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Importer of fine wine from France and Italy. Established 1972 | Berkeley, CA
Featured Producer
Fattoria Moretto
Domenico Altariva grew up watching his parents work the land; so when he married and bought a house with his new wife, Albertina, it was natural that he also bought a little land that he would tend in his spare time. A salesman by trade, he was also an avid oenophile, so he chose to plant vineyards from which he made wine for personal consumption.Domenico and Albertina slowly increased their wine production and turned their hobby into a full-time vocation, selling the wine in bulk to private clients. Right from the start they worked their vines with entirely natural products and made the most of their excellent vineyard sites. When their sons Fabio and Fausto joined the estate in 1991 the family took another step forward, building a new winery, acquiring another four hectares of vineyards, and finally bottling the wine themselves; and in 1997 their organic status became official.
The vineyards of Fattoria Moretto are located in the heart of the hills of Castelvetro, near the famous town of Modena, where clay, limestone, and silt soils give fresh, mineral wines. The Altarivas also choose to highlight the local grape Lambrusco Grasparossa by vinifying it alone, resulting in an intense, terroir-driven, bone-dry Lambrusco with a nose serious enough for even the most knowledgeable wine connoisseur.
Domaine Hippolyte Reverdy
Hippolyte Reverdy’s family has been making wine in the charming village of Verdigny, a commune of Sancerre in the eastern Loire, for many generations—perhaps as far back as 1600. Traditional in nature, the farm was planted to multiple crops, and the Reverdys raised goats and made small quantities of wine from their own vines for local consumption. It was not until the end of World War II that Hippolyte began increasing his Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir production, selling it to accommodate increasing demands from Paris. Hippolyte and his three sons began bottling small quantities under their own label, although the lion’s share of the grapes was still being sold off to the local cave coopérative. Michel joined his father and brothers in 1971, shortly after finishing high school. Kermit began working with the domaine for the first time in 1983. Shortly after, the passing of Michel’s father and the untimely deaths of his two brothers brought a climate of sadness to the domaine. Michel was left with his mother to bear the burden of loss and to assume the responsibility of running the farm alone. Slowly but surely, Michel has found his own rhythm. After tasting a Sancerre rouge from the domaine, Kermit asked Michel to craft one for him in the traditional demi-muids, and specified that he would like it unfiltered. Once convinced of the quality, Michel expanded the winery to accommodate these new reds. Since then, his rouge is the talk of Sancerre, one of a kind.Today, Michel farms fourteen hectares of vineyards on his own. Chris Santini, our man in France, writes of Michel, “His dedication is total. He’s one of the few remaining vignerons in France who truly live like a paysan [peasant]. No vacation, no travel, ever. He’s happy just to stay on the farm, working seven days a week, and wanting nothing more and nothing less…[Michel] plans to keep working the land until he physically can’t get himself out to the vines any longer.” In earlier days, Kermit considered the Sancerre blanc very good, with great typicity, although since Michel has taken the reins, Kermit says that Reverdy has since “become the benchmark domaine of our day.”
Baldin
To say that the DOC of Bramaterra is in the northern area of Piedmont is an understatement. Bramaterra is about the same distance from Zermatt, Switzerland to the north as Barolo is from the Ligurian coast to the south, benefiting from more of a mountainous than a maritime climatic influence. It’s another world, another terroir, and another culture from what we now consider to be the traditional Nebbiolo country of Barolo and Barbaresco. One highlight of these differences is that in these northern parts, Nebbiolo is grown, but it’s referred to by its local name, Spanna.Enter Matteo Baldin, who in 1997 began making wine in a minuscule cellar he inherited from his maternal grandparents. Previous to the launch of his own estate, Matteo worked in nearby Gattinara. His calling, though, was always to return to his home village of Lozzolo to make Bramaterra DOC.
Matteo is a fierce advocate of the Bramaterra style. Unlike the many other Nebbiolo focused appellations of Piedmont, Bramaterra can have up to 20% Croatina. Though there is a trend away from using larger amounts of Croatina in his village, he believes that to make an elegant and typical Bramaterra, you need to stick with the traditional blend and work hard to achieve optimal maturity of each grape.
