Cloudy wine, what the funk?

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C loudy wine, what the funk? People still assume clear wine means better wine. Bright, polished, see-through. Cloudy, on the other hand, feels like something went wrong. Like the bottle was mishandled, stored badly, or rushed out before it was ready. That reaction makes sense. We’ve been trained to read clarity as quality. Beer, spirits, even water follow that rule. Wine just quietly inherited it. Most natural wines aren’t filtered or fined before bottling. Filtration is a cosmetic step. It strips out yeast, grape solids, and sediment to make the wine look stable and uniform. Clean lines. No surprises. When that step is skipped, the wine keeps more of what it grew with. What you’re seeing in a cloudy wine isn’t rot or spoilage. It’s usually leftover yeast or fine grape particles that would otherwise be removed. They settle. They move. They shift depending on temperature, travel, and time. That’s why the same bottle can look different every time you open it. The reason this ma...
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Labes / Rosso Piedirosso Vesuvio DOC 22 (Italy) Review | La Cave Noire

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La Cave Noire - Quick pour: Labes / Rosso Piedirosso Vesuvio DOC 22 (Italy) Review | La Cave Noire



Rosso has always been one of my favourite styles. It doesn’t try to dominate the room. It just exists comfortably in its place. Red wine without the over top performance. And when it comes from volcanic soil, that feeling goes even deeper, you know when you’re drinking a rosso.

Wines from Vesuvius carry the ground with them. Black earth. Heat stored in stone. Old vines pushing through something that doesn’t give much back. You taste that struggle in the best way. There’s always a quiet savoury edge running underneath the fruit. Something dry, earthy, slightly smoky that keeps everything grounded.


On the nose this opens slow. Leather first. Worn in, not polished. Then a soft hit of vanilla essence that feels natural rather than sweet. Nothing loud. Nothing forced.


On the palate it does exactly what good rosso should do. Easy to drink. Medium tannins that stay relaxed and let the wine move. Black berry comes through clean and fresh, followed by a dry buttery finish that lingers just long enough. A touch of caramel shows up at the end like an afterthought rather than the point.


This is the kind of wine you don’t overthink. You pour it, you drink it, and somehow the bottle is half gone before you notice. It’s built for the table, not the notebook.


This wine is perfect with sourdough pizza. Crispy crust, charred edges, good olive oil. The wine meets the food where it is and doesn’t get in the way.


Volcanic rosso at its best. Honest. Grounded. And very easy to come back to! I would highly recommend.


Location: Brighton, Brighton and Hove, UK

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