July
20, 2007
Whites with Meaning
In This Issue
A Note from Sergio
In the world of wine, white often takes a
back seat to
red. Oftentimes,
this status is linked to issues of
longevity and
complexity that affect the
credibility of the category. There
are certainly
exceptions to this
generalization—the high-priced wines of
Côte de Beaune, Viognier’s
rise in the Rhône, the overshadowed
Ribolla in
Slovenia—just to
name a few. But is there a white
equivalent of
traditional Barolo that
offers unyielding depth, complexity, and
longevity in
both youth and maturity—whites
that can withstand aeration in a decanter
for hours as
well as challenge the
seasoned palate?
If you read my e-Letter, then you have no
doubt heard
of my admiration for the
efforts of Friuli’s Gravner and his
use of
Anfora—perhaps the greatest
interpretation of an ancient white. His
inaugural Anfora offering from
the 2001 vintage is already at depletion
levels and
will no doubt be a cellar
gem for the few that staked their
claim.
Perhaps you heard my mention
of the “The Prince and His Magical
Cellar”—the
Prince’s
wines are the most unusual whites I have
encountered, and his story has left
me humbled.
Today, I am offering a limited quantity of
the wines of
Fiorano and Gravner
in the company of another white
master—Stanislao (Stanko) Radikon.
With
Radikon, the idea of long maceration is
continued,
and biodynamic and noninterventionist
principles come together. The process is
taken to new extremes with the
elimination of added sulfites (accompanied
by a
unique cork and bottle size)—a
rare treatment in wine, and one that gives
those who
believe they are allergic
to sulfites a better opportunity to enjoy a
white.
As Stanislao states, “c'é solo
uva”—there’s only
grapes in
my wine.
These are whites with meaning—wines that
raise the eyebrow and let the
mind drift. They are not for every
palate, but
for those that are looking
for balance and depth over fruit and
oak. I
invite you to experience
something different in white wine.
My Best,
Sergio
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Radikon's Radical Whites
Stanislao (Stanko) Radikon pursues a deceptively
simple philosophy—the production
of wines that are wholly natural. These wines are
singly devoted to the grape
and the grape alone. Wines without compromise,
they possess a fundamental connection
to the past, which they deliver to the present without
reservation.
Since 1980,
Stanko has overseen the
estate’s production, sourced from twelve
hectares;
he is presently assisted
by his wife, Suzana, and son, Sasa.
Radikon’s methodology is radical in its
pragmatic evocation of the winemaking
style that typified Friulian production prior to the
1930s. His techniques reflect
the style typical of the Collio
area, the heartland of Friuli—extended
maceration periods, the use of large oak barrels, and
manual harvesting. This
approach, however, is best known, perhaps, by what
it rejects—namely,
chemical pesticides and temperature-controlled
fermentation.
This return to tradition may seem a romantic venture,
but it is one that is
attended by high risk. The 1999 vintage marks
Radikon's move towards minimizing sulfites in
production. The 2002 vintage
represents his first vinification without added-in
sulfites, an omission that
renders his wines unstable—yet also
contributes to their provocative
and genuine rendering of the style of his
grandfather, Franz
Mikulus, who founded the Radikon vineyards.
While a true traditionalist, Radikon does not shy away
from innovative means to ensure his wines may
realize their
potential maturation. In efforts to identify the cork
type
best suited to the
aging of his wines, he discovered that the ideal
cork possessed thinner strands than those present in
the corks used for 750-milliliter bottles. In order to
maximize the use of this cork, Radikon instituted the
development of a bottle
shape that complemented the width of the cork. He
debuted 1-liter and half-liter bottles with a narrow neck
in the 2002
vintage—a move that increased
’02’s
disarmingly bold attitude.
Radikon’s viticultural practices include dense
planting and an intensive
pruning regimen, efforts that are maximized by a
rigorous process of selection.
All Radikon wines are essentially vinified in
accordance with the same noninterventionist
protocol. The standard regime entails an extended
30-day maceration period
in Slavonian oak vats (that are assembled in
Conegliano), a process that is
conducted without temperature control. Thereafter,
the wine is aged in large
Slavonian botti for approximately three years
prior
to bottling.
While 2001 is regarded as the more structured of the
two vintages represented
here, Radikon employed a maceration period of two
months in the ’02 vintage,
thereby eliciting a premier expression of the vintage.
