Mount Etna
I am obsessed with Igneous soils, especially born of the volcano. And more often than not, I find I am drawn to wines that come from them. Volcanic wines have a very specific texture; sometimes an ashiness, sometimes it’s a “nervous sensation”. Coming from the Earth’s core, Basalt stones were filled with iron, which impacts energy. Whether true or imagined, there’s a rusty, edgy ash with almost oxidized acidity in some of my favorite basalt-grown wines.Quantity | Wine | Vintage |
---|---|---|
W | Calabretta, Cappuccio Etna Rosso | 2011 |
W | Pietro Caciorgna, Ciaurìa, Nerello Mascalese, Etna Rosso | 2018 |
1 | Benanti, Etna rosso | 2016 |
1 | Vino di Anna “Jeudi 15” Rosso | 2019 |
Canary Islands
I am obsessed with Igneous soils, especially born of the volcano. And more often than not, I find I am drawn to wines that come from them. Volcanic wines have a very specific texture; sometimes an ashiness, sometimes it’s a “nervous sensation”. Coming from the Earth’s core, Basalt stones were filled with iron, which impacts energy. Whether true or imagined, there’s a rusty, edgy ash with almost oxidized acidity in some of my favorite basalt-grown wines.Quantity | Wine | Vintage |
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Willamete Valley
I am obsessed with Igneous soils, especially born of the volcano. And more often than not, I find I am drawn to wines that come from them. Volcanic wines have a very specific texture; sometimes an ashiness, sometimes it’s a “nervous sensation”. Coming from the Earth’s core, Basalt stones were filled with iron, which impacts energy. Whether true or imagined, there’s a rusty, edgy ash with almost oxidized acidity in some of my favorite basalt-grown wines.Quantity | Wine | Vintage |
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Campania
Pumice and Ash soils are rich in iron.Quantity | Wine | Vintage |
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Alto Piemonte
Somewhere in between basalt and granite is another form of igneous rock that comes from fire: tuff. Tuff is rich in silica and iron and contains larger crystals of quartz in a fine-grained matrix. Wines from Boca and Bramaterra in Alto Piemonte are extremely exciting in that they contain elements like silica and boron (found in Mount Etna) and partnered with minerality and tension found in granite.Quantity | Wine | Vintage |
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W | Vallana, Boca | 2015 |
Northern Rhone
Granite is associated with an edgy structure and tang of acidity and freshness. The high potassium levels in granite softens the acid in the wines (unlike calcium carbonate in limestone/chalk which adds a sharpness). Granite means that there is lots of quartz. And Quartz means energy! The resulting wine is always a little drier and the sensation of raspiness is felt more in the back of the mouth, often with a nervous, high pitched, sensation.Quantity | Wine | Vintage |
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W | Bois Prieur Domaine Rémi Niero, Saint Joseph | 2017 |
Cru Beaujolais
Granite is associated with an edgy structure and tang of acidity and freshness. The high potassium levels in granite softens the acid in the wines (unlike calcium carbonate in limestone/chalk which adds a sharpness). Granite means that there is lots of quartz. And Quartz means energy! The resulting wine is always a little drier and the sensation of raspiness is felt more in the back of the mouth, often with a nervous, high pitched, sensation.Quantity | Wine | Vintage |
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W | Louis Jadot, Château des Jacques, Moulin-a-Vent | 2009 |
Burgundy & Jura
Limestone is something that you first sense up front in the mouth, on the tip of the tongue, and it invites a long finish with leaner structure. Made from decomposed bodies from mollusks to fish to coral, it is made of minerals aragonite and calcium carbonate (the latter giving wine high, sharp acidity).Quantity | Wine | Vintage |
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2 | Tissot, DD Cuvee | 2018 |
1 | Tissot, Singulier | 2017 |
1 | Tissot, Singulier | 2016 |
Chinon & Bourgueil
Limestone is something that you first sense up front in the mouth, on the tip of the tongue, and it invites a long finish with leaner structure. Made from decomposed bodies from mollusks to fish to coral, it is made of minerals aragonite and calcium carbonate (the latter giving wine high, sharp acidity).Quantity | Wine | Vintage |
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1 | Domaine de la Noblaie, Chinon | 2017 |
Marche
Marl is calcium carbonate or lime-rich mudstone which contains variable amounts of clay and limestone. I’m no expert, but I’m guessing the impact on wine differs depending where it sits on this scale: Marly limestone (95 to 75 % limestone), Calcareous marl (75 to 65 % limestone), Marl (65 to 35 % limestone), Clay (ish) marl (35 to 25 % limestone), Marly clay (25 to 5 % limestone).Quantity | Wine | Vintage |
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1 | Fattoria San Lorenzo, Artù, Marche | 2013 |
Piemonte
