The 2018 Frivolo is a light, refreshing Moscato wine with a slight spritz, patterned after an Italian Moscato d’Asti. In the Piemonte region of Italy, it is used as a refreshing aperitif. This unique style of Moscato is produced from a blend of mostly moscato bianco plus some orange muscat. The grapes were sourced from several northern California vineyards.
As the name suggests, this wine is frivolous—light, lively, and refreshing. Frivolo is the perfect complement to a celebration or a warm summer day by the pool. Great with fresh fruit, mild to medium cheeses, fruit desserts, biscotti, spicy Asian or Moroccan dishes.
A light, refreshing muscat wine with a slight spritz, Frivolo is patterned after a Moscato d’Asti. Frivolo is perfect for casual summer-time drinking, as a light dessert wine, or as a refreshing hot tub wine. Serve well-chilled.
Vineyards/Winemaking Notes
Vineyards
56% Moscato Bianco from sustainably-farmed (Lodi Rules) Heringer Vineyard, Clarksburg, CA; 20% Moscato Bianco from R-Vineyards & Orchards, Clear Lake, Lake County, CA; 24% Orange Muscat from Renwood Ranch, Shenandoah Valley, Amador County, CA.
Winemaking
Cold fermented to 7% alcohol and about 5% sugar over a month period in Charmat pressurized tanks. Small amounts of CO2 are integrated over the course of fermentation. Clarified and cold sterile filtered. Bottled at 34° F.
Specs
Vintage: 2018
pH: 3.54
Bottled: Dec 4, 2018
Alcohol: 7%
Harvested: Sep 9 - 25, 2018
2016 Noceto Sangiovese, Amador County
Tasting Notes
90 Points, Wine Enthusiast
“This is a really nice, authentic-tasting wine that showcases the varietal’s tangy, slightly astringent mouthfeel and a combo of bright red-cherry and raspberry flavors accented by earthy savory notes. It comes from a Sangiovese specialist in the Sierra region.” - Wine Enthusiast, Jim Gordon
Noceto’s flagship Sangiovese is modeled after an Old World Tuscan Chianti—medium-bodied, beautiful acidity, fruit-packed, easy-drinking, well-balanced, and extremely versatile with food. This wine is widely regarded as “the best Sangiovese in California.” (Dan Berger, Darrell Corti, Mike Dunne, Elaine Taylor). 2016 marks Noceto’s 27th vintage.
The 2016 Noceto Sangiovese displays moderate ruby hues with red cherry-berry fruit aromas and bright flavors of cassis, cranberry, and rich plum. The palate is accented by subtle oak and hints of peppery spice.
Vineyards/Winemaking Notes
Vineyards
Grapes are sourced from 14 separate lots and five clonal selections of Sangiovese—54% Sangiovese Grosso and 46% Sangiovese Piccolo. Each lot is harvested and fermented separately prior to selective blending. The resultant wine is 99.9% Sangiovese, consisting of 89% estate grapes and 11% from neighboring Reward Ranch.
Winemaking
The fruit is cold-soaked prior to fermentation in stainless steel, bin, and oak fermenters for 7 to 10 days at 70°-85° Fahrenheit to preserve bright varietal characteristics. The wine ages 15 months in 130-gallon French oak puncheons to soften youthful tannins and gently age the wine—15% to 20% new oak.
Specs
Vintage: 2016
Harvested Aug 26 - Sept 10, 2016
pH: 3.38
Bottled March 7-9, 2018
Alcohol: 13.9%
Rosso Tuscan-Style Red Blend, Lot #2
Tasting Notes
90 Points, Wine Enthusiast
A bold red blend from our cellar, Noceto’s Rosso is bigger, brighter, and more fruit-forward than our traditionally elegant, signature Sangiovese. This wine has complex layers of rich dark flavors, including cherry-berry and spice. A subtle, soft tannin structure is provided from the blending in of Aglianico and Petite Sirah. Pairs well with spicy ragu and hamburgers.
Vineyards/Winemaking Notes
Vineyards
Grapes for Rosso Lot #2, that are sourced from our Estate Vineyards, utilize our five distinct Sangiovese clones, along with two separate selections of Aglianico (two rows Estate and the remainder from the Brown Ranch vineyard), Petite Sirah, and Alicante Bouschet. Zinfandel from the Original Grandpère Vineyard (OGP) and Barbera from the Linsteadt Vineyard fulfill the other half of this blend.
Winemaking
40% Sangiovese, 30% Barbera, 20% Zinfandel, 10% Aglianico, and a touch of Alicante Bouschet and Petite Sirah, blended post-fermentation. The wine is aged 130 gallons French Oak Puncheons to soften youthful tannins and gently age the wine—15 to 20% new oak.
Specs
Blend: 40% Sangiovese, 30% Barbera, 20% Zinfandel, 10% Aglianico + a touch of Alicante, Petite Sirah, and more
Winery: Vino Noceto
Owners: Suzy and Jim Gullett
Founded: 1987
Location: Plymouth, CA
Vino Noceto has been making “California’s Best Sangiovese” for over 25 years. Located in beautiful Amador County, we now make eight different Sangioveses as well as an Old Vine Zinfandel, a slightly sparkling Moscato called Frivolo, Barbera, a Tuscan Red Blend, Pinot Grigio, and more!
