We tasted last week (2/7/18) Some New Red Wines:
1. ReichwageWnry Zin ManciniRanch/RRV (14.5%; www.Reichwage.com) MaxReichwage/Sebastopol 2015: Med.color;
attractive bright/raspberry/Zin/quite spicy slight funky/dishwater that clears some earthy little dusty/OV
very light pencilly/oak nose; rather tart/lean some earthy bright/raspberry/Zin/fairly spicy light pencilly/oak
flavor w/ light tangy/brisk tannins; med.long quite tart/tangy/bit lean bright raspberry/spicy/Zin light
pencilly/oak finish w/ light brisk tannins; rather on the tart/lean side w/ little dusty/OV character; a pretty
little Zin but just that. $nc (KB)/$35.00
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2. Valentin Morel Trousseau "LesTroullots" AC: Cotes du Jura (12%; ParisWineCompany.com) Jura 2016: Med.light bit
cloudy color; rather cherry/berry rather earthy/loamy/AlpineRed some rustic/funky interesting nose; rather tart/lean
bright cherry quite earthy/loamy flavor w/ light tangy tannins; med.long bright cherry quite tart/lean/bit eviscerated
quite loamy/earthy/dusty finish w/ light bitey tannins; a classic pretty JuraTroussa that speaks of a lightweight
AlpineRed. $33.50 (Cured)
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3. Piquentum Terre 13 Refosk (13%; aged in Fr.oak) Dimitri Brecenic/Buzet/Istria/Croatia 2013: Dark color; very strong
Refosco/licorice/black cherry rather pungent/burning metal strong charred/burnt/oak fairly earthy/dusty rather exotic/
interesting nose; bit soft slight tangy/metallic quite pungent/burnt/charred/oak strong black cherry/licorice/Refosco
some bitter flavor w/ ample brisk/crunchy tannins; very long tangy/metallic strong Refosco/black cherry cola/licorice
quite charred/burnt/toasty/oak finish w/ ample crunchy tannins; speaks strongly of Refosco but rather slammed by the
charred Fr.oak; unusual expression of Refosco. $24.95 (BDW)
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4. Primosic Refosco IGT: Venezia Giulia RW (13%; MorganImports/Chicago) Oslavia 2012: Very dark color; quite dusty some
black cherry/Refosco bit pungent/oak some earthy/dusty nose; soft bit earthy/dusty/loamy some black cherry/black cherry
cola/Refosco/bit licorice some tangy/metallic flavor w/ modest tangy/crunchy tannins; very long strong black cherry cola/
licorice/Refosco slight toasty/oak bit dusty/earthy finish w/ light crunchy tannins; speaks strongly of Refosco but
a bit on the hard/austere side; very attractive price at $19.00 (DiVino)
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5. KellereiBozen SantaMaddalena Huck am Bach DOC: Sudtirol/AltoAdige Classico (Schiava/Lagrein; 13%; www.KellereiBozen.com/en;
Matchvino/Sharon/CT; www.matchvino.com/) Bolzano 2016: Med.light color; rather bright/cherry/Schiava bit blueberry/
boysenberry rather earthy/loamy/AlpineRed quite attractive/interesting nose; bit soft fairly earthy/loamy/Alpine rather
spicy/cherry/Schiava bit boysenberry/Lagrein drinkable/balanced flavor w/ light gentle tannins; very long slight
tangy/metallic fairly earthy/loamy bright cherry/Schiava bit boysenberry/Lagrein finish w/ light smooth tannins;
quite an attractive drinking Alpine red that speaks mostly of Schiava fleshed out w/ the Lagrein; attractively priced at
$24.00 (BWM)
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6. Fuso Barbera Marca Obertenga/Tortona/Piemonte (12.5%; "molto glu-glu"; L2014BF2; PortovinoImports)
NV (2014?): Dark color; rather volatile/EA somewhat funky some Barbera/fennel seed/dried herbs somewhat earthy/
rustic/unclean very unusual nose; rather tart/tangy light Barbera/dried herbs/spicy fairly volatile/EA/fumey rather
funky/strange flavor w/ light gentle tannins; med. light Barbera/dried herbs/bit earthy some volatile/EA rather
rustic/unclean finish w/ light tannins; a rather bizarre rendition of Barbera but the glu-glu fits. $18.00 (DiVino)
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7. Castelfeder Pertico Rosso IGT: Vigneti delle Dolomite (13.5%; www.VolioVino.com; Cabernet/Merlot/PinotNoir/
Lagrein) Cortina 2015: Dark color; low-key/quiet somewhat herbal/earthy/Cab some earthy/dusty/loamy bit weedy rather
interesting nose; bit soft fairly rich rather herbal/Cab/quiet rather earthy/dusty fairly simple flavor w/ light
gentle tannins; med.short lightly herbal/Cab some earthy/dusty slight herbal/weedy finish w/ light tannins; speaks
quietly of Cab but an Oakland wine that doesn't have a whole lot to say. $12.00 (DiVino)
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8. Aleksu Erzetic Amfora Rdece GoriskaBrda (13.5%; 50% CS/Merlot) Slovenia 2008: Very dark/near black color; quite
