KERMIT LYNCH WINE MERCHANT

Domaine Giudicelli

Muriel Giudicelli, whose parents hail from the same village in Corsica, was always enthralled with the French island 120 miles off the coast of Provence. Even though she grew up mostly outside of Corsica—her parents were teachers who worked around the world, including on mainland France—she traveled back to the island frequently to stay with family during vacations. When the wine bug eventually bit, Muriel knew that Corsica was where she wanted to settle.

Like many vignerons who aren’t born into a winemaking family, her path to wine came through university courses, where she undertook agricultural and soil studies. Wary of modern enology, Muriel took the unconventional route of training with small domaines all over France to learn the craft, while waiting for any good opportunities to arise in Patrimonio, in the north of Corsica.

During her studies, she had befriended Antoine Arena, who, one day in 1996, called her up and told her about a retiring vigneron with terrific old vines, no children to take over, in a great part of Patrimonio, who was looking to sell. Muriel jumped at the opportunity, bought those 5 hectares of vines, and in 1997 began making wine. From day one, she farmed organically. She obtained organic certification in 2006 and biodynamic certification in 2012.

Muriel’s original holdings, as well as newer ones she has added since then, are all in the highly regarded Campo Gallo (“field of the rooster”) sub-region of Patrimonio, distinct due to its diverse pockets of green clay, red clay, granite, schist, and limestone. Yves Leccia’s parcels border hers. Today she has 10 hectares in total, which she works with her husband (he’s in charge of the vines, she’s in charge of the cellar) and only one employee.

Since 1997, Muriel has avoided the easy sale of the local market. Her main market has been and is still Paris. She wanted to make wine for wine lovers, not primarily for tourists, and was inspired by Antoine Arena’s vision of making Corsica and Patrimonio known beyond its borders and respected for its quality. With her Patrimonio whites and reds, Muriel has joined Antoine in cementing this legacy!

Château La Grave

Deep in the southwest of France, amidst dramatic rock formations and cliffs, the Lot River slowly snakes its way along the valley floor, coiling covetously around the charming town of Cahors. The diversity in architecture serves as a proud historical mark left by many previous generations of inhabitants. Once a former Roman town, Cahors was also as a center of commerce during the Middle Ages that served as an important crossroads for pilgrims on the trail to Santiago de Compostella. Among the many specialties that have brought pride to the region, the constant has been its wine. A.O.C. Cahors is known as the “black wine” of the Southwest—the deeply inky, earthy wines that seem to complement the regional fare of duck (and duck fat!) so wonderfully. Cahors is also the birthplace of Cot, the grape more commonly known as Malbec.

Philippe Bernède is no stranger to the south-west as his family has farmed vines here for many generations. His Château La Grave stands out as it is 100% Malbec, a rarity here in Cahors as most often the wines are blended with up to 30% Merlot or Tannat. La Grave is an incredible value on multiple levels—it is a hearty, full-bodied wine to drink now and a top candidate for your cellar.

Villa di Geggiano

The brothers who run this estate boast a grand villa just outside Siena, a pope in the family, three last names, and some of the best Chianti Classico on the market today. Andrea and Alessandro Boscu Bianchi Bandinelli are the current proprietors of the Villa di Geggiano, a national monument that has been in their family since 1527; documents show that the family was already producing wine here and exporting it to Great Britain in 1725. Originally the family’s summer house, the villa still touts its 18th-century décor and furnishings, and the family is proud to tell of the famous guests who have graced these rooms. Today the estate covers twenty hectares, encompassing the formal outdoor theater that is still used in the summer, a tantalizing vegetable garden, and grounds that include about eight hectares of vineyards. Andrea generally handles the commercial side of the business while Alessandro prefers to stay in the vineyards and cellar, but both brothers are well versed in every aspect of the operation and make decisions jointly. Being especially concerned with the environmental aspect of their craft, they have always worked their vineyards organically, and the estate obtained official certification in 2006.
Geggiano follows the classic tenet that wine resembles its maker: these are distinguished, classy cuvees that nevertheless show the distinct stamp of the terroir. This Chianti earns the title of Classico not just by meeting technical requirements but with its full personality, which shows the balance of bright fruit, a deep, leathery core, and vibrant acidity that is the region’s signature. The recurrent theme when Geggiano is mentioned at KLWM is food pairings (a high compliment coming from this crowd) because theirs are quintessential food wines and the perfect accompaniment to so many dishes, especially Tuscan ones, from grilled vegetables to wild boar ragù. When Kermit has the good fortune to stay for lunch, he comes back raving about it, which makes for some jealous smirks from the staff.

