MORE MAGIC FROM CHIANTI

It has been a great run for Chianti over the last couple vintages.  There has been any number of epic performances by ‘the usual suspects.’   But perhaps more exciting is the energy running through the whole category, and the appearance of a few newer faces that have a lot to offer.  This pair of Chiantis aren’t necessarily ‘famous’ from a media standout.  But they are everything else you could want…distinctive, elegant, and possessed of excellent expression of ‘enlightened traditional.’

We were familiar with the Bibbiano label mostly from noticing it in and among rather extensive consorzio tasting events in Europe.  This is the first time we were ever presented the wine by the current importer and the Bibbiano Chianti Classico 2016 is the first version to be on the floor.  These are not newcomers in general though, having been founded in 1865.  Bibbiano is located in the historic Chianti region, in the municipality of Castellina in Chianti, overlooking the Elsa Valley towards the castle of Monteriggioni. Today’s owners, Tommaso and Federico Marrocchesi Marzi, represent the fifth generation to operate the estate.

Bibbiano’s current winemaker was trained under the long-standing consultancy of famed winemaker Giulio Gambelli, also famous for his long relationships with Montevertine and Case Basse di Soldera.  The estate was certified organic in 2011.  The Chianti Classico 2016 is 100% Sangiovese with grapes harvested by hand and fermented in accordance with their position on hill as the grapes come from both sides of the property.  The fermentation is done entirely in concrete to preserve the terroir notes but also soften the profile of the wine.  The flavors run from dark cherry to plum, with elements of earth and stony minerality, and a touch of spice. 

The wine has a pleasing touch of rusticity in among the fruit, definitely giving it a bit of an ‘old school’ vibe, and presents a relatively fruit-forward demeanor.  Having had past vintages sporadically, we’d proffer that the 2016 vintage gave this one a bit more flesh than normally, kicking it into another level.  Wine Spectator said of this wine, “A racy style whose vibrant acidity drives flavors of black cherry, black currant, iron, earth and soy. Still very firm, with the acidity acting in tandem with refined tannins. Fine length. Drink now through 2033… 91 Points.” 

Not sure we’d use the term ‘racy’.  We’d describe it as a slight ‘chewiness’ that is quite pleasing.  But, all in all, the Bibbiano is certainly tasty and satisfying, as well as a Chianti that plays very well for its moderate tab.  A well-made ‘workhorse’ in a bit of a throwback style.

The Castello Romitorio Chianti Colli Senesi 2017 was something of a surprise.  Not because we didn’t know the house.  On the contrary, we have been selling Romitorio’s Brunellos for years.  The estate is well known for their historic castle (the foundations of which may date to Roman times), their highly-regarded Brunellos, and the occasional controversial label from artist/owner Sando Chia.  What we hadn’t seen before was a Chianti Colli Senesi from this notable estate. 

Sando’s son, Fillipo, spoke with great enthusiasm about the Chianti project as a way to put a more affordable version of the Romitorio name into the marketplace to cast a wider net.  The idea here is to make a polished version of the genre, with the estate’s tech sheet speaking about the hills around Siena and making the statement that, “This area has been known since ancient times for knowing how to produce very high quality reds that rival Burgundy for elegance.”

The grapes are hand harvested, and sorted twice, both before and after destemming.  This 100% Sangiovese sees ten months in oak.  We’re perfectly capable of writing notes but as we researched this piece, we found a somewhat over-the-top literary effort by MW Anne Krebiehl , “Just smell it to be transported to the ocher-colored countryside of Tuscany: the scent of parched earth and oak woods is there, together with the characteristic, harsh hint of Sangiovese marasca cherries. The body presents structure and tension without being heavy, it is fresh and pungent, a wine born for the table. Good persistence, sincere, and impactful but agile at the same time. The fruit, red currant, cranberry and Morello cherry, looks clear in the finish. It has charm and character to sell.”

Artists.  In truth there is something of an ethereal sense to this very sleek Chianti that is modern yet at the same time has tradition in full view.  Like the Bibbiano, it is a very classy effort for under $20, though stylistically quite different.  It is also a ‘little’ wine made big time folks, a long adhered-to axiom of ours.   Wee found no mention of it anywhere in the media but are happy to have discovered this beauty and anxious to see where it goes in future vintages. 

