Soldera﹕Sangiovese 啟示錄

Visits: 161

最近幾個月,我們先後試了 Soldera 的三瓶早期作品﹕ 19771978 1980。我可以毫不誇張的說﹕Brunello 的現代化是從這三瓶酒開始的。

 

 

 

我想這個看法 Soldera 應該是同意的。據他的一位鄰居所言,Soldera 認為整個 Montalcino 地區只需要有三家酒莊便足夠﹕

 

 

Banfi for sales, Biondi-Santi for history, and Soldera.

 

聽起來有點霸道,但也不無道理。

 

Biondi-Santi 一個多世紀前發明了 Brunello,這是公認的事實。我們最近連續喝了多瓶比較老的 Biondi-Santi,深深感受到傳統 Brunello 的力量,這讓我以後再細說。

 

至于 Banfi,這是 Montalcino 最大的酒莊,美國人 Mariani 兄弟 1978 年在南部買下大量土地進軍 Tuscany 時,原來的構想是種植 Moscato,目標市場是美國。後來卻發現美國人的口味已從輕白轉為濃紅,這個龐大的計劃便成為意大利酒業歷史上最大的滑鐵瀘事件。他們只好忍痛拔掉 Moscato ,改種 Sangiovese ,這樣便搖身一變成為了最大的 Brunello 生產者(所有酒算在內每年總產量超過一千萬瓶)。但問題是﹕他們那片土地無論從高度(100-250公尺)或土質都是不太適合種 Sangiovese 的,所以他們唯有用後天的方法,像釀造 Cabernet Sauvignon 那樣來生產出深顏色、有木桶香味的現代口味 Brunello。這是美國人造給美國人喝的意大利酒,所以 Soldera 的意見等于說﹕讓不願意領悟 Sangiovese 的人,喝美國人發明的 Cab-Sangio 混種吧!既尖且酸,卻是至理。[ Kerin O’Keefe Brunello’s Moments of Truth, The World of Fine Wine, Issue 11, 2006]

 

 

 

 

帶領世人領略 Sangiovese 的神聖責任于是落在 Soldera 身上。就在 1976 年的某一天,正當 Soldera 還在釀造他的第一個年份(1975),上天巧妙的安排他遇上了 Giulio Gambelli

 

Soldera 自己曾寫道﹕

 

From the early 50s until 1972 I was only an educated family consumer of good eating and drinking; since 1972 I have been a wine grower, since 1975 a wine grower and maker, ageing wines made only from grapes grown in the “Case Basse” and “Institieti” vineyards on my property. However, I lack the role and experience of a grape and wine merchant, a producer of wine made from grapes not my own, a bottler of wines not produced by myself and a blender of wines.

Soldera 網站﹕talking Soldera – Soldera’s Column – “IL CHIANTI E LE TERRE DEL VINO” (Italy – March/April 2006) “The quality of wine”:  http://www.casebasse.it/en/conversando2.htm

 

所以在這之前,Soldera 是個飲家,而且他最喜歡的酒,是北部的酒:Barolo AmaroneJancis Robinson 在一次訪問 Soldera 時聽他說過﹕   

 

the only red wine producers he approves of are Giuseppe Rinaldi and Giacomo Conterno in Barolo and Giuseppe Quintarelli in the Veneto. Josko Gravner of Friuli also passes muster.

Soldera 網站﹕talking Soldera – media – Soldera Case Basse Brunellos back to 1981:  http://www.casebasse.it/en/conversando1.htm

 

從一個喜歡 Barolo  Amarone 的飲家,變成 Sangiovese 的啟蒙導師而非 Barolo 的另一個 great producer,只因 1976 年的一天,他遇上了 Giulio GambelliSoldera 自己是這麼說的﹕

 

If I had found land in Piedmont I would never have met Giulio Gambelli, who has made me discover how sweeter, deeper, longer, more elegant and harmonious Sangiovese is with respect to Nebbiolo or any other variety.

