Mark Slater Posted October 9, 2007 Share Posted October 9, 2007 The wine in question is Arianna Occhipinti "Il Frappato" [sic] Sicilia IGT 2005. Made without sulfur or wood and in extremely low yields, this is as crunchily mineral a drop as you'll find. Ms. Occhipinti is 25 years old, by thr way. Imported by Louis/Dressner Selections and available in North Carolina (where I got this bottle) and I'm not sure where else. Louis-Dressner wines are distributed here by Capitol Beverage Partners (once called Wines Ltd.). Google up Joe Dressner's blog. He's quite outspoken and funny. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jparrott Posted October 9, 2007 Share Posted October 9, 2007 Louis-Dressner wines are distributed here by Capitol Beverage Partners (once called Wines Ltd.). Google up Joe Dressner's blog. He's quite outspoken and funny."Distributed" may be a bit of an overstatement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deangold Posted October 9, 2007 Share Posted October 9, 2007 "Distributed" may be a bit of an overstatement. Reluctantly allowed to palce special orders for thje stuff with no tasting available is how I have found it but I am going to ahve a Radikon on the list soon! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jparrott Posted October 9, 2007 Share Posted October 9, 2007 Reluctantly allowed to palce special orders for thje stuff with no tasting available is how I have found it but I am going to ahve a Radikon on the list soon!Is it the Tocai? When I tasted through the range last year I thought it a bit more useful than the brooding Ribollas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wine Guy 23 Posted October 10, 2007 Share Posted October 10, 2007 other great non-sulfureized wine is by Allemand in Cornas. killer.. .Neyers does an omage to him also in California that is killer too.. a bit off the subject of previous though since niether are part of Dressner wines, rather Roanoke Selctions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deangold Posted October 10, 2007 Share Posted October 10, 2007 Is it the Tocai? When I tasted through the range last year I thought it a bit more useful than the brooding Ribollas. It is one of the brooding Ribollas. I am a huge fan of the grape and that the Radikon I drank when I was in Florence where the wine shop I frequented carried it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jparrott Posted October 10, 2007 Share Posted October 10, 2007 Well good luck with them. I'll have another chance to taste through them soon; maybe these will be a more fun kind of brooding. Occhipinti would be right up your alley, Dean. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alan7147 Posted October 23, 2007 Share Posted October 23, 2007 Clos de la Roilette Fleurie. Thats all I'm saying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jparrott Posted October 23, 2007 Share Posted October 23, 2007 Clos de la Roilette Fleurie. Thats all I'm saying.And no more is necessary. The 2006 normale is lovely again, the 2006 Cuvee Tardive is brooding, again. My one magnum of the 2005 Cuvee Tardive is buried Cask-of-Amontillado style in my cellar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alan7147 Posted November 6, 2007 Share Posted November 6, 2007 If you are a fan of Dressner wines (as I am) check out the note that was sent out to those on Arrowine's email list: Two Delicious "Illegal" Louis/Dressner Wines French wine labels are all about geography; the most prominent name on the label is nearly always the place the wine comes from. But if you are a wine grower and wine maker, French laws require you to follow a certain "recipe" in order to use the name of your village. Furthermore, a tasting panel of producers from the area may have to declare that your wine is "typical" for the area. That poses a problem for some innovative winemakers. Their wines are NOT "typical", they're better! The tasting panel may not "get" the wine or, more likely, they simply don't want their own wines compared to those made by the innovative producer. So they simply deny the excellent wine the right to use the name of the area to try to put an end to comparisons. That's exactly what happened with the two delicious wines in today's e-mail. They were just too good, too natural, and too unique to be labeled as what they were. Their "wine crime" was that they were "different"; they didn't taste like other wines of the area so they couldn't label their bottle the same as their neighbors. Well I tasted these two captivating treats and decided that I had to share them with you. They're that good and that unique. As a bonus, you'll get to see just how silly wine laws can be! I love wines like these and so do my friends at Louis/ Dressner Selections who don't give a darn what's on the label as long as the quality is in the bottle. Sure it takes a little time to explain wines like this, but it is well worth the effort. Try these and I know you'll agree. To order, call us at 703.525.0990 with Visa or MasterCard information. Wines arrive tomorrow, Wednesday November 7th. Clos du Tue-Boeuf "Rouillon" Clos du Tue-Boeuf "Rouillon" Reg. $19.99 "Mix Six" price: $17.99 each (just order any six bottles of these two wines for this price) "Mix a case" price: $15.99 each (just order any 12 bottles of these two wines for this price) How can winemakers that have been growing vines since the Middle Ages be so avant-garde? For centuries the Puzelatz family has been supplying wines to the French Aristocracy. From their 10- hectare estate in Tourraine, brothers Jean-Marie and Thierry Puzelatz (pictured at right) have been making wines as their father and grandfather have. But when the AOC of Cheverny was created in 1993 the blends they made, as well as the some of the varietals cultivated were suddenly outlawed. But they, Louis/Dressner and I don't care. When the wine police reject a wine, the Puzelatzs just sell it as "Vin de Table Francais." This Le Tue-Boeuf Rouillon from Clos du Tue-Boeuf comes from a vineyard site planted in about half pinot noir and half gamay worked biodynamically. It is from the 2006 harvest (though they can't say so explicitly on the label, there is a tiny lot number ending in "06"). No sulfur prior to bottling. If necessary, they use carbon dioxide to protect the macerations. Here's