November 26, 2016

Vertical of the month: Frank Cornelissen

In this day and age, when so-called natural wines are apparently all the rage, it seems that the people who haven't heard of Frank Cornelissen and his unique wines are quite hard to come by. But in the off chance that somebody unaware of him is reading my blog now, I thought it would be a good thing to start with an introduction of sorts on him.

Frank Cornelissen is a Belgian winemaker from Mount Etna, Sicily, Italy, whose wines have been popping up in articles and features here and there for the past decade or so. Before becoming a winemaker, he worked as a wine agent; however, in 2000, after having discovered the wines of Etna, he moved to Sicily, rented some vineyards and started making wine in a small cottage. Fast-forward a few years and Cornelissen has bought himself some very old, ungrafted vineyards from the volcano of Etna and is starting to make some name with his winery Azienda Agricola Frank Cornelissen and its characterful wines.

What makes Cornelissen's wines unique is his style of winemaking – or, perhaps more accurately, what the winemaking is lacking. Because even within these natural wine circles (where people make wines with as minimal interventions as possible) Cornelissen is regarded as an extremist of sorts. This is because he really doesn't do pretty much anything at all with his wines – the grapes are just crushed, the must is left to ferment and the final result is bottled, warts and all. Even within the natural wine circles this kind of total non-interventionism is quite rare. But despite being regarded as an extremist in relation to his winemaking, Cornelissen is hardly a fundamentalist. He is not making wines with a strictly set of rules, but instead with an attempt to learn from previous mistakes and constantly improve his end results. The only thing what is not changed is the principle that nature must run its own course with the wines, without any human intervention. Anything beyond that is improved year by year: whereas the older vintages of Cornelissen might have been notoriously unpredictable with heavy bottle variation, the more recent vintages are quite uniform with more precision and focus.

The 15 hectares of Cornelissen's low-yielding vineyards are cultivated in a non-interventionist fashion as well. The vineyards are planted with low density in order to ensure good ventilation and enough water for each plant. Cornelissen strives to use no treatments at all in the vineyard – a practice he has actually succeeded in with some vintages. Concerning the winemaking, the great majority of Cornelissen's wines are fermented and often also aged in fiberglass tubs while the most tannic and concentrated red and amber wines are fermented and aged in large, epoxy-coated clay amphorae that are buried in volcanic soil up to their necks. Cornelissen lets the wines ferment with indigenous yeasts and often employs very long skin maceration times – the crushed grapes are left to macerate with the fermenting must and the resulting wine is separated from the skins only after both the fermentation and the malolactic fermentation have run their course, normally after several weeks or even months. When the wines are finally bottled, they are bottled completely unfined and unfiltered. Cornelissen does not use sulfites at any point in the winemaking, not at the crush, not during or after fermentation nor upon bottling.

