A tasting of selected Dealu Mare (Muntenia, Romania) Feteascǎ Neagrǎ wines

I began the discussion of the Dealu Mare Feteascǎ Neagrǎ (FN) Masterclass by describing both the region and the variety. I will now turn to the wines and the tasting.

The tasting was organized by the Winelovers Romania team for the mutual benefit of participants in the #winelovers 14th Anniversary Celebration and willing Dealu Mare producers who would not, due to timing issues, be visited by the celebrants. The intent was to showcase these producers' instances of the region's most famous native variety.

The Wines

A total of eight Feteascǎ Neagrǎ wines were included in the tasting. In order:

• Crama de Pietra Poama Feti Negri 2023
• Crama Ferdi Lady Black Limited Edition 2024
• Villa Metamorfosis Cantvs Primvs 2023
• Lacerta Feteascǎ Neagrǎ Limited Edition 2020
• Crama De Matei Patima Feteascǎ Neagrǎ Single Vineyard 2021
• Davino Purpura Valahica 2021
• Lartist de Gabi Lacureanu 2020
• Crama SERVE Cuvée Guy de Poix 2012.

Seven of the eight wines fit the bill of "producers not visited." We had visited Crama di Pietra earlier in the day but had not had the opportunity to taste the Poama Feti Negri. Some botles were secured and included in this tasting.

The below map shows the approximate location in the Dealu Mare region where the grapes were grown and the wines made. The map also provides information on the producers and the wines. 

At this time I would like to revisit an observation I have made previously. The information showed on the map above was gleaned from winery websites but Romanian winery websites are, for the majority that I have seen, not up to international standards when it comes to information curation and dissemination. The information that I have encountered is, in most cases, poor in quantity and quality. In my opinion, a winery website should provide information on the estate's physical and built environments, viticultural and vinicultural practices, and, if possible, plot maps by variety. Romanian winery websites tend to be rich in language and poor in wine substance.

The Tasting

The tasting was led by Liviu Gheorge --- WSET Diploma in Wine and Spirits and Level 2 in Beer -- and Iulian Grigorescu. These gentlemen detailed how the tasting would proceed, introduced the wines, and poured the wines for the tasting team.

Iulian Grigorescu and Liviu Gheorge

Tasting Group

Ana Crudu and Luiz Alberto

The first wine tasted was the Crama de Pietra Poama Feti Negri 2023. Crama di Pietra is an 8-year-old boutique winery with 20- to 45-year-old vines in its portfolio. This wine spent 14 months on Romanian oak.

On the nose, sweet black fruit, blue fruit, sage, lychee character, and baking spices. Perfumed. On the palate, bright acidity, richness, spice, creaminess, mineral. Persistence.

The Crama Ferdi Lady Black Ltd Ed 2024 is the product of a limited-intervention winemaking environment and spent 14 months in oak. Complex nose to include sweet sage aromas, fudge, and coal tar. Leaner on the palate than the previous wine. Sour cherry, grippy tannins, bitter note, and a long, black-fruit finish.

Villa Metamorfosis is a part of the Antinori Group and draws on 9.5 ha of organically farmed Feteascǎ Neagrǎ vines for its FN wines. The nose on the Cantvs Primvs 2023 was affected by the wine being poured into a glass which had just hosted a corked wine. Sour cherry on the palate and not as rich as the preceding wines. Deep, dense black fruit, tar, minerality and persistence accompanying smooth, silky tannins.

The Lacerta FN spends 12 months in French, American, and Romanian oak barrels. The 2020 FN was rich on the nose and complex. Rich on the palate with muted acidity. Tomato character and bitterness. Persistence. 

The Crama De Matei Patima FN Single Vineyard 2021 is sourced from a single vineyard of 40-year-old vines. Saline, acetone, and dried bark on the nose. Sweet, medicinal, and liturgical on the palate. Not my favorite of the wines tasted so far.

I had previously tasted a Davino FN blend (Flamboyant) and was singularly impressed by the quality of the material presented on the website and the quality of the wine. The Purpura Vahilica 2021 was more of the same. This 100% FN wine was vinified in small stainless steel tanks and aged in second-passage Romanian oak barriques for 9 months and bottle for an additional 12 months.

Complex, sweet-fruit nose. Power on the palate with dark fruit and pepper. Persistent with a long finish. Elegant wine.

The Lartist 2020 is sourced from 35-year-old vines, according to the literature, but while I found the name of the winemaker, I could not find an associated estate. This leads me to think that the wine is produced by a negociant. 

Tar, rubber, sweet, fresh blue fruit, and a lille bit of VA on the nose. VA on the palate also. Sour cherry character, akin to Messorio's Paleo. Short finish.

