Gravner: a Divine winery visit in Collio, Friuli, Italy

A pond at the oldest vineyard.

Amber, not orange

Standing here, at the front yard of Gravner winery, in the village of Oslavia, I’ve arrived at the heart of modern orange wine. Gravner’s main building is in Italy, but so close to the Slovenian border that we can see over to the other side: “those trees over there are in Slovenia!” This border region of Italy’s Collio and Slovenia’s Brda is culturally very united. The border has been moved around, and the separation between Collio and Brda (on the Slovenian side) is practically artificial, hence the locals call it Collio-Brda.  Also, this building is the only building in the village of Oslavia that survived the First World War intact – at the time it served as a hospital for the wounded. Today, its peaceful cellar protects numerous gigantic, hand-made clay vessels called amphoras (or kvevris in Georgian) that have been imported from Georgia. They are now buried in the ground, where in their wombs they mature some of world’s most spectacular wines made using prolonged skin contact. I had the privilege to spend an afternoon with Mateja Gravner contemplating the delicate relationship between vineyard care and nature’s balance, discussing Gravner’s ecologically responsible and aware wine philosophy, and tasting their divine wines.

Josko Gravner, Mateja’s father, is the iconic master of wines produced with prolonged skin contact. His uncompromising and bold choices of both wine-making materials and methods have laid the foundations for orange wine culture in the area. Gravner’s wine production philosophy prioritizes the character of the original grape. Protecting nature is important to Gravner, and it is one way of ensuring that the varietal character becomes fully communicated in the final product. The less the wine is disturbed with outside noise (e.g. chemicals in the vineyard, fining, etc) along the way, the more “alive”, nuanced and clearly defined its character is in the end. On that note, Gravners do not use the term “orange wine”, although Mateja agrees that it is useful for marketing purposes as customers are more and more familiar with that term. Instead, Mateja prefers the term “amber wine” because “amber is alive, but orange is already gone”. Orange colour is monotonous, artificial and dead, she explains, while amber is nuanced and alive. Hence, “amber wine”.

Amphoras / kvevris above ground.

At the vineyard

Mateja takes us to their oldest vineyard planted with 7 hectares of white Ribolla (this variety has a thousand year history in this area) and 1,5 hectares of red and unpredictably grape yielding Pignolo (a local variety as well that almost faced extinction, but made it back). And that is it. Gravner has stopped growing international varieties. Although this vineyard hosts only two varieties of grapes, many other plants and species abound. Promoting biodiversity and protecting the surrounding ecosystem from human impact caused by agriculture are of primary concern for Gravner. As planting the vineyard causes the vines to be overrepresented in that particular system, Gravners have decided to plant fruit, olive and other trees in the vineyard, and even build artificial ponds to support the birds and insects. In this area, there has been a loss of bird species in the past decades. However, thanks to ecologically more aware agriculture and these kinds of interventions, the bird populations have started to flourish again. Wine is nature’s product, and Gravner approaches it as a part of the ecosystem. The more ecologically balanced the vineyards are, the more balanced the grapes, and finally, the resulting wine. And along the same lines, the less the wine is disturbed at any point of its production, the more the final product reflects the grapes of origin. All this crystallizes to outstanding quality in the glass.

Although Gravner works with practically biodynamic (and organic) production methods, they haven’t applied for any certifications. Why? Because they want to work only according to the principles they themselves believe are most fruitful for reaching best quality, on the contrary to working according to certificate requirements that would at some instances require compromising from their own standards. The accumulation of copper and sulphur compounds in the soil is currently a common problem in organic vineyards because they are sprayed with these repetitively to prevent fungal disease. Gravner has found a solution in propolis and algae. With the help of these natural fungicides they have been able to reduce the usage of copper and sulphur up to 40%. “Everything that helps lessen the human impact on the soil must be at least tried”, says Mateja.

“How we produce is how we live”

Listening to Mateja, I begin to understand that for Gravner wine is a living organism that develops and grows at its own pace. It needs to be listened to, its process needs to be followed, not pushed. Mateja often compares wine with growing children:  like a child, wine slowly becomes itself, with proper guidance and plenty of time. At Gravner this time is approximately seven years – this is the time a wine needs to mature after prolonged skin contact, and this is the time a child needs to grow before she is ready for school. And like a proper parent, Gravner makes uncompromising choices to reach a wine that reflects the true character of the original grapes: only the healthiest and optimally ripe grapes are picked, the rest are discarded. And only Georgian, hand-made clay vessels will do. Nothing less, no matter how much effort it may require to get the cellar filled with them.

Mateja Gravner and the spectacular Rosso Breg 2004 made with Pignolo.

Before the amphoras, Gravner produced their wines in a manner still very typical to Collio: international varieties filled the vineyards and the cellar was full of stainless steel and modern technology. No doubt, this set produced wines of the highest quality with crisp acidity and fruity freshness – wines with international appeal. However, Josko Gravner didn’t taste the original varietal taste of the grapes in the end product. Further, he noticed that international wines as well as the wines of his own area seemed to lose personality and approach a uniform style. This bothered him.

