Tasted at Vinitaly: Villa

Villa's Alessandro Bianchi was one of the first to believe in the Franciacorta region's potential for making great sparkling wines, and the estate continues to be a leader, both in terms of the quality of the wines, and in terms of promotion -- one of the major problems besetting sparkling wines in Italy is the perception that they are either suited to toasts, if dry, or to desserts, if sweeter. You will also encounter them as aperitifs, but are much less likely to be served one between the beginning and the end of the meal.

A pity, because a good sparkling wine can work wonders with all sorts of dishes, from risotti and pasta dishes through fish and meats, and to draw attention to this fact the Bianchi family has organized several editions of a program called Sparkling Menu, in which they ask chefs of top restaurants throughout Italy (and beyond) to build menus around one of their Franciacorta wines; the participants at the dinners rate the recipes (and the wine-food pairings), and the chefs who did the top-rated recipes in the various categories (antipasti, firsts, seconds and so on) are invited to Monticelli Brusati for a final dinner, at the end of which the most successful dish and pairing receive an award.

It's an excellent idea others should pick up on, and a few years ago I was enthralled by a delicately roasted bird prepared by one of the chefs for the finale -- a pigeon perhaps -- that was superb with bubbly. Wouldn't have thought it, but it was.

This year Roberta and Paolo (Alessandro's daughter and son-in-law) presented a couple of new wines, one of which would have gone perfectly with the above mentioned pigeon.

Villa Franciacorta Satèn 2007
100% Chardonnay, 30 months on the lees. Pale brassy gold with brilliant brassy reflections and fine steady perlage. The bouquet is rich, with mineral accents supported by sour lemon and some delicate breadcrumbs. Quite welcoming. On the palate it's smooth and rich, with fairly intense lemony fruit supported by acidity and peppery accents from the sparkle, and by sea salt that flows into a fairly long soft savory finish. Quite pleasant and very approachable; it will work well as an aperitif or with simple fish or white meats, and also with vegetable based risotti. It's a little too soft for fattier risotti along the lines of cheese & truffles.
2 stars

Villa Franciacorta Brut 2007
This is 85% Chardonnay, 5 % Pinot Bianco and 10% Pinot Nero; it spends 30 months on the lees. It's pale brassy yellow with fine steady perlage. The bouquet is pleasant, with elegant lemony citrus fruit supported by minerality and some breadcrumbs, and by slight gunflint as well. On the palate it's fairly rich, with the sparkle conferring a pleasant peppery fullness, while the wine is fairly rich, with savory sour lemon fruit supported by mineral accents that flow into a clean fresh savory finish. Quite pleasant in an approachable key -- it's a brut but is not tremendously acidic -- and will drink quite nicely as an aperitif, and will also be a nice wine to drink with a meal built around cheese (say an elegant cheesy risotto), fish, or white meats.
88-90

Villa Franciacorta Extra Blu Extra Brut 2006
A new entry, this is 90% Chardonnay and 10% Pinot Nero; some of the base wine spends 3 months in wood, and then it spends 48 months on the lees. The name, Extra Blu, is a reference to the marine origins of the sediments in the vineyard, and in terms of positioning it's mid-way between the Brut and the Pas Dosé. It's pale brassy yellow with fine intense perlage, and has an elegant bouquet with bread crumbs and gunflint supporting savory minerality and some sea salt; there's also slight sour lemon fruit that provides depth. On the palate it's ample, and dry, with bright minerality and gunflint that gains support and airiness from the sparkle, and flows into a clean fresh gunflint laced finish with underlying minerality and sparkle, which continues at length. Quite pleasant, and though one could happily drink it as an aperitif, it will also drink nicely with foods, ranging from elegant first course dishes (white fish-based risotto comes to mind), cheese dishes, and also fish or white meats. It's versatile, and very pleasant to drink.
90-91

Villa Diamant Franciacorta 2005 Pas Dosé
85% Chardonnay 15% Pinot Nero. Some of the base wine ages in wood for 6 months, and then it spends 48 months on the lees. Pale brassy gold with brilliant brassy reflections, greenish highlights, and fine persistent perlage. The bouquet is elegant, with gunflint and minerality supported by wet bread crumbs and slight hints of butterscotch and sea salt; it's quite harmonious and pleasant to sniff in a bracing sort of way. On the palate it's full, with some of the fullness coming from the sparkle, and quite bracing, with powerful minerality and mineral acidity that flow into a clean mineral finish. It has zing, of the sort I look for in a quality sparkling wine. It's not as approachable as some of the other wines -- rather it demands one's attention -- but it has a great deal to say, and the cooler wetter weather of the 2005 summer only helps matters by increasing acidity and minerality. It's one of those wines one hates to pour out at a tasting.
92-3

