Vinopolis Newsletter – Monday 1/29/2024

 In This Newsletter:

Coming Soon
Another stellar vintage from a Sicillian standout
New Arrivals
Local faves Twill Cellars, plus Alsation rockstar Agatha Bursin, and more!
Staff Picks
Hannah’s Favorite Italians
Collector’s Corner
6 Barolos that can’t be Beat!
 

 

Arriving Friday… Tenuta delle Terre Nere


 

“The Etna is the Burgundy of the Mediterranean,” –Marc de Grazia
 

“Proprietor Marc de Grazia is one of the pioneers of the Etna. Not only was he among the first producers to recognize the value of these once-forgotten, ancient terroirs, he also was the first producer to bring attention to the specific qualities of these vineyards by bottling single-parcel Nerellos that have become reference-point wines for the Etna.” –Wine Advocate
 
Over the past few decades, Sicily has quietly become a destination for international tourism and wine lovers alike. In the shadow of Mount Etna, Sicily’s climate is typically Mediterranean but wholly unique, featuring mineral rich volcanic soils and dramatic, mountainous vineyard aspects perfectly suited to viticulture. With star producers like Terre Nerre, Sicily has quickly become one of the most unique and exciting wine regions in Europe.
 
Terre Nere exists because one visionary saw the charred soils on the northern slopes of Etna (Terre Nere litrerally means “Black Lands”) and saw the potential for high quality viticulture. Why? Volcanic soils are acidic by nature, rich in minerals like potassium and iron, with excellent drainage, leading towards naturally small and concentrated berries. De Grazia has taken his love of Burgundy and translated it to Sicilian terroir, dividing the best of his land into “Crus” and even “Grand Crus” such as his Calderara Sottana, which was named one of Decanter Magazine’s Top Wines of 2022.
 

 
BIANCO
 
Terre Nere ‘Vigne Niche’ Calderara Sottana Etna Bianco, Sicily, Italy 2022 750ml $49 special, 12 bottles available
Decanter 94 Points “This cru bottling from vines in Randazzo is youthfully creamy, offering little aroma other than that of the wood it has rested in along with stony flecks of mango and peach. Full, concentrated and with great acidity, this is a vital Carricante which has sufficient earthy yellow fruits – think pineapple, nectarine and yellow plum – to flesh out its backbone of stone and acid; a vertical yet full style which will only gain in power and weight as it ages. Impressive.”
Eric Guido – Vinous 94 Points “With a bouquet like chiseling through sheer limestone with all of the smoky and flinty nuances that come with it, the 2022 Etna Bianco Le Vigne Niche Calderara Sottana is impossible to ignore. It’s silky upon entry yet quickly builds with mineral tension. A savory, sweet interplay of citrus and spice offsets ripe nectarines and apricots. The 2022 leaves the palate reeling with youthful tension and watering for more as it finishes with outstanding freshness. This may not be the longest-lived Calderara Sottana Bianco, yet there’s no rush. It’s a total charmer.”
  
Terre Nere Cuvee ‘Vigne Niche’ Montalto Etna Bianco, Sicily, Italy 2022 750ml $44.50 special, 12 bottles available
Eric Guido – Vinous 94 Points “Spicy and full of tension, the 2022 Etna Bianco Le Vigne Niche Montalto bursts from the glass with a blend of lemon zest, minty herbs, young peaches and crushed rocks. This opens with a pretty inner sweetness and crisp minerality, rushing the palate with ripe orchard fruits elevated by candied citrus. The Montalto finishes with fantastic length and potency, lightly structured and tactile. This gorgeous Etna Bianco is drinking beautifully today yet with the balance to promote medium-term cellaring.”
 
Terre Nere Superiore ‘Vigne Niche’ Salice Etna Bianco, Sicily, Italy 2022 750ml $44.50 special, 12 bottles available
Eric Guido – Vinous 92 Points “The 2022 Etna Bianco Superiore Le Vigne Niche Salice entices with a mineral laden bouquet that blends white flowers and pine with chalk dust and cardamon. Soft and round, it fills the palate with a savory herbal thrust and white pit fruits, taking on a salty flourish toward the close. The Saline finishes with medium length and salty flourish while. A gentle tension slowly fades.”
 
Terre Nere ‘Vigne Niche’ Santo Spirito Etna Bianco, Sicily, Italy 2022 750ml $44.50 special, 12 bottles available
Eric Guido – Vinous 93 Points “This is silky and soothing, with depths of ripe apricot and nectarine complicated by sweet herbal tones and hints of candied lime, all lifted by a core of brisk acidity. It finishes long and lightly structured, leaving a mineral tinge and Asian pear traces slowly fading. Typically, I find the Santo Spirito to be the more forward and accessible Bianco from the Terre Nere portfolio, but in 2022, it’s holding its power in reserve. Cellaring is recommended.”

