Tenute Ballasanti: On the path to realization of a Mt. Etna wine dream

The ViniMilo 2024 program for the evening of August 30 called for a  “White Volcanos” tasting dinner to be held at the Barone di Villagrande winery. The event brought together white wines from volcanic locations paired with locally sourced and prepared small dishes.  Brandon had secured tickets for us to attend. It was somewhat nostalgic for me because I had visited and toured the winery on a previous trip to the island.

 

The evening was enjoyable and was capped by a reunion with Barbara Liuzzo who had led us through our initial tour of Barone di Villagrande. Barbara was in the company of Manuela Seminara, the co-owner of Tenute Ballasanti, an estate to which Barbara is providing consulting services. We engaged in spirited conversation and, coming out of that, I learned a few things about the estate.

 

Tenute Ballasanti is a modern incarnation of a grapegrowing-wine making legacy that stretches back to Manuela’s maternal great-grandfather Don Lorenzo, and his wife Mara, who farmed the now-named Il Temerario Vineyard, a 2.5 ha property in the Ricceri Ciapparo district in San Giovanni Montebello. "This was in the early 1900s when Etna exported wine to phylloxera-devastated France." Don Lorenzo’s son, Don Angelo, subsequently diversified beyond wines into citrus, olives, figs, prickly pears, strawberries, chestnuts, pomegranates, quinces, and maple trees. 

Manuela was born and raised on this familial property but left home in her youth to finish her thesis abroad. She worked in Brussels, and then in Milan, as an executive in the semiconductor field, but, always, in the back of her mind was the memory of Sicily and that farm. She had gotten married over this period and her husband, Fabio Gualandris, himself a high ranking business executive and scientist, began working on realizing and expanding that dream resident in the recesses of her mind. Towards that end they: acquired additional properties, extending holdings to 7.5 ha (7.5 of which are under vine at three separate locations); have taken steps to introduce two CRU labels at the end of 2025 to join the three currently on the market; and have plans afoot to build a new winery in Piedmonte Etneo. 

Fabio Gualandris and Manuela Seminara
(Screenshot from company website)

The wine philosophy, as captured by winealchemy.co.uk, is to draw on "local grapes, organic farming, and tradition to create high-quality monovarietal wines." Attainment of the company's goals are aided and abetted by a mix of local and imported talent. For example, while agronomy is handled by local experts, enological skills have been imported from Piedmont. The company's first enologist was the Piemontese Gianluca Scaglione but he was replaced by another Piemontese, Luca Caramellino, earlier this year. It is expected that Luca will give elegance and personality to the wine going forward. Needless to say, they most likely felt that those characteristics were missing/muted under the old regime.

The characteristics of the individual vineyards are illustrated in the chart below. 

At the end of the conversation, we agreed that Brandon and I had to taste the wines as soon as possible. Barbara took on the responsibility and shortly thereafter we were issued a formal invitation to do so.

At our tasting meeting, Barbara indicated that the soul of the winery is wrapped in its white wines and she fully expects that they will introduce a Superiore (Etna Bianco DOC wine produced only in Milo and with higher constituent requirements) in the future. 

Barbara Liuzzo and Brandon Tokash on
the day of the tasting 

We tasted the current market release (2022) of each label as well as the yet-to-be-released 2023 editions.

The first wine tasted was the 2022 Etna Bianco DOC. This wine is 100% Carricante sourced from Il Tenace Vineyard. The bunches are destemmed softly after which the grapes were allowed brief contact with the must. This was followed by soft pressing and extraction of the free-run must. The must was then fermented in steel tanks and aged therein for 6 – 8 months. It is then racked off the lees and aged in bottle for an additional year. 

This wine was aromatic with notes of citrus, tropical fruit, green herbs, and sweet white flowers. Lime/orange skin on the palate along with high acidity, minerality, green herbs, and a hint of salinity. Pleasant. I loved this for a by-the-glass (BTG) program. 

The 2023 version of this wine showed sweet white flowers and intense fermentation notes. Bitter on the palate with high acidity. A very young wine that would do very well with food.

The 2022 Siciia DOC is 100% Nerello Mascalese from the Il Temerario Vineyard. Gentle destemming of the bunches then alcoholic fermentation in temperature-controlled tanks with 20-day maceration including manual punchdowns and delestage. Aged in French oak (a combination of Tonneaux and Barrique) for eight months and then spent one year in bottle. This wine will be aged in stainless steel going forward.

