Hello September and new Wine-Club wines!
Click & listen to this month’s Wine Club playlist.
Summer is coming to a close, kids are back in school, and I’m thinking about… archaeology! Ok, what’s new, right? This month I’m thinking about archaeology because we are featuring amphora-made wines.
In the everything-old-is-new-again vein, we are highlighting wines that harken back to ancient production techniques. Both wines have been fermented and rested in clay amphora.
AND to further appreciate Amphora Wines, we will have a wine tasting on September 24th featuring five of them – including the two Wine Club wines.
What is an amphora? It might seem surprising, but there isn’t a single, accepted definition for “amphora”. It is mainly used to describe elongated clay vessels with strap handles, made by Greeks and Romans, and used to transport liquids. But, other definitions include larger clay vessels – with or without handles. Some definitions include vessels made of metal. Do they need to have been made and used by Greeks and Romans? Nope. Some definitions ease the requirement that they be used to transport liquids.
That is how we (both do- and don’t-) get to this month’s Wine Club “Amphora” wines. We have two wines that were produced in clay vessels that were not made by Greeks or Romans, do not have handles, and did not serve to transport the wine.
Like these wines, we are now coming to realize that some of the earliest wines were likely made in clay vessels that lived underground, with their mouths at or just above ground level – as indicated by the Areni-1 finds from Armenia that date to roughly 6000 years ago. Earlier evidence from Georgia and Iran is less clear for how vessels were used in wine’s production, but clearer for its storage. So, the ceramic vessel dating from ca 8000 years ago from Georgia with grape and vine decoration was likely a storage vessel (it is less likely that an underground vessel would have elaborate decoration). Ditto for the 7000 year old jars from Hajji Firuz Tepe, Iran, that you can see at the Penn Museum! Nonetheless, it is probably the case that most (all?) of those most ancient wines were made in ceramic vessels – whether underground or not.
Why clay vessels? Ceramic technology was known, and ancient craftspeople were able to produce large-sized vessels for storage that could, for instance, hold fruit gathered from vines and trees. These worked better to store “wet” items than did organic materials, and also lasted longer. They also aid in temperature control, which would be important for the fermenting liquid. It is likely that the origin of “wine” was accidental fermentation of fruit stored in ceramic vessels. From there, gathering of grapes for deliberate fermentation in the same vessels is a natural next step.
What about transportation? Really, we don’t even know when wine began to be transported, let alone what the vessels were. By the time we have written records for wine trade (4-5000 years ago), we hear about (ceramic) jars, but also wineskins – known from at least the 18th century BCE from greater Syria. Those records also let us know that wine might be transported in one type of vessel, only to then fill wineskins and barrels for further transport and use – much like in ancient Roman areas. So, amphora were certainly used for transport – at some points in time – but also for storage, ceremony, and who-knows-what else. Oh, of course they weren’t even *just* used for wine; they would have held oil, garum (fish sauce), nuts, and lots more.
Some of my favorite amphora? Thanks for asking.
This is the type of amphora that most people associate with the name. Why do I like it? It comes from Roman Cosa in Italy’s Maremma region, a site that I work at. Also – look how many pieces had to be stuck back together to reconstruct the vessel! OMG, that would have been sooo much fun.
I love the Scythians. I love silver. I love this Scythian silver amphora. It dates back to the 4th century BCE, from modern Ukraine. It was found in a burial, and was likely ceremonial – certainly not for production, nor for everyday use. Did I mention the top register has a frieze of Scythians taming horses? Could it get any better????
Or, how about this: an old amphora from a shipwreck ca 12th c CE that still contains wine!
…Now back to this month’s wines and our topic. I do go slightly tangential. More of my favorite amphora are the ones in which this month’s wines were made. In general, I love the application of ancient techniques in modern production – especially when it makes sense. Amphora production is not simply a trendy throwback; but it has benefits to the product.
The choice of vessel for fermentation and storage is an important aspect of winemaking that affects the ultimate flavor and feel of the wine. Winemakers often speak of “purity” in the expression of grape or land when using a clay vessel; clay is neutral (like stainless) and doesn’t impart flavor to the juice, unlike wooden barrels.
Like barrels, unlined clay is porous (unlike stainless) allowing slow and controlled introduction of oxygen – this softens tannins, opens up those primary fruits, and adds complexity.
Unlike barrels or stainless, clay also has low thermal conductivity – though the degree of which depends on wall thickness and degree of firing, among other things. Its light porosity also helps reduce temperature through condensation. When placed underground, these traits aid in keeping the product cooler, further helping the winemaker control flavors
Finally, amphorae can resemble eggs – a shape considered to form natural “currents” via convection, which allows for less intervention by the winemaker, precluding the need for manual stirring or pumping. [NB I wrote this *exact* sentence in a previous blog post. Who knows which one???]
So, our amphora-produced wines with pure expression of terroir are:
Gabrielskloof Amphora 2023 South Africa
This is a 100% Sauvignon BlancCa. 60% of the fruit is sourced from Citrusdal Mountain (Gabrielskloof) at an elevation of around 450 meters. The remainder comes from two of the estate’s vineyards in Olifantsrivier. The grapes were whole-cluster pressed and then fermented in locally made clay amphora. These are big amphora, ranging in size between 500L-860L. The juice is whole-bunch pressed and wild fermented. The wine is then aged for 7 months on the lees. Because the amphora are unlined, the wine benefits from controlled micro-oxidation during maturation.
Amphora wines are known for their freshness, which comes as a surprise given the (usually) extended skin contact. I love the winemaker’s description (though I do not know what black-currant leaf smells like…): “The nose shows a strong line of blackcurrant leaf against limes and green banana. The palate is creamy and mouth coating but finely cut into by the grape’s lively acidity.” It is medium-bodied, cool, and mineral, with zesty and reductive undertones. Lovely.
XXVI Talhas 'Palhete do Toreco' Portugal
This wine comprises the grapes Trincadeira, Aragónez, Antão Vaz, and Roupeiro, with an average age of 35 years. This is a “rare grape tasting” in a single bottle! If you drink a lot of Portuguese wine, these are not so rare, but for the uninitiated, they are quite new!
The juice is fermented with 3 months of skin contact in Talhas – traditional amphora from Portugal and the Alentejo. These range in size from ca 300 to 1300 liters, and the oldest date to the 18th century CE. The use of the Talhas is intentional and is part of a project started by a group of friends whose families utilized this style. Their village, Vila Alva, is part of the Talhas tradition that originated during the Roman era, and they have endeavored to keep that tradition alive through their XXVI Talhas project.
As expected from the amphora production, the wine retains its fresh and fruity notes. Fruits are intense, but light, and feature red currant, strawberry, and raspberry. Befitting the Portuguese terroir, the wine has some earthy notes, as well.
Read more:
The Origins and Ancient History of Wine
Swing by and pick up your September wines during operational hours. See you soon!
