Go-to-Wine Tuesday
Posted on | March 20, 2012 | Written by Evan LaNouette | No Comments
Week-to-week, Italian Wine Merchants is a carousel. Wine is constantly on the move. Unless you’ve taken a tour of our cellar, you can’t imagine this constant logistical battling of bringing in and shipping out Sergio’s finds. You just never know what new finds Sergio will get for us next, and what unseen gems go overlooked. Such has been the case with one wine in particular that is a new arrival to our portfolio: a truly mysterious and unknown Pinot Grigio.
The wine is Borgo dei Santi 2010 Pinot Grigio – Friuli Grave, and we are the only merchant in the USA that has this bottle. The classification tells me the grapes are sourced from the Udine region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, and is likely a regional blend of Pinot Grigio from different vineyards. Knowing this, I was enthusiastic to learn more about the producer and their story, but found very little information available in our digital world. When I say little, I must correct myself. Rather, there is literally no information out there on the producer, a very strange occurrence considering our ever-expanding global market. After this discover I knew Sergio had found something very unique for us to experience, and I grabbed a bottle to taste at home this week.
My eager suspicions were gratified. This is a delicious Pinot Grigio–more Chablis than Loire, more flinty complexity than raw fruit; all of which was supported by nice ambient perfume and flowers. This wine delivers like very few can in the price point of $19.99, and it had a finish in the range of premier cru Chablis. Interestingly, the acidity was not sharp. For an elevated region, this is a sign of great forethought. The true sign of a wine having balanced acidity and tannins is you don’t need to drink water after you have the wine, and with Borgo dei Santi (English: “Village of Saints), it is nearly as refreshing as a glass water with a touch of lime. It does not bite whatsoever, but rather it glides its full-bodied aromatics across your palate, the sort of delicious, roll over the palate that everyone enjoys.
To say the least I was impressed. It’s great see something so mysterious and undiscovered in our cellar, and at the same time a wine any level of enthusiast or connoisseur should appreciate. Whether you’re coming in to grab something quick to drink with dinner, or put in the cellar for a party Borgo dei Santi 2010 Pinot Grigio – Friuli Grave is an option worth your consideration. Salute!
Comments
Leave a Reply
Biodynamic Wine
Bold Italian
Educating Peter
Passion on the Vine
The Heartbreak Grape
The Wine Atlas of the Langhe