September 2024 | Enthusiast Wine Club

Pisano 2022 Rossese di Dolceacqua

Rossese di Dolceacqua comes from the Ligurian coast of Italy on incredibly steep vineyards trellised with ancient chunks of limestone.  The soil type is ~ 40% sand, 40% clay and 20% limestone with all vineyard work done by hand due to the extreme location and exposition of the vineyard. During ideal vintages, the proximity to the Mediterranean Sea allows the vines allows for a wonderful growing season consisting of warm, sunny days and cool nights which elongates the season to amplify the structure of the resulting wines.

This Rossese from Pisano is a staple Ligurian red wine; right off the pop are supple and dense notes nostalgic of olive tapenade and plum reduction. The concentration on the wine is remarkable with juicy and lush notes ringing of candied blueberry and marionberry. With time, the wine becomes almost sarsaparilla with notes of flat Dr. Pepper and amaro. For food pairings I would opt for barley stew, medium to medium rare seared veal or steak, or ragu. Drink now – 2032 and serve at cellar temperature in all-purpose stemware.

Barone di Villagrande 2022 Etna Bianco

The volcanic terroir of Etna is overt in the glass; there is no shying away from the elements of deep minerality and bracing structure. Barone di Villagrande sits on the eastern slope of Etna and therefore has a much cooler climate than the southern facing vineyards of prominence. This entry level Etna Bianco is 90% Carricante with 10% indigenous Sicilian varietals and was fermented and aged in stainless steel for 10 months.

In the glass the wine is reminiscent of sake with notes of pecan pie filling, custard and almond skins giving rise to an overall plush and warm profile. The body of the wine has spice notes of cinnamon oil and allspice berry that play well with the obvious and loud saline component. On day two the wine maintains incredible integrity with bright pineapple notes, passionfruit, orange oils, and that textbook slippery and oily Carricante body comes through. For food pairings opt for white fish crudo, grilled prawns, or a late summer corn salad with feta. Drink now – 2036 and serve chilled in all-purpose stemware.

Ghostnote Wines 2022 Corvina

Some Enthusiast wine club members may recognize this wine; exactly three years ago I featured the Ghostnote 2019 Corvina as a club offering and the wines have since gained a substantial fan base here. Ghostnote is a project from Brad Friedman that focuses on Italian varietals in California. Brad’s winemaking abilities are top notch and the care and attention he puts into his bottlings are felt in each glass. This wine was natively fermented and aged for 16 months in neutral barrel.

Corvina is most commonly associated with the Verona region of Italy and plays a substantial role in Valpolicella. As a standalone varietal, Corvina is very light on its feet – despite being macerated on skins for 4 weeks, this wine is merely watermelon in color. In the glass the wine is soft hibiscus, grapefruit oils, Taro root, jasmine, and dried strawberry. There’s an energetic note of candied ginger that plays well with the raspberry tea like profile. Structurally the wine is very soft and almost satin-like with soft acid and well-integrated tannins. The wine holds strong over days and while the profile may waver through tonality, the core stays prominent. Serve alongside garden salad with a balsamic dressing, prosciutto, and/or margherita pizza. Drink now – 2030 and serve in all-purpose stemware at cellar temperature.