We tried tonight (7/19/17) Some Offbeat New Wines:
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Grecomusc IGP: Campania Bianco (14%; www.ContradediTaurasi.It; OliverMcCrumSlctns; Roviello Bianco or
Grecomusc variety) Contrade di Taurasi/Enza&Antonella Lonardo/Taurasi 2014: Med.light gold color; rather
fragrant strong pineapple/mango slight herbal/resiny/piney rather grapey/perfumed talc bit R-like lovely nose;
lightly tart floral/pineapple/mango slight herbal/waxy/perfumed talc flavor; very long tart/tangy pineapple/
mango fairly rich/balanced somewhat R-like finish; reminds a lot of Piemonte Arneis w/o the stony character;
one of the Compania whites I’ve had; beautiful white. $32.00 (WH)
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Sella & Mosca Torbato DOC: Alghero (12.5%; www.SellaMosca.com; PalmBayImports) I Piani/Alghero/Sardegna 2014:
Light gold color; strong toasty/graham cracker bit waxy slight honeysuckle/Rouss-like/floral lovely nose; bit
soft slight stony/tangy light waxy/honeyed/Rouss-like slight graham cracker flavor; very long light tangy/stony
some honeyed/Rouss-like fairly rich/lush bit stony finish; lots of interesting aromatics; one of the best
Sardinian whites I can recall; very well priced at $23.00 (CB)
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Palmina MalvasiaBianca LarnerVnyd/BallardCnyn (12.0%; www.PalminaWines.com) Lompoc 2014: Light gold color;
very strong Malvasia/very spicy bit low-key muscatty perfumey slight mineral lovely nose; slightly off-dry rather
rich/lush fairly tart very strong Malvasia/perfumey/spicy slight mineral/stony flavor; very long/lingering very
slight RS/textured strong floral/Malvasia/bit muscatty light stony/mineral finish; powerful perfumey Malvasia but
more like a Malvasia d’Istria than typical candied Calif Malvasia; beautiful expression of Malvasia. $27.00 (WH)
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Onward MalvasiaBianca Capp-InnRanch/SuisunVlly (SkinFrmtd; www.OnWardWines.com; 11.3%) FaithArmstrong Foster/
Sonoma 2014: Med.light gold bit cloudy calor; very fragrant/perfumed very ripe pineapple/orange blossom/orange muscat
very light phenolic/cider slight muscatty beautiful/exotic nose; very tart/metallic/grapefruity/steely/almost screechy
slightly bitter quite perfumed/orangey/orange muscat/orange blossom very slight phenolic/cidery/resiny rather exotic
flavor; very long/lingering very tart/tangy/steely/metallic/bit screechy light Malvasia/orange blossom slight
phenolic/resiny exotic finish; a very unusual/exotic expression of Calif Malvasia w/ surprisingly little phenolic
character; a beautiful/exotic white. $30.00 (WoP)
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Dom.Andre Aubert AP: Grignan-Adhemar (Coteaux de Tricastin AC; “Land of the GeigerCounters”; MeBaD; 12.5%;
Viognier/GrenacheBlanc/Roussanne/Marsanne/Clairette/Bourboulenc) Aubert Freres/Donzere 2015: Light gold color; floral/
Viog/peach/pear/spicy very perfumed slight smokey/earthy very attractive nose; soft very floral/Viog/spicy/peach/pear
slight smokey/earthy flavor; very long soft pear/peach/Viog/spicy light earthy finish; quite an attractive CdR/Viog
Condrieu wanna-be at a great price. $14.00 (WH)
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Vigneti Massa Derthona VinoBianco (Timarasso grape; 13%) Monleale/Piemonte 2012: Med.light gold color; beautiful
floral/very spicy/honeyed almost R-like pear/peach/Viog-like slight pencilly/oak bit bacon fat quite rich powerful
nose; lightly tart interesting floral/Viog-like/pear/peach slight pencilly/oak bit bacon fat rich/lush complex flavor;
very long/lingering intense floral/peach/Viog-like bit pencilly/oak/bacon-fat very exotic finish; a beautiful
exotic/complex almost Condrieu-like white; best Timarasso I’ve yet had. $25.00 (WH)
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Castello di Verduno Basadone Dd’OC: Verduno (Pelaverga Piccolo grape; OliverMcCrumWines; 13.5%) 2015: Med.light
color; beautiful floral/Nebb-like/violets/lilacs very spicy slight licorice very aromatic nose; lightly tart/tangy
very floral/Nebb-like/violets/lilacs slight earthy flavor w/ light smooth tannins; very long/lingering very spicy/
Nebb-like/floral/rose petal/violets fairly tart slight earthy/dusty finish w/ light gentle tannins; a beautiful
wine that’s a dead-ringer for a Nebb but w/o the fierce acids & tannins; amazingly good at a stupid/silly price.
