Tried these two new wines last night:
1. Durin Vermentino Dd'OC: Riviera Ligure di Ponente (13%; NorthBerkleyImprts; www.Durin.It) AntonioBasso/Ortovero 2019: Light gold color; very fragrant Verm/floral/gardenias light chalky/perfumed talc slight spicy/cardamon lovely Vermention nose; quite tart/tangy bit tight/brisk/crisp strong floral/Verm/gardenias bit metallic/stony/perfumed talc classic Ligurian Vermentino flavor; long tart/acidic crisp/brisk/sinewey/savory strong Verm/floral/gardenias light chalky/perfumed talc finish; a clean/crisp/taut/brisk classic Ligurian Vermentino at a good price. $20.00 (AV)
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2. Fricando IGT Emilia (13.5%; www.AlDiLaDelFiume.It; Demeter; VinotasSlctns; Macerated/Frmtd 2 mo. in Tuscan Amphorae; 100% Albana grape) Gabriele & Danila Fricando 2019: Deep golden/burnished bronze some hazy color; strong musky/almost muscatty very ripe bt phenolic/resiny somewhat oxidative rather strange nose; fairly tart slight oxidative some muscatty/very ripe maybe a bit off-dry some phenolic/cidery rather interesting/strange flavor w/ little tannins; long tart very rich/lush/overripe bit phenolic/cidery some musky/malvasia-like bit bitter finish; a very strange/weird white w/ noticible oxidative character; very ripe/overripe as if maybe some semi-dried grapes were included; not dominated by the phenolics but not a lot of fruit nor brightness; very strange white & not particularly attractive. $30.00 (AV)
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A wee BloodyPulpit:
1. Durin: Never had a Liguria wine from this producer before. It had a bracing acidity to it but spoke strongly of Vermentino. Would like to try his Rossesse.
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2. Fricando: This is made by a natural winemaker. Despite second thoughts, I tried it anyway. Grown in the Apennine Mtns just south of Bologna. It fits exactly the description of an orange wine, though not frmtd in qvervi, but Tuscan Amphorae about 5 ft tall. It has a distinctly oxidative character & reminded me a lot of JoskoGravner'd orange wines because of the oxidative character.
Albana is a grape native to Emilia. It appears closele related to the Garganega grape, maybe as one of its parents.
No reason to plant this variety all up&down the Coast of Calif.
Tom