Remembering Our Friend Julie Balagny

Articles

Jean-Christophe Garnier Producer Profile

Jean-Christophe Garnier Producer Profile

For years now, Jean-Christophe Garnier’s complex <glossary term="Chenin Blanc" title="281">Chenin Blancs</glossary> and easy drinking reds are wines we have loved and admired from afar. From first discovering them at The Ten Bells in the late aughts (the cash only days!), ordering bottles whenever in Paris or the obligatory <glossary term="Magnum" title="617">magnum</glossary> following post-<glossary term="Dive Bouteille" title="395">Dive Bouteille </glossary>romps at le Cercle Rouge in <glossary term="Angers" title="104">Angers</glossary>, Garnier’s work is something we’ve long admired as fans. And based on the immediate excitement of our customers bringing the wines back to the US market after a six year hiatus, it would seem many of you feel the same way! With no family ties to <glossary term="Viticulture" title="1103">viticulture</glossary> or winemaking, Garnier found his passion for wine as a <glossary term="Sommelier" title="969">sommelier</glossary> in his home region of <glossary term="Brittany" title="197">Brittany</glossary>. In the late 1990’s, he took a year off to go study <glossary term="Viticulture" title="1103">viticulture</glossary> in hopes to deepen his knowledge before opening a wine bar with a friend. Due to its proximity to <glossary term="Brittany" title="197">Brittany</glossary>, he enrolled in a school close to the <glossary term="Viticulture" title="1103">viticultural</glossary> region of <glossary term="Anjou" title="105">Anjou</glossary>, where he was placed in an apprenticeship working with Mark Angeli of the legendary Ferme de la Sansonièrre. Typical of Angeli, Mark immediately encouraged JC to start a new life by creating his own <glossary term="Estate" title="427">estate</glossary>. After completing his curriculum, Garnier went back to restaurants for a couple of years but ultimately returned to <glossary term="Anjou" title="105">Anjou</glossary> after Angeli found him a couple of <glossary term="Hectare" title="523">hectares</glossary> to start his own <glossary term="Estate" title="427">estate</glossary> in 2002. Far from the hotbed of forward-thinking producers that currently populate the area, <glossary term="Anjou" title="105">Anjou</glossary> was at the time a struggling region known mostly for its sweet <glossary term="Bonnezeaux" title="177">Bonnezeaux</glossary> and <glossary term="Coteaux-du-Layon" title="349">Coteaux du Layon</glossary> <glossary term="Appellation" title="113">appellation</glossary> wines, with generic <glossary term="Anjou" title="105">Anjou</glossary> whites mostly produced as cloyingly sweet, <glossary term="Filtration" title="447">sterile-filtered</glossary> copycats of the aforementioned <glossary term="AOC" title="108">AOC</glossary>’s. The wines made with red grapes weren’t faring so well either: <glossary term="Tannin" title="1010">tannic</glossary>, rustic <glossary term="Grolleau" title="513">Grolleau</glossary> and <glossary term="Cabernet Franc" title="216">Cabernet Franc</glossary>/<glossary term="Cabernet Sauvignon" title="217">Cabernet Sauvignon</glossary> <glossary term="Blend" title="168">blends</glossary> or Rosé d'Anjou, another cloyingly sweet, <glossary term="Filtration" title="447">sterile-filtered</glossary> beverage that had become increasingly difficult to sell by the turn of the millennium. Garnier, along with a small group of now legendary trailblazers- Mark Angeli, Richard Leroy, Patrick Baudoin and Agnès and René Mosse to name a few- took advantage of the region’s identity crisis, gaining access to cheap, readily available land from the mid 1990’s through the mid 2000’s. Decades ahead of their time, these outsiders saw the potential to break away from sweet wine production, particularly by producing dry or off-dry whites highlighting the incredibly varied types of <glossary term="Schist" title="933">schist</glossary> <glossary term="Terroir" title="1026">terroirs</glossary>, <glossary term="Microclimate" title="656">micro-climates</glossary>, <glossary term="Exposition" title="430">expositions</glossary> and <glossary term="Elevation" title="419">elevations</glossary> the region has to offer. Starting with 2.3 <glossary term="Hectare" title="523">hectares</glossary> in 2002, from the beginning Garnier’s production has consisted of <glossary term="Single Vineyard Bottling" title="959">single vineyard expressions</glossary> of <glossary term="Chenin Blanc" title="281">Chenin Blanc</glossary>: starting with les Dreuillés (no longer in production), over the years this has come to include Bézigon, la Roche, Rouchefert and the recently acquired Les Justices and 13 Vents, with each wine named after their respective <glossary term="Lieu-Dit" title="594">lieu-dit</glossary>. The <glossary term="Chenin Blanc" title="281">Chenin</glossary> grapes are <glossary term="Direct Press" title="392">direct-pressed</glossary> and, while <glossary term="Vinification" title="1104">vinified</glossary> and <glossary term="Aging" title="74">aged</glossary> in various vessels, the intent is always to express <glossary term="Terroir" title="1026">terroir</glossary> through wines approachable in youth but ultimately meant to <glossary term="Cellaring" title="255">cellar</glossary> and <glossary term="Aging" title="74">age</glossary>. Reds came only in 2010, with <glossary term="Pineau d'Aunis" title="799">Pineau d’Aunis</glossary>, <glossary term="Grolleau" title="513">Grolleau</glossary>, <glossary term="Gamay" title="478">Gamay</glossary>, <glossary term="Cabernet Franc" title="216">Cabernet Franc</glossary> and <glossary term="Cabernet Sauvignon" title="217">Cabernet Sauvignon</glossary> rounding out the lineup. In contrast to the more serious nature of the whites, JC opts for short, <glossary term="Infusion" title="1378">infusion</glossary> style <glossary term="Whole-Cluster" title="1124">whole-cluster</glossary> <glossary term="Maceration" title="610">macerations</glossary> for his reds, resulting in a more <glossary term="Vin de Soif" title="1094">vin-de-soif</glossary> style. Most of his reds are <glossary term="Bottling" title="185">bottled</glossary> very early -some as early as November of the same year- and meant to drink relatively young. The one exception is "Les Tailles", a <glossary term="Lieu-Dit" title="594">lieu-dit</glossary> planted in <glossary term="Cabernet Franc" title="216">Cabernet Franc</glossary> that sees a 12 day, <glossary term="Whole-Cluster" title="1124">whole-cluster</glossary> <glossary term="Infusion" title="1378">infusion</glossary> <glossary term="Maceration" title="610">maceration</glossary> then <glossary term="Fermentation" title="441">ferments</glossary> and <glossary term="Aging" title="74">ages</glossary> 12 months in <glossary term="Barrel" title="142">barrel</glossary> before release. The estate has been <glossary term="Organic Certification" title="260">certified</glossary> <glossary term="Organic" title="746">organic</glossary> since its inception. Garnier currently farms 10 <glossary term="Hectare" title="523">hectares</glossary> of vines, though a significant amount of that land consists of new plantations, of which only some of the <glossary term="Parcel" title="760">parcels</glossary> are just starting to produce fruit. Four distinct and seperate sectors are farmed, three surrounding the village of <glossary term="Saint-Lambert-du-Lattay" title="983">Saint-Lambert-du-Lattay</glossary> and one in the village of Saint-Aubin-de-Luigné. Creating competition for the vines so they can sink their roots further into the <glossary term="Mother Rock" title="690">mother rock</glossary>, he likes to plant at a much higher density than what is tradtional in the region, 6500 to 7000 vines per hectare versus the typical 5000 to 5500.  In addition to his own production, for the last few years Garnier has purchased the equivalent of two <glossary term="Hectare" title="523">hectares</glossary> of <glossary term="Organic" title="746">organically</glossary> farmed fruit from a nearby <glossary term="Vigneron/Vignaiolo" title="1089">vigneron</glossary> with soils quasi-indentical to those he farms. Including the single <glossary term="Négociant" title="729">négociant</glossary> <glossary term="Cuvée" title="363">cuvée</glossary> "Les Nouettes", production is split roughly 50/50 between white and red wines. In the <glossary term="Cellar" title="254">cellar</glossary>, Garnier began omitting <glossary term="Sulfites" title="993">S02</glossary> from his wines in the 2006 <glossary term="Vintage" title="1109">vintage</glossary>, the same year he intentionally <glossary term="Declassification" title="383">declassified</glossary> his wines from <glossary term="Anjou" title="105">Anjou</glossary> to <glossary term="Table Wine" title="1006">Vin de Table</glossary> (a now common occurence that was all but unheard of at the time). Many <glossary term="Vintage" title="1109">vintages</glossary> were <glossary term="Vinification" title="1104">vinified</glossary> entirely without added <glossary term="Sulfites" title="993">sulfites</glossary> between 2006 and 2016, though in two vintages Garnier felt obliged to use very small amounts at <glossary term="Pressing" title="827">press</glossary>. However, with time and experience he has come to believe those <glossary term="Sulfites" title="993">sulfur</glossary> additions did nothing to alter the identity or course of those wines, leading him to stick to a stricly zero <glossary term="Sulfites" title="993">S02</glossary> policy from the the 2016 <glossary term="Vintage" title="1109">vintage</glossary> onwards. From our experience, this decision comes less from dogma and more from JC's cerebral, attentive nature and conviction that <glossary term="Vinification" title="1104">vinifying</glossary> this way best expresses his <glossary term="Terroir" title="1026">terroirs</glossary>. For more in depth information, please read our interview with Jean-Christophe.