The final wine tasted was a magnum of 2020 Crama SERVE Cuvée Guy de Poix. This wine was donated to the tasting by Liviu who had himself received it as a present  from the wife of the founder on him securing his WSET Diploma accreditation.

The wine is named after one of the founders of the winery and has been aged in barrel for between 3 and 18 months and in bottle for 5 years.

Truffles on the nose along with hints of oxidation and VA. Coal and baking spices on the palate. Somewhat porty.

The lineup

The Masterclass was revealing, from my perspective, in that it surfaced three separate styles of this variety in the marketplace: A thick, rich style that brings to mind Opus 1 (not unpleasant, by any stretch of the imagination); a leaner, more food-friendly style; and a style which, to me, is reminiscent of the Messorio Paleo Cabernet Franc (a Tuscan wine). With a few exceptions, the wines showed beautifully. This is a variety that has the potential to be a major player on the world stage.

At the conclusion of the Masterclass Karin showed a video of tributes from fellow #winelovers to the late Razvan Stonescu, organizer and host of this particular trip. At the conclusion of the video, Karin presented an Award of Appreciation to Razvan.

*Note: Pictures without captions were sourced from a community Whats App chat.

#MagicalDealuMare26

#WineloverAnniversary14

wineloverromania2026

©Wine -- Mise en abyme

Masterclass of selected Dealu Mare (Muntenia, Romania) Feteascǎ Neagrǎ wines: The region and the variety

The #Winelover Group chose Romania as the venue for its 14th Anniversary Celebration and the single strongest, most organized community in the group -- Romania Winelovers -- made the arrangements that ensured the highest degree of success for the event. Under the leadership of the late Razvan Stonescu, this group put together a stellar program focused on the region and wines of Dealu Mare, one of the most-celebrated of the Romanian wine regions. 

And like Pheidippides -- who, after the victory at Marathon, undertook the run to share the news with the people of Athens -- Razvan left us at his high point. I intend to honor Razvan and his team, and the producers who shared their time with us, by reporting as extensively as possible on our experiences during the course of the celebration. 

The late Razvan Stonescu and his indomitable
spouse (Source: Iulian Grigorescu)

One of the events that was organized was a tasting of Feteascǎ Neagrǎ wines from Dealu Mare producers that we would not be able to visit during our time there. I will report on the wines and the tasting but begin herein with a description of the physical characteristics of the Dealu Mare wine region and a briefing on the variety.

The Dealu Mare Wine Region

The chart below is a representation of the region.

The chart shows the region extending over two political jurisdictions (Prahova and Buzāu) and having eight sub-regions. The physical dimensions are shown in the blue oblong. The grape growers -- along with their approximate physical locations -- are identified on the chart.

Based on archaeological evidence, grapes have been grown in the Dealu Mare region deep in prehistory. The first written reference to grapes and wines of the region can be traced back to the 14th and 15th centuries.

According to SERVE, Dealu Mare is one of the warmest wine-growing regions in Romania with a prominent continental influence characterized by:

• hot, dry summers
• long autumns
• Short, cold winters
• Day-night temperature differences which allow sugar accumulation without significant acid loss.
  

The vineyards are protected from cold winds emanating from the north, northeast, and northwest by the Carpathian Hills. During winter, temperatures are 3 degrees C higher in the Hills than on the Plains.

The chart below spells out the distribution of soils across the region.

The dominant soils are clayey-calcareous with marl, löess and gravel inclusions. These soils provide good drainage and balanced water-retention capacity, characteristics that are essential for successful cultivation of the Feteascǎ Neagrä variety (SERVE).

Feteascǎ Neagrǎ Variety

Feteascǎ Neagrǎ (translates to Black Maiden) is a thick-skinned, dark-purple grape variety which is believed to have originated in historic Moldavia but is today broadly planted in Romania with over 3400 ha of vineyard land dedicated to its support. Synonyms for the variety include: Schwarze Madchentraube, Poama Fata nera, Pasǎreascǎ nera, Coada radunicii, Fetyaska (Azerbaijan), Fetiaska neagra (Serbia) Fekete léanuke (Hungary), and Fetaska neagra (Bulgaria).

The variety is recognizable by its compact, cylindrical-spherical clusters; medium-to-large spherical berries; and dark purple skin. It is a late-ripener and, over a long growing season, can accumulate high sugar levels -- 230 to 240 g/l -- while retaining high levels of acidity.

The vine is vigorous but has low productivity -- on the order of 30%. It is resistant to frost, drought, and rot but is extremely susceptible to powdery mildew. Strategies employed to combat the threat include directing shoots and aerating rows. Roses are planted at the end of rows as an early warning system.

