Archive for the ‘Italy’ Category
Wednesday, August 25th, 2010
Picked a bottle of something I hadn’t ever tried before from the racks last night, and as I was extracting a long and high quality cork from the neck of it, I prayed I wasn’t committing vinocide. An intriguing nose: savoury, dried meats and spice, with cherries, stones, vanilla, nuts and black earth, and a touch of caramel. The palate was beautifully textured and structured, dark cherries and plums, tobacco, earth and meats. Great length with perhaps the acid showing a bit on the finish. Probably cost in the mid $80s. Drink 2010-2019. 92 points
Posted in $50 to $100, Italy, Notes, Price, Sangiovese, Tuscany, Varietal/Style | 4 Comments »
Tuesday, August 17th, 2010
Two bottles consumed with identical notes. A lovely nose, dried meats and red fruits, cherries and strawberries, tarry and smoky more than floral. Full bodied palate, dried red fruits, red currants and a touch of cherries, some tar and old leather, seamless and strong tannins, lovely balance and length with a drying finish. Looked a lot better on the second night, and I should have kept some for the 3rd night, but was too greedy on the first. Drink 2014-2019+. 91 points. $120 from The Wine Emporium, recommended by Tony; a tip my hat to you.
Posted in Italy, Nebbiolo, Notes, Piedmont, Price, Varietal/Style, over $100 | No Comments »
Monday, August 16th, 2010
Not sure if this should be Benevelli Piero or Piero Benevelli (as it is on the label). Not sure if it matters either. Oh, 3 notes in 3 days…
A lovely nose, initially quite savoury, with restrained tar and roses, but fruitier than you would perhaps expect, also showing some red liquorice, black damp earth, cinnamon and only a touch of varnish. The palate showed cherries and an earthiness, with woody spices, cleansing acid, fine supporting tannins, all nicely balanced and approachable. Has the Nebbiolo characters you would expect but the tannins have been reined in, and there are fruity characters pushing through. Good length and excellent value at $30 from Boccaccio Cellars. Sealed under cork. 89 points. Drink 2010-2014
Posted in $20 to $50, Italy, Nebbiolo, Notes, Piedmont, Price, Varietal/Style | 6 Comments »
Thursday, February 25th, 2010
We went down the road for pizza the other night because it was my birthday, and when I saw this I thought it would go well with the meal. Unfortunately I wasn’t sure of the normal RRP, and ended up paying a 200% markup. Grrrrrrrrrrr. A blend of 70% Corvina, 25% Rondinella and 5% Molinara. Red fruits on the nose, with wood spices, stewed plums and a bit of a liqueured character. The palate was lovely and savoury, red cherries, dry spices like cloves, old leather, with a touch of tin on the finish. Medium bodied, if that. A pleasant bistro wine. Sealed under cork. 12% abv (which seems very low). Drink 2010-2012. 87 points. Should be under $20.
Posted in Corvina, Italy, Notes, Price, Varietal/Style, Veneto, up to $20 | 2 Comments »
Friday, December 4th, 2009
Calderara is one of Terre Nere’s three single vineyard wines, and has vines averaging between 40 and 50 years of age. A blend of 98% Nerello Mascalese and 2% Nerello Capuccio. Imported by Arquilla Wines. Initially a bit stinky, with dark cherries and gunsmoke, and unpleasant flavours: savoury minerals with sour cherries and ash. Very dry and unloving.
Seven hours later and the wine was hitting its straps. Still showing dark cherry but only a touch of gunsmoke, and had evolved to also show a delicate rose-like floral, with herbs, dried meats and forest litter. The palate had rounded out, full flavoured, with savoury cherry fruits, dried herbs, minerals, iron filings and dry spices. A touch of raspberry acidity and pippy bitterness on the finish. The tannins are slightly chewy, and the length good. I have seen reviews that have compared this wine to both a Pinot Noir from Burgundy and a Nebbiolo from Piedmont, but on this showing I would be leaning towards the latter. An interesting wine.