MORE VALUE ‘TINTOS’ FROM PORTUGAL

Portugal has had some bright moments in this market over the years.  There was a period in the early 70s where the fizzy rosés in funny bottles were all the rage.  In the 90s, there was flash popularity with certain casual reds, in particular ‘periquitas’ from Jose Maria da Fonseca.  Later on we did a lot with the emerging series of gutsy, well priced dry reds from Portuguese Port houses starting with Quinta do Crasto.  We have recently had some good runs with crisp, easy vinho verdes. 

But while a number of Portuguese wines have had their day, there hasn’t been any consistency to the category in terms of consumer demand.  Still, while Portugal has yet to reach the kind of market saturation the quality and value of the genre in general should merit, we still keep finding remarkably expressive, well made, well priced individual efforts that not only should find fans but eventually elevate the category as a whole. Here are a couple of recent finds from a new importer that has taken the challenge of nudging Portugal into the mainstream.

The Quinta Dos Capuchos comes from an area northwest of Lisbon.  Long and narrow running along the Atlantic Ocean, there is plenty of wind to mediate the temperature and in some vintages it is maybe a little too cool.  This producer is situated in an area that is a little further inland and protected by hills and mountains.  Grapes do well here and traditional winemaking here dates back centuries, orchestrated by monks initially ‘Capuchos’ is Portuguese for ‘Capucins’).

The soils are clay and limestone, with plenty of dense stone, on slopes no less. That makes working the vineyard a bit of a chore.  But this unique microclimate delivers a ripe juicy character-filled red made from Castelao, Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz and Syrah.  The grapes are hand-harvested and then fermented in temperature-controlled stainless steel.  A non-vintage blend, this is plush, punchy, and packed with lively dark red fruits and flavors that remind one of grenadine with a little pepper and spice.  Ample and surprisingly versatile, this is a fruit-driven, easy drinker at a great price.  Portugal is really good at producing engaging reds at almost silly low prices provided you can find the right ones.  This one got our attention.

The same tasting presented us with a rather juicy example of 100% Touriga Nacional from Alentejo on the eastern side of the country.  This particular spot in upper Alentejo was abandoned for a period of time.  But, the pristine beauty of this remote region lured the Atunes family to revive the estate in 2001.  The Herdade do Arrepiado Touriga 2016 has a lot of the character of some of the big time (read that expensive) Touriga-dominant reserve blends from the Douro.  But it doesn’t show wood notes nor the price.  This reminds us a lot of some of those early, bold Douro dry reds we loved back some two decades ago.

Lots of urgent red berry, red plum, spice, and floral notes, a touch of vanilla, this is a plush, fruit-forward wine with plenty of character but the kind of lift and freshness that gives it a feel of sophistication.  Again, this is a lot of wine for the money and versatile with a wide range of foods.  For a lot of reasons, critics will not likely pay a lot of attention to these wines, or the category.  But consumers definitely should.

SUPERB ‘BURGUNDIAN’ RIOJA

The wines of La Rioja Alta have been ‘fan favorites’ around here for quite some time, with the majority of the rather impressive sales numbers coming from their La Rioja Alta Rioja Reserva Viña Ardanza and Gran Reserva 904.  But this group owns three other estates as well, one in Rias Baixas to make Albariño, one in Ribera del Duero, and another separate estate in Rioja Alavesa called Torre de Oña.  The Torre de Oña estate hasn’t gotten near as much attention over the years, but that may be about to change as they have significantly kicked up their game with a new project.

The main La Rioja Alta estate was founded in 1890.  But more than a century later, in 1995, they decided to create a new estate in the cooler, higher, and arguably more prestigious Rioja Alavesa.  Here the intent was to employ a ‘chateau’ concept, controlling the viticulture and making wine from their estate grapes.  We’ve had interesting efforts on occasion from Torre de Oña but nothing really groundbreaking.  All the while, they were studying the specific parcels on the estate that produced the best grapes with the intent of bottling a single vineyard effort that best reflected their unique terroir.

While that doesn’t sound all that innovative, the ‘chateau’ type operation wasn’t all that common in Rioja until recently.  Now folks like Artadi and Telmo Rodriguez are lobbying to have even more specific delineations to village areas and specific parcels.  In any case, the folks at Torre de Oña decided that, in 2012, it was time to pull the trigger on their first single vineyard bottling from the estate.  The reviews were encouraging for seemed  something of an experimental first-swing.  It got supportive words and a 92 point score from Wine Advocate’s Luis Gutierrez. 

