Tag Archives: Italy

April 7, 2013 · 2:06 pm

Bastianich – 3/04/2012

Adriatico Friulano 2010
Friulian, dry roasted honey notes with dusty melon and peach, depth and richness with some floral complexity.

Ribolla Gialla 2010
Slovenian, had a slightly grey tinge to it, steely minerality and peach skin on the nose, and was very salty and tight on the palate with some lees derived texture.

Malvasia 2010
Croatian, more oily saltiness, bold and slightly herbal with a delicate candied lime element.

Vespa Bianco 2009
A blend of chardonnay, sauvignon blanc and picolit, had a bright rich colour, ripe mineralic orchard fruit, and was very ripe and full on the palate, showing powerful yet focused fruit.

Plus 2009
100% friulano wine, that showed roasted walnut and ripe tropical pear notes, had some serious fruity concentration and warmth on the palate, and is one of the most intense white wines I have ever tasted.

Vespa Rosso 2009
A blend of merlot, refosco, cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc, and had a very rustic earthy broodiness combining with tightly wound raspberry tannins and minerality.

Calabrone 2007
70% refosco, had bold blackcurrant spice, with both floral and roasted notes, very big fruit and yet balanced oak and alcohol.

The Vespa wines of Bastianich

The Vespa wines of Bastianich

Leave a comment

Filed under Tasting Notes

Tagged as , , , ,

April 7, 2013 · 2:00 pm

Bortoluzzi – 3/04/2012

Pinot Grigio 2011
Classic Italian freshness and crispness, with citric and apple notes, but was far from simple having texture and balance.

Friulano 2011
A similar intensity yet delicacy of acidity, but was more textural and rich in the mid-palate, showing salty minerality and some skin contact complexity.

Sauvignon Blanc 2011
Very elegant tropical fig and passionfruit aromas, with light touches of smoky, was bold and fresh on the palate but very approachable.

Traminer 2011
Challenging aromatically as it was very reductive under sulphur, but had a very wild character on the palate, dry and savoury with a character reminiscent of hot dog water.

Bottles of Bortoluzzi being filled

Bottles of Bortoluzzi being filled

Leave a comment

Filed under Tasting Notes

Tagged as , , ,

April 7, 2013 · 1:54 pm

Venica & Venica – 4/04/2012

Malvasia Collio 2010
Very brooding and subtle, showing asian berries, resonance, personality and depth.

Sauvignon 2011
Steely mineralic oily herbal notes, wonderful passionfruit clarity and freshness.

Ronco Delle Mele Sauvignon 2010
Showed very tight grassy aromatic tropical notes, very ripe and fresh with delicate passion fruit pith and complexity for an aromatic variety.

Venezia Giulia Refosco 2010
Funky feral meaty nose, interesting popcorn notes, but was quite hollow and clobbered on the palate.

Toblar Verduzzo 2009
Some pronounced bourbon barrel aromas combining with some intense honey lemon and peach, herbal marinade, good balance and plenty of viscosity to keep things interesting.

The Venica & Venica range

The Venica & Venica range

Leave a comment

Filed under Tasting Notes

Tagged as , , ,

April 7, 2013 · 1:50 pm

Poderi Colla – 10/04/2012

Pian Balbo Dolcetto D’Alba 2010
Combined rose petals, pepper and spiced plum aromas, and on the palate was very bright and tight, with some raspberry acid freshness.

Costa Bruna Barbera d’Alba 2009
Showed more of the earthy oak derived oxidative notes, more brooding but at the same time softer and more voluptuous on the palate.

Dardi Le Rose Bussia Barolo 2007
Oodles of earthy tar, dark chocolate and blackcurrant aromas, on the front palate showed raspberry rose petal and on the back had sweet black fruits and dried parsley.

Roncaglie Barbaresco 2007
A much more perfumed yet delicate nose, and silkier more approachable tannins, finesse but still plenty of oomph.

Bricco del Drago 2007
85% dolcetto, 15% nebbiolo, quite dense and earthy on the nose, and slightly closed, expressing full dark fruit and oak characters with softness and intensity. It is a wine with which I need to gain more familiarity, and for now I’m putting it in the “too hard basket.”

The Poderi Colla range

The Poderi Colla range

Leave a comment

Filed under Tasting Notes

Tagged as , , , , , , ,

April 7, 2013 · 1:34 pm

Domenico Clerico – 11/04/2012

Tre Vigne Barbera d’Alba 2009
Chocolatey black forest fruit spices, juicy dark cherries and some warm oak tannins.

Langhe Nebbiolo 2010
Some stalky kindling notes but was caressing on the nose, approachable yet serious it was fresh and full.

Arte 2007
A blend of 90% nebbiolo and 10% barbera, showed the earthy dark fruit tannins and power on the front of the palate, but washed away quite nicely on the back.

Pajana 2007
From the Ginestra vineyard, quite reductive and funky on the nose, but opened up quite nicely on the palate, showing the brute of Barolo with firm yet supple tannins.

Ciobot Mentin 2005
Also Ginestra, had the benefit of a few years to soften out the tannins and fruit, but looked a little closed for now, and will open up again in five years.

Per Cristina2003
Comes from the Mosconi vineyard, is the wineries top wine, and was showing beautifully. A much warmer than average vintage, you would expect the wine to develop a little faster, as more classic vintages of this wine take at least 15 years to express to their full extent.

Private cellar of Domenico Clerico

Private cellar of Domenico Clerico

Leave a comment

Filed under Tasting Notes

Tagged as , , , , , ,

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

Leave a comment

Filed under Tasting Notes

Tagged as , , , , , , ,

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

Leave a comment

Filed under Tasting Notes

Tagged as , , , , , ,

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

Leave a comment

Filed under Tasting Notes

Tagged as , , , , , ,

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

Leave a comment

Filed under Tasting Notes

Tagged as , , , , , ,

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

1 Comment

Filed under Tasting Notes

Tagged as , , , , , ,