Dressner's Mafia invades New Haven

Joe Dressner, the influential wine importer and half of Louis/Dressner Selections, brought seven of his portfolio's Italian winemakers to Union League Cafe (1032 Chapel St.) for a tasting of their wines. Click here to find out more about the winemakers.

All of the wines tasted are farmed biodynamically, treating the soil as a living organism, little to no sulphur is used (although sulfites do naturally exist in wine, so these aren't necessarily "sulfite-free"), and the wines are made without the use of high-priced consultants.



"borrowed" from joedressner.com


The stars of the show were Pietro Vergano (second from right), Alessandra Bera (third from left), and Arianna Occhipinti (left).

Pietro Vergano, from Chinati Vergano is a chemist-turned-distiller. He makes Chinato, a mixture of wine, spirits, sweeteners, and spices. Although his Chinato is not what one would expect to find at a "traditional" wine tasting, these were a big hit with everyone who tried them. The room was abuzz with, "Try table eight (his table) first!". The gang from 116 Crown were called in for their opinions, and I wouldn't be surprised if we see Chinati Vergano on their menu soon.
Pietro, who distills spirits from organic grains, offered three variations of Chinato...
The Chinati Vergano Americano ($$$) uses wines from Piedmont mixed with the Absinthe herb, among other spices. We tasted it first, and found it to be a cornucopia of pie spices with a nice sweet finish. Pietro then, excited, threw some ice cubes and orange zest into our glasses and poured more Americano. The difference was amazing, and this is an aperitif that is a MUST TRY.
The Chinati Vergano Luli Chanato Moscato ($$$-$$$$) was, obviously, a moscato d'asti based chinato, sweetened with local sugar and infused with cinnamon, quinine, and corriander. The moscato actually comes from Allesandra and Gianluigi Bera (their moscato was one of the big hits of the show).
The Chinati Vergano Chinato Nebbiolo ($$$-$$$$) features a base of Nebbiolo d'Alba from Barbaresco, which is usually a red wine on the heartier side. This was infused with Rhubarb, Cardamom, and Quinine, as well as a host of other spices, but it gets kind of tough to follow that accent. This Chinato was more of a digestif, and I can picture myself with this at the end of a long day, reading a book, wearing my smoking jacket.
I need to get a smoking jacket.

Alessandra Bera, from Bera Vittorio & Figli, is a rebellious woman. Teaming up with her brother, they make Moscato without "gassing up the wine" (normal practice), instead using spontaneous refermentation by keeping the wine on it's lees for up to a year.
The Bera Moscato d'Asti ($$), while not her only showing, was definitely her best. Most of the attendees felt this was the best white wine at the show. It offered the fruit nose typical of Moscato, but had copious amounts of honey on the palate. The wine was "super-carbonated" for a Moscato, but it was not a hindrance. Instead, it just made me want more. This could've been the most dangerous wine in attendance. This wine, while scarce, is a MUST BUY.

Arianna Occhipinti, from Az. Agr. Arianna Occhipinti, doesn't know it yet, but will be my future wife. (Ha!) Besides being a young, attractive, biodynamic producer from a long lineage of well-known winemakers, she made the best reds I tasted all night.
Her Occhipinti Sicilia Rosso IGT Nero d'Avola Siccagno ($$$$) was a soft and refined Nero d'Avola that still retained some of the heartier elements expected from the grape.
She then offered two vintages of Occhipinti Sicilia Rosso IGT Frappato, 2005 (N/A) and 2006 ($$$$, arrival in spring). I felt there was more fruit on the '06, and it turns out she picked the grapes 15 days later in the growing season than the '05. This longer ripening period translates to more complexity in the wine. The 2006 vintage was definitely my favorite, and offered barnyard and earthy notes on the nose, before giving way to an attack of strawberry on the palate. The finish was smooth and very long, long enough that I sat at the bar at 116 a few hours later without any wine in front of me -- I just couldn't bear to lose that taste. I would call this wine a MUST BUY, but for fear that others will buy the limited amount of this wine before I get any, I won't.

