From Spain
Santiago Ruiz white wine 2015 made from 69% Albariño, 13% Loureiro, 9%Trexadura, 5% Godello and 4%Caiño Blanco from the DO Rias Baixas-Rosal region. The grapes are selected from our own vineyards in San Miguel de Tabagon and Tomiño, located in O Rosal area. The soil is of sedimentary origin; sand with agranit rock base, which gives the wine its characteristic minerality. Maceration of grapes occurs through a soft pressing. After the sediments have settled down for 15 to 20 hours, the juice is fermented under controlled temperature between 16-17ºC for 20-25 days. After the fermentation the wine is aged on the lees. This wine is full bodied and fruity with hints of lemon, melon pear a touch of spice and nice minerality. It has a long and crisp finish. $20
Panzia Viura I00% Viura (Chardonnay) D.O. Cariñena Bodegas Paniza The vineyards cover an area of 2,200 ha at 700 meters. The grapes are destemed and macerated lightly for 5 hours at a controlled temperture of 12 degrees C. Fermentation takes place at 18 degrees C The wine is then decanted several times and undergoes a process to clarify and stabilize the wine before being filleted for bottling. This a wine with hints of apricots and peaches. $10
From Germany
St. Urbans-Hof Wiltinger “Alte Reben” Kabinett Feinherb Riesling made from 100% Riesling It is a village wine from the coolest area of the Saar. The grapes come from a special 22-acre parcel of very old vines (Alte Reben in German) part of the Schlangengraben(snake pit in German) vineyard. The caned arch-trained vines are attached to individual stakes. The Schlangengraben vineyard sits on Devonian slate. The slopes have a hint of red dust, an indicator of its iron rich content. Ambient yeast from the vineyard or living in the winery, ferment the wine. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel. It has 22g/l residual sugar “so it is called “Kabinett Feinherb”and it a little drier than most Kabinetts and the alcohol level is 12% or less. The wine has a spicy herbaceous aroma with hints mint, gooseberry and peach with touch of smoke. It is a very easy drinking wine. $18
From France
Les Vignes de Bila-Haut White Côtes Du Roussillon 2015 made from Grenache Gris, Grenache Blanc, Macabeo and Vermentino (Rolle in France). The 40-year-old plus vines are on the hills of the Agly Valley. The juice is fermented in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks and aged in the same tanks. After a long maceration of two to three weeks, the wine is aged on the fine lees and then racked from vat to vat which naturally clarifies the wines. The wine is then blended prior to bottling. It has hints of citrus aromas and flavors with tropical fruit and good minerality. This wine seems to get better with every vintage. $15
Bourgogne Cote Saint Jacques Gris 2013 100% Pinot Gris Christopher Lepage The soil is clay and flint, soft chalk subsoil from the Upper Cretaceous. Viniculture: Lutte raisonnee, treatments adopted to vineyard disease pressure. 85% of the bunches are pressed directly and 15% of the bunches are macerated for 12 hours before pressing followed by a 6 day temperature controlled fermentation and is aged in tanks for 10 months $18
From Italy
Pinot Grigio 2015 Alto Adige DOC Peter Zimmer. Made from a selection of grapes from the best vineyards of the valley floor and the steep slopes nearby. The soil here is stony, sandy and extremely chalky. The low yields per hectare and this particular terroir combines for a very particular Pinot Grigio. The grapes are gently pressed, then clarified through the natural settling of sediment. Alcoholic fermentation is carried out with pure strains of yeast in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks. Malolactic fermentation does not occur. The wine remains on the lees for several months before it is bottled. It has more depth than most Pinot Grigio, with ripe fresh fruit, a touch of pear, and a hint of spice, good mineral character and fresh acidity. $17
Vino Spumante Rosato 100% Sangiovese San Casciano in Val di Pesa, Florence, Principe Corsini the exposure is south and the average age of the of vines is 18 years. Charmat method is used through a soft pressing of whole grapes. Fermentation is on the must for 24 days at a low temperature (14°C). Secondary fermentation is for 12 weeks and elevage on the yeasts for 1 month. The wine was bottled September 2015. It has nice bubbles with hints of pomegranate, strawberries and cranberries. $18
Cantina Federiciane Montelone di Napoli Gragnano DOC Sorrento Peninsula 2015, made from Piedirossa and Sciascinoso. Fermentation with selected yeast takes place in temperature controlled autoclaves. This is a fizzy red wine that when poured has a lot of foam that quickly disappears in the glass. It is fruity with red fruit aromas and flavors, hints of raspberries and strawberries, and easy to drink. In Naples they often drink sparkling beverages with pizza and Gragnano goes very well with pizza margarita. $16
Cannonau di Sardegna Riserva DOC 2012 100% Cannonau. Sella & Mosca Grapes are harvested manually and mechanically in late autumn and undergo fermentation in stainless steel vats for 15 days. The wine is aged in large Slavonian oak barrels and for several months in bottle before release. This wine had bright red fruit, with hints of cherry and plum. This is a very good food wine and a real bargain for the price. $17
Valpolicella Classico DOC made from 65% Corvina Veronese, 30% Rondinella and 5% Molinara. Stefano Accordini. The wine is aged in stainless steel and then in bottle for to months before release. The estate extends over 4 hectars in Negrar in the heart of Valpolicella, in Bessole. The winery is located in the heart 0f Valpolicella, in Pedemonte and S. Pietro Incariano. This is a fruity medium bodied wine with moderate alcohol. It has hints of red fruit with a touch of cherry and violate. $17
This is the wine that arrived after the Valollicella tasting for the Wine Media Guild that I wrote about in October.
Pinot Noir “Rollhütt” 2015 100% Pinot Noir Alto Adige, Peter Zemmer The Rollhütt vineyard is at 400 meters. The soil on the hills is composed of loam, chalk and porphyry. The stems are immediately removed and the grapes are fermented at a constant temperature of 26 to 28C for about 7 days. The must is kept in contect with the skins through circulation pumping and gentle pressure from below which brings out the fruitiness of the wine. After two gentle rackings, 70% of the wine is aged in large barrels of French oak, and the rest in French oak barriques for 2 to 3 years. After blending the wine is bottled and aged for 6 months before release, The wine has a fruity character, soft and full bodied with hints of berries and sour cherries. The wine can age or 6 to 8 years $18
Etna Rosso “Rovittello” 2013 DOC 100% Nerello Mascalese Benanti The countryside of Rovittello, on the north side of Mt. Etna in the commune of Castiglione di Sicilia. It is a single vineyard grown as alberello (free standing bush) at 750 meters. The soil is sandy, volcanic and very rich in minerals. The vines are 80 years old and there are 9,000 vines per hectare. Harvest takes place the second week of October and the grapes are late ripening. Traditional vinification takes place, with long maceration of the must with the skins. After malolatic fermentation, the wine matures in small casks of 225 liters for more than one year and 8 to 10 months in the bottle before release. The wine has hints of red fruit and a touch of vanilla. $20
Charles Scicolone on Wine 