The wines of Cornelissen fall into four different tiers.
  • Contadino is the basic-level wine of the Cornelissen range. Originally this wine was a pale red or a funky rosé of sorts. It was – and still is – a multi-vineyard, multi-varietal field blend wine, into which Cornelissen uses all the grapes that do not go into his other wines. This includes both red and white grapes; originally the final varietal composition was about 70% reds, 30% whites, which explained the pale red color. However, nowadays the wine is almost exclusively composed of red grapes (mainly Nerello Mascalese) and from 2015 onwards the wine has actually been labeled as DOC Etna Rosso, instead of previous IGT Terre Siciliane. Although only "basic level" and the least expensive, Contadinos are still wines of remarkable depth, easily capable of aging for at least a decade. Annual production is 24,000 bottles.
  • Susucaru is another basic-level wine produced for the first time in 2007 and it has taken the place of old Contadino, in a sense. It is the "rosé" wine of Cornelissen and labeled as IGT Terre Siciliane Rosato, but in effect it is an orange wine (aka. skin contact white) composed of Catarratto, Inzolia, Malvasia and Moscadella with some red Nerello Mascalese to give the wine a red hue. Annual production is 18,000 bottles.
  • Munjebel is the mid-tier wine series of Cornelissen and includes wines both red and white. The red Munjebel Rosso is a pure Nerello Mascalese from four different, old (60 yo) vineyards, whereas the white is currently a blend of Grecanico (60%) and Carricante (40%) from four different, old (40 yo) vineyards. The white is made exactly the same way as the red wine, including prolonged skin contact until the fermentation and malolactic fermentation have finished, letting the wine age in clay amphorae for 15 months and bottling the wine unfined and unfiltered, resulting in a amber / orange wine with lots of visible sediment in the bottle. The annual production is 11,000 bottles for the red Munjebel and 4,000 bottles for the white Munjebel.
The penultimate tier spans one skin contact white and four red wines, all of them special bottlings of the regular Munjebel:
  • Munjebel Bianco VA ("Vigne Alte"; Grecanico 60%, Coda di Volpe 30%, Catarratto 10%) is produced only from the best grapes sourced from a single vineyard where almost centenarian ungrafted vines are cultivated at the altitude of 1,000 meters. Annual production is 500 bottles.
  • Munjebel Rosso VA ("Vigne Alte"; Nerello Mascalese 100%) is produced only from the best grapes sourced from three vineyards where almost centenarian ungrafted vines are cultivated at the altitude of 1,000 meters. Annual production is 1,800 bottles.
  • Munjebel Rosso CS ("Chiusa Spagnolo"; Nerello Mascalese 100%) is a single vineyard MunJebel from an almost centenarian, ungrafted vineyard located rather low ("only" 620 meters above the sea level). Annual production is 1,800 bottles.
  • Munjebel Rosso MC ("Monte Colla"; Nerello Mascalese 100%) is a single vineyard MunJebel from a very steep, terraced vineyard located at the altitude of 760 meters, where vines with 70 years of age are cultivated. Annual production is 1,800 bottles.
  • Munjebel Rosso PA ("Porcaria"; Nerello Mascalese 100%) is a single vineyard MunJebel from a vineyard located at the altitude of 640 meters, where the grapes often struggle to reach optimum level of ripeness. Annual production is 1,800 bottles.
  • Magma is the legendary flagship wine of Frank Cornelissen, produced only in the best vintages. Previously it has been produced from a variety of vineyards, but now it is produced from a single Barbabecchi vineyard, located at the altitude of 1,000 meters above the sea level, where ungrafted, centenarian vines are cultivated. Only the best, hand-selected, ripe (but not overripe) grapes from this vineyard go into Magma, whereas the rest are used in MunJebel Rosso. The grapes are foot-crushed and fermented in wooden containers, then moved into buried terracotta amphorae to age and finish malolactic fermentation naturally. After the MLF is finished the wine is racked off the lees and then aged in amphorae for 15 months. Annual production 1,300 bottles.
Curiously, most of the Cornelissen's wines are priced at less what their actual value should be, if production costs and all that should be taken into account. As Cornelissen realized that the MunJebel wines would be prohibitively expensive for a great majority of wine drinkers – an idea which he didn't like – he raised noticeably the price of Magma and lowered respectively the prices of MunJebel wines. The reasoning behind this was that there will always be people who can afford wines they want to drink, whatever their prices are, he could price his extremely limited flagship wine accordingly – not to make money, but instead make the rest of his production more affordable to the greater public!

***

Contadino 4
Vino da Tavola
  • Azienda Agricola Frank Cornelissen
  • Country: Italy
  • Region: Sicily, Etna
  • Grapes: Alicante, Carricante, Catarratto, Inzolia, Nerello Cappuccio, Nerello Mascalese
  • Price: ~30,00€ / 0,75 l
  • Tasted: February 26th, 2014

A field blend of different white and red varieties, based on the vintage 2006, made completely without sulfites.

Initially cloudy, almost murky pink color with purple highlights, but quickly settles into a pale, translucent cranberry juice red color. Rather subtle, but very complex, lifted nose of leathery funk, sweet volatile notes, dried prunes, some lambic-like sourness and a hint of diethyl ether from the alcohol (15%). The nose is definitely sweet and ripe, but far from overripe and jammy. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, but unlike the nose, also bone-dry and really bracing with high, racy acidity. There are flavors of sunny red fruits, juicy figs, tart lingonberries and a hint of leather. The slightly grippy tannins are quite modest, but the high alcohol remains completely hidden. Only in the finish the alcohol becomes rather evident with quite pronounced warmth. There are long, juicy flavors of crunchy cranberries and lingonberries, some robust animal notes and hints of dusty, sun-baked earth and rocky minerality.

