Tag Archives: Europe

April 7, 2013 · 1:30 pm

Vietti – 11/04/2012

Roero Arneis 2011
Comes from Roero DOCG, bright and bold on the nose, textural and rich yet very mineralic with some green tropical notes.

Tre Vigne Barbera d’Alba 2009
Spiced meat earthiness on the nose, is soft yet intense on the palate with oodles of savouries.

Scarrone Barbera d’Alba 2009
Denser and darker, but has a new-world vibe to it, with sweet new oak tannins.

La Crena Barbera d’Asti 2006
Fantastic, as it was pure, soft and full, yet had personality and depth, showing the marriage of site and variety.

Perbacco Langhe Nebbiolo 2009
Could easily be classified as Barolo, showed the purity of variety and had delicate tight tannin finesse and some earthy stalk notes. I shared an interesting discussion over use of the term “baby Barolo”, which I think is cheapening the wine, and it should be described as a great Langhe Nebbiolo.

Castiglione Barolo 2008
So much going on and was so subtle it was hard to pinpoint, but had wonderful structure and elegance, and had depth and volume as it travelled back on the palate.

Masseria Barbaresco 2007
Very tight and closed, but had great lines and focus which will develop beautifully given time.

Brunate 2008
Intensity and power, but was the epitome of an ‘iron fist in a velvet glove’.

Rocche 2008
Much more intense, earthy and masculine.

Lazzarito 2008
Broader fuller and more generous, but no less driven and structured.

The huge range of Vietti wines

The huge range of Vietti wines

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April 7, 2013 · 10:36 am

Massolino – 11/04/2012

2010 Margheria
Perfumed fruit and earth notes, great red fruit acidity and structure, and wonderful concentration.

2010 Vigna Rionda
Similarly bright in its aromatics, but had much more intense mineralic concentration, and was fuller on the tannins.

2009Vigna Rionda
The same intense dark floral note and tannin structure, but is much softer and deeper than the 2010.

2008 Vigna Rionda
Some similarities to the 2010, and looks younger than the 2009. The focus of the acids and tightness of the tannins make me think of a tightly wound coil waiting to be released.

Dolcetto d’Alba 2011
Lovely and bright with spicy black fruit, softness and opulence on the palate with a great balance clean finish.

Barbera d’Alba 2011
Similarly very fresh and soft, but showed some sweet spice notes and more opulence from the minimal oak it receives.

Langhe Nebbiolo 2009
Made from declassified Barolo vineyards, was very delicate and subtle, silky and supple with some brambly pinor noirish characters.

Barolo Classico 2008
A step up, showing distinct fruit and floral aromas, and had a faint passion fruit seed note, complemented by almond cream and minerality.

Margheria Barolo 2008
Bold and pure.

Parafada Barolo 2008
Concentrated and brooding.

Parussi Barolo 2008
Showing wilder more opulent characters.

Vigna Rionda 2006
Almost a combination of the other three crus wines; wild, funky, earthy, mineralic, dark and red fruit, bright, focused, dense, powerful yet excruciatingly young.

Moscato d’Asti 2011
To freshen the palate, a wine which uses fruit from Alba/Barolo, but can be classified as Asti. Confusing.

The 1982 vintage opened a few days earlier

The 1982 vintage opened a few days earlier

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April 7, 2013 · 10:25 am

Giuseppe Cortese – 12/04/2012

Dolcetto d’Alba and Barbera d’Alba 2011
Both exceedingly fresh and light, both showing floral herbal and blackberry notes, but I found them a little too similar and the Barbera was without much character.

Morasina Riserva Barbera d’Alba 2009
Much deeper and more complex with some serious concentration and maturity of tannins.

Langhe Nebbiolo 2010
Could easily be barbaresco, exhibiting a balance of fresh fruit notes and funky earth and mineral notes, wonderfully delicate but also well structured.

Rabaja Barbaresco 2007
Very seductive, very perfumed and voluptuous, and is very approachable thanks in part to the vintage.

Riserva 2004
A profound experience for me, as it doesn’t get much better than an amazing wine from an amazing vintage. Impossibly complex, perfectly matured, expressive yet subtle, tight and focused yet silky and full. One not easily forgotten.

