Staff Picks: What to Drink This Week
Things our staff thinks you should consider trying!
2020 Burlotto Freisa - $29.99
Fabio Alessandria of Burlotto makes some of the most compelling and sought after Nebbiolo in the market but has also gained a following for some of the lesser known Piedmontese varietals like Freisa. Freisa is similar to Nebbiolo in that it exhibits red fruit and floral notes with great acidity and tannin, but is usually a little more rustic and wild. This vintage is the best I've ever tasted from Burlotto showing pretty notes of violet and red fruit on the nose. The palate has great depth with strawberry fruit and savory notes. If you are a fan of Piedmont this is a must try but be forewarned it is very limited. Try this delicious red on pizza night or with beef short ribs.
-Rob
2020 Masseria Li Veli 'Askos' Susumaniello, Salento Puglia, Italy - $26.99
In the late 19th century influential Italian economist and professor, the Marquis Antonio de Viti de Marco, envisioned a winery in his native Puglia dedicated to the cultivation of ancient grape varietals. As part of his vision the winery would be housed in a Masseria (a fortified stone farmhouse of Puglia, dating mostly from the 16th century). A Masseria housed the farm owner's family and agricultural workers behind its thick walls in times of internecine strife or raids and invasion from the seas surrounding the Salento peninsula of Puglia.
It was because the fertile plains of Salento were surrounded by seas that certain wine grapes thrived nowhere else. The vision of the Marquis was not fully realized until the Falvo family (owners of the famous Vino Nobile winery, Avignonesi, in Tuscany) bought the neglected winery in 1999. They rebuilt the Masseria and through their 'Askos' line focus on traditional viniculture practices of Puglia to keep regional ancient grape varietals alive and well, today.
Susumaniello is one of them. With only 125 acres under vine this red varietal grows only here. The sea air is all around and blankets the rocky limestone, iron, and clay rich soils of the vineyards with refreshing coolness and moisture at night in this hot and, otherwise, dry region. After 9 months aging in French Oak, this Susumaniello is redolent of peppery herbs, red berries, and smoke. The medium to full bodied palate is earthy but with silky textures. Plum, blackberry, and mineral notes are met with lifted acidity for a long and pleasing finish.
I urge you (especially if you already enjoy drinking Puglian wine made from the more common Primativo or Negroamaro grapes) to try this rare treat. It will be great paired with wild game or roasted meats.
Cin-cin!
-Patrick
2019 Martha Stoumen Nero d'Avola, Mendocino County - $51.99
It's Mother's Day this Sunday so I wanted to feature a wine made by a fellow mom. Martha grew up in Northern California in the heart of wine country, but it wasn't until a trip to Tuscany to study farming that she fell in love with wine. She earned a double master's degree in viticulture and enology from UC Davis and also studied winemaking all over the world. However, it was Sicilian winemaker Giusto Occhipinti of COS who provided the blueprint for what would later become Martha Stoumen Wines. Martha's work in Sicily is apparent as she deftly harnesses Nero’s ability to retain acid in a warm mediterranean climate while still being dark and deep. Smell like walking through a garden filled with tomato vines and wild forest fruits. The juicy bright blackberry is inflected by dark cocoa powder. This is beautifully balanced and if you are going to drink it now make sure to chill it down a bit but this can easily spend 10 years in the cellar.
-Angie
2016 Giulia Negri 'La Tartufaia' Barolo - $69.99
Giulia Negri inherited her family's Barolo estate at the tender age of 24 years old, carrying on her family's 150 year lineage of grape-growing. After finishing degrees in Management and Biology, Giulia traveled to Burgundy to study the world's most prized 'thin skinned' grape, Pinot Noir. She brings this delicate sensibility to her Nebbiolo grown in the La Morra region of Barolo, but is careful to make wine-making decisions that best represent the terroir of the Piedmont. One such decision was transitioning her cellar's Burgundian barrique aging vessels to larger casks (botti grandi) that best preserve "Nebbiolo's tension and mystical energy". This sustainably farmed, organic Barolo is elegant and approachable — but a labyrinthe of complexity. Fruit notes of red cherry, blackberries, and currant are delicately strewn with florality (violet & rose) and balanced by minerality, spice, herbality, and notes of tobacco.
-Katrina
2020 Domaine Des Homs L'Amandier Cinsault - $17.99
Now that it seems spring is finally here we can start to think about barbeque wines. This little gem my be one of the best options out there. Made from the long maligned but increasingly heralded blending grape Cinsault, this offering is lush and fruit driven offering cassis and cherry in a silky, 'my cup runneth over' type approach. the structure includes refined tannic grip and clean and integrated acidity. All this made in a 'natural' or 'minimal intervention' style that leaves out the barnyard funk. This a super satisfying bottle.
-Dave