All in all, this wine is an interesting paradox: you'd expect something heavy and sweet by the nose, but the wine is surprisingly dry and structured on the palate. It is also quite full-bodied and high in alcohol, yet it drinks like a cool-climate Pinot Noir or Gamay with high drinkability! I'm confused, but also very charmed.

90/100
Summary: Despite being the "basic" wine of Cornelissen, there is nothing "basic" in this one! Definitely an antipole to the modern, industrial wines. Considering that the wine was over 7 years old at the time of tasting, this wine has held together remarkably well, not showing the least bit signs of tiring – or even aging, for that matter!

***

Contadino 6
Vino da Tavola
  • Azienda Agricola Frank Cornelissen
  • Country: Italy
  • Region: Sicily, Etna
  • Grapes: Alicante, Carricante, Catarratto, Inzolia, Nerello Cappuccio, Nerello Mascalese
  • Price: ~30,00€ / 0,75 l
  • Tasted: February 26th, 2014



A field blend of different white and red varieties, made completely without sulfites. The bottle does not state the vintage, but I'd assume the wine is either based completely on the vintage 2008, or then it is a blend of 2008 and 2007.

The color is very similar to the Contadino 4 – initially cloudy, murky pink with a purple hue, but settling quickly into pale, translucent cranberry juice red. I'd say the hue of this one is a bit darker, perhaps veering slightly into brown or pomegranate. Very unique and characterful lifted nose, that feels more darker-toned than that of Contadino 4. Lots of brooding VA notes bringing aromas of cough medicine and floral "violet marmalade" (yes, I couldn't get more precise than this) that are backed up of ripe, plummy fruit, something almost porty and a hint of perfume. On the palate there is striking similarity to Contadino 4: this is full-bodied and packed with sunny fruit, not unlike an Australian Shiraz, but with poise and acidity of a cool-climate Pinot Noir. There are flavors of wild strawberries and sweet red cherries, but with some sour cherry bitterness and something that I'd describe as "malty". Although the tannins are not very ample, they are quite grippy, giving the wine stern structure along with the high-ish acidity. The finish is dry and somewhat coarse, but with delicate and persistent flavors of tart lingonberries, wet forestland, some earthy spice and again that curious hint of maltiness.

Contadino 6 is very similar to Contadino 4, but still very different by its aromas and flavors. Despite having some age to them, they are still very youthful and energetic wines – a testament to the aging capabilities of non-sulfited wines.

90/100
Summary: A bright and youthful "basic" Cornelissen wine with almost Kriek lambic -kind of character with its wild and malty notes and bracing, mouth-puckering acidity. Probably not the easiest wine to pair with food, but definitely very enjoyable with its through-the-roof drinkability!

***

Contadino 8
Vino da Tavola
  • Azienda Agricola Frank Cornelissen
  • Country: Italy
  • Region: Sicily, Etna
  • Grapes: Alicante, Carricante, Catarratto, Inzolia, Nerello Cappuccio, Nerello Mascalese
  • Price: ~30,00€ / 0,75 l
  • Tasted: February 26th, 2014



Based on the 2010 vintage.

In the glass the wine is pale pomegranate red with some haziness; in the rims the wine is quite clear. With a little wait, the haziness settles down as sediment in the bottom of the glass and the hue of the wine turns a bit darker. The nose is more open and fruit-forward than with Contadinos 4 and 6 with very ripe and sunny aromas of sweet strawberries, floral notes of violet and jasmine, crushed forest fruits, some smoky, volcanic minerality and a hint of tree bark. On the palate the wine is quite full-bodied, but also rather tightly knit with pronounced bitterness and good tannic grip. The juicy flavor department is dominated by crunchy red berries like cranberries and goji berries, but there is also a quite prominent streak of almost jammy red fruit and a hint of sweet volatility, giving the wine a really sweet edge, almost making it appear off-dry. This sweetness is, however, offset by very pronounced, racy acidity of almost lambic-like tartness and quite modest yet somewhat angular and astringent tannins. The alcohol level is a bit lower (13,5%) than those of Contadinos 4 and 6, yet it shows through ever so slightly. The finish is somewhat warm and medium in length with juicy flavors of cranberry-driven fruit, some dusty earth and hints of slightly bitter, sooty volcanic minerality.