Keep an eye out for the Louis/Dressner logo on the backs of wine bottles, as the enjoyability of these wines is pretty much guaranteed. Dressner keeps his portfolio either Biodynamic or Organic, which is refreshing when most wines marketed as "organic" are just plain terrible.

skappo i biodinamico

Tonight, Mo suggested Skappo (59 Crown St.). It worked out quite well, because as I was perusing the wine list, Arianna Occhipinti jumped out at me. Well, not literally, of course -- I don't think I'd be able to handle that (especially not with Mo present). They're serving the Arianna Occhipinti Frappato 2005 for a measly $55. I've talked about her wines before, and the fact that I found this bottle out, within 1 mile of my home, ensures repeat business for the gang at Skappo.
Oh yeah, they have food, too. Think tapas, but Italian -- real Italian. This is the type of place you'd find in a small village in Tuscany, with long communal tables, and Mom as the enterprising chef who comes out to greet each table. Plenty of veggies, but vegans should say, "no cheese" to everything as pretty much all dishes involve shaved parmesano-reggiano cheese.
The food was great, and the wine list is quite good, even if limited by the Italian only -- bonus points for keeping bottle prices below standard markup.

Speaking of...

Only two months in the cellar, and the Bruno Colin 2004 Premier Cru Santenay "Les Gravieres" ($$$-$$$$) (my top wine of the year) is coming along nicely. The black cherry nose is still there, but the barnyard characteristics one would expect from an aged Burgundy are presenting themselves. The wine is already "smoother", with dark fruits on the lengthy finish. Still my favorite wine of the past 365 days...

Speaking of Bruno Colin, I also got to try his Bruno Colin 2004 Premier Cru Chassagne Montrachet "La Maltroie" ($$$$) today. For the newbs, white Burgundies from the Chassagne-Montrachet appellation are Chardonnay (in its true, non-Californian form). To the old-schoolers, yes, I opened this wine way too soon (like seven years too soon). Young as it was, it had a nose of green apples and fresh almonds, with a full fruit palate, all the while displaying a mineral character, from nose to finish. There is a hint of oak throughout, but it shows most in the aftertaste. Yummy.

Speaking of my top wines of the year, I also had more of the 2006 Clos de los Siete ($$). This time I didn't get the chance to use a decanter (more on that later) and found the wine to be too green. This doesn't bring it off my list, but it does mean you should drink it slowly, or open it at least a half hour before you drink it, or use a decanter. (Better yet, throw it in your basement, and try it again in six months) I mention this wine all the time -- I'm not turning back on it now.

Speaking of "green", I tried more of the 2005 Bodegas Alto Moncayo "Alto Moncayo" Campo de Borja ($$$) which Stephen Tanzer gave a 92+ rating because he felt it was too young, but would develop nicely over time. (Read related post here) It's already drinking better, although it was being consumed by two lovers of "New World" reds. Old World types should leave this in the cellar longer.
--Whoa! Matt, we don't have CELLARS, did you forget who you were writing this blog for?!?!?!?!?!
Sorry about that. Don't buy it yet. I know it might not be around for long, but unless you want your red wine to peel your face off from the inside (to quote Rinsey), stay very far away. That said, I'm in love with this wine.

Speaking of "in love", Arianna Occhipinti's 2006 Occhipinti Sicilia Rosso IGT Frappato ($$-$$$) is headed for the States. I'm going to the shipyard to meet it.

Speaking of "decanters", don't ever decant a wine while standing up above a white couch with Drew and Alex of 116 Crown, or you may end up with a broken decanter and a pink couch.

Speaking of pink, find a bottle of 2006 Etude Pinot Noir Rose ($$). Strawberry on the nose, crisp on the palate, short-lived but effective. Just get one.

hearts

My temporary infatuation with Arianna Occhipinti and her Frappato has not waned...




...ha!
I even found her website.
To keep the stalker-izing to a minimum, I have sworn off biodynamic wines for the duration of the weekend.
Apparently, my future wife has quite a following, which is evident if one goes to Joe Dressner's site and checks the comments section of all the Italian Wine Attack posts. Not me. I swear. Seriously. Okay, the one about the Frappato was me, but the rest ain't. Really.

Ole Imports woos and wows Elm City Wino

I recently attended a tasting of Spanish wines from the Ole Imports portfolio at Meigas Restaurant in Norwalk (the sister restaurant of Ibiza - 39 High St., NH). Ole is the brainchild of Patrick Mata and Alberto Orte, who began importing Spanish wines to Patrick's dorm-room in 1999. They share a passion for Spanish wine that transcends their own portfolio, adding an air of honesty to their work.
Much like Jorge Ordonez, Ole Imports is one of those importers that can almost guarantee you a good bottle. Unlike Ordonez, however, Ole tends to lean more towards an Old World style of fruit characteristics and terroir-expression. Being raised on big California wines, Jorge has always been a safe bet for me, but now, as I experiment more with the European classics, Ole has consistently delivered.
Many of the wines Ole offers see little to no oak, allowing the fruit to fully express its natural flavors without being "tamed" by wood.

