We tried tonight (4/26/17) Some More New Wines:
1. WolffVnyds DryRiesling CentralCoast/Calif (13.7%; http://www.WolffVineyards.com) Jean-Pierre Wolff/SanLuisObispo
2014: Light yellow color; clean/bright pineapple/R/floral/mango light stony/chalky some valve oil lovely nose;
rather tart/crisp floral/pineapple/mango slightly off-dry light stony/mineral slight valve oil flavor; very long
bright/pineapple/mango/floral/R light stony/mineral bit Mosel valve oil slightly off-dry finish; a delicate/
bright/vibrant nervy Calif R w/ a nice touch of Mosel valve oil; as good as any of the Claibourne&Churchill's
I've had. $21.00
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2. WolffVnyds WhiteWolff SLOCnty (13.9%; 42% Viog/42% Rouss/8% Semillon/8% Riesling) 2014: Med.light yellow color;
rather perfumed Viog/peach/pear slight SO2 that clears slight floral/honeysuckle quite attractive/delicate nose;
tart/crisp/bright low-key/delicate not overripe pear/ripe peach/Viog bit honeysuckle/Rouss light stony/chalky
flavor; very long low-key/delicate ripe peach/pear/Viog/floral/Rouss finish; a light/delicate/bright/understated/
pretty rendition of a whiteRhone blend. $22.00
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3. WolffVnyds Teroldego Estate/EdnaVlly/SLOCnty (13.6%) 2015: Very dark color; light earthy/loamy very strong
plummy/black cherry cola/blackberry slight licorice very light toasty/oak very slight/elevated VA rather classic
Trentino Teroldego some complex nose; rather tart/bright/tangy strong black cherry cola/plummy/blackberry light
earthy/loamy light toasty/oak complex very authentic Teroldego flavor w/ modest bitey/crunchy tannins; very
long/lingering strong black cherry cola/Teroldego/blackberry/spicy light loamy/earthy light toasty/oak complex
finish w/ light chewey tannins; a slightly elevated VA but one of the best Teroldegos yet from Calif and more
Trentino-like than the Donati. $29.50
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4. MarcoDonati Dd'OC: TeroldegoRotaliano (13%; VitisImprts; http://www.cantinadonatimarco.it/en/) Mezzocorona/Trentino
2012: Very dark color; very strong black cherry cola/blackberry/pure Teroldego very slight earthy/dusty less
complex nose; bit soft strong black cherry cola/blackberry/plummy/Teroldego very slight earthy/loamy flavor w/
some tangy tannins; very long strong Teroldego/black cherry cola/plummy/blackberry very slight earthy finish
w/ modest rough tannins; more pure Teroldego fruit and more Calif in style than the Wolff; not quite at the
level of a Foradori but close. $29.00 (WE)
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5. WolffVnyds Syrah Estate/EdnaVlly/SLOCnty (13.2%) 2013: Med.dark color; very strong blackberry/Syrah bit herbal/
violets quite spicy/bit peppery some perfumed talc light toasty/oak/pencilly fairly complex nose; fairly tart/
tangy bit metallic some blackberry/blueberry/Syrah/very spicy slight herbal bit cold-climate/peppery light
toasty/oak flavor w/ some tangy/lean tannins; very long tart/tangy strong blueberry/blackberry/Syrah/herbal
some c-c/peppery slight floral/violets very interesting finish w/ modest crunchy tannins; a rather lean/wiry/
sinewey rendition of Syrah that quite a contrast w/ the Syrahs from JohnAlban just down the road; quite an
interesting rendition of Calif Syrah at a very good price. $25.00
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6. WolffVnyds PetiteSirah Estate/EdnaVlly/SLOCnty (13.8%) 2015: Dark color but not as dark as expected; low-key
PS/peppery/licorice/pungent somewhat earthy some toasty/pencilly/oak slight buttery/herbal interesting nose;
lightly tart/tangy some peppery/earthy/PS/licorice light herbal/thyme some pencilly/toasty/oak structured/wirey
flavor w/ ample sharp/tangy tannins; very long tart some licorice/pungent/PS/earthy/peppery some pencilly/oak
rather structured finish w/ ample sharp tannins; needs some 3-8 yrs; an unusual rendition of PS and not your
usual soft/soupy/oafish/orangatang-like PS but a rather wirey/nervy sort of PS; interesting to see where this
will go; very fairly priced at $29.00
