We tried tonight (8/15/19) at BacchusBadBoys: ABC (Anything But Chard):
1. Ancilla Lugana DOC: Lugana (13%; www.AncillaLugana.It; ToscoImprts) Benedetti Luisella/
Villafranca di Verona 2017: Pale gold color; quite fragrant floral/carnations/cardamon
slight chalky very pretty aromatic nose; fairly tart very floral/carnations/cardamon bit
lemony/chalky light stony/mineral lovely flavor; very long bright/floral/carnations finish;
a very pretty wine and maybe the best Lugana I can recall. $27.00 (EVN)
________________
2. LeMorette Lugana Benedictus DOC: Lugana (13.5%; ToscoImpts) Valerio Zenato/Peschiera del Garda
2015: Med.gold color; rather musty/Kansas attic/earthy/dusty little fruit somewhat TCA/corked
nose; soft somewhat musty/TCA/corked/funky little fruit flavor; pretty much done in by the TCA.
$26.00 (EVN)
________________
3. Meran Graf von Meran Riesling-Unterberger DOC: Sudtirol/AltoAdige (13%; ToscoImpts) Meran
Burggrafler/Marlengo 2016: Light gold color; lovely R/floral/mango slight valve oil/mineral/chalky
beautifully fragrant nose; fairly tart/tangy very strong R/floral/mango/pineapple rather mineral/chalky
lovely flavor; very long/lingering very strong R/floral/mango bit chalky finish; a lovely R/floral/
mineral wine and one of the best R from the Sudtirol I can recall. $28.00 (EVN)
________________
4. Sandro Fay Ronco Valene IGT: Alpi Retiche (13%; 85% SauvBlanc/10% Chard/5% Incrocio Manzoni;
Tosco Imports) San Giacomo di Teglio 2016: Med.gold color; strong grassy/SauvBlanc/herbal/melony bit
earthy quite fragrant/attractive nose; lightly tart balanced ripe/melony/SB/floral/herbal fairly rich
flavor; very long/lingering ripe/SB/melony/floral/herbal/bit grassy finish; lots of rich/ripe character
surprising for such a an area. Quite a nice rendition of SB, not as lean as those in Friuli or the
SudStiermark. $32.00 (EVN)
________________
5. Harrington Falanghina CalleriVnyd/SanBenitoCnty (13.0%) 2018: Med.gold color; rather stony/mineray/bit
chalky light floral/bit herbal/spicy slight pencilly/oak classic Falan/earthy bit rustic quite nice nose;
rather tart/tangy/metallic some floral/spicy/bit herbal some stony/chalky bit rustic/coarse/SouthItaly
flavor; very long/lingering some floral/spicy/herbal bit rustic/coarse fairly tart/tangy finish; shows
some of the rustic character of SouthItaly Falan; nice balance of floral fruit & chalky character. $25.00
________________
6. Ronco del Gnemiz Friulano SanZuan Dd'OC: Friuli Colli Orientali (14%; www.GiulianaImports.com)
San Giovanni al Natisone 2016: Light gold color; beautiful fragrant/floral/carnations/Friuliano very spicy
quite perfumed nose; fairly tart/tangy very floral/carnations/Friulano/spicy slight peppery slight mineral/
metallic very balanced quite rich/lush flavor; very long/lingering lightly tart rich/lush very strong
floral/carnations finish; quite rich/lush but balanced w/ very strong Friulano flavors; maybe the best/most
serious Friulano I can recall; pricey for Friulano but worth the tarrif. $40.00 (AV)
________________
7. Castelli Arneis/Roussanne 2018: Light gold color; very fragrant Arneis/floral strong Rouss/honeysuckle light
toasty/oak beautiful/perfumed/fragrant nose; slight spritzy very floral/Arneis/honeysuckle/Rouss light
pencilly/oak loads of fruit flavor; very long/lingering floral/honeysuckle/loads of fruit/slight stony bit
soft rich/textured finish; reminds a lot of the Idlewild Arneis; seems to speak mostly of the Rouss; not
much of the stony character of Piemonte Arneis; quite a lovely perfumed white. $nc (EC)
________________
7a. Castello di Rubbia Vitovska Dd'OC: Carso-Kras (12.5%; spontaneous frmtn; ToscoImprts)
GradRubije di Natase Cernic/SanMichele del Carso/Savogna d'Isonzo 2015: Med.gold color; some phenolic/resiny/
skin-contact rather fragrant/peppery/floral/bit R-like quite aromatic rather savory nose; fairly tart/tangy/
bit metallic some resiny/phenolic/sking contact modestly floral/spicy/peppery bit earthy/dusty quite savory
flavor; very long/lingering tangy/tart/bit metallic some phenolic/resiny/savory/saline lightly floral/fragrant
finish; a very good example of a skin-contact white with a good balance between floral fruit and savory
phenolic character; needs food with it. $30.00 (EVN)
________________
9. BelColle Barolo Chinato Vino Aromatizzato (16%; Barolo + China calisaia bark + Rhubarb+Gentian;
ToscoImpts) NV: Light ruby slight bricking/browning color; very fragrant/perfumed floral/lilacs/Nebb some
barky/quinine/earthy rather complex nose; lightly sweet quite floral/fragrant floral/Nebb some barky/quinine
complex flavor w/ light bitey tannins; very long/lingering light bodied floral/Nebb some savory/barky/quinine
complex finish; a very lovely Barolo Chinato that is more winey and less heavy/medicinal than most; quite a
lovely/savory apertif wine that went well with the chocolate. $47.00/500ml (EVN)
________________________________________________________________________________
More bityprock from TheBloodyPulpit:
1. Lugana: This is a growing area on the south end of LakeGarda in Lombardy, hard on the border of
the Veneto. The grape variety is called Trebbiano di Lugana or Turbiana, with the Turbiana now being
preferred to get await from the Trebbiano association. By DNA, it is the same as Verdicchio in the
Marche but most regard it as a distinct variety.
________________
2. IncrocioManzoni: This is a cross developed in the late '20's at Conegliano by Prof.Manzoni. It was originally
intended to be a Glera (Prosecco) X SauvBlanc, but he accidentally used CabSauv pollen in the cross,
resulting in a red-skinned grape. Most is planted around Conegliano and its use in the Valtelline is rare.
The Valtelline is, obviously, best known for its Nebbiolo red wines. Very little white is made, mostly
Chard and SauvBlanc. It could really use a white grape to hang its hat upon. Ivan Balgera supposedly has a
few vines of a Nebbiolo Bianco he is propagating. We shall see.
Alpi Retiche is the area around the town of Sondrio where these grapes were grown.
As the empire of Mussolini was starting to collapse, he planned to make his last stand in the Valtelline.
Fortunately, the Allied forces closed in on him afore that could be put defenses in place.
________________
3. Castelli: This comes from the nearby vnyd of BrentWalker. It was originally to be an Arneis, but Emilio
found there was some Roussanne interplanted in that section. Emilio's first white I believe.
Only tiny amount made.
Tom