Wine & Spirits - October 2020 - 107

IMPORTED NEW RELEASES
yellow plum that swirl in a lightly chewy, honeyed texture. The wine has an orange tinge,
but the light tannins are ripe and rounded,
leaving the spotlight on the gem-bright fruit
tones and fresh floral scents. -S.J. § North
Berkeley Imports, Berkeley, CA
278149

92 | Meroi

$45

2017 Venezia Giulia Vitovska ^ This goldtinted wine unfolds with fresh scents of
chamomile and citrus skin. Its flavors of
quince and white peach ride on a cool stream
of salinity, the texture taut and chewy from
three weeks of skin contact. The finish draws
out on a lightly savory note. -S.J. § North
Berkeley Imports, Berkeley, CA
278172

91 | Meroi

$36

2018 Friuli Colli Orientali Sauvignon ^
Honeysuckle scents lead into focused flavors of grapefruit and Meyer lemon. A cool,
creamy texture tempers sauvignon blanc's
herbal and peppery notes, and the wine finishes smooth and balanced. -S.J. § Artisanal
Cellars, White River Junction, VT
278173

91 | Meroi

$82

90 | Meroi

$33

2017 Friuli Colli Orientali Zitelle Durì ^
This mouthfilling malvasia rested for one
year in French oak barriques (80 percent
new), gaining notes of ginger and caramelized orange peel that enrich its peachy fruit
tones. Smooth as a Creamsicle, it finishes
warm and weighty, and should be served at
cellar temperature. -S.J. § Artisanal Cellars,
White River Junction, VT
278194
2018 Friuli Colli Orientali Pinot Grigio ^
Flavors of golden apple and Rainier cherry
are wrapped in a rich, nutty texture in this
full-bodied pinot grigio. A note of bitter
almond adds a pleasant bite to the finish.
-S.J. § Artisanal Cellars, White River Junction, VT

278170

91 | Durin

$22

90 | Durin

$22

2019 Riviera Ligure di Ponente Pigato
(Best Buy) ^ Antonio Basso culls the pigato
grapes for this wine from the family's patchwork of plots (more than 250 in total) and
vinifies the wine in stainless steel to preserve
the aromas of wildflowers and crunchy green
herbs. Flavors of citrus and salt mingle with
those herbal tones in a weighty lemon-rind
texture. Enjoy this broad, expressive wine
with just about any seafood dish. -S.J. § North
Berkeley Imports, Berkeley, CA
278191
2019 Riviera Ligure di Ponente Vermentino ^ This vermentino is delicate and floral,
its bright citrus and peach flavors laced with
notes of white pepper and soft salinity. -S.J. §
North Berkeley Imports, Berkeley, CA

S I C I LY
278569

93 | Caravaglio

92 | COS

$30

92 | COS

$37

91 | Caravaglio

$25

2018 Terre Siciliane Ramí ^ This wine combines equal parts grecanico and inzolia
grown in the sandy soils of Sicily's southeastern Vittoria region. Fermented on the skins
in concrete vats for around ten days, it developed a chewy citrus-skin texture and intense
salinity to balance its tart lemon and white
peach flavors. At just 11.5 percent alcohol,
the wine remains cool and refreshing, with
a distinctly salty finish. -S.J. § Polaner Selections, Mount Kisco, NY
278132

$76

2017 Friuli Colli Orientali Zitelle Barchetta ^ Fruit for this luscious sauvignon blanc
comes from the Zitelle vineyard, an old clay
quarry in the Buttrio hills where northern
exposures bring cool evening winds to temper the warm, sunny days. Notes of white
grapefruit weave through the wine's lush flavors of grilled pineapple and honey, along
with rich brown spice notes gained during
one year in new French oak barriques. § -S.J. §
Artisanal Cellars, White River Junction, VT
278148

92 | Skerlj

LIGURIA

$30

2019 Salina Occhio di Terra ^ Nino Caravaglio traces his winemaking roots back to
Spanish ancestors who arrived on the Aeolian Islands some 500 years ago. In addition
to a thriving caper-growing business, Caravaglio owns 42 acres planted to local grape
varieties. He uses Malvasia di Lipari, famous
for its sweet wines, as the basis for three dry
whites, and all three of his 2019 bottlings are
recommended here. He selects fruit for this
wine from 20- to 30-year-old vines growing
on the rocky volcanic soils of the island of
Salina. The juice remains with the skins for
ten days, imbuing the wine with a brilliant
copper hue and a rich, chewy texture. Heady
scents of honeysuckle and orange blossom
lead into flavors of juicy peach, apricot and
mandarin orange that balance the wine's
intense salinity. Rich and honeyed, yet fully
dry, it's a match for salty cheeses or rich fish
in a lemon and caper sauce. -S.J. § North
Berkeley Imports, Berkeley, CA
278131

2018 Terre Siciliane Zibbibo In Pithos ^
Vittoria-based producers Giusto Occhipinti
and Giambattista Cilia source the zibbibo
(moscato) grapes for this wine from vineyards near Marsala, in western Sicily. They
allow the grapes to ferment spontaneously
in clay amphorae (pithos), keeping the juice
and skins together for seven months. The
wine is bone dry and light in alcohol (11.5
percent), surprisingly refreshing for a skincontact wine, with lifted floral scents that
lead into saline-infused flavors of apricot,
orange marmalade and white peach. Serve
it at cellar temperature to elicit the full spectrum of aromas and flavors. -S.J. § Polaner
Selections, Mount Kisco, NY
278568
2019 Salina Malvasia Secca Infatata ^ Infatata is a 2.5-acre north-facing vineyard on
Salina with mineral-rich volcanic soils. Nino
Caravaglio farms its 30-year-old malvasia di
Lipari vines biodynamically, and ferments
the fruit with ambient yeasts in stainless
steel tanks. The wine ages on the lees for
three months, gaining a broad, creamy texture that complements lively flavors of white
peach, Meyer lemon and mandarin orange.
Notes of wild herbs emerge on the salinewashed finish. §-S.J. § North Berkeley Imports,
Berkeley, CA

278567

90 | Caravaglio

$22

2019 Salina Secco Malvasia Bianco (Best
Buy) ^ This is Caravaglio's lightest and breeziWINE & SPIRITS

OCTOBER 2020

107

https://www.wine-searcher.com/find/durin+pigato+riviera+ligure+di+ponente+liguria+italy/2019 https://www.wine-searcher.com/find/caravaggio+salina+malvasia+bianco+igp+sicilia+italy/2019

Wine & Spirits - October 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Wine & Spirits - October 2020