Vinopolis Newsletter 9-4-2024 PM

 

 

Italy
 

 

“The Etna is the Burgundy of the Mediterranean,” says the man whose career as an importer of fine Italian wines is legendary. Marc De Grazia is one of the original ‘Barolo Boys,’ and his beloved Tenuta delle Terre Nere was more than 20 years in the making. Today, he farms 29 parcels on the northern flank, and his portfolio of wines is the gold standard for Etna wine.” -Wine Advocate
 
The fact that Etna is a wine producing region at all is miraculous. So dramatic and imposing was the oft-smoking, lava spewing, village destroying active volcano that towers above their vineyards that ancient Greeks thought it home of the fire god Hephaestus.
 
But as unfortunate as the volcano has been for generations of Sicilians, it has been an absolute boon to Sicily’s terroir, creating unique patchworks of field and soil perfectly suited to the Burgundian approach Marc De Grazia brings his farming and winemaking.
 
These are lowest prices on the West Coast for these wines:
 
Terre Nere ‘Feudo di Mezzo’ Etna Rosso, Sicily, Italy 2022 750ml $49 special, 15 bottles available
Vinous 93 Points “Rosy and perfumed, the 2022 Etna Rosso Feudo di Mezzo opens with a lovely bouquet that blends dried flowers with crushed strawberries and hints of lavender. This displays textures of pure silk with a lifted and finessed feel. Tart wild berry fruits add a lovely inner tension.”
 
Terre Nere ‘Moganazzi’ Etna Rosso, Sicily, Italy 2022 750ml $49 special, 6 bottles available
Vinous 94 Points The 2022 Etna Rosso Moganazzi is dusty, floral and lifted, with an air of confectionery spices and chalk dust that gives way to dried black cherries. This is round and supple, with a lavender-laced blend of red and blue fruits that swirl across a stream of brisk acidity. Grippy tannins come forward through the finale as the 2022 tapers off long and perfumed. A dusting of violet candies punctuates the experience beautifully.
 
Terre Nere Prephylloxera ‘La Vigna di Don Peppino’ Rosso, Sicily, Italy 2022 750ml $165 special, 12 bottles available
Vinous 96 Points “Darkly alluring and youthfully background, the 2022 Prephylloxera ‘La Vigna di Don Peppino’ Calderara Sottana smolders up with a blend of with a spices, dusty violet and ash, giving way to dried black cherries, sage and cloves. This is velvety yet finessed, with a polished wave of ripe red and blue fruit that flows across a juicy steam of acidity. Hints of sour citrus add contrast toward the close. It finishes remarkably fresh and energetic, still tannic but lively as crunchy tannins resonate and an air of lavender slowly fades. This an elegant and genuinely harmonious edition of this cuvee. Simply stunning.”
 
Terre Nere ‘San Lorenzo’ Etna Rosso, Sicily, Italy 2022 750ml $49 special, 10 bottles available
Vinous 95 Points “Remarkably pretty, the 2022 Etna Rosso San Lorenzo wafts up with an array of dried flowers, cloves and lavender. Lifted and finessed, this opens with a hint of candied orange that enlivens its core of tart wild berries. Brisk acidity keeps the experience fresh throughout. Staining the palate in concentration, the San Lorenzo tapers off gently tannic and crunchy in feel, leaving gorgeous floral perfumes to linger on. This is the understated darling of the Terre Nere portfolio, and I expect that cellaring will bring even more complexity.”
 
Terre Nere Santo Spirito Rosso Etna, Sicily, Italy 2022 750ml $49 special, 15 bottles available
Eric Guido-Vinous 93 Points “Opening like a basket of wild berries with dusty florals and sweet lavender, the 2022 Etna Rosso Santo Spirito is a total pleasure on the nose. This is lifted and pure in style, with ripe raspberries and blueberries mingling over a core of brisk acidity. It’s long and structured yet still remarkably fresh, leaving a subtle coating of primary concentration and fine tannins to fade slowly. The Santo Spirito continues to be one of the most widely appealing wines in the Terre Nere portfolio, providing lovely depth, concentration and structure in a beautifully balanced package.”
 

