The Inside Story from Italian Wine Merchants

A New Yorker in Bolgheri

working a harvest in Toscana

This past fall, IWM Purchasing Analyst Tara Carille had the unparalleled opportunity of working the harvest at Le Macchiole. Below is a brief introduction to her experience picking grapes, sorting them, and doing the work that makes the magical wines of Le Macchiole possible.

I always thought I had a good idea of how much work and dedication goes into making wine, but that appreciation exploded when I got to work the harvest this September at Le Macchiole. Everyone is so dedicated and pulls such long hours. Despite the intensity it’s a fun atmosphere and people were genuinely excited to be a part of the process—including myself. I have a new appreciation for the difference in price and rank of wines and how they are made. For example, to choose the grapes that make up Messorio (the estate’s highly regarded mono-varietal Merlot) there are about 14 people working specifically (and this is excluding the hand selection in the vineyard) to ensure that only the very best grapes (and a small amount of stems, leaves or any altering objects) go into the press.

To the left is a photo of the second sorting table inside the cantina. After the bundles of grapes are harvested by hand, the bunches are loaded onto a first sorting table where the bad bunches are thrown before going into the destemmer. Following destemming, the grapes fall into the second sorting table where workers ensure that only the very best grapes (and a small amount of stems, leaves or any altering objects) go into the crusher.

I had my first experience in the vineyard harvesting grapes for Le Macchiole’s 100% Syrah called Scrio. It had rained pretty hard the night before, so it was wet and muddy, but that didn’t take away the excitement for me; I had no problem destroying my sneakers or clothes for a little time in the vineyard. Everything from pruning, trimming and harvesting is done by hand at Le Macchiole, which means I was handed clippers and a pair of gloves and sent out to ensure only the belle uve (beautiful grapes) make it back to the Cantina. After about four hours of picking I returned back from the vineyard named Puttone (Le Macchiole has seven vineyards that takes up about 22 hectares of Bolgheri land) with many crates full of Syrah and purple soaked hands (it took a really good manicure to get my cuticle back to normal).

A Marathon Rhone Valley Wine Tasting and Beyond

Surprise and controversy in the outliers

This blog post was co-authored by Chris Deas and Rob Allen

On the evening of March 25th, a group of ten wine enthusiasts gathered at IWM for a blind tasting of wines from France’s Rhone Valley, the 125-mile stretch between the ancient Roman city of Vienne (just south of Lyon) and Avignon.  We enjoyed a collection of 21 wines from both our guests and the IWM cellar that not only covered the Rhone, but ventured out to the neighboring regions of Languedoc and Roussillon, and we also sampled some outliers from the Loire Valley, Rioja, McLaren Vale and Toscana.  Ironically, it was these outliers—specifically the 2006 Grange des Peres, a 1990 Lopez de Heredia Vina Tondonia Rioja Blanco Riserva, and a 1998 d’Arenberg The Dead Arm Shiraz—that were the surprise wines of the night, but they weren’t without controversy.  However, when a lineup includes four selections from Jean-Louis Chave, Chapoutier’s Hermitage “Le Meal,” and multiple vintages of Chateauneuf from Chateau Beaucastel, the surprises are not necessarily the highlights.  This was an event where every bottle in the line-up performed, and the food prepared by Chef Kevin Sippel showed each flight to its best, course after course.

The following is the wine and food list by flight, followed by a consensus of how each wine performed.  For the event preparations, we opened the red wines at 1pm and briefly tasted through the line-up. They remained aerating (using the slow-o method, where the cork is removed, as well as a small portion of the wine, to provide slow oxygenation into the bottle).  Each bottle was double decanted at 4:00pm with a two-ounce pour prepared thirty minutes before each flight.   The dinner began at 7:00pm and finished at 10:45pm.

It should also be mentioned that in a decade of tastings at IWM, this was one of the most knowledgeable groups we had the privilege of sharing wine and conversation with; it was an education for both sides of the event.  We would like to thank Rick and Ellen, Tom and Binny, Jonathan and Stacey, and Rick and Lee Ann for their insight, wines and conversation.

Wine List of the Evening

Reception
1. JL Chave St Joseph Blanc Celeste 2007

(St. Joseph – Marsanne)

Antipasti – Flight One

2. 1996 Chateau Beaucastel Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc

(Chateauneuf-du-Pape – Roussanne, Grenache Blanc)
3. 2001 Vieux Telegraphe Chateauneuf du Pape “La Crau” Blanc

(Chateauneuf-du-Pape – Clairette, Grenache, Roussanne)
4. 2005 Betts & Scholl Hermitage Blanc

(Hermitage – Roussanne, Marsanne)
5. 1990 Lopez de Heredia Vina Tondonia Blanco Reserva

(Rioja – Viura, Malvasia, Garnacho Blanco)

Fish – Flight Two
Roasted Black Cod with Mussels in a Tomato and Bean Guazzetto

6. 2001 Chateau Grillet Vin Blanc

(Condrieu (Grillet) – Viognier)
7. 2007 Matassa Matassa Blanc

(Roussillon – Grenache Gris, Maccabeu)
8. 2005 Chateau Grillet Vin Blanc

(Condrieu (Grillet) – Viognier)

