February 2012 Release.
Expected to ship mid to late February.
Erickson Farm
NEBBIOLO
Madera, Calif.
The Barolo varietal with a 2 liter, virgin crushed grape pack
The Nebbiolo grape is most famous for being the primary varietal in Italian Barolo and Barbaresco wines. It has also been slowly making inroads in California vineyards.
We have been running trials with Nebbiolo grapes from Erickson Farm in Madera, California for nearly a year and are pleased to now offer you the chance to discover Nebbiolo in our take on an American-style Barolo in this year’s Limited Release program.
The wine that we present captures the classic profile of Barolo and Barbaresco. It is indeed a very BIG wine with deep, brooding red color, dense and traditional in style with highly extracted ripe fruit, dark spice, tobacco notes, high alcohol and very pointed tannins that give a sense of power and majesty.
The secret that enabled us to achieve this lofty profile was found when we introduced some rich Syrah juice from Rattlesnake Valley Vineyard in Yakima Valley, Washington into the main bladder and blended Yakima Syrah skins with the Nebbiolo skins into the crushed grape pack. Fermentation on robust crushed grapes seems to be essential to make this blend achieve the levels of intensity that is found in Barolos.
The assertive tannins do demand that this wine be aged at least a year (most Italian Barolo or Barbaresco wines require 5-10 or more years before they are considered approachable) but the rewards for patience are high.
After a year the cherry fruit aromas and flavors begin to show balanced integration with the spice notes, the 2- stage Hungarian oaks, the maturing tannins and the elevated alcohol level. Further aging will pay further rewards but the wine does retain its signature chewy, dry texture.
This BIG wine demands big foods as pairings. Think game meats (venison, duck, and pheasant), braised beef and lamb, cured meats, truffles and mushrooms, heavy tomato-sauced pasta, rich risottos or break the bank and serve with foiegras. Appropriate cheeses would include Pecorino Romano and a favorite blue cheese.
Here’s how the program works for those of you new to it. Every year Cellar Craft announces special wines that are released only during the month specified. There are generally 4 wines released from January through April.
Due to the popularity of these wines and their limited availability, sales are made on a reservation basis. High Gravity is usually able to order a few extras but it is highly recommended that these kits be pre-ordered to ensure delivery.
- Pre-orders MUST be received by 4:00 pm EST, Saturday, January 14, 2011.
- Place your pre-order on the phone or by ordering kits from our website.
- Orders ship when the kit becomes available. (Please note the delivery month is an estimate.)
- Pay now or when the kit arrives. Pay now and save $5.00 off the cost of the kit. If you choose to pay when the kit arrives, your credit card will not be charged until the kit is shipped.
- Pre-pay option is only available during the pre-order timeframe.
- Remember, all kits ordered at the same time only pay $9.99 shipping for all the kits.
- After the deadline your name will be placed on a waiting list and your credit card will not be charged unless we are able to ship the kit.
