Wine & Spirits - December 2019 - 90

IMPORTED NEW RELEASES
entine flavors, warmed by notes of nutmeg
on the finish. § Vias Imports, NY
273668

91 | Vie di Romans

$37

2017 Friuli Isonzo Dolée Friuliano ^ This
feels round and broad, the flavors of quince
and pineapple cushioned by a creamy texture gained during ten months of lees contact. Hints of mint and orange pith refresh
the finish. § Vias Imports, NY
273665

91 | Vie di Romans

$37

2017 Friuli Isonzo Piere Sauvignon Blanc ^
Notes of white pepper and grassy herbs
accent this wine's flavors of lime and white
grapefruit. Hints of raw honey soften its jalapeño heat. § Vias Imports, NY
273667

90 | Vie di Romans

$37

2017 Friuli Isonzo Dessimis Pinot Grigio ^
This is a rich and flamboyant pinot grigio,
its juicy flavors of pale strawberry and peach
overshadowed by notes of toasted nuts and
spice from nine months in barriques. The
warm, weighty finish is refreshed by balancing mandarin-like acidity. § Vias Imports, NY

$36

2018 Langhe Nascetta del Comune di
Novello Anas-Cëtta ^ This opens with scents
of dried oregano, sage and cannabis that
accent the wine's fruit flavors of white peach
and Meyer lemon. Notes of smoke and bitter
almond skin emerge as the wine is exposed
to air, while brisk acidity weaves everything
together. § Wilson Daniels, St. Helena, CA
273838
$33

2018 Langhe Pétracine Riesling ^ This estate
claims Piedmont's oldest riesling vines,
planted in 1985 on east/southeast-facing
slopes that climb up to 1,570 feet. In the long,
moderate 2018 growing season, those vines
produced a wine with delicate citrus-blossom
scents and flavors of juicy peach, kiwi and
yellow plum propelled by lively acidity. § Vajra
USA, Manhasset, NY

LUGANA
273757

88 | Tommasi

88 | Luisa

$22

2018 Venezia Giulia Ribolla Gialla (Best
Buy) ^ This ribolla offers flavors of tart citrus
and snappy green-apple skin woven together
by racy acidity and a hint of salinity. § Vias
Imports, NY

ITA LY ROSÉ
273822

90 | Le Pianelle

$28

2018 Coste delle Sesia Rosato al posto dei
fiori ^ Made from nebbiolo with five percent
each of vespolina and croatina, this comes
from plots scattered around the towns of
Brusnengo and Roasio in northern Piedmont. The wine is more than just a quaffer, offering flavors of tangy red berries and
blood orange edged with notes of white pepper and a hint of Aperol bitterness. Serve it
lightly chilled to let all of those flavors shine. §
Grand Cru Selections, NY

$20

2018 Lugana Le Fornaci (Best Buy) ^ Flavors
of pear, apple and citrus take on hints of soft
green herbs and blanched almond in this
lively white wine. § Vintus, Pleasantville, NY

WINE & SPIRITS

DECEMBER 2019

91 | Elvio Cogno

$32

91 | G.D. Vajra

$33

90 | Fratelli Alessandria

$24

2017 Barbera d'Alba Bricco dei Merli ^
This barbera feels cool and juicy, a notable
achievement for a variety that can exhibit
prodigious alcohol levels. Its acidity feels
almost bouncy, brightening the flavors of
dark cherry and seeded red berries, while
lively spice notes add to the wine's energetic
personality. § Wilson Daniels, St. Helena, CA
273841

$70

2016 Aglianico del Vulture Don Anselmo ^
Notes of dark chocolate, licorice and pipe
tobacco weave through this wine's driedplum flavors. The tannins are firm and
chewy, and the wine takes on gamey notes
toward the finish. § Vintus, Pleasantville, NY
273766

2017 Barbera d'Alba ^ Culled from the
estate's younger vines in the Verduno commune, this is a juicy barbera, with flavors of
blackberry and cherry accented by notes of
black pepper and smoked game. § North Berkeley Imports, Berkeley, CA

ITA LY RED

92 | Paternoster

90 | Paternoster

$55

2016 Aglianico del Vulture Rotondo ^ Aged
in barriques for 14 months, this aglianico is
rich and robust, loaded with notes of cardamom, anise, tobacco and plum. A hint
of orange peel brightens the finish. § Vintus,
Pleasantville, NY

PIEDMONT: BARBERA D'ALBA
273433

93 | Elvio Cogno

$72

91 | Fratelli Alessandria

$34

2017 Barbera d'Alba Pre-Phylloxera ^ Valter Fissore produces this wine from ungrafted
barbera vines, some more than 120 years
old, and that old-vine concentration shows
through in dense flavors of raspberry and
black cherry laced with notes of bitter cacao
and cigar. Lively acidity draws out the deep
fruit tones into a long, spicy finish. § Wilson
Daniels, St. Helena, CA
274293
2016 Barbera d'Alba Superiore Priòra ^
Fruit for Priòra comes from older vines in
the Alessandria family's plots in Verduno and

90

Serralunga. It's densely packed, its plummy
flavors layered with notes of licorice and
black spice. Dark and warming, this would
pair well with braised meats and other robust
dishes. § North Berkeley Imports, Berkeley, CA
273430

2016 Barbera d'Alba Superiore ^ Giuseppe
Vaira harvests fruit for this wine from the
family's oldest barbera vines, some dating
back to 1949. In the long, moderate 2016
growing season those vines yielded a wine
with juicy flavors of dark cherry and raspberry enlivened by notes of orange peel,
mint and white pepper. Richly textured and
vibrant, it's a versatile wine for a range of
meat and pasta dishes. § Vajra USA, Manhasset, NY
274294

273767

273431

90 | G.D. Vajra

273654

B A S I L I C A TA

LANGHE

91 | Elvio Cogno

VENEZIA GIULIA

BRAMATERRA
273821

94 | Le Pianelle

$58

2015 Bramaterra ^ Winemaker Cristiano
Garella and viticulturist Andrea Zanetta
produced a gorgeous Bramaterra in 2015.
They source the fruit from dozens of small
plots in this northern Piedmont region, some
reaching heights of more than 1,200 feet. A
blend of nebbiolo with ten percent each of
vespolina and croatina, the wine is buoyant
and lively, its cherry-and-blood-orange flavors laced with a peppery salinity. A streak
of ferrous minerality draws the flavors tautly
together, gradually softening as the fruit
tones become fleshier with exposure to air. §
Grand Cru Selections, NY
Wine & Spirits - December 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Wine & Spirits - December 2019
