Truly One of a Kind, the Cornelissen Contadino 6

I've written a lot over the past year about Frank Cornelissen, a very controversial producer from the Etna region of Siciliy.  I began researching him while working with Cynthia Nicholson of The Farmhouse Table on our wine and culinary tour of Sicily last year and have been enthralled with him and his wines ever since.  Luckily our friend Matt Lirette, one of our favorite local wholesalers, has shared my interest in the region and his portfolio currently offers the largest selection of Etna producers available in Louisiana.

It is difficult to describe these wines to someone who has never tasted them.  Frank takes the terms "natural" and "non intervention" to a level that would frighten most producers and consumers.  He feels that anytime you add something to the process, be it herbicides, oak, sulfites, you take something away from the wine. Which is why Frank avoids all possible interventions including any treatments, whether chemical, organic, or biodynamic, to keep the process in tune with nature as it was done thousands of years ago.  From his vineyard practices to non-temperature controlled fermentation in plastic vats to the cellaring in clay amphorae buried into the volcanic soils of the Etna, you can't truly appreciate Frank's "hands off" approach until you've witnessed it yourself.  For my full article about our visit with Frank on the Etna, you can go to my post on The Madman of Etna.

On to the Contadino 6 (meaning 6th vintage), a wine that originally was never meant to be bottled. But a vat containing the musts of grapes and stems from both his red and white wines of his different bottlings was mistakenly tasted by a group of journalist and has gone on to be one of his most popular wines.  It's a field blend of mostly Nerello Mascalese but also with white varietals, Carricante, Dorato, Grecanico.  The grapes, twigs and leaves are all allowed to co-mingle to create an incredible cauldron of dark orange/pink liquid that teems with tobacco, cumin, cinnamon, citrus peel and tangerine. A one of a kind beverage that is the only wine of its type in the world. This is the most sophisticated vintage yet of the Contadino, unlike anything you've ever tasted, it is very intriguing, complex and enjoyable as an actual wine, not just as a study. 

However, the Contadino is not for everyone as there is nothing normal or familiar about any of Frank's wines.  You have to forget everything you expect or know about how wine tastes and approach them with a truly open mind. Drinking them is an experience, and one that I promise you won't forget even if you ultimately decide they are not for you!

To experience the full potential of Frank's wines, it is important to transport and store them at a cool temperature of 58-60 degrees.  Because the wine is unfiltered there is a lot of murky sediment in the bottle, so be sure to stand it upright for a few days before serving to allow the lees to settle.  Since they are natural there are no sulfites or preservatives added to protect against color degradation, so if left open a few hours, you will see the color evolve from granite red to volcanic black ash!!! Don't worry, the flavors become more complex with time, as the color turns. 

As you could expect, Frank does not make much wine period, so availability is limited.  But his wines are truly one of a kind and if what he does sounds intriguing to you, start with the Contadino.  Lirette Selections is also carrying the Munjebel Bianco and Munjabel Rosso so you will be seeing and hearing about those soon as well!

Also, the first time we drank this wine was with Cynthia during one of her visits to New Orleans to plan our trip.  I made a Sicilian dinner that evening and paired the Contadino with a simple but delicious dish called Pesto Trapanese and they worked beautifully together.

Cornelissen Contadino 6, $28.99

Coming Full Circle with The Etna

The first time I tasted a wine from the Etna, I knew that something very special was happening in the eastern part of Sicily.  We were in New York in late January for an Italian Trade Commission wine event and we needed a bottle of wine for our friend Lisa's birthday party. I had become intrigued by the region while researching the wine producing areas of the island for our wine and culinary tour later that year, but there was nothing from the Etna in any of our wholesaler's portfolios.  In fact, like me, most had never even heard of the region until I started inquiring about the wines.  

So, needing a bottle of wine to take with us to a little party, we popped into a shop in the East Village, that actually had a decent selection of Sicilian wines and there on the shelf was a wine by one of the producers I had been researching, Terre Nere.  The 2006 Etna Rosso was under $20, which was very reasonable for anything coming from the area, so I was really excited to try it.  And needless to say we were all impressed as it was lush (a prominent quality in the 2006 vintage) and easy drinking, with a purity of fruit and hints of dark cherries, tobacco and wild herbs, it had an earthiness and texture reminiscent of Burgundy but is distinctly Sicilian. Made with Nerello Mascalese, a native grape to the region, I was hooked and needed to know more about this region.

