Vino Noceto Sangiovese and Zinfandel Trio + One

Oh I second that. That would get me in LOTS of trouble!

Sidenote: I received my MacRostie today that I purchased during the woot-off. I know that WineDavid mentioned previously that wine delivered to excessively warm climates gets, I believe, two day shipping. Mine took a week and (according to weather.com) it is currently 93 degrees (heat index 102) in south Louisiana. Does the express shipping apply exclusively to wine.woot? If I woot this week, will it be expedited?

I’ll give it a try. Suzy and I own the winery. We do not own the Original Grand Pere vineyard. However, a very good friend, Teri Harvey, owns it and our winemaker, Rusty Folena, pruned the vineyard as a teenager.
A US Geological Survey report in 1869 mentioned wine produced from this specific vineyard. Many – not all – vines date back to that time. Over the last twenty plus years most “deaths” have been from tractor blight – farming equipment hits and breaks the vine. In most cases next year another vine sprouts from the roots. (So, how old is that vine. . . ?)
This vineyard is in Shenandoah Valley in the California Sierra Foothills. Many Foothill Zinfandels exhibit raspberry and spice flavors, with sort of a dusty overtone. We believe this wine exemplifies these attributes. While many factors determine wine flavors, I believe the soil and climate are the biggest factors. We are hot with cool nights area. But, decomposed granite and volcanic origins of the soil put the spice and “dust” in the wines.
The spicyness also shows in our Sangiovese wines.
Jim Gullett
Vino Noceto

I hesitate to ask this because on the few message boards I’ve checked, someone always asks about delivery length, and I don’t want to be one of Those Guys on Woot who always ask the question that everyone always asks.

However, I AM curious about when I should realistically begin thinking about ordering wines off this site, in light of the fact that I live in Arizona. All summer, I’ve looked at various offerings and wanted to order, but the combination of “long, tediously slow delivery times” and 110 degrees here just doesn’t sound like a good recipe.

So how would it work if I were to order this? Does my wine get shipped right away, and then it sits in a Customs warehouse along the Colorado River, waiting to get the go-ahead? Or does the interminable wait cover the time necessary for paperwork/payoffs/bribes to clear the way while my wine waits patiently in the winery, after which it ships overnight? And how long is that tedious wait, anyway? Six weeks? Eight? Twelve? If I ordered now, and the wine didn’t ship until late October, the heat would be a non-factor and I could just forge ahead.

In short, when do I get to play?

Thanks for the comments, Suzy…Your comments coupled with others in the thread have forced me to double my order! Ugh. I’m really looking forward to tasting this wine. Sounds like exactly what I like!!!

BTW…I think this’ll bust my Wine Cellar capacity…I got some drinking to do!!!

Was debating this one all last night and this morning. After reading the comments about the Zin, I had to do it. I am typically not too big on Zin’s, but hopefully this one will be as good as everyone made it sound. I am, on the other hand, very much in love with Sangiovese’s. I know that probably puts me fairly low on the Wine-O totem-pole but, being Italian, I grew up on them and just can’t get enough!

I live about 15 minutes from this winery…Their wines are WONDERFUL!!! If I didn’t live so close, I’d grab this one in a heartbeat (x3)! Their Sangiovese is amazing - and what better region for Zin than Amador, CA!!! YAY WOOT!

I’m in. This will be my 4th woot and so far it’s been a beautiful friendship. I have them sent to my husband’s office and if they give him a hard time about having a drinking problem, I’ll be happy to take the blame.

Coupon code?? How would I get one of those??

Vino Noceto is a first class operation with many outstanding wines from a region that produces red wines FAR superior to the Napa Valley. You won’t believe it until you have experienced it, so warm up the car and get with it!

Another hit to my wallet. I think I need to take a week off from buying wine, I am already out of space. I am impressed by the quickness of the winery on the forum. I haven’t seen such speed since GOS.

