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Louis Dressner Selections
Angiolino Maule Masieri Garganega IGT Veneto 2018
In a market of flashy packaging this wine is too often overlooked, but it is truly among the best valued of our Italian whites. Fresh herbs and lightly fruity, this is an awesome example of what Garganega grown organically can be. Allowed a natural wild yeast fermentation, no filtering and very low amounts of sulfites added. Pair with seafood, white sauced pasta, chicken or hard cheeses.
Gambellara is ostensibly the extension of the Soave foothills in Veneto into the adjoining province of Vicenza where the wine changes its name, but not its general composition. The principal white grape is Garganega backed up with small amounts of Trebbiano. These hills are volcanic in origin, and have rich, dark mineral soils with good amounts of fine clay. They are south facing slopes that are protected from the blasts of Alpine northern winds by the southern Dolomites. The altitude here is between 150 to 250 meters.
Angiolino’s estate, in the hamlet of Biancara, now covers about 9 HA. For more than 16 years now, he has plowed in his vines and not used any soil treatments, chemical or otherwise. Using biodynamic viticultural practices, Angiolino has created an organic, living soil and ecosystem for benefiting the health of the vines and their resistance to any form of malady. He is unwavering in his belief that great wines are the result of healthy, beautiful, handpicked fruit, and the only way to achieve this is through natural processes.
Furthermore, he believes that the work in the cellar -- vinification, aging and bottling --must be consistent with the work in the vines and involve no additives that compromise the natural fruit material, for better or worse. The vinifications are conducted without temperature control, the addition of sulfur, enzymes or yeast and without the use of fining or filtration. Annually the production is between 35 to 45K bottles. - Louis/Dressner
$20.00
Beaune Imports
Arnot-Roberts Handal-Denier Vineyard Falanghina
Falanghina is an ancient white grape variety that traces its roots to the Campania region north of Naples in Southern Italy. According to the writings of Pliny the Elder, wines from the Falanghina grape were highly valued in Roman culture, and sites from the Amalfi Coast to Rome are thought to have been planted by Greek settlers as early as the 7th century BC. Very little Falanghina is planted outside of Italy, and to our knowledge, Handal-Denier vineyard is the only parcel of the variety in Sonoma County. Falanghina is a variety that holds onto its natural acidity well in in a hot climate and shows us the potential for crafting bright and fresh white wine.
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Estate Wines
Bisci Verdicchio
100% Verdicchio from hillside vineyards 300-350 meters above sea level. Vines are planted to calcareous clay soils, all with a southern exposure. Fermentation takes place in glazed cement vats with temperature control (under 20°C). Wine is aged in cement sur lies for 8 months before bottling.
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Wine Warehouse
Bucci Verdicchio
The Bucci family has owned their estate in the Marche, near the town of Montecarotto where the family has its origins, since the 18th century. But it was Ampelio Bucci who first began making outstanding Verdicchio wines in 1982. The estate comprises 300 hectares in the western part of the Marche region, including 31 hectares under vine – 25 planted to Verdicchio and 6 to Montepulciano and Sangiovese. In addition to wine, Bucci produces other staples including durum wheat, peas, sugar beets, olives and sunflowers.
The estate has been officially certified for practicing organic agriculture for over 25 years, but like many of the great wine estates of Italy, Bucci doesn’t boast about that fact. Bucci currently produces about 120,000 bottles a year, most of which is their two Verdicchio wines. From the start, Bucci has been assisted by the now-legendary enologist Giorgio Grai, who has been responsible for some of Italy’s greatest white wines.
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Wine Warehouse
Bucci Verdicchio 375mL
The muscular structure of a red wine achieved through excellent, low yield material, not oak nor tannin. This Verdicchio has a full-throttle aromatic profile of dried citrus, honey, broom and almond, with lots of drive and intensity, finishing with healthy acidity and a lengthy, intense finish. This is as good as Verdicchio Classico gets - from 40 year old vines. Stunning.
$14.00
PLUMPJACK
Ca' Lojera Lugana DOC
Straw yellow with marked greenish shadings, it reached golden reflections by ageing.
Fragrance of melon, tangerine and grapefruit with mint hints and some floral notes in the early stage.
Savory, fresh and mineral on the palate, of marked typicalness.
$18.00
Canayli
Cantina Gallura Vermentino di Gallura "Canayli" 2017
Producers Notes:
Color: Bright straw yellow with golden tinges.
Nose: Big, intense, with nuances of grape and exotic fruit, and hints of green pepper (capsicum).