Why Noceto? Noceto means walnut grove in Italian, and walnuts were a staple crop for the farm where the Noceto estate now stands. Noceto, Italy, near Parma, is the sister city of Suzy’s native town of Walnut Creek. Plus the name is short, simple, and easily said if not necessarily properly pronounced!
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IA, KS, ME, MD, MA, MN, MO, MT, NV, NH, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OR, PA, TX, WA, WI, WY
We received the Moscato Bianco. This was a different experience for both of us. As the bottle says this Frivolo is ‘a glass of pure sunshine’ and the most pleasant surprise is that this is true! While sweet, this moscato had a more more apple-crisp brightness to it and avoided the syrup effect that some moscato’s have. It has a lovely light smell, and again, avoids cloying the palate. The flavor and nuances stayed consistent throughout, even into day 2.
Given our current pantry status and world events, we decided on a small plate of things we hand handy — sweet pickles, crackers, some pretzel chips, 3 good spread of cheese (one stinky, one mild, one sharp) and some cutie orange segments. The cuties really brought out the freshness of the bottle, with the flavors of citrus, white grape and a faint smell of pear. The bottle didn’t need to be decanted, and SO grateful that it is wholly without that unpleasant ‘under arm smell’ you sometimes get from a sweet white grape at the back of your throat. That is to say — it was very enjoyable for us both, even If one of us is a bit wary of sweeter wines. This is definitely a wine that needs to be served well chilled, and it is all the better for it.
This is easily an excellent afternoon or evening summer wine for a picnic or even to cool off in the evening. For a Moscato, it is a very refreshing wine. While we weren’t able to try it with a more substantial dish, this would pair well amazingly with a spicy-nutty asian dish, or perhaps a salt-crusted meaty fish dish.
Would enjoy this bright, crisp, consistent Moscato again, and since my wife also enjoyed it (sweet wines are not usually her preference), we will most definitely need to get more of Noceto’s excellent Frivolo Moscato Bianco, 2018.
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
Vino Noceto Mixed Red & White - $20 = 14.28%
I’ve had all of these wines before, at least in other vintages. The Rosso Lot #2 is far superior, imo, to the first lot. The Sangiovese “normale” is always a solid wine, and the Frivolo is always, somehow, a delightfully balanced Moscato, even though that grape too often has nowhere near enough acid to make it taste like anything other than candy.
If it was 3x Sangio this would be pretty compelling. With this distribution we’d need to think about it.
@klezman I agree, it seems the uneven distribution is trying to unload the Moscato. I have not tried the one in this offering and would be glad to have a few bottles mixed in to a case. Until I read your comment I didn’t see the detail that we were not getting equal quantities of each type, but rather 1/2 Moscat and 1/2 of the two reds. 6 of Moscato is probably more than I want.
@klezman@pmarin
Same here. I love Noceto Sangiovese and would easily have bought a case (or two!) if the distribution of the three wines were equal. That would have been a great opportunity to get me (and apparently others) to not only buy, and support Vino Noceto, but also expose us to a wine we would not otherwise purchase. Who knows, I (and/or others) may have discovered that we liked the Frivolo and Noceto and Casemates would have future buyers. Don’t think I can justify buying half a case of wine that I am not likely to enjoy. It’s kind of like our pool in early spring when the water is still cool; dipping my toes in the water, yes, diving in, not so much. YMMV
@klezman@pmarin@pseudogourmet98 I agree. My wife has never liked a non-dry wine enough that she’d want a glass. The Frivolo is high quality from every everything I hear, and I wouldn’t be shocked if it were the first one she’d like, but I can’t get half a case of it on that possibility. With 4/4/4, the Frivolo would just be more of a bonus sampler.
@klezman@PatrickKarcher@pmarin@pseudogourmet98 I’m with you on the mix, and the Frivolo making me think (rather then autobuy). However, then I was saved from the anguish by seeing VA was not on the shipping list.
@PatrickKarcher@pmarin@pseudogourmet98@WkdPanda
Just to be clear - we really like the Frivolo. It also makes great slushies! We simply don’t have as many occasions to chug it. (But when we drink it we almost always end up drinking it waaaay more quickly than intended.)
Frivolo is an excellent Moscato imo.
@klezman@PatrickKarcher@pmarin@pseudogourmet98@WkdPanda I wasn’t sure on the split either. The Frivolo sounds like something the Mrs. and I will drink, in particular with summer coming up. Plus I haven’t had any Noceto in a while, so it was worth the gamble in my mind.
@klezman I agree as well - I love Vino Noceto Sangiovese, and and I like the Rosso. As Moscato Bianco goes, VN’s is very good, but it’s just not a wine I want to drink more than once a year or so…
@klezman@rpm I will try pretty much any wine at least once, and I’m sure that the Moscato Bianco would actually be an “interesting” experience at least. It’s just that I see the 5% RS and I’m thinking maybe it’s something to put on a waffle instead. Hey, there’s an idea. Or on good quality vanilla ice cream. And I know I could figure out what to do with an extra bottle or two to give to a friend or keep for when someone who likes that sort of thing visits.
So I’m not ruling out buying this… gonna think about it some more. But I was almost about to autobuy early this AM until I saw the split and the 5% (though again I’m sure it’s an excellent Moscato experience!)
