Sexy Time

Mas Del Périé
You F&@K My Wine ?! 2019 (also spelled in many other ways but you get the point)
Vin de France
Le Bourg, Occitanie, France
Jurançon Noir
Biodynamic, organic, native yeasts
Winemaker: Fabian Jouves

Cran-cherry dark cocktail color. Just as I lift my glass there’s intense flowers, berries such as raspberries and strawberries, Froot Loops, and very light Za’atar smashed with Cola. Sipping again those berries but more…strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and cherry jolly rancher. It’s light, fun and of all it’s a playful “sexy time” afternoon wine. Let’s all take a roll. If you need inspiration, just check out the positions on the label

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: Dark fruit punch. Oh Yeah!

I want to shake Fabian Jouves’ hand (a big Paul Hollywood handshake). This man is full on bio, organic, etc. and this wine totally sings it. Which brings me to the name and label, “You F&@K My Wine ?!“ Evidently his use of Jurançon Noir was frowned upon by Cahors AOC laws, and that variety isn’t included. So, I applaud his bucking their rules and in my interpretation (I’ve never met the fellow)…a way to giving them the finger by creating this delicious bottle. Let’s also give a nod to De Niro’s infamous scene: Raging Bull

Sidenote: Can you guess how many different films and tv bits are referred to in this post?

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A Gift Through Generations

Fattoria San Lorenzo
…di Gino… 2018
Le Marche Region
Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi DOC
Montecarotto, Ancona, Italy
100% Verdicchio
Organic and biodynamic, and 6 months on the lees
Winemaker and owner: Natalino Crognaletti

Put a ring on it golden with an orange tinge. Crisp pops of tangerine, a little salt, pears, and dried apricots; all on the tip of my nose. It tastes a lot like it smells with the pear, citrus and smokey salt with addition of crisp apples; and as it warms up peaches and honey. Oh this is so lovely. It’s like when you get a new book from your favorite author (mine is Martin Walker), and as you turn the pages and get further in it just keeps getting better and better.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: makes all the flavors more bold

Natalino Crognaletti has a wonderful way of choosing names for his wines. “…di Gino…” is named in honor of his father who passed down the farm/winery to him. Others are for a dog, hares, the sun, and what I thought was maybe another word than “gattina” for kitten due to the image on the bottle, but as I searched, I discovered “La Gattara” pretty much means “cat lady”. Ah, “cat lady” a moniker I know well. Maybe this should be the next one I try. I digress. Back to “…di Gino…” which is made from the local Verdicchio clones that Gino selected for the vineyard after it was handed down to him from his father Enrico. This beautiful land is in the province of Ancona which is known for their towns of medieval fortresses. The town Montecarotto is one of these romantic medieval towns but it also has other more modern cultural interests. Their MAM Museo d’arte Moderna e Mail Art appears to be the only public mail art museum in Italy. A recent exhibition called “Le Disobbedienti” which is a tribute to Artemisia Gentileschi, Frida Kahlo, Charlotte Salomon, Berthe Morisot, Suzanne Valadon and Elisabeth Vigèe Le Brun; that included work from 150 artists from all over the world. Would have loved to have seen it in person.

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Respecting the Land of Stars

Domaine Mittnacht Frères
Terres d’ étoiles 2018
Pinot Blanc
40% Pinot Blanc, 60% Pinot Auxerrois
Alsace Region
Hunawihr, France
Organic, biodynamic, indigenous yeast
Winemaker: Christophe Mittnacht

Pale very chilled gold. Tickling my nose are dainty flowers, lemon and lime/citrus, a touch of salt, yellow fruity and it’s fresh and clean. Tilt back the glass and there’s lemon, pears, honey, a smidge of salt, yellow plums, and Froot Loops minus the milk. Keep on drinking it grows more juicy/fruity and even a touch of peach the more it warms.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: a little less lemon but it really doesn’t change the flavors that much

I know I’ve been writing a lot about whether a vineyard/farm is sustainable, organic, biodynamic, etc. Well, it is so important to many of the winemakers I’ve been writing about and it should be to you too for a multitude of reasons. For Christophe Mittnacht and his wife Yuka it is no different, but they were in the forefront of it in Alsace. They were certified organic in 1999, and biodynamic in 2013. They believe in respect the vineyard and therefore respect the consumer. Everything has minimal intervention but when there are times the vines need a little extra help with defending itself from natural enemies, they may be sprayed with nettle tea and other willow and horsetail remedies.

