Benedetta and Marco didn’t have your average path to winemaking. They aren't second or third generation winemakers, nor did they grew up with winemakers. However, as a close friend recently told me: “No one asks if Picasso’s father was also an excellent artist.”

Montetino

When we talk about some of the most well known producers in Abruzzo (Valentini and Emidio Pepe) – we are usually speaking about coastal vineyards. These terroirs change drastically and rather quickly moving into Monte Tino, reaching 6,000+ feet above sea level. This is where Benedetta and Marco drew the name, and the inspiration behind, Montetino. The vineyards here are very unique and most of them ancient, an intriguing opportunity given how the climate is changing in Abruzzo. When the idea came to start their own label, one thing was for sure – it would be in the mountains.

Benedetta originally went to school for medicine, but quickly knew she wanted to pursue something closer to nature, later gaining her masters in Oenology and Viticulture. Benedetta wanted to spend time in the vineyards, soon going to work at a winery in Tuscany. Her exposure to conventional viticulture there pushed her towards her practices today – essentially doing the exact opposite of what she was taught there. She quickly moved to a smaller biodynamic winery, where her interpretation of winemaking fit right in. New Zealand’s Villa Maria was her next stop: a larger winery, but still focused on sustainability. She then moved on to a boutique winery in Oregon.

Though appreciative of the experiences, she felt the urge to return back to Italy to work with Arianna at Occhipinti. Her father's passing brought her home to Abruzzo, where she pursued working alongside the region’s best. Benedetta soon joined Chiara at Emidio Pepe, which is her current full time job. Her father was an inspiration for her – he was one of the first sommeliers in Abruzzo. Benedetta’s mother also took a liking to the world of wine, and pursued becoming a sommelier when Benedetta returned home.

Marco has a different background; his experience is mostly in brewing beer and is currently the brewer at world-renowned Birra del Borgo. His passion for wine and viticulture drew him to work various vintages at his friends' wineries. He has extensively traveled in pursuit of experiencing wine culture, which has played a large role in developing his palate. These things combined built his passion for viticulture and ultimately his decision to get involved with winemaking.

Viticulture & Vinification

The winery is at about 850m above sea level. 1.5ha of vineyards spread among 5 different plots consist of Montepulciano, Trebbiano and a small amount of Malvasia. Wanting to get to know the vineyards before making major changes, 2021 was the first year for full biodynamic treatments. All the vineyards are co-planted with native plants and are leased from generational families, with most of the vines being planted in the 1970s. Apple, cherry, fig, almond, and plum trees all naturally grow throughout. Everything blooms on its own, supporting the natural cycle in the vineyard and biodiversity. They planted green manure by hand, increasing the biodiversity. The only machines that are used in the vineyard work just the top 20cm of soil. An Arieggiatore is used for working the soil, as it gently allows air into the ground without any compaction. Most of the work is done naturally deeper in the soil, close to the roots, by the nutrients and various species of living things in the vineyard. They believe in respecting the nature of the soil and plant, and trying to make decisions based on that. There is as little pruning as possible, consisting of very small cuts and a maximum of two buds left on the cordon; this allows them lower yields and high quality grapes. The pruning is always done on decrescent moon, in respect of the vascular flow of each plant, usually starting in February.

For every wine, sulfur is only added in small amounts and before bottling. Temperature is not controlled during transfer or fermentation. The ambient temperatures of the mountain allow for natural cooling. They respect the phases of the moon, even in the cellar with a strong focus on transfer, racking, and bottling. The wines are not fined or filtered. 2022 will be the first release in the US!

Benedetta's Notes on the Release of the 2024 Vintage:

"The 2024 vintage was definitely a complicated one, especially because we were coming off 2023, which had been the exact opposite. So both psychologically and agronomically, we had to rethink everything.

Completely different personalities [between the two vintages]. The 2023s were more restrained and vertical while the 2024s feel more open, abundant and vibrant. Maybe a little more immediate generosity than 2023, but more energy and finesse. In the end, I think the struggle of the season gave the wines a kind of energy and sensitivity that is really beautiful and I feel like the wines tell the story of the season very honest!"

Each release of our producers allows us to refocus for a minute on what makes them stand out - stand out within our portfolio, sure, but also within the wine world. So, with the impetus being the imminent arrival of Valentin Desloges' new release of Les Quatre Piliers, I posed the question to Thatcher: "Tell me what, in your mind, sets Valentin's wines apart?" The response from the boss struck a chord in me: "You don't drink them and think aboutSauvignon Blanc; it's not about 'varietal character', it's about the place, the person, and the stunning quality." Valentin's background says it all to me - Loire-born, but traveled to see Sauvignon Blanc's iterations in Bordeaux and New Zealand; then he gets a masterclass in small-parcel viticulture & vinification from Pillot & Coche. To some, it may seem random; yet, in finally tasting more of the wines, the intent could not have played out more precisely.

