italian wine tasting
January 20, 2008
What a beautiful setting for a relaxing wine tasting--at a cozy house right on the beach in Capistrano.
Some might debate how relaxing it was, however, having plowed through 12 different wines from all over
Italy! But this is my ideal kind of tasting--with only 6 guests to pour for, we could delve a bit deeper into
the myriad of wines this country produces. Of course we sampled wines from the great regions of Barolo,
Brunello di Montalcino,and Chianti Classico, but also other, less well-known wines such as Taurasi,
Veronese, Verdicchio de Matelica, and Insolia, all of which were of very high quality and very much
italiano, without breaking the bank. The following are my notes and my personal scores (along with other
wine ratings). But keep in mind everyone's palate is different, and everyone is entitled to have there own
preferences!
Some might debate how relaxing it was, however, having plowed through 12 different wines from all over
Italy! But this is my ideal kind of tasting--with only 6 guests to pour for, we could delve a bit deeper into
the myriad of wines this country produces. Of course we sampled wines from the great regions of Barolo,
Brunello di Montalcino,and Chianti Classico, but also other, less well-known wines such as Taurasi,
Veronese, Verdicchio de Matelica, and Insolia, all of which were of very high quality and very much
italiano, without breaking the bank. The following are my notes and my personal scores (along with other
wine ratings). But keep in mind everyone's palate is different, and everyone is entitled to have there own
preferences!
1. Sorelle Bronca, Prosecco di Valdobbiadene, Extra Dry, Veneto N/V
Tank Method; Prosecco grape. The "Extra Dry" gives this a nice simple sweetness, showing white
peaches and some mineral notes. This is a very good appetizer wine and a crowd-pleaser, however, the
bubbles faded fairly quickly. My score: 86; $15
2. Saracco, Moscato d’Asti, Piedmont, 2006
100% Moscato; 5% alc.; from Asti. I am a big fan of the light, elegant and fruity Moscato d'Asti. Perfectly
fit for dessert, the peaches, apricot, and cotton candy would go very well with a not-too-sweet white cake
(or panettone). This was a nice, typical, well made delicate bubbly. My score: 88; $14
3. Cusumano, Insolia, Sicilia, 2006
This is the most important native white grape in Sicily, and you very well may start seeing more "serious"
versions of this in the near future, as Sicily comes of age in fine wine making. Not to say this was not
serious. I was very impressed with the character of this relatively obscure (in the U.S.) white. Although it
was difficult to judge at first (note the lesson on NOT serving sweet wines before dry, i.e. Moscato!), it
subsequently revealed a ripe, candied fruit nose with a hint of honey, floral notes, and dried hay. It had a
nicely viscous body in the glass, and possessed tons of acidity for great structure. The slightly bitter
finish was actually very appealing to me. This was very enjoyable, and for the price is an incredible deal.
(I picked up a half case of this later!). My score: 90; WS 89; $13
4. Colle Stefano, Verdicchio di Matelica, Le Marche, 2005
Verdicchio is the specialty of Le Marche region. The one from Matelica is grown farther inland and higher
in the hills, giving it a bit more structure and character. I loved this white with its grassy-guava-pecan
character. It was just a bit lighter than the Cusumano, with clean citrus flavors and bright mineral notes,
as well as tart apple and pear. Very nice, and great to pair with calamari, prawns, and prosciutto, as well
as a fish filet. My score: 90; $13
5. Venica, Pinot Grigio, “Jesera”, Collio, Friuli-Giulia, 2006
Venica produces one of the handful of "super whites" of the Friuli-Giulia region. This is their Pinot Grigio
from the Jesera vineyard, which was quite interesting. It had a light rose-peach color to it, and smelled of
sweet tropical fruits like pineapple, melon, lemon, and even banana. It was very easy upon entry, had low
acidity at first, but then in mid-palate I got a fantastic spiciness along with quince flavors, and the wine sort
of expanded in my mouth. It had a nice long finish too. Very nice, but it seemed just a little bit awkward.
My score: 89-90; $20
6. Bruno Giacosa, Dolcetto d’Alba, Basarini di Neive, Piedmont, 2006
Famous maker of “Falletto"; 100% Dolcetto grape; Basarini is the vineyard. Although dolcetto means
"sweet", the hallmarks of this wine are low tannins, juicy fruit, and a slight bitterness, made to drink young.