The Guest House at Villa di Geggiano

Patriarca Franco

It wouldn’t be true to say that the area of Piedmont kown as the “Alto Piemonte” is undergoing a renaissance because the planted acreage is still microscopic compared to a century ago. However, there is starting to be a groundswell of interest and activity in the region that is promising for the wine world as the terroirs are very good. The region is located just southwest of Lake Maggiore in the foothills of the Alps, south of the border between Switzerland and Italy, two hours north of Barolo. Gattinara is probably the best-known wine among the nine DOCs and DOCGs of the Alto Piemonte and one of its only two DOCGs.

In the late nineteenth century the vineyards of the Alto Piemonte were Italy’s best known and largest. The vineyard surface at the time of 40,000 hectares was equal to the entire planted surface of all of Piedmont today! As the Langhe area of Piedmont’s wine production surged in the 20th century, led by Barolo and Barbaresco, the Alto Piedmont suffered from a mass industrial exodus that took a vibrant wine producing culture along with it. However, the land is still there, and as the wines of a few ancient artisans and a few new explorers can attest, the potential is important and hopefully economics will support the continued revitalization of the area.

The wines of Gattinara require the most Nebbiolo (known locally as Spanna) of all of the wines of the Alto Piedmont at 90% minimum. The terroir here is porphyry, an igneous rock similar to granite that is loaded with minerals and crystals and is often red or purple in color. Rustic and powerful when young, Gattinara is long-lived and requires lengthy aging in wood and bottle before it softens and develops finesse with time.

Franco Patriarca is a member of the ancient artisan category of growers in the Alto Piemonte. Franco followed in the footsteps of his father and grandfather and tends the family’s old Spanna vines, vinifying them in the tiny cellar below his home in Gattinara. His cellar is so small that he can only vinify one third of the production from his 2.5 hectares of vineyards. Franco does everything by hand, including the unfiltered bottling, and the result is an archetypal example of the DOCG with zero artifice. Franco reminds me of our very own Silvio Giamello in Barbaresco—almost no one has heard of him, including the locals, yet there is treasure in his cellars.

Portelli

In the southeastern corner of Sicily, west of Modica and Ragusa, the town of Vittoria is the home of Sicily’s sole DOCG (Italy’s strictest form of wine certification), known as Cerasuolo di Vittoria. Cerasuolo is an enlightened blend of Frappato and Nero d’Avola, and the two grapes when blended create a harmonious symphony of flavor and texture. Well-made Cerasuolo has a medium-bodied, sensual, seductive personality, and the Portelli family has mastered this fine example of southern Sicilian charm.

Alessandro is the fifth generation of the Portelli family to tend their land, and currently works with his father Salvatore. The estate was founded in 1863 by Basilio Portelli who was succeeded by his son, grandson, great-grandson, and great-great grandson to arrive at present day. The family grew their own grapes, vinified their own wine, and sold it in bottle, long before most others in the area. Their original winery was in use from 1863 to 1959, and their initial export markets were England, Malta, and Germany. The Portellis were among the first growers in the Vittoria area and welcomed many others over the years.

The Portellis have mastered the maceration and extraction to get the most out of their grapes—their wines are loaded with charm and luscious fruit while possessing plenty of structure on the backend. They grow two varieties: Frappato and Nero d’Avola, the latter known locally as Calabrese. Calabrese shows much more elegance here in the soils of Vittoria than it does in other areas of Sicily, where it tends to earn its keep as a wine of brawn and power. The Portellis are crafting Calabrese with elegance and refinement, country charm wrapped in suede. Their Frappato, while the most fruit forward wine they make, is no simple quaffer!

The Portelli family's wines are fresh, vibrant, and joyful to drink, all while being faithful representatives of their native land.

Welcome to a new KLWM standard.

