the wines that are made in jars, which are three white wines, two red and one pink.

The whites are made with an assemblage of Moscatel and Meseguera and the difference between them is the time that they remain in the amphoras. Tinajas de la Mata has four months of aging, Benimaquia Tinajas grows for six months and Flor de la Mata aged for twenty four months. The breeding of the latter is also on flower veil.

The two red wines are friendship, made with the variety Rojal and four months barrel, and Cuvée Juan Padilla, 100% Monastrell and twelve months aging vat.

Finally, the pink is Musikanto, 100% Garnacha and four months aging in barrel.

All of them made with grapes from organic agriculture, like the rest of the house wines.

There are more wines in the cellar that you have to try. Little by little all roads are gone, because these five wines are only the beginning.

Soon we will talk with Rafa Bernabé about his wines and his wine philosophy.

Photos (c) Bodegas Bernabé Navarro

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What is a natural wine? And an organic wine? A biodynamic wine?

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What is a natural wine? And an organic wine? A biodynamic wine?

Although the name of this blog is Orange Wines we will also talk about these wines, both white and red, produced in amphorae or clay vessels, those red wines macerated with their skins more than usual, or those wines produced following the lunar phases. Therefore, we should speak a little about the differences between them.

Orange wines (also amber wines): First and most important is that these are wines not made with oranges or with orange skins floating inside the bottle. In fact, they are not related to oranges at all. They are wines whose fermentation is carried out macerating the must with their skins for long periods of time, usually in buried clay or terracotta amphorae, though there are also winemakers using large oak barrels. This process makes the wine acquire orange or amber tones, which is where the name comes from. Its origin is in the Caucasus area a few millennia ago. These are wines that have a great tanicity for being white wines and because of their elaboration, they endure long periods of aging in bottle.

Natural wines: Wines made in a way that the minimum intervention in the processes of viticulture and winemaking is conducted. Some producers refer to this as “accompanying the wine in its path through life” rather than making a wine. The grapes follow the methods of organic farming and/or biodynamic and are usually harvested by hand, including in many cases also treading instead of pressing. In general, sulfites are not usually added. Native yeasts and bacteria are used and industrial ones are not added. Wine levels (sugars, alcohol, acidity, etc.) are not corrected, and wines are not filtered, stabilized or clarified prior to bottling. There are producers who follow the lunar and/or astrological calendar. There is no certification body for natural viticulture.

Organic wines: Actually, there is no such thing as organic wine but is more properly called wine made with organically grown grapes. Work on the field does not include chemical fertilizers, pesticides, fungicides or herbicides. The grapes must have been certified as organic for later use for winemaking. The main objective of this style of elaboration is to preserve the balance of the agroecosystem and the environment. It is allowed to use oenological products, limited addition of sulphites and to use egg albumin and bentonite for wine clarification.

Biodynamic wines: Biodynamic farming is rooted in anthroposophy of Rudolf Steiner, the science that combines medicine, osteopathy and astrology. It follows a philosophy according to which grapes and wines are part of a natural dynamics in the cellar in which they are integrated together with the other elements, including man, into a large single set. To be biodynamic you have to be first organic or ecological and as with organic farming, no chemical fertilizers, pesticides, fungicides or herbicides are used in vineyard work. In turn, many of these works are done with copper-made tools so as not to not damage the integrity of the soil. The processes are performed according to the lunar calendar, that is, there are specific days to planting, harvesting, bottling or tasting wine, as the lunar phases affect their behavior. There are several certifying bodies of both organic and biodynamic wines and wine cellars, whose seals are included in the labels. Demeter is the most widespread private certification body.

 

Orange Wine Blind Tasting

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Orange Wine Blind Tasting

Esta tarde/noche un grupo de intrépidos someliers y expertos en vino se enfrentará a 10 botellas tapadas que contienen diferentes Orange Wines. 6 países, 8 variedades distintas.

Cual será el resultado?

Pronto lo sabremos.

Sara Pérez, winemaking soul of Priorat’s Mas Martinet

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Sara Pérez, winemaking soul of Priorat’s Mas Martinet

We recently talked about the Priorat and especially Mas Martinet winery. Today we talk with Sara Pérez, the house winemaker.

