We tried last week (8/17/16) Some New Whites:
1. Arnot-Roberts RibollaGialla VareVnyd/NapaVlly (2 brls; 13.4%) Healdsburg 2014: Light gold color; strong
apple/pear/green apple slight floral/herbal bit earthy/chalky bit green/underripe nose; very tart/
screechy/green bit eviscerated some green apple/pear slight pepper flavor; med.long green/tart/lean
very austere light apple/pear/RG slight white pepper finish; seems rather austere & eviscerated; not a
lot of flavor or aromatics but the acidity suggests it might age into something interesting. Or not.
Pricey at $40.00
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2. Forlorn-Hope Sihaya RibollaGialla NapaVlly (12.94%; 67 cs; skin-contact) 2014: Deep gold color; some apple/
orangey some phenolic/resiny bit earthy/honeyed rather exotic nose; rather tart fairly phenolic/resiny/
bit cidery somewhat dry/austere slight appley/pepper/floral/earthy flavor w/ some hard tannins;
very long/lingering apple/orangey/honeyed fairly phenolic/resiny/cidery quite tart/dry/austere interesting
finish w/ some angular tannins; lightly phenolic on the nose but pretty strongly phenolic on the palate;
a rather exotic skin-contact RG along the lines of a Movia or Skerk; fairly priced at $30.00
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3. CowanCllrs RibollaGialla RRV/SonomaCnty (12.5%) 2014: Light yellow color; rather fragrant/floral/pear/
apple bit spicy more perfumed slight reductive/pungent quite attractive nose; very straong floral/
fragrant/spicy/pear/apple/slight white pepper rather tart slight mineralvery attractive flavor; very long
fresh/floral/pear/apple/apple blossom slight licorice/peppery some spicy finish; speaks strong of a very
perfumed RG a bit like the Jermann; quite a lovely/bright/vibrant expression of RG at a very fair price.
$28.00
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4. CowanCllrs RibollaGialla RRV/SonomaCnty (12.0%; www.CowanCellars.com) FloridaJim Cowan/SantaRosa 2015:
Light yellow color; bit shy/low-key pear/apple/floral/apple blossom bit leaner/stony/mineral very
attractive nose; bit softer slight tangy/metallic light floral/apple/pear/apple blossom/carnations
slight white pepper/RG flavor; very long lightly tart some floral/apple/pear/carnations some mineral/
stony finish; a rather quiet/restrained expression of RG and not the exhuberence of the '14; seems a
bit closed and needs time. $37.00
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5. Rodaro RibollaGialla DOC: FriuliColliOrientali (11.5%; www.RodaroPaola.It; www.WineMonger.com)
Cividale del Friuli 2013: Pale gold color; rather corked/TCA/musty very slight appley nose; fairly tart
strong TCA/corked very weak appley flavor; pretty much robbed of everything by the TCA. $18.00 (BB)
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6. Jermann RibollaGialla VinnaeServusCella IGT VeneziaGiulia (13%; www.Empson.com) Delegna del Collio
2011: Light gold color; very perfumey/aromatic very spicy/floral/apple blossom/RG/white pepper slight
Mosel valve oil/petrol some complex nose; lightly tart rich/lush very floral/apple blossom/very spicy RG/
pear/white pepper light Mosel valve oil slight stony/earthy flavor; very long/lingering fairly tart
rather rich/textured/full-bodied strong RG/pear/white pepper/floral/apple blossom slight stony rather
complex finish; a beautiful example of Friuli RG w/ wonderful aromatics at a great price. $22.00
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7. Irsai Oliver Szoke Matra (12.5%; www.BlueDanubeWine.com; GWT X MuscatOttonel) Matyas & Zoltan Szoke/
Matra/Hungary 2015: Light yellow color; very intense muscatty/floral/hair oil/rose water/GWT light
earthy beautiful perfumed nose; off-dry fairly tart very strong muscatty/floral/hair oil/rose water/GWT
bit tangy/metallic lovely flavor; very long/lingering slightly bitter very intense muscatty/floral/
hair oil/GWT finish; a nice balance of Muscat & GWT; a lovely muscatty wine at a stupid/silly price.
