SelectioNaturel

Saturday, November 23, 2013

New Arrival From France

Introducing Louis Chenu Père & Filles

Burgundy wines in Savigny-les-Beaune, France

Check out the latest addition to the SelectioNaturel family below as well as over on the Producers page.

2011 Bourgogne rouge

This wine is made with grapes from an old vine with low yields. With an attractive intensity and several aromas of red fruits and violet, it can be drunk young due to its finesse but also remains very firm with age. After a few years, it develops a soil taste that is reminiscent of the smell of gunflint or smoke. It can easily be kept for about fifteen years.

2010 “Hauts-Jarrons”, Savigny-les-Beaune 1er cru

The “Hauts-Jarrons” (Jarrons meaning tree branches) are located in the middle of the slope under the Mont Battois hill heading towards Beaune. Their deep and sandy soil is similar to that of the Beaune-Bressandes. Likewise, the wines are more like those from Beaune than Savigny. Very full-bodied and tannic, they have good aromas but remain closed when young. They require a few years before reaching fullness and are favorable to a long ageing process like all great Burgundy wines.

2012 “Les Saucours”, Savigny-les-Beaune blanc

The Savigny whites come from so-called “white” soil, which is made of marl. Only 5% of the Savigny vineyard is made up of white grape varieties (mostly chardonnay). The most favorable ground is situated at the entrance to the village on a slightly sloping hillside facing north (Les Saucours). The Savigny white wines are well-structured, dry, quite rounded and are an attractive golden-green color. The main chardonnay variety gives the roundness, the aromas and the finesse. The pinot blanc (around 10%) provides the touch from the vine.

The Chenu Sisters

Saturday, October 19, 2013

Introducing 'A Vita, Real Calabrian Wine!

I am very proud and excited to introduce and collaborate with Calabrese winemaker and former fighter pilot, Francesco de Franco of 'A Vita in Ciro`. What can you say about Calabria? Well for me this wine is personal. My distant family was from central Calabria, an ancient wine region that's gotten mixed up in tragic politics, terrible wine making and organized crime. I'll go out on a limb and say that Francesco's wines are the most impressive being made in Calabria today.

Farming is completely natural, certified organic. 8 hectares of land in the heart of the Ciro` Classico DOC, from sea level up to ~200 meters. Francesco is a purist when it comes to Gaglioppo though he cultivates small amounts of magliocco, greco nero and bianco. His wines are very light in color yet incredibly tense and meaty, the ultimate in savory Mediterranean wine. Don't be fooled by the color! Dare I say nebbiolo-esque.

Francesco is a very well respected winemaker in the natural wine circles, certainly the only one working this way in Calabria. He has been part of the Vini Veri association for many years and I am honored to represent his work in Massachusetts.

F36 P27, Ciro`: This comes from the younger vines located precisely on Foglio 36, Parcella 27 of the Ciro` DOC map, hence F36 P27. He's annul. Destemmed, naturally fermented in stainless steel, bottle aged before release. Light in color but powerful in structure with elegant, complete aromatics.

Ciro` Classico Superiore: Older vines from higher elevation, around 200 meters. This wine is really the nuts and bolts of Francesco's production and from his favorite parcel. Vinification is the same but the land is more clay and less sand giving this wine more structure and intensity.

Both of these wines are very intriguing and I believe showcase the top of the potential for gaglioppo and Calabrian wine. These are savory, old fashion wines that are carefully refined. They won't yell at you about how good they are but they will sneak up on you and keep you grabbing your glass.

Fall Arrivals 2013

Wow, I can't believe it's already going to be November! Time flies when you're selling natural wine.

So, many exciting things are due to land within the next few weeks, just in time for the best wine drinking season!

Collecapretta Fall Releases:
When I tasted with Vittorio and family way back in March at the cellar these new releases and cuvee's were stunning. This is the largest set of arrivals I've ever been offered and able to take in, I can't contain how excited I am or how important to me these wines are.

- Vino Rosso da Tavola: This year the goat wine is sangiovese (~90%), ciliegiolo and three drops of sagrantino from a couple new plants at the end of the two rows of sagrantino they own (il Forestiero). It's got a goat on the label. You need this.
- Terre dei Preti: Trebbiano spoletino with 2 weeks of skin contact. Unreal.
- Buscaia (NEW!): The first time I visited the Mattioli family I got to try this wine but they had none left to sell. This is a wild white wine made of Malvasia Aromatica di Candia and Malvasia Toscana. ~10 days of skin contact.
- il Burbero: Always a fan favorite, this wine is quickly becoming a stand out in the Collecapretta quiver. From a particularly old vine parcel that is very well exposed. It is harvested ~10 after the other vineyards and yields a wine with tremendous density and spice. Sangiovese, ciliegiolo and merlot.
- Le Cese: "That's some pure fucking sangiovese"-- Zev Rovine's review.
- Lautizio (NEW!): I've been begging Vittorio for this wine since day 1 and thankfully this year he offered me a good chunk of the production (30 cases total!). 100% ciliegiolo...Frank should be scared.
- il Forestiero: This is the last tranche of il Forestiero for the year. 100% sagrantino from 2 rows of vines. 326 bottles produced. My favorite bottles have been # 77, 03, and 101. Bea should be scared.

Cantina Furlani Fall Releases:

There was still lots of snow on the Dolomite peaks in late March when I finally got up to visit Matteo Furlani 800 meters above Trento. He made some brilliant still wines in 2012, they are elegant and pure. The white is semi-aromatic and perfect for the cold months with Fondue and the like. The red, well, I've never had a wine like it from Italy...maybe the Loire.
Both the white and red were fermented without yeast, temperature control nor sulfur in cement before 7 months of aging in 54 liter glass demijohns. They were naturally clarified by putting the demijohns in the late winter snow outside before bottling in early Spring. Mountain wines at their best.

- Bianco Alpino: A blend of nosiola, Pavana, Lagarino bianco, verderbara, vernaccia and muller-thurgau (some i never heard of there for sure).

- Rosso Alpino: Lagarino rosso, marzemino, rosara, negrara and lagrein...have you every had Loire wine from the Alps?

Rabasco Fall Releases:

Iole Rabasco has been hard at work in her old vine plots of Montepulciano. I didn't get to visit her this Spring as her son got suddenly sick and she had to make him soup. Two exciting new wines are here as well as the last bit of her beloved 2007 Riserva.

- Vino Rosso da Tavola: 100% montepulciano d'Abruzzo from medium aged vines raised on the classic 'tendone' style pergola. 2 years in glass lined cement before hand bottling with no sulfur, ever. 12.5% alcohol, 3284 bottles were made.

- Cerasuolo d' Abruzzo/Rosato: This wine was the star of the new vintages made in 2012. They are extremely proud of how this wine turned out and there may be only one other Cerasuolo out there to compare it to, and that guys name is Valent...

- Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Risvera: The last few cases