A Catalonian Pic Nic at Finca Viladellops with Marcello Desvalls by Philip S. Kampe

                                             

Its funny how life is.

My wife, Maria, and I are on holiday in Catalonia (Spain). We came specifically to partake in the Carnival Celebration at the seaside resort town of Sitges, an hour plus from Barcelona.

On our first night in town, we watched the colorful floats of revelers for hours. With jet lag and an appetite, we’ve decided  to take a break from the action and find a restaurant.

Tapas and wine was on our mind. We walked along the beachfront and spotted a restaurant named ‘Pic Nic.’

We entered.

On the menu at ‘Pic Nic’ were both tapas and wine.

The wine list contained many wines and grape varieties we were unfamiliar with. Our curiosity and love of indigenous varieties brought us to the Xarel-lo grape. The wine we chose, Finca Vildellops Xarel-lo was produced by a Catalonian vineyard that we were unfamiliar with, Viladellops,

After a small discussion with our server, we chose the pricier aged (2016) bottle of finca Viladellops Xarel-lo ($26) and bypassed  the first level Viladellops Xarel-lo at $16. A few minutes later, our tapas reached the table at the same time as the white wine.

When poured, the wine had a golden color, similar to an aged wine of ten to twenty years. On the palate, the wine was fresh, crisp and balanced with perfect acidity. The presence of saline on the palate and the nose  attracted my attention. Was the vineyard on the sea or just miles away? The dominance of the saline made me curious.

We finished the bottle and the tapas, knowing that we would come back the next day to try another selection of of finca Viladellops at the ‘Pic Nic’ restaurant.

Needless to say, we returned to ‘Pic Nic,’ ordered a bottle of finca Viladellops red wine, a mix of Grenache, Carignan, Syrah and Merlot ($17). The first taste found saline alive  on my mid-palate and in my nose.  That was very unusual for a red blend.

Next stop, research this vineyard, finca Viladellops and try to schedule a visit.

Fast forward three days.
We visited their website: www.fincaviladellops.com and scheduled a visit with owner Marcello Desvalls. The Premium visit is 40euro and an intensive visit, for 150euro, is with the owner. I had to learn about the saline and a visit with Mr. Desvalls would solve my worries.

As luck would have it, one of our Catalonian wine friends volunteered to drive us to the vineyard, which is located, by the way, only ten miles (15km) from the Mediterranean Sea (clue #1).

We arrived, met Marcello Desvalls and immediately got into his Jeep and drove to one of the vineyard plots,  where he stopped, we got out of the car and he said, ‘look at the soil.’ We did and within a few seconds, I found a half dozen oyster shells. He smiled and said, ‘here is your saline.’
The clay is full of high levels of carbon and sediment from the sea that once existed where the vineyard is today.

Problem solved.

Marcello went on to say the vineyards hills are made of calcareous soil that is full of marine fossils. And that’s when he began to tell us about the history of the vineyard and why his wines character begins with the terroir paired with local grape varieties,.

Viladellops focuses on Grenache (red) and Xarel-lo (white). All the wines are organic.

The winery is located in the natural park, Massis del Garraf, within a short distance of the Olerdola Castle in Penedes, Catalonia.

Historically, the vineyard of 150 acres (60 hectares) has been in the family since 1877. The estate is 1000 acres (400 hectares) in size.

Marcello took over the vineyard in 1999. He is passionate about the property and his family’s place in history, ‘The Desvalls and Catalonia,’ is an exhibit on the property that follows the history of Catalonia through a family archive that consists of 4,529 parchments dating back to 981 A.D.

Marcello Desvalls respects the land and sustainability. His legacy is Finca Viladellops. He shared
the wines from finca Viladellops with us and without doubt, his wines show the passion and sustainability that is his creed. Yes, saline exists in his wines, as well as terroir.

