Towering

Only in the best years is this wine from this great vineyard bottled as a selection of Ronco della Chiesa. A Grand Cru! The vineyard is located near the cellar, in full exposure, on the steep hillside of Brazzano.

NOTES: Brilliant greenish yellow, very transparent. It reveals intense, clean, pleasing and refined aromas that start with hints of hawthorn, apple and toast followed by aromas of coffee, almond, toffee, pear and plum. Intense, clean, pleasing. This is Friulano at its absolute best: insanely complex, delightful, mind-numbing, a wine you’ll be pondering for weeks. Here’s a little more from AG:

“Nicola Manferrari is one of Friuli’s original trailblazers. Along with Mario Schiopetto, Josko Gravner and Silvio Jermann, Manferrari was just one of a handful of producers in the 1980s who had the vision and courage to follow his convictions. Winemakers like Enzo Pontoni and Edi Kante, each in their own way, followed that same spirit. Still, Borgo del Tiglio remains vastly overlooked considering the quality of what goes into the bottle. So much of what is made in Friuli today is essentially commercial, large-production wine with little personality. In that context, Borgo del Tiglio is a towering presence of true excellence and a shining beacon of what is possible in one of Italy’s greatest but often most underachieving appellations.”

— ANTONIO GALLONI, VINOUS.COM #renegadewines #santabarbara #winenerd #sb #sommlife #winetasting #wineporn #seesb #trustyourpalate #montecito #sbcwine #seriousjuice #winetime #winegeeks #winewednesday #funkzone #centralcalifornia #foodiesofsb #zagat #sommelier #thatwinenerd #intothebottle #somm3 #savorsb #borgodeltiglio

Greco is Greco

Let’s have some fun:

One of Italy’s most famous wine grape is Greco di Tufo. But being strictly accurate the grape varietal is named simply Greco. And it is incorrect to call it Greco Bianco as Greco and Greco Bianco are two distinct varietals from completely different areas in Italy. Greco is typically from Campania, Greco Bianco from Calabria (and Greco Bianco is almost certainly Malvasia di Lipari). So…to keep this short we recommend the Ciro Picariello Greco di Tufo that’s on our shelves ($24) that’s minerally,with orange blossom, citrus peel, green melon, spice, and whiffs of springs flowers. As for Greco Bianco we highly recommend the producer Stelitano. We’re still tracking the importer down and will keep you updated. Enjoy your weekend! #renegadewines #santabarbara #winenerd #sb #sommlife #winetasting #wineporn #seesb #trustyourpalate #montecito #sbcwine #seriousjuice #winetime #winegeeks #winewednesday #funkzone #centralcalifornia #foodiesofsb #zagat #sommelier #thatwinenerd #intothebottle #somm3 #savorsb #olivermccrumwines #ciropicariello

Mornings…

Gamay!

In late 2011, Coteaux Bourguignons replaced the earlier appellation Bourgogne Grand Ordinaire (really? Someone named an appellation greatly ordinary???). That being said, Domaine des Rouges-Queues has created this exceptional Gamay from Burgundy. If you’re into “natural” wines this is for you. If you’re in to great Burgundy for under $40 this wine is for you. Jean-Yves and Isabelle (who met in a Swiss disco BTW) establishes this Domaine in the early 2000s. Sensational Pinots across the board. We have this one in stock plus 6 of their other wines from the Burgundy appellation of Maranges. #renegadewines #santabarbara #winenerd #sb #sommlife #winetasting #wineporn #seesb #trustyourpalate #montecito #sbcwine #seriousjuice #winetime #winegeeks #winewednesday #funkzone #centralcalifornia #foodiesofsb #zagat #sommelier #thatwinenerd #intothebottle #somm3 #savorsb

1396!

Very Best of Show! A customer asked us on Tuesday whether there were any great wines from Pouilly-Fume. We confessed to him that we had never had a truly great wine from there but many really good ones. Today we can say with confidence we have now had a great wine from this appellation. It is in stock for $30. And now a little history and tasting notes from this historic property. Wines have been produced from the vineyards of this Château since 1396, but the winery owes its current incarnation to the Count and Countess Alain d’Estutt d’Assay, who resurrected it in 1952. Today it is run by their son, Henry d’Assay, and his sisters. Pale gold with a silvery shimmer. An open and intense nose, offering notes of heirloom apple and citrus fruit. A fresh citrussy attack on the palate and seductive minerality. This wine has a wow factor of 10. Pair with pungent goat’s or sheep’s cheeses, or fine seafood such as the Spring Roll recipe from The Slanted Door Cookbook, pg. 9. #renegadewines #santabarbara #winenerd #sb #sommlife #winetasting #wineporn #seesb #trustyourpalate #montecito #sbcwine #seriousjuice #winetime #winegeeks #winewednesday #funkzone #centralcalifornia #foodiesofsb #zagat #sommelier #thatwinenerd #intothebottle #somm3 #savorsb