Overall Contadino 8 is an attractive, succulent and highly drinkable little red(ish) wine, but paradoxically this wine seems a bit hotter than Contadinos 4 and 6, even though the alcohol is lower here. This was obviously a bit sweeter than the two previous ones, but it really didn't matter, as the acid-driven tart red fruit character served as a great counterpoint to the sweetness.

89/100
Summary: It is funny how often one can hear how wines made without sulfites can't survive for long, whereas these Contadinos – the "simplest", least expensive wines in the Cornelissen range – seem to hit their stride only around 5 years of age! This is based on how this wine seemed to be a bit less complex and more awkward than the Contadinos 4 and 6 tasted right before this – although this is really nice and interesting as well, I'd say it is very slightly behind these two older efforts.

***

Contadino 9
Vino da Tavola
  • Azienda Agricola Frank Cornelissen
  • Country: Italy
  • Region: Sicily, Etna
  • Grapes: Alicante, Carricante, Catarratto, Inzolia, Nerello Cappuccio, Nerello Mascalese
  • Price: ~30,00€ / 0,75 l
  • Tasted: February 26th, 2014

Based on the 2011 vintage.

The color is very similar to the Contadino 8, but both with a bit darker hue and with slightly less haziness. Overall Contadino 9 seems a bit more clear and less hazy than Contadinos 4, 6 and 8. Amongst these four Contadinos, number 9 is the richest and most expressive one with very fruit-forward aromas of sunny red fruit, ground green herbs, some alcohol, a little volcanic smokiness and a hint of chinotto orange (think of Campari). On the palate the wine first shows a hint of CO2 prickle, which blows away almost instantly. Flavor-wise Contadino 9 seems a lot more youthful than the three earlier iterations with quite juicy, succulent and even a bit sweet flavors of wild strawberries, tart cranberries and a hint of malt. The acidity is quite high, keeping the sweetness and structure in check, but compared to the earlier Contadinos, the acidity seems slightly lower than what is normal. The wine is moderately high in tannins, giving the palate some chewy texture and also a hint of astringency, that offsets the sweetness nicely. 15% of alcohol stays away nicely. The finish is dominated by rich, sunny red fruit flavors with hints of alcohol warmth, some tart lingonberry character and a little hints of leather and animal. However, there seems to linger a slight note of mousiness towards the end of aftertaste, giving the finish a slightly unpleasant note.

A wild, lively and vibrant natural wine, but also a bit softer and easier-to-approach than the Contadinos 4, 6 and 8.

87/100
Summary: Definitely an interesting and unique wine, but somehow this one feels a little unpolished compared to the Contadinos 4, 6 and 8 (how on earth can wines as natural as these feel polished?) and showing some not-only -enjoyable funkiness. This is quite complex and interesting, but definitely not the best one of Contadinos. It might shed some of that excess sweetness and baby fat with some years in the cellar, so probably the wine will show better after a few more years in the cellar.

***

Munjebel Bianco 4
Vino da Tavola

Based on the vintage 2007. Made from Carricante, Cataratto and Grecanico Dorato – a variety better known as Garganega.

A slightly hazy, honeyed yellow color with a hint of pale brown – by its appearance this wine reminds me more of IPA beers than anything vinous. Lots of sediment in the bottle. Quite reticent nose with rather subdued aromas of ripe apricot, some matured honeyed notes, a little hint of candied orange peel and a whiff of nutmeg with an elegant, minty lift. On the palate there is an initial prickle of CO2, that dissipates almost instantaneously . Flavor-wise the wine reminds me quite much of lambic beers – not just because of this prickle, but also because of the funky and somewhat earthy, wild flavors and pronounced, high acidity. The flavors are somehow quite neutral, yet still full of power and depth – there are nuances of green apples, tart green gooseberries, some balsamico vinegar volatility, a little unripe peaches and a hint of nutty oxidation. Despite its acidity, the wine feels quite full-bodied with almost oily mouthfeel. Tannins are quite light, but they still give nice bite. The finish is quite light in flavor, but rather long and remarkably fresh with flavors of green, bitter herbs, some lambic-ish green apple sourness, faint animal hints and a touch of tart lingonberries.

At over 6 years of age, this completely sulfite-free wine is in pristine condition and full of life! Only the slightest hints of oxidation suggest that maybe the wine has some years under its belt.

