The WINEFRONT

• By Mike Bennie
  8/25/2011, (See more on The WINEFRONT...)

  (Tenute Dettori Bianco IGT Romangia) Login and subscribe to see review text.

• By Antonio Galloni
  The Best of Central and Southern Italy (Jun 2010), (See more on Vinous...)

  (Dettori Bianco) Login and sign up and see review text.

Garagiste

• By Jon Rimmerman
  9/23/2010, (See more on Garagiste...)

  (BIANCO Dettori) Dettori Dear Friends, Alessandro Dettori is the life of the party – alone or with his loyal followers on Sardinia - a group of birds, scorpions and other creatures that follow him around as he works in the field every day – he sings, plays games with them and tries to emphasize what being passionate in life truly means. They help him find beauty everywhere and he doesn’t mind sharing a grape or two with his entourage. This wild at heart natural lifestyle helps him make sense of it all – it aids in his constant pursuit of a higher vinous order - encouraged by some of the oldest and most enthralling vineyard material in Europe. Material that ultimately makes a statement...but not due to its insistence that you take notice. With or without the hand of Dettori, these are vineyards that have something to say – first and foremost because they are unique. At this address, the word actually means something. As I’ve proselytized on previous occasions, no wine cellar is complete without the eccentric and palate changing concoctions from one of our world’s most gifted vinous magicians – Allesandro Dettori. His wine expands the palate and allows a burst of flavor or discovery that was previously unknown. Wine such as this centers or recalibrates the palate and gives each taster a broader basis from which to know their own likes and dislikes – it also gives the taster a firmer basis of knowledge that allows more astute criticism of wine in general. In other words, an evening spent with Dettori (literally or figuratively) is a night well spent – even if you can’t stand the wines. From Allesandro Dettori (a now infamous quite where he states that he has not added winemaking to the wine): “The grapes have been produced by Dettori in the vineyards and cellars - we have not have used synthetic chemicals in addition to sulfur. We have not added yeast, enzymes and other acids – we have not added winemaking to the wine. NOT filtered, NOT clarified, NO Barrique (barrels) - please tell everyone to give my wine time to rest after shipping – it is alive. Leave it to oxygenate in the glass, for two days maybe. Any remaining CO2 is natural, every bottle can be different. ingredients: Grapes. Sorry, but we don’t follow the market, we produce wines that we like, wines from our culture. They are what they are and maybe not what you wish them to be, but maybe what you will want them to be in the end” A man with a singular, hyper-natural vision of a specific island terroir. Here are the results... 2007 Dettori Bianco (Romangia IGT/Sardinia) - (nothing else like this on the market, darn near incredible – JR) 2007 Dettori Ottomarzo (Romangia/IGT) - If you’ve never tried a red wine from Dettori this would be my recommendation as where to start. It’s accessible, not as head-spinning as most in the portfolio (in a “what’s going on here?” way) but it delivers all the Partaga meets gallica and damask elements that he has become famous for (with the satin texture that sets his wine apart). The 2007 Ottomarzo is a wine you can share with friends to give them a taste of adventure or to use as a conversation starter that will advance the palate experience of all who are gathered. Considering the hands-on labor involved in producing this wine, I'm not sure he makes any profit on this – in other words, it’s priced at a level that he hopes encourages corks are opened rather than stared at in the cellar: 2007 Dettori Chimbanta (Romangia/IGT) - This wine was just released and it highlights the current crop from Dettori - 100% Monica (an indigenous red grape) from a vintage quite similar to 2005 – it has power, depth, elegance and the unmistakable fragility that makes most of Dettori’s top offerings so unlike other entrants. Where others would make their reserve or top wine the biggest and darkest, Dettori prefers to use the “best” wine, whether that is the clearest, lightest, darkest or most unctuous. To him, it’s about an echo of flavor and aromatic mayhem (that makes sense in the brain) and this wine has that in spades - a synthesis of eccentricity and noble breed that are fascinating bedfellows in the vintage: ...and last but not least, a sweet wine offering that will find many fans from all walks of the vinous hierarchy... 2007 Dettori Moscadeddu (late harvest/Sardinia) 750ml - A wine that will make you do summersaults – this insane beverage begs to sampled next to the worlds top dessert wines. From 100% late harvested, hand-picked Moscato, each berry is picked individually only moments prior to bursting on the vine. With a residual sugar content in the Auslese range, the cacophony of soaring scents and flavors is so memorable (especially the juniper/mint slathered citrus rinds) it’s akin to Frank Cornelissen meets a creamsicle on a dessert island of exotic fauna. I poured this for two French journalists at my tasting last month and they were speechless – literally, they didn’t speak. (only 100 bottles available for export). All are VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED as examples without any real peer group comparison. This parcel is directly from Dettori’s cellar on Sardinia (like our Corsican offerings, refrigerated shipping from Sardinia is very costly – I’ve tried not to include any up-charge in the cost of the wines). Please give us your maximum number of each and we will allocate accordingly – all are VERY RARE. To order any of the above: niki@garagistewine.com This parcel is set to depart from Sardinia - it will arrive in early November (please check OARS for local pick up after November 20th). It will ship when the weather cooperates. Out of state orders will be held for free under ideal storage conditions (56 degrees/70%humidity) until shipping is possible. Locals may pick up at their leisure. For current local pick up and arrival/ship information, please see your OARS link below (at the bottom of this offer) - don’t know how to access your OARS? Simply click the link and see your account. You can also paste the link into your browser. If you are having trouble with your link or your account, please contact: support@garagistewine.com NO SALES TO RETAILERS OR WHOLESALERS Thank you, Jon Rimmerman Garagiste Seattle, WA Click here to view the status of your orders in O.A.R.S.