Frank Cornelissen and Etna.

Last week I went to visit the most underground producer of Etna; Mr. Cornelissen.

We met at the church of Passopisciaro in the afternoon, with us there were other couples from NY and Italy.
Soon we went in the new temporary winery build in two floor, on the ground floor there is the aging, upstair is use for the vinification. Frank dreaming in a proper winery in tree floor with an underground cellar with natural constant temperature, currently need use air-con to be able to monitor-ate the ambience. He reckon this new winery will be ready in 10 years.
As soon we came into the winery I notice a certain amazing hygiene, the cellar was super clean and while Frank show as and explain the steps of the vinification I understood how is important from him to keep the ambience quite sterilized.
Here there is only ambience yeast and nothing is added to the wines.
Plastic bucket in reasonable size are used for fermentation.
Thus the perfect material as Frank reckon for the aging is the fiberglass tanks; also Frank was know for the use of Amphora (clay pot) which Cornelissen vitrified to better keep the wine innocent, not to much oxygen exposed and the glass do not add any extra character at the wine. His wines are pure expression of the terroir and are really just a grape juice.
Frank his got some interesting passion of what he does. Hearing him talking it's an amazing experience, personally i reckon this reflect the wines.
During the visit while we were talking saw the Amphora wasn't perfectly clean and in a matter of second went to pick up a proper tool to spry and clean up. In this occasion told us his philosophy to make a good wine is to keep everything super clean to do not have spoiled bacteria affected the wines.
Stainless steel for him is a good material just for the passage of the wines, however he doesn't like it for the aging; is a good material to clean easily trough the process of vinification.
He love fiber glass it is for Cornellisen the best container to store the wine for the aging, doesn't add nothing to the grape juice while resting to become a good wine.
All his vineyard are on his map and carefully he explain everything about them aging of vines and soil profile was  quite amazing. The only single vineyard are the Magma wine which coming for a vineyards called Barbabecchi over a 1000 meter above sea level in Castiglione di Sicilia on Etna. Also are the oldest vines he got. A sanguine wine with a very complex layers of flavor, saltiness, noble tannin and fresh acidity.
Buried Amphora.
Susucaru his new wine, a Rose blend Mascalese and Minella a glou glou wine I loved it.

some shoot around Etna below:

Vines on Etna.
An old vine
Alive soil on Etna.
Pebbles are quite common on Etna, stony and clay with layer of Lava volcanic soil.
Thanks Frank Cornelissen to let visit and taste his wines, amazing experience.




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