His plantings are modest with just 1.5 total hectares planted to vine, on slopes rich in clay and volcanic porphyry. The vines are densely planted, Guyot trained, and receive organic treatments. Matteo’s goal is to obtain high quality grapes with low yields.
Matteo is a focused and driven individual, carving out a living in a way that few choose to these days. His approach to wine and life are deeply intertwined:
“The terroir must emerge and balanced wines better speak my language of simplicity. Speaking through the wine, the aromas, and the flavor of my land, all makes me happy, satisfied. Balance, simplicity, terroir, instinct. These are my cardinal points. This is my little cellar.”
Grange Saint-Sauveur
Grange Saint-Sauveur’s wines are the first KLWM imports bearing Antoine Pouponneau’s name on their labels, but the connection with the Anjou native runs much deeper. Antoine worked as cellar manager at La Tour du Bon in Bandol from 1994 to 2006—his first job following enology studies in Dijon—then served a long tenure in Corsica as enologist at Clos Canarelli. His approach as a consultant is radically opposed to that of most enologists: a devout enthusiast of biodynamic farming and wild yeast fermentation, Antoine relies on his expertise in microbiology to create wines of character and identity via natural methods. His talents have earned him several prestigious clients over the years, as the likes of Cheval Blanc, Latour, and many others have sought his services to produce low-intervention, terroir-driven wines.After years of consulting throughout France and beyond, Antoine opted to settle down and created his very own domaine with his wife, Alice Gitton-Pouponneau, in 2017. Alice, who grew up in Anjou but has family roots in Burgundy and Champagne, recently completed studies in viticulture and enology with a focus on natural methods. She contributed the domaine’s first vineyard, a plot of old-vine Grolleau and Cabernet Franc overlooking the meandering Loire by her childhood home in the village of Le Thoureil, midway between Angers and Saumur. This idyllic site, which they farm biodynamically and plow with a horse, is the source of the elegant, vibrant Grange Saint-Sauveur rouge. Alice and Antoine acquired additional vineyards in 2018, bringing their total holdings to 6.5 hectares and allowing them to add a blanc and rosé to the lineup. Also made from old vines, these mouthwatering creations feature chewy, stony dry extract with a deep, complex structure built around a backbone of slicing acidity—ideal wines for the table. Their new parcels are currently in organic and biodynamic conversion, and the wines are vinified with vineyard yeast, aged in wood, and bottled unfiltered with homeopathic doses of sulfur.
With several combined decades of high-level experience between them plus a great vision for their new domaine and real touch in the cellar, this talented couple’s Anjou cuvées are bound to turn heads and light up palates.
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.
Clos La Coutale
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. The Bernède family is an intricate part of this tradition, watching over one of the region’s oldest domaines that was founded before the French Revolution.Today, Cahors’ jack-of-all-trades and Renaissance man, Philippe Bernède, continues the family tradition with both heart and ingenuity. Philippe’s vines rest upon the gentle slopes that rise up from the Lot River. He farms sixty hectares of land along the alluvial terraces of the Lot Valley that are rich in siliceous, clay, and limestone soils. The microclimate of the vineyards is ideal, with southwest sun exposure and topographic protection against the frost. Over the years, Philippe has tinkered with the house blend to achieve a greater equilibrium. Today, the blend consists of 80% Malbec and 20% Merlot, creating an intense wine that juggles elegant rusticity with everyday drinkability. Coutale has quite a record of age-worthiness as well and Philippe is not afraid to pull out older vintages of his wines alongside much more expensive Bordeaux. They stand up pretty well! Nothing beats a bécasse or cassoulet with an old Coutale, but a simple steak fits the bill just fine. Philippe’s genius is not only evidenced by his wines—he is also the proud inventor of a successful line of double-hinged corkscrews that stands to change your future bottle-opening experiences!
