Frank Cornelissen: "Naturalness is the road, not its end."

On the second weekend in September, Twitter was out of control with all Frank Cornelissen all the time. I had to contemplate the out of control 'coolness' about these wines (not just Frank's but the 'genre')  and admit to having a moment of annoyance when writers who wouldn't have tolerated these wild wines just a year ago, gushed about them now. 

Can one's palate change so dramatically just because something is 'in.'  Anyway, Frank, who works in Sicily, is definitely in. His wines might be bacterially sound, but they have gone viral.

 The Belgian winemaker from Mt Etna, often referred to as a hard-core natural winemaker, was making the rounds with his importer, Zev Rovine and taking New York City by storm in an incredible three day coming out party. Our meeting had been four (or is it five?) years in the making. 

Finally! I walked into Ten Bells @ 10:30 expecting to get my first sips of Magma #7 and to reacquaint myself with Contadina and  but instead bumped into Lyle Fass heading out, muttering something about acid and having just come back from Germany. Turns out the tasting started @ 8:30 and ended, not started at my witching hour. I did find a little bit of Magma #7-- deeply peonied and exciting. Really exciting. After my sip was gone, I headed home, or tried. That's when, leaving,  I smacked right into  Pierre Breton and posse. We all went in search of scotch and twenty minutes later he reprimanded me about my book over a Laphroaig. 

Pulling myself away from what was sure to be a dawn welcomer, I got myself into bed before 2am. I wanted to be in shape for so I could be fresh for my face time with Frank over at Marlow and Sons.

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Frank--intense in mind. Intense in body (seems built for competitive biking). Even in lycra he wouldn't show a wrinkle of fat. Frank doesn't seem to like the interview. Slow to warm up, that's okay, I recognize my own quality there.

He also would rather talk about someone else's philosophy then his own. In other words, things looked up when we started to talk Fukuoka. 'm not a farmer

but I do often reread The One Straw Revolution-- never ceases to inspire me. The book is poetry.

We connected even more when we talked about Fukuoka vs. Biodynamics.  

 'There may be no better way than Biodynamics for healing the earth," Frank said, "but once the land has reached its balance, why do the same practice and treatments every year in exactly the same way? At that pont the land should be set free." 

He prefers the   Fukuoka no-till approach for his old vineyards on his basalt soils. Except in youthful vineyards, he does not compost.  He prefers grains to clover, because he doesn't want to add more nitrogen to the land. However we debated clover's ability to open up the soil, so it accepts water with ease.

 There are questions. 

Answers will come.

 He's been doing this since 2001 and needs to make some children so he can be in it for longer than his lifetime to figure it out. 

 Contrary to what is out there in print (or rather on the web)  his wines do not ferment in amphora, they have their élevage in amphora. Big difference.

 The first few vintages were fermented in the epoxy-lined urns as Frank did not yet have tanks. (and he doesn't like beeswax, a common liner as the glaze gives a taste.) 

 Since he does his fermenting in tank (not stainless) his wines seem more focused. They seem to show their life and flavors better.  Is that a function of the container or a function or of Frank's growing experience? 

Contrary to what is written, Frank does not use 'the method.' Echoing my observation about most wines using  cold semi-carbonic fermentation, "Everything tastes the same," he said. "I don't like it. All of these vin de soifs. They're all very "fermentary."

And while he is a fairly hardcore sans souffristinista, he says, "I have the advantage of being free of prejudice," he said to me. "Naturalness is the road, not its end." 

His winemaking seems to have reached a delicious maturity. All are marked by texture. Conventional drinkers should be ready for an experience that could change their perspective on what a wine is.

Magma #7, (2008) was gorgeous as above, very rosy and peony. All nerello  (if quite 'spensive)

Munjabel Rosso #6, 100% nerello (a blend of '09 & '08) has low aromatics, and zingy acidity, angles, raspberries and edge.

Munjabel Bianco #6 (2009). a blend of carricante, grecanico dorato and coda di volpe, subtle, floral with orange juice. Plenty of tannin. It was pressed off before New Year, after two months on the skins.

Contadino #7 (2009) Cloudy, perfumed. Borscht, celery and grit. Mostly nerello. 

Comments

[Hank]

'There may be no better way than biodynamics for healing the earth but once the land has reached its balance, why do the same practice and treatments every year in exactly the same way? At that pont the land should be set free."

yes! Exactly!

[NedHoey]

I have encountered many folks who at some point had a Cornelissen wine, didn't like it, and dismissed him as nutty, misguided or worst of all, incompetent. What they did not consider was that, as you mention, he is not static. The work is in progress, and continues.
I am a believer in his goals as I understand them and have enjoyed following along as he refines his methods. I just hope I'll still be able to get the wines as he becomes more well known.

[Alicefeiring]

Hi Ned, I have had disjointed bottles in the past and at Levi's amphora dinner, the Contadina (can't remember which one) horrified Josh Greene, so I saw the reaction up close and personal. But at that point he and I tasted it the wine was pretty much thick with lees. But the wines are exciting, and in this last tasting, I found very much more so. Thanks for writing.

[Eric Texier]

A very nice piece, Alice.
It seems that I share a lot of ideas with FC, no?
Merci

[Alicefeiring]

Yes, you do indeed, Eric. In fact for this very reason, you are side by side in my book in one chapter.

[Alicefeiring]

And thank you Eric!

[Alicefeiring]

(posted for Brigitte)

Come on Alice, Biodynamics does not mean "bio without dynamics"! It is not based on the premise that health and balance are some kind of static goals which can be reached once and for all from the outside! Nor does it envision breathing, circulation and rhythms as mechanical repetitions! There is therefore no biodynamist who does "the same practice and treatments every year in exactly the same way."

[Jfritchie]

Hi Alice,

I haven't had the chance to try any of Frank's older wines yet, but I did get to try the lineup at Chambers Street over the weekend. I was quite surprised, as many of the faults that have been written about at length were not in evidence. The Magma and the Munjebel 6 were both rather evocative of their terroir as well, which isn't always the case with some natural wine producers. I was really impressed and am excited to see where the wines will go from here. I'm curious about his "free from prejudice" remark though: did Frank talk much more about S02 with you, or is that something I'll have to read about in your book?

[Alicefeiring]

Well, yes, I am a tease, no? Hope I can find a corner for it in the book.

Without prejudice on his part wasn't totally true. He came to Etna to make a terroir wine. He has ideas how to go about it. But what he meant is that he didn't have a family history to deal with.