BEHIND THE LABEL
Bacio Divino By Gary Hewitt, DipWSET, CWE, FWS, Sommelier Bacio divino, “divine kiss,” evokes the sun’s kiss of the vineyard, Bacchus’s kiss of the winemaker, and wine’s kiss upon the lips. Bacio Divino is the inspiration of Claus Janzen, whose itinerant youth took him to the alpine ski slopes of Switzerland, to wine explorations in Provence, to an early career in commercial real estate in Winnipeg, to local renown as top taster in The Opimian Society, and to a fateful visit in the late-1980s to Napa Valley. There he met critically acclaimed rising star Chuck Wagner of Caymus Vineyards. They hit it off, and, when Claus suggested that he could grow Chuck’s international wine sales, he ended up moving his young family to Napa Valley to begin a new career. Bacio, I can make it the way I want…I can take a barrel or two of To Kalon, some Cloudy’s (estate vineyard), I can take some Georges III, I can take from wherever I want to make Bacio. It’s stuff that I love doing. —Claus Janzen In 1993, Chuck offered Claus the chance to make a wine from some excess Sangiovese to which he could blend in anything else from Caymus. Claus liked the idea of making a wine distinct from those of Caymus, observed that Super Tuscan wines were the rage, and embraced a non-conformist approach. Meanwhile, Claus and family (wife Diane, son Kyle, and daughter Risa) bought a remote 60-acre property on the east side of Napa Valley. Three small vineyards, 10 acres in total, were planted to Cabernet Sauvignon. In time, grapes from these “estate” vineyards joined those sourced from the Beckstoffer Heritage vineyards (To Kalon, Georges III, and Missouri Hopper), all among the most esteemed sites of Napa Valley. Bacio Divino represents the best blend of Cabernet Sauvignon from hillside (estate) and valley floor (Beckstoffer) vineyards with small additions of Sangiovese and sometimes other grapes. It is aged in top-quality new French oak that adds spice and complexity to create a master work that combines the intensity of Napa Valley with the finesse, elegance and complexity of a fine Burgundy or Bordeaux. Bacio Divino’s second wine—and best seller—Pazzo (Call me Crazy) has a solid core of Sangiovese with diverse blending partners that depend upon the vintage. On his first tasting with 28 Order online: JonesWines.com/shop
Bacio Divino wines from left to right: Bacio Divino 2018 Pazzo (Call me Crazy) Red Blend, Napa Valley ($53.99); Bacio Divino 2017 Proprietary Red, Napa Valley ($182.99); Bacio Divino 2011 Janzen Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley ($247.99)
Claus, famous wine critic Robert Parker exclaimed “Call me crazy!” and it stuck. Parker later called Pazzo “the perfect bistro wine,” repeatedly extolled it as one of Napa’s best values, and gushed about how yummy it is. Bacio Divino also makes single-vineyard wines under the eponymous Janzen label. These are classic Napa Valley Cabernets with power and intensity created as expressions of the vineyard. Both Claus and son Kyle draw an important distinction between the Janzen wines and the Bacio Divino blended wines. They say that the Janzen wines reflect the style of their long-time consulting winemaker Kirk Venge, whereas Claus’s European sensibilities are more apparent in the blended wines. I think further research into this subject is required, and I would be happy to be the first volunteer in the study. Kyle Janzen now helms Bacio Divino day-to-day, but acknowledges, “My dad is the kind of guy that will never fully retire.” Kyle calls 2020 an “interesting year” while Claus calls it “crazy”—in reference to the dual challenges of COVID-19 and the bush fires that threatened the valley twice this past growing season. Claus tells of the fires that threatened their property, burned some out buildings, and how their home was saved. Both confirm that they will make less wine in 2020—quality will not be compromised—and how fortunate it is that the 2018 vintage wines are outstanding and plentiful. Asked about their links to the Prairies, Winnipeg-born Kyle admits that Manitoba is still his home. “I kind of have two homes now—it really is a special connection.” Claus’s roots in Winnipeg are also deep: “One develops primary friendships when you are young. When I left Winnipeg at the age of 44, I left many, many good friends—still my most important friends. I have a deep, deep connection to Winnipeg.”