 Fast forward, almost 2 years later, having now spent time in the region, I had been working with 2 of our wholesalers, Uncorked and Lirette Selections, on getting some of these wines to New Orleans. Pietradolce and Salvo Foti's wines were on the shelf, Frank Cornelissen's were on their way, and the Terre Nere wines would be here for Uncorked's portfolio tasting this month.  And arriving with the wines was the producer himself Marco de Grazia, one of the pioneers of the region and the man really accredited with putting the Etna on the map.

So last night we had the pleasure of Marco's company in the shop for an intimate, seated tasting of his wines as well as a few others he is importing.  Soft spoken, loquacious and extremely passionate about the region, it was wonderful to hear about his approach to wine making on the Etna, to taste the wines with him and hear his stories about what makes this reason so special and one of the most exciting wine producing regions in the world today. His approach is one of minimal intervention, using certified organic practices, and an almost indiscernible use of oak, allowing the expression of the true character of the wine.  And what a beautiful expression it is!  Unbelievably fresh with incredible aromatics, finessed tannins and a weightless quality reminiscent of Burgundy and Nebbiolo, the wines speak for themselves.

It was a wonderful experience, coming full circle with this region that has so intrigued me now for almost 2 years. So the second time I drank the Terre Nere Etna Rosso was with Marco himself in our shop with friends and customers, and I'm still just excited as ever about this wild, crazy volcano and the incredible gift it gives us in these unique wines. 

Thanks to our friends at Uncorked, our inventory should arrive next week and we'll be carrying the Rosato, Etna Rosso and single vineyard Gaurdiola.  Trust me, you need to try these wines!

From Robert Parker: "Proprietor Marc de Grazia is one of the pioneers of the Etna. Not only was he among the first producers to recognize the value of these once-forgotten, ancient terroirs, he also was the first producer to bring attention to the specific qualities of these vineyards by bottling single-parcel Nerellos that have become reference-point wines for the Etna."  Wine Advocate, June 2010

Finally!! The 2007 Pietradolce Archineri Etna Rosso

You may remember that I first talked about the 2007 Pietradolce Archineri when I posted my top 10 wine experiences of 2009. Brought in by our friend Matt Lirette, who thankfully has come to share my love for the Etna region and the Nerello Mascalese grape, this is such a beautiful, approachable expression of the varietal that I could hardly contain myself when it arrived in the shop on Friday. I've been bugging Matt about this wine ever since he got me a sample from North Berkley imports 6 months ago. He promised he would order it for me, but he thought the 2007 was out of stock, so it would probably be the 2008. Well I can't tell you how ecstatic I was when I open the box and pulled out a bottle of '07 and thinking it was just a fluke, I pulled out every bottle and all were the of the same delicious vintage I had last year. So I called him to please send me more.

View of the terrain near Solicchiata, Sicily

Anyway, since that evening when I first had it back in December, I've done a bit of research on the wine. The grapes for the Pietradolce come from vineyards near Solicchiata, on the north eastern slopes of the volcano where many of the prominent producers such as Passopisciaro, Frank Cornelissen, Terre Nere and a handful of others have staked their claim on the ancient volcanic soils. Winemaker Michel Faro at Pietradolce uses grapes from 50-60 years old vines grow at a dizzying 2,600 foot altitude, pushing their way up out of thick, black soils, a generous gift of the Etna, which are a mix of sandy loam, volcanic rock and mineral elements. It is 100% Nerello Mascalese and spends 14 months in French oak. And believe it or not, the 2007 was their first vintage!

Black volcanic soils of the Etna

I also found out that a few other also thought this wine was pretty spectacular as Gambero Rosso gave it their prestiges Tre Bicchieri award, given to less than 300 wines per year. So just what do you get with the Archineri? Another wine that reinforced for me the amazing things that can come from this grape! A heady perfume of red fruits, baking spices and caramel literally jump from the glass, with lush, almost jammy flavors of plum, raspberries and oranges coat your palate. And it is approachable now, unlike some of the other Etna Rosso I've had recently. But, quantities are very limited and I can sell no more that 2 bottles per person, so call if you are interested.

