Wine & Spirits - October 2017 - 70
YEAR'S BEST ALTO ADIGE, FRIULI & SLOVENIA
VITOVSKA
223913
94 | Skerlj
$48
2014 Venezia Giulia Vitovska ^ The cool and
rainy 2014 vintage endowed Matej Skerlj's
vitovska grapes with high acidity and thin
skins, prompting him to macerate the juice
on the skins for five months, rather than the
usual three weeks, in order to build the wine's
structure. His patience paid off in this floral, textured wine. It seems to combine the
Carso's mountain and maritime influences
in its scents of green herbs, alpine tree bark
and salty sea breezes; the flavors follow suit,
the juicy peach, white fig and golden appleskin notes brimming with fresh acidity and
cool salinity. It's a natural match for scallops,
or most any shellfish. § T. Edward Wines, NY;
North Berkeley Imports, Berkeley, CA
223429
92 | Skerlj
$38
2013 Venezia Giulia Vitovska (Best Buy) ^
This feels denser and darker in tone than
Skerlj's exuberant 2014 (also recommended
here), reflecting the warmer vintage. Flavors
of dried apricot and pear mingle with notes
of honeycomb and green tea, and a firm mineral texture that brings to mind crunchy sea
salt. Petrol notes add to the weighty texture,
but they fade as flavors of yellow peach and
white cherry take over. Decanting will bring
out the bright fruit. § T. Edward Wines, NY;
North Berkeley Imports, Berkeley, CA
RE D
CABERNET FRANC
223844
91 | Vigna Traverso
$23
2012 Colli Orientali del Friuli Cabernet
Franc (Best Buy) ^ Rich enough to earn a
place on a steakhouse wine list, this offers
lively flavors of red plum, black cherry and
cassis grounded by an earthy note of charred
eggplant. The black-peppercorn spice and
smoky notes call for seared ribeye. § ViVino
Selections, Crafton, PA
223415
90 | Rodaro
$20
2015 Colli Orientali del Friuli Cabernet
Franc (Best Buy) ^ Notes of black spice and
grilled game accent this wine's brambly redberry flavors. It feels vibrant and fresh, lifted
by floral scents and a hint of menthol. Enjoy
it with sautéed mushrooms. § Winemonger
Imports, San Anselmo, CA
223631
earthy and gamey notes that punctuate its
juicy black-plum flavors. § Wine Twist Imports,
Oakland Park, FL
MERLOT
87 | Cembra
224217
93 | Kabaj
$38
2012 Goriska Brda Merlot ^ Jean-Michel
Morel's 2012 merlot is rich with ripe plum
and black cherry flavors, but the wine never
feels fat or jammy, thanks to the meaty tannins and savory notes of fresh-turned earth
and roasted mushrooms. A distinct note of
iodine lends a sanguine savor and enhances
the wine's Old World character. § Blue Danube
Wine, Los Altos Hills, CA
223571
91 | Castel Noarna
$39
2010 Vigneti delle Dolomiti Romeo ^ Marco
Zani began tending the vines at his family's
Trentino estate in 1989, farming organically
since 2008. Romeo, made from merlot, is
dark and plummy, the fruit layered with
notes of tobacco, roasted mushroom and
spice. The lively acidity promises to keep it
fresh for several more years. § Selection Massale, San Leandro, CA
PINOT NOIR
223135
91 | Elena Walch
$38
2014 Alto Adige Ludwig Pinot Nero ^ Notes
of fresh tobacco and hen-of-the-woods mushrooms lend ballast to this wine's crunchy
red-berry flavors. It shows impressive range,
drawing together earthy notes with hightoned fruit flavors and lingering sweet spice. §
USA Wine West, Sausalito, CA
223418
91 | Stroblhof
$50
2010 Alto Adige Riserva Blauburgunder ^
Notes of sweet spice and charred wood soon
give way to vibrant flavors of strawberry and
cherry in this pinot noir, kept fresh by its cool