ROSSO
 
Terre Nere Calderara Sottana Rosso Etna, Sicily, Italy 2021 750ml $69 special, 24 bottles available
James Suckling 95 Points “This is more vibrant with red berries, blood oranges, light spices and hints of terra-cotta. Medium-bodied, juicy and fruit-forward with tangy acidity and dusty tannins. Hints of bitter orange at the end. Long and chalky yet very attractive and enjoyable now. Drink or hold.”
Eric Guido – Vinous 94 Points “From the moment the glass is tilted, the 2021 Etna Rosso Calderara Sottana Vineyard shines through as crushed stones, ash and sweet smoke give way to vivid black cherries and autumnal spice. The 2021 Etna Rosso is elegant, silky and deeply textural, with salty mineral tones and gobs of red and black fruits, all perfectly maintained by a core of vibrant acidity. This is complex yet full of energy and sultry depths, tapering off saline and structured with grippy tannins that frame a lasting resonance of licorice and plums. These old vines handled the drought of the vintage beautifully, showing only in the grit of its tannins. Otherwise, the 2021 is pure magic.”
 
Terre Nere ‘Dagala di Bocca d’Orzo’ Etna Rosso, Sicily, Italy 2021 750ml $135 special, 6 bottles available
James Suckling 97 Points “This shows notes of ripe black cherries and wild berries with dark chocolate and spices. Hot stones and ashy notes, too. Almost tarry undertones. Full and intense and very complete with finely polished tannins and sleek, silky texture. Deep dark-fruited and chocolaty character with a lingering finish. Better in two or three years.”
Decanter 97 Points “Proudly stating ‘Monopole’ on the bottle, Marco De Grazia explains that historically, Bocca D’Orzo was considered one of the best of all Etna’s contradas, but was almost completely buried by the eruption of 1981. In 2017, he discovered an outcrop of the original soil, surrounded by the lava flow but untouched, planted with Nerello Mascalese. After negotiations with the owners, he was able to purchase the 0.5ha site and, with the first vintage in 2019, added ‘Dagala’ to the name of the contrada on the label, meaning ‘island’ in Sicilian dialect. Fresh, fragrant and deep, this 2021 has wonderful, intense, earthy aromas of wild strawberry, raspberry, red and black cherry and wild herbs. Concentrated, textured and vertical, it is itself an island – a core of ripe fruit carved out by a wash of fresh acidity. The mid-palate is very stony, while the purity of the red and black fruits carries through to a long, herbal, slightly balsamic finish. Poised, sapid and timeless.”
 
Lowest price in the United States!
 
Terre Nere ‘Feudo di Mezzo’ Etna Rosso, Sicily, Italy 2021 750ml $49 special, 24 bottles available
James Suckling 96 Points “Pure cherry fruit here, reminiscent of kirsch, with orange peel and an ashy, mineral backbone to it, almost like cracked flint or gunpowder. Similar aromas and flavors on both the nose and on the palate. Medium- to full-bodied, really tense and firm with chalky tannins and a lingering crushed granite and rock sensation on the palate. Seashells, too. Long. Try after 2025.”
Decanter 94 Points “Il Quadro delle Rose is a favoured parcel in Feudo di Mezzo, always the first Nerello Mascalese site to be harvested by the estate. It’s situated at 600m on shallow, ashy soil and planted with 60- to 80-year-old vines, and offers a lovely rich fragrance of blackberry, blackcurrant, black cherry and herbs. Rich and silky, it combines fruit forwardness with lip-smacking sapidity in a glorious way, backed by fine, ripe, grippy tannins, an undertow of fresh acidity, and some licks of wood and spice on the long finish. Lovely.”
 
Terre Nere Guardiola Rosso Etna, Sicily, Italy 2021 750ml $49 special, 6 bottles available
Decanter 97 Points “Guardiola, adjacent to Santo Stefano but higher up the slope, hitting the limit of 1,000m stipulated by the DOC, produced Terre Nere’s first wine back in 2002. It was also the first Etna red to include the name of a contrada on the label, and the first to be bottled in a Burgundy-style bottle; an important wine in laying out the direction Etna wines were to go in the following years. After 14 months in French oak barriques and tonneaux, the wine finishes for one month in stainless steel before bottling. Delicate earth, cocoa, spice and dark berry aromas lead to a super-precise, chalky textured palate of wild strawberry, raspberry, wood and spices supported by featherweight yet sturdy tannins and high acidity. Stony on the mid-palate and long in length, this should fill out with age and those lovely wild fruits will gain in succulence.”
James Suckling 95 Points “This has a dusty nose showcasing notes of vivid red cherries, candied orange peel and pomegranate skins with crushed terra-cotta brick and dried flowers. Textured and polished with dusty tannins that are evenly distributed across the palate and provide a mineral, granite-like presence on the palate, with attractive red fruit underneath. Tense and persistent. Drink or hold.”
 