@pmarin@rpm The key with wines that have appreciable RS is the acidity. Most Muscat-heavy wines are low on acid to the point of insipid wines. Not so the Frivolo - every vintage I’ve tasted has been nicely balanced with sufficient acidity. So it won’t taste like syrup (insufficiently acidic icewine, though, can) but is rather refreshing.
@klezman@pmarin@pseudogourmet98@WkdPanda I had just decided to pull the trigger, and no Virginia. I hope Virginia gets back on the Noceto list soon. I missed out on those 375s, argh.
I am reviewing a Noceto Rosso NV Tuscan Style Blend Lot #2 that was delivered last Thursday to my upstate New York home by a UPS man in a brown hazmat suit.
I opened the wine at about 59 degrees after cellaring it since its delivery.
The first whiff took me back to my first purchase from the other site – a Scott Harvey Zinfandel. The same fruit aromas, the same whiff of smoky tannin. So many of the Scott Harvey wines have the same aromatic profile. This was extraordinarily similar.
I taste red raspberry, an intense but delicately structured fruit that matches its aroma, and there is a candied apple flavor dead center on the tongue. To contrast the berry, it has a bit of a spicy kick and some smoke.
In body, it is medium to light. Legs lingered long in the glass, but they weren’t thick.
We recently opened a bottle of Scott Harvey Barbera, and this wine reminded me very much of it, although the Barbera was much lighter. The 20% Zinfandel gives this wine the richer body than it would otherwise have. It was only after I researched the wine a bit that I found that there was a connection between Scott Harvey and Rusty Folena, the winemaker at Noceto. It all made sense.
This wine was enjoyable without decanting; however, the longer we sipped and the more it warmed, the wine got very dry and more spicy without losing its fruit base.
This wine seems to be the perfect combination of Tuscan fruitiness and California muscle. On the winery site it sells for $22 per bottle. I expect it would be a good sale for $13-$15 per bottle.
My wife and I are both teachers, and wine has consistently given us an evening reflection that has been a relief from planning and grading, but especially during the last four weeks of “shelter in place”. This wine was a gift of joy in hard times, and my wife and I extend our thanks to WCC for the opportunity to sample and review it.
Just echoing what others have said: wish there was less of a Frivolo-heavy distribution option. I just really do not enjoy sweet wines. I can “appreciate them,” but still not something I need taking up half of a case order. I am guessing Clark’s Any Gorilla and Petit Manseng will last years at my current rate of opening sweet wines.
@KNmeh7 Then you will likely be rewarded with extra complexity! (PS the Any Gorilla had a lot more in common with a bottle of 2003 Dow’s LBV than I expected. But I get it, not everyone digs sweet wines and these certainly are.)
Well, I for one am really happy with the mix. I haven’t tried the Frivolo yet but had wanted to. I love Noceto’s wines and am one of their club members. I just received my spring shipment in March and have quite a few of their reds on hand. We opened a 2010 AX1 on Friday after a long week at work (essential employee for the VA) and it was amazing!!! While I normally drink red wines, living in Florida it’s nice to have something sweeter when hanging out by the pool. I honestly don’t think these will last long at my house. BTW does anyone remember F Bomb? I still have a bottle of the F-2 2012. We went thru a lot of that too! In for 1, parched-irate-beetle
I’m enjoying a nice can of Frivolo by the pool as we speak. East Texas, 90 degrees. It pairs wonderfully with the sun!
Seriously though, as someone who enjoys a nice fizzy summer wine by the pool—it’s great. I love Vino Noceto’s Sangiovese, but don’t sleep on the Frivolo. I guarantee you’ll drink it all by the end of summer. At least your guests will.
You’re sure right about the guests! Many of our Frivolo Fanatics come back for more because their friends “borrowed” a bottle or two or three or… As for me, I drink it in place of soda – and often in place of water.
I also would have preferred a 4x4x4 split. However, you know what? LOVE Noceto. And my parents, in their state of isolation, have become Moscato fans. And if that Moscato has a little spritz to it akin to maybe a vinho Verde, it will, in a worst-case scenario, probably still make a lovely Aperol spritz. Or any spritz. Or honestly, we’re quarantined. Any trip saved to the liquor store makes me less picky.
Yes, it’s got some spritz – semi-sparkling, like a Moscato di Asti. My favorite descriptor for Frivolo is “mother-in-law’s” wine. That’s because everyone either loves it themselves or knows someone who will love it – and that someone else who will love it is often their mother-in-law!
@MarkDaSpark@SuzyatNoceto So based on this, it sounds like I could just pop a bottle of this into my ice-cream maker with no other sweeteners, fire it up, and churn until I get delicious slush?
@InFrom Son of a… Just figured out that due to some hangup when ordering (an initial message that my order hadn’t gone through, please try again), two orders were placed. Turns out there’s another six-pack on its way to me. That’s a problem.
I wrote to customer service, and the guy says it can’t be changed now, but helpfully adds that I can contact UPS if I want to alter the delivery. Gee, thanks! I’m steamed.
If anyone from Queens or nearby wants to take one off my hands, please let me know.
@InFrom@klezman@Winedavid49
I tried to make that call when I ordered 3 mags of Chateau St. Jean but there was no answer.
