7 Days in Italy II
Tasted Sunday, February 17, 2019 - Saturday, February 23, 2019 by nzinkgraf with 522 views
Introduction
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Flight 1 - La Valentina - Abruzzo (15 Notes)
La Valentina - 30,000cs
de Proprezio family, oil refinement products is where they come from.
Fantinel was involved briefly after the original owners got partners.
50% of the production in MdA is independent producers. There is lots of bulk production here, as you don’t have to have your winery in the DOC to label DOC.
Pergola Abruzzese - tall truck with criss-crossed canes. Helps with aeration as there is lots of humidity here. Cement posts.
40ha for La Valentina. 25 here and 15 ha in St Valentino (47yr old, where Binomio is.
Montepulciano is a very late ripener (late sept/oct). Vigorous with big bunches, but certain clones can be better for quality. Binomio is planted to a clones with smaller berries.
All grapes at La Valentina are certified Organic. Changed in 1998, chemical intervention led to homogenization (where the talk of environmental harm?).
There’s a fruit fly here that f’s with the bunches. No treatment, but to ‘paint’ the bunches.
2018 was a challenging vintage. Lots of rain all summer.
Montepulciano tends towards reductions, so micro-oxygenation and pump overs for the higher $$ wines.
Flight 2 - Garofoli - Marche (10 Notes)
There’s a pretty normal looking press, dated 1871 in the lobby.
This was Vatican territory, unified w/ Piedmont. Garofoli is on the road that connected Northern and Southern Italy. They sold salt after the unification wars. Salt for preserving food.
97% of Marches is hills and mountains.
Conero has limestone and chalk.
Montepulciano has thick skins and can tolerate humidity.
Marches = 4 Marquis
Daria Perigo - Matriarch - comes from the baby stroller business.
1901 is the official start of Garofoli. Oldest family-owned winery in the Marche.
1947 - started bottling. Bubbles too.
1950s - start to export
1964 - DOC
77–>78. Biancarda becomes Piancarda, to avoid it’s confusion as a white wine. ‘Biancarda’ is the vineyard site in Conero
They use 5000L wooden tanks and barrique, up to 8 years.
There’s lots of bubbly, undisgorged, old vintages, hand riddled and waiting for orders.
Flight 3 - Poliziano - Montepulciano (10 Notes)
The Rosso di Montepulciano comes from vineyards around the winery (lower elevation).
No plowing, keep the flowers and grasses to influence the flavor of the wine. No herbicides, no pesticides.
Dr. Carletti says that ‘organics’ can improve the quality of the wine. But doesn’t want certification, so he may have non-organic options if needed. And he doesn’t believe in Biodynamics.
Merchanical pruning and then finished by hand.
450hrs of hand work in 1ha/year. 7 passages per year.
July green harvest to improve quality.
Hand sorting for the top wines. Mechanical sorter for the regular wines. I’m glad he doesn’t have an optical sorter to talk about.
Federico’s father Dino was a fan of literature/fashion/etc.
Had oak fermenters up until 1998, but afraid of Brett and volatile aromas, so...be gone.
There are some conical tanks that help with punch downs and a softer extraction. A destemmer that doesn’t use paddles, but shakes the berries free.
The Vino Nobile gets a 2 day cold soak. They use two selected yeasts on 80% of their wines. Punch downs 2/3/4 times a day for the first 5-6 days. Press off after 18-20 days. Ageing in large cask, barrique and tonneaux.
Large casks are used for 15 years. Barrique for 5 years. Larger casks would be used for 25 years historically.
Poliziano has increased the use of large casks in the last 15 years.
Asinone=behind of a donkey.
Angelo Ambrungini is Poliziano
Flight 4 - Casanova di Neri - Montalcino (5 Notes)
w/ Pier Luigi
At their new vineyard site purchased from Silvestro Tocci in 2017. He was getting on in years and couldn’t work it any longer. More rocks and good drainage here. There’s irrigation tubing, but they don’t use it apparently. And it’s not allowed to irrigate in the appellation.