Good morning, Sara and thank you very much for your cooperation. I am so passionate about Priorat and I have always liked the character that Grenache and Carignan show here. Where this comes from?

Well, it is very possible that you are attracted by the strength of Priorat’s expression, so profound, so ferric, so particular and so unique, so well expressed through these two traditional varieties of our area.

These are two grapes that we find both together in blends and on their own in single-varietal wines but some other varieties are not frequently seen in this same high proportion. What is the contribution of Cabernet, Merlot or Syrah to your wines?

They contribute to my wines as they contributed to the change in the Priorat during the late 1980s. Some of these varieties were planted here just after phylloxera in a small proportion, and then they increased greatly in the early 1990s, as they were the base of the change for the wines of the Clos generation. Thus, Clos Martinet is elaborated with Grenache and Carignan and also with Syrah, Cabernet and Merlot.

It is not WHAT these varieties provide to particular wine, but HOW the generation of my parents explained the world, using these varieties as a springboard for change.

Keeping them in the Clos Martinet blend is a tribute to that generation, just as it is a tribute to the post-phylloxera generation, to have trusted Carignan and to have rescued it from oblivion, loss of prestige and emptiness.

Your wines go through long periods of aging that are not so common in other places around.

For many decades, the regions of great wines have conducted long ageing periods to ripen, polish and stabilize the wines. It is a measure of time different from the one we are using nowadays… Previous generations believed that good wines, like many other things in life, need time… And I share that belief.

What are you looking for using clay amphora for ageing? And what about the use of cement? What do they bring into your wines?

The quest is not about the amphora or cement themselves. Clay is a material that, like wood, concrete or glass, serves me as tool to accompany and enhance the expression of a plot, a vintage, a wine. The material, its shape and volume of each vessel modulate, interfere, accompany, diminish, enhance, add, purify, modify and respect the expression of the wine.

I try to understand which is the potential of each plot, what expression each vintage has, and what each generation tries to tell. And then I try to put it all in a bottle.

Which variety do you enjoy the most working, or which one is the best?

Variety is another tool I work with. In itself, a variety is not either good, nor bad, nor better nor worse… I do not understand a variety without a landscape, without an objective…

How is the process of ageing and assembling a wine like Clos Martinet, i.e. the different varieties are vinified separately and then they are assembled at the end or they are vinified and aged all together?

Clos Martinet is a single-vineyard wine. It is a single plot with five different varieties. Each variety is pruned in winter in different weeks, respecting their long or short cycles, to arrive at the moment of harvest at the same time. So I can do co-fermentation and vinify the plot as a whole. I mix all the grapes of the different varieties until the varietal character disappears…, and at that moment, the expression of plot is born.

How is the Els Escurçons vineyard? What’s so special in it?

You have to come, climb, walk and feel it. It is a magical place. And ancestral. A place that connects you with the essence, with history and with nature.

Where do you enjoy your work more, in the vineyard or in the cellar?

Uff! I do not understand the one without the other!!!! The cycle in the vineyard is one year, and in the cellar is longer and more relaxed. I go out, I go in, I go in, I go out… But the wine, I see it and I understand it from the vineyard…

If I could choose a Clos Martinet from a particular vintage, which one would you recommend me?

It depends… I have some mythical vintages because of situations and moments lived… vintages that in their youth were spectacular or some old ones that surprise me and against all odds take me to ecstasy…

Keeping this in mind, and right off the bat, I would say 1993, 1994, 2000, 2004, 2009 and 2015.

What differences there are between working a single-varietal wine and a blend?

Uff… it depends… In my case, I work with Els Escurçons (monovarietal Grenache) and Clos Martinet (blend of five varieties)… In both cases, I seek to show the character of each plot, its expression in a determined vintage through some vines that someone decided to plant with a goal in mind.

So I would say that finding the complexity in the single-varietal and unity in the blend would be the most significant difference, to reach the same point. It is like walking from different starting points trying to reach the same end.

Do you have plans for producing rosé or white wines in Mas Martinet?

We are producing a white wine using Picapoll, White Garnacha and Pedro Ximénez from the Camí Pesseroles vineyard since 2008. However, I have never sold it. Someday it will come out. Now it rests, ages, grows, and shows us paths to follow.

