Community Tasting Note

careyd wrote:

Monday, September 18, 2006 - La Famiglia was bought out by Steve and Bruce Cousins from Robert Mondavi last year: Steve posted the following on Wine.woot on 8/30/06: My brother, Bruce, and I are the proud owners of La Famiglia which we purchased from Robert Mondavi early last year. Like the Mondavi's we are of Italian descent and thrilled with the opportunity to own and market this delicious Pinot Grigio. We are a small family owned and operated business and you can check out our "roots" at www.armida.com. The La Famiglia wines are now produced here at Armida Winery in Healdsburg in northern Sonoma County. Let me know if you have any questions and we'll do our best to answer them.

On the vintages 2003 vs. 2004: The vintages are very much alike in that the grapes came from the same vineyards, the growing seasons were very similiar (almost perfect) and we continued our well-proven fermentation practices (VERY slow fermentation at 55 degrees F to hold on to all the delicious Pinot Grigio flavors and after the must was dry, weekly stirrings of the lees to extract a smooth creamy texture). The only difference other than extremely subtle vintage variations is that the 2003 was primarily Pinot Grigio with a bit of Tocai Friulano blended in; the 2004 vintage is primarily Pinot Griogio with a bit of Tocai Friulano and a bit of Chardonnay. While blending the 2004 vintage we rather enjoyed the way that a bit of Chardonnay enhanced the weight of the wine, while providing a rich counterpoint to the zingy crispness of the Pinot Grigio. Hope this is helpful! Cheers! Steve Cousins, PRoprietor, La Famiglia

My Tasting notes: Watery to pale slightly greenish yellow. Very clear. Moderate, youthful aromas of white flowers, delicate citrus, maybe some green apple?. Dry and light bodied on the palate. Acidity is tart and lively. Moderate flavor intensity. I taste citrus, green apple, and something smooth and mellow in the background. Perhaps it's the slight touch of chardonnay in this vintage? Good value especially at the $10 avg. price from wine.woot

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