93/100
Summary: A wonderful skin contact white that has already some age to it and seems to be drinking wonderfully now, although – based how the wine seemed to just evolve in the glass – I can imagine it will develop further at least for a handful of years. Decanting is recommended; not only does the wine become more expressive with air, the bottle is also packed with deposit. All in all, this is not an easy wine, but instead one that has more in common with gueuze lambic beers than a great majority of modern white wines. Some might consider this wine faulty and undrinkable, but for me, this was a thoroughly tasty and refreshing experience. Recommended for acid-loving adventure-seekers.

***

Munjebel Bianco 7
Vino da Tavola



Based on the vintage 2010. Made from Carricante, Cataratto and Grecanico Dorato – a variety better known as Garganega.

By its appearance Munjebel Bianco 7 is almost identical to Munjebel Bianco 4: this is as hazy yellow with a similar pale brown hue. Decanting recommended due to the big amount of sediment. However, nose-wise Munjebel Bianco 7 is completely different: this wine is quite expressive and rather funky with somewhat waxy aromas of peach, farmhouse cider, some herbal thyme notes, a little pepper-driven spice, some volcanic smoke, a little of chinotto (think of Campari) and a slightest hint of honeyed dessert wine notes. With some air, the nose gains even further complexity, starting to exhibit nuances of fresh tomatoes and slight vinegary VA, giving the nose a slightly ketchup-y tone. The nose department is so complex it feels almost silly and you really don't want to move on actually drinking the wine – not because the nose would be off-putting, but because it is so interesting you just want to keep sniffing the wine! On the palate the wine is – like so many Cornelissen wines are – bone dry with bracing acidity. There are flavors or really tart Granny Smith apples, some whitecurrants, light grapey hints of Sultana, a little saline minerality and a slightest touch of cherry-driven red fruit. The finish is really refreshing with very high, mouth-puckering acidity and with gueuze lambic-like flavors of whitecurrants, aromatic green herbs, some wet stone minerality, a little green apple and a hint of coarse bitterness. The bright and crisp aftertaste persists for moderately long.

The white Munjebel 7 seems to be a lot tighter-wound, rougher in the edges and overall more youthful than Munjebel Bianco 4 – although without the CO2 prickle. Probably some age would soften the wine a little bit and bring some more complexity to it.

91/100
Summary: Overall this is remarkably fresh and charming a wine, but probably quite hard one to approach as well; after all, this wine is mainly about acidity and structure with very little of anything fruit-related. Probably this wine will suit best the fans of lambic beers. Judging how the Munjebels are capable of aging, I could see this wine benefiting from 4–5 more years in the cellar.

***

Munjebel Bianco 8
Vino da Tavola

Based on the vintage 2011. Made from Carricante, Cataratto and Grecanico Dorato – a variety better known as Garganega.

By its appearance this wine is a bit more pale than Munjebel Biancos 4 and 7; if these two previously tasted wines looked more like IPA beers (without the head), this wine looked more like a Belgian tripel beer (also without the head). Whereas the aromas of Munjebel Biancos 4 and 7 were more restrained and herbal, this wine is more expressive and fruit-forward with aromas of bruised apple, peach, some pithy grapefruit and a hint of passion fruit, with some volatile, minty lift and something resinous, reminding me of new world hops. With some air, faint nuances of wildhoney and autolytic brioche emerge. By the nose one might expect the wine to be very ripe and full-bodied; instead it is lithe, bone-dry and bracing in its high acidity. Although the flavors exhibit generous tropical fruit aromas, they still feel austere and mouth-puckering, supported by notes of herbal greenness, freshly pressed apple juice, some bitter orange peel, a little bretty leather character and a tart hint of something like Weissbier. The light tannic grip further emphasizes the already tightly knit structure of the wine. The aftertaste is really crisp and tart with intense flavors of green apples, dried herbs, tart passion fruits, some wildhoney and bitterness that turns towards something malty and slightly nutty in a slightly rancid kind of way, maybe a hint of mousiness going on here?

Whereas the white Munjebels 4 and 7 were quite lambic-like, this wine seems to diffuse that line between white wines and beers even further, not just being really tart in a lambic-kind of way, but also showing some malty characteristics more reminiscent of some wheat beer than white wine! Although some of that malty character turns to slight roughness towards the end of the aftertaste, making me wonder whether the wine is suffering from a mild case of mousiness?