Previously this went into a bottling called Amphora d’Oro. But no one’s seen that for 20 years. Tocci is halfway between Le Cetine and Piedradonice. And
Casanova di Neri est 1971. 500ha property with wheat and olives planted. Made wine 71-77, but didn’t sell it.
Montalcino is a mountain. Anything over 600m can be considered for Brunello. 250 producers in the appellation.
NE Montalcino - cooler, clay soils. Cerretalto faces south, 3-4 weeks difference in ripening between here and the south.
S Montalcino - much warmer, rockier soils., Piedradonice is here, it was their only opportunity to plant cab, as the couldn’t plant sangiovese here for Brunello.
Biondi Santi started it all here and Casanova di Neri has a consciously different style than they do. The difference in going for full ripeness, rather than picking for acidity. ‘To realize the potential.’
Started with 12ha by the office (Fiesole). The original house was the new house = Casanova. All of the houses back in the day would have had names like that, an identity.
Fiesole - Clay, ripens two weeks after Tocci.
Cerretalto - Alluvial, red mineral/iron
Le Cetine - Rocky.
27000ha total within the appellation.
3000ha planted vineyards
2000ha for Brunello
40ha of Brunello for Casanova di Neri.
140ha of Brunello for Frescobaldi
Banfi has the biggest winery, but Frescobaldi the most acreage.
Sant’Antimo can be for White, Red, Rose, Sparkling.
Moscadello makes some sweet wines.
Something, something Poderenuove is at 500m and right next to Biondi Santi.
It’s noted that Tenuta Nuova comes from Le Cetine and Piedradonice. The yellow onyx in the tasting room comes from Piedradonice.
Deer are the biggest pest here, fences up to keep them out.
Brunello released 50-52m after harvest with a minimum of 24m in barrel. 30-45m @ Casanova di Neri. French and Slavonian. 7T/ha is max. They are at 4-4.5T/ha.
2014 they got an optical sorter.
Open tank ferment, no crushing for their Brunello, they do punch downs and try to avoid pump overs.
2 week ferment for the Rosso.
3 week ferment for the Brunello, wild yeast.
Flight 5 - Badia a Coltibuono w/ Selvapiana - Gaiole (17 Notes)
w/ Roberto Stucchi @ Montebello Vineyard
Boars around here only like mature fruit.
Historically vineyards in the region were terraced. From the 60s to today, lots of rows going up and down a hill for working by tractor.
Here at Coltibuono, cover crops are the fertilizer, particularly legumes. They’ll let the cover crops go to flower to attract insects. Wasps to eat any problematic insects. But overall, it’s noted, that very little input is needed for the soil. They will compose the pruned canes.
Certified Organic vineyards. As well as ‘Delias?’, a Swiss certification to lower the use of Copper. Seaweed and prickly pear compost.
35% of Chianti Classico vineyards were Certified Organic 2 years ago. Roberto thinks that Gaiole is at 50% now and CC @ 40% as a whole.
Coltibuono is in Monti (perhaps a future sub-app) in the southern part of Gaiole. Limestone w/ 15% clay. Northern Gaiole is sandier. 4 or 5 soils types in Gaiole, that may lead to future village CC appellations or sub-apps.
Roberto notes that pesticides breed new pests and that addressing pest problems needs a network of organic growers rather than just individual estates trying to combat the problems.
In the 80s and earlier it was often difficult to get to 12% and there was often chapatalization. But that’s not a problem now with climate change and all.
Later in the cellar:
CC and Riserva all in large barrel to age.
Cousins with the Giuntini’s of Selvapiana.
1716 - Chianti appellation
Bottles in the cellar going back to 1937, but they didn’t commercially bottle until the 1950. 1946, 1949, and 1956 are all still drinking.
W/ Federico Giuntini of Selvapiana
Selvapiana = flat woodlands
They have 60ha under vine now.
