Tasted at Vinitaly: Tedeschi

This year Tedeschi did things a little differently, presenting, in addition to the current releases, a number of older vintages to underline the aging capacity of their wines. I began with them, and then worked through their more recent vintages. It was a very pleasant hour.

Tedeschi Capitel dei Nicalò Valpolicella Classico Superiore 2001
Deep black almandine with black reflections and almandine rim. The bouquet is elegant, with rich berry fruit laced with some underbrush and wet leaves, and also pleasing spice with some balsamic accents and leaf tobacco. Nice balance and considerable depth in a rather dusky key. On the palate it's full, round, and quite smooth, with powerful cherry plum fruit supported by lively sour berry fruit acidity and by smooth sweet tannins that flow into a long warm finish. One wouldn't guess it is close to 10 years old. A child, no longer a babe, with along future.
89-90

Tedeschi Capitel dei Nicolaò Valpolicella Classico Superiore 2000
Deep black cherry ruby with black reflections and almandine rim. The bouquet is rich, with jammy berry fruit laced with balsamic accents and some spice; it is clearly from a hotter vintage (August 2000 was as hot as 2003) but is nicely balanced and quite rich. On the palate it's ample and rich, with powerful jammy fruit supported by lively acidity than is brighter than I expected given the heat of august 2000, and by smooth sweet tannins that flow into a clean bright berry fruit finish. Quite pleasant and has a lot to say and share in a slightly more aggressive key, and this is an effect of the heat; while it is quite ready to drink it also has the legs to age well for another decade or more. It's more skittish than the 2001, because of the heat, which affected the ripening of the tannins, and because of this skittishness is a tad more interesting.
90-91

Tedeschi Capitel San Rocco Valpolicella Classico Superiore DOC 1995
Deep pigeon blood ruby with black reflections and almandine rim; The bouquet is elegant, with rich berry fruit supported by some brown sugar sweetness, and by dusky leaf tobacco and spice. Quick to write, but quite harmonious and very pleasant to sniff. On the palate it's ample and quite smooth, with rich sandalwood laced cherry fruit that has some jammy accents and considerable warmth, and is supported by a combination of deft berry fruit acidity and very smooth sweet tobacco laced tannins that flow into a long warm finish with balsamic berry fruit that has some brown sugar sweetness and tobacco mixed into it. Very nice, and beautiful proof of the aging capacity of the wines from Verona, as if there were any need.
92

Tedeschi Capitel San Rocco Rosso Vino da Tavola Veronese 1998
Deep almandine laced brownish ruby with black reflections and almandine rim. Beginning to show its age. The bouquet is elegant, with rich berry fruit supported by candied accents and brown sugar, and sweet balasamic notes as well, with some spice, in particular cracked black pepper, and alcohol too. Quite elegant, and has a great lot to say; it's one of those wines one can swish and sniff, and swish and sniff without feeling the need to sip. But tasters must, and on the palate it's ample, with rich dusky cherry fruit supported by moderate acidity and sandalwood, and by tannins that are quite smooth and have warm balsamic accents and flow into a clean balsam laced finish that is quite long. Very pleasant, and will drink quite well with roasts or grilled meats, and also has a long ways left to age, though if you let it age further you should be a lover of aged, as opposed to young wines.
88-90

Tedeschi Rosso La Fabriseria Rosso del Veronese IGT 2001
This was made with a small percentage of Cabernet, hence the IGT designation (now the Cabernet is gone, and it's a Valpolicella Superiore). Deep pigeon blood ruby with some garnet accents and almandine in the rim. The bouquet is powerful and spicy, with sandalwood and berry fruit mingled with cedar; the Cabernet adds to the richness but doesn't stand out. A great lot going on in a rich spicy, slightly exotic key, and quite interesting. On the palate it's ample and rich with spicy berry fruit supported by clean sweet tannins that have a slight burr, and flow into a clean spicy almost mentholated finish with lasting warmth. Elegant anf quite interesting; the tannins impart a slight dryness that would lead me to drink it with foods rather than far fdrom the table, and with a rich stew it would be about perfect.
2 stars

And Now The Current Wines:

Tedeschi Lucchine Valpolicella Classico 2009 DOC
Lively cherry ruby with black reflections and cherry rim. The bouquet is fresh and vinous with lively floral accents and rich berry fruit supported by strawberry and sandalwood mingled with cherry fruit. Youth in a glass. On the palate it's rich and fresh, with lively berry fruit supported by bright berry fruit acidity and by tannins that have a dusky burr and flow into a fairly long berry fruit finish. A light lark of a wine, which will work nicely with simple grilled meats, or light stews, and will also be a nice accompaniment to meat based pasta dishes or cookouts. In short, versatile, and it will go quite fast. What a basic Valpolicella should be. Worth seeking out.
2 stars

Tedeschi Capitel Nicalò Appassimento Valpolicella Classico Superiore DOC 2008
Deep pigeon blood ruby with cherry rim. The bouquet is rich, with sandalwood laced berry fruit supported by greenish accents and considerable white pepper spice. Pleasant in a very young key, and though it clearly will develop, it's inviting now. On the palate it's ample and quite smooth, with rich sandalwood laced berry fruit supported by deft brambly acidity and tannins that have a slight greenish burr and flow into a clean greenish berry fruit finish. Quite pleasant, and though it will develop with time I would almost be tempted to drink it now with a steak, overtones enjoy its freshness. Very nice.
2 stars

