October 2021 | Orange Club
Welcome to the October Orange Club from MYSA Natural Wine!
A note from our founder:
Happy October club members! First of all, a big THANK YOU for your patience with us this month and last month!
As you likely saw, our old warehouse was not able to keep up with order volume, so we made a move to a larger, better equipped warehouse in Napa, CA. It’s the right move for us long-term, but with that came a few learning curves along the way this month. We appreciate your patience with the transition and are prepped to be fully back on schedule for November.
Also, specifically for this box there was an accidental swap with some club members getting a red/white blend, Deu Bode, instead of the orange wine meant for this month! Some of you got Orangiosauro instead, since you hadn't had that one yet and the great news is that we'll be including the missing bottle in next month's box meaning everyone is getting 5 bottles next month instead of 4! So enjoy the accidental extra bottle and check out the notes on all of them below :)
- Holly Berrigan, Founder, MYSA Natural Wine
P.S. Don't forget to join us and Jasper Hill Farms for a lovely cheese pairing event on October 28th! You can purchase the pairing cheeses here.
- La Rumbera Blanco - Oriol Artigas
- Das Bronze - Weingut Edelberg
- La Bise - Chateau Le Payral
- Deu Bode - Bojo do Luar
- Stuvenagh Orangiosauro - Castello di Stefanago (some boxes)
- Jasper Hill Farm X Mysa Natural Wine Event
- Wine Evaluation Sheet
La Rumbera Blanco - Oriol Artigas
Catalunya - Spain
Description:
A blend of two Spanish grapes, 80% Pansa Blanca and 20% Garnatxa Blanca. This wine spends time on its lees for six months before bottling. Powerful yet soft and smooth on the apalte. Another hit from Orial Artigas! Green apple, salt, citrus, and minerals.
Pairings: Seafood, Tapas, Creamy Cheese
Serving Temperature: 45°- 50°
About Oriol Artigas
"Hailing from Vilassar de Dalt in the heart of the Alella appellation, Oriol Artigas actually came to winegrowing serendipitously. He originally wanted to be a chemist (ala Jules Chauvet), but after working a harvest in Penedès, Oriol realized that a career in a laboratory wasn’t for him and enrolled in an enology program soon after. He then worked at several wineries across Catalonia, which led him to teaching enology at the local university. Landing a steady job enabled Oriol to explore his true passion: a project revitalizing old coastal Alella vineyards and making supremely transparent, non-interventionist wines that evoke the nearby Mediterranean, wines laced with garrigue and sea salt.
Located just 15 kilometers north of Barcelona, Alella is a lesser-known region but has one of those familiar stories: A vineyard area that dates back to Roman times, once renowned for producing exceptional wines, and thanks to the appetite for seaside real estate, has now been whittled down to very little vineyard land. At just 220 hectares, Alella is one of Spain’s smallest D.O.’s. But the proximity to the Mediterranean, granite soils called sauló, and a plethora of native (read old) vines has inspired a cadre of growers to set up shop here and work to protect this area from extinction. There is no doubt that the quiet revolutionary Oriol Artigas is at the vanguard of this movement.
Oriol began making wine casually, simply to be enjoyed amongst friends. But slowly he started to realize his calling, devoting himself to a career in winemaking full time in 2011. Oriol loved how it allowed him to showcase his homeland and roots, and how it allowed him to meet new people and discover the world. Since the official start of the project, Oriol has continued to grow each year, evolving and finding new ways to showcase the unique Alella terruño.
His over-arching philosophy is to “cultivate the vineyards in the most natural and least interventionist way possible, to allow the grapes to express in the most intense way the landscape from which they come.” He works about 12 hectares in total, mostly of old vines. He allows vegetation to grow between the vines, prunes very little, and works the vineyards primarily along the lunar calendar. In the winery, fermentations are completely spontaneous, aging is primarily done in steel vats, and sulfur is never used at any point in his process.
Oriol makes a wide variety of wines (sparkling, white, rosé, and red) the color of the wine being defined by which grapes grow in the vineyard. Ever restless, he is regularly adding to his repertoire of vineyards and wines, relying on the wisdom of the folks who originally planted these wild vineyards to make his cuvées. Each wine that Oriol produces has a beautiful refreshing texture with a subtle intensity of flavors - convivial Mediterranean wines with heart and soul.
- Jose Pastor"
Das Bronze - Weingut Edelberg
Nahe - Germany
Description:
The grapes from this orange are from vines with the earliest planting being 1970. Six weeks on the skins followed by only a minimal addition of SO2. A great acidity is met with medium tannin on the palate. Fresh and food-friendly!
Pairings: Nachos, Roasted Chicken, Cheese Plate
Serving Temperature: 48°- 52°
About Weingut Edelberg
"Peter and Michael Ebert, two brothers work hand in hand! Our Edelberg winery is located on the Gonratherhof, a district of Weiler near Monzingen, from where we cultivate 23 hectares of vineyards in the communities of Weiler, Meddersheim and Burgsponheim. Our wines come from the best steep and hillside locations. More than 2/3 of the vineyard area is occupied by Riesling and Burgundy varieties, the remaining third is shared by exotic species such as Yellow Muscat, Bacchus, Kerner, Gewürztraminer, etc.