Balsamic, shoe polish, sweet red cherries, nuttiness, and crème custard on the nose. Broad-based red fruit on the palate with roundness emphasized. Drying, bitter note at the rear of the palate. Long, mineral finish.

The Sicila DOC 2023 exhibited smoke, wood, creaminess, spice, and licorice on the nose. Sweet dark fruit and balsamic on the palate along with a good acidity and smooth tannins. 

The Etna Rosso DOC 2022 was sourced from century-old vines in Il Sublime Vineyard. Grapes are destemmed after harvesting and then subjected to alcoholic fermentation in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks. The wine is macerated on the skin for an extended period during which the cap is managed by pumping-over and batonnage. This particular wine was aged in small ceramic containers  and partly in French oak tonneaux. Malolactic fermentation in wood. Six months of bottle-aging. 

Linear, with some phenolic notes. Sour cherry. Tannins somewhat tamed by the barrel. Mineral. Great BTG.

 

The Etna Rosso DOC 2023 exhibited eep red fruit, turpentine mango, and herbs on the nose. Powerful red fruit on the palette with a hint of wood. Tannins add character and texture.

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

Tenute Ballasanti have taken the early steps on its path to the production of high-quality grapes and wine in the Etna zone. It has a current stable of wines that are pleasant to drink in the early stages, a feat for east-slope wines and they have done so while eschewing commonly held approaches for taming Carricante's acidity. 

The company has a good fruit base and it is now a function of how they execute going forward. They have taken the hard decision of replacing their legacy enologist with a Luca Caramellino and we will have to wait to see how that decision affects the wines. Luca is expecetd to craft wines with more elegance and personality and, if successful, would lift the wines from the BTG niche that they currently occupy to truly superb wines. Attaining that goal may also require adding to the stable of vineyards that the estate currently owns (or procuring fruit from even more desirable vineyards).

©Wine -- Mise en abyme

Tasting the Wines of Chateau Montelena: 1984 - 2013 (Selected vintages)

Continuing our blockbuster wine dinner tasting series, the Orlando Group gathered at the Herbst's home on August 3rd for a tasting of Chateau Montelena wines spanning the years 1984 - 2013. The tasting team is pictured below.

In a previously mentioned Vant podcast, Chateau Montelena winemaker Matt Crafton made some observations on winemaking at the estate:

• They remake the wines every year
• They harvest in windows
• White wine lots are kept separate; retention of aromas is key
• Barrels are never the story; rather, it is the vintage and the vineyard. Barrels play a supporting role depending on the vintage requirements
• The Cabernet Franc tends to be more aromatic than the Cabernet Sauvignon
• The Petiti Verdot is not as aromatic as either the Cabernet Franc or the Cabernet Sauvignon; instead, it tends to manifest more texturally --- fine-grained, sandy, etc.

The following were some observations drawn from JJ Buckley notes on a 15-vintage tasting of Chateau Montelena wines:

• The first Cabernet Sauvignon released by Chateau Montelena was the 1974 and was based on fruit sourced from Alexander, Napa, and Russian River Valleys
• Beginning with the 1979 vintage, the estate has used the same winemaking and aging protocols across all lots in order to capture and highlight vineyard differences
• By 1994 the estate had phased out long macerations
• More youthfulness was exhibited in the wines after 2001
• The winery started to create wines with polished tannins without resorting to excess ripeness or high alcohol

The Tasting

A 2020 Napa Valley Chardonnay was the sole white wine in the tasting. The red wines were deployed in flights: the 1980’s (1984), the 1990s (1990, 1991, 1993, and 1997), the 2000s (2000, 2004, 2007), and the 2010s (2013).

Chateau Montelena 2020 Napa Valley Chardonnay

According to Decanter, the 2020 growing season was very much about farming choices and location. The growing season began with a dry winter; early rains reduced crop yields. Two fires impacted the region in the middle of the growing season.

The wine is 100% Chardonnay aged in French oak for 10 months. 

For me, mint, apple-pear on the nose. Round mouthfeel. Spiciness.

Matt saw the wine as showing melon on the nose. Balanced. Kiss of oak.