Terre Nere ‘Moganazzi’ Etna Rosso, Sicily, Italy 2021 750ml $49 special, 6 bottles available
James Suckling 96 Points “This has a fresh and fragrant nose with beautiful cherries and raspberries as well as rose petals, licorice and crushed stones. It’s firm and linear on the palate with a medium body and vivid acidity. It’s hard to draw a line between the tannins and the earthy, mineral aspect as both build a chalky mouthfeel and lead to a long textural finish. I like the finesse here despite being still quite tight and firm. Drink or hold.”
 
Terre Nere Prephylloxera ‘La Vigna di Don Peppino’ Calderara Sottana Rosso Etna, Sicily, Italy 2021 750ml $149 special, 6 bottles available
James Suckling 98 Points “This has impressive depth and complexity with an array of red and dark berries mixed with dark chocolate, ground spices and burnt orange peel. All of this fragrance sits on a bed of smoked, ashy, dark stone and wet asphalt undertones. Full and deep with very fine, silky tannins. So much tension and force here. It goes on for minutes, ending with a seamless, textural finish. From ancient, pre-phylloxera vines. Try now, but this will age beautifully. Better after 2026.”
Eric Guido – Vinous 95 Points “The 2021 Etna Rosso Prephylloxera La Vigna di Don Peppino Calderara Sottana is something to behold. The color alone baffles the mind: a translucent ruby that misleads the taster to expect a delicate and lifted effort. This opens slowly in the glass, smoky and intense, evolving with ash and rosemary suggestions. A core of crushed wild berries and exotic spice comes to the fore. It’s deeply textural yet deceptively energetic, with silken waves of dark red fruit that wash across the palate, leaving a salty staining of minerals and savory herbs in their wake. A complex web of fine-grained tannins clamps down hard, balanced by a twang residual acidity, as inner florals and hints of tangerine slowly dissipate. Patience will be required.”
 
Terre Nere ‘San Lorenzo’ Etna Rosso, Sicily, Italy 2021 750ml $49 special, 24 bottles available
Decanter 96 Points “Cool San Lorenzo is at the northwestern edge of the Etna DOC at around 800 metres, situated on some of the oldest surface soils on Etna – from the Elliptical volcano activity of 15,000 to 60,000 years ago – rich in ash and black pumice. Due to its uniqueness, Terre Nere have dubbed their San Lorenzo bottling (from 70- to 100-year-old vines) as ‘Grande Terroir Ellittico’ and consider it one of their grand crus. Fresh, floral and fragrant, it offers wafts of violet and lavender, cocoa, earth and black cherry. In the mouth its fine web of tannins and razor-sharp acidity provide tension for the ripe, balsamic hedgerow fruits to bounce off. Succulent and sapid with a very stony mid-palate, it displays excellent balance and depth, with incredible freshness and staying power.”
Eric Guido – Vinous 94+ Points “The 2021 Etna Rosso San Lorenzo seduces with its perfumed blend of roses, sour cherries, tangerine and a cinnamon dusting. This is pure elegance, lifted and refined, with dazzling acidity and a wave of pure mineral-tinged fruits that crackle and pop across the palate. It’s complex yet truly delicious and maintains marvelous energy, even as a web of fine-grained tannins reminds the taster of its youthful state. Even today, the 2021 San Lorenzo is dreamy and a total pleasure. That said, the future remains very bright.”
 
Terre Nere Santo Spirito Rosso Etna, Sicily, Italy 2021 750ml $49 special, 24 bottles available
James Suckling 96 Points “This shows notes of darker berries with red licorice and fresh ripe peaches. Intense with hints of moist clay soil and bark undertones. Full and steady on the palate with a firm backbone of chalky tannins that go on for minutes. Lot of tension and energy. Stays long on the palate, turning to a more smooth and powdery mouthfeel. Needs some time. Try after 2025.”
Decanter 95 Points “From 80- to 100-year-old vines at 700 to 850 metres above sea level, Santo Spirito is defined by its large terraces and deep, ashy soils. Vinified in stainless steel then undergoing malo and ageing for 14 months in French oak barriques and tonneaux, with one final month in stainless steel, this is a deeply fragrant wine with spicy, earthy and floral perfume allied to dark berry notes, a fine, chalky texture and lovely verticality. Really fresh – slightly balsamic – and ethereal, it dances across the tongue carrying bundles of finely woven hedgerow fruits, black pepper spice and wood. It’s still very young but you can expect this to reveal some succulent fruits with time.”

