Occhio di Pernice recs

I am looking for recommendations on Occhio di Pernice Vin Santo wines. Avignonesi seems to be the way to go based on a few quick searches, but it is pretty pricey, so I am looking for something more affordable.

Cant really give a price range and I may even buy a few Avignonesi. I recently had 1998 Vittorio Innocenti Occhio di Pernice Vin Santo which was about $100 for a 375ml. I am happy with it for the price, but hoping to see what else is out there and always looking for a bargain.

Thanks in advance.

My one and only Occhio de Pernice experience was at Avignonesi. Extraordinary! I was thinking about that wine recently prompted by a thread asking opinions about the most versatile red grape varieties. I was pondering Sangiovese as a possibility. Good luck.

P.S.We tasted the OdP at a luncheon at Avignonesi that included a tour and a look at the grape drying racks. And I know what you mean about pricey. At that same luncheon we had a delicious balsamic vinegar that we thought of bringing home as a gift for our neighbors until we saw the price. Gulp!

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I suggested this as a possibility, but had no takers. :frowning:

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People don’t know what they don’t know! [cheers.gif]

(Including us maybe)

this as much of a reach as it appears to be? or unlucky timing on posting?

You could try Artimino - may be more affordable.

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Hoping it can help :

Toscane : Montecucco - Vin Santo Occhio di Pernice - Castello Colle Massari “Scosciamonaca” 2011
(70% sangiovese, 30% aleatico) Vin rouge de passerillage (50 cl)
DS17 - LG17,5 – CDC17 – MS17 - FM17 - AA17
Les vins Santo rouges sont encore plus rares que les blancs (cf. le merveilleux occhio di pernice 1997 d’Avignonesi). Nez superbe avec des odeurs de raisin sec, de noix, de banane flambée (je les trouve aussi dans les blancs produits en petit fût - le caratelli), complétées par des inflexions balsamiques. Trame déployée, allongée, originale, équilibrée, savoureuse.
Pour info :
Vin Santo di Montepulciano Avignonesi Occhio di Pernice 1997 : 18/20 – 29/11/2015
Première rencontre pour moi avec ce rouge passerillé rare (issu de sangiovese), monumental, développant des goûts tonitruants de confiture de cerises noires du pays basque, de viande fumée. La bouche, spectaculaire, huileuse mais sans avachissement, me rappelle l’insolite Tintilla de Rota de Lustau.

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This will sound crazy, but hand on heart, I think Avignonesi’s version is good value (or at least it was a few years ago when I last checked). It’s certainly the most intense wine I’ve ever tasted and probably the most complex. Would I buy even a half bottle now? Possibly not, but if I did I know I’d be getting something that is good enough to be a once in a lifetime experience.

I suspect fans of Seppelt’s 100yo vintage para liqueur have similar feelings.

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Think of the expensvie and great Dal Forno’s or Quintarelli’s Recioto della Valpolicella …

Wish I could, but unfortunately, havent had either yet. Any thoughts on how those compare to Bussola’s or Bussola’s TB?

A few clues …

February 2016 :
Recioto della Valpolicella classico Bussola 2005 : ED – 8/2/2016
Fortement volatile et donc en défaut pour moi (on sait l’importance du biais culturel et je n’oublie pas que nous sommes dans une région qui produit des vinaigres ambitieux).

Recioto della Valpolicella classico Begali 2004 : 17/20 – 8/2/2016
Gelée de mûres. Excellent passerillage, net, fruité, gourmand.

Aside from the truly exceptional Occhio di Pernice Vin Santo from Avignonesi, the only other I’ve had was a 2003 Vin Santo del Chianti Classico Occhio di Pernice from Badia a Coltibuono, always a favorite Chianti Classico producer for me. For 1/3 the price of the Avignonesi, this was a good introduction to the style years ago.

In my experience, Recioto della Valpolicella is a completely different animal.

stumbled across this today!

“this brings us to one of Sangiovese’s most fascinating albeit challenging traits: its incredible variability in nearly every aspect, including morphology or form, site sensibility, evolution during cultivation, and of course, final results” ~Kerin O’Keefe~ Brunello di Montalcino Understanding and Appreciating One of Italy’s Greatest Wines

a paragraph later she quotes Dr. Bandinelli “Sangiovese does not have the genetic stability of other grapes. While variations among clones of other varieties, including Cabernet and Merlot, are very subtle, the differences among Sangiovese’s numerous clones, and even differences among individual plants of the same clone, especially in terms of its performance, are extraordinary.”