raffaele Mastrovincenzo

Oltrepo Pavese in Lombardia region, there is a small village Broni where a man Lino Maga make very interesting wines under the denomination Barbacarlo a cru monopole for a specific hill 4 hectares on 300-meter elevation on tufaceous soil with an average of vines around 50 years with southwest exposition. Lino Maga had a legal battle with the authority to make sure this monopole of a single hills was recognized as their own property, and had is own denomination. This story with the institution went over for 23 years. No one can called a wine Barbacarlo expect for them. Barbacarlo is a subzone of the Oltrepo Pavese DOC. The grapes are Ughetta, Uva Rara and the main important one is Croatina, natural fermentation and the use of old barrels make this wines very distinctive and never looks the same. On the other side of the Barbacarlo hill, there is another cru called Montebuono which adding the Barbera to the blend. We had a dinner lately and we tasted a few of them pretty specials.

This little area in the north part of Piemonte region is a land where the Nebbiolo drive on particular climate condition and soil type; give a different expression of this King grape varieties. Heroic viticulture (terrace vineyard) with high phosphorous, lime and clay soil. The Nebbiolo locally called Spanna made here, it is still having a great aging potential, however the different soil and this more austere climate definitely 100% continental, will give to the wines fresh crispy tension acidity but with more fine elegant tannin with the core of minerality your aspect on the brother Barolo and Barbaresco. This area is encapsulated near the Maggiore lake and the Monte Rosa a mountain of 4600 meter which is very important to determine the microclimate of this wine regions; this mountain is the second biggest in Europe. Help to stop the cold current air from northern Europe and in the hottest summer bring fresh air to optimize the ripeness of Nebbiolo at night time, also circulate t

Cornas is an A.O.C. in the southern part of the northern Rhone Valley, it is an enclave outside the river valley influence. A granite filled slopes mostly entire planted with vines which produce a red wine with Syrah. Cornas due the warm current air coming from the Toulaud Valley south of Saint Peray makes the syrah ripening easier than the heart of Saint Joseph appellation.  Cornas ripening at least a week ahead of the neighborhood Hermitage.  The granite soil provides a good core of minerality with a pebbly dry stony texture on the finish of the palate.  Cornas vineyards are spread around 110 hectares with three zones: Northern Zone:  with granite and limestone, the wine is always fresh with a relative altitude of around 250 meters. Tannins are more notable in the lower slopes where more clay is found.  Main vineyards are Les Arlettes, Les Eygas, Jouvet not present on the map above.  Central Zone:  the area with more old vines and the high percent of granite wit

Serralunga is one of the 11 communes of Barolo and accounts for 16.50% of the production of this great wine "Barolo". Serralunga is considered one of the most age-worthy complexes Barolo with the white soil locally called Serravallian internationally Helvetian from a Miocene era [chalky beige light in color, loser calcareous and less fertile, high level of iron and phosphorous with sandstone and limestone]. This type of soil with Nebbiolo planted on top, is a Terroir result of a nervous wine with great acidity, tannin structure, and lots of energy. This commune makes commonly a masculine Barolo with power and maximal arousal tannin at a young age; however with time the aging potential is out of control. Barolo produced in Serralunga can be dated from 1858 when King Vittorio Emanuele chose to create his own Barolo estate. More than 30 crus make up this fantastic commune, by Italian legislation, this is called MENZIONE GEOGRAFICHE AGGIUNTIVE. For many connoisseurs, the

Climat: from the Greek Klima via the Latin Cliamtis.  Precisely delimited plots of land which benefit from specific geological and climate conditions...  Lieux-dits a designated area of land with a historical particularity from a topographical point of view of an ancient story... These two terms in wine always as an interchange used; however, you can find several Lieux-dits within a single Climat... Chablis is a really good example of how these two concepts work together.   See the map above and you can see how many Lieux-Dit compose a climat, in this case, 1er Cru. For example Montmains 1er Cru, a famous block of vineyard on the left bank of the Serein river at the bottom holds two famous Lieux-dit called Forets and Butteaux; according to the INAO, this can be a label on his own or as Montmains 1er Cru.  Vaillons 1er Cru got several different names, those are: Sechet, Les Lys, Les Epinottes, Ronciers, Mellinots, Beugnons and Chatains.  Another good example is the

Premeaux is a village in the Cote de Nuits which technically belong to Nuits Saint Georges.  The Appellations of Nuits Saint Georges falls into two part divide by the town himself  The Northen portion extends as far as the border of Vosne Romanee and the south part of the town extends to  Premeaux.  In the Premeaux part, numerous 1er Cru is Monopole (Vineyard owned by one domaine) Clos de La Marechale is the largest Monopole in Burgundy with 9,76 hectare all surrounded by a wall is bigger than the famous Clos de Tart and Clos de Lambrays in Morey Saint Denis. The owner is Domaine Jacques Frederich Mugnier which start to vinify the wine in 2004 before Faiveley was producing it. The Domaine of Frederich Mugnier produces red and white and also in rare occasion a second wine called Clos des Fourches younger vines of the Clos de la Maréchale in certain vintages. Clos Arlot is the Monopole of Domaine L'Arlot, 2 hectares on two different soil deep and profound on limes