Pollux Membership February 2024: Manzoni’s Cross and Putting the T(empranillo) in Typicity

The famous hill of Monserrat in Catalunya’s Penedes region.

“Manzoni’s Cross”

Mas Comtal “Antis Tiana” Single-Vineyard “Els Mingo” Incrocio Manzoni

Penedes, Spain 2017

Wine regions around the globe have, at some point during their ascent to becoming well-known, had to address the delicate dance of a place’s “identity” vs. their actual reality. For some, (Germany’s Mosel comes to mind), the two coincided, where the region’s primary calling card was also what they themselves would have wanted the world to remember them by. Other places have become victims of their own marketing campaigns, watching as their perceived identities become stumbling blocks wherein the wine style that defined a region for generations (Portugal’s Douro Valley with its fortified ports, anyone?) now serves to undermine the wineries’ collective efforts to move forward and be recognized for something else. This viticultural typecasting finds one of its most concrete examples in the northeast of Spain, outside of the Catalan capital of Barcelona-the Penedes.

For a wine that is defined by production methods rather than geographical location, Spain’s foremost sparkling wine, Cava, is surprisingly rooted to the Penedes; over 95% of all Cava is produced here, much of it on fertile (for grapevines, at any rate) valley floor soil. This potential for crafting high volumes of easygoing bubbles has rendered the Penedes synonymous with Spain’s answer to Methode Champenoise sparkling, Cava, often to the exclusion of all else in the eyes of the global wine market, and this presents a double-edged sword, particularly to smaller wineries with loftier ambitions.

Perhaps it is better to say that every wine region has, in fact, two identities, the commercial and the crafted. For the Penedes, the artisan side of the story is one of elevation: where Cava is concerned, the rugged hillsides that make up the coastal Garraf area of the Penedes, overlooking (and literally and figuratively looking down upon) the main Cava production town of Vilafranca del Penedes, offer increased limestone content and lower yields and are the source of many of today’s more compelling Cava bottlings. For still wines, one has to subvert the perception that Penedes is merely a collection of seaside towns and go inland, where the hills arrive quickly and the presence of the beautiful, paper cutout figure of the Monserrat Mountain to the north cuts off cool northerly winds and preserves the Mediterranean climate. The soils change as well, with lime content increasing even though the topsoil is still mainly clay and sand.

Northeast of Vilafranca del Penedes, just outside of the town of Sant Cugat Ses Garrigues in the foothills of the aforementioned Garraf, is a winery comprised of 40 certified organic hectares of vineyards whose history extends so far back that the term “A.D.” was just a baby. In Roman times, the property was known as a mutatio, sort of the Roman equivalent of a rest stop/tavern. At the outset of the second millenium, the estate was christened Mas Comtal due to its membership in the county of Barcelona. By 1355, a single family assumed ownership, one that it has not relinquished since. In the mid-1700s, the family surname was changed by marriage to Mila, and it has kept this name to the present day. Mas Comtal, ever mindful of its outstanding provenance, does craft a few sparkling wines from the “Cava varietals” (Xarel.lo, Macabeo, Parellada), but the bulk of the property’s focus is on small-production still wines, and here the MIla family’s adventurous spirit shines through, as boutique bottlings of non-native grapes like Chardonnay and Merlot astound. Arguably their greatest success, and the wine that originally turned me onto the estate as a whole, is made with a different foreign grape selection-one which, it turns out, was not originally even one grape-Incrocio Manzoni.

Professor Luigi Manzoni.

Rhine Riesling? Pinot Blanc? Why not both? The Manzoni Bianco grape.

The truth of the matter is, this story should be entitled “Manzoni’s CrossES”, because there were several. History (and its corresponding palate), however, has made one of the scientist’s grape crossings the enduring symbol of his legacy.

Luigi Manzoni’s vision grew from a sense of homebound duty; born in the Belluno province of northern Italy, Manzoni’s life’s work was dedicated to developing grape varietals that would complement, or overtake, those varieties being cultivated at the time in his part of The Boot. His chief period of success creating hybrids was during the early-mid 1930s while employed at Conegliano’s Viticultural and Oenological Institute (Manzoni’s influence in the town of Conegliano was felt long after-he served as its mayor in the late 1940s). In addition to his published works (over 70 in all) on the anatomy of grapevines and their subsequent water requirements, Manzoni crossed different grapes together, hoping to obtain lasting hybrid varieties that would reflect the best attributes of their parents. As most parents can tell you, this is easier said than done, and for all of Manzoni’s work only three grapes he created still remain in our modern lexicon of varieties: his Manzoni Moscato makes sweeter sparkling wines that appear rose in color due to the skins being left on, while Manzoni Rosso is a cross between Raboso di Piave and Moscato d’Ashbergo-perhaps unsurprisingly, at this point only a few rows of vines remain. The clear winner in posterity’s eyes, then, was Manzoni’s Bianco 6.0.13 (his numerical system made this the sixth row and 13th plant of his 1930s trials): a cross between the more recognizable Rhine Riesling and Pinot Blanc grapes, Manzoni Bianco delivers on the promise of this “best of both worlds” aim: the telling petrol-scented, mineral-laden aspects of Riesling melded seamlessly with Pinot Blanc’s weighty, exotic juiciness and structure.

In Italy, there are approximately 100,000 hectares of Manzoni Bianco planted throughout the country, but it still has a good concentration in the north, and it was in the Veneto on one of his frequent vacations to Italy that Mas Comtal owner and winemaker Joan Mila “discovered” and became obsessed with the grape in the 1980s. Arranging to have cuttings sent back to his winery in the Penedes, Mila used Manzoni, known in Catalunya as Incrocio Manzoni (“Manzoni’s Cross”), in his entry-level blend “Pomells de Blancs”, but a truly Catalan expression of Manzoni is seen in Mila’s bottling from the single vineyard “El Mingo”, part of his collection of single-vineyard, single-varietal wines that the family calls “Antis Tiana”.

The red-soiled plain of El Mingo, the single vineyard that produces the Incrocio-the Penedes stalwart varietal Xarel.lo is also planted.

Complexity and Aromatics-two words often bandied about in wine writing, without much concrete thought as to their meaning. For the purpose of my work as a wine professional, I have always defined “complexity” as “how many things do I smell and taste when I pick up a glass?” In this sense, the Mas Comtal Incrocio Manzoni indeed fits the bill-there are citrus notes both generously tropical and refreshingly pithy. The “who dumped the Mosel in my Mas Comtal?” feeling is clearly evident in the petrol-and-slate nose, and the palate brings acidity and a lime juice element that is actually more reminiscent of Riesling from a different hemisphere: Australia’s Clare Valley. Aromatics can be even more of an empty word-after all, most everything has a smell, doesn’t it? For my nose and palate, “aromatics” could possibly be better described as “lift”-those aromas and smells that seem to pick the wine up off of your palate and send it straight to your olfactory bulbs (which is where most of your taste perception comes from anyway, so this is an admittedly full-circle analogy). The fruit and secondary notes from the “Els Mingo” ring this way; just when you think the wine is a one-trick pony with the mouthwatering citrus, along comes the Pinot Blanc’s influence, expanding the mid-palate with notes of melon, a little guava, and fresh herbs and spices (thyme, rosemary, a slight hint of white pepper). These figurative “lifts” help the Incrocio, even seven years into its journey, feel vibrantly alive on the palate.

Life is indeed confusing and amusing in its intricacies; perhaps if the Penedes hadn’t become Cava’s home base, winemakers wouldn’t have felt compelled to search beyond that juggernaut and find a new identity. Perhaps, if Joan Mila had ordered a glass of Soave instead of Manzoni Bianco on vacation, his family (including daughter Martha, Mas Comtal’s current proprietor) wouldn’t possess the vines or the ability to produce a stunning wine like the Incrocio. Perhaps Luigi Manzoni, contented with the state of farming and winegrowing in northeast Italy, would never have walked into a laboratory. A good reminder for us all to stay present and aware in our respective moments; a good reminder for me to stop waxing philosophical and just let you enjoy-D.

Mas Comtal “Antis Tiana” Single-Vineyard “Els Mingo”

Incrocio Manzoni Penedes 2017

Country of Origin: Spain.

Places and People: Owners of the property since 1355 and unified under a single surname since the 1700s, the Mila family of Mas Comtal are one of a handful of smaller estates in the Penedes region of Catalunya that are shifting their focus from the region’s calling card, the sparkling Cava, to small-batch bottlings of still white and red wines. The single vineyard “Els Mingo” on the family’s property in the Alt Penedes is the source of this unique varietal, Incrocio Manzoni.

