Tried this tonight: 
Cantina Tramin "Nussbaumer" Gewürztraminer 2010 (Alto Adige, Italy). 

Lots of traditionally German varietals have long been at home in Northern Italy, which was once a part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. I love the variety of grapes and the melange of cultures that northern Italy has to offer. 

This wine had a particularly floral boquet: lavender and roses, with a hint of the classic lychee. On the palate it was rich, juicy, and extracted, with a soft acidity that balanced the intensity of fruit. I paired this with a raw Hama Hama oyster topped with lavender gelee, and hydrated basil seeds.  It was a dream pairing, and rightfully so as the winery's German name "tramin" means, quite literally "dream."

Cantina Tramin produces this whimsical gewürtz from a single vineyard called "Nussbaumer," a 32 acre plot that sprawls out from the foot of a mountain range with both guyot and pergola vines. The vines are 10-40 years old & carefully managed. A nearby lake mediates the climate.  

Got to try this killer wine tonight-- it still needs some time, but you can taste how incredible this is and will be as it evolves. I picked up a few extra bottles to revisit in a decade or so!  

It's pale lemon-yellow, smells like honeyed apricots and crushed nectarines. 
The flavors are so rich and dense, and all locked up in tightly wound minerality. Pumice stone-like texture. 

These are porróns.  I snapped this photo at the museum at Dinastia Vivanco (photography was allowed), an incredible wine museum in Rioja! They have an amazing collection of porróns and other ancient wine-related beverage containers. 

Porróns are efficient beverage vessels-- they allow for liquid storage, transport, and consumption-- all in one!  Glass porróns grew out of the bota bag tradition. Before wine bottles became ubiquitous bota bags and porróns allowed people to transport and share beverages in a very hygienic way. If you drink properly from a porrón, you will avoid touching the glass with your mouth, and no germs will be spread from person to person. 

<--- Allow me to demonstrate!

Just don't dribble! 

As a side note, porróns are not customarily used for fine wine-- they're reserved for easy drinking party wines and are passed from guest to guest at gatherings. This layman's aura that hangs about the porrón manifests itself differently throughout the wine world. For instance, when Turley Cellars first produced a light, quaffable cinsault in 2009, they named it "El Porrón." Winemaker Ehren Jordan recalls that "When we were talking about what to call the wine, we joked that you could drink it out of the bottle, and that led to the drawing of a porrón on the label." A restaurant in Manhattan called "El Porrón" celebrates Spanish food in a fun, easy-going manner.  

Porróns are fun, but they do not allow you to enjoy the aromatics of the wine, which is why they never seem to creep into fine dining restaurants. Keeping this in mind, in the photos above I made sure to drink only some sangria out of the porrón!

These Italian Caraffungile (originating in Southern Italy) are slightly similar, though probably unrelated. 

Love love LOVE this incredible beverage recreation. This particular brew is by Dogfish Head Brewery-- it's a part of their Ancient Ales series that aims to recreate beverages based on ancient recipes. 

So, what exactly is it? 

Ancient beverage expert Patrick McGovern refers to it as a "grog." It's technically a mixed beverage made with rice, fruit (hawthorne and grapes), and honey, which by todays standards would be a sake-wine-mead type of brew. Nowadays, we drink mostly specialized single-base beverages which makes mixed-base fermented drinks seem culturally odd (and commercially illegal in many countries), but thousands of years ago these types of drinks were the norm. 

Allow me to present ancient beverages in broad strokes: our ancestors didn't have our fancy modern fermentation techniques and in-depth understanding of yeasts and fermentation that give modern day winemakers (or sake makers, or beer brewers) tight control over the final product.  When the grapes weren't ripe enough our ancient ancestors may have added honey (yeasts present in the honey would have bolstered and fed the fermentation while helping to sweeten the final product). When they came to understand that grain wouldn't ferment on its own they may have malted or chewed grain to activate enzymes before mixing it with fruit and honey (the fruit and honey would have natural yeasts present to jumpstart fermentation).  The choice to mix bases was partly prescribed by cultural & geographic norms (these grogs were local recipes based on available fruits and grains), and and partly due to need because the mixing helped achieve a better fermentation (which probably informed the recipes). 

The modern chapter of ancient Chinese grog is twofold. On one branch, we have American interest spurred by archeologist Anne Underhill (Field Museum in Chicago). In the 1990s she initiated some of the first American-run archeological expeditions in China and felt that we would soon discover that "fermented beverages were an integral part of the earliest Chinese cultures" (McGovern 2009:28). In 1995 she enlisted the help of Patrick McGovern and his laboratory in the excavation of Liangchengzhen (a Neolithic site in Shandong Province). With his interest in Chinese Neolithic beverages piqued, McGovern went to the Yellow River basin (the birthplace of Chinese culture) with Changsui Wang (professor at University of Science & Technology in China). On one of their trips along the river they stopped at Zhengzhou and met Juzhong Zhang (of the Institute of Archeology which houses many Chinese artifacts). 