Instead I got an email from Morningsave c/s 2 days later, basically saying “too bad, so sad”. That wine is now on its return journey to WCC since it couldn’t be stopped once entering the “shipping process” which apparently goes on for days before it actually ships. Hard to believe that it makes more economic sense to ship it and then have it returned than it does to just prevent it from being shipped in the first place.
@chipgreen@InFrom@klezman@Winedavid49
Similar thing happened to me when I ordered the Iron Horse Chardonnay. My husband says, “I know you said you were going to get the IH Chard, but do we really need two cases?” Huh? Checked orders, yup, two cases on their way with no recourse. Just happy that it’s a quality wine that I can gift with confidence.
@chipgreen@InFrom@klezman@pseudogourmet98 well, i’m probably not the only one confused here. so you ordered one and two were sold to you? FWIW, all carriers are pretty whacky right now. please help me understand. thanks.
@chipgreen@klezman@pseudogourmet98@Winedavid49 I ordered one, put in the coupon, but received an error message saying something went wrong, let’s try that again. So I did, and that sale went through, yielded an order phrase, the usual thing. I only discovered today that there was a second order on its way, when I went into my account to see if the wine had shipped.
@InFrom@Winedavid49
I understood this to be a sales server hiccup.
First attempt to order accepted, but not immediately acknowledged, so a second attempt was made and acknowledged, with no knowledge the first was actually accepted; resulting in two orders.
Were there two email receipts sent with different order phrases?
I’ve had this happen as well, on the old site, I think once on meh as well but for something inexpensive so I didn’t really care or report it.
@rjquillin@Winedavid49 For reasons known to none, I stopped getting email receipts from Casemates about a year ago. Just out of the blue. Never got a resolution when I inquired in October. The CS rep said they were getting rejected by my spam filters, and I needed to add the address to my “whitelist”, but that did not prove to be the solution.
I do get email receipts from the other Mediocre sites, and notification emails of other kinds from Casemates, so idk why not receipts from CM.
@chipgreen@klezman@Winedavid49@rjquillin Well, I heard back from the CS guy today. No can do, it’s too late, b/c it’s “already entered the shipping process”. You could say I’m ship out of luck.
I really hope we like that Frivolo, now that I’m getting 6 of them. And I also hope very fervently that we have a summer outdoor music season where we can enjoy them.
ps I just wrote to ask if they can charge me the case price, given that I’m getting a case as it turns out.
@chipgreen@klezman@rjquillin@Winedavid49 Ah, all’s well that ends well. I misread an email yesterday, but it turns out one order is being cancelled.
/giphy Never mind!
I clicked on a 6pk, excited to try it. Woah, red letters came up, whaaa? Now surprise, most everything ships to the “great white north”, I didn’t even notice…we’re not on the list, oh well.
@ejrunion I don’t see a review here – only the wine notes. If you want to read Jim Gordon’s Wine Enthusiast review, you can go to Wine Enthusiast’s reviews and search for “Noceto Sangiovese.”
Disappointed. We’ve had the Sangiovese many times and we have been waiting for its re-appearance. I’d jump on a case. We would certainly be curious about the Rosso, enough to sample. But the Frivolo just does not appeal to us. Mebbe with an inverted sample distribution…
So I waffled on this for quite some time, but I love their Sangiovese. I have had one bottle of their Rosso, but honestly do not recall much about it. I believe my niece and sister-in-law will like the Frivolo, and at this price I could not resist. In for a case!
All three of these wines are great. There is a place on our dinner table for each one. As has all ready been mentioned, these wines are similar to mine. The winemaker, Rusty Folena and I worked together making the Santino and Renwood wines for 16 years. We still discuss and help each other with the wines we both make now. Can’t beat the price, so I’m in.
We’ve been in Noceto’s club (Big Nuts) for years, just got our spring shipment, AND just bought a mystery case from them… but I’ll be damned if I’m not grabbing another case at $10/btl.
We are drinking the Frivolo tonight. It was a beautiful day on the Oregon Coast. I had a glass with beef ribs and a lovely salad. I then had to attend a zoom water board meeting. Now, I am enjoying the rest of the bottle. This wine is great and so glad I have 5 more bottles. It is not overly sweet. It reminds me of a green apple jolly rancher, which I have fond childhood memories of. Thank you @winedavid49. I needed this after the lovely meeting.
@danandlisa I assume “zoom water board meeting” means “a meeting of the water supply organization’s board members” and not the other thing (even if video calls can be unpleasant)
Did anyone else’s case come with a flyer for casemates in it with a $10 coupon code on it?
I was excited to see another coupon, and tried to use it today, but it didn’t work (says good on purchases before 5/31/20).
No flyer here either.
Popped a bottle of the Frivolo a few minutes ago. The sweetness of the first sip led to some raised eyebrows and wonderings about what to do with five plus more bottles of this, but then a few sips later and I’ve come to the conclusion that this might be tolerable to have hanging around the lake house for certain occasions this summer.
@cdgrimm No flyer either, but then again I only got the 6-pack.
We tried a bottle on Saturday night, and I would say my reaction was about the same. Not quite enough acid to balance to sweetness, to my palate. Though my spouse liked it quite a bit. I don’t think we’ll have any problem drinking the other two this summer.
