Ales Kristancic is fluent in three languages (four if you count all the words he makes up for effect), looks a bit like Bono with a shaved head, parties harder than Keith Richards circa 1973, plays a mean bass guitar, once served in the Yugoslavian Army (no joke, he was in their band) and his family once sold wine to Ernest Hemingway. And how many winemakers do you know with a Playboy interview to their credit? And no, Francis Ford Coppola does not count. Ladies and gentlemen, I’d like to introduce you to the world’s most interesting winemaker, Mr. Ales Kristancic of Movia.
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That’s right, I think Slovenia’s Ales Kristancic is the world’s most interesting winemaker. Here’s a guy who represents the eighth generation of winemakers in his family and he truly believes that in order to make great wines, you have to walk a fine line between experimentation and insanity. And while he may work with familiar grapes like Ribolla Gialla, Pinot Noir, Merlot and Sauvignon Blanc, what he does with those grapes is far from familiar! As described by wine writer Alder Yarrow, “his winemaking is like a trapeze act without a safety net — there is very little technology to fall back on at Movia. No commercial yeasts, no temperature controls, no precisely toasted oak barrels, no fining, no filtration, and only the tiniest addition of sulfur dioxide is used to keep the wines from hosting unwanted bacteria. And then of course there are the rigorous vineyard practices that forbid pesticides, fertilizers, and other modern protections against mildew, rot, and the many nasties that can destroy any given vintage. Such is the life of a biodynamic vintner.”
Founded in 1820, but in existence as a winery since 1700, the 45 acre Movia estate sits right on the Slovenian-Italian border. The 20 acre portion on the Italian side of the border is in the Friuli appellation’s Collio Goriziano region, while the other 25 acres are located across the border in the Brda province of Slovenia. It’s an area that has been fought over in may wars and when Ernest Hemingway was driving ambulances during WW I, Ales likes to point out that he would buy wine from the family winery. With Ales you never know where the truth ends and the hype begins, but it might be true. The Slovenian village where the Movia winery is located, Dobrovo, is only a few miles away from where all the action in Hemingway’s classic “Farewell to Arms” took place, so who knows?
What I can tell you for certain is that there isn’t another winemaker on the planet as committed to making great, thought provoking wines. In a region filled with “extreme” winemakers, from Gravner and Radikon to Kante and Simcic, I really believe Ales is the best of the lot. I know there are a few folks out there who think he is a showman, more concerned about the performance than the wine, but nothing could be further from the truth. Sure, he has done a lot of experimenting with extended skin contacts, “orange” winemaking and sparkling wines you have to disgorge underwater, but he also studied winemaking at the University of Padua and did stints at Chateau Petrus and Domaine de la Romanee-Conti. These are hardly bastions of frivolous winemaking.
Recently a board of distinguished wine writers and experts, including the likes of Jancis Robinson, David Schildknecht, James Halliday and Stephen Tanzer, came up with a list of the top 12 “Wine Creators” in the world. It was a pretty heady list of winemakers and right there in the middle of it was Ales Kristancic. So while Ales might party hard and use a lot of phrases like “zak zak” to illustrate his points, the dude is a deadly serious winemaker. That’s probably why in a recent New York Times article Eric Asimov wrote, “speaking with Ales for a couple of hours is like having a graduate tutorial in grape-growing and winemaking.” I’m confident Ales would be the kind of professor who holds his seminars at a nearby pub.
That’s why I was so excited when I learned of the Quattro Mani project a few years ago. Quattro Mani, or “four hands,” is the brainchild of famed Italian wine importers Domaine Select Wine Estates (DSWE). The top boss at DSWE, Paolo Domeneghetti, wanted to take four top winemakers and then give them one varietal from a region in Italy to work with. The two rules were the wine had to reflect the terroir of the region and the wine had to be affordable. Ales was given the assignment of Furlanski Tokaj (Tocai Friulano) from the Brdo region of Slovenia. Ales took Tocai grapes grown in Movia’s organically farmed Exto Gredic vineyard and went to work. These vines are about twenty years of age, which only means they are considered babies in this neck of the ancient woods. The Quattro Mani Toh-Kai (they can’t use the word Tocai on labels in Italy any longer in accordance with new EU rules to protect the sanctity of Hungary and Solvakia’s Tokaj wines) was made by Ales at the Movia winery with the same attention to detail that he gives all his Movia wines. While making the wine Ales also adhered to the principles of biodynamic winemaking.
