Wine & Spirits - August 2017 - 86

IMPORTED NEW RELEASES
ity combines with flavors of white grapefruit
and lime pith to create a cool and refreshing
sensation. Cleansing salinity surges through
the citrus flavors, adding to the refreshment
as the wine picks up notes of fennel and a
hint of smoke. § Leonardo LoCascio Selections/
The Winebow Group, NY
222770

88 | Ciù Ciù

$16

2016 Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Arbinus (Best Buy) ^ This wine feels
round and viscous, its juicy golden apple
flavors lending an impression of sweetness
that's balanced by a streak of salinity and
hints of thyme. § Mid-State Distributors, Wallingford, CT
222384

88 | Pievalta

$19

2015 Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Superiore (Best Buy) ^ Flavors of sea
salt, lemon and golden apple weave through
this wine's viscous texture, picking up notes
of orange peel and fennel along the way to
a warm, weighty finish. § Leonardo LoCascio
Selections/The Winebow Group, NY
221431

87 | Casalfarneto

$16

2015 Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Superiore Fontevecchia (Best Buy) ^
Delicate scents of white flowers lead into flavors of pear, apple and peach accented by
a sweet herbaceous note. The wine shows
appealing salinity along with a subtle phenolic bitterness that's balanced by a creamy
pine nut texture. § Enotec Imports, Denver, CO

V A L L E D ' A O S TA
221992

91 | Château Feuillet

$29

2015 Valle d'Aosta Petite Arvine ^ Maurizio
Fiorano's petite arvine has a crisp apple freshness that's accentuated by lemony acidity
and notes of white grapefruit. His vineyards,
at over 2,300 feet, seem to impart a vertical
momentum to the wines that makes them an
appealing choice for summer drinking. § Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant, Berkeley, CA

VENETO
222704

85 | i Stefanini

$14

2015 Soave Il Selese (Best Buy) ^ A hint of
sweetness rounds out this wine's flavors of
salted almond and white peach. Serve it well
chilled as an apéritif. § Imports-Inc., Chicago, IL
221677

84 | Angelini

$12

2016 Veneto Pinot Grigio (Best Buy) ^ An
almond-skin savor perks up this wine's soft
stone-fruit flavors. It's cool and clean, ready
for shellfish. § Angelini Wine, Centerbrook, CT
86

WINE & SPIRITS

AUGUST 2017

ITA LY RED

V A L L E D ' A O S TA

LIGURIA

92 | Ottin

$32

91 | Château Feuillet

$36

222329

222655

88 | Durin

$21

88 | Punta Crena

$27

2015 Riviera Ligure di Ponente Rossese
(Best Buy) ^ Flavors of strawberry, black
cherry and sour plum burst from the glass
in this lively, easy-drinking rossese. Subtle
herbal notes balance the wine's fruity exuberance, and its light tannins make it a versatile
partner at the dinner table. § North Berkeley
Imports, Berkeley, CA
221989
2015 Riviera Ligure di Ponente Vigneto
Isasco Rossese (Best Buy) ^ This rossese is
reminiscent of a Loire Valley pineau d'aunis
in its high-toned flavors of red berries and
cracked black pepper. It's light bodied and
fresh, more like a dark rosé than a red wine,
with saline notes and a fruit-skin bitterness
that would match well with roast duck. § Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant, Berkeley, CA

LOMBARDY
223155

92 | Sandro Fay

$38

91 | Sandro Fay

$45

2013 Valtellina Superiore Valgella Cà
Moréi ^ Sandro Fay's six-acre Cà Moréi vineyard sits on steep, sandy slopes in Valtellina's eastern subzone of Valgella. He showcases the aromatic delicacy of high-altitude
nebbiolo in this wine's scents of rose petals
and fresh red berries. Those berry flavors
continue on the palate, picking up notes of
brushy herbs, black spice and bitter orange
as the tight tannins begin to give way. Bright,
lifted and delicious now, it has the concentration and structure to improve with several
years in the cellar. § T. Edward Wines, NY
223156
2013 Valtellina Superiore Valgella Riserva
Carterìa ^ Fay's nebbiolo from the Carterìa
vineyard feels youthful and primary, its red
cherry flavors dusted with notes of sweet
spice and woodsmoke and framed by wood
tannins. Fresh rose-petal scents emerge with
exposure to air, indicating the wine will benefit from decanting or from a few years in the
cellar. § T. Edward Wines, NY
220617

90 | Nino Negri

$36

2013 Valtellina Superiore Sassella Le
Tense ^ This nebbiolo shows lovely balance in
its flavors of crunchy red berries accented by
notes of smoke and hen-of-the-woods mushrooms. Its vibrant acidity and alpine freshness offer immediate pleasure with seared
duck breast. § Frederick Wildman and Sons, NY

2014 Vallee d'Aoste Pinot Noir ^ Elio Ottin
bought his first plots of land in Valle d'Aosta
in 1989, and sent the grapes to a local cooperative until 2007, when he bottled the first
wines under his own name. He and his son
Nicolas produce five wines, four from the
region's classic varieties and this one from
the variety his father particularly loved. It has
the spirit of pinot noir but with a profile all
its own, bursting with flavors of cranberry,
raspberry and orange peel edged in a berryseed bitterness and wisps of woodsmoke. Its
tannins are rustic rather than silky, lending
grip to the bright fruit flavors. This is delicious, high-toned mountain wine, ready to
drink and versatile at the table. § Bonhomie
Wine Imports, South Orange, NJ
221995
2015 Valle d'Aosta Fumin ^ Scents of violets
give way to lush flavors of black plum and
blackberry in this ripe, juicy wine. Smoky
notes swirl through the dense purple fruit flavors even as the wine is grounded by a loamy
earthiness. It feels cool and fresh, with pliant
tannins that make it accessible for a range
of foods, from veal to porcini. § Kermit Lynch
Wine Merchant, Berkeley, CA

222330

91 | Ottin

$32

90 | Château Feuillet

$25

2014 Vallee d'Aoste Torrette Superieur ^ A
blend of local varieties (petit rouge with ten
percent each of cornalin and fumin), this
offers vibrant flavors of wild strawberry and
raspberry tinged with brushy herbs. It develops a savory, gamey note with exposure to
air, and finishes with a lingering smokiness
that suggests pairing it with something off
a wood-fired grill. § Bonhomie Wine Imports,
South Orange, NJ
221993
2015 Valle d'Aosta Torrette ^ Flavors of
mountain berries, fresh mushrooms and
woodsmoke weave seamlessly together to
evoke the cool earthiness of a mountain
http://www.bonhomiewine.com/our-wines/italy/ottin-valle-daosta/
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Wine & Spirits - August 2017
