Apr 19/20, Skin-Contact White Wines

Wine Tasting, April 19th and 20th, 2018

An exploration of wines made with white/pink grapes, fermented/aged on the skins.

Countries represented: Italy, Greece, Spain, Austria, Germany, France, Australia, United States.

Wines (Thursday pouring order):

2015 Azienda Agricola COS, Pithos Bianco, Sicily, IT – ?
- Apricot, saline, sardine, orange rind, aggressive palate, sour, high tannin, nori, earthy, lean, hard-edged.
- Pinot Noir style tannins, chalky tannins, dried apricot.
2015 A.D. Beckham, Amphora Pinot Gris, Willamette Valley, Oregon, US – ?
- Suede, nectarine, red apple, blood orange juice, strawberry, floral, rose petal.
- Chunky appearance, cranberry sauce, plums, ‘taste of amphorae’, mud dust.
- Pair with Hum Bao, Chinese roast pork and pineapple, Bouillabaisse.
2015 Stéphane Tissot, Savagnin Amphora, Jura, FR – ?
- Banana, funk, mushroom, white wine vinegar, carnitas, pork fat.
- Animal, peaches, ginseng, dried squids, dried mushroom, Chinese herb shop.
2016 Lucy Margaux, White Blend, Adelaide Hills, AU – ?
- Aromatic, sour, high vinegar, passion fruit, cider-y, lychee, sharp, lemongrass.
- VA off the charts, too sour, yeasty finish. Pair with Al Pastor tacos and sour things.
2012 La Stoppa, Ageno, Emilia-Romagna IGT, IT – ?
- - Sharp, rubber, VA, sour, peppermint, lemon verbena, beeswax, high tannin, old sneakers, wood smoke, lemon oil, wood sorrel, root beer, menthol, pepto bismol, goat/sheep cheese. Extreme. High Brettanomyces.
  - Lite spritz, CO2, hard tannin, strange tannins, Mezcal smoke, burnt rubber, wet hay.
  - Wet tennis shoes which were left out in the rain.
  - This wine had the most 4EP character caused by Brett, encountered on any wine in recent memory, white or otherwise. The aroma increased in the glass over time and as the wine warmed up – theorized that active Brett cultures were aerobically active, and producing 4EP as a result of their oxygenation.
2016 Savage Grace, Orange Gewurztraminer, Columbia Gorge, US – ?
- Ginger, orange peel, orange oil, white pepper, grains of paradise, TDN, yellow flowers.
- Crunchy, pretty, put together, better than most Gewurz. Pair with Thai food, Chinese BBQ pork.
2016 Enderle & Moll, Müller Thurgau, Baden, DE – ?
- Ham sandwich: mayo, mustard, cheddar, ham. Mulch, hay, grains, green tea, murky, pear, apple, oyster.
- Ham sandwich revisited, cabbage, sticky tannins.
2016 Christian Tschida, Himmel auf Erden II Mais, Scheurebe/Weissburgunder, Burgenland, AT – ?
- VA Land. Muted, refreshing, neutral, easy-drinking, pear purée, Emergen-C.
- Marionberry, gooseberry, honey, citrus, sage, ginger tea, tarragon. Turkey’s butt.
- Similar VA character, to the Lucy Margaux.
2015 MicroBio, Verdejo Kilómetro, Castilla y Léon, ES – ?
- Wasabi, soy sauce, Worcester, mustard seed, VA Funk, deli mustard, horseradish, cloudy appearance, sushi, pickled radish, kimchee, gooseberry, star fruit, passion fruit.
- Rice paper, tahini, Helva, raw almonds, Cacahuates Japoneses.
2016 Georgas Family, Savatiano, Attiki, GR – ?
- Tide pool, seaweed, green olive, VA, mussels, brine, cheese funk, soft rind, barnacles, dank, medium tannin, wet mud, sichuan peppercorn texture, bitter, gull poop.
- Lipton iced tea with lemon, pleasant, salty.
2013 Fausse Piste, “Duck Sauce” Viognier, Rogue Valley, Oregon, US – ?
- Volatile Acidity, Ethyl Acetate, f’ed up, bitter, harsh, no varietal character, tamarind, yellow plum reduction.
- Acrid, cider, sludgy, shocking, aldehydic. “Acquired taste”.
2008 Josko Gravner, Ribolla Gialla, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, IT – ?
- Truffle, high tannin, crowd favorite, broad texture, buttered popcorn, Brazil nut, cheese, chocolate-orange sticks, peppermint patty, tobacco, deep-orange color. Glorious.
2013 Matthiasson, Ribolla Gialla, Napa Valley, US – ?
- Pepper, light VA, solid tannins, tart, savory, mild complexity, richness, ripeness, easy-going. Fritos.
2010 Radikon, Ribolla Gialla 500mL, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, IT – ?
- High aroma, some VA/EA, high tannin, super intense, Cognac, Grand Marnier, sour, nail polish, blood orange, Seville orange.
2013 Johan, “Drueskall” Pinot Gris, Willamette Valley, OR (Friday session only) – ?
- Enchiladas, savory, orange peel, resinous, yellow raisins, rose-gold color, some sourness.
- Pair with Bacalhau, chicken pot pie, tomato bisque, Moroccan tajin, Ethiopian food.

Wines, Friday pouring order:

Savage, Duck Sauce, COS, Lucy, Johan, A.D. Beckham, Tschida, Ageno, Müller, Arbois, Savatiano, Kilo, Gravner, Radikon, Matthiasson.

Wines, Lightest to Darkest:

Muller, Lucy, Tschida, Savatiano, Savage, Kilo, Fausse, Arbois, Matthiasson, COS, Stoppa, Gravner, Radikon, Johan, A.D. Beckham.

Grouped by Styles:

Light: Tschida, Muller, Savage, Matthiasson
Solid: A.D. Beckham, COS, Tissot, Johan, Savatiano, Gravner
Extreme: Radikon, Lucy Margaux, MicroBio, Fausse Piste, La Stoppa

Quotes:

“I wouldn’t say it’s fruit forward…” -Diana P.
“It’s alive!” -Nicky D (referencing the Stoppa, which seems to have live Brett cultures, activating with oxygen)
“Sissy natural yeasts with no intervention.” -Nicky D (referencing self-described natural wines, which abstain from sulfur, thus allowing fragile native yeasts to succumb to robust lactic acid bacteria)

Attendance, Thursday: