Posted: Thursday, 17 March 2011 11:44

Vintage Wines: Fine Wine Banao-World mein Naam Kamao

Barrel Tasting of Brunello di Montalcino 2006 with Maria Fuligni in 2008

Fuligni is a boutique winery, with a historical background of the estate that makes one turn green with envy about the family. The mother and co-owner Maria Fuligni, (she could pass as one of the pleasant middle class women in India) who did not speak a word of anything but Italian, had proudly taken us down to the cellar in the basement and had us taste several wines, including a couple of vintages that were still maturing in barrels, including the 2006; Brunello has to be aged for a total of over 48 months in barrels and bottles- the 2006 was legally allowed to be sold only on January 1, 2011. Similarly the latest 2010 vintage may be sold only on or after 1 January, 2015.

The winery made less than 2000 cases of Brunello di Montalcino 2006. But anyone with knowledge of high quality wines from Montalcino would advise you to go and taste their wines because of the superlative quality (I checked up my rating sheet after I decided to write this feature- I had awarded 4.5/5 for a very well balanced, long and perfumed wine that would age for years, my notes read).

Vintage vs. Vintage Wine

I saw an abstract connection between Fuligni which produced an excellent vintage among others, in 2004, 2006 and hopefully 2007 to be ready next year, with a Maharashtra winery, Vintage Wines which I visited last month. Driving about 40 kms from Nashik towards Aurangabad, near a town of Niphad is a small village Kundewadi where this winery is located. The winery is owned by the father and family of son-of-the-soil Yatin Patil. They have been producing since 2005, small quantity of wines with mystical sounding Reveilo labels most of which are high quality wines made from the grapes from there own vineyards. The winery has not yet breached the boutique status due to its low production levels.

The Italian Connection

Kiran and Yatin Patil of fine Vintage

Not only is the wine making equipment from Italy, even the wine bottles and corks are also imported from there, even though more expensive, to maintain the quality. Vintage is the first winery in India to have commercialized the Sicilian indigenous grapes Grillo and Nero d’Avola. Apparently, it’s also the only Indian winery that has an insulated, properly chilled wine storage room for the finished product-to keep the wines fresh and un-bruised and to enable them to retain the flavours, says Yatin.

Patils planted the grafted Sangiovese grapes in 2010 and might become the first Indian winery to produce wine from the Chianti grape varietal; the result would be keenly awaited as this Italian varietal has not done as well outside as on its home soil so far. They have also planted 5 acres of their 100- acre vineyards with the Italian Chardonnay clone to augment the already existing 4 acres of the varietal that helps them produce ostensibly the best Reserve white wine in India. 

Mystical Reveilo label

Part of 100 acres of Reveilo Vineyards with the farmhouse at the far end

There is in fact, an Italian word ‘revelare’ which means ‘to reveal’. ‘I reveal’ is translated into ‘revelo’. One wonders if Reveilo reveals the Indo-Italian synthesis in a contrived manner. Perhaps, ‘Revelo’ would have been a simpler label. But the wine industry world-wide is known to have an abundance of corny and kinky labels which are ahead of this label by miles.

The winery does not buy any grapes from outside-in fact the excess grapes are sold off. The estimated production of 10,000 cases and sale of 6,000 cases in 2010-11 would imply a growth of 50% over the previous year, a very difficult year financially for the company, as Yatin frankly admits. Things are looking up now and he and his wife, Kiran who looks after promotional and marketing activities hope to breach the 5-figure volume mark next year.

Reveilo wines from Vintage Wines may not be as expensive but they may not be much cheaper than the ex-cellar price of Fuligni which makes both Brunello and Rosso di Montalcino. The wines start at Rs.505 for Chenin Blanc and go up to Rs. 1345 for the Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve. Chardonnay Reserve at Rs.1145 can compete with several quality imported wines of the same varietal. It has managed a niche market all the same.

World may Naam Kamao

Vintage Wines has the potential of being recognised by the wine-loving world as a fine wine boutique producer just like Fuligni. Valentinuzzi and Patil are both dedicated to quality with a common mission of making the best quality, higher priced wines for a niche market.

One of the positive factors guiding them towards their objective is their insistence on low yield which Yatin says is possible because they grow their own grapes. A yield of 4-5 tons for Shiraz and Chenin Blanc, 3 tons each for Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon and 2-2.5 tons of Chardonnay may be too-low for most farmers or vintners, but Yatin claims they follow this norm very strictly since they are aware quality wines can be made only when the yields are very low.

Complete Range of vintage Reveilo wines

Patils plan to open a Restaurant and Tasting Room, which got pushed back by a couple of years because of recession. If they are ready during the next couple of years, Vintage is bound to find a place on the wine tourism map, like Sula. Wine professionals, including journalists who spread the good word about wineries, appreciate Reveilo wines and make occasional visits even now.

But it is wineries like Fuligni and Vintage Wines that banao* fine wines and then earn the distinction to kamao naam by wine aficionados throughout the world.

*Banao- to produce, make
Naam- name
Kamao- earn
Mein- in

Subhash Arora 

Tag : Montalcino, Brunello, Fuligni, Vintage, Reveilo