There were many great wines in attendance, but some stood out for me more than the rest...

Oreka 2006 Txakoli ($$) from Talai-Berri was a remarkable txakoli. Txakoli consumption is on the rise, particularly in NYC, where it is customary for the server to pour the wine from at least three feet away to soften the effervescence of the white wine. Made from the indigenous grape Hondarribi Zuri, txakoli comes from three sub-regions of North-central Spain. The uncommon amount of rainfall in the area is prohibitive for most other grapes.
The Oreka was full of honey and peach on the nose. The effervescent mouthfeel was nice and gentle, which carried with it flavors of green fruits. The wine is aged in stainless steel, which is evident on the palate. I found it to be "richer" than my recent favorite, Txomin Etxaniz. This wine is a MUST BUY. The '07 ($$) received 90 points from Robert Parker.

Bodegas Berroja Berroia 2007 Txakoli ($-$$) is 90% Hondarribi, with Folle Blanche and Riesling making up the other 10%. The wine was slightly more viscous than the Oreka, with a little less effervescence. The grapes are grown on a steep incline, allowing for more water drainage, giving the wine notes of minerality and vegetation.

I know Barcelona (155 Temple) uses Vinos Pinol Portal on their by-the-glass list, so I was excited to try the white "version". The Portal White 2007 ($-$$) is a blend of 70% White Garnacha (grenache), 20% Sauvignon Blanc, 5% Macabeau, and 5% Viognier. I started taking notes before I read the description of this wine, and my initial impression was of a New Zealand sauvignon blanc. When I saw the 20% sauv. blanc on the description, I was satisfied that my nose hadn't quit working. There was alot of peach on the nose, followed by cold weather fruits on a drier palate. The finish was slightly "tangy" and mellow with a lingering hint of melon.
Vinos Pinol is currently farming organically.

I tried two Rose wines, Columna Rose 2007 ($) from Vinos Sin-ley, and Falset Marca's Falset Rose 2007 ($). The Columna was full of cherries on a lingering finish. The grapes are "Juan Garcia", which I can honestly say I've never heard of. I tried the wine primarily out of curiosity.
The stand-out of the two was the Falset. It had much more nose and bolder tannins than I'm used to in a rose. Bonus points for organic viticulture. This will inevitably make it onto my picnic blanket this summer. For fans of Rose, this is a MUST BUY.

Vizcarra Roble 2006 ($-$$) from B. Vizcarra in the Ribera del Duero region offered freshly turned farm soil on the nose, followed by black pepper and black cherry on the palate. I was pleasantly surprised by this wine, as I believe I may have smack-talked a previous vintage. It proved to me that - 1. you must try different vintages of the same producer, 2. Ribera del Duero continues to be a region for great Tempranillo, and 3. organic wines don't have to suck anymore. This wine's fruit was mellowed out by the use of French Oak.

One of my favorites of the evening was Vinos Pinol's Mather Teresina 2003-2004 ($$$). The "2003-2004" signifies a dual vintage, where grapes from both years are used. Vinos Pinol first did this with a 1998-1999 offering, which had to be declassified because it did not meet the standards of the DO. Pinol kept issuing this dual-vintage wine and now the DO allows the practice, due in large part to the success of Mather Teresina.
At first the fruit was hard to find on the nose, but after a few swirls tons of wild strawberry and dark purple fruits came roaring out with the strength of a freight train. It was an impressive spectacle. The fruit offered up super-ripe tannins, while the 2 years of oak aging (French, American, and Hungarian) gave the wine a "scratchy" texture and dry finish. The sandy soil comes through in the taste of the wine, helping transport the drinker directly to Terra Alta.
After the wine had been open for a few hours, I returned to it to find the naturally occurring lactic acid had given the wine a funkier smell, almost like it had corked. Based on this I would not decant this wine, even though the tannic structure would suggest it. This was not a wine for the uninitiated, but a remarkable choice if any part of you leans toward, "geeky".