The soil types described in the section above are essential for Feteascǎ Neagrǎ cultivation (SERVE):

• The variety is sensitive to excess production and canopy humidity
• The wines cam become diluted in compact or overly fertile soils
• Concentrates polyphenols and develops a solid tannin structure in well-drained soils.

One of the key characteristics of the variety is its "plasticity." "It does not impose a uniform identity, but amplifies that of its place." While the generic profile is of a balanced, medium-to-full-bodied wine with fine tannins and aromas and flavors of plums, blackberries, blueberries, vanilla and coffee, "Banat carries a freshness that southern Mutenian examples rarely achieve ... Transylvania ... Feateascǎ Neagrǎ produces wines with livelier acidity and more clearly defined fruit."

Feteascǎ Neagrǎ requires (SERVE):

• Maturity of the plantation
• Strict yield control
• Careful canopy management
• Precise interventions at key moments of the season.

"In favorable years, Feteascǎ Neagrǎ from Dealu Mare develops high color density, structure, and real aging potential."

I will next turn to the producers and the wines.

©Wine -- Mise en abyme

Off the Beaten Path with Zoltan Szabo in Bucharest (Romania): Restaurant Casa Doina

We were all extremely pleased at the conclusion of the Romanian Wine Tasting at Wine With Me. The tasting had been insightful, impactful, entertaining, and educational and revealed the high-quality embodied in specific Romanian wines. 

But we were on an off-the-beaten-path quest so Zoltan, Daniel, and I took leave of our fellow tasters and headed off into the wild unknown. Zoltan was keeping the itinerary close to his vest so I generally found out where we were going when we got there. That schema was working so far so I was not concerned. We finally pulled up at Restaurant Casa Doina.

The structure housing the restaurant was originally the Romanian Pavilion at Paris' Universal Art Gallery of 1889. The design is a mashup of a Romanian aristocratic house of the period combined with Seville and Alhambran architectural elements. The architect, Ian Mincu, is considered to be one of the founders of the Romanian architectural style.

At the conclusion of the Paris show, the structure was recreated in Bucharest and named Bufetul de la Sosea (The Street Tavern) in 1892. The building is classified as an Architectural Monument. Restaurant Casa Doina has called it home since 2003.

Casa Doina combines traditional Romanian cuisine with robust international offerings in a beautiful garden setting in order to provide customers "the opportunity to enjoy exquisite meals" in a "picturesque outdoor environment." 

The setting was absolutely stunning as I wended my way through the gardens to our seat location. My head was on a swivel as my eyes feasted on the ambience.

After a quick perusal of the menu, we decided to go full Romanian. I folded up my menu and placed myself squarely in the hands of my tablemates. We began with a Starter Medley which, when it arrived, had me questioning my decision. It was huge. And it was only the starter. I was unsure as to whether I would be able to negotiate this dish and a main course as well. After a lot of bobbing and weaving, I was able to exit the starter phase with my dignity -- and a portion of my appetite -- intact. 

Zoltan described the main course thusly on his Facebook page:"My friend and I having tachiturǎ moldoveneascǎ with murǎturi and other tasty old school Romanian classics for lunch at the nicest and oldest, architecturally stunning Restaurant Casa Doina ..." If you know, you know. This dish was weighty.

According to Wikipedia, "Tochitura is a traditional Romanian and Moldovan dish made from pork cut into small cubes and cooked over a low fire in their own fat and juices, generally in a cast-iron pot. It is traditionally served with over-easy eggs and mǎmǎlugǎ (polenta) with or without tomato sauce and can also be made from beef, lamb or chicken. The traditional Romanian dish contains not only meat; it includes parts of the internal organs of the animal ... tied together. It is served with polenta and a salty sheep's cheese." Below is my example as served.

Tochiturǎ Moldoveneascǎ 

Murǎturi (Pickled vegetables)

During the course of the meal I was constantly regaled with stories of the history and geography of the foods that were in front of us, the wines that we were drinking, the country broadly speaking, the occupation period, etc. These guys were loads of fun.

Daniel, the Author, and Zoltan at Casa Doina

So Zoltan had promised me unique, off-the-beaten-track experiences. And he was delivering. But not only were these things/places off the beaten track, they were damn good. And we had just gotten started.

©Wine -- Mise en abyme

Off the Beaten Path with Zoltan Szabo in Bucharest (Romania): The wines tasted at Wine With Me

I have previously detailed the background of my "Off-the-Beaten-Path" excursion with Zoltan Szabo in Bucharest and the setting for our first event, a tasting at Wine With Me. I herein describe the wines and the tasting.

Once were were directed to our seats, Emil Popescu rolled out a map oh the Romanian wine regions and launched into a 10-minute discussion of same. This was, of course, mostly for my benefit as the other participants were all well-versed on the topic. He did a phenomenal job, by the way.

