Winemaker of the Month
For this month Stuart George has found the Cavalleria Rusticana of Sicily’s winemakers:
the twist in the tail is that he is a Belgian!
Frank Cornelissen was (and is), as he puts it, a “personal wine collector as of 14
years of age; raised in a family of gastronomy; high school in languages; alpine
climbing/telemark back country skiing; distributor of alpine clothing/apparel; wine
trader/broker; hobby wine producer as of December 2000; farmer as of June 2003; full
time wine producer/farmer/estate owner as of 2006.”
Sicily is not overcrowded with expat winemakers but Frank asserts, “I am not in Sicily.
I work and live on Mount Etna, a completely different world, more related to northern
than southern European wine production in terms of climate.” He cultivates 8.5 hectares
of 50-100 year old “albarello” (bush vine) grapes on the north slopes of Etna. Each
vine yields 300g of fruit, which equates to an average of 10-12 hl/ha.
Cornelissen combines high altitude viniculture (at up to 1,000 metres elevation)
with “old-fashioned” winemaking – what nowadays is called “natural” winemaking. “I
do not like the expression ‘natural’ as no one has ever defined what is a natural
wine,” Frank says. “I believe not adding anything as well as not manipulating mechanically
or chemically is the right road to take to achieve the most profound wines that express
their provenance.”
Magma and MunJebel are fermented in high-density polyethylene tubs – something of
a non sequitur among all the “natural” spiel? – and then aged in epoxy-lined amphorae
(more chemicals) that Frank insists make “my wines a lot better”.
Asked about making wine with plastic tubs, Frank replied, “To start with, I dislike
hypocrites who pretend to live ‘naturally’ while we all use computers, use cars,
aeroplanes, live in houses with cement, plastics… Why don't you ask me how little
energy we are using for our whole cellar, which runs on a tiny electricity unit of
no more than 6kW – less than a normal household! Unfortunately, some equipment does
not exist yet or needs to be handmade and in the specific case of fermenting units
the costs for porcelain would be ridiculous and unaffordable. There are other priorities
to handle for the next 5 years… The world is not a simple or perfect place and I
am sure that the next generation after me will be able to benefit from what I have
created and the estate / production unit will be fine tuned afterwards… Everything
has a price tag.”
No sulphur is used. With this in mind, Frank suggests in his bumph that “our products…
(require) transportation and storage below 16ºC.”
The wines’ colours are often as hazy as the smoke from Mount Etna. “I could make
the wine perfectly clear and limpid but I don’t like the result of filtering,” explained
Frank. “They lose the density and umami, the fifth element. So I suggest decanting
the wines.” All the wines for this tasting were decanted.
The tannins of Cornelissen wines are never hard though the alcohol levels, due to
tardy picking from late-October to mid-November, are sometimes daunting – close to
17% for the Magma Rosso 6VA. (The numbering system represents “the editions of the
production of that wine”.) The quality of the terroir is always evident but the esoteric
winemaking has rendered the wines, with their conspicuous oxidation and funkiness,
as a real challenge to many people’s sensibilities.
It’s not all “Mother Earth in her various energetic and cosmic passages”, though.
A serious business brain is at work here, as evidenced by the “®” mark after the
name of each wine on his website. He used to sell the wines in nine-bottle cases
but nowadays they are sold in six-packs because “my markets are becoming more international
and require industry standards for packaging.”
The tasting started with “where I came from” and finished with “where I’m going”.
2010 Rosso del Contadino No.8
Frank described Contadino as “a more humble, modestly priced, natural, vintage wine.”
It is based on about 70% Nerello Mascalese “with up to 15 (sic) other white / red
varieties. Three months macerate, three months decant”. The “decant” refers to “the
sedimentation of the gross lees… an élevage period, although this depends from wine
to wine. This year, this period will take at least five months as the malolactic
fermentations are slower.”
