Wine imitating art: Salvo Foti's Mt Etna through the lens of Art History

In a recent interview (11/9/25) with Gambero Rosso, Salvo Foti, the pillar of tradition in Mt Etna winemaking, described a Renaissance in Mt Etna winemaking and I could not help but place the entirety of his discussion within the context of the art history of that period. 

Salvo Foti and Author

The charts below (created for use in my art blog EverythingElse 238) illustrate the art historical period preceding the Renaissance as well as the sub-groupings into which the Renaissance itself is further divided.

In his interview, Foti describes the Renaissance in Etna winemaking as beginning in the early 1990s. In art historical terms, events before this would fall into the Gothic period. In this period, tagged by Foti as the late 80s - early 90s, there was "little interest in Sicily's native grape varieties and typical agriculture in general." Etna winemaking was not viewed favorably  and the wine that was made was primarily sold in bulk at the "cellar door." Only Villagrande and Murgo bottled consistently, with most producers selling-on their grapes.

"At the beginning of the 15th century, Italy experienced a cultural rebirth, a renaissance that would massively affect all sectors of society. Turning away from the preceding Gothic and Romanesque periods' iconography, Florentine artists spurred a rejuvenation of the glories of classical art in line with a more humanistic and individualistic emerging contemporary era. Based in this flourishing new environment that empowered people to fully immerse themselves in studies of the humanities, Early Renaissance artists began to create work intensified by knowledge of architecture, philosophy, theology, mathematics, science, and design. The innovations that emerged in art during this period would go on to cause reverberations, which continue to influence creative and cultural arenas today" (theartstory.org). 

There is no common agreement as to the trigger(s) of the Renaissance of the 15th century but Foti is declarative as to the Renaissance driving forces in the case of Etna winemaking: (i) Benanti's desire to become a quality wine producer (1988) and (ii) his (Salvo's) "historical and technical-scientific research in collaboration with Professor Rocco Di Stefano, Director of the Experimental Institute of Oenology in Asti."

Key artists of the Early Renaissance include such notable names as Masaccio, Donatello, Filippo Brunellschi, and Fra Angelico. Early players in the Etna Renaissance were, according to Salvo, Alice Bonacorsi, Valcerasa, Ciro Biondi, i Vigneri, and Il Cantanta.

"The High Renaissance, subsequently coined to denote the artistic pinnacle of the Renaissance, refers to a thirty-year period exemplified by the groundbreaking, iconic works of art being made in Italy during what was considered a thriving societal prime. A rejuvenation of classical art married with a deep investigation into the humanities spurred artists of unparalleled mastery whose creations were informed by a keen knowledge of science, anatomy, and architecture, and remain today, some of the most awe-inspiring works of excellence in the historical art canon (theartstory.org)." The notables of this period include, Raphael, Michelangelo, and Leonardo da Vinci.

And then Salvo pivoted to talking about the role of "foreigners" in the Etna wine story. There is an underlying tone here that the rest of the world has gotten the narrative wrong. That the world sees the Renaissance in Etna winemaking as being synonymous with the arrival of Andrea Franchetti, Frank Cornelissen, and Marc de Grazia. As shown above, Salvo has gone to great lengths to place the Renaissance in a prior period. What they brought, he stipulates, was an enormous burst in production, promotion, and sales.

Having spent time with all three of these named producers, I am of the opinion that they also contributed to the fabric and scope of winemaking on the mountain. Regardless, this was a step forward for Mt Etna, one which I equate, in art historical terms, to the High Renaissance.

Mannersism emerged at the end of the High Renaissance and manifested as a "stylized twist" on Renaissance classicism. The name derives from the Italian word maniera which translates as "style" or "manner." Mannerism is viewed as a bridge between High Renaissance and Baroque. The chart above shows both the context and geographic distribution of the Mannerist school. As stated by the Tate Museum,

Rather than adopting the harmonious ideals associated with Raphael and Michelangelo, Mannerists went a step further to create highly artificial compositions which showed off their techniques and skills in manipulating compositional elements to create a sense of sophisticated elegance.

And this is the fear that Salvo has for Etna wines. He is concerned about those who come to Etna not to produce "Etna wines" but only "wines made on Etna." Salvo points out that the environment supports natural wines. luxury wines, artisanal wines, technological wines, and industrial wines. His fear is that "the exponential and sudden growth that is crossing the Etna wine will give space to improvisation, uncontrolled and without programming ..."

