VAN VOLXEM 2015 RIESLING, SAAR, GERMANY

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EXPLOR

JANUARY 2019

Located in the historic center of Wiltingen in the Saar Valley, the Van Volxem winery dates back to Roman times. The wine estate is on the site of a Roman villa, whose fragments are still visible today. The estate’s vineyards—which were first planted in the 3rd century in the area’s best slate slopes—are among the oldest in the region. Monks rediscovered the estate in the 11th century, and the Jesuits cultivated the vineyards starting in the 16th century. In 1743, an abbey winery was built here. In wake of the French Revolution, the property was secularized and finally ended up under the ownership of Gustav van Volxem, a winemaker who had emigrated from Brussels. A true visionary, van Volxem recognized the potential of the premium vineyard location, and in subsequent years, he developed one of the most prestigious wine estates in imperial Germany. After four generations in the van Volxem family, Roman Niewodniczanski took over the estate and subsequently restored it to its original state in accordance with preservation standards. He also expanded the vineyard holdings with new premium sites. Starting off with lean notes of crisp green apple, this dry Riesling follows through with notes of rubber and petrol lending a savory aspect to the tart, mouthwatering acidity of the finish. 

ERS

HERENCIA ALTES 2016 “LA PELUDA” GARNAXTA, TERRA ALTA, SPAIN

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EXPLOR

JANUARY 2019

The Herencia Altés winery was born in 2010, when Nuria Altés decides to buy grapes from her father and make her first wine in Batea. This is when the brand Herencia Altés came into being. 3 years later, she invested in her own small winery and acquired her first vineyard, La Serra. They currently cultivate more than 60 hectares, all of them farmed with organic methods. They have nine wines on the market and they are currently building their new winery. Herencia Altés “La Peluda” is a wine made with Garnacha Peluda, a mutation of Grenache that grows small layer “hair,” on the underside of its leaves to protect the vines from transpiration in hot climates. The harvest for this wine is preformed manually, with grape selection done by hand. Fermentation is carried out in stainless steel  with daily pump-overs and aging takes place in new large French and Hungarian oak barrels, where it remains for 10 months. Herencia Altés La Peluda is a meaty, opulent and refined wine. Elegant and fresh, this Garnacha Peluda is considered by Núria as her Pinot Noir.

ERS

HAMACHER 2013 WILLAMETTE VALLEY, OREGON

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COLLECT

JANUARY 2019

With over 20 years of experience handcrafting Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from Willamette Valley, winemaker Eric Hamacher produces small lots of exceptionally balanced, handmade wines. Eric Hamacher is one of many winemakers who started out on a career path to becoming a doctor but switched to making wine. After working a harvest, he was hooked, and attended University of California Davis, receiving a degree in viticulture and enology. He gained experience at various wineries including Mondavi, Chalone and Etude and finally ended up in Oregon. With his wife, Luisa Ponzi, he started the 2000 case winery, Hamacher Wines, in 1995. Eric was the driving force behind the Carlton Winemaker’s Studio, a “green” LEED registered cooperative winemaking facility that opened in 2002 and is now home to as many as twelve different wineries. The 15,000-square-foot gravity flow winery is a partnership between Eric and his wife Luisa Ponzi, winemaker at Ponzi Vineyards, and Ned and Kirsten Lumpkin of Lumpkin Construction in Seattle and Lazy River Vineyard in Yamhill, Oregon.

ORS

Starting off with notes of strawberry, clay, and rose water on the nose, this Pinot follows through with cherry, tilled earth, and lean acidity.