The Wines of This Week's Tasting:
Lighter Medium Bodied Spring Reds & Whites
April 1, 2026
White
2023 Josef & Philipp Brundlmayer Kremstal Gruner Veltliner
Nothing says spring quite like Gruner Veltliner. Wildflowers and fresh herbs from an alpine meadow come to mind. This wine reflects the Brundlmayer family's dedication to quality and tradition in the heart of Austria's Kremstal. The vineyards are deeply rooted in unique soil types that impart a distinctive minerality and complexity to the wine. Kremstal’s warm days and cool nights allow optimal ripening while preserving the grape's natural acidity.
Aroma: Ripe stone fruits, citrus zest, and a hint of white pepper, complemented by subtle floral notes. Mouth: crisp and lively, featuring flavors of green apple, peach, and a touch of spice. The wine exhibits a harmonious balance between its fruit-forward character and refreshing acidity, leading to a clean and invigorating mouthfeel. Very Good Plus $17.99, Case $15.99
2023 Luigi Maffini “Kratos” Fiano Cilento
This is a stunning example of the Fiano grape with its crisp texture, vibrant fruit, and stony minerality. Similar to an unoaked chardonnay or Chablis, it will have you captivated from the first sip. Pairs well with grilled spice rubbed Shrimp, wood-fired grilled fish like sea bass, mahi mahi, tuna or scallops basted with garlic butter.
Aroma: Honeydew melon, kiwi, lime zest, sea spray, crushed stones and jasmine. Mouth: Vibrant, soft texture, packed with zesty citrus and mineral tones balanced with ripe orchard fruit. Amazingly, this wine is Luigi Maffini’s entry-level Fiano. Excellent $24.99, Case $21.25
2024 Julien Schaal Riesling Gypse Schoenenbourg Grand Cru
We can get some more of this very highly rated wine. It is a powerhouse and in the short term would best be served decanted like a red wine. It’s a Riesling wine with structure and depth, as well as flavors of ripe fruit and stone fruits with delicate acidity.” The wine pairs quite well with Asian cuisines. It will age and improve a decade or more.
Aroma: Ripe lemon and grapefruit, fresh cut peaches, white flowers, crushed stone, vibrant and intoxicating. Mouth: Mandarin orange, lime, peach, mango, lime zest, lively acidity, pristine minerality, crisp and harmonious finish. Excellent
Vinous “Julien Schaal delivered another stellar collection in 2024. His Rieslings are wonderfully snappy and expressive, with ample character and personality. The nose [of the Schoenenbourg] is shy yet tender and leads into a palate that is expansive, lemony and bright, with a creamy, dusty, richer depth. There is lovely equanimity, smoothness, and equilibrium. At the core is a wonderful lemony brightness and a tender pithiness, while all of this is quiet and profound. (Bone-dry) $35, Case $29.95
Red
Les Frères Perroud 2023 Brouilly Améthyste
This is a jewel of a Brouilly, with more character and depth than the usual commercial offerings. It has some of the granitic character of the premium Cotes with a distinctive quality from the amethyst-rich subsoil.
From a densely planted two-acre plot, its concentration comes from eighty-year-old vines.
The Perroud brothers do everything right; they farm sustainably by hand on foot with natural fertilizer. Fermented with native yeasts, the wine ages for a year on its lees in barrels that had held burgundy
Its nose gives off in succession mineral, woodland, and blackberry notes. The mouth is ample, rich, and of great finesse: the epitome of the best grapes harvested at their ripest. It is a good length and is Gamay in Burgundian style.
Organic; Color: medium dark; Aroma: fresh and lively, clean, heasdy and forward ripe and full; Mouth: light smooth very ripe and forward, bright acid core with generous fruit, light fine tannins; Very Good Plus $24.99; Case, $21.25
2022 Oddero ‘Nizza’ Barbera Superiore
Oddero’s first-rate expression of Barbera from the hills of the Nizza, a Piedmont appellation particularly suited to the production of this grape at the highest quality. Nizza earned the DOCG denomination in 2015 for its unique and excellent qualities.
Aroma: Ripe red fruits, cherries, plums, hints of spice, chocolate and a light touch of vanilla which adds complexity without overpowering the wine. Mouth: Balanced fruit concentration and depth, with soft and well-integrated tannins that support its structure. The typical acidity of Barbera is balanced and lively, giving freshness and drinkability to the sip. Ripe fruit blends with spicy and balsamic notes, leading to a long and persistent finish that leaves a pleasant sensation of harmony and elegance. Very Good Plus $23.99, Case $19.99
2024 Dirupi Ole Rosso di Valtellina DOC
This entry-level for Dirupi has a lot more to like than most others. High elevation vineyards make for an ethereal Nebbiolo more like lighter red burgundies than Barolo. A versatile food wine that pairs well with poultry, beef, pork, lamb and even fish like salmon.
Aroma: The delicate floral aromatics are all classically Nebbiolo, combined with the strawberry, cranberry and rose petals that Nebbiolo drinkers will recognize from Piedmont counterparts and have come to love. Mouth: The palate is mid-weighted and brimming with vibrant acidity, powdery tannins, sweet red fruits, spice and dried herbs. A fresh and pure wine with a strong regional identity. Valtellina might well be on your must-have list after trying this. Very Good Plus $34, Case $28.99
Wine Into Spring Case Special, two each of the wines -$322 $275, (22.92 per bottle)
Or mix your own case at the wines' case prices
If you come to the tasting, you can get any wine at its case price
Order by phone at 617.367.8605, or reserve here: order@federalwine.com
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- Len Rothenberg
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