e tried last night (8/15/12) Some Italian Varietals:
1. Chiarito Zin Estate/Mendocino (15.1%; www.ChiaritoVineyard.com) Ukiah 2007: Dark color; strong raspberry/
Zin Mendo/earthy/tomatoey slight peppery bit pencilly/vanilla/oak slight alcoholic nose; strong smooth/
balanced pretty/raspberry/Zin dusty/Mendo/tomatoey light pencilly/oak flavor w/ light tannins; long bright/
raspberry/Zin/spicy some earthy/tomatoey slight alcoholic light earthy/tomatoey finish w/ modest tannins;
lots of bright Zin/raspberry fruit; quite a pretty Zin. $21.00
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2. Chiarito Zin Estate/Mendocino (14.5%; 4% Nero d'Avola/4% PS; 450 cs) 2009: Med.dark color; stronger black
fruits/blackberry/Zin bit peppery/dusty some tomatoey/earthy/MendoZin attractive nose; strong blackberry/
Zin/spicy light peppery/dusty light oak some tomatoey/earthy/MendoZin bit tannic flavor; long strong/
blackberry/Zin/earthy/tomatoey light oak finish w/ modest tannins; needs several yrs; a bit more rough/
rustic and darker fruits and less tomatoey/earthy/Mendo than the '07; speaks strongly of both MendoCnty
and perhaps SouthernItaly; quite an attractive Zin. $21.00
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3. Chiarito Nero d'Avola Estate/Mendocino (14.8%; 220 cs) 2009: Fairly dark color; deep plummy/licorice/
earthy strong black cherry/spicy/blackberry rather perfumed quite attractive nose; soft/smooth strong
plummy/blackberry/black cherry/licorice slight earthy/rustic flavor w/ modest tannins; long black cherry/
plummy/CherryMash/chocolat covered cherries finish w/ some tannins; no Mendo tomatoey character at all;
rather rich/lush bit rustic quite interesting red. $32.00
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4. Lamuri Nero d'Avola IGT: Sicilia (14%; www.TascaDAlmerita.It) Tasca d'Almerita/Sclafani Bagni
2009: Med.dark color; rather overripe earthy/dusty/plummy very minty/menthol/roasted chile/pungent light
toasty/oak rather menthol/wintergreen/VicksVaporRub/garrigue nose; soft rather earthy/overripe/plummy/
licorice some toasty/oak bit wintergreen/VicksVaporRub flavor w/ light tannins; med.short overripe/earthy/
plummy/licorice some toasty/oak but wintergreen/menthol finish w/ light tannins; seems to be made in a
modern style; lots of overripe/hot-climate character (RO??) but at least it's clean; weird wine.
$21.50 (SFW&S)
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5. Chiarito Negroamaro FoxHillsVnyd/Mendocino (15.1%; 130 cs) 2009: Dark color; quite attractive plummy/
licorice slight menthol/spicy slight cherry/bright light toasty/oak interesting nose; bit tarter
attractive plummy/licorice/spicy/cherry almost Pinot-like light toasty/oak flavor w/ light tannins; long
spicy cherry/cherry cola/licorice/plummy slight rustic/earthy light toasty/oak finish w/ light tannins;
a bit brighter but more rustic than the Nero; quite an attractive red. $32.00
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6. Liveli Passamante DOC: SalicSalentino (Negroamaro; 13.5%; www.Liveli.It) Viticultori:
FamigliaFalvo/Cellino San Marco 2009: Med.light color; very overripe/raisened bit volatile leathery/
earthy/dusty quite coarse/rustic old-timey Italianate nose; soft rather overripe/hot-climate dusty/
leathery/earthy rather coarse/rustic old-timey flavor w/ little tannins; short overripe/hot-climate
slight cherry/earthy/leathery earthy/coarse finish w/ little tannins; lots of overripe/raisened character
but no alcohol (RO??); coarse/rustic old-timey Italian red; overpriced at $14.00 (AV)
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7. Rosa d'OroVnyds Sangiovese ClearLake/LakeCnty (9 brls; 13.5%) 2009: Med.light color; quite attractive very
spicy/cherry/Sangio very fragrant lighgt oak bit Italianate/rustic nose; fairly tart bright/spicy/cherry/
cherry cola/Sangio very light oak very pretty flavor w/ light tannins; long bright/very spicy/cherry/cherry
cola/Sangio light oak finish w/ light tannins; quite a pretty and varietally-correct Sangio; light and
