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Producer Profile: Carriel dels Vilars

Carles Alonso is the kind of guy a lot of winemakers wish they were. Forgoing a career in finance and banking, he made a huge life change. Starting in 1979, Carles opted to pursue a more purist lifestyle; he built a stone house into the mountainside amid the tiny Catalunya hamlet of Els Vilars, in the shadow of the Pyrenees, not too far from the French border.

For his unique Carriel dels Vilars selections, Carles ferments in aerospace-grade, ceramic-tile-lined cement vats to give himself more peace of mind while working without SO2. He crafts wines of the utmost purity from 2.5 hectares, grown on slate, of a co-fermented field blend based on garnatxa and syrah, with a little cabernet sauvignon and carinyena to round it out.

Élevage happens in stainless steel, as Carles doesn’t believe his wine needs to touch wood at any point in its lifespan. This is also why he bottles in used Freixenet Cava bottles with crown caps; he doesn’t want anything to do with cork either. His wines are definitely fruit-forward–somewhat rich and high in alcohol–yet they offer a licorice-tinged, herbal complexity that draws you back for more. For me, this wine would shine on a stormy night, the colder the better, with a spicy lamb braise.

It wasn’t very long ago that Carles struggled to sell his product–nobody really knew anything about him or his wines. Now, he’s become “famous,” thanks to his nonconformist ways and high-quality results. Unfortunately, he doesn’t have any back vintages to sell. This is not surprising, considering how little wine he makes each year from those low-lying, low-yielding old vines that are struggling to produce fruit from what little slate dust surrounds them.

Carles is the only year-round resident among the roughly 10 different domiciles within the town limits. He also didn’t have electricity to work with until 2012! Crazy, right? This is the kind of guy I would love to have dinner with. He seems likely to have a memorable story or two, and a few opinions to share as well. He is truly an iconoclast without pretension: forging his own path, making wines how he wants to, and living out his ideals in brazen fashion. That mustache has some clout, too!

These are the kinds of wines that get me excited about being in the wine business, even if they aren’t exactly the grapes I normally drink, or the style of wine that I usually gravitate toward. I can’t help but be stoked on people like Carles Alonso who are crafting natural products from the earth. It requires an enormous amount of passion, skill, and perseverance to succeed year in and year out. This renegade winemaker boasts all of these qualities. Visit us at Paul Marcus Wines, and discover him for yourself.

/0 Comments/by Jason Seely

New in the Shop: Villa Job Wines 

THE FRIULIANS ARE HERE! – VILLA JOB AT PAUL MARCUS WINES

One of the great perks to selling wine is the opportunity to discover, learn about, and taste new wines from across the world. Case in point, last month the PMW team had the opportunity to meet with Alessandro and Lavinia Job and taste the wines from Villa Job, their family winery located in Friuli Venezia Giulia.
This 6.5-hectare domaine is located on the Friuli Pozzuolo plateau, at an altitude of 90 meters above sea level. The organically farmed vineyards are surrounded by dense woods and the Cormor River. The influence of this body of water contributes to the soils of the area, which are largely composed of sand, silt, clay and marl.
The vineyards at the domaine are planted to ribolla gialla, friulano, sauvignon, pinot grigio, refosco and schioppettino. All the farming at Villa Job is done via organic practices. In the cellar, Alessandro and Lavinia seek to produce wines with minimal intervention. Fermentation takes place via native yeasts, and no new oak is used. The wines are bottled unfined and unfiltered, and with minimal amounts of SO2.

Family owned for generations, Alessandro remembers playing in the estate vineyards as a child on vacation and growing up amongst the vines. Fast forward to adulthood, when he and Lavinia met in Milan. At the time, Alessandro was working in business management engineering, and Lavinia in marketing. When Alessandro officially inherited the domaine, he and Lavinia made the life changing decision to exchange their city jobs for the life of a farmer and winemaker.
Their devotion and passion are paying off, as exemplified by a select range of wines that showcase their commitment to understanding the complexities of the land and vineyards, while producing wines that proudly represent the region of Friuli.
The following four wines from Villa Job have recently arrived at PMW and are ready to go!

2017 Villa Job “Sudigiri” Venezia Giulia Sauvignon Blanc

Sudigiri, which translates loosely to “elated” comes from 15-year-old sauvignon blanc vines planted on a combination of marl, clay and silt. The grapes undergo two days of skin contact before fermentation begins via native yeast in open top barrels. The wine then ages in concrete tank for six months, followed by an additional three months in old mulberry barrels. It is bottled unfiltered, and then spends 2 additional months aging before release. Sudigiri is not your typical sauvignon blanc, as it displays hints of celery, lemon oil, ginger and light clove on the palate.

2017 Villa Job “Untitled” Venezia Giulia Friulano

Untitled comes from 15-year-old friulano (tocai) vines planted on a combination of marl, clay and silt soils. Considered the most classic variety and vinous expression from the region, the grapes undergo two days of skin contact before fermentation begins via native yeast in open top barrels. The wine then ages in concrete tank for nine months, followed by an additional three months in old mulberry barrels. It is bottled unfiltered, and then spends 2 additional months aging before release.

2017 Villa Job “Piantagrane” Friuli Grave Pinot Grigio

Piantagrane is Villa Job’s pinot grigio cuvee, with vines from different parcels and soil types found on the domaine. The average vine age here is 15 years, and planted on a combination of marl, clay and silt soils. The grapes undergo two days of skin contact before fermentation begins via native yeast in concrete vats. The wine then ages in concrete vat and old barriques before being bottled unfiltered. This unique Friulian white displays notes of wet stone, mineral, yellow peaches, and a slightly salty finish.

2017 Villa Job “Serious” Venezia Giulia Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso

Villa Job’s “Serious” is a not so serious but seriously delightful take on this native variety. The average vine age here is 15 years, and planted on a combination of marl, clay and silt soils. Fermentation takes place in open tonneau vats via native yeast. The wine then ages in concrete vat and old barriques for approximately 12 months before being bottled unfined and unfiltered. Subtle notes of strawberries, raspberry, peppercorn and light spice make for an intriguing rendition of refosco.

We’ll see you at the shop!

/0 Comments/by Mulan Chan-Randel