We had the last big Frank Cornelissen tasting here almost 10 years ago, so last summer I thought it was high time for a new one.
I asked around from a few friends if they had any Cornelissen wines hanging in their cellars and quickly we had a reasonable bunch of Cornelissen wines on which we could throw a pretty decent tasting. Then the Finnish importer of these wines joined us and brought a bunch of the recent vintages with him, so the amount of bottles almost got out of hand. Fortunately only almost.
Unlike the last time, when we had just very funky and cloudy Contadinos and multi-vintage Munjebels from the 00’s - the style in which Cornelissen was making wines back then - we had much cleaner, more vibrant and less natty wines now. It seems Cornelissen has really changed his winemaking over these years and now these wines show much more precision and sense of place. Or maybe not winemaking that much, but he has just gained experience on how to make good, clean wines! What was curious, though, is that Cornelissen website doesn’t mention terracotta amphorae anymore with the wines - I don’t know if Magma and the Contrada Munjebels are still aged in amphorae or only in epoxy tanks.
I’d say the best values in the Cornelissen range are the single-vineyard Munjebels. They are more expensive than the regular Munjebels and the lower-tier reds, but show so much more depth and structure in comparison. Sure, the flagship wine Magma can be a great wine, but I feel it is too expensive for its quality (although, knowing the minuscule yields of the vineyards from which the wine is produced, I understand why it is priced so) and it often calls for quite a bit of aging before it emerges from its brooding and often somewhat closed youthful phase.
The curiosity bottlings (Sconsacratos and the multi-vintage blend Perpetuum) were just way too volatile for my preference. And I have higher tolerance for VA than your average Joe!
Finally we had three extra blinds, pictured here next to the three Magma bottles.
- NV Frank Cornelissen Sconsacrato 4 - Italy, Sicily, Sicilia (29.8.2023)
A wine made with bottoms of the premium wine tanks after the wines are bottled. After the remaining tank bottoms have settled, the wines are decanted off the lees, blended together, lightly filtered, bottled as Sconsacrato ("un-holied") and shipped to the Polish importer of Cornelissen. The wine is labeled as Vino Rosso and thus is without vintage designation. As Sconsacrato was made for the first time with the 2012 vintage, this 4th iteration must be based on 2015 or a more recent vintage. 13,5% alcohol.
Translucent, somewhat evolved brick-red color. The nose feels sweetish and moderately volatile with aromas of nail polish, some strawberry tones, a little bit of cherry, light ethery notes of VA, a hint of dark forest fruits and a touch of earth. The wine is ripe and somewhat volatile on the palate, too, with a medium body and quite intense flavors of ethery VA and tart lingonberry, some sour cherry bitterness, light volatile notes of nail polish, a little bit of earth, a sweeter hint of strawberry and a touch of acetic tang. The wine is high in acidity, whereas the tannins feel quite light, gentle and pretty friendly in grip. The finish is long, ripe and moderately wild with a lifted aftertaste of tart lingonberries and cranberries, some sour cherry bitterness, a little bit of wild strawberry, light volatile nail polish tones, a hint of acetic VA and a touch of tangy salinity.
A wine that feels like your typical Cornelissen red, only with an extra dose of VA. If you can tolerate elevated levels of volatile acidity, resulting in aromas and flavors of nail polish, medicinal ether and red wine vinegar, this is a decent effort. Nothing special, though - you can taste that the base material isn't that top-notch, even if the wine is supposedly made from the premium wines of Cornelissen. The best stuff is already bottled and this is what remains. A simple and unambitious entry-level wine made with the tank bottoms.
(85 points) - NV Frank Cornelissen Sconsacrato 3 - Italy, Sicily, Sicilia (29.8.2023)
A wine made with bottoms of the premium wine tanks after the wines are bottled. After the remaining tank bottoms have settled, the wines are decanted off the lees, blended together, lightly filtered, bottled as Sconsacrato ("un-holied") and shipped to the Polish importer of Cornelissen. The wine is labeled as Vino Rosso and thus is without vintage designation. As Sconsacrato was made for the first time with the 2012 vintage, this 4th iteration must be based on 2014 or a more recent vintage. 13,5% alcohol.
Translucent, pale syrupy-brown color. The nose feels old, tertiary and somewhat oxidative with aromas of nutty rancio, some syrupy tones, a little bit of dried cherry and a hint of sous-bois. The wine feels ripe, sweet-toned and quite soft on the palate with a medium body and somewhat tertiary flavors of strawberries and dried red fruits, some ethery notes of VA, a little bit of aged syrupy character, light nutty nuances of rancio, a hint of sour cherry bitterness and a touch of tart lingonberry. The wine is high in acidity, but there are no tannins to speak of. The alcohol lends some warmth to the palate. The finish is long, volatile and somewhat oxidative with flavors of ethery VA and nutty rancio, some tart red-toned notes of lingonberries and cranberries, a little bit of earth, light lifted notes of nail polish, a hint of sour cherry bitterness and a vague, lingering touch of sesame seeds, suggesting that the wine might turn mousy with further aeration.
A somewhat tired, oxidative and not particularly enjoyable iteration of the rare Sconsacrato. As the wine was supposedly kept in optimal conditions all this time, it feels like this wine meant for immediate consumption, not for aging - although this shouldn't come as any kind of surprise, seeing how the wine was blended from tank bottoms! This is pretty goners now; marking the wine as "flawed - oxidized".