Jean-Christophe Garnier Interview

Jean-Christophe Garnier Interview

This interview with Jean-Christophe Garnier took place over Zoom in September 2024. What were you doing before becoming a vigneron? I’m from <glossary term="Brittany" title="197">Brittany</glossary> and first got into wine working as a <glossary term="Sommelier" title="969">sommelier</glossary>. It was my career for about a decade. I eventually decided to open a wine bar with a friend, but before doing so I told him I wanted to take a year off to learn more about working in the vines. All of my wine education up until that point had come from books, so I wanted to experience things first-hand. In 1998, I enrolled in a <glossary term="Viticulture" title="1103">viticultural</glossary> school not too far from <glossary term="Anjou" title="105">Anjou</glossary> and was lucky enough to find myself apprenticing with Mark Angeli at Ferme de la Sansonièrre. From the start, he was very supportive and insistant that I start my own <glossary term="Estate" title="427">estate</glossary> in <glossary term="Anjou" title="105">Anjou</glossary>. After finishing my program, I went back to restaurants for a bit but ultimately decided to come back here to start making wine myself. That was in 2002. Mark helped me find 2.5 <glossary term="Hectare" title="523">hectares</glossary> to launch my project. I then found a house in the village of <glossary term="Saint-Lambert-du-Lattay" title="983">Saint-Lambert-du-Lattay</glossary> for my family with an adjoining <glossary term="Cellar" title="254">cellar</glossary> for my wines. And from the strong <glossary term="Viticulture" title="1103">viticultural</glossary> community in the village, I was able to grow and develop the <glossary term="Estate" title="427">estate</glossary> to what it is today. Today, Anjou is arguably the most dynamic region in the Loire for newer producers just starting out. When you started it was a very different climate. What made you want to make wine in Anjou? First and foremost, <glossary term="Anjou" title="105">Anjou</glossary> is relatively close to <glossary term="Brittany" title="197">Brittany</glossary>! And I’d been selling <glossary term="Anjou" title="105">Anjou</glossary> wines for quite a few years as a <glossary term="Sommelier" title="969">sommelier</glossary>. There was also the strong support from Mark Angeli and what I suppose has become the first wave of forward-thinking <glossary term="Vigneron/Vignaiolo" title="1089">vignerons</glossary> from that time (Mosse, Leroy, Baudoin…) There were also lots of cheap vines to recuperate and room to build out <glossary term="Cellar" title="254">cellars</glossary> as well. Working with <glossary term="Chenin Blanc" title="281">Chenin</glossary> -a grape with incredible versatility- was also an exciting prospect. <glossary term="Anjou" title="105">Anjou</glossary> is also a region where you have access to lots of different grapes, both red and white, as well as a fascinating variety of <glossary term="Terroir" title="1026">terroirs</glossary>. And it’s close to <glossary term="Brittany" title="197">Brittany</glossary>! Did you make appellation wines in the beginning? Yes I did. At the time it was very rare for <glossary term="Vigneron/Vignaiolo" title="1089">vignerons</glossary> to intentionally <glossary term="Declassification" title="383">de-classify</glossary> their wines. And what were those early wines? I started with 2.3 <glossary term="Hectare" title="523">hectares</glossary>: 80 <glossary term="Are" title="1208">ares</glossary> of <glossary term="Grolleau" title="513">Grolleau Gris</glossary>, the rest in <glossary term="Chenin Blanc" title="281">Chenin Blanc</glossary>. From the beginning I made dry whites, but in a different style than today. At the time everyone picked in “<glossary term="pouri plein" title="1493">pourri-plein</glossary>”, where we’d intentionally seek some over-maturity in the grapes. This picking style makes for very interesting <glossary term="Aromatic" title="120">aromatics</glossary> in a wine’s youth, but is also prone to heavy <glossary term="Oxidation" title="754">oxydation</glossary> and not very beneficial for <glossary term="Aging" title="74">aging</glossary>. This technique for <glossary term="Chenin Blanc" title="281">Chenin Blanc</glossary> is a style really pioneered by Mark Angeli around 1995. 2005 was the nail in the coffin for picking this way, as the years were getting violently solar and it was impossible to make stable wine with slightly <glossary term="Botrytis/Noble Rot" title="181">botrytised</glossary> grapes without using <glossary term="Sulfites" title="993">sulfites</glossary>. I’ve never understood why people feel the need to systematically add <glossary term="Sulfites" title="993">sulfur</glossary> to wine, so I started picking at optimal ripeness instead. Today, I’d even posit I look to pick at a slight under-maturity as to keep <glossary term="Acidity" title="71">acidity</glossary>. But recently I’ve decided I want to go back to a slightly riper style. It means a bit more alcohol, but you get more complexity. I suppose it’s being in the middle of both extremes I’ve worked with in the past. You just brought up sulfites. Where does your conviction to not use S02 come from? As I mentioned earlier, all of my wine knowledge originally came from books. It was all about regions, grapes, <glossary term="Terroir" title="1026">terroirs</glossary>, etc… I had zero notions on how to actually make wine until I started doing it myself. <glossary term="Sulfites" title="993">Sulfur</glossary> seemed to be this very important and necessary additive in winemaking, and I never really understood why. So very quickly, I started not using any. So you weren’t already a proselytizer of sans souffre wines while working as a sommelier? I sold some but there were very few readily available when I worked in restaurants. I recall some <glossary term="Côtes du Rhône" title="372">Côtes du Rhône</glossary> producers… For us the focus was more on <glossary term="Artisinal" title="122">artisanal</glossary> production from small, independent <glossary term="Vigneron/Vignaiolo" title="1089">vignerons</glossary>. What were your first “aha” moments with wine? I worked in <glossary term="Banyuls" title="135">Banyuls</glossary> and <glossary term="Collioure" title="319">Collioure</glossary> for a little while. While there, I met some of the local <glossary term="Vigneron/Vignaiolo" title="1089">vignerons</glossary> and also travelled in other parts of the <glossary term="Roussillon" title="880">Roussillon</glossary> and <glossary term="Languedoc" title="579">Languedoc</glossary>. The <glossary term="Languedoc" title="579">Languedoc</glossary> in particular was going through a pretty exciting revolutionary period in the 1990’s. It was during that period that I really began to understand that good wine came from well farmed vines first and foremost. And this feeling was amplified when I did my apprenticeship in <glossary term="Anjou" title="105">Anjou</glossary>. So yeah I’d say the <glossary term="Languedoc" title="579">Languedoc</glossary> and then the <glossary term="Loire Valley" title="602">Loire</glossary>. We touched on your beginnings in Anjou. Can you run us through the evolution of the estate over the years? I started in 2002 with 2.5 <glossary term="Hectare" title="523">hectares</glossary>. In 2006 I got to 4.5 <glossary term="Hectare" title="523">hectares</glossary> which grew to five <glossary term="Hectare" title="523">hectares</glossary> by 2008. Then in 2010, I met a young man who was ready to invest in vines but didn’t want to start as full-time <glossary term="Vigneron/Vignaiolo" title="1089">vigneron</glossary> for a few years, so he needed someone to farm it in the interim. It was a <glossary term="Plot" title="1133">plot</glossary> of <glossary term="Gamay" title="478">Gamay</glossary>, <glossary term="Pineau d'Aunis" title="799">Pineau d’Aunis</glossary> and <glossary term="Cabernet Franc" title="216">Cabernet Franc</glossary>. Up until then, I basically made all white wine, with the <glossary term="Grolleau" title="513">Grolleau</glossary> destined for sweet <glossary term="Rosé/Rosato" title="871">rosé</glossary>. Fellow <glossary term="Vigneron/Vignaiolo" title="1089">vignerons</glossary> told me that making red wine was a good opportunity; at the time in France, you’d sell three bottles of red for every bottle of white. But I still wasn’t convinced about making red wine: in fact it strayed from my original vision. In the end I rather enjoyed the experience, particularly with <glossary term="Gamay" title="478">Gamay</glossary> and <glossary term="Pineau d'Aunis" title="799">Pineau d’Aunis</glossary>. I worked those vines from 2010 to 2020. The guy eventually decided not to become a <glossary term="Vigneron/Vignaiolo" title="1089">vigneron</glossary> and sold the vines to a young upstart for the 2021 <glossary term="Harvest" title="521">harvest</glossary>. Since I knew I wasn’t going to be able to use those vines anymore and had built a reputation for my reds, I’d been actively seeking out new <glossary term="Parcel" title="760">parcels</glossary> to buy. I was able to find a good amount of land, some bare, some where I had to rip out and replant. I’ve planted or replanted mostly <glossary term="Pineau d'Aunis" title="799">Pineau d’Aunis,</glossary> but also more <glossary term="Chenin Blanc" title="281">Chenin</glossary> in certain sectors. In 2017, I jumped to nine <glossary term="Hectare" title="523">hectares</glossary>, then in 2021 I bought another <glossary term="Hectare" title="523">hectare</glossary> and currently find myself farming 10. But much of surface consists of very young vines as I had to rip out and replant a lot. Some are just really starting to produce. It’s been a huge amount of work. Are you certified organic? I’ve been <glossary term="Organic Certification" title="260">certified</glossary> <glossary term="Organic" title="746">organic</glossary> since the very beginning. Can you give us a breakdown of the grapes you farm? I farm six <glossary term="Hectare" title="523">hectares</glossary> of <glossary term="Chenin Blanc" title="281">Chenin Blanc</glossary>, with an additional <glossary term="Hectare" title="523">hectare</glossary> of <glossary term="Chenin Blanc" title="281">Chenin</glossary> planted in vines too young to produce. Then there is one <glossary term="Hectare" title="523">hectare</glossary> of <glossary term="Cabernet Franc" title="216">Cabernet Franc</glossary> with a tiny bit of <glossary term="Cabernet Sauvignon" title="217">Cabernet Sauvignon</glossary> (which I plan to rip out and replant at some point). There is 0.5 <glossary term="Hectare" title="523">hectares</glossary> of <glossary term="Grolleau" title="513">Grolleau Gris</glossary>, 0.5 <glossary term="Hectare" title="523">hectares</glossary> of <glossary term="Savagnin" title="922">Savagnin</glossary>, 1.5 <glossary term="Hectare" title="523">hectares</glossary> of <glossary term="Pineau d'Aunis" title="799">Pineau d’Aunis</glossary>. <glossary term="Grolleau" title="513">Grolleau</glossary> and <glossary term="Gamay" title="478">Gamay</glossary> are about two <glossary term="Hectare" title="523">hectares</glossary>. Then there is the <glossary term="Négociant" title="729">négociant</glossary> project which comes from a nearby two <glossary term="Hectare" title="523">hectares</glossary> of red grapes planted on <glossary term="Loam" title="1291">loamy</glossary>-<glossary term="Clay" title="301">clay</glossary> soils. What about the evolution of the cuvées? Was the focus always on single vineyard wines? I’ve been doing <glossary term="Single Vineyard Bottling" title="959">single-parcel</glossary> wines from the beginning. For me it was pretty important. But over the years and when faced with difficult <glossary term="Vintage" title="1109">vintages</glossary>, I’ve sometimes felt obliged to combine <glossary term="Parcel" title="760">parcels</glossary> together (ex: La Roche-Bézigon). In 2005, I started making Bézigon. Then La Roche, then Les Tailles, which is the name of the <glossary term="Lieu-Dit" title="594">lieu-dit</glossary> where the <glossary term="Cabernet Franc" title="216">Cabernet</glossary> is planted. Then Rouchefert, and finally Justices and 13 Vents, the latter two planted in the neighboring village of Saint-Aubin-de-Luigné. Who were your first customers? Parisians! I participated in some of the very first <glossary term="Dive Bouteille" title="395">Dive Bouteilles</glossary>, and that’s where I created my network of Paris <glossary term="Caviste" title="253">cavistes</glossary> and restaurants. There was already a lot of bistros serving these types of wines at the time. My first importer was Japan. No surprise there! What inspired your labels? The snake is the Ouroboros, a famous symbol, one of the first symbols of civilization. It’s similar to the ying and the yang, the cycle of the seasons repeating themselves. When did you decide to stop making appellation wine? In 2006. I made <glossary term="Appellation" title="113">appellation</glossary> wines through 2005, but found it increasingly difficult having to justify my work to the the panels. Here I am attempting to express the most transparent expression of a grape from this specific place, but was getting challenged for too much alcohol, too much color, that I refused to <glossary term="Chaptalisation" title="270">chaptalize</glossary>… It felt so out of touch. 2006 was also the first year I’d gone 100% with no <glossary term="Sulfites" title="993">S02</glossary>, and based on past experience I knew there was absolutely no point presenting my wines. Honestly, I am still vexed that the <glossary term="AOC" title="108">AOC</glossary> cares so little about people like me who prioritize farming and expressing <glossary term="Terroir" title="1026">terroir</glossary> to the best of their ability. Having been part of those early Dive Bouteilles, how do you feel about the state of our little world of wine in 2024? Overall I think we’ve seen some truly great progress in the last 20 or so years. I do however feel that the bubble has burst. What represented something new (of course nothing is ever truly new), an alternative path to <glossary term="Viticulture" title="1103">viticulture</glossary> and winemaking 20 years ago ended up not being just a little ripple, but a tidal wave in moving things forward. Think about all the <glossary term="Cave Cooperative" title="252">cooperators</glossary> who broke away and started producing their own wines. The children of <glossary term="Vigneron/Vignaiolo" title="1089">vignerons</glossary> who took a complete 180 from past generations. The young people coming from totally unrelated fields to start wineries. It’s incredible!  But this boom cycle had to end at some point. The sheer amount of events taking place around the <glossary term="Dive Bouteille" title="395">Dive Bouteille</glossary> this year proves to me that being visible and commercially viable is becoming increasingly difficult. It’s true. Five years ago, I felt there was this almost infinite, utopia-like energy going around. That consumers were so welcoming and excited for this type of philosophy, and that there was infinite room for things to keep evolving positively. It was beautiful and inspiring. I agree. But as we see now, it was relatively naif and there were some major missteps along the way. Many completely stopped caring about the quality of the wines themselves. In my early days, I made a lot of mistakes and learned from those; it was a given that there were certain things you just couldn’t bottle and sell. And that helped me get better. In the past few years, you could really taste the lack of experience in some of these newer wineries. And of course that created tensions, as no one was really checking these producers. A lot of these wines weren’t sold on much merit other than being <glossary term="Natural WIne" title="708">natural</glossary>. But again, I think we come out of this richer. Because we explored and pushed those boundaries. So yes, the bubble has burst. But we’ve gained experience. Overall, more good wine is being made, and people are always going to want to drink good wine. It may just be impossible to taste or drink and sell them all!

