Casa Raia Returns to Alberta

Pierre-Jean grew up in Nice and was a sommelier in Paris. After a stint in a remote village named Dali in China where he pursued his passion for tea, he found his way to his wife Kalyna, a Montrealer in Italy who had taken over the gorgeous estate of Casa Raia purchased by her mother, renowned Ukrainian-Canadian artist Ludmilla Temertey.

Together, with their young children in tow, Pierre-Jean & Kalyna have restored this historic farmhouse, rejuvenated the abandoned olive groves, and brought the vineyards (originally planted by Biondi Santi) back to life. The most important aspect of their adoption was the commitment to farming their vines with a combination of organic and regenerative farming that shines through in their vineyards explosive biodiversity. After seeing how the land had been treated, they decided the only way forward to reset an idyllic scene for future generations was to put back into the soil as much as they were taking out of it.

The ancient limestone soils have been given new life here, and their 50 year old vines are producing beautiful fruit. With each vintage, their Sangiovese harvest becomes more robust, the vines walking back from the brink of exhaustion. This is vital given that their Brunello comes from a minuscule plot of their oldest vines, only 1.1ha. Even in years when the yield is more generous, the quality only improves. This is owed as much to the stewardship of the soil as to the constant application of a minimalist philosophy in the cellar.

It would be such a shame to take this degree of farming attention and force the results through an industrial winemaking machine. The Monnoyer's expertly allow the fruit to shine for itself. In their small but mighty cellars the mandate is as hands off as can be. The traditional DOCG requirements of oak aging and the like are adhered to (and Pierre-Jean insists on the best French oak from the Taransaud forest), but the more modern bent of high extraction, high sugars, and things like micro-oxidation are eschewed in favour of a more traditional representation of Brunello, using large 3000L botti instead of barriques. Similarly, all finishing techniques like filtering and fining are done without chemical or mechanical assistance, and the bare minimum of sulphites will ever see the wine in these gorgeous bottles.

Within the ever more bewildering world of 'natural wine', I personally take great comfort in knowing that these seemingly trendy ideals can be applied sensibly, and successfully to wines of heritage, renown, and of course, the pinnacle of deliciousness.

If you want to know more about the characteristics of this area you can take a look at www.vinerra.com

Alberta CSPC/SKU #805328

2018 Bevilo Super-Tuscan

Toscana Rosso IGT

“Bevilo” or “Drink It” is a brooding, and deeply smoky, dense, Rosso Toscana focusing primarily on Sangiovese Grosso. The attitude of drink it up is almost misplaced here since the wine is quite serious. Lovely depth of flavours, tobacco, plum, dried cherry, and some fig. Oak is not overpowering, wine is extracted but not dumpy. Quite a massive effort that will reward patience in the end, but quite approachable now. A naturally produced Super Tuscan that can go the distance!

• Varietal/Blend: 90% Sangiovese Grosso, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon & Merlot
• Fermentation: De-stemmed. Fermented spontaneously with indigenous yeasts in stainless steel.
• Ageing: The wine is aged for 24 months in 228 litre barriques made from French oak from the prized Allier Fôret. The trees are sustainably managed by the government and only cut down once 150 years old.
• Vineyard & Vine Age: Estate. Planted between 1995 and 2000.
• ABV: 15%
• Produced Cases: ~4500 bottles per year.

Alberta CSPC/SKU #805330

2016 Brunello di Montalcino DOCG

Brunello di Montalcino DOCG

Classic, expressive, regal Brunello from an iconic vintage. With fruit from Casa Raia's oldest 1.1ha of vines in their formerly Biondi-Santi planted vineyard. This vineyard had grown too old to give sufficient fruit. But with holistic farming, the Monnoyers revived these vines and brought forth absolutely bewitching fruit — heart and soul Sangiovese of profound depth and complexity. Pierre-Jean brings it to the bottle using the traditional methods and stylings of Brunello, eschewing barriques for the classic 3000L botte. He, nevertheless, being a proud French man, uses the very best French oak for his cooperage, the famously delicious oak of the Allier forest. With a natural indigenous yeast fermentation, minimal sulphites, long ageing, and hands off winemaking in minuscule quantities (only 1500 bottles per year from 1.1ha of their oldest vines) arrives this outstanding Brunello. The wine shows typicity and terroir expertly with the complex of herbal and tobacco laced notes over full bodied red fruit and rich, taut acid, and supple tannins that coat the entire palate. Every detail of sustainability is addressed here, from cooperage to cork, while the wines lose nothing in its classic regionality. Powerful, structured, and built to last. Find notes of eucalyptus, plum, dried cherry, vanilla, clove, a hint of balsamic lift on the nose. Regal and rare, drinking now but happy to lay down for a decade at least.

• Varietal/Blend: 100% Sangiovese Grosso
• Fermentation: De-stemmed. Fermented spontaneously with indigenous yeasts in stainless steel.
• Ageing: The wine is aged for 48 months in traditional 3000 litre botte they have made from French oak from the prized Allier Fôret. The trees are sustainably managed by the government and only cut down once 150 years old.
• Vineyard & Vine Age:  Estate. Vines 50 years old or older.
• ABV: 14.77%
• Produced Cases: 250

Alberta CSPC/SKU #874214

2011 Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 

Brunello di Montalcino DOCG

A back vintage library release of 2011's supple Brunello, showing notes of coffee, cranberry, clove, leather, dried plums, and chocolate leading to an intense palate of cherry, vanilla, and herbaceous earth tones. Decant for at least two hours.

• Varietal/Blend: 100% Sangiovese Grosso
• Fermentation: De-stemmed. Fermented spontaneously with indigenous yeasts in stainless steel.
• Ageing: The wine is aged for 48 months in traditional 3000 litre botte they have made from French oak from the prized Allier Fôret. The trees are sustainably managed by the government and only cut down once 150 years old.
• Vineyard & Vine Age:  Estate. Vines 50 years old or older.
• ABV: 15.35%
• Produced Cases: 250 produced cases.