“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 to the wines of Pelleriti Priore, which are the result of a different sort of collaboration that makes complete sense. Marcelo Pelleriti is kind of the Miles Davis of the team. He is a rockstar (to mix musical genres) winemaker who has worked in both his native Mendoza and in France. An associate of Michel Rolland, Pelleriti has made famous wines in both hemispheres. His focus today, however, is Argentina, which is a great place to grow wine, but a difficult place to grow a wine business because of its many economic problems.

If Pelleriti is Miles Davis, then Miguel Priore is more like Bill Evans on the piano, driving the project forward and creating the foundation for Pelleriti to riff. Priore, also a Mendoza native, knows the region’s terroir, too, but especially contributes his understanding of the business side of wine to the partnership. Pelleriti makes great wine, Priore makes the great wine business possible. Together with other members of the Pelleriti Priore team, they are a tight ensemble.

The Business Side: Miguel Priore

The business side is very serious and I can see how it empowers Pelleriti. They insist on owning their vineyards, which is a very considerable investment. They have also invested to ensure effective distribution of their winery’s 50,000 case annual production both in the United States and in Europe. Looking to the long run, they have prioritized wine quality and providing their clients quality service over other factors.

I had to ask Miguel Priore about the problems of doing business in Argentina, with its high inflation and uncertain future given new President Milei’s bold policies and strong opposition. Priore acknowledged the challenges, but business in Argentina is accustomed to headwinds and his intent is to provide Pelleriti with a firm economic foundation for winegrowing and to insulate buyers from the economic changes, too. This is the right approach, but not easy to do. Makes me appreciate how important both parts of this duet are to the final product.

Kind of Malbec

In vino veritas, they say, and this was one of those times when the wines sang in harmony with their reputation. Sue and I tried two Malbecs from the Flagship line, a Marcelo Pelleriti Signature Malbec made from old vines and the 1853 Selected Parcel Malbec made from very old (more than 100 years!) vines. The year 1853 is significant for Argentina; it was when the first Malbec vines arrived from France.

Sue and I are now working our way through the next level of Marcelo Pelleriti and 1853 wines   Last night we opened an Altamira Malbec they call Terroir Expressions “Hostage.” Why “hostage?” Because once they tasted the fruit from this “old little vineyard,” they felt themselvews held hostage to its charms. It is a real pleasure to experience the complex harmony. Powerful. Elegant. Unique.

Kinda reminds me of “Kind of Blue.” Another timeless classic?

>>><<<

P.S. Although he is best known for rock and roll, I don’t think Marcelo Pelleriti will object to the jazz references in this article. When Sue and I interviewed the two protagonists via Zoom I noticed that Pelleriti was wearing a vintage Ramones t-shirt under his jacket.