off the beaten path

WINE TALK
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Oh, right. Don’t know, since I live in Finland - I have no idea what you can get a hold of. I suggest you do like me and just try things out. See if there is anything available to you and start diggin’.

All right, here we go.

Nothing.

I’ve never had that wine.

I’ve had couple of them and while they’ve been pretty good, they’ve been nothing particularly memorable. Enjoyable but quite inoffensive. However, I can’t say nothing for the country’s wine as a whole, since my experience on them is so limited at the moment.

Here’s my note on one that is (was?) available here in Finland:

Quite translucent, Pinot-Noirish medium-deep ruby color with a subtly purplish youthful hue. The nose feels a bit restrained and vague, yet distinctively aromatic with fruit-forward notes of fresh dark berries, some sour cherries, a little bit of plummy fruits, light smoky or rubbery character, hints of Oolong tea and a sweeter touch of boysenberries. The wine feels moderately light-to-medium-bodied with modest-to-medium acidity and no tannins to speak of. There are pretty straightforward and fruity flavors of boysenberries, brambly blackberries and ripe cranberries along with a tart and crunchy hint of blackcurrants. The modest acidity could make the wine come across as sweeter than it actually were, but the moderate mineral bitterness and a sanguine hint of iron keep the wine nicely dry and savory. The finish is dry, subtly bitter and a bit spicy with flavors of tart and fresh blackcurrants and lingonberries, sweeter blackberries, some inky tones and a hint of sour cherry bitterness. The fruit flavors fade out quite quickly, but the moderate spicy bitterness persists for some while.

Somewhat like a simple Pinot Noir or an entry-level Gamay from Beaujolais. This is nice, fresh and straightforward effort, but if there is some distinctive character to Areni or Karmrahyut, they really didn’t show - were this wine served blind, I’d never guess it was an Armenian one seeing it shows very little to none unique qualities. It’s a nice, juicy and balanced entry-level wine, but also a very linear and simple one. An easy-drinking everyday wine that is nothing special to write home about. Perhaps a bit on the pricier end at 14,31€, but nothing too expensive for the quality. (87 pts.)

Posted from CellarTracker

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sounds good. Thanks you.

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Here are a few of the more unique or under the radar wines I’ve found to be palate broadening for me:

Bressan Pignol
Dr. Konstantin Frank Saperavi
Alois Lageder Kalterersee Classico Römigberg (Schiavia grape)
GD Vajra Freisa
Donabaum Neuburger Federspiel
Cambas Moschofilero
Anselmet Petit Rouge
DiFilippo Sagrantino di Montefalco
Laible Weissburgunder
Adelsheim Auxerrois
Caligiore Bonarda Reserve
Marco Martin Fumin Valle d’Aosta Lo Triolet
Foradori Teroldego
Domaine des Ardoisières Argile Blanc

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[winner.gif]

Now this is someone who has an adventurous palate. They must have some pretty eclectic wine shops in Maine

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We are lucky to have some really great distributors in our state that work to really find unique & interesting wines. I’ve also often sought out anything that is obscure or unique as I find that I tend to really like some of these smaller or more obscure wines.

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Would also recommend some white grape varietals from Spain, such as:

  • Godello
  • Verdejo
  • Albarino
48

Not sure if these qualify, but two wines from the Jura have caught my attention and I plan to try them soon:

Vin Jaune: Vin Jaune represents the highest level of oxidative Savagnin from the Jura. The wine spends more than six years under the veil, over which time a third of the volume evaporates, and the wine transforms into something intense, rich, and complex. Look for a dizzying array of flavors and aromas — walnuts, hazelnuts, caramel, curry, coffee, toast, butter, cocoa, citrus zest, and more.

Trousseau: Trousseau is darker than rosé, but not by much — there’s low tannin and pleasant wild cherry fruit. If the Jura is Burgundy’s wilder, rugged cousin, then Trousseau perfectly represents its region: similarly delicate, but less sophisticated, more rugged, and a bit wilder.

*Italicized text are notes from the importer

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Well, depends on which producers’ Vins Jaunes and Trousseaus you are talking about. There are lots of cheap, insipid wines made by large co-ops and negociants, but also thrilling examples that often tend to be much harder to acquire.

It’s also noteworthy that Trousseau is the darkest and most tannic red variety grown in Jura. Some can be quite light, but there are also lots of tough, dark wines made of Trousseau as well. If you want light, delicate red wines that look like dark rosés, keep an eye on wines made from Poulsard.

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The producer I have access to is Domain Ligier. The importer also imports a Poulsard from this producer. Do you know anything about Ligier?

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Haven’t tasted any of them meself, but know it’s a solid producer. Nothing particularly spectacular when it comes to Jura, but nothing to complain either. They are mainly known for their great Cremant.

They should have two Trousseaus; a lighter and fresher Cotes du Jura and a more robust effort made with old vine fruit from Arbois.