Bernard Baudry

Bernard Baudry is unquestionably one of Chinon’s most outstanding producers. Not only does he have the talent to make delicious and consistent wines, vintage to vintage, but he is also fortunate enough to have vineyard land that showcases many of the varied soil types of the appellation. After completing his studies at the viticultural school in Beaune, Bernard returned to the Loire Valley to consult in Tours. By 1975, he had purchased his first two hectares of land in Cravant-les-Coteaux, a village from which almost half of the production of A.O.C. Chinon is sourced. Over the years, the domaine has grown to twenty-five hectares. Bernard’s son, Matthieu, joined the family domaine in 2000 after studying winemaking in the Mâconnais and Bordeaux, with internships both in Tasmania and California!
The Baudrys work vineyards composed of gravel, sand, limestone, silica, and clay. The variations of terroir and vinification methods make each of their cuvées unique and distinct. Bernard and Matthieu focus the lion’s share of their production on Chinon Rouge, five fine cuvées of Cabernet Franc, all aged in old and new barrels in their incredible cellars chiseled out of tuffeau behind the winery. They make a surprising Chinon Blanc, a rarity to find let alone to import, as well as a stunning Chinon Rosé.  The Baudrys are staunch traditionalists, and you would have a hard time finding a Chinon more classic than theirs.

Domaine Maestracci

High in the foothills of Monte Grossu mountain, inland from Calvi, lies the granite plateau of Reginu, an area long known for U Vinu di E Prove – the wine of the Prove, as the micro-climate is known. The particularity of the plateau is the exposition to hot and dry daytime temperatures with high altitude cool nights, all within a short distance from the sea and regular maritime winds.  The plateau has been continuously used for vine and olive growing for centuries, and was once the site of a major olive pressing operation that supplied a large part of France with its olive oil. In 1945, when the owner of the olive oil mill packed up and moved his operation to colonial Algeria in search of bigger land and greater profits, Roger Maestracci saw a golden opportunity and moved in. The departing olive oil baron had left behind a massive concrete structure with walls so thick the air inside stayed cool year round. Originally used to house the mill and the pressed oil, Roger adapted the structure for old wooden casks and concrete tanks and set about replanting vines on the property. Within a few years the domaine had established a firm reputation in the area and when it came time for Roger to retire in the early 1980’s he passed along the reins of the domaine to his son-in-law, Michel Raoust, who has since handed over the winemaking and winery management to his daughter, Camille-Anaïs Raoust. Given the particularity of the terroir and the diverse influence of the temperature variations and granite soils, Camille allows the red an extended time to age and mellow before release, at least two years in large oak casks, while the white is bottled young to maintain the freshness and iodized ocean breeze of the terroir. The wines Camille makes are quintessential Mediterranean food wines.

Maison Arretxea

The Basque country lies along the southwestern border of France and Spain, deep in the dramatic Pyrénées mountains. The eleventh century monks of Roncevaux made wine to cater to a population of tourists—religious pilgrims traveling through the mountain pass from France on their way to Santiago de Compostella in Spain. However, throughout the centuries, wine production dissipated drastically. Although Irouléguy was awarded its own A.O.C. in 1970, by the late twentieth century, most of the remaining vignerons were selling to the local cooperative. And then along came Michel and Thérèse Riouspeyrous…
Just after losing his father at the age of thirteen, Michel was raised by his grandfather, with whom he worked in the family farm and vineyards. He eventually gravitated towards studies in Agronomy before the mandatory service militaire sent him to Africa for duty. While in Africa, Michel met Thérèse, an Alsatian who was on vacation. They married and returned to Michel’s home in the Southwest in the early eighties. In 1989, they decided to start their own domaine by renting two hectares of vineyards. The decision to farm organically came rather instantaneously to Michel. Once certified as organic, he and Thérèse pushed on towards the next logical progression: biodynamics. Juxtaposed against a backdrop of co-op wine that has come to categorize the appellation in recent decades, the Riouspeyrous seem even more radical—not only for bottling their own wine, but also for farming it as they do. For Michel and Thérèse, it just translates into a more authentic expression of the grape. A mere glimpse of their steep, terraced land, amid beautifully lush wildflowers, set against the white peaks of the Pyrénées, with sheep grazing on the soft, aerated soils in between vineyard rows, makes it easy to see what inspired such a decision.
The majority of their eight hectares are planted to the native grape varietals, Tannat (red), Gros Manseng and Petit Manseng (whites). The sandstone soils of Irouléguy are ideal for these grapes because they are streaked with iron oxide, mica, silica, limestone, clay, and dolomite. The mineral diversity lends an intensity to the wines, making them wild, earthy, tannic, and rich in spicy aromas. Full southern exposure allows the Riouspeyrous to achieve ripeness in these cooler climate vineyards. They vinify each terroir individually through traditional vinification methods to bottle four delicious cuvées. Their rosé is what Dixon Brooke calls, “a winter rosé”—deep in color, generous in fruit, with unusually pronounced tannins, it is the perfect accompaniment to grilled sausages.

