CAC. Cliffs Notes. DISSECTING THE MAJOR TEACHABLE MOMENTS FROM BANFI S 2018 CRU ARTISAN COLLEGE TOUR by Jessie Birschbach

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Piemonte; Enrico Cerulli, family proprietor of Cerulli Spinozzi; Gabriele Pazzaglia, Cellarmaster for Castelo Banfi; and Roberto

1 Pictured from left to right at the InterContinental Stephen F. Austin in Austin, TX: Andrea Sartori, family proprietor of Sartori di Verona; Alberto Lazzarino, Directing Winemaker for Banfi Piemonte; Enrico Cerulli, family proprietor of Cerulli Spinozzi; Gabriele Pazzaglia, Cellarmaster for Castelo Banfi; and Roberto Magnisi, Quality Control Director for Florio. CAC Cliffs Notes DISSECTING THE MAJOR TEACHABLE MOMENTS FROM BANFI S 2018 CRU ARTISAN COLLEGE TOUR by Jessie Birschbach 106 { THE SOMM JOURNAL } OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018

2 Before diving into the meat of this Cru Artisan College (CAC) Tour recap, full disclaimer: I ve grown quite fond of the Cru Artisan crew. Banfi s CAC has been running strong for five years, four of which I ve participated one as a sommelier student, the others as a journalist reporting on the seminars, the wines, and how they were received in each city visited. I ve followed the gang to Miami, Atlanta, New York, Houston, Washington, D.C., Chicago, and San Francisco, while this year saw stops made in Denver, Napa, and Austin. What I haven t written about, however, are all the dinners and adventures experienced outside of the classroom, which I was welcomed to with open arms by Lars Leicht, Banfi s National Director of Cru Artisan Wines. With each stop in a new city, I d watch the group embrace a different wine director/restaurateur/general manager before enjoying that night s respective cuisine with appropriately paired Banfi wines. This year, dinner at Compline in Napa was particularly special. Witnessing the expression on Florio Quality Control Director Roberto Magnisi s face upon sampling the robiola di roccaverano goat milk cheese with the Florio Targa Riserva 1840 was a joy... but the face he made while taking a bite of his very first cheeseburger might have been even better. I also came to expect that Andrea Sartori, family proprietor of Sartori di Verona, would kindly offer a cigarillo after every meal just as I was able to predict that he d be inspecting every photographer s camera between seminars, as Sartori is an incredible photographer himself. His favorite subject? Racing snails. Like any affable visitors to America, the Italian winemakers had to politely endure more questionable fare than that served at the dinners, including mediocre pizza and fried pickles at a sports bar in Denver. Luckily, my favorite baseball team was playing, and Cerulli Spinozzi s Enrico Cerulli wanted to learn the rules of the game. Perhaps the most endearing fish-outof-water moment happened in Austin at the Museum of Weird, where we joined the ranks of those lucky enough to see the Minnesota Iceman in the frozen flesh. We also dipped our toes into the Austin honky-tonk music scene, where it became apparent that Cerulli is a cowboy at heart which sort of makes sense given all the sheep in Abruzzo. When it came time to depart, Magnisi s gate at the airport was different than the rest of ours, so I made it a point to try to find him and say goodbye upon getting separated in security. After waiting a stint without a Sicilian in site, I reluctantly left... only to find him waiting at my gate. Likewise, when leaving the rest of gang in New Orleans after a blind speed-tasting at Commander s Palace, it wasn t just the humidity dampening my eyes. Despite the friendships I ve made, I must report on this year s tour in a nonpartisan Cliffs Note esque composition to help organize and summarize the incredible volume of information disseminated to this year s somm students. Don t view these cheat sheets as a substitute, however: The writer of this particular guide would add that they hardly come close to the real thing. I highly encourage you to attend should you be lucky enough to receive a visit from the CAC crew in your own city in future years. BACKGROUND Cru Artisan College aims to offer a full day of Italian-centric education featuring the best of the Cru Artisan portfolio Banfi Vintner s luxury selection of wines at each tour stop. For the second consecutive year, they ve partnered with the Wine Scholar Guild (WSG) to take advantage of its thorough resource materials and highly specialized instructors, including Maurizio Broggi, creator of the WSE s Italian Wine Scholar program. Broggi gave some general background at each seminar, reminding students of topics like Italian wine law, its classifications, and the history of the country s respective regions. Originally Leicht s brainchild, the CAC has evolved to become more insightful and focused with each passing year. This time around, somms in Denver, Napa, and Austin explored and tasted through the regions of Emilia-Romagna, Alta A pair of somm students celebrate with their University of Banfi CAC diplomas in Napa. Langa, Colline Teramane Montepulciano d Abruzzo, Montalcino, Valpolicella, and Sicily. The participants were also given an opportunity to win a WSG Italian scholarship or cash prize through an optional blindtasting. They then receive their diplomas no later than 3:30 p.m., giving them time to get to work and immediately put their knowledge to use. This year also, Leicht began the experience in each city by remembering late Castello Banfi winemaker Rudy Buratti, who died of cancer in January. Rudy spoke with the fire and brimstone of a Baptist preacher, and when I would translate for him, it felt as if I was at a revival, Leicht said. He d get me by the heart. We miss him very much and we want to humbly, bravely, and respectfully dedicate our day today to our colleague, friend, and mentor. { SOMMjournal.com } 107