(NR/flawed) - 2021 Frank Cornelissen Munjebel - Italy, Sicily, Terre Siciliane (29.8.2023)
100% organically farmed Nerello Mascalese blended from several Crus on the Northern Valley of Etna, the average vine age is +50 years. The grapes are destemmed, lightly crushed and fermented with indigenous yeasts using pied de cuve. Fermented and macerated for 50 days, aged for 12 months in neutral epoxy tanks ranging from 2500 to 7500 liters. Bottled unfined and lightly filtered. 14,5% alcohol.
Deep, youthful and slightly translucent black cherry color. The nose feels youthful - almost primary - with sweet aromas of ripe raspberries and red cherries, some stony mineral tones, a little bit of candied fruit jelly character, a distinctive herby note reminiscent of noble hops and a hint of licorice root. The wine feels youthful and surprisingly mellow on the palate with a medium body and quite ripe flavors of juicy raspberries, some stony mineral tones, a little bit of salty liquorice-flavored toffee, light herby tones, a hint of sweet strawberry and a touch of soft black cherry. The overall feel is pretty open-knit and soft in texture, thanks to the medium acidity and quite ample yet ripe and gentle tannins. The finish is long, somewhat warm and a bit soft aftertaste of strawberries, some crunchy notes of fresh red plums, a little bit of sour cherry bitterness, light stony mineral notes, a candied hint of red-toned primary fruit and a touch of licorice root.
An enjoyably clean, vibrant and fruit-driven Cornelissen that suffers a bit from its youthful overall feel and somewhat soft structure. Now the wine comes across as a bit too sweet and candied as the flavor profile is still dominated by the primary fruit flavors, but I expect this will change as the wine ages. However, I have no idea how the wine will perform in the long run, as the overall structure comes across as a bit soft, thanks to the somewhat modest acidity and quite mellow tannins. A wine this ripe and juicy could use quite a bit more structure. However, it was nice to drink a vibrant and clean Cornelissen for a change - this was a wine where the emphasis was on the purity of fruit, not on funky or excessively volatile notes!
(88 points) - 2013 Frank Cornelissen MunJebel Rosso 10 - Italy, Sicily, Terre Siciliane (29.8.2023)
The 10th vintage ("Decima Edizione") of Munjebel. 100% organically farmed Nerello Mascalese blended from several Crus on the Northern Valley of Etna, the average vine age is +50 years. The grapes are destemmed, lightly crushed and fermented with indigenous yeasts using pied de cuve. Fermented and macerated for 50 days, aged for 12 months in neutral epoxy tanks ranging from 2500 to 7500 liters. Bottled unfined and lightly filtered. 15% alcohol.
Somewhat translucent and moderately evolved brick-red color with an aged maroon hue. The nose feels dark-toned, quite fruit-driven and a bit evolved with attractive aromas of cherry marmalade and some perfumed elderflower tones, a little bit of bilberry, light boysenberry tones, a hint of smoke and a lifted touch of VA. The wine curiously quite crisp and crunchy at first, then turns somewhat softer and more round after a short while, making me wonder if there was a tiniest bit of CO2 in the wine? The overall feel is somewhat evolved and quite resolved yet still enjoyably firm on the palate with a medium body and nuanced flavors of wizened dark fruits and pruney tones, tobacco, some balsamic notes of VA, light gamey tones, a little bit of acetic tang, a hint of stony minerality and a tart, slightly bitter touch of lingonberry. The wine is moderately high in acidity with somewhat grippy medium-plus tannins. The finish is savory, somewhat evolved and a bit grippy with a rather long aftertaste of stony minerality and sour cherry bitterness, some sweet raisiny and pruney tones, a little bit of tobacco, light balsamic notes of VA, tertiary hints of beef jerky and soy sauce and a touch of tangy acetic character.
A fine, nuanced and complex Munjebel at its peak. The nose suggested the wine wasn't that evolved, but the color and the taste confirmed that the wine was more or less at its plateau of maturity. There's still quite a bit of vibrant and relatively youthful fruit left here, but the more evolved, tertiary and even slightly oxidative nuances have made their way in and the wine is now in a great spot where the vibrant fruit flavors compete with tertiary complexity, neither gaining the upper hand. The wine still retains a good backbone of acidity and tannins, but the wine is resolved enough to drink really well on its own. Although not the most complex vintage of Munjebel, this is pretty enjoyable stuff right now. As the wine doesn't feel like it is going to benefit from any additional aging, I suggest drinking any remaining bottles sooner rather than later. Worth the price at 43,11€.
(91 points) - 2014 Frank Cornelissen Munjebel - Italy, Sicily, Terre Siciliane (29.8.2023)
100% organically farmed Nerello Mascalese blended from several Crus on the Northern Valley of Etna, the average vine age is +50 years. The grapes are destemmed, lightly crushed and fermented with indigenous yeasts using pied de cuve. Fermented and macerated for 50 days, aged for 12 months in neutral epoxy tanks ranging from 2500 to 7500 liters. Bottled unfined and lightly filtered. 15% alcohol.
Dark, rather old and almost fully opaque reddish-brown color. The nose feels sweet, quite tertiary and even slightly unclean with aromas of ethery VA, some wizened cherry tones, a little bit of raisiny dark fruit, light nutty notes of rancio, a hint of rancio and a touch of animale. The wine feels ripe, evolved and quite sweet-toned with a rather full body and a bit tired flavors of raisins and dried cherries, some earthy tones, a little bit of nail polish and ethery VA, light balsamic tones, an oxidative hint of beef jerky and a touch of barnyardy funk. The overall feel is rather high in acidity with medium-plus tannins that slowly pile up on the gums, making the wine feel pretty grippy. The finish is ripe, dry-ish and somewhat hot with a rather long but also a bit tired aftertaste of wizened cherries, some pruney tones, a little bit of raisiny dark fruit, light ethery notes of VA, a hint of nutty rancio and a touch of sweet strawberry.