Coloured like a Florentine roof tile, No. 8 is as clear as the Ionian Sea. It was
a difficult vintage, “near to disaster… We had wines with colour but the amount of
work and chaos would have been a disaster in an earlier vintage”.
It might be “humble” but the oxidation and funkiness of this make it a daunting prospect
to palates raised on “conventional” wines. The texture and structure, however, are
impressively defined, with convulsive acidity and tannins as honest and rustic as
a character in a Giovanni Verga story.
2009 Rosso del Contadino No.7
A bit deeper in colour – and hazy.
The nose, however, is brighter than that of the 2010, though it retains that earthy
/ funky aroma. Although not as exulcerating as the 2009 it has more than enough acidity
to balance the plump fruit and tastes almost “sweet” on the finish.
Frank likes it: “2009 was very gratifying and perhaps my best vintage so far.”
2006/7 MunJebel Rosso No.4
MunJebel’s portmanteau name is derived from “monte” (“mountain” in Italian) and “jebel”
(Arabic for “mountain”). Apart from No.3, which was based solely on the botrytis-influenced
2005 vintage, MunJebel has always been a two-vintage blend of Nerello Mascalese from
various sites.
It spent about 15 months in amphora, hence the oxidation. The hoarse tannins are
perhaps a product of the hot 2006 vintage.
2007/8 MunJebel Rosso No.5
Brick-coloured like the No.4 but without the sediment. The lifted, vaguely cidery
aromas do not compromise the palate’s structure, which is distinguished by acidity
that chirps rather than stings.
2008/9 MunJebel Rosso No.6
Like Calpurnia in To Kill a Mockingbird, this is all angles and bones – the tannins
and acidity have not yet settled their differences.
Some residual CO2 is also apparent here. Frank admits, “Most of my wines have it.
It is not (or nearly never) a re-fermentation as the malos are completely finished
in 95% of my wines, except for 2009 Contadino and Bianco where I decided to bottle
earlier because of freshness. Discussible, I know, as these wines need more decanting
and time. The tactile effect is the ‘moving’ of the wine with the fine lees in the
bottle, which makes these wines keep a ‘fizzyness.’ Simply decant (them) to give
the wine air / oxygen as well as separating the fine lees/sediment from the wine
to appreciate the wine to its fullest.”
2009/10 MunJebel Rosso No.7
The softest and most approachable red yet, with a finish that glows like Etna.
2010 MunJebel Rosso No.7VA
VA stands for “Vigna Alta” (“High Vineyard”), not volatile acidity!
Like the previous wine, it glows like a fire, though the “dirty”, Islay whisky flavours
are as challenging as trying to catch one of Etna’s smoke rings. These went very
well with a (very smoky) beetroot dish, though.
This was by general consent the best wine yet, with superior concentration to the
preceding No.7 and the tenth anniversary bottling that followed.
2010 MunJebel Rosso No.7 10th Anniversary
This declassified Magma wine has yet to have its name confirmed but for the time
being it is known as “10th Anniversary”.
In 2010, the Magma vineyard failed to achieve the ripeness that Frank seeks: “I believe
in seriousness in my work and so I would have a personal difficulty bottling the
wine from the Magma vineyard in 2010 as such because the ripeness was not reached.
The expression of the vineyard is there but is not to my taste a ‘grand vin’.”
The constitution is sound – fleshy, rustic tannins countered by flame-like acidity
– but as is often the case the flavours (to me, at any rate) are exigent.
2004 Magma No.4VA
Despite its repute, the estate’s top wine Magma comprises only 400-700 bottles per
vintage, though overall estate production is 20,000 bottles.
It is considered a “superior selection” of Nerello Mascalese made only when Frank
considers the vintage worthy. It wasn’t made in 2005 or 2010.
The wine today is “more fine tuned and focused” than the inaugural 2001, reckons
Frank: “I’ve learned the hard way and I’m doing it better. You can never be perfect
because every vintage is different.”
Profoundly oxidative and funky, No.4VA was the last Magma to be made in amphora.
