Primosic Ribolla Gialla 2005 (Venezia Giulia IGT)
My first taste of this variety. Very clear, very pale straw. Lightly perfumed with appley flowers. Medium- to full-bodied. I’d read what Vino Italiano has to say about this grape before tasting, so the power of suggestion may be at play here, but it was strikingly “cidery,” with tangy, almost vinegary acidity wrapped around sweet-sour apple, with lemon and scented-soap notes. Can’t say I much liked it, but I’d try another version to be sure. $11. 12.5% alcohol.
Aminea Fiano di Avellino 2005
Clear medium (almost medium-dark) gold. Lemon and grapefruit zest along with hazelnut on the nose, joined by hints of herb, flint, and mango. Medium- to full-bodied, with baked yellow apple flavor and a touch of beeswax, sort of like a Chenic Blanc with a southern Italian accent. With most Campanian whites in my market priced in the mid-teens, this seems like an exceptional QPR at $8. 12% alcohol.
Rocca dei Mori Salice Salentino 2001
Semi-opaque dark purple, with ruby inflections and a watery rim. This pumps out ripe aromas of plum, blackberry, and dark cherry, with whiffs of grilled herb and smoke. Medium-bodied, with juicy layers of red and black fruit. Soft but sufficient acidity and faint tannins that pick up some definition with food. Strikes me as less austere (though that’s not really the right word) than Taurino Sal-Sal can sometimes be. Really attractive wine, and at $10, a good candidate for house red. 14% alcohol.