Soil: A blend of calcareous and sandy soils.

Grape Varieties: 100% Incrocio Manzoni (Manzoni Bianco). Developed by Italian viticultural scientist Luigi Manzoni in the 1930s, Manzoni is a cross between Rhine Riesling and Pinot Blanc, and as a grape the best of those varietals come to the fore here.

Winemaking: The grapes for the Mas Comtal are hand-harvested and fully destemmed. A gentle press is done pneumatically during which half of the grapes’ yield is lost. Clarified under temperature control underground for two days, the fermentation then occurs in stainless steel tanks for twenty.

Aging: Racking of the coarser lees is done but the wine is left on its fine lees for 6 months after. Prior to bottling, the Incrocio Manzoni undergoes cold stabilization and light filtration.

Flavors and Foods: The 2017 Incrocio Manzoni from Mas Comtal accomplishes everything that a grape made from Riesling and Pinot Blanc should: there is a racy underlying textural verve (some light spritz from the acidity is present), the clean, crisp citrus notes of lime juice and pear appear on both nose and palate, and the overall weight and body of the wine is rounded and juicy (the “body” of a wine is a tricky thing to assess, despite its use in most wine writing-I find it best to describe “body” as “how much of my palate and mouth are engaged by a sip”). Green apple, Asian pear, and white peach also feature alongside an incredible flinty mineral and even a hint of petrol that is a subtle reminder of Rieslings from the Mosel region of Germany. A diverse array of pairings include Thai noodle dishes (pad Thai, pad see ew with white meat or shrimp), sashimi (not tuna), roasted chicken or salmon with olive oil, lime, and capers, and a tarte d’Alsace with carmelized onion and goat cheese.

Service and Cellar: The 2017 Incrocio Manzoni can be comfortably enjoyed at the warmer end of white wine cellar temperature (48-52 degrees F); I find the acidity and mineral notes still quite palatable with slightly less chill, and this gives the aromatics more opportunity to shine. Having worked with both the 2015 and 2017 vintages of this wine, I can vouch for their longevity, but I feel as though the 2017’s fruit has reached its peak-this wine has had the cellar work done for us, and should be enjoyed in the next year.

The historic original winery of Coto, now depicted on its new labels (along with the ever-present deer).

“Putting the T(empranillo) in Typicity”

El Coto de Rioja “Coto de Imaz” Tempranillo

Rioja Gran Reserva, Spain 2016 and 2017

Typicity, in wine at least, is defined as “a term in wine tasting used to describe the degree to which a wine reflects its varietal origins and thus demonstrates the signature characteristics of the grape from which it was produced”. Through years of weekly blind tasting practice, I was privy to many a spirited conversation about whether a wine was “typical”, or “varietally correct” (usually these conversations were initiated by someone who had just missed said wine and wrongly called it something else, and was now in turn castigating the person who had chosen said wine, who often was a more experienced sommelier/mentor-type figure; their responses ranged from diplomatically stating their case as to why the wine satisfied the terms of “typicity”, to gentle rebukes, such as “tough luck, you suck”).

Perhaps nowhere in the world is the concept of “typicity” challenged more than Spain’s Rioja region and the Tempranillo grape. As I noted in a December ‘22 Castor Member Story, what “typicity” there is in Tempranillo from Rioja and what Tempranillo actually tastes like are two different things; this is largely to do with a decades-long devotion to protracted aging of the wines in oak barrels, and the smoke/cedar elements of American oak at that. In that Castor Member Story, I examined the flip side of this “typicity” coin in a Tempranillo that was more varietally driven, while still acknowledging that the oak aging practice that has been used for so long now that it is viewed as “traditional” has its merits, producing great wines from so-called “classic” producers.

For this month’s all-Spanish features, I chose a producer that is not on the artisanal scale that we typically enjoy. Why? Because I wanted to show you a winery that is committed unwaveringly to a style, that showcases their “house” style from year-to-year, that defines that style to a, well…T.

The town of Cenicero in Rioja with its distinctive cathedral; the fruit for El Coto’s Rioja Gran Riserva comes from estate vineyards here.

