Tried these two last night:
1. OrsiFamily Nebbiolo DryCreekVlly/SonomaCnty (13.8%; #176 of 276; www.OrsiFamilyVineyards.com) Healdsburg 2014: Med.color; attractive floral/Nebb/lilacs/violets very slight tarry/pungent light pencilly/oak bit earthy quite pretty Langhe-level nose; fairly tart/tangy classic Nebb/floral/lilacs/violets light pencilly/oak bit simple/rustic flavor w/ light bitey tannins; med.long fairly tart light floral/lilacs/Nebb bit earthy/rustic/slightly rough some pencilly/oak finish w/ light rough tannins; a bit on the simple/rustic side but is varietally-correct Nebb; not as high-toned as a Langhe Nebb; not the depth or interest of the Castelli. $36.00
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2. Castelli Nebbiolo Estate/GreenVlly of RRV/SonomaCnty (Dry Farmed; 13.7%; Aged: neutral Fr.oak for 48 mo; 75 cs; www.CastelliVineyards.com) Sebastapol 2015: Med.color; very perfumed/fragrant quite floral/Nebb/lilacs/violets/rose petal some tarry/pungent/road tar light pencilly/oak some AltoPiemonte-like bit complex beautiful aromatic nose; fairly tart/tangy bit rich some pencilly/oak strong floral/Nebb/lilacs/violets/rose petal slight tarry/pungent fairly tannic bit complex flavor w/ ample bitey tannins; very long/lingering strong floral/Nebb/lilacs/rose petal some tarry/pungent some complex finish w/ ample ripe/bitey tannins; reminds me more of AltoPiemonte Nebb than B/B; much richer than a B/B but not as fiercely tannic/hard; needs probably 3-8 yrs of age; a beautiful expression of Calif Nebb. $37.00
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A wee BloodyPulpit:
1. My case of Castelli Estate Nebb arrived last Fri and I was eager to try Emilio's latest effort. His Estate Nebb comes from two different vnyds in the GreenVlly area, separated by only a few miles. They are both farmed by Fukuoka method (benign neglect), which makes them some of the ugliest vnyds in all Calif. However, you can't argue w/ the results they yield.
At our Nebb get-togethers, Emilio's Nebb is consistently one of the best. This Estate is right up there with his past efforts. I liked this wine quite a bit. I reminded me more of an AltoPiemonte Nebb than a B/B; a bit of Val d'Aosta Nebb. But one of Calif's best expression of that grape.
I have, of course, followed Emilio's Nebbs from the very start. We first met yrs ago, probably back on the MarkSquires Wine BB. He mentioned about growing grapes in the GreenVlly area & I inquired what he had planted. "Nebbiolo" was the response. So I knew immediately he was a Don Quixote kind of guy. I've been sort of his SanchoPanza for lo these many yrs in this effort.
There is also another CastelliFamilyVnyds located down in RamonaVlly/SoCal, to the NE of SanDiego. I've never tried their their wines and they don't look particularly interesting.
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2. BernieOrsi farms a vnyd in the DryCreekVlly w/ a bunch of different/interesting Italian grapes. The winemaker is DickSchulz. Though I generally like the wines, I just am left wanting a bit more intensity & depth. They seem to have a sort of rustic sameness to them. But I applaud Bernie for his enthusiasm & effort w/ these varieties.
Tom