This wine was fairly typical in that it showed notes of red plum, cranberry-cherry, and dry herbs. It
seemed pretty low in tannins, and there was a hint of bitter almond at the end. This had an interesting
beaujolais-like juiciness, but with less fruit, and perhaps a bit richer. I believe this only needs another
year or two to reach its peak. My score: 87; WA 90; WS 87; $20
7. Allegrini, “La Grola”, Veronese, Veneto, 2004
Corvina, Rondinella, Syrah, and Sangiovese grapes. This is actually a Valpolicella that falls outside of
the appelation because it uses "unauthorized grapes", namely the syrah and sangiovese. This really
made an impression on everyone. What a great wine, at a good price. It was dark purple, and had
aromas of smoke, ripe red berries, blackberry, cassis, sweet cigar/cigar box, and black pepper. And
that's just in the nose! In the mouth it was smooth, rich, dark, earthy, and tasted of tobacco and coffee,
with plenty of ripe dark fruit to back it up. Very rich, but very well balanced, the wine showed real class.
This would be good with roasted red meats, lamb, grilled or stewed mushrooms, and aged pungent
cheeses. My score: 91+; WS 89; $23
8. Terre di Ginestra, Nero d’Avola, Sicilia, 2005
Nero d'Avola is the up-and-coming wine of Sicily, and is quickly improving in quality from the days of being
a mass-produced blending grape. This Nero, however, was a bit of a disappointment. For starters, I
sensed a slight "corked" nose. With a little airing out, though, I thought most of this blew off. Beyond
that, it was raisiny, had some almond notes and tart cranberry. It was very dry, and was a bit tart with
fairly coarse tannins. I wrote in my notes "fruits and nuts" and "dried cranberry". If you get the opportunity
to try another, try the Valle del'Acate "Il Moro" which is superb. My score: 87; $17
9. Felsina, “Rancia”, Chianti Classico Riserva, Tuscany, 2004
Classico is the district, Riserva means it's aged a bit longer in bottle and/or wood, and Rancia is the
vineyard; 100% Sangiovese grape. Felsina is a top Chianti producer, and this is one of their top
Chiantis. It was deep, dark purple, and gave off aromas of leather, smoke, forest underbrush, cassis, and
blackberry. In the mouth it was super silky, rich, smooth with tons of good acidity to hold it up. Despite the
fact that I sensed underlying "Chianti" flavors such as minerals, dark cherry, and a certain saltiness, this
version is pretty clearly "New World" in character because of its heft and ripe fruit. One might mistake this
for a good California Cabernet (or maybe Washington?). Very good stuff, but certainly not a 95 point
wine in my humble opinion. My score: 91-92; WS 90; IWC 95; $34
10. Mastroberardino, “Radici”, Taurasi, Campania, 2003
This producer was primarily responsible for reviving Taurasi; 100% Aglianico; “Barolo of the south”.
Although Barolos are considered "big" wines, they are almost always deceptively lighter in color, often
slightly limpid, but with fine concentration. That is similar to how this Taurasi comes across, but not quite
as refined, and with darker earthy notes, such as tar, game, spice, and pepper. The entry was soft and
supple with great spice and berry flavors, but then gave a touch of bitter dry tannins in the end. It
reminded me of burnt wood at the beach. But just when I noticed that, I got strawberry jam! I love it when
wines do that to me. This had great Italian character and was very complex. Drink with venison (in
Europe!), roasted meats, and spicy meat dishes. Yum. My score: 91; $35
11. Il Poggione, Brunello di Montalcino, Tuscany, 2001
Sangiovese grape (Brunello clone); superb year. The color was faded ruby-red and had a wonderfully
aromatic nose. Wine Advocate said "redolent of scorched earth, tobacco, and cherries showing a wilder
side of sangiovese in its hints of gaminess". I'd agree, adding notes of smoke, and strawberry (again!)
