Natural Wines of Italy

Great tasting of Natural, or what we call 'orange wine', wines from Italy. Great line-up.

• 2006 Tenute Dettori Bianco

  Italy, Sardinia, Romangia IGT

  Broad white herb, marmalade and root-like flavors. Very textured with some tart citrus fruit. Unique and complex Vermentino.

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• 2005 Zidarich Carso Malvasia Istriana

  Italy, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Carso

  Was told this did not see oak, but this seems to have a load of vanilla and oak aspects on the nose? White fruit and very long in the mouth. The oak like flavors that marred the nose for me were less apparent in the mouth, which has great fruit weight and spice. Kind of a let down as my expectations were high. Not my favorite of the tasting and a perplexing wine.

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• 2005 Zidarich Carso Vitovska

  Italy, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Carso

  Orange marmalade, and mineral/rocks on the nose. This was textured and long in the mouth. Lots of mineral, gravel, herbs/roots and white pepper flavors. This was good but somewhat of a letdown, especially compared to the Vodopivec.

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• 2005 Emidio Pepe Trebbiano d'Abruzzo

  Italy, Abruzzi, Trebbiano d'Abruzzo

  High-toned with some orange and musty elements. There was some discussion of TCA at a very low level? Rich but with thrusting acidity. Almost like crushed ceramic flavors. Pretty awesome Treb. Insane price.

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• 2004 La Stoppa Ageno

  Italy, Emilia-Romagna, Emilia IGT

  This was a real find in this tasting. Orange marmalade flavors with crystalline fruit and herb flavors. This was the most tannic white wine i've ever had, and i liked it for its almost young, old-school nebbiolo like tannins. It was extracted, textured, rich and dense but fresh and not tiring at all. Maybe some brett? Mint notes as well. Really wild and exotic wine, like nothing else and really set itself apart. Made some of these seem pedestrian, and that was not easy to do. Wild stuff.

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• 2005 Movia Ribolla

  Slovenia, Primorska, Goriška Brda

  Honeyed with lavender and marzipan notes. Rich and long with almond and nutmeg flavors. This was a touch soft? Seems like it needs some time and did not show that well in this lineup/format. Kind of disappointing, but I'd definitely give it another try. Finally a realistically priced wine; a relative bargain @$30.

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• 2005 Movia Lunar 8.

  Slovenia, Primorska, Goriška Brda

  A touch reduced? (odd for these 'hyper-oxidized' wines) Almost patchouli like nose with incense and mineral notes. Really wild aromatics. Very deep and young tasting, almost monolithic at times. Some vitamin pill flavors as well as orange and gravel. This was tight with a talc-y texture. Seems in desperate need of some time in bottle or decanter. Really unique stuff, but in a closed spot now?

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• 2005 Schuchmann Wines Mtsvane Vinoterra

  Georgia, Kakheti

  Some oxidative notes with peach and medicinal/tincture nose. Lots of clay/earth/mineral flavors. Sort of tasted like it was produced in amphorae (duh) with the clay like flavors. Citrus and orange flavors in the mouth. Quite different with a more rustic/tougher feel. Interesting stuff.

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• 1997 Castello di Lispida

  Italy, Veneto, Veneto IGT

  Floral and honeyed with a slight streak of green/freshness. Lots of elder-flower/st. germaine like flavors. Rich and dense and surprisingly fresh for an 11 year old wine. Very long with lots of flower/spice flavors and good balance.

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• 2004 Damijan Podversic Kaplja

  Italy, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Venezia Giulia IGT

  Bright with citrus, herb and mineral nose. Very dense with more herby citrus fruit in the mouth. This was pretty tight and seemed in need of time.

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• 2003 Vodopivec Vitovska Venezia Giulia IGT

  Italy, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Venezia Giulia IGT

  Shockingly good stuff. This was really a standout. White grape, flowers and spice nose. Really concentrated, mineral-y stuff here. Rich and dense that has a super-long finish. Really profound stuff that is so unique and intriguing. You just keep coming back to the nose on this. The flavors are very intense and just rocks your palate. Almost tasted infused, in a good way, as the flavors have a texture and precision that hits your palate in waves. killer wine and worth the $90, i think.

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• 2001 Gravner Breg Anfora

  Italy, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Venezia Giulia IGT

  Fresh mint, herbs and spice with a medicinal edge. Very long and dense/powerful stuff. This was a pretty structured and textured wine. Very intense with some berry fruit and that crazy tincture/medicnal edge to the spice and herbal accents. Really neat wine.

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• 2005 COS Cerasuolo di Vittoria Classico

  Italy, Sicily, Cerasuolo di Vittoria Classico

  Sweet red fruit, black tea and tobacco nose. Herbal and mineral red with some forest floor and fresh red fruit. This was a nice wine and a bit rounder than the Pithos; slightly more polished but not quite as exciting.

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• 2005 COS Cerasuolo di Vittoria Pithos Rosso

  Italy, Sicily, Cerasuolo di Vittoria

  Bitter herbs and minty red fruit nose. Lots of fresh berries, with slightly bitter, herbs and root flavors. Funky tincture and fernet-like flavors. Neat stuff that is more complex that the normale, and not as polished.

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• 2004 Comm. G.B. Burlotto Barolo Monvigliero

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  Some wild cherry, and spice on the fragrant nose. Very nice depth without weight on this one. Spicy and herbal with fresh tomato and wood (not really oak) flavors. This was rustic with very soft tannins and really fairly drinkable for a young barolo. Very old-school and intriguing stuff.

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• 2003 Corte Sant'Alda Amarone della Valpolicella

  Italy, Veneto, Valpolicella, Amarone della Valpolicella

  Some VA and dried fruit on the nose. Very dry Amarone with loads of spice and herbs, some black fruit and truffle. Very rich and powerful stuff, maybe too much so for me. Not my favorite.

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