Soldera 網站﹕talking Soldera – media – Il Chianti e le terre del vino (Italy – Jul/Aug 07) “Soldera in the eighties: the rose of Montalcino” by Filippo Bartolotta:   http://www.casebasse.it/en/conversando1.htm

 

這裏讓我先解釋一下 Soldera 當時用的酒標。Brunello di Montalcino 1967 年成為 DOC 時,規定酒要在木桶陳年三年之久(從 1998 年開始縮短為兩年),所以 Soldera 的兩個葡萄園所出的酒用了不同的標簽﹕從比較貧瘠的 Intistieti 葡萄園所出的酒結構較強,可以承受較長時間在木桶陳年,所以從 1977 年起即以 Brunello 的名號釀酒;在較大的 Case Basse 葡萄園出來的酒結構較弱,年青的葡萄只宜較短的木桶陳年期,因此從 Case Basse 而來的葡萄從 1972 年栽種算起,要 18 年後即 1990 年才推出頭一年份的 Brunello我們品試的三瓶是 Case Basse 所出,當時不叫 Brunello,只稱作 table wine Vino da Tavola)。

 

 

 

1977 開始時有乾花、皮革的香氣,入口有很 delicate 的果味,回味長得令人吃驚。半個小時後出現像糖果似的甜味,變得很新鮮。四個小時後出很清新的香氣,乾花、泥土、然後有新割下的玫瑰花、花粉,甚至有一點 perfume 。口感多了一點重量,有很平衡的果味。大概三、四個小時後,酒逐漸走下坡。五年的葡萄樹、五年的新手能有如此成績,很令人吃驚!

 

1978 年的顏色比較深,完全沒有老態。剛開瓶時的氣味是濕泥土、乾的香草,蘑菇等。酒體結實,帶煙燻似的果味,有微苦的回味。四個小時後,出現美妙的酸度,所以感覺很新鮮。晚上正式下杯時,酒已全面開放,我的筆記是這樣的﹕

 

Unbelievably fresh and youthful, full of sweet cherries, with a smoky, earthy, woodsy and dried herbs nose and a little old-wood finish.  As good as a traditional Sangio goes.  Amazing for a 4th vintage!

 

更難以置信的是這瓶 1980 !

 

 

 

開瓶兩個小時以後已經很開放﹕乾花、皮革的氣味很快便變成鮮花、櫻桃和成熟的果味。入口是甜甜的果味,活潑的酸度,豐富的味道和如絲似的質感。完全沒有老酒的感覺!晚上我們先後倒了兩杯,幾個小時內不斷變化,到第二杯我覺得已經有幾分今天 Soldera Brunello 的影子,我的筆記﹕

 

The 2nd glass is as good as a Brunello, and is beginning to suggest some of the latter day Soldera, a voluminous but weightless wine, with more complex flavors and perfume, and fine tannins to give it structure.  Soldera is improving every year!

 

我們把小量的酒留到第二天再試。我的筆記是﹕

 

Lost freshness and some of the sweetness of yesterday, but gained a lot in weight and depth.  Surprisingly, this assumes a certain resemblance to a modern day Soldera in terms of its inner perfume and a tension between mass and structure: unbearable lightness of intensity detected, which was not in ’77 or ’78.

 

至此,我們簡直目瞪口呆,有一種無名的感動涌上心頭,我幾乎喜極而泣。最好的 Sangiovese 帶來的是 emotion ecstasy,這一刻我們一一經歷了。

 

這是 Soldera Giulio Gambelli 為師以後的第五個作品,他以後二十多年的作品中,我們又喝過 16 個年份,除了 1992 Soldera 也搖頭的年份以外,其他 15 個,每一粒都是 Sangiovese 珍珠。

 

至此,Soldera 可以詔告天下﹕Sangiovese 站起來了!

 

我幾個月以前曾說過﹕

 

Ultimately, all Soldera is about emotions, and there is always a sense of intimacy to a Soldera that defies words.  With so much emotion and intimacy, a Soldera is to be shared only with your loved ones.

 

今天我只想加一句﹕

 

All encounters with Soldera are religious in nature: a pilgrimage to Sangiovese,  and an ode to the beautiful Toscana that gives birth to it.

 

如果 Barolo The King of Italian Wine,那麼 Sangiovese 應該是 God 嗎?要破除宗教迷信的話,就稱他為 The Essence of Italian Wine 好了!

