Something about Elena

I first noticed it during an extensive tasting of rieslings from Terry Theise portfolio. Most of the wines (grower champagnes included) were either organic or biodynamic and there was a similarity among all of them...vibrance, lift and a clear presence of high tones. There was just something "lively" about them.

One of the most recent wines in the Row 95 portfolio to go Organic is the Campos de Risca. Though from the "Campos" group, the wine is from a small family estate in Jumilla run by the third generation, Elena Pacheco.

Risca are large broken limestone rocks of which their vineyard is entirely comprised. These suckers aren't the smooth rounded boulders of Chateauneuf, they are rough cut, jagged and virtually impossible to walk on. Nothing else lives there,...weeds, bugs, and frankly I don't know why anything would want to. Mourvedre, however, loves it...the heat, those stones, no competition from pesky weeds, as Goldilocks would say it's jussst right.

It's no surprise that the grapes have always been farmed organically. Thanks to the EU they are just now officially so. The wine, 90% Mourvedre and 10% Syrah has that special something about it... in addition to the framboise-drenched, herb and redfruit flavors, there is an inherent freshness, purity and high tone quality. These are traits one wouldn't typically use to describe Jumilla wines. But they exist in the Campos de Risca. Perhaps there is a hidden "soul" to the fruit which is preserved when grown in an organic or biodynamic way.

Whatever it is, this wine has that special something. And the really good news it can be had for under 15 bucks a bottle.

Comments

The Soils of St. Nicolas de Bourgueil

Whether they come from Chinon, Samur or Bourgueil, Cabernet Franc based reds from the Loire conjure Laphroaig-esque impressions to knowing wine drinkers. They are often pungent, herbaceous, wildly complex wines with a small cult-like well-read fan-base. Not in the mainstream for sure. Just as Laphroaig is not indicative of all single malts, reds from the Loire region don't all share these same outsized traits. The wines from Xavier Amirault are just such an exception and it's not by accident that Vineyard Brands, an importer with deep roots in burgundy would be the kind of company to bring these wines into the United States. Land close to the banks of the Loire river is quite fertile and is reserved for cereals and pasture. Things begin to get interesting as one moves upwards from lower valley. Lower parcels in the Clos de Quarterons, the Amirault family's estate, have deep (up to 25 feet) gravelly soils which drain well and where generous ra...

Bourgogno Barbera, Just Right

2009 Borgogno Barbera OK, I'll be honest, this producer is nostalgic for me. When I was a kid growing up in New Jersey, one of my idols was my Sicilian grandfather... Grandpa Lanza. Grandpa Lanza loved to cook, grow things and make wine. He lived in Staten Island and would host most of the important family gatherings. My love affair with food all started under his gentle guidance. While he drank simple wines most of the time, he would occasionally buy something special for the holidays. I distinctly recall one Thanksgiving Dinner where the turkey sat like a figurehead amongst caponata, sausage, baked pasta and other Italian delights. On the table that day was a bottle of Borgogne Barolo. The label today is unchanged from what it was in the early '70's. Back then it was among precious few serious Italian wines imported into the US. Borgogno is now with Domaine Select and representing them is somewhat of a coming full-circle for me. There is a little of the '09 Barbera t...

Thomas Jefferson in Chianti

Not too long ago I had the chance to visit Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson in Charlottesville, VA. I was surprised to learn there that despite all of his worldly achievements what Mr. Jefferson desired most was a domestic existence at Monticello where he could pursue his studies of science, engineering and agriculture. As amazing as the house and buildings are at Monticello, the gardens there are no less so. The gardens have been restored to show Jefferson's experiments in domestic crops of vegetables, cereals, orchards and vineyards. It was clear that he was keenly focused on how best to utilize each acre of his land. Shortly after my visit to Monticello, I was in Italy visiting producers in Tuscany and upon arriving at Bibbiano in Castellina in Chianti I began to have flashbacks of Jefferson's Monticello. You see Bibbiano is more than just another Chianti producer. It is a rather large estate, a distinct "place" in the Chianti Classico with a lo...

Atlantic Wine Project

Search This Blog