Domaine Achard-Vincent

The countryside known as the Diois is located in the Drôme Valley around Die (pronounced “Dee”), east of the Rhône in between Valence and Montélimar. It is also the home of the appellation Clairette de Die, derived from its former name, Dea Augusta, during the Roman Empire. The great historian Pliny the Elder was the first to record the greatness of the Clairette and Muscat here, celebrating a pétillance and freshness widely believed to predate those of Champagne. Among the most well-known of Clairette de Die’s producers today is the tiny Domaine Achard-Vincent.  Jean-Pierre Achard, and his son, Thomas, descend from five generations of growers. The domaine has farmed organically since Thomas’s grandparents were directing it, although it is now officially certified as both organic (since 1982) and biodynamic (since 2007). Though French certification agencies have stricter criteria than those of the United States, incompatible legislation between the two countries, believe it or not, has forced all mentions of their methodology off labels imported into the U.S.
Though the name Clairette de Die suggests the emphasis of the Clairette grape which goes into the blends, it is actually the Muscat à petits grains for which the appellation is best known. The Clairette de Die “Tradition” uses the méthode dioise, an ancestral method that allows a secondary fermentation in the bottle without dosage, because the wine is bottled with residual sugar remaining, typically at 6% alcohol. The bottles are then decanted off of their lees and rebottled under pressure following the secondary fermentation. The Clairette de Die “Brut” is made using the méthode champenoise, or méthode traditionnelle. The “Tradition” is slightly sweet and benefits from low alcohol levels around 7%. The “Brut” is comprised of 100% Clairette and is fermented dry at only 11% alcohol. The delicate liveliness of the wines from Domaine Achard-Vincent makes them refreshing, delicious, and perfect as an aperitif, dessert, or brunch wine. The Brut has become a staff favorite, and Kermit selected it to begin a big Thanksgiving feast this year.

Masseria del Pino

Recent investment in Mount Etna has seen the arrival of ambitious producers from all around the globe armed with significant financial resources and modern winemaking techniques. While much has changed in this part of Sicily over the last two decades, pockets remain where time seems to stand still. Driving down the dusty road to Masseria del Pino, Cesare Fulvio and Federica Turillo’s little farm upslope from Randazzo, on the volcano's northern face, it is hard to tell which century we are living in. This is Etna in all its pastoral serenity, with only the sights, scents, and sounds of the mountain to stimulate the senses.

This simple, peaceful lifestyle is precisely what the couple envisioned when they settled here in 2005. Catania natives, they left their jobs—Cesare as a commercial air pilot, Federica as an archery instructor—to cultivate the two hectares of terraced vineyards at Contrada Pino, elevation 800 meters. They renovated the property’s ancient palmento, a traditional farmhouse featuring an old press and large fermentation vats made of lava stone, and began to work the 120-year-old pre-phylloxera vines, plus some olive trees and vegetable gardens, according to organic and biodynamic principles.

Upon bringing in the grapes—Nerello Mascalese with a bit of Nerello Cappuccio—Cesare and Federica stomp them by foot in these vats. An open-air fermentation begins, then the must is ultimately pressed off into old 500-liter tonneaux, where the wine stays for over a year until bottling. These primitive techniques have changed little since vines first appeared in Contrada Pino in the ninth century, and one can imagine this is what the wine might have tasted like back then. It is a profound Etna Rosso, richly flavored with black cherry, balsamic spices, and a smokiness that recalls the fresh-laid-tar suggestions often found in young Barolo. Its intensely gripping, yet silty-fine tannin is a trademark of wines from Contrada Pino. Cesare proudly remembers when an elderly local peasant identified his red in a blind tasting: “This wine hails from Contrada Pino!” the man exclaimed. For Cesare and Federica, there could be no better compliment.