Tried this at dinner w/ dessert Sun night:
1. Vignalta Alpianae Fior d'Arancio DOC: ColliEuganei (12%) Lucio Gomiero/Vignalta/Arqua Petrarca 2006: Rather brown/golden/bit reddish color; intense passito/orangey/orange muscat very honeyed/honeycomb beautiful complex nose; soft very rich/lush very sweet very intense passito/grapey/orange muscatty very honeyed/honeycomb some complex beautiful flavor very long/lingering very intense orangey/orange muscat/passito very sweet finish; a beautiful complex passito that'll go on for yrs.
_________________
2. Vignalta Alpianae Fior d'Arancio DOC: ColliEuganei (13.5%) 2003: Rather brown/bronze/bit reddish color; very similar nose but not as intense orange muscat & a bit cedary/pencilly and more complex; softer bit alcoholic less sweet very intense passito less orange muscatty more complex slight cedary/pencilly flavor; very long/lingering similar finish that goes on & on; a stunning dessert wine. $27.00/hlf (CB)
_________________________________________
A wee BloodyPulpit:
1. Nice story about Lucio here: LucioGomiero and here: Gomiero
Lucio is also known as the "King of Radicchio". He is the largest grower of Radicchio in the World and it is even distributed in Italy. Almost certainly, any radicchio you buy in the store is from Lucio. RussParsons tells this story:
LucioRadicchio
The occasion to open these last two of my Alpianae was dinner Sun night in wich I brought to Sue's dessert which was the Loisen Colomba alla' Alpianae, from Darrell Corti. Colomba is the Easter cake that is much like Pannetone at Christmas. This one had the raisins soaked in Alpianae before it was baked. The dessert, served w/ an Orange CremeAnglais was stunning...very/very moist. It's a dessert you must try.
Both of these Alpianae were stunning. The '06 was much more intense orange muscatty. The '03 was a bit less sweet & somewhat more complex. These are as good as any Muscat de Pantelleria passito that I've ever had. A world-class dessert passito worth ordering from CortiBros. And they will probably go another 10-20 yrs.
Tom