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Lamoresca + Casanova di Neri + Domaine Edouard Confuron + Theo Dancer + Domaine de la Pinte Tasting this Saturday 3-6PM

by Annandale Cellars

Domaine de la Pinte Tasting

Saturday 3-6PM

Come and join us this Saturday for a tasting of the wonderfully weird wines of Domaine de la Pinte from Arbois, Jura. All of these wines are biodynamic and made from the classic Jura grapes of Savagnin, Chardonnay, Poulsard and Melon à Queue Rouge. This is the lineup that we'll be showing on the day:

Domaine de la Pinte Chardonnay

Domaine de la Pinte "Cuvee d'Automne"

Domaine de la Pinte Savagnin

Domaine de la Pinte “Poulsard de l’Ami Karl”

Domaine de la Pinte "Melon à Queue Rouge"

We always love to share these interesting and unique producers with people who may otherwise have never tried or even heard of them. See you here on Saturday! - Aaron C.

 

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Lamoresca

The agricultural farm of Lamoresca started out in 2000 with an olive farm of 46 ancient olive trees of the "Moresca" variety in the heart of Sicily in the small town of San Michele di Ganzaria. Located at an altitude of 430m above sea level, Lamoresca now have 25 hectares dedicated to vines, olives, prickly pears and an assortment of other fruits. Everything is organically cultivated and their fields are surrounded by Mediterranean scrub and wild herbs, where all types of animals; even porcupines, and insects can be found in their traditional habitat, creating very important biodiversity.

Respect for the soil, plants, and their phenological phases is an absolute priority for their farm which is why they devote most of their time to work in the vineyards.

"The mission of obtaining a healthy and high-quality fruit is achieved through precise and accurate interventions in all seasonal phases."

All grapes (and olives, for that matter) are harvested manually by handed once achieving an optimal level of ripeness and cover crops are used for the nitrogen-fixing and the increasing of the organic matter of the soil. All of this organic work in the vineyard allows for the grapes to be processed immediately upon arrival in the cellar as they are arriving in perfect condition after a year of hard work so there is no need for heavy-handed cellar trickery.

These are some spectacular wines that we try to stock whenever we're given the chance and we've been able to secure a good range of their portfolio this time around. The Lamoresca Bianco is a delicious white wine made from 100% Vermentino grapes from bush vines on silt and clay soil while the Rosso is a blend of Nero d'Avola, Frappato and Grenache and aged for 12 months in oak truncated cone barrels. The "Nerocapitano" is made from 100% Frappato and ages for 6 months in concrete tanks. Finally, we have the second ever vintage of 2 new wines. The 2020 Lamoresca "Nero" Nero d'Avola is 100% Nero d'Avola grown at 550 metres from a 20 year old vineyard from which only 1500 bottles were made. Secondly, the 2020 Lamoresca "Elsa" Rosso which is a blend of the best grapes of Nerello Mascalese 60%, Frappato 20% and Nero d’Avola 20% with 3 weeks maceration, 1 year in concrete tanks and only 2000 bottles produced. These are some seriously expressive wines that come in at only a fraction of the cost of some of the other bigger name organic Sicilian producers. A great option for anyone look for exciting organic wines or anyone that has been interested in those bigger names but couldn't justify their prices. - Aaron C.

 

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Casanova di Neri

Although Montalcino traces its origins back to Etruscan times, this estate started in 1971 by Giovanni Neri - a 48 year-old grain merchant with a passion for wine. Passionate about wine, Neri had long dreamed of making a great Italian red, and although the long-established wine zone of Chianti Classico was just on his doorstep, it was remote Montalcino and its austere Sangiovese wines that fascinated him. The farm of Podere Casanova had caught his eye during his forays to the area as the aspect, altitude and soil composition showed the potential for making high-quality Brunello.

Casanova di Neri works with 7 incredible vineyards in the Brunello di Montalcino DOCG: Fiesole, Cerretalto, Collalli, Podernuovo, Pietradonice, Giovanni Neri and Cetine. Their diversity of soil, exposition, microclimate and age of the vines create their concept of terroir as well as the identity of their wines and outstanding personality. They show the unique potential of their Sangiovese and their extraordinary quality comes from the combination of a suitable territory, work, knowledge, experience and passion. All of their grapes are grown from Sangiovese Grosso grown on the Cerretalto vineyard which have slowly developed enough adaptive characteristics to now be its own clone of Sangiovese which now a hallmark of Casanova di Neri.

