Esprit de Pavie is the creation of Gerard Perse, the visionary owner of Chateau Pavie in St Emillion, having produced no less than five 100 point wines at the Pavie estate. He and his team could have sat smugly on their laurels, instead they set out to make a more democratic bottle of Bordeaux for wider enjoyment, Esprit de Pavie is made from young vines from all of Perse’s estate’s, including Pavie, this is definitely a smart case of wine to add to the cellar, given the provenance and price, it’s a Bordeaux to snap up for fun and future.
Massanois Imports
PAVIE
Château Pavie is a Bordeaux estate in Saint-Émilion known for its Merlot-dominant grand vin. It is one of four châteaux with the Premier Grand Cru Classé A status, the highest classification in Bordeaux’s right bank.
The 37-hectare (91-acre) Pavie estate sits on a limestone plateau on a site known to have been planted with vines since Roman times. The current property boundaries were heavily influenced by the land purchases of Ferdinand Bouffard in the late 19th Century. Bouffard bought a number of vineyards and châteaux, laying the foundations not just for Pavie but several of its neighboring estates, although he continued to manage them as separate entities. In the early 20th Century, Château Pavie was divided into three: châteaux Pavie Macquin and Pavie Decesse were created from land from the original estate. Pavie remains the largest of the three and is one of the largest estates in Saint-Émilion.
Château Pavie was named a Premier Grand Cru Classé B at the 1954 classification of Saint-Émilion. Gérard Perse bought Pavie in 1998 (having previously bought Pavie Decesse) and implemented significant upgrades to the vineyards and winery. Many of the vines were replanted, and Michel Rolland was hired as consultant winemaker. Subsequent vintages have been markedly different and have created some controversy. The new wines are known for their riper, fuller and more extracted expressions with high alcohol content. They have been well received by American critic Robert Parker but not so favorably by others, notable in the poor review the 2003 received from Jancis Robinson. In the 2012 review of the Saint-Émillion classification, Château Pavie was elevated to the highest status of Premier Grand Cru Classé A.
The vineyards are planted roughly 60 percent to Merlot, 20 percent to Cabernet Franc and 10 percent to Cabernet Sauvignon. Along with the eponymous grand vin, Pavie makes a second wine called Arômes de Pavie, renamed from Tour Simard in 2005. This is made from younger vines with an average age of less than 10 years, compared to 43 for the grand vin. The total production of the estate is roughly 8000 cases annually.
ZEPH
In 1985, inspired by the pioneering efforts of other Marlborough mavericks, the Glover family converted their farm in Dillons Point to vine. Being a third generation farming family meant that there was a natural ability to see the potential in the land for vineyards and ultimately the production of world-class wine. In 2007 Owen and Wendy Glover’s passion for growing grapes finally overflowed into the desire to release their own brand – Zephyr, inspired by the prevailing wind that cools their vineyards. The wines immediately created a stir in the United Kingdom with Tim Atkin writing “If I were to choose one Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc at the moment it would be Zephyr.” With sons Jack and Ben on board (Ben is currently winemaker for the Accolade NZ Group), this family affair continues to attract the attention of sommeliers and the international press. From the value-driven Massey Dacta label to the Zephyr labeled wines, all wines are made from estate-grown fruit grown according the standards of the NZ Sustainable Winegrowing Association. Massanois is proud to represent their wines in the U.S. for the first time!
VESTINI
Vestini Campagnano was among the wineries to nurture Pallagrello Bianco, Pallagrello Nero and Casavecchia away from obscurity and into the resurging prominence they are now enjoying. These wines are imbued with an extraordinary amount of pure personality and a timelessness that is impossible to miss.” – Antonio Galloni, Central And Southern Italy: A Wine Lover’s Paradise (Feb 2013)
In the region between the towns of Castel Campagnano and Conca della Campania, an area where great wines have been made since Roman times, the Barletta family followed their passion for historical grape varieties by taking over some old vineyards and starting an important project to recuperate and restore ancient varieties on the verge of extinction. Being the first winery to research the almost extinct Pallagrello (red and white) and Casavecchia clones, the estate of Vestini Campagnano started in 1990 with rudimentary research in a garage-style setting and only a few vines growing in the backyard. Stimulated by the idea that Pallagrello once belonged to the noblest varieties of Europe and was held in high esteem by the Bourbon kings, the Barletta famiily enlisted famed enologist of Campania Luigi Moio to lead their research.