Sean -- Very refreshing. The type of wine I would like to have with some food; or by the pool. Smooth and silky texture, good acid, good finish. I could pick up the oak in there but it is not overwhelming at all. 13.1% alcohol, much like a richer white Burgundy. I would buy this for my own cellar. 

Chateau Montelena 1984 Montelena Estate Cabernet Sauvignon

Very heavy late fall to early winter rains. No late winter rains resulted in warm soils and early budbreak. Hot spring and summer yielded the shortest growing season on record. Very clean fruit. Big, with surprisingly good balance.

The wine was fermented for 12 days in stainless steel and matured for 22 months in oak. Refined in bottle for 2 to 3 months.

For Matt this wine had a "small nose" with pungent black tar and a light perfume. The fruit was static and, overall, reminiscent of a South African wine.

Sean -- My girlfriend’s birth year wine, so I’ve had my fair share of 84s and most haven’t been anything to write about. But this one was certainly up there with the few that drank well. I had hoped it was still drinking and to my surprise it was. Perhaps well past its prime, but still enjoyable with that potpourri note I came to expect from Montelena. On the mouth I noted age but still had some nice dark red berries and some of that forest floor quality I get from old Bordeaux; although perhaps faded, still present. I also love the fact that this Napa wine is only 13.5% alcohol. Napa should take note and go back to those days. I was impressed with it still hanging around after all these decades. Not the best of the bunch, but not bad at all.

Chateau Montelena 1990 Montelena Estate Cabernet Sauvignon

Drought from 1987 continued into this year "except for Memorial Day when a deluge disrupted bloom and flowering," wiping out half the crop.

Matt -- Good color but weak fruit. Disjointed. Near its end.

Sean -- Found this to be tannic and with the fruit faded. It was even a bit sour to my taste, so not a fan of this bottle. 13.5% alcohol though, which makes me wish I had had it in its prime.

Chateau Montelena 1991 Montelena Estate Cabernet Sauvignon

Light winter rains but good March precipitation helped soil moisture through to harvest. Cool growing season with warming right at harvest ... Fairly big crop with very good maturity and concentration of flavors. 

Matt -- Structured tannins. Perfect time to drink. Superb all the way around. Balanced.

Sean -- I’m typically a fan of '91s and felt it a stellar vintage for Napa. I’ve had a few over the years and they generally never disappoint. This '91 was the same. It was my wine of the flight as I believe it was for most. Rich dark berries on the nose, faded with time, but still noticeable. That same hint of potpourri, spice box, also and more dark berries and currants on the palate. Still structured and balanced for a wine that old which is perhaps why so many and myself thought it the wine of the flight. Always a pleasure to try '91s that are still drinking. 

Chateau Montelena 1993 Montelena Estate Cabernet Sauvignon

Average rainfall with some rain falling every month through June. Cool spring and cool weather at harvest. Good fruit maturation. Average crop size. Excellent flavor development.

Author -- High-toned red fruit plus beeswax and spice on the nose. Syrupy and jammy along with spice on the palate.

Matt -- Strained fruit. Pruny. Raisiny. Past its prime (if ever there was one). Skunky nose.

Sean -- Harsh, tannic, not much fruit, faded, sour, and not pleasant. Perhaps the worse of the flight, but still interesting to compare with the others from the 90s. 

Chateau Montelena 1997 Montelena Estate Cabernet Sauvignon

Average rainfall. Warm winter and spring. Mild summer. Slow ripening and wonderful weather during harvest with warm days and cool mornings. Large crop.

Author -- Coal, tar, and dark fruit on the nose. Balanced.

Matt -- Elegant. Old-world style. Balanced. Perfect timing. Structured.

Sean -- This one really surprised me. I had read that 97s were more or less dead, but this one proves that wrong. It was silky and smooth with excellent balance. It was very much the wine of the night for myself, so much so I feel I should look for some more 97s to revisit. I remember it was considered a top vintage, but thought its time had come and gone, but maybe not. Need to explore further. More red berries and that potpourri spice thing going on in the nose, which was delightful. On the palate, as I mentioned, it had that velvety feel, which I long for in a good wine. More of those dark red berries and currants. A solid wine which I suspect was well stored. Good finish.