Morning Love, LAMBRUSCO STYLE Alberto Lazzarino and Lars Leicht at the University of Denver.

PHOTO: RYAN DEARTH The three principal grapes in Lambrusco are Lambrusco di Sorbara, Lambrusco Salamino, and Lambrusco Grasparossa.

New Heights: THE ALTA LANGA DOCG Italy s Newest Sparkling Appellation REGION: Alta Langa DOCG WINES/TASTING: The current release of the 2014 Cuvée Aurora Rosé, the recently disgorged 2015 Cuvée

Made obvious by the differences in color and texture, this was a demonstration in vintage variation and the impact of yeast on the texture of wine.

3 Morning Love, LAMBRUSCO STYLE Alberto Lazzarino and Lars Leicht at the University of Denver. PHOTO: RYAN DEARTH REGION: Emilia-Romagna WINES/TASTING: Albinea Canali s Ottocentonero, FB Lambrusco, and Pennarossa were served during a casual walkaround reception and light breakfast. PHOTO: RYAN DEARTH The three principal grapes in Lambrusco are Lambrusco di Sorbara, Lambrusco Salamino, and Lambrusco Grasparossa. Only a small proportion of Lambrusco is made via the metodo classico (traditional method) or the metodo ancestrale (ancestral method). New Heights: THE ALTA LANGA DOCG Italy s Newest Sparkling Appellation REGION: Alta Langa DOCG WINES/TASTING: The current release of the 2014 Cuvée Aurora Rosé, the recently disgorged 2015 Cuvée Aurora Rosé, a special bottling of the 2015 Cuvée Aurora Rosé before disgorgement, and a special bottling of the 2016 Cuvée Aurora Rosé still in the process of bottle-aging. Made obvious by the differences in color and texture, this was a demonstration in vintage variation and the impact of yeast on the texture of wine. Luciano Castiello, National Ambassador Wine Educator for Castello Banfi, greets the somms with a splash of Albinea Canali FB Lambrusco at the University of Denver. Teacher s Notes The Albinea Canali FB Lambrusco is made metodo ancestrale, the way wines were made in the old days: fermented in the bottle, unfiltered, and living on its own yeast. The little town of Sorbara makes Lambrusco in a lighter color, but don t get tricked by that, because this is a wine that withstands real Emilia-Romagna food the region where pork is king. Albinea Canali has been around since 1936 and they specialize in Lambruscos. All the beautiful enzymes at the bottom of this bottle help us to digest dishes like mortadella and prosciutto. This wine revitalizes your taste buds. Luciano Castiello The vineyards in the Alta Langa DOCG are planted on hills at a minimum of 250 meters or higher (820 feet) above sea level. Alta Langa DOCG wines must be made from a minimum of 90 percent hand-picked Pinot Noir (Pinot Nero) and/ or Chardonnay. They are also allowed to contain a maximum of 15 percent of the previous year s wine. Alta Langa wines must be vintage-dated and are required to spend a minimum of 30 months on the lees. Riserva, meanwhile, must spend at least 36 months on lees. (For comparison, Champagne is 12 months and Franciacorta is 18.) The Alta Langa is very young denomination, but behind it is a very old tradition. In the early 1990s, a group of producers got together and planted some experimental vineyards of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, only with clones specifically meant for the production of high-quality sparkling wines. They first planted 50 hectares and the experiment yielded such positive results that in 2002 it was recognized with its own DOC. In 2008 it was then upgraded to a DOCG, so we re at the very tip of the pyramid for quality production of our wine. Today there s about 150 hectares under vine. Alberto Lazzarino, Directing Winemaker, Banfi Piemonte The Cuvée Aurora is an excellent example of Alta Langa. We use 100 percent Pinot Noir. The color comes from a two-hour maceration of the grapes before pressing. This technique allows us to extract more aromatics, but the beauty of this is that we ll never have the same color from one vintage to the next. A lot of producers will blend white and red to get the right color, but we make the choice to not allow this to give this wine character that reflects the vintage. Lazzarino 108 { THE SOMM JOURNAL } OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018