©Wine -- Mise en abyme

A conversation with Maurizio Lunetta, Director, Etna DOC Consorzio

I had been trying since last year to get a sit down with Maurizio Lunetta, Director of the Etna Consorzio, to gain his perspective on the current and future state of the region. Perseverence paid off and Brandon and I were able to sit with him earlier in the week in the heart of Milo’s Piazza Belvedere.

Maurizio Lunetta and Brandon Tokash during
 our sit-down at Milo's Piazza Belvedere

Maurizio is an Agrinomist by training (and practice). In an earlier phase of his life, he spent 10 years in South Africa running Agricultural Research projects for the Italian Government and the EU. At the completion of that stint he traveled to Palermo and worked in its wine sector during the 1990s. He was Director of Sicilia DOC for 5 years.. 

He came to his current position at the initiative of Antonio Benanti, past President of the Consorzio. Maurizio worked as a Consultant for 6 months after which the Board of Constitution appointed him head of the Consorzio. He was not totally unfamiliar with the region as Carlo Nicolosi, father of Baron di Villagrande’s Marco Nicolosi, had been his Thesis Advisor at University.

The Consorzio had historically hired internally but it was not difficult for Maurizio coming in as an outsider because: (i) the producers did not have any conflicts with each other and (ii) they were from elsewhere anyway,

Maurizio is of the mindset that you cannot have a strong DOC without a strong Consorzio. Etna was first appointed DOC in 1968, the first Sicilian wine region to be so honored, and among the earliest in Italy. In June of 1994, the Constitution of Protection was founded with the aim of “enhancing and protecting the production of Etna wines and their territories.” The Consorzio was recognized in a 2018 Ministerial Decree and, at that time, according to Maurizio, became the owner of the brand Etna DOC. It gained control of the label, production, and the brand. It subsequently took control of production requirements and testing of bottles to ensure adherence to DOC requirements.

As Maurizio sees it, a strong DOC can manage the production such that high quality is maintained. The DOC should also have limited-gradient growth. Further, both large and small producers should be on board with the program.

The DOC covers 1,347 ha today (up from 680 in 2013; a doubling over a little more that 10 years) and Maurizio expects it to increase to 1500 ha in a year and to 2000 ha five years out. There are currently 447 growers (up from 203 in 2013) and 50% of those are planting less than 1 ha. There are 180 wine producers but only half of them have their own wineries. Wine production went from 26,135 hL in 2013 to 58,274 hL in 2024.

Prior to 2018, the DOCs border was not clearly defined. After its recognition in 2018, the Consorzio began work in this area and has now clearly defined the boundaries of the appellation. Within the broader DOC the Consorzio has sought to further subdivide the region by contrada. They began with 153 and added eight more as a part of the recently completed mapping project. Of the total defined contrade, only 30 are currently being used for grape growing. Much more work has to be done to understand and spell out inter-contrada differences. In the meantime. says Maurizio. it is a positive marketing vehicle.

The 6-person Consorzio team is very active during the course of the year. They are currently wrapping up their participation in ViniMilo2025 and are organizing EtnaDays2025. 

Going forward, Maurizio would like to go deeper into wine and wine-related research. They would like to explore the potential of new white and red varieties which could bolster/substitute the elements of the existing portfolio if climate change does the kind of damage that is feared. Maurizio is working with the University of Catania on plants and temperature.

Another potential area of research is timing of activities. Harvests are being done earlier and earlier; the vines’ cycle has changed but humans have not materially changed how they work these vines. Maurizio sees this as an area worth exploring.

Our conversation next turned to the challenges facing the region. Without skipping a beat Maurizio mentioned climate change. They need more research he said. One of the potential solution, as he sees it, is to move to higher elevations but he fears that if you open up the discussion re higher elevations, that folks would also be clamoring for extending the discipline to accommodate currently excluded, lower elevations. The other aspect is that while the climatic aspects may be solved by going higher, it is not clear that there is enough weathered sils at those elevations to accommodate large-scale upward movement.

Second, the Consorzio does not have a market observatory; it has to depend on members for whatever tidbits of insight they get in on market issues and trends. So rather than providing this as a service to members, the Consorzio is a sink in this case.

The third challenge is maintaining quality, especially given the intense growth in production capacity and far less so in the monitoring and quality control infrastructures.

I posed a question about the impact of tariffs on the producers. Maurizio did not seem too concerned about it as a standalone issue. He was more concerned about the decline in the value of the dollar which has effectively increased the price of the wines to customers in the US. And while the tariffs, once implemented, are fixed, the dollar could continue its decline and cause further pain to the wine sector. And if you put the tariffs on top of that, it becomes an even bigger problem. 

