Tried these two last weekend:
1. MonteRustico DOC: Langhe Bianco (13%; 95% Arneis/5% SauvBlanc; PacificHwyWines/AmericanCanyon/CA) G.D.Vajra/Barolo 2020: Med.gold color w/ some tiny bubbles; lovely very fragrant floral/Arneis/gardenias/pear slight perfumed talc/chalky quite aromatic nose; lightly tart quite floral/Arneis/gardenias/pear/ripe peach slight metallic some perfumed talc/chalky lovely flavor; no signs of dissolved CO2; very long/lingering finish that mirrors flavor; a lovely expression of Langhe Arneis; equivalent to $25-$35 Langhe Arneis. $16.00 (KK)
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2. MonteRustico DOC: Piemonte Rosso (13%; 40% Barbera/40% Dolcetto/20% Nebbiolo) 2019: Vey dark color; strong very spicy/Barbera/dried Italian herbs bit grapey/Dolcetto/earthy light pencilly/oak very aromatic lovely nosethat speaks mostly of ripe Barbera; quite tart/tangy strong grapey/Barbera/spicy/bit peppery some grapey/Dolcetto bit earthy/loamy rather tangy/bit metallic strong spicy Barbera flavor w/ light grippy tannins; very long/lingering finish mimics the flavor; a lovely red that speaks mostly of Barbera but the Dolcetto softens it a bit on the palate; a really lovely expression of Piemonte Barbera at a great price; the equivalent of $30-$40 Piemonte Barbera but not quite as hard/structured as most of them; should benefit from several yrs of age; beautiful Barbera.
$16.00 (KK)
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More blitterscrack from TheBloodyPulpit:
1. MonteRustico is a brand of G.D.Vajra (Vaira); one of my all time favorite producers in Barolo. It's interesting that they make no mention of this brand on their WebSite (www.gdvajra.it/en/) so I have no idea where they get the grapes for these two wines. But whatever the source (probably not from their Estate; given their production level), these are huge QPR champs. I'm kinda surprised Vajra doesn't do more to promote this brand. I plan to pulse them.
I discovered this brand several yrs ago on the WholeFoods shelves several yrs ago & was rather impressed, though at a much higher price. So when they both showed up at Kokomanns this weekend, I jumped on them.
Especially at this $16/btl price. I was blown away by how good they both were at this price. Absolute steals. Back up the truck. And you can find them even cheaper if you shop around.
And their JC Clarette (Jefferson/Corti) Langhe Nebbiolo is one of the real Nebbiolo values around in the upper $20's.
Tom