 

附錄﹕Soldera's Wines at a Glance

 

這裏根據 Soldera 的網站與 Antonio Galloni 的一篇專著整理出多年來 Soldera 出過的各種酒。

 

 

 

Vintage

Case Basse

2 ha, planted 1972

Intistieti

4.5 ha, planted 1973

1975

VdT

 

1976

VdT

 

1977

VdT

BdM

1978

VdT

BdM

1979

VdT

BdM

1980

VdT

BdM

1981

VdT

BdM

1982

RdM

BdM

1983

RdM

BdM, BdMR

1984

RdM

BdM

1985

RdM

VdT Intistieti, BdM

1986

RdM

BdM

1987

VdT Intistieti

BdM

1988

VdT Intistieti

BdM

1989

No wines produced

1990

BdM

BdMR

1991

VdT Intistieti

BdMR

1992

VdT Intistieti

1993

BdM Case Basse

BdM, BdMR

1994

BdM

BdMR

1995

BdMR Case Basse

VdT Intistieti, BdMR

1996

BdM

1997

BdMR

1998

BdM

BdMR

1999

BdM

BdMR

2000

 

BdMR

2001

BdMR ( Lot G.69)

BdMR ( Lot F.68)

2002

BdMR

2003

BdMR

2004

BdMR ( Lot H.79)

BdMR ( Lot F.77)

2005

?Pegasos IGT

?BdMR

 

 

5 則評論在 Soldera﹕Sangiovese 啟示錄.

  1. 對於對意大利酒只知道Barolo是很出名的我, 無意中能遇上你的blog, 簡直是好似找到1本意大利酒既字典一樣, 真係有排"讀" , 你對每一編blog的認真, 內容的詳細, 真係令人十分十分佩服.
    [版主回覆09/29/2011 10:11:00]Barolo/Barbaresco 巍峨如山,Sangiovese 情深如海,同是我的至愛,我只顧趕快把遨遊其中的點滴 emotion 記下,沒想到有其他人這麼感興趣。見笑了!

  2. I have 4 Soldera 2004 BdMR(Lot F77). I noticed from your article that there are two 2004 BdMR's. I am curious about their differences. Thanks. –Simai
    [版主回覆09/29/2011 08:35:00]Intistieti has poorer soil and is usually more structured and tannic.  Case Basse is usually softer and more elegant.  As you can see from the table, Soldera used to make the Riserva from Intistieti and the Normale from Case Basse (1990-1999), but not so again.  One reason I guess is they don't want people to think that a Riserva is necessarily better than a Normale.  I found it out myself with their 1993: please see http://hk.myblog.yahoo.com/jw!KluzXNGFHxnw1caKUQ.uq3gVlA–/article?mid=5493

  3. Thank you. I just realized that Galloni warned the readers in his comments that there are 3 lots of Riservas in 2004. Is there a Lot G78?
    I compare the labels of the two BdMR's. They are identical, except at the very bottom right corner, small characters show LF 77 or LH 79. These two BdMR's are so different, I wonder why soldera does not used different labelling. When buying from the internet,  the lot number is usually not indicated and it is also not possible to identify the lot number from the small picture.
    [版主回覆09/29/2011 13:14:00]I got the source information about F77 and H79 from my friend in Italy, and I shared it on Galloni's forum.  And then someone asked about G69.  When my friend again went to Soldera, his answer was " Il mio vino è tutto uguale ", i.e. my wines are all equal!  When I visited the Soldera estate in June, I discussed with Monica Soldera my interesting experience with 1993 's normale and riserva, and I told her that I liked the normale better than the riserva.  Her answer was: my father did not have a fixed rule to call a wine a riserva or normale.  In fact, they ceased making the distinction from 2000 onwards, releasing only a Riserva and no Normale (except for a barrel of 2005 that becomes ready very quickly, and they make it an IGT, but there is a 2005 Riserva coming up!).
     
    You can call him a mystic, and you can demand that he make cru wines like producers commonly do in Barolo and Barbaresco, but he is right in demanding that we focus on the wine itself and not waste our time analyzing it as a product on the shelf.  If he is a mystic, that's because wine is a mysterious being.  He once wrote that " Wine is the only natural product made by man that can outlive man.  Wine is subjectivity ".  Now who can argue with that?
     
    Remember he is also perhaps the only produer who does not allow spitting when you are allowed to taste his wine from cask, and he never opens a bottle for anybody to taste, not even Antonio Galloni.  To me, he is the only one who really worships the vine as something holy and sacred.  You don't need to agree with his views, but I respect him 200%.  If we pay just 10% as much reverence to the vine, we will be a better drinker, and a better human being too!  I'm becoming a mystic, I guess.    

  4. 別誤會, 我沒有不敬的意思. 謝謝分享.
    [版主回覆09/29/2011 23:25:00]那裏話?難得有心人。

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