i Favati Greco vines, in beautiful Campania

A Brilliant (New) Italian White Wine + Some Old Friends

Share

Comparisons are often specious, or at least lazy ways of marketing, so I try to avoid making them, but: the first thing that came to mind when I was wowed by a taste of the golden-colored i Favati Terrantica was “Chablis! Very good Chablis! But very Italian – Valentini meets Raveneau…”

No Longer Available

i Favati 2012 Greco di Tufo Terrantica Etichetta Bianca

I should have known by now that 8 year-old Greco di Tufo had the potential to mature in a very positive way, but this took me by surprise. It’s first a very mineral, chalky wine. It has apricot and peach fruit balanced by lemony acidity – it’s very fresh. There are charming savory notes – like fresh tarragon, and walnuts. It has a lot of richness and opulent texture without being heavy, the opulence being balanced by some tannin – there is no significant skin contact here, but Greco has tannin, which helps give the wine remarkable length. The alcohol is 13.5, which seems just about right as the wine shows no heat or imbalance. It’s not a shy or subtle wine – one of the things that made me think of French wine, since so many Italian white wines are relatively delicate in expression and need to be teased into the open. I Favati works organically in the vines; the Greco is fermented with indigenous yeasts in steel, where it stays for most of a year, with batonnage. It’s bottled unfiltered, and the Etichetta Bianca (white label) is aged in bottle for 4-5 years before it’s released. After 7-8 years, it’s a thing of beauty. Jamie Wolff

  • Out of Stock
  • white
  • 0 in stock
  • $33.99

  • Organic

Nusserhof (Heinrich Mayr) 2018 Vino Bianco B.......

The Blatterle story is brief: this is the last commercially available example of an almost-extinct grape variety. Frequently this happens because the type of grape involved is difficult to grow, but that’s not cited as an explanation for the disappearance of Blatterle. Because something less than 4 acres of vines still exist, Blatterle is not officially recognized as a grape variety, so the name cannot legally appear on the label – thus “B------e” on the Nusserhof label. The other motive for letting a grape variety disappear might be because it doesn’t make appealing wine, but – at least in the hands of Hans Meyr of Nusserhof – this is far from true. I’ve been tasting (and drinking!) the Nusserhof Blatterle for many years, and I love the 2018. It’s perhaps more aromatic than some vintages, with lovely stone fruit, honey, white flowers, and a hint of petrol. It’s brisk and crisp and refreshing – and at 12° alcohol very easy to drink. A real treat! Jamie Wolff

  • Out of Stock
  • white
  • 0 in stock
  • $29.99

  • Organic
  • Low Sulfur

Radikon 2013 IGT Venezia-Gulia Ribolla Gialla 500ml

“Normally” I would have tasted the Radikon wines in Italy, in the spring… The quantities shown are all that’s available at present, so I haven't taken any. Radikon is a pioneer in Italy of extended skin-contact white wine – orange wine, that is (and a pioneer in making great wine with zero added sulfur). These are the best of their type - very consistent, fascinating wines, with finesse. Unlike so many imitators, Radikon wines have both a sense of place, and are clear expressions of their grape varieties. Jamie Wolff

PS "Jakot" is what used to be called Tokaj Friulano, and is now officially called Friulano...

  • Out of Stock
  • white
  • 0 in stock
  • $46.99

  • Organic
  • No Sulfur
  • Out of Stock
  • white
  • 0 in stock
  • $44.99

  • Organic
  • No Sulfur