This was a fantastic Italian wine overview and tasting for Jennie and Fred just before they took off for
their 6 month stay in Italy. What an appropriate send off! We ended up with some excellent choices
from all over Italy. But what really struck me about this tasting was the incredible character, diversity,
and expressiveness of these wines. I tried to get some of the best examples from several regions, but
it's always difficult trying to pick 10 or so wines from a country with as many wines as Italy! At any rate,
about half the wines are from the most important appellations of Italy, and the rest are from lesser
known regions (in the U.S., anyway). Thanks to Brian and Tess for the use of their home, and Fred
and Jennie for organizing the event and the delicious food! A list of the wines and my (personal) notes
follow.
their 6 month stay in Italy. What an appropriate send off! We ended up with some excellent choices
from all over Italy. But what really struck me about this tasting was the incredible character, diversity,
and expressiveness of these wines. I tried to get some of the best examples from several regions, but
it's always difficult trying to pick 10 or so wines from a country with as many wines as Italy! At any rate,
about half the wines are from the most important appellations of Italy, and the rest are from lesser
known regions (in the U.S., anyway). Thanks to Brian and Tess for the use of their home, and Fred
and Jennie for organizing the event and the delicious food! A list of the wines and my (personal) notes
follow.
italian wine tasting
January 30, 2008
1. Nino Franco, "Rustico", Prosecco di Valdobbiadene, Veneto, NV:
This is made by the tank method, using the prosecco grape. This is one of the best Prosecco's out
there. Here, there was really nice fruitiness, light peaches and a touch of mineral character. But
overall, Prosecco is a rather simple, clean, easy drinking bubbly to drink as a light aperitif. This bottling
had just a touch of sweetness and was a bit rounder than others. Note: if you want something sweeter,
look for "extra dry" on the label. My score: 89; $17.
2. Ermacora, Tocai-Fruilano, Friuli-Giulia, 2006
Tocai-Friulano is drunk day-in, day-out in Friuli, and is one of the native grapes of the region. Although
it can be a bit simple, it can also have great character. This one was very aromatic, and had beautiful
minerally notes (sort of metallic), and nice candied citrus fruit in the nose. It was medium bodied, and
filled with lemon sweet-tart candy and chalky flavors. I loved that dual character of candied fruit with a
core of minerality. It was bright, crisp, and had a long finish. I also noted slight hints of tarragon in the
nose (verified by my spice cabinet!). Very tasty good stuff. No oak used. My score: 88; Gambero
Rosso: 2 glasses; $17
3. Villa Bucci, Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Riserva, Le Marche, 2003
OK, it's a mouthful to say, but worth it--if you're studying Italian. Le Marche is known for Verdicchio,
classico means it's from the original, best part of the appellation, and riserva means it's been aged
longer (in barrel or bottle--in this case both--6 months oak, the rest in bottle). Bucci is said to be one of
the best producers in the area, and I think it shows. The color was darker gold (already 5 years old
upon release!), and had beautiful fig, almond, and faint dry herbs (oregano?) in the nose. It was rich,
full and concentrated in the mouth with mineral notes in balance with lots of acidity. It had a long spicy
finish, lots of character, and lots of structure. Some perceived a musky quality to the wine which wasn't
to their liking, however. I thoroughly enjoyed this wine, but thought it was a bit expensive. But actually
when you start looking at fine California Chardonnay or White Burgundy, it really isn't that bad for this
quality. My score: 90; GR: 3 glasses; $37
4. Valle dell'Acate, Cerasuolo di Vittoria Classico, Sicilia, 2005
Cerasuolo means something like "cherry colored", which this wine has plenty of. In the nose there is lots
of pure red fresh cherry notes, and a hint of spice & pepper. In the mouth it was fairly silky with medium
tannins and lots of acidity behind juicy bright cherry flavors, red fruit, and a little red licorice. The
tannins were very dry in finish, although this is still very young. They say this wine can age up to 30
years! It reminded me of a high class Beaujolais but with more structure. This was a good, solid wine
that needs 2-3 more years in the bottle, but is drinking fine right now. My score: 89; $20
5. Fontodi, Chianti Classico, Toscana, 2005
Finally, a name we can all pronounce! This is a great producer and a classic Chianti. It possessed just
about everything I would expect and want from a Chianti: lots of varietal sangiovese characteristics, and
tons of character. I smelled mushrooms, tomatoes, raspberry, blackberry, and cherry notes, and a
minerally "saltiness" that is often associated with good Chiantis. It was very expansive in the mouth and
delighted me with concentrated ripe fruit--like blackberries and other forest berries. It was lovely,
complex, with dusty dry tannins that didn't bother me at all in the long finish. A really great effort in what
some have called a difficult vintage in Chianti. My score: 91; $27
6. Coldisole, Brunello di Montalcino, Toscana, 2001
Brunello is one of the great Italian wines, and is also located in Tuscany. It too is made from
sangiovese, although it's a different clone from the sangiovese grape used in Chianti. 2001 was a
stunning year for Tuscany. Immediately many perceived the musky cardboard smell in this wine.
