![\"2009-06-02_17921\"](\"http:\/\/vinosseur.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/06\/2009-06-02_17921.jpg\" "\\"2009-06-02_17921\\"")
<\/a><\/p>\nDate tasted:\u00a0 June 2nd, 2009 15:00(3pm)<\/strong><\/p>\n Frank Cornelissen<\/a> owns about 12 ha on Mt. Etna in Sicily. He’s a non-interventionist who says “Consequently this has taken us to avoiding all possible interventions on the land we cultivate, including any treatments, whether chemical, organic, or biodynamic, as these are all a mere reflection of the inability of man to accept nature as she is and will be.”<\/p>\n Frank & Alberto at the top of 'Rampante', the pre-phylloxera vineyard at 1010m altitude located above Solicchiata on Mt Etna after the devasting forest fire of 3 full days & nights.<\/p><\/div>\n On a postcard I recently received, he goes on to say\u00a0 “To produce a bottle of genuine, natural wine, the recipe is simple:\u00a0 take large quantities of dedication, determination, intuition and coherence.\u00a0 To these ingredients throw in a strong dose of masochism in order to physically and emotionally survive the difficulties and downsides of this ‘Art of Wine’.\u00a0 Finally, enjoy a glass (or more) of this wine, before sending the rest around the world to good homes.”<\/p>\n Of all the “natural” wines I have tasted, Frank’s are always the most interesting.\u00a0 I am not saying that his wines are the most well-made of the natural wines I have tasted, but his are always the most engergetic.\u00a0 And, definitely the most natural tasting compared to his counterparts.\u00a0 From the very rustic labeling, to the almost opaque\u00a0 wines that are very obviously not filtered nor fined.<\/p>\n This “orange” wine is no exception.\u00a0 Made from the local (white grapes) Grecanico Dorato, Coda di Volpe, Carricante and Cattaratto grapes, this orange wine is barely see through.\u00a0 This cloudy wine is so packed full of sediment that I swore I could see chunks of grapes floating towards the bottom of the bottle.\u00a0 Of course this is a “slight” exaggeration, but it sure made me happy knowing that this wine was made from something (grapes) that was growing wild in the vineyards, and nothing else.\u00a0\u00a0 His wines are the most natural of the natural wines I have tasted, and this wine was no exception.\u00a0 His wines have a certain “energy” about them which is hard to put in words, but they make you feel good.<\/p>\n The grapes for this wine come from various vineyards on Mount Etna owned and cared for by Frank.\u00a0 Frank harvests the approximate 13ha\/hl of grapes totally by hand.\u00a0 The bunches of grapes are put into a destemmer and crushed, not pressed at this time.\u00a0 This machine is more of a crusher than a destemmer as it hardly removes any of the stems at all.<\/p>\n The must is then placed into plastic containers in his backyard (no temperature control here) which are then covered with a tent-like plastic material to keep the rain out.\u00a0 Of course only indigenous yeast here.\u00a0 The wine is left to spontaneously ferment and macerate with the skins for about 4 months giving the wine it’s apricot-hued glow.\u00a0 The wine is then pressed into Amphorae with the help of gravity and then bottled.\u00a0 Absolutely nothing else is added to this wine. Nothing.\u00a0 Not even SO2 (Sulfur Dioxide).\u00a0 The wine is not fined nor filtered before being bottled and this is evident.\u00a0 Since Frank bottle’s his wine without filtration, the last wines bottled have more sediment than the first ones.<\/p>\n First tasting 1500 (3pm):<\/strong><\/p>\n Appearance: <\/strong>A very cloudy, unfiltered appearance.\u00a0 Loads of sediment which are very visible to the naked eye.\u00a0 In the glass, the wine has an apricot juice hue with a medium intensity.\u00a0 It is hard to analyze intensity with an unfiltered wine of this type (wine with high intensity glows can indicate a high level of intensity and vice versa).<\/p>\n Nose:<\/strong> Apricots with hints of minerals and loads of farmyard (those of you familiar with red Burgundy know what I am talking about).\u00a0 The distinctive (for me) Cornelissen pickle juice.\u00a0 Dry hay and flowers.<\/p>\n Palate: <\/strong> Wild just like the other Cornelissen wines.\u00a0 Typical.\u00a0 A little tingle at the front of the tongue initially from the slight residual CO2, which quickly burns off with a little swirling of the glass.\u00a0 Medium minus tannins.\u00a0 High acidity, but not harsh, just mouth watering and mature.\u00a0 Pickles and smoke.\u00a0 Kumquats.\u00a0 Essence of apricots and peaches, but not sweet.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Bone dry with around 2g\/liter of residual sugar according to my palate.<\/p>\n \n Second tasting 1809 (609pm):<\/strong><\/p>\n Nose: <\/strong>Much more pickles and farmyard.\u00a0 Less distinct apricots.\u00a0 The apricot aromas I do get are of unripe apricots.<\/p>\n Palate: <\/strong>Medium minus tannins.\u00a0 Rosemary, sweet yellow fruit at the back end, apricots.\u00a0 Finish is long and persistent with mild tannins, great acid and smokey flavors.\u00a0 The wine sits and sits.<\/p>\n Interesting to note that although the wine was dry, it paired well with sweeter dishes.\u00a0 It worked well with my honey and lemon marinated chicken.\u00a0 It was also working surprising well with my Mexican Cactus Fruit.. Strange….<\/p>\n I’m always fascinated with the fact that the few bottles of natural wine that I manage to keep open a few days seem to only improve.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/p>\n