I was surprised how old and tertiary this wine was - Munjebels are known to be wines capable of aging really well and 2014 was supposedly a great vintage in Etna, so my expectations were quite high. Then again, this was a rather recent auction purchase - and you really can't know what you're getting. This time the results were not encouraging. Although the wine was very reasonably priced (76€ for a lot of three bottles; 32,10€ per bottle after the additional fees), I must say that this still wasn't worth the price. It's hard to assess whether we had an off bottle or if this vintage just isn't holding up that well, so I'm leaving the wine unrated. If I were to rate this wine, I'd give it something around 80 points. - 2019 Frank Cornelissen MunJebel CR - Italy, Sicily, Terre Siciliane (29.8.2023)
100% organically farmed Nerello Mascalese blended from Contrada Campo Re, a partially ungrafted vineyard located at the altitude of 730 m asl; the average vine age is +70 years. In more humid vintages the grapes struggle to attain full ripeness in this Contrada. The grapes are destemmed, lightly crushed and fermented with indigenous yeasts using pied de cuve. Fermented and macerated for 50 days, aged for 18 months in neutral epoxy tanks ranging from 1500 to 2500 liters. Bottled unfined and lightly filtered. 15% alcohol. Bottle #1908 of total 3100 bottles (and 90 magnums + 10 jeroboams).
Dark, youthful and slightly translucent blackish-red color. The nose feels youthful, clean and fragrant with vibrant aromas of bilberries, some boysenberries, light perfumed floral tones, a little bit of smoky volcanic character, a primary hint of cherry marmalade and a touch of alcohol. The wine feels clean, ripe and quite solar yet still enjoyably firm on the palate with a full body and focused flavors of Bing cherries and blac kraspberries, some licorice root, light sunny notes of soft dark plums, a little bit of perfumed floral character, a hint of bitter and slightly angular minerality and a reductive touch of something rubbery. The overall feel is quite muscular, thanks to the pretty high acidity and ample, moderately grippy tannins. The finish is long, somewhat grippy and slightly warm with a dark-toned aftertaste of black cherries and brambly black raspberries, some plummy tones, a little bit of licorice root, light floral nuances, a hint of earth and a touch of sour cherry bitterness.
A rather big, ripe and rich yet also enjoyably firm and very balanced single-vineyard Cornelissen. Of the 2019 Contradas we tasted, I felt this was more impressive than the FM, but didn't reach the heights of the MC and the VA. However, they all are good and promising bottlings which all just call for some additional bottle age. Even at four years of age this wine still feels too candied and primary for my preference. However, I expect the wine will lose these sweet primary fruit flavors in due time. Most likely this will hit the stride at 10 years of age. Recommended.
(92 points) - 2019 Frank Cornelissen MunJebel FM - Italy, Sicily, Terre Siciliane (29.8.2023)
100% organically farmed Nerello Mascalese sourced from the lower part (Sottana) of Contrada Feudo di Mezzo, a vineyard located at the altitude of 580 m asl; the average vine age is +40 years. The grapes are destemmed, lightly crushed and fermented with indigenous yeasts using pied de cuve. Fermented and macerated for 50 days, aged for 18 months in neutral epoxy tanks ranging from 1500 to 2500 liters. Bottled unfined and lightly filtered. 14,5% alcohol. Bottle #2049 of total 3100 bottles (and 90 magnums + 10 jeroboams).
Youthful, luminous and moderately translucent cherry-red color. The nose feels sweetish but also somewhat reticent with slightly understated aromas of boysenberries and black cherries, some red licorice tones, a little bit of fragrant fennel character, light jammy notes of raspberries, a lifted hint of sweet VA and a touch of earthy spice. The wine feels clean and harmonious but also somewhat restrained on the palate with a medium body and slightly reticent flavors of strawberries and ripe raspberries, some gravelly mineral tones, a little bit of licorice, light sweet notes of ripe red plums, a hint of savory spices and a faint touch of VA. The wine is textural but also a bit on the soft and mellow side, thanks to the medium acidity and ripe yet quite firm medium tannins that slowly pile up on the gums. The finish is juicy, rich and moderately grippy with a long, slightly understated aftertaste of strawberries, some red licorice, light gravelly mineral tones, a little bit of earthy spice, a hint of crunchy redcurrants and a touch of fennel.
A pleasant and quite harmonious single-vineyard Cornelissen that suffers a bit from the modest acidity and somewhat understated fruit. This is an enjoyable wine in its own right, but tasting it next to other three 2019 Contradas (CR, MC and VA), it becomes pretty obvious that this wine isn't at the level of the other wines, lacking both in structure and intensity. I hope the wine was just caught in a dumb phase and it opens up with further aging.
(89 points) - 2019 Frank Cornelissen Munjebel MC - Italy, Sicily, Terre Siciliane (29.8.2023)
100% organically farmed Nerello Mascalese from Contrada Monte Colla, an extremely steep vineyard planted in 1946 at the altitude of 750-780 m asl. The grapes are destemmed, lightly crushed and fermented with indigenous yeasts using pied de cuve. Fermented and macerated for 50 days, aged for 18 months in neutral epoxy tanks ranging from 1500 to 2500 liters. Bottled unfined and lightly filtered. 14% alcohol. Bottle #2193 of total 2434 bottles (and 90 magnums + 10 jeroboams).
