Cult natural wine arrives in Ireland
Cult natural wine arrives in Ireland
by Shamim de Brún
Susucaru 2020 has arrived in Dublin. The wine that took the world by storm and became one of the most hunted for natural cuvées in the world.
Frank’s Susucaru Rosato is disproportionately hard to get hold of. Independent shops get small allocations, some as little as just 12 bottles this year. You can grab one from local independent suppliers as. But once it’s gone, it’s gone!
The Irish allocation is “minuscule” according to importer Enrico Fantasia of Grape Circus and is definitely available from today in Greenman Wines, Neighbourhood Wine, Lilith, Lennox Street Grocer, and Note. All Dublin based.
It’s a blend of red and white grapes with a deep bronze hue. It’s packing explosive flavours and isn’t unlike the wine version of a Kandinsky painting. Think cranberries, rock salt and a rosemary sprig.
The 2020 Rosato was produced by the famous; Frank Cornelissen. Frank Cornelissen is a Belgian-born winemaker with a volcanic laugh. He is a charismatic character who has become the leading player on the Etna wine scene. Sicilian wines made on the hills of volcano Mount Etna have become undeniably popular after being vogued by New York sommeliers.
This wine is what brought volcanic terroir into vogue. Terroir is the stuffy french term that means it tastes like where it’s from. There’s no way to use it without sounding like you’re flexing. Volcanic terroir became the thing in the late 2010s and has been studied and shaped by the experimental genius of Cornelissen. He was the profit heralding “skin contact for terroir identity” before it was chic.
The wine itself is made from a blend of Malvasia, Moscadella, Insolia and Nerello Mascalese. It’s regarded as a light red but it’s technically more of a rosé. It is au natural. There are no added sulphites or yeasts. The juice is definitely geeky gear and is probably close to a pale Jura red if you’re looking for a comparison.
The tech stuff: skin contact for texture and territorial identity, malolactic fermentation fully finished for density, fluidity and stability.
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