Frank Cornelissen Magma 2017

This bottle presents a more delicate and intriguing experience than my previous encounters. It features a complex array of aromas including herbs, cola, spices, ripe cherries or cherry confiture, with intriguing hints of soy sauce, raw meat, and red flowers. The profile is round, ripe, and generous, offering excellent balance and a long aftertaste. Despite its 'pussy drink' character, I found it genuinely enjoyable and well-crafted.

Ah you think magma is your ally? You merely adopted the magma. I was born in it, molded by it. I didn't see the sun until I was already a vine, by then it was nothing to me but blinding!

Magma is molten rock that is underground, and lava is molten rock that breaks through the Earth's surface. Wait, I took the wrong book. Turns out, Magma is 100% Nerello Mascalese from Contrada Barbabecchi. The 100-year-old vines enjoy North and Northeast exposure at 870m - 910m above sea level. The vineyard was planted in 1910.

The grapes are destemmed and crushed lightly, and then the fermentation starts with Pied de Cuve. The juice stays in contact with the skin for about 50 days. The wine ages in 1500-2500 L neutral epoxy tanks for 18 months.

Prejudice - this is how I felt about this wine. After all, Frank Cornelissen wines are not my cup of tea. He doesn't even produce tea, for god's sake!

After spending a few hours in a decanter, Magma climbed to the surface and turned into a fluffy, toothless and sweet creature. It offers a fistful of hibiscus, peonies and red fruits. Round, velvety and jammy. I had to double-check if it was dry cause it felt just like cough syrup (with some similarities in structure).

Look. It's much better than I expected, less punchy, more flowery and perfumed. But it's... straightforward. There is no fire. Seamlessness is its main feat and the reason behind such a high score. Maybe I am just toxic.

Magma

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