Dark, youthful and slightly translucent blackish-red color. The nose feels somewhat cool and savory yet quite expressive with aromas of licorice root and salty liquorice powder, some smoky tones, a little bit of brambly raspberry, light gravelly mineral tones, a sweeter hint of strawberry, a perfumed touch of sweet floral character and a whiff of dusty, sun-baked earth. The wine feels youthful, ripe and silky yet enjoyably firm on the palate with a moderately full body and juicy flavors of sweet black cherries and boysenberry jam, some gravelly mineral tones, a little bit of salty liquorice powder, light lifted notes of anise or fennel, a volcanic hint of smoky character and a candied touch of red-toned primary fruit. Although the fruit profile is quite sunny, the rather high acidity and moderately assertive and grippy medium-plus tannins make the wine feel quite dry and savory for a young Munjebel. The finish is youthful, succulent and still pretty grippy with a long aftertaste of strawberries and ripe black cherries, some stony mineral notes, a little bit of earthy, light salty liquorice tones, a savory hint of meaty umami and a sweetly-spiced touch of anise.
A firm, youthful and very nuanced Munjebel that feels quite ripe and sunny, yet sports impressive sense of freshness and structure at the same time. Most likely the wine will lose some of its sweetest, most primary fruit tones with age and in the process gain some additional finesse. Based on the structure and fruit intensity, this is a Munjebel built to age - although the wine drinks pretty nicely already. It just has so much upside that there is no real need to pop any bottles now; this will get better as the wine ages and develops some tertiary complexity. Highly recommended.
(93 points) - 2019 Frank Cornelissen Munjebel VA - Italy, Sicily, Terre Siciliane (29.8.2023)
100% organically farmed Nerello Mascalese blended from the highest-altitude Contradas of Cornelissen (Barbabecchi, Rampante Soprana and Tartaraci), three old, ungrafted vineyard located between the altitudes of 870 and 1000 m asl; the average vine age is +90 years. The grapes are destemmed, lightly crushed and fermented with indigenous yeasts using pied de cuve. Fermented and macerated for 60 days, aged for 18 months in neutral epoxy tanks ranging from 1500 to 2500 liters. Bottled unfined and lightly filtered. 14% alcohol. Bottle #556 of total 3100 bottles (and 90 magnums + 10 jeroboams).
Youthful, luminous and quite translucent ruby-red color; the appearance is lighter compared to the other 2019 Munjebels. The nose feels at first somewhat reductive, a bit rubbery and even slightly flatulent, but slowly revealing aromas of black cherries, some licorice root, light cool notes of menthol and eucalyptus cough drops, light blackberry tones, candied primary fruit hints of blackberry jelly and a smoky touch of volcanic minerality. The wine feels ripe, silky and richly-textured yet firm and slightly chewy on the palate with a full body and vibrant yet slightly reticent flavors of brambly black raspberries and gravelly minerality, some savory notes of meaty umami, light blackberry tones, a little bit of sour cherry bitterness, a hint of licorice root and a touch of floral character. The overall feel is harmonious and enjoyably structured with the high acidity and ample yet ripe and supple tannins. The finish is ripe yet dry, firm and gently grippy with a long, nuanced aftertaste of juicy dark berries, some strawberries, a little bit of brambly blackberry, light savory notes of meaty umami, a hint of sour cherry bitterness and a touch of stony minerality.
A very lovely and harmonious single-vineyard Munjebel that might be still a bit too young and somewhat reductive - thus slightly closed - yet nevertheless very attractive and pretty impressive with its fine-tuned, vibrant and enjoyably dry fruit profile. After the three other Contrada Munjebels (CR, FM, MC), this VA bottling came across as somewhat lighter, less voluptuous and noticeably more Burgundian in character. Although this wasn't now as open and accessible as some other Contradas, I still thought the wine was by far the most impressive effort at the moment. And knowing how these VA bottlings can age gracefully for years, it's easy to see that this wine has lots of upside - especially once it loses its reductive qualities and opens up fully. Normally blends of multiple Crus as considered inferior to single-vineyard bottlings, but with I think that with the multi-vineyard Munjebel VA Cornelissen reaches a level of finesse his other single-vineyard expressions of Munjebel don't reach (even if and when they do come close). Very highly recommended.
(94 points) - 2013 Frank Cornelissen MunJebel CS - Italy, Sicily, Terre Siciliane (29.8.2023)
100% organically farmed Nerello Mascalese sourced from the ungrafted parcel Chiusa Spagnolo of Contrada Zottorinoto, a vineyard located at the altitude of 620 m asl; the vineyard was planted on its own roots in 1925. The grapes are destemmed, lightly crushed and fermented with indigenous yeasts using pied de cuve. Fermented and macerated for 50 days, aged for 18 months in neutral epoxy tanks ranging from 1500 to 2500 liters. Bottled unfined and lightly filtered. 15% alcohol. 2013 was the sophomore vintage of this Cru.
Evolved, quite pale and moderately translucent brick-red color. The nose feels ripe, somewhat evolved and quite sweet-toned with layered aromas of cherry marmalade and strawberry jam, some darker-fruited tones, a little bit of developed meaty beef stew character, light licorice root tones, a hint of bilberry, a touch of balsamic VA and a faint whiff of green-toned, slightly herby garrigue. The wine comes across as dry, moderately evolved and quite umami-driven on the palate with a medium body and complex, somewhat concentrated flavors of wizened cherries, some savory notes of meaty umami, a little bit of salty beef jerky character, light sweeter notes of prunes, a hint of licorice root and a touch of juicy yet pretty crunchy dark fruit. The rather high acidity and still moderately assertive and grippy tannins make the wine feel pretty muscular and structure-driven. The finish is long, enjoyably developed and pretty grippy with a complex, dry aftertaste of prunes and bilberries, some savory notes of meat stew, a little bit of balsamic VA, light black cherry tones, a hint of earthy garrigue and a salty touch of beef jerky.