La Petite Empreinte Producer Profile

La Petite Empreinte Producer Profile

La Petite Empreinte, or “the little footprint” is an <glossary term="Estate" title="427">estate</glossary> that truly lives up to its name. Founded by Mélissa Bazin with the help of her husband Romain De Moor in 2020, together the couple work a whopping two <glossary term="Hectare" title="523">hectares</glossary> of vines from A to Z, producing very limited quantities of <glossary term="Pinot Noir" title="805">Pinot Noir</glossary>, <glossary term="Gamay" title="478">Gamay</glossary> and <glossary term="Sauvignon Blanc" title="927">Sauvignon Blanc</glossary>. After meeting and falling in love during respective apprenticeships in the <glossary term="Jura" title="560">Jura</glossary> (Julien Labet for Mélissa and Jean-François Ganevat for Romain), the couple agreed to move back to <glossary term="Burgundy" title="212">Burgundy</glossary> so Romain could join his parents Alice and Olivier at their eponymous <glossary term="Estate" title="427">estate</glossary> in <glossary term="Chablis" title="262">Chablis</glossary>. Always set on doing her own thing, Mélissa set forth to find some <glossary term="Parcel" title="760">parcels</glossary> to work on her own. Through a program designed to help young producers find land to start their own <glossary term="Estate" title="427">estates</glossary>, she was able start renting <glossary term="Plot" title="1133">plots</glossary> in 2020, eventually purchasing the vines in 2022. The first and largest sector consists of two <glossary term="Plot" title="1133">plots</glossary> totaling one <glossary term="Hectare" title="523">hectare</glossary>, all planted in 1990. Located in <glossary term="Saint-Bris" title="979">Saint-Bris</glossary> on an idyllic <glossary term="Coteau" title="345">coteau</glossary> of <glossary term="Kimmeridgian" title="565">Kimmeridgian</glossary> <glossary term="Limestone" title="596">limestone</glossary> overlooking the Yonne river, <glossary term="Pinot Noir" title="805">Pinot Noir</glossary> is the main variety planted here, along with 10 <glossary term="Are" title="1208">ares</glossary> of <glossary term="Gamay" title="478">Gamay</glossary>. Two wines are produced from this land: a <glossary term="Pinot Noir" title="805">Pinot</glossary> called “Mas a Tierra” and a <glossary term="Magnum" title="617">magnum</glossary> only <glossary term="Cuvée" title="363">cuvée</glossary> of <glossary term="Gamay" title="478">Gamay</glossary>. For the latter, a single <glossary term="Barrel" title="142">barrel</glossary> is produced each <glossary term="Vintage" title="1109">vintage</glossary>.  The second <glossary term="Parcel" title="760">parcel</glossary> consists of 40 <glossary term="Are" title="1208">ares</glossary> of <glossary term="Pinot Noir" title="805">Pinot Noir</glossary>, from which they produce the <glossary term="Cuvée" title="363">cuvée</glossary> “Tapis Rouge”. The vines here are <glossary term="Exposition" title="430">exposed</glossary> full South and were planted in 1978 on a steep <glossary term="Coteau" title="345">coteau</glossary> of <glossary term="Portlandian" title="1398">Portlandian</glossary> <glossary term="Limestone" title="596">limestone</glossary>. In addition, a yet-to-be released <glossary term="Saint-Bris" title="979">Saint-Bris</glossary> is produced from two small <glossary term="Plot" title="1133">plots</glossary>, the first 30 years old and <glossary term="Exposition" title="430">exposed</glossary> West, the other planted in 1959 on white <glossary term="Clay" title="301">clay</glossary>, <glossary term="Exposition" title="430">exposed</glossary> North and very low producing due to <glossary term="Court Noué" title="1250">court noué</glossary>. Bazin and De Moor, in addition to raising two young daughters and Romain working full time with his parents, do 100% of the work and currently have no employees. Mélissa is responsable for the manual work in the vines  (<glossary term="Pruning" title="834">pruning</glossary>, <glossary term="Green Harvest" title="507">green harvest</glossary>…) with Romain doing the tractor work. The vines are <glossary term="Organic Certification" title="260">certified organic</glossary> or in <glossary term="Conversion" title="332">conversion</glossary> towards <glossary term="Organic Certification" title="260">certification</glossary>. <glossary term="Cover Crop" title="1255">Cover crops</glossary> have been incorporated since 2021 and, like Alice and Olivier in Chablis, they have been planting fruit trees in the vines to encourage <glossary term="Biodiversity" title="1162">biodiversity</glossary> and break up the <glossary term="Monoculture" title="671">monoculture</glossary> of <glossary term="Viticulture" title="1103">viticulture</glossary>/create stronger rhizome networks in the soil. In the <glossary term="Cellar" title="254">cellar</glossary>, the couple work off instinct and communally make all <glossary term="Vinification" title="1104">vinification</glossary> decisions together. <glossary term="Maceration" title="610">Maceration</glossary> lengths, <glossary term="Pigeage/Punchdown" title="795">pigeages</glossary>/<glossary term="Remontage/Pumping Over" title="850">remontages</glossary> (or lack thereof) have varied each <glossary term="Vintage" title="1109">vintage</glossary>, but the wines all <glossary term="Fermentation" title="441">ferment</glossary> and <glossary term="Aging" title="74">age</glossary> in <glossary term="Old Oak" title="739">old barrels</glossary> with no <glossary term="Sulfites" title="993">S02</glossary> is added at any point. Everything is currently <glossary term="Vinification" title="1104">vinified</glossary> in the De Moor <glossary term="Cellar" title="254">cellar</glossary>, but Mélissa and Romain are in the process constructing their own, in all likelihood for the 2025 <glossary term="Vintage" title="1109">vintage</glossary>.

Colvert Producer Profile

Colvert Producer Profile

Getting his start in <glossary term="Burgundy" title="212">Burgundy</glossary>, Marc Kemlin found his love for <glossary term="Viticulture" title="1103">viticulture</glossary> while working at a family friend's <glossary term="Estate" title="427">estate</glossary> in <glossary term="Chassagne-Montrachet" title="275">Chassagne-Montrachet</glossary>. While passionate and dedicated to the work in the vines, Kemlin found himself increasingly heartbroken seeing each year's work <glossary term="Pressing" title="827">pressed</glossary>, <glossary term="Yeast" title="1128">yeasted</glossary> and sent to <glossary term="Négociant" title="729">négociants</glossary> the next day. He'd hit a wall, and when his wife Fanny admitted that she found it hard to integrate herself socially and professionally in <glossary term="Burgundy" title="212">Burgundy</glossary>, it was time to for a change. Ready to start a family, the two agreed to move to the city of Aix-en-Provence where Fanny had grown up. Continuing to work in wine, Marc went from <glossary term="Parcel" title="760">micro-parcels</glossary> <glossary term="Vinification" title="1104">vinified</glossary> in <glossary term="Burgundian" title="210">Burgundian</glossary> <glossary term="Barrel" title="142">barrels</glossary> to production-centric chateaux centered on massive quantities of commercial <glossary term="Rosé/Rosato" title="871">rosé</glossary>. The culture shock of <glossary term="Provence" title="831">Provence</glossary> was real. While continuing to <glossary term="Vinification" title="1104">vinifiy</glossary> huge <glossary term="Vat/Tank" title="1140">vats</glossary> of mediocre <glossary term="Rosé/Rosato" title="871">rosé</glossary>, Marc felt increasingly pulled towards starting his own, small-scale <glossary term="Artisinal" title="122">artisanal</glossary> project. Serendipitously, Fanny's family happened to own a sprawling <glossary term="Estate" title="427">estate</glossary> called Domaine des Ribières just 30 minutes north of Aix-en-Provence. The property is breathtakingly beautiful but also a unique <glossary term="Terroir" title="1026">terroir</glossary>: tucked away in the Ribières valley with no neighbors, the <glossary term="Estate" title="427">estate</glossary> sits at 350 meters <glossary term="Elevation" title="419">elevation</glossary>, quite high for the region. The soils consist of <glossary term="Silt" title="956">silty</glossary> <glossary term="Clay" title="301">clay</glossary> and <glossary term="Limestone" title="596">limestone</glossary>, with one sector <glossary term="Exposition" title="430">exposed</glossary> south and the other north. A little river at the edge of the property brings freshness and contributes to a <glossary term="Microclimate" title="656">micro-climate</glossary> that protects from <glossary term="Frost" title="1135">frost</glossary>. In other words, good stuff! Vines had been planted at Ribières 70 years prior, but the land had long been used to grow cereals. Knowing that that replanting would take a lot of time, money and effort, Kemlin decided to in the interim start a collaborative project with his friend Pierre Rochard of the fantastic bistro Les Vieilles Canailles in Aix-en-Provence. Dubbed Colvert over many nights of eating and drinking, the plan was to find a space outside of the city that would double as a restaurant and winery. Things were well under way, including a delicious, <glossary term="Sulfites" title="993">unsulfured</glossary> <glossary term="Négociant" title="729">négociant</glossary> <glossary term="Cuvée" title="363">cuvée</glossary> of <glossary term="Vermentino" title="1081">Rolle</glossary> dubbed "R/C" that blew our minds the first time we tried it. But the pandemic upended everything, forcing Rochard to pivot to catering and making the partnership untenable. Undeterred, Kemlin bought out his partner and continued the Colvert project as a solo endeavor.  Starting with a plantation of <glossary term="Grenache" title="508">Grenache Noir</glossary> in 2019, Marc has progressively planted roughly half a <glossary term="Hectare" title="523">hectare</glossary> every year, now totalling four <glossary term="Hectare" title="523">hectares</glossary> at the time of this writing. Along with the <glossary term="Grenache" title="508">Grenache</glossary>, <glossary term="Vermentino" title="1081">Rolle</glossary>, <glossary term="Cinsault" title="1188">Cinsault</glossary> and <glossary term="Roussanne" title="878">Roussanne</glossary> now grow in Domaine des Ribières' soils. Marc estimates he could plant up to 10 <glossary term="Hectare" title="523">hectares</glossary> but is hesitant, as he feels adamant about meticulously working his land from A to Z. "For me, touching every vine is like reading the land. You can have someone give you a summary of a book and know what happened, but you have to read it yourself to create your own images and ideas from it. I love planting each vine, <glossary term="Pruning" title="834">pruning</glossary> each vine, doing the <glossary term="Green Harvest" title="507">green harvest</glossary>, taking care of them… Only that way can I learn and understand how my actions will affect my work. To me it’s a powerful exchange." Uninspired by the <glossary term="Rosé/Rosato" title="871">rosé</glossary>-centric Coteaux d'Aix-en-Provence <glossary term="AOC" title="108">AOC</glossary>, Kemlin has decided to pass his entire production to <glossary term="Vin de France" title="1092">Vin de France</glossary>. Passionate about white wine from his time in <glossary term="Burgundy" title="212">Burgundy</glossary>, Marc's focus is principally on white wine production, including atypical <glossary term="Blanc de Noirs" title="166">blanc de noirs</glossary> from <glossary term="Grenache" title="508">Grenache</glossary> and <glossary term="Cinsault" title="1188">Cinsault</glossary>. As whites only represent 4% of <glossary term="Provence" title="831">Provencal</glossary> wine production, Kemlin freely admits it's also a way to be creative and to distinguish himself in a competitive, saturated market: "90% of the time, when I taste a white wine from <glossary term="Provence" title="831">Provence</glossary>, it’s <glossary term="Yeast" title="1128">yeasted</glossary> and smells like peach and kiwi. You smell it and you don’t even want to taste it. I love white wine and decided it would be my goal to make excellent white wine from <glossary term="Provence" title="831">Provence</glossary>. It’s also interesting because it really goes against anything being made in the region. My land finds itself within the Coteaux d’Aix-en Provence <glossary term="AOC" title="108">AOC</glossary>, but from the beginning I decided I’d make everything in <glossary term="Vin de France" title="1092">Vin de France</glossary>. This gives me a freedom to be creative, but also to learn." 2022 was the first vintage produced from Marc's young plantations, resulting in two <glossary term="Estate" title="427">estate</glossary> wines: a 100% <glossary term="Vermentino" title="1081">Rolle</glossary> and the aformentioned <glossary term="Blanc de Noirs" title="166">blanc de noirs</glossary> from <glossary term="Grenache" title="508">Grenache, </glossary>with a 100% <glossary term="Chardonnay" title="271">Chardonnay</glossary> of purchased <glossary term="Organic" title="746">organic</glossary> grapes from the <glossary term="Luberon" title="1489">Luberon</glossary> rounding out the lineup. At this point, he in debating whether to if he'll permit himself to buy grapes in future <glossary term="Vintage" title="1109">vintages</glossary>.  Despite the vines being very young, Marc's vision, passion and attention to detail shines through in the bottle. These are one of kind wines made against the grain in a region bogged down by standardization. And they are only going to get better as the vines sink their roots deeper into the <glossary term="Mother Rock" title="690">mother rock</glossary>.   For even more information about Marc and the Colvert project, please read his interview.

Colvert Interview

This interview with Marc Kemlin took place in May, 2024

Where are you originally from and how did you end up in wine? I grew up between Saint-Etienne and Roanne, about an hour west of Lyon. My parents were farmers, who mostly grew corn and cereals but also took care of roughly 100 <glossary term="Charolais" title="274">Charolais</glossary> cows. So I grew up in agriculture and cattle raising. But didn’t love working with livestock. And while interested in working with the land, I found no passion working with cereals. I worked with my parents in my youth but never had any intention of taking over the farm.  My connection to wine starts with with friends of my parents, <glossary term="Vigneron/Vignaiolo" title="1089">vignerons</glossary> who owned an <glossary term="Estate" title="427">estate</glossary> in <glossary term="Chassagne-Montrachet" title="275">Chassagne-Montrachet</glossary> called Domaine Duc de Magenta. It was two hours from the house, and every year we’d go do <glossary term="Harvest" title="521">harvest</glossary>. So I was exposed to the vines at a very early age. I very quickly found a passion for this type of work: the fact that you are simultaneously a farmer, a chemist and a business person all at once... When I was younger, there was also this almost noble thing about wine:  beautiful bottles on a properly set table, <glossary term="Sommelier" title="969">sommeliers</glossary> talking about it, etc… It all felt very poetic. So little by little I shifted into the universe of wine. Take us through those beginnings. My higher education was in sales, marketing and business in Lyon. This was the classic “make your farmer parents happy” move they so often want for their children. After that, I spent a year in Australia where I worked as a <glossary term="Sommelier" title="969">sommelier</glossary>. I barely had any money, so I began taking fruit picking jobs on top of the restaurant work, eventually landing me in the Adelaide hills picking grapes. It was a rekindling of sorts with the vines, and when I got back to France I decided to forego working in restaurants to head back to <glossary term="Burgundy" title="212">Burgundy</glossary>. I then studied <glossary term="Viticulture" title="1103">viticulture</glossary> and winemaking in <glossary term="Beaune" title="154">Beaune</glossary>.  While studying, I lived with my family friends in <glossary term="Chassagne-Montrachet" title="275">Chassagne</glossary>. Unpaid, I started working there in tandem: <glossary term="Pruning" title="834">pruning</glossary> the vines, <glossary term="Green Harvest" title="507">green harvest</glossary>… When <glossary term="Harvest" title="521">harvest</glossary> came around, I had plenty of free time so I helped out there as well. That turned into five years. It was interesting because I found myself treating the <glossary term="Estate" title="427">estate</glossary> like it was my own, but of course it wasn’t. I was so emotionally invested; one thing that started to hurt me was the fact that we worked really well in the vines year-round only to <glossary term="Harvest" title="521">harvest</glossary> and <glossary term="Pressing" title="827">press</glossary> grapes so that big <glossary term="Négociant" title="729">négociants</glossary> could come and pick up the juices the next day. I kept pushing for us to keep grapes to make our own <glossary term="Chassagne-Montrachet" title="275">Chassagne-Montrachet</glossary>, <glossary term="Puligny-Montrachet" title="840">Puligny-Montrachet</glossary>, <glossary term="Auxey-Duresses" title="130">Auxey-Duresses</glossary>, <glossary term="Meursault" title="1370">Meursault</glossary>… all these beautiful <glossary term="Appellation" title="113">appellations</glossary>! I was in love with wine, but I’d also fallen in love with a woman while studying in Lyon. She was from <glossary term="Provence" title="831">Provence</glossary>, and in those early years she agreed to live with me in <glossary term="Burgundy" title="212">Burgundy</glossary>. Very quickly, she told me that living in the <glossary term="Côte de Beaune" title="368">Côte de Beaune</glossary> or <glossary term="Côte d'Or" title="367">Côte d’Or</glossary> is a hard place to integrate yourself when you aren’t professionally connected to it. So we decided to move to <glossary term="Provence" title="831">Provence</glossary>, living in the city of Aix-en-Provence. In <glossary term="Provence" title="831">Provence</glossary>, I discovered a new world of <glossary term="Viticulture" title="1103">viticulture</glossary> and winemaking. I went from small <glossary term="Burgundian" title="210">Burgundian</glossary> <glossary term="Barrel" title="142">barrels</glossary> to huge 250<glossary term="hl/ha" title="528">hl</glossary> <glossary term="Vat/Tank" title="1140">vats</glossary>, <glossary term="Vinification" title="1104">vinifying</glossary> 5000 <glossary term="Hectoliter" title="524">hectoliters</glossary> at a time. Sadly, I was not thrilled by this world. It felt hierarchical, production driven and highly delineated: the vines and the <glossary term="Cellar" title="254">cellar</glossary> (if you can even call it that) were viewed as entirely different things. So was the commercial aspect of selling the wines.  I had to make a living, so I continued to work at a big chateau. Throughout, I felt increasingly pulled towards starting my own, small and <glossary term="Artisan" title="121">artisanal</glossary> <glossary term="Estate" title="427">estate</glossary>. Tell us about that. My wife Fanny has family land in <glossary term="Provence" title="831">Provence</glossary>. It’s a beautiful place, and before moving here this is where we'd spend our weekends. Vines had been planted on the property 70 years prior, but in the interim the land had been used for various cereals. Because it had been so long, bringing it back to <glossary term="Viticulture" title="1103">viticulture</glossary> was an arduous juridic process. When we got it back, I produced hay to restore the soils but also to make a little bit of pocket change selling it off. All the while, I kept my salaried position at a larger winery where I was <glossary term="Vinification" title="1104">vinifying</glossary> massive amounts of mediocre <glossary term="Rosé/Rosato" title="871">rosé</glossary>. In 2019, I started planting half a <glossary term="Hectare" title="523">hectare</glossary> every year. Today, in 2024, we are at four <glossary term="Hectare" title="523">hectares</glossary> of vines. My first <glossary term="Vintage" title="1109">vintage</glossary> from my own vines was 2022, and today -though I'm not making any money yet!- it’s my full-time activity. We started with 3000 bottles as a négoce, then 6000 in 2022, 8000 in 2023 and in 2024 we’ll be at 15 000 bottles. When I first met you you had started the Colvert project with négociant cuvées. Will you continue to purchase grapes to supplement the estate’s production? I started the Colvert project before planting a single vine. It was with a restaurateur friend, Pierre Rochard of Les Vieilles Canailles in Aix-en-Provence. He’s a super talented guy and loves wine. Our original idea was to find a space about 10km outside of Aix where we could have both a restaurant and a winery in the same place. But the pandemic upended our plans; he was forced to pivot to take-out buisness and that took up all of his time. We also couldn’t find an existing space or land to build the space outside of the city, so in the end we amicably ended our partnership. He stayed focused on his restaurant, I bought out his shares and refocused my business as a single proprietor. To answer the <glossary term="Négociant" title="729">négoce</glossary> question, yes my first Colvert wines were with purchased fruit; the idea was to “practice” making wines in my new <glossary term="Cellar" title="254">cellar</glossary> until the young vines came into production. But considering that my small cellar, which can hold a maximum of 200hl is totally full in 2023, I couldn’t buy fruit even if I want to. But would you continue to buy fruit? I’m debating if I want to shift to being purely a <glossary term="Vigneron/Vignaiolo" title="1089">vigneron</glossary> or to keep my <glossary term="Négociant" title="729">négociant</glossary> status. There is a negative perception of <glossary term="Négociant" title="729">négoce</glossary> and I get it. But it can be fun to to buy grapes from friends. For example, I LOVE <glossary term="Chardonnay" title="271">Chardonnay</glossary> but didn’t plant any myself. I know someone with nice <glossary term="Chardonnay" title="271">Chardonnay</glossary> in the <glossary term="Luberon" title="1489">Luberon</glossary> and had originally planned to form a long-term relationship with them. But they just had <glossary term="Frost" title="1135">frost</glossary> this year, so who knows? When you grow your own grapes, even in tough years you know what you’re getting yourself into. Buying grapes imposes a whole new dimension of different parameters. What does Colvert mean? Where we live is called Domaine des Ribières. It would have been a lot simpler to name the <glossary term="Estate" title="427">estate</glossary> that! But when we were starting the project with my ex-partner, with this idea of of a winery attached to a restaurant, it was a whole other concept. The name came many nights of eating and drinking. A “col” is what we call a bottle in France, and we liked the idea of adding green wax on each bottle. That’s the simplest aspect of the name. A colvert is also that beautiful green-headed duck (ed note: a mallard in English). At one point we had the idea of doing something cartoony to represent the  <glossary term="Estate" title="427">estate</glossary>, something more viral than what the <glossary term="Wine Label" title="573">labels</glossary> ended up being. The name of the Saint-Etienne football team, who I am a die-hard fan of, is also colloquially known as Les Verts as they wear green jerseys. Finally, and this is the craziest anecdote because I found out about it after having chosen the name, but my mother-in-law informed me that "colvert" was her late husband’s nickname. So it also serves as a little homage to him. I’d like to think he’d be happy seeing this land being worked full time again. Especially with that last part about my father-in-law, the name really felt like destiny. It may not resonate at all to non French speakers, but I like it! When I visited, I was taken aback by the beauty of the Domaine des Ribières property. Could you describe it in your own words? First we have to talk about where we are situated, the Ribières valley. We are right next to the village of Rognes, in direction of the <glossary term="Luberon" title="1489">Luberon</glossary>. We are at about 350 meters <glossary term="Elevation" title="419">elevation</glossary>, which is quite high for the area. There are heights that reach to 450 meters, from which you have stunning views of the Sainte-Victoire mountain. From there, you plunge back down into the Ribières valley. When you come to Domaine des Ribières for the first time, I think it’s hard not to feel its beauty. The sky feels particularly blue, the earth is tinted red from  <glossary term="Iron" title="547">iron</glossary>, there are no neighbors… As far as the <glossary term="Terroir" title="1026">terroirs</glossary>, we are on <glossary term="Silt" title="956">silty</glossary> <glossary term="Clay" title="301">clay</glossary> and <glossary term="Limestone" title="596">limestone</glossary>. One sector faces south, the other north. There is a little river at the edge of the property that brings us some freshness. And while many of our friends are vulnerable to <glossary term="Frost" title="1135">frost</glossary> if temperatures get to below 1.5, here we are always spared due to our specific <glossary term="Microclimate" title="656">micro-climate</glossary>. These factors really make me feel like we were actually onto something when we decided to start the project here. Maybe this is irrational, or perhaps it’s hard to explain, but when I’m here I feel connected to the land. I can feel that these vines are going to give me good grapes. And of course this isn’t without trials and tribulations. For example, our first plantation was a bit of a disaster. I took a <glossary term="Burgundian" title="210">Burgundian</glossary> approach by foregoing <glossary term="Irrigation" title="549">irrigation</glossary> and it was a real fiasco. That was a big lesson. I’ve also started working with a <glossary term="Pépiniériste" title="773">pépineriste</glossary> I like; it’s hard to know what works or doesn’t since there haven’t been vines here in almost two generations. So far I’m very happy: I’m not sure if it’s him, if it’s me or if it’s the climate, but I’m learning. Now that we have a bit of experience, we’re going to be able to concentrate even more on the vegetal well-being of the vines. I don’t want these them to live 10 or 20 years. I want them still here when I’m gone. Let’s talk about the grapes you’ve planted so far and what you plan on planting in coming years. I started this project with the knowledge that making wine is expensive and you need to distinguish yourself to make a mark. 90% of the time, when I taste a white wine from <glossary term="Provence" title="831">Provence</glossary>, it’s <glossary term="Inoculation" title="542">yeasted</glossary> and smells like peach and kiwi. You smell it and you don’t even want to taste it. I love white wine and decided it would be my goal to make excellent white wine from  <glossary term="Provence" title="831">Provence</glossary>. And yet my very first plantation was <glossary term="Grenache" title="508">Grenache Noir</glossary>. My reasoning was that I’d make some <glossary term="Rosé/Rosato" title="871">rosé</glossary>, sell it quickly to fund the growth of the <glossary term="Estate" title="427">estate</glossary>. I never ended up making a <glossary term="Rosé/Rosato" title="871">rosé</glossary>, but rather a <glossary term="Blanc de Blancs" title="165">blanc de noir</glossary>. People like them and I like them! It’s made like any white: <glossary term="Direct Press" title="392">direct-press</glossary> and long <glossary term="Elevage" title="418">elevage</glossary> on the <glossary term="Lees" title="590">lees</glossary>. So of course I’m not making quick sales from this wine because it requires time to <glossary term="Aging" title="74">age</glossary> in <glossary term="Barrel" title="142">barrel</glossary> and in bottle. It’s also interesting because it really goes against anything being made in the region. My land finds itself within the Coteaux d’Aix-en Provence <glossary term="AOC" title="108">AOC</glossary>, but from the beginning I decided I’d make everything in <glossary term="Vin de France" title="1092">Vin de France</glossary>. This gives me a freedom to be creative, but also to learn. But let me actually answer your question! So I started with <glossary term="Grenache" title="508">Grenache</glossary>, then planted some <glossary term="Vermentino" title="1081">Rolle</glossary>, then some <glossary term="Cinsault" title="1188">Cinsault</glossary> (with a <glossary term="Blanc de Noirs" title="166">blanc de noirs</glossary> and a light red being produced from this grape in the 2023 <glossary term="Vintage" title="1109">vintage</glossary>), then some more <glossary term="Vermentino" title="1081">Rolle</glossary>. In this first phase, I wanted to plant only grapes that are allowed in the <glossary term="Appellation" title="113">appellation</glossary> as a sort of safeguard. Since then I’ve planted a little less than a <glossary term="Hectare" title="523">hectare</glossary> of <glossary term="Roussanne" title="878">Roussanne</glossary>, which is not allowed in the <glossary term="Appellation" title="113">appellation</glossary>. The rest is still unwritten.We won’t plant in in 2024, but I’ll plant another half <glossary term="Hectare" title="523">hectare</glossary> in 2025. I’m not sure what it will be yet, as that will depend on the vegetal material available to me when it’s time to plant. But I’m also in the process of getting the permits to build a larger <glossary term="Cellar" title="254">cellar</glossary>. Another major investment! When I visited in summer of 2023, you pointed out that while you planned to keep planting, you wanted to keep it to a size where you could still touch every vine yourself. How many hectares do you envision planting total? For me, touching every vine is like reading the land. You can have someone give you a summary of a book and know what happened, but you have to read it yourself to create your own images and ideas from it. I love planting each vine, <glossary term="Pruning" title="834">pruning</glossary> each vine, doing the <glossary term="Green Harvest" title="507">green harvest</glossary>, taking care of them… Only that way can I learn and understand how my actions will affect my work. To me it’s a powerful exchange. If I limit to myself to being alone, or at least with my wife (who has a full time job), having more than five <glossary term="Hectare" title="523">hectares</glossary> is complicated. But to justify building a larger <glossary term="Cellar" title="254">cellar</glossary>, it might mean needing to double that surface. For now I’m not sure what that looks like: maybe I can have another young <glossary term="Vigneron/Vignaiolo" title="1089">vigneron</glossary> join me on these <glossary term="Terroir" title="1026">terroirs</glossary>… But there is plenty of time to see what happens. What about your approach in the cellar? When I was in <glossary term="Burgundy" title="212">Burgundy</glossary>, the <glossary term="Must" title="700">musts</glossary> were followed by a local <glossary term="Enology" title="422">enologist</glossary> before being picked up by <glossary term="Négociant" title="729">négociants</glossary>. The wines were completely <glossary term="Conventional Farming" title="331">conventional</glossary> and of little interest to me. I remember them being masked by <glossary term="Wood" title="1126">wood</glossary> and marked by <glossary term="Sulfites" title="993">sulfur</glossary>.  When I got to <glossary term="Provence" title="831">Provence</glossary>, it was all about "classic" <glossary term="Rosé/Rosato" title="871">rosé</glossary>. But I’ve always had a network of retailer, restaurateur and <glossary term="Vigneron/Vignaiolo" title="1089">vigneron</glossary> friends with whom we’d taste more authentic wines. When it was time to make my own wine, not once did it cross my mind to use <glossary term="Commercial Yeast" title="321">commercial yeast</glossary>. I also have an intolerance to <glossary term="Sulfites" title="993">sulfur</glossary> that makes me sneeze, but for me it’s more an ethical choice, a way to move away from the chemical over-reliance of bigger agriculture. My grandfather passed away from constant exposure to <glossary term="Phytosanitary" title="789">phytosanitary</glossary> products. I understand it felt like progress at the time, but today it’s very outdated. The problem we have here in Aix-en-Provence is that farmers realized grapes pay better than cereals. And they work vines like they worked cereal, pumping them for maximum production through any means necessary. And now the <glossary term="Cave Cooperative" title="252">cooperatives</glossary> have too much wine! My goal is not to make a lot of wine. I want to express my soils and their potential. In the <glossary term="Cellar" title="254">cellar</glossary>, it’s the same logic. That starts with <glossary term="Native Yeast" title="538">native yeasts</glossary>, first and foremost. That’s what’s going to mark the wines of where they are from. Other than that, I’m very meticulous with temperature and hygiene. I prefer to not add <glossary term="Sulfites" title="993">sulfites</glossary> and have succeeded in this, but if for whatever reason a wine had not fully finished <glossary term="Fermentation" title="441">fermenting</glossary>, I have no issue protecting it with a small dose at <glossary term="Bottling" title="185">bottling</glossary>, as was the case for the Gn/C 2022. A big part of this is because I’m just starting and these are my first <glossary term="Vintage" title="1109">vintages</glossary>; too much is on the line. Maybe that will change with time and experience.

