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Month: November 2025

Wine of the Week

Ungrafted Chilean cinsault

Published 28. November 2025 by Vidar Kenneth Johansen

From the ancient granite soils of Chile’s southern Itata valley comes De Martino’s Ungrafted Old Vines Cinsault, sourced from more than 40-year-old bush-trained vines.

Founded in 1934 by Pietro De Martino, the winery is now run by the fourth generation, brothers Marco and Sebastián. De Martino has long been a pioneer in Chile, championing sustainable and organic viticulture and seeking out historic vineyard sites with ungrafted old vines. Their work across Chile’s diverse terroirs has built a reputation for purity and authenticity, with a particular focus on reviving traditional winemaking regions such as Itata.

This cinsault comes from granitic slopes in Guarilihue, and as the name implies it’s planted on original rootstocks. The grapes are gently destemmed, undergo spontaneous fermentation with native yeasts, and are aged in neutral vessels to preserve freshness and the natural character of the site.

Itata Ungrafted Old Vines Cinsault 2024 (De Martino)

Pale, translucent ruby in the glass. Aromas of red cherry, pomegranate and wild strawberries, lifted by subtle floral notes and a hint of dried herbs. The palate is bright and supple, driven by lively acidity, fine tannins and a clean, stony finish.

Price: Medium

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Wine of the Week

A nouveau classic

Published 21. November 2025 by Vidar Kenneth Johansen

Beaujolais Nouveau Day was yesterday — the annual Thursday in November when the first wines of the new vintage are released. Once a marketing spectacle, it now serves more quietly as a seasonal marker of early fruit and immediacy.

One estate that approaches the style with clarity and intent is Château Cambon, founded in 1995 by Marcel and Marie Lapierre together with Jean-Claude Chanudet. Their aim was to bring the Lapierre philosophy — organic farming, old vines, delicate extraction and minimal intervention — into a separate project focused on purity rather than prestige. Today the estate continues in the same spirit, producing wines that are understated, bright and free of ornament.

The label illustration is signed Siné — Maurice Sinet — the influential French caricaturist known for his sharply satirical line and long association with Charlie Hebdo. His irreverent, uncluttered style fits the wine surprisingly well: playful, direct and never weighed down.

Beaujolais Nouveau 2025 (Château Cambon)

Medium red with a hint of purple. Aromas of raspberry and freshly cut grass. Juicy and quenching on the palate, with fresh acidity and fine-grained tannins giving just enough shape without adding weight.

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Wine of the Week

Sacred Santo

Published 14. November 2025 by Vidar Kenneth Johansen

At the southern edge of Chianti Classico, near Castelnuovo Berardenga, lies Fèlsina, one of Toscana’s most soulful estates. Founded in 1966, it bridges the classic and the modern with an unwavering respect for tradition — organic farming, old sangiovese vines, and limestone and galestro soils.

Their Vin Santo, made from dried malvasia and trebbiano grapes, follows a time-honoured method. The grapes are hung to dry for months, then pressed and fermented slowly in small caratelli barrels sealed with wax. There, in the quiet of the attic, the wine ages for nearly eight years, developing its complex, oxidative beauty before being bottled — unfiltered and full of character.

Vin Santo 2012 (Fèlsina)

Amber-gold in the glass. The nose opens with dried apricot, roasted almond, and honeyed orange peel. The palate is silky yet vibrant, balancing sweetness with fine acidity and a lingering finish of caramelised nuts and candied fruit. A contemplative wine, best enjoyed slowly, with aged pecorino or an almond biscotto, like we did.

Price: Medium

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Wine of the Week

Moravian pinot blanc connection

Published 7. November 2025 by Vidar Kenneth Johansen

Moravia is not the first place people think of when it comes to pinot blanc — yet from here emerge a really characterful version. The rolling hills of South Moravia, near the borders with Austria and Slovakia, are a mosaic of loess, limestone and clay, dotted with small villages, organic vineyards and a new generation of growers working with minimal intervention.

Milan Nestarec, based in Velké Bílovice, is one of the leading figures in this movement. His wines are raw and transparent, often unfiltered, and reflect a restless curiosity rather than a fixed style. He sees wine as “liquid food” — something that should feel alive and nourishing rather than polished or corrected.

Krásná Hora, located further east in Starý Poddvorov, share the same low-intervention philosophy but express it differently. Their biodynamic vineyards lie on loess- and limestone-rich slopes, producing wines of clarity and tension.

In Pinot Blanc Connection, Nestarec’s partly oak-aged 2022 component meets Krásná Hora’s crisp 2024 juice. The blend captures both sides of Moravia’s new identity: human-scale, collaborative, and driven by the wish to let the land speak.

Pinot Blanc Connection (Nestarec × Krásná Hora)

Pale golden. Complex nose of baked apple, quince and citrus peel, followed by hints of chamomile, honeycomb and raw almond. The palate is broad and textural, with a gentle waxiness and a bright acidity. Layers of ripe orchard fruit and light oxidative tones build toward a salty, slightly spicy finish that lingers with a touch of bitterness, reminiscent of grapefruit. 

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