Opened a bottle of Frivolo last night to try with homemade fried chicken. It was a fun combination that reminded us of chicken and waffles. I should have bought the case, because I’m worried I’ll run out before the warm summer nights arrive.
2018 Frivolo Moscato Bianco, California
Tasting Notes
Vineyards/Winemaking Notes
Vineyards
Winemaking
Specs
2016 Noceto Sangiovese, Amador County
Tasting Notes
90 Points, Wine Enthusiast
Vineyards/Winemaking Notes
Vineyards
Winemaking
Specs
Rosso Tuscan-Style Red Blend, Lot #2
Tasting Notes
90 Points, Wine Enthusiast
Vineyards/Winemaking Notes
Vineyards
Winemaking
Specs
Included in the Box
Price Comparison
$234.81 for 6x 2018 Frivolo, 4x 2016 Noceto Sangiovese and 2x NV Rosso Tuscan Red Blend (Lot 2) at Vino Noceto
About The Winery
Winery: Vino Noceto
Owners: Suzy and Jim Gullett
Founded: 1987
Location: Plymouth, CA
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IA, KS, ME, MD, MA, MN, MO, MT, NV, NH, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OR, PA, TX, WA, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Thursday, April 30th - Monday, May 4th
Vino Noceto Mixed Red & White
6 bottles for $69.99 $11.66/bottle + $1.33/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $119.99 $10/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
2018 Frivolo
2016 Sangiovese
NV Rosso Lot #2
Love Vino Noceto but really wish there was an all red option.
@roncunningham I’d have even considered giving the Moscato away if it were an even 4-4-4 split.
Excited to try the Frivolo. Buy, Buy, Buy.
Frivolo Moscato Bianco, 2018
We received the Moscato Bianco. This was a different experience for both of us. As the bottle says this Frivolo is ‘a glass of pure sunshine’ and the most pleasant surprise is that this is true! While sweet, this moscato had a more more apple-crisp brightness to it and avoided the syrup effect that some moscato’s have. It has a lovely light smell, and again, avoids cloying the palate. The flavor and nuances stayed consistent throughout, even into day 2.
Given our current pantry status and world events, we decided on a small plate of things we hand handy — sweet pickles, crackers, some pretzel chips, 3 good spread of cheese (one stinky, one mild, one sharp) and some cutie orange segments. The cuties really brought out the freshness of the bottle, with the flavors of citrus, white grape and a faint smell of pear. The bottle didn’t need to be decanted, and SO grateful that it is wholly without that unpleasant ‘under arm smell’ you sometimes get from a sweet white grape at the back of your throat. That is to say — it was very enjoyable for us both, even If one of us is a bit wary of sweeter wines. This is definitely a wine that needs to be served well chilled, and it is all the better for it.
This is easily an excellent afternoon or evening summer wine for a picnic or even to cool off in the evening. For a Moscato, it is a very refreshing wine. While we weren’t able to try it with a more substantial dish, this would pair well amazingly with a spicy-nutty asian dish, or perhaps a salt-crusted meaty fish dish.
Would enjoy this bright, crisp, consistent Moscato again, and since my wife also enjoyed it (sweet wines are not usually her preference), we will most definitely need to get more of Noceto’s excellent Frivolo Moscato Bianco, 2018.
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
Vino Noceto Mixed Red & White - $20 = 14.28%
I’ve had all of these wines before, at least in other vintages. The Rosso Lot #2 is far superior, imo, to the first lot. The Sangiovese “normale” is always a solid wine, and the Frivolo is always, somehow, a delightfully balanced Moscato, even though that grape too often has nowhere near enough acid to make it taste like anything other than candy.
If it was 3x Sangio this would be pretty compelling. With this distribution we’d need to think about it.
@klezman I agree, it seems the uneven distribution is trying to unload the Moscato. I have not tried the one in this offering and would be glad to have a few bottles mixed in to a case. Until I read your comment I didn’t see the detail that we were not getting equal quantities of each type, but rather 1/2 Moscat and 1/2 of the two reds. 6 of Moscato is probably more than I want.
@klezman @pmarin
Same here. I love Noceto Sangiovese and would easily have bought a case (or two!) if the distribution of the three wines were equal. That would have been a great opportunity to get me (and apparently others) to not only buy, and support Vino Noceto, but also expose us to a wine we would not otherwise purchase. Who knows, I (and/or others) may have discovered that we liked the Frivolo and Noceto and Casemates would have future buyers. Don’t think I can justify buying half a case of wine that I am not likely to enjoy. It’s kind of like our pool in early spring when the water is still cool; dipping my toes in the water, yes, diving in, not so much. YMMV
@klezman @pmarin @pseudogourmet98 I agree. My wife has never liked a non-dry wine enough that she’d want a glass. The Frivolo is high quality from every everything I hear, and I wouldn’t be shocked if it were the first one she’d like, but I can’t get half a case of it on that possibility. With 4/4/4, the Frivolo would just be more of a bonus sampler.
@klezman @PatrickKarcher @pmarin @pseudogourmet98 I’m with you on the mix, and the Frivolo making me think (rather then autobuy). However, then I was saved from the anguish by seeing VA was not on the shipping list.
@PatrickKarcher @pmarin @pseudogourmet98 @WkdPanda
Just to be clear - we really like the Frivolo. It also makes great slushies! We simply don’t have as many occasions to chug it. (But when we drink it we almost always end up drinking it waaaay more quickly than intended.)