A quality-oriented grape production guarantees a constant top wine quality from year to year. All grapes are picked by hand. According to the motto: ""As much as necessary, as little as possible"", it is important to preserve the quality in the cellar by carefully processing the grapes and treating the wine. We attach great importance to the fact that every wine reflects its terroir! By terroir we mean: the interplay of the location, the soil, the vine, nature and of course us!
To get to know each other, we have various sample packages ready for you in our online shop or you can simply visit us at the winery. - Weingut Edelberg"
La Bise - Chateau Le Payral
Bergerac - France
Golden color with textured tannin, melon and guava fruit, exotic spice mix, persistent finish that will lend itself well with a cheese plate or charcuterie board. Melon, spices, and guava fruit.
Pairings: Charcuterie, Cheese Plate, Kebab
Serving Instructions: 48°- 52°
About Chateau Le Payral
From 1992, Thierry and Isabelle Daulhiac have had the run of the nineteenth century manor house and the surrounding fifteen hillside hectares of vineyards, since it was handed down to them from the previous two generations.
They are nestled between two oft-foggy appellations of Montbazillac and Sainte-Foy, in the town of Razac de Saussignac, with vines facing the Dordogne, about two kilometers to the north. When they took over in 1992, traditional farming methods were common, but the duo have slowly converted to organic (near biodynamic) practices in the vineyards. They cultivate eight hectares of white grapes (Sémillon, Muscadelle and Sauvignon Blanc) and seven of red (Merlot with Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon).
The organic methods have improved the outcome of their pebbled, muddy soils, heavy with clay, silt and sand, preventing the mildew and rot that the area can so easily bring. The cellar sees a combination of traditional and unique practices, incorporating some modern techniques to present more elegant and pure-fruited wine, and ageing occurs in a combination of oak and steel. A bright future lies ahead as they see the benefits of their natural ways affecting their plots. Perhaps the ideas will flow as easily into the wine making, ready to pass along to the next inhabitants of the elder estate. We like the prospects so far. - Chateau Le Payral
Deu Bode - Bojo do Luar
Vinho Verde - Portugal
Description:A low-intervention blend of 30% white varietals and 70% red varietals from Vinho Verde, Portugal. Each of the varietals were vinified separately with ground chestnut flowers added to the fermentation process. A light, chillable red with fresh floral aromas and a silky texture. Zesty, bright, and a touch smokey on the palate.
Pairings: Roasted Turkey, Chicken, Charcuterie
Serving Temperature: 48°- 52°
About Bojo do Luar
"The Bojo do Luar project came to life during a trip Savio made to the Vinho Verde region. Here he met Fernando Paiva, a biodynamic producer who has been experimenting with adding ground chestnut flowers to the grapes and must before fermentation began. Meanwhile he’s halted using SO2 altogether since 2017.
Fernando is a regional reference for non-interventionist winemaking. He was the first Portuguese producer to acquire the DEMETER certification and through him Savio met another producer, Antonio Sousa, who practiced biodynamic viticulture, but still used traditional and conventional winemaking methods in the cellar.
Savio was undeterred and saw this as an opportunity: to use the traditional autochthonous varietals of Northern Portugal, and apply his knowledge and experience of many decades working with French producers, mainly in Burgundy and Loire. With Antonio’s winemaking experience and openness to experiment using a non-intervention approach in the cellar, the Bojo do Luar wines started to take shape. The region has a mostly cool temperate climate throughout Spring, then very warm days, and cool nights until the harvest in September. Five red grape varietals and three whites were chosen for their natural high levels of tartaric acids and low PH. -Savio Soares Selections"
Stuvenagh Orangiosauro - Castello di Stefanago
Lombardy - Italy
Description:
A mostly funky blend of Chardonnay and Cortese from 30- year-old vines in Italy. 4 weeks of skin contact and 6 months on the lees. Aromas of grilled oranges, and zippy lime, overall very astringent. On the palate, chalky and astringent again. A really nice and high minerality. Unfined and unfiltered. Go for roasted chicken, or a duck confit with french fries and a side salad when pairing. Eggplant with tahini and lentils are perfect as well! Enjoy!
Pairings: Pasta, Seafood, Appetizers
Serving Instructions: 45°- 50°
About Castello di Stefanago 
Castello di Stefanago is the result of generations of grapes: The Baruffaldis have strived to maintain respect for the terroir as well as the earth in their winemaking. The winery is located in Lombardy in the Oltrepo Pavese hills at between 320 and 470 meters above sea level. The cellars are in the castle which still remains from the fourteenth century in the center of the property, around which there are about eighteen hectares of vines and 135 hectares of meadows, forests, orchards, and arable land.
Antonio and Giacomo Baruffaldi have long followed organic farming, striving to achieve healthy, natural grapes, which are harvested at the appropriate level of maturity and reflect the terroir on which they are grown. In the cellar, the Baruffaldis keep in mind the natural inclinations of each must, of the natural evolution of each cuvé, using barrels of various woods and sizes. The vineyard currently produces Riesling Renano, Pinot Grigio, Müller-Thurgau, Chardonnay, Croatina (Bonarda), Barbera, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlo, Uva Rara, and Pinot Nero. - Savio Soares
Jasper Hill Farm X Mysa Natural Wine Event
Wine Evaluation Sheet
Want to have some fun evaluating and taking note on your wine? Check out our natural wine tasting sheets we made special for the club!
