More Great Wines from Foppiano Wine Co.

I had a chance to spend an hour or two with winemaker Nova Perrill of the Foppiano Wine Company early in 2021.  This was a great chance to talk to a young, dynamic winemaker who is at the top of his game, and to taste some exceptional wine with him.  You can read all about that here.  There were so many excellent wines, from their signature Petite Sirah to a superlative Pinot Noir and a top quality Sauvignon Blanc.  I really like how Nova approaches the wines he makes in California’s Sonoma County.  They carry a beautiful core of fruit, and blend a little New World with more traditional styles.  You clearly see it in the Pinot Noir, which is in a Burgundian style with earthy notes wrapping around the wine’s profile.

Late last year we had the chance to participate in another tasting of a group of various vintages from Foppiano.  This was a treat, and included a library Petite Sirah from 1993.  Almost all of the wines were different vintages from varietals we had tasted earlier, but there was also a Carignane we had not tried previously.  Several of their premium wines were included.

Here’s a quick review of some of the wines from the last tasting.  Comparing these to other vintages adds to the story of Foppiano and highlights their consistency.  They make good wine here every year.  Two of the four wines below are still available in the vintage reviewed.  Now the wines:

1993 Foppiano Estate Petite Sirah “Centennial Blend” – this was a treat, getting to try a 28 year old Petite Sirah from the Foppiano library in a tasting with both Paul Foppiano and Nova Perrill.  It still had a dark purple red color, although there was a significant amber rim.  At the core there is still great fruit, along with spice (black pepper), thyme and tobacco.  It was really at a great point in its evolution, presenting a blend of the solid fruit center with the complex nuances that have evolved over decades.  It is holding up extraordinary well.

2016 Foppiano Estate River’s Edge Pinot Noir – From the 2016 vintage of what has become maybe my favorite Pinot Noir from anywhere, this wine had a touch of black licorice, orange peel, some black fruit and a core of cherry underneath.  It is big, just full bodied, has nice acid and balance and lasts forever.  I love this wine.  They are currently stocking the 2018 vintage.  It is consistently great.

2018 Foppiano Estate Grant Station Carignane  – This we had never tried before, and the wine is a bit of a revelation as well as somewhat unexpected.  The nose is spicy with cherry fruit.  It is medium+ bodied, with brisk acid.  There is enough fruit and depth to perfectly balance the acid though, and we found we liked the wine more with every sip.  This particular vintage is still available and is pretty special.

2017 Foppiano Estate Gianna’s Block Petite Sirah – This single block Petite Sirah is earthy and rich, with ripe berry fruit and red plum.  It is a big wine, but balanced.  It has a super long finish.  This juice will also last basically forever, and only get better.  One of the panelists on the tasting put a twenty year mark on when it would be peaking.  Maybe, maybe less, but if you like to buy age worthy wines and watch them develop then this is a prime opportunity.  It is also still available in this particular vintage.

We were already fans of Foppiano wines before this tasting, and that impression has only been enhanced.  They make a wide range of wines, and their estate series presents great value.  Actually all of their wines do when considering the exceptional quality.  We just bought more of the last three wines above for our cellar.  I do want to watch some of these grow old.

You can read much more about Foppiano Wine Company and their wines at foppiano.com.

A votre santé!

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