Nera La Novella 2008 Terrazze Retiche di Sondrio Chiavennasca Bianco (Lombardy) 80% nebbiolo, 20% chardonnay, and very white. Aromatically dominated one might actually say overwhelmed without exaggerating by ripe pearnot the spicy, mineralistic kind found in Alsatian pinot gris, but a clean, poised expression of the pure fruit. Bright with acidity, lit from within, and doing a bit of an exuberant jig in the glass, this wine is burst-out-laughing enjoyable. It shares with nebbiolo an aromatic primacy, but I think it would be hard to call this nebbiolo in a fully blind (as in blindfolded) taste test, and the chardonnay does round things out a bit. Wow, is this a blast to drink. (12/09)
Pojer e Sandri Merlino (Dolomiti) Fortified lagrein. Intriguing. More high-toned and powdery than most fortified reds, which could well be a function of latitude, and whirling a bit under a heady sensation of crushed purple flowers. Good, mostly, but it doesnt quite achieve the spicy richness of its more southerly brethren. Not that Id expect it to. (12/09)
i Clivi di Ferdinando Zanusso 2004 Bianco degli Arzillari (Venezia Giulia) Verduzzo. Served from two different bottles. The first has been open for a while, and it shows, with an oxidative, ribolla-like brownout flatness to the palate, yet retaining a good deal of spice and baritone hum. The second is from a fresh bottle and much livelier, yet still with the weight of something more rich than crisp, a fuzzy-edged structure, and a fairly long yet mildly anonymous finish. This is an interesting wine, but I suspect verduzzo is of a little more utility in the winerys more famous blends. (12/09)
Maculan 2002 Breganze Torcolato (Veneto) From 375 ml. Shy, to the extent that I wonder if there might not be some very minor cork taint (but over the course of three days, nothing obvious develops, so perhaps not). Theres peach, cream, spice, and crystal as one expects, but its all muted. Even in a volume-limited state, this is still nice wine, but Id hoped for better. (12/09)
Livio Felluga 2004 Collio Sauvignon (Friuli-Venezia Giulia) Showing surprising maturity, which here in a bronzing in both color and flavor, bringing forth a metallic faux-structural element similar to that of an orange wine (though this isnt one of those), yet still retaining a firm iron grip on a green-white dwarf star of sauvignon blanc-ishness. Drink. (12/09)
Banti 2004 Morellino di Scansano (Tuscany) Two bottles, exactly the same: sorta anonymous, chunky red fruit with slaps of darker paint and a good dose of acidity. Dries out as it finishes. Eh. (12/09)
Pojer e Sandri Merlino (Dolomiti) Fortified lagrein. Intriguing. More high-toned and powdery than most fortified reds, which could well be a function of latitude, and whirling a bit under a heady sensation of crushed purple flowers. Good, mostly, but it doesnt quite achieve the spicy richness of its more southerly brethren. Not that Id expect it to. (12/09)
i Clivi di Ferdinando Zanusso 2004 Bianco degli Arzillari (Venezia Giulia) Verduzzo. Served from two different bottles. The first has been open for a while, and it shows, with an oxidative, ribolla-like brownout flatness to the palate, yet retaining a good deal of spice and baritone hum. The second is from a fresh bottle and much livelier, yet still with the weight of something more rich than crisp, a fuzzy-edged structure, and a fairly long yet mildly anonymous finish. This is an interesting wine, but I suspect verduzzo is of a little more utility in the winerys more famous blends. (12/09)
Maculan 2002 Breganze Torcolato (Veneto) From 375 ml. Shy, to the extent that I wonder if there might not be some very minor cork taint (but over the course of three days, nothing obvious develops, so perhaps not). Theres peach, cream, spice, and crystal as one expects, but its all muted. Even in a volume-limited state, this is still nice wine, but Id hoped for better. (12/09)
Livio Felluga 2004 Collio Sauvignon (Friuli-Venezia Giulia) Showing surprising maturity, which here in a bronzing in both color and flavor, bringing forth a metallic faux-structural element similar to that of an orange wine (though this isnt one of those), yet still retaining a firm iron grip on a green-white dwarf star of sauvignon blanc-ishness. Drink. (12/09)
Banti 2004 Morellino di Scansano (Tuscany) Two bottles, exactly the same: sorta anonymous, chunky red fruit with slaps of darker paint and a good dose of acidity. Dries out as it finishes. Eh. (12/09)