Hacienda Molleda 2006 Garnacha is 100% grenache that sees 6 months in French Oak. It was an interesting wine which had the nose of a Carignan, odd because the carignane grape originates from the Carinena region of Spain, where Hacienda Molleda is grown. Conspiracy theories aside, the wine had vegetal and floral notes on the nose, with more than just a hint of kerosene. The vegetal characteristics stayed through the palate where they were met by green olives and venison before a linering finish. This wine was probably the most complex and intriguing of the wines I tried, nothing like I would expect from the garden variety garnacha. For those into science projects, this wine is a MUST TRY.

Another 100% Tempranillo, Bodegas Ortiz' Dacu 2007 ($) had tons of fruit characteristics due to the lack of oak barreling. Black currant was the main fruit, but takes on a whole new role in a no-oak wine. Fans of Cortijo III and Campos Reales NEED to find this wine, which apparently has not yet hit Connecticut.

Anybody who has found themselves a bottle of the Arianna Occhipinti Frappato that I have been raving about should keep their eyes open for Barahonda's 2006 Heredad de Candela ($$-$$$). Strawberry and cracked white pepper show on the nose, while massive amounts of pureed strawberries dominate the palate, allowing just a hint of wild blueberries and black pepper through before the long, luscious finish of dark red fruits and more black pepper. This wine is a MUST BUY, and technically, a must-share.

Another MUST BUY, especially for fans of barnyard aromas, the 2004 Manuel de la Osa ($$$) from Bodegas Manuel de la Osa in la Mancha is balanced out by plums and black raspberry on the palate. Certified organic, the wine is made from a blend of 40% Syrah, 30% Graciano, 10% Tempranillo, 10% Cab Franc, and 10% Merlot, and sees one year in French oak. This wine was more of a Jorge Ordonez style red, which is ironic because many of Jorge's wines are unveiled at the winemaker's restaurant, Las Rejas, in la Mancha. One of the things that stood out for me with this wine was how bad everything after it tasted -- I had to snack on bread and grilled veggies, follow that by a cigarette, and find some water before I could start again!

Vinos Jeromin Manu 2005 ($$$) was another organically grown red, this time a blend of Syrah and Garnacha (40/40) balanced out by Cabernet, Tempranillo, and Merlot, seeing just over a year in French and Russian oak. It offered wet soil and bright red fruits on the nose, with cassis and a hint of strawberry on the palate with a nice "sharp" acidity.

From Falset Marca, the 2005 Etim l'Esparver ($$$) is a blend of Garnacha and Carinena (45/45) balanced by Syrah and Cabernet from Montsant. This wine was right in line with any of the higher end Monstants I have tasted, at a lower price point. The carinena comes through on the nose with wild strawberries and red berry. White pepper, strawberry, and a small amount of plum show on the palate before a nice spicy finish.

A nice treat was the 2005 Vizcarra Ines ($$$$$) from the Ribera del Duero region. While still a little young, it offered freshly tilled earth, cow "plop", and a hint of banana on the nose, with ripe plums and orange rind on the palate. The tannins may need more time to mellow out, but this wine was not un-drinkable by any measure.

Also a bonus was an as-yet-named Malvar (grape I ain't heard of) white wine. It was unlabeled, and apparently only the second bottle to be opened in the United States. It had a beautiful silver color with gold "trim" and seemed to have a slight effervescence, possibly from naturally occurring yeasts. It had copious amounts of fruits, running the gamut from citrus to colder weather red fruits with minerality and lemongrass on the finish. It's from the people who make Zestos and is something to keep an eye out for.

I was invited to dinner at Meigas with Patrick Mata and few others afterwards, where the chef brought out several dishes and paired them with several Spanish wines. My veganism was almost brought into question, and I received a generous amount of ribbing from those at the table. My dishes were great however, and I left feeling stuffed. The only disappointment at dinner was a 2002 San Roman from a relative of the Vega Sicilia winemaker in the Toro region. The wine was over-oaked and made me think more of California than Spain.

Moral of the story?
When perusing the Spanish section of your favorite wine shop (or the not-everything-else section at Grand Vin), check the back of the labels for the Ole Imports logo. They also print useful facts about each wine on the back label and each wine has a 1-800 number for more information. The info they give you is enough to impress any dinner guest, all without having to ask the store staff any questions.