As regards the tariffs, importers are asking the Consorzio to share the pain and, as a result, shield the US consumer. It seems to be something that is under consideration.

************************************************************************************************

Some observations:

• Maurizio is more of an administrator than a visionary (this is not a judgment as each role has value in its time and place) and, given where Etna wine is right now, he fits the bill. He is not focused on flowery visions of the future. Rather, his focus is on managing growth, strengthening the DOC, and promoting the region to outsiders as much as possible.
• His pursuit of other grape varieties to fill a potential future gap is more of a "canary in a coal mine" rather than "a voice in the wilderness." In a recent Gambero Rosso interview, Salvo Foti mentioned other grape varieties that are currently not prominent but can be considered native to the region. He considers them native because they have been cultivated in the region for a very long time. He first mentioned Grenache, which grows on the northwest slopes at altitudes above 1000 m. He also mentioned Grecanico, Minnella Bianca, Minnella Nera, and other "relic" grape varieties which are currently undergoing university studies.
• I do not know whether I failed to ask the right questions or this is a reflection of reality but we did not spend any time on Consorzio-members interaction and iniatives, either ground up or top down.
• Maurizio indicated that the Consorzio works to center the issues and concerns of all its members, regardless of size. In a subsequent discussion with a producer, this person mentioned that one of his frustrations with the Consorzio is that most of its work appears to center the needs and concerns of the larger producers. I will continue to pull on this thread in future discussions.

©Wine -- Mise en abyme

Etna DOCs volcanic soils within the context of John Szabo’s “family of volcanic soils”

After our VinoMilo 2025 Roundtable (Volcanic Wines — The Contemporary Evolution of Volcanic Winemaking) where John Szabo, author of Volcanic Wines, was the featured guest, I wanted to see how well John’s characterization of volcanic soils mapped to the Etna reality. Towards that end, I borrowed a copy of the book from the Barone di Villagrande library (thanks Alphonso) and re-read John’s foundational material.

John stipulates that there is no such thing as volcanic wine but hold to the position that there are volcanic wines. In the former case he is saying that there are no defined qualities that link all wines made on volcanic soils together: there is no volcanic wine. There are, however, wines made from grapes grown in volcanic soils; and these he calls volcanic wines. These wines, he says, “come in a radiant, infinitely nuanced rainbow of colors, tastes, and flavors.” 

John defines volcanic soils as “soils that formed from parent volcanic material” inclusive of lava flows, tephra, soils laced with volcanic ash, and soils that ended in valleys as result of gravity or alluvial activity. He places them into four broad categories:

• Especially young volcanic soils. These are formed on lava and “are more often rock than soil.” These soils have low water availability as enough time has not transpired for these soils to weather into water-retentive clays.
• Soils derived from ash, sand, and tephra. These soils also have a low clay content and tend to drain rapidly.
• Volcanic soils on hillsides. Gravity drains these soils quickly.
• Especially old, highly weathered volcanic soils. These soils have lots of clay and good water retention.

John sees the first three members of the family listed above as relatively infertile. Further, “semi-parched, semi-starved vines produce less fruit, smaller bunches, and thicker grape skins” which lead to “more deeply colored, concentrated, structured, and ageworthy wines with a broader range of flavors.” In John’s view, the stress imposed on the vine by water and nutrient “scarcity” produces the kind of fruit that results in high-quality wines. It should be noted that good drainage is not limited to volcanic-origin soils. Non-volcanics-derived sandy soils as well as chalk soils are also well drained. Soils on hillsides, especially if low in clay content, tend to be well drained whether volcano-derived or not.

The fourth member of this family grouping has better access to water but, according to John, when matched with a dry growing season, “keeps the vines moist, constrained, and able to focus on  even, steady ripening.

Let’s see where Etna soils fall within John’s described family of

volcanic soils.

Etna Soils

"All Etna soil rests on, or directly derives from, lava that flowed and hardened for thousands of years, along with ejected pumice, lapilli, and windblown volcanic ash" (Nesto and di Savino).

Historically, eruptive events at Mt Etna have been of the Strombolian style but occasional Hawaiian-style eruptions generate considerable lapilli fall on the flanks (The Strombolian and Hawaiian styles are described in the table below.). Large active volcanoes with the Etna eruptive style present some of the most complex soil-forming environments on earth (James, et al.).

