TN: Castelli Nebbiolo 'Fosco' '09....(short/boring)

WINE TALK
1

Tried this Nebb ystrday w/ John:

  1. Castelli Nebbiolo ‘Fosco’ SBC (14.2%; 75% SisquocVnyd/25% newer GreenVlly planting; U/U; 150 cs; Hrvstd: 11/2 & 11/8; SaH: 25 Brix, pH: 3.2; www.CastelliVineyards.com) 2009: Med.light color; light earthy/mineral/loamy/graphite some floral/lilacs/Nebb slight pungent/licorice fairly perfumed nose; quite tart/lean/appley/citric light floral/lilacs/Nebb/violets some earthy/graphite rather lean/austere flavor w/ ample hard/tight/astringent tannins; long rather floral/lilacs/violets/Nebb quite acid/tart/lean/austere bit pungent/licorice finish w/ ample/hard/astringent tannins; badly needs 4-8 yrs; a very attractive nose that speaks distinctly of Nebb but pretty acid/austere/tannic on the palate; very fairly priced at $22.00

A wee BloodyPulpit:

  1. I have, of course, followed EmilioCastelli from the very start. Actually…before the very start. He’d mentioned something on growing Nebb in Calif on one of the WineBoards some 12 yrs ago or so. I inquired as to where in Calif & he related it was GreenVlly of RRV. My immediate reaction was “Are you nuts”??? Well…crazy like a fox, I guess. That’s a pretty cold area to be growing Nebb.
    He farms his tiny vnyd, just off GrassVllyRd, according to Fukuoka. When I first did a visit w/ Emilio & Laura, my first reaction was this is one of the ugliest vnyds I’ve seen ever in Calif. However, you can’t argue w/ the results…his Estate Nebb is consistently one of the best shown at our NEB get-togethers. He also grows a bit of Dolcetto and PinotNoir on his estate.
    Emilio came to the US in 1995 from the LakeComo area of Italy. Nebbiolo is his big passion and probably flows in his veins. But he is not parochial in his Nebb tastes and doesn’t believe, like many do, that Nebbs only home is Barolo/Barberesco. In particular, he’s a big fan to Nebbs from the Valtelline (as am I).
    I’d just got my stash of Emilio’s Nebbs in last week and was eager to try this one w/ John. When I poured it for him, his eyes lit up…“Ahhhhh…Nebbiolo”.
    I liked this Nebb quite a lot, though think it needs age to really show its stuff. It doesn’t have that ethereal Nebb perfume you get out of B/B. It doesn’t have that earthy/stony minerality you get out of the Valtelline. It doesn’t have the rich lushness you can (sometimes) get from the AltoPiemonte. If anything, it reminds me a bit of Roero Nebb, but mostly Nebb from the OltrepoPavese I guess. But Nebbiolo thru & thru it is.
    Tom
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Tom,

Thank you for the note. I have followed Castelli since yesterday, when I went for the Berserkerday Nebbiolo Sampler. Your observations are food for thought until I get a chance to try the wines for myself. Sounds like it wouldn’t hurt to wait a while.

Brad

3

Yeah, I went in for it too. It’s the kind of thing I can’t resist. I know it’s not going to be Serralunga but that’s exactly the point isn’t it? I wish more people were adventurous enough to try it.

4

Tom is right about this - wish Emilio made more of that Estate Nebbiolo although he does a fine job with purchased fruit too.

California growers and producers are getting an increasingly better handle on this difficult variety, in terms of vineyard site selection, farming, and winemaking procedures. What we’ve tasted at our NEB gatherings has been improving each time. I’ve worked with Nebbiolo at Harrington Wines since 2008 and it’s not the easiest learning curve but in general, it’s been getting better nearly every vintage. There’s no question that California Nebbiolo is still very much a work in progress, but most producers here have been pricing these wines very reasonably. Worth checking out if you’re willing to accept that these wines are not meant to be imitations of those from Italy, but are still inspired by them.

5

2014 was the first year we made all Green Valley Nebbiolo and there is another small Green Valley vineyard that should start producing in 2016.
However we are currently selling the 2009’s since we have to do some aging before release otherwise Tom complains of the tannins…(he still does…)
Good nebbiolo rewards patience, no matter where it’s from.
E

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Tannin schmannin. Big, lush, ripe and sweet - that’s what I’m hoping for! [cheers.gif]