We tried last night (6/25/08) Some Interesting Wines:
1. Emilio Bulfon Sciaglin IGT Venezia Giulia (http://www.VinoTerra.net; 12.5%) Valeriano
NV(2006): Med.cold color; slight funky/stinky/cheesey pumpkin ravioli/sage very ripe/rotted
apple some butterscotch pudding/creme brulee strange nose; soft slight minerally/earthy
very ripe/creme brulee/buterscotch pudding strange flavor; med.long soft light minerally
maybe off-dry some butterscotch puding finish; seems rather on the overripe side; a rather
strange wine. $20.00
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2. IlPodere Borgo Buon Natale Primogenito (44% TocaiFriuliano, 28% PinotBlanc, 28% PinotGris;
13.5%) 2002: Light gold color; slightly corked/musty some appley/perfumed tad oaked nose;
soft rather candied/appley/floral slight cider/overripe bit fruit cocktail slight marshmallow
peanuts bit earthy flavor; very long marshmallow peanuts/fruit cocktail finish; lots of very
ripe character; bit strange wine. $16.00
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3. ClendenenFamilyVnyds TocaiFriulano BorgoBuonNatale BienNacidoVnyd/SantaMariaVlly
(13.5%) 2006: Light gold color; lovely fragrant/floral/perfumed Tocai nose; soft/lush peachy/
floral/perfumed slight earthy/minerally flavor; long very lush/rich quite floral/perfumed
slight GWT/cheap hair oil/aromatic slight minerally finish; very attractive Tocai. $18.00
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4. ClendenenFamilyVnyds TocaiFriulano BorgoBuonNatale BienNacidoVnyd/SantaMariaVlly
(13.5%) 2005: Light gold color; bit minerally/stoney/valve oil rather floral/perfumed/Tocai
nose; tart rather stoney/minerally some floral/perfumed/aromatic flavor; long minerally/
stoney somewhat floral/perfumed finish; less forward fruit & more minerally/Friulian in
style; very attractive Tocai. $18.00
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5. Foradori DOC: TeroldegoRotaliano (13%) 2005: Dark color; some earthy/dusty slight menthol quite
plummy/licorice/black cherry slight funky/minerally nose; tart earthy/dusty/minerally rather
plummy/licorice/black cherry flavor; med.long tart fairly earthy/minerally/dusty some licorice/
plummy finish w/ some tannins; needs a few yrs yet; more expressive of Teroldego than the
Granato at half the price. $22.50
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6. IlPodere dell'Olivos CentralCoast Teroldego "Homage to Elisabetta" (13.5%) 2003: Very dark/black
color; very strong plummy/licorice/black cherry/floral light pencilly/oak rather perfumed/
aromatic nose; tart grapey/spicy/plummy/licorice/clack cherry/floral/lilacs bit tannic/rough
light pencilly/oak flavor; long fairly tannic/rough strong plummy/black cherry/licorice/floral
light pencilly/oak finish; terrific wine, probably the purest expression of Teroldego I've
ever had; a bargin at $18.00
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7. AuBonClimat MondeuseSelection BienNacidoVnyd/SantaMariaVlly (13.5%) 2000: Med.dark color; strong
plummy/licorice very smokey/black pepper/RCCola/boysenberry some toasty/oak bit metallic/
tinney interesting nose; tart bit hard/tannic/rough plummy/licorice/earthy rather strong toasty/
oak flavor; med.long hard/tannic plummy/licorice some black pepper toasty/oak finish; needs
age; pretty typical hard/tannic on palate of Mondeuse. Fairly priced at $18.00
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8. Arbin Mondeuse Vin de Savoie (12.5%) Proprietaires-Recoltants: LesFils de CharlesTrussot
2005: Med.dark color; rather earthy/dusty/minerally/burnt fireworks bit herbal some floral/
Pinot-like quite teroir-driven nose; tart bit lean/hard/tannic ratherearthy/minerally rough/
rustic slight floral/cherry/Pinotish flavor; med.long earthy/minerally light floral/cherry/
spicy/Pinotish rather rough/hard/tannic finish; prety typical Savoie Mondeuse. $17.00
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9. LesVins de Vienne Crozes-Hermitage LesPalignons (13%; Cuilleron-Villard-Gaillard-Villa)
2005: Dark color; strong blackberry/Syrah rather toasty/oak slight roasted/coffee/sardines/
green olive interesting/atypical nose; very tart rather toasty/charred/oak some roasted/
green olive/bacon fat strong blackberry/Syrah rather tannic/hard flavor; med.long toasty/oak