Giuseppe Cortese Rabaja

Giuseppe Cortese Rabaja

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April 7, 2013 · 10:17 am

Conterno Fantino – 12/04/2012

Vigna del Gris 2008
The most approachable of the crus in youth, showing floral, cherry and tomato seed fruit notes, with soft yet powerful tannins and some fruit sweetness on the back.

Mosconi 2008
Deeper, denser and earthier in its chocolate blackberry and sundried tomato notes, with broader and fuller tannins, but great mid-palate structure.

Sori Ginestra 2008
The most fascinating, very wild and funky with the tar and molasses notes very prominent, the most masculine of the three.

Vina del Gris 2007
As expected was fuller and sweeter than the 2008, with toastier oak influence and darker more intense fruit.

Vina del Gris 2006
More lean but nonetheless intense, exhibiting more focus and tightness in acid and tannin structure.

Vina del Gris 2005
Starting to show some tertiary notes of caramelised onion and balsamic reduction, with meaty dried currant notes, but was very oppressive in its tannins which overwhelmed everything.

The 1982 vintage that I was a few days too early to taste

The 1982 vintage that I was a few days too early to taste

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April 7, 2013 · 10:07 am

Roberto Voerzio – 13/04/2012

La Serra Barolo 2008
Had a subtle nutty mushroom truffle and marmite nose, really tight acids but soft tannins, focus and drive but some heat in its youth.

Rocche dell ‘Annunziata Torriglione Barolo 2007
Darker denser fruit and some dark earth notes aromatically, very intense and slightly reductive, much juicier and richer on the palate, much more forward full and textural but also more approachable.

Vecchie Viti Dei Capalese Delle Branche Riserva 2006
Very complex, expressing coffee, tar, bourbon, blackcurrant, maraschino cherry and chocolate notes, very hot concentration and tightness of tannins and acid, and was at least ten years too young

Barbera d’Alba Riserva Pozzo dell ‘Annunziata 2008
A bright violet colour, was unbelievably tight and hot, very dense rich ripe black fruits, and was out of balance now.

Langhe Merlot 2007
One of the most surprising wines in the region, as it was one of the most structured, elegant, bold, balanced and concentrated merlots with personality I have ever tasted.

Big bottles of Roberto Voerzio

Big bottles of Roberto Voerzio

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April 7, 2013 · 10:02 am

Chiara Boschis – 13/04/2012

Dolcetto d’Alba 2011
One of the softest and gentlest I have tasted, and had a very warm caressing and forgiving nuance.

Barbera d’Alba 2010
Similarly supple and gentle, but is a little bit more probing with crushed white pepper and reminded me of simple but comforting provincial home cooking.

Langhe Nebbiolo 2009
Very firm but fair, and is a wine that understands you and gives you exactly what you need, showing rustic cherry blossom notes with a structured mid-palate.

Cannubi Barolo 2008
Fiercely protective but with a soft touch, giving expressive but kind words, not showing strength unnecessarily but would lift a car to save their child in danger.

Via Nuova Barolo 2007
Much quitter, and only expressing the necessary information, very measured and intelligent, not aggressive but quite serious and determined.

Whether this actually meant anything to you, I’m not really fussed because the wines truly spoke to me more than most I have tasted.

The charming cellars of Chiara Boschis

The charming cellars of Chiara Boschis

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April 7, 2013 · 9:57 am

Luciano Sandrone – 13/04/2012

Dolcetto d’Alba 2011
A delicate purple colour, bright spicy black fruits, was tight and fresh on the palate, achieving that elusive balance of approachability and elegance.

Barbera d’Alba 2010
The wildest I’d smelt (savoury meat and smoky wild mushrooms), with the 50% new oak having a prominent toasty impact on the wine.

Valmaggiore Nebbiolo d’Alba 2010
Sourced from a single vineyard in Roero, showed wild cherries, bush strawberries and mushrooms, was very tight and delicate, and looked a lot like Cote de Beaune, which Luciano took as a great compliment.