Rated : 92 Points
Tasted : Dec09
Alcohol : 14%
Price : $60
Closure : Cork
Drink : 2011-2018
Source : The Wine Emporium
Posted in $50 to $100, Italy, Notes, Price, Sicily | 2 Comments »
Thursday, December 3rd, 2009
A heftier bottle than the lo Zoccolaio Dolcetto d’Alba 2007, and this was a harbinger of vineous goodness. Deeply scented and almost mysterious, black fruits, dusty black cherries, minerals, smoke and a touch of plums. On the palate, minerally plums and savoury earth, combined with slightly grainy tannins that swept across the palate. Some richness and complexity develop with time, but the tannic backbone remains. Pretty good length and quite enjoyable; certainly a step up from the Dolcetto.
Rated : 88 Points
Tasted : Nov09
Alcohol : 14%
Price : $25.65
Closure : Cork
Drink : 2010-2014
Source : Dan Murphys
Posted in $20 to $50, Barbera, Italy, Notes, Piedmont, Price, Varietal/Style | No Comments »
Friday, November 6th, 2009
I asked Anthony to toss a random bottle in my last dozen from Boccaccio Cellars and this is what he chose. Good work too, because it was delicious and interesting. A big nose, with lots of stuff happening at the same time – dark cherries, plums, vanilla, dried herbs, tobacco leaf and a touch of balsamic. At this point I should disclose that I nicked the last descriptor from Gary Walsh’s note, and that’s because he’s spot on. The palate is big and quite tannic, with lurking fruits, good intensity and bags of potential. A wine to contemplate if you open it now, but really needs a few years tucked away somewhere cool.
Rated : 92 Points
Tasted : Nov09
Alcohol : 14%
Price : $60
Closure : Cork
Drink : 2012-2020
Source : Boccaccio Cellars
Website : Castello Monsanto
Posted in $50 to $100, Italy, Notes, Price, Sangiovese, Tuscany, Varietal/Style | 1 Comment »
Thursday, November 5th, 2009
I bought another bottle of the Wynns Black Label Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 because of the mixed reviews and I thought I should try it again. Anyhoo, I like getting the six bottle discount so this guy hitched a ride home. A medium red. A peculiar nose, with plums and spice, old wood, dusty cherries, and an oddness that I just couldn’t quite pin down. On the palate, bland fruits with dry spices and a savouriness. Okay length, but a bit too dry for my liking; your mileage might vary.
Rated : 83 Points
Tasted : Nov09
Alcohol : 13.5%
Price : $16.15
Closure : Cork
Drink : 2009-2011
Source : Dan Murphys
Posted in Dolcetto, Italy, Notes, Piedmont, Price, Varietal/Style, up to $20 | No Comments »
Wednesday, October 21st, 2009
This is Joe Grilli’s first Garganega from the Veneto region in Northern Italy. Now apparently Garganega is the traditional grape of Soave region. There you go. The first thing that caught my eye was the declaration of 12% abv. Hmmmmmm, perfect for hot summer afternoons. Quite a floral nose, with dried herbs, hard green fruits, lemons, a touch of peachy fruits, backed up by some passionfruit and pineapple notes, though these tropical characters disappeared with time. The palate was different to the nose, showing lemons and dried herbs, refined and pure with a thick vein of minerals that climaxed in a crisp dry finish. The length got better with time. Lightly bodied and kind of like a young Semillon. Interesting wine. Normally $25 per bottle from the cellar door, but there is a 25% off special at the moment for a mixed dozen consisting of six bottles of this wine with six bottles of the “La Biondina” Colombard. Tuck in!
Rated : 90 Points
Tasted : Oct09
Alcohol : 12%
Price : $25
Closure : Screwcap
Drink : 2009-2012
Source : Cellar Door
Website : Primo Estate
Posted in $20 to $50, Garganega, Italy, Notes, Price, Varietal/Style, Veneto | 1 Comment »
Wednesday, August 19th, 2009
An excellent cork. Not sure how long I was supposed to keep this wine, but it is holding in there okay. Three years since I last had a bottle, and the nose is now showing more secondary characters, with earth and leather, though there is still some cherry fruits, with dry spices like cloves and a touch of tar. The palate is beautifully resolved, a lovely evenness of flavour, with big cherry fruits, a touch of plum, malt and spice paste. Medium bodied, and excellently tannined. There is some richness of fruit left, but I would really be drinking this now.
Rated : 90 Points
Tasted : Aug09
Alcohol : 14%
Price : $47
Closure : Cork
Drink : 2009-2010
Source : Cellar
Posted in $20 to $50, Barbera, Italy, Notes, Piedmont, Price, Varietal/Style | 2 Comments »