Rosé… we will see…

In La Universal in the Montsant you elaborate Venus with Carignan, Grenache and Syrah, Dido with Syrah and Merlot/Cabernet and Dido Blanc with Macabeo, White Garnacha and Cartoixà. A pink wine, La Solució Rosa with White, Grey and Garnacha Tinta, Cariñena and Macabeo. How do the Garnacha and the Carinyena grow in the Montsant as compared to the Priorat?

Different soils, different climates… Two different worlds.

The elegance, the freshness and the complexity these varieties so deeply show in Priorat can also be shown in Montsant, it gives you goose skin. The old vineyards of Carinyena in Montsant need between 15 and 17 years in the bottle to awaken our senses… and when they do, the journey is sublime.

What is your personal seal, what makes a Sara Pérez wine?

Wines are first and foremost a place and a moment. And I hope I do not recognize my hand in them, though I take my decisions. Decisions that have to do with respect, diversity and time. The wines in which I am involved have a part of a creative process, which we do not recognize in wine, but it is part of its path. And mine too.

Thank you very much for your cooperation, Sara.

Photos (c) Josep Oliva

Dario Prinčič, the soul of the Orange wines in Oslavia

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Dario Prinčič, the soul of the Orange wines in Oslavia

The more we taste white wines with longer periods of maceration in contact with the skins the more we like them. It is funny being in a wine tasting and seeing people’s faces when they taste one of these wines. They say the wine is unclean, or the wine tastes dirty, or the variety characteristics are not identifiable, while we look at the glass and we simply love the wine. We are aware that lately our wine taste has changed a lot, we run away from mainstream wine than doesn’t give us anything. On the contrary, these other wines are incredible to us. And they are a world to discover, being the wines from Georgia, France, Slovenia, Croatia, Austria or our beloved Friuli-Venezia-Giulia in Italy.

We are happy in our ‘freaky style’ of wines. In fact, we have had the chance to discover great wines and meet wonderful people making these wines. As we have discussed in the past, the people in Wineworld is the real treasure you can discover here. If not for them for their passion, for their love for the terroir and their love for understanding wine, we wouldn’t be here talking about what they do.

Dario Prinčič is one of these wine producers from Friuli. One day, a few vintages ago, he decided to start elaborating wine with the grapes he was cultivating, instead of selling them to local wineries. The year was 1993. After a few years doing wine in, let’s say, the regular way, he decided to experiment with longer period of must maceration in contact with the skins with part of the wines. The experiment was a success and the next harvest he started doing it with all his production.

Azienda Agricola Dario Prinčič is located in the village of Oslavia, just north of the town of Gorizia, and a few steps from the border with Slovenia. Maybe this location rings a bell for you, and yes, you are right. Dario Prinčič is one of the members of the association called Associazione Produttori Ribolla Di Oslavia, formed by Italian producers elaborating wines with the Ribolla Gialla variety, which they call the Yellow Soul of Oslavia. Six producers created the association: Silvan Primosic, Dario Prinčič, Stanko Radikon, Rinaldo Fiegl, Franco Sosol (Il Carpino) and Nicolò Bensa (La Castellada). Have you tasted Ribolla Gialla? Here in Oslavia you can find wines produced in different styles: dry, young dry, oak aged, Orange and sparkling. Sometime soon even sweet, so it is more than worth it giving it a try.

10 hectares densely planted (about 8.000 vines per hectare) form the property, with almost all the vineyards with a Southeast exposure. The land is very steep, the soil is clay and sandstone and they do everything by hand.

After harvest, once the grapes are in the cellar they are de-stemmed and placed in open oak vats for the maceration with no temperature control, no added yeasts and no use of sulfur whatsoever.

Dario employs different periods of maceration depending on the variety of the grape. The variety with the lesser time of the must in contact with the skins is the Pinot Grigio, for 8 days, and it goes all the way to the 45 days of the Cabernet Sauvignon. Grape skins must be always covered with wine. Thus, during all the process the cap is pushed down manually 3-4 times a day. After pressing, the must goes to old wooden barrels and barriques. Before bottling, the wine stays 6 months in stainless steel tanks for natural fining. During bottling a small addition of sulfur (15–20 mg/l) is done. The wines are bottled unfiltered and often show a brilliant orange color in the glass.

