Translation missing: en.Pācina + Domaine de L'Arlot + Christophe & Fils + Moorooduc Tasting this Saturday 3-6PM: Pācina + Domaine de L'Arlot + Christophe & Fils + Moorooduc Tasting this Saturday 3-6PM
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Pācina
Pācina is an old monastery of the 10th century surrounded by vineyards, olive groves, fields, and wooded areas and nestled on the Chianti hills in Castelnuovo Berardenga just a few kilometres east of Siena and traces its origins to Etruscan times. Today Pācina is a farm which produces organic wine, olive oil, cereals and pulses. The first meetings of the most prominent environmental association in Italy "Legambiente" even took place in the gardens of Pācina.
Pācina have about 11 hectares of their 65 hectare organically certified farm planted under vine; almost entirely to indigenous varieties: Sangiovese, Canaiolo, Ciliegiolo, Tuscan Trebbiano, and Chianti Malvasia and even a small plot for Syrah. The vines range from 5 years to 50 years old, with some plants much older than that. In between the land dedicated to cereal and pulse cultivation the land is given over to wooded areas, fallow lands, and uncultivated plots that encourage biodiversity.
"Experience and tradition, built up over four generations, has taught us that in the winery, just as in the field, everything can be conducted in accordance with nature."
The progression of fermentation, stabilization, and maturation are guided by slow processes that are aided by the environmental conditions of the old cellars, carved from the tuff that forms the geological basis of the region. They believe in following and encouraging natural processes and only intervening when absolutely necessary with a specific purpose. Pācina can be considered a 'natural wine' which showcases the characteristic quality of the grape, territory and year in which they were grown due to minimal intervention.
We have some seriously unique wines from this estate to share with you including the Rosato which is only made in certain years from the free run must of Sangiovese and "La Cerretina" - an orange wine made from and 50/50 blend of Trebbiano Toscano and Malvasia del Chainti. In the way of reds, we have a single bottle '19 Villa Pacina left as well the rarer "Donesco" which comes from younger vines on the estate made of 100% Sangiovese that is fermented and aged in concrete and steel tank and even the "Ciliegiolo" which is often a grape that is used in blends with Chianti and other regional reds, rarely ever seen as a single varietal. These are some incredibly unique expressions that should be tried by anyone with a love for either Tuscan or natural wines. - Aaron C.
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Domaine de L'Arlot
A jewel in the heart of Nuits-Saint-Georges - Domaine de L’Arlot are located amidst a park of 100 year-old trees, with light flickering through the leaves and stones which were crafted by numerous artists, making this a fabulous theatrical place and a delightful contrast to the strictness of the rows of vines.
“To abandon the use of chemical fertilizers and products of synthesis: life can get started again.”
This Domaine have been certified Organic since 2000 and have been farming biodynamically since 2003 across all of their vineyards with the aim of changing perceptions of vine-growing by re-learning ancient methods based on rhythms, observation and perception. The basic rule of winemaking at Domaine de l'Arlot is to intervene at just the right moments, and as little as possible in the birth of the wine. This translates into extremely strict sorting of grapes, naturally occurring fermentation with native yeasts, gentle extraction and very minimal work with the skin cap so as not to interfere too much with what the grapes want to say.
A very precise approach to maturing also helps to bring out the true essence of the terroir. The wines are aged in very lightly toasted new French oak in which malolactic conversion is allowed to occur spontaneously and where the wine is tasted many times along the way to determine the precise moment to bottle.
We’ve managed to secure an allocation of only a few bottles of each as these are very sought-after wines, but luckily we have a few of the most coveted bottle. We have a couple bottles of the extremely rare Clos de L’Arlot Blanc from their Monopole vineyard as well as a couple of the Rouge. We have some of their “Clos du Chapeau” - a beautiful Côte de Nuits Villages as well as the “Mont des Oiseaux” Premier Cru made from the younger vines of the Monopole Clos de L’Arlot vineyard. We’ve been lucky to get 6 bottles (and 1 magnum) of the coveted “Clos des Forêts” Monopole Premier Cru vinyard, the wine that perhaps best represents the Domaine and their point of difference from other producers and covers the entire geological range of the slopes of Nuits Saint Georges: Ladoix limestone at the bottom, Premeaux limestone in the middle, and white oolite limestone in the upper part, with a marked presence of ochre silt in some places. Finally, we have a couple bottles of their work in Vosne-Romanée: the Premier Cru “Les Suchots” and the Grand Cru Romanée-Saint-Vivant: a vineyard that I’m sure needs no introduction. These are some seriously unique wines that are highly sought-after for a reason. A brilliant addition to the cellar of any Burg lover. - Aaron C.
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Christophe & Fils
Sebastien Christophe is one of our favourite producers hailing from one of our favourite regions - Chablis. Sebastien has gone from relative obscurity to a sought-after gem amongst somm types; starting with the purchase of a plot of land in Petit Chablis from his parents and then working his way through building a portfolio of the greatest Premier Cru and even Grand Cru sites.
Sebastien works using the typical vinification techniques of the region (if it's not broken, don't fix it) - primarily fermentation and ageing in stainless steel (with only some older large oak for the 1er Crus) to preserve the purity of fruit and and that beautiful crisp flinty minerality that we've all come to love of Chablis. There is detail and subtlety in his wines that please and tease and without lacking concentration thanks to Sebastien's understanding of the importance of low yields.
We've got a nice range of his wines on offer for you all, working their way up the hierarchy from some nice Petit Chablis, through the the regional Chablis and all the way up to Premier Cru and Grand Cru. From his 1er Cru offerings, we have the "Mont Milieu" and "Montee de Tonnerre" which are some of the most respected 1er Cru sites in Chablis. From the prestigious Grand Crus, we have "Les Preuses" in the '20 and '22 vintages as well as the "Blanchot" from the '22 vintage too. This is the chance to try some exciting wines from a trailblazing producer from the iconic region of Chablis before the prices start creeping up in the next vintages. I will probably snag some for myself too but will let you all take your share of these first. Don't miss out! - Aaron C.