A Tre Bicchieri wine, from the slopes of the Etna, of this caliber and in my shop at under $40 a bottle...unbelivelable!

Thank you Matt!!

The Venerable Vini Biondi

It was our first rainy morning since we started the trip. We headed out early to meet Ciro Biondi, the current owner of Vini Biondi, with instructions to meet him at the piazza in front of the church of S. Alfio in the town of Trescastagni. Well of course it took us twice as long to get there, as it does traveling anywhere in Sicily, but after a few phone calls, the accommodating Ciro arrived at the piazza and asked us to follow him up the mountain to his vineyards.

The Biondi family has owned vineyards on the Etna since 1635, but didn't start producing their own wine until the late 1800's. Over the past hundred plus years they have seen countless medals and awards, partnerships, periods of prolific production countered with declines in quality, all leading to the present day tutelage of Ciro Biondi. In 1999, an architect by trade, Ciro decided to restore his family vineyards. He hired renowned Salvo Foti, considered one of the most gifted interpreters of native varietals in Sicily, as his winemaker and the match has resulted in multiple Gambero Rosso Tre Bicchieri awards for his red wines.

We followed Ciro up the winding roads first to Monte Ilice, a dormant volcanic crater whose slopes rise to a steep 900m at a 50% gradient! A blanket of fog lay over the top of the mountain, obscuring much of the 2 hectares of east facing vineyards that stretch up right to the edge of the crater. They are planted with bush trained Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio using 2meter poles to help hold the soils in place on the steep gradient. Of course everything has to be done by hand, so Ciro has a 300 meter cable lift to bring materials up and down the mountain. At harvest, it takes 4 people 10 days to hand select the grapes from the Monte Ilice vineyard. It is an incredible vineyard site and a definite source of pride for Ciro.

The soils here are amazing. Although in the photo it just looks like fertile black earth, it is actually more like a gravel of ground volcanic rock and sand. It is these soils and the dramatic climate on the slopes of the volcano that make the Etna so unique and one of the most exciting spots in the world of wine today.

We piled back in to the cars to follow Ciro to his next vineyard site, Carpene, where he nostalgically recalls the days that wine was still made here in the old palmento. The typical winemaking structure of the 19th century, the palmento at Vini Biondi is built into the hillside with openings on the upper part of the back wall where the grapes would be brought in to stone basins for foot treading. By gravity, foot-trodden musts would pour into fermentation basins on the lower floor. While no longer used for production, it has been beautifully restored and makes for a wonderfully romantic setting!

Next we headed to Ciro's current production facility where we tasted from the fermentation tanks, freshly picked Nerello Mascalese, and the Outis, a consistent Tre Bicchieri winner from Gambero Rosso. The Outis is a blend of Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Capuccio that come from his east facing Monte Ronzini vineyards at 620m. He also popped a bottle of his newly released and current award winner, the 2006 M.I.(Monte Ilice), that was just announced as a Tre Bicchieri recipient for the 2010 edition!

Beautiful wines, amazing vineyards and a gracious host, we totally enjoyed our visit with Ciro and Trescastagni. As Ciro headed off to a filming in the vineyards with British chef and restaurateur Gary Rhodes, we went back done the mountain into town for a delicious lunch!

Click here for the full slideshow of our visit: Vini Biondi

An Afternoon with Frank Cornelissen, The "Madman" of Munjebel!

After our lovely breakfast at the Scilio Agriturismo, we packed ourselves into our vehicles and headed off to our much anticipated visit with controversial producer Frank Cornelissen. Of Belgian descent, Frank is a newcomer to the Etna which presents both advantages and disadvantages for the passionate winemaker who arrived on the volcano in 2001. Having no roots or ties to the age old regional traditions in winemaking, Frank feels free to do things his own way. Blending white and red grapes for his Contadino, skin fermenting his white wines, using clay amphora for aging; these are just a few of the unconventional methods he uses that helped him earn the title the "Madman of Etna".

