We tried last Wed (2/13/19) Some New Whites:
1. Ser Dry Riesling WirzVnyd/CienegaVlly (13%; 160 cs; www.SerWinery.com) NicoleWalsh/SantaCruz 2017: Light
gold color; some pineapple/mango/R/floral rather gout de petrol/Mosel valve oil quite fragrant bit Mosel-
like lovely R nose; quite tart/tangy some steely/metallic some floral/mango/R some gout de petrol maybe
bit off-dry (0.5% r.s.?) brisk/nervy flavor very long/lingering some floral/mango/R rather mineral/steely/
valve oil very tart/tangy finish; a rather nervy/wirey R w/ very good petrol character; bit more
interesting than the Bedrock. $26.00
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2. Bedrock Riesling WirzVnyd/CienegaVlly (Plntd: 1963; Dry farmed/own rooted; Tended by PatWirz; Aged:
neutral Fr.oak cask; Drk: 2019-2028: MTP) 2017: Med.gold color; stronger floral/R/mango/pineapple light
chalky light Mosel valve oil/petrol light earthy very attractive nose; fairly tart/tangy bit softer
stronger floral/R/mango maybe a bit off-dry slight chalky/metallic very light petrol quite attractive
flavor; very long strong pineapple/R/floral/mango slight petrol/Mosel valve oil rather tangy/metallic
slight perfumed talc finish; more fragrant floral R character and less petrol than the Ser, but quite
a lovely R that avoids tutti-fruity territory; well-priced at $22.00
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3. NavarroVnyds Riesling Deep-EndBlend AndersonVllyMendo (13.2%; Hrvstd: 10/7/17; SaH: 22.5 Brix; RS: 0.66%;
TA: 0.9%, pH: 3.15; www.NavarroWine.com) Philo 2017: Med.light yellow color; very strong fruity/floral/
R/pineapple/mango very fragrant/perfumed very light Mosel valve oil light earthy/stony loads of R fruit
almost GWT nose; lightly tart very strong floral/R/pineapple/mango/fruity slightly off-dry loads of R
fruit flavor; very long fairly rich some tart/tangy bit off-dry very strong R/fruity/floral/mango/pineapple
finish;loads of lush R fruit w/ good balance of acidity; a lovely R. $nc (CH)/$29.00
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3a. Solminer DryRiesling CoquelicotVnyd/LosOlivosDist (124 cs; 12.7%; www.Solminer.com) Lompoc 2017: Med.light
gold color; very fragrant/perfumed R/floral/mango/pineapple very light petrol/Mosel valve oil quite
attractive nose; quite tart/tangy bit metallic/chalky/perfumed talc totally dry strong R/pineapple/mango
fairly rich flavor; very long rather tart/tangy/slight metallic/steely strong floral/R/mango/pineapple
slight perfumed talc/chalky very dry bit rich/lush quite attractive finish; a bit on the simple side now
but should put on weight; bit lean/austere and some like a Sudtirol R than anything. $34.00
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4. Wieninger Riesling ViennaHills Wiener Wein (12.5%; Q/Trocken; www.WineBow.com) Weingut Wieninger/Wien
2016: Light gold color; some metallic/steely light mango/R/pineapple some gout de petrol/Mosel valve
oil quite attractive youthful nose; quite tart/tangy bit steely/metallic strong R/mango/pineapple some
petrol/Mosel valve oil bit chalky/earthy/stony brisk flavor; very long/lingering strong pineapple/mango/
R/steely/metallic very tart/tangy some petrol/Mosel valve oil finish; lots of bracing acidity but not at
all lean & eviscerated; should go out 10 yrs or more; a lovely Wien/Wein at a great price; my easy
favorite of all the R's. $24.00 (AV)
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5. clemenbusch Riesling trocken (alter)native Landwein der Mosel (11.5%; Unfltrd; Biodynamic; Louis/Dressner;
clemens-busch.de) Weingut Clemens Busch/Punderich 2016: Light yellow color w/ lots of tiny bubbles that
dissapate rapidly; quite yeasty bit funky very light R/pineapple slight 7Up/Sprite/citric nose w/ scant
R character; some frizzante rather yeasty very slight R/floral/citric fairly tart/tangy/metallic rather
vapid flavor; short quite yeasty fizzy very slight pineapple/R rather vapid flavor; lots of yeasty
character and rather vapid on the palate; supposed to be a pet-nat??; way to "natural" for my palate and
very atypical R. $27.00 (AV)
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6. Immich-Batterieberg Riesling Enkircher Ellergrub/Mosel (11.5%; Q; A.P.Nr. 2 581 397 05 15; Louis/Dressner;
www.Batterieberg) 2014: Med.light gold color; light floral/R/pineapple slight funky/earthy rather strange
non-German R nose; lightly tart/tangy bit off-dry slight R/floral/pineapple some funky slight mousey
somewhat dull flavor; med. light pineapple/R/floral bit funky/mousey some hantavirus finish w/ unpleasant
wet dog fur aftertaste that ruins this wine; way overpriced and not very characteristic of Mosel R.