It is
imperative to note that these
are white wines that should be approached as reds,
rendering them best served
at room temperature.
Radikon Collio Oslavje
Radikon’s Oslavje bottling is a full-bodied and
intense blend of Chardonnay
(40%), Pinot Grigio (30%), and Sauvignon (30%). It
achieves a deep yellow,
almost golden color, and the aromas and tasting
profile are complex, rooted
in pronounced fruit flavors imbued by a savory
quality.
Radikon 2001 Collio Oslavje
$52.13
Radikon 2002 Collio Oslavje $74.25 (1.0L)
Radikon Ribolla Gialla
The indigenous Ribolla Gialla was the sole varietal
planted by Mikulus, although his daughter and son-in-
law—Stanko’s
parents—expanded this
solo varietal representation by adding Merlot, Tocai
Friulano, and Pinot Grigio.
It is Radikon’s firm belief, however, that the
Ribolla Gialla grape—the
favored varietal of Friuli’s
iconoclasts—provides the most profound
articulation of Collio’s terroir. This pure
varietal Ribolla Gialla bottling is amber in
coloring and delivers
an exotic, honeyed quality and several complex
layers that expand and show
different dimensions as they evolve in the glass.
Radikon 2001 Ribolla Gialla
$59.13
Radikon 2002 Ribolla Gialla $74.25 (1.0L)
Gravner's Anfora Evolution
Josko Gravner is Friuli’s most profound and
influential winemaker, an
eminent genius who has produced some of
Italy’s most compelling white
wines since commencing production in 1975. His
career is defined, in large
part, by his fearless pursuit of innovative approaches
to his craft, commencing
with the perfection of fermentation techniques in
stainless steel and temperature
control. As winemakers adopted the latest
“Gravian” practices,
he revoked his modernist agenda and sought
guidance and direct inspiration
from ancient winemaking traditions, employing the
medium of the clay amphora in 2001.
So what does this all mean: clay amphorae,
“pure winemaking,” ancient
methods? It is part process and part philosophy that
begins with choice grapes
from 18 hectares of vineyards in Gorizia (Oslavia)
and results in high quality,
thinking whites that drink more like reds. Here, at an
altitude of 600 meters,
Gravner has spent decades learning the behavior of
each vine and still provides
individual attention to every one of them.
Gravner Breg Anfora
Once optimal yields are obtained, the selected
grapes for this blend of Sauvignon,
Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, and Riesling Italico are
destemmed and transferred
to large clay amphorae that are buried underground.
With the grapes in place,
fermentation is ignited through purely wild yeasts
and without the aid of
temperature-controlled equipment. The grapes are
stirred five to six times
each day, with no use of roto-fermenters or pumps,
and undergo natural malolactic
fermentation.
Only at this point does Josko interrupt the cycle of
grapes turning to vinegar
(their natural destiny) by adding a ½ gram of
sulfur per hectoliter—a
practice that dates back to pre-Roman times. The
maceration period continues
for seven months, with the amphorae taking in the
characteristics of their tellurian
surroundings and amplifying the natural
characteristics of their contents.
When the alignment of the planets and moon cause
atmospheric pressure to push
the pomace to the bottom of the amphorae, the must
is removed by
bucket and transferred to large botti. Here it
rests for another three
years before being transferred to bottle for further
aging. No filtering takes
place since Josko believes it “steals the soul
of the wine....”
Gravner 2001
Breg Anfora 89.87*
Gravner 2001 Breg Anfora $188.74 (1.5L)
*Indicates prearrival sale.
Gravner Ribolla Anfora
Ribolla Gialla enjoys a long history as one of Friuli's
oldest indigenous vines.
Back in the 12th century, it was the drink of choice in
the Republic of Venice
under the name Rabiola del Collio. While its
popularity has faded, Gravner has spearheaded the
movement to resurrect the ancient
Ribolla varietal to its former glory. The winemaker has
invested two decades
in developing an understanding of this stubborn
varietal. The resulting wine
is his crowning achievement—so much
so that he plans to work exclusively with Ribolla and
Pignolo after the
2010 vintage.
Like the Breg, the 2001 represents the debut release
of the Ribolla Anfora. The grapes were sourced from
vines dating back to 1915, instilling the wine with a
distinct personality highlighted
by notes of minerality and a
smooth butterscotch finish.