Marl is calcium carbonate or lime-rich mudstone which contains variable amounts of clay and limestone. I’m no expert, but I’m guessing the impact on wine differs depending where it sits on this scale: Marly limestone (95 to 75 % limestone), Calcareous marl (75 to 65 % limestone), Marl (65 to 35 % limestone), Clay (ish) marl (35 to 25 % limestone), Marly clay (25 to 5 % limestone).Quantity | Wine | Vintage |
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1 | Fontanafredda Barolo, Serralunga d’Alba | 2016 |
1 | Mirafiore Barolo, Serralunga d’Alba | 2016 |
1 | Barolo Ornato, Pio Cesare, Serralunga d’Alba | 2016 |
2 | Barolo Mosconi, Anselma, Montforte d’ Alba | 2016 |
2 | Barolo Bussia Dardi le Rose, Poderi Colla, Montforte d’ Alba | 2016 |
1 | Castello di Perno, Montforte d’ Alba | 2016 |
1 | Marchesi di Barolo, Barolo del Cannubi | 2016 |
1 | Marchesi di Barolo, Barolo del Commune | 2016 |
1 | Vite Colte Barolo di Barolo Essenze | 2016 |
1 | Sordo Barolo Gabutti, Castiliogne Falletto | 2016 |
1 | Paulo Scavino, Castiliogne Falletto | 2016 |
1 | Barolo Rocche dell’ Annunziata, Renato Ratti, La Morra | 2016 |
1 | Guasti Clemente, Barbaresco | 2016 |
1 | Pita Luigi, Langhe Nebbiolo | 2019 |
Rioja
Marl is calcium carbonate or lime-rich mudstone which contains variable amounts of clay and limestone. I’m no expert, but I’m guessing the impact on wine differs depending where it sits on this scale: Marly limestone (95 to 75 % limestone), Calcareous marl (75 to 65 % limestone), Marl (65 to 35 % limestone), Clay (ish) marl (35 to 25 % limestone), Marly clay (25 to 5 % limestone).Quantity | Wine | Vintage |
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W | La Rioja Alta, Viña Ardanza, Rioja Reserva | 2008 |
1 | Hacienda López de Haro Reserva | 2018 |
1 | Bohorquez Reserva Ribera Del Duero | 2010 |
1 | Can Axartell Callet | 2016 |
1 | 4 Killos Callet | 2016 |
0 | Viña Zorzal, Graciano | 2019 |
Lombardy
In an area called Valtellina, Nebbiolo grapes (called Chiavannescca here) grow on tiny terraces as high as 2,500 feet above sea level, on slopes that are perilously steep. Clay, loam, sand and gravel form the soil in various compositions at different locations, impacting the wines in different ways. Sandro Fay is mainly sandy (about 70%) and silt (18%) resulted from crumbled granitic formations.Quantity | Wine | Vintage |
---|---|---|
1 | Sandro Fay, Valtellina Carteria | 2015 |
1 | Balgera, Valtellina Superiore ‘Sassella’ | 2007 |
Pomerol
The clay soils in Pomerol are unique. The types of clay found in Pomerol are what gives many of the wines its sensuous, rich and opulent character. Clay is produced from degraded limestone, which explains why you often find limestone and clay located in the same terroir. The best estates are located on what is referred to as the Pomerol plateau. The terroir of the Pomerol plateau is filled with different types of clay, gravel and iron deposits in the soil.Quantity | Wine | Vintage |
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W | Chateau Enclos, Pomerol | 2006 |
1 | Chateau La Pointe | 2014 |
1 | Chateau La Croix Chantecaille | 2013 |
Tasmania
The most successful wines from Tasmania has been on the brown and red soils developed from both dolerite and basalt. The soils on dolerite offer stony, shallow, free-draining and warm soils suitable for long ripening. Tamar Valley (Glaetzer-Dixon) is gravelly basalt on a clay and limestone base.Quantity | Wine | Vintage |
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2 | Glaetzer-Dixon “Avance”, Pinot Noir | 2017 |
Left Bank Bordeaux
Bordeaux’s Left Bank has a gravelly top soil which also has a layer of limestone bedrock. This stony top soil makes the each vine reach down deep for nutrients, creating muscular wines with high extract of flavors and dense color.Quantity | Wine | Vintage |
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2 | Château Clauzet, St Estephe | 2009 |
1 | Chateau Peyrabon | 2009 |
2 | Reserve de la Comtesse | 2016 |
W | Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste, Pauillac | 2000 |
Northern Greece
If a wine is good enough for Zeus, Hera and Aphrodite, it’s good enough for me. On the slopes of Mount Olympus, the region of Rapsani grows the red grapes of Xinomavro on schist-dominant soils. In Naoussa, vineyards are located predominantly on limestone-rich clay soils (marl), which gives this region’s Xinomavro wines additional structure (tannin) and bolder fruit characteristics. Naoussa wines must be 100% Xinomavro, but Rapsani additionally has Krassato and Stavroto – normally all three varieties in roughly equal parts I believe.Quantity | Wine | Vintage |
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2 | Rapsani Terra Petra Thymiopoulos | 2018 |
1 | Apostolos Thymiopoulos | 2017 |
1 | Jeunes Vignes Thymiopoulos | 2019 |
W | Dalamara Naoussa | 2017 |
Chianti Classico & Montalcino
Quantity | Wine | Vintage |
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1 | Piemaggio, Le Fioraie, Chianti Classico Riserva, Sangiovese, Tuscany | 2012 |
1 | Caparsino Chianti Classico Risera | 2014 |
1 | Innocenti Vino Nobile di Montepulciano | 2014 |
W | Carrobio | 2014 |
Quantity | Wine | Vintage |
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