Les Quatre Piliers

A second generation winemaker is often presented two paths: the continuance of tradition, or a strict deviation altogether. In the wine world, we have seen numerous winemakers' efforts to continue their family's work, to live up to the name of their elders; yet, it takes a special sort to blend both of those aforementioned paths to create what Valentin Desloges has: a singular, expressive and profound winery that expresses Touraine better than perhaps any prior.

The son of a Touraine winemaker, Valentin performed his studies in Bordeaux and got his first hands-on experience outside of the Loire within the Bordeaux region, at Château Mangot in Saint-Émilion. Following that, he went on to work in New Zealand in 2015, with a strong focus on Sauvignon Blanc – a chance to work with a very different expression of the grape. Returning back to France, Valentin spent time in Burgundy, where he was able to work alongside some of the top white winemakers we know and love – Raphael Coche and Paul Pillot – with a stint with Vincent Sipp in Alsace (Domaine Agapé) to cap off his travels.

Years of creating a mental amalgam of his experiences led Valentin to his ultimate path; it was not taking the helm at his father's domaine, but the creation of his own: Domaine des Quatre Piliers. Formed by a sum of ten hectares between Noyers and Saint-Aignan, Valentin converted the estate to organic viticulture, first focusing all of his energy into the health of his vines. As the plants flourished, Valentin engaged in another passion, creating his own barrels in collaboration with François Frères, all produced with wood from the estate that he dries and prepares himself; the aim not to impart oaky flavors, but to bring the whole of the Domaine's environment into play.

Viticulture & Vinification

With just under 10 hectares split into 15 different small parcels, about half of the vineyards are planted to Sauvignon Blanc on clay and limestone soils. Chenin Blanc, Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir, Pineau d'Aunis and Côt (Malbec) making up the rest. The Cher river acts as a significant temperature regulator, with close proximity to the vines. There is a large area of tuffeau that has been dug out, creating mineral equilibrium and serving as a natural ventilation system for the vineyard.

This panel of different soils is divided into 4 parcels: Les Puits aux Chiens, totaling 3.5ha Sauvignon Blanc between 15 and 50 years of age, as well as Chenin vines about 30 years old. At the top of Noyer, there is deep white clay with limestone borders; there is a cooler climate here, preserving freshness, high aromatics and acidity in the wines. To the north is Bernardières, one of the warmer parcels with 45 year-old Côt vines planted in sulphate-rich soil close to the Cher river. Finally, the Bel Air vineyard consists of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc; the Quatre Piliers parcel has 25 year-old Pinot Noir and 50 year-old Cabernet Franc vines planted to a cooler climate at the top of the hill with warmer micro-climates at the bottom of the slopes that are rich in red clay content. This complementary mix between warm and cold lands is fostering the subtle equilibrium sought by Valentin in winemaking, associating robustness from the clay and delicacy from limestone.

In the cellar, there is great focus on controlled pressing – the amount of pressure used, the length of time the grapes are pressed, and which juices are used. All the work is done by the moon calendar. Fermentations occur with indigenous yeast, and there is no fining or filtration of the finished wines. The wines are aged at a natural and constant temperature of 13°C in tuffeau caves at 75% humidity. Cabernet Franc and Côt grapes are carefully de-stemmed before fermenting in tanks for 20 to 30 days. Pinot Noir is cooled down with 20% of entire grapes and ferments for 9 days. Alcoholic fermentation takes places in stainless steel before being transferred to various barrels for malolactic fermentation. White wines only ferment in wood casks, with a varying proportion of new wood depending on the cuvée: 20% for the Grande Cuvée of Sauvignon Blanc, and 30% for the Chenin.

"When words like Reynard get thrown around, there are immediate ties to one producer in the Rhone. With young guns on the rise in places such as Burgundy and Champagne in recent years, the Rhone has been at the back of the race in terms of innovation and new generations"

Thomas Farge

The Farge name isn't new to the Northern Rhone; Thomas' family has been making wine in Saint-Joseph for four generations. After returning home in 2018 after spending 10 years in South America, Thomas has started his own venture. Working bio-dynamically and organically by the moon calendar and implementing what he has taken from working with traditionalists and combining it with modern innovation. He was able to source inspiration and experience from working with producers such as Jean-Louis Chave and Stephane Usseglio, and has scooped up some incredible terroir in the Rhone, including the famed Reynard. 

VINEYARDS & WINEMAKING

Thomas has a pretty nice lineup of holdings: Saint-Joseph, Cornas Reynard, Saint-Péray, Condrieu, and Colline Rhondaniennes, each with a diversity of types of granite soils and vineyard expositions. In Saint-Joseph, his plot in Saint-Jean-de-Muzols is at the southern portion of the village. The granite here is less degraded with south/southeast facing vines, producing wines with generosity and lush texture.  In his Cornas the plots are granite-laced with gneiss and clay topsoil, great for water retention in warm years and helpful in moderating the acidity in the wines, giving an elegant yet deep example of Cornas tannin .