Five white wines and two red wines for the production of Azienda Agricola Dario Prinčič. Three white wines are single varietals, all Venezia Giulia IGT:

Ribolla Gialla: The yellow Ribolla is the most important of the local varieties. Its thick skin is one of most indicated for long maceration periods. The maceration usually lasts 35 days in open oak vats without temperature control. The aging is done in old oak barrels for 24 months.

Jakot. 100% Tocai Friulano. Another local variety. The maceration usually lasts 22 days in open oak vats. The aging is done in old oak barriques for 24 months.

Pinot Grigio. This is an unusual macerated Pinto Grigio. Dario’s Pinot Grigio has an amber color due to the skin contact maceration that usually lasts 8 days. The aging is in old oak barriques for 18 months.

Then we have two white blends:

Bianco Trebež. This wine is a blend of Chardonnay (30%), Sauvignon (40%) and Pinot Grigio (30%). The maceration takes place separately: Pinot Grigio stays on the skins for 8 days, Chardonnay and Sauvignon for 18 days. After that time the must of these grapes are mixed together and it ages in old oak barrels for 20 months.

Favola: This wine is a blend of Chardonnay, Sauvignon, Pinot Grigio, Tocai Friulano and Ribolla Gialla. After an attack of Peronospora (fungal disease) in 2008 the whole production has been compromised, only 10 percent of grapes have been saved. Skin contact maceration lasted 60 days. The aging was in old oak barriques for 30 months.

Finally we have two red single varietals:

Merlot. 100% Merlot. The maceration lasts 35 days in open oak vats. The aging is in old oak barriques for 7 years.

Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine with the longest maceration period, 45 days in open oak vats. The aging is done old oak barriques for 9 years.

Soon we will talk to Dario about his wines and his winemaking philosophy.

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Azienda Agricola Foradori, amphora wines produced under the Dolomiti

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Azienda Agricola Foradori, amphora wines produced under the Dolomiti

When we think about Italian wines we almost immediately think about Barolo, Barbaresco, Brunello and Chianti wines. Then if we like to investigate we also know about Amarone, Barbera and Sicilian wines. Then we are wine connoisseurs and we know about Friuli wines too. But you have to know that there are many more areas in which Italian winemakers produce great wines. One of these areas is in the North, in the border with Austria. The Dolomites are a set of mountain groups spanning the Veneto, Trentino-Alto Adige and Friuli-Venezia Giulia regions in Italy. Viticulture is widespread mainly in the western part of the Dolomites, in the Trentino and Alto Adige areas. Here, besides the good wines made with autochthonous Lagrein variety in Alto Adige, there is another highly interesting IGT for us: Vigneti delle Dolomiti IGT. We will talk about one particular Azienda Agricola here, not only because they produce great wines using local red Teroldego and white Nosiola varieties, but also because they have a strong connection with Spain. Azienda Agricola Foradori uses amphora for ageing its wines, and these vessels, qvevri or tinajas they use, are made in Spain by a traditional manufacturer in Villarrobledo, in the province of Albacete.

Having in mind the objective of obtaining a great wine produced in amphora, you need to go through a highly delicate process for making the right vessels. The four elements present in Nature are needed for this task:

  • You need the Earth in the form of the clay that must be cleared of any impurities that might affect the wine.
  • You need Water, which will make the clay powder into a past that you will shape as a vessel.
  • You need Fire, which will harden the clay to make the amphora ready to be used.
  • You need Air, as once the amphora is elaborated it has to be left in the open to dry.

Elisabetta Foradori is the woman in charge of this small winery in the outskirts of Trento, from where the Villa Fontanasanta overlooks the city. The vineyards are scattered in the neighbor villages. Two hectares are located in Campo Rotaliano, two more are in Fontanasanta, ten hectares are in Mezzolombardo… They mostly use the two aforementioned local varieties Teroldego and Nosiola. Teroldego is planted mainly with the pergola trellising system. Back in 1971 the production of Teroldego led to the registration of the first Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC) of the Trentino region. Back then, however, the goal of the wineries was to produce huge quantities of grapes, sometimes up to 17 tons/hectare, neglecting quality for quantity. In recent years, a few producers are showing a renewed interest in the conservation of biodiversity in the vineyards and a concern for the originality of wine, decreasing the use of synthetic chemicals and reducing the degree of mechanization in the different productive phases. Thus, the yields of the vineyards nowadays are lesser than those huge amounts of those times.

