2015 Puligny-Montrachet “Les Chalumaux”Comtesse de Chérisey
France | Burgundy
$120
Producers
When it comes to importing wines from Italy, we tend not to go for cuvées made from internationally prevalent grapes, because the country boasts so many native varieties: Nebbiolo, Sangiovese, Rossese, Nerello Mascalese, and Nero d’Avola, to name just a few. Every once in a while, however, if the terroir has something really interesting to say and the wine is simply too good to pass up, we make an exception. Peter Dipoli’s Iugum is one of these rare bottles. From his stunning slopes near Bolzano in Alto Adige, Dipoli crafts this blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, an outstanding Italian cousin of Right-Bank Bordeaux, with fragrant aromas of black cherries, tobacco, and plums. Enjoy now through 2030.
—Tom Wolf
Wine Type: | red |
Vintage: | 2013 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | 80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon |
Appellation: | Alto Adige |
Country: | Italy |
Region: | Alto Adige |
Producer: | Peter Dipoli |
Winemaker: | Peter Dipoli |
Vineyard: | Planted in 1992 |
Soil: | Clay, Limestone |
Aging: | Wine ages in bottle until 4 years after harvest |
Farming: | Sustainable |
Alcohol: | 14.5% |
Ferruccio Carlotto Italy | Alto Adige | Vigneti delle Dolomiti
Manni Nössing Italy | Alto Adige | Alto Adige – Valle Isarco
Ferruccio Carlotto Italy | Alto Adige | Vigneti delle Dolomiti
Manni Nössing Italy | Alto Adige | Alto Adige – Valle Isarco
Manni Nössing Italy | Alto Adige | Alto Adige – Valle Isarco
Manni Nössing Italy | Alto Adige | Alto Adige – Valle Isarco
In the heart of the Dolomites, Alto Adige is Italy’s northernmost wine region. Having changed hands multiples times in its history between Italy and the Austro-Hungarian Empire (it shares a border with Austria), it boasts strong Germanic influence on its culture, language, cuisine, as well as its wines.
The mountainous geography is the principal determinant of local winemaking styles, with the high-altitude vineyards and cool Alpine climate favoring primarily crisp, racy, aromatic whites from varieties like Kerner, Sauvignon, Müller Thurgau, and Grüner Veltliner. A Mediterranean influence on climate is channeled north up the valley until Bolzano, permitting the cultivation of certain reds as well, among which Schiava, Lagrein, Pinot Nero, and Merlot fare best.
Small growers who once sold fruit to the area’s multiple co-ops are now increasingly bottling their own wines. The arrival of many quality-oriented artisans on the scene caught our eye years ago, and we now count three estates from Südtirol, as it is also known, in our portfolio. These high-acid mountain wines make for a beautifully invigorating aperitivo with thinly sliced speck, a local specialty.
Manni Nössing Italy | Alto Adige | Alto Adige – Valle Isarco
Manni Nössing Italy | Alto Adige | Alto Adige – Valle Isarco
Ferruccio Carlotto Italy | Alto Adige | Vigneti delle Dolomiti
Manni Nössing Italy | Alto Adige | Alto Adige – Valle Isarco
Ferruccio Carlotto Italy | Alto Adige | Vigneti delle Dolomiti
Weingut Carlotto Italy | Alto Adige | Vigneti delle Dolomiti
Manni Nössing Italy | Alto Adige | Alto Adige – Valle Isarco
Manni Nössing Italy | Alto Adige | Alto Adige – Valle Isarco
Vignai da Duline Italy | Friuli | Grave
Vignai da Duline Italy | Friuli | Friuli Colli Orientali
Bèrto Italy | Piedmont
Edi Kante Italy | Friuli | Venezia Giulia
Every three or four months I would send my clients a cheaply made list of my inventory, but it began to dawn on me that business did not pick up afterwards. It occurred to me that my clientele might not know what Château Grillet is, either. One month in 1974 I had an especially esoteric collection of wines arriving, so I decided to put a short explanation about each wine into my price list, to try and let my clients know what to expect when they uncorked a bottle. The day after I mailed that brochure, people showed up at the shop, and that is how these little propaganda pieces for fine wine were born.—Kermit Lynch
Drinking distilled spirits, beer, coolers, wine and other alcoholic beverages may increase cancer risk, and, during pregnancy, can cause birth defects. For more information go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov/alcohol
Many food and beverage cans have linings containing bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical known to cause harm to the female reproductive system. Jar lids and bottle caps may also contain BPA. You can be exposed to BPA when you consume foods or beverages packaged in these containers. For more information, go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov/bpa