9. 2001 Chave Hermitage Blanc

(Hermitage – Marsanne, Roussanne)

Pasta – Flight Three
Pacherri Verdi with Frog Legs and Creamy Garlic
10. 1998 Domaine De La Janasse, Cuvée Vieilles Vignes

(Chateauneuf-du-Pape – Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre)
11. 1998 Château de Beaucastel Chateauneuf du Pape Rouge

(Chateauneuf-du-Pape – Mourvèdre, Grenache, Syrah, Counoise)
12. 1999 Chateau de Beaucastel Chateauneuf du Pape Rouge

(Chateauneuf-du-Pape – Mourvèdre, Grenache, Syrah, Counoise)
13. 2006 Domaine Grange des Peres Rouge

(Roussillon – Mourvedre, Syrah, Cabernet, Counoise)
14. 2004 Francois Villard St. Joseph Gran Reflet
(St. Joseph – Syrah)

Meat – Flight Four
Roasted Duck with Marsala, Foie Gras and Roasted Porcini Mushrooms
15. 2005 Betts & Scholl Hermitage
(Hermitage – Roussanne, Marsanne)
16. 1991 Chave Hermitage

(Hermitage – Syrah)

17. 1996 Chapoutier “Le Meal” Hermitage

(Hermitage – Syrah)
18. 1998 d’Arenberg “The Dead Arm” Shiraz

(McLaren Vale – Syrah)
19.  2006 Le Macchiole Scrio

(Toscana – Syrah)

Cheese – Flight Five
Selection of Italian Cheeses
20. 1990 Chave Vin de Paille

(Hermitage – Marsanne)
21. 1990 Huet L’Echansonne Vouvray Moelleux Haut Lieu 1er Trie

(Loire Valley – Chenin Blanc)


Flight One – Roussane Meets Viognier, and Viura?
There was definitely a split decision in this flight; the women favored the ripe and robust 2005 Betts & Scholl Hermitage Blanc, while the men preferred the 2001 Vieux Telegraphe “La Crau” Blanc with great citrus and chalky minerality.  It should be noted that the Betts & Scholl includes grapes from the iconic Jean-Louis Chave, making this 400 case production an extra special find here.  However, the surprise in this flight would certainly go to the 1990 Lopez de Heredia Blanco—just one guest pegged this for Rioja, while everyone else was thinking Southern France.  The wine showcased dried fruit with a citrus streak of acidity, complemented by a long, nutty finish.  To find a twenty-year-old white from the legendary Rioja traditionalist and a wine of this age and caliber for under $50 ($45 at IWM) is truly amazing.

Flight Two – Northern Whites with a Southern Twist
The clear winner, and perhaps the white wine of the evening, was the 2001 Chave Hermitage Blanc.  All the components of the wine here are amplified—high alcohol, lush fruit, waxy texture, but somehow the wine comes together and works in perfect harmony, offering quite a spectrum of flavors: honey, tropical fruit, minerality, brioche and nuts all supported by a subtle streak of acidity you don’t expect to find here. While the Chave was the highlight, perhaps the most surprising and talked about wine of the flight was the Vin de Pays des Cotes Catalanes from Matassa, made from a unique combination of Grenache Gris and Maccabeu. This little white from the Roussillon presented a lively offering, with surprising acidity and minerality, from this region of France.  Aromatically few whites matched this wine.  This is an ideal accompaniment for antipasti and cured meats.

Flight Three – A Roussillon Red Challenges Chateauneuf du Pape:
The table was split across this flight.  Two surprises here were the special release 2004 Villard St. Joseph Gran Reflet and the cult-like Grange des Peres from the 2006 vintage; both favorite selections provided by Rob.  While the Villard offered the most immediate enjoyability, the Grange des Peres was the wine of structure for the evening, presenting a dense profile of dark fruit and roasted meats, enveloped with a firm tannic grip.  While some enthusiasts will favor the 2007 release of this wine for its concentration, we believe this may be the best Grange des Peres to date; it’s a wine of longevity and will benefit from more cellaring and aeration.  On the other end of the tasting spectrum were the bigger, more earthy-driven Chateauneufs of Beaucastel.  And while the weighty, critically acclaimed Beaucastel 1998 drew immediate applauses from the group, Chris, Rick and Binny embraced the acidity from the leaner 1999 vintage; we all felt this was another great example of how an overshadowed vintage delivers.