Emil Popescu, owner of Wine With Me,
kicking off the proceedings 

Once the the regional discussion was completed, Emil turned to the wines. I have prepared the following chart to show the population of wines that were on offer. The underlying map was sourced from crameromania.ro while the information on the wines were gleaned from producer websites. The websites that I visited were, with a few exceptions, rich with flowery language and historical allusions but vitiviniculturally poor. The may meet the cultural needs of the country but do not step up to the plate in terms of serving the wine-related information needs of a curious prospect.

A total of 14 wines were tasted: three sparkling, four whites, six reds, and one sweet. Eleven of the 14 wines had at least one stablemate included in the tasting. 

In describing the wine choices, Zoltan stated thusly:

Knowing that my guest will spend a couple of days in Dealu Mare, and will get to assess plenty of the mainstream-style wines, those ... tasted together are different ... they come from Crişana - Simleu Silvaniei and Tǎrnave in Transylvania, Silagiu in Banat, Drǎgǎșani in Oltenia, Cotnari in Moldova ... from cooler climatic zones, different terroirs altogether. 

Although there were two Dealu Mare estates in the lineup -- Dagon and Davino -- they do possess exquisite vineyard sites, higher up on the hills. I even showed a short video of the nearly 60-year-old Feteascǎ Albǎ wines of Dagon and the higher altitude positioning of Davino, the winery itself and the vineyards. The location of the vineyards and the source of the grapes in Dealu Mare are key factors; the higher up on the hillside, the better, obviously, as there is much greater drainage of both water and air.

I must point out that even though only two Dealu Mare producers were included in the tasting, they provided four of the 14 wines, more than a quarter of the total tasting.

Sparkling Wines

The Sparkling wines tasted are illustrated below. Tasting notes in this, and the following sections, are Zoltan's take on the wines.

Podgoria Silvania classic method 2020 Blanc de Blanc and 2023 Cuvée Brut Nature. Zoltan saw both of these wines as "truly impressive." He continues, "The progress and evolution of quality that I have witnessed at this estate in the last 7 - 8 years  is admirable ..."

He saw the Casa de Vinuri Cotnari Grasǎ de Cotnari 2018 Brut as "opulent and refined" with the 5 years on the lees adding structure and depth.

This was the first time I had tasted the Grasǎ de Cotnari and I found myself more attuned to the Silvania wines. I have tasted a number of Sparkling wines around the world that use the traditional method and the traditional grapes and these wines were not dissimilar in quality to their peers. 

White Wines

The white wines are pictured below.

The Dagon Estate 2024 Via Secretǎ is made from Feteascǎ Alba -- and old Romanian indigenous variety -- grown on clay terraces. Dagon is itself a boutique winery specializing in small-batch productions. Zoltan found this wine to be 'very pretty, fresh, and succulent."

 

Avincis had three wines in the tasting, one white and two reds. The white was the 2024 Crǎmpoşie Selecționatǎ, a wine made from a hybrid of the same name with its origins in the Crǎmposie and Gordan varieties. The wine was "great in its simplicity and individuality. Firm and zesty and highly food versatile."

Diamant 2021 is the fruit of the labor of Crama Villa Vinèa, a two-decades-old enterprise located in the town of Mica in the heart of the broader Transylvania region. The wine is a barrel-aged blend of Feteascǎ Alba and Feteascǎ Regala and was viewed as Burgundian, more specifically, Meursault-like, by Zoltan. I concurred with his Burgundian assessment and sought to nudge him over to Puligny-Montrachet territory. The best of the whites for me.

The Dagon Estate 2023 Clearstone is made from Feteascǎ Alba grapes grown on 40-year-old vines sited on 0.9 ha of limestone-rich hillside soils. According to Zoltan, "complex, a textbook (reference) of the variety."

Zoltan in awe of the wines on offer

Red Wines

The Avincis reds (we encountered the white previously) were the 2023 Alutus Primus Vila Dobruşa and the 2023 Negru de Drǎgǎşani, both wines the product of variety crosses. The Alutus Primus is a cross between the Romanian variety Bǎbeascǎ Neagra and the Georgian Saperavi while the Negru de Drǎgǎşani is a cross between Negru Vartos and Saperavi or Bǎbeascǎ Neagra.The Alutus Primus was "smoky, inky, and fairly powerful" while he loved the Negru de Drǎgǎşani because "it reminded him of a southern Rhone Syrah and Grenache blend."

The Casa de Vinuri Cotnari 2022 Castel Vlǎdoianu is a 100% Feteascǎ Neagrǎ wine whose gentle extraction was manifested in "cool climate elegance and balance and juicy acidity."