Villa Cuvette Franciacorta Brut 2005
85% Chardonnay and 15% Pinot Noir; some spends time in oak, and then it spends 42 months on the lees. Brassy gold with brilliant greenish gold reflections. The bouquet is powerful and rich, with sour lemony fruit supported by considerable gunflint and savory accents, with underlying wet bread crumbs. By comparison with the Pas Dosé it's a little more harmonious, and also has slightly more gunflint. On the palate it's ample, rich, and creamy, with fairly intense bitter gunflint supported by creamy sparkle and bitter mineral acidity that flows into a clean warm rather mineral finish. Very pleasant, with considerable character and harmony, and also extremely approachable; the Pas Dosé is a bit more demanding, whereas this is more welcoming. It's a question of degrees, and which you will prefer will depend upon your taste.
90

Villa Franciacorta Selezione Brut 2004
80 Chardonnay and 20% Pinot Nero, the base then spends 6 months in wood and 60 months on the lees. It's pale brassy gold with greenish highlights and brassy reflections, while the perlage is very fine and persistent. The bouquet is elegant, with savory mineral accents laced with sour lemon acidity and slight wet bread crumbs; great harmony and finesse., and quite pleasant to swish and sniff. On the palate it's, well, the word "good" comes to mind; by comparison with the 2005 wines it's a little less acidic, but displays beautiful gunflint minerality and savory notes supported by creamy sparkle and some bitter accents that flow into a clean fresh finish with underlying savory lemon and gunflint bitterness. Quite deft, and very elegant; it will drink nicely as an aperitif and it will be perfect for roasting or drinking with friends far from the table, or, if you want to be extravagant, you could drink it with crustaceans or even oysters.
92

Note -- this was the last wine of the second day at Vinitaly.

Villa Franciacorta Brut Rosé 2007
They have increased the pinot noir to above 40% and the wine spends 30 months on the lees. Pretty onionskin with brilliant brassy reflections and fine steady perlage. The bouquet is deft, with minerality and slight hints of forest berry fruit supported by gunflint, breadcrumbs, and savory accents. On the palate it's full, with the fullness coming from both sparkle and minerality, and quite refreshing, with bright minerality and acidity that flow into a clean dry finish. Very pleasant, and will drink nicely as an aperitif or with foods, and in terms of pairings I might think of delicate white meats, while a fellow taster liked it with spicy foods. The first wine of the day, and it's an auspicious beginning.
88-90

Villa Franciacorta Demisec
This isn't a vintage wine, because the Disciplinare says no vintages should be applied to sweeter bubbly, a policy one can agree with or not, but that must be followed. The wine is all 2007 however. Pale onionskin with fine insistent perlage. The bouquet is bright and rich, with sweetness mingled with some raspberry fruit and slight savory notes that add depth and freshness. Inviting. On the palate it's full and rich with dusky raspberry fruit supported by minerality and acidity, while the sparkle also confers fullness, and it flows into a clean bright fairly mineral finish. Quite pleasant, and is a wine that will work well with piquant cheeses, or with wild berry fruit and other fresh desserts. It's also a wine one could open on a summer evening while watching the stars come out.
90

Campei Sebino IGT 2010
Tank sample
This is a Chardonnay; it's brassy yellow with brilliant brassy reflections, and has an elegant bouquet with greenish vegetal accents mingled with heather and slight tart fruit, which is between citrus and slightly towards apple. Refreshing, and there is also underlying minerality. On the palate it's rich, with pleasant mineral laced heather and citrus that is quite smooth and flows into a ling delicate citrus with slightly greenish mineral underpinning. Quite pleasant, and promises very well. With respect to the last vintage, it's a little tighter and not quite as beckoning (the Italian word would be ruffiano, which -- in this context -- would be a girl giving a boy a come-hither look)

Pian della Villa Curtefranca DOC 2008
Brassy yellow with brilliant brassy reflections and white rim. The bouquet is deft, with elegant minerality and hints of butterscotch supported by some gunflint and underlying white fruit, which is towards apple. On the palate it's graceful, and quite mineral, with minerality and mineral acidity that are quite harmonious, and flow into a clean mineral finish. Pleasant, in a delicate key, and will drink nicely with fish, and also be a nice aperitif.
2 stars

Villa Curtefranca DOC Rosso 2007
This is the last vintage of Curtefranca Rosso -- they will be shifting to Sabino IGT because changes to the Disciplinare will further limit the amount of Barbera and Nebbiolo the wine can contain, something they don't want to do because on their lands Barbera and Nebbiolo grow well. The bouquet is bright, with rich red berry fruit supported by lively berry fruit acidity and some underbrush. Quite fresh. On the palate it's light, with lively slightly sour cherry fruit supported by tannins that have slight brambly accents and flow into a clean berry fruit finish with deft savory tannic underpinning. Quite pleasant, and quite versatile, from red sauced pasta dishes through simple grilled meats and light stews. You will want a second bottle.
2 stars

Villa Curtefranca DOC Gradoni 2007
Deep cherry ruby with lively cherry rim. The bouquet is rich, with elegant slightly jammy cherry fruit supported by brambly greenish accents and some vegetal notes. Nice depth and balance, and very fresh. On the palate it's medium bodied and quite elegant, with rich red berry fruit, sour cherries in particular, though there are also black currants and hints of blueberry, supported by lively berry fruit acidity supported by very smooth sweet tannins; it's quite graceful and very young. One could drink it now with a steak and be very happy, or -- if one has a case -- keep it for 5-6 years, and then open a bottle a year for a number of years.
90-91

