Another evening at Cube in Hollywood equals another epic bottle of wine. 2006 Dettori Bianco is 100% Vermentino, fermented (old school style) in cement vats. Totally un-fooled-around-with, completely natural. Feral even.
There is always a discussion around Dettori’s wines and their inevitable bottle variation, which is something I happen to love. Every bottle is different, each on with its own personality, its singular nuances.
This particular bottle of Dettori Bianco was full of interesting aromatics: black tea, cardamom and lime zest. The palate was textured, chewy even, and full of naturally-occurring tannins from an extended skin contact maceration. The color is also captivating- this opalescent goldenrod, not quite opaque, belying the unfiltered, uncontrolled, savage winemaking traditions of this mythic winery.
Fascinating, rapidly changing in the glass, and absolutely a wine that begs not to be decanted. In fact, this wine totally reminded me of a recent article by Dobianchi.com’s Jeremy Parzen regarding the debate surrounding decantation. In my opinion, the beauty of this Vermentino is that she reveals herself slowly- you’d be a fool to rush with premature oxygenation!
The wine paired exquisitely with Cube’s array of cheeses and cured meats- and especially well with a salty duck salame. Next time I’d also love to taste this Vermentino with a simple plate of spaghetti alla bottarga …