2004 Magma No.4VB
Magma is no longer made from the 60 plus-years old “Vigna Bassa” (“low vineyard”)
plots. “I do not produce Magma in other plots anymore because I feel personally that
the Magma Rosso VA has a special place in my soul but also is a wine with lots of
character. As of 2007 it is produced only from the Barbabecchi vineyard at 900 meters
above sea level, which I regard as my personal garden.”
Perhaps we should be grateful for the change since 2007 because No.4VB is dirty,
funky and has acidity like a door slamming.
2006 Magma No.5R
“R” stands for “Riserva” and “Rampante”, the first and last bottling from the highest
pre-phylloxera plot at Barbabecchi Soprana that Frank co-owned with Alberto Aiello.
However, in five harvests from 2005 the grapes achieved adequate maturity only once,
in the hot year of 2006. So, after the 2009 harvest, Frank sold the vineyard.
This is lighter-toned than the previous wine, with less VA and more freshness and
fruit.
Dark and complex rather than funky, it recalls a good quality, à point Burgundy.
As smooth as a river stone, this beguiling drink is what natural wine – what good
wine! – is all about. With so much to enjoy, there is no need to worry about the
extraordinary 16.4% alcohol.
2007 Magma No.6VA
A “generally cool” year to follow the warm 2006, though this wine still achieved
16.6%, “with accumulated sugars in the best sections of the Barbabecchi vineyard
when the flavours were ready”, said Frank. He continued, “It's the ‘it is what it
is’ scenario, which can take so much explaining that we can understand why some people
put ‘14%’ every year and be done with it.”
Its density is surprising considering the colour, which is considerably lighter than
other wines. The Puckish finish is not enough to counter the very funky aromas.
“A very deceiving, strange wine”, added Frank.
2008 Magma No.7VA
“A beautiful, balanced vintage with clean grapes. Everything was there, it was perfect”,
explained Frank.
Less funky than No.6VA and the tannins impress with their fleshy texture, more like
an outdoors suntan than one acquired under fluorescent lamps.
2009 Magma No.8VA
According to Frank, 2009 “was difficult, it was cool, and we had a lot of rain. But
we pulled out great grapes. It’s a gift of nature.”
The rain is personified in the leanness and shortness of this wine, though its fruit
is pleasant.
2010 Munjebel Bianco No.7
Blended from Cataratto, the obscure but wonderfully named Coda di Volpe (“fox’s tail”,
a synonym for Greco di Tufo’s Palagrello), Grecanico Dorato (aka Garganega) and Carricante,
this is orange-tawny, like Quince’s beard in A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
There was some botrytis this year.
2009 Munjebel Bianco No.6VA
In 2009, the horses ate the usual source of grapes so it was made from the Vigna
Alta vineyards.
Even more orange than No.7 and as hazy as an April morning. With aeration, the esoteric
nose becomes softer and shows fresher aromas.
Prices and stockists for Cornelissen, as provided by David Harvey of Raeburn Wines:
“Stockists and availability as per below
-Whole Foods Market, Kensington London
-Artisan and Vine, Clapham London
-RS Wines, Bristol
-Les Caveaux, Thames Valley
The merchant arm of L´Ortolan restaurant & its 10 in 8 group. www.10in8.com . Contact
is Stephen Nisbet, who has also worked for Frank and championed Frank in the UK restaurant
scene since 2006
Munjebel 'Bianco' - in the twenties
No.4 2007
No.7 2010 coming soon
Rosso del Contadino
No.4 2006 RRP £15
No.7 2009 RRP £20
No.8 2010 coming soon
Munjebel Rosso - late twenties to thirties
No.4 2006/7
No.6 2008/9
No.7 2009/10 coming soon
No.7VA 2010 coming Autumn 2011
No.7 10th anniversary (declassified Magma 2010) coming Autumn 2011 - tbc
Magma Rosso - £100+
No.8VA 2009 coming soon
Frank hard at it!
The collection
