(RIGOLOCCIO Maremma Bianco) UPDATE: Stairs Dear Friends, Tonight I had one of the more interesting random occurrences as I traipsed up the spiral stairs at Abbesses, the famed Montmartre Metro stop where Amelie made her home. For those of you that have never been to this station, it lies far underground, way underground and I believe it is the deepest in Paris, even deeper than the new line #14. There is an elevator that takes you up and down but in the event that the elevator is broken.... That’s where our story begins. I jumped off the Metro train, deep under the Montmartre hill - in my hands were two precious cases of wine that contained samples of treats many of you will be enjoying over the next year. I headed toward the elevator that would carry me up to sunlight, much like a coal miner, but the elevator looked dark and out of order, “please, please not tonight - the elevator has to work” - it didn’t. I grimaced, pounded the wall, stomped my feet, looked at the cases of wine sitting there jeering back at me with hundreds of spiral stairs daring me to climb (nearly 300 to be exact). I complained aloud for everyone to hear - a few Parisians even joined in and (instead of channeling our energy and just enduring the Himalayan assent to the top) we carried on like spoiled children. In that moment, out of the corner of my eye, I saw it - a remarkable feet, or, should I say “foot”. A one-legged man, peg-leg and all bouncing up the stairs, one-by-one - each more painful than the last, gripping the side rail and literally pulling himself up the stairs. Without hesitation, my new-found friends and I ran to the man and each of us placed a hand under his arm and carried him up the spiral stairs - all of them. We left all of our belongings, wine and personal possessions at the bottom of the stairwell, unattended, and for a few brief moments it didn’t seem to matter. We huffed and puffed, teamwork in full tilt and with each passing step his weight seemed to lesson. Instead of arduous, the climb was freeing - with a 180 pound man in tow and three new friends to help carry the weight. Once at the top, what seemed like such a burden only a few minutes ago, was actually the most wonderful climb.... I couldn’t wait to race back down and do it again. - Jon Rimmerman ***************************** Burgundy? Dear Friends, Where does one of the best un-oaked examples of white Burgundy hail from? Chablis? Meursault? No...it’s from Tuscany. This is one of those special instances where being in the right place at the right time has paid a dividend beyond the norm. With only 150-180 cases produced, this example is one of Italy’s more alluring white wines and it rivals Querciabella’s Batar as Italy's best Chardonnay. How a reputation starts is anyone’s guess. One person talks to their friend, they tell their friend and on and on. Word of mouth can be a bastion of networking glory. When your fire is hot, the flames are stoked by unsolicited verbiage from those that have witnessed or (in this case) tasted the fruit of your labor and the trail of enthusiasts for your cause grows by the day. With Rigoloccio (a red wine producer, much like Querciabella) they never intended to gain notoriety for this white, it was more of a garage project for them (sorry abut the pun) but sun, soil and effort won out in the end and this wine has taken on its own persona and outspoken legion of fans. From a windswept parcel of land near the sea, you can taste the salt air encrusting this wine like the rim of a glass waiting for the tequila and lime. The sneaky addition of Fiano in the blend gives this lush wine a perfumed and aromatic lift to coincide with the biting, crank-case of pear-tinged varietal fruit. It is piquant with a deep sense of concentration that is carried out with precision and determination. It has subtlety and a terroir-laced intrigue that only the best producers gift to their own legacy. The Rigoloccio is Chardonnay without any oak or excuses - it is a wine for us to enjoy with hearty sauces and the conversation that we hope will accompany the discovery of an important example. Eye-opening indeed. If Rigoloccio can produce this wine for $20, it makes us wonder why we pay more for examples deemed to be “more famous” or “better”? VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED as a terrific alternative to high-end Chablis and the cooler-toned wines of the Cote d’Or. EXTREMELY LIMITED - only 200 bottles for the entire US: 2007 Rigoloccio Maremma (Bianco) Please give us your maximum number and we will allocate accordingly Thank you, Jon Rimmerman Garagiste Seattle, WA Italy5550
By Jon Rimmerman