almost like a Pinot in style; one of the better Calif Sangios I've had at a very good price. $20.00
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8. LaSpinetta IlNero di Casanova IGT: Toscana Sangiovese Rosso (EB; 13.5%) Terricciola 2006: Very dark color;
very strong charred/burnt/oak some funky/earthy nose w/ little Sangio fruit; rather tart some tannic/bitey/
hard strong burnt/charred/oak quite international-style flavor w/ very little fruit; long charred/burnt/toasty/
oak rather hard/tannic flavor; needs age but why bother; very international in style w/ any Sangio fruit
completely obliterated by the oak. $25.00 (KK)
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9. Tenute Loacker Brillando IGT: Toscano Rosso Sangiovese (14%; www.Loacker.Net) CortePavone/Montalcino
2007: Very dark color; bit menthol/graphite/ozone/pungent/burning iron/overheated brake shoe/4th of July
sparkler some earthy/funky/strange nose w/ little Sangio fruit; tart rather hard/tannic funky/graphite/
pungent/ozone/iron foundry very light cherry/Sangio fruit flavor; long rather hard/tannic pungent/ozone/
burning graphite/sparkler/burning metal slight goat pen/unclean slight cherry/Sangio finish; needs age
I suppose; a bit of Sangio fruit in there but swamped w/ all the other weird stuff. $22.00 (KK)
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10. Amnesia Zin by MX H&L Vnyd/StHelena/NapaVlly (14.9%; Planted in 1980; www.MXWines.com; 125 cs) 2009: Med.
color w/ light bricking; very ripe/overripe rather volatile/hot/alcoholic quite ripe/blackberry/Zin some
oak nose; soft rather hot/overripe herbal/blackberry/Zin some toasty/oak flavor w/ some tannins; med.long
rather fumey/hot/alcoholic some earthy/blackberry/Zin toasty/oak bit tannic finish; way too hot/fumey/
overripe; hard to believe it's a MX wine. $nc (MX)/$45.00
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And the usual BloodyPulpit:
1. Chiarito Zins: I oftentimes find a flavor & aroma in lighter MendoCnty/UkiahVlly Zins that reminds me a lot
of tomato sauce. Maybe it's that "terroir" thing. It was particularly evident in the '07 Zin. The 8%
addition to the '09 gave it more bass notes, but tomatos were still there. I actually thought the two Zins
were really rather pretty...quite attractive. They reminded me a lot of the Parducci Zins I recall from
the '70's.
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2. Chiarito: This is JohnChiarito, located just south of Talmadge in the UkiahVlly on MillCreekRd. I've driven
by the vnyd (unmarked) any number of times on my way up to see CaseyHartlip. John is the first in Calif to
produce both Nero d'Avola and Negroamaro, prompted by his father's origins in SouthernItaly. He has planted
another vnyd over on the NW side of the Ukiah to expand his production of SouthernItalian varieties. If first
found out about John when he posted in a blog thread about the difficulties of selling obscure varietals and he
cited his Nero d'Avola. Say whot?? I didn't know that was being grown in Calif. Took a look at his WebSite and
then ordered some to try.
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3. Rosa d'Oro: I've tried most of PietroButtitta's Rosa d'Oro wines over the last few months. He focused on
Italian varieties. The wines are not big/blockbuster/in-your-face kind of wines (i.e. no big scores out of
Monktown). They are more elegant and very good at capturing their varietal character (at least as I recognize
the varietal character to be). Very nicely made wines at very fair prices; some of the best coming out of
LakeCnty I think.
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4. Nero d'Avola/Negroamaro: I've tried a fair number of these from Sicily & Apuglia. Not particularly impressed
w/ what I've tried. They seem rather hit or miss. These two from Chiarito were quite interesting and make
me think they should be being pursued in Calif. But, then...I've said that about Freisa/Teroldego/Refosco/
Marzemino/Brachetto/Tazzalenghe/etc as well. Nobody gives a rat's a$$ what I say to plant!!!
Tom