Had a chance to try these two from SteveMatthiasson at RibollaFest a week ago:
1. Matthiasson Refosco MatthiassonVnyd/NapaVlly (13.2%) Napa 2012: Very dark color; very strong plummy/black cherry/boysenberry very spicy perfumed slight dusty/earthy very classic Refosco nose; slightly tart very spicy/peppery/black cherry/plummy light earthy/dusty classic Refosco flavor w/ some firm/structured tannins; very long bit tart classic Refosco/peppery/black cherry/black cherry cola/plummy light earthy/dusty quite aromatic finish w/ modest firm/ripe tannins; not quite as earthy as most Friuli Refoschi but as good as the very best from Friuli; terrific example of Refosco.
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2. Matthiasson Schioppettino MatthiassonVnyd/NapaVlly (11.9%; www.Matthiasson.com) NV ('11-'12): Med.color; very spicy quite peppery/black cherry/black cherry cola/bit DrPepper light earthy/dusty beautiful/classic Schioppettino nose; fairly tart structured very peppery/cracked black pepper/black cherry cola very/very spicy slight dusty quite perfumed lovely flavor w/ modest/angular tannins; very long/lingering very spicy/black pepper/black cherry cola rather tart/structured light dusty finish w/ modest hard/angular tannins; very varietally correct Schioppettino and as good as anything I can recall from Friuli; very/very interesting/peppery red.
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A wee BloodyPulpit:
1. Steve has the only planting (that I know of) of Refosco dal PeduncolaRosso in Calif. This is is 2'nd vintage and the wine is a dandy. There are a number of Calif Refoschi on the market, but I think that they are all the result of the FPS Refosco screwup and are actually Mondeuse. Which is not really a bad thing if you think about it.
There are a few other plantings of Schioppettino in Calif. JohnHoldredge makes one from the RRV.
Both of these, along w/ Teroldego and LaCrima di Morro d'Alba, are varieties that should be being planted all up&down the Coast of Calif. Alas...no one listens to prophets before their time.
I'll be taking a btl of each of these, complments of Steve, to show to some producers in Friuli in October.
Tom