2014 Teroldego from West of Temperance

Oh my! A Berserker day purchase and a grape I know nothing about but boy is this some really great wine!. Angular and crunchy, bright acid spine that cut through a marbled Flannery ribeye. Definitely red cherry and hint of coffee with some tannic bite. Reminds me of Gamey Beaujolais. My WOTY so far. Wish I had gone deeper.

Teroldego? In California? (“Farms? In Berkeley?”)

Most important thing I learned at the LDM imports tasting last year is that the stress is on the second syllable. It’s tear-AHL-deh-go.

I had their 2013 last year and really liked it. Here was my note:

“February 10, 2018 - Overtly fruity on the nose with a slightly tarry note that dissipates during a 90 min. decant. Initially, the palate shows bright cranberry, red cherries, and a hint of cinnamon. As it continues to open, ripe blueberries appear and round out the the mid-palate. The acidity is moderate and keeps things lively, and the tannins provide a sense of grip on the back end. This is my first Teroldego and it strikes me as a terrific middle ground between Dolcetto and Barbera, borrowing elements of both. Very nicely done. 92 pts.”

teh-rohl-deh-goh

Tasted with Brian at the winery a few weeks ago and his pronunciation was similar to John’s, with the emphasis on the second syllable. Haven’t consulted the Pronunciation thread yet though…In any event, the 2018 Teroldego barrel sample was gorgeous and one we will be keeping an eye out for. Haven’t tasted the 2014 Teroldego, but we really enjoyed the 2013/2014 West of Temperance Aglianicos at the Seven Percent Solution tasting in LA back in June. Brian and John are doing some wonderful things with Italian varieties in Cali. Certainly a winery to keep an eye on!

Cheers,

Steve

Emphasis is on the second syllable. Can be a really nice wine. We did a tasting of a number of them a few years ago at Hearth in NYC. Not much grown in CA yet, but it can be promising.

There actually is a lot grown in California, but mostly in the central valley. Makes sense that it can be a good workhorse grape, delivering a lot of color and flavor grown in hot conditions.

We got it for a few years (until the vineyard was ripped out) from the Hecker Pass, and were happy with how it did there. I think it would excel in the Santa Clara Valley AVA and plenty of other similar areas of the state.

Yup, Wes…That Harrington Teroldego was probably the best one yet produced in Calif. Too bad the vnyd was pulled. I shared a btl of it
w/ ElisabettaForadori and she thought it was pretty good. “But not as good as mine”!!
The Bevela, made down in SBCnty by JimClendenen’s neice, is also quite a good one.
Teroldego is a variety they should be planting all up&down the Coast in Calif.
Tom