A turning point was reached in 1996. This was a very poor vintage. Gravner lost a devastating 92% of Ribolla grapes. Josko decided to experiment with the remaining 8% to finally determine what interventions would allow or hinder the Ribolla varietal taste of the fresh grapes to shine through in the wine. He attempted e.g. making Ribolla wine with or without cultured yeasts; with or without prolonged skin contact; with or without sulphites. The final results? Unsurprisingly, Ribolla’s character was the clearest with minimal interventions. As a conclusion, Josko Gravner opted for amphoras as they, without any other technology but a minimal amount of sulphites, allowed for prolonged skin contact and retained the fresh aromas of the wine.  Mateja says: “Amphoras are nothing exotic – they just bring together everything that is required to achieve a high quality wine through extended skin contact without any extra technology.” (An article about Kvevri/Amphora as a wine making technology is available here.)

Gravner's cellar is full of amphoras buried in the ground.

Determined to produce characterful wines, in 1997 Josko Gravner sold his shiny stainless steel tanks and started his challenging journey towards creating a cellar full of Georgian amphoras. Easier said than done. At the time Georgia was still politically unstable. To travel there was a questionable undertaking as such, but to get the actual amphoras to end up in Collio, a herculean task. The first batch of amphoras arrived in no earlier than year 2000. There were eleven amphoras, out of which nine were broken. Naturally, the conclusion was to order more Georgian amphoras! The vintage of 2001 was the first when Gravner produced some wine made in amphoras. Today, all their wine is produced in amphoras, including the red Pignolo. After pressing, Pignolo moves into oak barrels to mature, but Ribolla stays in skin contact for six months in amphoras before racking, and after continues to mature in amphoras until the following autumn. After this period also Ribolla is matured in large Slavonian oak vessels for six years.  

Tasting wines together with Mateja Gravner crystallized the spirit of this uncompromising winemaking philosophy into concrete reality. These wines were outstanding throughout. Each of them would deserve a detailed, in-depth review. Attempting to write a short version would not do them justice. Instead, I will warmly recommend these wines for wine enthusiasts and anyone fascinated by unique wines of outstanding quality. What I took home from this visit (alongside with a couple of lovely bottles to my collection) was the comprehension that a wine is born, when its process is allowed to take place in the right conditions without extra manipulation. My visit at Gravner helped me to trust the process instead of pushing the river – and this applies equally well to life as well as wine making in kvevris/amphoras.

Amber wine.

Coordinates

Azienda Agricola Gravner Francesco
Localita Lenzuolo Bianco 9
Oslavia 34170 Gorizia

tel. 0481 30882

info@gravner.it
gravner.it

 

***

Dear friends of wine and Divine Wine. This last article has taken me an unpardonably long time to write. Another project outside wine has become very time intensive in my life. So, dear friends, it is time to say good-bye, and thank you all for reading Divine Wine blog. I wish you all the best wines now and in the future! Cin cin!  

Orange wine part II – Where it all started

Magnificent kvevris (or amphoras) decorate Gravner's vineyards.

Where it all started 

Some argue that orange wine is just a whim of fashion. However, archeological findings from Caucasus, or modern day Georgia, locate the origin of wine making to this very area. The excavated red clay vessels with wine residues on them support the notion of orange wine being the first wine ever made, which took place around 6000 B.C. Furthermore today, the very same type of thick walled, cone shaped, red clay vessels, kvevris (or qvevris), are used for fermenting and storing orange wine in Georgia as they were roughly 8000 years ago. Kvevris surely make oak and stainless steel look like whims of fashion!

In addition to their constant success in Georgia, kvevris have increasingly made their way to Europe since 1990’s. Currently, the heartland of kvevri fermented and maturated wine is in North-East Italy, in Collio-Brda area. This region is situated at the border of Italy’s Friuli and Slovenia. Orange wine is also produced in various vessels (plastic, oak, steinless steel) at numerous corners of the world, including Croatia (the neighbour of Italy and Slovenia), as well as other parts of Italy, Sicily, France, Austria, California and Australia. Kvevris, however, are hardly seen outside Georgia and Italian/Slovenian Collio-Brda area.

What is a kvevri?

Kvevri is a cone shaped red clay vessel lined with beeswax. They vary in size from small (100 liters) to enormous (10 000 liters), and are sometimes also called (slightly inaccurately) amphoras. However, kvevris differ from amphoras in that they do not have handles, and are shaped differently. In fact, at a quick glance kvevris appear really impractical: you can’t carry them and they will fall on their side due to their sharp shape when placed on a surface. Why on earth were they made this way 8000 years ago, and still are?

Kvevris (or amforas) buried in the ground at Gravner.

Kvevri is buried in the ground

Kvevri’s odd shape is geniously functional considering the winemaking circumstances thousands of years ago. There was no technology for temperature control or chemicals available for sanitation (not to mention understanding of microbes). A kvevri buried in the ground provides the wine with steadily temperature controlled, cool environment. Soil in the ground remains cool and in relatively constant temperature year round compared to air temperature, which might vary in Mediterranean from blazing hot in the summer to minus degrees Celsius in the winter. Temperature variation and high temperatures are detrimental to wine aromas. Hence, kvevris.