92/100
Summary: Mousy or not, this wine is an extreme wine by any standards – and extremely tasty at it! Most likely this is not a wine for most of wine drinkers, because understanding this wine fully requires you not to understand just natural wines, but also appreciate Belgian sour ales and dry farmhouse ciders. I can understand that because of these characteristics many people can deem this one outright faulty, but maybe this is like a clever pun – some people just don't get it. With its fruit-forward aromas and flavors, Munjebel Bianco 8 is more approachable than many other, less fruity iterations, but still I wouldn't consider this easily approachable wine. This is an adventure and experience of the extreme sort.

***

Munjebel 4
Vino da Tavola



Based on vintages 2006 and 2007, blended together. Aged in underground clay amphorae.

There is more than an inch of deposit in the bottom of the bottle, thus the wine is decanted carefully into a decanter. The color is translucent, medium-deep pomegranate red. Quite restrained, but really attractive nose full of character: initial aromas of sour cherries, sweet maraschino cherries and red fruit preserves, with more nuanced hints of dried flowers, sun-baked earth, pungent volcanic smoke notes, a little pipe tobacco and a lifted touch of ginger underneath. Like so many times before, the nose and the palate are at odds against each other: even though the nose is sweet and juicy, the wine is however bone-dry, bitter and tightly-wound on the palate with the purest of flavors of sour cherries and tart cranberries on the fore, followed by notes of sun-baked earth, stalky and woody herbal notes and hints of minerality. The mouthfeel is quite full-bodied, but also very well-defined and muscular, thanks to the high acidity and pronounced tannins. However, the midpalate seems to lack some intensity to balance out the full body – it feels as though the wine is a big, lean and robust framework, which is filled only halfway through by the rather austere fruit. Despite its quite light flavors, the 14% of alcohol remains perfectly hidden. The finish is very grippy and almost unforgiving with its pronounced herbal bitterness, astringent tannins, very tart lingonberry and sour cherry flavors and hints of vegetal greenness.

Munjebel 4 shows lovely focus and purity, and it also is a lot less rustic and "wild" than many other Cornelissen wines with focus on pure, sour cherry-driven fruit and racy acidity. However, the wine feels like it is lacking a bit intensity, thus making the wine feel a bit out of balance.

89/100
Summary: Despite its great focus and purity, the wine lacks a little power and oomph: even though the flavors have laser-like precision, it feels they don't show the intensity one would expect from a wine like this. Even though the wine doesn't show any bit of tiredness or oxidation, the fruit might has diminished a bit, leaving behind a wild Etna red that is more about just structure without much fruit. Although Cornelissen wines tend to age tremendously well (especially considering they contain no sulfites), I wouldn't hold on to this much longer. Drink up.

***

Munjebel 5
Vino da Tavola



Based on vintages 2007 and 2008, blended together. Aged in underground clay amphorae.

There is more than an inch of deposit in the bottom of the bottle, thus the wine is decanted carefully into a decanter. The color is clear, pale pomegranate red with almost colorless rims; by its appearance this is obviously lighter in color than Munjebel 4. The nose is not that expressive, but instead quite complex, expressing aromas of sweet, sunny dark cherry aromas, cherry marmalade and some bretty farmyard funk. Also the alcohol (14%) shows a little. On the palate the wine is quite intense, vibrant and sinewy with bone-dry flavors of raspberries, sour plums, tart red fruits and very acid-driven lingonberry brightness. Underneath all that red and dark fruit, there is some complex spiciness and bitterness from the rather prominent tannins. The wine seems a bit smaller than Munjebel 4, with only medium-bodied mouthfeel, but also showing more power and robust character with great balance between the fruit, the body and the structure. The finish is not that long, but it is clean as a whistle with mouth-cleansing acidity and intense, vibrant flavors of tart red berries, sour cherries, some volcanic smoke and hints of complex, roasted spiciness.

Even though might one expect this one to be markedly lighter than the previous Munjebel, this one actually shows a lot more focus, balance and intensity. All in all, this is something not unlike a big, vinous kriek lambic – only without the carbonation.