Teroldego is the grape mainly used by Foradori, with which they elaborate four wines, all of them Vigneti delle Dolomiti IGT. Two wines age in wood and two more age in amphora:

Foradori: with 15 months in wood and cement casks and 90.000 bottles per year is the main wine of the azienda.

Granato: with 15 months in wood and 20.000 bottles per year.

Morei: spends 8 months on the skins in amphora and 10.000 bottles per year.

Sgarzon: spends 8 months on the skins in amphora and 10.000 bottles per year.

Their three white wines are also Vigneti delle Dolomiti IGT:

Fontanasanta Manzoni Bianco: fermented on the skins in cement tanks and then aged for 12 months in acacia casks. 20.000 bottles per year.

Fuoripista Pinot Grigio: with 8 months on the skins in amphora and 8.000 bottles per year.

Fontanasanta Nosiola: with 8 months on the skins in amphora and 8.000 bottles per year.

As we see the vinification process are very diverse, using amphora, acacia wood and cement tanks. Very interesting things that we need to discover. We will focus on the wines macerated in amphora on the skins, especially the Nosiola and the Fuoripista, as they are made with two varieties rarely used for Orange wines outside of Trento.

We will soon talk to Elisabetta about her wines and winemaking philosophy.

Photos (C) Azienda Agricola Foradori

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Why we do produce amphorae wines?

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Why we do produce amphorae wines?
Wines elaborated in Amphora, a special product with a bright future

By Helmut Kaiser and Gerhard Sacher (www.amphorenwein.at)

The modern winemaking and the modern winemaker of today are highly professional specialists on several levels. The focus is on the cultivation of the vine, the understanding of soil and vines, trellising, canopy management, harvesting time and the correct use of the necessary machinery. As a second focus, the work in the cellar requires expensive technical equipment with controllable tanks, pipes for hot and cold water, steaming, CO2, nitrogen and oxygen. An elaborate cellar technique requires a profound training, pressing, fermentation, vinification, storage, wine stabilization and so on. Finally, it has to meet extensive legal regulations regarding processing, ingredients and wine description up to the font size on labels and to withstand various test methods. The ultimate goal is a high-quality “high-tech product” wine, which can be produced in continuous quality in large quantities, regardless of random events. A defined regionality in quality and diversity of varieties, tailored to the taste of the consumer, is permitted or even wanted.

The producers are thus subject to a tight corset, which has the advantage of the direct comparability of their product wine to that of the competition.

It is not surprising that alternatives to this very strictly defined production are sought everywhere, either wholly or experimentally, to a lesser restricted mode of production.

Thus, more and more winemakers are drawn “back to the roots”. Jŏsko Gravner (Friuli), Elisabetta Foradori (Trentino), Marino Markezic (Istria), Giusto Occhipinti (Sicily), Jean Claude Lapalu (Beaujolais), Yves Canarelli (Corsica), Amédée Mathier (Valais), Kabaj (Slovenia), José de Sousa (Alentejo) or Peter Jakob Kühn (Rheingau) are among the first to develop their wines in clay amphorae. In Styria, Sepp Muster was also a pioneer, inspired by Carl Smith (violist at the Grazer Oper and winegrower in the South Styria) after a study stay in Karchesia (Georgia). Either amphorae from Spain, so-called Tinajas or quevris from Georgia are used. In today’s Georgia (considered as the birthplace of wine) the tradition of the ageing in amphora has been preserved since the old days. These clay vessels are produced up to a volume of 2,000 liters. Unfortunately, the old technology of production is dominated by only a few specialists, there are no apprentices and so it is to be feared that this old art will be lost if no actions to prevent it are taken. Our 3 amphorae (volume between 250 and 350 liters) also come from Georgia.

