Walter Massa: Rebel Without a Label! And a 3-handed Riesling venture.

Walter Massa: Rebel Without a Label! And a 3-handed Riesling venture. 

Two very interesting wines indeed from a collaboration between Bradley's Off Licence (Cork) and Wine Masons. I got box #2 but there are a few others, probably just as interesting.

Walter Massa Terra Implicito 2018, 13%, 

Rebel Without a Label!

There’s no putting a label, other than “Independent”, on the Piedmont winemaker Walter Massa. And, aside from Italy, you won’t see any statement of origin or whether it’s organic or biodynamic on the label of this bottle. 

The Modern History of Italian Wine (Filiputti) lauds Massa as one of the influential Italian winemakers, especially in the 1980s. “To those who ask him why he does not make DOC wines, he answers that he prefers to make wines which require three ingredients: grapes, time and common sense.”

He is noted for his Barbera, called just by its place of origin Monleale, and also for recuperating Timorasso, a white grape that was on the way out in the 1980s.

Colour of this Rosso (100% Barbera) is mid to dark ruby. Inviting bouquet of small red fruit, including wild strawberry. All the fruits again and a touch of spice on a fresh and lively palate with a beautiful fresh acidity. Easy drinking and the concentrated flavours linger. 

Grapes, time and common sense have certainly been brought together here in a pleasant and harmonious amalgam. A Highly Recommended (and Very Highly Recommended with the Cannelloni from the Cork restaurant Da Mirco). That Monleale must be really something special - must keep an eye out for it!

Breuer-Mehrlein-Lundén“Riesling Venture” Rheingau 2018, 12.0%.

Light straw colour, bright and clear. Citrus fruit, minerality and my unfavourite diesel in the aromas. It’s a merry dance of fruit and acidity on the palate, both in step, and the harmony continues all the way through to a super finish. Enjoy wherever, whenever, they say on the label. Right here, right now, I say. Highly Recommended.

Three names are listed on the bottle: Breuer, Mehrlein, Lundén. The first two are the names of the two collaborating wineries while the third is the name of the winemaker at Breuer.

They say: a Riesling Cuvée, standing for lightness, a fine sweet-acidity-match presenting the Rheingau in best shape. The modern label shows the river Rhine, who characterizes our region. Together we want to tease people and present an entrance in the world of Rheingau-Wines.The Cuvée is being bottled by Weingut Bernhard Mehrlein.

Looks to me as if they enjoyed making it. I’m sure you’ll enjoy drinking it. I did, even with that the note of diesel in the aromas!

The Label:

3 names, 3 characters, 3 styles.

floral, fruity, fresh.

100% pure Rhiengau Riesling.

enjoy wherever, whenever.

Bradley's Mixed Box #2 (is a collaboration with Wine Masons) consists of the Niepoort Rotulo DAO along with two other reds, a Horizon de Bichot Pinot Noir and this Walter Massa Barbera. The three whites are Rijckaert Arbois Chardonnay (Jura), a Casas Nonas Vinho Verde, and the Venture Riesling. Total cost is €125. Sorry, I don’t have individual prices.

Mountains, Football, Nutella and Good Wine!

Stars of Northern Italy

One well known, the other not so.

“The haunting Nebbiolo has no rival as the first red grape of Northern Italy,” says the current World Atlas of Wine. But, you do have to wait for it, according to the authors of Vino Italiano:  “Nebbiolo is more about complexities revealed over time”. Difficult to grow too and often late.

Both wines below come from Piedmont, famous not just for its wines but for its mountains, its football (Juventus), its Nutella! Red wines are mainly produced but the Roero area is the home of the little known Arneis, a fragrant pear scented old local white.

Bosio’s Boschi dei Signora, Nebbiolo D’Alba 2009, 14%, €16.99 Curious Wines

The fruit of 40 year vines is used for this wine. Vineyard practice encourages a low yield and a final thinning means that only the best grapes make it through. The wine-making uses a mix of modern and traditional methods and the product is refined in Slovenian and French oak barrels before a wine that befits the noblest Piedmontese vine is released.

Colour is ruby and there are aromas of red fruits, even blackberries and indeed some floral elements. It is full bodied, velvety with some spice but generally mellow with a very pleasant mouthfeel, and is further enhanced by a long dry finish. This one would be a good sub for a more expensive Barolo and is Very Highly Recommended.

Fontanafredda Pradalupo, Roero Arneis 2010 (Piedmont, Italy), 12.5%, €18.36 Karwig Wines

I don’t come across the Arneis variety very often but, going by this bottle, it is well worth looking out for.

Colour is that of a light honey, invitingly clean and bright. It has beautiful aromas, both floral and fruity. On the palate it is vibrant and full of flavour with an almost creamy mouthfeel, yet it possesses a lively acidity that gives a beautiful balance and a very pleasant clean finish. Very Highly Recommended.