The three new ArbeGarbe wines arrived last week, so I tried them this weekend w/ Susan:
1. ArbeGarbe WW (55% Catie'sCorner MalvasiaBianca/25% Tanya'sVnyd RibollaGialla/20% PaganiRanch OV TocaiFriulano; 14.2%) 2018: Med.light gold color; lovely fragrant/Malvasia/bit muscatty/floral/gardenias/rather spicy almost GWT-like beautiful perfumed nose; fairly tart quite rich/lush/balanced very floral/gardenias/Maalvasia/slight muscatty/hair oil near dry beautiful flavor w/ slight trace of tangy bitterness; very long/lingering lightly tart very strong floral/gardenias/Malvasia/bit GWT-like/spicy beautiful finish that goes on&on; a beautiful aromatic white but steers clear of tutti-fruiti territory some of a rich/late hrvst Malvasia d'Istriana because of its interest; quite a flamboyant white yet not over the top. $35.00
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2. Benandants MalvisiaBianca Catie'sCornerVnyd/RRV/SonomaCnty (14%; 100% MalvasiaBianca) ArbeGarbe/StHelena 2018: Med.light yellow color; fairly strong Maalvasia/hair oil/slight muscatty/floral light mineral/chalky lovely fragrant nose; fairly tart strong hair oil/bright/Malvasia/spicy/bit muscatty totally dry slight chalky/mineral flavor w/ slight bitterness; very long/lingering rather floral/gardenias/hair oil/Malvasia slight stony/mineral/chalky beautiful finish; lots of hair oil/Malvasia but more subtle and other hings therein; not as rich & lush as the WW and resembles some a Slovenian Malvasia Istriana. $40.00
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3. ArbeGarbe MalvasiaBianca (14%; Passito) 2018: Med.light gold color; very intense Malvasia/hair oil/very floral/peach blossom/ripe beautiful/aromatic nose; fairly tart/tangy quite sweet very intense Maalvasia/hair oil quite bright/lively very floral/peach blossom/ripe not at all cloying lively balanced flavor; very long/lingering intense Malvasia/hair oil fairly tart very lively/bright floral/peach blossom beautiful finish; quite sweet but plenty of acid to keep it from being cloying; a lovely bright/zippy dessert wine w/ an intense Malvasia character. $30.00/hlf
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A wee BloodyPulpit:
1. ArbeGarbe is the wnry of LeteziaPaulette and EnricoBertoz. They focus on making (mostly) Friuli-style wines and do it very well. Both hail from Friuli. Enrico was originally the winemaker at Nonino, the wnry in Friuli that made grappa into a great wine. The emigrated to America and eventually wound up in the NapaVlly, where Enrico is a winemaker for FloraSprings.
ArbeGarbe means "wild weeds" in the Friulian language. Benandants refers to mythical walkers in Friuli who could leave their bodies during the night and wander the countryside, protecting the crops.
I first met Letezia & Enrico at one of the early RibollaFests at the Matthiasson's. I have, of course, followed them from the very start. These wines may still be available from their WebSite: www.ArbeGarbeWines.com. I thought this one maybe their best release yet. Though distinctly Malvasia, they stay well away from the tutti-fruiti character of most Calif Maalvasias. The Passito/dessert Malvasia was made, I believe, by drying the grapes in the winery, rather than leaving them on the vine to become a late-harvest. I don't recall seeing this type of wine from Friuli/Slovenia/Croatia; but I suspect some do exist.
Enrico also makes one of Calif's best Charbonos from the ShyPokeVnyd in the NapaVlly.
These wines would be a natural for the Frasca/Boulder wine list; but, alas, are not to be found there.
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2. Malvasia: Mostly this grape is the more common MalvasiaBianca. It is fairly common in Calif. It usually is finished w/ a bit of residual sugar to cover the slight bitterness that is characteristic of the grape. The wines often tend towards the tutti-fruiti and usually not very interesting.
A variety of Malvasia evolved on the Istrian Peninsula is Malvasia d'Istriana. This is the primary Malvasia grown in Friuli/Slovenia/Croatia. I find it makes a much more interesting wine than MalvasiaBianca; a bit more subtle & refined and not so overtly Malvasia/muscatty.
Tom