Category Archives: Tasting Notes

Notes on wines I have tasted

April 3, 2013 · 7:39 pm

A.Mano – 4/05/2012

Fiano Greco 2011
Very bright and ripe with apricot and peach blossom aromas, great freshness and viscosity on the palate, good texture and depth.

Rosato 2011
Made from a blend of 75% primitive and 25% aleatico, and on the nose showed delicate cherry and strawberry notes in a slightly candied realm, very tight and precise on the palate with good raspberry acids and very subtle fruit sweet texture.

Negroamaro 2008
Quite perfumed, showing brooding earthy notes with delicate florals and dark sun-drenched fruits, and on the palate was bold yet focused and restrained with good intensity and clarity.

Primitivo 2008
Expressed primrose, violets, indian spice and aniseed aromas, and on the palate had lovely full and juicy black fruits, mellow tannins and soft texture.

Prima Mano Primitivo 2008
Comes from a single vineyard, and is only produced in exceptional years. More intense and serious than the previous wine, with more earthy dried black fruits on the nose, and sweeter more concentrated fruits and tannins on the palate, very mature and complex.

It's all about primitivo at A.Mano

It’s all about primitivo at A.Mano

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April 3, 2013 · 7:34 pm

Cantele – 4/05/2012

Verdeca 2011
To begin with very vibrant and fresh, with tropical kiwi and passion fruit aromas, and on the palate was very light and slightly green. I felt that the variety was reflective of the region and winery, but had more to offer and could be developed with more ripeness and texture.

IGT Chardonnay 2011
A very light, clean and precise example of the variety, but offered very little interest and to me didn’t have a long enough ripening period.

Teresa Manara Chardonnay 2010
Had similar fruit characteristics to the 2011, but with the inclusion of malolactic and oak manipulation simply added complication rather than complexity.

Negroamaro Rosato 2011
A rosy fruit sweet blackcurrant nose, with some lovely fresh strawberry acids and cherry R/S texture.

Negroamaro Salento IGT 2010
Spicy and peppery, with blackberry and floral notes, generous soft and full tannins, consistency and restraint.

Primitivo 2009
Showed deeper more brooding black fruits, denser expression of tannin and earthiness.

Teresa Manara Negroamaro 2009
Quite subtle and soft, with toasty blackcurrant fruits, powerful and intense but very complex.

Amativo 2009
A blend of 60% primitivo and 40% negroamaro, and was very intense on the nose, showing floral dark fruits with sweeter chocolate and liquorice notes, broad and full yet supple, approachable and focused.

The nerve-centre of the Cantele winery

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April 3, 2013 · 7:25 pm

Azienda Agricola Cos – 8/05/2012

Rami 2010
A white wine blended from 50% insolia and 50% grecanico, and as the first wine had unusual aromatics of wild mature honey, earthy herbs, and a slight dried fish aroma. On the palate the wine was rich, textured and complete, showing the true old-world character in a complex way.

Pithos Grecanico 2010
100% grecanico fermented in amphoras, blew my head off as I smelt Japanese seaweed that you use in miso soup, whilst on the palate was approachable yet unique, showing brightness, freshness, texture and concentration with very low alcohol.

Pithos 2010
A blend of 60% nero d’avola and 40% frappato, which are all fermented in amphoras separately and then blended together. A bright clean ruby colour, aromas of wild red earth and dried red fruits, and on the palate had life and passion to it, with approachable fruit and great acids to keep things balanced yet uncomplicated.

Cerasuolo di Vittoria Classico 2009
The same blend of varieties, but is fermented in cement vats and spends time in large barrels. Much more subtle and gentle on the nose, denser and easier to understand for most people, but still an excellent example.

Nero di Lupo 2008
A 100% nero d’avola wine fermented and stored in a combination of amphoras and cement vats, maturing for 18 months before another three months of bottle-age pre-release. Very closed, earthy and rustic on the nose with some wild red fruits, intense but not obvious, and on the palate was focused and concentrated with exuberant tannins and wild mushrooms.

The range of wines produced by Cos

The range of wines produced by Cos

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April 3, 2013 · 7:19 pm

Arianna Occhipinti – 8/05/2012

Frappato Siccagno 2011
A very bright blackberry jam spice, but with wonderful freshness and lightness to it, not at all heavy hot or alcoholic.

Nero d’Avola Siccagno 2011
Similar aromas to the Frappato, indicating terroir translation, but was a little bit more floral with darker fruit notes and a slight savoury kick to it.