When I asked what drew him to the Etna, he said it was precisely the Etna that called him to Sicily. The unique climate, soil and the history that the volcano presents are unlike anywhere in the world and give him an exciting venue for his minimalistic approach to winemaking. Frank takes the term non-intervention to the extreme. He feels that anytime you add something to the process, be it herbicides, oak, sulfites, you take something away from the wine. Which is why Frank avoids all possible interventions including any treatments, whether chemical, organic, or biodynamic, to keep the process in tune with nature as it was done thousands of years ago.

So what does all this mean in terms of Frank's viticultural and vinification practices? Frank has 12 hectares of land that he uses for grapes, fruit and olive trees. Out of those 12 hectares, 9.5 are classic free standing bush vines with some from cuttings of prephylloxera vines. He cultivates other plants and species in between the vines, such as buckwheat, fruit trees and even beehives to help maintain a balanced ecosystem. He keeps his yields low, 300g per plant and harvests totally by hand, usually in late October into early November.

Once the grapes reach the "catina", Frank again takes a minimalist approach. After crushing, the must is then placed into big plastic drums in his backyard (no temperature control here) which are then covered with a tent-like plastic material to keep the rain out. The wine is left to spontaneously ferment and macerate with the skins for a long time not to disturb the complex natural processes of fermentation. The skins, seeds and wine remain unseparated during the entire process in order to extract all possible aromas of soil and territory. Pressed with a wooden basket press the wine is then put into the clay amphorae with the help of gravity and later bottled unfiltered. Absolutely nothing else is added to this wine. Nothing. Not even SO2 (Sulfur Dioxide).

The "cellar" is currently a small room adjacent to the oudoor "catina", although Frank was in the process of moving to a larger facility while we were there. The 400 liter amphorae are buried to the neck in ground volcanic rock keeping in tune with the ancient traditions of aging. Again he is looking for the most pure expression of the territory and feels that oak of any kind will take something away from wine.

Frank currently produces 5 wines, Munjebel Bianco, Munjebel Rosso, Contadino, Magma and Susucaru all of which we tasted with Frank (except for the Susucaru, his rose, which we had with dinner the next evening, but we'll leave that for another post....)on this lovely fall day outside on his black lava rock courtyard. The wines are like nothing you've ever tasted before! I once heard someone describe them as "energetic" which I think is a great term as there is a natural vibrancy and living energy that is present in every one of Frank's wines.

We started with the Munejebel Bianco a blend of Carricante, Grecanico Dorato and Coda di Volpe which is vinified like like a red wine, in full and long skin-contact because as Frank says "the flavors of the grape are on the skin". A beautiful orangish gold color, cloudy (no fining or filtering here), intense minerality, an earthy/ashy/smoky quality with apricots and herbs. Light tannins and firm acidity, but not overdone.

Next up was the Contadino that started as house wine for the workers where he combines Nerello Mascalese (70%) and an assortment of his white grapes. It is a light, fresh style wine with red berries and currants, that unmistakable earthy/ashy quality, little tannin but nice acidity. Young and fruity and a joy to drink.

We then moved to the Munjebel Rosso which combines various vineyards and vintages of his best Nerello Mascalese grapes. Beautiful, sweet earthy red fruits with a little black tea and spice. Again a smoky minerality comes through on the palate; bold but with a fresh elegance as well. My favorite of the reds for its approachability, complexity and price.

The finale is the Magma, made from ungrafted pre-phylloxera, single vineyard Nerello Mascalese that is only bottled from vineyards and vintages that provide the perfect quality. This is Frank's top wine and it exhibits a complex nose of cherries, plums, earth, smoke and a little tar. Sort of nebbiolo like with a nice density on the palate. Full, a little tannic and tight; needs time but you can already taste the amazing quality and potential of this wine.

Through his practice of non-intervention Frank allows the wines to take a natural course and through taking that course a very distinct quality comes through each and every wine. I can only describe it as an essence of purity and an expression of the grape from a very particular time and place that you taste in every sip and each one of his creations. That particular place is the Etna and is like no other on earth. And Frank's wines are alive with the spirit of this amazing place.

Thank you Frank, it was an honor to meet you and spend such a wonderful afternoon with you and your wines! I can't wait till our next visit! To view the full slide show from our visit, click here: Munjebel, Frank Cornelissen

www.frankcornelissen.it