We tried the other week (5/2/12) Some Interesting Wines:
1. G.D.Vajra DOC: Langhe Bianco (13.5%; 100% Riesling; www.GiulinaImports.com) 2009: Light gold color; some stony/
mineral light floral/R quite attractive nose; quite tart lovely/flowery/R bit steely/metallic some earthy/
mineral flavor; long light floral/R subtle light steely/metallic finish; a subtle/delicate R more like AltoAdige
than Alsace or Germany; quite a pretty wine. $24.00 (KK)
______________________
2. SanFereolo Coste di Riavolo VdT Bianco (14.5%; T.ElentenyImports; www.SanFereolo.com; Riesling/GWT)
NicolettaBocca/Dogliani NV (L02.08; '06): Med.dark color; strong overripe/peachy/rotted apples somewhat cidery/
paint thinner nose w/ neither R or GWT character; soft somewhat underacid rather acrid/bitter overripe/cidery/peachy
flavor; fairly long acrid/bitter overripe/cidery/peachy/rotted apples finish; shows neither R or GWT character;
a harsh/tannic/bitter wine on the palate; maybe made w/ skin contact?; way overpriced at $34.00 (BWM)
______________________
3. GranitBlanc AC: CdR (14%; ThomasCalderSlctn; Marsanne/Roussanne) VincentParis/Cornas 2010: Med.gold color; rather
earthy/appley bit fragrant some stony nose speaks mostly of Marsanne; rather tart/hard/austere strong apple/apple
blossom slight honeysuckle some stony flavor; long some stony/earthy light apple/apple blossom fairly tart/austere
finish; bit coarser than HermitageBlanc; some like Qupe Marsanne w/o the fragrance. $26.00 (BWM)
______________________
4 Ryme Vermentino Hers LasBrisasVnyd/Carneros (13.1%; www.RymeCellars.com) 2011: Light yellow color; lovely fragrant/
floral/Vermentino spicy slight mineral quite attractive nose; rather tart spicy/floral/perfumed slight metallic
lush classic Vermentino flavor; very long/lingering floral/spicy/Vermentino finish; some like Tablas version but a
bit more towards the Liguria model but not the salinity; quite a lovely Vermentino. $28.00
______________________
5. BigTableFarm PinotGris WirtzVnyd/WillametteVlly (12.4%; www.BigTableFarm.com; skin contact) Amity/OR
2010: Rather salmon/copper bit orange color; slight reduced/ozone bit oxidized rather orange peel/mango quite
strange nose; rather bitter/tannic weird orange peel/mango/ripe flavor; long rather bitter/tannic orange peel/
mango tart/austere finish; rather interesting but a very/very strange wine; overpriced at $36.00 (BWM)
______________________
6. Casa Zuliani DOC: Malvasia Collio (13.5%) Farro d'Isonzo 2008: Pale yellow color; attractive very fragrant/perfumed
light muscatty rather subtle Malvasia bit pineapple/mango/tropical fruit slight earthy/sauerkraut nose; soft light
earthy/mineral light/subtle muscat/malvasia slight candy/caramel/cotton candy dry slight earthy flavor; med.long
candied/cotton candy/mango/pineapple subtle malvasia totally dry finish; a rather pretty Malvasia. $24.00 (BWM)
______________________
7. Valdesil Montenoro Godello Dd'O: Valdeorras Godello (12.5%; www.Valdesil.com) Ourense/Galicia 2010: Very light yellow
color; attractive/pleasant stoney/mineral somewhat floral/peach blossom nose; soft/fat slight tangy/grapefruity
floral/peach blossom slightly thin some bright/lively flavor; bit thin/weak/lean pretty floral/peach blossom slight
tangy/grapefruity/mineral finish; a pretty if slightly thin white. $18.00 (BWM)
______________________
8. Sleight of Hand TheEnchantress YakimaVlly OldVine Chard (13.4%) 2010: Med.gold color; strong toasty/Fr.oak some
perfumed/aromatic melony/pear/apple/Chard bit earthy nose; soft rich/mouthfilling strong toasty/Fr.oak bit earthy
ripe/appley/melon/pear/Chard flavor; very long strong toasty/Fr.oak light appley/melony/Chard some earthy finish;
