Just got an e-mail from Bryan Harrington ystrday that FPS has ready to release: Lacrima di Morro d’Alba
Malvasia Istriana
Rossese
Rossese bianco
These are all varieties that Bryan on his foraging trips to Europe arranged to have sent to FPS to be cleaned up/made virus-free.
Alas, since Bryan is no longer making wine, he will not be able to show that world-class wines can be made from these varieties in Calif.
But he has first call on the bud-wood and is looking for vnyds that deserve to have these in the ground. Ron Siletto’s vnyd (now run by his son)
would be one obvious choice. SamBilbro/Idlewild has already expressed an interest in them for his YorkvilleHighlands vnyd.
All four of these are exciting prospects in Calif. I’m particularly excited by the Malvasia d’Istriana. Grown mostly in the Carso/Kras of
Friuli & Slovenia and in Croatia. Most of the Malvasia grown in Calif is Malvasia Bianco, which makes a rather slutty expression of the variety
and often finished off-dry, Typically, Md’I is finished dry and has a degree of minerality that makes it much more interesting.
LaCrima is also another exciting variety. It make a plummy/black cherry cola red in LeMarche that resembles Refosco somewhat. George Unti has had
LaCrima in the ground for a number of yrs and Mick made some interesting LaCrima over about 4-5 yrs. But the vines were badly virus infected
and have since been pulled.
But, anyway…some exciting wines will be coming down the pike in Calif in a few yrs.
I do agree that Malvasia Istriana (not d’Istriana) is among the best varieties that go by the Malvasia name. Probably the most high-acid variety of them all, plus often showing much more depth and sense of concentration compared to the other, softer and more neutral Malvasias.
I haven’t had many Lacrima wines (not LaCrima; Lacrima means teardrop), but haven’t been particularly enthused by the wines. The grape often gives the wines a lovely perfumed aroma, but the tannins are often very soft and mellow, so if the wine is low in acidity as well, the resulting wine tends to feel rather dull, flabby and lifeless. Stylistically it is often somewhat similar to the more affordable Montepulciano d’Abruzzos - i.e. nothing particularly memorable.
I agree with Otto on the lacrima. It really is incredibly aromatic, but the structure of the wine is a bit flabby and tough for with food. I will say that I definitely enjoy a glass or so as a happy hour drink on its own though. More than a glass can get to be a bit much for me thoguh.
A little blending would solve that. Something that won’t distract from the optimal expression of the grape, but help frame it. A coferment with a bit of a neutralish white grape or a blend could get the tannin and acid. Dry Black Muscat has similar issues - no acid, tannin or body. I added 10% 7 day skin contact Semillon and it’s great.