Chateau Montelena 2000 Montelena Estate Cabernet Sauvignon

Virtually picture-perfect growing season, according to Andrew Hoxsey, valley grower and owner of Napa Valley Wine Company. The almost uneventful spring and summer weather pattern, every grower's dream, produced exceptional quality and substantial yields.

Author -- Broad-based sweet red fruit. Unbalanced.

Sean -- Smooth with slight tannins. Red fruits again, Dark red berries, but discombobulated. One of two I dumped into the dump glass. Not one of my favs. 

Chateau Montelena 2004 Montelena Estate Cabernet Sauvignon

Short and sweet summarizes the 2004 vintage -- the harvest was early, the crop was small, and the grapes ripened well. 

Matt -- Lether and tobacco. Lots of tannins. Less fruit. Stale cherry. Very mineral taste to the wine.

Sean -- Most attendees enjoyed this one a bit more than I did, but it was a nice one. Felt it had more heft, making for a bigger Cali wine experience. Smoke on the nose and something like tar. Darker in color than others in the flight. On the palate dark berries again, but something chocolate-like, or maybe coffee? Enjoyable. 

Chateau Montelena 2007 Montelena Estate Cabernet Sauvignon

Warm spring conditions led to earlier-than-normal budbreak while the moderate temperature in summer and early fall further extended the growing season resulting onn long, slow ripening with fantastic flavor development and near perfect juice chemistries.

Matt -- Inky. Big wine that is a bit more "California" than earlier wines. Very nice. Could stand five more years.

Sean -- This is a year for Napa I typically like. I used to buy many Dunn Howell Mountains from this vintage and I liked this one as well. 

Chateau Montelena 2013 Montelena Estate Cabernet Sauvignon

Early winter rains and dry spring weather combined to induce enough early stress in the vines to stimulate the development of rich texture and body ... long warm summer ... each block balanced ... uniform ripening.

Matt -- Very structured -- like all '13s. Subtle tannins. Not too oaky. Peppery. Needs ten years. Elegant.

Sean -- 14% alcohol. I thought it again had that lovely perfume-like nose with potpourri, spices, and, maybe, tobacco. Big dark red berry, licorice on the palette, tannic, but drinkable. A good steak wine with fat and salt to smooth out those tannins. May benefit from more air. This bottle didn’t feel quite ready and perhaps too much in its youth. I suspect trying it in a few year’s time will greatly improve it. 

Additional Attendee Observations 

Late 2000s were still too big and jammy. Would try again in 5 years. 2004 was more integrated and in a good drinking window. 1990s were mixed.  Enjoyed '97 and '91. '93 disjointed. 1984 held up surprisingly well; smooth and silky. It would be fun to have a current release to go with the tasting, so we could see current trends -- Fred Wittenstein

The '84, '97, and '04 wines were my favorites. They were classic with the '97 being wine of the night. The more modern vintages changed direction and were sweeter with almost a Zinfandel component. It would be interesting to taste them in 10 years. I felt several of the '90s wines were past and slightly tainted -- Richard Cohen

Top wines were '04, '97, and '91. I like balance so those hit that mark -- Brian Herbst

Good evening and good food and good wine, with good people. Try to talk Saru into bottling that hot sauce. She could sell it at her events. I’d buy a bottle -- Sean Hall.

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

This was an interesting tasting and rather eye-opening for those of us who are reflexively Napa-averse. The 1997 was especially attractive; so much so that we decided on the spot to explore the vintage further in our next tasting event.

©Wine -- Mise en abyme

Chateau Montelena Tasting: Background on the estate

The Judgment of Paris (so subsequently named) pitted an upstart American wine industry against its dominant French counterpart. The event took place at the Paris InterContinental Hotel on May 24, 1976 and pitted six Napa Chardonnays (vintage 1972 - 1974) and six Napa Cabernet Sauvignons (1969 - 1973) against four White Burgundies (1972 and 1973) and four Red Bordeauxs (1970 and 1971). The wines were tasted blind. Attendees, based on Taber's (the Time Magazine reporter present at the event) account, were the judges, Steven Spurrier (the event organizer), two unofficial observers, Taber, and the wait staff.