Unfortunately this wine was lightly corked, but aside from that fault, still possessed some great strengths.
It also had big aromas of ripe cherry, mocha, dry spice, and foresty notes, as well as flavors of candied
cherry, sweet leather, and truffles. The long finish, sweet red fruit core, and mineral character made me
want to try this wine again. I didn't pick up any overtly oaked flavors despite the three years in barrel!
This wine handled the oak aging very well. I scored this wine as if I could magically wipe out the cork
fault: 92-93; Wine & Spirits: 94; WE: 91; WS: 91; $55
7. Il Feuduccio di Santa Maria d'Ormi, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, Abruzzo, 2001
A lesser known wine, this is slowly gaining ground in imports to the U.S. Montepulciano is the grape (not
to be confused with the town and wine with the same moniker). This is one of the more expensive
versions, and probably the best MdA's I've had. It was black-purple in color with smells reminiscent of
tar, black licorice, cherry, and ripe blackberry. It was full in the mouth, and possessed pretty big, soft
tannins enveloping a core of ripe blackberry jam and minerals. This was a very "manly" wine--full of
earthy notes and black fruit. I liked this a lot. It would go great with pizza with meat and mushrooms on
top. My score: 90; WE: 90; $30
8. Giacomo Conterno, "Cascina Francia", Barolo, Piemonte, 1998
If I had my wish, almost everything I drank would have upwards of 10 years on it already. I love the
bouquet, perfume, and mellow aspect that comes with wines with a little age on them. This was no
exception. Barolos and Barbarescos together (they're made from the same Nebbiolo grape and the
vineyards are only about 12 miles apart) are considered to be top wines of Italy. This particular bottling
is by a very famous producer, from the "Cascina Francia" vineyard. It was a surprising color of pale,
rather limpid ruby red. The aromas were fairly delicate with hints at tar, plums, and floral smells, and in
the mouth it was almost ethereal, slipping down my throat almost too easily! Despite this, the "iron fist in
a velvet glove" character did show itself a little bit. It had beautiful underlying red fruit, spice, and floral
notes, and a slight earthy, truffly finish. It was not as "quietly powerful" as many other Barolos I've had,
and for this reason it probably didn't show as well with all of the other big wines around it. I would love to
drink this wine, on its own, with a really good osso bucco or dark risotto dish. My score: 91-92; Steven
Tanzer: 94; $100
9. Antonelli, Sagrantino di Montefalco, Umbria, 2003
Sagrantino is a very "under the radar" DOCG wine, partly because it is very small, and fairly expensive.
It's made from 100% Sagantino near Montefalco, and usually is a huge wine. If the Montepulciano
above was "manly", this one is Rambo. I got notes of black currant, black berry, licorice, dirt, some
almond flavors along with a minerally component, all wrapped in HUGE massive tannins! This was
robust! 2003 was a very hot ripe year, and I think the usually big Sagrantino got even bigger in this
vintage. This wine had muscle, with leather, earth, and not so subtle tannins. Still, with only 1.25 years
in oak, good rustic character, and balance, I liked this and gave it 90 points. $45
10. Tomasso Bussola, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico, "BG", Veneto, 2002
Amarone is made from dried grapes from the Corvina, Rondinella, and Molinare varietals, and this
bottling was left to macerate on the skins for a full 60 days. This creates a very big, heavy, almost sweet
wine made from copious amounts of sugar in the pressed juice. It is almost port-like at 16% alcohol, with
a very aromatic nose of prunes, almonds, cherry liqueur, chocolate covered cherries, and mocha. If that
isn't hedonistic, I don't know what is! But it's still pretty complex and full of "terroir", unlike some massive
California wines. This was thick and voluptuous with licorice and cherry in the mouth. It was very
well-balanced despite the high alcohol, and would make a great after dinner/after dessert wine, or simply
have it with chocolate, like we did! My score: 91-92; Robert Parker: 93; $55
11. Bologna, "Braida", Brachetto d'Aqui", Piemonte, 2006
This light sparkling red wine from Piedmont rounded out our tasting for the evening. It's made from the
red Brachetto grape near the town of Aqui. At only 5% or so alcohol, it is very light, elegant, juicy, and
very easy to swallow. Even the bubbles are cut in half to give it just a slight delicate sparkle. This was a
superb example showing pure red berry flavors that was very clean and flavorful from start to finish.