Las Vedras Producer Profile

Las Vedras Producer Profile

Sónia Raposo was working in the HR sector for a large pharmaceutical company and experiencing the inevitable corporate career angst. Concurrently, she was finding an interest in wine - visiting producers, attending consumer tastings and some <glossary term="WSET" title="1127">WSET</glossary> classes - to the point where she began teaching some of the courses. By 2012 she was also interning at wineries in <glossary term="Alentejo" title="1259">Alentejo</glossary> and elsewhere in Portugal. In 2013 she met Pedro Marques in attendance with his family <glossary term="Estate" title="427">estate</glossary>, Vale da Capucha. From there, her interest in more honest, real wines took off. Ultimately, apart from the small things like a marriage and a family, the goal became to start a winemaking project together. In the beginning, they purchased a small amount of grapes from farmers they knew worked their vineyards well to see the potential of the vines before entering a rental agreement. The project eventually evolved into their own wines under the Las Vedras (“the old ones”) label. Initally they started making the wine at Pedro’s family’s winery, but recently have moved their operation to a new <glossary term="Cellar" title="254">cellar</glossary> in the village of Pero Negro. At first, the couple felt a bit isolated working in <glossary term="Torres Vedras" title="1486">Torres Vedras</glossary>, as it has a reputation for high production, poor quality <glossary term="Viticulture" title="1103">viticulture</glossary>. Case in point: besides themselves and Vale da Capucha, there isn't a single <glossary term="Organic" title="746">organic</glossary> producer in the <glossary term="DOC" title="1156">DOC</glossary> <glossary term="Torres Vedras" title="1486">Torres Vedras</glossary>. With the work they are doing, however, other like-minded producers are beginning to take note and interest in the area.  <glossary term="Torres Vedras" title="1486">Torres Vedras</glossary>, roughly an hour north of <glossary term="Lisbon" title="1262">Lisbon</glossary>, lies close at the foot of the Serra de Montejunto, the highest ridge of mountains in the Estremedura region of <glossary term="Lisbon" title="1262">Lisbon</glossary>; these act as a barrier to some of the prevailing winds, which, depending on the annual conditions, can either benefit or harm the vineyard. From this area, Sónia and Pedro work multiple vineyard sites. With these windy conditions, the <glossary term="Pruning" title="834">pruning</glossary> system is traditionally a type of short-<glossary term="Pruning" title="834">pruned</glossary> <glossary term="Gobelet" title="497">goblet</glossary> called Asas de Mosca (“fly wings”) for the shape of the tying. Walking distance from the <glossary term="Cellar" title="254">cellar</glossary>, the couple's largest <glossary term="Parcel" title="760">parcel</glossary> lies within the <glossary term="DOC" title="1156">DOC</glossary> of <glossary term="Torres Vedras" title="1486">Torres Vedras</glossary>, in the village of Pero Negro. At 1.5 <glossary term="Hectare" title="523">ha</glossary>, it is comprised of smaller <glossary term="Plot" title="1133">plots</glossary> within the larger <glossary term="Parcel" title="760">parcel</glossary>, indicative of what the region was before commercial production invaded. A white and a red wine named after the village, Pero Negro, are produced from this land. One of the smaller plots, a <glossary term="Parcel" title="760">parcel</glossary> that was not previously farmed very well, is planted with the whites of <glossary term="Fernão Pires" title="1235">Fernão Pires</glossary> and <glossary term="Palomino" title="1487">Palomino</glossary>, known locally as Seminario and Malvasia Rei, and the reds of <glossary term="Castelão" title="1228">Castelão</glossary> and <glossary term="Tinta Miuda" title="1230">Tinta Miuda</glossary>. The paperwork on the <glossary term="Parcel" title="760">parcel</glossary> says it was planted in 1993, but the owner thinks it is actually 50-60 years old. They began the <glossary term="Conversion" title="332">conversion</glossary> to <glossary term="Organic" title="746">organic</glossary> in 2019. From another proximate farmer, Sónia and Pedro purchase grapes that produce a wine called "Corriente". The soils here are <glossary term="Limestone" title="596">limestone</glossary> and <glossary term="Clay" title="301">clay</glossary> of oceanic origin and have a high <glossary term="PH" title="783">PH</glossary>. The couple has begun sowing <glossary term="Cover Crop" title="1255">cover crops</glossary> here to increase organic matter, open up the soil and drive down the <glossary term="PH" title="783">PH</glossary> level.  The next  <glossary term="Parcel" title="760">parcel</glossary>, in the village of Portela do Bispo -or Bishop’s Portal- lies in between the two <glossary term="DOC" title="1156">DOC</glossary>’s of <glossary term="Torres Vedras" title="1486">Torres Vedras</glossary> and <glossary term="Arruda" title="1488">Arruda</glossary>. It is a two <glossary term="Are" title="1208">ares</glossary> <glossary term="Plot" title="1133">plot</glossary> of 80 year-old vines planted mainly with <glossary term="Tinta Miuda" title="1230">Tinta Miuda</glossary> and a bit of <glossary term="Castelão" title="1228">Castelão</glossary>, <glossary term="Syrah" title="1001">Syrah</glossary>, <glossary term="Touriga Nacional" title="1229">Touriga Nacional </glossary>and some unknown white grapes. The <glossary term="Parcel" title="760">parcel</glossary> faces north towards the Montejunto Serras and can be exposed to some high winds. It is more of the oceanic <glossary term="Clay" title="301">clay</glossary>-<glossary term="Limestone" title="596">limestone</glossary> soil planted in verry narrow rows, since it pre-dates <glossary term="Mechanization" title="645">mechanization</glossary>. 2020 was the first <glossary term="Vintage" title="1109">vintage</glossary> from this  <glossary term="Plot" title="1133">plot</glossary>, yielding one 500L <glossary term="Barrel" title="142">barrel</glossary>. Like in Pero Negro, Sónia and Pedro have begun planting <glossary term="Cover Crop" title="1255">cover crops</glossary> here as well. The third <glossary term="Parcel" title="760">parcel</glossary>, Dois Portos, or Two Ports, is in the <glossary term="DOC" title="1156">DOC</glossary> <glossary term="Torres Vedras" title="1486">Torres Vedras</glossary>. Sónia and Pedro began working this <glossary term="Parcel" title="760">parcel</glossary> in 2022, making a small amount of wine  that year. It is again a two <glossary term="Are" title="1208">ares</glossary> <glossary term="Plot" title="1133">plot</glossary> planted mostly to <glossary term="Tinta Miuda" title="1230">Tinta Miuda</glossary> and surrounded by stone fruit trees. Sónia and Pedro are generally striving not to add any <glossary term="Sulfites" title="993">sulfites</glossary> to the process, but are not dogmatic given the current varying conditions at <glossary term="Harvest" title="521">harvest</glossary>, namely rain. Right now, they have not had to add any to any of the wines, even before <glossary term="Bottling" title="185">bottling</glossary>. Four wines are currently produced: Vino Branco Limo: from a <glossary term="Parcel" title="760">parcel</glossary> planted and worked by the late Antonio Carvalho of Casal Figueira and some friends in Bombarral a bit north of Pero Negro. 40% French <glossary term="Varietal" title="1071">varietals</glossary> that Antonio planted - <glossary term="Roussanne" title="878">Roussanne</glossary>, <glossary term="Marsanne" title="634">Marsanne</glossary>, <glossary term="Sémillon" title="1003">Semillon </glossary>and <glossary term="Petit Manseng" title="779">Petit Manseng</glossary>. The rest is <glossary term="Fernão Pires" title="1235">Fernão Pires</glossary>, <glossary term="Arinto" title="1233">Arinto</glossary> and <glossary term="Vital" title="1429">Vital</glossary>. Short <glossary term="Maceration" title="610">skin soak</glossary> then <glossary term="Pressing" title="827">pressed</glossary> into <glossary term="Stainless Steel" title="986">stainless vats</glossary>. Pero Negro Branco: The fruit comes from a small lower <glossary term="Parcel" title="760">parcel</glossary> at the bottom of the hill. <glossary term="Fernão Pires" title="1235">Fernão Pires</glossary> and <glossary term="Palomino" title="1487">Palomino</glossary> (known locally as Malvasia Rei). One day <glossary term="Maceration" title="610">maceration</glossary>, <glossary term="Pressing" title="827">pressed</glossary> and <glossary term="Fermentation" title="441">fermented</glossary> in <glossary term="Barrel" title="142">tonneau</glossary> of 500L, then two years <glossary term="Aging" title="74">aging</glossary> in the <glossary term="Barrel" title="142">barrels</glossary>. Vinho Tinto Corriente: a traditional blend of <glossary term="Castelão" title="1228">Castelão</glossary> and <glossary term="Tinta Miuda" title="1230">Tinta Miuda</glossary> from the aforementioned neighbor’s vineyard. The grapes are all <glossary term="Whole-Cluster" title="1124">whole-cluster</glossary>, with half going into the <glossary term="Vat/Tank" title="1140">vat</glossary> in <glossary term="Whole-Cluster" title="1124">whole-bunches</glossary> and the rest <glossary term="Foot-Treading" title="458">foot trod</glossary>, followed by a short five to seven day <glossary term="Maceration" title="610">maceration</glossary>.  Pero Negro Tinto: <glossary term="Castelão" title="1228">Castelão</glossary> (<glossary term="Whole-Cluster" title="1124">whole-cluster</glossary>) and <glossary term="Tinta Miuda" title="1230">Tinta Miuda</glossary> (<glossary term="De-stemming" title="378">destemmed</glossary> as they feel this variety’s stems are not pleasing). <glossary term="Fermentation" title="441">Fermented</glossary> and <glossary term="Aging" title="74">aged</glossary> in 500L <glossary term="Barrel" title="142">barrel</glossary>. In previous <glossary term="Vintage" title="1109">vintages</glossary>, the <glossary term="Aging" title="74">aging</glossary> lasted two years. Moving forward, this will change, as they think this wine should spend less time in <glossary term="Wood" title="1126">wood</glossary>. They inted the newer <glossary term="Vintage" title="1109">vintages</glossary> to be fresher, but <glossary term="Tinta Miuda" title="1230">Tinta Miuda</glossary> will always need more time in <glossary term="Barrel" title="142">barrel</glossary>.

