Dinner @ Oenotri w/ MattRorick (6/11)
We tried these three at Oenotri after a drive up from TheCite to Napa:
1. IngridGroiss GemitscherSatz 2015: No TN. A lovely expression of GS from one of my favorite Austrian producers.
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2. Miani Friulano 2011: No TN. Easily the best Miani (of 4-5) that I've tried. Very fragrant/perfumed; quite
taut & structured & bright.
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3. Vin des Seigneurs Coenfer Mayolet DOC: Vallee d'Aoste (12%; Matchvino/Manchester/NH; L143-14) Cooperative de
l'Enfer/Arvier 2013: Med.light color; very fragrant cherry/Pinotish/bright light earthy/loamy rather spicy
nose; lightly tart spicy/Pinotish/cherry/alpine strawberries some earthy/dusty/loamy/mineral light bodied
bright/zippy flavor w/ light gentle tannins; very long light/bright/zippy/tart strong cherry/alpine strawberries/
Pinotish some earthy/mineral/loamy finish w/ light tannins; a lovely refreshing/drinkable red. $50.00 (Oen)
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A wee BloodyPulpit:
1. Matt: This would be MattRorick of Forlorn-Hope fame. Followed him from the very start, I did. He spends much
of his time up in CalaverasCnty where his vnyd/wnry is located on the old Stevenot property. We were lucky
to catch him on a night he was at home in Napa. It was a great opportunity to sit down and chat w/ Matt,
one on one, about a variety of topics. He was lamenting about the amount of time he has to spend on the
marketing of Forlorn-Hope, rather than the vnyd/wnry. As he's one of JonBonne's darlings, I was surprised
to hear this.
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2. Mayolet: I ordered this wine because it's rare to see a Vallee d'Aosta wine, let alone a Mayolet, on a wine
list. TomDorman does a very/very good job w/ the list at Oenotri.
Mayolet is a variety that is indigenous to the Vd'A. Mostly used as a blend w/ PetitRouge. Seldom as a
stand-alone varietal. It has been brought back from near-extinction, but the fussiness in the vnyd (prone
to botrytis) puts it under threat of dying out. This wine comes from the famed Le Crete vnyd. At $20/btl
or less, it's a great value. Available at K&L.
Tom