Lacking tannin, white wine is especially susceptible to oxidation and infection. This is why ancient white wine was made with prolonged skin contact to extract tannin, a natural antioxidant and preservative, to the wine. Although tannin shields white (or orange) wine from being spoiled, extended skin contact is not without risks. Especially stalks and pips are plentiful in bitter compounds and in abundance result in unpleasant, astringent wine. The solution is kvevri’s shape. In the start of fermentation most of the skins, pips and stalk material is floating on the grape juice. As fermentation continues, more and more of this cap starts to fall on the bottom of the fermentation vessel. The first to fall down are pips and the stalks; the skins follow later. In the cone shaped kvevri, these most bitter components of the grapes become soon covered with grape skins. In addition, kvevri’s conical shape nicely limits the contact area between the fallen solid material and the wine, and on top of that, allows only minimal contact between the wine and the bitterest part of the grape material. Genious!

Natural wine

Orange wines are produced in variety of styles – with more or less prolonged skin contact; aging the wine for months or years; in all kinds of vessels including kvevris, stainless steel, plastic and oak. However, practically all orange wine producers are minimally interventionistic, meaning e.g. that they rarely add commercial yeasts to their wines or use herbicides or pesticides in their vineyards, and often use only very small amounts of sulphites to protect their wines from spoilage. Some of them are certified organic or biodynamic producers. This minimally interventionistic approach is rather ambiguously referred to as “natural wine”-movement, and due to its broad definition, covers a multitude of more and less adventurous wine making philosophies. Getting acquainted with orange wine will inevitably bring you in contact with natural wine and its various quality levels as well. So, let’s enjoy this adventure together!

Orange wine part I – It’s your time to shine, orange wine

The colour of wine in 2016 is orange.

It’s your time to shine, orange wine

What are the very first signs of Spring? For a Finnish wine lover they are the increasing amount of day light that makes snow glitter, and wine bloggers’ predictions of upcoming wine trends. My contribution to that discussion can be condensed into two words: orange wine.

Orange wine is making its way forward as a part of natural wine movement. Despite of the criticism regarding their durability, natural wine, similar to all natural and organic in the food and beverage world, is very hip at the moment. During the recent years, orange wine has increasingly attracted the interest of dedicated wine lovers. Finland, however, still remains virtually untouched by this style’s influence. My prediction is that in 2016 orange wine arrives in Finland, and becomes more mainstream among wine lovers elsewhere.

This spring, Divine Wine blog celebrates orange wine with a series of stories. I will start with introducing you to the basics of orange wine. Subsequently, a number of divine orange wines will be reviewed and a wine bar specializing in orange wine recommended. But most importantly, we will continue our vinous journey in the border region of Italy, Slovenia and Croatia, the current heartland of orange wine in Europe. There, I’ll take you to visit an iconic orange wine producer, Gravner. What an excitingly orange spring, dear vinous friends! This time I’ll review the basics of orange wine, and next time we’ll progress into more historic layers to understand the phenomenon.

What is orange wine?

The term ”orange wine”, was created by David Harvey, a wine importer, who used to work at Cornelissen in Sicily, Italy. Cornelissen made orange wine but a proper descriptor for the style was lacking. Not really intending to create a new concept, Harvey just described the product as orange wine. Incidentally, however, the wine loving audience found this term handy, and orange wine has remained in wine vocabulary ever since. Still, it should be noted that orange wine is not an official wine term. This is because orange wine is technically white wine.

So, what makes a white wine orange wine? The answer lies in the orange winemaking technique, which is very similar to red winemaking. During making an ordinary white wine, the juice is pressed out of the grapes, and the grape skins and the seeds are discarded right away. Red wine making is quite different, as red grapes are crushed to release the juice but the skins and the seeds are left to macerate in contact with the grape juice created. While this maceration, a.k.a. skin contact, continues, colour, tannin and flavour components are released from the skins and seeds to the juice/wine. How long this skin contact is allowed to continue depends on the grape variety and the style of wine aimed for. For example, very thick skinned grape varieties with abundant tannin should not be macerated for too long to avoid overtly tannic, astringent and austere wine. Typically, the maceration time for red wine is around a couple of days.

Orange wine is made with prolonged skin contact (as red wine is) but of white grapes (as white wine is). Compared with red grapes, white grapes have substantially less colour, tannin and flavor components in their skins, hence orange wine producers may let the maceration continue for ten days, for months, even for years.

This kind of prolonged skin contact releases colour and tannin from the skins along with bitter components from the skins and especially the seeds. The final colour may be anything from deep gold, via amber, to brown. Also, the structure of an orange wine differs profoundly from ordinary white’s structure due to the presence of tannin. Not all grape varieties are suitable for prolonged skin contact. Only a few grapes are able to give birth to balanced orange wines that are refreshingly acidic, yet tannic, and elegantly aromatic.