Source: http://www.geology.sdsu.edu/how_volcanoes_work

Factors such as diversity in age and characteristics of volcanic materials, land surface morphology, local climate, vegetation, and land-use history all contribute to complex soil spatial patterns. In the profile dimension, complex soils result from intermittent tephra deposition, anthropogenic disturbance (in the case of Mt Etna, over 70% of the vineyards are terraced), erosion and subsequent deposition. According to James, et al., "soil profiles may reflect the amount and frequency of tephra deposition as much as 'normal' profile-forming soil processes operating on stable surfaces."

Landscape Formation
Volcanism in the Etna region began during the middle Pleistocene, at around 600 ka. The peak today stands at 3350 m elevation and the base is 40 km across. At elevations below 1100 m, lava varies in age from the 2014/2015 flow to the 500,000-year-old tholeitic basalts of a small area on the lower part of the southern flank (James, et al.). The terrain of historical (12th century to today) flows, as well as some pre-historic flows, is dominated by aa lava (basaltic lava with a rough surface, pahoehoe (basaltic lava with a smooth or billowy surface), and toothpaste (transition between aa and pahoehoe) morphology (James, et al.).

On Etna, depositive explosive activity from the summit crater is frequent with less frequent eruptions, often with higher effusive rates, from the flank vents and Strombolian activity from vents high on the volcano. The tephra varies in deposition rate and particle size with distance and direction from the source and accumulates unevenly on rugged lava surfaces. As an example, areas on the western and northwestern slopes of Mt Etna are barren rockscapes due to insufficient topsoil for significant vineyard development.

Soil Formation
As described above, volcanic activity of Mt Etna is both effusive (lava flows) and explosive (airborne ejection of pyroclastics). According to Nesto and di Savino, the lava flows create a patchwork of terroirs that is pertinent to any discussion of Etna contradas. Initial flows are barren rock pasteurized by heat which, after cooling, require hundreds of years to erode into soil and develop hummus, and, in so doing, become suitable for vines. The erosion product is sand rich in potassium and other minerals. Organic matter, created initially by the growth of micro-organisms (and later by plants and animals), results in rich, fertile soil.

But, according to Marco Perciabobco (Department of Agriculture, Sicily Region), soil parent material in the Etna environment is primarily pyroclastic (My prior post on volcanic soils detail the weathering of these materials). Weathering of this coarse-textured parent material, according to Marco, produces soils with an "aerated hypogeal (underground) environment and the following characteristics:

• Extremely well suited for the growth and development of vine roots
• Soil water stagnations are rare
• They warm easily (this generates stable conditions for the occurrence of the chemical reactions required for the weathering of the finest materials).

Soil Distribution
According to Perciabobco, the Department of Agriculture's soil survey dataset shows five different landscape systems in Etna: northern; northwestern; eastern; southeastern; and southern. The soils of these environments differ in the degree of weathering of the primary clay minerals. From north to south wetness decreases and so does weathering of the volcanic constituents. The soils of the northern landscape, when compared to the soils of the south, are finer textured, have a higher organic matter content, and a have a higher value of cation-exchange capacity.

I spent some time with Benjamin North Spencer (author, The New Wines of Mt Etna) to gain his perspective of the soils of the region. The sub-regions that Ben described were the Southwest, Southeast, East, Northeast, and North. A summary of his perspectives are contained in the chart following and additional clarifying information is provided in the text following the chart.

Southwest
The current surface that we see on Mt. Etna today is the Mongibello facade, consisting of material 15,000 years old and younger. That material overlays an earlier, much wider, shield volcano that has outcroppings in the extreme north and south of the Etna wine region. The material overlaying the shield volcano ranges from 10 to 100 m in depth and consists of recent volcanics: silica, lapilli (tephra of from 2 to 64 mm in size) rippidu, and bombs/blocks (effluvia greater than 64 mm in size are called bombs when molten and blocks when solid).

Southeast
This area has a massive fissure that flows up from the city of Catania to the central craters. According to Ben, there are 35 lateral parasitic craters that feed off the central plumbing. These craters form cones of sand and are endowed with pyroclastic that overlay on themselves. These cones have metal at the top and, as a result of gravitational erosion, a lot more silica and organically rich material at the plateaus. There is a wealth of rich organic material in the areas between the cones, as well as a lot of rich, black volcanic material.

This is a great place to grow grapes: all of the cones; all of the aspects that are presented; all of the different elevations ranging between 400 and 900 m. This is also the area that receives the largest amount of of volcanic sand from the regular eruptions of the volcano. Ben says that we are talking about 1500 lbs of fresh soil each year because of the way the winds spin around the volcano.