At the conclusion of the tasting, a California wine had been judged to be the best in each of the two categories: 1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay for the white and 1973 Stags Leap S. L. V. Cabernet Sauvignon for the red. According to Robert Parker (a 2001 comment reproduced in Taber’s book): “The Paris Tasting destroyed the myth of French supremacy and marked the democratization of the wine world. It was a watershed in the history of wine.”

Around this time, heroic work by UC Davis (according to Charles Smith) on issues such as pH, sulfur dioxide management, sanitation, oxidation prevention, temperature management, and control of malolactic fermentation led to “an era of clean, competent table wine production.” This base of quality production, plus their success in the Judgment of Paris, caused US producers “to shift from light European knockoffs to big Chardonnays and Cabernets that the French could not match.”

But Chateau Montelena did not succumb to the siren song of big wines. Rather it continued to make wine in the “traditional” manner, a styling that many Napa producers are reverting to these many years later. We will be tasting a vertical of Montelena Estate Cabernet Sauvignons but, prior to reporting on that, I will provide some background on the estate.

Source: chateaumontelena.com

Key Aspects of Chateau Montelena’s History

The history of Chateau can be broadly divided into two periods: before James Barrett and after his arrival. The period after his arrival includes the stellar leadership that has been provided by his son Bo once he took over the reins. The timelines below highlight the key developments at the estate, and its precursor, during those periods.

In addition to its fame arising out of winning the white-wine title at The Judgment of Paris, Chateau Montelena gained additional notoriety as a result of the film Bottleshock, a full-length caricature of the event which, ostensibley, captures the state of affairs at Chateau Montelena leading up to the tasting. Both James Barrett and Mike Grgich make cameo appearances in the movie.  

A map of the Chateau Montelena estate is shown below.

The Chateau Montelena estate extends over 120 acres. The soils are predominantly alluvial with volcanic soils to the east and some sedimentary soil to the south. 

In a Vant podcast, Winemaker Matthew Crafton provided insights into the Montelena terroir, tactics, and plans. According to Matt, a gap on the west side of Calistoga allows fog from the Alexander and Russian Rivers to enter Napa Valley in its northernmost part.

Chateau Montelena had been planted to AXR1 and St. George rootstocks in the 1970s. In more recent times the winery has set out on a course of improving its wines by improving the quality of grapes grown in the vineyard. They have undertaken a methodical look at the vineyard in order to determine what changes can be made to further improve the fruit and prepare the estate for the upcoming 50 years. A full assessment of each block, row, and slope gradient was conducted as part of this effort.

According to Matt, they started with a blank slate and sought to understand all aspects of soil morphology, how the block had performed historically, and how it had expressed itself in the grapes historically. Based on data, and/or historical knowledge, the following actions were taken:

• Reorient all rows 26 degrees east of north
• Adjust row spacing
• Install rootstocks that were pest and disease resistant and match to soil type
• Place the right grape variety in the right place
• Proper clonal deployment
• Implement irrigation strategies where deemed necessary.

The plan was rolled out over a period beginning in 2019 when two blocks were taken out of service. A methodical process has been followed whereby blocks are taken offline when an equivalent number of blocks are ready to come back online. This proves is expected to be fully completed by 2026.

The wines currently on offer from the winery are illustrated below.

The winemaking strategy revolves around the wines reflecting the vineyard(s) and the vintage; "barrels are never the story."

In the case of white wines, retention of aromas is key. The Cabernet Francs tend to be more aromatic than the Cabernet Sauvignon while the Petit Verdot tends to manifest "more texturally."

In my next post I will detail the actual tasting.

©Wine -- Mise en abyme

ViniMilo 2024: The Milo (Catania, Sicily) context

Over the past two weeks I have had the considered good fortune to attend the 44th edition of Milo’s ViniMilo celebration honoring the village and the producers and wines which bring repute to the area. I was honored to be guided during my attendance by Brandon Tokash, good friend and a Mt Etna wine expert second to none.

The middle arrow on the right side of the chart indicates the location of Milo.

I will be reporting on wineries and events that I visited/attended during my stay but wanted to provide some context on the village as a precursor. Brandon suggested that I speak to Paolo Sessa*, the resident historian, in order to gain the required insights. I met with Paolo on two separate occasions and the following material is based on information gleaned during those interactions.

When I first met Paolo and told him that I wanted to discuss the history of Milo, he asked how far back I wanted to go. I was a little confused by that question but he explained that Milo had a pre-history that was steeped in mythology. I bit.