Les Ânes Ailés Producer Profile

Francesco “Kikko” Pesci grew up in Rome. While working at various restaurants, in particular the infamous wine bar Litro, he was introduced to wines that blew his mind, most notably those of Panevino in <glossary term="Sardinia" title="917">Sardinia</glossary> and Ajola in <glossary term="Umbria" title="1058">Umbria</glossary>/<glossary term="Lazio" title="585">Lazio</glossary>. Ajola’s relative proximity to Rome led to a burgeoning friendship with its founder Jacopo Battista, in turn inspiring Kikko to make wine himself. Up for a new challenge, he found himself an apprenticeship in <glossary term="Banyuls" title="135">Banyuls</glossary> helping Manu di Vecchi Staraz at Vinyer de la Ruca. The plan was to help out for a year, but that year became two, then five… By 2022, Kikko had the opportunity to buy two <glossary term="Parcel" title="760">parcels</glossary> and start his own project, Les Ânes Ailés. That same year he produced his first <glossary term="Vintage" title="1109">vintage</glossary> as the newest member of Les 9 Caves. Both of Kikko’s <glossary term="Parcel" title="760">parcels</glossary> are in the mountain north of <glossary term="Banyuls" title="135">Banyuls-sur-Mer</glossary>, historically a lesser planted area. Both parcels roughly equal a <glossary term="Hectare" title="523">hectare;</glossary> Kikko had been familiar with the first <glossary term="Parcel" title="760">parcel</glossary> since arriving in the area, as it used to belong to Manuel of Vinyer de la Ruca. It’s a formidable place that can only be reached by a single, winding and treacherous road. At 300 meters, its <glossary term="Elevation" title="419">elevation</glossary> is very high for the area. It’s also unique in being <glossary term="Exposition" title="430">exposed</glossary> full North and majoritarily planted in <glossary term="Grenache Gris" title="1158">Grenache Gris</glossary>. This, combined with strong year-round winds and very low <glossary term="Yield" title="1129">yields</glossary>, produce two <glossary term="Barrel" title="142">barrels</glossary> of a singular <glossary term="Cuvée" title="363">cuvée</glossary> called “Kik-Off”.  Kikko plans to replant white grapes here, as he believes the <glossary term="Terroir" title="1026">terroir</glossary> is excellently suited to produce a dry white wine. The second vineyard, acquired from a retiring farmer, is also <glossary term="Terrace" title="1022">terraced</glossary>.  It too has unique characteristics, namely the presence of <glossary term="Sand" title="909">sand</glossary> soils because it is next to a <glossary term="Tributary" title="1046">tributary</glossary> to a river, something very rare in the region. Compared to the gnarled old vines normally seen in <glossary term="Banyuls" title="135">Banyuls</glossary>’ <glossary term="Terrace" title="1022">terraces</glossary>, those closest to the water are almost comically huge. The <glossary term="Parcel" title="760">parcel</glossary> is also shadowed by the adjacent mountain, maintaining freshness. From this land, a wine called "Ticche" is made with the traditional <glossary term="Banyuls" title="135">Banyuls</glossary> composition: the three colors of <glossary term="Grenache" title="508">Grenache</glossary> (<glossary term="Grenache Blanc" title="509">Blanc</glossary>, <glossary term="Grenache Gris" title="1158">Gris</glossary>, <glossary term="Grenache" title="508">Noir</glossary>) and <glossary term="Carignan" title="237">Carignan</glossary>. Rounding out the lineup are two wines made from purchased <glossary term="Organic" title="746">organic</glossary> grapes. “Arlequin” is 80% <glossary term="Grenache Blanc" title="509">Grenache Blanc</glossary>, 20% <glossary term="Vermentino" title="1081">Vermentino</glossary>, sourced from two <glossary term="Parcel" title="760">parcels</glossary> in Laroque des Albères, a 30 minute drive north of <glossary term="Banyuls" title="135">Banyuls</glossary>. “Pierrot” is 100% <glossary term="Grenache" title="508">Grenache Noir</glossary> from nearby <glossary term="Calce" title="223">Calce</glossary>, picked a bit early and made with minimal <glossary term="Maceration" title="610">maceration</glossary> to produce an accesible wine meant to drink young. Oh, and for those that are wondering: Les Ânes Ailés translates to "the winged donkeys". It's an old Italian expression, gli asini volanti, which implies that if you believe donkeys can fly, you are a naive fool. In a moment of personal utopianism, Kikko came up with this name based on how impossible it felt that he'd actually succeeded in starting his own project in the most unprobable of places. In this case, the donkeys actually had wings.

Mattia Carfagna Producer Profile

Mattia Carfagna Producer Profile

We first met Mattia Carfagna in 2011, when a small group of us were marooned on the island of <glossary term="Giglio" title="491">Giglio</glossary>. At the time, Mattia was working at the Altura winery with his father Francesco and cooking at their seasonal family restaurant Arcobaleno. To this day, I vividly remember the fresh anchovies he served us with the 2010, 2009 and 2008 Altura <glossary term="Ansonaco" title="106">Ansonaco</glossary>. We’d see him again in 2015 at our New York City October trade show, then a few years later in Paris, where he’d decamped to go cook professionally. By then, he'd left the kitchen to start importing specialty Italian foods. Over constant, lengthy road trips from Paris to Italy to re-up on goods, Mattia began making a habit of visiting his vignerons friends in the <glossary term="Auvergne" title="128">Auvergne</glossary>. Quickly falling in love with the region, he originally envisioned having a second home there. Then, in 2019, a chance opportunity came from his friends Catherine Dumora and Manuel Duveau of L’Egrapille: having recently separated, the couple were no longer using their communal <glossary term="Cellar" title="254">cellar</glossary> and asked Mattia if he wanted to rent it along with some adjacent land for 250 euros a month. That same year, Mattia made a tiny amount of wine in the <glossary term="Auvergne" title="128">Auvergne</glossary>. His sister Irene poured it for us at Altura’s table during the 2020 <glossary term="Dive Bouteille" title="395">Dive Bouteille</glossary>. Our interest was piqued. We’d meant to get in touch but got somewhat distracted by the pandemic and resulting lockdowns of March 2020: a time that upended and changed everyone’s life one way or the other. For Mattia, with no restaurants to sell to, his food business was done. Strapped for cash and needing to leave Paris, he and his girlfriend Chiara decamped to the <glossary term="Auvergne" title="128">Auvergne</glossary>, where for over a year they lived in Catherine and Manu’s <glossary term="Cellar" title="254">cellar</glossary> with no electricity, using gas burners to cook and showering without hot water. During that time, Mattia started tending the tiny <glossary term="Plot" title="1133">plots</glossary> of land he was renting as well as asking local owners if he could rent their abandoned <glossary term="Parcel" title="760">parcels</glossary>. Some said no, others yes. That year, Carfagna managed to start working nine tiny <glossary term="Parcel" title="760">parcels</glossary> owned by seven separate owners, all very old vines and previously abandoned. Totaling little more than a single <glossary term="Hectare" title="523">hectare</glossary> combined, most of these micro-<glossary term="Plot" title="1133">plots </glossary>are within a <glossary term="Cru" title="1152">cru</glossary> of the <glossary term="Auvergne" title="128">Auvergne</glossary> <glossary term="AOC" title="108">AOP</glossary> called Châteaugay. There is no <glossary term="Basalt" title="145">basalt</glossary> here, though volcanic chunks of <glossary term="Peperite" title="1485">peperite</glossary> mark the <glossary term="Clay" title="301">clay</glossary> heavy <glossary term="Terroir" title="1026">terroir</glossary>. One <glossary term="Plot" title="1133">plot</glossary> within Châteaugay happens to be purely <glossary term="Limestone" title="596">limestone</glossary>, and a final <glossary term="Parcel" title="760">parcel</glossary> in a nearby village grows on <glossary term="Basalt" title="145">basalt</glossary> soils (it's also completly surrounded by the suburban housing of <glossary term="Clermont-Ferrand" title="302">Clermont-Ferrand</glossary>, with the city visible from the vineyard).  An inestimable amount of work was and continues to be needed to get the land back into shape; during a January 2023 visit, we saw one <glossary term="Plot" title="1133">plot</glossary> so completely overrun by thorns and shrubbery you had to squint to see the vines. For Mattia, this is a labor of love, passion and patience - honestly, it has to be seen to be believed.  From these <glossary term="Plot" title="1133">plots</glossary>, a <glossary term="Gamay d'Auvergne" title="1308">Gamay d’Auvergne</glossary> called “Le Serail" is produced. With vines averaging 80 to 100 years old and <glossary term="Yield" title="1129">yields</glossary> at a measly 10-14<glossary term="hl/ha" title="528">hl/ha</glossary>, production is unsurprisingly very low. Knowing he could not survive producing just one wine, in 2020 Mattia reached out to <glossary term="Vigneron/Vignaiolo" title="1089">vigneron</glossary> friends across France for grapes to make supplemental <glossary term="Cuvée" title="363">cuvées</glossary>. This landed him in the <glossary term="Hérault" title="525">Hérault</glossary>, where Jeff Coutelou helped him buy fruit. In 2022, chance struck again: through Coutelou, Mattia was able to rent 3.5 <glossary term="Hectare" title="523">hectares</glossary> in the <glossary term="Languedoc" title="579">Languedoc </glossary>on the hills of <glossary term="Faugères" title="1387">Faugères</glossary>. A 3+ hour drive from Châteaugay, Coutelou’s team tends the vines year-round, with Mattia present for crucial moments like <glossary term="Pruning" title="834">pruning</glossary> and <glossary term="Harvest" title="521">harvest</glossary>. From the <glossary term="Languedoc" title="579">Languedoc</glossary>, he mostly farms <glossary term="Viognier" title="1111">Viognier</glossary> and a smaller amount of <glossary term="Grenache" title="508">Grenache Noir </glossary>and <glossary term="Muscat Petits Grains" title="699">Muscat Petits Grains</glossary>. The grapes are trucked back and <glossary term="Vinification" title="1104">vinified</glossary> in the <glossary term="Auvergne" title="128">Auvergne</glossary>, with an “Italian style” <glossary term="Maceration" title="610">macerated</glossary> white wine and a <glossary term="Grenache" title="508">Grenache</glossary>/<glossary term="Viognier" title="1111">Viognier</glossary> <glossary term="Blend" title="168">blend</glossary> produced at the time of this writing. Mattia’s means in the <glossary term="Cellar" title="254">cellar</glossary> are limited to <glossary term="Fiberglass" title="445">fiberglass</glossary> and an an old <glossary term="Concrete" title="325">concrete</glossary> <glossary term="Vat/Tank" title="1140">tank</glossary> for the time being, though he hopes to grow and evolve the types of <glossary term="Vessel" title="1160">vessels</glossary> and <glossary term="Vinification" title="1104">vinification</glossary> techniques over time. Each year the wines are made by instinct over formula, with the names and the labels often changing to reflect the unique aspect of the <glossary term="Vintage" title="1109">vintage</glossary>. For more information and pictures of those crazy aformentioned vines, please read our visit recap below (COMING SOON).

