some new stuff

scottreiner

scottreiner

scott reiner
Damien Coquelet Beaujolais-Villages 2009 Damien is the son of Beaujolais rock star George Descombes. So he is no stranger to quality. He makes other wines that are all excellent, but I am most excited about his Villages level offering. At $15 a bottle, this may be the best value available today in Beaujolais. The wine is more about fruit that earth, there is a little tannin, you will like this wine...

La Biancara Masieri Rosso 2009 Angiolino and his son Francesco are making some killer wines. The wines are from the Vicenza provence in Italy, right next to Soave in Veneto. All the wines are grown bio-dynamically. The first of the two wines for today is the Masieri Rosso. 100% Merlot, this should now and forever destroy the Sideways created mania that Merlot sucks. The first impression given is of alive, repeat ALIVE, red fruits. There are some tannins present, and they only add to the sheer joy that drinking this wine is. Perfectly balanced, fun, delicious, etc... All at around $18.

La Biancara Masieri Bianco 2009 Primarily Garganega with a bit of Trebbiano. A great warm weather, humid, sitting outside white wine. But, it's not at all the crushed seashell minerality that you get from a good Muscadet. It is instead yummy white fruit with a richer, but balance, mouth feel. And, like all of the Biancara wines, simply fun! BTW, all this at a mere $15!

Salvo Foti Sicilia Rosso Vinudilice 2008 This wine has it all. Light in color and feminine and pretty. The essence of what beauty can be found in wine. True proof of the greatness of the Grenache (Alicante) grape. The weight of the wine cannot be measured it is so balanced. In short, it is awesome. But, yes, you knew there had to be a but, the tab is @ $50 a bottle. Honestly, it is worth every penny. It just upsets me because I can't drink it every day...

Ulivi Semplicemente Vino VdT Bianco 2009 - Semplicemente wines are new estate cuvees from Stefano Bellotti of Degli Ulivi, and I love the wines of Degli Ulivi. The first thing that strikes you is a lovely nuttiness, but in no way sherry-like. This is crisp and refreshing Cortese that tastes like Cortese, with a nice presence in the mouth! Perfect for the Summer, and at $16 a slam-dunk.

Panevino Bianco Alvas 2008 This is a delicious old-vine field blend of Uve Retallada, Vernaccia, Nuragus, Seminano, Vermentino, Malvasia and Nasco. Wow, if the only three grapes you've ever heard of there are Vernaccia, Vermentino and Malvasia, you're not the only one... Peaches and plums, almost candied, but totally dry. 18 day maceration on the skins, yes, this is orange wine. But, it avoids many of the pit falls that plague orange wines and keep them on the outskirts of the wine world. (I love many orange wines, but I understand why many people don't...) This ain't cheap quality wines made in this way never are but for @ $59 you get a truly tasty, interesting and approachable intro to the orange wine world.
 
originally posted by scottreiner: it avoids many of the pit falls that plague orange wines...
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Just wondering what those pitfalls are in your opinion?

For me it's instability and a higher proportion of off bottles. But not sure what pitfalls might exist among sound bottles.
 
I still don't get that, but maybe the fact that I eat both my and your portion of meatflesh affects our experiences.
 
I'll bite...

I don't get why you always chime in about orange wines when by your own admission you haven't had very many. I think that I would at least try a Bea orange wine, for example, before I leveled generalized comments at the field.

It's like saying you don't like foreign films, and that's why you almost never watch them, or something like that.
 
i appreciate the fact that many people don't like the oxidative nature of many orange wines. the tannin seems to throw a lot of people off as well. in small doses these can be attributes loved by all, but some orange wines take them to the extreme. eg gravner.
 
originally posted by Levi Dalton:
I'll bite...

I don't get why you always chime in about orange wines when by your own admission you haven't had very many. I think that I would at least try a Bea orange wine, for example, before I leveled generalized comments at the field.

It's like saying you don't like foreign films, and that's why you almost never watch them, or something like that.
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???? !!!!

I know time is short but are you even reading my posts. I like orange wines. I've always liked orange wines. I think they're great.

My post above was that the wines are delicious and I don't see why anyone wouldn't like them. (Except for flawed bottles, which is obvious).

Scott just mentioned the tannin and the oxidative quality. Good points. I wouldn't think tannin would be a problem, but obviously it can be for some people. I guess I can see the latter being more of a problem although obviously it depends on the wine.

I was always thinking that they are so full of flavor they are easy to like, especially for people who aren't serious wine people. But as always there is variation across wines.

I did get around to the 08 Santa Chiara this weekend and it was gorgeous. It was also a wonderful way to introduce some of my friends to orange wine and they are now primed to buy more.
 
originally posted by Rahsaan:
originally posted by Levi Dalton:
I'll bite...