attractive (for Merlot) fragrant rather Merlot/grapey fairly lush/ripe bit oaked fairly interesting nose; rather
soft/rich/lush quite grapey/Merlot/plummy light earthy bit toasty/oak flavor w/ light soft/ripe tannins; fairly long
soft/lush rather plummy/grapey/Merlot bit earthy some toasty/oak finish w/ light ripe tannins; a rather soft/fleshy
expression of Merlot w/ no Amphorae character that I can identify. $36.00 (DiVino)
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9. Noah DOC: Coste della Sesia Croatina (13.5%; NealRosenthalImports) Brusnengo 2011: Very dark color; very slight
TCA/musty some grapey/plummy/black cherry/spicy/boysenberry some earthy/dusty interesting nose; rather soft rich/
grapey/plummy black cherry fairly earthy rather sour flavor w/ ample astringent/bitter tannins; long soft earthy/
dusty rather sour some grapey/plummy/boysenberry finish w/ ample astringent/bitter tannins; some interesting things
therein but quite sour & astringent and unpleasant on the palate. $28.00 (DiVino)
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10. Barbaglia Vespolina DOC: Colline Novaresi (Hrvstd: 27 Sept 2010; StainlessSteel; Bttld: 9 June 2011; 2133 btls;
ToscoWines; www.ViniBarbaglia.It; 13%) Sergio Barbaglia/Cavallirio 2010: Very dark color; slight funky/bretty/
barnyardy rather plummy/black cherry cola light earthy rather interesting nose; soft rather earthy/rustic some
barnyardy/brety rather plummy/black cherry cola flavor w/ modest soft/ripe tannins; long some bretty/barnyardy/
rustic/earthy some black cherry cola/plummy bit soft/fleshy finish w/ light ripe tannins; somewhat interesting
but rather rustic and a bit too unclean. $29.00 (EVN)
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11. Ronchi di Cialla Pignolo DOC: Friuli Colli Orientali (14%; www.RonchiDiCialla.com; SoilairSlctn/NY) Prepotto
2011: Black color; rather pungent/reductive/burning rubber/bit funky that clears somewhat some pungent/licorice
fairly earthy/dusty some black cherry cola/DrPepper bit coffee/espresso rather complex/interesting nose; bit soft
rich/mouthfilling slight sewer gas/reduced rather black cherry cola/DrPepper/root beer light earthy/dusty flavor w/
some rough/coarse tannins; very long/lingering slight funky/pungent/reduced rather black cherry cola/DrPepper/
root beer some earthy/dusty bit reductive/funky finish w/ some rough tannins; a bit on the reductive side but
some very interesting things therein; needs some age yet; bit pricey at $65.00 (BWM)
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12. Ampelia Alicante IGT: CostaToscana (13%; www.Ampeleia.It; Alicante nero/Grenache/Cannonau;
T.ElenteyImports/NY) Roccatederighi 2016: Med.light color; quite fragrant/perfumed very raspberry/strawberry/
Grenache/spicy some earthy/dusty slight graphite/mineral slight barnyardy/rustic rather interesting nose; soft light
earthy/dusty rather perfumed/strawberry/raspberry/spicy bit barnyardy/unclean/rustic flavor w/ light smooth tannins;
long rather bright/strawberry/raspberry/Grenache bit earthy/dusty slight unclean/barnyardy/rustic finish w/ light
gentle tannins; a rather pleasant/interesting bit rustic lightweight red. $34.00 (Cured)
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More yammering from TheBloodyPulpit:
1. MaxReichwage: Took over the ownership of the neglected ManciniVnyd, corner of Olivet&Piner Rds, in 2015, so
this would be his first Mancini Zin. The vnyd was planted in the early '20's w/ almost 2 dozen varieties,
whites & reds. This is a vnyd JoeSwan has used for a fair number of yrs. I wanted to like this wine a whole
lot more than I did, but think that KurtBeitler/Boheme made a much better wine from these grapes. I expect
Max's Mancini will get a whole lot better as he gets more familar with Mancini.
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2. Pignolo: A native Friulian grape variety that was virtually extinct in the '50's; two vines at the Rosazzo
Abbey were saved in 1978 and propagated. Probably planted by the Benedictine monks many a year ago. There are
apparently 3 different biotypes. The wines can have brutal tannins, but some question whether they can age well
and question whether its a noble variety.
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3. Alicante Nero: Most references label this variety as a synonym for Grenache, though there are some that refer to
it as another name for AlicanteBouschet. Given the color of this wine, I would go w/ the Grenache
theory. This Ampelia project involves ElisabettaForadori, the Trentino master of Teroldego. Not nearly as profound
as her own wines.
Tom