On my recent trip to Calif for NEB#8, I had
Dinner w/ Emilio & Laura Castelli (6/24/18)
We tried at Emilio & Laura's:
1. Castelli Nebbiolo Rosato 2017: Light cranberry color; quite fragrant cranberry/spicy bit floral nose; quite
tart/lean totally dry cranberry/spicy rather austere flavor w/ light bitey tannins; very long tart/lean/austere
finish; quite attractive aromatics not obviously Nebb and a wine that demands food with it.
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2. Institut Agricole Regional/Aoste PetiteArvine DOC: Valle d'Aoste (13.5%) 2016: Light gold color; very fragrant/
perfumed apple/floral/quince/bit mango slight mineral slight phenolic/resiny quite aromatic complex nose; quite
tart/tangy slight phenolic/resinystrong floral/apple/quince/mango light stony/chalky rather perfumed flavor;
very long/lingering apple/quince/mango slight phenolic/resiny/cidery finish w/ very slight tannic bite;
quite a lovely/interesting Alpine white w/ a bit of skin-contact. $29.00 (BayGrape)
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3. Castello di Lispida Amphora Vino Bianco (12.5%; TEdwards Imports; TokaiFriulano/RibollaGialla) Monselice/Veneto
2014: Med.dark color; strong phenolic/resiny/cidery light peppery/pineapple/grapefruity bit earthy some complex
nose; very tart/tangy/metallic austere quite phenolic/resiny little fruit but non-oxidative flavor w/ slight
tangy/tannic bite; very long very strong phenolic/resiny/skin-contact little fruit finish w/ some tannic
bite; definitely non-oxidative but loads of phenolic/skin-contact character w/ little fruit apparent; may
age into something interesting but a bit painful to drink right now.
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4. Tintilia del Molise Riserva DOP Catabbo SanMartino in Pensius (15.0%; www.Catabbo.It) 2009: Very dark/black color;
very intense grapey/boysenberry/Syrah/Zin-like huge overripe fruit strong toasty/Fr.oak very international-style
nose; soft very ripe/overripe/lush boysenberry/black curranty/huge fruit strong toasty/Fr.oak slight earthy flavor
w/ modest very ripe/soft tannins; very long very ripe/boysenberry/blackberry/Syrah-like strong toasty/Fr.oak
finish w/ some very ripe tannins; very much on the overripe side and too international in style to be of much
pleasure.
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5. Castelli Nebbiolo Estate GreenVlly (13%) 2005: Med.dark color w/ slight bricking; rather pungent/tarry/licorice
light floral/lilacs classic Nebb complex aromatic nose; fairly tart strong pungent/tarry/road tar/licorice light
floral/lilacs/rose petal slight brett flavor w/ modest smooth tannins; very long/lingering pungent/tarry/road tar/
licorice some floral/lilacs/violets/rose petal rather tart bit austere fairly complex finish w/ modest smooth
tannins; probably pretty close to its peak and tannins are fully resolved; a pretty classic pungent/tarry Nebb
more akin to a good Gattinara than anything.
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6. Produttori del Barbaresco Riserva DOCG: Barbaresco Vigneti in Moccagatta (14%; #10889 of 16666) Barbaresco 2001:
Med.dark color w/ some bricking; light pencilly/cedary very fragrant/floral/lilacs/violets light tarry/pungent
quite complex beautiful Nebb nose; lightly tart/tangy quite floral/violets/rose petal/lilacs slight tarry/truffly
quite complex flavor w/ light slightly bitey tannins; very long/lingering quite aromatic/floral/lilacs/violets/
rose petal fairly light tarry/road tar/pungent finish w/ light bit bitey tannins; tannins not fully resolved
but probably near its peak; a beautiful mature Barbaresco.
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7. Dom. laGrangette Cocoriko PiquepoulNoir IGP: Cotes de ThauRed Languedoc Wine (12.5%;
www.SacredThirstSelections.com; Moraga) Christelle & Mathieu Caron/Castelnau de Guers/Languedoc 2016: Med.dark
color; rather high-toned cherry/tart cherry/cherry pie light blackberry/almost Pinotish slight graphite/mineral
rather fragrant nose; fairly tart/tangy black cherry/cherry pie/spicy slight earthy/graphite interesting flavor
w/ light smooth tannins; long black cherry/cherry pie/bright almost Pinotish somewhat tart finish w/ light
gentle/tangy tannins; quite high-toned & fragrant for a Languedoc red; not your usual Languedoc oafish red.
$18.00 (BayGrape)
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A wee BloodyPulpit:
1. We always enjoy on our trips to Sonoma wine country because it often gives us a chance to break bread & try wine w/ Emilio & Laura Castelli. Lots of wine. This trip was no exception. Emilio is, of course, Castelli Family Wines. His Nebbiolo is consistently one of the best Nebbs shown at the NEB functions. His home is located in the GreenVlly part of SonomaCnty, between Graton and Occidental, a rather cold area for growing Nebb. His Nebb is on a small plot in front of his home and his straw-bale wnry. It is farmed by Fukuoka, making it in stark contrast with the pristine/Roundup maintained other vnyds in the area. He also farms another vnyd several miles away that also grows Nebb. Both of which go into his Estate Nebb. I have, of course, followed Emilio from (before) the very start. We'd met on one of the wine boards (eBob?) yrs before when he would talk a lot about Nebb. My inquiries led him to reveal that he was actually growing Nebb there in Calif. It was yrs later, before the establishment of NEB, before we actually met & he showed me his ho-made Nebb. Since then, we get together as frequently as possible when Susan & I go to Calif.
Just returning from a sailing outing (Emilio grew up in Bellano on the shores of LakeComo, so sailing is in his blood) down on the Bay off Richmond, we gathered in the kitchen for some apps and to try some wine, as Laura labored over making her fabulous gnocci for dinner. That morning, I had been hanging at TheBarlow in Sepastapol and bought two cheeses from WmCofield, a BodegaBlue and McKinley Cheddar. The Blue was particularly outstanding and reminded a lot of a good Stilton. Afterward, we adjourned to the table and dined on the terrific gnocci in a rich tomatoe sauce. There were more wines involved.
Emilio & Laura have two daughters. Maria lives in the EastBay and was studying intensely for her test in a few day for the first level of the MasterSomm degree, so could not join us. She was pouring w/ Emilio at the NEB#8 public tasting and reported that she had passed w/ flying colors. A very charming young lady. Having two attractive Italians pouring made the Castelli table a big hit at that NEB tasting.
The next morning, Emilio took me on a tour the nearby other vnyd he mantains. Located on some sort of hippie farming commune, it grows in addition to the Nebb, Pinot and a few other varieties.
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2. Tintilia: This is a variety indigenous to the tiny Molise area. There are some suggestions that it may have
originated in Spain. DNA does not indicate any related varieties to it nor its parentage. This wine was way too
international in style to get any sort of a feel as to what the variety is like, but clearly it's a variety
they should be planting all up&down the Coast of Calif.
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3. PicpoulNoir: I had originally opened this the day before up at Unti to share w/ Mick and Alex. This is a
retaste of the wine a day later. Same wine, different TN.
Tom