No idea about their Vin Jaune, but can’t remember time when I didn’t like a Vin Jaune. They’re definitely unique and might be hard to appreciate. However, that importer sales pitch isn’t correct in that Vin Jaune would be the highest level of oxidative Savagnin - that particular top tier is reserved for Chateau-Chalon.

1 Like
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Great - thank you for the info. Looks like they offer the Cotes du Jura Trousseau bottling. I’ll also let the importer know about the Vin Jaune error when I place my order.

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Thanks and Damn to Otto for an earlier post.

I’ve been touting Grk on this board forever.

Yes, hard to find.
No, not cheap.
Yes, inconsistent.
But the best bottlings are fascinating, excellent and won’t break the bank.

Dan Kravitz

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Interestingly, the picture on their website for the Trousseau offering I bought is the Cotes du Jura, while the bottle I actually received was the Arbois. I’ll have to let them know.

I’m not very impressed with the Arbois. I’m getting a plastic band aid type of thing on the nose and some astringent tastes but it has improved a little bit with air. I can’t quite tell if it’s off or if I just opened it too early. (I didn’t realize I had received the more “serious” bottling until after I opened it. I expected the Cotes du Jura bottling and expected that to be more receptive to early drinking.)

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Monastero Suore Cinstercensi’s, Ruscum.

Macerated white made by nuns in Lazio. Blend of Trebbiano, Malvasia and Verdicchio. 15 days skin contact. It is pretty good.

Don’t know if Jura is in this category anymore? Atleast in Copenhagen it is what everyone drinks haha.
But if you want some suggestions from Jura, i can give some. Think 40% of my cellar collection is Jura.

1 Like
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This is great. Thanks. I have been getting ready to jump on a 1997 Bressan Pingol for just over $100. Any thoughts? Too old? Too pricy?

I have had just one pure Bonarda and it was enjoyable, available, and very inexpensive. 2019 Altos las Hormigas Colonia Las Liebres Bonarda

Any idea where to get the Vajra Freisa? I’m very intrigued by this but couldn’t find much online. I’m getting ready to try a Chinato from Vajra soon. Never had before.

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Sounds pricey. The average price in CT hovers around 50€. I’ve had it once and if memory serves, it cost also somewhere around 50€. It was also rather earthy and musty - felt almost like corked, but not quite, and the earthy notes didn’t seem to increase over time, so probably it was just bottle skunk.

I have had just one pure Bonarda and it was enjoyable, available, and very inexpensive. 2019 Altos las Hormigas Colonia Las Liebres Bonarda

I wouldn’t consider Bonarda really anything off the beaten path, since it used to be the most planted variety in Argentina and still is probably the 2nd/3rd most planted variety. Normally made into inexpensive everyday reds. Haven’t had that Caligiore wine so I really don’t know if there is something more special in that one.

Any idea where to get the Vajra Freisa? I’m very intrigued by this but couldn’t find much online. I’m getting ready to try a Chinato from Vajra soon. Never had before.

I’ve had some Vajra’s Freisas and they have been from the very extracted and powerful end of the spectrum, often very high in alcohol with fruit character that can get quite sweet, occasionally even jammy. Quite impressive wines in their own right, but not really representative of Freisa. If you’re interested in a good, classically built Freisa, I’d recommend to look for Burlotto. Also Giuseppe Rinaldi and both Mascarellos (Giuseppe and Bartolo) make terrific Freisas, but they might be harder to source. However, all these Freisas tend to be also more affordable than the Vajra Freisa.

Barolo Chinato is a terrific beverage. Definitely not everyone’s cup of tea, but I love it.

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cancel the part about where to find Freisa. Must have been typing it wrong because I found it a few places now.

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awesome. I’m getting rocked on the shipping for that Bressan Pignol too, but can’t really find any alternatives with any years on them.

Do you know anything about Vietti’s Freisa? I can get it at a place I buy from regularly, but I am going to try to find any of the other 4 I can as well.

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Haven’t had Vietti that one, but I think it is made in the same ultra-traditionalist way as Bartolo Mascarello’s Freisa, i.e. bottled with a portion of unfermented must, giving the wine a bit of pétillance. The other wines (Vajra, Giuseppe Mascarello, Burlotto and Rinaldi) are vinified like red wine.

To my understanding, the Vietti version is a very traditional wine in the sense that they attempt to make it a fizzy, soft, easy-drinking red (as Freisa is a very tannic variety making powerful wines) like they did in the past. Bartolo Mascarello’s slightly fizzy Freisa is a bit more powerful and structured; G. Mascarello, Burlotto and Rinaldi are classic Piedmontese red wines with high acidity and firm tannins; and Vajra is a more extracted, noticeably ripe and quite heavy effort, so quite removed from the old-school Freisa style.

In the end I suppose Vietti most likely is going to be good and very old-school, but probably quite different from all the other Freisas.