Agape artǎ&naturǎ is a boutique winery which utilizes biodynamic techniques in its farming and winemaking practices. Its 2022 Vorba is a Feteascǎ Neagrǎ which Zoltan tabs as being in possession of "finesse and purity" and being "Pinot-esque." It was one of his favorite wines.

The Dagon Estate Got Merlot 2020 is a blend of 75% Merlot and 25% old vine Feteascǎ Neagrǎ, with the Merlot drawn from the "best bunches from sandy parts of the vineyard." This practice is at odds with the best Merlot wines of the world which tend to be grown on clay-dominant soils. Zoltan saw this as a "blockbuster" and beating "many of the California counterparts." Rather than California, I think that, after the Right Bank of Bordeaux, the standard shifts to Italian Merlots, with Tuscany and Friuli being especially relevant. Merlot is my favorite red grape but this wine needs to "body up" and lengthen its finish in order to compete with non-Masseto, non-Miani Merlots. 

The Davino Flamboyant 2016 was the wine of the tasting for me. Everything about this estate cooks. Its website is a fount of information, material relevant to someone seeking to understand the physical environment within which the grapes are grown, the characteristics of the estate, and its winemaking process. Right there. In the open for all to see.

This wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (70%), Merlot (20%) and Feteascǎ Neagrǎ (10%). The wine is aged for 30 months in 88% new Romanian oak barrels. Zoltan saw it as "just like a terrific Super Tuscan but even better." I loved the body, the aromas, the flavors, and the length. Fresh and palate-enveloping with many, many more years in the tank.

Sweet Wine

The single sweet wine in the tasting was Casa de Vinuri Cotnari 2018 Grasǎ de Cotnari Vinoteca. This wine is made from the Grasǎ de Cotnari grape. I found this wine to be highly aromatic, and rich and tasty on the palate. Zoltan: "Harmonious and tasty. Just lovely. Among the best late harvest wines in Europe."

Reflections

Beautifuly organized and effectively executed tasting. First off, there were no dogs among these wines. Extremely high quality wines that encourages the further exploration of the country's offerings. My favorite wine overall was the Davino Flamboyant and I was shocked at the relatively low cost-to-value ratio associated with this offering (and the ratio was similarly unbalanced for all of the other wines in the tasting). In other words, Romanian wines, at least the ones in this tasting, are good value purchases.

The participation from the peanut gallery was robust and energizing. The discussions accompanying each tasted wine were insightful and lent heft and enjoyment to the proceedings. "Twas a credit to Zoltan that he was able to get the quality of wine available at such short notice and such a heavyweight group together to participate.

During the course of the tasting, Zoltan called each of the producers and, with one exception, they answered his calls. The person who did not answer initially called back within 10 minutes. So not only were we able to taste their wines real time, we were able to listen to their explanations as to what they were trying to accomplish with each of the offerings and to ask them questions. Flex.

©Wine -- Mise en abyme

Off the Beaten Path with Zoltan Szabo in Bucharest (Romania): Wine With Me, Wine Shop and Tasting Bar

Zoltan Szabo lives in Romania now but made his name establishing and managing wine programs at iconic establishments in the world's major cities. Currently involved in initiatives in his homeland, Zoltan opines and comments on the international scene from his domestic perch and moderates a wine-focused Facebook page -- Botrytis Cinera -- which he launched about 5 years ago.

I got to know Zoltan through posting my blog on his page and an online relationship was built on that base. Once I made the decision to go to Romania for the Winelovers' Anniversary, I saw an opportunity to meet Zoltan personally and reached out to him towards that end. He was amenable and proposed that we do more than meet. "I will take you around my regular hang-about places  taste some top Romanian wines, introduce you to some of my friends, eat, chat, whatnot ..." In a subsequent communication he indicated that our adventures would be "off the beaten path" as regards typical Bucharest tourism.

I had some difficulty getting into Bucharest from London but things eventually worked out and I arrived in the city late in the evening of June 2nd. On June 3rd, after breakfast in the dining room with Brandon and Lidia, I met Zoltan in the lobby.

Zoltan welcomed me heartily (he is an exuberant kind of fellow). He was accompanied Daniel Topan, owner of VIP Drivers Bucharest -- "a luxury car service for an uncompromising international clientele" -- and our constant companion over the time that we spent together.

Daniel Topan, Zoltan Szabo, and Author
(Picture taken at a subsequent date)

We exited the hotel and sunk into the welcoming luxury of a late-model Mercedes sedan. While in the car, Zoltan told me about our upcoming stop. We would be going to a wine shop owned by a friend of his to taste some of the top-level Romanian wines drawn from growing areas other than the one I would be visiting later with the Romanian-Winelovers-organized Anniversary tour.