Opposed to traditional winemaking, wine made in amphora is a “natural product” that best reflects the interaction of terroir, cultivation and care of the vines, climate, etc. and the natural, unadulterated character of the grapes.

Keeping in mind these variables, each vintage will be different and the traceability from year to year is comparably lower. Our work in the Weingarten Grafendorf/Reibersdorf is performed according to the tradition of amphora cultivation:

Only absolutely clean, healthy and mature grapes are used. The grapes are handpicked and then they are carefully checked before sliding them into unsulphurised amphorae.

The fermentation is spontaneous, i.e. with pure yeast and enzymes. Red and white grapes are fermented in the same way, together with berry skins. It is only after weeks or months that the skins are separated from the wine – a special pressing process with high-performance press machines is therefore not necessary. A simple basket press is enough. After one year of ageing in wooden barrels, our amphora wines reach their optimum drinking point after another year in the bottle.

The wine obtained is characterized by tannins with a dense polyphenolic structure, orange color and aromas of spices, herbs, dried fruits and nuts. Thus, fermented wine from white grapes also corresponds to production according to the criteria of Orange Wine of the “Fourth Color of Wine” (Egon Berger). Sulfurization can be omitted or limited to a minimum because of the tannin content.

However, high cellar hygiene and, above all, the best, healthy grapes are required to achieve a good result. Control of the fermentation process or correction of wine defects is not possible in the amphorae. A special feature is the constant temperature in the vessels buried underground and free of any kind of vibration. The Georgian Quevris also allow micro-oxidation and some exchange with the surrounding soil. Thus our amphorae are buried into the Earth where the wine grows.

Amphora wines usually come from organic or biodynamic agriculture and therefore they meet the criteria for being considered as bio-wine. Our vineyards are also biologically cultivated, for plant protection we use only sulfur and copper products approved for biological viticulture. The weeds in the vineyards are mechanically removed. The lanes are not driven and the grass is mowed by hand. The slopes between the terraces reveal semi-dry grassland with high biodiversity, which is promoted by mowing and removing the mowed material. For the fertilization of the terraces we use compost, terra präta (a type of dark fertile manmade soil based on a mixture of charcoal, bone and manure) and occasionally bio fertilizer.

In summary, it can be said that in contrast to conventional wines, amphora wine is also called natural wine. By fermentation and maceration with the skins, more tannins and color are extracted. Appearance, aromas and taste can vary considerably. This is a millenary method based on continuous cooling by the soil and also on static grounds to prevent the bursting of the amphorae. There are no possibilities to carry out any correction during fermentation in the clay vessels, so it is necessary to harvest perfect grapes. The ageing is to a certain extent oxidative.

Our thanks go to the authors of this article.

Paolo Scavino, artisan work with oak in Barolo

Aitor Trabado
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Paolo Scavino, artisan work with oak in Barolo

Originally published in miamigoelvino.com 25/05/2017.

We like a lot to do wine research. Not talking about doing wine tasting but more about studying and learning more in depth about winemaking processes, winemakers and the history of relevant wine areas. It is highly passionate to discover people doing really interesting things in faraway places and how years developed into what we know nowadays. The battles of the past, for example, the birth of DOs, AOCs or DOCGs around the globe.

Normally, you know different things about the way they make wine in Rioja for example, where they use French and American oak 225-liter oak barrels for ageing the wine. Or in Valpolicella in Italy where the most classic way for ageing the wine are big Slavonian oak botti of 5, 10, 15 or 20 hectoliter. The difference between producers in these areas can be how old the oak is or how many times they use each barrel. But what happens when you find a place in which the use of oak turned into a battle between producers? This is what happened in Barolo, with the so-called Battle of Barolo.

In the late 1970s there were two ways of facing vineyard labor and wine ageing. Some young winemakers started going against old customs performing green harvest which was seen by their elder as a sacrilege. At the same time, the use of oak in the cellars resulted in another confrontation. The so-called Traditionalist producers were defending the complexity and elegance in their wines using large casks or botti that would help soften the typical harsh tannins of the Nebbiolo grape. This tanicity came from longer period of maceration to extract color which brought high tannin levels. On the other hand, the Modernist producers wanted wines with power and concentration coming from the use of more matured grapes, thus reducing maceration time and keeping the use of the 225-liter barrels that would make their wines get into the top positions of point-awarding magazines’ lists. This situation dragged well until the new century, when a new in-between style of making wines started to be predominant.