1932 Chianti Rufina was known as Rufina Pomino. Cooler climate, longer ripening vs CC.
Tuscan ———> Etruscan. Where have I been my whole life?
overheard at dinner...
Cetamura was a Etruscan village from 300BC. Speaking of the well that’s being excavated. For Etruscans, a well was a place to leave offerings. Under the well, 3 natural springs that fed a stream in Gaiole. Then there’s lots more talk about how one of these larger streams was referred to as ‘Chianti,’ 1000 years ago in a monk’s text, probably handed down from Etruscan oral history. I wish I would have gotten this store a little straighter.
Flight 6 - Cleto Chiarli - Emilia-Romagna (7 Notes)
Emilia is Sparkling Wines, Romagna is Still Wines.
Romagna, the two largest co-ops in Italy are here. Making Sangiovese and Trebbiano box wines. Obviously makes for a low image of the region (see Central Valley). Ferrari is 5 miles away.
Lasagna, Parma Ham, Parmesan Reggiano, Tortellini, Balsamico di Modena, Tagliatelle, Mortadella. Not a Mediterranean diet here. i.e. eggs and butter. Med diet ——> olive oil and tomatoes
Villa Emilia - is a Roman road that connects the main cities/villages and it’s the Main Street in all of these towns.
Enrico Cialdini fought for Girabadi during the unification in the 1860s. The villa at the estate was built in 1711, bought by the Chiarli family in about 1900. 60-70ha planted around the winery. Planted to Grassparossa and Pugnitello. They also have a vineyard in Sorbara.
EST 1860, they had a restaurant and produced wine for the restaurant. Closed restaurant in 1860 to focus on wine.
Anselmo and Mauro are the Great Grandsons of Cleto. And their sons, Tomaso and Carlo are the next generation.
They make 1.5M bottles here. Plus another winery and cellar in Modena for their more ‘grocery’ wines. They built this cellar in 2000, to focus on more quality wines.
‘Quality in Lambrusco = freshness + fruitiness.’ At Chiarli the wines just go through one ferment, while in the region a second ferment is normal and this holds down freshness and fruitiness. 2nd ferment wines are also lower in price.
Fondatore is fermented in the bottle. The other sparkling are all in Charmat Method.
60% domestic consumption, 40% export.
End of Aug/early Sept harvest starts with Sorbara.
All hand picked fruit.
24 hour skin contact for Sorbara
72 hour skin contact for Grassparossa.
Cold Soaks.
Only use the ‘flower of the must,’ free run i’d gather. Keep the must at ZERO degrees until the need to ferment. Start ferment 3-4 months before it has to leave the building.
They use selected yeasts to get long slow ferment of 3-4months, rather than 1-2 days
They’ll close the valves when the ferment is to 6-8% to capture the remaining CO2, about 5bars.
Bottling looses some pressure, so bottled around 3bars
Primo Nero @ 20g/l TS
Amabile @ 45g/l RS, 8%
Flight 7 - Enrico Serafino - Roero (9 Notes)
W/ Niko, Erica, and Paolo (winemaker) in Canale d’Alba (Roero). Founded in 1878 by Enrico Serafino, a 23 year old pasta maker from Northern Piedmont.
1850 - Carlo Ganja (?) claimed to be the first Method Classico italian sparkling wine.
They are grandfathered to make Barolo and Barbaresco, but only when made at the winery on this particular site.
Woodrow Wilson travelled here in 1919 and was served Enrico Serafino during his first official trip abroad.
1993-2014 - Campari Group owned
2015 - Krause Gentile Family purchased. Then Vietti in 2016.
Niko notes that there are 32-35 grams of devolved extract in 1L of wine. 1,600 detectable compounds, and the rest is water. It’s then suggested that in the winery you can really only affect 4 of these elements/compounds.
Only hand harvest at Enrico Serafino.
Peristaltic Pumps.
Submerged cap masceration post ferment up to one month.