We've managed to secure a dozen of each of the 2022 Rosso di Montalcino as well as the 2019 Brunello di Montalcino. The Rosso di Montalcino is a beautiful wine that showcases the ability for Sangiovese to make wines ready for immediate enjoyability. The grapes for this wine come from specific vineyards that have been planted and selected specifically to make this type of wine and it receives the same amount of care and attention that the Brunello does. This is a great option to pick up for those of you that will want to age the Brunello a bit longer. Speaking of, the 2019 vintage is considered by many to be the greatest Brunello vintage of this century - very regular climate, phenolic ripening almost perfect, which results in wines with great balance, excellent succulence, drinkability and great potential in terms of longevity. Great balance and freshness to the nose, with hints mainly of small red fruits, such as strawberry and raspberry, touches of yellow plum, an important citrus component, an elegant and fresh tannic structure, excellent drinkability, long and deep finish. We also have some back stock of the excellent 2018 "Ibbianco" - a white wine of 60% Vermentino and 40% Grechetto. This is a must-have for any lover of Italian and/or aged whites. We also have some of the 2017 "Tenuta Nuova" Brunello di Montalcino left over which is a better option for those that don't have the patience to wait for the '19 to be ready; with 2 years of additional age plus the fact that 2017 was a cooler vintage means that this wine will hit its peak drinking window much earlier than the '19s. Casanova di Neri show time and again why Brunello di Montalcino is one of the best appellations in the world. - Aaron C.

 

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Domaine Edouard Confuron

2022 marks the Edouard's second vintage for Domaine Edouard Confuron - his own micro-Domaine while still holding the reigns at Domaine Confuron-Gindre as the sixth generation of family winemakers with his father François. His difficult inaugural 2021 vintage provided Edouard with the tools to create superb wines in the much more generous 2022 vintage.

While working with his father, Edouard was able to purchase plots of land for himself across Vosne-Romanée, Gevrey-Chambertin, and Nuits St Georges which he had been eyeing off that he believed showed great potential for the style and quality of wines that he wanted to make. As he has worked to redefine his style of wines, Edouard has begun to lighten the traditional style with less new oak, less sulphur during vinification, and more use of whole-cluster grapes. He also farms all his vineyards organically and is aiming to have the official certification soon. Edouard and his wines represents the best of traditional winemaking and modern, fresher sensibilities that are open to new prospects. The result are beautiful wines of elegance and finesse.

We've been able to secure a great range of his wines from this great '22 vintage. From Edouard's more accessible range we've secured the extremely trendy Bourgogne Aligote, as well as the Coteaux Bourguignons (70% Gamay, 30% Pinot Noir) and the Bourgogne Pinot Noir. We also have his wines from lieux-dits across all 3 villages that he works with. From Nuits-Saint-Georges we have the "Aux Allots", from Gevrey-Chambertin we have the "Seuvrees" and finally from village where the Domaine is located; from Vosne-Romanée, we have the "Pre de la Folie" and "Hautes Maizieres". These are all gorgeous wines that would be the perfect introduction into "modernist" Burgundy and would be a fantastic addition to any cellar. - Aaron C.

 

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Théo Dancer

Théo Dancer is the son of Vincent Dancer of the Domaine of the same name based in Chassagne-Montrachet who has just released his second vintage under his own micro-label with the 2022 vintage (which seems to be a trend for this email). These are micro-négociant wines that Théo sources directly from sites and growers he believes exceptional. He also has another micro label - Roc Breïa. The story: in 2021, Théo was invited to visit a mature, 10-hectare vineyard in the Bray district of the Mâconnais that two investors had recently purchased. Dancer immediately saw the potential of the mature vines and limestone-rich soils. He agreed to manage the project, but only on the condition that he could control everything.

Théo Dancer is experimenting with various fermentation and aging vessels with these wines, including ceramic, glass Wineglobes and different-sized casks. He intervenes as little as possible; all fermentations are done with native yeasts, malolactic conversion occurs naturally, and there is no bâtonnage, fining, or filtration. He also uses less sulphur than at Domaine Vincent Dancer, with 15-20 mg/L typical. The Théo Dancer wines are made at the domaine cellars in Chassagne-Montrachet and, therefore, carry the Vin de France designation (I remember asking Pete who this guy thought he was selling declassified wines at this price and this explanation clears that up). The Roc Breïa wines are made on-site in the Mâconnais.

The Théo Dancer range includes: an Aligoté from Meursault; a Savagnin from Rotalier ("Jurassique"); a Gamay from Chiroubles ("Botanica"); and a Grenache from Sainte-Cécile-les-Vignes ("Aragon"). The Roc Breïa wines include a Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, both from the Bray District of the Mâconnais. William Kelley writing for The Wine Advocate has said: “Readers keen to remain on Burgundy’s cutting edge will want to secure some Roc Breïa!” These are some unique wines made in tiny quantities that ought to be snapped up by anyone who loves Burgundy. - Aaron C.

 

 

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