by Joe Moryl » Mon Apr 18, 2016 9:43 pm
More or less in order of preference:
2014 La Flor y la Abeja (The Flower and the Bee) Blanco, Ribeiro, Spain: From Gallego producer Coto de Gomariz, 100% Treixadura, this is fragrant, with slightly bitter tangerine notes. Very drinkable. Never had this by itself, mostly as a blend with Alvarino/Alvarhino in various wines from this region and northern Portugal (where it goes by Trajadura) - I think it contributes to the freshness and bitter edge to some of these blends. Biodynamic/minimal intervention.
2012 Santa Valha, Quinta do Sobreiro de Cima, DOC Tras-os-Montes, Portugal: Cheap ass wine ($8.50 for a half bottle in a restaurant), dark as night, mostly Trincadieira, minor parts Toruriga Franca, Touriga Nacional, and Tinta Roriz (aka Tempraniilo). Dark berries, tannins, good length. Needs an hour or so to blossom, but a great example of a cheap bottle from Portugal full of character. Stood up to my dinner of dobrada (tripe with white beans and various pig parts). Might be organic, too.
2014 Il Frappato, Valle Dell'Acate, Vittoria Frappato DOC, Sicily: Thought this might go well with some fancy wood fired pizzas at Nomad Pizza (BYO - Hopewell, NJ), and it did to an extent. Grapey, fragrant, lots of acidity but a little thin. I Seem to have enjoyed previous vintages a bit more. But almost any wine would have been great, eating pizza on a patio on a glorious spring day after a 67 mile bike ride (too many bottles of Cal Chard at surrounding tables).
2013 Pinot Noir, Auten Vineard (Finger Lakes), Eminence Road Farm Winery: Organic, native yeast, unfiltered, unfined, low sulfur, grapes fell off vines into a fermentation vessel. Light color, wretched nose, OK PN flavor profile, but a bit wild. After an hour or two the wine becomes more interesting on the palate, long and nuanced, but the nose remains a problem. A possible case of good grapes let down by dodgy winemaking?