Natty: April 2025
Ostertag
Pinot Blanc
Alsace
André Ostertag has been running his Domaine along biodynamic lines since 1998, although it's not easy to fit him into the usual biodynamic pigeonhole: he doesn't look and talk biodynamic. This fairly young domaine, which began life in the 1960s, has 13 hectares of vines split among 75 plots in five villages. The wines are quite simply brilliant, as I hope the tasting notes below make clear.
‘More and more wine is becoming two markets’, maintains Ostertag. ‘Industrial wines made by recipes and then real wine’. He thinks that this trend isn’t just confined to wine, but is applicable to other markets. ‘Globalization has created a big mass market and then a top educated market.’
There is poetry to Ostertag’s practices. He looks for the nuance of terroir rather than the typicity of a grape varietal. In an act of rejection against the official classifications dictated by the A.O.C., he made up his own categories: Vins de Fruit that express fruit character rather than that of a specific vineyard site, Vins de Pierre reflecting the terroirfrom which they originate, and Vin de Temps that rely on time and weather to encourage the development of botrytis. He ferments the majority of his wines completely dry, so their versatility at the table surpasses that of many other wines from the region. In Ostertag’s experience, a careful use of oak subtly enhances the traditional Alsatian varietals from the Pinot family, giving them greater depth on the palate.
Here we have Pinot Blanc, that shows a rounded smooth fruity nose that is quite creamy and full. The palate is full and rich with a nice spiciness to the rich fruit. There’s a subtle herby edge and a bit of toastiness. Lovely.
Pairing: Homemade Shake & Bake
Fun fact: Ostertag’s wine were to all the heads-of-state at the Paris Olympics.
Montescando
Graciano Blanco
Tuscany
In a previous life, Silvio Messana was a New Yorker. There had always been this beautiful farm in Tuscany outside of Florence where Silvio’s mother lived. They visited yearly. His father had planted vineyards there in the early 1970’s. Since his death, his mother looked after them and sold the grapes to a local négociant. In the mid 1990’s, Silvio’s mother was ill and his family decided to move back to be near her. By this time, Silvio had already developed a passion for wine in the United States. With the certain impossibility of finding an affordable rent in New York with three growing sons, Silvio and his wife Catalina decided to stay on after his mother’s death, turning the Chianti Classico farm into their home with a portion of the farm converted as a half-year bed-and-breakfast. Silvio immediately began working on the vineyards himself.
The grapes come from the area of San Gimignano, famous for being named the first DOC of Italy back in 1966 (now a DOCG). Wine Grapes by Jancis Robinson (page 1130) declares that Vernaccia is also called Garnacha, Garnaccia, Granaccia, Cranaccia, Granatza etc... After a good part of the grapes are crushed (mostly by foot) to fill the tank, the stems and remaining grapes macerate whole-cluster for 10 days in concrete before being racked and pressed. They ferment and age in concrete and are bottled after eight months of élevage.
Pairing: Taqueria Doña Chole
Fun fact: Channeling the imagery and Arabic names already used for some of the Montesecondo wines, each label features a camel (a variation on Montesecondo's iconic crowned toad but also a nod to Silvio's childhood in Tunisia) as well as the word SARF, which translates to "exchange" in Arabic. There is also a slogan written in Italian: "visione scambio contezza."
Monte dall’ora
Corvina
Valpolicella
Located in the center of Valpolicella on one of the five ridges that descend the valley (which resemble the fingers of a hand), Monte Dall'Ora is the creation of Carlo Venturini and his wife Alessandra Zantedeschi. Both are from vignaioli families, but decided to start fresh with their own estate in 1995. At the time, the purchased terraces were in terrible condition and everything had to be rebuilt.
Carlo has chosen to work with (and in some cases, replant) the region's traditional varietals: Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella, and Oseleta (a lost indigenous grape). The estate was worked organically until 2006, when the couple converted to biodynamic agriculture, a first in Valpolicella.
Instead of worrying about lower yields for higher concentration (an easy goal with but very hard to accomplish with pergola), Carlo prefers focusing his energy on balance in the vineyard: this essentially means promoting agricultural and natural biodiversity instead of just vine tending. Grass grows free, with cherry and olive trees complimenting the entirety of the vineyard. This work philosophy continues through the winemaking: "Finding the equilibrium in the vineyard brings balance in the cellar."
Pairing: Chile-Crisp Shrimp and Green Beans
Fun fact: If you can remember every single grape this estate grows you a probably a Master of Wine.