Tedeschi Capitel San Rocco Valpolicella Superiore Ripasso DOC 2007
Elegant ruby with black reflections and black rim. The bouquet is still developing, but displays warmth and spice mingled with berry fruit and a fair amount of alcohol. It's coming together, but needs another year to get its bearings. On the palate it's full and rich, with powerful cherry plum fruit supported by greenish acidity and by smooth sweet tannins that have a slight Valpolicella greenish burr, and flow into a clean berry fruit finish with bitter accents. It needs at least a year and would be happier with two or more; quite nice and worth seeking out, but do give it some time.
2 stars

Tedeschi La Fabriseria Valpolicella Classico Superiore 2007
Elegant black cherry ruby with black reflections and cherry rim. The bouquet is intense and very young, revealing berry fruit mingled with spice, in particular cumin seed that opens to reveal bell pepper vegetal accents, and a fair amount of alcohol. Not quite a work in progress, but close. On the palate it's ample and rich, with powerful berry fruit supported by greenish bell peppers and pepper acidity supported by dusky spice and acidity, and by tannins that have a warm burr and flow into a clean sour berry fruit finish. Quite elegant, but needs time; it will likely become a meditation wine in years overtones come, but will work well in the near future with rich stews or roasts, and Verona's bollito misto also comes to mind..
88-90

Tedeschi Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2006
Impenetrable pyrope with black reflections and cherry rim paling to almandine. The bouquet is intense and very young, with cherry fruit supported by licorice root and peppery spice with some sandalwood and also hints of scalded milk -- it's still coming together and needs time. On the palate it's full, and rich, and farly sweet, with lively sandalwood laced berry fruit supported by sweet jammy accents and peppery spice, while the tannins are peppery with some sandalwood and licorice root overtones, and flow into a long fairly sweet finish. Quite charged, and an abundance of power that is still working hard to figure out what to do with itself. It's very much in the air, but will clean up nicely in a fairly sweet (for an Amarone) key and work well with rich stews or roasts. In short, it has a ways to go, and I wouldn't think of opening it before 2013.
2 stars

Tedeschi Capitel Monte Olmi Amarone della Valpolicella DOC 2005
Impenetrable black lam with black reflections and almandine rim. The bouquet is rich, with elegant berry fruit supported by clean rather pungent underbrush and considerable sandalwood spice, and also by deft warmth; it's quick to write and very young but also very pleasant, and quite rich in a cooler vintage key in which the fruit is rich but not as ripe as it was in the 2006 vintage. On the palate it's full and rich, with powerful cherry plum fruit supported by clean fresh plum cherry acidity and by considerable peppery spice, while the tannins are sweet, but still quite young, and need another couple of years to develop, at which point they will be drinkable but at the beginning of a long climb. It will have a lot overtones say -- does already -- but really isn't ready yet, and I would give it 3-5 years to come together and expect it to age well for a decade or more. A very fine expression of a cooler vintage Amarone.
90

Tedeschi Capitel Monte Olmi Amarone della Valpolicella DOC 2006
Just bottled
Deep pyrope ruby with purple reflections and cherry rim. It's younger looking in terms of color register than the 2005, and this is the vintage as much as the wine. The bouquet is intense, with greenish accents and berry fruit supported by sandalwood and a fair amount of alcohol; by comparison with the 05 there is more fruit and less spice, and Sabrina says this is the direction they are taking; I can't but agree. On the palate it's ample and smooth, with rich fairly sweet prune and berry plum fruit supported by sweetness and clean sweet tannins that flow into a clean savory finish. Quite pleasant, and I do like the return to more fruit and less spice, which is how I remember Tedeschi's wines in the past, though it needs time. 2-3 years at least, and 5 wouldn't be amiss; it will also age quite well for a decade or more beyond the current 5.
2 stars

Tedeschi Capitel Fontana Reciolto della Valpolicella Classico 2005
Impenetrable pyrope with deep cherry ruby rim. Poured ink. The bouquet is powerful and quite sweet with jammy prune cherry fruit supported by pleasing sandalwood spice and dusky warmth; it's quite harmonious and one could write at length without getting much further than providing more descriptors. In short, it offers a lot to think about. On the palate it's ample with rich prune cherry fruit supported by deft greenish sandalwood acidity and by smooth sweet tannins that flow into a fairly long clean prune finish. A beautiful wine that will work very well with cheeses, though its true place is with like minded friends, far from the distractions of the table. Elisabetta Fagiuoli says an Amarone is a bad Recioto, and when faced with a wine like this one realizes she's right.
92-4

Tedeschi Capitel Fontana Reciolto della Valpolicella Classico 2006
Barrel sample
Impenetrable pyrope with black reflections and cherry rim. The bouquet is still developing, but reveals prune and cherry fruit supported by dusky greenish sandalwood spice and some tart accents. Very fine. On the palate it's richer and fresher than the 2005, with more languid cherry prune fruit supported by smooth sweet tannins and deft sandalwood acidity that flow into a long clean fresh finish that at present is a little dry thanks to the youth of the tannins. But it is promising, a beautiful wine that will have a great deal to say when it has come together.


Tedeschi La Fabriseria Vin De La Fabriseria Passito del Veronese IGT 2005
This is from white grapes and is elegant tawny apricot with brilliant apricot reflections and slight greenish highlights towards the rim. The bouquet is intense, and quite sweet, with greenish notes typical of Garganega and also with petroleum and spice, and bitter honey. On the palate it's ample and languid, with rich white berry fruit supported by clean bright acidity and by smooth sweetness and languid glycerin that flow into a clean fairly rich finish that carries a degree of acidity, and is thus very much alive.. Very nice, and will work beautifully at the close of the meal, when people have left the table and adjourned to the sitting room.
90

Going back a couple of Years: A Vertical of La Fabriseria

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