East
The Valle del Bove, the horseshoe-shaped structure that dominates on this side of the volcano, is, according to Ben, the original shield volcano's crater. This crater blew the top (15,000 years ago, according to Ben; 8,000 and 60,000 years according to other sources) off the mountain and then fell back in on itself. It collected snowfall from the mountain, forming a glacial lake, and decomposing the volcanics that were the core of the seven volcanoes that comprised the Elliptico. The eastern flank of the volcano was involved in a landslide and deposited water and eroded volcanics over the slope where we find Milo located today. These eroded volcanics were distributed over a very steep and plateaued environment.

Milo’s soil is sandy and of volcanic origin with a substantial portion of ripiddu (lapilli and eruptive pumice) intermixed with red soils from the Sahara Desert deposited here by the aforementioned winds. The sandy soils drain rapidly, forcing the roots to dig deep in search of moisture and nutrients. 

The EtnaDOC Consorzio recently introduced a new DOC map with 142 contrade, eight of which are located in the Milo comune. The map, with an exploded Milo section, is illustrated in the chart below and the physical characteristics of the contrade are illustrated in the chart immediately following.

Information sources: Ugo Nicosia (Marketing and Communications Director, Azienda Agricola Iuppa); communication with Brandon Tokash

Milo is the only area within the DOC where Etna Bianco Superiore can be produced.

Wines on the volcano's east are salty. According to Ben, the soils have a high mineral content but, in addition, breezes coming in off the sea are trapped at altitude and the salt moisture they contain come back to earth with the rain. These mineral, saline wines are endowed with incredible acidity and longevity and, if produced well, can age for 15 to 20 years.

Northeast
Overlying lava flows, most from the Mongibelo volcano. The soils are very fertile due to the rain softening the volcanics and mixing in the organics that fall out of the forests that sit above the DOC areas.

This area has a lot of exposure to the Alcantara Valley. It is exposed to the winds from the north that flow in between the volcano and the Nebrodi Mountains and to the Grecale in its southern reaches.

Steep slopes with great exposure to sunshine during the summer and at midday.

We start to see more international varieties here: Syrah, Chardonnay, Nero d' Avola. Softer tannins, more opulent fruit for the Nerello Mascalese here than for the same variety to the north. Also greater tropical notes.

North
As it relates to climate, my research shows that the Nebrodi Mountains offer some protection to the north slope of Mt Etna but some wind does make it over the top, bringing rain in the autumn and winter and moisture year-round. There are some benefits to this moisture though. The runoff, unlike the case for the runoff on the eastern and southeastern slopes, proceeds downhill at a moderate pace and is absorbed by the lava beneath the soil, This water store then becomes available to the vine roots during the growing season. The major beneficiary of this process is the area between the towns of Solicchiata and Randazzo. The wind from the northeast blows steam from the vents to the southeast creating a shadow which serves to reduce evaporation.

Ben sees the soils of the North as being very young and associated primarily with the current facade (15,000 years old and less). As a result of the youth of the volcanic deposits, the wines have great fruit, great structure, and longevity. The wines also have elegance, better acidity, minerals, and tannins, features that make them collectible. They are also delicious up front.

Ben sees a change in weather as you get up towards Rovitello. There is a dryness in the soil and old vines (100+ years) are planted on their own roots

As you move towards Randazzo, the growers are farming on an outcropping of the ancient volcano. The elevations here are a little lower. Ben says that you can see the interconnectivity between the vines, the old volcanoes, and, maybe, a little bit of limestone that has been pushed up by the tectonic collision between the African and Eurasian plates.

He sees the whites on this side as having a bit more intensity of fruit, more mature fruit, and saline mineral flavors with some tropical notes. The grapes here do not experience as significant a temperature shock as is the case in the previously visited sub-regions.

****************************************************************

Etna DOC appears to have every example of the family of soils described by John in his book and some. For example, the soils in Milo is a mix of eroded volcanics, new emissions, and dust blown i. from the Sahara Desert.

While the greater part of the family, as described by John, has infertile soils, the soils on Etna are moderately fertile. 

One area in which volcanic soils may be linked is an area not identified by John. Based on my research, the decomposition of volcanic material forms allophane, a type of primordial clay, which is sticky for nutrients and holds water temporarily so that it can be accessed by the vine roots. The allophanes, due to their construct, provide a much greater surface area for nutrient attachment than does other more traditional clays.

In future works I will continue to build out on the soil composition at the contrada level.