The winery skipped 2013 but deemed the conditions near perfect in 2014 to create the sequel, and what a revelation it turned out to be!  Since the Advocate review explains all of the technical details, we’ll defer a moment. From Luis Gutierrez,  “The 2014 Martelo is produced with the grapes from their oldest vines, mostly Tempranillo (95%, the balance Mazuelo, Garnacha and Viura), put through a cold soak after alcoholic fermentation then in barrique for a slow malolactic fermentation of 96 days. This was followed by an élevage in 80% American and 20% French oak barrels for two years, during which time it was racked four times…

“It has incredible aromatics with surprising notes of beef blood, iron and meat with tons of fruit, as Martelo is the vineyard where they find more fruit. This is a very elegant, aromatic and fine Rioja (they decided to bottle it in a Burgundy bottle) and it’s not a coincidence, because that is what they are looking for. The palate follows the same path of finesse, balance and freshness. A very impressive Rioja. Bravo!…94 points”

Bravo, indeed.  The Burgundian comparisons hold remarkably true.  Texturally, this is silky, elegant, feminine (can we say that any more?), and supremely satisfying.  The fruit leans a little bluer than a ‘real’ Burgundy but the finesse, tender mouth feel, and fresh undercurrent of the palate seduces and the delicate spice and mineral tones add complexity.   Thoroughly delicious right out of the gate, and a bottle one won’t want to end.  The comparison with Burgundy kind of stops there because, in reality, you would be hard pressed to find a Burgundy as good as the Torre de Ona Rioja Reserva Finca Martino 2014 for this kind of price.  Simply gorgeous.

A FRIULANO TO REMEMBER

Wines like this are why we come to work.  Finding something new and special, something unique and one of a kind, is one of the things that makes wine exciting to us.  As we have confessed a few times, we are particular fans of the whites of northeastern Italy in general, and Kerner and Friulano in particular.  Truth be told we would love to be in a world where we could send out an email on something like this and share it with a large group of folks.  However, in truth, we have a lot of other more commercially viable goodies in our bag and there isn’t much of this to buy (only about 250 cases per year production) even if it did ‘light it up’ in an offer. 

Suffice it to say that, as we did the research on this wine, one of the quotes from the importer was, “One of the best white wines I’ve drunk from Italy.”  Hey there are a lot of folks in our industry that consistently overstate their case.  But this experienced British ex-pat is not one of them.  We can say without reservation that it is one of the best Italian whites we have had in quite a while.

The I Clivi Friulano Brazan 2016 is 100% Friulano from a single hillside  vineyard in Collio with marl and sandstone soils, located in the far northeast of Italy near the border with Slovenia.  The vineyard has vines that are 80-years-old and the yields are very low.  All of the wines are grown organically, and are cleanly but very naturally made using only native yeasts and minimal intervention winemaking.  This Friulano is not macerated on the skins and sees 18 months on the lees.  This producer makes whites with surprising longevity.  The day we tasted this one we also had one from the 2000 vintage that was quite expressive still, though our preference was for this brighter effort with a bit more cut to the finish.

The aromatics and entry are reminiscent of a premier Cru Chablis with citrus and mineral tones, with the more unctuous, dried apricot character more common with this grape working in concert on the palate.  Expressive, distinctive and mouthwatering, a sensation with food (though we had no trouble enjoying it by itself), and a sleek, deceptively long finish, this Friulano got our attention the way few such whites do.  It’s a little more money than typical ‘market’ Friulanos but takes the experience to another level.  A must.

TARDIEU LAURENT CDP AT NEARLY HALF OFF? BON!

Things can happen for any number of reasons.  We have to presume this curious opportunity is one of those that is simply a function of a variety of events.  We could likely figure out the scenarios that led to this striking value, but in the end doesn’t really matter.  It all starts with Tardieu-Laurent, the Rhone focused partnership between former patissier/ Burgundy virtuoso Dominique Laurent and Rhone native/insider Michel Tardieu.  We have been following Laurent since the mid-90s when he became a sensation in Burgundy and were all-over this Rhone project from the get go.