Let me backtrack slightly here: El Coto de Rioja is no Chateau St. Michelle. The Rioja Gran Reserva that you’ll enjoy two vintages of checks in at around 254,000 bottles produced each year (a little over 21,000 cases). Still, that’s a far cry from most of our features’ more boutique outputs, so why go there? Again, the concept of “Tempranillo: The Grape” being merely a conduit for some oak-nurtured alter ego (Call it “Rioja: The Style”) intrigues me, and I think to truly appreciate a “classic” producer (read: one who ages the wine in majority American Oak and takes advantage of the classification system in the region, where more time in oak is equal to higher quality), it is necessary to taste one from an estate whose influence in the region is beyond doubt.

El Coto de Rioja was founded in 1970 and produced its first vintage five years later; today, it can lay claim to being one of the biggest landowners in the region, with its original estate holdings numbering 500 hectares and additional plots (including the famous Los Almendros estate, which they share with Baron de Ley) adding over 2,000 more. Their address locates them in the town of Oyon (Oion in Basque), but the original EL Coto de Rioja winery itself is located just south of that village-this unique location straddles the border between the subzones of Rioja Alta (where most of the finest producers make their homes) and Rioja Alavesa (officially Basque country, with its own language, culture, and thriving investment in the wine scene). This area, in the center of the overall appellation near the commercial center of Logrono, is more consistent in terms of climate than the vineyards that produce their Gran Reserva: the 500-hectare estate that the winery owns in the village of Cenicero, more entrenched in the Rioja Alta about 30 minutes west, sports the more typical Rioja Alta terroir and weather: 500-meter elevation with a direct north-south exposition and clay soils that sport a hint of limestone (in Rioja Alavesa to the north, the proportions of clay and lime generally swap).

The modern El Coto de Rioja estate, with several wings for maturation of their different cuvees added onto the original buildings.

In Rioja wine law, Gran Riserva translates to a minimum of five years aging in total, of which at least two must be in oak barrels. This, coupled with Tempranillo’s thin skins and a traditionally quick fermentation period in the “classic” examples, often leaves the fruit rather dry and unable to stand up to its housing; indeed, much of the tasting notes derived from “typical” Rioja speak to barrels rather than fruit: vanilla, dill, cigar, cedar. For a sommelier practicing blind tasting, this “typicity” is very useful, as the flavor profile of “traditional” Rioja is quite distinct and the American barrels show a completely different side of wood flavors than their French counterparts; for someone who just wants to enjoy a glass, it can be a bit of an underwhelming experience-often, Riojas that aren’t old enough to be bereft of fruit give precious little of Tempranillo’s natural sweetness. El Coto’s “Coto de Imaz” impressed me on multiple levels by making a few minor tweaks to the “typical/traditional/classic” (my fingers are tired of reaching for the quotation marks) Rioja standard, while still keeping their feet very much in that camp.

First, the fruit is fermented for a longer period (21-30 days), which along with some maceration serves to impart some of the full, red-driven fruit of Tempranillo back into the Gran Reserva prior to aging. This achieves the dual purpose of preserving fruit and moderating acidity: consider that the Coto de Imaz’s acidity measures out at 3.5 grams per liter. For context, compare that to another venerable Rioja producer, Lopez de Heredia, whose Vina Tondonia Gran Reserva, fermented quickly and racked twice a year out of and back into its barrels, checks in at 6 grams per liter of acidity, nearly double the “Coto de Imaz”. Secondly, El Coto chooses to age the “Coto de Imaz” (and its younger sibling, the “Coto Real” Reserva) in a mix of American and French oak, allowing some of the softer baking notes in the French barrels to help balance the toastier edges of the American wood.

Champagne lovers often talk about the reason they favor one particular house over all others-consistency. What Champagne producers do with blending vintages or reserve wines in order to achieve a “house style” that’s replicated year after year can be extrapolated to Rioja DOC (stay with me here). Although they obviously produce a vintage wine each year, the oak and bottle aging requirements of Gran Reserva, in particular, endeavor to keep the overall style of the winery intact-what the process doesn’t do for Tempranillo’s natural characteristics, it certainly makes up for in year-over-year harmony.

The 2016 vintage of Pollux Members’ “Coto de Imaz” mini-vertical is the higher-rated year and tastes like it, with more structure and a more traditional oak influence, but the 2017, while softer and more open initially, still delivers the notes of dill, cigar wrapper, and red cherry that are the hallmark of this type of Rioja. In the end, Coto de Imaz practically uncorks itself to scream “I’m Rioja DOC!”; if I was to encounter a glass of either vintage on my blind tasting exam, I would simply say “thank you very much” and nail the wine, descriptor by descriptor. And that, certainly, is “typicity” enough for me-D.

