Had some nice wines with Bob Summers last night along with some of Bob’s excellent fish stew. It included two whites with tannins from the skins, although the tannins in the Vare had mellowed considerably. The Vare stuff sounds interesting and not very Napa like. Anyone else had experience with Vare?
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2004 Vare Bianco Sulle Bucce - USA, California, Napa Valley (2/10/2009)
Another interesting white wine provded by Bob that is made with skin contact during fermentation. The last place I would have put production of this wine is in Napa Valley. It is SOOO un-Napa. Bob said the vineyard owner, Vare, travels regular to Italy and is a fan of Radikkon and Gravner and this is his kind of hommage to those wines. Slightly oxidative. Full bodied white. The flavors are nutty and lots of spices. Some of the flavors reminds me of a Chinese dessert that was mostly flavored with ginger. I don’t drink a lot of Napa wine but this seems innovative. Bob says it’s a blend of Pinot Grigio, Ribolla Gialla , Sauvignon Blanc, Tocai Friulano, and Pinot Blanc and aged for 20 months. -
2005 Vinoterra Rkatsiteli - Georgia, Kakheti (2/10/2009)
A really different kind of wine. Bob noted it’s made with contact between the skin and the juice during fermentation. That adds tannin to the white wine. This is difficult to describe. The best comparison for me is tea, which also have tannins. Bob says in his own note that it’s made in clay pots. Definitely a wine with some depth to it. I can’t really compare it to any other wine. I got more black fruits and also chokecherries like we used to eat in the fall in rural Nevada. Maybe the wine it is most similar to for me are the dry versions of Touriga Nacional. Bob said it was the third day this wine was open. Definitely a wine to explore.