Climb Every Mountain: A FOCUS ON ABRUZZO S COLLINE TERAMANE DOCG REGION: Colline Teramane Montepulciano d Abruzzo DOCG WINES/TASTING: Cerulli Spinozzi s 2013 Torre Migliori (the current release),

This tasting was a clear demonstration of the Colline Teramane Montepulciano d Abruzzo s ability to age and retain color as a teinturier grape.

(right) Gabriele Pazzaglia and Lars Leicht discuss Banfi s clonal research on Brunello di Montalcino at the Culinary Institute of America at Copia in Napa.

bottled outside of Abruzzo. Colline Teramane, officially established as a DOCG in 2003, requires Montepulciano to be bottled and grown within its boundaries.

In addition to its Mediterranean climate, the DOCG s close proximity to the Adriatic Sea and the Gran Sasso mountain range results in significant diurnal swings.

4 Climb Every Mountain: A FOCUS ON ABRUZZO S COLLINE TERAMANE DOCG REGION: Colline Teramane Montepulciano d Abruzzo DOCG WINES/TASTING: Cerulli Spinozzi s 2013 Torre Migliori (the current release), followed by the 2012 and 2009 Torre Migliori and the 2004 Torre Migliori in magnum. This tasting was a clear demonstration of the Colline Teramane Montepulciano d Abruzzo s ability to age and retain color as a teinturier grape. Maurizio Broggi introduces the extensive presentation of Brunello di Montalcino at the University of Denver. (right) Gabriele Pazzaglia and Lars Leicht discuss Banfi s clonal research on Brunello di Montalcino at the Culinary Institute of America at Copia in Napa. Builders of Brunello: A WINEMAKER S PERSPECTIVE PHOTO BY JOHN CURLEY PHOTO: RYAN DEARTH Montepulciano is one of Italy s most widely planted grapes, with eighty percent of Montepulciano wines actually bottled outside of Abruzzo. Colline Teramane, officially established as a DOCG in 2003, requires Montepulciano to be bottled and grown within its boundaries. Colline Teramane allows 10% Sangiovese, but most producers strive for 100% Montepulciano. Wines must be aged for a minimum of one year. In addition to its Mediterranean climate, the DOCG s close proximity to the Adriatic Sea and the Gran Sasso mountain range results in significant diurnal swings. Enrico Cerulli reviews the Colline Teramane Montepulciano d Abruzzo at the University of Denver. The Colline Termane is built on middle-class families who wanted to grow and make serious wines from Montepulciano. This is what happened to my family: We started selling textiles, and after a few generations, we were able to buy land and then plant vineyards. Enrico Cerulli, Family Proprietor, Cerulli Spinozzi A slide image of Cerulli sporting a beret while holding a large stone in his vineyard garnered a laugh in every city. Don t look at me, look at this stone, Cerulli said. This was not brought by