This is a really nice wine and not well know at all in the U.S. If the Amarone is Wagner, this reminds of
the perfect pop song. The light but pure sweetness was a good punctuation after the other heavier red
wines, and lent a bit of festivity to the finale. I enjoyed this wine very much as did everyone else from
what I could tell. My score: 90; $24.
+
This is made by the tank method, using the prosecco grape. This is one of the best Prosecco's out
there. Here, there was really nice fruitiness, light peaches and a touch of mineral character. But
overall, Prosecco is a rather simple, clean, easy drinking bubbly to drink as a light aperitif. This bottling
had just a touch of sweetness and was a bit rounder than others. Note: if you want something sweeter,
look for "extra dry" on the label. My score: 89; $17.
2. Ermacora, Tocai-Fruilano, Friuli-Giulia, 2006
Tocai-Friulano is drunk day-in, day-out in Friuli, and is one of the native grapes of the region. Although
it can be a bit simple, it can also have great character. This one was very aromatic, and had beautiful
minerally notes (sort of metallic), and nice candied citrus fruit in the nose. It was medium bodied, and
filled with lemon sweet-tart candy and chalky flavors. I loved that dual character of candied fruit with a
core of minerality. It was bright, crisp, and had a long finish. I also noted slight hints of tarragon in the
nose (verified by my spice cabinet!). Very tasty good stuff. No oak used. My score: 88; Gambero
Rosso: 2 glasses; $17
3. Villa Bucci, Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Riserva, Le Marche, 2003
OK, it's a mouthful to say, but worth it--if you're studying Italian. Le Marche is known for Verdicchio,
classico means it's from the original, best part of the appellation, and riserva means it's been aged
longer (in barrel or bottle--in this case both--6 months oak, the rest in bottle). Bucci is said to be one of
the best producers in the area, and I think it shows. The color was darker gold (already 5 years old
upon release!), and had beautiful fig, almond, and faint dry herbs (oregano?) in the nose. It was rich,
full and concentrated in the mouth with mineral notes in balance with lots of acidity. It had a long spicy
finish, lots of character, and lots of structure. Some perceived a musky quality to the wine which wasn't
to their liking, however. I thoroughly enjoyed this wine, but thought it was a bit expensive. But actually
when you start looking at fine California Chardonnay or White Burgundy, it really isn't that bad for this
quality. My score: 90; GR: 3 glasses; $37
4. Valle dell'Acate, Cerasuolo di Vittoria Classico, Sicilia, 2005
Cerasuolo means something like "cherry colored", which this wine has plenty of. In the nose there is lots
of pure red fresh cherry notes, and a hint of spice & pepper. In the mouth it was fairly silky with medium
tannins and lots of acidity behind juicy bright cherry flavors, red fruit, and a little red licorice. The
tannins were very dry in finish, although this is still very young. They say this wine can age up to 30
years! It reminded me of a high class Beaujolais but with more structure. This was a good, solid wine
that needs 2-3 more years in the bottle, but is drinking fine right now. My score: 89; $20
5. Fontodi, Chianti Classico, Toscana, 2005
Finally, a name we can all pronounce! This is a great producer and a classic Chianti. It possessed just
about everything I would expect and want from a Chianti: lots of varietal sangiovese characteristics, and
tons of character. I smelled mushrooms, tomatoes, raspberry, blackberry, and cherry notes, and a
minerally "saltiness" that is often associated with good Chiantis. It was very expansive in the mouth and
delighted me with concentrated ripe fruit--like blackberries and other forest berries. It was lovely,
complex, with dusty dry tannins that didn't bother me at all in the long finish. A really great effort in what
some have called a difficult vintage in Chianti. My score: 91; $27
6. Coldisole, Brunello di Montalcino, Toscana, 2001
Brunello is one of the great Italian wines, and is also located in Tuscany. It too is made from
sangiovese, although it's a different clone from the sangiovese grape used in Chianti. 2001 was a
stunning year for Tuscany. Immediately many perceived the musky cardboard smell in this wine.
Unfortunately this wine was lightly corked, but aside from that fault, still possessed some great strengths.