White are pressed off the skins immediately.
For reds, wider tanks so the cap is thinner. Cap stays wet and it’s a more uniform extraction.
60ha of controlled vineyard, 25ha of estate vineyard.
There is a Seralunga Barolo on the horizon and a Briccolina single vineyard bottling too.
The Gavi is not produced here. They rent a cellar in that area. All others are estate bottled.
And, there’s a gyropallet.
30m minimum ageing for Alta Langhe. ZERO has a minimum of 5 years or more.
Degorgement a vole and degorgement de la glacé. By hand or by ice. Then Liqueur d’expedition (or not), then cork and cage.
They do 42m for Brut, 36m for Rose, 72m for ZERO, and then there’s Zero140, a 2005 disgorged in 2018.
They’re the only Alta Langhe to get Tre Bicchieri (up til now).
There’s a suggestion that many (now or historically) Italian sparkling producers have added Brandy/Cognac for the Liqueur d’expedition...
Poorer soils (no grass) in the Alta Langhe are planted to Nebbiolo.
Flight 8 - Vietti - Barolo
W/ Elena
2018 was a fairly light winter.
Vietti should be certified organic with in the next two years.
Looking at Scarrone right off the terrace, Seralunga (Lazzarito) is just to the right just over the hill. A lot closer than I would’ve imagined.
Scarrone VV - 1918 plantings. Then 1989 plantings. In the 1800s, Barbera was planted in the best exposures.
There is some Scarrone Nebbiolo planted there too, that goes into Perbacco/Castiglione. When the vineyard turns from E to SE that’s where it turns to Nebbiolo. Scarrone VV is planted on American rootstock (down on the lower slope by the cherry tree). Phyloxerra is still active here.
After harvest Barbera leaves turn red and Nebbiolo leaves turn yellow.
Scarrone VV - 3400 bottles and Scarrone - 7000 bottles.
When great grandfather (Alfredo’s grandfather) came back from Boston in 1918 to take on the estate after his brother died. Before he left there was lots more Barbera, nut while he was away, Nebbiolo took over, as people pulled up Barbera and re-planted.
Ferraro in Alba and here in the low areas are hazelnuts. In Roero its peaches.
200m is minimum elevation. Up to 580m, then Alta Langhe.
Nebbiolo is prone to frost in the wrong places. Barbera is heartier.
Langhe - rolling hills, clay, calcereous, some sand. 6-12/15M YO geology
Roero - rockier, sandier, more dramatic landscape, pointier hills. 6M YO geology. Wines are more perfumed, delicate, softer tannin. Darker and simpler Barbera, great for white wine.
October is truffle festival, need medium humidity and cool temps. Nov 10th onward is the best time to visit, more aromatic truffles.
Luca joins in.
Castiglione Falleto is the geographic center of Barolo. Both sides of the hill are in the Barolo DOCG. Same with Barolo village itself.
The Tanaro River separates Roero (North) from Barolo (south) and Barbaresco (east). 12M years ago this was still an ocean, but then was lifted up.
1. Alta Langhe (South of Barolo and Barbaresco) was first to emerge.
2. Serralunga has the oldest geology of Barolo, has the least sand, more aggressive tannin here, powerful wines.
3. Castiglione Falleto (Rocche and Villero) emerged 8M-12M years ago, more balanced wines.
4. La Morra, 6M years ago. Earlier drinking, smoother tannin, richer, more fruit. Modern soils, sandier.
5. Novello (Ravera) 8M years ago. Again, sandier, lots of soil diversity
6. Verduno, more perfumed, no tannin
they don’t run too many numbers on the grapes that come in. Just check the sugar and then they chew the grapes and check the color of the seeds (want brown), chew the seeds as well. You can have high sugar and still have green seeds. They’re looking for ‘chestnut tannin’ when chewing the seeds. Then they’ll chew the skins for aroma/tannin/quality of tannin.
This is Luca’s secret and you can’t do these things if you don’t work the vineyard yourself.