Hunawihr (what a cool name) is also a member of “Les Plus Beaux Villages de France”, and yes, it is one of the most beautiful villages in France. Their famous fortified church overlooks Domaine’s vineyards, and looks like it’s still existing in an older time when life was lived at a happier, slower pace. I feel like you can just smell the fresh cool air.

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A Tale of Love and Wine

Parés Baltà
Indigena 2015
Penedès, Spain
100% Garnatxa
Organic and biodynamic, indigenous grape
Winemakers: Maria Elena Jiménez and Marta Casas (sisters-in-law)

Deep glistening garnet. Oooo there’s cherry cola with a hint of vanilla or maybe just something creamy hitting my nose. Next are raspberries, Canadian strawberries, the teeny tiny ones I have mentioned in the past. Best bought on the side of the road or just pull over and pick your own. Something floral yet woodsy. How I miss nature. Back to this glass and taking first sip…damn! This is all the berries! What an explosion! Cherry follows, woodsy again, earthy, toasted almonds, black pepper, smooth, graceful and just full on romantic.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: makes it very fruity

Parés Baltà has roots back to 1790, and the current generation is Joan and Josep Cusiné (and their father Joan still helps out). The winemakers are their wives, Maria Elena Jiménez and Marta Casas. Marta did have a bit of history in wine through her grandfather taking her as a child to view his vineyard where he would make a small amount just for the family. As she grew up and went to the University of Barcelona for pharmacy, she met Josep and well…love for him and for wine grew. She did end up getting that degree in pharmacy, but she took it a step further and enrolled in winemaking courses at the University of Tarragona. And then after all that, they got married and still travel the world to experience more wines, or in her own words, “We are wine lovers and so we think we have to keep learning”. Maria, also went to University of Barcelona but for chemical engineering, and after graduating and working in the field, she met Joan. And from what I am reading, it was love at first sight. Much like Marta, she dived into oenology studies, received a second degree from Tarragona, and went on her own world wine experience travels. Imagine if these couples never met. These are wines of love.

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Let’s Take a Joy Ride!

Terra di Briganti
Sciascinoso 2019
Sannio DOP
Casalduni Campania Italy
Sciascinoso 100%
Organic, biodynamic, vegan, and indigenous yeasts
Winemakers: Toni and Romeo De Cicco

It’s a glass of deep ruby purple Ring Pop. Letting you know, I tried this wine at two different temps. First was from my red wine fridge. Taking a sniff and it’s cherry with funk…spicy funk, dark berry, and earthy. Sipping and there’s pucker up tart cherry, blackberries, light and tangy. Second try was nicely chilled, and what a different wine! Breathing in sweet cherry, something floral, beautiful strawberries, and it’s still a little earthy. Tasting bright cherries, blackberry, plums, smooth fruit with a little tangy tingle zingy. There’s that touch of earth again and a dash of white pepper. Super fresh and soooooooo good chilled. For some reason my lips feel like they are vibrating. Do it! Chill it! You’ll be so happy.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: both tries and I come up with the same result of no changes

Out of the four Briganti wines I’ve tried, this is the most playful and carefree. Fits their fun label of two people on a motorcycle with a sidecar taking a sunny joyride. Let’s hit the road with them and Hendrix.

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A Delicate Harmony

Ampeleia
Unlitro 2019
Toscana Rosso IGT
Roccatederighi, Maremma, Toscana, Italy
40% Alicante Nero (aka Grenache), 25% Mourvedre, 15% Carignano, 15% Sangiovese, 5% Alicante Bouschet
Biodynamic, unfined, and unfiltered
Founders: Elisabetta Foradori, and her friends Giovanni Podini and Thomas Widmann
Winemaker: Marco Tait

Bright ruby garnet. As expected cherry is the first thing that hits your nose. Next is smoke, plum, salt some tiny flowers with a kick of funk. As it opens throw in a dash of spice and singed orange peel. When it hits your tongue you already know first thing is again cherry. Again smoke and some bio funk is still lingering. After letting it settle a bit there’s tangy fruit and definitely orange. It’s a natural light red, that you’re happy it comes in a liter format, because you’re going to want more than one glass. My second visit with this bottle, ok I chilled it. Don’t be insulted. It’s bleeping hot. It’s much the same but a little more body. I love it and it’s still  an easy picnic or pizza wine, but just elevated. Less tang and more velvet

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: Tangy and smoky

You might remember the incredible winemaker Elisabetta Foradori, from a previous post about her family’s winery Agricola Foradori and her devotion to natural/biodynamic wine. She and her friends Giovanni Podini and Thomas Widmann, started Ampeleia back in 2002. From what I am reading on their site, Thomas Widmann left them in 2009, and there is a “it takes a village” style team that help with all the aspects of how a winery runs. Also not to be left out is Marco Tait who has been their winemaker from day one. He has a beautiful section on their site I just discovered. It’s a personal blog of sorts with musings on the passion and hardwork put into this biodynamic winery, the vineyards, learning to listen to the earth, trust the grapes, and more. At the end of one of the entries, this Goethe quote sums it all up: “It is so pleasant to explore nature and ourselves at the same time, without causing violence neither to Nature nor to our spirit, bringing us both, together, to a balance, to a delicate harmony”.