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7. Harington Corvina HeirloomRanch/Lodi (13.5%) 2015: Light garnet color more like a rose; rather perfumed cranberry
strong Lodi/earthy/mushroomy light toasty/oak bit spicy rather attractive nose; rather tart/tangy/lean perfumed/
cranberry/spicy rather tangy/strawberry/soda pop fairly earthy/loamy/Lodi flavor w/ very light tannins; med.long
bright/cranberry/strawberry soda pop somewhat Lodi/earthy/loamy/mushroomy rather tart finish w/ light tannins;
shows that you can make a Lodi red that's not soft & soupy & alcoholic; actually resembles a lot Austrian Schilcher
Rose w/o the screechy acidity and fizz. $25.00
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8. Corte Gardoni Becco Rosso Corvina IGT: Veronese (12.5%; KermitLynch) Valeggio sul Mincio/Verona 2013: Light
ruby color; very strong quite perfumed spicy/cinammon/cranberry slight earthy lovely nose; lightly tart/tangy/
bright cranberry/cinammon/very spicy light earthy/dusty flavor w/ light tangy/sharp tannins; very long/lingering
tart/bright/zippy very spicy/cinammon/cranberry/strawberry light earthy/dusty finish w/ some edgy/crunchy tannins;
quite a pretty/brisk/spicy red better than any Valpolicella I can recall; well priced at $19.00 (CB)
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9. Collecapretta Lautizio Ciliegiolo IGT: Umbria (12.5%; Lotto n. 03/2015; Non Filterato; Solfiti non
Aggiunti; SelectioNaturel/Chelsea/MA) Mattioli Vittorio/Terzo la Pieve do Spoleto 2014: Med.light color; light
bit cherry/spicy/Sangio-like/earthy very unpleasant mousey/mouse turd/mouse nest/hantavirus Kansas outhouse
quite unclean nose; bit soft some pretty/cherry/Sangio quite unclean/hantavirus/mouse turd/mouse nest flavor
w/ light gentle tannins; very pretty cherry/Sangio/earthy very unclean/hantavirus/mouse nest/stale mouse piss
finish w/ very light gentle tannins; a few pretty things buried in there under all the mouse crap character.
$31.00 (OWB)
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10. OjaiVnyd Apricots SBC RTW (Sangiovese/Grenache; 13.5%; 93 cs) 2010: Med.dark color; very strong pungent/charred/
burnt/Fr.oak/burning steel wool very strange some Sangio/black cherry slight strawberry very strange/unusual rather
complex/interesting nose; quite tart/lean/hard rather burnt/charred/oak/pungent very structured some black cherry/
Sangio/strawberry unusual flavor w/ ample hard tannins; very long pungent/charred/burnt/Fr.oak quite structured/
tart/lean/hard some Sangio/black cherry/strawberry complex/unusual finish w/ ample hard/crunchy tannins; quite
an unusual blend that reminds a bit of an Alban Grenache more than anything; the Sangio gives it a bit of a
high-toned character; badly needs age and is probably a 20 yr wine. $50.00
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11. OjaiVnyd Syrah DuVaritaVnyd/SBC (14.0%) 2013: Very dark color; strong blackberry/Syrah/blueberry somewhat tight/
closed light toasty/charred/smokey/oak almost citric/grapefruity rather quiet/low-key nose; rather tart/lean
some blackberry/blueberry/Syrah/licorice/pungent some charred/toasty/oak very structured flavor w/ ample hard/
wirey tannins; very long/lingering tart/hard/lean some blackberry/blueberry/Syrah/slight peppery some toasty/
charred/oak finish w/ ample hard/crunchy tannins; not showing much of the cracked black pepper I would expect
from this c-c Syrah vnyd; a very structured Syrah that's not showing much right now but badly needs 5-15 yrs
of age. $50.00
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12. OjaiVnyd Syrah SpecialBttlg SolomonHillsVnyd/SantaMariaVlly (13.5%; 5 brls) 2013: Very dark near black color;
light/quiet/closed/tight rather spicy/blackberry/Syrah/blueberry some c-c/black pepper some pungent/toasty/oak
nose; fairly tart/tangy/grapefruity some blackberry/blueberry/Syrah/light peppery some charred/toasty/oak very
structured flavor w/ ample hard/rough tannins; very long some blackberry/blueberry/Syrah/spicy/black pepper
rather toasty/oak finish w/ ample hard/crunchy tannins; a very hard/structured Syrah that badly needs age.
