Translation missing: en.Quintarelli + Ganevat + Jean Foillard + Meet the Maker - Unico Zelo Tasting Sat 7th September 3pm-6pm: Quintarelli + Ganevat + Jean Foillard + Meet the Maker - Unico Zelo Tasting Sat 7th September 3pm-6pm
Quintarelli
Giuseppe Quintarelli, or Il Maestro del Veneto, is easily one of the most mythical figures in the world of wine, certainly in Italy where he makes the best wines in Veneto. During a period when Veneto was still known for producing low-quality, high-volume wines, Giuseppe 'Bepi' Quintarelli did not compromise and made wines with painstakingly high level of work and detail in both the vineyard and the cellar. This paid off as he earned himself the reputation as the greatest producer of not only Amarone, but other red and white blends in Valpolicella.
Unfortunately, Giuseppe passed away in 2012; however, his daughter Fiorenza, his son-in-law Giampaolo, and his grandsons Francesco and Lorenzo are all keeping a close watch over the family’s legacy. Giuseppe took he upmost care in every single aspect of the winemaking process, from low-yields and multiple passes through the vineyard, to giving each wine the time it needs to develop and settle in barrel before release, to the highest quality cork through to the handwritten labels. These are wines that have moved people all around the world. These wines are in a completely different league in terms of both quality and style and really can't be compared to any other wines in the world. Quintarelli is one of a kind.
This is a little bit of a tease, but those that were after his famous Amarone or other top cuvees are unfortunately out of luck. We sold those almost immediately after receiving them. That being said, we have some of his more affordable bottles left for those that want to scratch that Quintarelli itch. The '22 'Bianco Secco' is a unique blend of Garganega, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Trebbiano aged in steel and glass on its fine lees. A perfect white for the upcoming warm months. We also have the '22 'Primofiore Rosso' which is another interesting blend of Corvina, Corvinone, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. This is a silky, medium-bodied red with bright red fruits and floral undertones. There's no doubt that we'll sell these all soon so get in quick!Ganevat
Jean-François Ganevat is one of the legends of the region of Jura, a small area slightly east of Burgundy known for producing some of the best and distinctive wines in the world. After some 10 years working in Burgudny, Ganevat returned to his family estate in 1998 bringing his Burgundian knowledge to the terroir of Jura making wines that are sought by wine nerds all over the world.
Jean-François is based in La Combe - a tiny hamlet above the village of Rotalier in the southern half of the Jura region. All of Ganevat's wines are classified as Cotes de Jura AOC, the largest of the few Jura appellations. He brings his Burgundian techniques to Jura with low yields using the classic grapes of the region: Savagnin, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Poulsard, and Trousseau. Ganevat is also certified biodynamic by Demeter. Most of Ganevat's wines are made using the “ouillé” method i.e. topping up barrels with small amounts of wine as it ages to prevent oxidation. This is how most wines around the world are made; however, here in Jura, it is common for producers to make wines “sous-voile” i.e. without topping them up and allowing a thin layer of yeast to develop on top of the wine. In this sense, Ganevat's wines offer a point of difference within the region of Jura and allows the terroir to shine through more.
These wines are extremely allocated and we have already sold through all of the estate Domaine Ganevat wines, but we have plenty of the Anne et JF Ganevat wines left. Anne is Jean-François' sister and these wines are made in collaboration with other winemakers and friends. First of all, we have the '20 'Bubulle a Jeannot Pet Nat', '21 '110% Rien Que du Fruit Blanc' and the '21 'Kopin Blanc'. Of his reds, we have the '22 'De Toute Beaute Rouge', '22 'Jen Vieux Encore Rouge', '22 'La Colline des Dames Pinot Noir' and the '22 'Les Chonchons Pinot Noir'. In Chardonnay, we have the '20 'Montferrand', '20 'La Graviere' and the 2019 'Les Barraque'. Finally, in the Savagnins we have are the '20 Les Barraque' and '20 'Montferrand'. These are highly limited wines and we only have a couple bottles of these so don't hesitate to snap them up!Jean Foillard
Jean Foillard is one of Beaujolais' biggest legends, having learnt from Jules Chauvet as one of the original 'Gang of Four' alongside Marcel Lapierre, Jean-Paul Thévenet, and Guy Breton. Jean and Agnès Foillard took over his father’s domaine in 1980 in Morgon and was quick to revamp the image of Beaujolais which was ridden with high-volume, mechanised commercial winemaking at the time which was quickly picked up by Kermit Lynch who then gave him the recognition he deserved.
The approach to making wine that Chauvet imparted on Foillard includes old vines, never using synthetic herbicides or pesticides, harvesting late, rigorously sorting to remove all but the healthiest grapes, adding minimal doses of sulfur dioxide or none at all, and refusing both chaptalization and filtration. He also keeps whole clusters of grapes in vats for 2 - 3 weeks at a low temperature before fermentation, using only natural yeast, no pumping, no fining and ages the wines in barrels bought from Domaine de la Romanée-Conti. The result are true Morgon wines with structure, spice and minerality as opposed to the banana and bubblegum monstrosities that too often come out of the region.
Jean Foillard owns some of the best land in all of Beaujolais. The Côte du Py is considered by many to be the best site in Beaujolais with its soils of iron-rich schist on an alluvial fan at the highest point above the town. He also owns a parcel on the granitic soils of the lieu-dit Corcelette as well as in Fleurie. These top sites with winemaking faithful to the terroir makes wines of deep structure, lushness and complexity.
We have just received our allocation of Foillard's 2022 vinatage. We have a dozen of the 'Morgon Côte du Py', 6 bottles of the 'Morgon Corcelette' and 3 bottles of the 'Fleurie'. We also still have a magnum bottle of the '21 'Fleurie' as well. This producer is a benchmark for the region and ought to be drunk by any lover of great wine.MEET THE MAKER
Unico Zelo Tasting Saturday 7th September 3pm-6pm
This week, we'll be hosting Unico Zelo's Brendan and Laura as they pour their delicious wines for you. Some of you may know Brendan from his great Youtube Channel "Wine for the People" which has gained a lot of popularity recently, for good reason. These are the wines Brendan and Laura will be pouring:
Esoterico
Jade Jasper
Fresh A.F.
Truffle Hound
Jungle Jungle
Alluvium Fiano
Pipe Dream Nero d'Avola
This is a great chance to try some interesting wines made from unique varietals and meet the people behind the wines. See you there!