The Thrill of It All: Bio Wines at Villa Favorita

As I sort through the mass of material Domenico sent me, I am struck by the number of grand villas he swanned about in.  His notes and pictures reveal frenetic activity behind the serenely imposing façades.

On Sunday, April 1,  Aristide and some of his friends took Dom to Villa Favorita (shown here).  The villa lies between Verona and Vicenza in rolling country covered with vineyards, in sight of the snowcapped peaks of the Alps.

The event: the fourth VinNatur exhibition, featuring winemakers from several countries, nearly all from Italy and especially France.  The exhibitors this year numbered about 70-75, down considerably from last year; this falloff was attributable to the explosion of fringe events, most of them having to do with "real" and bio wines (i.e., no commercial dreck allowed).  Giampiero Nadali alias Aristide had told me months ago that VinNatur would be as important as Vinitaly itself -- maybe more so.  As far as trends are concerned, that may be true.

I asked Domenico to be a diligent taster and information-gatherer.  "America's just acknowledged global warming in a big way.  Organic/biodynamic wines are part of the shift in perspective over here," I said. "The time is right to bring them to the attention of American winelovers.  It's not just New Age hocus-pocus." Domenico came through.

Before I delve into his tasting notes, I want to share some of his general impressions and some basic facts that will influence the way these wines take on various markets.

1. There is a striking individuality in these wines.

2. Varietal typicity is strong in all of them.

3. Flavors are clean and clear, refreshing and pleasing.  Aromas a bit less so.

4. The French are clearly the most evolved in this method of winemaking, years ahead of the Italians.  And they are years ahead of the United States.

5. European prices are remarkably low for many of the wines.  The price/quality ratio is impressive. In other words, you don't pay exorbitantly for the bio/organic premium.  Whether reasonable prices would survive a trip to the three-tier distribution system over here is another story.

6. The producers are small by volume, which means that there could be room for a large number of them in the market from any given region.  Regional styles and terroirs come through with a stronger identifiability than usual. 

7. This might eventually result in a sharp perceptual divide between bio and "pre-bio" styles, between "wholesome" and "doctored" wines, between the "dolce stil nuovo" and a hopelessly compromised production schema.  Which would end the reign of the Monster Wines, since they are by definition anything but bio/organic/less manipulated. That would be big.

Observations from a hill

Domenico stuck with Giampiero and friends for the Champagnes, then struck off on his own.  Here are his notes by Champagne producer, with considerable editing by me.

Champagne Chartogne-Taillet, Merfy

Brut, NV

Very clean, pas dosé, a little acidic at first, long orangey finish with a slight Sherry-like scent. 18 € in wineshop

1999

60% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay.  More concentrated flavor, greater intensity after spending 5 years on lees.  Pas dosé.  Very long intense finish, still with Sherry-like aroma. 24 €

Imported by Michael Skurnik


Champagne R. H. Coutier, Ambonnay

Base and Grand Cru

65% Pinot Noir, 35% Chardonnay.  Firmer and more concentrated than Chartogne-Taillet, similar Sherry scent, lightly dosé, elegant and balanced.  35 € for base, 38-39 € for Grand Cru





Champagne Raymond Boulard, Cauroy lès Hernonville

"All the Champagnes were good -- much better than the big commercial brands, Dom Perignon and so forth included.   You can taste the difference, because those others seem too manipulated.  These bio ones, no -- clean and pure, and they don't make me feel sick as soon as I drink them!  But Francis Boulard's Champagnes were the best of all the sparkling shown here.  A very full range of them, too."

The range includes wines that are pas dosé and lightly dosé, 100% Chardonnay, 90% Pinot Noir, mostly Pinot Meunier, malolactic fermentation and not, crus and not, vintage and non-vintage, etc.  Each is distinctive yet displays a family resemblance:  balanced and elegant, never overpowering; toastiness/briochy notes never smothering the fruit; bright and light on the tongue yet with an endless finish. These Champagnes are in a class by themselves.   Too bad you can't get them here in the States. I hope it's just a matter of time.

   

 

 

Next post: Some still wines, including two nectars of the Gods, one from the Loire, one from Friuli-Venezia Giulia.

Comments

[Francis Boulard]

Thanks Terry,

I was very pleased to meet your correspondent Domenico at Villa Favorita.
Sometimes visiting your informative virtual blog,
I was very pleased to see your "presence" at Villa Favorita.

Again, Thanks for your comments and photos.

Just a small mistake,
since one year some of our cuvées are available in NY,
at Astor Wines ...
I heard that few bottles our Grand Cru Mailly-Champagne Brut Nature ( no dosage )stay there.
Our Importer is Selected Estates of Europe
situated in Mamaroneck, to be right.

Again, Many Thanks for Domenico's visit at Villa Favorita with Aristide.

All the best,
Bien amicalement,

Francis

[Francis Boulard]

Again, to be right,

I have been starting our organic conversion
in 2004.
So, our first official organic grapes will be harvested this year, with the bio label AB.

Even if I started to work with the *lunare* calendar and way ( B*dynamic) in 2001,
on a small piece of our vineyard...
which produce our new cuvée Les Rachais.
But because it'was not checked ...

I have lost 3 years ...
until to be officialy checked by the official Ecocert in 2004.

Complex humanity...

:o)

All the best,
Bien amicalement,

Francis

[Terry Hughes]

Thank you for the correction, Francis, and thank you for the good word.

I will have to check your wines at Astor, which is a favorite wineshop of mine. (Not as much a favorite as De Vino, OF COURSE...eh, Gabrio?)