Arbe Garbe Benandants Shypoke Vineyard Charbono 2013
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Friuli is a region nestled between Austria, Slovenia and the rest of Italy. Like the "arbe garbe", it has been silently growing over the centuries, a borderland that quietly and discretely provided fertile ground for the Roman Empire, the Barbarians, the Huns and the Austro-Hungarian Empire, all of which invaded it and settled there throughout the ages, all planting their roots and melting into the blend. A land of migrants, silent crossroad of cultures where sacred and pagan have been living next door to each other, the people timorously gathering in the village churches while the witches were gathering in the woods.
Friuli hides in the Valleys of the Eastern Hills. Its real essence, like its quiet population, is concealed in the arcane valleys carved by the rivers of the Colli Orientali – Natisone and Torre. These valleys are traditionally populated with peculiar wicked creatures that human are not, while the wine has been free flowing on every kitchen table of every village, to this day.
Arbe Garbe's endeavours are motivated by this history of discretion and endurance, by the dignity and modesty typical of their people, Furlans, hard-working and iron-willed, humble yet proud of the cultural opulence and poignant beauty of this longtime forgotten Land.
Working the land, making wine and baking bread were the everyday tasks of their ancestors and still inspire them today. Through crafting these wines they viscerally reconnect to their roots. The variables of wine-making are determined as vintage calls, through diligent study and raw guts. There are no absolute rules, no recipes. With a purely hedonistic approach, ever-changing blends are created that embrace the melting pot they live in – California, and the one they’ve left behind.
Undoubtedly proving its merit over and over, Napa Valley is a now a leading force in the world of prestigious red wine regions. Though Cabernet Sauvignon dominates Napa Valley, other red varieties certainly thrive here. Important but often overlooked include Merlot and other Bordeaux varieties well-regarded on their own as well as for their blending capacities. Very old vine Zinfandel represents an important historical stronghold for the region and Pinot noir is produced in the cooler southern parts, close to the San Pablo Bay.
Perfectly situated running north to south, the valley acts as a corridor, pulling cool, moist air up from the San Pablo Bay in the evenings during the hot days of the growing season, which leads to even and slow grape ripening. Furthermore the valley claims over 100 soil variations including layers of volcanic, gravel, sand and silt—a combination excellent for world-class red wine production.