Contrada


Italian for single vineyard. Each Contrada will have its own name.

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Italian for single vineyard. Each Contrada will have its own name. Plural = Contrade. Etna’s Contrade have certainly raised knowledge of the term. Each year a tasting, the Contrade dell’Etna, is held to taste the current releases from Etna. The term is used throughout Italy.

Contrade names you might have heard of from Etna: Rampante, Guardiola, Feudo di Mezzo, Acuria, Sciaronuova, Calderara, and Rivaggi. Moving north to Veneto, Gini’s top Soave is from the Contrada “Salverenza”.

 

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Feeling Thirsty?

To be labelled 1er Cru from the 2020 Vintage! “The 2018 Pouilly-Fuissé Vignes Blanches is terrific, delivering aromas of peach, orange oil and confit citrus complemented by hints of buttered popcorn and iodine. Medium to full-bodied, satiny and textural, with an ample core of fruit, racy acids and a long, electric finish, it transcends the vintage." William Kelley 93+ Points, Burghound 90-93 ♥ Sweet Spot Outstanding
$131
$126ea in any 3+
$121ea in any 6+
A relatively high-toned and more elegant nose features notes of red currant, cherry, raspberry and a hint of lavender. The super-sleek, indeed almost lacy middle weight flavors display more minerality if less density before terminating in a lingering finish that tightens up noticeably on the dusty and mildly austere finale. Allen Meadows
$174
$167ea in any 3+
$160ea in any 6+

Giuseppe Rinaldi Rosae 2021

Ruché | Piedmont, Barolo

Well here's a fascinating drink! I've not had a Ruchè AKA Ruchet AKA Rouchet AKA Moscatellina before. I wonder how Rinaldi ended up with this in the mix and the history of the vineyard. The synonym Moscatellina is perhaps the one that first drew my gaze when smelling this. It does have some Muscat like aromas, I almost felt like I was smelling a pretty decent bitters. Galloni is on the mark with his discription. Before trying it myself I though perhaps he was having a Rinaldi Fan Boy moment.

Nervi-Conterno Gattinara 2017

Nebbiolo | Italy, Gattinara

Amazing transparency, sophistication shining though. The 2017 Gattinara is terrific. It will also give readers something to drink without waiting decades. In 2017, the Gattinara is a bit richer than it often is - the result of the warm dry year – but its profile is super-classic. Sweet pipe tobacco, mint, dried herbs, licorice, dried cherry and Alpine herbs fill out its ample frame effortlessly. I would give the 2017 a few years in bottle, but it won’t need more than that to start drinking w
$186
$181ea in any 3+
$176ea in any 6+