$22.00 (WH)
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Bel Colle DOC: Verduno Pelaverga (14%; ToscoWines) Verduno 2014: Med.light color; strong grapey/lush/Dolcetto-like/
very spicy/bit licorice slight oak bit earthy/loamy lovely nose; lightly tart/tangy very grapey/lush/Dolcetto-like
bit earthy/loamy flavor w/ light bit tangy tannins; very long/lingering lightly tart strong grapey/fruity/Dolcetto-like
bit pungent/licorice finish w/ light crunchy tannins; reminds a lot of a lighter perfumey Dolcetto; lovely wine at
a great price. $22.00 (EVN)
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Sheldon Graciano GuardRd Block/RipkinVnyd/Lodi (12.5%; 8 brls, 200 cs; U/U; www.SheldonWines.com) SheldonWines/
SantaRosa 2013: Med.light color; very attractive fragrant berry/raspberry/Zin-like/spicy slight canned sardines/metallic
very interesting quite attractive nose; lightly tart very bright/raspberry/cherry/Sangio-like/very spicy light earthy/
mushroomy flavor w/ light brisk tannins; very ling bright/zippy/berry/raspberry/cherry light earthy/mushroomy finish w/
light tannins; really quite a pretty bright easy-drinking red wine that reminds some of Zin, some of Sangio; surprisingly
bright/zippy red for Lodi. $32.00 (CB)
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Cantina di Lisandro Cimmarino Casavecchia IGP: Terre del Volturno (Casavecchia grape; www.CantinaDiLisandro.It; 13.0%)
PoderiBosco 2013: Very dark color; quite dusty/OV/earthy/loamy slight Primitivo-like/berry rather rustic/coarse nose;
soft bit hard/rustic/coarse some grapey/Primitivo-like/berry quite dusty/OV/earthy/rustic/coarse flavor w/ some hard/
rough tannins; very long quite earthy/dusty/OV/loamy quite rustic/coarse/grapey light berry/blackberry/Primitivo-like
finish w/ some hard/coarse tannins; a typical rough southern Italian red that is rather interesting. $25.00 (WH)
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Zorah Karasi AreniNoir (Aged in amphora; www.ZorahWines.com; 14%) Yeghegnadzor/Armenia 2012: Dark color; strong grapey/
blackberry/boysenberry/Syrah-like bit fumey/alcoholic light toasty/oak slight earthy/rustic bit spicy very
international-style aromatic nose; soft rich/lush very strong blackberry/boysenberry/Syrah-like light toasty/oak
slight earthy flavor w/ light crunchy tannins; very long very strong blackberry/boysenberry/Syrah-like/very ripe bit
toasty/oak bit earthy/loamy finish w/ light brisk tannins; pretty much a dead-ringer for a Paso Syrah; very much
in an international style; this is how PhilippeCambie would make Armenian wine if he could; seems pricey at $50.00 (CB)
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6100 Trinity AreniNoir Unlauh Ul (Aged: Caucasian oak for 6 mo.; 13%; www.TrinityCV.com) Aghavnadzor Village/
VayotaDzor/Armenia 2015: Med.dark color; strong rather plummy/blackberry/boysenberry/chocolaty some earthy/funky/
graphite/mineral bit dill pickle/volatile/EA nose; softslightly rustic/rough strong plummy/blackberry/Mourv-like
light earthy/dusty/rustic flavor w/ light ripe tannins; long ripe/blackberry/plummy/chocolaty slight earthy/loamy/
dusty/rustic finish w/ light smooth tannins; again seems more in an international style of winemaking; resembles
a Paso Mourv; good red at a very good price. $18.00 (CB)
More alt-facts from TheBloodyPulpit:
- Tricastin: The Coteau de Tricastin AC was dropped in 2010 in favor of Grignan-Adehemar AC. In 2008, there was a leak
at the Tricastin nuclear power plant, the 4 units which supply 6% of France’s electricity. One spilled 18 cubic meters
of water contaminated with natural uranium onto the ground. That same period, there was a leak in a pipe of unenriched
uranium water that was fully contained. Nearby was a military shielded nuclear waste dump where it was claimed the
wind & rain was erroding the surface ground layer. As usual, much ado over nothing. But the sales of Tricastin wines
started to drop and the AC was changed to protect the local vignerons. My consumption of this Tricastin wine resulted
in a 13.87 millisec decrease in my life expectancy.