with delicate floral notes and a brown sugar quality. This had fine concentration in the mouth, was super
silky, not heavy at all, very flavorful, and had a very long finish. What else could you ask for? This was
easily my Wine Of The Night and was nearly spellbinding to me because of its refined aspect, complexity,
and amazing Brunello flavors. Great price, too. My score: 93; WA 93; $40
12. Parusso, Barolo, Piedmont, 2003
Nebbiolo grape; atypical big ripe year; must decant. This vintage was atypically hot, over-ripening the
grapes. The wine was also so young (typically Barolo needs about 10 years of age), I don't think I would
have ever guessed this was a Barolo in a blind tasting. Nevertheless, it was very darkly colored and
possessed aromas of ripe black and red fruits like raspberry, blackberry, and cherry, along with vanilla
and cream and a nuance of white chocolate (that's a new one for me!). Wine Spectator said "floral with
fresh mushrooms and fruit". The mouth was huge and supple, very concentrated, but seemed a little bit
hot (because of higher alcohol?). I would love to come back in 5 more years and try it again, but tonight I
wasn't bowled over, especially at the price. My score: 90; WS 92; $49
Tank Method; Prosecco grape. The "Extra Dry" gives this a nice simple sweetness, showing white
peaches and some mineral notes. This is a very good appetizer wine and a crowd-pleaser, however, the
bubbles faded fairly quickly. My score: 86; $15
2. Saracco, Moscato d’Asti, Piedmont, 2006
100% Moscato; 5% alc.; from Asti. I am a big fan of the light, elegant and fruity Moscato d'Asti. Perfectly
fit for dessert, the peaches, apricot, and cotton candy would go very well with a not-too-sweet white cake
(or panettone). This was a nice, typical, well made delicate bubbly. My score: 88; $14
3. Cusumano, Insolia, Sicilia, 2006
This is the most important native white grape in Sicily, and you very well may start seeing more "serious"
versions of this in the near future, as Sicily comes of age in fine wine making. Not to say this was not
serious. I was very impressed with the character of this relatively obscure (in the U.S.) white. Although it
was difficult to judge at first (note the lesson on NOT serving sweet wines before dry, i.e. Moscato!), it
subsequently revealed a ripe, candied fruit nose with a hint of honey, floral notes, and dried hay. It had a
nicely viscous body in the glass, and possessed tons of acidity for great structure. The slightly bitter
finish was actually very appealing to me. This was very enjoyable, and for the price is an incredible deal.
(I picked up a half case of this later!). My score: 90; WS 89; $13
4. Colle Stefano, Verdicchio di Matelica, Le Marche, 2005
Verdicchio is the specialty of Le Marche region. The one from Matelica is grown farther inland and higher
in the hills, giving it a bit more structure and character. I loved this white with its grassy-guava-pecan
character. It was just a bit lighter than the Cusumano, with clean citrus flavors and bright mineral notes,
as well as tart apple and pear. Very nice, and great to pair with calamari, prawns, and prosciutto, as well
as a fish filet. My score: 90; $13
5. Venica, Pinot Grigio, “Jesera”, Collio, Friuli-Giulia, 2006
Venica produces one of the handful of "super whites" of the Friuli-Giulia region. This is their Pinot Grigio
from the Jesera vineyard, which was quite interesting. It had a light rose-peach color to it, and smelled of
sweet tropical fruits like pineapple, melon, lemon, and even banana. It was very easy upon entry, had low
acidity at first, but then in mid-palate I got a fantastic spiciness along with quince flavors, and the wine sort
of expanded in my mouth. It had a nice long finish too. Very nice, but it seemed just a little bit awkward.
My score: 89-90; $20
6. Bruno Giacosa, Dolcetto d’Alba, Basarini di Neive, Piedmont, 2006
Famous maker of “Falletto"; 100% Dolcetto grape; Basarini is the vineyard. Although dolcetto means
"sweet", the hallmarks of this wine are low tannins, juicy fruit, and a slight bitterness, made to drink young.
This wine was fairly typical in that it showed notes of red plum, cranberry-cherry, and dry herbs. It
seemed pretty low in tannins, and there was a hint of bitter almond at the end. This had an interesting
beaujolais-like juiciness, but with less fruit, and perhaps a bit richer. I believe this only needs another
year or two to reach its peak. My score: 87; WA 90; WS 87; $20
7. Allegrini, “La Grola”, Veronese, Veneto, 2004
Corvina, Rondinella, Syrah, and Sangiovese grapes. This is actually a Valpolicella that falls outside of
the appelation because it uses "unauthorized grapes", namely the syrah and sangiovese. This really
made an impression on everyone. What a great wine, at a good price. It was dark purple, and had
aromas of smoke, ripe red berries, blackberry, cassis, sweet cigar/cigar box, and black pepper. And
that's just in the nose! In the mouth it was smooth, rich, dark, earthy, and tasted of tobacco and coffee,
with plenty of ripe dark fruit to back it up. Very rich, but very well balanced, the wine showed real class.