It has been a remarkable source of exciting wines, Laurent’s talent in the cellar matched with Tardieu’s savvy and intimate knowledge of the Rhone teroirs.  The only issue early on is that the prices were a bit above the market for the various appellation bottlings.  Given the performance, the higher fares were more than justified.  But also, for no doubt several reasons, they didn’t necessarily always have distribution in this market.  They changed horses a time or two, and sometimes weren’t available at all.  It took a little extra effort to sell the wines because of the elevated pricing, but we were always on board because the wines always performed at very high levels.  Great old vine fruit, careful, polished winemaking, they never disappointed in the glass.

After one fairly long period of absence, the wines reappeared.  The match of importer and vigneron was not, however, ‘made in heaven’.  Not sure how it came together, but a producer that was never shy about pricing hooking up with an importer that took predictably high margins didn’t seem like the best fit.  Not surprisingly, it didn’t work.  The house now has a new, more ‘down-to-earth’ distribution scenario who, besides reintroducing the wines to the market in earnest, is in the process of cleaning up a few ‘odds and ends’.   The Tardieu Laurent Chateau-du-Pape Vielles Vignes 2012 was quite the surprise in that process.

At face value, the vintage itself was not any kind of indicator.  While a ripe and warm vintage that the critics seemed to like a little more than we did, there were a number of notable releases that were the best following 2010 until 2015.  They were generally ripe, jammy and broad on the palate, but all too often bordered on too ripe.  On the plus side they had weight and plenty of fruit, but lacked the kind of freshness a truly grand vintage possessed to give the wines drive.  Based on our extensive tasting, we had kind of the same expectations for this wine.  That turned out to be completely wrong.

This might well be the best effort we have tasted from the 2012 vintage, with the rich, expressive dark red fruit in abundance but also a purity to the flavors and a great tension and freshness on the palate.  Now under the control of the Tardieu family, from Grenache vines that were 80 years old,  it is broad, lifted and gregarious across the palate, with the kind of energy atypical for the 2012 vintage.  Intense dark red fruits, layered elements to the flavors, this wine plays above even its exalted station for a 2012. 

We loved the wine ‘straight up’ but weren’t surprised to find some nice words about it when we went looking.   Josh Raynolds of Vinous Media offered, “Dark ruby. Deeply pitched cherry, black raspberry and Indian spice aromas are lifted by a sexy floral oil quality. Juicy and densely packed, showing excellent depth to its red and dark berry liqueur, cherry-cola and spicecake flavors. Stains the palate while coming across as energetic and precise. Closes with very good vivacity and length, with silky tannins adding structure and grip…93 Points.”

Even more from Wine Advocate, “Superb and with loads of potential, the 2012 Chateauneuf du Pape Vieilles Vignes (90% Grenache and 10% Syrah, with the Grenache aged in older barrel and the Syrah in new barrels) is more deep and layered than the Cuvee Speciale. Offering up impressive notes of mineral, new leather and smoky black fruits, this full-bodied, layered and textured 2012 has superb mid-palate depth, fine tannin and an all-around concentrated, backwards feel. It will require 3-4 years of bottle age and keep for 15 years or more…93-95+ (barrel score).”

The most recent of the two reviews was nearly five years ago, and clearly this Chateauneuf has gotten its 3-4 years of bottle age and has evolved marvelously.   Given our negotiated ‘closeout’ price is substantially less than the lower of the only two prices we saw online, all is as it should be.  This is a spectacular performer, particularly for the vintage, that is in peak form for current ‘applications’.  A rare treat.

PINOTFILES: A SERIOUS NEW FIND

Part of our mission is to find new and exciting sources for, well, everything.  We look at an imposing number of wines in order to find a few that really make a statement.  Consumer interest in expensive, single-vineyard Pinot Noir has seemed to wane over recent years.  But we believe that is because so many of them don’t really perform the task of showing the nuances of the particular sites to justify the escalated pricing. 

Clearly the whole idea of those vineyard bottlings is a nod to Burgundy, and when the wines do reflect the unique nuances of their origins, they are worth the extra freight.  Of course, the Burgundians have been doing it for a very long time, and there are a few proven performers here on the West Coast.  But also of great stature are a few folks from the Southern Hemisphere.  We’ve spoken at length over the years about Kiwi superstar Felton Road, and have been more recently singing the praises of the wines from Escarpment.