The characteristics of a variety, as well as the optimal ripeness of the grapes are emphasized by the long maceration time. Should the variety be very aromatic, there is a danger of aromas overwhelming the wine’s balance. If the grapes are too ripe, there simply isn’t enough acidity left to carry the weight of the tannin. Somewhat under-ripe grapes won’t work either: the bitter components released from the seeds as well as the skins will dominate the wine’s flavour, again throwing the wine out of balance. As a style, orange wine is not for the faint hearted. Producers undertaking this challenge need true skill and determination to accomplish a wine that is elegant. Natural wines have received criticism due to the unpredictability of their quality and durability.

Orange wine is not free of this criticism either, although tannin is a natural preservative, hence supporting the idea of making orange wine naturally. Although there are controversial orange wines of unpredictable quality in the market, the majority of orange wines I’ve tasted are a pure delight. The best producers of orange style make wine that competes in elegance and quality with the world’s greatest wines.

WSET3 news from Milan

Ready, set, go!

Fascinating aromas - tough work 

Studying for WSET3 at Milan Wine Academy (or Accademia Vino) was a genuine metaphor of the wine world: our study group spent the days tasting flights of wonderful wines - only to get buried in wine literature during the evenings. This intense week of tasting and studying in Milan brought together us, who had studied for months preparing for it. All this work culminated in examination on the final day, both in tasting and theory. Many of you, dear readers, might now sigh enviously picturing me in Milan. Don’t worry, though. Admittedly, I had fun, but the fun doesn’t begin to compare with the performance pressure. Let’s see. 1. Blind tasting exam - panic. 2. Theory exam – panic. 3. Very short time allocated for the theory exam - panic! 4. The difficulty of the questions in the theory exam - panic, indeed!! 5. Added bonus panic: all my fellow course mates were either winemakers or sommeliers by profession. Is short, I panicked.

Don’t get me wrong! Milan was exciting, beautiful, delicious and surprisingly laid back for a financial capital. I spent plenty of time in awe in front of Dolce&Gabbana store – but only after the final exam. Before the exam the only sightseeing I enjoyed was from my hotel room balcony while I spent my evenings studying, studying and studying.

My only sightseeing until the exam.

  

Luckily all the study pressure wasn’t in vain, as indicated earlier in December by the winebloggers’ blind tasting challenge, where I managed to pick up the Syrah/Shiraz from Chile. So, fortunately some information stuck to my cortex, which was entirely thanks to the outstanding faculty of Accademia Vino. First, AlessandraFedi. Her bubbly personality and interactive lecturing style ensured that her themes, including her area of special expertise, Chilean wine, were unforgettable to us. Second, Marina Olwen Fogarty. Being half British, half Italian, she offered us the best of both worlds teaching-wise: there aren’t many that are able to combine winemaker’s understanding to an extremely clearly articulated academic style of communication. And finally, Flavio. Flavio Grassi is the director of the Milan Wine Academy, a true Milanese gentleman who has spent a great part of his life in Anglo-Saxon culture environment. Entertaining, sharp and clear, Flavio teaches difficult wine concepts with the kind of relaxed ease and clarity that I’ve never come across before, in wine studies or any other studies for that matter. 

WSET3 student rinses and dries tasting glasses again and again.

 

During the WSET3 training we tasted roughly 100 wines and studied for hundreds of hours. The course covered the essential wine regions of the world, and in addition, some less known, upcoming wine producing countries such as Uruguay and Canada. Understanding wine regions was only one part of the advanced curriculum of WSET3, which also looked at all core aspects of wine production and evaluation including winemaking, grape varieties, natural hazards, vineyard management, the determinates of wine quality and style, wine aromas, and – most crucially, the systematic approach of tasting wine. This technique enables the taster to evaluate a wine in terms of quality, identity, aging potential and price point by gathering systematic information of the particular wine through sensing its appearance, nose, palate and finish. This approach to wine tasting was what particularly attracted me to undertaking WSET3. 

Now, when the results of the exams have come in, I guess it is safe to say that I’m quite pleased with the skillset I manage to acquire. In spite of all that panicking I was able to pass both the tasting and theory exams with distinction. Phew! Now I can breathe again. These news require breathing in some champagne aromas… Cin cin, dear wine lovers, and Happy New Year to you all!

Livon Friulano 2014 Collio, Friuli, Italy

 

Livon Friulano 2014.

Wine review

4 of 5 stars

A very good wine 

Taking a glance at the almost watery, pale, lemon color of this wine you wouldn’t necessarily expect the abundance of aromas that meets the nose. Elegant and fresh floral notes are followed by clear pear and citrus aromas only to be complemented by sage-like herbal notes and, so typical of Friulano, a magnificent almondy softness. Although this wine has only received stainless steel treatment, its buttery character, most probably due to Friulano as a varietal (and not malolactic fermentation), gives more complexity to the aroma profile than expected for such a young and fresh wine.