This would be good with roasted red meats, lamb, grilled or stewed mushrooms, and aged pungent
cheeses. My score: 91+; WS 89; $23
8. Terre di Ginestra, Nero d’Avola, Sicilia, 2005
Nero d'Avola is the up-and-coming wine of Sicily, and is quickly improving in quality from the days of being
a mass-produced blending grape. This Nero, however, was a bit of a disappointment. For starters, I
sensed a slight "corked" nose. With a little airing out, though, I thought most of this blew off. Beyond
that, it was raisiny, had some almond notes and tart cranberry. It was very dry, and was a bit tart with
fairly coarse tannins. I wrote in my notes "fruits and nuts" and "dried cranberry". If you get the opportunity
to try another, try the Valle del'Acate "Il Moro" which is superb. My score: 87; $17
9. Felsina, “Rancia”, Chianti Classico Riserva, Tuscany, 2004
Classico is the district, Riserva means it's aged a bit longer in bottle and/or wood, and Rancia is the
vineyard; 100% Sangiovese grape. Felsina is a top Chianti producer, and this is one of their top
Chiantis. It was deep, dark purple, and gave off aromas of leather, smoke, forest underbrush, cassis, and
blackberry. In the mouth it was super silky, rich, smooth with tons of good acidity to hold it up. Despite the
fact that I sensed underlying "Chianti" flavors such as minerals, dark cherry, and a certain saltiness, this
version is pretty clearly "New World" in character because of its heft and ripe fruit. One might mistake this
for a good California Cabernet (or maybe Washington?). Very good stuff, but certainly not a 95 point
wine in my humble opinion. My score: 91-92; WS 90; IWC 95; $34
10. Mastroberardino, “Radici”, Taurasi, Campania, 2003
This producer was primarily responsible for reviving Taurasi; 100% Aglianico; “Barolo of the south”.
Although Barolos are considered "big" wines, they are almost always deceptively lighter in color, often
slightly limpid, but with fine concentration. That is similar to how this Taurasi comes across, but not quite
as refined, and with darker earthy notes, such as tar, game, spice, and pepper. The entry was soft and
supple with great spice and berry flavors, but then gave a touch of bitter dry tannins in the end. It
reminded me of burnt wood at the beach. But just when I noticed that, I got strawberry jam! I love it when
wines do that to me. This had great Italian character and was very complex. Drink with venison (in
Europe!), roasted meats, and spicy meat dishes. Yum. My score: 91; $35
11. Il Poggione, Brunello di Montalcino, Tuscany, 2001
Sangiovese grape (Brunello clone); superb year. The color was faded ruby-red and had a wonderfully
aromatic nose. Wine Advocate said "redolent of scorched earth, tobacco, and cherries showing a wilder
side of sangiovese in its hints of gaminess". I'd agree, adding notes of smoke, and strawberry (again!)
with delicate floral notes and a brown sugar quality. This had fine concentration in the mouth, was super
silky, not heavy at all, very flavorful, and had a very long finish. What else could you ask for? This was
easily my Wine Of The Night and was nearly spellbinding to me because of its refined aspect, complexity,
and amazing Brunello flavors. Great price, too. My score: 93; WA 93; $40
12. Parusso, Barolo, Piedmont, 2003
Nebbiolo grape; atypical big ripe year; must decant. This vintage was atypically hot, over-ripening the
grapes. The wine was also so young (typically Barolo needs about 10 years of age), I don't think I would
have ever guessed this was a Barolo in a blind tasting. Nevertheless, it was very darkly colored and
possessed aromas of ripe black and red fruits like raspberry, blackberry, and cherry, along with vanilla
and cream and a nuance of white chocolate (that's a new one for me!). Wine Spectator said "floral with
fresh mushrooms and fruit". The mouth was huge and supple, very concentrated, but seemed a little bit
hot (because of higher alcohol?). I would love to come back in 5 more years and try it again, but tonight I
wasn't bowled over, especially at the price. My score: 90; WS 92; $49