Life, he said, begins in the sea while death resides in the volcano. Vulcan, “the god of fire including the fire of volcanoes, metalworking and the forge in ancient Roman religion and myth,” still lives, according to Milo lore, in Mt Etna, forging weapons of war and farming implements. Good devils live in the volcano with him. Milo is positioned halfway between where life begins and where it ends. For ancient peoples, Paolo said, their mythology was their history so this placement of Milo was symbolically significant.

Paolo is almost certain that the Church of Milo was founded by Giovanni d’Aragona. Most 18th century historians claimed that the church was founded in 1340 but have no historical documents to support that claim. Milo was a Priory from the 14th to the 18th centuries.

In the first half of the 14th century, Giovanni d’Aragona, the ruler of Sicily, lived in Ursino Castle in Catania but periodically moved between Catania and Randazzo where a second royal palace was located. Giovanni realized that Milo was halfway between Catania and Randazzo and, with its plentiful water, would serve as a perfect overnight spot for the two-day travel between the two locations. At this time Milo was called Aqua di lu Milu; it was a place of water.

As it relates to the documented history of Milo, Paolo has discovered two documents detailing different aspects of a 1391 event. The first document was signed by Simone del Puteo, the Archbishop of Catania, and assigned the right of ownership of the priory of L’Aqua di lu Milu to the Benedictine Monk Simone di Miroponte. The second document, signed by Manfredi Aragona, (the political authority), specified the items to be turned over, including the Mill, places of production, houses, foodstuff, the Church, the Monastery, etc. (Currently available literature does not relate this transfer; rather it discusses a transfer from the Certosini monks (Carthusians) to the Benedictines. Paolo says that the initial transfer was to the Certosinis but they left after joining the anti-Pope cause.).

During the 18th century there was a revolution in the ownership of properties in Mascali County (called Enfiteusi), a process by which properties owned by the Church passed to private citizens. Vineyards were planted extensively during this period and wine production became so important that British ships lined up in the harbor of Riposto to transport Milo wines to external markets. Milo thus became a place of wine.

The Evolution of Work in Milo

During the Middle Ages the populace was mostly engaged in the production of coal from wood and construction of wooden homes. They turned to farming in the 16th and 17th centuries, primarily based on vineyard work. Eventually, wine production became the key activity, requiring Palmentos for wine production and cellars for its storage. 

The importance of wine to the economy at that time is illustrated by Paolo with an anecdote. Most of the Milo inhabitants, he said, usually got married in the same month. That timing coincided with the sale of the wines and the acquisition of funds to pay associated expenses.

Construction is a major contributor to employment in Milo and that is driven both by agriculture and the growth in tourism. As it relates to agriculture, there is a lot of new activity around the sale of wine. Young people are returning to the land which their grandparents previously worked but was abandoned in the 60s and 70s. Some 2000 people have gone back to the land as wine has shown that it can be profitable. And new facilities mean new job opportunities for kids leaving school, allowing them to remain on the island.

Tourism is becoming important again. Fifty years ago Milo was a village but has now become a tourist village. It has gone from zero hotels to many bed and breakfast establishments as well as a number of holiday houses.

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

One of the first Etna wines to gain international repute was the Benanti Pietra Marina, a wine crafted from grapes grown in the Milo zone. Due to a mix of climatological and soil conditions, grapes grown in this region are accorded the highest designation in the Etna DOC; Superiore.

There is a consensus developing among US-based Etna wine drinkers that the white wines of Etna are its true stars. If that is so, it places Milo at the pinnacle of growing zones. This seems to be a perception that is also held by producers as the growth in their numbers on the east slope has been significant over the past 5 years.

*Paolo Sessa was born in Avola (Siracusa) but moved

to Milo when he married his wife in 1975. Paolo has taught English for most of his life. His area of expertise is Neurolinguistics and he has written two related books. He has, in addition, written four books on local history as well as other books on broader topics.

Paolo was the Mayor of Milo from 1998 - 2005 and is especially proud of his work in leading the efforts to rehabilitate all of the public, private, and religious buildings damaged during the 2002 earthquake.

Paolo coined the slogan: Milo, the city of wine and music.

©Wine -- Mise en abyme