Tanca Nica Producer Profile

In an era of increasingly homogenized, <glossary term="post-terroir" title="1474">post-terroir</glossary>, <glossary term="Natural WIne" title="708">natural-ish wines</glossary> that taste more of process than place, producers like Nicoletta Pecorelli and Francesco Ferreri feel like a throwback to a core, increasingly lost tenet of what drew us to this world of <glossary term="Viticulture" title="1103">viticulture</glossary> and winemaking in the first place. For us, the <glossary term="Natural WIne" title="708">natural wine</glossary> movement has always been a philosophy revolving around healthy grapes from a specific place and <glossary term="Vintage" title="1109">vintage</glossary> being transformed into the purest, most honest representation the farmer could achieve. We'd tasted the Tanca Nica wines and were already believers, but a recent visit confirmed Pecorelli and Ferreri's passion and dedication for the wines and island of <glossary term="Pantelleria" title="759">Pantelleria</glossary>. Moreover, it showed us just how unprecedented and ambitious the Tanca Nica project actually is. Before diving into the intricacies of Tanca Nica itself, let us provide some context on <glossary term="Pantelleria" title="759">Pantelleria</glossary> and its <glossary term="Viticulture" title="1103">viticulture</glossary>. A tiny island and Italian territory 55 miles southwest of <glossary term="Sicily" title="951">Sicily</glossary> and only 35 miles from Tunisia, it's most famous for its <glossary term="DOC" title="1156">DOC</glossary> capers and sweet <glossary term="Passito" title="765">passito</glossary> wine made from <glossary term="Zibibbo" title="1131">Zibibbo</glossary> grapes. While long known to be capable of making some of the world's most captivating wines, the weather conditions do not make it easy: because of constant <glossary term="Sirocco" title="1484">Sirocco</glossary> winds year round, the vines must be <glossary term="Training System" title="1039">trained</glossary> in <glossary term="Gobelet" title="497">gobelets</glossary> just a few centimeters off the ground to avoid breakage. Despite being smack-dab in the Mediterranean, <glossary term="Pantelleria" title="759">Pantelleria</glossary> lacks any natural water resources and sees little rain. In such, circular basins - concas in <glossary term="Pantelleria" title="759">Pantescan</glossary> dialect - are dug around each <glossary term="Gobelet" title="497">gobelet</glossary> to retain winter rainfall. A technique called 'pizzicatura', which lasts from bud break to <glossary term="Flowering" title="1179">flowering</glossary>, involves manually breaking off the taller vine shoots to make sure that the vines grow within the concas, which then serve a double purpose of water retention and additional protection from the <glossary term="Sirocco" title="1484">Sirocco</glossary> winds. Finally, since vegetal competition is so intense, vines must be planted at low density, with traditional plantations measuring two meters by two meters. This <glossary term="Training System" title="1039">training system</glossary>, dubbed Alberello Pantesco, dates back thousands of years and is so unique it actually received UNESCO world heritage status a few years ago!  World heritage or not, maintaining these vines requires painstaking manual labor for very little wine. Francesco estimates it takes 800 hours of work per <glossary term="Hectare" title="523">hectare</glossary>, with <glossary term="Yield" title="1129">yields</glossary> averaging out to 20<glossary term="hl/ha" title="528">hl/h</glossary> in a normal <glossary term="Vintage" title="1109">vintage</glossary>. This is somewhat offset with the fact that <glossary term="Zibibbo" title="1131">Zibibbo</glossary> is one of the only varieties capable of bringing <glossary term="Second Growth" title="937">second-growth</glossary> grapes to full <glossary term="Maturation" title="639">maturity</glossary>, but not by much (<glossary term="Second Growth" title="937">second-growth</glossary> <glossary term="Yield" title="1129">yields</glossary> average 2. 5<glossary term="hl/ha" title="528">hl/h</glossary>). Most of the vines are very old, and its not uncommon for their roots to have dug over six meters into the <glossary term="Mother Rock" title="690">mother rock</glossary> to find their nutrients. For those willing to put in the time, effort and passion to see it through, the <glossary term="Concentration" title="324">concentration</glossary> and flavor in the grapes is exceptional. Sadly, it's no surprise that few if any are still up for the challenge. At its height, 5000 <glossary term="Hectare" title="523">hectares</glossary> of vines were planted on <glossary term="Pantelleria" title="759">Pantelleria</glossary>'s 32.5 square miles; down to about 150 today, a good amount of those vines remain abandoned. Ok, four paragraphs in and we can finally start talking about Nicoletta Pecorelli and Francesco Ferreri! Francesco is a <glossary term="Pantelleria" title="759">Pantescan</glossary> native and Nicoletta is from <glossary term="Sardinia" title="917">Sardinia</glossary>. The two met in Milan by total chance: Nicoletta worked as a sales assistant in Turin and was in Milan that day to fly back to <glossary term="Sardinia" title="917">Sardinia</glossary> for the holidays! Once Francesco had finished his <glossary term="Enology" title="422">enology</glossary> studies in <glossary term="Verona" title="1084">Verona</glossary>, the couple moved to New Zealand to work at a company that produces <glossary term="Biodynamic Preparation" title="826">biodynamic preperation</glossary>s before returning to <glossary term="Pantelleria" title="759">Pantelleria</glossary> to start Tanca Nica in 2015. Francesco is from a long line of fisherman, but got the wine-bug in his teens working the family vines with his father and grandfather. While he'd always felt the desire to return to <glossary term="Pantelleria" title="759">Pantelleria</glossary>, he is quick to point out it wouldn't be possible without Nicoletta:  "Tanca Nica is OUR project, not mine. Without her this would never gotten off the ground or continue to exist." Ferreri and Pecorelli work 3.5 <glossary term="Hectare" title="523">hectares</glossary> spread over 15 <glossary term="Parcel" title="760">parcels</glossary> within nine <glossary term="Contrada" title="330">contradas</glossary>. 50 <glossary term="Are" title="1208">ares</glossary> are from Francesco's family, the rest is rented from locals who don't want to see the vines go abandoned and an increasing amount of wealthy foreigners whose summer homes came with nearby vines. As they are the only <glossary term="Estate" title="427">estate</glossary> actively looking for new <glossary term="Parcel" title="760">parcels</glossary>, it is actually common for them to be offered <glossary term="Plot" title="1133">plots</glossary> to rent. The couple has used this to their advantage, trading off and dropping certain areas in search of the very best <glossary term="Terroir" title="1026">terroirs</glossary>. Most are isolated by woods and were abandoned before they took them over. As Francesco explained during our visit, <glossary term="Pantelleria" title="759">Pantelleria</glossary> is a tiny island but has an incredible diversity in soil compositions, <glossary term="Microclimate" title="656">micro-climates</glossary> and <glossary term="Elevation" title="419">elevation</glossary> levels. As you will discover below, the Tanca Nica project is an unprecendented exploration and celebration of this diversity. Francesco elaborates: "Every year we seek to capture the grapes’ life in the glass, in all of its phases (with regular tasting) until we put it in bottle. Especially regarding the <glossary term="Cru" title="1152">cru</glossary> wines, we do not add a gram of <glossary term="Sulfites" title="993">sulfur</glossary>, not because we are dogmatic in this discourse, but because we would like the wine to express all of itself with as much aroma as possible. For this reason, the <glossary term="Cru" title="1152">cru</glossary> wines feel tight and closed off for a longer period than the other wines, needing at least a year in bottle (a thing we cannot do because we are still not able to keep in our storage to overcome the summer heat - but it is our objective for the future.)" In <glossary term="Pantelleria" title="759">Pantescan</glossary> dialect, the term "Tanca Nica" means small, hilly land cultivated and arranged in <glossary term="Terrace" title="1022">terraces</glossary>. Each <glossary term="Terrace" title="1022">terraced</glossary> <glossary term="Parcel" title="760">parcel</glossary> - tanca in  <glossary term="Pantelleria" title="759">Pantescan </glossary>- is <glossary term="Vinification" title="1104">vinified</glossary> individually with various amounts of <glossary term="Maceration" title="610">maceration</glossary> - one day to three weeks - depending on the <glossary term="Phenols" title="784">phenolic</glossary> <glossary term="Maturation" title="639">maturity</glossary> of the <glossary term="Vintage" title="1109">vintage</glossary>. Most are pre-destined to go into Tanca Nica's largest production, "Soki Soki". This 100% <glossary term="Zibibbo" title="1131">Zibibbo</glossary> is sourced from 11 tancas within six <glossary term="Contrada" title="330">contradas</glossary>, each averaging 30 <glossary term="Are" title="1208">ares</glossary>. It serves as a snapshot of the island's most common soil composition: <glossary term="Volcanic" title="1117">volcanic</glossary> <glossary term="Sand" title="909">sands</glossary> of <glossary term="Pumice" title="1482">pumice</glossary> and <glossary term="lapilli" title="1461">lapilli</glossary> known locally as Soki Soki. Meant to be accessible in its youth, the wine pops with bright fruit and <glossary term="Aromatic" title="120">aromatics</glossary>. At a whopping 1000 bottles, the second largest production is a <glossary term="Cuvée" title="363">cuvée</glossary> called "Terra Forte". Produced from two tancas of very old vines, here the <glossary term="Zibibbo" title="1131">Zibibbo</glossary> grows on "terra forte" soils composed of <glossary term="Sand" title="909">sandy</glossary> <glossary term="Clay" title="301">clay</glossary> from degraded <glossary term="Basalt" title="145">basalt</glossary> and <glossary term="Obsidian" title="1483">obsidian</glossary>. The result is a much more powerful, structured expression of <glossary term="Zibibbo" title="1131">Zibibbo</glossary> that, while keeping the grapes' trademark aromatic qualities, is more serious and age-worthy.  Next are four <glossary term="Cru" title="1152">cru</glossary> wines, all single-tanca expressions of <glossary term="Zibibbo" title="1131">Zibibbo</glossary>: "Since 2019, we have focused our attention on four <glossary term="Plot" title="1133">plots</glossary> which, due to their characteristics, we consider the  "<glossary term="Grand Cru" title="501">Grand Crus</glossary>" of the island. This type of work can only be done if the soil is alive, as the <glossary term="Microflora" title="658">microfauna</glossary> interacts with the roots of the plants in a symbiotic exchange and are able to read the characteristics of the soil perfectly. To keep the wine as lively and faithful as possible to the territory, we don't add even a gram of <glossary term="Sulfites" title="993">sulfur dioxide</glossary>. The label colors highlight the color of the terrain profile: - Yellow label (from the Cufurà district): a <glossary term="Plot" title="1133">plot</glossary> made up of yellow <glossary term="Pumice" title="1482">pumice</glossary>. The wine is always delicate in its aromas and structure, more immediate than the other three labels. The scents reflect the maquis: alyssum and wild thyme. - Gray label (from in the Rukia district): a <glossary term="Plot" title="1133">plot</glossary> made up of gray <glossary term="Pumice" title="1482">pumice</glossary> with a layer of volcanic <glossary term="Mother Rock" title="690">mother rock</glossary> just 40 cm deep. Among the <glossary term="Cru" title="1152">crus</glossary>, it is the one that needs the most time to express itself: at the beginning it is <glossary term="Reduction" title="847">reduced</glossary>, with a slight <glossary term="Mouse" title="693">mouse</glossary>, but immediately after the summer it becomes complex and acquires an incredible depth. This is the windiest district of the island and I like to think that this is also felt in the wine. - Red label (from the San Marco district): a <glossary term="Plot" title="1133">plot</glossary> made up of red <glossary term="Sand" title="909">sand</glossary> rich in <glossary term="Iron" title="547">iron</glossary> and aluminium. The wine naturally tends to <glossary term="Oxidation" title="754">oxidize</glossary>, so much so that it can seem like a raisin base (that is, a dry raisin wine without sugar). Grapes that ripen near the sea, the wine absorbs all the summer heat. - Black label (from the Khaggiar district): a <glossary term="Plot" title="1133">plot</glossary> made up of black <glossary term="Basalt" title="145">basalt</glossary>, a very hard and heavy rock. The wine resembles the red label, but is much more austere." Pecorelli and Ferreri also produce a micro-<glossary term="Cuvée" title="363">cuvée</glossary> of <glossary term="Catarratto" title="249">Catarratto</glossary> called "Kaffefi". It is named after the contrada where 40 to 80 year old vines grow within a single tanca. It is the only white wine that sees no <glossary term="Maceration" title="610">maceration</glossary>, though it does go through a long, 24 hour <glossary term="Pressing" title="827">press</glossary> to give it extra structure.  Next in the lineup is "Firri Firri", a <glossary term="clairet" title="1467">clairet</glossary>-style <glossary term="Blend" title="168">blend</glossary> of 85% <glossary term="Catarratto" title="249">Catarratto</glossary>, 10% <glossary term="Pignatello" title="797">Pignatello</glossary> and 5% <glossary term="Ansonica/Inzolia" title="1323">Inzolia</glossary>. It's principally sourced from two  <glossary term="Parcel" title="760">parcels</glossary>, though random vines of <glossary term="Pignoletto" title="798">Pignoletto</glossary> are <glossary term="Co-plantation" title="309">co-planted</glossary> in many of the tancas and end up in the final wine. These varieties have historically always been planted along the walls of the <glossary term="Terrace" title="1022">terraces</glossary>.  Only one "real" red wine is made, and in tiny quantities. It's called "Nivuro Nostrale", and is made by <glossary term="Vinification" title="1104">vinifying</glossary> 97 plants (count em!) of 100+ year old <glossary term="Pignatello" title="797">Pignatello</glossary> and <glossary term="Alicante" title="90">Alicante</glossary>. These grapes come from "the most intimate and least known part of our island."  Two <glossary term="Pétillant Naturel" title="778">petillants naturels</glossary> are produced if the <glossary term="Vintage" title="1109">vintage</glossary> permits. "Ghirbi Bianco" is 100% <glossary term="Second Growth" title="937">second-growth</glossary> <glossary term="Zibibbo" title="1131">Zibbibo</glossary> grapes and "Ghirbi Rosato" is from seven <glossary term="Indigenous" title="1139">autochthonous</glossary> <glossary term="Varietal" title="1071">varieties</glossary> that grow under the walls of the <glossary term="Terrace" title="1022">terraces</glossary>: <glossary term="Catarratto" title="249">Catarratto</glossary>, <glossary term="Alicante" title="90">Alicante</glossary>, <glossary term="Pignatello" title="797">Pignatello</glossary>, <glossary term="Ansonica/Inzolia" title="1323">Inzolia</glossary> Imperiale and <glossary term="Ansonica/Inzolia" title="1323">Inzolia</glossary> Minuta, <glossary term="Grillo" title="511">Grillo</glossary> and <glossary term="Carignan" title="237">Carignan</glossary>. "<glossary term="Vinification" title="1104">Vinifying</glossary> them as an <glossary term="Methode Ancestrale" title="1311">ancestral method</glossary> is a way to enhance these grapes which are often not <glossary term="Harvest" title="521">harvested</glossary>. The sparkling wines are not produced every year." Finally, this is <glossary term="Pantelleria" title="759">Pantelleria</glossary> so there has to be a <glossary term="Passito" title="765">passito</glossary>! Dubbed "Passulata", Francesco describes it as: "the wine that best represents <glossary term="Pantelleria" title="759">Pantelleria</glossary>. Making this wine is an immeasurable act of love towards our island which, like Nature, knows how to be very generous, but also hard, tiring, unpredictable and ever-changing, different with each season." Over the years, we have had the honor of working with some of the most innovative and trailblazing producers in Europe. In our estimation, what binds them has always been a passion for expressing a sense of place, with <glossary term="Organic" title="746">organics</glossary>, <glossary term="Hand Harvesting" title="520">hand-harvesting</glossary>, <glossary term="Native Yeast" title="538">native yeasts</glossary> and <glossary term="Minimal Intervention" title="664">minimal intervention</glossary> serving as tools, a means to an end. As the promotion of <glossary term="Natural WIne" title="708">natural wine</glossary> continues devolving into big business, marketing gimmicks and pigeon-holing a one-funk-fits-all visual/flavor profile, it's both reassuring and a breath of fresh air to meet a couple as dedicated, humble, passionate and visionary as Nicoletta and Francesco. "We don't do this for fame or recognition: we do it for the island. None of the rules I learned in school applied to <glossary term="Pantelleria" title="759">Pantelleria</glossary>. I didn't like <glossary term="Zibibbo" title="1131">Zibibbo</glossary> at first because it didn't conform to what I'd been taught. I had to learn everything with the help of my father and hands-on experience. This liberated me and forged a path that made me love the grape and its place on <glossary term="Pantelleria" title="759">Pantelleria</glossary>. We know our wines are expensive, but we promise this is not speculation and nothing else but the estimated value of our work."  For even more in-depth information and photos, please read our visit recap from November 2023 (coming soon)

