TN: Harrington 2018 "Misteri" Sumu Kaw Vineyard, El Dorado County

It’s not often that you can say you have tasted a wine that:

  1. Is new to the world of wine
  2. Whatever it is it’s damn tasty

This wine has been written up on WB before but the backstory is well worth repeating for those who may have missed it. This info is straight from the Harrington Website: "In 2015, cuttings from a vine thought to be Nerello Mascalese were sourced from a vineyard on Sicily’s Mt Etna. The cuttings were shipped to California, government quarantined for 2 years then planted at Sumu Kaw Vineyard. After a year in the ground, DNA testing found the vine not to be Nerello Mascalese but an unknown variety which does not match any of the over 28,000 grapevine varieties in the viticultural DNA database. Grapes from this “no name” vine were used to make this singular wine which is truly a “Mystery of Mt Etna.” I believe there is also some Grenache in the final wine.

With a Margherita Pizza at Diavola in Geyserville. If you haven’t been, get there. Awesome Italian.

Upon opening the wine has intense aroma, bright fruit, very floral, rose like. Forward flavors of Bing cherry, wild strawberry, blood orange and spice (allspice). Earthy and mineral this actually tastes a lot like Nerello Mascalese though we know it’s not. Succulent juicy fruit, very bright acidity a bit of tannin makes this a delicious package. This wine is everything you want when having wine with a meal.
Bryan Harrington is known for making tasty wine out of some “obscure” grapes but deserves special kudos for going forward and making this “Misteri” wine. The only mystery to me is why I didn’t buy more :slight_smile:

Tom
IMG_2972_2.jpg

1 Like

Yup, Tom…that Misteri is sumthin else. Fascinating red. Have you tried Bryan’s Falanghina yet?
Plan to hit DiAvola next week sometime.
Terrific wine list, but I miss Sarah, who put it together.
Having dinner w/ Bryan Thurs night in TheCite.
Presume I’ll see you at SundaySchool. My kind of religion.
Tom

Great stuff, like all of his wines.

Tom - say hi to Bryan for me.

Tom, the Misteri hit all the right notes. Nice wine at a great price. Have not yet tried the Falanghina, will give it a try.

Sarah really kept the wine list (and place) organized. Hasn’t been the same since she left but the food is still great.

See you at Sunday School, should be a good one!

Tom

According to Bryan Harrington, the Misteri variety has now been identified as Petrera Nera. Seems obvious, now.

-Al

3 Likes

Yes, Bryan Harrington just found out that Foundation Plant Services in Davis has now found Petrera Nera to be a DNA match to what he’d been told by his source in Sicily to be Nerello Mascalese but turned out not to be. Almost no info on Petrera Nera other than it being a very obscure Sicilian variety.

2 Likes

I think Caleb Leisure is or was working with this fruit after Bryan. I really enjoy wines coming off of Suma Kaw.

Also like Sumu Kaw, very well managed (by Sheila Bush).

-Al

1 Like

It’s my understanding that Caleb didn’t take that fruit last year though he’d gotten it the previous few years. Can’t recall whether I’ve tried any of the wines that Caleb made with it but I don’t think so. And I don’t know who - if anyone - took that particular Sumu Kaw fruit last year.

1 Like

Thanks Ken, Hopefully it’s still going to a good home.

1 Like