What about the palate, then? For such a pale colored and fresh wine, there is substantial body to it. Almost approaching full body, the structure is well balanced with high acidity, plenty of fruit and well-integrated, medium alcohol. The mouth-filling weight carries the almond aroma typical of this variety at its core, while the fresh floral, pear and citrus notes create a paradoxically light impression. Exiting with a delightfully long and bitter almond-peel aftertaste, this very Friulian wine leaves a pleasant impression.

A well-balanced, aromatically somewhat complex, yet refreshing and young wine. Thanks to its high acidity and plentiful fruit pairs beautifully with fish and prosciutto – and plenty of dishes – especially Nothern European Christmas fish dishes and even the Christmas ham. Recommended.

Info in a nutshell

Price examples:

EUR 16.98 Alko wine and spirits shop, Finland

USD 9.55 webshop Bernabei.com

GBP 6.39 webshop Bernabei.co.uk

Country and region: Italy, Friuli, Collio

Grapes: 70% Sangiovese, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon

Alc vol: 12,5%

Producer: Livon

The Identity of the blind tasting challenge Mystery Bottle revealed

 

Vina Leyda Single Vineyard Canelo Syrah 2013. Image: Alko.

Dear vinous friends, Divine Wine blog is in slight shock. This is due to the identity of the mystery bottle, which was recently revealed by Vindirekt. It was exactly in line with Divine Wine’s blind tasting evaluation! Lets see how it all went down.

Divine Wine’s conclusions based on blind tasting

1. New World (bold use of oak, sweet vanilla, fruit driven, concentrated, ripe fruit, even some stewed fruit character)

2. Not necessarily the hottest of New World climates. The style is rather black peppery, there are even herbs, the fruit isn’t completely cooked or jammy. Cooler parts of Australia? Chile’s Casablanca or San Antonio? New Zealand’s Hawkes Bay?

3. Animalistic and earthy elements. Certain areas, such as Barossa in Australia, are well known of their Brett influenced, sweaty, high quality Shiraz wines. But is this animal/leather/sweat influence in this wine too restrained for Barossa Shiraz?

4. Shiraz. Dark fruit, black pepper, liquorice and leather. Almost full body, high alcohol. I’m going for Shiraz. It might be that there is some CS in this wine (currant), but the black fruit might be also due to Shiraz solely.

Final Conclusion:

Because I have to say something, I say: Shiraz from Chile 2013. However, I leave an option open for cooler climate South Australian or Victoria Shiraz wines.

This wine is well made and is of high quality, although the finish could be longer. It can drink now, but I’d say it has aging potential.

Vindirekt announces the identity of the wine

The Mystery Bottle is Leyda Single Vineyard Canelo Syrah 2013.

The Finnish retailer Alko decribes the wine

Full-bodied, tannic, aromas of black currant, black berry, olive, spice and oak. The grapes were manually picked and the wine was fermented in open stainless steel. The wine was matured in oak barrels for fourteen months and aged for four months in bottles prior to release. The producer estimates that this wine has further aging potential of 7 years in adequate storage.  

 

How?

The accuracy of this particular blind tasting conclusion is greatly due to my incredible WSET3 teachers, particularly Alessadra Fedi, who is very passionate about wines of Chile. Although I have not had a chance to taste this particular product ever before, Alessadra’s tasting sessions last October combined with her very lively way of communicating about Chile’s varied terroirs have obviously left a mark.

Leyda Valley in Chile’s San Antonio lies only 14 kilometres from the ocean, hence boasting an exceptionally cool climate favouring production of more elegant style of wines compared to the hotter regions of Chile. Nevertheless, this wine is still very ripe fruit driven, soft and non-challenging. In my mind this nature of the product combined with unrestrained oak and black peppery character pointed clearly towards cooler parts of Chile while blind tasting.

Finnish wine bloggers unite - the mystery bottle challenge

It is a mystery!

Thanks to Vindirekt, a Finnish wine importer, each of us wine bloggers received a mystery wine bottle for blind tasting challenge. We all agreed to post the blog article on this mystery wine at the same time - on 8th of December at 23.59 GMT +2. This way none of our opinions would have an impact on the other bloggers, and objectivity of the reviews and tasting notes would be retained.

Even though the bottle labels had already been removed, the importer kindly advised us to use an assistant for uncorking of the bottle, so that the cork wouldn’t give away any information regarding the wine’s identity. In a few days from posting the mystery wine reviews we will be informed of the identity of the wine, and we will post it on our blogs. What an intriguing challenge... Challenge accepted!

Blind tasting isn’t easy - getting the identity of a wine right requires a vast amount of tasting experience, and still, it might go sideways. Personally, I find wine’s aromas to be the most fascinating aspect in the world of wine - learning to identify aromas while tasting, understanding how they are created in the wine making process, and understanding the aromas as a reflection of the climate and the terroir are all at the core of my passion. Since this time I’m not able to illuminate the background of this wine (as I know nothing about it), instead I’ll write the aromatic and structural observations I make as thoroughly as possible and this way do my best to communicate the logic behind my conclusions. It might all go horribly wrong, and then I’ll learn from it! So, dear readers, you are most welcome to join this blind tasting bungee jump to follow.