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Rustic Family Roots

Terra di Briganti
Nato Nudo
Aglianico 2017
Benevento IGT
Casalduni Campania Italy
Aglianico 100%
Organic, biodynamic, vegan, and indigenous yeasts
Winemakers: Toni and Romeo De Cicco

Dark garnet that I can’t see through. Breathing in dark cherry, prune, and an earthy spiciness. Whoa the first sip is darker than I was expecting. Someone please bring me a lamb chop or maybe even better a lamb sausage. Rustic cherry including the pit and tart ripe blackberries some velvet plum/prune. There’s also something herbal or maybe…no wait, it’s oil cured black olives that I used to eat like a madwoman in college. It’s that luscious old school bitter.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: Less bitter and more fruit

Senza Solfiti Aggiunti are magical words to my ears. I love no added sulfites! This is my third Terra di Briganti wine and all three are greatly diverse yet consistent. Every one is well structured and true to their grape. You can feel the passion and care in the wines. I love this quote from their site: “It’s the proper equilibrium between tradition and innovation and the ideal synergy that is found amongst the Earth’s gifts and the art of wine. Because wines of quality aren’t the fruit of coincidence.” This family is devoted to the land, the grape and the nature that nurtures. Does my heart good to see them passing this knowledge down the generations. Check out these lovely pics of everyone pitching in working the vines and wine.

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Good Vibrations

Bodegas y Viñedos Patagonia Valley
Rivus
km1012
Malbec 2018
Patagonia Argentina
Rio Negro
Organic and biodynamic
Winemakers: Augusto Ripoll and Guy Zarate

A glassful of deep purple. It’s yeasty toasty so let this youngster breathe. Give it some time and a hint of vanilla pops up but runs away. Deep really tart cherry, orange peel, cola, smidge of tobacco, and earthy pepper appear. First sip is alive and young in a good way. Tangy cherry that has my lips vibrating, and some pomegranate too. Flowers are hanging out but definitely cedar and some funky slightly bubble feeling that is just on the tongue. There’s still some seriously natural rustic hayness. This little guy should be finished off in the first day or two to keep it’s full essence.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: there’s still the crazy tingle feeling, but the cherry darkens

The tingling is reminding me of a lip plumper from the past. Maybe a glass of this can be the new beauty trick.

If you want a good read on Malbec, “The Vineyard at the End of the World: Maverick Winemakers and the Rebirth of Malbec” (by Ian Mount) is a great recounting of the history and dramas that played out over the years.

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Naked as the Day You’re Born

Terra di Briganti
Nato Nudo
Fiano 2018
Benevento IGP
Casalduni Campania Italy
Fiano 100%
Organic, biodynamic, vegan, and indigenous yeasts

Super deep glistening gold. Inhale and then there’s blossoms, tangerine, some wafting salt, and then here comes the apples, pears, and something a bit herbal. Go in for the sip and there’s those pears and apples again. Add to that melon, honeysuckle, citrus peel tang, and spice that may be black pepper, or something dried. All I know is I want a plate of salame and mortadella.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: gives it a citrus zing lightness with a touch of celery

Nato Nudo means born naked, and is a natural unfiltered wine with no added sulfites. You can really smell, taste, and feel the benefit of the wild rugged land where the guyot trained Fiano grows.

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Naturally Enchanting

Agricola Foradori
Foradori 2018
Vigneti Delle Dolomiti IGT
Trentino-Alto Adige Italy
Teroldego 100%
Organic and biodynamic

A goblet of total goth deep dark ruby purple. Take a breath of cherries, plums, vanilla, cola, flowers, and some mineral earthiness. First sip and there’s tart cherries that mellow out to smooth. Next there’s plums, raisin, singed orange peel,  I do believe some strawberries, and dark rich earthy goodness. It’s as enchanting as Elizabeth Fraser’s voice.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: Everything smoothes out even more. Silky fruity goodness

This deep dark beauty had me thumbing through some of the music from my past, and here are two of my Fraser favorites.  Even now Song To The Siren gives me goosebumps and makes my heart fly, and let us not forget her lush work with Massive Attack – Teardrop.

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