Tag Archives: Europe

April 3, 2013 · 8:36 pm

Barone di Valforte – 1/05/2012

Pecorino 2011
Recently bottled, and had a vibrant fresh citrus floral and melon aroma, whilst on the palate showed good concentration, texture, volume and balance, expressing very subtle fruit complexity.

Passerina 2011
A lesser known indigenous variety in Abruzzo, considerably softer, cleaner and gentler than the Pecorino before it. On the nose there were subtle peach and pear fruits with a complex reggiano cheese skin, and on the palate showed some creaminess with the delicate fruit notes.

Villa Chiara Trebbiano d’Abruzzo 2011
Full, broad and rich, had great acidity freshness and approachability, but somehow lacked definition and personality. I’m not sure how this could be achieved, perhaps it is a result of the vine age, or perhaps some lees contact could be introduced to add some more structure and texture.

Montepulciano d’Abruzzo 2010
A bold black fruit and spicy pepper nose, and on the palate was full, intense and warm, very approachable and reflective of the variety, but finished a little short.

Riserva Montepulciano d’Abruzzo 2007
Quite different, showing the difference in oak treatment and vintage. It was fuller and heavier, very bold in tannins and texture, with developed red and purple fruit notes, and whilst the oak was intense it wasn’t sweet or clumsy, and added complexity to the wine rather than distracting from the fruit.

The Baron Valforte winery

The Barone di Valforte winery

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April 3, 2013 · 8:12 pm

Alberto Longo – 2/05/2012

Capoposto Negroamaro 2008
A very juicy plummy nose with depth, softness and fruit sweetness, focused and velvety tannins, very mellow and yet focused with red tomato savoury elements.

Cacc’e Mmitte di Lucera 2009
A DOC wine made from two red varieties (nero di troia and montepulciano) and one white variety (bombino bianco). Especially unique aromas, expressing currants with earthy smoked meat, was fairly intense and fresh on the palate with tight and firm tannins without too much heat or astringency.

Le Cruste Nero di Troia 2009
Suffers from the problem outlined in the introduction to this post, showing very intense sweet spicy oak, and a thin blanket of coconut sitting over the palate. The fruit was bold and structured, showing some interesting cranberry and blackberry notes, but it was hard to get past the oak.

A wine I had seen before but never tasted

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April 3, 2013 · 8:01 pm

Rivera – 3/05/2012

Marese Bombino Bianco 2011
Aromas of florals, melon and citrus, whilst on the palate was light, fresh and fruity with some honey and tropical notes.

Pungirosa Bombino Nero Rose 2011
Delicate aromas of red berries and slightly savoury elements, and was very fresh, bright and crisp with vibrant cherry and raspberry fruits and some fruit sweetness.

Violante Nero di Troia 2008
Combines raspberry, spice, violets and liquorice on the nose, was very bold and full-flavoured with lot’s of grippy tannins and juicy dark fruits like cherries and blackcurrants.

The huge range of wines made at Rivera

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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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