Italian Eclectica in the Hills

The usual suspects, plus Steve Pride and spouse, convened for some eclectic Italian wines deep in that cul de sac Moraga. I have to confess that the theme was perhaps chosen in part to find a set of wines that were as far as possible from the Cult Cabs that Steve is used to, and in that we certainly succeeded.

First up were a couple of Arneis from Piemonte, the 2007 Vietti Arneis and the 2008 Giacosa Arneis. The preference for the Arneis split very nicely along gender lines, with the ladies going for the slightly more full bodied 2008 Giacosa Arneis, which showed sweet tropical fruit along with fainter mid-latitude orchard fruit flavors. The men seemed to prefer the 2007 Vietti Arneis came across as much crisper, higher in acidity than the Giacosa, and with more northerly white flower aromas. Perhaps I was influenced as well in my preference for the Vietti by the pairing with the soft La Tur cheese that seemed to demand a more bracing wine.

Next up was a 1999 Valentini Trebbiano d’Abruzzo, the very definition of an iconoclastic wine. The nose is dominated by a whole array of nut aromas, the most easily identifiable of which was probably almonds, along with yeast. On the palate the leesy character is very apparent, with roasted red apple and yeast flavors, made slightly picquant by the faintest hint of carbonation. Probably a crazy comparison, by somehow this reminded me a bit of an Aubert Ritchie Chardonnay, even if the match in the grape variety was not perfect. Paired beautifully with Nilla’s signature veal tonnato.

Then to pair with the main course, four distinctive reds that were paired with Osso Bucco. A 1999 Paolo Bea Sagrantino de Montefalco Secco was opened up 3 hours before dinner, which helped to blow off some of the volatile acidity it showed. While this and other Bea wines are reported to take years to come around, this has not been my impression from tasting this one, the 1999, and a 2001 last summer. Who is to say what maturity is, but certainly this was showing secondary flavors that seemed to literally dance on the palate, with lush port-like fruit that exploded on the palate as inner mouth perfume. We had some discussion about how to describe this wine, with Steve suggesting the terms “porty and raisiny”, while others of us holding out for the distinction between these two. I guess this was a big one in its own way, but I was struck by how light it was on its feet, like Port without the high alcohol and sheer density, an acrobatic version of Pegau’s Cuvee da Capo. Certainly a highly original wine by probably anybody’s standards.

Alongside the Bea was a 1997 Casanova de Neri Brunello di Montalcino Tenuta Nuova, certainly the most backward and reserved of the wines that evening. This wine seemed to have barely budged from its primary flavors despite its 12 years of age, with aromas of tar and black cherry coaxed only reluctantly from the glass. While not showy at this stage, I was nonetheless impressed with the depth of material here, with not insubstantial tannins balanced well at this stage by the density of dark fruit. I think this will drink very well in eight years or so, and is no particular danger of drying out as some have warned.

And then a 1995 Brigaldara Amarone della Valpolicella Classico, Steve Pride’s favorite of the tasting, which was chosen by Lou for its almost Burgundian style that contrasted with the 1995 Bussola Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Vigneto Alto that followed. The Brigaldara might be described as another Port-like wine (or it was by some) except for the darkness of the fruit and its strong mineral and dry extract finish. Intriguing camphor aromas on the nose added to the complex, exotic raisiny aromas and flavors that came across as almost as light on its feet as the Bea. Then the Bussola, which was another beast (or should I say monster) with the dark fruit and dry raisiny extract ratcheted up to a whole another level. This one probably just needs more time for its full complexity to emerge.

Last up was a 1988 Rieussec Sauternes, that while it paired well with the poached pears, did not do much for me. Slightly on the simple side, and missing some of the acidity and extra botrytis I look for in a really energetic Sauternes, this just could not compete with the Italian fireworks tasted before.

2002 Fevre: The Agony and the Ecstasy

A group of wine geeks concerned about the reports of prem-ox affecting the 2002 Fèvre Chablis in particular assembled to taste through many of their Grand Cru and a couple of Premier Cru from the vintage.

Some conclusions first:

• The 2002 Chablis, and the Fèvre in particular, are fragile. They apparently need to be treated with kid gloves.

• Mistreatment in shipping or storage prior to their retail sale for some of the wines seems pretty clear to me at least. Some batches of the wine are affected at a very high rate, while other batches are almost unaffected. This is incompatible with a 100% random process as one would expect with bad corks, for example.