Destemmers were a revolution for Nebbiolo, as the stems are generally watery, juicy and vegetal. Minestrone taste is a good sign. And it’s noted that whole cluster isn’t suitable for every vineyard. Verduno is the only place that WC was traditional, as they’d get their tannin from the stems. Stems in Verduno are drier, less watery/vegetal.
Flight 9 - Vietti - Barolo continued... (17 Notes)
MGAs in Barolo, 172 cru vineyards. 20 Grand Cru (no Monopole GC sites), 40 Premier Cru, 112 Lieu Dit. Serralunga and Castiglione Falleto are much more delineated sites. Other villages are much larger parcels.
1961 - first cru bottling @ Prunotto (Alfredo also bottled a cru in that year, but Prunotto seems to get the nod.)
They just purchased some additional sites (@ 2.5M Euros/Ha) and from 2022 there will be two more single vineyard bottlings.
1. Monvigliero (Verduno) - Whole Cluster ferment with the assistance of Dujac.
2. Cerequio (Barolo/La Morra) - bought from Chiarlo.
Additionally 2.7ha just purchased in Roncaia (Barbaresco), to go into Masseria. Also, 2 acres purchased in the center of Rabaia just up the hill from Martinenga.
They made Rabaia up until 1990 (grapes from Moccagatta), but didn’t control the vineyard. It’s noted that Luca finished enology school in 1988.
Barbera Scarrone, Cascina Francia, and the Prunotto Barbera bottling are the Three top Barbera, according to Luca.
Winemaking notes:
Submerged cap when 2/3 of the sugar has fermented, slows down the ferment. This was a traditional winemaking method almost completely abandoned in the 1990s when they went for shorter ferments in the region.
Viticulture here is Organic/Bio. Luca will always use selected yeasts. Natural yeasts for him lead to VA and Brett.
Selected yeast must be a big contribution to style - my words.
Luca says they encounter Brett from time to time. I imagine they don’t use those lots, as I haven’t encountered Brett in Vietti.
Rarely uses pumps, mostly gravity. And it’s noted that historically, fermentation took place in the same cask as aging, rather than in open top wood like today.
Alfredo w/ Leroy (Lalu?) and Al Brunson of Diamond Creek made the first pneumatic punchdown equipment. Now this works great for Barbera (needs is gentle with its thin skin), but not for Nebbiolo.
That Roto-fermenter is still here. it’s continuous extraction for 3-4 days (as opposed to 30days). But since tannin needs ABV to properly extract, as alcohol is a solvent. (The alternative) this is the key to the post-ferment maceration. Modern producers would use the roto-fermenter because they didn’t want grape tannin, they wanted the sweet wood tannin. Now Luca will use the roto-fermenter only in cases of emergency, like in rainy or hail affected sites.
Luca says that he likes to go to bottle a little reduced.
They’ll use barrels for 12 years and here, barrique is not for flavor.
It’s noted that when Luca was at Opus in 1992, he was noted as the ‘French Winemaker.’
Luca has a sulfur intolerance and the goal is to use the least sulfur possible. 1/5 normal sulfur is where they’re at.
-skin cosmetics often come from yeast derivatives. With their anti-oxidant properties.
W/Randall Graham, he experimented with battonage to keep the yeast in suspension to scavenge O2, this helps to reduce sulfur use. (But then it would fatten the wine too, eh?)
And it’s noted that Luca will take all opportunities to eliminate O2 exposure to the wine.
Alfredo pre-90s blended the grapes from separate sites before aging/ferment, then Luca pushed this blending back 4 years and keeps then all separate now.
We’re in the old cellar now. Castiglione Falletto was built during Roman times, but lots of construction in the 1100s. We’re in the old military tunnels, 2-6m underground. Constant humidity. In the 1600s the castle from the 1100s was renovated and the wooden beams were recycled and used here. The beams are petrified at this point in this constant humidity. He noticed this when he tried to cut out termites with a hatchet. (They can eat petrified wood??)
