We tried last night (9/6/17) Some New Italian Reds:
1. LesCretes Fumin Dd'OP: Valle d'Aosta (13%; MonsieurTouton/Bignaioli; www.MTouton.com; www.LesCretes.it/)
Aymavilles/Valle d'Aosta 2013
: Dark color; beautiful blackberry/black cherry very cold-climate/cracked
black pepper some earthy/loamy slight Pinotish complex nose; somewhat tart/tangy strong c-c/cracked
black pepper rather blackberry/black cherry bit dusty/earthy beautiful flavor w/ light bit bitey
tannins; very long rather tart/tangy c-c/black pepper strong blackberry strong blackberry/black cherry
complex finish w/ light crunchy tannins; much like their Syrah but more strong fruit and less cracked
black pepper character; an exceptional alpine red. $49.00 (BWM)
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2. Vin des Seigneurs Mayolet DOC: Valle d'Aosta (12%; coenfer; MatchVino/Manchester/NH) l'Enfer/Arviev 2013:
Med.light color; some earthy/dusty/loamy spicy/cherry very fragrant/aromatic quite Pinotish rather complex
nose; lightly tart bright/cherry/Pinotish some earthy/dusty/alpine complex flavor w/ light gentle tannins;
very long/lingering some earthy/loamy/alpine bright cherry/Pinotish complex finish w/ light smooth tannins;
a very lovely quite Pinotish alpine red at a very good price. $24.00 (DiV)
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3. Kante Terrano IGT: Venezia Giulia (U; KermitLynch; 12%) Prepotto 2009: Very dark color; very strong
blackberry/black cherry cola/Terrano some earthy/loamy/dusty bit licorice rather Refosco-like lovely
nose; lightly tart/tangy blackberry/black cherry cola light earthy/dusty/OV bit licorice/pungent complex
flavor w/ light crunchy tannins; very long/lingering black cherry cola/blackberry/Terrano rather dusty/OV/
bit loame/earthy slight pungent/licorice finish w/ light angular tannins; quite a lovely Teran and almost
to the level of SandiSkerk's Terrano; very attractive price at $29.00 (DiV)
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4. CO Coronica Gran Terran (13%) Umag/Istria/Croatia NV (2013): Very dark/near black color; bit burning metal/
metallic/pungent/acrid fairly earthy/dusty/loamy some black cherry cola/DrPepper rather rustic somewhat
interesting nose; quite tart/tangy/sour/pungent/acrid rather rustic/earthy/dusty slight black cherry cola/
DrPepper flavor w/ light hard/rough tannins; med.long earthy/dusty/loamy/rustic rather sour/acid/acrid/pungent
slight black cherry cola finish w/ some rough/coarse tannins; not an attractive example of Terrano and
overpriced at $46.95 (BDW)
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5. Pravis Rebo Kigotti IGT: Vigneti delle Dolomiti (Merlot X Teroldego; 13%; MatchVino) Pravis/Lasino 2011:
Med.light color; strong grapey/bit Merlot-like slight black cherry/Teroldego-like somewhat earthy interesting
nose; bit soft lush rather grapey/Merlot-like simple some earthy flavor w/ light soft tannins; med.short
grapey/Merlot-like slight black cherry rather earthy/loamy simple finish w/ light soft tannins; speaks
mostly of a grapey Merlot; quite a simple/dull red. $24.00 (DiV)
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6. laViarte Tazzelenghe DOC: Friuli Colli Orientali (12.5%; KermitLynch) Prepotto/Udine 2010: Very dark/near
black color; slightly reduced/pungent/stinky strong boysenberry/licorice some earthy/dusty bit RCCola/
DrPepper complex interesting nose; bit soft slight tangy/metallic some boysenberry/licorice/RCCola light-
weight flavor w/ light gentle tannins; med.short somewhat soft some blackberry/licorice/RCCola bit earthy/
dusty/loamy slight bretty/unclean finish w/ light gentle tannins; pleasant enough nose but a Tazz-Lite
on the palate and lacks the structure of a good Tazzalenghe; way overpriced on rarity at $60.00 (BWM)
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7. Marco Scolaris Schioppettino DOC: Friuli Isonzo (13%; L2910; www.Scolaris.It) S.LorenzoIsontino 2009:
Dark color; quite pungent/burning steel wool/acrid some Kansas outhouse slight wet dog fur/unclean bit
herbal/vegetal unpleasant nose; soft/fat off-dry pungent/Kansas outhouse/fecal/unclean overruipe/black
cherry herbal/vegetal flavor w/ light overripe tannins; short overripe off-dry bit fecal/unclean/Kansas
outhouse earthy//herbal/vegetal slight black cherry overripe finish w/ light overripe tannins; a pretty
miserable expression of Schio and overpriced at $14.00 (WE)
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8. Oscuro Schioppettino OrsiVnyd/SonomaCnty (13.4%; www.Holdredge.com) Healdsburg 2014: Very dark color;
strong blackcurranty/black cherry cola lush quite spicy bit peppery some toasty/oak lovely nose; bit soft
some toasty/smokey/oak bit peppery/black cherry cola interesting flavor w/ light soft/smooth tannins;
long some toasty/oak light black cherry cola/peppery/blackcurranty somewhat soft/lush finish w/ light
smooth tannins; a very nice Calif red that speaks quietly of Schio; would like a bit less oak. $35.00
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9. Gigante Schioppettino DOC: FriuliColliOrientali (13%; ToscoImports) 2009: Dark color; slight bretty/
unclean/horsecollar some black cherry cola/peppery/spicy bit rustic interesting nose; bit soft slight
bretty/horsecollar strong peppery/black cherry cola/Schio bit earthy/dusty flavor w/ light smooth/ripe
tannins; long some bretty/horsecollar some black cherry cola/peppery slight earthy finish w/ light ripe