Search out his wines, like I did.
Close to a 100,000 bottles are produced yearly.
Seven wines are in the market or can be purchased directly online.
The wines that were sampled were:
Parany
Turo de les abelles
L.D. Ancestral
Finca Viladellops Xarel lo XXX
Finca Viladellops Negre
Viladellops Xarel-lo
Viladellops Garnatxa

After spending five hours with Marcello Desvalls, we could spend a week detailing his stories about wine, his family history and why he chose this path. Instead, I’ll leave it to up to you to meet him and learn about his passion.

You never know what happens when you order a bottle of wine in a restaurant. This is what happened to us when we visited the ‘Pic Nic’ restaurant in Sitges, Spain.

Finca Viladellops-Cellar Gran. Viladellops
08734 Olerdola
(+34) 93 81 8188371
Info@viladellops.com
www.fincaviladellops.com.

                                                    Marine fossils create saline

                                                       Marcello Desvalls

   

  

Better To Stay with the DAO, if you have Long Term Goals by Philip S. Kampe

Several years ago on a European jaunt I had the possibility to visit the DAO region in Portugal. The memories of that visit linger today and were heightened by a recent dinner and wine tasting I attended at the ‘chic’ private dining room at the Crown Shy restaurant in the Wall Street area of lower Manhattan.

The way the stock has been reacting to the Coronavirus only makes it more certain to put your money into the wines from the DAO region.  Where is the DAO? Think central Portugal. It is a mountainous region with lots of rainfall in the winter and warm, dry summers. Vineyards are planted on mostly sandy, well drained soil on top of granite.

The DAO region became a DOC in 1990.  Originally the region produced bulk wine, hence the switch over to focused wines took several years, resulting in the DOC (Denominacao of Origem Controlada).

With the prestigious DOC as a backbone to growth, the region has elevated its winemaking status to ‘elite’ status. Some of the recent wines that have I have samples and has brought the DAO, with its indigenous grapes, many used as blends, into contention with wines from France, Spain and Italy include:

Quinta das Maia’s Tintoretto Jean DOC 2018 (100% Jane) 13.4%

Jaime de Almeida Barron’s Quinta das Camelias Tintoretto Reserva DOC 2015 (Jaen, Alfrocheiro and Touriga-National 13.3%

Borges Touriga National DOC 2017. (100%Touriga-Nacionel) 12.5%

Julia Kemper Wines Blanc des Noirs ‘Vinhas Selecionadas’ DOC 2018  (100% Touriga-Nacional) 12.7%

Pedra Cancela Selecao do Enologo Tinto DOC 2016. (Touriga-Nacional, Alfrocheiro and Tinta Roriz) 13%

Pedra Cancela Reserva Tinto DOC 2016 (Touriga-Nacional, Alfrocheiro and Tinta Roriz) 13.5%

Casa da Passarella ‘O Fugitivo Vinhas Centenarias’ Tinto DOC 2015. (Touriga-Nacional, Baga, Avarelhao, Tinta Pinheira, Jaen, Alfrocheiro and Tinta Carvalha) 13.5%

Quinta dos Roques Encruzado DOC 2018. (100% Encruzado) 13%

Pedra Cancela ‘Vinha da Fidaiga’ Encruzado DOC 2018. (100% Encruzado) 13%

Soliton Encruzado DOC 2017. (90% Encruzado and 10% Malvasia-Fina) 13.5%

Quinta do Mondego Mondeco Branco DOC 2018  (60% Encruzado and 40% Gouveio) 13.2%

What strikes me about these wines, which are a very small representation from the DAO, is the high quality of the wines paired with reasonable price points.

Stylistically, many of the whites, as stated earlier, were similar in taste to the wines from Burgundy, while the reds can be compared to the soft, tannic reds from Burgundy. Native grapes, especially the white grape, Encruzado, and the classic red grape, Touriga-Nacional, have helped put this region on alert to the wine lovers and sommeliers of the world.

Both traditional and modern wine making techniques exist in the DAO, thus making the region the perfect alternative for style and value.