It also had big aromas of ripe cherry, mocha, dry spice, and foresty notes, as well as flavors of candied
cherry, sweet leather, and truffles. The long finish, sweet red fruit core, and mineral character made me
want to try this wine again. I didn't pick up any overtly oaked flavors despite the three years in barrel!
This wine handled the oak aging very well. I scored this wine as if I could magically wipe out the cork
fault: 92-93; Wine & Spirits: 94; WE: 91; WS: 91; $55
7. Il Feuduccio di Santa Maria d'Ormi, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, Abruzzo, 2001
A lesser known wine, this is slowly gaining ground in imports to the U.S. Montepulciano is the grape (not
to be confused with the town and wine with the same moniker). This is one of the more expensive
versions, and probably the best MdA's I've had. It was black-purple in color with smells reminiscent of
tar, black licorice, cherry, and ripe blackberry. It was full in the mouth, and possessed pretty big, soft
tannins enveloping a core of ripe blackberry jam and minerals. This was a very "manly" wine--full of
earthy notes and black fruit. I liked this a lot. It would go great with pizza with meat and mushrooms on
top. My score: 90; WE: 90; $30
8. Giacomo Conterno, "Cascina Francia", Barolo, Piemonte, 1998
If I had my wish, almost everything I drank would have upwards of 10 years on it already. I love the
bouquet, perfume, and mellow aspect that comes with wines with a little age on them. This was no
exception. Barolos and Barbarescos together (they're made from the same Nebbiolo grape and the
vineyards are only about 12 miles apart) are considered to be top wines of Italy. This particular bottling
is by a very famous producer, from the "Cascina Francia" vineyard. It was a surprising color of pale,
rather limpid ruby red. The aromas were fairly delicate with hints at tar, plums, and floral smells, and in
the mouth it was almost ethereal, slipping down my throat almost too easily! Despite this, the "iron fist in
a velvet glove" character did show itself a little bit. It had beautiful underlying red fruit, spice, and floral
notes, and a slight earthy, truffly finish. It was not as "quietly powerful" as many other Barolos I've had,
and for this reason it probably didn't show as well with all of the other big wines around it. I would love to
drink this wine, on its own, with a really good osso bucco or dark risotto dish. My score: 91-92; Steven
Tanzer: 94; $100
9. Antonelli, Sagrantino di Montefalco, Umbria, 2003
Sagrantino is a very "under the radar" DOCG wine, partly because it is very small, and fairly expensive.
It's made from 100% Sagantino near Montefalco, and usually is a huge wine. If the Montepulciano
above was "manly", this one is Rambo. I got notes of black currant, black berry, licorice, dirt, some
almond flavors along with a minerally component, all wrapped in HUGE massive tannins! This was
robust! 2003 was a very hot ripe year, and I think the usually big Sagrantino got even bigger in this
vintage. This wine had muscle, with leather, earth, and not so subtle tannins. Still, with only 1.25 years
in oak, good rustic character, and balance, I liked this and gave it 90 points. $45
10. Tomasso Bussola, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico, "BG", Veneto, 2002
Amarone is made from dried grapes from the Corvina, Rondinella, and Molinare varietals, and this
bottling was left to macerate on the skins for a full 60 days. This creates a very big, heavy, almost sweet
wine made from copious amounts of sugar in the pressed juice. It is almost port-like at 16% alcohol, with
a very aromatic nose of prunes, almonds, cherry liqueur, chocolate covered cherries, and mocha. If that
isn't hedonistic, I don't know what is! But it's still pretty complex and full of "terroir", unlike some massive
California wines. This was thick and voluptuous with licorice and cherry in the mouth. It was very
well-balanced despite the high alcohol, and would make a great after dinner/after dessert wine, or simply
have it with chocolate, like we did! My score: 91-92; Robert Parker: 93; $55
11. Bologna, "Braida", Brachetto d'Aqui", Piemonte, 2006
This light sparkling red wine from Piedmont rounded out our tasting for the evening. It's made from the
red Brachetto grape near the town of Aqui. At only 5% or so alcohol, it is very light, elegant, juicy, and
very easy to swallow. Even the bubbles are cut in half to give it just a slight delicate sparkle. This was a
superb example showing pure red berry flavors that was very clean and flavorful from start to finish.
This is a really nice wine and not well know at all in the U.S. If the Amarone is Wagner, this reminds of
the perfect pop song. The light but pure sweetness was a good punctuation after the other heavier red
wines, and lent a bit of festivity to the finale. I enjoyed this wine very much as did everyone else from
what I could tell. My score: 90; $24.
+