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Translation missing: en.ACellars Newsletter 18th August , 2022 - Alessandro Viola + Commune of Buttons tasting this Saturday + Wine of The Week - Kin by Alkina Shiraz 2021: ACellars Newsletter 18th August , 2022 - Alessandro Viola + Commune of Buttons tasting this Saturday + Wine of The Week - Kin by Alkina Shiraz 2021

Alessandro Viola

Nel vino ci sono una di equilibri chimici perfetti, solo la natura può arrivare a tanto, chi siam noi per fare meglio della natura?"

"In wine there is a perfect chemical balance, only nature can go so far, who are we to do better than nature?"

 

Sicily, the highly contested island at the toe of Italy's boot has witnessed a history rich in culture, politics and volcanic activity. The fertile soils that are conditioned by Etna's eruptions, together with the pleasant temperatures enjoyed by the island when Etna is at rest, have long attracted visiting traders, with agriculture, and particularly viticulture dating back to Phoenician times. This long history of outside interest has meant much of the land on the triangular island has been continuously cleared for agricultural pursuits, resulting now in even more arid conditions than the already dry Mediterranean climate would have been experiencing. The mild winters and extra dry summers mean that rot and mildew are generally not an issue, making Sicily an ideal place to practice organic and minimal intervention viticulture.

It is natural then that Sicilian native, Alessandro Viola would return to his roots to work with the native Sicilian vines to make natural wines.

After watching his grower father grow grapes for others all his life, and tinkering around with self-taught winemaking techniques himself, Alessandro Viola set off for a formal education in oenology.

During his studies, Alessandro concentrated more on the science of viticulture and viniculture, rather than the machines used to create wine. His studies brought him to the realisation that nothing needed to be added or taken away from the wine if the grapes, soil and winemaking were all working together. Like the self-taught tinkering he had done before his formal education, he returned to his home in Sicily to make his wines amano, by hand, with love and nothing else added, not even sulphur.

Alessandro champions the grapes native to his Sicily. And so comes his Le Mie Origini (My Origins). Not just a salute to his grape-growing father and winemaking brother, but also his deeper Sicilian roots: the old vine Catarratto, the native grape grown all over the island, but particularly in the west for the blending production of Marsala, sees just a little skin contact for added aroma and texture.

The skin-contact Sinfonia di Bianco takes another native Marsala blending partner, Grillo, from the clay-based soils around the city of Alcamo, that take a salty influence from the sea. His rossi see the natives Nero d'Avola and Nero Mascalese, with a few old friends like Syrah, all vinified to be fresh and bright.

And as a nod to the Sirocco, the hot dry wind from Africa that sees the Sicilian summer scorchers, the late harvest Vendemmia Tardivia "50 Gradi All'Ombra" translates to "50 Degrees in the Shade" and comes from a particularly hot year when Alessandro missed picking one of his favourite Grillo plots in time. When life gives you hot, sweet, citrusy 16 Baume Grillo, make vino dolce. Delizioso!

 

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In-Store Tasting:

Commune of Buttons

This Saturday, August 20th

3pm - 6pm

 

Join us this Saturday in-store to taste through a selection of new releases from Adelaide Hills legends, Commune of Buttons. Lauren, their leading legend who champions all things Buttons in Sydney will be here to guide you through their 2021 offering. This wines get better every year and having tasted this release recently I can confirm the upward trend continues!

Here's a little info about the Buttons...

When Jasper Button and his sister, Sophie, moved back to the family vineyard in the Adelaide Hills, they hade no intention of making wine. For them, the journey was more about building the farm into an economically viable business. But then Jasper met Anton van Klopper of Lucy Margaux.

The trailblazing natural winemaker and all-round wildman introduced Jasper to the philosophies behind natural winemaking and how full of energy and vibrancy these wines can be. Jasper picked and processed two barrels of Chardonnay in 2013, and never looked back.

He and Sophie founded Commune of Buttons the very next year, began converting the vineyards to organic and biodynamic viticulture, and started making wines in earnest. They were quickly welcomed into the natural wine community of the Basket Range, learning and sharing knowledge with producers such as Brendon Keys of BK Wines, James Erskine of Jauma, and the late Taras Ochota from Ochota Barrels.

Validation came very quickly for Jasper, with the award for Best New Act at the Young Gun of Wine Awards 2016, and then having his 2015 ABC Chardonnay poured at Rene Redzepi's NOMA pop-up in Sydney.

Since then, the Buttons have gone from strength to strength, building their range, and sourcing fruit from outside their own vineyards to supplement their production. All of their partner vineyards share the same hands-off philosophies, and all of the fruit picked is processed with minimal intervention and maximum care by Jasper and Sophie. No additions of any kind are used during the winemaking process with tiny amounts of sulphur added just prior to bottling.

Join us on Saturday to see what all the fuss is about.

 

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WINE OF THE WEEK

Kin by Alkina Shiraz 2021

 

We've been curious about the Alkina wines for a while. The story and people behind Alkina lead us to believe this project is on the path to becoming something very special.

Alkina was started by Argentinian vintner, Alejandro Bulgheroni who teamed up with Amelia Nolan to handle all things viticulture on the ground. Chilean terroir guru Pedro Parra was brought on to study their sites and identify how best to utilise and breakdown the individual terroirs by mapping the Alkina holdings. This work was the catalyst for their Polygon Project which are their top tier reds that highlight each of the individual terroirs.

The wines are handled gently to preserve the typicity of the site and variety. Concrete fermenters, lots of clay vessels, no new oak, wild ferments, higher percentage of whole bunches used and no synthetic additions to manipulate the wines.

The Kin wines are their entry levels and give a snapshot of the quality of the higher tier flagship wines. This Shiraz has a deep crimson hue, floral violet aromas, red fruit and a touch of gamey rustic charm. It's a well defined medium bodied wine, vibrant and moreish. Loved this. - Pete L

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