Philip S. Kampe
Philip.kampe@thewinehub.com

Swanson’s Is Not a TV Dinner, but, a Napa Valley Vineyard by Philip S. Kampe

I remember eating my first Swanson’s TV dinner with my parents when I was in grade school. It was one of the rare meals my mother didn’t have to cook. She was a great cook, combining Hungarian and Louisiana recipes into unique dishes. Living in New Orleans was a big plus if you are fond of food and the flavors that make the dishes alive.

As one matures, the name SWANSON has taken on a different meaning. To wine worshippers, Swanson now means ‘Swanson Vineyards’ from Napa Valley California.

Since 1985, Merlot has been the core of Swanson Vineyards identity. The newest vintage (2017) was harvested on October 5th (no, I wasn’t at the harvest) and bottled on July16th, 2019. The wine matured for twenty (20) months in 225 liter French oak barrels, of which 35% were new oak. Four thousand (4,000) cases were bottled.

Sometimes I feel terrible when I open a bottle of the most recent vintage of Swanson’s Merlot because I know that if I age the wine 7-10 years, it will improve. That’s the time to buy several bottles so you never run into such a dilemma.

Swanson Vineyards is well known for their quad trellis system which protects the grapes from too much sun exposure. The grapes are hand harvested at night followed by a cold maceration. 2017 was a wet year, allowing ample water for the root system, hence, vigorous growth.

When you open the bottle, a melody of aromas fill the air. Not sure exactly what was in the air, but felt like blueberry pie crust danced in my nostrils. On the palate, heavy flavors of licorice, tin, cassis and ripened dark plums collided with uncanny tannins. After several hours, the tannins woke up and spread their wings creating a full-bodied rich wine that wants steak to show off its stature.

At 14.6% alcohol and $32 a bottle, a breath of fresh air for this young wine is necessary.

The technical sheet on the wine says it’s 100% Merlot, but, the bottle says, “ This delicious Merlot, deepened with Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot, goes with almost anything,” I’m guessing the deep, dark, garnet hue has extra color due to the skins of these grapes.

No more Swanson’s TV dinners for me- the only Swanson’s I want is the wine!

Philip S. Kampe
philip.kampe@thewinehub.com.

Wine For A Good Cause at the Red Lion Inn by Philip S. Kampe

As a true fan of humanity and kind acts of goodness, it was a pleasure to attend a fundraiser, hosted by The Red Lion Inn (Stockbridge, Ma) and Nejaime’s Wine Cellar  (Lenox & Stockbridge). Raffle proceeds went to CATA-Community Access to the Arts, which celebrates the creativity of people with disabilities. Magnums of wine, a night at the Red Lion Inn and tours of Berkshire Mountain Distillery were some of the prizes.
Needless to say, I was a non-prize winner.

As a journalist and wine event promoter for my readers, I urge my readers via FB and blogs to attend events like this one. For $25 admission, you had the opportunity to sample over forty (40) wines plus a half dozen spirits. On top of that, the event was catered by the Red Lion Inn’s catering division.

The room was packed and space was tight at the beginning of this three hour event. As time passed, many of the attendees retired to the cheese and appetizer table for the rest of the afternoon.

There were seven tables set up with wine and spirits. The sales staff from Elevation Wine Company; M,S, Walker; Classic Wine Imports; Ideal Wine; Oz Wine Company; Boston Wine Company; Berkshire Mountain Distillers and the staff from Nejaime’s Wine Cellar were pouring and taking orders for all of the wines poured.

The deals on the wines were incredible. Depending on your order size, bottles that normally retail for $40, like Cascina Ballarin Barolo 2014, could be purchased for $32. You don’t get these wonderful deals too often.

There were too many standout wines to mention all of them, but, the ones I will talk about drank above their retail selling price and were a steal with Nejaime’s discount. You have to thank dedicated wine merchant, Joe Nejaime and his top assistant, Xavier Letteron for that.