 

 

 
OREGON

 

 

Assembled from 8 of the Willamette’s top clones including (Pommard and Wadenswil) and pulling fruit from multiple soil types form multiple vineyards,this is a lithe and structured glass of wine that brings amazing complexity for the price. Fruit, acidity, and tannin operate in perfect harmony here, with a pleasant bouquet that keeps evolving over the course of an evening.
 HOT DEAL!  Twill Cellars Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley 2022 750ml $24 special, 24 bottles available
Winery Note “The aromatics are immediate. Waves of brooding red fruits; cranberry, crushed raspberries, and steeped cherry are layered with further primary notes of blood orange and dried rose petal. There are undertones of five spice, earth and toasted grain. On the palate, you can feel the saturated red fruits, blood orange and dried rose move around the deeper, structured yet quieter notes of peonies, tobacco, white pepper and sarsaparilla. There is a density with complete clarity to the flavor and aroma, something that I absolutely adore about the magic of the pinot noir grape. In time this continues to open revealing weightless and seamless red fruits and savor.”

Lowest price in the United States
Average Price is $37!
 
FRANCE
 

 
Since 2005 when she took over daily operations of her family’s winery, Agathe Bursin has brought a Burgundian level of finesse and precision to the 5.5 Hectare estate. Westhalten, in the south of Alsace is home to such Grand Cru vineyards as Zinnkoepflé, where “the terroir markers are peonies, verbena and menthols as well as liquorice. The wines have a natural vanilla-hint and present a slightly smoky, salty and progressively delectable side” according to Vinsalsace.com.
 
These are balanced vivacious wines with excellent lift and fantastic length. When exploring her wines, think of the fullness and richness of varietals like Gewurztraminer, Riesling, and Pinot Gris paired with the elegance of Burgundy.
 

 
Featured wines:
 
Agathe Bursin Gewurztraminer Zinnkoepfle Grand Cru 2022 750ml $49 special, 12 bottles available
Not yet reviewed, review of 2021 vintage provided for reference
Decanter 93 Points “Aromatically discrete in expression, showing peonies, verbena and smoke, this Gewurztraminer gives more on the palate, with a velvety texture and opulence, balanced by lively 2021 acidity. Enjoy with fine cheese, spicy lentil curry or chicken enchilada.”
 
Agathe Bursin l’As de B 2022 750ml $24 special, 36 bottles available
VinopolNote “A blend of Pinot Blanc, Riesling, Sylvaner, and Pinot Gris, this a fantastic food wine to pair with cheese, fruit, and cured meats. Delectable!”
 
Also new from Agatha Bursin:
 
Agathe Bursin Pinot Gris Zinnkoepfle Grand Cru 2022 750ml $49 special, 11 bottles available

Agathe Bursin Riesling Dirstelberg 2022 750ml $29 special, 15 bottles available
 
Agathe Bursin Riesling Zinnkoepfle Grand Cru 2022 750ml $49 special, 12 bottles available
 
 
GERMANY
 

 
“To drink a Riesling from Joh Jos Prüm is to enjoy a springtime of the heart and mind.” -Stephan Rheinhardt, “The Finest Wines of Germany: A Regional Guide to the Best Producers and their Wines”
 
JJ Prum Bernkasteler Badstube Riesling Spatlese, Mosel, Germany 2022 750ml $49 special, 12 bottles available
James Suckling 95 Points “This reminds me so much of English hedgerows in summer with their diversity of flowers, berries and herbs. Cool and elegant in spite of the impressive ripeness on the medium-bodied palate. Very polished through the impeccably balanced, subtle finish. Hard to believe that analytically this must have a significant amount of grape sweetness, because it’s almost invisible. Drink or hold.”
 
JJ Prum Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Auslese, Mosel, Germany 2022 750ml $69 special, 12 bottles available
James Suckling 97 Points “This very concentrated and super-elegant riesling Auslese is still tightly-wound. However, it already has a very wide spectrum of subtle yellow fruit and wild flower aromas. Terrific structure behind the rich, but still medium-bodied palate. Incredibly long, slatey finish with staggering freshness that pulls you back for more of this Mosel masterpiece. Drinkable now, but best from 2025.”
 
