Kermit Lynch's Thoughts on Etna's Vigneti Vecchio

Shop our Etna! Vigneti Vecchio 3-Pack HERE

From Kermit Lynch:

 

 

While viticulture on the slopes of Mount Etna dates back thousands of years, only in the last decade or two have the wines produced on Sicily’s mythical volcano entered the global spotlight. Eager to exploit the terroir riches of this stunning natural wonder, waves of newcomers from around Italy and abroad have settled, relying on both traditional methods and modern enology to search for Etna’s truest expression.

The fascination with Etna in the eyes of growers and consumers alike stems not only from its fertile soils of sandy, decomposed volcanic rock but also from the elevation that allows its wines to retain an uncommon freshness and delicacy at such a southerly latitude. Reaching over 1,000 meters above sea level, Etna’s vineyards are some of Europe’s highest, and the cool nights late in the growing season favor slow ripening and the development of extremely complex aromas at relatively low alcohol levels. Harnessing this potential to create wines of nuance and finesse, however, is another story altogether: it requires vision, dedication, and careful execution. It is with tremendous excitement, then, that we announce our collaboration with Vigneti Vecchio, a small family-run estate on Etna’s northern face.

Carmelo Vecchio and his wife, Rosa La Guzza, did not come from afar to make wine on Etna: they are true locals, raised in the heart of the vineyards. Carmelo began working at the nearby Passopisciaro winery at a young age, and after fifteen years of hands-on experience, the time came to strike out on his own. From barely one hectare of vines up to 130 years old inherited from Rosa’s family, the couple took matters into their own hands: sustainable farming by hand, with the goal of achieving an elegant balance in the grapes; micro-vinifications in the tiny cellar beneath their home, with respect for tradition and terroir; and aging the wines in used barrels before bottling without fining or filtration.

Armed with excellent raw materials along with Carmelo's years of experience and an appreciation for ancient local practices such as skin maceration for whites and blending white grapes into the reds, Rosa and Carmelo succeeded in crafting delicate, pure, and highly refined wines from their inaugural 2016 harvest. While Etna still searches for its identity, Vigneti Vecchio demonstrates that this towering volcano rising from the Mediterranean can in fact produce wines as beautifully nuanced as anywhere else in Italy.

Carricante Sicilia Bianco “Sciare Vive” 2018

• 90% Carricante, 10% indigenous varieties (Minnella, Inzolia, Grecancico, Catarratto)
• 3 day skin maceration in stainless steel tank
• Must is pressed, then primary and malolactic fermentation in 500-L oak barrels
• Aged 7 months in 500-L oak barrels on lees
• Racked off lees into stainless steel tank 1 month before bottling
• Wines age in bottle for 1 month
• Does not receive Etna Bianco DOC because one parcel is located just outside the appellation boundary
• Vines planted between 1,600 and 2,800 feet above sea level
• Fennel, pine resin, wildflower honey

Etna Rosso “Contrada Crasà” 2017

• 90% Nerello Mascalese, 10% indigenous varieties (Inzolia, Grecanico, Catarratto)
• Grapes sourced from Contrada Crasà
• All grape varieties are fermented together
• 15-day skin maceration and primary fermentation in stainless steel tank
• Light punch-downs and pump-overs during fermentation
• Must is pressed, followed by malolactic fermentation in 500 L oak barrels
• Aged 9 months in 500-L oak barrels on lees
• Racked off lees into stainless steel tank 1 month before bottling
• Aged in bottle for 8 months
• Vines planted at 2,100 feet above sea level
• Cherry compote, white pepper, ash

Terre Siciliane Rosso “Donna Bianca” 2018

• 50% Nerello Mascalese, 20% Nerello Cappuccio, 20% Alicante, 10% indigenous white grapes
• Vines located in northern Etna, just outside of the Etna DOC
• All grape varieties are fermented together
• Grapes are de-stemmed
• 12-day skin maceration and primary fermentation in stainless steel tank
• Light punch-downs and pump-overs during fermentation
• Aged 9 months in 500-L oak barrels on lees
• Aged 1 month in bottle
• Located at 2,700 feet above sea level
• Red cherry, lavender, rosemary

Shop our Vigneti Vecchio 3-Pack HERE

Thoughts on Whole Cluster Fermentation & Specs About the Package Wines

Whole cluster fermentation is in, destemmers are out (good riddance, as anyone who has cleaned one will agree), and Henri Jayer is rolling in his grave. We’ve discussed the fickle nature of the wine industry on this blog before. There is always a fresh flavor of funky newness coming over the horizon, or an as yet undiscovered wine region (the enological North Sentinel Island) to be both championed and gate-kept by Magellanic sommeliers. Everyone is drinking rosé again, Cru Beaujolais and the Jura have celebrated their time in the sun, and regenerative viticulture is just now entering the cool-wine zeitgeist.