not much OldVine character that I can pick up; pleasant enough Chard, but just that. $28.00 (SC)
______________________
9. Velenosi QuerciAntica DOC: LaCrima di Morro d'Alba (12.5%) AscoliPiceno/LeMarche 2009: Dark color; strong black
cherry liqueur/kirsch/boysenberry very intense almost Lambrusco-like/grapey some Refosco-like bit alcoholic/volatile
very intense nose; tart very strongly tannic/rough/hard intense black cherry/liqueur/boysenberry/kirsch/hair oil/
perfumed dry flavor; med.long hard/tannic/rough intense black cherry liqueur/kirsch/boysenberry finish; really
beautiful aromas & flavors but pretty hard/tannic/rough on the palate; needs some age but probably won't outlive
the fierce tannins. $20.00 (BWM)
______________________
10. Badiali DOC: LaCrima di Morro d'Alba (13.5%) SalviaBiancaImports/SantaRosa 2010: Dark color; strong black cherry/
boysenberry more fragrant/perfumed spicy slight earthy nose; soft bit tannic/hard/bitey bit rustic/earthy strong
black cherry/kirsch/bing cherry/boysenberry flavor; med.long strong black cherry/bing cherry/boysenberry slight hard/
tannic/bitey bit rough finish; really nice black cherry character but a bit rough/rustic on the palate. $19.00 (PC)
______________________
11. LuigiGiusti DOC: LaCrima di Morro d'Alba (13%; www.VinityWineCompany.com) Montignano 2009: Dark color; some earthy/
rustic bit hot-climate/goat pen bit volatile/fumey slight black cherry/bing cherry some bretty/rustic nose; soft
rather rustic/goat-pen/hot-climate some nice black/bing cherry bit rough/tannic flavor; med.long hot-climate/goat
pen/unclean/bretty some black/bing cherry earthy/rustic bit tannic/bitey finish; rather rough/rustic/old-timey
Italian character of a wine; probably the least LaC diMorro d'A wine I've had, but some interesting & speaks well
of the grape. $18.00 (WoP)
______________________
12. MarottiCampi Orgiolo DOC: Lacrima di Morro d'Alba Superiore (13.5%; www.MarottiCampi.It) 2009: Med.dark color;
beautiful spicy/peppery/cold-climate some black cherry/bing cherry/boysenberry perfumed slight earthy lovely nose;
smoother very spicy/peppery balanced blackberry/black cherry some tannic/bitey/hard flavor; very long strong black
cherry/blackberry spicy/peppery bit tannic/hard quite interesting; not as strong black/bing cherry character as
some but probably the best most interesting LaCrima I've yet had; well-priced at $21.00 (PMW)
________________________________________________________________________________________
A wee BloodyPulpit:
1. LaCrima di Morro d'Alba: This is a grape that has come out of nowhere, for me. An indigenous variety to the LeMarche
and nothing to do (that I know) w/ Piedmonte. I had my first one last Fall when I saw it on a K&L list and, now,
all of a sudden, am seeing a bunch of them. They have a very strong Refosco-like/floral aroma, some like
Schiopettino or Teroldego. The black/bing cherry character they oft display suggests they could make a really neat
wine w/ all the cherries they grow in the area. Wait....they already do...it's called Visciola.
They should be planting this all over Calif. Alas, not available at FPS. Here's one for you, MattRorick...
talk about a "forlorn hope".
______________________
2. Ryme: This Vermentino comes from FrankMahoney's LasBrisas vnyd in the Carneros. I would guess that it's the
coldest planting of Vermentino in the world. Megan & Ryan (Glaab) make two versions of Vermentino. The "Hers" is
the more conventional of the two; "His" is made w/ extended skin contact as an "orange" wine and strikingly
different, maybe eccentric, in character. Can't go wrong w/ either one.
Tom