$45.00 (AV)
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7. Bedrock Compagni-Portis SonomaVlly/SonomaCnty WW (14.2%; Plntd: 1954; Dry farmed; Tended: Phil Coturri;
71 cs; GWT/TrousseauGris/Riesling/RoterVeltliner) 2017: Med.gold color; strong perfumey low-key/GWT/lychee/
floral bit Mosel valve oil rather spicy quite levely nose; fairly tart/tangy low-key/GWT/lychee/floral very
slight phenolic/tannic slightly bitter rather attractive floral flavor; very long/lingering quiet/low-key/
GWT/lychee/bit floral slightly bitter slight phenolic/tannic finish; an attractive generally floral
mild-mannered lychee/GWT rather pretty white w/ maybe a slight skin contact. $30.00
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8. Carlisle TheDerivative f'(x) SonomacNTY ww (13.8%; 40% Muscadelle/38% Colombard/21% Semillon/
1% Palamino; 150 CS) 2016: Med.yellow color; very fragrant/perfumed lightly muscatty some floral/peach
blossom quite lovely nose; very lightly tangy slight muscatty/floral/peach blossom bit earthy quite
pleasant floral flavor; very long/lingering lightly muscatty some floral/peach blossom slight earthy
fairly tart/rich finish; quite a pretty/attractive white that reminds me a bit of Friulano. $23.00
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9. Savage Grace GWT Orange OakRidgeVnyd/Columbia Gorge (16 days skin contact; 12.7%) 2017: Light orange/bit
amber color; fairly strong GWT/lychee/spicy/rose petal light phenolic/resiny quite orangey some complex
quite attractive nose; fairly tart/tangy rather phenolic/resiny slightly bitter bit orangey some light
GWT/lychee/rose petal flavor; very long/lingering some orangey fairly phenolic/resiny slightly bitter
some lychee/GWT/rose petal finish; lots of GWT aromatics in the nose w/ strong phenolic character on
the palate; nice balance between GWT fruit & phenolic character. $27.00 (vSC)
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10. Forlorn-Hope Faufreluches GWT HillVnyd/RRV (12.88%; 147 cs; Frmtd on skins 2 weeks; Aged: 10 mo. in neutral
barrique + 1 yr in btl) 2014: Light amber color; bit cloudy/suspended sediment; rather low-key/GWT/
lychee strong resiny/phenolic/skin-contact some appley bit orangey bit complex nose; very strong skin-
contact/phenolic/resiny bit bitter/tannic very light GWT/lychee some austere/tannic flavor; very long
rather skin-contact/resiny/phenolic light lychee/GWT/rose petal/spicy slightly bitter bit complex finish;
lots of phenolic/skin-contact character and speaks only quietly of GWT; somewhat on the austere side and
badly needs some age. $32.00
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11. Bedrock GWT AltaVistaVnyd/MoonMtnDist/SonomaCnty (13.5%; Plntd: 1940's) 2017: Med.light yellow color;
strong fragrant/perfumed GWT/lychee/rose petal/bit cheap hair oil quite spicy lovely nose; lightly tart
slightly bitter fairly dry pleasant/mild-mannered/GWT/lychee/rose petal/floral fairly lush very attractive
flavor; very long/lingering attractive/GWT/floral/rose petal/spicy/lychee slightly tart rather lush/ripe
finish; a rather mild-mannered expression of GWT but quite pretty; a bit pricey at $35.00
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12. Kaltern GWT Campaner DOC: Sudtirol/AltoAdige (15%; www.KellereiKaltern.It; EnotecImports/Denver) Caldero
2015: Med.light gold color; intense GWT/hair oil/lychee/rose petal slight alcoholic bit earthy some complex
nose; somewhat soft rather bitter very strong/intense GWT/rose petal/lychee/cheap hair oil slight stony/earthy
flavor; very long intense GWT/rose petal/lychee/hair oil rather bitter some alcoholic slight stony/chalky
finish; loads of intense GWT fruit but somewhat overripe and bitter. $25.20 (SFW&S)
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13. Bevela Teroldego LeBonClimatVnyd/SBCnty (13.5%; www.BevelaWines.com) SantaMaria 2012: Very dark color;
very strong toasty/Fr.oak/pencilly very strong Tero/black cherry/black cherry cola slight boysenberry/
peppery/big fruit classic Tero quite fragrant nose; some tart/tangy very strong Tero/black cherry cola/
boysenberry strong pencilly/Fr.oak almost Burgundian bit complex flavor w/ some ripe/hard tannins; very
long/lingering quite structured very strong Tero/black cherry cola/boysenberry strong pencilly/Fr.oak/
toasty some complex finish w/ some ripe/crunchy tannins; needs 4-8 yrs of age; speaks strongly of Tereldego