Grotte Alte 2008
A 50/50 blend of frappato and nero d’avola, and coming from larger old foudre was expressing a slight oxidative maturity from longer storage in wood. Whilst it was still wonderfully fresh like the first two, it was rounder, fuller and more complex, with concentrated tannins and depth.

SP68 (named after the road the winery is on) Bianco 2011
Very intense in floral notes, but also had some sea salt complexity on the nose, whilst on the palate was brisk and fresh, with great acids and minerality, but wasn’t expressing a lot of fruit depth and weight that the nose indicated.

SP68 Rosso 2011
A 50/50 frappato nero d’avola blend, intense peppery red tomato with black forest fruits and minerality on the nose, whilst the extended maceration gave depth, intensity, power, elegance and drive to the fresh fruits.

Il Frappato 2010
Very spicy and intense, with floral juicy raspberry, cranberry and dried herbs and lavender on the nose and on the palate was very tight, focused, delicate yet juicy and approachable.

One of the fantastic wines Arianna makes

One of the fantastic wines Arianna makes

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April 3, 2013 · 7:13 pm

Planeta – 8/05/2012

Carricante 2011
Comes from the Etna estate, and includes a very tiny but important percentage of riesling. On the nose it had a touch of apricot kernel and green olive over the vibrant peach blossom, and on the palate was elegantly fresh, balanced and restrained with an interesting texture that I guessed came from the altitude (870 m above sea level) and the different soil composition.

La Segreta Rosso 2011
Made from fruit coming from the Menfi and Noto estates, and is a blend of 50% nero d’avola, 25% merlot, 20% syrah and 5% cabernet franc. Smelling the wine made me immediately think of Bolognese pasta sauce, with lovely ripe red tomatoes, dried basil, and very subtle roasted meat, combining with the plum and blackberry fruits, and on the palate was generous and soft in tannins with good focus and freshness of acids, a very uncomplicated but high-quality entry-level wine.

Cerasuolo di Vittorio DOCG 2010
A lovely light and brilliant vermillion colour, had very pure and intense aromas of florals and sweet red fruit, and on the palate combined delicate spicy red earth with vibrant yet light and fresh personality.

Santa Cecilia 2007
100% nero d’avola coming from the Noto sub-region, which is the reputed home of the variety. Quite dark and full in both colour and character, showing sweet plum and myrtle elements, great power yet elegance, freshness with generous and juicy tannins. The most appealing thing about this wine was the well-handled oak (none new), which better expressed the nuances of the variety and site.

The tasting room at the Planeta Vittoria estate

The tasting room at the Planeta Vittoria estate

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April 3, 2013 · 7:03 pm

Morgante – 9/05/2012

Morgante Nero d’Avola 2010
A nose of sweet juicy blackcurrants and blackberries, with very plummy and sweet oak notes too, whilst on the palate was very unctuous and rich, introducing chocolate and cassis elements, mellowness boldness and slightly spicy.

Don Antonio 2009
Had similar fruit characters but in a more serious vein, and also showed violets and earthy characters on the nose, whilst on the palate was both toasty and succulent, showing balance, integration of oak and alcohol with fruit, and dense tannin structure.

The two wines made by Morgante

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April 3, 2013 · 6:53 pm

Donnafugata – 10/05/2012

The entry level white wines (Anthilia and Vigna di Gabri) were fresh, light and crisp with good vibrancy, texture and clean fruit.

Lighea 2011 (100% dry moscato d’Alexandria)
Classicly intense moscato nose of roses, musk and turkish delight, but was very clean, fresh and zippy on the palate.

Chiaranda 2008 (50% insolia, 50% chardonnay)
A very ripe tropical pineapple nose showing malolactic and oak characters, and on the palate was very rich, fat, creamy and crunchy, in a Californian style which was style a reflection of Sicily.

Sherazade 2010 (100% nero d’avola)
Notes of red currants, plums and slight spice on the nose, and juicy fresh red fruits and delicate earth notes on the palate with some great mellowness of tannins.

Tancredi 2008
Cabernet sauvignon-led wine which had a very familiar nose of cassis and tobacco, and whilst very oaky wasn’t as tannic as I expected, quite tight and firm without much extension on the palate.

Mille Euna Notte 2007 (90% nero d’avola)
Wonderfully dense earthy black olive, dark cherry, blood plum and violet aromas, and on the palate showed elegance and restraint whilst having concentration and uncluttered structure.

Kabir Moscato di Pantelleria 2010
Very fresh and bright with vibrant fruits, but also was quite complex with some sea salt and nutmeg elements, and reminded me of a good moscato d’asti without the bubbles.