A fine, stern and quite structure-driven single-vineyard Cornelissen that is slowly approaching its apogee. The fruit department is starting to feel quite evolved, tertiary and rather meaty, but the wine is noticeably more structure-driven than probably any other Cornelissen Contrada wine we tasted in our tasting of sixteen Cornelissen wines. I don't expect the wine to evolve aromatically much further from here, seeing how developed the flavor profile here is, but I really don't mind - the wine is in an excellent phase right now, showing so much depth, complexity and sense of finesse. Structurally the wine could age for decades more - and the stern tannins really could use some more age - but it's hard to assess how much longer will the fruit hold. I guess this wine is best served with food that can tame those burly tannins. This is very impressive stuff by any accounts, probably the best Cornelissen wine we tasted, just beautiful. Very highly recommended.
(95 points) - 2013 Frank Cornelissen Munjebel MC - Italy, Sicily, Terre Siciliane (29.8.2023)
100% organically farmed Nerello Mascalese from Contrada Monte Colla, an extremely steep vineyard planted in 1946 at the altitude of 750-780 m asl. The grapes are destemmed, lightly crushed and fermented with indigenous yeasts using pied de cuve. Fermented and macerated for 50 days, aged for 18 months in neutral epoxy tanks ranging from 1500 to 2500 liters. Bottled unfined and lightly filtered. 15% alcohol. 2013 was the third vintage ever of this Cru.
Moderately evolved, quite deep and somewhat dark maroon-red color with a pale brick-red rim. The nose feels quite evolved, somewhat volatile and a bit hot with slightly tertiary aromas of dried cherries, some raisiny tones, a little bit of dark pruney fruit, light boozy notes of alcohol, a hint of salty liquorice powder and an oxidative touch of beef jerky. The wine feels evolved, lean and quite tough on the palate with a rather full body and moderately tertiary flavors of sour cherries and meaty umami, some earthy tones, a little bit of salty liquorice, light sweeter notes of raisins and prunes, a ferrous hint of blood and an oxidative touch of soy sauce. The wine is impressively structured with its high acidity and ample, ripe yet moderately grippy tannins. The high alcohol lends some obvious heat to the palate. The finish is dry, evolved and quite grippy with a savory aftertaste of sour cherry bitterness and sweeter notes of dried dark fruits and raisins, some earthy tones, a little bit of old leather, light salty liquorice notes, an oxidative hint of beef jerky and a touch of consommé.
This has been a stern and tightly-knit vintage of MC, but it seems the fruit department hasn't really kept up: the structure shows relatively little resolution, whereas the fruit is starting to feel somewhat tired and more oxidative nuances are settling in. This is still thoroughly drinkable and quite enjoyable wine - at least if you enjoy older wines - but the wine is starting to lose its sense of balance because the structure is starting to jut out more and more as the fruit flavors slowly fade away. Of course it might be that we just had a prematurely evolved bottle, so this note might not be entirely representative of this bottle and you might need to take my note with a grain of salt.
(87 points) - 2013 Frank Cornelissen Munjebel VA - Italy, Sicily, Terre Siciliane (29.8.2023)
100% organically farmed Nerello Mascalese blended from the highest-altitude Contradas of Cornelissen (Barbabecchi, Rampante Soprana and Tartaraci), three old, ungrafted vineyard located between the altitudes of 870 and 1000 m asl; the average vine age is +90 years. The grapes are destemmed, lightly crushed and fermented with indigenous yeasts using pied de cuve. Fermented and macerated for 60 days, aged for 18 months in neutral epoxy tanks ranging from 1500 to 2500 liters. Bottled unfined and lightly filtered. 14,5% alcohol.
Moderately deep, somewhat evolved and rather translucent reddish-maroon color with a brick-red rim. The nose feels clean, dark-toned and relatively youthful with slightly restrained aromas of licorice root and brambly black raspberries, some evolved meaty tones, a little bit of sweet, ethery VA, light earthy nuances, a perfumed hint of floral nuanced and a touch of wizened red cherry. The overall feel is more youthful and less tertiary than in 2013 MC and 2013 CS we tasted at the same time. The overall feel is firm, savory and slightly lifted with a medium body and relatively youthful but also subtly sauvage flavors of sour cherries, ripe red gooseberries and wizened red fruits, some volatile notes of balsamico and nail polish, a little bit of stony minerality, light tertiary notes of beef jerky, a hint of acetic tang and a touch of old leather. The structure feels still pretty stern and unresolved, thanks to the high acidity and rather assertive, grippy tannins. The finish is dry, savory and moderately tannic with a long, nuanced aftertaste of sour cherry bitterness and phenolic spice, some earthy tones, a little bit of sanguine iron, light volatile notes of balsamic and sharp acetic tang, a sweeter hint of wizened red fruits and a touch of stony minerality.