variety w/ the signature ABC Pinot oak; this is how ElisabettaForadori would make Teroldego in SantaBarbara
if she could. $31.20 (WB10)
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14. Foradori Teroldego IGT: Vigneti delle Dolomiti (12%; L.06/15; Louis/Dressner; www.ElisabettaForadori.com;
EB) Mezzolombardo/Trentino 2013: Dark color; slight funky/earthy/dusty very strong Tero/black cherry/black
cherry cola/spicy/peppery slight licorice fairly complex nose; quite tart/tannic angular/hard strong black
cherry/cola/Tero/boysenberry/spicy some earthy/dusty structured bit rustic complex flavor w/ ample hard/
crunchy tannins; very long/lingering very strong black cherry/cola/boysenberry/bit licorice/peppery bit
rustic/hard structured finish w/ ample hard/rough tannins; needs more age; classiv Elisabetta Teroldego
but a bit in the rustic side; not at the level of her vnyd-designate Teroldegos but very good Teroldego at
a very good price. $34.00
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More kipfasnoot from TheBloodyPulpit:
1. Two dogs of a R from Louis/Dressner. Both "natural" wines and pretty funky to my palate. Devoid of R character.
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2. WirzVnyd: Located in the NE part of the CienegaVlly. Some very good wines come from this vnyd and it's
one of the best R vnyds in Calif. Great video of ChrisCotrell interviewing PatWirz:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wswaULfibs The mustache is something to behold.
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3. 1. Bevela is the label of Kris & Marisa Beverly. She is the niece of JimClendennen/AuBonClimat:
BevelaWine
Bevella
Jim was the first to plant & produce Tereldego yrs ago under his IlPodere label. When Marisa joined the
ABC winemaking team, Jim turned over his Teroldego project to her as her own project. She had just released
the '12 vintage at a great price on the recent WineBerserkersDay10 offering, so I jumped on it and ordered
hlf a case, sight unseen.
For my first tasting of this '12, I thought I'd put Marisa up, mano a mano, against the master of Tereldego,
ElisabettaForadori. Quite different winemaking styles. Elisabetta ferments in tall clay amphora (made by
Jose Padilla in Spain; widely regarded as the master) with extended skin contact. She farms BioDynamic and,
being in the Louis/Dresner portfolio, can be regarded as a "natural" winemaker. Yet I've never found her wines
to show any of that funky character that can plague "natural" wines. Her fermenting room, w/ amphorae as far as
the eye can see, is amazing. But her Teroldegos stand heads&shoulders above any produced on the RotilianoPlain
in Trentino.
I was confident that Marisa would equip herself well against Elisabetta. I generally prefer Elisabetta's
basic Terodego to her top-end Granato, though I prefer her vnyd-designate Teroldegos. I was kinda surprised
at the rather rustic/rough character it was showing in this '13. But it was classic Teroldego on the nose.
The Bevela had loads of pure Teroldego fruit, but w/ the imprint of the ABC Pinot Fr.oak. I thought this
sorta cluttered up the purity of the Teroldego, though gave it more complexity. I think I'd have preferred
it w/ a bit less oak. But Marissa's Teroldego is very much world-class Teroldego.
She also makes a bit of Syrah that is very/very good. And a Teroldego/Syrah blend which I've not had.
A top-notch winemaker to watch. I'd love to see what she can do w/ Schioppettino/Refosco, and LaCrima.
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4. Navarro: This was a pre-release btl that CaseyHartlip picked up for me to try from the wnry. Not sure if
it has been released yet or not. This is a new Riesling for Navarro and another in a long line of
outstanding Navarro R & GWT over the yrs.
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5. SerWnry: This is a relatively new wnry to me. ISer in Spanish means expression of origins. I had tried her
Graciano and CabernetPfeffer a month ago and really liked them, so ordered some of her other wines to try.
"Her" is Nicole Walsh. She is a winemaker for RandallGrahm at BonnyDoon. She returned from NewZealand
to assist Randall in developing his Popeluchum vnyd down in San Juan Batista. I'm looking forward to trying
her other wines as well. A winemaker to watch.
Tom
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