After some perfectly pleasant whites, we finished up w/ two Teroldegos:
13. Bevela Teroldego LeBonClimatVnyd/SBCnty (13.5%; www.BevelaWines.com) SantaMaria 2012: Very dark color; very strong toasty/Fr.oak/pencilly very strong Tero/black cherry/black cherry cola slight boysenberry/peppery/big fruit classic Tero quite fragrant nose; some tart/tangy very strong Tero/black cherry cola/boysenberry strong pencilly/Fr.oak almost Burgundian bit complex flavor w/ some ripe/hard tannins; very long/lingering quite structured very strong Tero/black cherry cola/boysenberry strong pencilly/Fr.oak/toasty some complex finish w/ some ripe/crunchy tannins; needs 4-8 yrs of age; speaks strongly of Tereldego variety w/ the signature ABC Pinot oak; this is how ElisabettaForadori would make Teroldego in SantaBarbara if she could. $31.20 (WB10)
____________________
14. Foradori Teroldego IGT: Vigneti delle Dolomiti (12%; L.06/15; Louis/Dressner; www.ElisabettaForadori.com;
EB) Mezzolombardo/Trentino 2013: Dark color; slight funky/earthy/dusty very strong Tero/black cherry/black cherry cola/spicy/peppery slight licorice fairly complex nose; quite tart/tannic angular/hard strong black cherry/cola/Tero/boysenberry/spicy some earthy/dusty structured bit rustic complex flavor w/ ample hard/crunchy tannins; very long/lingering very strong black cherry/cola/boysenberry/bit licorice/peppery bit rustic/hard structured finish w/ ample hard/rough tannins; needs more age; classiv Elisabetta Teroldego but a bit in the rustic side; not at the level of her vnyd-designate Teroldegos but very good Teroldego at a very good price. $34.00
_____________________
A wee BloodyPulpit:
1. Bevela is the label of Kris & Marisa Beverly. She is the niece of JimClendennen/AuBonClimat:
BevelaWine
Bevella
Jim was the first to plant & produce Tereldego yrs ago under his IlPodere label. When Marisa joined the ABC winemaking team, Jim turned over his Teroldego project to her as her own project. She had just released the '12 vintage at a great price on the recent WineBerserkersDay10 offering, so I jumped on it and ordered hlf a case, sight unseen.
For my first tasting of this '12, I thought I'd put Marisa up, mano a mano, against the master of Tereldego, ElisabettaForadori. Quite different winemaking styles. Elisabetta ferments in tall clay amphora (made by Jose Padilla in Spain; widely regarded as the master) with extended skin contact. She farms BioDynamic and, being in the Louis/Dresner portfolio, can be regarded as a "natural" winemaker. Yet I've never found her wines to show any of that funky character that can plague "natural" wines. Her fermenting room, w/ amphorae as far as the eye can see, is amazing. But her Teroldegos stand heads&shoulders above any produced on the RotilianoPlain in Trentino.
I was confident that Marisa would equip herself well against Elisabetta. I generally prefer Elisabetta's basic Terodego to her top-end Granato, though I prefer her vnyd-designate Teroldegos. I was kinda surprised at the rather rustic/rough character it was showing in this '13. But it was classic Teroldego on the nose. The Bevela had loads of pure Teroldego fruit, but w/ the imprint of the ABC Pinot Fr.oak. I thought this sorta cluttered up the purity of the Teroldego, though gave it more complexity. I think I'd have preferred it w/ a bit less oak. But Marissa's Teroldego is very much world-class Teroldego.
She also makes a bit of Syrah that is very/very good. And a Teroldego/Syrah blend which I've not had.
A top-notch winemaker to watch. I'd love to see what she can do w/ Schioppettino/Refosco, and LaCrima.
Tom