However, we have recently come across a much less familiar name that appears to be ‘swinging for the fences’.  One might ask why we dive into a relatively obscure category and highlight a producer few here, ourselves included, had ever heard of before.  Fair question.  There are easier ways to make a living to be sure.  But the wines of Valli from Central Otago demand an audience based on what we tasted.   They are thrilling wines.

It all starts with winemaker/owner Grant Taylor, who started in Central Otago when the whole appellation had only 20 hectares planted back in 1993, incidentally the first vintage from which we tasted any New Zealand Pinots.  Prior to that, Otago-born Grant had worked to establish Pine Ridge winery in Napa Valley and then Domaine Napa until 1993.  Upon returning to New Zealand, Grant did pioneering work at a number of wineries in the then-emerging Central Otago region including names you have read on our pages in the past like Felton Road, Mt Difficulty, Peregrine, and Rockburn. Grant kept his American ties along the way, helping to establish Oregon’s renowned Pinot Noir producing winery, Archery Summit, in 1995. He has consulted there for many vintages since.

Valli Vineyards, the estate Grant named for his great-great-grandfather who had originally immigrated to New Zealand, was founded in 1998 with the idea of exploring more site-specific expressions of the region.  After having logged some 40 vintages, as well as winning a London based international wine competition an unprecedented 4 times, he clearly has a good handle getting the terroir of a particular site to show off.  This expressive quartet of Pinot Noirs is proof of that. 

Since we had never seen the wines before, we were surprised that a couple of reviewers had chronicled several vintages.  The reviews are consistently strong but even perhaps a little less enthusiastic than we would have expected.  But truth be told, we tasted them twice.  The first time we liked them a lot but were a tiny bit wary of the prices.  The second tasting a month or two later, after the wines settled down a little, blew us away.  It was full speed ahead.

Gibbston is one of the coolest sub-regions of Otago and has one of the slowest ripening cycles. A key factor in quality Pinot Noir from such a cool area is long hang time and the grapes here are cropped at a low one kilo per vine to facilitate that development.  The Valli Pinot Noir Central Otago Gibbston Vineyard 2016 has the coolest perfume to the aromatics, ranging from red to black fruits.  It has the requisite sweet middle to the fruit which harmonizes the subtle, herbal framework with the beautifully ripe fruit.  A full complement of reviews (WS 92, JS 92, WA 91, VM 93) with Niel Martin’s note, “The well-balanced palate offers a fine thread of acidity, gentle grip in the mouth and good weight and superb delineation towards the finish. An excellent New Zealand Pinot Noir that should age in bottle.”

Of the Otago subregions, Bannockburn is probably the most familiar.  The Bannockburn wines reflect this warmer area by displaying darker fruits, more density, more power and longevity based more on their tannin structure, as opposed to Gibbston wines which are based more on their lift.   Climate, rather than soil, attributes to the main difference in the wines. Valli Pinot Noir Central Otago Bannockburn Vineyard 2016 shows a bit more flesh but a similar note of red and black fruits, here with accents of Asian spice, a hint of soy and a little more mineral.  Deceptive length.

Dual 93s (from Wine Advocate and James Suckling), with Suckling’s comments, “This has impressive depth of fruit as well as fragrant top-line perfume. The oak spice suits the dark cherry and sweet earthiness. On the palate there is a punchy frame of tannins that draws tight and fresh through the finish thanks to bracing acidity.”

The higher elevation of this site, called ‘Chinaman’s Terrace’, means slightly cooler temperatures within the context of a warmer (by Kiwi standards) subregion.   Good airflow is important to vine health.  The wines from this very warm part of Otago have been described as “big friendly beasts”.  The Valli Pinot Noir Central Otago Bendigo Vineyard 2016 is, as befits the area, dark, rich, and lush, capturing the rock-reflected heat and ripeness of this special site.  It is perhaps

the most similar to something from northern California…a little deeper in color, fuller-bodied with an emphasis on fruit and structure.  The dusty, sweet tannins are reminiscent of, say, Sonoma’s Petaluma Gap.  Different supporters here (WS 93, JS 92), with Spectator’s notes, “Distinctly spicy, with sarsaparilla, clove and cedar notes that mingle with dense blackberry and blueberry flavors. The tannins are firm, the acidity fresh. Details of sandalwood and cigar box linger on the finish.”

