Wine & Spirits - October 2020 - 108

IMPORTED NEW RELEASES
est white, a perfect aperitif with salty snacks.
Half the pleasure comes from inhaling the
scents of dewy white blossoms and fresh
stone fruits. Bright salinity rushes through
flavors of juicy peach, kiwi and nectarine,
and there's more density to the fruit tones
than the delicate aromas suggest. Stock this
refreshing island wine by the case. -S.J. §
North Berkeley Imports, Berkeley, CA
278570

90 | Le Casematte

$23

2018 Sicilia Peloro Bianco ^ Vineyards overlooking the Straits of Messina on Sicily's
northeastern tip produce this herb-inflected
blend of grillo and 35 percent carricante. Its
mouthwatering flavors of lime and green
plum are propelled by cool salinity. A match
for grilled swordfish or tuna. -S.J. § Empson
USA, Alexandria, VA
278214

87 | Cusumano

$15

2018 Terre Siciliane Insolia (Best Buy) ^
Tangy acidity weaves through this wine's flavors of tart lemon and tangelo. It's a refreshing match for fish and chips. -S.J. § Terlato
Wines Int'l, Lake Bluff, IL

I TA LY R O S É

LIGURIA
278169

91 | Durin

PIEDMONT
278107

98 | Sandrone

91 | Rocca di Montegrossi

$24

2019 Toscana Rosato ^ This irresistible rosé
of sangiovese offers bright cherry and bloodorange flavors infused with lively acidity. Balanced and brisk, it's enjoyable on its own or
with a range of savory snacks. -S.J. § North
Berkeley Imports, Berkeley, CA

I TA LY RE D
FRIULI-VENEZIA GIULIA
278193

90 | Meroi

$32

2017 Friuli Colli Orientali Nèstri ^ A blend
of merlot with one-quarter refosco, this rustic
red offers flavors of dark plum and raspberry
edged with notes of dark cocoa, tobacco and
rare steak. Smooth tannins and lively acidity keep the flavors aloft as the wine finishes
on lingering notes of anise and black peppercorn. -S.J. § Artisanal Cellars, White River
Junction, VT
108

WINE & SPIRITS

OCTOBER 2020

$155

2016 Barolo Le Vigne ^ Barolo's 2016 growing season brought long and slow ripening to
the vines, resulting in this powerful wine. A
blend of fruit from Vignane in Barolo, Merli
in Novello, Baudana in Serralunga d'Alba and
Villero in Castiglione Falletto, it offers complex flavors of red cherry and plum, orange
peel and mint, framed by chiseled tannins
and racy acidity. The wine is utterly compelling and delicious upon the first taste, then
begins to shut down as the tannins enclose
the fruit. A young thoroughbred, this will
improve over the next decade and beyond.
-S.J. § Vintus, Pleasantville, NY
278108

97 | Sandrone

278168

$22

2019 Riviera Ligure di Ponente Rossese
(Best Buy) ^ This wine tastes of summer strawberries and tangerines, laced with crunchy
wild herbs. Its delicate light ruby color
matches the wine's buoyant, zesty personality. Serve it lightly chilled to accentuate
the brisk acidity and refreshing saline notes.
-S.J. § North Berkeley Imports, Berkeley, CA

$175

2016 Barolo Aleste ^ Harvested from the Sandrone family's prime southeast-facing plots
of Cannubi Boschis, just above the winery,
this is lush and layered. Scents of violets and
rose petals lead into flavors of cherry and
plum that feel perfectly ripe, accented by
notes of licorice, toasted vanilla and warm
spices. The detailed precision and depth of
flavor are as impressive as the wine's harmonious integration, and the wine will only get
better over the next decade. -S.J. § Vintus,
Pleasantville, NY
278125

93 | Sandrone

$54

2018 Nebbiolo d'Alba Valmaggiore ^ This
floral-scented, red-fruited nebbiolo is bright
and lifted, its flavors of red cherry and raspberry brimming with vibrant acidity. Notes of
thyme and mint further enliven the flavors,
making it impossible to resist now-but keep
a few bottles in the cellar to track its development over the next several years. -S.J. § Vintus, Pleasantville, NY
278147

92 | Sandrone

$43

2018 Barbera d'Alba ^ Barbera's signature
high acidity comes streaming through in the
moderate 2018 vintage, infusing this wine's
juicy raspberry and strawberry flavors with
verve and energy. The fruit comes from vine-

yards in Novello and Monforte d'Alba, and
the wine rested for one year in French oak
tonneaux (25 percent new), gaining lush tannins and spice notes to balance the racy acidity. -S.J. § Vintus, Pleasantville, NY

S I C I LY
278593

93 | Le Casematte

$45

92 | COS

$35

92 | Donnafugata

$30

92 | Planeta

$38

92 | Planeta

$44

2017 Faro ^ This herbal, savory red from Sicily's northeastern tip shows flavors of dark
berries and dried plums accented by notes
of orange zest and wild herbs. About threequarters of the blend is nerello mascalese and
nerello cappuccio, the predominant varieties of Mt. Etna, Faro's neighbor to the southeast, with the balance coming from nocera
and nero d'Avola. The tannins are ripe and
subtle, the structure coming more from the
wine's dark mineral texture. -S.J. § Empson
USA, Alexandria, VA
278130
2016 Cerasuolo di Vittoria Classico ^ A blend
of nero d'Avola with 40 percent frappato and
aged in large Slavonian oak casks, this feels
cool and slightly tangy, with dynamic acidity driving its red and black berry flavors. It
picks up notes of wild herbs and orange peel
as the flavors progress across the palate, adding to the wine's lean, vertical profile. -S.J. §
Polaner Selections, Mount Kisco, NY
278139
2017 Cerasuolo di Vittoria Floramundi
(Best Buy) ^ A hot, dry 2017 summer required
some emergency irrigation in Donnafugata's Vittoria vineyards. They began harvest
ten days earlier than usual and lost about
ten percent of the crop, but the grapes that
remained produced a delicious red packed
with flavors of juicy plum, raspberry and rhubarb. Cool acidity freshens the flavors and
draws them out on a long, harmonious finish. -S.J. § Folio Fine Wine Partners, Napa, CA
278145
2017 Cerasuolo di Vittoria Classico
Dorilli ^ A sultry red from the sandy soils of
Planeta's Dorilli estate, this is dominated by
nero d'Avola's flavors of dark plum and black
cherry, brightened by notes of raspberry jam
and dusty herbs from 30 percent frappato.
The wine gained its lush texture and lively
spice notes from a year in oak barrels. -S.J. §
Taub Family Selections, Boca Raton, FL
278146
2016 Noto Santa Cecilia ^ This nero d'Avola
hails from the sandy limestone soils of Sicily's windswept southern tip, where the fruit

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Wine & Spirits - October 2020

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