the river, but from the top of the hill. The base of the soil is clay and sand, but the hills are covered in gravel that comes from the erosion of the Gran Sasso. This gravel provides the minerality to these wines. REGION: Brunello di Montalcino DOCG WINES/TASTING: This thorough presentation in clonal and polyclonal single vineyards featured nine wines, including the 2016 Janus 50 Sangiovese clone; 2016 BF 30 Sangiovese clone; 2016 Janus 10 Sangiovese clone; and 2017 versions of Sangiovese from the Poggioni, Mandrielle, and Tavernelle polyclonal vineyards. These were followed by Castello Banfi s 2013 Poggio alle Mura Brunello di Montalcino, the Poggio alle Mura 2007 Riserva, and the very-much-alive 1988 Brunello di Montalcino. Every year the team at Castello Banfi tastes through these polyclonal vineyards, which are vinified separately, to determine the final blend. The name Brunello means little dark one. As for Sangiovese, despite being difficult to cultivate, it s Italy s most widely planted grape and is extremely site-sensitive. A 9-mile-wide square, Montalcino s elevation varies from 390 feet above sea level to just above 1,900 feet. A Mediterranean climate prevails, with marine air currents coming from the west and helping to reduce fungal disease. Castello Banfi is a large estate with a large surface area, but only one-third of it is under vine. It s made up of a constellation of single vineyards. Each has different soil types/microclimates and produce wines that have unique winemaking characteristics. Gabriele Pazzaglia, Cellarmaster, Castello Banfi Brunello has a long history. Although the wines were famous in Italy, they weren t outside of the country until Castello Banfi came to Montalcino in Since the beginning Banfi has been at the forefront of viticulture and clonal research for Sangiovese. In the early 1980s, they got together with the University of Milan and studied clonal selection and zonation, which is a specific process of collecting soil, environment, rain, topography, et cetera. They combined all of this together to really understand how Sangiovese grows in a specific environment. This research took place over four decades. Maurizio Broggi { SOMMjournal.com } 109

A Passion for Appassimento: A SARTORIAL APPROACH TO CLASSIC VERONESE TECHNIQUE REGIONS: Valpolicella Classico Superiore DOC, Rosso delle Venezie IGT, Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG, and Bianco

Excepting Recioto, students tasted their way to the top of the pyramid from the Valpolicella Classico to Amarone: Sartori di Verona s 2016 Ferdi, 2014 Valpolicella, 2013 L Appassione, 2013 Regolo

Because it best handles the drying process, Corvina is the most favored grape in Valpolicella and must represent 45 95% of the blend.