tannins; speaks some of Schio but a bit too bretty/rustic for my tastes. $30.00 (EVN)
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10. Antico Broilo Schioppettino di Prepotto DOC: Colli Orientali del Friuli (13%; www.VignaioliAmerica.com)
Giovanni Battista/Prepotto 2010
: Dark color; some TCA/corked/musty slight black cherry cola/Schio mose; soft
some musty/TCA/corked slight black cherry/earthy flavor; pretty much done in by the TCA. $49.00 (DiV)
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11. Petrussa Schioppettino di Prepotto Dd'OC: ColliOrientali del Friuli (13%; Giammario Villa Wine Slctn;
www.petrussa.it/Nation_Eng) Prepotto/Udine 2009
: Very dark color; beautiful very spicy/peppery/cracked
black pepper/black cherry cola/Schio slight root beer light earthy/dusty classic Schio fragrant nose;
lightly tart very spicy/peppery/black pepper/black cherry cola/Schio light earthy/dusty complex flavor
w/ light smooth tannins; very long/lingering strong Schio/peppery/cracked pepper/black cherry cola some
dusty/OV/earthy finish w/ light gentle/ripe tannins; a beautiful classic expression of Schio in all its
full glory; very fair price at $34.00 (WE)
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12. moschioni schioppettino Dd'OP: Friuli Colli Orientali (15.5%; H.Mercer Imports; www.MicheleMoschioni.It;
www.HMercerImports.com; L09/135) Cividale del Friuli/Udine 2009
: Dark color w/ slight bricking; very ripe/
overripe/pruney grapey slight Schio/peppery/black cherry cola rather Amarone-like nose; off-dry soft
overripe/grapey/pruney slight earthy/loamy very slight balck cherry cola/peppery flavor w/ light very
ripe tannins; med.long soft overripe/pruney/grapey slight Schio/black cherry cola finish w/ light very ripe
tannins; loads of overripe/grapey/pruney character and little Schio character; an Amarone expression of
Schio; way overpriced at $50.00 (TWH)
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More nonsense from the alt-BloodyPulpit:
1. Schioppettino: Also known as RebollaNera. Or Pocalza in Slovene. The name comes from "explosion" or "gunshot"
which the crunchy berries deliver in your mouth when you bite down on them.
Ian d'Agata has a very good article on Galloni about how Paolo & Dino Rapuzzi revitalized Schioppettino
at Ronchi di Cialla back in the '70's:
(www.vinous.com/articles/ronchi-di-cialla-s-schioppettino-di-cialla-1982-2010-jun-2017)
I visited Ivan Rapuzzi (Paolo's son) at Ronchi di Cialla two yrs ago and left w/ him a btl of the Matthiasson
Refosco and Schioppettino.
This was a rather disappointing tableau of Schioppettinos. The Petrussa was the only one that showed the
greatness that Schio can achieve in Friuli. It's a grape that they should be planting all up&down the coast
of Calif.
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2. Fumin: A variety indigenous to the Vd'A. It is a brother to PetiteRouge, another variety commonly found in
the V'A. In the '60's, the university folks recommended it be abandoned because of poor quality wines.
Fortunately, the growers ignored them and now Fumin is regarded as one of the best wines in the Vd'A. Clearly
a variety they should be planting all up&down the coast of Calif.
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3. LesCretes: Probably my most favorite producer in the Vd'A. I first discovered their wines when I had their
Syrah and was blown away by its cracked black pepper/Rhonish character. Every other wines of their's I've
tried has been absolutely first-rate. They're one of the leaders in the Vd'A in producing wines from the
indigenous varieties. The scenery in the area from their WebSite (www.lescretes.it/) is spectacular.
I must visit them on my next trip to Italy.
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4. Mayolet: Another variety indigenous to the Vd'A. It is usually blended w/ the more common PetiteRouge and not
often found as a mono-varietal. Clearly a variety they should be planting all up&down the coast of Calif.
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5. Terrano: The name for the grape in Italy. It is called Teran in Slovenia/Croatia. A member of the Refosco
family. It is primarily grown on the Kras plateau in Slovenia and across the border in the Carso of Friuli.
The grape originated on the Istrian peninsula of Croatia. Several yrs ago, the Slovenians registered the
name Teran as applying only to Terran grown on the Kras. The Friulians and Croatians were not happy about
that and how that dispute will play out is not clear. To declare a grape variety name for only a limited
part of the World, and not the part where the grape originated seems dead wrong. Not the first time that
a governing body as done something stupid, though.
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6. Tazzelenghe: A variety indigenous to Friuli and rather rare. The name translates as "tongue ripper" in
reference to it high acidity and fierce tannin levels.
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7. Rebo: A cross developed in 1920 by Rebo Rigotti. Originally thought to be a Merlot X Marzemino, DNA
showed it to be a Teroldego X Merlot cross. Apparently becoming widely grown in the Trentino, this was
the first example I've tried. Too much (pfffttt) Merlot character and not enough Teroldego. Clearly not a variety they should be planting all up&down the coast of Calif.
Tom