Wines in the Top Ten Tasting Lineup from Organic Vineyards
Seated masterclass tastings at Gambero Rosso's in person tour featured an outstanding array of wines from many regions of Italy. The wines were excellent and the chance to taste them in person a valuable experience since many did not appear to have U.S. distribution.
Which raises the eternal question: When will the US distribution system get it right? These are truly great wines and it seems a shame that the systems in place frequently do not allow consumers access to them. If wine distribution were not controlled by monopolistic structures in the U.S., surely we would enjoy these stunning wines.
Meanwhile, here's what to look for from the tasting:
• Villa Sandhi's Cartine-Brut La Rivetta 2020 (15,000 bottles)
The lineup on Friday's tasting began with extra brut and brut wines - a lively start. Gambero Rosso's Italian Wines Guide 2022 calls this wine "a star performer"..."on the nose, white fruit is embellished with by fresh flowers and citrus fruits"..."shows on the mouth with impressive sapidity coming through lean and crisp and closing on a note of bitter almond." It is indeed an impressive wine.
This is the 12th year the wine received a Tre Bicchieri, and this year, it won the guide's Sparkler of the Year award, in a crowded field:
"The Bubbles of the Year Award increasingly marks the differences and complexities within the Prosecco galaxy. In this case, we are in the heart of the municipality of Valdobbiadene, in a micro-vineyard area that outlines an amphitheater of vines that is scenic to say the least, with dizzying slopes. We are talking about the Cartizze hill, 107 hectares of vineyards for a production of 1.2 million bottles. A suitable territory, divided into over 40 owners..."
Find more on page 445 of Gambero Rosso's Italian Wines 2022 guide in the Veneto chapter.
While the winery itself has more than 560 hectares (1,383 acres) under vine, La Rivetta is only 1.5 hectares (3.7 acres).
Villa Sandhi's overall production is 5.6 million bottles.
I found only one place online in the US to buy it - for the price of around $80.
• Castello de Cigognola's More Pas Dosé M. Cl.
A Blanc de Noir with bright fruit and citrus notes, this was a two Bicchieri wine in the guide (page 250 in the Lombardy chapter) from a brand that converted to organics in 2018.
In comparison to the giant Villa Sandhi, this winery is much smaller - with 30 hectares of vines. It produces 75,000 bottles annually. It also makes a Brut Nature of Pinot Nero as well.
This sparkling wine is made via the classical method.