Notes of the blind tasting.

Wine review

4 of 5 stars

A very good wine

There is a blue tint to the deep, ruby red colour of this wine. However, there is still enough red to call it ruby red, not quite purple. This colour already steers my thoughts essentially away from Pinot Noir and Nebbiolo, towards varieties with thick skins giving plenty of colour and extracts. Also, the blue tone points towards a somewhat young wine.

Aromatically, the nose of medium plus intensity is fruit driven with plenty of dark ripe fruit.  Black cherries, plums, blackcurrant juice and blackberry are accompanied by plenty of oak influence and sweet vanilla spice. Also, there are clear liquorice notes and an evident presence of black pepper followed by slight herbal elements. Leathery and sweaty animal notes add complexity to this wine, but they are rather restrained in intensity.

Based on the nose only, I’d say this wine is developing. Due to the ripe, fruit driven nature, bold use of oak and sweet nature of oak spices (American oak?), I tend to place this wine in the New World. In all honesty, I make a small round trip of Southern France in my mind for exclusion, but in the end I conclude that this oak usage doesn’t point towards France.

The peppery spice is a characteristic of a few black international varieties with high concentration of rontundone compound. Grenache is one of them, however, it tends to give red fruit flavours and a more white pepper nuanced spiciness to the wine. Shiraz, on the other hand, is well known for its black pepper character. Cabernet Sauvignon typically displays black currant notes, as is the case with this mystery wine, but other CS typical characteristics such as high acidity, astringency of tannin and herbal notes of mint and eucalyptus are lacking. However, it might be that there is some CS present as a blending component in this wine.

Structurally, this wine is rather soft, round and mouth filling on the palate, with medium acidity and plenty (medium plus to high) of alcohol. Tannin quality of this wine is ripe. Hence, it is challenging to evaluate whether there is a high or only medium plus amount of very fine grained, soft tannin present. In the end, I decide to settle for medium plus tannin as the drying in the mouth is only medium after spitting, and the body of the wine only approaches full body. The peppery character of the wine is a slight confounding factor, as it is difficult to evaluate what proportion of the tickle and burning sensation in the finish is due to rotundone and what part of it is due to high alcohol. Nevertheless, the plentiful alcohol feels well integrated on the palate. Overall, this wine is in good balance due to its abundant fruit and sturdy enough acid structure. Flavourwise, the palate is very fruity, dominated by black fruit, sweet oak spice, leather and black pepper. The finish is peppery and fruity with blackberry notes, and these pleasant aromas linger for at least a good medium length while.

From this tasting process, I’m inclined to draw the following conclusions:

1. New World (bold use of oak, sweet vanilla, fruit driven, concentrated, ripe fruit, even some stewed fruit character)

2. Not necessarily the hottest of New World Climates. The style is rather black peppery, there are even herbs, the fruit isn’t completely cooked or jammy. Cooler parts of Australia? Chile’s Casablanca or San Antonio? New Zealand’s Hawkes Bay?

3. Animalistic and earthy elements. Certain areas, such as Barossa in Australia, are well known of their Brett influenced, sweaty, high quality Shiraz wines. But is this animal/leather/sweat influence in this wine too restrained for Barossa Shiraz?

4. Shiraz. Dark fruit, black pepper, liquorice and leather. Almost full body, high alcohol. I’m going for Shiraz. It might be that there is some CS in this wine (currant), but the black fruit might be also due to Shiraz solely.

Conclusion

Because I have to say something, I say: Shiraz from Chile 2013. However, I leave an option open for cooler climate South Australian or Victoria Shiraz wines.

This wine is well made and is of high quality, although the finish could be longer. It can drink now, but I’d say it has aging potential.

Now all we can do is sit tight and wait for the exciting truth! I’ll be back soon with the identity of the wine. Tremolo!

For Finnish speaking wine lovers, you can find the reviews of the mystery wine also on the following wine blogs:
Rypäleistä viis
Copatinto
Viiniministeri

Loppasuut

Viinihullun päiväkirja

Viinikartta

Pullonhenki

Blanc de Blancs

Wineserver

Veni Vidi Viini

Te Kairanga Runholder Pinot Noir 2012 Martinborough, New Zealand

Te Kairanga Runholder Pinot Noir 2012

Wine review

4 of 5 stars

A very good wine

Typically pale, ruby red colour of Pinot Noir is followed by an elegant nose. Scents of sour, ripe, red fruit such as cranberries and red cherries are surrounded by floral, mostly rose resembling aromas. Further, a more developed layer of aromas emerges – notes of fallen autumn leaves, forest floor and minerality bring finesse to this wine. The all over elegance of the aroma profile communicates the adequately cool growing environment necessary for Pinot Noir.

