The Wines of This Week's Tasting:
Italy's Young New Wave
March 13, 2024
Rose Fizz
2022 Cantina Annesanti Raspato
Francesco Annesanti farms the native varieties of Umbria’s singular mountainous Valnerina. He does everything himself, from tending his vines to dipping each bottle in wax and hand labeling.
He farms naturally with some biodynamics, as well as spontaneous fermentation and aging in stainless steel He bottles unfined and unfiltered.
Raspato is a Rose Frizzante with no added sulfites, refermented with frozen must. It's 80% Sangiovese, 20% Aleatico. Technically, it is a pet nat, but it borders on being an age-worthy sparkling wine.
Tasting Beautiful nose chock full of strawberry & raspberry, plenty of length on the palate – A truly beautiful frizzante. $26.99, Case $22.99
White
2022 Valfaccenda Bislacco
In 2010, Luca Faccenda took over his family’s old Arneis and Nebbiolo vines on the steep and sandy/calcareous hillsides ideal for those grapes. Farming is natural, and cellar work utilizes indigenous yeasts, extended maceration with whole clusters, and aging in cement tanks and old barrels.
Bislacco (Vino Bianco) is composed of 70% Cortese (the grape of Gavi) and 30% Arneis, seeing some skin contact and aged in stainless
Notes: Waxy apple, stone fruit, and Fall spices rise from the glass. A great cooler weather white, reminiscent of Piedmont orchard fruit. $24.99, Case $21.25
2021 Chiara Ciavolich Aries (Pecorino
Chiara’s family has been making wine in Abruzzo since 1853. Her wines are classically proportioned and highly reflective of the land.
Fermented in stainless steel and aged in both stainless steel and large old French oak, this shows the structure, drive, and complexity of a well-made Pecorino grape.
Tasting Note: Lemon curd, basil and spearmint framed with ample acidity, wonderfully balanced. $22.99, Case $19.99
Red
Barale Fratelli – 2021 Nebbiolo d’Alba
The Barale family is one of Barolo’s oldest winemaking families. Long considered royalty in Europe, they have had a much lower profile in the USA until the last few years due to a re-awakening by young daughters, Eleonora and Gloria. Just as important, their longstanding perfumed and elegant style Nebbiolo has returned to fashion.
The Barale family never strayed from traditional expressions of Barolo. Nebbiolo sees native yeast fermentation in neutral oak and aging in neutral Slavonian or French oak large barrels. Wine is bottled without fining or filtration
In recent years, they have also doubled down on an organic farming approach
The Nebbiolo d’Alba grapes express much Barolo typicity and character. It is elegant above all else and light without being weak. Bright and ethereal, this is a “Baby Barolo” with some serious chops. $29.99, Case $25.49
2021 Chiara Condello Sangiovese di Predappio
Chiara’s wines shine a light on the nobility of Sangiovese from Romagna, a hilly region between the Adriatic Sea and the Apennine mountains
There, the village of Predappio has a storied history of pedigreed Sangiovese since the 1300’s. Sangiovese di Predappio is the native clone with thicker skin and smaller berries than those it fathered in Tuscany. This Sangiovese comes from well-situated plots of old vines on a combination of clay and marine-rich soil
Chiara is a purist who has reached high levels of notoriety in recent years. No process is forced. She makes wine in the “ancient method,” which includes native yeast fermentation in open-topped wooden or concrete vats, with extended skin maceration and a portion of whole cluster. She ages in old Slavonian oak tonneau and bottles without fining or filtering.
Tasting Note: Bright cherry, damp forest floor, and truffle. Seriously tasty Sangiovese, and radically different than what comes from Tuscany $26.99, Case $22.99
2016 Gimonda Buscheto Chianti
Giuseppe Mongelli embraces natural and simple vineyard work with a hands-off cellar approach enabled by farming that promotes life in his soils.
The Buscheto vineyard is 25 years old. He ferments in stainless steel and ages in concrete.
His wines are intense, broad, and deep, yet not rustic. Giuseppe releases only when he believes they are ready. This 2016 Chianti is the current release. It’s traditional Sangiovese, less sweet fruited than Sangiovese from Montalcino or Chianti Classico.
Tasting Note: Dense fruit and earth with an iron edge frame. Structured, but the tannins are not as aggressive as many traditional Sangiovese. $26.99, Case $22.99
March 2024 New Wave Italian Case 2 each of the wines $269
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