I have a question for you all and maybe you can offer a suggestion or two…

Just what am I to be looking for or getting (for lack of better words) from a Sangiovese wine. I have limited experience with this grape and when I purchased the Foppiano, I thought it was terrible. I purchased 8 and have had 3, and like someone else posted a while back, I think it tastes like vinegar. I also wonder if it had to do with the heat, as when I recieved my wine after a week of slow roasting in the “big brown oven on wheels”, it was just shy of hot to the touch. (Yes, it was over 100 in North Dakota too!!!)

The only Sangiovese I’ve tried and really liked was from Sterling Vineyards. As a fan of Reds, I want to know where this grape “fits” and what others think.

Give me a big, dusty, oaky, spicy cab and I’m in heaven. But I can also enjoy light whites in the summer. Maybe the Sagiovese grape and I are just not meant for each other.

Thanks again in advance for any input.

If it tasted like vinegar, than there was definitely something wrong. It seems like the Foppiano has had the most problems so far. I blame it on a combination of the heat and the wine being very “young”. I’ve had quite a few bottles of Sangiovese and it can be a great wine when done right. I look forward to having both versions from Vino Noceto and comparing them.
Some people prefer one varietal to another. Me, I’m partial to Sirah but I enjoy almost all reds and whites. I just can’t wrap my mind and nose around sparkling wine. I’ve tried many times and we just don’t get along. That may be the case with you and Sangiovese. This wine could be the deciding factor for you, I have a feeling it will be excellent.

Hi Jim,
It’s great hearing from owners, such as Suzy and yourself, on these message boards. I appreciate your response and the info…and can’t wait to give all 3 types of Vino Noceto a try.
Thanks,
brian

With the woot-off, I’ve been buying a bit too much wine to ship to work weekly. I have found that UPS is very flexible. I called the 800 number when they couldn’t deliver my MacRostie today. They scheduled a pickup at 7:00 pm tonight :slight_smile:

having been to italy and drinking their wines on many occassions and having 1/3 of my clients as Sicilians or Italians…i’ve come to appreciate sangioveses.

the foppiano was a fluke i think. mine were pretty heat damaged. we’re talking 100+ on the infrared thermometer. not to mention one badly leaking cork and one semi-leaking cork. both caps did not spin freely.

i’m in texas and these wines are a TEASE. i’m on travel for 2 weeks in the northeast and it’s 59 here so i’m frustrated just as you are.

sangioveses are a great casual dinner drinking wine where you want good flavor and pairing without having to concentrate too hard on the wine. i think it just ‘flows’ with the food when you’re having italian foods.

You must have received a bum lot. I purchased the Foppiano x 3 and they have all been amazing bottles. It is a rich red wine, not as in your face as a big cab but a little more attitude than a merlot. I am in Washington and we didn’t suffer the same heat.

I look forward to Jim and or Suzy’s perspective on this post. During our research phase, i read a number of articles on their passion for Sangiovese. They have forgotten more than most people have learned about this grape and wine.