A lovely, harmonious and very impressive vintage of Munjebel VA that is starting to show some age, but still retains a lovely youthful edge to its fruit. In our tasting of 16 Cornelissen wines, this was probably the most structured wine along with the similarly impressive 2013 Munjebel CS. Tasting these wines side-by-side, I felt that 2013 CS was slightly a tiny bit better than this VA, but this CS was somewhat more evolved and tertiary in character, more or less at its peak now, whereas this VA still had some way to go. Perhaps with enough time, this wine will reach the level of quality of that 2013 CS - or maybe even surpass it. Whatever the case, both of these were real stunners. At 58,41€ this was priced according to its quality.
(94 points) - NV Frank Cornelissen Munjebel Perpetuum II - Italy, Sicily, Vino da Tavola (29.8.2023)
Munjebel P, or "Perpetuum", harkens back to the early days of Cornelissen's Munjebels, which were not single-vintage wines, but instead blends of two consecutive vintages. For Munjebel P I, the first release of Perpetuum, Cornelissen blended together selected lots of Munjebel vintages 2015 (Contrada Piano dei Daini), 2016 (Munjebel), 2017 (Munjebel CA) and 2019 (Munjebel) into a 7000-liter epoxy tank and bottled 25% of the whole lot. This Munjebel P II includes these same vintages, plus 25% of the vintage 2020 as well. The wine is 100% organically farmed Nerello Mascalese from vineyards averaging +60 years in age. The grapes have been destemmed, lightly crushed, fermented with indigenous yeasts using pied de cuve and macerated for 50 days before being blended into the perpetual cuvée. Bottled unfined and lightly filtered. 14,5% alcohol. Bottle #1925 of total 2740 bottles (and 90 magnums).
Somewhat evolved and moderately translucent dark plummy red color. The nose feels quite wild and rather lifted with aromas of ethery VA and youthful cherry-driven red fruit, some evolved meaty tones, a little bit of salty liquorice, light balsamic notes of VA, a volcanic hint of smoke, a touch of jammy dark berries and a herby, medicinal whiff reminiscent of Chartreuse. The wine feels wild, moderately evolved and somewhat volatile on the palate with a rather full body and ripe, sweet-toned flavors of juicy black cherries and tart cranberries, some balsamic VA nuances, a little bit of medicinal herbs, light savory notes of meaty umami and tomato paste, a hint of acetic tang and a smoky touch of tar. The structure relies more on the rather high acidity than on the supple medium-minus tannins that slowly pile up on the gums. The finish is ripe, a bit grippy and slightly volatile with a long, somewhat sweet-toned aftertaste of juicy black cherries and tart red plums, some sour cherry bitterness, a little bit of balsamico, light gamey tones, a hint of acetic tang and a touch of tomato paste.
This was a somewhat weird one. As one would expect from a wine made from a perpetual cuvée, it felt both young and somewhat old at the same time. However, that really didn't add that much to depth and complexity instead of making the wine just feel a bit awkward and all over the place. Furthermore, this was probably the most volatile Cornelissen we had in this tasting, making me remember the Cornelissen tasting we had ten years ago, when we went through the much more sauvage vintages from the 00's, when elevated levels of VA were the norm, not an exception. Although a curiosity and an quite enjoyable wine in its own right, I really don't think this came close to most of the Contrada Munjebels we tasted at the same time.
(88 points) - 2019 Frank Cornelissen Magma - Italy, Sicily, Sicilia (29.8.2023)
100% organically farmed Nerello Mascalese. The grapes are sourced from a centenarian (planted 1910) Contrada Barbabecchi of only pre-phylloxeric (ie. ungrafted) alberello (bush-vine) Nerello Mascalese. Fermented and macerated for 50 days, aged for 18 months in neutral epoxy tanks ranging from 1500 to 2500 liters. Bottled unfined and lightly filtered. 14% alcohol. Bottle #1759 of total 1890 bottles (and 90 magnums, 10 jeroboams and 5 rehoboams).
Youthful, luminous and surprisingly translucent cherry-red color with a pale, almost colorless rim. The nose feels youthful, clean and somewhat closed with a bit linear aromas of brambly raspberries and fresh black cherries, some smoky notes of reduction, a little bit of stony minerality, light strawberry tones, a juicy hint of red damson and a touch of smoke-cured meat. The wine feels ripe, clean and slightly lifted on the palate with a medium-to-moderately full body and vibrant flavors of tart cranberries and brambly raspberries, savory notes of meaty umami, some gravelly mineral tones, light juicy notes of red plums, a little bit of sour cherry bitterness, volatile hints of nail polish and acetic tang and a touch of tobacco. The overall feel is quite firm and enjoyably structured, thanks to the high acidity and moderately grippy medium tannins. The finish is long, savory and somewhat grippy with a complex aftertaste of cranberry-driven tart red fruits, some sour cherry bitterness, a little bit of balsamic VA, light gravelly mineral tones, a savory hint of meaty umami and a touch of tar or smoke-cured meat.
A youthful, harmonious and balanced Nerello that is suffering a bit from reduction, lending some smoky overtones to the aroma profile and making the wine - especially the nose - feel a bit understated and linear. Although a lovely, harmonious wine in its own right, I feel this 2019 didn't reach the heights of some other Cornelissen wines (Munjebels VA and MC) - these two wines seemed to be more open, expressive and structured while showing no obvious acetic qualities. Maybe this Magma will become more complex and interesting once it ages enough to lose its reductive tones, but I'm not sure if this will ever be more impressive than 2019 VA or MC. Although an impressive and thoroughly enjoyable Etna, I'm not sure if the wine is really worth the money at its current retail price.
