We tried last night (7/29/15) some New Wines:
1. Statti DOC: lamezia (Greco/Malvasia; 12.5%; www.statti.com) Lamezia Terme 2014: Light gold color; rather pretty/
fragrant floral/mango/peach some Malvasia/muscatty quite perfumey nose; fairly tart/metallic some floral/perfumed/
Malvasia/pineapple light/bit washed-out flavor; med.long flowery/Malvasia/peach bit light/dilute finish; a bit
of a lightweight on the palate but lovely aromatics and quite a pretty white at $14.00 (AV)
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2. Statti IGT: Calabria (Greco; 13%) 2014: Light gold color; light/low-key mango/floral more stony/earthy/mineral
rather attractive nose; fairly rich/lush strong mango/floral some earthy/stony/metallic less tart lovely flavor;
very long floral/mango some stony/metallic finish; a very attractive white at a very good price; one of the
best Calabrian whites I've had. $20.00 (AV)
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3. Grosjean PetiteArvine Dd'OP: Vallee d'Aoste (Vigne Rovettaz; L1312; 13.50%; NealRosenthalImpts) Ollignan
2012: Med.gold color; quite fragrant/perfumed pineapple/peach/rather R-like/almost muscatty beautiful aromatic
nose; bit soft very floral/pineapple/peach/R-like light earthy/stony quite perfumed flavor; very long/
lingering bit soft intensely floral/peach/R-like/pineapple slight stony/earthy finish; not as terroir-driven and
very perfumed for a Vd'A white; best PetiteArvine I've ever had. $27.00 (WoP)
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4. Gang of Six plus Two Vermentino CedarLaneVnyd/ArroyoSecco ("Every Citizen Makes an Equal Effort, Crushing
Grapes to Become a Hero") KenZinns+?? 2014: Pale yellow color; some fragrant/floral/Vermentino slight SO2/pungent
somewhat beaten-down nose w/o the usual powerful aromatics of Vermentino; light weight/pleasant floral/Vermentino
bit pineapply/earthy flavor; med.short light floral/Vermentino/pineapple slight earthy finish; speaks quietly
of Vermentino but not the perfume I expected; could be bottle shock if recently bttld. $nc (KZ)
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5. Terroir du Mont-Blanc LeFeu AdP: Vin de Savoie (Cepage Gringet; 12%; www.SelectionMassale.com;
SparklingSavoieWine MethodeTraditionnelle) Dominique Belluard/Ayse 2012: Med.dark gold color; some orangey/figgy/
apple cider distinct phenolic/resiny some appley/pear/quince bit earthy/honeyed rather complex nose; soft/rich/
lush slight phenolic/resiny/cidery rather honeyed/orangey some apple/pear flavor w/ light tannis; very long/
lingering light cidery/resiny/phenolic light apple/pear/quince bit earthy finish w/ very light tannic bite;
clearly made as a skin-contact white and mostly phenolic in the nose but not so much on the palate; quite a
nice balance between phenolic & fruit character; a bit like a Savoie Roussette/Altesse. $50.00 (VO)
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6. Statti DOC: lamezia Rosso (Gaglioppo/GrecoNero/NerelloCappuccio; 13.5%) 2014: Med.color; quite earthy/dusty
bit smokey/rustic slight plummy/black cherry cola/peppery slight cardboardy (non-TCA) nose; rather soft very
earthy/rustic/loamy bit plummy/black cherry/cola/peppery flavor w/ some hard/rough/coarse tannins; med.long
coarse/earthy/loamy/rustic slight black cherry cola/peppery/plummy finish w/ some coarse tannins; some
interesting things therein but pretty much a rustic/coarse peasant red. $14.00 (AV)
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7. Dom.Dupeuble AC: Beaujolais (Unfined w/o SO2; "natural" wine; 50-100 yr old vines) 2012: Med.light color; some
earthy/loamy light Gamay/fruity slight smokey somewhat attractive nose; bit tart slight watery rather earthy/
loamy/dusty light Gamay/fruity flavor w/ light bitey tannins; med. earthy/loamy/dusty light Gamay/fruity bit
dilute finish w/ light/bitey tannins; a pleasant enough Bojo but just that. $16.50 (Enoteca)
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8. Clos des vignes du Maynes Manganite AC: Macon Cruzille (VinBiologique-Agriculture; 11.8%; PercySlctns)
JulienGuillot/Sagy 2013: Med.light color; rather perfumed/fragrant Gamay/cherry/fruity/grapey bit spicy light
earthy nose; bit tart quite perfumed/fragrant very cherry/kirsch/Gamay/fruity slight earthy/loamy flavor w/ light
gentle tannins; very long bright/cherry/kirsch/Gamay/fruity slight earthy lightly tart finish w/ light tannins;
a very pretty Gamay; this is how they'd make BoneJolly in France if they could; pricey at $42.00 (VO)
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9. Casale del Giglio Cesanese IGT-IGP: Lazio Rosso (13%; www.CasaleDelGiglio.It) Paolo Tiefenthaler/Aprilla
2012: Med.dark color; very perfumed/aromatic black cherry/black cherry cola some spicy/peppery almost Muscat-
like bit earthy/licorice lovely nose; bit tart licorice/black cherry/black cherry cola bit earthy/rustic/peppery
quite perfumed flavor w/ some bitey/coarse tannins; med.long some cherry/black cherry/cola/licorice/peppery
slight earthy/rustic finish w/ some coarse/bitey tannins; quite attractive aromatics but a bit rustic on the
palate; almost Sangio-like aromatics but coarse on the palate. $19.00 (WoP)
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10. Foradori Teroldego IGT: Vigneti delle Dolomiti (L.03/13; 13%; www.ElisabettaForadori.com; Louis/DresnerSlctn;
