September 2021 | 3 Bottle Club
Welcome to the September 3 Bottle Club from MYSA Natural Wine!
A note from our founder:
Welcome to the September Natural Wine Club! We're starting to transition into cooler temps and all our wines are gradually heading there with you! We are stoked to have Vivanterre as the featured wine this month! We also have one of the great Italians (called the Yoda of natural wine) with della Staffa and a romantic style of rosé from Austria that will knock your socks off and is perfect for the season's transition!
- Holly Berrigan, Founder, MYSA Natural Wine
- Orange Contact SGS - Vivanterre
- Ciliegio - Conestabile della Staffa
- Konig Rosé - Weingut Pittnauer
- Wine Evaluation Sheet
Orange Contact SGS - Vivanterre
Auvergne - France
Description:
The hype is REAL with this wine! Produced by natural winemaker Patrick Bouju, sommelier Cedric Nicaise of Eleven Madison Park, and fashion designer Rosie Assoulin. An incredible blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Sylvaner, and Gewurtztraminer. Each grape is sourced from different vineyards around both Alsace and the Loire Valley. The Sylvaner was a direct press while the other two grapes spent 3 weeks on the skins! Medium on the body with a touch of minerality, citrus, and floral!
Pairings: Tacos, Soft Cheese, Oily Fish
Serving Temperature: 48°- 52°
About Vivanterre
Vivanterre is a natural wine produced in the Auvergne region of France by Patrick Bouju and Justine Loiseau, and founded by Rosie and Max Assoulin, with the support of renowned sommelier Cedric Nicaise. Using organically and biodynamically farmed grapes, vinified using natural processes, and untouched by any fining, filtering, or added sulfites, Vivanterre reflects the “Living Earth” from which it comes. - Vivanterre
Ciliegio - Conestabile della Staffa
Umbria - Italy
Description:
The grapes spend 4 days on the skins with no temperature control. Nothing added and no fining or filtering. A fun red that was named after one of the horses at La Staffa, Ciliegio AKA Cherry! Fresh, bright, and fruit-forward with cherry, pomegranate, white pepper, and red currant.
Pairings: Seafood, Sushi, Salads
Serving Temperature: 48°- 52°
About Conestabile della Staffa
The history of the wines of Conestabile della Staffa is truly a window into the history of the Umbrian paradigm. Wine and culture collide under the guidance of master natural wine-whisperer, eno-artisan Danilo Marcucci. La Staffa is of his wife's family ancestry, this is made clear every time Danilo speaks of the property...he is merely a guest, married to the vines and his wife Alessandra's noble lineage.
The family history of Conestabile della Staffa is long and complicated, as one would expect for a noble family that dates back through the middle ages. The Conestabile families originated in Orvieto, the southwestern corner of Umbria just north of Rome. The Della Staffa family dates back to antiquity and is from Perugia, just several kilometers from the winery.
An arranged marriage in the 1700’s brought together these two important and noble families, both interested in consolidating land and influence in what was a very poor region. During its heyday in the 1800's, the Conestabile della Staffa property totaled over 700 hectares of mixed agricultural land, of which over 100ha were under vine in traditional 'promiscuous' agriculture. During this period, in the late 1800's and early 1900's, Conestabile della Staffa was the most important social cantina in the Trasimeno-Perugino area; at its height they produced over 10,000 hectoliters of wine per vintage. You can see remnants of this historic winemaking in the castle/homestead located at the top of the hill in the village of Monte Melino.
In the 1920's the hamlet of Monte Melino was home to over 20 small families, each relatives of the Counts of the Conestabile della Staffa. Danilo's wife, Alessandra is the descendant (great granddaughter) of one of these Counts. The village essentially was a self-sufficient commune/fiefdom at that point. Work and profit sharing among the families was divided equally in all sectors of the farming; raising cows, growing and drying tobacco, making wool & silk, a cobbler, a school, a metalworker, and of course olive oil and wine.
In the post-World War era wine production dramatically decreased due to the reduced workforce for farming as people moved into the cities. The last produced vintage from the old cantina was in 1956. From 1956 until 2015 no wine was produced on the property, instead the grapes were sold off to the local co-op for this entire period.
Today Conestabile della Staffa is literally being reborn, re-envisioned by the work of Danilo Marcucci. It's an undertaking of epic proportions. Over 12 hectares of vines, many of which have been in disrepair for over a decade, but were planted in the early 1970's. Luckily the land was never touched by chemicals.
The wines are made in the most natural way, adhering to methods that Danilo has learned over the course of 20+ years of winemaking and farming experience from some of Italy's great 'masters' (Lino Maga, Eduardo Valentini, Cappellano, Vittorio Mattioli and others). Native grapes (grechetto, trebbiano, ciliegiolo sangiovese, Gamay del Trasimeno, canaiolo, sagrantino) are the backbone of the property, a truly inspirational project with a bright future. No yeast, no chemical corrections, no sulfur. ""No technology"", as Danilo would say. - Selectionaturel
Konig Rosé - Weingut Pittnauer
Burgenland - Austria
Description:
A delightful rosé that is aged for eight months in stainless steel on the lees. The blend of 80% Blaufränkisch, 10% Zweigelt, and 10% St. Laurent creates a refreshing and crisp wine. Crafted with picnic dates and beach days in mind. Bright red fruit with hints of citrus.
Pairings: Soft Cheese, Schnitzel, Green Salad
Serving Temperature: 45°- 50°
About Weingut Pittnauer
There is a simple and honest feeling in the wine and spirit of Gerhard Pittnauer which hails from his generosity and humility. Given the reins of his vineyard in the mid-1980’s after the unexpected death of his father, Gerhard, then 18 years old, had to train himself to make wine in the midst of scandal and chaos in the Austrian wine market. He chose to become a student of the broader wine world, and, in realizing the exceptionality of the land he farmed and of the indigenous grapes of the region, allowed himself to experiment with some missteps until he found his thesis. He set forth to ‘grow’ wine rather than to ‘make’ it in the cellar, from the autochtone varietals. He did so without any viticultural doctrine until he found that there was a consistent, common thread in the wines he loved to drink from France and elsewhere. If, he thought, these wines were amazing because of biodynamics, then he must do the same to achieve the pinnacle in his own wine. So he tends 15 hectares, half of which he owns and half of which he rents, alongside his wife Brigitte to create what they call living wines.
All work is done manually from composting to pruning. There is no calendar that drives them. Nothing is rushed: they believe in quality over speed. They taste for perfect ripeness, select the cleanest grapes, and begin the wine in the cellar in response to the conditions of the vintage. They do incorporate a bit of modern technology: a pneumatic press, temperature-controlled steel tanks and pumps, all to ensure the purity and freshness of the fruit remains. They are making wines that excite them with the unique voice of the varietal and the deep limestone soils of the terroir speaking clearly. Gerhard and Brigitte are aware of the evolution of their tastes as well as the vineyard’s. They are students presenting the current findings. Not with proud declaration, but with excited experimental energy to get the best of what they have. So far, it is delicious research. - Savio Soares Selections
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!