(RIGOLOCCIO Maremma Bianco) UPDATE: Stairs Dear Friends, Tonight I had one of the more interesting random occurrences as I traipsed up the spiral stairs at Abbesses, the famed Montmartre Metro stop where Amelie made her home. For those of you that have never been to this station, it lies far underground, way underground and I believe it is the deepest in Paris, even deeper than the new line #14. There is an elevator that takes you up and down but in the event that the elevator is broken.... That’s where our story begins. I jumped off the Metro train, deep under the Montmartre hill - in my hands were two precious cases of wine that contained samples of treats many of you will be enjoying over the next year. I headed toward the elevator that would carry me up to sunlight, much like a coal miner, but the elevator looked dark and out of order, “please, please not tonight - the elevator has to work” - it didn’t. I grimaced, pounded the wall, stomped my feet, looked at the cases of wine sitting there jeering back at me with hundreds of spiral stairs daring me to climb (nearly 300 to be exact). I complained aloud for everyone to hear - a few Parisians even joined in and (instead of channeling our energy and just enduring the Himalayan assent to the top) we carried on like spoiled children. In that moment, out of the corner of my eye, I saw it - a remarkable feet, or, should I say “foot”. A one-legged man, peg-leg and all bouncing up the stairs, one-by-one - each more painful than the last, gripping the side rail and literally pulling himself up the stairs. Without hesitation, my new-found friends and I ran to the man and each of us placed a hand under his arm and carried him up the spiral stairs - all of them. We left all of our belongings, wine and personal possessions at the bottom of the stairwell, unattended, and for a few brief moments it didn’t seem to matter. We huffed and puffed, teamwork in full tilt and with each passing step his weight seemed to lesson. Instead of arduous, the climb was freeing - with a 180 pound man in tow and three new friends to help carry the weight. Once at the top, what seemed like such a burden only a few minutes ago, was actually the most wonderful climb.... I couldn’t wait to race back down and do it again. - Jon Rimmerman ***************************** Burgundy? Dear Friends, Where does one of the best un-oaked examples of white Burgundy hail from? Chablis? Meursault? No...it’s from Tuscany. This is one of those special instances where being in the right place at the right time has paid a dividend beyond the norm. With only 150-180 cases produced, this example is one of Italy’s more alluring white wines and it rivals Querciabella’s Batar as Italy's best Chardonnay. How a reputation starts is anyone’s guess. One person talks to their friend, they tell their friend and on and on. Word of mouth can be a bastion of networking glory. When your fire is hot, the flames are stoked by unsolicited verbiage from those that have witnessed or (in this case) tasted the fruit of your labor and the trail of enthusiasts for your cause grows by the day. With Rigoloccio (a red wine producer, much like Querciabella) they never intended to gain notoriety for this white, it was more of a garage project for them (sorry abut the pun) but sun, soil and effort won out in the end and this wine has taken on its own persona and outspoken legion of fans. From a windswept parcel of land near the sea, you can taste the salt air encrusting this wine like the rim of a glass waiting for the tequila and lime. The sneaky addition of Fiano in the blend gives this lush wine a perfumed and aromatic lift to coincide with the biting, crank-case of pear-tinged varietal fruit. It is piquant with a deep sense of concentration that is carried out with precision and determination. It has subtlety and a terroir-laced intrigue that only the best producers gift to their own legacy. The Rigoloccio is Chardonnay without any oak or excuses - it is a wine for us to enjoy with hearty sauces and the conversation that we hope will accompany the discovery of an important example. Eye-opening indeed. If Rigoloccio can produce this wine for $20, it makes us wonder why we pay more for examples deemed to be “more famous” or “better”? VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED as a terrific alternative to high-end Chablis and the cooler-toned wines of the Cote d’Or. EXTREMELY LIMITED - only 200 bottles for the entire US: 2007 Rigoloccio Maremma (Bianco) Please give us your maximum number and we will allocate accordingly Thank you, Jon Rimmerman Garagiste Seattle, WA Italy55503/27/2008, (See more on Garagiste...)