Scarrone VV gets 6m in barrique and then one year in large cask. Tre Vigne gets a similar treatment, 12-16m in barrique and large cask.
The large casks with thicker staves (some from trees 150 yrs fold or more. Thicker staves, less oxygen exchange. From Stockinger in Austria. they get 1 per year.
Oval shaped casks vs being circular. Oval has less yeast surface area contact with the wine.
Circular (these are circular with thick staves)- yeasts spread around and they get a little O2 coming in through the staves, so they don’t have to rack as the wine doesn’t get too reduced in cask.
Flight 10 - Marchesi di Gresy - Barbaresco (17 Notes)
w/ Marinella, Jeffrey, and Ludovica.
right in front of the winery is an experimental vineyard w/ 11 different clones of Nebbiolo. 2 of these clones have now found their way into Martinenga, now that these plantings are more than 15 years old. They had to have a direct south facing plot in order to accept the experiment.
Before 1973 this estate was an active farm with cows and grain.
Today there is still a bit of snow on the ground in places, but the super sunny and if you didn’t see the snow, you’d be thinking Spring.
Monte Aribaldo is just 2km away at 10 o’clock facing south from the winery, with Villa Giulia Gresy on top of the hill. It’s the family hunting lodge. Ludovica’s Great Grandfather gave the gift of two Monferrato estates with the marriage of his daughter Giulia (Julia?). Hence Villa Giulia Gresy (Ludovica’s Grandmother).
200,000b total at de Gresy from 36ha.
W/Jeffrey in the cellar
They do more pump overs than punch downs. 1 or 2x/day for the first few days and then much more frequently after that. the cement tanks that we see are really just used for holding between pump overs or rackings. They inoculate with a neutral yeast.
2018 was a VG year, but very unusual. Barolo and Barbaresco picked at the same time. Quality and quantity in 2018.
Some vintage notes before our tasting:
2002 only Martinenga and less than 10,000b, rather than 45,000b. Jeffrey calls this out as a ‘sneaky (good) vintage.’
2003 - hottest vintage in history and noted as the climate change turning point for European winemakers.
2007 - no Gaiun as it got hit with double hail storms.
2014-2017 low yields and 2017 low rain too.
For all the nay-saying around 2014s, Jeffrey calls 2014 Martinenga a very confident wine.
Flight 11 - Inama - Soave (7 Notes)
w/ Alessio and Luca Inama @ Foscarino (20M years ago this was a volcano).
2000 years of viticulture here. Romans were looking for volcanic soils. They learned from the Greeks. Grechanico - Greek grape varieties. Garganega, Grechetto, Greco di Tufo, etc...
Soave Classico (volcanic) is 1/7th the size of the Soave DOC (sandy/alluvial).
The expansion of the area took place in the 1960s.
Inama was established in 1991, with SB being produced in the first vintage. 1992 Soave Classico produced.
We’re standing in the SE facing Foscarino Vineyard. Inama has 35ha in Soave Classico.
It’s noted that you could blend upto 30% of Trebbiano di Soave, but they don’t blend any in to their wines. It’s more of an aromatic variety.
Colli Berici project started in 1997. They are certified organic in Colli Berici, but here in Soave, they have too many neighbors that aren’t organic, so it wouldn’t be possible to get certification here. They are practicing organic here tho.
Speaking about the Consortio, the Cantina Sociale di Soave has 51% of the votes, there are 24ish small estate modeled producers in the Consortio. So its tough to combat the large coop.
A new bottling is on the horizon from an East facing plot in Soave Classico, called Carbonare.
Aug/Sept hail can be a huge problem here. 2015 they lost 30% of their crop.
They’re working with a consultant from Vitinova, which is only for Organic producers. Analyze the subplots, soil composition, chemistry, biodiversity.