Frivolo is an excellent Moscato imo.
@klezman @PatrickKarcher @pmarin @pseudogourmet98 @WkdPanda I wasn’t sure on the split either. The Frivolo sounds like something the Mrs. and I will drink, in particular with summer coming up. Plus I haven’t had any Noceto in a while, so it was worth the gamble in my mind.
@klezman I agree as well - I love Vino Noceto Sangiovese, and and I like the Rosso. As Moscato Bianco goes, VN’s is very good, but it’s just not a wine I want to drink more than once a year or so…
@klezman @rpm I will try pretty much any wine at least once, and I’m sure that the Moscato Bianco would actually be an “interesting” experience at least. It’s just that I see the 5% RS and I’m thinking maybe it’s something to put on a waffle instead. Hey, there’s an idea. Or on good quality vanilla ice cream. And I know I could figure out what to do with an extra bottle or two to give to a friend or keep for when someone who likes that sort of thing visits.
So I’m not ruling out buying this… gonna think about it some more. But I was almost about to autobuy early this AM until I saw the split and the 5% (though again I’m sure it’s an excellent Moscato experience!)
@pmarin @rpm The key with wines that have appreciable RS is the acidity. Most Muscat-heavy wines are low on acid to the point of insipid wines. Not so the Frivolo - every vintage I’ve tasted has been nicely balanced with sufficient acidity. So it won’t taste like syrup (insufficiently acidic icewine, though, can) but is rather refreshing.
@klezman @pmarin You’re right, of course, that the acid balance is critical with wines with significant residual sugar.
@klezman @pmarin @pseudogourmet98 @WkdPanda I had just decided to pull the trigger, and no Virginia. I hope Virginia gets back on the Noceto list soon. I missed out on those 375s, argh.
@klezman @PatrickKarcher @pmarin @pseudogourmet98 @WkdPanda Those 375s were an amazing deal. I had to pickup at a Walgreens in a neighboring state, but it was worth it.
Just want to let you all know that the Frivolo is the 2018 vintage with a 21st vintage “retro” label (similar to the Sangiovese).
@SuzyatNoceto I love the Sangiovese label (and the wine too!)
@SuzyatNoceto. I miss the old “dancer” label.
But still an autobuy!
@MarkDaSpark I missed this while it was active. If you bought a case and are willing to part with a set, let me know.
@davirom
Call up Suzy, she still may honor the deal.
@davirom. Sorry, while I was tempted to get the case, storage limitations forced me to get only the 6.
As RJQ mentioned, try the winery.
I am reviewing a Noceto Rosso NV Tuscan Style Blend Lot #2 that was delivered last Thursday to my upstate New York home by a UPS man in a brown hazmat suit.
I opened the wine at about 59 degrees after cellaring it since its delivery.
The first whiff took me back to my first purchase from the other site – a Scott Harvey Zinfandel. The same fruit aromas, the same whiff of smoky tannin. So many of the Scott Harvey wines have the same aromatic profile. This was extraordinarily similar.
I taste red raspberry, an intense but delicately structured fruit that matches its aroma, and there is a candied apple flavor dead center on the tongue. To contrast the berry, it has a bit of a spicy kick and some smoke.
In body, it is medium to light. Legs lingered long in the glass, but they weren’t thick.
We recently opened a bottle of Scott Harvey Barbera, and this wine reminded me very much of it, although the Barbera was much lighter. The 20% Zinfandel gives this wine the richer body than it would otherwise have. It was only after I researched the wine a bit that I found that there was a connection between Scott Harvey and Rusty Folena, the winemaker at Noceto. It all made sense.
This wine was enjoyable without decanting; however, the longer we sipped and the more it warmed, the wine got very dry and more spicy without losing its fruit base.
This wine seems to be the perfect combination of Tuscan fruitiness and California muscle. On the winery site it sells for $22 per bottle. I expect it would be a good sale for $13-$15 per bottle.
My wife and I are both teachers, and wine has consistently given us an evening reflection that has been a relief from planning and grading, but especially during the last four weeks of “shelter in place”. This wine was a gift of joy in hard times, and my wife and I extend our thanks to WCC for the opportunity to sample and review it.
@ejrunion , Yes there is a Connection I started working for Scott in 1983 at Santino Wines and worked for and with him until 1996ish.
@ejrunion @RustyFF Welcome Rusty! and what a fantastic labrat report. i’m getting vaklempt!
Just echoing what others have said: wish there was less of a Frivolo-heavy distribution option. I just really do not enjoy sweet wines. I can “appreciate them,” but still not something I need taking up half of a case order. I am guessing Clark’s Any Gorilla and Petit Manseng will last years at my current rate of opening sweet wines.
@KNmeh7 Agreed.
@KNmeh7 Then you will likely be rewarded with extra complexity! (PS the Any Gorilla had a lot more in common with a bottle of 2003 Dow’s LBV than I expected. But I get it, not everyone digs sweet wines and these certainly are.)
Frivolo makes this a no go. Bummed
@losthighwayz
You’ll be sorry! Especially since they make great summer slushies!
