September 2021 | Orange Club
Welcome to the September Orange 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 my favorite orange producers of all time, Denavolo, along with another Italian great (called the Yoda of natural wine) della Staffa, and a very fun play on orange wine from Germany. Needless to say y'all are in good hands this month!
A quick note! Because many of you are in our 6 club and orange club we've started adding a replacement wine since the Vivanterre is already in your 6 club box so you can have more diversity in your selections! This month you're getting an outstanding orange from Spain!
- Holly, founder MYSA Natural Wine
- Orange Contact SGS - Vivanterre
- Grecorange - Conestabile della Staffa
- Catavela - Denavolo
- Das ist kein Orange - Weingut Schlossmuhlenhof
- Metamorphika Sumoll Orange - Costador (some boxes)
- 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
Grecorange - Conestabile della Staffa
Umbria - Italy
Description:From 40 to 70-year-old vines this orange wine spends 20 days on the skins. Aging is done in fiberglass tanks. A thirst quencher that is perfect for sunny days. Zesty, gluggable, and bright with citrus and almond notes.
Pairings: Aperitif, Seafood, Appetizers
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
Catavela - Denavolo
Emilia-Romagna - Italy
Description:
Half of the grapes from this wine are directly pressed while the other half spends six days on their skins. Strong floral aromas on the nose with a ton of character on the palate. Medium-plus tannin yet still quite light. A bit tart with a smooth finish.
Pairings: Charcuterie Board, Pasta, Shellfish
Serving Temperature: 48°- 52°
About Denavolo
Giulio Armani is a quiet, introspective theorist and scholar, well-appointed in his sharp, Italian dress. Behind his smile, though, you can see his mind is not as reserved: always asking, testing, proving. This exuberance comes through in the highly-energetic yet contemplative wines Giulio crafts at Denavolo, named for the mountain on which it lies.
On this stunning slope in Emilia-Romagna, he retreats from his red wine labors in La Stoppa, where he has been making wine since he was a boy, to answer more questions his mind cannot let pass: Why has the world assumed wines from red and white grapes are made differently? Perhaps this is a fashion of the old days that has clung tightly in the current era and is now stifling the potential of great white wine? Can you hear his mind working? It is a joy to hear and taste the results.
To reach the potential, Giulio is still experimenting: oak versus tank, parcel selection versus whole vineyard, long versus short maceration, but certain things remain a constant. Dedication to harmony with nature, natural fermentations and processes, skin contact and no filtering are all carved into the rock of his principles for the foundation of the best wine he can make.
The Denavolo brand began in 2005 with the first release in 2006, and comes from five hectares of vines planted in the Colli Piacentini area. Denavolo’s three hectares of steep, climbing, sandy, limestone-rich soils at 350-500 meters above sea level have an answer that awaits the right moment to be revealed. It is the quiet Giulio that will get them to speak, even if it takes another childhood to muse on. In the meantime, we will enjoy the questions. - Savio Soares Selections
Das ist kein Orange - Weingut Schlossmuhlenhof
Rheinhessen - Germany
Description:An intense and exciting combination of Müller Thurgau and Sylvaner from 25-year-old vines. Aged in stainless steel for 7 months on its lees. Pale straw in color with flavors that are acidic, zesty, and energetic! Fun fact: Das Ist Kein Orange means: In no way is this an Orange Wine! Fruit forward with guava, lemon, and grapefruit. Extremely drinkable!
Pairings: Shellfish, Lean Fish, Spicy Food
Serving Temperature: 45°- 50°
About Weingut Schlossmuhlenhof
The Schloss Mühlenhof property is a large estate (nearly 20ha) spread across the slopes above Kettenheim, 3km south of Alzey. This size would seem reasonable, if not expected, considering the estate was started in 1846 and is now hosting the 6th generation. It began as a rye and wheat mill until the 1920s , when the small vineyard attached became the focus for the family income. The vines of that era have been replaced over time but some on the property are still as old as 45yrs. Now in the hands of Gabriele, Nicolas and Walter Michel, the farm operates ‘organically’ but not by any legal standard. They follow what they call, ‘ecologically healthy’ farming practices, with the intent on capturing the fruity expression of the Rheinhessen style.
The vineyards are worked heavily in August to reduced yields (green harvesting), cutting nearly 1/2 of their fruit. Grapes are vinified to preserve freshness while revealing depth and concentration. Considering the size of the harvest, they are experts at doing just that. The cellar does not abide by natural law. Selected yeasts, electronically monitored steel tanks, pumps and SO2 are used judiciously to hone the wine to purity and freshness. Knowing their soils for so long (mostly limestone combinations), the family does capture a clear minerality and a distinct spirit from each varietal, from parcels as small as .4ha. The Michel’s final act (perhaps their expertise) in the cellar, brings multiple tanks together, each with their strongest asset to form deliciously drinking, full flavored wines with a direct link to the Rhienhessen region. Provided the Michel’s continue in this way, there will be no shortage of this kind of wine along the Rhine, for the generations to come. - Savio Soares
Metamorphika Sumoll Orange - Costador
Catalunya - Spain
From grapes grown on 80 year-old bush vines. A savoury orange wine with a distinct mediterranean flair. Notes of herbs and fruit such as grapefruit, orange and dried stone fruit.
Pairings: Chicken, Grilled Shrimp, White Fish
Serving Temperature: 45°- 50°
About Costador
Costador, run by Joan Franquet, works only using organic and biodynamic practices on a singular mountain where there are very old vineyards (some of them certified). The vineyards are very old, the majority of them between 60 to 110 year, spanning different “terroirs” (slate, clay and limestone) and at altitudes between 400 to 800 meters. With the high contrast of temperatures the grapes can mature for long periods allowing the preservation of freshness and acidity. The temperatures are always controlled throughout the entire process, from the moment the grapes are picked to fermentation and aging. Joan Franquet strives to preserve the authentic flavor and taste of the varietals and so only uses wild and autochthonous yeasts for fermentation. The major part of the fermentation is done in amphora or stainless steel tanks, along with used French and acacia oak barrels. Aging is completed in amphorae and used oak as well. Joan Franquet allows a genuine wine to develop from it's place of origin. The estate works with autochthonous Catalan varieties of grape: Reds - Grenache, Carignan, Sumoll Negre, and Trepat. Whites - Macabeu, Xarel-lo, Sumoll lanc, Parellada and Grenache Blanc. The estate's strictly holds to organic and biodynamic practices from vineyard to aging. - 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!