$65.00
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More alt-news from TheBloodyPulpit:
1. Wolff: This is a new wnry for me. I read in a WE article on EdnaVlly wines that they were making
Teroldego, so knew I must have some to try. Ordered some others to try as well.
I was pretty impressed, across the board, w/ the Wolffs. The EdnaVlly is a fairly cold growing area and
the wines all had an acidity and nervosity you'd expect from the EdnaVlly. My impression is that the northern
end of the EV is somewhat cooler, because of the influence of the Pacific, than further South where Alban/
Talley/Sawyer-Lindquist are located.
I particularly liked the Teroldego...as fine a Teroldego as you can fine. The Riesling was also particularly
good for a Calif R and doesn't have the tutti-frutti character many of them show. And the Syrah was one of the
more interesting renditions of Syrah in Calif. Anyway, very good/well-made wines that are worth checking out.
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2. Teroldego: This variety is grown mostly in the RotilianoPlain of Trentino. Dureza is a sibling of Teroldego,
which makes Syrah a nephew to Teroldego. I find a lot of similarity in the character of Syrah & Teroldego
wines w/ the blackberry character. Elisabetta Foradori is, of course, the master of Teroldego.
This was an interesting pair of Teroldegos. The Wolff had more of an earthy/loamy character that I associate
w/ RotilianoPlain Teroldego and seem more Trentino than the Donati, which would easily be mistaken for a Calif
Teroldego. I didn't think the Wolff Teroldego was as good as the Harrington Fratelli/Gilroy Teroldego, but
pretty darned close. And both fell a bit short of the Foradori Teroldego...which is the best.
JimClendenen/ABC was the first to grow/make Teroldego in Calif. He has turned over the Teroldego project
to his niece, Marisa Beverly, who makes it under the Bevela label. Will try that one in a week or two.
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3. Ciliegiolo: This grape variety is mostly found in Tuscany, and Marema, not so much in Umbria. It is one
of the parents of Sangiovese. It was introduced in Tuscany from Spain, though it has no relation to any
grape varieties no present in Spain. It is seldom bttld as a mono-varietal, most used in blends for
the bright cherry character it contributes.
I can't for the life of me remember where I bought this btl. Probably one of the "natural" wine shops
in Oakland I fequent. Clearly, because of its unclean character, this is a "natural" wine in one of its
foulest forms. Sweet Alice would go ape-$hit over it. I left it open out on the counter for several days
and it never shook off the hantavirus character.
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4. Corvina: This is a grape found mostly in the Veneto and used in Valpolicella. It's an offspring of Refosco
dal Peduncola Rosso and a grandchild of Marzemino.
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5. Ojai: This is only the third Apricots Adam has made. The first two, '95 & '97, were made by SashiMoorman,
Adam's first employee. They were a blend of (mostly) Zin and Syrah. The Zin came from the K.B.Hall apricot
ranch in upper Ojai and the Syrah from nearby RollRanch. The "Apricots" came from the advertising sign
painted on an old wooden tank trailer used in olden times for irrigation at the Ranch. It still stands
there as advertising by the driveway to K.B.Hall Ranch. This latest Apricots is a 50% blend of Sangiovese
from WhiteHawk and Grenache from JohnSebastiano.
The DuVarita Syrah is a new name for Ojai, but not a new wine. This is the former (biodynamic) Presidio
Vnyd, probably the westernmost vnyd in the SantaYnezVlly. It is located near the Purisima Mission and just
outside the SantaRitaHills AVA. The owner is BrookWilliams. He is also the owner of the SlideHillVnyd in
the EdnaVlly, which was formerly the Sawyer-LindquistVnyd. Both vnyds are farmed bio-dynamically.
Both of these Syrahs seem rather tight/closed/shut-down, are very structured and badly need 5-15 yrs
of age. But I'm confident, given that Adam knows a bit about making wine, that these will open up and
become great Syrahs. They'll outlive me. They reminded me a lot of a Souhart StJoseph.
Tom