The ride was my first opportunity to see the city of Bucharest and my travel partners pointed out sights of interest and variations of architecture along the way. They also shared insights into the country's distant and near-term history: about the original inhabitants, the Roman conquest, the Muslim years, the Soviet years, and the last days of Ceausescu. Geographical topics included the internal structure of the country and relationships within and without. Daniel seemed to be especially knowledgeable across a broad range of topics.

We finally pulled up to an establishment with the name Wine With Me emblazoned on the fronting glass panel. On the sidewalk in front of the building was a broadly smiling individual who Zoltan jumped out of the car and hugged vigorously. This person turned out to be Emil Popescu, owner of the establishment. After introductions all around, we were led into the premises.

Emil and Zoltan

As I surveyed the fully stocked shelves, I was surprised to see the wines that I normally drink: wines from Bordeaux, Burgundy, Tuscany, etc. As Emil subsequently explained, the establishment was a "niche" operation, providing access to wines that are not readily available -- or pursued -- by the average Bucharest dweller. This meant that (i) the wines were non-Romanian in origin and (ii) were priced above the norm for Romanian wines. Clients of the store are mostly also members, all with a common goal of wine exploration and appreciation. Membership provides access to the many themed tasting events that advance this common goal. Emil has a Level 3 WSET certification and, as such, is well equipped to organize and lead many of these sessions. To a large part, however, these focused tastings are led by outside experts.

A number of members were on hand and I was introduced to them. A few others came in after the start of the tasting and I was introduced to them subsequently. In addition to Zoltan, Serban, Emil, and me, tasting participants were (descriptors provided by Zoltan):

• Serban Gabriel Chinole -- "respectable businessman and coach, gastro/vinous consultant, event organizer ..."
• Mihai Ciucur -- multiple Best Sommelier of Romania champion. Best in Europe and Best in World participant
• Iosif Endrodi -- childhood friend and former work colleague of Zoltan. Operations Manager at Bertis, Transylvania's largest food and beverage producer and distributor
• Pablo Zapata -- Chilean diplomat and promoter of the country's biodiversity.

Author flanked by Mihai and Zoltan

After introductions and conversation, we were asked to take our seats so that the tasting could begin. I will detail the tasting in a follow-up post.

©Wine -- Mise en abyme

Timeline of the Etna wine renaissance and contributions of the pioneers

I have recently concluded a series of posts on the pioneers (Giuseppe Benanti,  Salvo Foti, Franchetti, Cornelissen, Marco de Grazia, and Calabretta Vini) of the Etna wine renaissance and summarize the key findings in this post.

First, as described by Salvo Foti in his recent Gambero Rosso interview, the Renaissance in Etna winemaking began in the early 1990s. Prior to the renaissance, 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.

The chart below shows the trajectory of the renaissance. It was launched by the quality-wine effort of Benanti, spearheaded by Salvo Foti and his technical supporting cast.

As the chart shows, Benanti had an almost 10-year headstart on Calabretta and 12 years on the earliest "foreigners." By the time the other entered the fray Benanti had already surveyed and mapped the soils of the various slopes, Shortly after Calabretta's entry Benanti expanded production on Monte Serra and became the first producer to source fruit from all slopes.Bennti was so comfortable with its winemaking that it changed the name of the winery to the family name and, in 2002, began producing a Metodo Classico sparkling wine from Carricante.

With all the advancements in the quality of the Benanti wines, international critical acclaim did not immediately follow. That acclaim came with the entry of the "foreigners" into the production space. A number of contributing factors can be identified:

• Both Franchetti and de Grazia came into Etna with name recognition and familiarity with what it takes to get attention from the international press. De Grazia had helmed the winning Barolo Boys strategy while Franchetti had won some Bordeaux allies and wowed the wine press with his success at Tenuta di Trinoro. Both of these guys could call up Jancis Robinson and say I would like you to come taste my wines.
• All of the "foreigners" sought to craft wines for specific markets: Cornelissen was making an Etna wine but it was targeted to consumers who understood the natural wine message and taste. Marco had wielded barriques to good advantage in Barolo and utilized the same tools on Etna. The use of barriques in aging appealed to consumers who were after a richer, rounder feel than would be  traditional for Etna.

The contributions/legacy of the pioneering producers are as follows:

Benanti

From its founding in 1988 as Tenuta di Castiglione, Benanti has exhibited a proclivity for experimentation, innovation, and strategic property acquisition/de-acquisition. 

