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No. 27

Raiders of the lost treasure

«Javier Rodríguez is a winemaker who goes beyond the limits of the usual. We are also breaking new ground in this issue of Flaschenpost magazine. Instead of doing a photo shoot with the winemaker, the Corona situation gave us a completely new idea: we could have the cover drawn for once.»

Dominic und Renzo

Founders

Bottle of Damalisco Roble DO Toro from Rodríguez Sanzo

«With Javier Rodríguez, winemaking becomes an adventure.»

The riches of the forgotten D.O. Toro

Anyone who meets Javier Rodríguez on a country road somewhere in the middle of nowhere in Castile-León is sure to mistake him for an adventurer. Yet the bearded man, who usually wears a khaki vest, is in fact one of Spain's most sought-after winemakers. But the first impression is not wrong because the man is really on a treasure hunt: equipped with a map, an earth drill and a head full of ideas, he searches for the most extraordinary vineyards. He knows precisely how physical and chemical properties of a specific soil can affect the grapes. With his expertise, he has even made it to the University of California, where he held a teaching position. Even the world-famous Château Lafite-Rothschild relied on the Spaniard's soil analyses for its new plantings. In his younger years, Javier was a «flying winemaker» throughout Spain.

Today he says with conviction that the D.O. Toro has the best vineyards in the country. A look at the history of the region supports his claim: The area was already known to the Romans, and in the Middle Ages it was the most sought-after wine region in Iberia. King Alfonso IX was an enthusiastic patron of Toro: «I have a bull that gives me wine», he is said to have bragged. The wine was not only in the cellars of royal houses, no, it even traveled with Columbus to America. After the world wars, Toro increasingly fell into oblivion. Only in recent years has the new generation of winemakers succeeded in fully exploiting the potential of this D.O. Thanks to the know-how of winemakers like Javier Rodríguez, the «bull» today again produces wine that Spain can be proud of.

Bottle of Tempranillo aged 18 months in Whisky barrels Toro DO from Rodríguez Sanzo

The discovery: wine from the whiskey barrel

Javier Rodríguez is an oenologist with the spirit of an adventurer. For us, the Spaniard is simply the Indiana Jones of wine. Someone who fights to ensure that the cultural diversity of wine is preserved for the future. And just like the legendary archaeologist from the film, Javier Rodríguez also has to contend with «looters» in his treasure hunt. In his case, these are large industrial companies that rely on mass instead of class and thus not only put diversity at risk, but also the reputation of the entire wine region. Javier Rodríguez is not only a conscientious oenologist, but also a curious tinkerer. In fact, in addition to authentic terroir wines, he makes specialties in very small quantities. True to the motto «nothing ventured, nothing gained», he experiments, for example, with dried grapes, unusual blends, or with barrels in every conceivable shape. This is how the whiskey lover came up with the idea of making wine in used Scotch whiskey barrels. The special thing about this is that the spirit has sucked the tannins out of the wood. That's why the wine retains the full fruit, but the aging process gives it a beautiful smoothness and a distinctive whisky touch. A unique culinary adventure!

Bottle of Château de Bleyzac Bordeaux Supérieur from Château de Langalerie

«Under the spell of Château de Bleyzac»

A Bordeaux with magical value for money

It is quiet, only the birds are chirping. An enchanted forest surrounds the small castle perched in the middle of a hill. In front of it a fairy-tale garden and vines, endless rows of vines... but we are not in a fairy tale of the Brothers Grimm, but in the heart of the Bordelais. And there is no evil stepmother here either, but only wine. For a long time it was quiet around the beautiful estate. But in 2014, the star oenologist Michel Rolland came along as the perfect «prince» to bring the château out of its slumber. Kissed awake with a wine whose unbeatable price-performance ratio makes you sit up and take notice. Sounds too good to be true? It gets even better: the top oenologist has not failed to notice that the soils here in the commune of Saint-Quentin de Caplong are of a similar nature to those in the famous Saint-Émilion, just 30 kilometers away. In other words, the perfect terroir for Merlot, which is why some 50 hectares of vines have been newly planted. In addition, the farm converted to organic in 2017. We are honestly extremely stunned by the relationship between quality, prestige, sustainability and price. But there has always been something mysterious surrounding the château, which once belonged to the chief gardener of Sun King Louis XIV. For example, a cellar door with an underground tunnel leading to the village church. Stuff for fairy tales, isn't it?