Paolo Scavino is a family-owned Azienda Agricola located in Barolo country, in the village of Castiglione Falletto. It was founded in the year 1921 by Lorenzo Scavino and his son Paolo, and nowadays it is run by Enrico Scavino and his two daughters, Enrica and Elisa. The Scavino family distinguishes itself from the beginning for the scrupulous care of the vineyards and passion for terroir. Their core beliefs is the supremacy of the viticulture above the oenology. They work to show and valorize the unique expression and identity of the 20 historical cru they own in 7 of the 11 villages of Barolo area. Such fragmentation is quite exceptional but extremely valuable. It’s an opportunity to valorize Nature diversities. Purity of expression, complexity and elegance it’s what they aim for their wines.

Rocche dell’Annunziata is the Barolo Riserva of Scavino family, a historical, prestigious grand cru from La Morra village purchased in 1990.

From the homonymous vineyard of Monvigliero comes the second Barolo that can be properly considered the grand cru of Verduno village. This cru was first vinified for the 2000 vintage and blended into the Barolo until the 2007 vintage, when this vineyard was bought by the Scavino family and made as a single cru.

Bric del Fiasc is for sure the most representative Barolo of their estate. The Scavino family own this vineyard, located in Castiglione Falletto, from 1921. Here the Nebbiolo grapes were always the best: consequently in 1978 Enrico convinced his father Paolo to vinify these grapes separately and show for the first time the potential of this site. One of the first grand cru to be made as single vineyard Barolo. Image and identity of Paolo Scavino winery. Over the years Bric del Fiasc has been recognized as one of the best expression of Barolo and has been rated several times as one of the top wines from the most important wine experts and magazines.

Trying always to find the best expressions for his Barolos, Enrico, helped today by Elisa, has changed a bit in the years his vinification and aging process. Today the maceration and alcoholic fermentation in stainless steel rotofermenters is followed by 10 months of aging in 225 liters French barrels with only a 15/20% of new oak and other 12 months in big casks of 5,000 liters of French and Slavonian Oak.

Soon we will talk to Elisa Scavino about her winemaking philosophy and the use of different oak vessels for the ageing of their wines.

Photos (c) Paolo Scavino

Daterra Viticultores, pasión por la tierra en Val do Bibei

Aitor Trabado
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0
Daterra Viticultores, pasión por la tierra en Val do Bibei

Viticultura heroica. Así se suele llamar a la manera de trabajar la tierra en esos lugares donde las vides están plantadas en bancales o laderas escarpadas y las calles entre ellas son tan estrechas y empinadas que todos los trabajos se hacen a mano y con grandes dificultades. Así se hace en muchas zonas del Douro portugués y también en Galicia, donde los cañones del rio Sil y su afluente el rio Bibei se caracterizan por esta orografía tan particular. Este último lugar, en el Val do Bibei, en Manzaneda, donde encontramos el límite suroriental de la Ribeira Sacra, es nuestra parada de hoy para hablar de una viticultora que destaca por la elaboración y calidad de sus vinos: Laura Lorenzo, propietaria de Daterra Viticultores.

El trabajo de Laura es muy apreciado por los amantes de los vinos diferentes, hechos con pasión y donde destaca el uso de variedades autóctonas para hacer vinificaciones especiales. A pesar de su producción limitada, puedes encontrar sus vinos en tiendas especializadas y cuando preguntas, consigues mucha información sobre ella y sus vinos.

Laura dispone de un total de 4,5 hectáreas desde 2015, repartidas por diferentes pueblos de la villa de Manzaneda y Trives. En Seoane, Langullo, Soutipedre, San Vicenzo, Mendoia y San Fiz podemos encontrar parcelas tan pequeñas como alguna de 400 m2 hasta la más grande de cerca de 2.500 m2. En ellas se trabajan variedades locales que en muchos casos están mezcladas en el mismo viñedo. Las variedades blancas son Godello, Palomino, Doña Blanca y Colgadeira, estas dos últimas con casi un 90% de total de uva blanca. Las variedades tintas son Garnacha Tintorera (conocida también como Alicante Bouchet), Gran Negro, Merenzao, Mouratón y Mencía. Estas dos últimas representan el 80% del total de uva tinta plantada.