93/100
Summary: A quite tightly knit, grippy and structured Munjebel with high acidity and grippy tannins, resulting in a bone-dry wine that might be quite hard-to-approach for many. As the wine still seems very fresh and youthful, more years in the cellar definitely couldn't hurt. I suggest not only giving the wine more age and decanting it carefully (because of the big amount of deposit) before serving, but also pairing it with something hearty enough to let the acidity and the tannins mellow down a bit.

***

Munjebel 6
Vino da Tavola



Based on vintages 2008 and 2009, blended together. Aged in underground clay amphorae.

Slightly hazy, pale pomegranate red color. Whereas all the other Munjebels I've had have been aroma-wise more or less sweet and fruity, the nose here feels burned, with somewhat acrid aromas of burnt sugar, smoked meat, something resinous, a little burnt rubber and a hint of sour cherry. Something must be off here. On the palate the wine is bone-dry and rather bitter with flavors of sour cherries, earthiness, peppery spice, some acrid smoke and tannic astringency. The flavors really don't feel lively and vibrant, but instead quite dull and the wine feels lacking balance with its withered fruit character, high acidity and prominent tannins. The finish is short with flavors of tart cranberries and lingonberries, some dusty earth and hints of acetone VA, giving the aftertaste a somewhat chemical feel. The high alcohol (14,5%) gives a lot of warmth to the aftertaste.

In a flight of four different red Munjebels, this definitely wasn't on par with the three others – probably there was something off with this bottle, as the wine was so very much unlike any other Munjebel. Probably the wine had been stored in not-so-optimal conditions at one point or another.

84/100
Summary: I really can't say for certain whether the wine was really off, or if this was only a bad vintage (well, two vintages), so you really need to take the score here with a pinch of salt. In this wine the nose and the palate were dominated by rather overwhelming (and not really that pleasant) smoke character and the fruit really didn't offer much challenge for the high tannins and acidity. I heartily recommend enjoying this wine with some food, just to tone down the acidity and the tannins down to the level of the fruit – although it might be that this really was an off bottle and in a pristine bottle the fruit is much more expressive and better in balance with the structure!

***

Munjebel 8 MC
Vino da Tavola



Based on vintage 2011 with grapes sourced exclusively from Monte Colla vineyard. Aged in underground clay amphorae.

Translucent, but very deep dark cherry color, giving rise to speculation whether the "MC" actually stands for "Much Concentration". The nose is not very expressive, but instead quite restrained, but also obviously more brooding compared to the other red Munjebels, that have been brighter and lighter in style – there are dark-toned aromas of dark cherries, cranberries, some wild and funky notes, a little meatiness, a hint of exotic spice and a floral whiff of violets. Alcohol (15%) shows a little, and with some air, a lifted hint of VA starts to show as well. On the palate the wine is very intense, full-bodied and concentrated; even though the wine is very bright and high in acidity, this wine is obviously heavier, more concentrated and more brooding than normal Munjebels are. There are flavors of plummy dark fruit, peppery spice, some tart lingonberry and perfumed hints of violet. Even though the wine is obviously very ripe and succulent, with almost sweet fruit flavors, it does not feel one bit too ripe or heavy, all thanks to the high acidity and rather prominent tannic bitterness. Wonderful focus, freshness, purity and energy. The high alcohol (15%) gives some obvious heat to the midpalate and aftertaste. The finish is very long, dark-toned and robust with brooding flavors of sunny plums, blackberries, acid-driven red berries and almost quinine tannic bitterness.

This Munjebel 8 MC is was very primary and extremely youthful compared to the older, regular bottlings of Munjebel. Even though the pronounced fruit character and concentration might make this wine a bit more approachable than those lighter Munjebels, this is still quite relentless in its racy acidity and firm, mouth-coating tannins. Overall this is really delicious and pure stuff that really calls for long aging.

95/100
Summary: This is obviously a lot richer and more concentrated a wine than the regular Munjebels with lots of ripe, dark-toned fruit and weight – yet the wine feels remarkably balanced, thanks to its high acidity and grippy tannins. Although very drinkable already with food heavy enough to tone down the grippy tannins, this wine seems to be mainly about aging potential – no need to open this one within the next 10 years, if you happen to have a good, cool cellar. By far the most impressive wine in our Cornelissen tasting of 11 wines.
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