So yesterday I attended an in-store tasting of Buona Notte, low-intervention Italian varietals from the Columbia Gorge. This winery works with around ten varietals, ranging from the high alpine whites of Underwood, Washington on the north side of that legendary river to the sun-soaked hills of The Dalles, Oregon, on the south. All wines are organic, unfined, and unfiltered with very low sulfur additions and no new oak.
This family-run operation consists of Jeff and Peggy Markel and their son, Graham, the winemaker. The Markels traveled extensively when Graham and his sister were young, living in Australia’s McLaren Vale, Florentine, Italy, and eventually Boulder, Colorado. The move to Oregon was in part motivated by the connections Graham saw between the rolling hills of The Dalles and the hills of Chianti, Italy. Among others, Graham apprenticed under Maggie Harrison of Antica Terra before striking out on his own.
They poured a white, a rose and four reds. I haven't been drinking much and I've been sick for months, so either I'm ultra-sensitive or my palate is out of shape, but I thought I detected smoke taint on two out of the four reds and didn't bond with any. The white and the rose, though, were both winners for me, so I'll just settle for describing those.
2024 Buona Notte 'Mortadella'
A lightly cloudy blend of Gruner, Chard, Sauv Blanc and Moscato with a very mildly skunky/floral nose that I rather liked (and lovers of Heinekken beer would appreciate). Though dry, the fruit's on the palate, harmoniously suggesting a wild grape we don't know about more than a combination of four we do. Though it's a wine of interest to geeks, I didn't buy any because I'm not buying wine right now (except for the two cases I picked up at auction over the last month, the Fichet Bourgognes that were delivered yesterday and oh, that order to the Extra Dimensional Wine Company last weekend, and...and...)
And this one, I loved it so much I couldn't resist:
2023 Buona Notte Rosa
So dark, dry and savory, it's unfair to call this rose. It's not for ladies who lunch. I believe I was told that it's a dolcetto saignee with sangiovese added, so it's really a light red wine in the European tradition with structure and character. It's got cranberries with a little red licorice and some forestry, It's the type of wine that makes a good sipper but is equally suited for food, especially red sauces. They served it chilled but I think I'd appreciate it even more at cool room temp. A great candidate for a brown bag tasting.