This leads us to the second part of the modern chapter of ancient Chinese grog. The Institue of Archeology at Zhengzhou houses many artifacts from an incredible nearby Neolithic excavation site known as Jiahu. At Jiahu scientists have uncovered the earliest known mixed fermented beverages (long before what we once thought were the earliest fermented beverages in the fertile crescent), but also much more: multiple interdisciplinary findings have unlocked many secrets about the dawning of Chinese culture (instruments, eating habits, animal and plant domestication, early characters, shamanism, etc). The large site has given us a perspective of how many people of different classes lived together. Within this larger context, McGovern collected samples from jars and sherds, enlisted the help of collaborators worldwide, and began analysis to see what may have been in the jars.

He and his colleagues discovered that many liquid-bearing vessels found throughout Jiahu in different dwellings carried a similar chemical imprint, which indicates that a popular beverage was consumed by many people throughout the village.  This chemical imprint turned up traces of: 

tartaric acid 
indicates the presence of fermented grapes, hawthorne, longyan, Asiatic cornelian cherry, geraniums, and/or a byproduct of rice fermentation. They narrowed this list down to hawthorne and grapes after finding seeds from both fruits at the Jiahu site. 
chemical imprints from beeswax 
indicates the presence of honey
photosterols 
specific ones indicate rice
carbon isotopes 
indicated what type of climate the rice came from

This finding is groundbreaking: it's the earliest known and documented evidence of a fermented beverage made with grapes. Most wine primers state the the first wine was made from V. vinifera grapes in the fertile crescent about 6,000-8,000 years ago, but this evidence suggests that much earlier (about 9000 years ago) people along the Yellow River were fermenting wild grapes of a different species, possibly V. amurensis or V. quinquangularis (albeit with other products blended into the fermentation).

Fascinated by this, Sam Calagione and Mike Gerhart (Dogfish Head Craft Brewery) worked with McGovern to attempt a recreation of the popular Jiahu beverage.  They found the ingredients to the best of their ability, decided to use both grapes and hawthorne (unsure if one or both were used based on the tartrate residue), and added a bit of light barley to satisfy the government's requirements for a commercial product made in a brewery. Read the article Stone Age Brew for a play-by-play of the first Chateau Jiahu attempt. 

The result is stunning- one of the most interesting and tasty drinks I've had in a long time. 

Bibliography
McGovern, Patrick E. (2009) Uncorking the Past: The Quest for Wine, Beer, and other Alcoholic Beverages. University of California press. (pages 28-59)

Gallagher, Larry. (2005) "Stone Age Brew" Discover Magazine  N0vember issue

I had one of those rare, other-worldly Burgundy experiences today-- the kind where you put your nose in the glass and the profound aroma immediately brings tears to the eyes. 

In the 1960s and 1970s Chapelle-Chambertin was owned by a handful of proprietors, the most prestigious being Drouhin-Laroze and Clair-Daü. This Grand Cru is known for producing the most delicate and light colored wines of all the Gevrey-Chambertin Grand Crus (with a little healthy competition in delicacy from Ruchottes). The name "Chapelle-Chambertin" has origins with a chapel destroyed in the French Revolution and originally built by monks at Bèze Abbey. 

In 1919 Joseph Clair (1889-1971) founded Domaine Clair-Daü which became known for high quality. Phylloxera followed by WWI had devastated the vineyards in Marsannay when Joseph began. First, he planted chardonnay and pinot noir where there had previously been aligote and gamay (and he encouraged others to do the same). Second, he innovatively made a rose that helped the Domaine survive financially during the tumultuous 1920s and 30s when many consumers couldn't afford fine red wine. His son, Bernard Clair (1920-2005) joined the team in the 30s and worked on isolating and selecting high quality and low yield clones which further increased the quality of the wines.  When Joseph died in 1971, French land inheritance laws caused some family tensions which led to the folding of Domaine Clair-Daü in 1985. Louis Jadot purchased the Clair-Daü portion of the Chapelle-Chambertin vineyard, and by 1990 the Chapelle-Chambertin Grand Cru had 8 proprietors-- the two most commercially prestigious being Louis Jadot and Drouhin-Larose (Parker, 1990:411). Since 1985 members of the Clair-Daü family have not made wines in Chapelle-Chambertin, however Bruno Clair (Joseph's grandson) continues to make wine across the road at Clos de Bèze (and at other select parcels in Burgundy) as Domaine Bruno Clair.  

This wine pictured above was made during the period when Domain Clair-Daü was in the midst of family dispute. Some tasters argue that the wines experienced a decrease in quality during this period, and if this is the case, perhaps the 1978 is an exception, because there was nothing poor in quality about this wine. On the contrary, it was really very inspiring. Perhaps the people who were hands-on in the harvesting and winemaking this vintage sensed the end of the Domaine and sighed one last breath before giving up and considering to sell. The wine brought tears to several eyes at the table, as if it were transmitting a sense of sadness. It smelled of broken twigs, crisp earth, dried cherries and pheromones; it tasted tart and chalky, with soft tannins and an amazingly fresh cherry fruit.  