Now we’re at Oratorio San Lorenzo, the largest single Carmenere vineyard in Europe. Bought in 2000, planted in 2001. 12ha of Carmenere. It’s much hotter here than in Soave Classico. And 1/2 of the rain too. Here its limestone and red clay. The limestone has been cooked by the lava underneath. And no need to fertilize here, as there is already too much vigor. Deer are the main problem here.
Maculan/Foradori/Inama - Super Veneti category for Bordeaux varieties.
Flight 12 - Alois Lageder - Alto-Adige (16 Notes)
w/ Clemens Lageder
They moved to Magreid in 1996 from Bolzano. 60% of their energy needs are met from their solar panels. Gravity flow too, so...
Time of harvest is their most important decision. To pick at the peak of tension. Has climate change pushed them to chase tension?
Porer component tasting, 3 wines, no skin contact, 2 weeks skin contact and then 6-8m in barrel on skins. ‘Time on the skins could be a way to address climate change in the finished wines.’
Flight 13 - Tenuta Sant’Antonio - Valpolicella (13 Notes)
@ Monti Garbi ‘Sour Mountain’ - arid and dry.
Pergola Veronese - more space between plants, more fruit per plant
Now they do tighter spacing than this.
Consortio dictates the % of Amarone vs. Valpolicella every year. 40% Amarone, 60% Valpolicella, for example.
In the cellar, 500L tonneaux, traditionally it was casks larger than 500L
Their style is clean, fresh, fruity. ‘They don’t want reduced wines.’
Est in 1995. Amarone here is 2 years in new barrel, Campo di Gigli gets 3 years, Riserva barrique for 4 years.
They started with larger casks, but now they use the 500L, their wines are ready in 1-2 years in these barrels vs 3-4 years in the bigger cask. In 2020 they have a cellar expansion planned.
Armando’s dad was one of the founders of the co-op in Soave. Bought their property in 1989. Now have 80ha here, 20ha in Soave (not Classico, lower area), and 20ha somewhere else. 75% red wine.
Flight 14 - Marco Felluga/Russiz Superiore - Collio (8 Notes)
W/Roberto Felluga (he’s really farming his hair!)
13th of August harvest time in 2018, used to be first or 2nd week of sept 30-40 years ago.
2km from Slovenia, and Collio is just 3% of Italian wine production. 7000 ha in appellation, with 1500 ha of vineyard.
Istria——>Friuli between WWI and WWII.
1956 Marco Felluga established. History at Russiz Superiore goes back over 700 years. 120ha, prior years wines will be bottled in March.
Wine production here over 2600 years ago. Ribolla has been here at least 800 years, PG less than 200 years.
2018 Fattoria La Valentina Trebbiano d'Abruzzo
Italy, Abruzzi, Trebbiano d'Abruzzo
(2/17/2019)
Bottles 2-3 weeks ago.
Ugni Blanc.
Chalky white flower aromas. 100% Trebbiano with no masceration. Temperature controlled stainless steel. Crunchy palate, crisp and easy finish.
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2018 Fattoria La Valentina Pecorino
Italy, Abruzzi, Colline Pescaresi IGT
(2/17/2019)
Just bottled. Still shows some SO2 to the nose. A little more color than the Trebbiano. On the border with Marche and Abruzzo, doesn’t like a site that’s too warm, or too cold. 1-1.5m sur lie, same vinification as the Trebbiano. 2018 whites and rose are fine, but the 2018 reds will be really tough. No Binomio in 2018.
Some Bordeaux Blanc style skunky minerality to the nose. 1st week of Sept pick.
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2017 Fattoria La Valentina Fiano La Ruve
Italy, Abruzzi, Colline Pescaresi IGT
(2/17/2019)
100% Fiano. 5 Tonneaux, all of different age. 6m sur lees, year in barrel about 20% new. Some soft creaminess a la Foscarino. Does show a little bit of new oak, but very subtle.
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2017 Fattoria La Valentina Trebbiano d'Abruzzo Spelt
Italy, Abruzzi, Trebbiano d'Abruzzo
(2/17/2019)
Spelt=Farro - Spoltore Commune - German influence.