Palate: Dry, full, warm, with good firmness of flavour and texture, characteristic, well balanced, harmonious, good structure, especially delicate, elegant, with a pleasing slightly bitter finish.
Serving suggestions: Tall, fairly wide goblet, serving temperature 10-12 °C Food
Parings: The ultimate wine for fish entrees, shellfish and crustaceans. Light first courses, seafood risotto, grilled or stewed fish, mild PDO Sardinian Pecorino cheese.
Production area: Valley of San Leonardo in the countryside of Luras, Calangianus, yield 60-70 quintals per hectare.
Vineyard: Mostly at 1000 feet above sea level on a western and south western exposure
Soil: Granite soils of limited depth, rich in skeleton consisting of coarse granite weathering sand, loose, acid, poor in nutrients, very low water retention. Training System: Guyot.
Climate: Mediterranean, average rainfall rates in Spring and Autumn, long, hot and windy summers, considerable temperature excursions.
Harvest: Traditional, by hand- end of September
$22.00
Vinity
Cascina Val del Prete "Luet" Arneis Roero
$21.00
PlumpJack
Giovanna Chessa Mattariga Vermentino di Sardegna DOC
Pale yellow in color, this 100% Vermentino shows aromas and flavors of lemon-peel, flowers and ‘macchia,’ the smell of the wild herbs that surround the limestone-rich vineyards. Fresh acidity makes this a very versatile food wine (a natural choice with seafood), and I love it as a dry aperitif too.
$23.00
PlumpJack
I Cacciagalli Zagreo
Region: Campania
Grape Varieties: Fiano
Alcohol: 13% vol
Format: 0,75l
Vinification: vinification and ageing in amphora with long skin maceration. Unfiltred, unclarified
Serve at: 54-57° F
Food Pairing: fish soups, fish tartare, grilled caught
$34.00
Inama Foscarino
Inama Foscarino Soave
This Northern Italian white emerges from the basaltic lava soil of the old pergola vineyards from the eastern side of Monte Foscarino, the oldest white wine area in Northern Italy. A respectful, modern reinterpretation of the thousands of years of traditions of the Soave Classico, based on the delicate Garganega grape which is only capable of being produced from this region’s volcanic earth, this medium-bodied wine offers an intensely brilliant and rich golden straw-yellow colour, while its signature very well may be its complex flavours benefiting from minimally intrusive winemaking process and fermentation in used barriques.
Its tempting, lifted nose sweetly foreshadows the experience of honey, liquorice and hints of spice that proceed to dance on the palate with delectable aromas of the field flowers from the local region. These main notes are softly complemented by a savoury, mineral mix of stone fruit and citrus. This intermingling of complexly woven tastes enhances the medium-full, creamy palate which is balanced by a sophisticated and slightly dense consistency, oak tannins and a lively acidity. It’s lingering, dry finish ends with a delicate hint of sweet almond.
This 100% Garganega grape wine produces an exceptional Suave is full of character, which is best complemented by polenta, fish, poultry or spicy food.
$27.00
PlumpJack
Inama Foscarino Soave Magnum
This Northern Italian white emerges from the basaltic lava soil of the old pergola vineyards from the eastern side of Monte Foscarino, the oldest white wine area in Northern Italy. A respectful, modern reinterpretation of the thousands of years of traditions of the Soave Classico, based on the delicate Garganega grape which is only capable of being produced from this region’s volcanic earth, this medium-bodied wine offers an intensely brilliant and rich golden straw-yellow colour, while its signature very well may be its complex flavours benefiting from minimally intrusive winemaking process and fermentation in used barriques.
Its tempting, lifted nose sweetly foreshadows the experience of honey, liquorice and hints of spice that proceed to dance on the palate with delectable aromas of the field flowers from the local region. These main notes are softly complemented by a savoury, mineral mix of stone fruit and citrus. This intermingling of complexly woven tastes enhances the medium-full, creamy palate which is balanced by a sophisticated and slightly dense consistency, oak tannins and a lively acidity. It’s lingering, dry finish ends with a delicate hint of sweet almond.
This 100% Garganega grape wine produces an exceptional Suave is full of character, which is best complemented by polenta, fish, poultry or spicy food.
$55.00
Kofererhof
Kofererhof Weingut Kerner
Greenish yellow-golden yellow in color. On the nose, fruity with aromatic notes. The flavors are pleasant, fresh, sapid, well structured.
Pair with hors d'oeuvres, dishes with more or less elaborate sauces, seafood.
