Hello friends. We have offered many Cavatappi wines since Full Pull’s inception, and that’s no accident. It’s a perfect fit for our model: a 25-year-old Washington winery that few have heard of, started by a former Italian restaurateur and focusing on Italian varietals.
Today, we have the latest vintage of Cavatappi’s “high-end” Sangiovese (yes, they have a cheaper Columbia Valley Sangio, but this price, for five-year old, well-tended Sangiovese, is just ridiculous). Please note: I will also include reorder links for the current vintages of Barbera and Nebbiolo down below, for those who missed it the first time or are itching to reorder.
A wise man once wrote, “Every country gets the wine it deserves.”
That man was me. Thirty seconds ago. And some have questioned my wisdom.
But in the case of Italy, it’s true. Their indigenous varietals developed as their cuisine developed, in tandem. The wines serve as complements to food, to be sure, and I have even heard some Italians go so far as to refer to wine as playing the role of condiment.
When you consider the Italian palate (a vast generalization, I admit), there is certainly a comfort level with the acidic (think tomato-based dishes) and the bitter (think rapini, or better yet, think Negroni). And it’s the same for the wines. A good Sangiovese is going to have plenty of acid, and it’s going to have some savory, bitter notes.
I’d like to pause here for a moment and discuss the word “bitter.” Can we agree that this is not a pejorative when talking about wine? We grow up. Our palates change. Suddenly the Hershey’s Special Dark is better than the Hershey’s Milk Chocolate. Why? Because we’re adults, dammit, and we like our adult flavors, which include bitters. I have been cautioned numerous times by folks in the trade to avoid the word “bitter” in describing any wine that I actually want to sell. Well-meaning, I know, but I think they under-estimate the buying public, and certainly the hyper-literate set that makes up the Full Pull list (sorry, it’s an election year; I couldn’t help the gratuitous pander).
Now, where was I? Oh, right: killer 2007 Sangiovese from Boushey and Red Willow Vineyards, two of the shining stars of the Yakima Valley. This starts with an alluring nose, all earth and black licorice and pressed flowers. The palate is very Sangiovese, very adult, with Campari and rhubarb to offset the lovely cherry fruit. My goodness, this is a lot of wine for the price.
No surprise, really. Peter Dow has been making this wine for years, and he has a chef’s palate (he began his career at Café Juanita, an Italian restaurant in Kirkland whose basement contained the original Cavatappi winery). That also explains why this is a wine much more regularly seen on restaurant wine lists than on retail shelves. A sommelier’s darling, but for us, a chance to play somm at home with our best, most rustic Italian cooking.
First come first served up to 12 bottles, and the wine should arrive in about a week, at which point it will be available for pickup or shipping during the spring shipping window.