Last, but certainly not least, is the Valli Pinot Noir Central Otago Waitaki Vineyard 2016.  Super low yields here from tight plantings of Burgundian clones (Pommard and Dijon) in limestone soils that are featured in this, one of the newest growing areas.  A little cooler than Central Otago, this is high-toned stuff with a nose featuring outgoing fruit perfumes and minerality.  The ‘Burgundy’ resemblance continues with a wine that is lighter in color, more meaty, peppery and a little ’sauvage’. Not the ‘biggest’ but the longest and most insistent of the bunch.  Again the ‘gallery’ approves (VM 93, JS 92, WA 92) highlighting with Wine Advocate notes, “…classic Pinot scents of sous-bois and black cherries, while cola and dried spices add to its considerable appeal. It’s medium-bodied, silky smooth and so, so easy to drink, with no rough edges but just the right amount of acidity to provide life and length on the finish.”

It’s hard to put it in proper perspective, but the magnitude of effort we saw here suggest something on the order of a top producer in the Cote d’Or, a Felton Road, or single vineyard efforts from Calera.  Time will tell, but there was definitely a lot to like here. Valli is definitely a significant discovery and well worth exploring for Pinot Noir fans of all persuasions.

SUPER DOLCETTO

Some folks might not understand getting super excited about a Dolcetto. But that’s because they have probably never had one like this. Frankly, not sure we ever have either. Dolcetto is widely considered a ‘small wine’ of Piedmont, something engaging and bright to wash down lunch from vines that usually occupy the lesser parts of the hillside. Doesn’t mean it can’t be delicious, and we have had many good ones over the years. But in Dogliani, the part of Piedmont that is dedicated to Dolcetto, the bar is higher. In the hands of a conscientious producer like Orlando Pecchenino, higher still. Yet even with that understanding, this bottling raised eyebrows.

We haven’t formed a sweeping opinion of the 2017s in this part of the world as yet. But we do know a couple of things. The vintage was warm and the grapes came in ripe. As this is not the norm, some vintners couldn’t quite handle it and there are still questions about consistency. But the vintage has thus far given rise to some of the most pandering, lushest Italian reds we can recall tasting. For the ‘oldtimers’, think some of the ripe vintages of the 90s like 1990 or 1997, but fresher thanks to better winemaking.

The Pecchenino Dogliani Superiore Siri d’Jermu 2017 is something of a freak. It has all of the classic lines…fine acidity underneath, a little bit of an almond skin nip at the finish. But the wave of gushing, opulent blackberry fruit, the plushness of the palate, and tender edges were unlike any Dolcettos we could recall. The wine had exceptional richness yet stayed uncannily light on its feet.

There are those ads with sports stars about ‘the soup that eats like a meal’. This gorgeous Dolcetto ‘drinks like a meal’, though you can certainly accompany it with actual food like a plate of salami, a meaty pasta, or something from the grill and it will play beautifully. The only problem is that people who aren’t familiar with Doliani Dolcettos might think they all drink like this. They don’t! The James Suckling ’92’ doesn’t even begin to convey our impressions of this Dogliani. A must-try for any fan of reds, this is a one of a kind effort.

DANIEL RION BOURGOGNE 2017

There always seem to be plenty of ‘experts’ willing to pontificate on the status of the rarest and most expensive of the Cote d’Or in any given vintage.  Should you need the information on some of the most sought after bottlings that few can afford and even fewer can find, that info is out there.  Around here we are much more practical.  Our aim is to find exciting wines that reflect the region and offer exciting opportunities for regular folks who just want an exciting bottle of Pinot Noir without having to worry about car payments, etc..  The 2017 vintage will serve our needs quite well.

We have tasted a number of the ‘little’ wines from 2017 and have found the vintage to have a lot in common with the 2015s, which in turn means we will be able to find a lot of those delicious, lower-priced gems to keep Burgundy a viable and delightful choice.  The vintage was warm, and there were some weather quirks that made the quantities bit more modest, all of which combine to make for delightful reds.  As luck would have it, we just ran across the Bourgogne from the respected house of Daniel Rion, a source that we have worked with many times over the years, but hadn’t seen much of recently.  As they say, timing is everything. 

Created in 1955 by Daniel Rion, this family-owned estate began with only two hectares of vines located in the commune of Vosne Romanée, left to Daniel by his paternal grandfather. Until 1978, Daniel sold his wine to Burgundian negociants. In the late seventies, his sons joined the business, bringing new parcels of vines with them. A new winery was built with a larger cellar and a tasting room. Today, the domaine consists of eighteen hectares of vineyards with eighteen appellations in six villages of the Côte des Nuits and the Hautes-Côtes: Prémeaux, Nuits Saint Georges, Vosne Romanée, Chambolle Musigny, Vougeot and Marey-les-Fussey.