Well, I for one am really happy with the mix. I haven’t tried the Frivolo yet but had wanted to. I love Noceto’s wines and am one of their club members. I just received my spring shipment in March and have quite a few of their reds on hand. We opened a 2010 AX1 on Friday after a long week at work (essential employee for the VA) and it was amazing!!! While I normally drink red wines, living in Florida it’s nice to have something sweeter when hanging out by the pool. I honestly don’t think these will last long at my house. BTW does anyone remember F Bomb? I still have a bottle of the F-2 2012. We went thru a lot of that too! In for 1, parched-irate-beetle
I’m enjoying a nice can of Frivolo by the pool as we speak. East Texas, 90 degrees. It pairs wonderfully with the sun!
Seriously though, as someone who enjoys a nice fizzy summer wine by the pool—it’s great. I love Vino Noceto’s Sangiovese, but don’t sleep on the Frivolo. I guarantee you’ll drink it all by the end of summer. At least your guests will.
@mwfielder Anywhere near Tyler? - we are actually 1/2 way to Kilgore off 31
@jbol I’m in Sulphur Springs. But I go to Tyler for meetings from time to time. In for a split if you’re looking for it.
You’re sure right about the guests! Many of our Frivolo Fanatics come back for more because their friends “borrowed” a bottle or two or three or… As for me, I drink it in place of soda – and often in place of water.
I also would have preferred a 4x4x4 split. However, you know what? LOVE Noceto. And my parents, in their state of isolation, have become Moscato fans. And if that Moscato has a little spritz to it akin to maybe a vinho Verde, it will, in a worst-case scenario, probably still make a lovely Aperol spritz. Or any spritz. Or honestly, we’re quarantined. Any trip saved to the liquor store makes me less picky.
Yes, it’s got some spritz – semi-sparkling, like a Moscato di Asti. My favorite descriptor for Frivolo is “mother-in-law’s” wine. That’s because everyone either loves it themselves or knows someone who will love it – and that someone else who will love it is often their mother-in-law!
@SuzyatNoceto or my daughter’s 20 something friends! they’ll mop this up!
@SuzyatNoceto. Didn’t see the slushie recipe on your website. Prepared similar to this?
@MarkDaSpark @SuzyatNoceto So based on this, it sounds like I could just pop a bottle of this into my ice-cream maker with no other sweeteners, fire it up, and churn until I get delicious slush?
@SuzyatNoceto @Winedavid49
Twenty as in age, quantity or both?
No sense holding onto that coupon, a six of this is a great use for it.
/giphy gritty-organic-fact
@InFrom Son of a… Just figured out that due to some hangup when ordering (an initial message that my order hadn’t gone through, please try again), two orders were placed. Turns out there’s another six-pack on its way to me. That’s a problem.
I wrote to customer service, and the guy says it can’t be changed now, but helpfully adds that I can contact UPS if I want to alter the delivery. Gee, thanks! I’m steamed.
If anyone from Queens or nearby wants to take one off my hands, please let me know.
@InFrom Calling @Winedavid49
@InFrom @klezman @Winedavid49
I tried to make that call when I ordered 3 mags of Chateau St. Jean but there was no answer.
Instead I got an email from Morningsave c/s 2 days later, basically saying “too bad, so sad”. That wine is now on its return journey to WCC since it couldn’t be stopped once entering the “shipping process” which apparently goes on for days before it actually ships. Hard to believe that it makes more economic sense to ship it and then have it returned than it does to just prevent it from being shipped in the first place.
@chipgreen @klezman @Winedavid49 Yeah, mine has made its grand entry into the shipping process, there’s no turning back apparently.
I may have sent a somewhat crabby reply to the morningsave CS person. It’s possible.
@chipgreen @InFrom @klezman @Winedavid49
Similar thing happened to me when I ordered the Iron Horse Chardonnay. My husband says, “I know you said you were going to get the IH Chard, but do we really need two cases?” Huh? Checked orders, yup, two cases on their way with no recourse. Just happy that it’s a quality wine that I can gift with confidence.
@chipgreen @InFrom @klezman @pseudogourmet98 well, i’m probably not the only one confused here. so you ordered one and two were sold to you? FWIW, all carriers are pretty whacky right now. please help me understand. thanks.
@chipgreen @klezman @pseudogourmet98 @Winedavid49 I ordered one, put in the coupon, but received an error message saying something went wrong, let’s try that again. So I did, and that sale went through, yielded an order phrase, the usual thing. I only discovered today that there was a second order on its way, when I went into my account to see if the wine had shipped.
@InFrom @Winedavid49
I understood this to be a sales server hiccup.
First attempt to order accepted, but not immediately acknowledged, so a second attempt was made and acknowledged, with no knowledge the first was actually accepted; resulting in two orders.
Were there two email receipts sent with different order phrases?
I’ve had this happen as well, on the old site, I think once on meh as well but for something inexpensive so I didn’t really care or report it.
@rjquillin @Winedavid49 For reasons known to none, I stopped getting email receipts from Casemates about a year ago. Just out of the blue. Never got a resolution when I inquired in October. The CS rep said they were getting rejected by my spam filters, and I needed to add the address to my “whitelist”, but that did not prove to be the solution.
I do get email receipts from the other Mediocre sites, and notification emails of other kinds from Casemates, so idk why not receipts from CM.
