Falanghina perplexity

M

MLipton

Mark Lipton
Last night I opened a bottle of the 2009 Cantina del Taburno Falanghina only to discover a wine of viognier-like heft and viscosity. It had the minerality and floral character that I recall from my earlier encounter with Falanghina (Oliver McCrum's 2008 La Sibilla, which maybe is an apples to oranges comparison) but was so heavy and alcoholic as to be a different beast altogther, especially with the melon an pear fruit notes that came through. Not unpleasant, but certainly not what I was expecting. So, where does the reality lie? Was this the outlier, or was the La Sibilla?

Mark Lipton
 
Actually I think you've done a pretty good job of putting a fence around the range of styles with those two wines. So for me, the answer would be both.
 
La Sibilla's grapes are grown in a volcanic outflow into the bay west of Naples. It is a pretty amazing place to grow grapes. Volcanic soil that is partially underwater.

It could be considered the outlier. In the best possible sense.

But Cantina del Taburno offerings are not always super ripe. Depends on the vintage. The grapes are grown further inland (the Taburno zone), and the oenologist (Prof. Luigi Moio) has a modern bent (cross reference Caggiano, etc.).
 
Sibilla's the outlier. Falanghina is of course a southern grape, often viscous even when it's pure and fresh. Viognier actually isn't a bad comparison point.

Interestingly, I opened a 2005 La Sibilla piedirosso the other day, a wine I adored on release but I remember Oliver recommending aging only a few years. It's now about 4 years on so it seemed worth checking in. The wine is fantastic albeit very different from how it showed on release, and tastes like 10-15 year old Hermitage.
 
I don't know that Falanghina is viscous. Think about Vadiaperti or Pietracupa. Viscous doesn't even come to mind. If it is picked quite late it can be viscous, of course. It would be like saying Pinot Blanc is viscous. I mean it could be it you were going for that.
 
originally posted by Levi Dalton:
I don't know that Falanghina is viscous. Think about Vadiaperti or Pietracupa. Viscous doesn't even come to mind. If it is picked quite late it can be viscous, of course. It would be like saying Pinot Blanc is viscous. I mean it could be it you were going for that.
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Thank you, Levi (and you, too, Slaton and Keith) for the input. I had heard not unreasonable things about the Taburno so was unprepared for the stylistic 180° that I found. Was 2009 a particularly hot/ripe year in those parts?

Cheers!
Mark Lipton
 
Another aspect to consider is that, like a lot of Italian white wines, a wine like Cantina del Taburno Falanghina loosens up texturally with a year in the bottle.
 
The last bottle of Taburno Falanghina that I tasted didn't seem dry, which might be where the viscosity comes in. Also the types of Falanghina used in the Campi Flegrei are different from those used further inland, and the soil in the Campi Flegrei is so sandy that there is no problem with phylloxera, which I don't know to be true in Taburno. This may explain the fact that the wines are picked in October in a hot climate but usually come in at 12%.

It's become sadly common for Italian producers to use RS the way it's used in California and Australia. I was tasting with a Lugana producer last year, and I asked him why his wine had RS, and he said 'you can't sell dry wine in Italy any more.' I know that's not true, but still...
 
originally posted by Oliver McCrum:
The last bottle of Taburno Falanghina that I tasted didn't seem dry, which might be where the viscosity comes in. Also the types of Falanghina used in the Campi Flegrei are different from those used further inland, and the soil in the Campi Flegrei is so sandy that there is no problem with phylloxera, which I don't know to be true in Taburno. This may explain the fact that the wines are picked in October in a hot climate but usually come in at 12%.

It's become sadly common for Italian producers to use RS the way it's used in California and Australia. I was tasting with a Lugana producer last year, and I asked him why his wine had RS, and he said 'you can't sell dry wine in Italy any more.' I know that's not true, but still...
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Thanks, Oliver. Yes, this may very well have had some RS in it as it didn't come across as bone dry by any stretch. I suppose that I'll just have to score some La Sibilla to scratch that itch.

Mark Lipton
 
I told Vincenzo di Meo, who is now making the wines at the ripe age of 24 or so, that his wine reminded me of Muscadet. He's never had one, so we drank one that night at dinner; I think he agreed with me.

Their Piedirosso certainly makes me think of Cabernet Franc.
 
originally posted by Oliver McCrum:
I told Vincenzo di Meo, who is now making the wines at the ripe age of 24 or so, that his wine reminded me of Muscadet. He's never had one, so we drank one that night at dinner; I think he agreed with me.

Their Piedirosso certainly makes me think of Cabernet Franc.
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From the perspective of texture and mouthfeel, certainly there is a similarity; however, Falanghina seems to me (based on my 2 encounters) quite a bit more aromatic than Muscadet. Interesting comparison, though.

Mark Lipton
 
Falanghina is a great grape because the best can have tremendous race in their youth and yet will, as Levi says, flesh out and put on weight as they mature. That said, the del Taburno with viognier like heft and viscosity sounds freakish...at least in my experience with the variety. Oliver is probably right about the sugar issue.
 
It's become sadly common for Italian producers to use RS the way it's used in California and Australia. I was tasting with a Lugana producer last year, and I asked him why his wine had RS, and he said 'you can't sell dry wine in Italy any more.' I know that's not true, but still...
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Learning from the Masters...
 
2010 Campi Flegrei "La Sibilla" Falanghina restores my faith in the grape. It's vivid, brightly acidic, mineral-inflected with interesting floral and herbal notes. Totally different from the Taburno and much more appealing to my sensibilities.

Mark Lipton
 
I highly recommend Ocone's senza sulfiti Falanghina (melon, minerals, herbs, and so on) which is delicious for several days from the fridge. I love their piedirosso, too... I forget how "vin de soif" translates into Italian.
 
originally posted by MLipton:
The man knows what he's talking about2010 Campi Flegrei "La Sibilla" Falanghina restores my faith in the grape. It's vivid, brightly acidic, mineral-inflected with interesting floral and herbal notes. Totally different from the Taburno and much more appealing to my sensibilities.

Mark Lipton
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I am so glad you liked it. They're the nicest people, too.

Volcanic soils make some really interesting wines. I understand that there is a movement to promote that aspect of some Soave vineyards, too.
 
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