Bibliography
Clair, Bruno. www.bruno-clair.com
Gaffney, William. www.princeofpinot.com 
Parker, Robert M. (1990) Burgundy: A Comprehensive Guide to Producers, Appellations and Wines. (Simon and Schuster)
Robinson, Jancis (2006) Oxford Companion to Wine (Oxford University Press)

Il Molino di Grace is nestled in the hills of Panzano in Chianti. The entire Panzano area must be organically farmed, so Il Molino di Grace is organic, and we can rest assured that no chemicals from neighbors are leaching onto the vineyards either.

Pictured above, a large statue of Saint Francis of Assisi watches over the vineyards, holding up a sun and a moon, seemingly invoking his famous canticle "Brother Sun, Sister Moon." 

"Il Molino di Grace" translates to "The Windmill of Grace." A windmill marks the winery (see left) and the family that owns the winery has the last name of... Grace.

This sculpture sits just outside the winery door, and this same image graces the labels on each bottle. 

The Wines: 
Il Volano white wine 2007
30% malvasia- estate vineyards
40% chardonnay- sourced from a nearby friend
30% trebbiano- estate vineyards
This wine sees steel only. It's pretty interesting; aromas of sweet spices and fresh spring flowers. Tasted like starfruit and tart honeydew. 

Il Volano red wine 2007
75% sangiovese
25% merlot
These sangiovese grapes come from their youngest vineyard. The wine has a very pregnant aroma of bright red fruit. This is a quaffing, entry-level sangiovese, with some merlot used to flesh it out. I wonder if this is an experiment for a future Super Tuscan idea that might be in the works.

Il Molino di Grace - Chianti Classico 2006
100% sangiovese
winemaking: aged 11 month in steel, barrique and large barrels. 
The aromas are fresh, bright red fruit with some toasty oak notes, plus hints of leather that would most likely become more prominent with age. On the palate the fruit, tannin and acidity are all bursting and well balanced against one another. 

Il Molino di Grace - Chianti Classico Riserva 2005
these grapes are sourced from the older vineyards-- 40-45 year old vines. When they started making wine from this plot they drastically cut production by about 45% in order to increase the quality of the grapes. 
winemaking: aged 11 month in Slovenian oak, some new French oak, and some neutral 2nd & 3rd year barriques. 
This wine has a baseline of black fruit, mingled with red fruits, a hint of herbaceousness, and some vanilla-anise aromas from the new French oak. 

 Il Molino di Grace - "Selezione Il Margone" Chianti Classico Riserva 2004
100% sangiovese 
these grapes are sourced from the same 40-45 year old vines of the riserva, but this bottling is a selection of the best grape bunches from that plot. 
winemaking: 100% French oak (50% new)
The aroma is oak driven- clear and focused vanilla and anise with lush supporting fruits. On the palate this has a complex fruit expression (red/black, ripe/unripe) that is in balance with the oak treatment, the acidity is more intense than in the previous wines and there are heavy, no-nonsense tannins.  

Il Molino di Grace - "Gratius"
100% sangiovesethese grapes come from their oldest vines 400 meters above sea level in very steep and late-ripening vineyards. This plot always ripens much later than the rest of the property, and they harvest on average in mid-October. 
The aroma is extremely intense-- lots of black fruit, spicy & complex; an earthyness that reminds me of Bordeaux. 

This cellar, and one other room with large barrels (see photo below) house the aging reds. As you can see by the size of the cellar, production is medium-small. 

Here are some of the larger barrels for the wines that demand more neutral aging. I left my friend Karin & I in the photo to give you an idea of the size of the barrels. 

Here we have a brand new pristine, in-house automated bottling line. I've noticed that this is part of a larger trend. Many wineries are switching to in house bottling lines; it's a bit of a high cost at first, but in the long term it makes things much easier-- you don't have to transport barrels and wines over distance in possible heat to a different facility, you keep oxidation and heat damage at an absolute minimum, and the winemaker keeps that sense of control over the quality of the product through to the final step. 

On an unrelated side note: if you go to Panzano in Chianti you've got to have dinner at Il Vescovino-- try to catch the sunset on the patio! 

Chateau Pape Clement red, 1996 (Pessac-Leognan, Bordeaux, France)
Got to try this big guy the other night! 

This is a pretty special chateau-- named after its original owner,                  Pope Clement V, a man famous for moving the Papal court to Avignon (planting the seeds for a different special wine region!) and also for disbanding the Knights Templar under pressure from French King Philip IV. 

As the oldest estate in Bordeaux, Chateau Pape Clement clocked vintage #700 in the year 2006.  Wine has been made here since before the Dutch drained the Haut-Medoc! Today  the chateau produces both red and white wines. 

This red is cabernet sauvignon and merlot, with small amounts of cabernet franc and petit verdot. The wine was brooding and powerful with distinct aromas of bacon, red peppers, leather and hot earth; on the palate it had relaxed acidity, bark-like tannins and a pepper finish.