Tried three Cal-Itals (hate that name) over the weekend:
1. Rhyme Vermentino LasBrisasVnyd/Carneros (Hers; 13.1%; http://www.RymeCellars.com) 2011: Pale yellow color; fragrant steely/stoney/mineral/metallic slight pear/herbal quite aromatic nose; very tart/tangy/lean steely/stoney/mineral/chalky light pear/spicy flavor; long sttely/flinty/metallic/stoney finish; all about steel & stone; a clean crisp bright mineral white that screams of Vermentino.
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2. Chiarito Nero d'Avola Estate/Mendocino (14.8%; http://www.ChiaritoVineyard.com) 2009: Very dark color; strong earthy/plummy/boysenberry/black cherry cola bit leathery/herbal/oregano slight pungent/graphite/burning brake shoe bit smokey/vanilla/oak quite interesting/unusual nose; soft rather hard/tannic/rough/rustic strong plummy/black cherry/boysenberry some pungent/graphite/herbal/4th of July fireworks quite interesting flavor; med.long rather rough/hard/tannic strong plummy/black cherry/earthy finish; needs 2-5 yrs; a quite interesting rather rough/rustic kind of red that certainly speaks of Nero d'Avola. $22.00
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3. Chiarito Negroamaro FoxHillVnyds/Mendocino (15.1%) Ukiah 2009: Very dark color; strong very plummy/black cherry/black fruits quite lush/fragrant light vanilla/oak quite attractive nose; soft lush very plummy/black fruits/licorice slight earthy light vanilla/oak bit tannic/hard some spicy/rosemary quite attractive flavor; long soft slightly tannic/hard very strong plummy/black fruits/licorice slight pungent/tarry/earthy some vanilla/oak finish; needs several yrs; quite an attractive plummy red that speaks of the grape, maybe the terroir, but not of winemaking. $22.00
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A wee BloodyPulpit:
1. Hers: Ryan & Megan Glaab make two Vermintinos from FrankMahoney's LasBrisas vnyd in the Carneros...probably about the coldest Vermentino vnyd in the world. "Hers" is made in stainless by conventional fermentation to capture the essential fruit of the Vermentino. "His" his made w/ skin-contact and a much different wine in style. Both are quite good.
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2. Chiarito: This would be John Chiarito up near Talmadge. I probably drove by his vnyd any number of times on my way up to visit CaseyHartlip.
John recently posted on someone's (Heimhoff?) blog about his work w/ Italian varieties. I took a look-see at his WebSite (http://www.ChiaritoVineyard.com), liked what I saw, and ordered a half-case of his wines to try. These are the first two I've tasted.
John is the first producer of both of these SouthernItalian varieties. Nero d'Avola is native to Sicily and Negroamaro mostly found in Puglia. Compared to many of the Italian versions I've tried; these are quite well-made, do not show the unclean winemaking many of them have, and show no signs of that hot-climate/goat-pen character many of those show. The Chiaritos speak of SouthernItaly with a Calif accent; presumably John's intent. Of these two, my preference was the Negroamaro. More black fruit and not as hard/tannic/rustic on the palate.
The UkiahVlly reds tend to have a slightly earthy/tomatoey character. These two varieties may very well have found their ideal home in the UkiahVlly.
Will Nero d'Avola and Negroamaro be the next big thing in Calif and rescue Mendocino from the wine doldroms?? I seem to doubt it. But these first two examples tried here shure indicate the grapes have the potential to make some interesting wines. There's a place for them in Calif I think.
Tom