With Jean out of down for a few days, Andrew I and had a simple dinner last night copying Dale and Betsy's idea of "meatless Mondays." With our cheese tortellini with pesto, I decided to have a glass of white wine and so opened:
2009 Cantina del Taburno Falanghina nose: floral, minerals, melon, pear palate: viscous, apparently high alcohol, dry, barely enough acidity
Whoa! My only previous encounter with Falanghina had been a 2008 La Sibilla, an ungrafted Falanghina brought in by Oliver McCrum. What a difference! This wine, a Marc de Grazia selection, was similar in mouthfeel to a viognier and had the floral notes to match. In contrast the previous wine had a crystalline clarity and lightness on the palate. I clearly will have to search out a third Falanghina before I can claim to understand what this grape is all about.
Mark Lipton