The vines for Daniel Rion Bourgogne Rouge 2017 are spread over several plots located at the bottom of the hills in the Nuits Saint Georges appellation totaling about 2 hectares. Slightly sloping, on deep brown soil of silt and clay, the vines average 20 years of age and the wine sees time in second and third use barrels. 

The color is an inviting mulberry, the nose shows red and black fruits with a whiff of mineral and earth as befits a wine from this part of the world.  In the mouth, it is classic Pinot with ample mid-palate weight, dark red fruit prominent, and slightly soily, spicy peripherals as an accent to the fruit core.  In other words, red Burgundy as it should be. Like most 2017s, it is pretty user-friendly right out of the gate though it does expand a bit more with a little air. It outperforms its modest appellation and offers a more compelling experience than a lot of domestic Pinots that cost more.

MAS MONASTERIO MAGNIFICO

It would be very easy to go off on some long-winded rant about the Ribera del Duero in general and Hacienda Monasterio specifically. This area has been producing wines for a couple of millennia and probably became more focused as a region way back in the 12th Century. But the official D.O. of the regions only became official in 1982 which is when we started seeing examples in the U.S.. They clearly didn’t have the marketing savvy of Rioja, nor the identity. But some of the best wines in Spain, indeed the world, come from here.

Vega Sicilia, founded in 1864, is sort of the de facto ‘flagship’ of the region, but there are a few other superstars that also carry the proverbial torch. Probably the fastest rising one was an estate assembled by Danish winemaker Peter Sisseck, whose top wine Pingus, only created in the mid-90s, is now one of Spain’s most revered and expensive bottlings.  Sisseck essentially searched the land for vineyards in his spare time from his ‘day job’, which was the founding and development of Hacienda Monasterio. We have followed this wine for a long time and it has only continued to get better and better, these days we believe achieving the quality level of a classified Bordeaux, maybe a 2nd or 3rd growth.

Hacienda Monasterio has been on an upward trajectory since the beginning, which is no small fact since it was pretty much one of the stars of the region almost out of the gate.  The styling is modern, but plenty of care is taken to let the true terroir of the Ribera, aromas of chocolate, mineral, orange peel and tapenade and a core of intense dark red and black fruits on the palate, shine through. To quote the importer, “It is a testament to the terroir of Hacienda Monasterio that throughout the evolution towards a more elegant style of winemaking, it still retains all of its power and intensity, deepened and enriched by greater finesse and complexity.”

We wrote an email that was a virtual love letter about the 2015 in February of last year, complete with appropriately enthusiastic scores like a 95 from Jeb Dunnuck and 94 from Wine Advocate, ending with Dunnuck’s words that, “Even at $50, it’s a smoking value!”  Our take was, as people who have been following this estate for some time, we were comfortable saying that it may have been the best and most seamless and complete effort of Monsaterio we have ever had as well as one of the best red wine options for this kind of price from anywhere in the world.  We sold it for $39.99 and it vaporized…as well it should have.

We were recently presented with the 2016.  Sadly, there wasn’t enough juice for us to consider sending out a full-blown email offer, but that didn’t stop us from buying all they did have.  Why? Well, once again, it got strong praise.  The 94 from Wine Advocate was actually a little higher given that there was a ‘plus’ attached.  Also the words were strong, “The Crianza is now simply the 2016 Hacienda Monasterio, a powerful wine from a large vintage where the vines delivered a good crop of ripe grapes, even when the grapes were harvested early… This is a generous and ripe wine with a juicy texture, ripe flavors and abundant, round tannins. It feels very young and undeveloped, and the wine seems to have the stuffing and balance for a positive development in bottle.”

Jeb Dunnuck hasn’t issued a review yet but we would be surprised if it wasn’t the same or higher as the last one.  In point of fact, the 2016 is a notch better, with a more complete and seamless texture, great fruit, and plenty of stuffing.  It is the best Monasterio we have ever tasted in this series, period, and thanks to a market quirk, we are able to offer it for $5 a bottle less!  Enough said.