Flight Four – Hermitage Syrah Meets Aussie Shiraz Meets Super Tuscan Syrah:
This round divided the group, with the 1996 Chapoutier Hermitage “le Meal” slightly edging out the iconic Chave Hermitage from 1991.  Ironically, many confused the two for one another when tasting the wines blind.  The Chave, however, showed more restraint and structure, while the Chapoutier provided softer elegance and approachability. While these were the highlights, it was the #4 wine in this flight that caused the most debate of the evening.  When the d’Arenberg Shiraz was served blind, guests had this wine pegged as French and praised the wine for its complexity and tertiary flavors; when the wine was unveiled, the hardened Europhiles (Chris and Rob included) retreated back as they were astonished to learn that the wine they were enjoying was Australian Shiraz. This was atypical take from Down Under, a true delight to experience.  On a side note, when we opened this wine at 1:00pm, it displayed super concentration, a great example of what proper aeration can do for this varietal.

Flight Five – A Rare and Different Take from Jean-Louis Chave:
The 1990 Chave Vin de Paille was a momentous wine, by far the rarest and one of the most interesting dessert wine we’ve experienced, ranking up there with Quintarelli’s 1990 Bianco Amabile.  And similar to the method in which Quintarelli would make his Recioto della Valpolicella, Chave resurrected an old Hermitage technique to produce his Marsanne based Vin de Paille (“straw wine”) in miniscule quantities.  This technique includes the drying of whole grape clusters on straw mats for more than two months.  During this time the grapes lose much of their initial water weight, dramatically concentrating their sugar content. The raisinated grapes are then crushed and fully fermented into a heady and robust wine.  For Chave, this uninterrupted fermentation period can take five years – unheard of in the industry.  The result was nothing short of exotic: a collision of ripe apricot and peach, accented with honey and butterscotch for a finish that seemed to last for minutes. This was truly special experience and for select vintages, just two barrels of this wine is produced.

Super Tuscans, Not Just a Wine by Any Other Name

An Interview with Cinzia Merli of Le Macchiole

Super Tuscans hold a special spot in the collective wine consciousness for a number of reasons—they hold a prestigious rank, a lofty price tag, and a whole lot of confusion. Looking just at price and classification alone, consumers notice a paradox: Super Tuscans, while awarded a rather low appellation (they are mostly IGT with few capturing the DOC status, and until the 1990’s they were only vino da tavola), carry a big price tag and are some of the most expensive Italian wines sold. Yet even more challenging than parsing a Super Tuscan’s value is trying to comprehend what exactly a Super-Tuscan wine is.

Italian Wine Merchant clients (and employees as well) are often challenged with trying to understand and articulate a clear definition of a wine that falls under the Super Tuscan comprehension. Maybe the first thing to accept though is that a straight-forward definition for Super Tuscan just doesn’t exist.

However, I wouldn’t leave you off there because even without a clear definition, there are commonly agreed upon guidelines. Generally speaking, Super Tuscans are the most prestigious wines that an estate makes outside of Tuscany’s strict DOC/DOCG standards. They can be made from 100% Sangiovese, but often they either include international varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Syrah and even Pinot Noir.  These wines also stray from rigid aging requirements and techniques that often plague other esteemed wines grown in Italy (think of the stringent standards for Brunello or Barolo etc).

To get an insider’s handle on the terminology and technicality, I turned to Cinzia Merli from the acclaimed Le Macchiole estate (home of some of the most superior of Super Tuscans—Messorio, Scrio and Paleo) explains her take on Super Tuscans. To Cinzia, the name “Super Tuscan” originally categorized all those wines in the ‘70s and ‘80s without a DOC appellation. Noting that until the ‘80s in Bolgheri only whites and rosé were considered under the “disciplinare,” Cinzia suggests that all the other wines falling outside of these designations got the name Super Tuscans. Cinzia adds her personal insight, “Nowadays Super Tuscans are probably all those high-end, high-quality wines with few quantities.”

Because of the wealth of indigenous grape varieties that call Italy home (all 2,000 plus of them), it seems perhaps a bit indulgent to grow the International varieties that make up Super Tuscans. However, thirty to forty years after the birth of this nickname, we the consumers adore the wines of these popular varieties growing in Tuscany. Still, we might be prompted to ask why producers decided to stray from the ordinary and begin planting these varieties. Cinzia explains:

“We decided to grow international varieties because this area is for sure one of the most suited for grapes such as Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, with expression deeply linked to the territory. The microclimate and the composition of the soil have been more than once considered the second ‘motherland’ for those traditionally considered Bordeaux grapes. For Le Macchiole the decision of producing monovarietal wines is based on the conviction that these could be almost considered ‘native’ varieties and that in this way we have the opportunity to express the terroir at its best.”

And there’s no disputing that these varietals have expressed the terroir of the region best. Super Tuscans, most particularly those hailing from Le Macchiole, have rapidly risen in esteem. No longer do they fight to just challenge Bordeaux’s wines; instead they meet them on a level playing field. Perhaps now it’s time to stir things up a little more; when describing her wines, Cinzia generally considers the estates, Paleo, Scrio and Messorio to be Super Tuscans, “just because they do not ‘follow the rules’ of the DOC law.”

“But,” she adds, “I would better call them ‘terroir wines,” deeply linked to the Bolgheri territory.” Cinzia could be onto something; making terroir, no longer strictly a noun, but an adjective to describe the next big thing in Italian wine.