acidity and a hint of menthol. The wine takes
a savory turn with exposure to air, picking up
notes of roasted mushrooms and cured meat,
suggesting a match with smoked sausages. §
Winemonger Imports, San Anselmo, CA
223488
90 | Girlan
$26
$10
2014 Alto Adige Patricia Pinot Noir ^ Notes
of orange zest lend zippy freshness to this
wine's flavors of tangy cranberry and tart red
plum. It feels cool and buoyant, with brisk
acidity that would play well with a plate of
salty fries. § Montcalm Wine Importers, NY
223933
2012 Carso Cabernet Franc (Best Buy) ^
Impressive for its varietal character, this
wine drinks like a Loire cabernet franc, with
2016 Alto Adige Pinot Nero (Best Buy) ^
Notes of dried earth, pine needles and
86 | Castelvecchio
70
WINE & SPIRITS
OCTOBER 2017
88 | Kellerei Kaltern
smoked game emerge from this wine's soft
strawberry flavors. It feels light and easy to
drink, especially with a slight chill. § Omniwines, Lindenhill, NY
223630
$23
$15
2015 Trentino Pinot Nero (Best Buy) ^ This
lively pinot noir shows flavors of wild strawberry and tangy cranberry with a hint of
smoke. It's refreshing, for lighter dishes of
pork or poultry. § Ethica Wines, San Diego, CA
REFOSCO
223291
90 | Eugenio Collavini
$17
90 | Rodaro
$20
2016 Colli Orientali del Friuli Pucino
Refosco (Best Buy) ^ This refosco feels youthful and exuberant, brimming with flavors of
fresh raspberry edged with notes of black
pepper and crushed herbs. One taster called
it "chuggable," noting that it's delicious now,
and flexible with a wide range of dishes, even
some richer ones. § Eugenio Collavini Viticoltori, Santa Rosa, CA
223416
2014 Colli Orientali del Friuli Refosco dal
Peduncolo Rosso (Best Buy) ^ A dark, loamy
note lends a slightly vegetal tone to this
wine's berry flavors. It takes on notes of soy,
black tea and charred meat that give it a dark
and savory character, even as its cool acidity
leaves you wanting another sip. § Winemonger
Imports, San Anselmo, CA
SCHIAVA
223697
88 | Nals Margreid
$21
88 | Peter Sölva
$18
2015 Alto Adige Galea Schiava (Best Buy) ^
This schiava feels firm and meaty, with ripe
red-berry flavors framed by moderate tannins and notes of smoked game. A match for
grilled poultry. § Massanois Imports, NY
223641
2016 Alto Adige Vernatsch (Best Buy) ^
Scents of violets, alpine herbs and woodsmoke weave through this wine's juicy cranberry flavors. It's light, with lively acidity
that's ready for speck. § Vignaioli Selection, NY
SCHIOPPETTINO
223350
91 | Vignai da Duline
$45
2015 Venezia Giulia Schioppettino ^ Notes
of green peppercorn amplify this wine's tangy
red-berry flavors. It feels brisk and lively-
"crushable," in the words of one taster-even
as it takes on spicy and savory notes. Pour it
with duck rillettes. § Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant, Berkeley, CA n
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Wine & Spirits - October 2017
Contents
Wine & Spirits - October 2017 - Cover1
Wine & Spirits - October 2017 - Cover2
Wine & Spirits - October 2017 - 1
Wine & Spirits - October 2017 - 2
Wine & Spirits - October 2017 - 3
Wine & Spirits - October 2017 - 4
Wine & Spirits - October 2017 - Contents
Wine & Spirits - October 2017 - 6
Wine & Spirits - October 2017 - 7
Wine & Spirits - October 2017 - 8
Wine & Spirits - October 2017 - 9
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Wine & Spirits - October 2017 - Cover3
Wine & Spirits - October 2017 - Cover4
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