Salvatore Marino Producer Profile

Salvatore Marino Producer Profile

Wine has been made in Salvatore Marino’s family for generations; growing up, his grandfather and father produced bulk wine in a large facility within the town of <glossary term="Pachino" title="1480">Pachino</glossary>. Always a bon vivant, Marino’s love for good food begat a passion for seeking delicious bottles from <glossary term="Sicily" title="951">Sicily</glossary> and beyond. It also made him dream of starting a project of his own. No stranger to <glossary term="Viticulture" title="1103">viticulture</glossary>, Salvatore knew he could start farming vines from his wife Stefania’s family. But before branching out on his own, he felt the need to learn how to properly run a cellar. Marino had learned how to make wine with his father, but found those bulk products riddled with defects, namely <glossary term="Brettanomyces" title="195">brett</glossary>. So for many years, Salvatore cut his teeth working at huge wineries in California, <glossary term="Puglia" title="836">Puglia</glossary> and <glossary term="Sicily" title="951">Sicily</glossary> to further his knowledge of <glossary term="Enology" title="422">enology</glossary>.  “I never liked the wines I made at those places. But you can can learn so much, so fast in those environments. The large scale gives you perspective.” With a decade of big winery experience behind him, Salvatore launched his eponymous <glossary term="Estate" title="427">estate</glossary> in 2017. Today he works 15 <glossary term="Hectare" title="523">hectares</glossary> of land divided into five sectors, all close to each other and the town of <glossary term="Pachino" title="1480">Pachino</glossary>. A firm believer in <glossary term="Polyculture" title="815">polyculture</glossary>, seven of the 15 <glossary term="Hectare" title="523">hectares</glossary> are planted in vines, with the rest planted in fruit trees, wheat, other cereals, table grapes and much more. Some of the land is from Stefania’s family, some is rented and some Marino has purchased. The soils consist of medium to heavy <glossary term="Clay" title="301">clay</glossary> with <glossary term="Limestone" title="596">limestone</glossary>, planted in <glossary term="Gobelet" title="497">bush-trained</glossary> vines wrapped up on pickets to avoid damage from the region’s constant winds. Salvatore and Stefania do everything themselves, save for some seasonal help around <glossary term="Pruning" title="834">pruning</glossary> and <glossary term="Harvest" title="521">harvest</glossary> seasons.  Though he still has access to the family winery, Salvatore does not feel comfortable making his wines there because he finds it too big and would rather be closer to the vines. In 2021, he purchased a four <glossary term="Hectare" title="523">hectare</glossary> property in the countryside where he is in the early stages of building a new winery, including a <glossary term="Cellar" title="254">cellar</glossary>, stocking room, tasting room and guest rooms. The <glossary term="Cantina" title="233">cantina</glossary> is surrounded by <glossary term="Limestone" title="596">limestone</glossary> rich <glossary term="Coteau" title="345">coteaux</glossary>: Salvatore has planted grafts of <glossary term="Nero d'Avola" title="714">Nero d’Avola</glossary> and <glossary term="Pignatello" title="797">Pignatello</glossary> and plans to plant <glossary term="Grecanico" title="1322">Grecanico</glossary> in the near future.  Three wines are currently produced. The bianco is 100% <glossary term="Catarratto" title="249">Catarratto</glossary>, and comes from a 0.5 <glossary term="Hectare" title="523">hectare</glossary> vineyard planted by Salvatore in 2016 along with a 10 year old <glossary term="Parcel" title="760">parcel</glossary> of rented vines. It <glossary term="Maceration" title="610">macerates</glossary> five days before <glossary term="Fermentation" title="441">fermenting</glossary> in <glossary term="Stainless Steel" title="986">stainless steel</glossary>, then <glossary term="Aging" title="74">ages</glossary> in <glossary term="Concrete" title="325">concrete</glossary> <glossary term="Vat/Tank" title="1140">tanks</glossary> before <glossary term="Bottling" title="185">bottling</glossary>. <glossary term="Catarratto" title="249">Catarratto</glossary> is actually a bit of a rarity in <glossary term="Pachino" title="1480">Pachino</glossary>, as <glossary term="Grillo" title="511">Grillo</glossary> has gained traction throughout <glossary term="Sicily" title="951">Sicily</glossary>; most of Marino’s contemporaries are exclusively replanting <glossary term="Marsala" title="633">Marsala</glossary>’s native white grape. In fact, only four producers currently cultivate <glossary term="Catarratto" title="249">Catarratto</glossary> and Salvatore is the only one focusing on new plantations. “I like <glossary term="Grillo" title="511">Grillo</glossary>, but I do not feel it is optimal for the <glossary term="Terroir" title="1026">terroirs</glossary> of <glossary term="Pachino" title="1480">Pachino</glossary>. My grandfather told me when I was young that <glossary term="Catarratto" title="249">Catarratto</glossary> was the white grape for this area. I always remembered that.” The <glossary term="Rosé/Rosato" title="871">rosato</glossary> is 100% <glossary term="Syrah" title="1001">Syrah</glossary> and a <glossary term="Direct Press" title="392">direct press</glossary>, <glossary term="Fermentation" title="441">fermented</glossary> and <glossary term="Aging" title="74">aged</glossary> in <glossary term="Stainless Steel" title="986">stainless steel</glossary>. Finally, the rosso is 95% <glossary term="Nero d'Avola" title="714">Nero d’Avola</glossary>, 5% <glossary term="Pignatello" title="797">Pignatello</glossary>. It <glossary term="Maceration" title="610">macerates</glossary> only six days, <glossary term="Fermentation" title="441">ferments</glossary> in <glossary term="Stainless Steel" title="986">stainless steel</glossary> then <glossary term="Aging" title="74">ages</glossary> in <glossary term="Concrete" title="325">concrete</glossary>. Salvatore’s ultimate goal with this wine is to be versatile with a meal (we can confirm it’s very good with fish) but also something you’d want to keep drinking after you’re done eating or even on its own.