JJ Prum Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Kabinett, Mosel, Germany 2022 750ml $49 special, 18 bottles available
James Suckling 95 Points “This very concentrated and super-elegant riesling Auslese is still tightly-wound. However, it already has a very wide spectrum of subtle yellow fruit and wild flower aromas. Terrific structure behind the rich, but still medium-bodied palate. Incredibly long, slatey finish with staggering freshness that pulls you back for more of this Mosel masterpiece. Drinkable now, but best from 2025.”
 
JJ Prum Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Spatlese, Mosel, Germany 2022 750ml $56 special, 12 bottles available
James Suckling 96 Points “Striking nose of garden herbs with just a hint wet earth underlining the delicate white tree fruit aromas. Stunning concentration and energy on the super-straight medium-bodied palate. Very long, almost perfectly balanced finish that is surprising for this category at this early stage in the wine’s development. Great slate expression. Drink or hold.”
 
JJ Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese, Mosel, Germany 2022 375ml $49 special, 12 bottles available
James Suckling 97 Points “Still very youthful on the nose, this is crammed with ripe peach, plus more delicate notes of pineapple and mangosteen. It’s a minor miracle that this kind of concentration can be packed into such a sleek, medium-bodied palate. What an amazing mouthfeel this has thanks to the seamless integration of slatey acidity and ripeness. Very long finish with spot-on balance. Drinkable now, but best from 2025.”
 
JJ Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese, Mosel, Germany 2022 750ml $75 special, 6 bottles available
James Suckling 97 Points “Still very youthful on the nose, this is crammed with ripe peach, plus more delicate notes of pineapple and mangosteen. It’s a minor miracle that this kind of concentration can be packed into such a sleek, medium-bodied palate. What an amazing mouthfeel this has thanks to the seamless integration of slatey acidity and ripeness. Very long finish with spot-on balance. Drinkable now, but best from 2025.”
 
JJ Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Kabinett, Mosel, Germany 2022 750ml $56 special, 18 bottles available
James Suckling 96 Points ” Here is a great Mosel Kabinett that needs a bit more time to show what it is really made of. Still very young with a pronounced yeasty character that slowly recedes with aeration, but the white peach and honeysuckle aromas that emerge are stunning. Extremely vibrant and precise, the slatey acidity making this fabulously graceful. As pure as an Alpine stream running with glacier water. Drinkable now, but best from 2025.”
 
JJ Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Spatlese, Mosel, Germany 2022 750ml $59 special, 12 bottles available
James Suckling 96 Points “Here’s a very classic Mosel Spatlese with exactly the combination of richness, elegance and delicacy that makes this category unique. Such delicate white peach and sliced pear, rose and honeysuckle aromas. Very long finish that is as succulent as it is refined. You just want to linger there for as long as you can. Drink or hold.”

 

 

Tenuta delle Terre Nere Etna Bianco, Sicily, Italy 2022 750ml  $26.00 special, 14 bottles available
Hannah “Knowing myself, I cannot recommend some Italian wine without also highlighting a white. For the past this year, this wine has been one of my staples. Coming from Mount Etna in Sicily; this wine shines for its value, and more. Terre Nere is one of the trailblazers of Sicily and of finding and seeing the beauty of Mount Etna’s terroir. Whether it is a bottle of Nerello Mascallese, Rose, or this particular bottle; do not forget to give them a try.
 
This wine is made from the grape Carricante, a native grape to Sicily. Upon opening, this wine shows both citrus and stone fruit, with rocky and saline undertones and acidity. It is bright and zippy, with a fresh and textured dry finish. It makes a great refreshment by the glass or paired with a shellfish dish.”
           
Piaggia – Vannucci ‘Piaggia’, Carmignano Riserva DOCG, Italy 2019 750ml  $49.99 special, 17 bottles available
Hannah “When the temperature drops, I know I do my best to try and get as close to the Tuscan sun as possible. For me, that usually means opening up a bottle of red wine from the region itself to experience a glass of a soul warming red blend from the people who know it best. For anyone experiencing a chill, this bottle will do just the trick.
 
This winery, Piaggia, is located right in the heart of Carmignano and is not a producer to overlook. Mauro Vannucci founded this winery to bring Carmignano to the forefront of Tuscany, and they have done just that. The wines are full of flavor, balance, and a strong expression of terroir. This bottle I am highlighting and recommending to you all today is a reserve blend of primarily Sangiovese, with an inclusion of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc. On the palate, there is bright red and black fruit with a balance of rich violet and florals. The structure is silky and smooth, with just the right amount of terroir driven acidity and oak aging. Secondary flavors of ginger, orange peel, and gravel are found throughout and as the wine continues to age. Enjoy now with a mushroom pasta or age for 3-4 years as this one will continue to hold.”