Some of the wine world’s large names have been farming biodynamically for years: Domaine Romanée Conti, M. Chapoutier, and Boisset to title a number of. But, 1 of my favorite biodynamic farmers is the humble Olivier Humbrecht of Alsace’s Domaine Zind Humbrecht. His insights, as well as his command of the details, make him a compelling minister of biodynamic wine farming.
Read my 1st installment in this series about organic, biodynamic and sustainable wines right here.
At a recent tasting, Humbrecht is clad in wellingtons and a vest jacket streaked with bits of dried mud across the lapel. Certainly, his filth-stained jacket is representative of his passionate, no nonsense agricultural genius. He talks about biodynamics with the informed, gutsy self confidence of a man firmly convicted. “Conventional vines are brain dead and on life help. Biodynamic farming is so evident to me like cooking for your little one, you do it for the well being and well-being of the following generation, and in this situation, for the vineyard.”
As I scribble notes, his canine Scotty is underneath the table, resting his enormous warm head on my knee. Scotty heaves a wonderful canine sigh as if he’s heard this sermon before. Humbrecht presses on about viticulture, the French economic system and the dire straits of typical wine making. His raw, unflinching honesty about why biodynamic farming issues for the long term of winemaking everywhere, not just Alsace, is a bit alarming. He refers to anecdotal proof of the higher cancer costs between traditional winemakers and, he adds, “When you use chemical compounds they destroy your terroir they ruin all sense of spot. They harden the soil and force vine roots to grow upward.”
Biodynamics requires the method significantly deeper, involving practices that eschew man-created chemical inputs for all-natural ones and generating a single farm organism through elaborate efforts such as packing a cow horn (preferably a healthier, lactating cow) with cow manure and burying it in autumn. The horn is then harvested in the spring and mixed with water to make a special tea. This manure tea is sprayed on plants to inspire healthful soil composition and discourage undesirable pests.
Many winemakers skip the voodoo aspects of biodynamics (moon phases and vortex stirring) and emphasis on the herbal teas and other all-natural sprays –as well as planting vegetation that attracts the good insects. I’m simplifying the complete organization, but in quick, biodynamics needs constant interest and a perfect stability between animal, plant, soil and climate.
Humbrecht’s ardor for good manure, attentive pruning, and following nature’s cues, (he relies on all-natural wild yeasts to ferment, which can often get much more than a year to full) utilised to make him something of a progressive in Alsace. But, his status as a progressive is shifting. Humbrecht sees the curiosity from the new generation of winemakers rising and now there are now more than thirty official biodynamic producers in Alsace.
Kevin Parker, proprietor of Chateau Maris in southern France’s Languedoc area, confirms the shift in thinking, noting,“ten many years ago I couldn’t give away a bottle of biodynamic wine. These days our wine sales are at record highs we get calls from buyers saying I need to have ten,000 instances of biodynamic wine. Men and women are turned on to this. Wine is a purely discretionary item so why drink a bottle of chemical substances?”
He is quick to note, “We don’t dance in vineyards at two:30 in the morning under the moon and bury cow horns. But a single point there is no denying is that some of the ideal wines in the globe are created biodynamicaly it is proving itself in a lot of terroirs, across numerous grape varietals, and we have the substantial scores to show it.”
Most of us just pop the cork and pour, not truly contemplating how our wines had been “raised.” But it’s a query worth asking. Beneath are six wines to commence the conversation.
Biodynamic Wines to consider Now:
2011 Jeriko Estate Pinot Noir Reserve, Mendocino, CA.
Cherry and peaty earth aromas on the nose with a silky feminine mouthfeel, fine tannins and a thread of violets. This was in fact 1 of the number of, if only, wines labeled with the word (and the Demeter brand), biodynamic. Search for that to adjust as more wineries leverage this distinction.
Domaine Zind-Humbrecht Gewurztraminer Gueberschwihr, Alsace, FR. Seductive aromatics of roses and spices are followed by lingering richness on the palate, precise vibrant acidity and classy structure. Also attempt his Riesling, Pinot Gris.
2011 Deloach Estate Vineyard Olivet Bench Russian River Valley, Pinot Noir. Bing cherry, sweet spices of clove nutmeg in the background, dark earth. Tannins are soft and construction is great. Concentrated and pure.
2008 Marco Abella Mas Mallola Priorat, Spain. Grapes for this natural wine were cultivated at the highest altitude of the 9 Priorat villages –yielding large acidity which lends a particular vibrancy to the wine. A blend of grenache and carignan with smaller quantities of cabernet sauvignon and merlot, it has an inviting nose of raspberry and black cherry, followed by rustic dried herbs on the palate. Dusty tannins and wonderful construction with complexity and a lingering finish.
Why Biodynamic Wines Are Greater For You: 6 To Attempt Now
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