On the palate the structure is medium bodied and concentrated. The refreshingly high acidity lifts the acid structure, while the tannins remain pinotnoirishly low. This level of acidity is definitely necessary to reach balance with the abundant fruit and the relatively high - yet beautifully integrated -  alcohol. Aromatically, the floral notes, red cherries and minerality come to the foreground on the palate. The medium plus length aftertaste of cherries, savoury minerality, and a hint of oak leaves behind an overall pleasant impression.

An aromatically elegant, very well balanced new world Pinot Noir to the festive season. Whether you choice is turkey or ham (as is traditional in Finland at Christmas dinner), this affordable, and still elegant, fruity and acidic red with light tannin will make an excellent pairing. Recommended.

Info in a nutshell

EUR 19.99 Alko wine and spirit shop, Finland

GBP 17.71 matthewclark.co.uk

AUD 33.99 danmurphys.com.au

Country and region: New Zealand, Martinborough

Grape: 100% Pinot Noir

Alc vol: 14%

Producer: Te Kairanga Wines

Folonari Cabreo Il Borgo 2011 Toscana IGT, Italy

Cabreo Il Borgo 2011.

 

Wine review

5 of 5 stars

An outstanding wine

With the best blended supertuscans you get the best of the both worlds - in this case the crispy elegance of Sangiovese and the concentrated dark fruit roundness of Cabernet Sauvignon. This particular wine really stopped me with its complete character. Impressively elegant acid structure meets mouth filling body and nuanced, developed aromatics.

One might argue that the “Wine of the Year” sticker next to the label biased my tasting note. However, being aware of the vast amount of awards on offer in competitions, I just tend to be, if possible, even more critical towards a wine should it have a medal sticker attached to it. Nevertheless, Cabreo Il Borgo is THE wine I recommend for pairing with red meat, especially game, during the festive season. Also, it works wonders with hard cheeses - or just by itself while enjoying the Christmas mood.

The clear, ruby red colour of medium intensity is followed by developed, elegant aromatics: ripe red and fresh black fruit, such as sour cherries, dark cherries and plum form the restrained and elegant fruit core that is surrounded by pungent spice and herbal oils, especially anise and liquorice, but also a hint of vanilla and, more clearly, smoke and toast notes.

Surprisingly, Cabreo Il Borgo’s palate is even more intense than the nose. Concentrated, fruity and full-bodied, this wine boasts with an abundance of dark fruit, especially dark cherry aromas. The concentrated fruit is well balanced with high and well-integrated alcohol, medium plus acidity and plentiful yet round and velvety tannin. What was more restrained on the nose is now pronounced, and the development of the aromas even more detectable: leather, cigar box and a note of black olive accompany the liquorice and smoke. I find this wine intriguing. The aromas are developed and challenging, and still, the fruit core of the flavours potentially makes it everyone’s favourite. As a stamp of excellent quality, the finish is long and immensely pleasant combination of cherry, liquorice and smoke.

An excellently balanced, aromatically nuanced wine. It can well drink now, but has a great structure for further aging. Highly recommended.

Info in a nutshell

Price examples:

EUR 23 webshop SoundTaste (ships within EU)

EUR 36.90 Alko wine and spirits shop, Finland

USD 29.99 webshop Wally Wine

Country and region: Italy, Tuscany

Grapes: 70% Sangiovese, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon

Alc vol: 14,5%

Producer: Folonari

Stroppolatini Pignolo 2009, 2010 and 2011 Friuli, Italy

Stroppolatini's court yard reflects Italian sense of beauty.

Stroppolatini produces 100% Pignolo

While Pignolo is the most glorious of Friulian local black grapes, it is also the toughest one to handle. It produces very low yields (only 50% of the yields of Merlot), is messy to work with due to its staining pigments, and demands extensive maturation to show its potential. It is no surprise that producers tend to be slightly apprehensive about planting Pignolo, and it is not widely produced in its home area. On top of that, drinking and selling young wines have always dominated the Friulian wine culture. Hence, Pignolo has been either drank too young, while astringent and still hiding its aromatic potential, or it has been ”cut” with other grapes to soften it, but also loosing its varietal beauty in the process.

Fortunately, there are exceptions to these rules: Stroppolatini produces 100% Pignolo. At the moment they sell out the 2010 vintage, and still, Federico Stroppolatini considers the wine to be very young - it is only starting to show its potential.  We were privileged to be able to vertically taste three consecutive vintages of Stroppolatini Pignolo, and to experience in practise the evolution of this exceptional wine.

 

Stroppolatini Pignolo 2011

This wine being still in the process of maturation, Federico kindly offers us tasting samples straight from the barrel. The intensely deep ruby red colour and the finesse of the aromatics on the nose immediately communicate how very big this wine is. The aromas are different from anything I have smelled before: there are wild forest berries, mostly red berries such as wild raspberries and cranberries, and an elegant and very feminine perfume aroma. This aroma of face powder or talcum powder is extraordinary, and in my experience completely unique to Pignolo. The red berry and powdery nuances are supported by deeper red, almost black fruit character of plums, and black pepper spice.

