The Elliptical Way of Winemaking

Wine Herd John Munch on Le Cuvier's vinous principles:

 "There is firm empirical evidence to the effect that yeast & other varied wine pathogens die of boredom unless given an interesting environment within which to practice their art. This tautological proposition holds its deepest truth when sun & stone, vine & grape undergo fundamental transmutation into fine liquid elixir via the agency of wild yeast & other similarly feral beasties, rather than via the effete & banal interaction of commercial strains of their distant freeze dried brethren, the latter being so boringly predictable. Thus, at Le Cuvier we have firmly dedicated ourselves to making life as interesting as possible, while leaving the entire process of winemaking in the hands (so to speak) of the wild beasties. Indeed, all human efforts in the effervescent process is evanescent."

In sum, the deep-hued, opaque, & intense character one experiences from Le Cuvier wines is borne from the practice of wild yeast fermentation, coupled with uncommonly long barrel-aging that allows the wine to develop its complex array of flavors and aromas. Le Cuvier wines spend a minimum of 36 months (3 years) in barrel before bottling, & a select few are reserved for even longer aging, as the winemaker sees fit to his peculiar scheduling regime. Interference with the natural fermentation process is minimal; unnatural additives - sulfites, most notably - are added in minute amounts, & only after the prescribed barrel aging period during which the wines have muscled up their own hardiness & vigor, & only to the extent needed to preserve the wine in bottle. The results are wines of unique quality that are also remarkably age-worthy.

 Though Elliptical describes the vast motion of the planets themselves, Elliptical is also micro . . . very micro in our case. There is a curse built into the very fabric of our micro winery which guarantees self destruction if our yearly case production were ever to exceed 3,426 cases. In the interest of ensuring a margin of safety, we plan to make no more than 3,215 cases of wine from any given vintage.