2013 Marcel Deiss Grasberg

 

12.5% abv

Field blend of Riesling, Pinot Gris and Gewürztraminer
Absolutely gorgeous and in prime drinking window...

2018 Hofgut Falkenstein Niedermenniger Herrenberg Riesling Spätlese feinherb AP 4

Made from Fuder Onkel Peter (ungrafted old vines) and Fuder Kleiner Klaus (old vines).  

An incredible effort showcasing the dedication and genius of the Webers... simply divine...

2018 Domaine du Pélican Savagnin Macération Pélliculaire

 

I am a complete neophyte when it comes to Savagnin and the wines of Jura. This wine is outrageously delicious. It has a texture or mouthfeel reminiscent of Ribolla Gialla. Wonderful with grilled salmon.

http://grandcruselections.com/domaine-du-pelican

2016 Muraje Sumié (Carema)

 

Muraje is a relatively new Producer that came to my attention thanks to @"Werner Van Damme".

Deceptively delicate in body yet gains presence over the course of several hours in a decanter,  blossoming with elegant spice and sour cherry character. Nice floral nose. Tar-influenced Nebbiolo typicity that is usually evident in Carema reds seems to be missing. It may develop the tarry character over time, but as of now it's like a purebred Beagle that has a muted voice.

 Overall, this is a mighty fine effort. Perhaps best described as a gorgeous Burgundian styled wine with lots of complexity even at this early stage. The bottle disappears quickly. It is eminently drinkable.

Producer notes:

"....Sumié is the local name of the main wooden pole of the pergola-topia structure.

This 90% Nebbiolo from Carema is not labelled as a Carema because it was vinified in Boca in the legendary cellars of Le Piane.  Subsequent vintages will be labelled as Carema as Muraje now have a full functional cellar as of 2017 in Carema.

The 2016 is back vintage 90% Nebbiolo (10% from Neyret, Pugnet and Ner d'Ala) grown topia style in Carema.  It's made from a local clone of Nebbiolo known as picotener or picotendro.  This clone is known its elegant fine tannins and is highly aromatic...."

---------------

Day 2 impressions...

Fleshed out nicely while retaining its delicate character.... somewhat reminiscent of a Cogno Barolo Vigna Elena with its unique flavor profile based on the Nebbiolo Rose varietal (sans the dusty tannins). Very nice acidity with faint elements of tar and roses showing up, signaling its Carema heritage.

A premium cuvee in style and price meant to compete with Ferrando Nebbiolo di Carema. Muraje is the elegant cuvee with gossamer attributes while the Ferrando is a bigger style that demands cellaring. 

2015 Tiberio Trebbiano d'Abruzzo Fonte Canale

 Better on day 2 suggesting this will benefit from further cellaring. If trying one now, give it plenty of air but serve properly chilled. 

Think delicious Meursault....but with the lemony goodness influenced by the kiss of Adriatic Sea air,  nurturing a beautiful mouthwatering salinity.  Lovely balance with 12.5% abv. Pergola trained, 70 to 80 year old vines (massale selection) on calcareous soils. Free run juice only, no wood, no malo. What gem of a wine! 👍 Brava , Cristiana Tiberio...

More info at:  http://www.tiberio.it/websiteita/

2018 Borgo del Tiglio Studio di Bianco

 

50% Friulano, 25% Sauvignon, 25% Riesling
14.5% abv

I've virtually no experience with the Friulano varietal so this wine was a treat. Could benefit from another year or two of cellaring, but is very tasty now. Shy nose with elegant stone fruit on the palate and an intriguing hint of mint of the finish.  Complexity without weight...a contemplative wine.
Paired nicely with sausage stuffed portabella shrooms and wood fire grilled veggies.





I must include the wonderful Producer notes from Eric Guido for reference...

"...Speaking with Mattia Manferrari, of Borgo del Tiglio, inevitably resulted in a long and thorough conversation about terroir. The reason being that this top-level Friuli producer ultimately places the most importance upon location and the vines that grow there. The Manferrari family tends three vineyards throughout the Collio region. The Brazzano cru is located around the winery, and it’s also one of the first parcels acquired four generations ago. This is the warmest of the Borgo del Tiglio sources with ponca soils, a layered mix of marl, sandstone and marine fossils, making it ideal for the Friulano that produces the Ronco della Chiesa and the Merlot that creates the Rosso della Centa. This location is also home to ancient Malvasia vines that inform the Italo & Bruno. Further into the hills, near the small village of Ruttars, we find a cooler climate with ponca soils laced with limestone, which creates the perfect environment for aromatic white varieties. This is the source of the Collio Bianco and the single-vineyard Studio di Bianco, a field blend of Friulano, Sauvignon and Riesling. Then there is Ca delle Vallade, the coolest section of the Collio, where Borgo del Tiglio sources their Chardonnay from red, iron-rich soils. In order to highlight the specific characteristics of each of these vineyards, a low-impact process is followed in the winery. Fruit is pre-sorted in the vineyards and pressed gently, where only free-flow juice is used to retain acidity and finesse, and just 50% of the weight of the grapes actually makes it into two-to-five-year-old barrels for fermentation and refinement over nine months (with the exception of about 20% new oak for the Chardonnay). As for the vintage in front of us, primarily 2018, it ended up being an early yet extended harvest. Early due to a warm spring, yet cool and dry temperatures through September allowed the vineyard teams to pick at the most opportune times. Unfortunately, hail in July drastically lowered yields in the cooler-climate vineyards, as much as 50% for the Studio di Bianco and Chardonnay. In most cases, I found the 2018s to have more textural girth than expected, yet they were balanced and energetic. This mix provides a bit more upfront appeal to the new releases, but don’t make the mistake of thinking that these won’t mature beautifully over medium-term cellaring. -- Eric Guido, January 2021..."

Excellent reference article on Borgo del Tiglio:

https://vinous.com/articles/borgo-del-tiglio-a-study-in-whites-1982-2011-nov-2013

Italian white wines

 

Interesting sweep of Italian white wines.... all very tasty, however the Trebbiano d'Abruzzo edged the others in terms of sheer excitement and liveliness....

Sake

Being a sake neophyte, there's a new frontier to explore...

Tippling this tonight.  While the nose is highly aromatic with hints of sweetness, the palate is elegantly dry. Banana is prevalent when served cold, giving way to hints of lychee and umami character on the finish. Very pleasing. Crystal clear in color.

2011 Produttori del Barbaresco Riserva Ovello

Checking in at the 10 year mark. Absolutely gorgeous upon opening the bottle. Perfumed nose leaps forth. Delicious fruit from the first taste. Elegant sweetness to the tannins. All components come together to deliver a seamlesss structure. One of the best Ovello's I've had.

Decanted and aerated. About 2 hours in, the tannins begin to clinch down and what was an elegant finish becomes more closed, hiding any nuance from the fruit. Tannic influence dominates the finish as time goes on.
This is a jewel of a wine in its early stages of development. Needs another 3 to 5 years of cellaring (minimum). Will continue to develop and benefit from cellaring for at least another 10 years.
Paired nicely with smoked pork shoulder, smoked beef brisket, collard greens and hush puppies.