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Massanois

Fine Wines & Spirits

Farming Practice: Organic

Organic

Binario

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About the Winery

Since 1998, the Serrano family have been pioneers of organic and biodynamic farming in Rioja and Navarra. While maintaining dry farming practices, over 70 hectares of vines have been certified biodynamic. Tucked between the Calahorra and Andosilla range, the balance of continental climate with Mediterranean influence allowed the Serrano’s to employ polyculture to promote diversity amongst their 30yrs old vines. Nothing is farmed out – traditional biodynamic applications are cultivated on site via homemade infusions and composts from the farm animals on property – both wild and domestic. The regenerative, certified organic practices are in place to ensure the next generation will be able to sustain the farm, no matter the challenges each vintage may bring.

The Wine & Winemakers

Biodynamic farming is echoed in the production of Binario – each vineyard is picked by hand – at night to retain freshness. Along with trained winemaker Ruth de Andrés, the newest generation of the Serrano family has taken the helm and is infusing a youthful dynamic into the farm and bringing their generational business into the forefront of exciting biodynamic Rioja winemaking.

Gagnon-Kennedy

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In October of 2015, Michael Kennedy – then Wine Director & Sommelier for Chef Eric Ripert’s Blue & The Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman – was on a visit to Napa Valley from the Cayman Islands. He spent the afternoon visiting Bryant Family Vineyard on Pritchard Hill with the winemaker, Marc Gagnon. The two hit it off, spending hours talking about rocks, vines, beer and a million other topics.

A couple of months later, Kennedy hosted Bryant Family Vineyard and Gagnon at his resort in Cayman for the Cayman Cookout, as a featured winery during the food and wine festival. The two became quick friends… very different people, but with a mutual understanding of each other’s strengths.

In 2018, when Gagnon left Bryant Estate, over a dinner with friends at a local Italian restaurant in Napa, Kennedy asked Gagnon what was next. That night, they both went home knowing that something amazing was about to happen.

A week or so later, over the phone, Kennedy and Gagnon started talking about doing something together. The consensus was simple.

The next months saw the beginning of an incredible partnership filled with discovery, yin and yang and a massive amount of fun. Gagnon and Kennedy signed vineyard contracts on three of the oldest and most iconic sites in Napa Valley:

Historic Beckstoffer Georges III in Rutherford

Historic Beckstoffer Missouri Hopper in Oakville

Historic Samuel Brannan Vineyard in Calistoga

The goal is simply to explore the vineyards that stood out as prime to the earliest settlers of Napa Valley, to express them uniquely and purely, and to provide an experience in the valley unlike any other.

Bella Mistala

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The Hevia Ferrer family, originally from Santander and descendants of the Ferrer Sala family with more than 100 years of experience in the production of quality sparkling wines, following the entrepreneurial spirit of their ancestors, acquired Cavas Marevia in 2019. 

This investment reflects the vision and constant growth of a company that is firmly committed to being a leader in the production of top-quality organic Cavas in Requena. 

Cavas Marevia is the leading cava winery outside of Catalonia and a benchmark in Spain in the production of organic products. More than 75% of our production is destined for export markets as consolidated as the United States, Belgium or Sweden.

Bosco Del Merlo

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Bosco del Merlo is run by the third generation of the Paladin family: Francesca and her cousin Martina. The winery prioritizes sustainability in all its operations and is Equalitas certified. Equalitas is a 360-degree sustainability certification that addresses three areas: social, environmental, and economic (it is organic +++!). They produce classic northern-Italian, single-varietal wines at very compelling prices.

Bosco del Merlo was founded in 1977 in Annone Veneto when Valentino Paladin realized his dream of creating wines from sustainable practices that could best express the potential and identity of the territory between Eastern Veneto and Western Friuli. The name ‘Bosco del Merlo’ comes from local topographical maps and is reminiscent of the oak forests that once covered the area.

The vineyards of Bosco del Merlo located in Western Friuli are at the foothills of the Carnic Alps. In this area, the alluvial soils, rich in skeletal deposits, enhance minerality, aromatic expression, and elegance in the wines. The soil of the Eastern Veneto vineyards is characterized by a clayey-calcareous soil of fluvio-glacial origin: the Caranto, composed of a particular stratification that gives unique complexity and structured wines with a great longevity.

Bosco del Merlo’s Pinot Grigio Rosè is part of the “Life in Rosè” project. Every year part of the proceeds are donated to sponsor healthy lifestyle initiatives and to support breast cancer research. Attention to social issues, respect for life, and sustainability are core values for Bosco del Merlo—and this wine is the ambassador of these important project.

LES CLEFS DU CALADAS

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This historic estate began in 1920 in the small village of Piolenc, just north of Orange in the Southern Rhône Valley. Madeleine Ladret, whose mother Marcelle had been bequeathed the property of Château Simian, would marry Yves Serguier, a grower cultivating vines along with his father (Marcel) and grandfather (Hippolyte) in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Madeleine and Yves’s only son, Jean-Pierre, born in 1957, would eventually take over the family property in 1981, having studied enology at the University of Beaune in Burgundy.

The forward-thinking Jean-Pierre had early recognition of the effects of climate change on his wines and began purchasing vineyards inthe higher elevations of Châteauneuf-du-Pape in the 1990s in effort to retain freshness. Additionally in 2008, the estate earned the esteemed Demeter biodynamic & organic certification. Jean-Pierre’s oldest son Florian and daughter Marion now work closely withtheir father running the estate.

The name “Clefs du Caladas” derives from two ancient Provençal words – “Caladas” which was the large stone path that ran from Orange to Châteauneuf-du-Pape in ancient times – and “Clefs,” or keys, meaning the keys to the estate.

Maison Champy

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Established in 1720 by Edmé Champy, operating as the oldest house in Burgundy, for three centuries the Maison has been instrumental in building the international reputation of Burgundy and French Savoir Faire. Indeed, Champy’s story is interwoven with some of the most important French historical figures of the 19th and 20th centuries, including Louis Pasteur and Gustave Eiffel. 

Maison Champy owns 21 ha of vineyards, which are farmed organically and certified HVE (Haute Valeur Environnementale/High Environmental Value) spread across the Côte d’Or. The winery and its 15th century cellars are in Beaune. Domaine Champy’s core plots are found on the hill of Corton, Beaune, Savigny-les-Beaune, and Pernand-Vergelesses. Additionally, with three centuries of history and experience behind it, Maison Champy has established incredible relationships with key growers across the Côte. This is especially the case for Côte de Nuits, where long-term fermage and métayage partnerships have enabled Maison Champy to work with plots in Gevrey-Chambertin, Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru and Vosne-Romanée. Across the range, an average of two barrels per plot are made.

Since 1999, winemaker Dimitri Bazas has been at the helm, overseeing production and viticulture. Dimitri, whose résumé includes working for such iconic names such as Christophe Roumier, Marquis d’Angerville, Bonneau du Martray and others, has identified key vineyard expansion into top sites of the Côte d’Or and is largely responsible for the Maison’s conversion to organic farming over the last two decades. 

The winemaking follows traditional Burgundian practices, utilizing indigenous yeast across the range, whole cluster pressing for the whites, and barrel fermentation. For the reds, stem inclusion is selected plot-by-plot, cold macerations for approximately 3 days. Fermentations last up to 3 weeks. The wines see a combination of pigeage and remontage. Aging in Burgundy barrique for both red and white extends between 10-16 months and can include up to 30% new wood.

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