WTN: Lombardy (I think), Nahe, CdR

Betsy spent much of Monday helping with flooding at neighbors (we had 8.21 inches of rain in a day), but still managed to put together a nice dinner of pasta Bolognese and spinach with garlic and anchovies. Wine was the 1999 Triacca "Sassella" Valtellina Superiore. Let's just start off and say if you are acid-averse, this is not for you. Bright black cherry and raspberry fruit, a little floral/violet note. Tannins are mostly resolved, but there is a slight rasping edge. Could pass for a lighter Barbaresco from a not-hot vintage. Fills out a bit by next night. Nice. B+/B

Tuesday Betsy made a bouillabaisse, and used almost all of a bottle of the 2005 La Vieille Ferme (now Cotes du Rhone) blanc. I had a small taste of the remainder. A bit light, in fact dilute, but clean and fresh. B-

But with the meal itself, what to drink? I sadly had no pinks in the cellar (except one 95 Rioja that is not really what I was looking for). I ended up going with a Riesling, which probably wouldn't have made my first 10 choices for bouillabaisse, but which was already upstairs in fridge. The 2005 Jakob Schneider Riesling Kabinett (Nahe) actually did ok as a match, with the sweetness playing off the Pernod and spices, and the citrus aspects melding with the orange zest used in this recipe. Rather intense floral nose, palate of maraschino cherries and apple, moderate sweetness, modest length. Revisited tonight with leftovers (fish stew, lamb stew, dirty rice, capon wing) it proved itself versatile and food friendly. Nothing complicated, but a good deal at $12 a liter. B/B-


Grade disclaimer: I'm a very easy grader, basically A is an excellent wine, B a good wine, C mediocre. Anything below C means I wouldn't drink at a party where it was only choice. Furthermore, I offer no promises of objectivity, accuracy, and certainly not of consistency

Dale, Triacca...sort of rocks in my book. On allocation here so have to take whats available, just posted on Wine Focus, the Chianti. Hard as nails!!

I'm a little surprised at a producer making both Chianti and Valtellina, georgraphically pretty far apart I believe. Is Triacca some big conglomerate?

Dale--
According to italianmade.com, you're right that the Valtellina is from Lombardy.

That's what I thought, well in the Alps. Very peculiar they'd also make Tuscan wines.

Hi Dale

I think Triacca is some sort of big player. I didn't know they made Chianti though. That's odd. I was recently in Switzerland and drank a Triacca wine, I think it was the Sassella '99. Seemed genuine enough, definitely tasted like a Valtellina and not like someone had poured wood chips in it or anything. Probably could improve with more age, '99 was actually a strong year that needs extensive ageing like 2001. '98 having been a weaker vintage is actually drinking well right now. Anyway, one thing I noticed on the Triacca label is that it is vinified in Italy but bottled in Switzerland.

The producers I visit repeatedly and recommend for Valtellina are Ar.Pe.Pe. (the late Arturo Pelizzati Perego, who can't use his own name because it was sold to G.I.V.- Gruppo Italiano Vini - a big conglomerate which owns the large Valtellina producer Nino Negri - due to an inheritance fiasco) and Alberto Marsetti, a small producer who I don't think exports to the U.S.

Another good one is Rainoldi. I don't like the new labels but I remember his Inferno Riserva '97 beating a whole slew of fancy Barolos in a blind tasting.