10.6 – 10.9

For a printable PDF of this weekend’s notes, click here!

Alberto Oggero Roero 2019

Alberto Oggero Roero 2019

Origin: Corsica, France
Retail:
$22.95 | $20.66

Forget everything you know about Roero, Arneis, and Roero Arneis! Alberto Oggero was born in Canale in 1985 and spent his childhood accompanying and then working with his grandfather, Sandro, in his vineyards. Both of Alberto's grandfathers tended their own vineyards but his parents did not follow their parents into wine. Alberto was different and returned home to take over Sandro's 2ha of vineyards after he passed. By the time he was 20 he had restored the family's house and cellar by hand and was ready to begin his life in wine. In 2009 he bottled his first wine, 500 bottles of Roero Arneis and followed with his first Roero Nebbiolo in 2011. In the following years Alberto has been able to reclaim more old vineyards and pursue his ideals of viticulture and oenology. Not a person of easy contentment, Alberto works tirelessly in the vineyards and then in the cellar to make sure that nothing happening there gets in the way of the fruit. They are certified organic, use only native yeasts, use no fining or filtration, and seek only to express the fullest potential of where they are. He is also a member of RAW Wine. They use only native yeasts, use no fining or filtration, and seek only to express the fullest potential of terroir and drinkability. Alberto decided to call this wine Bianco moving forward because it is very different from the typical Arneis wines produced, which can be overtly floral, off dry, or simple: It speaks of place and also of the best parts of Arneis. Less floral and stone-fruited than typical, this is bursting with ripe pear and apple fruit, feels focused and sleek on the palate, and finishes with a burst of crisp green citrus and crushed stone. Mouthwatering and a little bit addictive.
100% Arneis

La Staffa ‘’Rincrocca’ Verdicchio Riserva’ 2018

La Staffa ‘’Rincrocca’ Verdicchio Riserva’ 2018

Origin: Le Marche, Italy 
Retail:
$29.95 | $26.96

You can do anything with Verdicchio: dry wine, sweet wine, still wine, sparkling wine, fresh wine, and wine to age. It is an amazing grape.  Riccardo Baldi  is less than 30 years old and already recognized internationally as the rising star of Verdicchio. He farms his small vineyards organically and produces some of the best Verdicchio wines you will find. Production is very small, but you will find the wines worth waiting for each year. The Verdicchio wines are fresh and pure with lots of minerality, acid, and herbs that pair very well with the citrus and stone fruit aromas and flavors. Everything here is done by hand. The vineyards are red clay with lots of limestone and range 300-450M. The wine is a selection from the most important vineyard for La Staffa. Rincrocca vineyard sits above the rest and the vines were planted in 1972.  The soils have a saline component important to the wine as well as a high presence of calcium carbonate typical of the Castellaretta area. Grapes are hand-harvested and hand-sorted.  The juice was fermented withindigenous yeast exclusively in concrete.  This was followed by 12 months on the fine lees in concrete prior to bottling followed by another 12 months in bottle prior to release. 

Pale straw color with greenish hues. The bouquet is intense, refined and persistent with notes of yellow flowers, minerality, with underlying scents of almonds. The taste is dry and smooth, elegant and gentle with a refreshing acidity and a velvety finish of quince and almonds.

100% Verdicchio

Lorenzo Sassetti ‘La Querciolina’ Montecuocco Rosso 2018

Origin: Tuscany, Italy
Retail: $22.95 | Sale: $20.66

The wines of Livio, Lorenzo and Sabina Sassetti are made at the famous northern side Montosoli hill with south-east exposure. TThe persuasive charm and attentive embrace of the Sassetti family lures one to the vineyards, cellar and people who have farmed some of Montalcino’s finest vineyards for over a century. Four generations of the Sassetti family have made wine in Montalcino. Livio worked the historic property through the late 1970s, then purchased the 16 hectare vineyard of the now–famous Podere Pertimali. In 1999, the Sassetti family acquired property in the Maremma, La Querciolina, within the Montecucco DOC.  Today the estates are managed by Lorenzo Sassetti, Livio’s son, fourth generation family member and acclaimed winemaker. He is joined by his wife Sabina and together they passionately uphold the family name and reputation.  All of Lorenzo’s wines have deep roots in their respective terroirs, showcasing his willingness to preserve their traditional features. The wines are invigorating, aromatic, powerful styles that dance on the palate rather than attack it with blunt force. 

100% Sangiovese Grosso della Maremma

Green & Red ‘Chiles Mill’ Zinfandel 2017

Green & Red ‘Chiles Mill’ Zinfandel 2017

Origin: Napa, California 
Retail: $39.95 | Sale: $35.96

In addition to making and selling estate grown wine, Green & Red also shares its bounty with certain good friends in the wine community who purchase our fruit to make their own award winning wines.  Good friends, Biale Vineyards, Scribe, Brown Estate, and Joel Peterson of Once & Future work with us every year. Additionally, Larry Turley and Winemaker Tegan Passalaqua issue a Turley Heminway Vineyards Zinfandel bottling each year, utilizing amazing fruit from Green & Red’s Tip Top Vineyard.  Situated at 900-1200 ft elevation, the vineyard overlooks Chiles Canyon and remnant walls of the grist mill built by pioneer Joseph Ballinger Chiles. Heritage Zinfandel cuttings: Pacini, Picchetti, Geyserville, Hambrecht The soil is Red Chert veined with Green Serpentine, our namesake soils, intermixed with Sobrante Loam Harvest. A 3-day cold soak was followed by an approximately 10-day fermentation and then aged for 14 months in 70% American oak and 30% French oak barrels, 20% of which was new oak.  

Pomegranate and red raspberry with hints of white pepper, tarragon, and bay leaf. Gorgeous tannins resolve to a clean finish with refreshing acidity.

100% Zinfandel