U) Mezzolombardo/trentino 2011: Very dark color; very strong plummy/black cherry/black cherry cola/DrPepper/
classic Teroldego quite spicy bit herbal lovely nose; bit tart quite spicy/black cherry cola/licorice/DrPepper/
plummy slight pungent/tarry flavor w/ some smooth/round tannins; very long/lingering strong black cherry/black
cherry cola/DrPepper/licorice slight earthy/licorice/tarry/herbal finish w/ some modest/round/smooth tannins;
this is as good as Teroldego gets at a great price. $25.00 (WoP)
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11. Casali Maniago Refosco dal PeduncoloRosso DOC: Friuli Colli Orientali (L2495; 12.55) Conte d'Attimas-Maniago/
Buttrio 2011: Pretty horribly corked; nothing but musty/wet cardboard. $18.00 (WoP)
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12. ArPePe DOC: Rosso di Valtellina (Nebbiolo from Sassella/Grumello; 12 mo. in oak; 2500 cs; 13%) Arturo
Pelizzatti Perrego/Sondrio 2012: Light color; classic floral/Nebb/lilacs/violets very slight earthy/pungent/
tarry beautiful perfumed nose; rather tart some floral/lilacs/violets/Nebb very light pungent/tarry flavor
w/ light gentle/slightly bitey tannins; very long/lingering classic Nebb/lilacs/floral/violets slight pungent/
tarry bit earthy/dusty finish w/ light gentle tannins; light for a Valtelline Nebb but the classic soaring
aromatics you want from Nebbiolo; a lovely/lovely Nebb that blows away any Langhe Nebbs to my palate. $36.00 (WoP)
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A more blatherings from TheBlodyPulpit:
1. Statti: Never had these wines before. Really liked the blend in the nose, but it didn't deliver so much on the
palate. The Greco was one of the best I've had from Italy. The red a bit underwhelming.
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2. Gang of 6: This was a btl gifted me by KenZinns at our BayWolf dinner a few weeks ago. Not sure who the other
7 folks are. Presume it was made at HarringtonWnry. It seemed to be a bit beaten down and not as aromatic as I
was expecting. I suspect it was bttld recently and still suffering from btl shock.
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3. Cassale del Giglio: Never had a wine from the Cesanese grape before, the primary red of the Lazio region. It's
claim to fame (according to Wikipedia) is that is was the grape in porn star SavannaSamson's debut wine. It was
tried in Tuscany but discarded because of its "emphatically aromatic" character.
This winery was founded in 1968 to explore the possibilities of viticulture in the Agro Pontino area of
Lazio, a recovered marshland (doesn't sound like primo grape growing area to me). The focus (unfortunately)
seems to have been on international grape varieties, though they have tried some native Lazio grapes.
(www.diwinetaste.com/dwt/en2003074.php)
I was rather impressed w/ this grape because of its aromatics, though it was a bit coarse on the palate.
It's a grape they should be planting all up&down the coast of Calif (you be listening, Matt?). That way,
Savanna could stay at home to make her wine. I'd do a wnry tour any day!!
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4. Gringet: A variety indigenous to the Haut-Savoie. Shown not to be related to Savagnin but may be related to
Altesse. Often made as a sparkling wine. This was the still version. Belluard is apparently the largest holder
of this grape and the only one to make a still version. Quite an interesting wine. Clearly a grape that should
be in MattRorick's repertoire at F-H.
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5. Teroldego: Another grape they should be planting all over Calif. I've been mightly impressed w/ all the
Teroldegos I've had from Trentino...but Elisabetta Foradori is the master when it comes to Teroldego. I
actually prefer this regular Teroldego to her top-of-the-line Granato...at least when they're young. And
this basic Teroldego is not as nuanced and interesting as her vnyd-designate Teroldegos. But for just
lip-smackin' good Teroldego...this is as good as it gets.
Hope to do a visit there in October and show her the Harrington Teroldego, the best yet in Calif.
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6. ArPePe: Back in the '70's, PhilReich/LiquorMart steered me to try the Nebbs of Arturo Pelizzatti.
I was mightly impressed and it was my introduction to Nebbs of the Valtelline and led to my love of those
wines. It was my introduction to Inferno/Grumello/Sassella and Sfursat. That first Sfursat blew me away.
Alas, in the late '70's, those wines disappeared from the Colorado market, never to be seen from
again. Some 5-6 yrs ago up at BoulderWineMerchant, I stumbled upon a btl of Valtelline Nebb carrying the
name ArPePe...a name I didn't recognize. I, of course, had to try it. When I looked closely at the label,
I saw the name Pelizzatti...and this whole flood of memories came back of my first date w/ Veltelline Nebb.
I tried the wine and was mightly impressed (once again). Now run by the children of ArturoPelizzatti
(www.arpepe.com/en/copertina), their wines continue to impress me.
This Rosso was probably the lightest ArPePe Nebb I've tried (light in color be OK for Nebb to my mind),
but it had the soaring aromatics that speaks of Nebb and makes it such a great grape. Hope to do a visit there
in Oct and show them a Ken's DueVigne Nebb from Calif.
Tom