Unlucky i guess. I had Les Alpes three times, his Le Feu once and his Altesse wine once. Never had any mouse or VA issues. All have been pretty clean in their expression.
Definitely possible. I knew that Belluard was in the naturalist camp, but had understood his style was supposed to be clean and quite conventional, not particularly wild or funky. Which is why I was quite surprised.
I do find the style very clean. Hopefully you will try again. It is some really good wines.
Check the cellar of Francois Audouze.
Elian da Ros in Cotes de Marmandais has made an excellent 100% Abouriou that typically sells for in the mid-$20s when it’s available.
Castets is one of the new grapes authorized for AOC Bdx. I’ve only had it in a few field blends from Chateau Simone and Bedrock. No idea what it brings to the table by itself… hopefully, we’ll see soon.
Duras is hardly close to extinction - check out Plageoles and Causses Marines.
Mourtaou = Cabernet Pfeffer; on my list to try. I’m sure that Tom Hill can recommend some wines.
Never seen anything with any percentage of Calitor or Merille. Saint-Pierre Dore used to be permitted in Saint-Pourcain, but is almost extinct now.
i used to sell a domestic abouriou made by luddite cellars in the mid 2000’s. the source was the gibson-martinelli vineyard which is in green valley near jackass hill. i don’t know if there’s any abouriou left there. luddite was made by steven canter, who was quivira’s winemaker for some time but i haven’t heard of his work anytime recently.
Not Tom Hill but can recommend Ser Winery Cabernet Pferrer (http://www.serwinery.com/) and Kenneth Volk (https://www.volkwines.com/).
The Volk website seems out of date and am not sure if the winery is still in business. Kenneth started making CP back in the day at Wild Horse Winery.
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I think De Rose also has some old vine Cabernet Pferrer in Cienaga valley. I have seen it locally in San Jose stores but I have not tried it.
2018 Cabernet Pfeffer (OV) $28.00
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Thanks for reminding me about DeRose - I’ve been meaning to try their Negrette!
Appreciate the Cab Pfeffer recs! from both of you! Might have to wait for the fall at this point as I am close to hitting my limit for my spring shipping budget.
My understanding was that Kenneth Volk was up for sale - maybe I’m wrong? His wines didn’t show up much in MA and I have only ever had one of his Zins from the Enz Vineyard.
Negrette is interesting - I’ve had a couple from Fronton that were quite good and reasonably priced, but none from CA yet.
I bought a Cab Pfeffer this year from Blue Ox (now Hammerling Wines). I haven’t had it yet.
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It appears that the “Gibson-Martinelli Vyd” is the same site as Darek Trowbridge’s “Sherry Martinelli Vyd” in the Russian River Valley.
Sotevinobile Blog
“Potpourri or Po’ Poor Me?”
"…The rather obscure varietal Abouriou, also known as ‘Early Gamay’, is planted on a single acre in California at the ‘Gibson-Martinelli Vineyard’.
“My research shows that winemaker Steve Canter used to source these grapes for his defunct Luddite Vineyards, which bottled their own Abouriou ‘Gibson-Martinelli Vineyard’ from 2001-05. After Steve took on the role of winemaker for Quivira, he abandoned this project, making the Abouriou available to Darek, who, coincidentally, is a member of the Martinelli clan. His forthcoming bottling [Old World Winery 2008 Fulton Folderol “Two Vineyards”] blends the Abouriou with 50% Zinfandel, making for a distinctive wine that shows similarities to Lagrein. In any case, a complete revelation to me…”.
Trowbridge is related to the Martinelli family, and still bottles Abouriou-based wines under his Old World Winery label.
Old World Winery
“Vineyards”:
“Sherry Martinelli Vineyard”
“This heirloom varietal, is the only 4-acres of Abouriou, that exist in the entire New World*. A Basque variety, these gnarly, ancient vines are head-pruned and eek out a very small crop load each year, resulting in a dark, extracted and ripe, red wine.This vineyard is on a slight south-facing slope in a small valley surrounded by tall trees blocking out breeze and getting hot on sunny days.”
- There is at least one other Abouriou planting in the US.
I know that Norman Knoll’s old-growth site in Lodi was uprooted a few years ago, but a newer one was established shortly thereafter in the Pacific Northwest. Tesóaria is now out of business, unfortunately, but I would be inclined to think that the vines are intact.
Oregon Wine Press
“The Changeup: Vinifera Obscura: Tesóaria Rescues Abouriou from the Brink”
September 26, 2017
by Michael Alberty
"…Winemaker John Olson’s Tesóaria Vineyard & Winery sits on the banks of the North Umpqua River in Roseburg. The winery also has a tasting room on N. Williams in Portland, where we sat down to discuss Abouriou, a grape with so few acres planted in America, our federal government refuses to officially recognize it.
"…Until a few years ago, two tiny pockets of Abouriou existed in California, one in the Russian River Valley and the other in Lodi. The former’s location is Darek Trowbridge’s Old World Winery, where his great-grandfather first planted Abouriou in 1890; the latter was the vineyard of Norman Knoll, a Lodi legend who had been growing grapes and making wine for nearly 70 years. Olson first met him back in 2010.
“With Abouriou grapes he purchased from Knoll, Olson produced his 2014 Tesóaria ‘Redacted’. After Knoll’s death in 2015, his vineyard was sold. Unfortunately, the new owners promptly ripped out the Abouriou vines. Today, only Trowbridge’s two acres survive in California. Luckily, Olson persuaded Knoll to give him enough cuttings to plant five acres on his Roseburg site…”.
Absentee Winery recently produced a 2018 “Flaws” Abouriou from the “Poor Ranch” in Mendocino County. I do not know how many vines are found in this vineyard, if they are from a newer, separate block or interplanted among the Zinfandel and Carignan.
JB’s Wine Talk
“A Fun, Nearly Extinct Abouriou”
May 5, 2020
Old World Winery website:
Tesóaria Vineyard & Winery website:
https://www.tesoaria.com/
Absentee Winery website:
Add’tl Info:
Celebrations Wine Club
“Old World Winery”
Enofylz Wine Blog
“Wine Of The Week; 2009 Old World Winery Folderol”
by Martin Redmond
October 3, 2013
I just wanted to mention that Cabernet Pfeffer now is grown in the “High Camp Vineyard” in Paso Robles (Estrella District).
Per Luke Nio of Filomena Wine Company:
“‘High Camp Vineyard’ is situated in San Miguel, just a few minutes north of Paso Robles, in the Estrella District. It is primarily comprised of alluvial sandy loams and clay pushed up from terraces of ancient river bottoms, which provides fertile soil for growing a variety of premium wine grapes. ‘High Camp’ has over 10 different grape varieties planted across its 75 acres, one of which is our coveted Cabernet Pfeffer!”
Filomena Wine Company website:
https://www.filomenawineco.com/
High Camp Wines website:
https://highcampwines.com/