Marabino Archimede

The Marabino Archimede is a wine that a good friend blind poured for me a couple of years ago and I was blown away. Fantastic fruit, great structure, long and fresh finish, I loved it from the first taste. And then he dropped the bombshell: it’s a natural wine! You could have knocked me over with a feather. How could this bottle of deliciousness be natural? Aren't natural wines unstable and “funky”? The answer is a resounding NO. The term natural has been so overused that its meaning has become diluted, but, in essence, natural wines are simply wines that receive “minimal intervention” from the winemaker, basically using what the vineyard gives and not getting in the way.

In this case Pierpaolo Messina, the driving force behind Marabino chooses to use biodynamic methods in the vineyard and harvests the fruit by hand. After that the grapes undergo spontaneous fermentation in stainless steel, and mature in spherical concrete tanks for 44 months. The spherical shapes of these small tanks allows for more contact and more concentration. The overall result is a wine that checks off a lot of boxes. It's rich and bright with dark fruit flavors underneath and earthiness. That (now famous) night I drank it without any food, we just enjoyed it before dinner and for the first time ever, I bought a case of natural wine.

Critics seem to agree with me:

"The 2019 Archimede smolders up from the glass...zesty and spry, with tart wild berry fruits and citrus tones enlivened by vibrant acidity....The 2019 is a beauty."

- Eric Guido, Vinous Media

This is a truly special wine that will be an eye opening entry into the possibilities of natural wines.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts.

- Michael Eigen, Partner at Blanc et Rouge