2006 G.D. Vajra Langhe Freisa Kyè- Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Langhe DOC (7/6/2014)
I have to search out more Freisa, if this was a representative bottle. Very unique, almost an amalgam of other varieties. Dark ruby, nearly black in color; the nose and palate are full of dark fruit. The tannins are also dense and with the ample acidity help temper any perceived sweetness of the dense fruit. Violet floral notes and minerality make it even more interesting. Both a crowd pleaser and a geek’s wine.
To take it further, Vajra’s take on Freisa is totally atypical - interesting no doubt, but atypical. Best described as transcending the grape/category, IMO.
And so for the normal Freisa (think Cavallotto, as just one example), the reason there is no “buzz” is the same as with respect to something like Grignolino or Pelaverga - because we are talking about “second tier” grapes that, other than their “geekiness” appeal, have no capability of producing a great wine. And that’s not to say that I don’t enjoy these wines every once in a while for a change, but merely to point out that we’re talking about a grape that can never aspire to “Nebbiolo heights”.
because we are talking about “second tier” grapes that, other than their “geekiness” appeal, have no capability of producing a great wine
I have to take issue with that. I’ve not yet had a Freisa that I thought was phenomenal but I’ve had a few that were surely decent enough and better than many a poor Cabernet Sauvignon or Pinot Noir. Maybe Freisa can and maybe it can’t ever produce a great wine anywhere on planet earth, but the idea that some grapes are second-tier is misguided IMO.
For the past fifty years people have focused on a very few grapes and planted them all over the world. That’s not necessarily because those grapes are “better” than others, but because back in the 1950s and 60s and 70s, Bordeaux was still the largest and best-known wine producing area in the free world so people tried to imitate that. Outside of Tuscany, who considered Sangiovese anything but a second-tier grape up into the 1970s? Same with Garnacha, Aglianico, Tempranillo and maybe even Syrah, all of which today are considered capable of making first-rank wines.
Our view of wine and what we consider greater and lesser grapes is colored by the politics of the early 20th century when much of middle and eastern Europe, where wine had been produced for centuries before grapes hit France, was behind the iron curtain and parts of western Europe were ruled by dictators who limited trade and information exchange, or were under completely dysfunctional governments. So grapes from Greece, much of Italy, Portugal and Spain didn’t make it around the world. If the US, South American, and Australian wine industries were starting today I don’t think they’d be nearly as focused on the five or six grapes that have come to dominate world wine production.
Not exactly sure what Bordeaux grapes have to do with anything here, Greg - there is a reason why grapes like Nebbiolo, Sangiovese and Aglianico are considered “noble grapes” and grapes like Ruche’, Freisa and Dolcetto are not. It’s not like Dolcetto and Freisa are new cultivars where someone is just waiting to discover their potential - they’ve been making so-so wines for decades.
That’s not to say they don’t make nice aperitifs, and won’t be nice with a place of salumi & cheese, but if you’re looking for greatness in a wine, IMO you need to look elsewhere.
Why no buzz about Freisa?? Because it’s a god-forsaken grape being foisted off on an unsuspecting public
by way-too-hip Somms. It’s best you run in the other direction when you see a Freisa coming your way!!
Freisa is a (or can be…not always) a lovelly grape. It is a parent of Nebbiolo and an unknown parent. It is a sibling of Viognier.
I particularly like to G.D.Vjara and also the Sottomano Mate. Really lovely aromatics. Some like Ruche or Marzemino.
They used to be mostly sparking or frizzante, some being low-alcohol/off-dry/partial fermentation. Those are seemingly becoming
more & more rare. But I have liked some of those in the latter category. The slight RS they have can cut down on the tannic bite.
LouisLucas has some Freisa planted in LosAlamos, under his Toccato label that is nice. RandalGraham did several Sparkling Freisas
that were quite delicious.
I wish there were more Freisas around…but it’ll never have any buzz to it.
Tom
Bob - I’m most definitely not trying to start an argument here. But the whole idea of “noble” grapes is what I was referring to. That’s a term that was invented by a Frenchman who had an idea of what the wine world was like when he coined the term. And I’m in your camp regarding Dolcetto. Moreover, I actually agree with Parker when he talks about the about bad wines being foisted off as if they’re more authentic than others.
The thing is, how many places is a grape like Fresia grown? It’s not a “noble” grape because our knowledge of it is limited. Could it be a better grape in British Columbia, Michigan, Switzerland, Chile, Spain, or somewhere else? Who knows - it’s never been grown there. Again, I’m not trying to be some kind of champion for Fresia but the more wine I try, the less inclined I am to believe that some grapes are just not capable of producing great wine.
In May I had a tasting w/ the winemaker at Cavallotto, and he shared some of the Freisa after I asked if we could try some. In general he was not bullish on the grape - he said it was something to drink when you have a very heavy meat course. He said it was not a great wine either by itself or in it’s versatility with other foods.
Outside of that tasting my experience is pretty limited - but in comparison to the fantastic Barolo in the tasting it did come across as pretty one-dimensional. If I had to pick a comparison I’d almost go with Tannant or Mouvedre.
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