“Kind of Blue” is one of my favorite jazz albums and, although we usually think of it as a Miles Davis work, it is really a collaboration of talented artists at the height of their powers. Recorded in 1959, it features John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderly, and Bill Evans among others (who can forget Paul Chambers’ bass on the title track?). A timeless classic.
Wine is like jazz in many ways, including the power of ensemble work. Although we often give credit for a wine to the head winemaker, there is usually a team involved. The collaboration can take many forms. Recently, for example, Sue and I have sampled the wines of Ventisquero made by Chilean Felipe Tosso and Australian John Duval (of Penfolds Grange fame). Their “Obliqua” Carmenere, the result of a 20-year collaboration, was probably the best version of this wine we have tasted. The two winemakers harmonize well indeed!
Here in Washington State, the Long Shadows winery is organized like an album of duets. Allen Shoup, who founded the project, invited renowned winemakers from around the world (including John Duval, as it happens) to work with his team to make their version of Washington wines. The idea was to showcase what Washington can produce (and it has done that successfully) and give the international winemakers a new melody to riff on.
Miles Ahead: Marcelo Pelleriti
We were recently introduced
This Article was originally published on The Wine Economist