$11.00 (BB)
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8. Damian GWT Dd'OC: AltoAdige Sudtiroler (13%; YountvilleWineImports) Kornell/Florian Brigl/Siebeneich/
Terlan 2014: Light gold color; rather fragrant lychee/GWT bit subtle/understated light earthy attractive/
complex nose; rather tart/tangy/metallic light earthy muted GWT/lychee/rose petal/spicy attractive flavor;
very long/lingering quiet GWT/lychee/rose petal/spicy bit earthy finish; a pretty classic AltoAdige GWT;
speaks of GWT in a quiet/gentle way; quite an attractive GWT at a great price. $20.00 (BB)
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9. Ettore Germano Herzu Riesling DOC: Langhe (13%; www.GermanEttore; www.OMWines.com) Germano Sergio/
Serralunga d'Alba 2013: Light yellow color; very fragrant classic R/floral/aromatic strong Mosel
valve oil/petrol slight chalky/stony beautiful R nose; quite tart/tangy some petrol/Mosel valve oil
classic R/floral/mango light stony/chalky flavor; very long/lingering Mosel valve ol/petrol quite
perfumed/R/floral light chalky/stony finish; a beautiful very Germanic expression of R at a great price.
$24.00 (BB)
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10. GrosJean PetiteArvine Dd'OP: Vallee d'Aoste (VigneRovettaz; 13.5%; NealRosenthal; L1312) Ollignan/Quart
2012: Light gold color; quite fragrant stony/mineral apple/apple blossom bit chalky slight SO2 quite
interesting perfumed nose; lightly tart bit charred/oak strong stony/chalky/granatic/mineral light
floral/apple blossom/appley very attractive flavor; very long some appley/apple blossom/floral strong
stony/granatic/mineral bit tart finish; a very terroir-driven wine w/ light amount of fruit; reminds
some of a Savoie Jacquere but w/ more richness & texture. $27.00 (WoP)
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11. Ottin PetiteArvine Dd'OP: Vallee d'Aoste (14.5%; L0114; GoldenStateWineCo/VanNuys) Ottin Elio 2013:
Med.gold color; light toasty/oak green olive/smokey some earthy/stony light apple/pear rather exotic
nose; rather toasty/charred/oak some green olive/pear/apple light stony/mineral rather exotic flavor;
very long strong toasty/charred/oak light mineral/stony bit green olive/earthy/pear/floral finish;
a bit heavy on the oak but a rather exotic expression of PA. $23.00 (BB)
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12. Negro Favorita Onorata Dd'OC: Langhe (12.5%; ThePiedmonteGuy/Shafer/MN; www.ThePiedmontGuy.com)
Negro Angelo e Figli/MouteauRoero 2013: Light yellow color; some stony/mineral quite floral/Vermentino/
perfumed light toasty/oak bit straw/herbal/spicy very attractive nose; fairly tart/tangy bright/floral/
Vermentino/perfumed slight stony/earthy light oak fairly rich/textured flavor; very long light toasty/
oak rather floral/Vermentino light stony/mineral finish; fairly rich for a Vermentino and reminds a
bit of TablasCreek Vermentino; quite an attractive white at a very good price. $16.00 (BB)
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13. BedrockWineCo CuveeKaratas SonomaCnty WW (14.5%; 55% Ancient Semillon/MonteRossoVnyd/planted in
1886 + 45% SauvBlanc/KickRanch/RinconVlly; Br; frmtd in 55% new Fr.oak; 8 brls; www.BedrockWineCo.com)
2012: Med.gold color; strong toasty/toasted coconut/oak strong figgy/Semillon/FigNewton/graham cracker
very perfumed complex nose; bit soft rich/ripe figgy/Semillon/FigNewton/graham cracker/green olive
rather toasty/tooasted coconut complex flavor; very long/lingering rather toasted coconut/vanilla/toasty/
oak strong ripe/figgy/FigNewton/graham cracker very rich/lush finish; speaks strongly of ripe Semillon;
a bit strong on the oak but plenty to like underneath; absolutely delicous. $38.50
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More scholarly insights from TheBloodyPulpit:
1. IrsaiOliver: This is a (table) grape variety that was developed back around 1930 in near Matra
(in the Eger region) of Hungary. It was found to make a rather pleasurable wine from that grape.
It is a cross between Pozsonyi X Pearl of Csaba, which one source says to be GWT X MuscatOttonel.
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2. Favorita: This variety is often stated to be the same as Pigato (Liguria) and Vermentino. But recent
DNA indicates that it is a distinct grape variety from those two. Also known as Rolle in the Rhone.
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3. Italian Riesling: Most of the R in Italy comes from the AltoAdige. Those can be very attractive and
show more of an earthy/terroir-driven side of the grape. There are a few small plantings of R in
the Piemonte. The ones I've tried have been pretty impressive. This Germano, an OliverMcCrum wine,
is probably the best one yet I've tried.
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4. PetiteArvine: This is a variety that is indigenous to the Valais/Suisse. It made its way across the
Alps into Val d'Aosta. The ones fromthe Vd'A have been much better than the few from the Valais
that I've tried. These two PA are two of the better ones I've tried.
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5. Ribolla: A variety, indigenous to Friuli & Slovenia, is a variety that's attractine some attention.
Of these two, I particularly liked the Jermann and Cowan '14.
Tom