The standouts include:
Acquesi, Brachetto (NV) Piedmont, Italy $14.99
Chateau Petra, Graves Blanc, 2016 Bordeaux $21.99
Valdibella, Nerello Mascalase Agape, 2018, Sicily $18.99
Domaine Ilarria, Rose 2018, France $23.99
Fattoria Selvapiana, Chianti Rufina, 2017, Tuscany $18.99
Ferrari-Carson, 2014, California $39.99
Empire Estate, Dry Riesling, Finger Lakes $19.99
Hattingley Valley, Sparkling Cuvée, Great Britain $45.99
Cambria, Chardonnay Katherine’s Vyd, California $17.99
Berkshire Mountain Distillers, Octoberfest American Whiskey, Massachusetts $79.99

I normally end these types of articles with advice.
Try and attend as many local wine tastings as you can. Your wine knowledge will grow, your palate will be pleased and often, your pocketbook will be lessened.
Its basic Wine 101.
Become a student!

Philip S. Kampe
philip.kampe@thewinehub.com.

SEA SLOPES: An Elegant and Pure Sonoma Chardonnay by Philip S. Kampe

   

Some California style Chardonnays leave a lot to be desired. Others, like Sea Slopes Sonoma Coast  2017 Chardonnay are right  on the money. Its faintly, buttery complexity is both balanced and pure on the palate.

Produced in a rugged coastal terrain , by Fort Ross Vineyard, the grapes blossom in the cool maritime breezes of the Pacific Ocean. The Sonoma Coast is one of the largest AVAs in Sonoma,  covering over 500,000 acres (200,000 hectares).

The first taste of the wine revealed minimal oak. The reason was obvious, part of the grapes remained in stainless steel for ten months, while a smaller percentage of the yield swam in neutral used French oak barrels. Together, their marriage was consummated into a lovely child, full of freshness, complexity and whispers of saline from the nearby ocean.

Winemaker, Jeff Pisoni, along with the guidance of owners, Linda and Lester Schwartz, has crafted a very special wine that speaks of the terroir.  Its not your typical buttery, toasty California style Chardonnay, but, one that is velvety on the edges and elegant on the palate.

Its my Valentines wine of choice this year.

If you know me and my New Orleans background, it should be easy to understand that this silky wine loves seafood. I’m cooking catfish as a main course, shucking oysters as our appetizer and slurping gumbo somewhere in-between.

Sea Slopes Sonoma Coast Chardonnay 2017 will tie the knot-in essence, intertwine the culinary delicacies with a terroir driven wine that beckons to brighten the palate.

Valentine’s Day is upon us.
This wine should be on your table.
At under $30 a bottle, its hard to resist.

Philip S, Kampe
philip.kampe@thewinehub.com.

GALIA 2016 A True Masterpiece from Danny Garcia-Pita and Jerome Bougnaud by Philip S. Kampe

Hand harvested, old age Tempranillo (Tintoretto Fino) , Garnacha and Albillo varieties from organic practices make up this overly enticing nineteen (19) month old and new (15%)  oak barrel aged red wine from Vino de Mesa in Castilla y Leon, Spain.

Proprietors Danny Garcia-Pita and Jerome Bougnaud collaborated on the project. Garcia-Pita is the solo winemaker at El Regajal Winery in Madrid, while Jerome Bougnaud, who has ties with El Regajal,  led the reins for this project.

The area in and around the Duero is rich in clay, limestone, sand and gravel. The vines are situated somewhere between 2,700 and 4,000 feet (800-1000 meters) and are hand harvested from more than fifty (50) parcels scattered along the Duero River, which include  the provinces of Galia, Segovia and Valladolid

Galia was the province that Jerome Bougnaud personally rescued. The vines, as explained by Nicola Thornton of the Spanish Palate (www.spanishpalate.es) were abandoned  and became a personal project of Bougnaud to rescue the old vines in and around Ribera del Duero. Jerome Bougnaud comes from a family of winemakers. He is the fourth generation, whose roots began in the Cognac region of France.

Bougnaud has established himself in Spain, having worked with Peter Sisseck at Quinta Sardinia, Pingus and El Regajal, where his friendship with Danny Garcia-Pita began.