what it tastes like: Deep garnet/purple color. The aromas are of macerated black cherries, kirsch, stones and underbrush. The palate is generous and smooth, filled with slightly spicy dark cherry, red plum, fruit that is a natural for roasted chicken or grilled salmon or even a plate of charcuterie. This is unique, unusual, atypical and very good. To order, call us at 703.525.0990 with Visa or MasterCard information. Wines arrive tomorrow, Wednesday November 7th. Poivre et Sel, Vin de Table Poivre et Sel, Vin de Table Reg. $19.99 "Mix Six" price: $17.99 each (just order any six bottles of these two wines for this price) "Mix a case" price: $15.99 each (just order any 12 bottles of these two wines for this price) Poivre et Sel ("Pepper and Salt") is a delightful blend of 50% gamay and 50% old vine pineau d'aunis. It is grown in the Loire valley in the Loir-et-Cher zone. You won't find any of this on the label, though, because the wine could only be labeled "Vin de table". It's just too unique to use the name of the zone. They weren't even allowed to use a vintage date (though the harvest year is cleverly indicated in the label graphics, it's from 2006). The producer is Olivier Lemasson, a former sommelier, who is passionate about natural wines. He trained at Marcel Lapierre's winery in Morgon, Beaujolais, first by picking grapes four years in a row, then by working for a whole year both in the vineyards and in the cellar. Gamay and pineau d'aunis work beautifully together; creating wines with bright fruit, dry savory flavors and memorable spice. But these blends are rare; pineau d'aunis has been largely supplanted in vineyards by grapes that are easier to grow. This wine is different than anything you're likely to have tried before, and it's delicious. Here's what it tastes like: Wonderful garnet ruby color. Aromas of rhubarb and red cherries with a slightly spicy nuance from the pineau d'aunis. The palate is round, spicy and perfectly balanced with red fruit flavors of raspberry and cherry and a charming, dry, spicy finish. Do I hear steak frites? Please decant this beauty before serving. It was bottled with minute amounts of sulfur. Olivier instead uses a little CO2 to preserve the freshness. This is a great "bistro" red, meaning it goes great with all kinds of meals especially those with some fat and protein. To order, call us at 703.525.0990 with Visa or MasterCard information. Wines arrive tomorrow, Wednesday November 7th. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jparrott Posted November 6, 2007 Share Posted November 6, 2007 I tasted both of these recently. The Rouillon is brilliant. Very approachable. The sel et poivre was funkier and dustier, but still bright and happy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jparrott Posted December 11, 2008 Share Posted December 11, 2008 Joe Dressner has announced that he has brain cancer. In typical Dressnerian style, he is swatting at it with his usual acerbic wit at a new blog here. At his blog's request, I will refrain from making platitudes. Except one. Fuck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoramargolis Posted December 11, 2008 Share Posted December 11, 2008 I admire his tell-it-like-it-is style. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonRocks Posted December 11, 2008 Share Posted December 11, 2008 I hadn't seen Terry Theise or Odessa Piper in months - we're all so busy that we rarely make the time to get together - but last Saturday, I stopped by their home for a glass of Champagne. "This is my last bottle of NV Larmandier-Bernier," Terry told me as he handed me the glass. "Why your last bottle?" I asked. "It's in Joe Dressner's portfolio now." Neither of us had heard this news at the time. We then proceeded to talk about Joe, and Terry had nothing but good words to say about his competitor. "He's one of the good ones," Terry said, and I could not agree more. I think I can also say that I've had more different Dressner wines over the past three years than from any other importer, with the possible exception of Terry. And I will continue to actively search for them in both restaurants and wine stores - for my money, Joe Dressner is the most interesting importer in the United States. Cheers, Rocks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jparrott Posted November 18, 2009 Share Posted November 18, 2009 Joe reports "no cancerous activity noticeable" today on his blog. Congratulations and continue the fight! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alan7147 Posted September 17, 2011 Share Posted September 17, 2011 Shit... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonRocks Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 I hadn't seen Terry Theise or Odessa Piper in months - we're all so busy that we rarely make the time to get together - but last Saturday, I stopped by their home for a glass of Champagne. "This is my last bottle of NV Larmandier-Bernier," Terry told me as he handed me the glass. "Why your last bottle?" I asked. "It's in Joe Dressner's portfolio now." Neither of us had heard this news at the time. We then proceeded to talk about Joe, and Terry had nothing but good words to say about his competitor. "He's one of the good ones," Terry said, and I could not agree more. I think I can also say that I've had more different Dressner wines over the past three years than from any other importer, with the possible exception of Terry. And I will continue to actively search for them in both restaurants and wine stores - for my money, Joe Dressner is the most interesting importer in the United States. Cheers, Rocks. I miss Steve Jobs, Joe Dressner, and (even though I heard he looks great, and gave a moving speech at Joe's funeral) Robert Callahan (September 18, 2011, 5:14 AM post here). Is Robert an abrasive internet personality? Yep, he used to be. Is he a vicious bully like the people who tried to belittle him on the Mark Squires board? Nope. (And in case anyone is wondering about my tweet, I've probably seen Robert Callahan five times in my life, and haven't seen him in ten years - I might not even recognize him. Nevertheless, I will not tolerate him having been bullied during his worst moment.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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