18m in concrete. Vilification in stainless. Left outside to cold stabilize. Really lively Trebbiano, 7-8000b. VG.
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2018 Fattoria La Valentina Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo
Italy, Abruzzi, Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo
(2/17/2019)
Cerasuolo was historical the ‘red.’ While the MdA was the ‘black.’ 15-18hr masceration. Strawberry and cherry aromas. Cherry palate. Body, but some spriteliness.
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2018 Fattoria La Valentina Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo Superiore Spelt
Italy, Abruzzi, Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo Superiore
(2/17/2019)
Tank sample. More bodied, tannic, structured, fruity, but Zero RS. Sur lee 6m, unfiltered, unfined and naturally cold stabilized. Not natural yeast. Use staring yeast, not aromatic. Sabatino like to control the ferment. Substantially bodied. ‘A red wine to drink chilled.’
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2016 Fattoria La Valentina Montepulciano d'Abruzzo
Italy, Abruzzi, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo
(2/17/2019)
30 day masceration in stainless. 18m in 20% 2nd pass barrique and concrete. Red and black fruit, subtle fruit expressed, really.
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2015 Fattoria La Valentina Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Spelt
Italy, Abruzzi, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo
(2/17/2019)
More present fruit aromas. This is a selection in the vineyard, 60% of the sites are the same year to year. 60% in stainless. 18m in wood. Big barrel, barrique, concrete. 1yr in bottle. Damn, yes, well integrated bitter herb.
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2014 Binomio Montepulciano d'Abruzzo
Italy, Abruzzi, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo
(2/17/2019)
From the hills of Mt Magella on the edge of Magella Ntnl Park.
Old Vines 47 yrs, old clones. 4ha plot. Cassaudia (district)/Africa clone. Africa shaped bunches.
20-25 day masceration, then racked to barrique. 18m 60% new french.
F****** intense aromas. Mtn expresssion vs Bellovedere from Spoltore (more maritime). Red and black fruit aromas. Sabatino and Stefano Inama bought this vineyard site from a bankruptcy proceeding.
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2015 Fattoria La Valentina Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Bellovedere
Italy, Abruzzi, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo
(2/17/2019)
From a two hectare vineyard around the cellar. 30 day masceration, vinified in wood, not temp controlled. 18m in barrel.
You feel a little oak here on the palate. Like Spelt this puts more focus on the fruit and a softer palate. Lots of contrast between Bellovedere and Binomio.
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2011 Fattoria La Valentina Trebbiano d'Abruzzo Spelt
Italy, Abruzzi, Trebbiano d'Abruzzo
(2/17/2019)
At Dinner later that evening.
Has a savory streak to the nose. Palate maintains loads of freshness. Just needed a little time to blow off the swampy nose at pop n pour. White fleshed fruit, tree fruit. Still super fresh later in the evening.
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2010 Fattoria La Valentina Pecorino
Italy, Abruzzi, Colline Pescaresi IGT
(2/17/2019)
Maturing, hazelnut, marzipan. Probably a year or two or three past it’s prime. Long in the tooth.
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2007 Fattoria La Valentina Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Spelt
Italy, Abruzzi, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo
(2/17/2019)
From 1.5L.
Medicinal red fruit and cinnamon aromas. Baking spice and light black fruit too. Medium/- tannin, kalamata olive, red and black fruit palate.
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2007 Fattoria La Valentina Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Bellovedere
Italy, Abruzzi, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo
(2/17/2019)
From 1.5L
A little remaining bitter undertone. A really nice spot in it’s development. Medium tannin, red fruit. More solidly red fruited than the 2006 Spelt.
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2008 Fattoria La Valentina Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Bellovedere
Italy, Abruzzi, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo
(2/17/2019)
From 1.5L
Comes off loads younger than the 2007 with just the one year difference between them. Wow.
And then I got distracted.
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