Hello,
Well, indeed, what is Sangiovese or should it be? Even in Italy it’s a bit of a chameleon, or at least meets many cloaks. The most prominent Italian models are Brunello di Montalcino and (modern) Chianti. The former are at best big rich wines, that rival the best reds anywhere, at less than best they are difficult wines to enjoy, even when aging has moderated their eccentricities. Chianti’s tend to be very versatile food wines. They are aromatic, usually some dark fruit like plum or cherry – rarely berry – flavors, maybe rubarb or some citrus (not my favorite but a good complementary flavor), high acid, maybe some leather, cedar, or dry leaves with a little age! It typically is of moderate to full body with a slightly brick color, versus the ruby or purple of Bordeaux varieties, Syrah, Zinfandel, or Barbera.
Our Sangiovese? The 2003 Noceto Sangiovese is targeted at this Chianti style. If mother nature would allow it, we’d try to reproduce the 2003 with this wine every vintage. Having it with pizza, pasta, or grilled meats including savory and spicy things to us is obvious. We’ve found it goes remarkably well with grilled salmon.
The Riserva has a little different target. It has evolved from the “best” lots (we start each spring with 15 or more lots of Sangiovese, some as small as 8 barrels) to the best lots that give a bigger, richer, more California style, without losing all its Tuscan roots. So while the first is 100% Sangiovese, we’ve blended Syrah, Petite Sirah, and Souzao to 94+% Sangiovese to achieve the color, mouthfeel, and complexity we seek with the 2003 Riserva. Food matches are different, perhaps more limited. But, for some the reward is greater.
Back to our 15+ lots of Sangiovese for a moment. Represented in our winery are six “clones” or Tuscan vineyard selections of Sangiovese. Four of these are now bottled individually plus a fifth is a blend of Sangiovese with the traditional Chianti Classico varieties, Trebbiano, Malvasia, and Canaiolo Nero. These many lots allow us to achieve a style and consistency that few can with this difficult variety.
I hope I didn’t bore you too much or add to confusion!
Thank you for your interest.
Jim Gullett
Vino Noceto

Hi, this is Suzy again. I’ll try to give you my perspective on Sangiovese. Hopefully, Jim will check in later with his point of view.

As one of you noted, Sangiovese is one of those wines that just “flows” with a meal. You sit down for a meal, and before you know it the bottle of wine is gone. The meal and the wine are meant to compliment each other. Think Tuscany, and you think food & wine. Think feminine – it’s not a knock-you-over, blockbuster wine, but rather one that is flowery, perfumy, wily, enchanting. [Chianti wines are made from the Sangiovese grape – sometimes 100% Sangiovese, in the earlier days a blend with mostly Sangiovese. In fact, Sangiovese is the most widely planted varietal in Italy.]

In our particular case, we were searching for a grape varietal that would grow well in our environment, that we liked, and that was different from what everyone else was doing. It took a year of trying Italian and Rhone wines for dinner every night (poor us!) before we settled on Sangiovese. We feel we have the perfect environment for growing this grape. And, we strive to make it as true to varietal character as we can. Sangiovese is our passion.

I don’t often put a lot of stock in awards or reviews, but I do feel that when wines consistently receive awards and good reviews, that does say something. And, our Sangiovese consistently receives awards at local and national competitions (about 85-90% of the time) and consistently receives praise from the critics.

Somebody was asking about tasting notes. Here is what Dan Berger (wine critic, chief judge of several major competions, previously wine editor of LA Times) recently had to say about our 2003 Noceto Sangiovese:

“EXCEPTIONAL … The best Chianti-styled Sangiovese in California … perfect varietal of crisp red berry fruit, tart, with the perfect level of fruit and acid. If other California producers are making a heavier, darker wine, their fruit is in the wrong place. Or they’re asking too much of the grape.”

This is the type of review we consistently get – crediting us for being the best California Chianti-style Sangiovese.

Wow…There was some excellent information there. Can you give us the same information about your Zin? Your comments are awesome. Honestly I was looking at this weeks offering more for the Zin than the Sangiovese…

I also want to take a moment and thank Winedavid39 for his wine selection thus far. I suppose most wineries love to talk about their wine…But, it’s awesome to find those people who would not only be willing to talk about their wine, but talk about it on a website like Wine.Woot.com…Excellent job.

Thanks for the information! So would I be right to say that Sangivese is a wine best served with food than without? My wife and I really like to sit down at the end of the day and have a glass of wine together. We’ve done it for years and while we do have wine at dinner sometimes, we always try to have our evening glass. We may have a little food something, but for the most part the wine is on it’s own. I’m going to go with this and give it a try. You’ve done an awesome sales job and I look forward to enjoying all your wines. Wine.woot, you’re doing a great job exposing us to new and different grapes and tastes!

Also, Thanks to everone else for the comments and information!