Garagiste

• By Jon Rimmerman
  10/2/2009 (link)

  (NV ROSSO MunJebel 5 Cornelissen (2007/2008)) Cornelissen Dear Friends, The new releases from Frank Cornelissen are upon us and they will only further the underground status of this pioneer. Nothing gets the blood pumping quicker among our core customer base than Cornelissen and it's safe to say Frank has achieved a place reserved for only a few producers in the world. He is a leader of the youth movement in wine that has swung far and wide, from his perch atop Etna to as far away as China (have you ever seen the Beatles movie Help? That's the type of reception Frank receives when he goes to Japan). While his portfolio is often challenged by classicists for not containing actual wine at all (more of an unknown amalgam of fluid and fruit), who is to say what wine is or is not? As a frame of reference, all of Frank Cornelissen's creations broaden our boundaries of wine and its understanding. For better or worse, you cannot have a firm frame of reference on all things vinous until you've sampled the range of wine from this producer. This parcel is directly from Frank Cornelissen - picked, vinified, bottled and shipped by him alone (along with his new bride Aki and their two month old daughter). Due to allocation pressure from around the globe, quantities are EXTREMELY LIMITED this year. There are only 25 cases of each wine for the US market (including restaurants) with no re-orders - everything is sold out at the winery. Below are brief descriptions of each wine so let the chips fall where they may: (2008) Frank Cornelissen Contadino 6 (rosso) (this wine is not available elsewhere - this is not the Contadino 5) What started as the fluid from a refermenting compost heap has turned into Frank's most famous and widely consumed "wine", the Contadino. A mix of every indigenous old-vine grape he has (red and white), the original Contadino 1 was never intended to be consumed, sampled by journalists by accident as the run-off from his plastic tank of cuttings, branches, soil, leaves and grapes that had fallen off the vine. The tank was supposed to be used for compost, but a group of writers mistakenly opened the spigot on the bottom of the tank and poured the cloudy liquid into stems. This was the "ah ha" moment for Cornelissen - the juice from his compost heap was unlike anything any of them had ever tasted - it was revolutionary in its relation to wine and the rest is history. Fast forward a number of years and the original compost heap formula has been modified but only in terms of cleanliness - the original concept is the same: grapes, twigs, leaves, pieces of bark and volcanic earth all co-mingling in an incredible cauldron of orange/pink liquid that teems with tobacco, cumin, cinnamon, citrus peel and tangerine. A one of a kind beverage that is the only wine of its type in the world. For those of you schooled on past vintages of Contadino, the 6 is actually the most sophisticated version yet - it is drinkable, intriguing, complex and enjoyable as an actual wine, not just as a study. Raised in terracotta amphorae without S02, this murky beverage is alive (I mean, actually alive). (2007) Frank Cornelissen MunJebel 5 Bianco This is Cornelissen's top-end white from Grecanico Dorato, Carricante and Coda di Volpe. It has more in common with Vodopivic or Movia than what most are used to in a white wine. Orange/gold in color with a vivacious quality and full glycerol mouthfeel, this wine pushes the envelope with its pre-oxidized style but the amazing levels of fruit, tannin (yes, in a white), buoyancy and spice are something to behold. This wine undergoes incredible changes as it sits open in a decanter. Over 6-8 hours it goes back and forth from white Hermitage to Radikon to Etna. Also one of a kind - only 10 cases for US retail. (2007/2008) Frank Cornelissen MunJebel 5 Rosso If the Magma or Magma R are a little too costly for you ($150-250), try this - one pass below the Magma level with the same elements and old-vine fruit. Made entirely from Nerello Mascalese from a parcel high up on Mt Etna, the MunJebel is raised entirely in terracotta with a proprietary process that involves wax sealing the clay pots to seal in the gasses and sequester the fermenting mass from oxygen. There is so much to say regarding this wine but, of most importance, it changes the game for what is perceived to be red wine in Europe. From some of the oldest vines on the Continent, including a block of pre-phylloxera plants at very high elevation, the sheer density of material and layers of fresh fruit, orange, Partaga, and crushed rosemary are stunning. This red/brown wine soars from the first sniff but don't expect a civilized experience. It is a wild combination of volcanic ash, fruit and vine roots nearly 200 meters deep searching for every last pebble of mineral tone they can. A wine without peers. Thank you, Jon Rimmerman Garagiste Seattle, WA Italy4587 Italy4588 Italy4589