Ben Rye Passito di Pantelleria 2009
Wonderful nose of treacle, tea, caramel, Arabic smoke and rose-water, and had wonderfully concentrated oxidative complexity. On the palate it showed the raisined fruit character well, with dried apricots, walnuts and almonds, but still had plenty of freshness to it.

Barrels in the cellars of Donnafugata

Barrels in the cellars of Donnafugata

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April 3, 2013 · 6:44 pm

Planeta – 11/05/2012

Brut Metodo Classico 2010
Made entirely from carricante in its indigenous area of Etna,  fresh, fruit-driven with slightly spicy and peppery notes on the nose combining with the golden delicious and citrus notes, and on the palate was brisk with good persistent bead.

Alastro 2011
Made entirely from grecanico grown at the Ulmo estate. Quite viognier-like, with apricot blossom and citrus, freshness and viscosity with good approachable acids.

Alastro 2010
More closed and had a honey and seashell element on the nose, with salty complexity and elegance.

Cometa Fiano 2010
A very ripe tropical nose coupled with an oily salty citrus complexity, with fantastic texture and depth and great breadth of oak.

Rosé 2011
Made entirely from syrah grown on the Menfi estate. Bright fresh raspberry and cherry notes, full flavoured and vibrant with good acids and some slight fruit-sweetness.

Plumbago 2010
100% nero d’avola from Ulmo, and whilst full and deep in dark fruit characters, also had very fresh spiciness and bright tannins and acids.

Passito di Noto 2010
Was surprisingly light and clean, with very minimal sweetness and viscosity from the drying of the berries and residual sugar.

Budburst starting at the Planeta Sambuca estate

Budburst starting at the Planeta Sambuca estate

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April 3, 2013 · 6:30 pm

Domaine Ott – 16/05/2012

Chateau de Selle Rosé 2011
A gorgeous pale colour with the slightest bronze hue, a juicy vibrant mineralic fruit nose of red berries, slightly creamy and savoury, and on the palate had a bold yet elegant structure and great purity and freshness.

Chateau Romassan (Bandol) Rosé 2011
Darker colour with the same bronze hue, on the nose was slightly wilder and more impetuous, showing fruits of dark cherries and candied pomegranates, and expressed more tannin texture and depth on the palate.

Clos Mireille Rosé 2011
Significantly more subdued in all aspects compared to the other two, which can possibly be explained by the fact that this wine is only a recent addition to the range, the estate being more traditionally used for the white wine. What it does have in spades is the crispness and freshness of a youthful rosé wine, with balance and integrity, but not showing true personality yet.

Blanc de Blancs 2010
Blend of 70% semillon and 30% rolle, and aromatically had a fascinating combination of pineapple, green peach, spice and saltiness, very expressive indeed. On the palate the wine had a creamy and nutty texture, almost like coconut skin, and had some complex oxidative notes from the maturation in large mature oak casks.

Chateau Romassan Bandol Rouge 2009
51% mouvedre, and aromatically showed blackberries, lotus, spice and some rustic fungal notes, and on the palate had vibrant but brooding fruit and tannins, still managing to keep things fresh and yet complex.

Some of the Domaine Ott wines

Some of the Domaine Ott wines

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April 3, 2013 · 6:22 pm

Domaine de Triennes – 18/05/2012

Domaine de Triennes Rosé 2011
Blend of mostly cinsault and Grenache, with a little merlot and syrah to lend some colour. Classic Provence pale colour, aromatically expressing floral spicy strawberry and banana freshness, and on the palate was clean and fruity with some very focused acids and a little residual sugar fruit sweetness.

Les Aureliens Blanc 2010
chardonnay-rolles blend. On the nose has some battonage derived lees characters, combining with orchard fruit and citrus blossom notes. On the palate the wine has texture, integrity and freshness, without obvious fruit, some apricot kernel and biscuity savoury notes.

Sainte Fleur Viognier 2009
Aromatically spicy and herbal on the nose, expressing very subtle fruit, and on the palate had drive and warmth, with good mouth-filling fruit and viscosity.

Sainte Fleur Viognier 2010
More complex salty minerality and shellfish characters, more subtle fruit with some honey, and at the moment was very quiet.

Les Aureliens Rouge 2009
A blend of cabernet sauvignon and syrah, quite dominant in the cabernet elements, showing earthy dusty cassis and very toasty tannins on the palate.

Sainte Auguste 2008
Introduces merlot to the blend, and this wine showed more of the syrah notes, as it was more plummy and juicy, with more pepper and spice elements.

Sainte Auguste 2007
Much jammier and broader than the 2008, expressing plenty of power and weight with good drive and intensity.

Domaine de Triennes vineyard

Domaine de Triennes vineyard

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