 
Cappellano Barolo Chinato Vino Aromatizzato, Piedmont, Italy 2016 750ml $99 special, 6 bottles available
Importer’s Note “One cannot say much, certainly not enough, about the Chinato from Cappellano since the production and recipe are closely held secrets within the family. Suffice it to say that the family has produced an iconic version of this wine infused with spices, herbs and other earthly elements that make for a ravishing sensory experience! We use the Cappellano Chinato in cocktail recipes, but also while cooking to deglaze or to marinate, and it has proved to add fascinating savoury aspects to a growing list of dishes … another way to add this elixir to your life-style.”

 

 

 

It’s all about the farmers: 53 families currently make up the Cooperative

 

Produtorri del Barbaresco is a testament to the powers of teamwork and perseverance. After two World Wars, the region of Barbaresco was desiccated. Many farmers in the region had shut down because of the hardships of war. But the village priest helped revive an old wine-making Co-op shuttered during Mussolini’s rule and they are in operation to this day as one of the world’s finest and most loved wineries.
 
WAS $179
Produttori del Barbaresco Montestefano 2017 1.5L $159 special, 6 magnums available
Monica Larner-Wine Advocate 96 Points “The 2017 Barbaresco Riserva Montestefano is darkly concentrated and among the richest wines in this series of single-vineyard Riservas. Montestefano is angular, textured and bold with dark fruit aromas, dried blackberry, toasted almond and cured tobacco. With this vintage, you get an age-worthy wine that offers brawn and power for drinking in the medium term, but it will become increasingly silky and slender with time. Dusty tannins and crushed stone appear on the long finish.”
 
WAS $85
Produttori del Barbaresco Ovello 2017 750ml $69 special, 25 bottles available
WAS $179
Produttori del Barbaresco Ovello 2017 1.5L $159 special, 6 magnums available
Monica Larner-Wine Advocate 94+ Points “One of the bigger productions (with 17,744 bottles) in the Produttori del Barbaresco’s portfolio is the 2017 Barbaresco Riserva Ovello. All of the Riservas in this vintage are characterized by especially exuberant and bold aromas, and this bottle is a prime example. Cassis, wild cherry, tobacco, rusty nail and licorice build intensity. The wine is tapered and silky in texture, but it also offers a good amount of power (and 15% alcohol) to carry it through the aging process.”
 
WAS $79
Produttori del Barbaresco Paje 2017 750ml $69 special, 16 bottles available
Monica Larner-Wine Advocate 94 Points “The 2017 Barbaresco Riserva Pajè is impressive on all fronts, but especially in terms of aromas. There’s so much brightness here with red and purple fruits, rust and a dark note of clove or exotic spice. No element is out of place, but together they help to build the intensity of this balanced wine. It shows a soft, velvety texture, and perhaps there is a little more ripeness overall in this warm vintage.”
 
WAS $79
Produttori del Barbaresco Pora 2017 750ml $69 special, 11 bottles available
Monica Larner-Wine Advocate 94 Points “The 2017 Barbaresco Riserva Pora (with 13,333 bottles released) is usually the first wine I taste each year when I review this set of Riservas from Produttori del Barbaresco. That’s because it usually appears as the most delicate, and the intensity of each successive bottle increases  after this one. But these schematics are a bit more difficult to align in a hot and dry vintage such as this that produced richer and more succulent fruit across the board. The Pora is redolent of red and purple fruit with a little more blackberry and plum compared to previous editions. The tannic strength of the wine is also more elaborate. Pora works very well in 2017.”
 
WAS $89
Produttori del Barbaresco Rabaja 2017 750ml $74.50 special, 17 bottles available
WAS $189
Produttori del Barbaresco Rabaja 2017 1.5L $169 special, 5 magnums available
Monica Larner-Wine Advocate 96+ Points “The Produttori del Barbaresco 2017 Barbaresco Riserva Rabajà is another spectacular release from this cooperative winery that hits it out of the ballpark with each set of new releases. That impressive track record includes this wine that delivers extreme focus, depth and integrity. The bouquet is very clear cut with dark cherry, tart plum, spice and blood orange, but it is also complex and fluid. It offers new perspectives with each swirl of the glass. From a hot vintage, the Rabajà is smooth, powerful and balanced. I would bet on long aging for this bottle.”