In a December 2016 note, Vinous mentioned Benanti as the "... first to believe and insist upon Etna's native grapes at a time when everyone on Sicily was rushing to plant Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot." In another mention, Vinous stated: "Credit must go to Benanti for having created the I Monovitigni series of wines, which showcased to great effect the characteristics and high quality of the likes of monovariety Nerello Cappucchio, Nerello Mascalese, and even Minella Bianco, at a time when little was known of these cultivars."

In a Wine Spectator article reporting on his death, Alberto Graci, an important voice among Etna winemakers, stated thusly: “Pippo Benanti was a charismatic, visionary and ambitious winegrower. He helped to set a glorious path for the wines of Etna, believing in their value from the beginning and investing with seriousness and passion to position them among the great areas of the world. We will all remember him with great respect.”

In the same Wine Spectator article, Alessio Planeta lauded Giuseppe as “… truly a pioneer, who started to believe very early in the beauty and potential of the wines from Mount Etna, and who travelled around the world to communicate these values.”

To me Giuseppe was the most significant of the Renaissance producers on Mt Etna. He was the first to recognize the need, and, further, took steps to address that need. And in a scientific way. And with native varieties, no less. 

Foti

In their seminal work on Sicilian wine (The World of Sicilian Wine), Nesto and di Savino describe the subject of this post thusly: "Salvo Foti stands out, by himself, as Sicily's greatest homegrown consulting enologist ..." who "... more than any other person ... has fostered an awareness of (Etna's) unique wine culture."

Foti is a quiet and soft-spoken man. At least those were the characteristics that he projected during the course of our meetings. But he also impressed as being extremely knowledgeable, having a strong sense of self, commitment to a set of ideals, and intensity of purpose. Etna wine owes a lot to this pioneer; and I see no reason why this will not continue to be the case out into the future.

Franchetti

Andrea's legacy is clear. He built two high-quality estates in two very different regions with differing grape varieties and grape-growing environments, all without the presence of a regional support system. He went into the Val d'Orcia boondocks and designed and built an enterprise that today produces some of the best Bordeaux-style wines coming out of Tuscany. He had no Consorzio to lean on for assistance. He had no surrounding collegial producers. Such an infrastructure does not even exist in the area to this day.

A similar situation existed at the time he came to Mt. Etna in that, even though the region had historical wine roots, with the exception of Benanti, there were few high quality wine producers. Franchetti brought his Trinoro style to Etna but realized pretty quickly that the formula was inapplicable there and made the adjustments necessary to produce a high-quality wine.

How has Franchetti contributed to the shaping of the wine direction on Etna? First, he was part of the initial group of outside investors who brought the potential of this region to the eyes of the wider world. Second, he showed that a Bordeaux cultivar (Petit Verdot) could be blended with an almost extinct cultivar (Cesanese d'Affile) to make a world-class, non-indigenous wine on the mountain. Third, his focus on the importance of contrada effects, both in the stable of wines that he produced and in his establishment and support of Contrada dell'Etna was the forerunner of the regions current thrust into Contrada-labeled wines.

Marco de Grazia

There is no doubt that winemaking on Etna gained greater visibility earlier due to the presence of Marco in its winemaking ranks. But Marco was not just a celebrity. He put in the hard work to understand the region, to make the connection between its architecture and Burgundy, and to drag his compatriots into the arena kicking and screaming. The upsurge of contrada bottlings today owes much to the early work done by Marco.

Marco's efforts on North-face whites are constrained by his own admission that it is difficult to source white grapes in a predominantly red-grape area but also by the flow of white-wine investment dollars into Milo and, to a lesser extent, the south.

In any case, Delle Terre Nere was there from the beginning of the "foreign wave" and continues to be a driving force along the way.

Calabretta

Calabretta was preceded only by Benanti in the quality-wine quest yet Benanti, Franchetti, Cornelissen, Foti, and De Grazia all garnered more critical acclaim and visibility, and more financial success, than did Calabretta Vini. With all of the challenges, however, Calabretta has persevered and today produces an extensive portfolio of quality wines. Its practice of not releasing wines before they are ready to drink means that, on average, the Vigne Vecche is released 10 years after its harvest date. And it generally drinks beautifully upon release. I drink it whenever I can.

©Wine -- Mise en abyme

Visit and tasting at Gevrey-Chambertin’s Domaine Drouhin-Laroze

Our final full day in Burgundy celebrating #Brians50th had us visiting Domaine Drouhin-Laroze in the morning and Domaine Jean Grivot after a scheduled lunch at Rotisserie du Chambertin. We had our usual stellar breakfast at the house and then headed out on our 35-kilometer trip to Gevrey-Chambertin.

Domaine Drouhin-Laroze is housed in a compound which is home to its offices plus the winemaking structures and a multi-room residence onfor customers wishing to vacation on-premise. We negotiated a lengthy, sculpture-lined walkway that ran from the road to the customer-reception area and there we met Christine Drouhin, in our host for the day.