Ales made the Quattro Mani Toh-Kai in giant stainless steel vats, in much the same way he makes wines for Movia’s other label, Villa Marija. After fermentation the wine is allowed to rest in the bottle for six months before it is released to the public. I have now tasted this wine three times and I very much enjoyed the wine each time. Each time the wine was just a little different from the time before but each wine shared the characteristics I am about to describe.
First, there is the color which can only be described as a hazy golden moonbeam. It’s a stunning, rich color of gold and it looks mighty nice when poured into a big glass on a hot day. Next are the aromatics, which are classic Tocai. There is a touch of almond along with a very pronounced combination of fresh-picked mint and possibly lemon verbena. A bit of lemon peel and wet rock fills in the gap between the mint and, way off in the background, a note of something that I can only describe as pine scrub. The palate is something else, with its brisk acidity and a surprising amount of body. There are flavors of kaffir lime, quinine, honeydew melon and nectarines. Yes, there is a lot of stuff going on here and like any other Movia wine, the Quattro Mani will make you sit and think. It’s no wonder Robert Parker wrote of the first release of the Quattro Mani, “if there is any more amazing value in white wine, I’m desperate to experience it! I honestly couldn’t spit it or put down the glass!”
Being a very modest 12.5% alcohol, you could just quaff the Quattro Mani all by itself on a warm summer evening. But I really think where this dry Tocai will shine is with food. I can hardly wait to try it with some pho soup or grilled shrimp. And I’m pretty sure this wine will turn out to be an amazing pairing with crab rangoon! Heck, I even tried it last night with Salt & Vinegar Kettle Chips and it worked.
If you go looking for the Quattro Mani Toh-kai across America, in the few places where you find it it will range from 11.00 to 14.00 a bottle. All very reasonable prices. And considering Movia wines normally run from 30.00 to 60.00 a bottle (and higher), this is quite an opportunity.viagra 100mgWe took half of Portland’s first allocation (14 cases) and it won’t last long. We have another batch arriving at the end of June and then that’s it for the summer. I don’t Tocai often, but when I do this summer odds are strong it will be the Quattro Mani. So load up for your summer needs and remember, stay thirsty for Tocai my friends!
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Join winemaker Todd Hamina this Friday evening at Storyteller for a tour de force tasting of just about every wine made at Biggio-Hamina Cellars, including Syrah and Pinot Noir. If the weather cooperates we may even do a little grilling to go with Todd’s chilling. No matter what the weather is like, there will be no charge for this tasting. However, there will be a couple of very special “super pours.” In 2008 Todd made two very limited, very special Pinot Noir cuvees. These two wines are named after his children, Lucca and Katri and this Friday night will be the only time these two wines get opened together at a public tasting. Those two cuvees will also be available for sale this Friday evening.
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Drop by to check out some new roses that will look awfully nice on your picnic or beach blankets. There will be no charge for this tasting.
Cheers,
Michael Alberty
Head Storyteller
PS The latest Sunday Oregonian has a very nice review by Matt Kramer of the 2008 J. Christopher Willamette Valley Pinot Noir we featured in our last newsletter. We have a tiny amount left (24.00 a bottle) and I’m pretty confident Matt’s review is going to dry up Jay’s supply in no time at all. So if you would like any bottles of this wine, please let us know as soon as you are able. For those of you who live outside the Portland area, here are some snippets from Matt’s review:
“Readers will recall prior recommendations of wines from the small Oregon winery called J. Christopher. The reason is simple: owner-winemaker Jay Somers is easily one of Oregon’s best winemakers. Not only do his wines deliver a higher level of quality than much of his competition, but Somers also chooses to sell them at more reasonable prices than many. It’s a compelling combination…When you try J. Christopher “Willamette Valley” Pinot Noir 2008 you’ll agree that 2008 is a remarkable vintage. A blend of four Willamette Valley vineyards (Bella Vida, La Colina, Croft and Charlie’s ), this is a dense, concentrated pinot noir of real character and ideal balance between fruit and acidity. Although mighty tasty now, this wine is assuredly structured for the long haul and will likely improve if stored in a cool space for upward of a decade, should you be so inclined.”
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