My shipment of new Massican wines arrived last week, so have tried them all:
Massican Annia NapaVlly WW (12.8%; 53% TocaiFriulano/39% RibollaGialla/8% Chard) DanPetroski/Calistoga 2019: Light yellow color; very fragrant Tokai/floral/carnations some chalky/perfumed talc/bit mineral very Friulian slight citric lovely aromatic nose; fairly tart/tangy/bit grapefruity lightweight Tokai/floral/carnations light chalky/mineral/perfumed talc rather quiet/reserved balanced flavor; very long/lingering somewhat floral/Tojai/carnations light chalky/mineral/perfumed talc finish; a very strong resemblence to a Friuli of Felluga Friulano; a lovely laser-sharp Friuli-style white on the quiet/understated side. $30.00
Massican SauvBlanc NapaVlly (100% SauvBlanc; 13.3%) 2019: Light gold color w/ small bubbles that dissipate; lovely spicy/SB/melony/floral/gardenias light chalky/perfumed talc slight pencilly quite perfumed/aromatic beautiful nose; quite tart/tangy very strong ripe/melony/SB/floral lightly spicy/perfumed talc bit citric/grapefruity flavor; very long/lingering very floral/melony/SB/gardenias/slight herbal light perfumed talc/chalky finish; a dead-ringer for a great Friuli SB like Jermann; a beautiful SB that reminds some of the Bedrock Waidhofen SB. $28.00
Massican Gemina Calif WW (13.0%; 74% PinotBianco/26% Greco) 2019: Med.gold slightly cloudy color; some earthy/chalky light floral/PB slight herbal/new mown grass maybe slight phenolic rather tight/closed nose; quite tart/tangy/grapefruity very slight phenolic (?) light/quiet floral/PB slight herbal/new mown grass bit earthy/rustic flavor; long rather tart/grapefruity/bit pineapple light PB/floral/dandelions slight resiny/phenolic bit earthy/rustic finish; not a bad wine but does not speak strongly of PinotBlanc from Friuli or Sudtirol; not the aromatics you usually get from Gemina; just a bit on the muddled side. $35.00
Massican is, of course, the Friuli-style wines of DanPetroski, winemaker at Larkmead, a Cabernet house. He pretty much has that Friuli style nailed. I can see myself drinking any of his wines at dinner at LaSubida or Frasca.
I was particularly struck by the SauvBlanc, a variety that I am often a bit lukewarm about. A very perfumed/aromatic rendition of SB w/o the herbal overtones of many Calif SB’s.
The Gemina was a bit of a puzzle to me. It is usually a very aromatic/perfumed type of wine. This '19 came across as a bit muddled and out of form. There was some suggestion that I may have had a slight degree of skin-contact. Will go back & try one of my older ones in a few days.
Tom
Nice notes, Tom…all three wines sitting here. I love the style and the obvious crushability of Dan’s wines on those future Chicago humid evenings. These are patio wines and a mixed case is nice to have around.
Thanks Tom, the Massican Annia is available locally here and we usually go through a few bottles a year. Always a good drink. The 2019 sounds pretty typical, will be on the lookout once I can get to our wine shop.
Okay, Tom…finally got around to popping the 2019 Gemina. Think I liked it a bit more than yod did…“Cloudy in the glass, definite skin contact, shy nose, but explodes on the palate. Rich, almost viscous, with real weight and complexity. Light in alcohol, but intense flavors of ripe pear, apple, melon, fig. Decent fruit/acid balance, but the wine is shocking in is power. I usually find this blend much more subtle and elegant. Long, booming, insistent finish.” 92 points I think I was more shocked than disappointed.
I think the 2019 Annia is wonderfully fresh and delicious. I’ve had the last 3 vintages of this wine and the 2019 is clearly my favorite. Dan Petroski has said it was the most “Friulian” expression of this wine since inception. Hopefully, he will be able to continue to produce Massican in 2020.
Tom, last week I heard Dan say a on live stream on Instagram that there was some uncertainty in light of Covid-19 and its effect on the wine business. I believe he said that he sells a substantial portion of his production to restaurants. I, for one, hope he is able to produce Massican in 2020, as it’s one of our favorite white wines. Immediately after the live stream, I placed an order for more Annia, as a small way of helping one of my favorite producers.
