Tried this a week ago at Pizzeria Diavola/Geyserville:
1. Testa Longa Bianco (100% Vermentino w/ extended skin contact; 13%; L012; LouisDresner) Antonoi Perrino Dolceacqua/Liguria NV (2012?): Med.gold/burnished bronze rather cloudy color; rather phenolic/cidery smokey/earthy/dusty bit orangey/honeyed complex nose; quite tart quite phenolic/cidery lean/hard slight floral/Vermentino complex flavor w/ some hard/astringent tannins; very long austere/tart quite phenolic/cidery slight floral/Vermentino finish w/ hard/austere/astringent tannins; not a very fun wine to taste by itself; very phenolic/austere/tannic.
$56.00
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A wee BloodyPulpit:
1. This was a pretty classic example of a white wine subjected to extensive skin contact....quite phenolic & tannic and not a pleasure at all to taste on its own. It reminded me some of RyanGlaab's/Ryme Vermentino "His" but much harsher than his. However, with the FrittoMisto Verdura, the food really knocked back the phenolic character and reigned in this wine quite a lot. And worked quite well w/ the pizza as well. This kind of extended skin-contact white badly needs food to be enjoyable. I suspect it will age into something really special...if anybody puts any away. Not a wine that'll play well in Monktown or Alameda. Quite a unique & special wine.
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2. SarahWareham is the lady in charge of the wine at Diavola. She does an amazing job w/ their wine list and there's always several things on it I'm dying to try. It's really hard to decide there. If you've not tried PizzeriaDiavola in Geyserville, you've not really had pizza. A very exceptional menu.
By coincidence, the next day, whilst tanking up w/ gas in Healdsburg, the guy in front of me was driving a Diavola van. I gushed enthusiastically about the meal there the night before to him. He seemed quite pleased and mentioned he was the father of Diavola's owner, Dino Buciga.
DiavolaPizzeria
If you live within 500 miles of Geyserville, definitely worth a trip.
Tom