$31.00
Kofererhof
Kofererhof Weingut Sylvaner
Fresh, fruity, full-bodied, and decidedly dry. Pair with salami, ham, roast fish and fish dishes with sauces, pasta and rice dishes with aromatic vegetable sauces, and goat cheese.
$26.00
Winebow
La Capranera Fiano
Fiano is thought to be a grape indigenous to Campania. Known for its low yield and intense aromatics, Fiano is also thought to be the grape used for Rome's famous Apianum wine.
After gentle pressing, the must is fermented in stainless steel tanks at a low, controlled temperature. The wine then spends 8 months in tanks before bottling.
An elegant bouquet with very clean flavors on the palate that are reminiscent of white flowers and pear. Elegant with lots of mineral notes.
$15.00
Springboard
La Giustiniana Gavi
One of Piedmont’s famous DOCG zones, Gavi di Gavi at its best is a tight, bright, aromatic white wine primed to be an elevated alternative to Pinot Grigio at your table. La Giustiniana is, without a doubt, an elite Gavi expert. This is a texural wine made entirely of hand-harvested Cortese from the region’s best vineyards. The calcareous soil renders an elegant expression of the grape, and a long, cool fermentation in stainless steel draws out bright herbal notes that linger on the finish. The pronounced acidity and refined profile of anise, green apple, and almond make this dry white a versatile accompaniment for many meals. It shines with fish and light pastas, or sipped as an aperitif.
$16.00
skurnik
La Spinetta Vermentino Toscana
Aromas of sliced apples, lemon rind and spicy undertones. Bright, refreshing and full body, lots of fruit and a flavorful and a mineral finish are proof of the approximity to the Mediterranean Sea.
"Bright and fruity white with sliced lemon and apple character. Medium body, bright acidity and a clean finish. It's a pretty Vermentino."- James Suckling
$22.00
Springboard
Le Calcinaie Vernaccia
100% Vernaccia grown in sandy soils at an elevation of 250m. Fermented in steel vats at 16°C for 2-3 weeks, followed by aging on the lees until the following spring.
$19.00
Chambers and Chambers
Margerum M5 White
$23.00
PlumpJack
Masseria Li Veli "Askos" Verdeca D'itria
$23.00
PlumpJack
Monchiero Carbone "Cecu" Roero Arneis
Located in Canale, in the heart of the Roero DOCG in Langhe, the Monchiero Carbone winery was established in 1990 with the goal of reuniting vineyards owned by two branches of a family (Monchiero and Carbone) with winemaking traditions dating back to 1918.
Dedicated to Grandfather Francesco Carbone (better known as “Cecu d’la Biunda" or “son of the blond woman” in the local dialect), grapes for this wine are grown on the soft, limestone soils of the hills surrounding the Vezza Valley.
Intense straw-yellow in color with gold highlights, this exceptional Arneis features intensely floral nuances on the nose that slowly evolve into aromas of white currant, orange blossom, mint, and sage. Cecu shows impressive structure and minerality on the palate, developing into a long, supple finish.
$20.00
Winebow
Monte Carbonare Suavia
Monte Carbonare is the name of the hill upon which the vineyard that sources this wine is situated. The word Carbonare refers to coal and is used to describe this location because the volcanic soils here are black as coal. Produced from 100% Garganega and exposed only to stainless steel in order to preserve freshness, the Tessari family describes this wine as “earth in a glass”—a pure expression of their volcanic terroir.
Straw yellow with considerable intensity and brilliant highlights. This wine is creamy and elegant. It is characterized by freshness and aromas of citrus, herbs, and mineral. On the palate the wine is well-balanced and refreshing with a dry and persistent finish.
Best served with delicate fish-based dishes, truffle or mushroom risottos, and medium flavored cheeses as well as a variety of vegetarian dishes.
$26.00
PlumpJack
Mottura Poggio alla Costa
It suits savoury dishes such as lasagne, spaghetti “alla carbonara” and “amatriciana”, bean or chickpea soups, roast veal in a cream sauce, ossobuco alla milanese and, naturally, all fish: salt cod “alla livornese”, red mullet and grilled tuna steaks are all particularly good pairings.
Gambero Rosso have named it the best Italian wine for asparagus.
$20.00
PlumpJack
Palazzone Terre Vineate White
Our years of experience have enabled us to choose a specific portion of our Palazzone vineyard for the production of this wine. It has a perfect aspect and we carry out careful pruning to leave the best possible bunches of the Procanico and Grechetto grapes with which to make our Terre Vineate. The name comes from the medieval quarter in which our vineyard is situated.
Procanico 50%
Grechetto 30%
Verdello, Drupeggio, Malvasia 20%
$16.00
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