A wine region located in Italy, Emilia-Romagna is quite possibly the most developed and richest wine region in Europe. The fertile soil is fertile spans nearly the entire width of peninsula in Northern Italy. The wine region of Emilia-Romagna is situated between Marche and Tuscany to the south, and Veneto, Lombardy and Piedmont to the north.
The history of the viticulture goes back to the seventh century BC, which makes it one of the oldest wine regions in Italy. Introduced by the Etruscans and adopted by the Romans the Vitis labrusca were used for centuries, with Vitis vinifera being the most predominately grown grape today. Emilia-Romagna is famous for Lambrusco.
The significant geography of Emilia-Romagna us what creates the different terroirs in the region. The western part of the region consists of Apennine peaks and hills that make their way to the lower-lying plains just east of Modena, Parma, and Bologna. Beyond that lay the coastal plains of the Ferrara province, with a notable portion of land hitting just below sea level. Flowing east to west, the Po River marks the northern part of the rebion bordering the Adriatic Sea.
The wine production of Emilia-Romagna's wine production is divided almost identically between whites and reds, with the dominant vine varieties being Lambrusco, Barbera, Malvasia, Bonardo and Sangiovese.
No products found
All older vintage wines have been purchased from a single collectors cellar. Pictures can be requested before shipment.
Clos Saint-Jean is a 41-hectare estate in Châteauneuf-du-Pape run by brothers Vincent and Pascal Maurel. Considered by many critics and wine-writers as the preeminent estate espousing the modern style of winemaking in Châteauneuf, this cellar is one of the oldest in the region, having been founded in 1900 by the greatgreat-grandfather of Vincent and Pascal, Edmund Tacussel. A short time after its founding and well before the AOP of Chateauneuf-du-Pape was created in 1923, Edmund began bottling estate wines in 1910.
The farming at Clos Saint-Jean is fully sustainable due to the warm and dry climate, which prevents the need for chemical inputs. Instead, Vincent and Pascal employ organic methods for pest control, mainly pheromones, to prevent pests from taking up residence in their vines, a process called amusingly enough in French, confusion sexuelle. The vines tended manually, and harvest is conducted in several passes entirely by hand.
Deus ex Machina is a literary and dramatic term for a miraculous intervention that interrupts a logical course of events in a plot or play. A suitable name for a cuvée that had it’s start in the torrid vintage of 2003 when Philippe Cambie and Vincent Maurel made the decision to harvest at the end of September, weeks after their neighbors. Deus ex Machina is a blend of old vine Grenache from La Crau, aged in tank with equally ancient Mourvedre from the sandy soils of BoisDauphin aged in demi-muid. Deus ex Machina is only made in the best vintages.
Review:
Lastly, the 2022 Châteauneuf Du Pape Deus-Ex Machina shows a similar profile to the Combes des Fous, yet it brings another level of tannins and concentration. Kirsch liqueur, white flowers, sandalwood, cured meats, and graphite notes all shine here, and it's full-bodied, has a deep, layered, powerful, yet weightless profile, lots of ripe tannins, and a blockbuster of a finish. This ripe, sexy, seamless, incredibly impressive beauty will compete with anything in the vintage. As usual, this cuvée is 60% Grenache and 40% Mourvedre, which is brought up in roughly 40% new demi-muids.
Review: Jeb Dunnuck 97 Points