5 A Passion for Appassimento: A SARTORIAL APPROACH TO CLASSIC VERONESE TECHNIQUE REGIONS: Valpolicella Classico Superiore DOC, Rosso delle Venezie IGT, Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG, and Bianco Veronese IGT WINES/TASTING: This section provided an excellent illustration of how Valpolicella s appellation system is structured. Excepting Recioto, students tasted their way to the top of the pyramid from the Valpolicella Classico to Amarone: Sartori di Verona s 2016 Ferdi, 2014 Valpolicella, 2013 L Appassione, 2013 Regolo Ripasso, 2014 Amarone, 2010 Corte Bra Amarone, and 2009 I Saltari Amarone. Andrea Sartori says he strives to make a lower-alcohol Amarone because he prefers wine with his meal, not Port. Because it best handles the drying process, Corvina is the most favored grape in Valpolicella and must represent 45 95% of the blend. Corvinone can be used as a substitute for Corvina for up to 50%, while Rondinella is approved at 5 30%. Secondary grapes like Molinara, native Oseleta, and Croatina, meanwhile, can make up to 25% of the blend. The mild climate of Valpolicella is tempered by Lake Garda and the Monti Lessini, which protect the area s fan-shaped band of hills and valleys from cold northern winds. In a hectare s worth of production, only 40 percent will be used for Amarone. Due to Corvina s sensitivity to sun, the pergola training system is used in 70 percent of Valpolicella s vineyards. I represent the fourth generation of the Sartori family and we re celebrating a lot this year: 120 years of Sartori, 50 years of the Valpolicella DOC appellation, and, on top of that, 50 years with Banfi. Regolo, my grandfather, is the one who decided that the wine was the future of our family. The [Sartori di Verona Regolo Ripasso] wine is a 100% Corvina. We wanted to make a wine that was like his personality very straightforward. Without Regolo, we wouldn t be here. Andrea Sartori, Family Proprietor, Sartori di Verona If you taste the Ferdi [a white wine featuring 100% Garganega dried and made using the same technique as Amarone], I think you ll find that it s not intimidated by these other wines. This is just like my grandmother: beautiful and elegant. Sartori Not Your Nonna's Marsala: SICILY S SWEET COMPLEXITY REGION: Marsala, Sicily WINES/TASTING: This served as an affirmation of the tempering effect of oxygen, wood, and time on fortified wine. Students tasted a 2017 Grillo base wine; Targa 2015 and 2010 cask samples; the Cantine Florio 2004 Targa Riserva 1840 (current release); and a Targa 2004 cask sample that has remained in barrel since its release. They also nosed a 2017 Mosto Cotto. Marsala can be classified as either Marsala Vergine (five years on wood), Marsala Superiore (at least two years on wood) or Marsal Fine (one year on wood). It can also be classified by color type oro (gold), ambra (amber), and the rarest, rubino (ruby) and/or by residual sugar: secco (dry, less than 4%), semisecco (semi-dry, 4 10%) and dolce (sweet, more than 10%). Roberto Magnisi speaks poetically about Marsala as Lars Leicht translates. John Woodhouse, a captain of a merchant ship from the U.K., found himself tossed in the port of Marsala by a storm in 1773 and he did what you do when you land in a port you go to the bar. And what did he find? What we have in the first glass [the 2017 Grillo with seven grams of glycerol] is a wine typical of Marsala at the time. He bought some barrels of this wine, added alcohol for the long trip, and went through a few storms on the way back to the U.K., so luckily this wine had the ability to oxidize. The rest is history. Roberto Magnisi, Quality Control Director, Florio This is one of the most underrated wines in the world, in my opinion. Florio was really the first Sicilian producer of Marsala. The very first were British, of course. Maurizio Broggi 110 { THE SOMM JOURNAL } OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018

The Bitter End: THE FORMULATION OF FERNET FLORIO REGION: Sicily WINE/TASTING: A sampling of the Fernet Florio was appended to the last seminar to help somms digest the day.

cardoon (artichoke thistle), cinchona plants, lemon balm, lemon verbena, the zedoary herb, and elderflower.

Lars Leicht CRITICAL COMMENTARY FROM 2018 S STUDENTS I am particularly impressed with the 2007 Poggio alle Mura.

Consultant George Skorka at the Napa session I wish I could have brought my whole study group to this.

