Commune

A small village that is often an APPELLATION. In Bordeaux, the communes of Margaux, Pauillac, St.-Julien, and St.-Estèphe are famous appellations. Communes are also the lowest level of administrative division in France, and as such, are the equivalent of incorporated cities in the U.S.

Which of the following terms in Australia is given to the oldest vines?

A. Old Vine

B. Survivor Vine

C. Centenarian Vine

D. Ancestor Vine

Ancestor vines must be at least 125 years old and are considered living tributes to Australia’s European settlers. Penfold’s famous Kalimna “Block 42” (source of both the heritage cuttings planted in Penfolds’ Paso Robles vineyard in 1999, and the cabernet sauvignon blended into the California Collection in 2018) was planted in the Barossa Valley in 1888 and is thought to be the oldest cabernet sauvignon the world over. Given that many of the world’s oldest vines live in the Barossa Valley, it’s fitting that winemakers there were the first in the world to codify what “old” means. For the record: Old Vines are at least thirty-five years of age; Survivor Vines are at least seventy years of age; and—you guessed it—Centenarian Vines are at least one hundred years of age.

Garrigue

When a wine pro describes a wine as “earthy,” the characterization can mean several different but related ideas. One of the permutations of earthiness is what the French call garrigue (gare-REEG). Garrigue is the aroma… Continue reading

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