2005 Tre Donne, Barbaresco
Our fans of Small Vineyards’ Italian wines are very familiar with the story of the Lequio sisters, Antonella, Rosanna, and Daniella, who make wine under the Tre Donne label. Since convincing their father to let them take over the winery, their wines have characteristically been pure, focused, and delightful — using pristine fruit, old vines, and transparent techniques that allow them to show off the best varietal characteristics of Nebbiolo. Always known for their Barbera and Barbera blends, their most recent vintages of Barolo and Barbaresco have reached new heights. This Barbaresco, made by Daniella, is very rich and fresh, but also tightly structured and earthy. It would go well with spicy pork dishes and turkey dark meat. There’s small supply available at $49.75, and you can keep this one in your cellar for ten years or more.

2007 Weingut Emmerich Knoll, Loibner Grüner Veltliner Ried Loibenberg Smaragd
From the label alone, club members will probably remember Emmerich Knoll’s wonderful 2006 Vinothekfüllung from the April, 2008 club. One of the region’s top producers for many decades, Knoll’s wines are generally regarded as late developers with tremendous aging potential, the best of which will keep for decades. This wine showcases the complexity of the Ried Loibenberg vineyard and the tremendous fruitiness of the very warm 2007 vintage. There’s a fresh intensity to the rich, aromatic nose, with lots of citrus, green apple and melon notes. The palate is dry and complex, with a stony minerality, a big mouth feel, and juicy acidity. Still a bit angular, the wine will benefit from a few years in the cellar and will continue to develop over the next ten years. And that Baroque label? A painting from 1742 of St. Urban, patron saint of Austrian winemakers, that hangs over the bar in the Knolls’ Loibnerhof restaurant, where our friend Dave Egan from Vino Verite and I spent a wonderful afternoon in the summer of 2003. The wine cost $49.75 and we have a few bottles left in stock.