some roasted/green olive fairly blackberry/Syrah finish w/ fair tannins; needs 2-5 yrs;
lots of toasty/new/Fr.oak and Syrah w/ nice touch of Rhonish character; very well-priced
at $28.00
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10. LesVins de Vienne AC: Cornas LesBarcillants (13%) Cuilleron/Villard/Gaillard/Villa
2005: Dark color; earthy/dusty/rough/rustic/sauvage slight blackberry/Syrah some toasty/
charred/oak nose; tart rather rough/hard/tannic slight blackberry/Syrah some toasty/oak flavor;
med.long hard/tannic/rough/coarse earthy slight blackberry/Syrah fairly toasty/oak finish;
rather strong Cornas character except for the strong oak; overpriced at $47.00
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11. AlainGraillot AC: CrozesHermitage (13%) 2005: Very dark color; beautiful smokey/pungent/roasted/
Rhonish/espresso/green olive slight blackberry/Syrah rather complex nose; tart very espresso/
roasted/Rhonish/pungent/green olive light blackberry/Syrah flavor; very long classic Rhonish/
espresso/roasted/green olive finish w/ some tannins; needs several yrs and should go out 10 or
more; fairly priced at $35.00
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12. AlainGraillot AC: Crozes Hermitage LaGuiraude (13%) 2005: Very dark/black color; more pungent/
smokey some toasty/new oak bit closed/tight some roasted/espresso/Rhonish/green olive light
blackberry/Syrah some dusty/old vines bit complex nose; hard/tannic some blackberry/Syrah
oaked/toasty slight Rhonish/green olive/roasted/espresso bit tight flavor; med.long fairly
hard/tannic some blackberry/Syrah slight toasty/oak bit Rhonish/green olive finish; seems
pretty hard & tannic and rather closed now; badly needs some age; pricey now but may be
worth it if it develops like I think it will; $50.00
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0. Gaja Rossj-Bass DOC: Langhe (14%; Chard/SauvBlanc) 2005: Pale yellow color; fragrant some
herbal/SB some melony/GWT/lychee slight minerally/perfumed bit simple nose; soft/lush/fat
perfumed slight herbal/SB some melony/ripe some butterscotchy/oak flavor; med.long some
herbal/SB ripe/melony rather butterscotchy/oak finish; pleasant enough wine but a bit
simple; about $10 wine and $30 for the Gaja name. Overpriced at $40.00
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And the usual blatherings from TheBloodyPulpit:
1. Bulfon Sciaglin: This is another Friulian indigenous grape brought back from the dead by
EmilioBulfon. Previous versions of this wine have been typical Friulian white, maybe a bit
Tocai-like w/ an underlying austere stoney/minerally character. This one was vastly different.
It had a very ripe/overripe slighted rotted character. Not a bad wine, but just kinda weird.
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2. IlPodere/Clendenen: A month ago, we tried two '95 IlPodere Barberas and liked the BuonNatale
quite a lot. I realized that it had been some time since I'd visited w/ what Jim is doing
with Italian varietals, so ordered a mixed case from the wnry. The Teroldego is one of the best
examples of that variety I've had. It'll be interesting to see what he's doing w/ Nebbiolo.
If it doesn't taste like Barolo/Barbaresco, I'll probably like it.
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3. Foradori: Last week we had the Foradori Granato, her old-vines Teroldego. It was a very good
Teroldego but I felt it spoke a bit too much of "international" winemaking style. This regular
Teroldego is a bit more rustic and traditional in character, but I liked it better for more
of an authentic expression of Teroldego.
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4. Mondeuse: Tough grape. Also the same as Refosco in Italy. Generally has pretty interesting
aromatics but can often be tough as nails on the palate. Easily the best Mondeuse in the
world is made by MikeOfficer from Twackers. They used to habe Mondeuse/Refosco planted up on
AtlasPeakVnyd...but I suppose it's been pulled in favor of more Cabernet. Short-sighted.
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5. Graillot: This guy is one of my go-to guys year in and year out. Although the prices have
crept up over the yrs and they are no longer the great bargins they once were, they're still
one of the best NorthernRhones around for the $.
Tom