Mark Gluckman, WSET Level 2 and Southwest Team Lead for Sales Pros, at the Napa session James DeLeon, Adult Beverage Sales Manager for Kroger Houston, takes careful notes during the Austin session

Blind-Tasting Winners First-place winners were awarded a Wine Scholar Guild Italian Wine Scholar Scholarship, while second place and third place received $500 and $200 cash prizes courtesy of The

Jessie Birschbach, Managing Editor of The SOMM Journal, with two Napa blind-tasting winners: James Jamison, AS and General Manager/Wine Director at Brix (third place), and Eduardo Dingler,

6 The Bitter End: THE FORMULATION OF FERNET FLORIO REGION: Sicily WINE/TASTING: A sampling of the Fernet Florio was appended to the last seminar to help somms digest the day. Amaro is flavored with several herbs and roots: typically juniper, anise, ginger, mint, thyme, sage, bay laurel, citrus peels, cinnamon, menthol, cardamom, saffron, wormwood, angelica, gentian, cardoon (artichoke thistle), cinchona plants, lemon balm, lemon verbena, the zedoary herb, and elderflower. To determine the profile for this Fernet, I kept going back to the tasting lab and asking for dryer samples. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you XXX, named as if to say, it can t get any dryer. Lars Leicht CRITICAL COMMENTARY FROM 2018 S STUDENTS I am particularly impressed with the 2007 Poggio alle Mura. We have all the components in this wine to enjoy right now, but we also can tell that this will also be amazing down the road. Consultant George Skorka at the Napa session I wish I could have brought my whole study group to this. James DeLeon, Adult Beverage Sales Manager for Kroger Houston, at the Austin session Italy is so complicated. This was a treat. Mark Gluckman, WSET Level 2 and Southwest Team Lead for Sales Pros, at the Napa session James DeLeon, Adult Beverage Sales Manager for Kroger Houston, takes careful notes during the Austin session at the Stephen F. Austin Inter Continental hotel. Blind-Tasting Winners First-place winners were awarded a Wine Scholar Guild Italian Wine Scholar Scholarship, while second place and third place received $500 and $200 cash prizes courtesy of The SOMM Journal. It was clear the competition in this year s blind tastings was fierce as somm students packed into a conference room in Napa. Jessie Birschbach, Managing Editor of The SOMM Journal, with two Napa blind-tasting winners: James Jamison, AS and General Manager/Wine Director at Brix (third place), and Eduardo Dingler, Consultant at the CIA at Copia (second place). PHOTO: JESSIE BIRSCHBACH Lars Leicht congratulates Denver s first-place winner Shelby Peterson, Wine Beverage Director at C Lazy U Ranch in Granby, CO, and runner-up Monica Dubar, AS and Sommelier at the Ritz-Carlton Denver. Not pictured is third-place winner Logan Silbert, Wine Director at Black Cat Bistro in Boulder, CO. The Austin blind-tasting winners from left to right: third-place winner Diane Clemenhagen, CS and Food & Beverage Manager at Geraldine s; first-place winner Justin Sanders, Beverage Director for Juliet; and second-place winner Andrea Moore, CS and Wine Director at La Traviata. First-place Napa winner Thomas Dorman, AS and Wine Director for Oenotri, was awarded an Italian wine scholarship from Wine Scholar Guild. CAMPAIGN FINANCED ACCORDING TO (EU) REGULATION NO. 1308/2013 { SOMMjournal.com } 111

dell Istruzione L Evoluzione (The Evolution of Education) BANFI S 2017 CRU ARTISAN COLLEGE SHARPENS ITS FOCUS ON ITALY by Jessie Birschbach

dell Istruzione L Evoluzione (The Evolution of Education) BANFI S 2017 CRU ARTISAN COLLEGE SHARPENS ITS FOCUS ON ITALY by Jessie Birschbach L Evoluzione dell Istruzione (The Evolution of Education) G BANFI S 2017 CRU ARTISAN COLLEGE SHARPENS ITS FOCUS ON ITALY by Jessie Birschbach PHOTO: DOUG YOUNG Lars Leicht, National Director of Banfi s