Gravner 2001
Ribolla Anfora $89.87
Gravner 2001 Ribolla Anfora $188.74 (1.5L)
The 2000 vintage represents Gravner’s final
use of open vat fermentation
in wood for the crafting of this wine—an
approach that is more in
line with the style of
Radikon. In the open vat methodology, the grapes
are manually pressed and fermented
separately on their skins in large, open oak barrels
for an extended maceration
period. The pomace is then removed and the juice
placed in large oak casks
for a maturation period of three years.
Gravner 2000
Ribolla Gialla $99.99*
Gravner 2000 Ribolla Gialla $249.00 (1.5L)*
*Indicates prearrival sale.
The Rare Whites of Fiorano
“The greatness of Fiorano is a secret
shared
by a few.”
—Burton Anderson
These precious gems are the product of
dedication
and passion from Principe
Alberico Boncompagni Ludovisi (and his Fiorano
Estate in Lazio), whose avant-garde
approach of organic agriculture and the use
of a
magical mold was way ahead
of its time.
His '70s, '80s, and '90s whites were a
phenomenon for their ability
to age, but became rarities as the prince was
ever elusive and refused
to release his wines. After tearing up his
vineyards to
ensure that his legacy
would not be misrepresented, Ludovisi
passed his
private cellar to the iconoclastic
Italian food and wine critic Luigi
Veronelli, entrusting
him to find the appropriate
individuals who could keep his vision and
discovery
alive. This mission continues
today, as the vintage wines have been left
to Sergio
by the late Veronelli,
presenting him with the challenge of
fulfilling the
original promise to the
Prince.
Like the bottlings from Gravner, these wines
are not
for everyone—they
are enigmas for the enthusiast to play out.
With
this in mind, these wines
will only be made available in an extremely
allocated
assorted case, in an
effort to find serious palates. The two
whites being
offered, Bianco (Malvasia
di Candia) and Sémillon, range from the
1986 to
1994 vintages and are only beginning
to show their great destiny. We implore the
recipients
of these wines to cellar
a portion of their allotment up to 20 years
so they may
show their full grace, allowing the story and
legacy of
the prince to continue.
To provide you with an idea of what you might
expect
from these wines, we
have included a quotation that appeared in
the New
York Times, written by the paper's wine
critic, Eric Asimov. "Highlights from the
Rome tasting
stand out:
a 1982 malvasia with flavors of apples,
minerals and
pears; a 1980 sémillon
that tasted of hazelnuts and wax and seemed
impossibly young. As the wines
aged, the youthful acidity seemed to give
way to
mineral, earthy flavors. Yet
unaccountably, in contrast to most white
wines,
which get darker with age,
the golden colors of the young wines turned
pale as
they got older."
Fiorano's Rare Assorted Case:
Fiorano Bianco 1994 Botte 26
Fiorano Bianco 1994 Botte 46
Fiorano Bianco 1993 Botte 25
Fiorano Bianco 1993 Botte 32
Fiorano Bianco 1992 Botte 26
Fiorano Bianco 1988 Botte 26
Fiorano Bianco 1986 Botte 25
Fiorano Semillon 1994 Botte 47
Fiorano Semillon 1993 Botte 22
Fiorano Semillon 1992 Botte 46
Fiorano Semillon 1990 Botte 47
Fiorano Semillon 1989 Botte 48
Assorted Case Price (one of each): $948.00*
*Indicates limited availability.
Six-Pack Wine Sampler: Whites with Meaning
There are some wines that you know without a
second taste—recognition
is immediate and leaves you with no doubt as to the
identity of what’s
in the glass. In essence, they deliver a textbook
performance—one that
provides a varietally correct interpretation or offers a
transparent articulation
of place. Your tasting note will be a virtual
compendium of the descriptors
typically associated with either the grape or the
terroir.
These wines—many of which are quite high-
caliber—are wholly successful
as models. While true to form and type, they rarely
distinguish themselves
from the category in question. In fact, your tasting
note might very well be
applicable to several other wines. Moreover, the
winemaker may have crafted
a technically proficient wine, but he or she is
somewhat absent from the wine.
Then there are wines with meaning and
soul—those that you can’t
quite wrap your palate—or your mind, for that
matter—around. You
find yourself at a loss for descriptors—there
are no reference points
to draw upon, and the complex layers and somewhat
wild persona seem to demand
a new vocabulary.
