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A Transcendent Italian Discovery
A Transcendent Italian Discovery
by Tom Wolf by Tom Wolf
2022 Erbaluce di Caluso “Le Chiusure”
2022 Erbaluce di Caluso “Le Chiusure”
Cantina Favaro Italy | Piedmont | Erbaluce di Caluso DOCG
For months, I have lived with regret—regret that I did not buy more of Cantina Favaro’s inaugural shipment of its stunning Erbaluce di Caluso “Le Chiusure” when it was in stock earlier this year. Because it’s made from an obscure grape, from a remote corner of northernmost Italy, I assumed that I could pick up a bottle at my leisure. But, not long after it arrived in Berkeley, I walked into 1605 San Pablo Avenue to stock up and, to my surprise, it was already all gone!
It shouldn’t have been too surprising. Despite its relative obscurity, Favaro’s Erbaluce is one of those bottles that makes you do a double take, sit up straight, and lose your words before regaining them to thank the Wine Gods. Tasting it earlier this year—and again today—I can’t help but think, was this how Kermit felt discovering transcendent Chablis in the 1980s? This Erbaluce is not Chablis, but they share so many alluring traits: a chiseled, cool-climate frame, a tension between bracing citrus and orchard fruit, and an irresistibly chalky note that begs for a pairing of fresh seafood, whether a filet of your favorite fish right off the grill, a lobster roll, or a spaghetti alle vongole.
At first, I hesitated to broadcast this new shipment, for selfish reasons, I admit. But I am willing to make the sacrifice, because Favaro’s wines deserve to be better known. Don’t wait too long lest you find, as I did, this wine will be gone before we know it!
Wine Type: | white |
Vintage: | 2022 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Erbaluce |
Appellation: | Erbaluce di Caluso DOCG |
Country: | Italy |
Region: | Piedmont |
Producer: | Cantina Favaro |
Winemaker: | Benito, Camillo, and Nicola Favaro |
Vineyard: | Planted in 1992, 2001, 2009; 2.1 ha |
Soil: | Morainic clay, sand |
Farming: | Organic (certified) |
Alcohol: | 14% |
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About The Producer
Cantina Favaro
Benito Favaro and his sons, Camillo and Nicola, are masters of Erbaluce, one of the most traditional white wines native to Piemonte. In fact, the DOC for Erbaluce di Caluso was the first white wine to receive that status in the region in 1967. The Favaro family are true garagistes. In the northern reaches of Piemonte, at the foot of the Alps, they craft their wines under their home in a subterranean cellar just next to their vineyards. They work organically in the vines, and all their efforts support coaxing the maximum expression of their land out of the wine. Their expression of Erbaluce is a benchmark for the appellation, and these white wines are capable of aging beautifully. The tiny bit of Nebbiolo and Freisa produced here are also extremely special wines, as elegant and aromatic as anything made elsewhere in Piemonte.
About The Region
Piedmont
Kermit’s love affair with the great reds of Piemonte dates back to the early days of his career: the very first container he imported from Italy, in fact, featured legendary 1971 and 1974 Barolos from Vietti and Aldo Conterno. Regular visits since then have seen our portfolio grow to now twelve Piemontesi estates, with a strong focus on the rolling hills of the Langhe.
Nebbiolo rules these majestic, vine-covered marl slopes, giving Italy’s most mystifyingly complex, nuanced, and age-worthy reds. When crafted via traditional production methods—long macerations and extensive aging in enormous oak botti—the powerful, yet incredibly refined Barolos and Barbarescos provide haunting aromatics of tar, raspberry, incense, tea, roses, and more. At times austere in their youth but well worth the wait, they pair beautifully with the hearty local cuisine starring veal in many forms, braised beef, pastas like tajarin and agnolotti, and of course, Alba’s famous white truffles.
Surrounded by mountains on three sides, Piemonte’s climate is continental, with baking hot summers and cold winters. Nebbiolo is only part of the story here: juicy, fruity Barberas and Dolcettos represent the bread and butter throughout the region, and other native grapes like Freisa, Croatina, and the white Arneis are also noteworthy. Value abounds in the Monferrato, while Alto Piemonte also has its share of thrills to provide.
Every corner of Piemonte is rich with tradition, especially when wine is concerned. It’s no wonder we have been singing the region’s praises for over forty years.
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Kermit once said...
Kermit once said...
For the wines that I buy I insist that the winemaker leave them whole, intact. I go into the cellars now and select specific barrels or cuvées, and I request that they be bottled without stripping them with filters or other devices. This means that many of our wines will arrive with a smudge of sediment and will throw a more important deposit as time goes by, It also means the wine will taste better.