Tried last week (5/13/15) Some Italian/Calif Red Wines:
1. HeringerEstates Teroldego Clarksburg (14.5%; 24 mo. in Fr.&Am. oak; 360 cs; EB; www.HeringerEstates.com)
2012: Med.dark color; strong plummy/blackberry/black cherry bit earthy/loamy slight alcoholic some smokey/
toasty/oak quite attractive nose; rather tart strong plummy/black cherry/blackberry bit alcoholic light toasty/
oak flavor w/ light/firm tannins; long rather tart strong plummy/black cherry/Teroldego light toasty/oak
bit angular finish w/ light/tight tannins; fairly tart for a red from the ClarksburgDelta; quite a nice
Teroldego and the best Heringer wine I've yet had. $35.00
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2. Harrington Teroldego FratelliVnyd/SantaVlaraVlly (14.1%; 50 cs) 2013: Dark color; lovely black cherry/black
cherry cola/licorice/plummy/boysenberry slight citric/grapefruity chocolate covered cherries quite perfumed
nose; softer bit tangy/metallic strong black cherry cola/blackberry/chocolate covered cherries/spicy structured
flavor w/ ample/hard tannins; very long/lingering black cherry cola/spicy/chocolate covered cherries/licorice
aromatic/spicy finish w/ some hard tannins; a lovely Calif expression of Teroldego; lacks the stony minerality
of the Trentino versions, but quite a good Teroldego at a great price. $25.00
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3. Harrington Sangiovese 50% FratelliVnyd/SantaCruzMtns 50% SilettoVnyd/SanBenitoCnty (14.1%; 50 cs) 2013: Med.color;
some dusty/earthy bright cherry/Sangio bit metallic some strawberry/floral pleasant nose; quite tart rather
lean/metallic very tangy light strawberry/cherry flavor w/ some lean/hard tannins; very long classic cherry/Sangio/
strawberry very tart/tangy/lean/bit austere finish w/ lean/hard tannins; needs 4-8 yrs of age; quite attractive
aromatics but rather lean/hard on the palate; one of the better Sangios I've had. $25.00
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4. DavidCoffaro Lagrein DryCreekVlly/SonomaCnty (EB; 15.o%; U/U; 150 cs) 2013: Very dark color; very strong
vanilla/Am.oak rich/plummy/black cherry/blackberry/licorice quite fragrant/perfumed nose; somewhat tart strong
vanilla/Am.oak rather rich/lush black cherry/plummy/licorice/pungent quite perfumed flavor w/ ample hard/rough
tannins; very long/lingering strang Am.oak/vanilla strong black cherry/plummy/licorice/Lagrein finish w/ some
hard/rough tannins; lots of Lagrein perfume and quite big for a Coffaro red; needs a few yrs yet; one of the
better Calif Lagreins I've had. $35.00
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5. Poderi Colla DOC: Nebbiolo d'Alba (13.5%; EB) 2009: Med.light color; some floral/lilacs/rose petal/spicy light
tarry/pungent rather perfumed/insecticide/aromatic nose; quite tart/lean/metallic/tangy light floral/lilacs/Nebb/
rose petal slight tarry flavor w/ light hard/bitey/astringent tannins; very long light floral/lilacs/rose petal/
Nebb slight tarry/pungent quite tart/lean/austere finish w/ light/very astringent tannins; a mean little wine
that I'm not sure will benefit from age. $24.00 (WH)
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6. IlPodere dell'Olivos Nebbiolo SBC (TW) 1988: Med.dark color; lovely fragrant/perfumed some pencilly/cedary/oldRed
some Nebb/rose petal/floral slight tarry/pungent beautiful/aromatic complex nose; lightly tart rather cedary/
pencilly/oldRed quite perfumed/floral/rose petal/violets/Nebb complex flavor w/ light/gentle tannins; very long/
lingering perfumed/rose petal/violets/Nebb slight tarry/pungent lightly tart finish w/ light/smooth tannins;
has all the soaring aromatics you want in an old Nebb; much like an old Gattinara; easily the best of the
IlPoderes and about the best mature Calif Nebb I've tried. $9.00
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7. IlPodere dell'Olivos Nebbiolo SBC (12.5%) 1989: Med.color w/ some bricking; slight bretty/wet dog fur/wet wool/
funky rather cedary/pencilly/tobaccoy/oldRed slight tarry/pungent nose w/ little Nebb fruit; some wet dog fur/
wet wool/funky slight tarry/smokey bit tangy/metallic/dried out flavor w/ light/bitey tannins; med.long rather
cedary/pencilly/tobaccoy/oak/oldRed slight tarry somewhat funky/wet wool/wet dog fur tangy/metallic finish w/
light/hard/bitey tannins; rather on the funky side and not a lot of Nebb character and drying out some. $9.00
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8. IlPodere dell'Olivos Parabola Nebbiolo SBC (12.5%; "Defying the Space/Time Continuum") NV ('86-'88-'89-'90):
Med.color w/ some bricking; quite strong tarry/pungent/rose petal/Nebb slight earthy/wet wool/funky some
smokey/cedary/oldRed rather perfumed nose; bit tart/tangy/metallic/lean light floral/rose petal bit tarry/pungent
very slight funky/wet wool bit complex flavor w/ light/drying/astringent tannins; very long very cedary/pencilly/
oldRed/smokey light floral/rose petal/Nebb/tarry strong toasty/smokey/oak finish w/ light/astringent/bitey tannins;
some like an old/tired Gattinara; the Parabola I had w/ SamBilbro two months ago was much better, very youthful.