What about the palate then? Well, as expected, this young Pignolo wine is definitely aggressive on the palate. Drying and mouth pinching tannin combined with bold acidity promises aging potential for years and decades to come. Also the concentrated fruit and well-integrated alcohol promise a glorious future for this wine. However, drinking it now would be utter waste of a beautiful product, because its structure is only starting to develop and its flavour potential is still mostly hidden. Nevertheless, this young wine has an intense and long finish that lingers for minutes.

Stroppolatini Pignolo 2010.

Stroppolatini Pignolo 2010

Although vintage 2010 can drink now, Federico thinks it would benefit from many more years of aging to show its best qualities. I absolutely agree. Compared to the 2011 vintage, this wine shows more raspberry fruit as well as more development. Tertiary aromas of cedar and tobacco are intertwined with the delightful powdery, floral pignoloish perfume. What a bouquet! While the tannin still dominates on the palate, there is now more roundness to its quality. But make no mistake; there is still definite muscle and aggression to the structure! And the finish, oh, the finish. A complex aromatic sequence keeps opening up for ages. 

Stroppolatini Pignolo 2009.

Stroppolatini Pignolo 2009

This wine is where the potential of this grape is truly revealed. It is an outstanding wine. The intense colour is now already turning towards garnet, and the nose has more fruity, raspberry intensity, nevertheless remaining still very floral, powdery and elegantly feminine. Federico brings up the peculiar way Pignolo typically ages: while wines usually become less and less fruity with age, Pignolo appears to reveal its fruit more and more! Somehow its berry aromas are liberated while the tannin becomes softer. 

This is absolutely true. I find 2009 vintage to be even more abundant in raspberry and cranberry flavours compared to the previous wines. Notably, the palate is now showing a beautiful balance. The plentiful tannin has become integrated and remarkably rounder, only slightly pinching the tongue. I can only imagine where this wine would go in ten years of time: it would probably become powdered raspberry velvet supported by a cascade of developed aromas. Already now, the aftertaste is exceptional. I greatly enjoy the paradox this wine offers: on one hand it is feminine and elegant in its flavours, on the other hand it is shamelessly powerful and tannic. Pignolo is an iron princess!

Recommended in Milan, Italy: Bicerin wine bar

MIlan's dramatic Castello Sforzesco by night.

Dear vinous friends, this is the kind of moment that makes wine blogging so exciting. It’s a pleasure to share the news: a new wine bar star is born! Let me introduce you to the astonishingly beautiful, relaxed, friendly, and first and foremost, highly professional wine bar in Milan: Bicerin.

Bicerin has been open for only three months now, which I find hard to believe since this place has such a feeling of history, of being an establishment. Full of wine and food enjoying customers, Bicerin is bursting with vinous life even on a Sunday evening. Everything I see here is so very beautiful: the design furniture with retroish swag, the enormous, space creating windows, the wine bottle filled walls in two storeys that decorate the room with what is essential: wine.

Bicerin is about small producer wines with soul.

Maybe this place has so much soul due to the fact that, as a project, it has a long history based on passion for wine. Bicerin’s owners Alberto (a publisher and a sommelier), Lorenzo (an architect) and Silvia (a real estate agent) were busy with their careers and didn’t really need any extra activity, but nevertheless, as devoted wine lovers, they dreamed of an idea of a wine bar/shop . Then, around five years ago a turning point was reached. Alberto and Lorenzo got bored with collecting wine just for the sake of investment. They wanted to start finding wines that would be special for their high quality, but affordable and intended for drinking, not only for glancing at in the cellar. Since then they have searched for small, artisanal producers around Italy, as well as elsewhere (e.g. Georgia, Croatia), and collected wines for their wine shop and bar to come. Furthermore, Alberto became a sommelier. And one day, approximately three months ago, Bicerin opened its doors for us, fortunate wine lovers. 

Bicerin's sommelier Alberto tells you the story of the wine.

Alberto’s heartfelt way of sharing the stories behind these wine bottles makes me realise how very living Bicerin’s wines are. They are true pearls of the wine world: most are rare, small volume, high quality products that reflect the utmost care their producers have taken throughout the process of production.  And still, the wines can be bought at an affordable price. Most of these wines never end up being exported due to their rarity (nobody knows them) or small production volumes. But you can find them at Bicerin, because this wine shop has done its research. I’m delighted to have found it already now, three months into its existence!

Our night at Bicerin is such a pleasure. Hosting here is impeccable, personal and warm, the food so tasty, modern and unmistakably Italian, and the wines - simply divine. We finish our vinous night with minimalistic and sinfully delicious ”dark chocolate caviar” accompanied with the outstanding 1981 Il Colle Brunello di Montalcino. This wine will be reviewed later on Divine Wine, I promise. For now, suffice it to say these kinds of experiences make a wine lover’s visit to Milan definitely worthwhile. You can find them at Bicerin.

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Coordinates

Bicerin

Via Panfilo Castaldi 27, Milano

M: Porta Venezia

02 84258410

info@bicerinmilano.it

www.bicerinmilano.it