(92 points) - NV Frank Cornelissen Magma 7 Vigne Alte - Italy, Sicily, Sicilia (29.8.2023)
No vintage designation, as the wine is Vino da Tavola and the back label just says Magma 7VA (lot MAVA07), but the description tells that the vintage for Magma 7 is 2008. The grapes are sourced from a centenarian (planted 1910) Contrada Barbabecchi vineyard of only pre-phylloxeric alberello (bush-vine) Nerello Mascalese. Vinified in terracotta vessels buried in the ground, macerated with the skins for 6-7 months. Aged for approximately 18 months in terracotta vessels. Bottled unfined, unfiltered and without any added SO2. 15% alcohol.
Pale, translucent and still quite intense reddish-coppery color with a wide, almost colorless rim. The sweetish, sunny and attractive nose feels evolved with complex, seductive aromas of ripe red cherries and balsamic notes of VA, a little bit of strawberry jam, light dried-fruit notes of prunes and figs, a hint of cranberry sauce, an oxidative touch of beef jerky and a whiff of red licorice. The alcohol shows a little bit, too. The wine feels evolved, silky and slightly warm on the palate with a full body and nuanced, sweet-toned flavors of wizened red cherries and raisiny tones along with phenolic spicy nuances, some savory notes of meaty umami, a little bit of beef jerky, light strawberry jam notes, a hint of balsamic VA and a faint touch of old leather. The wine still retains good sense of structure, thanks to the rather high acidity and ample yet ripe tannins that contribute more to the texture than to the structure. The finish is ripe, textural and gently grippy with a long, somewhat sweet-toned aftertaste of balsamic VA, some wizened red cherry, light oxidative notes of beef jerky and evolved umami character, a little bit of dark pruney fruit, sweet hints of strawberry jam and cranberry sauce and a touch of old leather.
A tasty, nuanced and harmonious vintage of Magma that retains the richness and substance typical of this wine, yet feels relatively Burgundian and surprisingly light on its feet at the same time. Contrasting this wine to the bottle we tasted in late 2020, it has evolved very little - mainly the tannins seem to have resolved to some degree, coming across as less grippy and more textural now. I guess the wine has attained a little bit more finesse since then, but the changes are pretty minute. The overall feel is that this wine is now at its peak and won't evolve from here. An excellent example how gracefully wines vinified without any added SO2 can evolve. As I said in my last TN, this wine might not be worth the price (approximately 150€), but it is nevertheless a terrific effort, all the same.
(94 points) - NV Frank Cornelissen Magma 6 Vigne Alte - Italy, Sicily, Sicilia (29.8.2023)
No vintage designation, as the wine is Vino da Tavola and the back label just says Magma 6VA (lot MAVA06), but the description tells that the vintage for Magma 6 is 2007. The grapes are sourced from a centenarian (planted 1910) Contrada Barbabecchi vineyard of only pre-phylloxeric alberello (bush-vine) Nerello Mascalese. Vinified in terracotta vessels buried in the ground, macerated with the skins for 6-7 months. Aged for approximately 18 months in terracotta vessels. Bottled unfined, unfiltered and without any added SO2. 14,5% alcohol.
Surprisingly deep, dark and quite tertiary syrupy-brown color with a pale straw-yellow rim. The nose feels evolved, tertiary and noticeably smoky or tarry with aromas of dark raisiny fruit and a pronounced streak of tar-flavored candies, some smoky notes of struck flint, a little bit of beef jerky, light meaty notes of Speck, a sweeter hint of prunes, a touch of salty liquorice powder and a whiff of something malt. At this point the people were borderline laughing at how ridiculously smoky the nose was. On the palate the wine feels old, savory and less smoky than in the nose. The overall feel is medium-bodied with somewhat sweet-toned and quite tertiary flavors of raisins and prunes, some tar-flavored candy tones, a little bit of strawberry jam, light oxidative notes of beef jerky, a hint of campfire smoke and a touch of malt syrup. The structure relies more on the relatively tough and unresolved tannins than on the somewhat soft medium-plus acidity. The finish is moderately tannic, somewhat warm and quite tertiary with a long, slightly sweet-toned aftertaste of raisins and prunes, some salty liquorice powder tones, a little bit of strawberry jam, light smoky notes of speck and campfire, a hint of earth and a touch of tar-flavored candies.
Compared to the attractive and beautifully evolved Magma 7 VA that we tasted at the same time, this Magma 6 VA was noticeably older and almost ridiculously smoky - especially in the nose. Several people in our tasting started chuckling after smelling the wine because the bold, layered notes of smoke and tar were something one didn't really expect from this wine! However, despite its smoky and quite tertiary overall feel, the wine turned out to be surprisingly enjoyable and - in its own way - very clean! Many Cornelissen from this period have been excessively funky and way too volatile for my preference, but for some reason this wine was just old and smoky - not particularly sauvage in any way! Nevertheless, I'm not sure if this wine really was worth the price - even if it was originally purchased at just 65€, which is way below its modern market price.
(89 points) - 2020 Orakylän Panimo Olaus - Finland, Lapland (29.8.2023)
An "arctic wild ale" blended with apple juice at 175 grams per liter. Aged for 15 months in an old rum barrel, bottled in January 2022. 8% alcohol.