©Wine -- Mise en abyme

Tasting selected vintages of St. Julien's Chateau Léoville Barton

The three current Léoville estates had a common beginning back in 1638 when Jean de Moytie founded a vineyard on a Medoc gravel ridge and named it Mont Moytie. This estate, along with Margaux and Latour, was the earliest wine producer in the region and remained a unit until the period 1826 to 1844 when it was split into three separate entities. The chart below details the history of the estate up until its dismemberment.

The Barton family can trace its Bordeaux roots back to 1722 when it entered the arena as negociants. Its foray into winemaking began with the 1745 purchase of Chateau Le Boscq. In 1826, as shown in the chart above, the family purchased the now Léoville Barton vines, the first step in the dismemberment of the Moytie estate.

A cellar did not come with the Léoville purchase so the decision was taken to vinify the grapes at Langoa Barton, a Barton property proximate to the purchased vines. That practice is still in place today with the chateau displayed on the Leoville Barton label actually being the Langoa Barton chateau. The family has now owned and controlled these vineyards and wines for well nigh 200 years. 

Anthony Barton, who succeeded Ronald Barton, became a crusader for fair pricing to the consumer, a position which has "earned the brand a strong and loyal fanbase."

Léoville Barton is a St. Julien estate. Saint Julien, being south of Pauillac, is slightly warmer but still subject to similar climate-modification effects (see chart below). The soil is similarly gravelly but has less clay and limestone.

The vineyard rests on 51 ha of deep gravel on clay soils supporting the Cabernet Sauvignon (74%), Merlot (23%), and Cabernet Franc (3%) vines. Average vine age is 38 years and planting density is 9000 vines/ha. The vineyard is mostly organic.

As regards winemaking, the hand-harvested grapes are destemmed, sorted, and crushed prior to being gravity-fed into 200-hl wooden vats for fermentation. The must is co-inoculated to allow almost-simultaneous alcoholic and malolactic fermentation. The fermented wine is aged in 60% new French oak for 20 months, with barrel top-ups three times per week. Racking is done using the l'esquive method.

According to thewinecellarinsider.com, "Léoville Barton is a sturdy, structured Bordeaux wine with tannin that requires time to develop. Traditional, masculine and beefy in style, this property is popular with some collectors because of the reasonable prices the estate charged for their wines. Due to the high tannin levels and style of the wine, the best vintages often require decades of age before drinking well."

Tasting selected vintages of Léoville Barton

The Orlando Tasting Group convened on June 7th to taste selected vintages of this estate's wines. The table below indicates the vintages tasted and, where available, the varietal composition. The table reveals the wine as primarily a Cab-Merlot blend with limited Cabernet Franc contribution. The wines were flighted by decade, youngest to oldest.

Year	Cabernet Sauvignon (%)	Merlot (%)	Cabernet Franc (%)
2005	73.5	26	0.5
2004	75	23	2
2003	69	27	4
2000	74	24	2
1998	72	20	8
1996	72	20	8
1995	78	19	3
1993
1990	70	25	5
1982	72	20	8
1976
1975

Flight 1: The 2000s

2005 Chateau Léoville Barton

Beautiful nose of coal, tar, cassis, and chocolate. Broad on the palate with coal tar, blackpepper, and minerality. High acidity. Still not open; needs more time.

2004 Chateau Léoville Barton

Dark red fruit, baking spices, licorice, leather, tobacco, and bay leaf on the nose. Red and dark cherries on the palate. Silky, with a lengthy finish.

2003 Chateau Léoville Barton

Dark fruit, cigar box, cremé de cassis, and graphite on the nose. Expressive on the palate. Medium-bodied. Sweet currants, plum and minerality. Elegant and balanced. This was eventually adjudged the wine of the flight.

2000 Chateau Léoville Barton

Aromatic. Pauillac nose along with baking spices and a savory character. Persistent, thick, rich, and concentrated on the palate. Long, drying finish.

Flight 2: The 1990s

1998 Chateau Léoville Barton

Conditions were very good for this vintage with early bud break and flowering with a hot, dry August favoring good ripening. This particular bottle had issues. Granny's attic and acetic acid on the nose. Dead on the palate.

1996 Chateau Léoville Barton

Mature Bordeaux on the nose with graphite, blue fruit, cassis and leather. Nose carries through to the palate. Silky tannins.

1995 Chateau Léoville Barton

Dark fruit along with sage, earth, cedar, and leather on the nose. Smooth tannins and a lengthy finish. Wine of the flight.