Bottle of Ribera del Duero DO Crianza from Valtravieso

«The Virtuoso of Valtravieso»

Highest vineyards, highest demands

No sooner had he had his first glass of wine than Ricardo Velasco knew he wanted to be a winemaker. And he stuck with it. As a newly qualified oenologist, he then went to Bordeaux to learn «the French savoir faire», after which he expanded his wine horizons in New Zealand. At just 26 years old, Ricardo became the oenologist in charge at Bodegas y Viñedos Valtraviesoin the D.O. Ribera del Duero. In the 6 years under his leadership, Valtravieso has established itself as one of the wineries to which the region owes its international popularity. How has he managed to do this? His colleagues jokingly call him the «vine whisperer». In fact, Ricardo spends a lot of time in the vineyards. Neither heat nor harsh winds can keep him away. Both are part of everyday life on the barren plain at an altitude of 950 meters.

The daily challenge excites the young virtuoso – and with a lot of patience he wrings first-class wines from the terrain: «After all, you don't achieve class and style in a hurry.» What the D.O. Ribera del Duero is for red wine, the neighboring D.O.. Rueda is for white wine: Extreme conditions and rough terrain also ensure intense aromas and fresh acidity here. Ricardo couldn't resist that. Valtravieso acquired a vineyard – as you would expect, of course, one of the highest. It is no longer insider knowledge: If Verdejo is carefully processed, it can compete in the league of the world's great white wines. Ricardo Velasco proves this beautifully with this multilayered, playful Verdejo. Top!

Bottle of Colledilà Chianti Classico DOCG Gran Selezione from Barone Ricasoli / Castello di Brolio

«You have to adapt traditions to the times to keep them alive.»

Francesco Ricasoli succeeds in creating a groundbreaking cru

In 1141 the Ricasoli family began to press wine at Castello di Brolio. It is thus the oldest winery in Italy. In 1993 Francesco Ricasoli recaptured the Castello of his ancestors, rich in tradition, from the hands of a multinational corporation. Since then, he has been constantly taking on new challenges to live up to his illustrious ancestors. Not an easy legacy, as Francesco's ancestor Bettino Ricasoli invented nothing less than Chianti Classico. How to breathe new life into classics from the past is something they know very well in Gaiole. After all, thousands of cyclists make the pilgrimage there every October to take part in the «Eroica», the famous retro cycling race. Then Francesco Ricasoli can be seen riding up to his estate on his historic Bianchi bicycle. The white gravel crunches under his tires, he pedals hard. You can tell this older man is bursting with energy and ambition. He has invested a whole three years in precisely measuring the terroir of his vineyards. We now find the result of the effort in the Cru Colledilà. The wine comes from a single vineyard of 7 hectares with particularly calcium-rich soil. It is a spicy and earthy wine of impressive concentration. Even wine critic James Suckling was enthusiastic: «The complexity and depth in the finish are breathtaking.» A great classic that outlasts time and its fashions.

Bottle of Pirú Torrontés from Pirú

«¡Viva Argentina!»

In diversity lies strength

Argentina combines rainforests and deserts, high mountain ranges and endless plains, volcanoes and glaciers. Diversity is also found in the culture: As a country of immigrants, it has always been a melting pot of nations. The writer Jorge Luis Borges once jokingly described his countrymen as «Italians who speak Spanish and would like to be English, who think they live in Paris». In the port district of Buenos Aires in particular, numerous European traditions have fused to reshape themselves under Latin American fire. A prime example is the tango. The «La Boca» neighborhood at the mouth of the Rio de la Plata is virtually a symbol of Argentina's lively diversity and its history: the original, colorful houses were built from the sheet metal of scrapped ships and colorfully painted with ship's paint.

When it comes to wine, Argentina has also brought together old European traditions under its unique conditions. This is also true of the white national grape variety Torrontés. It has a Spanish father and a Creole mother whose ancestors arrived in South America with the first European settlers. Torrontés has adapted perfectly to the conditions of Argentina: This grape variety as a mountain climber with the credo «the higher, the better». The Pirú comes from vineyards over1700 meters in altitude. In the Cafayate Valley, one of the last foothills of the Andes, the fruity fresh Torrontés met the elegant Riesling. You can imagine it like a conscientious German dancing a tango with a fiery Argentine. That just has to turn out well, doesn’t it?