Le Vigne 2008
Avery subtle earthy red currants and cherries nose, very intense yet supple on the palate with slight pomegranate notes, minerality on the mid-palate, purity and harmony on the palate.

Cannubi Boschis 2008
Was a much deeper and darker wine, with chocolate and truffle notes on the black cherry and cassis. It was fuller and more exuberant in the tannin structure, with sweeter fruit and breadth. The Le Vigne is what I would categorise as being the feminine style, whereas the Cannubi Boschis is more masculine.

The Luciano Sandrone range

The Luciano Sandrone range

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April 7, 2013 · 9:49 am

Fattoria di Bagnolo – 16/04/2012

Chianti Colli Fiorentini 2010
An interesting reductive and rustic nose with fresh black fruit and olives, very bright and forward on the palate with softness and clean structure.

Chianti Colli Fiorentini Riserva 2008
Had a dustier more earthy character on the nose, with a toasty oak element to support, and on the palate had tighter more precise tannins and focused concentration with some savoury and fruit characters to keep things relatively complex.

Capro Rosso 2007
An IGT blend of sangiovese, cabernet sauvignon and colorino. Had some subtle brooding roasted pine nut complexity on the nose, was quite broad and intense in fruit on the palate, and whilst very approachable had good balance and structure.

Grapes and olives are the lifeblood of Tuscany

Grapes and olives are the lifeblood of Tuscany

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April 7, 2013 · 9:46 am

Tignanello – 16/04/2012

Peppoli 2009
One of the most widely distributed chianti classico wines in the global market, and is a blend of 80% sangiovese (the minimum legal requirement), 15% merlot and 5% syrah. Back in Australia I had already tasted and sold the 2009 vintage, but it was good to refresh myself after six months of travel. On the nose it was very juicy and plummy, the merlot elements showing very strong, quite broad and soft, very clean and approachable, but lacking any real structure or character. This is a wine designed for appeal to a broad and diverse market, is made very safely, and could arguably come from anywhere.

Badia a Passignano Chianti Classico Riserva 2007
The complete opposite, but for three times the price it should be. Had a much more attractive unique nose of rustic earth, toast and cinnamon blackberry, had great tannin structure and depth, was bold but also elegant, and with its tightness will age well.

Tignanello 2009
Aromatically showed the strength of the cabernet in this vintage. On the palate it expressed very earthy cassis notes, but the tannins were very restricted. At a maximum of 15 years of age, the vines don’t seem to be mature enough, as whilst this wine is far from unripe, it does seem undeveloped.

The new cellars at the Tignanello estate

The new cellars at the Tignanello estate

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April 7, 2013 · 9:38 am

Felsina – 17/04/2012

Chianti Classico 2010
Showed bright fresh red cherries on the nose, great purity and balance on the palate with focus and integrity, and is not your average chianti classico.

Chianti Classico 2008
The same harmony and balance, but with a few more years had opened up and was starting to express more complex rustic red fruits, with some nice savoury notes to complement.

Chianti Classico Riserva 2008
Was a significant step up aromatically, showing earthier and more mineralic red currants, much more intensity but also restraint, and although young was quite expressive.

Rancia Chianti Classico Riserva 2009
Had intense earthy rustic black fruits on the nose, was full and expressive on the palate but slightly hollow and lacking in structure.

Rancia Chianti Classico Riserva 2007
Similarly soft and approachable, with very mellow and full-flavoured tannins, but with slightly more character and freshness.

Rancia Chianti Classico Riserva 2003
As a product of its bottle age and vintage is very approachable now, showing interesting marzipan, cocoa and balsamic notes.

Fontalloro
A blend of fruit from vineyards in the Chianti Classico DOCG and the Chianti Colli Sienese DOCG, and as such is classified as an IGT wine. The 2009 and 2007 vintages were similar to those of the Rancia, but showing earthier and more powerful tannin structure and oak influence.

Fontalloro 1998 had some subtle black forest fruits with seductive sweet floral notes, had developed soft elegant tannins and juicy blackcurrant sweetness, still holding together very well.

The historic Felsina cellars

The historic Felsina cellars

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