El Coto de Rioja “Coto de Imaz” Tempranillo Rioja Gran Riserva, 2016 and 2017

Country of Origin: Spain.

Places and People: El Coto de Rioja was founded in 1970, and their first vintage came five years later. Since that time, they have grown to be the top landholder in Rioja, and have continued to reinvest themselves in the vineyards and quality of their wines, right down to building an in-vineyard winery at one of their properties where the grapes can be immediately processed from harvest. The fruit for their “Coto de Imaz” Gran Reserva” is sourced from their estate vineyards outside of the village of Cenicero in the Rioja Alta subzone. The vineyards face directly north-south at 500 meters of elevation.

Soil: Clay-based, with small deposits of lime and ferrous (a type of iron).

Grape Varieties: 100% Tempranillo.

Winemaking: After a late September/early October harvest, the “Coto de Imaz” is fermented for 21-30 days, depending on the vintage-this slightly elongated fermentation extracts more fruit than is typical, with a gentle balance of maceration on the skins, to preserve the fruit of the “Imaz” during its longer aging period.

Aging: Per Rioja Gran Reserva DOC laws, the “Coto de Imaz” is aged for five years total: two in wood, and a further three in bottle. The oak aging is conducted in both the traditionally used American and French barrels, which serves to soften some of the more overtly wood-driven flavor profile that is a hallmark of Rioja Gran Reserva.

Flavors and Foods, 2016: The first impression of the 2016 “Coto de Imaz” is balance. The nose brings both Tempranillo’s natural fruit (here red cherry and grenadine) and the influences of the Gran Reserva aging process (vanilla, a little mild cigar wrapper, cedar closet, and fresh dill), without either element impeding the other-if anything, that beautiful pomegranate/grenadine note lingers in the nose a little longer than everything else. On the palate, the 2016 Gran Reserva’s fruit is sublimely fresh, and the typical trappings of prolonged oak aging in Rioja (desiccated fruit, bitter acidity) are happily absent. Red cherries and pomegranates again, along with strawberry and red plum, lead the way. There is an earthy note of warmed potting soil, with fresh dill and sage, brulee sugar, and vanilla non-fruits adding complexity. The 2016 feels slightly more versatile than its 2017 counterpart as far as pairings; the grilled red meats and sausages still apply, but here I’m expanding the offerings in the kitchen: white meat paella with saffron, Indian plant-based dishes that use dal split peas, and (as I experienced firsthand this week at our home Mardi Gras dinner) a rich gumbo with chicken, shrimp, and andouille.

Flavors and Foods, 2017: Splitting hairs a bit, but the 2017 is definitely the softer of these two wines. A nose of ripe red cherry and raspberry compote has enough vanilla and dill/chive to remind you that you’re still in Rioja. The influence of the oak aging is made more prevalent on the palate, and it’s here that we feel the aging process required to make Rioja Gran Reserva hold forth-in a vintage that is good, but not outstanding, with an earlier drinking window, the fruit does show more dryly than in the 2016. Dried cherries and Santa Rosa plums are the main fruits, with the vanilla, cedar, nutmeg, cigar wrapper, and potting soil that are mostly driven by the time in barrel and bottle providing the secondary characteristics. If I’m being harsh, the 2017 is the lesser of the two vintages, but armed with a piece of grilled meat (leaner steaks, lamb racks, sausages), there’s no need to judge, just enjoy.

Service and Cellar, 2016: The 2016 “Coto de Imaz” Gran Reserva, even with its freshness of fruit, will still benefit from a red cellar serving temperature, albeit not quite as cool as the 2017 (58-62 degrees F). This wine is very enjoyable now but also built to last; look for the 2016 to be “in the pocket” over the next 5 years and enjoyable through it’s 20th birthday.

Service and Cellar, 2017: With the slightly dryer mouthfeel, do take care to serve the 2017 “Coto de Imaz” Gran Reserva at the lower end of red cellar temperature (56-60 degrees F). The newness of both fruit and wood can merit a decanting also (30 mins should be fine), and despite being the younger of the two wines, the 2017’s softer fruit makes it the less-lived of the two vintages: enjoy now through 2030.