bolognani: dynamite in the dolomites
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Diego’s lovely daughter just departed for her return trip to Italy. Plus, Diego, feigning jealousy decided to give me s*** about writing a laudatory piece on our mutual friend Gianni Piccoli but nothing on him. Well, carissimo, you’re right. The time is propitious for a spot on you, one of our finest winemakers…
Bolognani truly possesses modesty, a quality more invoked than actually seen. But Diego is modest, humble, human. At first he seems almost bashful. But once a real rapport is established he becomes like most Italians, warm, open and very loquacious.
His humility might lead one to forget what a formidable grower and producer he is. Or that he is able to consistently create great wines from many grape varieties: Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon, Müller-Thurgau, Nosiola, Moscato, even Traminer. And this is to speak only of his whites. In this respect, he resembles another powerful vigneron: François Barmès who works with many different species of vine in Alsace.
And while we are on the subject of place – yeah, are we Moore Brothers ever off it?! – Trentino/Alto Adige can be analogous to France’s Alsace in that the area does well in producing excellent whites from a number of different varieties. Moreover, both areas feature cuisines that have a Germanic influence and flavor.
Now to the wines.
As an Italian, it’s hard for me to wax rhapsodic about Pinot Grigio in general, especially given it’s celebrity as the “other white,” I mean, the alternative to Chardonnay. Still, when I drink Diego’s I’m reminded that well-farmed and well-made Pinot Grigio can be both refreshing and interesting. His Sauvignon jumps out of the glass shouting its varietal character. Müller-Thurgau is floral and lovely, the Moscato floral, and peachy with a musky dry length. The most intriguing of the bunch is the Nosiola, an autocthonous vine (wine geek lingo for “indigenous”) that derives its name from the local dialect for “hazelnut.” Truth to tell, the delicious fruit is supplemented by a hint of walnut rather than “nocciola.”
Diego also makes fine red from an equally autocthonous grape called Teroldego whose sound uncomfortably resonates with an erstwhile ethnic slur. This underrated vine and wine is mildly tannic with notes suggesting wild berries, sometimes boysenberry. Well, caro Diego, I hope this encomium gets me out of the doghouse, at least temporarily. In the meantime, I’ll take a bottle of Müller-Thurgau with some nice speck from Di Bruno Brothers.
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