Spotlight: Summery Piedmont Red - Crushable Freisa

In eastern Piemonte Daniele Saccoletto & family craft their wines with careful precision, always with pleasure but mostly with honesty as nature intends, completely organic. Being outside the DOC/DOCG system, their approaches often involve long maturation on the skins with natural yeasts, hand harvesting and titling their wines with creative names that harken to their family’s past. Daniele started in 1974 with nothing. He rented land until he could afford to buy it. He built his cellar (in 1989) and winery (in 2005) piece by piece as money allowed. Today his estate farms 11 hectares. Daniele uses no chemicals in the vineyard or cellar, does not add any filtration elements (particulates are removed slowly via gravity; local yeasts are left to do their job.

Saccoletto ‘s “Fiordalis” is 100% Freisa. For a long period Freisa was the most planted grape in Piemonte and now it’s almost forgotten. Plantings of Freisa in the Piedmont region date back to at least the 18th century. Recent DNA profiling by the University of California, Davis revealed that Freisa has a parent-offspring relationship with Nebbiolo.

Check it out, and order online below!

2015 Saccoletto Daniele Vino Rosso Fiordaliso  - $17.99/ea

Tasting Notes: Clear, ruby red color with a light rim. Powerful damp earth, wet leather, tobacco and mushroom aromas. Mouth filling, dry, ripe cherry, red current and plum taste that continues on through a long finish that’s full of dry, dusty mineral. The body is medium, the tannins mouth filling and the acidity is enough to accommodate tomato sauce.  There is plenty of red fruit and earthy juiciness to please both Beaujolias and Old World Pinot Noir drinkers.