A NEW DECADE: PART ONE

As we enter the new decade, we see a lot of nuanced changes that will have a big impact on the wine world and how people make buying decisions over the long haul.  There is a waning of the power of the wine media which, while it isn’t as much of a factor for us as some merchants, will definitely auger for adjustments in how wines are presented to the public.  If you go onto the internet, most merchants say nothing about the wine other than pasting up some third party media review. 

But the media itself has changed and expanded, and there are a lot more ‘wannabees’ crowding the field. Producers and purveyors are quoting an ever metastasizing group, always searching to find someone that will give them reviews that will help them sell wine. Also a lot of the ‘old guard’ review sources, seem much more interested in selling advertisements or events than truly being reliable consumer advocates.  What is a aficionado to do?

Accountability is one issue.  As an example, let’s take one of the publications largely responsible for the wine sales becoming so media-driven in the first place, The Wine Advocate.  In the beginning, there was just one guy, Robert Parker.  Whether you agreed with his assessment or not, you knew where he was coming from, that it was ‘from the heart’ and there was a consistency to the perspective.  For that reason, there was a certain trust that created loyal followers and, by association, empowered what the critic said about individual wines.  As the publication grew, there was still the feeling that the expanded group of reviewers reflected, in their own way, the general direction and intent of the publication as an unbiased source of wine information.

The Wine Advocate was later purchased by a group in Singapore and, just recently, by Guide Michelin.  Nothing personal, but is the consumer ‘trust factor’ that accompanied those passionate individual(s) in the beginning going to be the same for a rating service owned by a highly visible multinational corporation?  Will the individual collector feel a connection to reviews from such a source?  Sure it has the same name. But, in truth, it isn’t quite the same thing.  Will the response to big scores be the same?  It has been steadily changing already.  As we have said elsewhere, 10-15 years ago we knew when one of the big reviewers came out, the phones would start ringing and ‘touted’ products that were on the website would vaporize.  It doesn’t happen that way anymore. 

Are we saying that’s a bad thing?  Not necessarily, but it is definitely a ‘thing’ and there will be a growing vacuum as to where consumers will get their wine information and guidance.  Some, perhaps many new options will evolve to fill the need for those folks that want more out of wine than what they see at the grocery store.

As to the grocery stores, the buying program is in part dictated by something called the ‘Nielson 300’, a service that publishes a list of the best selling ‘brands’).  That publication may be useful in making recommendations as to what sells in the marketplace to grocers seeking to minimize their inventory risks. It does not, however, make any qualitative assessments that we are aware of but has a great impact on what consumers get to see on the shelves.  Also, to be on a list that chronicles sales, there has to be a lot of wine produced by those wineries. That typically runs counter to the nuanced, place-driven kinds of bottlings that we think make wine truly interesting.

The corporate ‘big-brand’ approach plays right into that arena.  We have seen cellar manipulation and winemaking ‘tricks’ becoming more obvious and prevalent in a broader swath of wines as we move forward.  A decade or more ago, ‘blandness’ was the enemy. A lot of wineries expanded production to appeal to broader audiences at the expense of style.   Wines were overly filtered, acidified to within an inch of their lives, with the goal being not to ‘offend’. By depriving wines of any overt character, there was nothing to object to. Safety first. 

That protocol has changed to a more aggressive one.  These days, in the name of ‘brand-building’, wines are pumped up with concentrates, wood staves are floated in the tank to give an oak character, and residual sugar is left in the wine to give it more body. There are a host of other techniques we don’t even know about.  The object is to make the wine fit a broad audience by working as formulaic as possible, like a soft drink. That way it tastes similar every year, negating the effect of vintage and grape sourcing. 

From a marketing perspective, we get it, and a few early successes with such winemaking regimens at certain wineries inspired copycats. The practice has expanded not only to more wineries here but overseas as well.  To try and be objective, if that is what the people want, give it to them.  But we have a problem thinking of that stuff as wine, even if, chemically speaking, it is.  What’s more, we wonder where most people will have the opportunity to experience ‘real’ wine.  If all they have had is are these ‘doctored’ versions, will they even like the honest stuff?

So what’s the big deal? In a word, ‘homogenization’. If ‘control group’ wine production creates a world where everything starts to taste the same, and controlled marketing makes it difficult for anything that might not be mainstream to find an avenue to reach the market, diversity is stifled. What’s the fun in that?