@chipgreen @klezman @Winedavid49 @rjquillin Well, I heard back from the CS guy today. No can do, it’s too late, b/c it’s “already entered the shipping process”. You could say I’m ship out of luck.
I really hope we like that Frivolo, now that I’m getting 6 of them. And I also hope very fervently that we have a summer outdoor music season where we can enjoy them.
ps I just wrote to ask if they can charge me the case price, given that I’m getting a case as it turns out.
@chipgreen @klezman @rjquillin @Winedavid49 Ah, all’s well that ends well. I misread an email yesterday, but it turns out one order is being cancelled.
/giphy Never mind!
This is a no brainer right here. The price is laughable. Might grab an extra case.
I clicked on a 6pk, excited to try it. Woah, red letters came up, whaaa? Now surprise, most everything ships to the “great white north”, I didn’t even notice…we’re not on the list, oh well.
@ttboy23 Feel free to email me at vino@noceto.com. I may be able to help you.
Where is the review for the Sangiovese? Interested in LabRat notes for that one.
@ejrunion I don’t see a review here – only the wine notes. If you want to read Jim Gordon’s Wine Enthusiast review, you can go to Wine Enthusiast’s reviews and search for “Noceto Sangiovese.”
@ejrunion @SuzyatNoceto
here is that review but I think the question really was
‘where is the missing/lazy Rat?’
@ejrunion @rjquillin I’ll bet that cat would like to know, too!
/giphy ungracious-wide-veil
Was just talking about Vino Noceto yesterday. Case sent to my parents. This type is right up their alley…
/giphy assured-honored-door
Disappointed. We’ve had the Sangiovese many times and we have been waiting for its re-appearance. I’d jump on a case. We would certainly be curious about the Rosso, enough to sample. But the Frivolo just does not appeal to us. Mebbe with an inverted sample distribution…
/giphy flawless-careless-angle
The only wine my wife drinks is Moscato, so I can pretend this pack is for her.
In for a case–summer will eventually get to Minnesota and the Frivolo sounds like a great fit! And I’m a fan of the Sangiovese. Win-win. Cheers!
OK, I pulled the trigger. But I wasn’t expecting this order number:
/giphy decisive-hopeful-disease
@rpstrong But the image somehow fits.
So I waffled on this for quite some time, but I love their Sangiovese. I have had one bottle of their Rosso, but honestly do not recall much about it. I believe my niece and sister-in-law will like the Frivolo, and at this price I could not resist. In for a case!
All three of these wines are great. There is a place on our dinner table for each one. As has all ready been mentioned, these wines are similar to mine. The winemaker, Rusty Folena and I worked together making the Santino and Renwood wines for 16 years. We still discuss and help each other with the wines we both make now. Can’t beat the price, so I’m in.
@ScottHarveyWine This got me off the fence!
I got the very appropriate order number of
/giphy pretty-complex-juice
/giphy precipitous-penultimate-meeting
We’ve been in Noceto’s club (Big Nuts) for years, just got our spring shipment, AND just bought a mystery case from them… but I’ll be damned if I’m not grabbing another case at $10/btl.
/giphy myopic-gritty-town
Are these actually shipping between the proposed window because it’s going to drastically change where I ship it to, work vs home.
@wyk3d In my past experience it’s approx 10 days + there’s Holiday in there.
Nice review on the Frívolo. I’ll give this a try and give my brother half
/giphy upstanding-lofty-okra
We are drinking the Frivolo tonight. It was a beautiful day on the Oregon Coast. I had a glass with beef ribs and a lovely salad. I then had to attend a zoom water board meeting. Now, I am enjoying the rest of the bottle. This wine is great and so glad I have 5 more bottles. It is not overly sweet. It reminds me of a green apple jolly rancher, which I have fond childhood memories of. Thank you @winedavid49. I needed this after the lovely meeting.
@danandlisa Mmmmm…I love jolly ranchers!
@karenhynes Me too. It was not as sweet as I was expecting, which was a nice surprise.
@danandlisa I assume “zoom water board meeting” means “a meeting of the water supply organization’s board members” and not the other thing (even if video calls can be unpleasant)
@KitMarlot Yes, sorry. I am a commissioner for the water supply in our community.
Did anyone else’s case come with a flyer for casemates in it with a $10 coupon code on it?
I was excited to see another coupon, and tried to use it today, but it didn’t work (says good on purchases before 5/31/20).
No flyer for me…
No flyer here either.
Popped a bottle of the Frivolo a few minutes ago. The sweetness of the first sip led to some raised eyebrows and wonderings about what to do with five plus more bottles of this, but then a few sips later and I’ve come to the conclusion that this might be tolerable to have hanging around the lake house for certain occasions this summer.
@cdgrimm No flyer either, but then again I only got the 6-pack.
We tried a bottle on Saturday night, and I would say my reaction was about the same. Not quite enough acid to balance to sweetness, to my palate. Though my spouse liked it quite a bit. I don’t think we’ll have any problem drinking the other two this summer.
@cdgrimm @InFrom Apparently I was confused! The flyer came with a jerky purchase off of meh.
Opened a bottle of Frivolo last night to try with homemade fried chicken. It was a fun combination that reminded us of chicken and waffles. I should have bought the case, because I’m worried I’ll run out before the warm summer nights arrive.