En Daterra se practica un sistema de principios agrícolas y sociales, políticos y económicos basados en las características del ecosistema natural. Este sistema se conoce como Permacultura y está sustentado sobre tres pilares fundamentales: la Tierra, utilizando procesos naturales: vegetación, suelos, etc. Las Personas, por medio de la creación de colectivos locales de apoyo mutuo y por último los Recursos, compartiendo materiales para evitar consumos innecesarios.

Muchas de las vides de Laura son viejas, alguna se cree que puede ser pre-filoxéricas (con hasta 120 años de edad) y ofrecen un rendimiento bajo, en torno a 1 kilo por cepa, debido a su edad y las condiciones del terreno.

Daterra Viticultores ofrece seis vinos en su catálogo. Uno de los motivos que nos atraen del proyecto de Laura es que macera el mosto en contacto con las pieles y trabaja con ánforas de arcilla para la crianza de sus dos vinos blancos y uno de los tintos.

Erea da Vila (Manzaneda) está elaborado con Godello, Doña Blanca y Colgadeira. El rendimiento por planta varía entre 200 y 1.000 gramos. El mosto macera con las pieles y pepitas durante cinco días. La crianza tiene lugar en barricas viejas de roble de 225 litros y en ánforas de arcilla de 200 litros durante un periodo de diez meses. No se añaden aditivos enológicos, excepto una dosis de sulfito mínima. Sin clarificado ni filtrado. En la añada 2015 se elaboraron 1.388 botellas.

Gavela da Vila (Manzaneda) es Palomino 100% de plantas cuyo rendimiento varía entre 200 y 1.000 gramos. El mosto macera con las pieles y pepitas durante siete días y la crianza se hace en barricas viejas de roble de 225 y 500 litros y en ánforas de arcilla de 200 litros, también durante diez meses. No se añaden aditivos enológicos, excepto una dosis de sulfito mínima. Sin clarificado ni filtrado. En la añada 2015 se elaboraron 1.590 botellas.

El tercer vino que pasa por ánfora es Azos do Pobo (Soutipedre), hecho con Mencía, Merenzao, Gran Negro, Garnacha Tintorera, Mouratón y otras desconocidas. La separación del mosto de las pieles se hace pasados dieciséis días. La crianza se hace en barricas viejas de roble de 225 y 500 litros y ánforas de 200 litros durante 12 meses. No se añaden aditivos enológicos, ni se clarifica ni filtra. En 2015 se elaboraron 2.689 botellas.

Portela do Vento (Ribeira Sacra) es un tinto del cual en 2015 se elaboraron 2.657 botellas. A base de 90% de Mencía y 10% de Garnacha Tintorera. El rendimiento por planta es alrededor de 1,8 kilos. La fermentación espontánea se realiza en depósito sin adicción de levaduras comerciales. La crianza es en barricas de 500 litros de roble francés. Sin estabilizar, clarificar ni filtrar. Dosis mínimas de sulfitos.

Azos da Vila es un vino elaborado con las variedades Mencía, Merenzao, Gran Negro, Garnacha Tintorera, Mouratón y otras desconocidas. Tras quince días, se separa el vino de las pieles. La crianza se lleva a cabo en barricas viejas de roble de 225 y 500 litros durante 12 meses. No se añaden aditivos enológicos, ni se clarifica ni filtra. En 2015 se elaboraron 2.689 botellas.

El tercer vino tinto es Casas de Enriba (Valdeorras) del cual en 2015 se elaboraron 1.611 botellas. A base de Mencía (80%) y Godello (20%) con un rendimiento por planta de 800 gramos. Crianza en barricas de 500 litros de roble francés. Sin estabilizar, clarificar ni filtrar. No contiene aditivos enológicos, excepto sulfitos en baja dosis.

Tres vinos de Laura han pasado por ánfora: los dos blancos y un tinto. Sobre ellos y sobre su filosofía vitivinícola hablaremos con ella en breve.

Fotos (C) Laura Lorenzo

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