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: 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. |
