Radikon 2002 Ribolla Gialla (Venezia Giulia) While its never entirely clear what sort of wine one is going to get when one removes the tiny, Virginia Slims-sized cork from a bottle of Radikon, anticipation of the unexpected more than makes up for the lack of predictability. That said, any expectations one might have for this bottle are pretty much detonated at first sniff. And no, I do not mean that negatively. This wine is as explosive as the beverage can getnot in the goopy, thermonuclear fruit device fashion so popular among certain subsets, but in its mushrooming billows of complexity and evolving structure. Deep bronze in color and in sheathing, then wrestling free of its jacketing with lava flows of slow-baked stone fruit (leaning towards the tropicallets say papaya, more for the fun of naming an actual fruit than from any commitment to organoleptic accuracy), then pulsing in gravitic undulations of aromatic expansion and structural contraction. To a certain extent, most wines made in this fashion are red wines, but this is redder than most, and the deep, autumnal aromas that dance around the perimeter lavishly Burgundian. Honestly, this is breathtaking, a sure-fire cure for vinous ennui, and sufficient reason all by itself to make wine a part of ones life. (4/09)
Monastero Suore Cistercensi S.O. Trappiste 2007 Coenobium Rusticum (Lazio) Placed on the orange wine spectrum, this is the fresh, lively fruit bomb with the heart of a proto-star. The metals on the surface are polished and nearly 100% reflective, the fruit within is intense and leans on crispness and an almost pineapple-like vivacity, and the wines acidity is far more prominent though I cant necessarily say its quantifiably greater than is typical for wines of this ilk. Along ilk-ish lines, then, this wine laughs while others ponder, sings while others hum, and dances while others prepare for bed. Its a wine with a sense of humor now look at the name of the owner of the vines, and figure that one out and while its more complex and contemplative than the vast majority of the worlds wines, within its cohort and context it is the joyful, playful fountain of youth. It gives you hugs, though it whispers philosophy in your ear while it does so. How can one not love this wine? (4/09)
Brezza Tenuta Migliavacca 2005 Freisa (Piedmont) I love the exuberant fizz sometimes found in freisa, but this is a bit much for the unwary, and of the four people its served to, two reject it out-of-hand. That caveat aside, I still love it, though the XXXL froth comes with its burden of volatile acidity, which somewhat masks the neon strawberry zing. In no universe could this be called a serious wine. But why would you want to? (4/09)
Lini Labrusca Lambrusco Rosso (Emilia-Romagna) There is, of course, plenty of deeply unserious Lambrusco. And then there are the serious, almost flagellant kind that seem to be a counter-reaction to the first. One is a travesty, the other is unnecessary. This bottling seems to live somewhere in the middle, with a fair amount of structure to its bursting, bubbly red fruit, and only the slightest touch of residual sugar. Its very good, but not (for my palate) quite as groundbreaking as the Bianco. Still, one could hardly do all that much better. (4/09)
Cappellano 2005 Dolcetto dAlba Gabutti (Piedmont) Corked. (4/09)
Librandi 2007 Cir Bianco (Calabria) Rocky outcroppings of golden stone and a rich complexity of sun-baked fruit. Intense, perhaps even just the slightest bit heavy, but quite appealing nonetheless. (4/09)
Agriverde Riseis di Recastro 2005 Terre di Chieti Pecorino (Abruzzi) Surprising depth of flavor, rather than just texture (the problem Ive had with other pecorinos), mostly in the almond and/or dry stone fruit range, but definitely preferring the former. Hums along with significant volume. Very tasty. (4/09)
Maculan 2003 Breganze Torcolato (Veneto) 375 ml. Very, very sweet peach and ambered pear, a little metal, a lot of baking spice, and the finishing impression of ultra-filtered maple syrup (that is, clearer than grade A light amber). Perhaps not as crisp as one would want, but still very appealing. (4/09)