$8.00
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9. Palmina Nebbiolo SBC (14.9%; www.PalminaWines.com) Lompoc 2007: Med.light color; strong black cherry/black
cherry cola/licorice light floral/lilacs/Nebb excellent nose that speaks only quietly of Nebb; bit soft some
tangy/metallic strong black cherry cola light floral/lilacs/spicy/licorice interesting flavor w/ light/hard
tannins; long strong black cherry/black cherry cola/cherry cough syrup light floral/lilacs/Nebb bit toasty/oak
slight pungent/tarry finish w/ light/firm/hard tannins; very much a Calif expression of Nebb that speaks quietly
of Nebb and not the perfumey/aromatic side of Nebb; a very good Calif red. $32.00 (WH)
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10. Palmina Nebbiolo HoneaVnyd/SantaYnezVlly (14.9%) 2007: Med.color; some toasty/oak more pungent/tarry strong black
cherry/black cherry cola very light floral/lilacs/Nebb fairly rich/lush nose; bit tarter strong black cherry cola/
licorice some pungent/tarry toasty/oak fairly rich/lush/ripe slight earthy/dusty flavor w/ ample/hard tannins;
very long rich/ripe strong black cherry/black cherry cola light floral/lilacs light tarry/pungent some toasty/oak
structured finish w/ ample/hard/firm tannins; not as perfumed Nebb and bigger/more structured and more oak;
needs 4-10 yrs; very Calif red that speaks quietly of Nebb; pretty pricey for what it is. $73.00 (WH)
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11. Palmina Savoia SBC RW (14.9%; 50% Nebbiolo/25% Barbera/25% Syrah; www.PalminaWines.com) 2010: Med.dark color;
very strong black cherry cola/blackberry/Syrah/dusty/spicy some toasty/smokey/oak quite perfumed lovely nose;
fairly tart very strong black cherry cola/RCCola/strawberry/blackberry/Syrah some toasty/charred/oak ripe flavor
w/ some hard tannins; very long/lingering perfumed/black cherry cola/blackberry/Syrah some toasty/oak spicy/
structured finish w/ ample hard tannins; a big/structured red that speaks mostly of Syrah but gets a bit
of an aromatic lift from the Nebb; quite a good SBC red that needs 4-8 yrs; pricey at $65.00.
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12. Albarela MametePrevostini DOCG: Sforzato di Valtellina (15%; www.MametePrevostini.com) Crotasc/Mese 2009:
Med.light color; strong burning metal/pungent/ozone very burnt/charred light floral/violets/Nebb rather earthy
very strange nose; bit tart/lean some burning metal/burnt/charred light floral/lilacs/Nebb mineral/granitic
rather austere bit alcoholic flavor w/ light/hard tannins; long light/floral/lilacs/Nebb burnt/charred some
earthy/mineral/granitic finish w/ light/hard tannins; a rather strange Sfursat but speaks only quietly of Nebb
and not much late harvesty character; an interesting wine but I've had better Sfursats. $55.00 (CB)
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And more stuff from TheBloodyPulpit:
1. Teroldego: A variety that originated in the Trentino. It is the parent of Marzemino and Lagrein. It is also
an Aunt/Uncle of Syrah as well. It's a variety that makes some very interresting wines in the hands of
ElisabettaForadori in Trentino.
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2. FratelliVnyd: Unfortunately for BryanHarrington, this is the last hurrah for his wines from Fratelli. The vnyd
was pulled last year to make room for more housing. Too bad...he made some very interesting wines from there.
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3. Sangiovese: This variety has been shown to be a cross of Ciliegiolo/Tuscany and Calabrese Montenuovo/Calabria.
The former is very rare in Tuscany (I just picked up a btl of this varietal in Denver) and the latter is near-
extinct in Calabria. Where the crossing took place is anybody's guess.
The Sangiovese in the Siletto vnyd is of the Brunello clone, one of the highest regarded clones of Sangio.
We have been told, of course, that Sangio is a failure in Calif. Certainly in view of the early enthusiasm for
the grape & the declining acreage, this would be true. The Calif renditions usually capture the pretty cherry
Sangio fruit on the nose. But on the palate they can often be pretty hard/acidic & tannic. This Harrington
was much like that...very pretty nose, but hard on the palate. Maybe time will help.
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4. Nebbiolo: Just coming off tasting a lot of Calif Nebbs at NEB#5, it was interesting to taste these Nebbs. The
IlPodere Nebbs are always on the rather austere/hard/tannic side, even though Jim ages the 4-5 yrs in (neutral)
oak. The '88 was mightly impressive and fully mature. I'd not had the Palmina Nebbs in a number of yrs. I liked
all three a lot, but thought they were not as expressive of Nebb as the IlPoderes.
In Nebbiolo, the tannin management is a big problem. In the AltoPiemonte, they can often overcome that
w/ blending; Vespolina or Croatina. Some of the Nebbs at NEB#5 I thought did a pretty good job in the tannin
management. The problem w/ blending is that it can often overwhelm the delicate/aromatic side of Nebb. I've
often thought Syrah would be a good blender w/ Nebb.
Emilio often makes fun of me (as I often make fun of his Fukuoka-farmed vnyd) as not being a sufficient
tannin pig to truly appreciate Nebbiolo. Maybe he's right. I think that, oftentimes, people love the hard/rugged/
fearsome tannins of Nebbiolo because they just "know" the wine will develop into a great one once the tannins
resolve. Sometimes yes...sometimes no. But I think they often just like the pain. If I had five cents for every
time I've tasted a Langhe Nebbiolo and whined about the hard tannins and then been scolded that the wine is too
young and needs age...then I'd be a very rich man.
Tom