Fiorentino Code di Volpe 2020: The farm is located in Paternopoli (Av) , a small rural village in the heart of the Taurasi Docg area : there they have built our bio-architecture cellar. Their Taurasi, Aglianico, Rosato and Coda di Volpe wines are obtained only from grapes from the family vineyards. They offer a refined and limited wine production resulting from a choice of sustainable agriculture. Coda di Volpe is a white wine grape used to since ancient times in Campania, southern Italy. It is used to make medium- to full-bodied white wines. The name Coda di Volpe means "tail of the fox", and was given in reference to the variety's long, pendulous bunches of grapes, which resemble a fox's bushy tail. Coda di Volpe grapes are golden-yellow in color, as is the wine they make.
Fundacao Cartuxa Tinto 2020: A blend of 40% Aragonez (Tempranillo), 40% Alicante Bouschet and 20% Trincadeira from vines over 30 years old in Alentejo, Portugal. The wine is aged 12 months in French oak barrels as well as another 9 months in bottle before release and has just 1.2 g/L of residual sugar. The 2016 Cartuxa Evora Colheita Tinto begins with a pleasing aroma of black cherry, plum, raspberry and spice along with nice touches of leather and vanilla too. Tasting the wine reveals lots of juicy dark fruit with good depth of flavor plus continuing touches of spice, leather and vanilla. Smooth in the mouth and a bit tannic, this is a really pleasing blend. Overall, I found it to be nicely balanced and harmonious.
Chateau Feuillet Fumin : The Label on this wine is exactly what a lot of people new to the world of wine are afraid of. “Château Feuillet”: French. “Denominazione di origine protetta”: Italian. “Mis en bouteille par le producteur”: French. “Maurizio Fiorano”: Italian. What in the Eno haberdashery is going on here? Reflecting the linguistic overlap of the French-Swiss-Italian border, Château Feuillet is an Italian domaine with a French name. Nestled among the western Alps, fifty miles from where the three countries meet, this estate specializes in the region’s indigenous grape varieties: Fumin, Cornalin, Petite Arvine, etc. The primary grape in this bottling is Fumin, whose name derives from fumo, or “smoky.” Some think it’s called that because the wines bear a smoky taste. Ian D’Agata, in his Native Wine Grapes of Italy, instead proposes that the grapes look smoky when covered in a dusty, white coating called the “bloom.” In any case, the grape was almost completely removed in the 1960s due to the opinion of certain academics, who did not think it made noble enough wine. When you open this bottle, you might scream, “How could they?!” Luckily for us, a few producers saved the variety in Valle d’Aosta, and now we have supremely quaffable, distinct reds like this one. With 10% Syrah completing the blend, this rosso from Château Feuillet evokes dark fruit, has great acidity, and sports an irresistible texture, leaving you with a delicious, lingering finish.
Fiorentino Aglianico Campania, Italy 2018: Azienda Agricola (that’s just Italian for Wine Producer) Fiorentino is imported by La Rosa Selections. They focus on importing wine from southern Italy that are small batch, highly rated and most importantly who practice eco-friendly farming practices. This bad Larry comes from Campania, Italy which is located on Italy’s west coast just above the boot on the shin I guess you could say. Aglianico is often called the ‘Barolo of the south’, comparing it to the famous style of Nebbiolo from Piedmont. This wine is powerful while still being lean.
Casa Dumetz GSM, Santa Rita Hills, California 2018: Started in 2004 by Sonja Magdevski Casa Dumetz is the umbrella name of three labels started by this trail blazing winemaker – Casa Dumetz, Clementine Carter and The Feminist Party. The grapes are all sourced from the Santa Rita Hills and its 3 unique valleys. Sonja promised herself that she would ever make a blend and concentrate on single varietal wines. Well turns out she is a liar. Thank God she is too because this blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre is delightful. With bold fruit flavors and accents of sweet spice, Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre form the base of the classic Rhône Red Blend, while Carignan, Cinsault and Counoise often come in to play. Though they originated from France’s southern Rhône Valley, with some creative interpretation, Rhône blends have also become popular in other countries.
Pinea Tempranillo Rose Ribero del Duero, Spain: Pinea Vineyards is named for the Stone Pine that watches over the picturesque vineyards in the heart of Ribero del Duero in Spain. The terroir, weather and soil in this part of the region put a lot of stress on the vines which is part of the reason they produce such powerful wines. The deep root systems help the vines survive this environment and eliminate the need for artificial irrigation. Korde (core-deh) rose is made from 100% Tempranillo. The name means the connection of hearts through words. This wine is made in concrete eggs with extreme temperature control and then aged in oak barrels to give it amazing depth. It has warm notes of raspberry, cherry and black plumb while maintaining minerality and subtle tannins that allow this wine to pair nicely with spicey dishes. |