I don't get why you always chime in about orange wines when by your own admission you haven't had very many. I think that I would at least try a Bea orange wine, for example, before I leveled generalized comments at the field.

It's like saying you don't like foreign films, and that's why you almost never watch them, or something like that.
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???? !!!!

I know time is short but are you even reading my posts. I like orange wines. I've always liked orange wines. I think they're great.

My post above was that the wines are delicious and I don't see why anyone wouldn't like them. (Except for flawed bottles, which is obvious).

Scott just mentioned the tannin and the oxidative quality. Good points. I wouldn't think tannin would be a problem, but obviously it can be for some people. I guess I can see the latter being more of a problem although obviously it depends on the wine.

I was always thinking that they are so full of flavor they are easy to like, especially for people who aren't serious wine people. But as always there is variation across wines.

I did get around to the 08 Santa Chiara this weekend and it was gorgeous. It was also a wonderful way to introduce some of my friends to orange wine and they are now primed to buy more.
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I stand corrected.
 
Still don't get what?
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"nstability" and "off bottles" as "pitfalls" worth a special calling-out amongst the orange wine cohort.

Sure, it's possible you've had rotten luck. There are a few wines with which I have had statistically unlikely experiences that beggar rational explanation. None of them have been orange. But then, someone does win the lottery, so maybe you're the guy with the orange raincloud over your head.

I think it would be unlikely for orange wines as a category to be particularly unstable. There's a lot of natural stabilization in that stew, and a lot of very cautious winemaking that goes along with it. In fact, if I eliminate one particular Sicilian producer, I've had almost no off/unstable orange wines. And I've had quite a few, though probably not as many as Levi. So when you mention these things as problems endemic to the category, I really wonder why that should be. Because I really don't see that, from my own drinking and in the drinking reportage I've viewed.

Weird? Different? Potentially off-putting? Yeah, sure. I completely understand not liking or not grokking orange wines, and I can't fathom some myself (Abe, I'm looking at you). I've had pretty good success pouring them to newbies with a little advance prep, but in the absence of prep or as a general popular case, I can certainly see not caring for them. Perhaps I was predisposed after decades of occasionally-tannic Alsatian gewurztraminers and pinots gris.

But look, it's really just white wine with red wine-level tannin. Almost everything else is malleable and variable...dependent on producer, grape, place, and style. It's just not that big of a leap from basic winemaking, whether or not people like it, and there's no real reason why it should lead to exploding radioactive bottles and flailing tentacles of badness.
 
originally posted by Levi Dalton:
I stand corrected.
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Ok.

My only "issue" with the wines was whether the technique enhanced or suppressed terroir distinction, and you and I have "debated" that in the past.

I acknowledge that I haven't had as many examples of the genre as you have (or some of the other folks who are either ITB or attend lots of tastings). So I wouldn't want to talk authoritatively about the whole category.

But maybe I'm being overly cautious because I would guess I've had a couple dozen orange wines (roughly, I don't catalogue my notes) and that is certainly enough to let me know that I enjoy the general style.
 
originally posted by Thor: Sure, it's possible you've had rotten luck. There are a few wines with which I have had statistically unlikely experiences that beggar rational explanation. None of them have been orange. But then, someone does win the lottery, so maybe you're the guy with the orange raincloud over your head..
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Ok, thanks for the post. I thought low sulfur was also part of the equation, which would make things tricky with all that extra maceration time. But obviously not. So you're making me feel more confident to go purchase more!

My variation was mainly with the Coenobium wines and the i clivi wines (not sure if the latter qualify as 'orange', but anyway). I thought I had read about that variation being somewhat common with these specific wines so it wasn't just my bad luck. But then I must have mistakenly generalized that to the rest of the 'category'.
 
I thought low sulfur was also part of the equation
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It can be, but between the tannin and the stabilizing trial period, it's much less of a factor than it is in other wines.

i clivi wines (not sure if the latter qualify as 'orange'
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Not by my standards, but maybe others have a different opinion. I can say that the Zanussos are not exactly fans of the orange wine producers in their region (I understate), so it'd be unlikely they'd emulate them.

But then, I've had almost no "off" i Clivi either.
 
Thanks. Much appreciated.

This type of stuff is why I'm a big fan of the internet.

I wasn't going to get this info at home from my wife!
 
originally posted by Thor:
I thought low sulfur was also part of the equation
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It can be, but between the tannin and the stabilizing trial period, it's much less of a factor than it is in other wines.

But then, I've had almost no "off" i Clivi either.
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One good bottle and about a dozen crap ones for me. Maybe Boston got a different batch?
 
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