Maculan 2003 Breganze Torcolato (Veneto) 375 ml. See above, re: organoleptics. The wines a bit fat, or perhaps blowsy, which I suppose is a vintage artifact, and thus it lacks the nerve that, for me, has always set it slightly apart from and above the typical flaws of Sauternes-style wines (most specifically, Sauternes itself). This is not a wine to age...not that Maculan Torcolato benefits all that much from more than a few years aging in even the best vintages. (4/09)
Maculan 2003 Breganze Torcolato (Veneto) 375 ml. Better than the previous two. The aromas are identical, but the structure is ever so slightly firmer, which really helps the wines form. Still, it will never be a great Torcolato. It will have to settle for being very good. (4/09)
Monastero Suore Cistercensi S.O. Trappiste 2007 Coenobium Rusticum (Lazio) Placed on the orange wine spectrum, this is the fresh, lively fruit bomb with the heart of a proto-star. The metals on the surface are polished and nearly 100% reflective, the fruit within is intense and leans on crispness and an almost pineapple-like vivacity, and the wines acidity is far more prominent though I cant necessarily say its quantifiably greater than is typical for wines of this ilk. Along ilk-ish lines, then, this wine laughs while others ponder, sings while others hum, and dances while others prepare for bed. Its a wine with a sense of humor now look at the name of the owner of the vines, and figure that one out and while its more complex and contemplative than the vast majority of the worlds wines, within its cohort and context it is the joyful, playful fountain of youth. It gives you hugs, though it whispers philosophy in your ear while it does so. How can one not love this wine? (4/09)
Brezza Tenuta Migliavacca 2005 Freisa (Piedmont) I love the exuberant fizz sometimes found in freisa, but this is a bit much for the unwary, and of the four people its served to, two reject it out-of-hand. That caveat aside, I still love it, though the XXXL froth comes with its burden of volatile acidity, which somewhat masks the neon strawberry zing. In no universe could this be called a serious wine. But why would you want to? (4/09)
Lini Labrusca Lambrusco Rosso (Emilia-Romagna) There is, of course, plenty of deeply unserious Lambrusco. And then there are the serious, almost flagellant kind that seem to be a counter-reaction to the first. One is a travesty, the other is unnecessary. This bottling seems to live somewhere in the middle, with a fair amount of structure to its bursting, bubbly red fruit, and only the slightest touch of residual sugar. Its very good, but not (for my palate) quite as groundbreaking as the Bianco. Still, one could hardly do all that much better. (4/09)
Cappellano 2005 Dolcetto dAlba Gabutti (Piedmont) Corked. (4/09)
Librandi 2007 Cir Bianco (Calabria) Rocky outcroppings of golden stone and a rich complexity of sun-baked fruit. Intense, perhaps even just the slightest bit heavy, but quite appealing nonetheless. (4/09)
Agriverde Riseis di Recastro 2005 Terre di Chieti Pecorino (Abruzzi) Surprising depth of flavor, rather than just texture (the problem Ive had with other pecorinos), mostly in the almond and/or dry stone fruit range, but definitely preferring the former. Hums along with significant volume. Very tasty. (4/09)
Maculan 2003 Breganze Torcolato (Veneto) 375 ml. Very, very sweet peach and ambered pear, a little metal, a lot of baking spice, and the finishing impression of ultra-filtered maple syrup (that is, clearer than grade A light amber). Perhaps not as crisp as one would want, but still very appealing. (4/09)
Maculan 2003 Breganze Torcolato (Veneto) 375 ml. See above, re: organoleptics. The wines a bit fat, or perhaps blowsy, which I suppose is a vintage artifact, and thus it lacks the nerve that, for me, has always set it slightly apart from and above the typical flaws of Sauternes-style wines (most specifically, Sauternes itself). This is not a wine to age...not that Maculan Torcolato benefits all that much from more than a few years aging in even the best vintages. (4/09)
Maculan 2003 Breganze Torcolato (Veneto) 375 ml. Better than the previous two. The aromas are identical, but the structure is ever so slightly firmer, which really helps the wines form. Still, it will never be a great Torcolato. It will have to settle for being very good. (4/09)