Olivier-Cyr Noël, Femme au Parapluie, 2021

Bronze

Olivier-Cyr Noël, Femme au Collier, 2021

Bronze

Christine Drouhin of Drouhin-Laroze

Christine welcomed us in and began to relay the story of the Domaine. The estate was founded in 1850 by John-Baptiste Laroze. In 1919, Jean-Baptiste’s granddaughter married Alexandre Drouhin whose family owned vineyards in Chambolle. The enterprise that managed the vines that this couple brought to the marriage was called Drouhin-Laroze, a name which has survived to this day.

Beginning in 2001, the estate was managed by Philippe and Christine, the fifth generation to do so. More recently they have handed over control to the 6th generation. the brother and sister team of Nicholas and Caroline. Nicholas is responsible for operations while Caroline focuses on the administrative aspects of the business. The parents still help out in specific designated areas.

The new team has made changes to the winemaking process, moving the wine from a powerful and extracted style to one based on finesse and nuance. The changes include:

• More gentle handling of the grapes
• Adding whole bunches for structure and freshness when and where needed
• Reduce the percentage of new oak used during the aging process.

And the critics have taken note. Writing in Vinous in 2019, Neal Martin stated as follows: “Recent wines overseen by Caroline and Nicholas Drouhin are cut from a very different cloth … they have adopted a more prudent and respectful approach to winemaking, picking a little earlier, easing off the skin maceration , employing whole bunches and dialing down the new oak … The result is a range of far superior and more interesting wines than just five or six years ago.”

Jasper Morris (Inside Burgundy, 12/2018) stated “It was good to confirm the renaissance of Domaine Drouhin-Laroze … This domaine has been coming up noticeably in quality in the last few vintages, having been a good source prior to that.”

The estate’s surface area is 11.6 ha, 46% of which is located in six different Grand Cru vineyards, 14% are Premier Cru, and the remaining 40%, Village. The Grand and Premier Cru

holdings are illustrated graphically in the chart below.

in

The domaine also has vines in selected Village appellations: 13 climats in Gevrey-Chambertin, Chambolle-Musigny, and Morey-Saint-Denis. All plots are farmed traditionally.

In terms of winemaking, harvesting decisions are made based on tasting the grapes on vineyard walkthroughs. Once the decision is made, the grapes are hand-harvested with selections both in the vineyard and at sorting tables set up in the courtyard.

The grapes are cold-soaked for a few days and then fermented naturally. Extraction is gentle with a combination of pigeage (breaking the cap and submerging the pieces) and pumping wine over the cap to keep it in contact with the skins. As mentioned, there is, on average, 20 to 30 percent whole-cluster fermentation.

Elevage consists of 12 months aging in cool underground cellars  followed by racking into casks. The oak-aging regime is as follows:

• Musigny — 100% new oak 
• Remaining Grand Cru wines — 80% new oak, remainder one-pass. Light-to-medium toast
• Premier Cru — 40% new oak, remainder one-pass. Light-to-medium + toast
• Village — 20% new oak, remainder one-pass.

The wines reside in the casks for 3 to 6 months after which they are racked into tanks for a month. The wines are then blended and bottled, the latter without fining or filtration. The range of the domaine’s wines is listed below.

The wines are released to the market after 6 months 

After describing the operation of the domaine, Christine led us into a room to taste a selection of the wines.

The first wine tasted was the 2023 Bourgogne from the Negoce side of the shop. The wine exhibited raspberries, cherries, strawberries,  and smoke on the nose. Bright. Focused. Sour cherry and drying character on the palate. Hint of tar.  Lengthy mineral finish. 

We next tasted the Gevrey-Chambertin 2023 Dix Climats. Grapes for this wine were sourced from 10 different Village Climats. Richer nose than for the Bourgogne. Full, rich, thick red fruit. Dried sour cherry. Mineral coating on palate. Elegance and power. Will require a lot of time to bring out its full potential.

The 2023 Premier Cru Au Closeau had a deep rich nose with mint and dried bay leaves present. On the palate red fruit, drying, astringent. Lean. Needs 10 to 12 years.

The 2023 Gevrey-Chambertin Clos de Beze Grand Cru showed smoke, clay, strawberries, cherrie, spice, and potpourri on the nose. Full, round mouthfeel. Drying in the palate. Spicy.

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Glorious visit befitting the occasion that was its genesis. Excellent work by Christine expelling the history and operation of the domaine and excellent wines presented for the tasting.

Thanks to Drouhin-Laroze for hosting us in the manner they did.

©Wine -- Mise en abyme