• Lining all the wines up in the same kind of glass with the same fill, subtle differences in color were apparent, with the palest wine being the Preuses described below.

So first, a suite of 2002 Fèvre purchased through Premier Cru on the gray market from an importer in Denmark (the labels on the back are in Danish).

2002 Fèvre Montée de Tonnerre
Very pale yellow, this gives off faint chalky aromas laced with quinine. In the mouth, this is missing just a touch of the richness and complexity that shows up in the Grand Cru that follow, but the weightlessness and overall balance are convincing. This bottle has that almost feminine delicacy and elegance that are the hallmarks of the best Montée de Tonnerre. In fine shape…

2002 Fèvre Vaudésir
Just the faintest darker hue than the MdT, this was nonetheless another bottle in great shape, with a lively acidity on the palate framing richer, sappier, more complex fruit. The bracing citrus notes on the palate are fading here and there is just a touch of caramel appearing, but it all seems in the right proportion. This kept expanding in the glass, with new floral notes and texture emerging with time.

2002 Fèvre Bougros Côtes des Bouguerots
Another richer style of Chablis (within the Fèvre fold), but with even more bracing acidity than the Vaudesir showed, with notes of quinine tempered by the faintest touch of more volatile sherry aromas. This again seems to be in a good place on the aging curve, although I don’t know if it will make it to 20 years. A fine effort, but maybe not quite as compelling as some of the Bouguerots I have had in later years.

2002 Fèvre Preuses
I have had an advanced version of this wine in the past that was still quite good, with softer floral and tropical fruit aromas that made for a very different style from what appears here. This bottle had the palest color of any in the lineup, with only the faintest trace of straw yellow. On the nose the seductive aromas are of oyster shell, chalk, and tidal pool delivered with great delicacy and detail. On the palate this is not the most powerful wine that you will encounter, but it is hard to imagine a more weightless one, or one with greater crystallinity, detail, and transparency. This is like looking into a crystal clear tidal pool, with details at depth showing remarkably in focus. It is not often that mere mortals get to see Newton’s Law of Gravity flouted so brazenly and successfully. The long seashell and saline notes linger on the palate with an almost ghostly presence. This was a great bottle that I could not get out of my mind (or off my palate) as I mistakenly drove west instead of east on leaving the tasting…

2002 Fèvre Valmur
The strongest color of any in the original six, and also the most advanced, with distinct sherry and almond notes on the nose. This would be relatively easy to drink and enjoy under normal circumstances, but it suffered in comparison with the more crystalline and pristine examples that preceded it. The palate has lost some of its clarity as well as the sherry flavors are starting to obscure the underlying structure of the wine.

2002 Fèvre Clos
I thought this one initially was more advanced than it was, with soft honey notes on the nose and a sappy mid-palate low in acidity. This wine was much more richer than I recall from earlier tastings, but also less advanced than previous recent bottles that showed more like the one described below. With time in the glass, this actually firmed up, holding its own for the rest of the evening.

Now a couple of 2002 Fèvre Chablis from my own cellar, which have been affected in the recent past by prem-ox:

2002 Fèvre les Clos (from the Wine House in Los Angeles, directly imported by Cliquot Inc.)
This bottle shows a more pronounced caramel –sherry notes than the preceding gray market Clos, although the bottle is still drinkable for those with some tolerance for this character. The ghost of quinine and oyster shell flavors can still be detected through the encroaching oxidative flavors, but the detail is beginning to blur.

2002 Fèvre Bougros (from Premier Cru, with a label in French on the back)
Even stronger sherry and caramel notes here with only the ghost of acidity and Chablis character lurking in the background, like those ruined cities of bygone eras now overgrown with vegetation that you read about in fantasy novels. Very much in keeping with at least some of the recent 2002 Fèvre Bougros I have had from the same source, although out of five sampled earlier, two were still good.

2002 Fèvre Vaillons (from Premier Cru, with a label in French on the back)
This bottle was again similar in style to the last 5 or 6 Vaillons I have had over the last year, except this was even further gone. One would be hard pressed here to even identify it as a Chablis.

To conclude, a beautiful 1986 Climens Sauternes, with apricot, almond, and botrytis aromas in perfectly orchestrated balance. Ethereal, with delicate acidity and fantastic length, this was as good as a bottle I tasted a few years ago.