- Grecomusc: A variety grown around Taurasi in tiny amounts. Contrade is the only producer of this mono-varietal, buying
his grapes from several tiny producers in the area. My first experience w/ this grape. I was mightly impressed, has
the character of the more aromatic white varieties in NorthItaly.
- Tourbat: Planted in the Cotes du Rousillon of France where it is known as Malvasia di Rousillon. It was near extinct
in Sardegna, where it was known as Torbato, until Sella&Mosca took an interest in it and started planting it. I was
mightly impressed by this, one of the best Sardegna whites I can recall.
- OnWard: My first experience w/ her wines. This wine was in skin-contact throughout the entire fermentation to dryness,
then matured in neutral oak w/ lees-stirring. Not often that an aromatic white is made w/ skin-contact. What was
most surprising about this wine was that there was very little phenolic character in it. She makes a number of interesting
reds and some Pet-Nats. I must try more of her wines; interesting stuff.
- Timarasso: A variety native to the ColliTortonesi. It was near extinction until Walter Massa discovered some existing
vines and propagated them, rescuing it from oblivion. Now it is being grown by other growers, but Massa is regarded
as the master. I find it one of the best white wines of the Piemonte. This '12 is perhaps the best one I’ve yet had.
- Pelaverga: There are apparently two varieties w/ this name. Pelaverga (Grosso) is grow further south of Verduno,
whilst PelavergaPiccolo is more in that area. The grapes are apparently separate varieties and not related. The
grape makes lightish wines, rather like Schiava or Pinot. These two Pelavergas, though both rather light, were
dramatically different in character. The Castello was a dead ringer for a perfumey Nebbiolo. The Bel reminded a
lot of a rather light Dolcetto.
- Sheldon: Saw this wine at CortiBros and thought I’d try it. Graciano is a grape that had fallen out of favor in
the Rioja, but is undergoing a mini-revival. I’ve liked the Calif versions I’ve tasted and this Sheldon was one of
the better ones.
The Sheldon WebSite gives no idea who are the people behind the wine. I find that frustrating when I try a
new wnry and then can’t find out anything about the mind/behind. I presume their last name is Sheldon. The
WebSite has a touching love story on it…but that’s about it. Who the heck are the Sheltons??
- AreniNoir: This is one of the most ancient indigenous grape varieties in Armenia, birthplace of winemaking. The Zorah
is made by Zorik Gharibian, an Armenian who returned to his home country to make wine, in lieu of Tuscany. His
enologist is Alberto Antonini, who hails from Tuscany. As does their viticulturist. They ferment/age in traditional
clay amphorae and concrete tanks.
Both of these wines had a distinct international-style of winemaking to them. Both reminded me of Paso Syrah or
Mourv more than anything. So I’m not sure what the true varietal character of AreniNoir is or whether they should be
planting it all up&down the Coast of Calif. These were my first two AreniNoirs and my first Armenian wines.
- Casavecchia: This is an extremely rare grape that is grown in the northern part of Campania. There is no evidence
that it is related to any other grape in the area.
Tom