Galia.s claim to fame and consistent high ratings have come from the complexity of the wine, in part, due, to the soil profile and the old age of the vines. The abandoned vines were close to, but, outside of the Ribera del Duero region. It seems that location doesn’t matter, as the wine truly represents what the Duero Valley is all about.

The three grapes used were from different areas and from different soils. They were fermented separately with indigenous yeasts in French barrigue. Unparalleled balance, mid-palate seduction and summers freshness describe the end result of this project of Jerome Bougnaud and Danny Garcia-Pita.

GALIA 2016 is age-worthy and can be cellared for years to come.

El Regajal Winery Is Madrid’s Finest And Its Home To 77 Butterfly Species by Philip S: Kampe

Winemaker Danny Garcia-Pita Excels at El Regajal Winery in Madrid!

Its fun for innovative sustainable winemaker Danny Garcia-Pita of El Regajal Winery to take a much needed rest between tasks and sit in the garden of the winery, have a glass of wine and count the number of  butterfly species that fly overhead.

If you visit this winery, also home for many weddings, the attraction is not only the wine, but, the butterflies, which obviously inspired the vineyard to choose tasteful butterfly focused wine labels for their bottles.

Since nature has always been the goal and philosophy of the winery, the winemaking facilities are underground, so as not to interfere with the landscape of the property, which houses olive trees, fruit trees and plants.

The bodega has been home, since the 1800.s , to butterflies.
 Presently, there are seventy-seven (77) species.
Many are rare.

On a recent visit to the vineyard, this February,  I had the opportunity to spend much of the day with winemaker Garcia-Pita.

My outcome of the day was obvious, He is a man with a vision who makes exceptional wines that consistently receive high ratings..An old friend of mine, Nicola Thornton , founder of the Spanish Palate (www.spanishpalate.es) arranged the visit and afternoon meal at a local eatery.

We tasted several wines in the back room of the restaurant from Nicola’s ‘Spanish Palate portfolio. I’ll mention them at a later date on FB. What the day was about was Danny and his wines.

What I learned from the winemaker was that his blends proportions were different each year.

 His winemaking techniques include biodynamic practices, controlled fermentation, malolactic fermentation and up to date berry selection. Both oak and stainless steel are used for aging.

New vines were planted in 1998 through 2001.

The varieties planted focused on Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Petit Verdot and Merlot. The 2,000 foot altitude property houses the 40 acres of vineyard, which produce close to 100,000 bottles annually, The elevated location, with hot summers with cool nights. A microclimate is the end result,

Walking through the vineyards, it was not hard to notice the chalky top soil, which gave way to a sandy base that had clay characteristics seeping through the middle layer.

The biodynamic philosophy incorporates the idea that ‘soil is a living being,’ which winemaker Danny Garcia-Pita observes.

With all this in mind and a quality vineyard miles from the Prado, it was hard to comprehend what my reaction would be to the wines. The story was enticing, but, would the wines match-up to the foreplay?

I’m happy to say the two wines (several vintages) from the vineyard that I tasted threw me off the edge. Not only did all of the wines taste well above their price point, all of the wines had the same above average quality that made your palate ask for more.

In a project with Jerome Bougnaud, Regajal produces a wine that uses grapes from in and around the Ribera del Duero region.  Higher altitude, along with old vines paired with microclimates insure the grapes used in the wine, Galia,, success. Tempranillo (87%) Ganacha (9%) Albillo (4%) make up this wine from Castilla y Leon.

Look for any vintage of:El Regajal wines and you will find terroir driven wines that are medium to full bodied, fruit driven and food friendly.with a long finish.

I am fully impressed and satisfied with all the wines I sampled. Try any vintage of the ‘Butterfly Wines’ and see if you agree with me.

El REGAJAL Seleccion Especial
Las Retamas del REGAJAL (French oak)

Also, GALIA (Castilla y Leon)

Philip S, Kampe
Philip.kampe@thewinehub.com