raffaele Mastrovincenzo

Jean Claude Lapalu a small Vigneron in St Etienne La Varenne in Beaujolais. His approach of winemaking is very simple and straight forward a good friend of the oxygen and the grapes. He play with different vessel as barrels and Amphora. The So2 is almost an enemy, the use is very little and dictate by the vessel has been used, apparently the Amphora let him not to use any.  His wines can have som e pleasant VA and sour red fruit all support by the intense minerality showing in the glass. Jauma from Mclaren vale in South Australia work in the same way of Lapalu but with different grapes. The man behind is a young sommelier in Australia which switch is career and move in other side making superbly nice wines with great drinkability; James Erskine is the man behind Jauma. from the McLaren Vale sub appellations Blewitt Springs and Clarendon which are an extension of the Adelaide Hills, here in this part of the world there is cool breeze from the ocean and great diurnal temperature ...

Last week I spend a week in Champagne tasting in different fairs and I visit some great grower champagne… Some review below:   Benoit Marguet   A new small négociant producer. Benoit Marguet is the son of the former Champagne Marguet-Bonnerave single estate (RM) based in Grand Cru village Ambonnay on the Montaqgne de Reims. His new concern is a small négociant (NM) Marguet Père et Fils which buys in nearly all of its grape needs, partly from the remaining family vineyards and from a network of likeminded growers. Benoit is  also very involved with the viticulture at Launois, he married The daughter of Launois Severine. This producer is committed to organic working and some aspects of biodynamics involving working by the phases of the moon. No herbicides or pesticides are used. That cultivation drives root systems deeper, making for better vine water supply as roots are forced to go deeper. He experiments with cover crop too, believing grass removing th...

An independent Alsatian producer. Mr Bruno Schuller in the commune of Husseren-les-Chateaux south west of Colmar. Since he was 18 years old has been working at Gerard Schueller Pere & Fills on 10 hectare of vineyards only 1ha dedicated to Pinot noir and two grand cru vineyards Eichberg and Pfersigberg in the commune of Eguisheim. However one of his most underground wine coming for the lieux-dit Bildstoeccklè on the town of Obermorschwihr in an exclusively calcareous soil. On e of the things really interesting me about this producers, often his wines do not pass the test of INAO; but this seems not worry this crazy artisan. This 2012 was close and reductive at the beginning but after a while we decanted it coming out delicate aromas of green Thea, ripe yellow peach, yellow plum with minerality always in tension, nervous and salty; great delicacy acidity. I bought 2 bottles one I will drink in 10 years time and I will back here to tell you how is ageing  ‪#‎ mineralwine‬ ...

RM (Récoltant Manipulant): A grower-producer who makes Champagne from estate-grown fruit. 95% of the grapes must originate in the producer’s own vineyards. This is a small production in Ambonnay a grand cru village; here there is a lady Marie Noelle Ledru which is the exception of the male dynamism and humble vigneron in our collectively imaginary.  This is a story a beautiful Recoltant manipulan t in the Montagne de Reims knew for the her expression of Pinot noir. Everything start on 1980 when she get control of 6ha of vines in Ambonnay and extra hectare in Bouzy completely alone control every thing from vines management to vinification. However currently she things is too old to controlled such a big property and reduce the property in only 2hectares of vines which are 40 years old, the best of her selection. She does a Lutte Raisonnee viticulture whit out any label of certified organic farming. No chemical are add to the soil. She is a real hero because every step is done...

Koheler Ruphrecht in the town of Kallstadt in the Mittlehardt of Pfalz; one of the oldest producer of the region. In the vineyard, no irrigation, fertilizers or herbicides are ever used, and systemic treatments against pests or fungal illness are kept to a minimum. In the cellar, long spontaneous fermentations occur in large, old German oak barrels with extended lees contact. Nothing is ever adde d or subtracted to the wine, and sulfur is only added moderately after alcoholic fermentation and before bottling. The Grand Cru of the K.R. Is Saumagen, which translates to pig's stomach, is named after the shape of the vineyard and also happens to be the region's most famous local dish. The soils here are heavy in chalky marl and full of tiny individual limestones that reflect heat onto the grapes. Koehler-Ruphrecht's 4h are on the original South-East facing slope. A small part of the Saumagen is designated as Terra Rossa, with the limestone taking a red hue due to a heavy...

The Foucault brothers have a long and yet quiet history producing wine under the Saumur-Champigny appellation. The vineyards are tended without herbicides or fertilisers. There is no fining and no filtration, minimal use of sulphur; the wines derived from their 10 hectares of vines worked all in a sensitive respect of Mother Nature.  the Different cuvée employs the usual recipe for absolute excellence: outstanding terroir, old vines, very tiny yields, and incredible attention to detail. A white Saumur named Brèze, made naturally from 100% Chenin Blanc, in miniscule quantities from 1 hectare of 40-50 year old vines. This wine is simply a milestone. 2001 Brèzè Beautiful and complex nose between a surface of bronze and depth mineral, aromatic range oscillating between the fungus becoming truffle, sweet spices (cloves and pepper), roasted and finely peach preserved. A very classy for an outstanding vintage. 2007 Brézè Deeply gold, great weight and concentration but it l...

Weingut Clemens Busch From Punderich in the Mosel; a small town in the north part of the river. The Gross lage vineyard in this village is named Marienburg and in this slope vineyard you find different slate color which divide the Marienburg vineyard in different aspect. This are Rothenpfad which are red slate, Felsterrasse grey and rocky vineyard,  Fahrlay and Fahrlay Terrassen are blue and stony slate, Falkenlay on grey schists slate soil. Clemens Bush is a byodinamic producer with a great understanding of the slate soil of Mosel as Heymann Lowenstein from Winningen in the top north part of the river. Clemens make all the differents slate aspect of Marienburg and labeling separately. He macerated the whole bunch for 8/12 hours, than oxidize the must for 7 days with spontaneous fermentation in stainless steel which can go up for 3/4 months. Elevate on lees in old Fudree at least 10hl. The 2010 for Rothenpfad section in Marienburg was peachy and lime, honey, slaty, steely ...

Lammidia Abruzzo a green region in the middle of Italy along the coast of Adriatic sea the cultivation of vine has been a long, long tradition::. Pliny the Elder mention Abruzzo a few times in his books just because was fashion; other intellectuals were talking about the most beautiful region of Italy. However currently a new stars of vignerons is born: Lammidia located in a small town up to 700 metre above sea level called "Villa Celiera". I have been in this town and seems like time has been stopped just after the second world war, lots of sheeps around and the main job is the cultivation of the land in many crops; outstanding! Marco e Davide are the mind and the hands behind this fantastic project, Montepulciano and  Trebbiano or Procanico this is the way they like to call it. Experimental vineyards are planted with Pinot Noir and later they are thinking of something like Poulsard or Trosseau. These guys are really open mind they are not related with the ancient...

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 th...