Whole cluster, though, has managed to pervade both the edgy corners of wine nerd-dom and the pillared halls of wine orthodoxy. There are even large national brands advertising whole cluster fermentation on their labels! Unfortunately, the term is not very well understood, and winemakers have confused the issue further by using several different names for the same process (whole cluster/whole bunch/partially destemmed/etc). We want the truth, the whole cluster truth, and nothing but the truth!

What do you mean by whole cluster?

In a typical red wine fermentation, grape clusters are dropped into a destemmer, which removes the stems and spits out clean purple grapes that look like blueberries. Skip this step, and you are left with full clusters of grapes still attached to the stem. These are whole clusters.

Great, we’ve got whole clusters. Now...uh… how do we make them into wine?

Oftentimes these clusters will be crushed and piled into a fermentation vessel. This crushing can be done mechanically, or through the time-honored tradition of foot-stomping (“pigeage”). This releases juice, submerging the solids, preventing microbial spoilage (also known as vinegar).

That sounds easy! Why would anyone ever use a destemmer?

Well, some varieties are not as well suited to whole cluster fermentation as others. Pinot noir, Grenache, Syrah, Mencía, and Gamay are generally regarded as good fits for whole cluster fermentation, but pyrazine-heavy reds like Cabernet and Merlot can become green and vegetal. Stemmy fermentations also require careful tannin management to prevent hard, unyielding wines. Finally, the potassium in stems (as well as any incidental carbonic maceration) causes the pH of the finished wine to rise, which can lead to instability.

Hey, you tried to sneak in a word there! Think I wouldn’t notice?!? What’s carbonic maceration?

Yeesh. Ok. Carbonic maceration is an intracellular fermentation that takes place in an anaerobic environment, usually a CO2-filled tank. Fruity esters, reminiscent of strawberry and raspberry, are produced, and the malic acid of the grapes is degraded, raising the pH. Uncrushed whole clusters are very conducive to carbonic maceration, and almost all of the classic producers of Cru Beaujolais use whole clusters and at least semi-carbonic maceration. This leads to the fruity aromas and silky textures that the region is known for.

Welp, I’m sorry I asked. Ok, I think I’m getting it. If you’re lazy and you don’t want to use the destemmer, you can use whole grape bunches in your wines. That’s whole cluster.

Well, mostly. Remember, a winemaker doesn’t have to leave his entire harvest as whole bunches. Many winemakers will choose to either destem part of a crop or fill a fermenter with alternating lasagna layers of destemmed grapes and whole clusters or destem the whole crop and then add back in some of the de-graped stalks. Domaines in Burgundy will often vary the amount of whole clusters from vintage to vintage, with a poor or rainy vintage usually getting less while a warm solar vintage gets more. It’s just another wrench in the winemaker’s toolbox.

So, whole cluster usually means not de-stemming grapes, except when it doesn’t. Got it. Very clear cut. Thanks for all your help. What do these Schrodinger wines taste like? Both wine and not wine at the same time, until you drink them?

*Oblivious to sarcasm* You’re very welcome. They taste delicious! Yes, sometimes they can be a little...ahem…stalky, but in the hands of a sensitive winemaker, stems can add lift, spice, and resinous snap. The best way to understand the impact of stems is to try two different wines, one whole cluster and one destemmed, from the same producer or region. Maybe try a rustic, spicy, whole cluster Cornas next to a suave, fudgy, destemmed Hermitage. Ask your local wine purveyor to help you pick out a wine with whole clusters and see what all the cool wine kids are excited about.

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GLOBAL DRINK WINE DAY PACKAGES

Whole Cluster, Cozy Reds 3-Pack, Shop Here

Castro Candaz Tinto 2019

• Ribeira Sacra, Galicia
• Primarily Mencia, with Domingo Pérez (Trousseau), Garnacha Tintorera (Alicante Bouschet), Mouratón, Caiño and Brancellao
• Organic viticulture
• 100% whole cluster fermentation in wooden vessels
• Aged in 500l barrels and foudre
• Raspberry, red cherry, bergamot

Domaine de la Grosse Pierre Chiroubles “Claudius” 2018

• Chiroubles, Beaujolais
• 100% Gamay noir au jus blanc
• Pink granite
• 80 year old vines
• 3800 vines per acre
• 100% whole cluster, semi-carbonic maceration
• Fermented 12 days with one pump over per day, native yeasts
• Aged 11 months in concrete tank
• Unfined, unfiltered, no SO2 until bottling
• Blackberry, black cherry coulis, cracked black pepper