 

 

 

Within Pernand Vergelesses are three of the most famous vineyards in all of Burgundy, namely Corton, Corton-Charlemagne, and Charlemagne. Tucked away within Pernand Vergelesses near these Grand Crus is one of our very favorite wineries in Burgundy, the venerable Domaine Rapet.
 
Founded in 1765, Rapet has become known as a winery built from both great fortune in their placement and immense dedication…these wines are some of Burgundy’s great classics.
 
WAS $39
Domaine Rapet Bourgogne Rouge en Bully 2020 750ml NOW $33 special, 22 bottles available
Producer Note “You discover a garnet red wine, with a “pinote” bouquet, revealing notes of cherry and raspberry. The mouth is full and generous, the silky tannins give it a velvety character which persists on the palate. Excellent with a leg of lamb or a nice piece of beef.”
 
WAS $39
Domaine Rapet Pernand Vergelesses Belles Filles Rouge 2020 750ml NOW $33 special, 3 bottles available
William Kelley-Wine Advocate 89 Points “The 2020 Pernand-Vergelesses Les Belles Filles offers up aromas of smoky berries, plums and spices, followed by a medium-bodied, bright and fleshy palate. This charming red is always a good choice for near-term drinking.”
 
WAS $59
Domaine Rapet Pere et Fils En Caradeux, Pernand-Vergelesses Premier Cru, France 2020 750ml NOW $49 special, 5 bottles available
William Kelley-Wine Advocate 92 Points “The 2020 Pernand-Vergelesses 1er Cru En Caradeux Blanc exhibits notes of citrus oil, oyster jus, dried white flowers and youthful reduction, followed by a medium to full-bodied, layered and concentrated palate that’s textural and vibrant, retaining terrific energy in this warm vintage.”
 
WAS $49
Domaine Rapet Pere et Fils Aux Fourneaux Red, Savigny-les-Beaune Premier Cru, France 2020 750ml NOW $41.90 special, 16 bottles available
Neal Martin-Vinous 91-93 Points “The 2020 Savigny-lès-Beaune Aux Fourneaux offers attractive tertiary, red berry fruit mixed with briary and light tobacco scents. The palate is mediumbodied with lithe tannins, a fine bead of acidity, very harmonious with a lovely elegant finish. This is absolutely delicious.”
 
WAS $49
Domaine Rapet Sauvigny Les-Beaune Aux Fournaux Red, Savigny-les-Beaune 2020 750ml NOW $41.90 special, 10 bottles available
William Kelley-Wine Advocate “Offering up aromas of sweet plums, red berries, raw cocoa and spices, the 2020 Savigny-lès-Beaune Aux Fourneaux is medium to full-bodied, supple and concentrated, with velvety tannins and lively acids. It’s often more rustic than its premier cru counterpart, but this year it’s simply more demonstrative.”

 

 
 

 

 

I was already hooked by the label. More like a Heavy Metal album than fine wine from Piedmont… but it’s what’s inside that counts, right?
 
This single varietal bottling of Spanna, the traditional name for Nebbiolo in many parts of Northern Piedmont, is produced about a hundred miles north of Barolo in the foothills of the Italian Alps. With a totally different terroir from the Nebbiolo we’re most familiar with, this wine presents Nebbiolo that’s more leather jacket than cherry tree in its flavor profile and character… and all for 24 bucks. It’s refined, with great acidity and well-integrated tannins, but it’s still fun, and just a touch wild.
 
Cantine Vallana ‘Cuvee Bernardo Vallana’ Spanna Colline Novaresi, Piedmont, Italy 2019 750ml $24 special, 13 bottles available
Antonio Galloni-Vinous 93 Points “The 2019 Colline Novaresi Spanna Cuvée Bernardo Vallana is gorgeous. It presents a bit more mid-palate sweetness and generosity than many of these wines, which only adds to its considerable appeal. Sweet red cherry, kirsch, rose petal, cinnamon and blood orange build nicely in the glass, leading to a finish marked by lovely delineation and class.”

 

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Be well & drink well.