Daniel Twardowski

Daniel Twardovski is a Burgundy fanatic, which does not make him stand apart from others. However, he is the only producer in the Mosel who produces red wine exclusively – a first in over a century within the region.

Former work as a wine merchant opened up his palate to the great pinot noirs of the world, inspiring him to explore and execute the unconventional direction of producing exquisite Pinot Noir from the slate soils of the Mosel. “Ardoise” is the French term for slate, a transparent message about his pioneering intention. The raven and nut found on his labels reflect this journey, representing the birds that drop nuts from a great height to the hard slate below, breaking open the shell to expose the seed within.

Robert Parker listed Clos des Papes as one of the Top 155 Producers in the World.

This deep dive into the potential of Mosel Pinot Noir is more than a commitment – it is a vision. To his neighbours’ dismay, Daniel pulled Riesling vines before replacing them with Burgundy Grand Cru vine material in 2006. He replanted this parcel by himself, and from his first release in 2011 until 2018, he made only one wine each year. 2018 marked the first release of his second wine, the Hofberg Reserve, which is pinot noir grafted onto 40-70+ year old vines. This stunning wine continues to prove that pinot noir’s spiritual home may be in Burgundy, but its future lies in the Mosel.

"It boasts a cool, fresh nose of strawberries, cola and tree bark, yet it's full-bodied and tannic on the palate."

WA96 by Joe Czerwinski

2017 Clos des Papes • Chateauneuf du Pape

He blends grapes from his different plots to co-ferment in large vats, after which he then re-blends in to large 20-55 hectoliter wooden foudres (casks) to mature for 15 months. New or small barrels are never used, “I like the oak to make an indirect impact – I only want tannins from the grape skins not even the pips and certainly not the stalks” says Avril. And though it may not be widely known, this domaine has been buying corks from the same producer in Portugal ever since 1926!

The wines are no doubt enticing, garnering great praise from many publications and critics such as Wine Spectator who awarded their 2005 vintage as “Wine of the Year”, stating that “in the Southern Rhône's recent trio of great vintages starting with 2003, no other Châteauneuf-du-Pape domaine has produced better wines than Clos des Papes”. But the accolades don’t stop there, as Robert Parker followed on to pronounce the 2007 vintage “the greatest Chateauneuf du Pape made since 1978 and 1990”.

We at Ginsberg+Chan are extremely proud to be the exclusive distributors of Clos des Papes, and with good volumes of both red and white back vintages too, we can ensure you a wide range of drinking windows for your cellar.