Eric Texier Domaine de Pergaud Vieille Serine Brézème 2014

• Brézème, Ardeche
• 100% Syrah (Serine)
• ~90 year old vines
• Limestone soils
• Organic viticulture, incorporating no-till and compost tea preparations
• 100% whole cluster fermentation with submerged cap for 5-7 days
• Aged 3 years in foudre with no racking
• No punchdowns or pumpovers
• Unfined, unfiltered, no added SO2
• 93 points John Gilman
• Cassis, smoked brisket, salt-cured olive tapenade

International Chardonnay: Winter Whites 3-Pack, Shop Here

Edi Kante Chardonnay 2016

• Venezia Giulia, Friuli
• 100% Chardonnay
• Clay and limestone
• Fermented and aged 12 months in old barrels
• Aged 6 additional months in stainless steel
• Bottled unfiltered
• Orange blossom, lemon curd, clove

Dominique Lafon Bourgogne Blanc 2018

• Burgundy, France
• 100% Chardonnay
• Clay and limestone
• Organic viticulture
• 20-50-year-old vines sourced from Meursault and Puligny-Montrachet
• Whole cluster pressed
• Fermented and aged for 12 months in old barrels, native yeasts
• Little or no battonage
• White peach, Meyer lemon, crushed chalk

Crossbarn Sonoma Coast Chardonnay 2018

• Sonoma Coast, California
• 100% Chardonnay
• Hand-harvested at night
• Whole cluster pressed
• Fermented and aged in 90% stainless steel, 10% neutral oak barrels
• Aged 5 months on the lees
• 92 points JS, 90 points WA, 90 points JD
• Sliced apple, nectarine, wildflower honey

Rhône or Bust Syrah 3-Pack, Shop Here

Patrick Jasmin “La Chevaliere” 2016

• Collines Rhodaniennes, Northern Rhône
• 100% Syrah
• Decomposed granite and schist
• Sourced from the plains below Côte Rôtie
• 100% destemmed
• 20-22 day fermentation with punchdowns
• Aged 12-18 months depending on vintage
• Red plum, bresaola, sandalwood

 

Equis Equinoxe Crozes Hermitage 2017

• Beaumont-Monteux, Northern Rhône
• 100% Syrah
• Gravel and loam
• Practicing organic
• Fermented in wood and concrete with native yeasts
• Aged in 40hl tronconique wooden vessel
• Black currant, blackberry, anise seed

 

Domaine Rostaing Les Lezardes 2018

• Collines Rhodaniennes, Northern Rhône
• 100% Syrah
• Fruit sourced from the northern edge of Côte Rôtie, as well as Tupin
• Majority whole cluster fermentation for 7-20 days
• Aged in older barrels, many demi-muid
• 90-91 points VM, 89-91 points JD, 89-91 points WA
• Blueberry, allspice, wild boar bacon

 

Italian Dinner Party 6-Pack

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La Valle Del Sole Offida Pecorino DOCG 2018

• Piceno, Le Marche
• 100% Pecorino
• Organic certification since 1990
• Clay and sand
• Destemmed, 12-24 hours of skin contact
• Fermented in stainless steel
• Aged in concrete, 6 months on lees
• White grapefruit, jasmine, sea spray

 

Bonnaccorsi ValCerasa Etna Bianco DOC Carricante 2016

• Northeastern side of Etna, in Crucimonaci between the Passopisciaro and Randazzo contradas.
• 500-850 meters elevation
• Down the road from Tenuta delle Terre Nere
• Learned from Salvo Foti
• 37 acres
• Organic farming
• 100% Carricante
• 2 years in stainless steel, some battonage
• Lemon peel, raw almond, smoked salt

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Castello di Volpaia Chianti Classico 2018

• Tuscany
• 90% Sangiovese, 10% Merlot
• Certified organic
• Sandstone and clay
• Fermented in stainless steel
• Aged 12 months in Slavonian oak
• 93 points JS, 92 points VM, 91 points WE
• Red cherry, plum skin, iron shavings

Gabbas Lillove Cannonau di Sardegna 2018

• Sardinia
• 95% Cannonau (Grenache), 5% Muristellu
• Fermented for 12-15 days in stainless steel
• Aged in stainless steel
• Raspberry, violet, slate

 

Botromagno Primitivo 2018

• Gravina, Puglia
• 100% Primitivo (Zinfandel)
• Calcareous clay and gravel
• 45-year-old vines
• Fermented 10 days in stainless steel with gentle pump-overs
• Aged 12 months in stainless steel
• 90 points WE
• Blackberry, hibiscus, loam

 

Fattoria del Cerro Vino Nobile di Montepulciano 2016

• Montepulciano, Tuscany
• 100% Prugnolo Gentile (Sangiovese)
• Largest private estate in Montepulciano
• Fermented at 75-82 degrees
• Malolactic fermentation in large format oak
• Aged 18 months in large oak
• 90 points WE
• Black cherry, cassis, eucalyptus

SHOP ITALIAN DINNER PARTY 6-PACK HERE