1993 Chateau Léoville Barton

Berries, cassis, graphite, cigar box, cedar on the nose. Medium-bodied. Smooth and balanced with a long finish.

1990 Chateau Léoville Barton

Uninspiring nose but great on the palate. Rich and savory with spicy dark fruit. Excellent finish. Delicious.

Flight 3: The 1980s

1982 Chateau Léoville Barton

Red/black fruit, tobacco, leather, graphite on the nose. Sweet black fruit, leather and iron on the palate. Great length on the finish. A great year overall for Bordeaux and this estate did not miss the boat. Obviously wine of the flight but also picked as wine of the night.

Flight 4: The 1970s

1976 Chateau Léoville Barton

Forest floor, leather, tea, coffee, and tobacco on the nose. Earth and tea on the palate. Age is showing. Adjudged wine of the flight. 

1975 Chateau Léoville Barton

Red fruit, cedar, cassis, leather, and earth on the nose. Red fruit and spice on the palate. Textured. Long finish.

Next up in our tasting series is Chateau Leoville Poyferre.

©Wine -- Mise en abyme

King Family Vineyards (Crozet, Virginia): The wines

After an extensive discussion of King Family Vineyards, James and I turned to tasting the wines. Like many producers in emerging regions, King Family Vineyards has a broad portfolio of wines on offer, categorized as follows: Sparkling, White, Red, Rosé, Mountain Plains, Meritage, and Small Batch Series. We tasted wines from each of these categories.

Matthieu is the Winemaker and has held that position for the last 18 years. According to James, Matthieu has complete autonomy over wine direction and production.

Sparkling

We tasted a 2021 Bland de Blanc, a traditional-method sparkling wine the base of which was fermented in stainless steel tanks. Extended sur lie aging. Yeastiness and mint on the nose. Round on the palate with good fruit and acid levels. Sapid. Long, metallic finish.

White

We next turned to the 2022 Sauvignon Blanc. The fruit for this wine is sourced from Childs Family. Aromatic. A sense of weight on the nose but actually light on the palate. Perfumed on the palate. White fruit. Metallic, drying finish.

The 2023 Viognier was not consistent in the vineyard as regards yield. This variety can be very finicky. The wine was fermented in three separate vessel types and aged in stainless steel, neutral French oak, acacia, and concrete prior to blending and bottling. The varietal mix on the wine is 80% Viognier and 20% Chardonnay. The wine is aromatic, but not in a traditional Viognier way. Heavyweight. Thick and rich with some spiciness.

The 2022 Chardonnay underwent full malolactic fermentation then aging on the lees for 9 months with weekly batonnage. Aging was hosted in French oak barrels (25% new; 25% 1 year; 25% 2 year; and 25% 3 year). Unyielding on the nose initially then pear and baking spice aromas emerged. Barrel influence apparent on the palate.

Mountain Plains is a premium label in the King Family Vineyards stable. The 2022 version is a blend of the top selections from the best barrels of Chardonnay, Viognier, and Petit Manseng. Beeswax and slightly honeyed nose. Weighty on the palate with ripe fruit and spice, the latter increasing in intensity with residence in the glass. Full-bodied. Juicy. Cupric.

Petit Manseng is the latest variety to wear the mantle of Great Virginia Hope and King Family Vineyards has an offering in this space. The 2023 Petit Manseng shows sweet white fruit on the nose and palate. Rich and creamy initially, giving way to a dry, mineral palate.

Rosés

Crosé is a dry, Merlot-based Rosé whose moniker is a play on the name -- Crozet -- of the small town in which the estate is located. The color of this wine is the result of limited skin contact. The 2024 exhibited sweet strawberry on the nose and palate. Discordant palate.

The 2023 Mountain Plains Rosé is made from early-picked Petit Verdot. Skin contact evident. Underripe fruit. Varietal weightiness.

Reds

The Cabernet Franc 2023 was aged for 9 months in a combination of concrete and French oak. Violets and hints of bell pepper on the nose. Firm on the attack  but mid-palate issues. Rose petals and spice on the palate along with a slight sweetness. Medium weight with a medium-length finish. 

The Les Petits 2022 is a blend of Petit Verdot and Petit Manseng (the Petits; get it?) and was one of the estate's Small Batch offerings. Mint and red and blue fruit on the nose, along with a waxy pungency. This wine fully engages the palate. Spicy red fruit and bell pepper flavors. Pleasant.

The 2022 Merlot was aged for 16 months in neutral and new French oak barrels. Elegant on the nose  with aromas of baking spices, chocolate, tobacco, and coal. Unfocused ripe dark fruit on the palate. Rich chocolate and spice. Persistent.