Cloudy orange juice color, no head to speak of. The nose feels funky with a healthy dose of brett, lending the beer aromas of barnyard and saddle leather, accentuated by quite intese nuances of ripe peach, light sharp notes of lemon juice, a hint of pineapple and a touch of Granny Smith apple. The beer feels pretty sour but also a bit thin on the palate and light in body, but the flavors are quite focused and intense with complex flavors of tart Granny Smith apple and funky saddle leather, some rustic barnyard notes, a little bit of sharp lemony citrus fruit, light tropical nuances of pineapple and mushy peach, a hint of phenolic spice and a touch of tangy acetic character. The overall feel is quite similar to that of a lambic, only the body feels somewhat nimble for a brew clocking in at 8% ABV. There is no hop bitterness to speak of and the carbonation feels quite modest as well. The finish is sharp, funky and characterful with a long, dry aftertaste of leathery funk, some freshly pressed apple juice, light sharp acetic notes of VA, a little bit of horse stable floor, a hint of grainy malt and a touch of borderline unripe pineapple.
A surprisingly serious, complex and wonderfully funky home brew. There's a ton of brett here, but that only helps keeping things interesting and attractively rustic. The only thing that the beer is lacking is body. There's enough substance and intensity here, but the body just comes across as too light and dilute, making the beer feel a bit too thin for its own good. Fortunately the flavor intensity helps a lot keeping things in balance. This is a very serious and impressive effort - a terrific domestic alternative to a traditional Gueuze. Definitely a commendable brew!
(91 points) - 2014 Famille Perrin / Perrin & Fils Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc Les Sinards - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (29.8.2023)
A blend of Clairette (50%) and Grenache Blanc (50%) from the 2,5-hectare Clos du Château vineyard planted in the 1970s. Fermented in new (50%) and once used (50%) oak casks. MLF blocked. According to some sources, the wine is aged for 8-9 months in the same oak casks, according to other sources, in stainless steel tanks (80%) and new 228-litre oak casks (20%). 14% alcohol and 5,2 g/l acidity. Annual production approximately 4000 bottles. Tasted blind.
Medium-deep, somewhat youthful neon yellow-green color. The nose feels sweet, fragrant, quite expressive, not unlike a ripe Riesling with some age with all the aromas of lemon marmalade, peach and lemongrass - but there is also lots of other things going on as well: some evolved creamy tones, a little bit of honeydew melon and apricot, light woody notes of toasted oak, a hint of grilled pineapple and a touch of vanilla. So many layers here! The wine feels broad, ripe and very slightly oily on the palate with bold flavors of honeydew melon and Golden Delicious apple, some spicy oak tones, a little bit of grilled pineapple, light nutty notes of slivered almonds, a hint of lemongrass and a touch of developed creaminess. The rather high acidity makes the wine feel surprisingly fresh and keeps it effortlessly in balance. The finish is round, ripe and slight viscous with a long, somewhat sweet-toned aftertaste of apple jam and cantaloupe, some evolved creamy tones, a little bit of peach, light nuances of grilled pineapple, a hint of browned butter and a touch of nutty wood.
First off I want to say I'm not a big fan of white Pape, nor have I ever been. However, when trying to guess the wine, I never once pictured it as a white CdP! It actually took me some time to arrive with my guesses to Rhône, and even then I couldn't identify the wine as a white Pape. It just didn't fit my image of the big, ripe and alcoholic yet neutral and blowzy white wine. This was not only aromatically interesting, complex and surprisingly intense, but also showed more acidity than I have probably ever seen a white Pape show! The wine did show some signs of age, but the overall feel was still remarkably youthful and most likely the wine will continue to evolve and improve for a good deal of years more. The creamy and somewhat toasty oak tones made the wine feel perhaps a bit modern and polished, but the overall sense of freshness and complexity made up for it. This was one of the best white CdPs I've had in a long time. At just 20,60€, this was a bargain.
(93 points) - 1985 R. López de Heredia Rioja Reserva Viña Tondonia - Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja (29.8.2023)
Although the label doesn't say anything about Reserva, this is technically the same thing as Heredia Viña Tondonia Reserva. It just wasn't labeled as such back then. 12% alcohol.
Evolved, medium-deep brick-red color with a slightly brownish-maroon hue. The nose feels noticeably rustic and funky with rather brett-driven aromas of lambic-like phenolic spice, some sweaty saddle leather tones, a little bit of wizened red fruit, light earthy notes, a hint of wizened figs and a touch of barnyard. Very old-school Rioja nose here. The wine feels evolved and somewhat rustic on the palate yet wonderfully silky in texture. The overall feel is medium-bodied and balanced with flavors of bretty saddle leather and phenolic spice, some sweet notes of wizened figs, a little bit of hay, light pruney notes of dried red plums, a hint of earth and a touch of farmhouse funk. As the ripe and fully resolved tannins don't really retain any grip and only contribute to the silky texture of the wine, the structure relies mostly on the bright, high acidity. The finish is long, evolved and complex with a dry, layered aftertaste of dried figs, some bretty notes of saddle leather and stable floor, light pruney notes of wizened red plums, a little bit of earth, a hint of raisiny dark fruit and a touch of sweet exotic spices.
A terrific, nuanced and wonderfully evolved old Tondonia Reserva. For some reason most people thought this was over the peak, but I think they confused the surprisingly pronounced bretty notes with oxidative aromas - having tasted a good number of too old Tondonias that have been way over the hill, this was anything but! Apart from the rather pronounced bretty notes which were heavily in the leather-and-barnyard spectrum, the wine retained a great deal of vibrant, somewhat sweet-toned fruit that married with those rustic, funky notes of brett remarkably well. I guess this wine might've been too funky for people who want their wines squeaky clean, but I loved this wine big time! Most likely this wine won't go anywhere from here but down, so there is no need to age it any further - but I doubt this wine is going to fall apart anytime soon, either. If it has kept this well until now, it won't turn bad in just few years. However, I still encourage to pop any remaining bottles sooner rather than later.
(94 points)
Posted from CellarTracker