By 2000, Vestini Campagnano had planted organically-farmed vineyards propagated from the original vines discovered here and was producing 6,000 liters of wine divided between Pallagrello Bianco, Pallagrello Nero and Casavecchia under the denominazione Terre del Volturno IGT. Today, they own six hectares of vines and produce about 60,000 bottles per year in these volcanic-material laced, clay-based soils.
The name “Terre del Volturno” translates literally as “lands of the Volturno” and refers to the Volturno River, which flows southwest through the Caserta province from the Central Apennine Mountains to the Tyrrhenian Sea. It designates the southern half of the Caserta province, in northern Campania. It is of particular note as the home of the rare, native varieties of Pallagrello Bianco and Nero and Casavecchia. While the origin of the name “Pallagrello” has several supposed origins, the name for Casavecchia (literally, “old house”) derives from the fact that the local farmers who re-discovered the native vine referred to it as the vine found “up there in the old house.”
VEVEY MARZIANO
Marziano Vevey’s 7,000 square meters of Prié Blanc vineyards are scattered about the slopes of the mountains around Morgex, a small village nestled into a valley at the base of Mont Blanc, at the northwestern edges of Italy, the location of a tiny, but enchanting winemaking appellation. Some vines easy to access, on somewhat flat terrain, while others line terraces clinging tenaciously to the steep slopes that make the work of vine-growers extremely arduous. The vineyards of Morgex are peculiar, planted in the ancient and traditional pergola style. The only vineyards in all of Europe that exist at the astoundingly high altitude of 1200 meters above sea level, the vines are planted low to the ground, hovering on their horizontal trellises in order to soak up the protective heat of the soil, allowing them to survive the rigors of the long winters at such heights.
In 1981, Marziano inherited 2,000 square meters of vines but with great reluctance. His father, Marcello, had tended his vineyards passionately, producing just enough wine to share with friends. At his premature passing, Marziano couldn’t bear to part with his inheritance given its spiritual connection to his beloved father, and so, with great determination, accepted the challenge to pick up where his father had left off. With his wife Judith at his side, he began his adventure as “the accidental winemaker.” Fueled by the tenacity typical of mountain people and taking advantage of every second of his free time (both he and his wife had demanding day jobs), he dedicated himself to the vineyards, gradually expanding them and growing production from 600 bottles per year to the current 5,000 bottles, with the further goal to grow to 12,000, still a tiny quantity in the world of winemaking.
Producing such a wine is never an inexpensive endeavor, given the tiny quantities and lack of mechanical assistance. Nonetheless, this may be one of the best values in the category. We are getting just 56 cases of this vintage, with expectations that Vevey can expand production over the next few years.
VODAN
The Domaine de Vodanis was created in 2007 by two young friends, Francois Gilet and Nicolas Darracq. Both met at the winemaking school in the Loire Valley in Amboise. After working and training on their own, Francois working at the estate of his cousin Jean Marc Gilet, and Nicolas with another producer in Rochecorbon, they decided to join forces. With the help of Francois’s family, they took over a long-term lease on the Vodanis Vineyard (4, 5Ha) from the famed Huet estate, which had recently changed ownership. During that time, they added another 10 hectares located deeper into the plateau of Rochecordon. From the older vines in Vodanis they produce their still wines, whereas the younger vines in their other parcels, with their slightly higher yields, are perfect for producing the chenin blanc destined for the sparkling Vouvray.
The estate of Domaine de Vodanis is situated on limestone soils around the town of Rochecorbon, with vines averaging around 25 years old. The philosophy of this estate revolves around respecting and observing the rythms of nature, so they use entirely sustainable farming practices, borrowing many techniques from the biodynamic canon. Yields are strictly limited in the vineyards, and they use no chemicals or additives and limit their intervention overall during the winemaking process with the exception of a trace amount of sulphites at bottling. They rack their wines in their ancient and original chalk cellar according to the phases of the moon. Overall, they are dedicated to putting quality first above all.