Many do not understand these natural phenomena
and are quick to dismiss them.
It is in such wines, however, that the individual
winemaker is most present:
The techniques utilized often represent a past era
and require painstaking
attention to detail and exquisite care. Consider
Contini’s Vernaccia
di Oristano, which is crafted through the Solera
method, or Damijan’s
Kaplja, a wine bottled as the moon wanes. Valentini
virtually transforms the
neutral Trebbiano, eliciting an expression rooted in
personal conviction and
artistic sensibility. And Gravner and Radikon? These
radicals create whites
that keep all of us in a constant search for
meaning….
Whites with Meaning Six-Pack Includes:
Gravner 2001 Ribolla Anfora
(Friuli—Ribolla)
Gravner 1995 Breg
(Friuli—Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Pinot
Grigio, Riesling)
Radikon 2001 Collio Oslavje
(Friuli—Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon
Blanc)
Edoardo Valentini 2002 Trebbiano d'Abruzzo
(Abruzzo—Trebbiano)
Damijan 2003 Kaplja
(Friuli—Chardonnay, Tocai Friulano,
Malvasia Istriana)
Contini 1985 Vernaccia di Oristano Riserva (500ml)
(Sardegna—Vernaccia)
Whites with
Meaning Six-Pack Wine Sampler...$409.19*
*Free Delivery in Manhattan.
New Studio Tasting: Female Winemakers
IWM's Studio Regionale Tasting Series
A Taste of Wines by Female Winemakers
July 21, 1:00–3:00 pm, $50.00
In the land of stubborn tradition and in an industry
dominated by the "stronger
sex," the Italian wine scene is witnessing a
change. The future of Italy's
most respected producers and wines—Bruno
Giacosa's Barbaresco, Bartolo Mascarello's
Barolo, Castello di Monsanto's Chianti, and
Gianfranco Soldera's Brunello—resides not in
the hands of their first son, but in the capable
hands of their strong-minded
daughters. Learn more about this exciting new
generation of winemakers by tasting
with IWM.
Participants Receive:
Tasting Booklet that includes IWM’s
proprietary notes
Sampling of regional foods prepared by IWM chefs
paired with each wine tasted
To learn more about IWM's Studio Regionale Saturday
Tasting Series, or to
make a reservation over the phone, contact Michann
Thompson at 212.473.2323,
x106.
Vintage Babbo
IWM is pleased to continue its role in the
Vintage Babbo series, a
wine seminar and tasting
program presented at Babbo, our sister
restaurant. Conducted by
Joe Bastianich and Dave
Lynch, these Monday evening events are open to the
public, featuring rare
wine selections as well as a complementary tasting
menu personally conceived by Mario Batali.
The tastings constitute meditations on the history
and
evolution of Italian wine,
presenting the opportunity to taste the rare,
classic, and difficult-to-find
gems of the Boot in the company of cuisine that
maximizes the
aesthetic experience.
Upcoming Vintage Babbo Event:
July 23rd—The Magic of Mascarello
$395 inclusive of wine, dinner, tax, and
gratuity.
Barolo is often referred to as the "King of Italian
Wines," given
its power, intensity, complexity, and longevity. While
styles and interpretations
of its ultimate expression
vary from producer to
producer, few can argue that one of the monarchs of
this wine is Bartolo Mascarello. Other
producers may appear sexier in the eyes of the press,
as they produce
wines in an international style, privileging greater
extract and
oak flavor.
Yet, few possess the Mascarello winery's track record
for producing wines of longevity and elegance that
deliver the profound transparency of place wine geeks
so esteem.
Bartolo Mascarello passed away in March of
2005. Though a significant loss for the lovers and
producers of
Old School style–Barolo, his daughter, Maria
Teresa, is
continuing to uphold the Mascarello philosophy.
This consummate traditional orientation is strikingly
illuminated in Barolo's vintage streak—a
wondrous series that Bartolo
experienced—comprising the vintage years
from 1995 to 2001.
On Monday, July 23, we invite you to join us for a
special Vintage Babbo
dinner showcasing Mascarello's efforts throughout
these prodigious years, delivered in concert with a
seven-course dinner. We hope to see you as we
revisit the magic of Mascarello.
To reserve your space, please call the Vintage Babbo
hotline at 917.715.3599.
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