“The soil is like a puzzle.” When Fattoria Zerbina matriarch Cristina Geminiani talks about her Faenza area vineyards in Italy’s Romagna, she gives the distinct impressions that a) she knows what she is doing, and, b) isn’t prepared to take any sh*t about it. At least, that’s the sense that I got when I got…
Wine Reviews: Weekly Mini Round-Up For March 4, 2019
2016 Renato Ratti Barbera d’Asti (Piedmont): Brash, bold, and beautifully bountiful of brambly, berry fruit. $25 B+ 2014 Tenute Cisa Asinari Marchesi di Gresy Martinenga (Barbaresco): Perkily picking itself up and confidently wiping the topsoil from its leather jacket sleeve. $60 A- 2017 Donnafugata Bell’Assai Frappato Vittoria (Sicily): Floral, friendly, and fun, and capable of…
Fight The Good Fight (Castelluccio Romagna Recent Releases)
“Romagna had to fight a lot – and still has to fight a lot.” So mentioned Alessandro Fiore – who, along with brother Claudio, oversee wine production of Castelluccio, one of their family’s three winery operations – recognizes the oddly ironic state of Romagna wine. On the one hand, by most measures this hilly, picturesque…
Wine Reviews: Weekly Mini Round-Up For February 25, 2019
2017 Dutton Estate Winery Kylie’s Cuvee Sauvignon Blanc (Russian River Valley): It’s a big yard, but the grass is fresh and well-tended, and the tropical plants look great. $27 B+ 2016 Dutton-Goldfield Walker Hill Chardonnay (Russian River Valley): Sporting a sexier profile than normal… and there’s nothing at all wrong with that. $50 A- 2016…