My Cornellissen Mailer Is Here!

SFJoe

Joe Dougherty
For those interested in the current state of production, I copy the text below from my email this morning:

RELEASE 2010/1

Magma Rosso 7 "VA" (harvest 2008) - LIMITED
A profound wine, rich and elegant at the same time. The character of the vineyard Barbabecchi
Soprano is expressed to it's full extent. Approx. 450 bottles and 32 magnums produced.

The Magma "R" from the pre-phyloxera vineyard at 1.010 metres altitude has not been produced in the
vintages 2007, 2008 and neither 2009 because of missing ripeness.

MunJebel Rosso 6 (harvest 2008/2009)
A rich and fragrant wine. This year in the final blend, there is more of the "aged wine". This is
approx. 900 litres of 2008 and 1.300 of the 2009 vintage. A classic, traditional Nerello Mascalese
with tannins and sweetness, the "old way". Approx. 2.800 bottles and 150 magnums.

MunJebel Bianco 6 "VA" (harvest 2009) - LIMITED
The first time I am heading with my white to higher "quotes" this year. In the newly leased
vineyards are also white grapes and in result, the character of my white has become very
"mountainous". This is why this vintage sets itself aside from all previous white wines.
Approx. 2.000 bottles and 120 magnums produced.

Rosso del Contadino 7 (harvest 2009)
Whereas the 2008 vintage for the Contadino (6th edition) was quite serious and quite "austere" and
tannic, the 2009 vintage returns to a more playfull wine like in the vintages 2005 and 2007.
Fragrant, profound, less tannic and more fruity.
Approx. 6.000 bottles and 180 magnums produced.

Susucaru 3 (harvest 2009) - NOT PRODUCED
The vineyard where most of the grapes for this wine are produced was hailed down in june. I tried to
save some of the grapes but even though we vinified some 3 demi-johns of 54 litres, the wine isn't
what it should be... very unfortunate.
Same phylosophy and vinification techniques: long macerations, malo fully finished and no SO2 added.
A good summer wine! Malvasia, Insolia and nerello Mascalese.

Olio di Oliva "Contadino" (2009) - SOLD OUT
Olio di Oliva "Contadino" (2009) - SOLD OUT
Olio di Oliva "MunJebel" (2009) - SOLD OUT
Olio di Oliva "Magma" (2009) - NOT PRODUCED
Extreme low yield as we had scirocco wind in the flowering season and so we lost most of the
production. We managed too produce the two olive oils, Contadino and MunJebel. Fragrant and elegant.
Magma was not produced as the growths for this oil didn't carry olives at all.

Grappa "Contadino" (60 alc.) - SOLD OUT
Grappa al Ginepro di Timparossa (60 alc.) - NOT PRODUCED
No juniper berries this year and so no Grappa with the berries from the Timparossa forest...
Grappa alla Nepitella (60 alc.) - NOT PRODUCED
Distillato della Vinaccia di Magma 8VA (72 alc.) - NOT PRODUCED
 
How does this 'Cornelissen' winery expect to move any units, sending out a mailer with no critic points attached?

Better yet, how am I supposed to flip these suckers if I don't know that they're 95+ pt wines or not?!?
 
"The Magma "R" from the pre-phyloxera vineyard at 1.010 metres altitude has not been produced in the
vintages 2007, 2008 and neither 2009 because of missing ripeness."

Ouch. I wonder where the grapes go? However, that does show integrity.

"MunJebel Bianco 6 "VA" (harvest 2009) - LIMITED
The first time I am heading with my white to higher "quotes" this year. In the newly leased
vineyards are also white grapes and in result, the character of my white has become very
"mountainous". This is why this vintage sets itself aside from all previous white wines."

Is naming a cuve "VA" a good idea? Did he mean to say higher "levels" rather than "quotes"?
I wonder what is meant by "mountainous"?

Too bad about Susucaru 3. I quite like the 2.

Etna apparently is a truly an extreme terroir and makes one pay for their commitment to natural practices.
 
originally posted by Ned Hoey:

Is naming a cuve "VA" a good idea?

I asked Frank this question, in regards to the Magma "va". He said he enjoys the humor of it and names it so on purpose.

Etna apparently is a truly an extreme terroir and makes one pay for their commitment to natural practices.

Frank seemed to me to say that he wouldn't be able to do what he does at all somewhere else. That Etna is actually an enabler for his way.
 
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