Domaine du Salvard
Domaine du Salvard has been a working domaine since 1898, through five hardworking generations of the Delaille family. Today, all forty-two hectares of vineyards are farmed by the capable brother team of Emmanuel and Thierry Delaille, with help from their father Gilbert. To our delight, they have carried on the traditions established by their ancestors, producing a true, classic Cheverny that is both simple and elegant. The Delaille brothers have focused their attention on growing fresh, lively Sauvignon Blanc, deeply rooted in the sand, clay, and limestone plains of northeastern Touraine. Pinot Noir, Gamay, and Cot constitute their red grape holdings, creating youthful reds with great aromatics. Gilbert and his sons have also made their own contributions to the heritage of the domaine, including the introduction of sustainable farming practices into the vineyards, as well as temperature-controlled vinification equipment to the winery.Until finally achieving A.O.C. status in 1993, Cheverny was widely regarded as one of the best V.D.Q.S. (Vin de Qualité Superieur) of the Loire. However, some argue that this A.O.C.-in-waiting designation was a political maneuver by the I.N.A.O. to keep Cheverny’s delicious, sprightly Sauvignon Blanc out of competition with the other more famous appellations of Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé. Kermit was the first to discover the charm and value of Cheverny back in 1978 when he imported the Domaine Jean Gueritte. He took on the Cheverny of Domaine du Salvard in 1992, a year before the status change in the appellation. We continue to tout the domaine’s wine as one of the greatest values for Sauvignon Blanc perfection.
Maxime Magnon
That Maxime Magnon is part of one of the most revolutionary wine movements in France should give him a justifiable swagger to his step, yet he is nonetheless a reluctant hero. Originally from Burgundy, he was not born with hereditary rights to a domaine, but makes his own wine in the Corbières A.O.C. instead. He was fortunate to have purchased some prime parcels of old vines from abandoned plots and rents his cellar—a garagiste if ever there was one. He farms nine parcels over eleven hectares, with steep vineyards that reach high altitudes, and manages it all on his own. Maxime is part of the new wave of passionate viticulteurs who cultivate their vines with the utmost respect for nature and the soil. He’s certified organic, but also incorporates biodynamic practices into his vineyard management. Like his good friend and mentor, Didier Barral (in Faugères), and Jean Foillard (under whom he studied in Morgon), he is a naturalist at heart, and seeks to create a harmonious ecosystem in his vineyards.Most of Maxime’s vineyard land is comprised of schist and limestone subsoils in the sub-appellation Hautes Corbières, bordering Fitou to the South. This is incredibly tough terrain to farm in, as there is virtually no topsoil, just pure rock and garrigue. The Corbières “Rozeta” is a blend of these two district terroirs. This blend is particularly unique, from Carignan vineyards that are dispersed with numerous varietals of older vines, namely Grenache Gris, Macabou, and Terret, which are all picked and fermented together—a true field blend of the old school. “La Démarrante” is a blend of only Carignan, Grenache, and Syrah. It is terrific young and deliciously quaffable. Maxime’s tête de cuvé, “Campagnès,” is a single vineyard of the hundred-year-old Carignan, and is the most age-worthy in his line-up. All wines are aged in second-hand, Burgundian barrels sourced from a producer in Chassagne. “La Démarrante” ages both in cuve and in foudre. His wines offer great expression of fruit with immediate approachability.
Cantina Favaro
Benito Favaro and his sons, Camillo and Nicola, are masters of Erbaluce, one of the most traditional white wines native to Piemonte. In fact, the DOC for Erbaluce di Caluso was the first white wine to receive that status in the region in 1967. The name “Erbaluce” is derived from the local legend of the fairy “Albaluce” who is said to have blessed the region with this prolific white grape. Today we know that Erbaluce’s genetic heritage likely stems from the Provençal Clairette, although more research is ongoing. There is no doubt that these beautiful golden grapes, which tend towards a rosy blush when ripe, light up the vineyards under their pergolas like little lanterns.Erbaluce di Caluso is tucked into the hills near Ivrea, a specific microclimate in which Erbaluce (and Nebbiolo) thrive. The acidic soils are a mixture of granite, clay, and sand, to which these local grapes are perfectly adapted. These hills are the product of ancient glacial activity, and the resulting glacial lakes that punctuate the terroir moderate some of the Alpine influences this far into the mountains.
Camillo Favaro is a true Renaissance man whose passion for wine reaches far beyond the boundaries of his own vineyards, and even his own country. He and his partner, Antonella Frate, developed a cottage design firm geared towards helping other small wineries. They design labels, launch websites, direct photography, and produce trade events to promote other regions and indigenous grapes. Their firm also provides an avenue for French coopers to connect with small Italian wineries. Additionally, Camillo has co-authored three editions of “Vini e Terre di Borgogna” (Wines and Vineyards of Burgundy)—the first book about Burgundy ever written in Italian, for Italians.
