2007 Antichi Giochi Piemontesi (Fracchia) Casorzo Voület [Malvasia di Casorzo/Malvasia Nera] (Casorzo DOC, Asti, Piedmont, northwestern Italy) 5% - imported by Michael R. Downey selections, Lorton, Virginia – my first Casorzo/Malvasia Nera - appears purple with fizz, smell nice simple grapey, taste reminds me of Manischewitz, simple sweet grapey taste, but though that characteristic might make it more accessible to some, it was the differences from Manischewitz that excited me and enthralled me with this wine, rich but very fresh, indeed very refreshing, this is a wine that just tasted pure, great similarities with an excellent Moscato d’Asti—certainly sweet, but sweet in a way that is intensely refreshing, so rarely encountered, but so easy to enjoy an entire bottle in a sitting when you do. An experience I would not miss for $14 in 2008.
I spoke with Mauro Fracchia at my local retailer when I first tasted this wine. I really enjoyed our conversation and found him an intense and very engaging person. He talked about how the Casorzo grape provides such a wonderful aromatic presence, similar to Brachetto (sp?), and how Casorzo is only grown in that town and only produced by a handful of small producers. (My later research at home seemed to indicate that the grape known as Casorzo locally is known as Malvasia Nera in other parts of Italy). From Kysela.com: The Fracchia family has been producing wine since 1919. The estate was founded by Vittorio Fracchia and is now run by the fourth generation of the family, Mauro and Fabio. It is located in Grazzano Badoglio, a typical Montferrato village with a rich history.
2007 Garofoli Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico [100 percent Verdicchio] (Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico DOC, Marche, central Italy) 12.5% - imported to USA by Grappoli Imports, Alexandria, Virginia – I must have had a Verdicchio at some point, but no notes taken, so this is my first ‘noted’ Verdicchio – appears quite greenish, smell quite tart, bare elements of stones, green green on the nose, mouthfeel slightly viscous, taste solid fruit, green apple, wonderful sharp dry rocks, dry and concentrated center, feels a bit too concentrated until you put some food on the table, in this case grilled summer squash, onions, asparagus and mighty tasty pork chops—not a typical pair but it worked really well as the food made the wine sing as a lively pointed wine, I liked it quite a bit, would be willing to experiment with other food pairings with a $12 bottle (in 2008) of this
2005 Schoffit Alsace Gewürztraminer Rangen de Thann Clos St.-Théobald (Alsace Grand Cru AOC, Thann, Alsace, eastern France) cork closure, 14.9% - appears deep gold, smell fantastic very soft nose, lots of flavors and sweetness, almond paste, green almonds in their shells, mouthfeel quite viscous and oily, taste very delicate floral and honeyed, slightest hint of spice, finish is intense and heavy, still a delicate wine, quite pricey at around 33 euro in 2007, but the delicacy it provided came close to providing that level of wow for me, only that heaviness in the finish would make me second-guess, and, well, this is gewürztraminer--not my favorite among grapes, but I have enough wonderful experiences with it, I'll always keep an open mind
2004 Schoffit Alsace Riesling Sommerberg (Alsace Grand Cru AOC, Katzenthal, Alsace, eastern France) cork closure, 13.8% - appears deep gold, similar color to a pineapple juice, smell fragrant, slightly sweet, suggestive of casserole or lasagna, certainly a savory dish with cheese, subtle, interesting fantastic nose, mouthfeel has a touch of viscosity but mostly watery, taste upfront saltwater, then layers of tight but slithery flavors, non-tropical banana, again a layered savory pasta dish with multiple interesting cheeses, easy to drink, a dish in itself, fantastic, absolutely loved it, paired well enough with a salad, horrible match for baklava from Greece (took some serious palate cleansing to return to the wine), a wonderful wine that brought me enormous amounts of pleasure for 19 euro that I paid in 2007, this is one of the most striking rieslings I've ever had from Alsace thus far