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Four Estates Return to their Roots
Do you find the taste of organic wines unusual? The Caiarossa, Bodegas y Viñedos Valderiz, M. Chapoutier and Poggio al Tesoro estates beg to differ. They believe that organic and biodynamic vineyard practices create fresher wines with greater elegance and precision. The chemical treatments given to most conventionally farmed vines may well be the factor that has distorted our palates. Spotlight on a philosophy that highlights terroir typicity.
Different Names, Same Vision
Organic, biodynamic, natural…producers who embrace these techniques seek to bottle the best that nature can offer. The “organic” certification governs vineyard work (viticulture), but not the winemaking process (vinification). The term “natural wine” has no legal framework. It is a designation used for low interventionist winemakers looking to allow a pure expression of the grape over a given space and time. The absence, or low levels, of additives in the wine bring more nuanced aromatics and restored quality.
The Pursuit of Balance
The most important virtue required of a grape grower seeking to naturally enhance soil quality, and to respect the rhythms of the vegetative cycle, is patience.
Minimal intervention can often be the key to success in viticulture. To combat vineyard pests (parasites, grapevine diseases, weeds), quality-minded grape growers practice integrated pest management, whereby pesticides are a last resort. A less radical growing philosophy is the “lutte raisonnée” (sustainable farming), in which controlled use of chemical entrants is allowed.
Caiarossa
Tuscan Purity
ORGANIC SINCE 2003
Caiarossa is certified Ecocert and Demeter. The estate decided to practice organic and biodynamic viticulture to respect nature, and to reveal the authentic flavour of Tuscany.
Estate manager Dominique Génot feels that the heightened aromatic complexity and concentration obtained from organic farming more than compensates the painstaking work involved.
Aria di Caiarossa 2013, Caiarossa
$55/bottle
750 ml | Case of 6
Bodegas y Viñedos Valderiz
Biodynamics Bordering the Douero
ORGANIC SINCE 1997
Bodegas y Viñedos Valderiz is certified ENAC. The estate has always been farmed organically. The Esteban family is committed to producing organic and biodynamic wines that truly exemplify the unique identity of Ribera del Duero.
Brothers, Juan and Ricardo, assert that their family’s growing techniques result in wines of great freshness, with true terroir typicity.
Valdehermoso Joven 2016, Bodegas y Viñedos Valderiz
$21/bottle
750 ml | Case of 6
M. Chapoutier
In Harmony with the Rhône
ORGANIC SINCE 1989
M. Chapoutier refuses to make standardized wines. The estate is certified Ecocert and Demeter. Their humility, displayed by allowing nature to govern in the vineyard, is amply rewarded by complex, balanced tannins.
Michel Chapoutier, proprietor of the family estate since 1989, does not seek to impose a specific style to his wines. He prefers them to express the terroir and vintage.
La Combe de Pilate, IGP des Collines Rhodaniennes 2015, M. Chapoutier
$29.50/bottle
750 ml | Case of 6
Poggio al Tesoro
Sustainable Tuscany
ORGANIC SINCE 2014
The Poggio al Tesoro estate has been using sustainable viticulture methods while transitioning to organic farming. The additional hours spent tending to the vines and ploughing the soils have yielded softer, more delicate wines.
Estate co-founder Marilisa Allegrini notes that the vine leaves are hardier, and the grape tannins are less astringent since they began employing organic practices.
Il Seggio 2014, Poggio al Tesoro
$42/bottle
750 ml | Case of 6
While You Are Out
GALLEON is very proud to work with a small, curated selection of fine dining restaurants and trendsetting wine bars where high quality wines are served. Every month we will share a few of our hospitality partners.
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info@galleonwines.ca
514-932-2626 # 302
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