2006 Vestini Campagnano Pallagrello Bianco Terre del Volturno IGT- Italy, Campania, Terre del Volturno IGT (5/20/2009)
Rich and nutty in a Roussanne sort of way with nice spice. If tasting blind I would have guessed Northern Rhone white, although there was enough acidity and lack of oiliness that would have had me doubting my guess. Interesting wine.
They have a briefly barrel fermented Pallagrello called “Le Ortole” that is a really fascinating wine, and under the Podere Foglia label, a Pallagrello/Falanghina blend that is just as captivating.
Their reds, like the Casavecchia, are also must-try items.
I think this is one of the jewels of Montecastelli’s portfolio; I wish it were more readily available for me here.
Eric, you might also consider trying a Kerner by Kofererhof if you come across their wines (or any of the winery’s wines, for that matter - they also make a very acceptable pinot grigio and a pretty damn good muller-thurgau, among others). Their distribution in the states seems to be a little spotty, but IMO they are one of the finest Alto Adige wineries around.
Vestini wines are excellent and exciting. I love tasting old indigenous grapes from Northern Campania. In fact this region known in antiquity as Falernum, was where the best wines of ancient Rome were made.
Eric, thanks for the notes. I was glad to see the Kerner still tasting fresh. A few of us had it last July and it was a winner then. I wasn’t 100% sure if it would keep that fresh edge a year out, but it sure sounds like it.
Just fyi:
2007 Abbazia di Novacella (Stiftskellerei Neustift) Kerner Alto Adige. Pretty aromas of honeysuckle, orange blossom and peach fuzz greet the nose on this wine. It is mouthwatering and nicely tangy in the mouth—showing solid verve to its acid structure. It is surprisingly a bit oily-textured on the palate, showing a bit of a minerally edge and a big squirt of lemon-lime juice to go with fleshy pear flavors. It has a good, long, refreshing finish—a very nice wine with many facets to its personality, yet one you can drink out on the porch without over-thinking it.
The Kerner was really a fantastic value, shockingly cool nose, just a terrific white.
The Vestini Campagnano was chosen off a restaurant list in NYC by someone who knows more about Italian wine than I ever will in my lifetime. It was pretty interesting. Would have liked to spend more time with it without some food even just to wrap my head around it.
I’ve become a sucker for Italian whites, and that Vestini sounds very interesting. Not much luck finding it online - I wonder if any of my local stores will carry it.
Do either of our useless NY-area Berserker retailers (Max and Dan, ahem) use these distributors, and therefore offer this wine, at a Berserker-only special discount price???
Abbazia di Novacella makes some outstanding wines. I believe Vias has those as well.
Todd, keep your eye out on the winecommune/jj buckley Sunday auctions. I recently picked up a dozen bottles of their 07 Muller Thurgau for $5 per bottle. I guess no one knew the producer so the wines had zero bids. Great stuff. They make interesting wines across the board, including a great Pinot Nero.