Interview Philippe Bramaz, Atlan & Artisan

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atlan & artisan, barahonda, monastrell, spain, winemaker interview, yecla

Winemaker Atlan & Artisan

Name: Philippe Bramaz

Winery: Atlan & Artisan

Town/Country: Yecla/Spain

Date: May 2014

Which spot in your vineyard is the most special and why?

There is a Church of an old hermit on top of the vineyard, which has an underground cellar from 1780.  In this cellar, there are amphora, which the owner of Barahonda still uses to ferment some wines.  Being there and sensing how wine was made in the past is a unique experience, something which cannot be replicated.

Epistem with wax capsule

If you link the dots in your life, which experience was the most crucial relating to how you make your wine today?

Meeting and listening to the grand Monsieur Henri Bonneau in Chateauneuf, who showed me how complex, but simple, life can be. A humble mentor, who understands the virtues of balance and patience.

What kind of music do you enjoy listening to when making wine in your cellar?

At 2am in the morning the best sound is that of fermenting grape juice.  Silence is golden.

Ungrafted 60 year old Monastrell

Name a regional dish from your area, which matches best with one of your wines.

The amazing paella with free range rabbit and snails!

Name a restaurant from your recent travels around the world, which changed the way you thought about food and why?

Restaurant Coure in Barcelona – owned and operated by a chef who opened it 10 years ago and seems to evolve every year.  His magic makes you leave after an 8-course meal, not tired of sitting, nor stuffed from the food, but trying to remembering each and every dish. http://www.restaurantcoure.es/

If your wine would die, who or what would it come back as (person/animal)?

It becomes everything in nature!

 

Achaval Ferrer Malbec Altavista 2008

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achaval ferrer, altamira, malbec, wines of argentina

graceful Andes’ classic

Argentinians have long enjoyed their well made wines in the domestic market, and the full-flavored Malbec from Mendoza entered the world stage only about 15 years ago.  The bottles tried in the past have been of the juicy and brambly type or the dense and alcoholic, so I am happy to read the good news from Luis Gutierrez’ Argentina 3.0 (Robert Parker).

In it he mentions two important trends for Argentinean wines. The first “there is a global trend towards more freshness and drink-ability in wines, toward more balance, elegance, and differentiation, towards less excess and more harmony, and Argentina and Chile are no exceptions” which speaks of the Achaval Ferrer Finca Altamira I enjoyed from the 2008 vintage.  He continues “I think Argentina is on the way, and beside the classical regions regions in Mendoza, Lujan de Cuyo, Maipú, Cruz de Piedra, Perdriel or Agrelo, other specific and much newer sites are added to that list, mostly in the Uco Valley”, and this is where consumers, not only in Thailand, but around the world, should start experimenting with and try wines above the entry level from the various appellations Argentina offers.

Of course, you have to like the style the country offers – a dark color, intense flavors and well textured wines full of extract.  But look beyond that and you find great wines with nuance and structure, and a good price.

The Altamira by the way i rate 4.0 stars (out of 5).

Skirts, rumps & deep reds

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accidental butcher, alain chabanon, cape grim, domaine chabanon, montpeyroux, quince eatery & bar, steve craig, tasmania, wine garage

Inside track with the Accidental butcher

There is certainly a wide range of beef around for carnivores to embellish, and one of them must be the free-range Cape Grim from Tasmania.

Inside flank, lovely

Steve Craig, owner of Accidental Butcher, explained the uniqueness of the forgotten cuts and how to prepare them, while Blair Mathieson, chef at Quince – Eatery & Bar grillled them lightly and served with either anchovy butter, tarragon aioli or red pepper jam.

A Wine Garage event would not be complete without sound wine, and guests were lucky to meet and taste the organic wines from Alain Chabanon, the local hero in in Montperoux. All his wines have great varietal expression while successfully marrying mediterranean warmth with elegance.

Montperoux wines

My personal favorite was a special cut called Picanha, which is part of rump cap.