The Favaro family are true garagistes, crafting their wines under their home in a subterranean cellar just next to their vineyards. They work organically in the vines, and all their efforts support coaxing the maximum expression of their land out of the wine. Green harvesting, carefully working the soils, and an ancient pergola system maximize the quality they obtain. Their expression of Erbaluce is a benchmark for the appellation, and these white wines are capable of aging beautifully. The tiny bit of Nebbiolo and Freisa produced here are also extremely special wines, as elegant and aromatic as anything made elsewhere in Piemonte.
Château La Roque
The picturesque landscape surrounding the historic Château La Roque appears largely unchanged from how it must have been two thousand years ago. Ownership has changed hands many times since the Romans were first here, yet the soul of this special place remains in tact. Romans were said to have planted the first vines, and Benedictine Monks created the sturdy vaulted-ceiling cellars that still house the bottles today. Winegrowing resumed in the thirteenth century when the de la Roque brothers planted new vines. By the 15th century, another branch of the de la Roque family added glass blowing to the farm’s production. Today, Château La Roque is in the capable hands of Cyriaque Rozier, who converted the domaine to organic (certified in 2004) and now biodynamic (certified in 2011) viticulture, as planned by his mentor, previous owner, and Languedoc legend, Jack Boutin. Cyriaque makes the wine both here and at Château Fontanès. Though the property has responded to circumstance, its destiny seems irrevocably intertwined with its vines.Thirty-two of the Château’s eighty hectares are consecrated to terraced vineyard land with south-southeast sun exposure, on clay and limestone soils. This is unique terroir. Garrigue, the aromatic scrub brush that dominates the landscapes of the South, asserts its presence among these vines. Syrah, Grenache, and Mourvèdre, the noble varietals that Jack Boutin planted here years ago, make up the reds. The whites include Viognier, Rolle, Grenache Blanc, Roussane and Marsanne. In the wise words of KLWM salesperson and legend, Michael Butler, “Lay down a few cases of history.”
From the Blog
Elena Lapini’s Ribollita Recipe
Earlier this month, Elena Lapini of Podere Campriano shared her recipe for ribollita with us. She explained, “Usually, every family in the Florence area (ribollita is typical only in Florence, Arezzo, and the plain of Pisa) has its own recipe that was passed down from generation to generation, and I have my own recipe that came from my grandmother. Here is that recipe, translated into English because we occasionally make it in our cooking classes and I offer it to my English-speaking guests.
“As you might know, it was traditionally a peasant recipe, made of bread, vegetables, and broth. It was usually done on Friday, because the Catholic religion says that meat should not be eaten on Friday, but then it was also heated in the following days and this is why the name ribollita (re-boiled) was born. It seems the name was born around 1910, but already in the Middle Ages, a similar bread soup was cooked that was simply called by another name. Today, it is eaten during winter because of our abundance of winter vegetables.”
Click here to view our 6-bottle sampler of Tuscan reds to pair with ribollita.
Posted on January 29, 2020, 4:11PM, by Tom Wolf
Earlier this month, Elena Lapini of Podere Campriano shared her recipe for ribollita with us. She explained, “Usually, every family in the Florence area (ribollita is typical only in Florence, Arezzo, and the plain of Pisa) has its own recipe that was passed down from generation to generation, and I have my own recipe that came from my grandmother. Here is that recipe, translated into English because we occasionally make it in our cooking classes and I offer it to my English-speaking guests.
“As you might know, it was traditionally a peasant recipe, made of bread, vegetables, and broth. It was usually done on Friday, because the Catholic religion says that meat should not be eaten on Friday, but then it was also heated in the following days and this is why the name ribollita (re-boiled) was born. It seems the name was born around 1910, but already in the Middle Ages, a similar bread soup was cooked that was simply called by another name. Today, it is eaten during winter because of our abundance of winter vegetables.”
Click here to view our 6-bottle sampler of Tuscan reds to pair with ribollita.