The Meritage is the estate's "flagship Bordeaux-style red blend," constructed, as it is, with an eye towards extended bottle aging. The components are Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Malbec. I tasted the 2022 and 2021 vintages.

The 2022 exhibited thick, rich, ripe dark fruit along with chocolate and spice. Persistent and mineral. The 2021 showed violets, spice, chocolate, and a green note on the nose. Red fruit on the palate and a little thin on the finish. More elegance exhibited here than in the 2022.

Grapes for the 2022 Mountain Plains Red were hand selected and destemmed before a 4- to 8-week maceration in open-top concrete fermentation tanks. After pressing, the wines were aged for 22 months in new French oak barrels. Red and black fruits and violets on the nose. Ripe fruit on the palate. Structured. 

The 2022 Petit Verdot was aged for 21 months in French oak barrels. Intense violet notes on the nose. Lands beautifully on the palate. Rich, with a lengthy finish.

********************************************************************************************************

Matthieu was out of the country when I visited the estate so i did not have an opportunity to gain his insights into his winemaking philosophy, practices, and plans for the future. I hope to address this shortcoming in the not-too-distant future.

©Wine -- Mise en abyme

King Family Vineyards: The founding and vineyard characteristics of a Virginia Wine stalwart

King Family Vineyards is a stalwart of the Virginia Wine industry, one which, unfortunately, I have not previously had the opportunity to engage with in a meaningful way.That problem was rectified when Frank Morgan (Mr. VA Wine) arranged for me to sit with James King to discuss the winery and its wines. 

David and Ellen King (James' parents) moved from Houston, Texas to Charlottesville (VA) in 1995 and purchased a 327-acre farm therein. David was a Polo lover and while that was one of the driving forces behind the purchase of the property, the farm also grew alfalfa and corn.

In the Fall of 1997, one Tom Vandenberg knocked on the farmhouse door and asked to lease 10 acres of the property for the purpose of growing wine grapes. In the course of the discussion he indicated that the property appeared well-suited to that purpose. David's interest was piqued so he read a few books and then engaged a vineyard consultant. Six months later they planted 8 acres of vines.

The initial thought was to sell the fruit but they decided to hold some back for wine production. They made 480 cases in 2000 and 1050 cases in 2001. Michael Shaps (Shaps Wineworks)  was the winemaker and the wine was made in space leased from Afton. They were so pleased with the wine that they decided to build a production facility onsite. The winery was brought online in October of 2002. Michael continued in the winemaker role until he was succeeded in 2006 by Matthieu Finot.

The winery built in 2002 had a 5000-bottle capacity. A new facility with 28,000-bottle capacity was brought on line in 2013.

Let us take a step back and examine the physical environment in which the estate operates. 

Physical Environment

First, the farm has expanded from the original 324 acres to 430 acres with the acquisition of the property across the street. The area under vine has also seen an increase: from 8 acres to 55 acres currently. All of the King Family Vineyards land falls within the bounds of the Monticello AVA.

The climate is hot, wet, and humid with potential for frost in the spring (The area is frost-free in May.). Frost-mitigation/prevention techniques utilized by the estate include wind machines  and flying helicopters over the vineyard to push warm air downward.

The area is experiencing greater frequency of drought with the onset of climate change; two within the past decade.

Sols are dyke-loam with a "thin surface layer of granular loam (composed of sand, silt, and clay) covering a deep bed of dense, iron-rich clay ... these soils encourage downward root growth and retain enough water to avoid the need for irrigation in all but the driest of years."

Built Environment

The 55 acres of the farm under vine is distributed between Merlot, Viognier, Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Petit Manseng and Malbec varieties. The distribution of the varieties across the estate's five vineyards are illustrated in the charts below; as are the planting dates, rootstock, clonal selection, and vine-training methods.

Farming Practices

The vineyards are farmed traditionally but sustainability is a key focus of the enterprise. Cover crops, for example, are employed to both promote competition and to aid in the improvement of soil health. Working with the Army Corps of Engineers, the estate has restored the wetlands habitat on the farm, establishing the area as a "bird-watching hotspot." All activities on the farm are done by hand.

The farm is subject to the presence of insects, pests, and diseases and sprays about 24 times per year to combat same.

When necessary, irrigation needs are met from a 7-acre farm pond.

****************************************************************************************************

I will discuss the tasting of the King Family Vineyard wines in a subsequent post.

©Wine -- Mise en abyme