Villa Querqus 2007 Sebino IGT Merlot
Deep ruby with violet in the rim. The bouquet is unmistakably Merlot, with rich cassis supported by some graphite shavings and hints of underbrush, and also some alcohol. On the palate it's deft, and very smooth, with moderately intense cassis fruit supported by tannins so smooth they seem smaller than they are, and by deft mineral acidity that flows into a fairly long deft finish with some graphite shavings and deft fruit that continues at length. Quite pleasant but one-track; it's a Merlot and with respect to the Gradoni lacks the complexity that the other varietals confer. If you like Merlot you will like it very much, but if you are less of a devotee you may find more satisfaction with the Gradoni.
2 stars

For more information on Villa (they have a beautiful agriturismo too) see their site.

Garantito IGP: La Rocca del Gusto at Monterotondo - The Triumph of the Ingredients

This time, Roberto Giuliani takes the stand:



It isn't at all easy to open a restaurant in the hyper-protected heart of Monterotondo, a small town in the hills not far from the Via Salaria, about 20 km from Rome. Maria Luisa Conrado knows this well; the bureaucracy, which makes things difficult under the best of circumstances, given a setting like this becomes the major obstacle to the realization of a dream. Not too long ago, in 2008, she took over a wine bar with the goal of transforming it into a real restaurant. The change came January 16 2010, with the birth of the Rocca del Gusto: the place has 6-7 tables in a single hall with inviting niches in the walls, and an arched ceiling, evidence of the building's original function. The color apricot predominates, and the furnishings are simple, but provide a warm, relaxed atmosphere.

Maria Luisa, self-taught and driven by passion and the desire (realized, I would say), to have a place that isn't based on aesthetics, though they do play their part, nor extreme transformations of the raw materials, but rather absolute quality. As Maria Luisa says, "a different kind of food, one not standardized, not mass-produced, not what everyone already knows."

Hence her constant search for niche products, when possible with no carbon footprint, preferably organic, privileging direct relationships with producers, and thus the steady search throughout the area, drawing also from those who have already considerable experience in these matters, for example Slowfood's Presidia. "To make people talk about what the land provides" is, in a nutshell, her philosophy. To not give space to chefly narcissistic impulses, but make the ingredients the true protagonists of the dishes.

It doesn't take much, one might think, and one would be wrong. Every ingredient does undergo some sort of preparation, either being cooked or simply being placed next to other ingredients or sauces. Nothing is taken for granted, one need only make a mistake pairing, or in the proportions, or cooking time, and the dish is no longer what it must be to be appreciated. All elements Maria Luisa has mastered, as I have found in my many "visits," which are in part due to my good fortune of living nearby.

In the kitchen she uses organic eggs, flour, honey, chocolate, and extravirgin olive oil as the starting point for a variety of dishes, which change monthly. There is no want for surprises, including the Monterotondo Ricotta Pie with tarama sauce (made with bottarga and lumpfish roe) or the delicious Cream of seasonal organic vegetables.

If you like Antipasti you have many options, including Antipasto Lucano (pezzente della montagna materana (a Slowfood presidium), soppressata and Pecorino di Moliterno, or organic Pecorino di Scanno 'Mbriaco with organic Aleatico gelatin, or an organic Sardinian antipasto with Fiore Sardo (a fresh cheese), pickles, pane caresau (a traditional Sardinian flat bread), and salame. And what can one say of Bruschetta di Castelmagno with the aroma of Porcini? Or you may come on a night dedicated to Slowfood Presidia, the perfect occasion to discover Susaniella Viterbese, Marzolina di Caprai, and Roman Caciofiore. I could continue at length on the Antipasti, but leave the pleasure of discovering the many options to you.

With regards to first courses, of late I have much appreciated the home-made spumoni in Anguillara broccoli and salted ricotta, but have also much enjoyed smoky Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe, an alternative to a classic Roman dish, and was also gripped by Speghetti with cured prok jowl from a Cinta Senese and zifft (ground sweet peppers from Lucania).

There are seconds worth a journey too, including the delicious No Carbon Footprint tender pork loin with aromatic herb sauce, and if you'd rather not meat, then the superb middleastern organic Capena chickpea pie or stewed organic faro and radicchio seitan with balsamic sauce.

Desserts? No problem; one can go to town with the 70% extrta chocolate cake (flourless and with fair trade organic chocolate). Crepes with monterotondo Ricotta and Sardinian Scrub forest honey, or the superb Madagascar Vanilla (a Slowfood presidium) ice cream with hazelnuts in organic honey, or as an alternative aged goats'milk cheese with a compote made of Williams pears from Modena and Passito Torre Quarto. That enough?

And to drink? Wine, of course, a careful selection ranging from the Alto Adige to Sicily made with the assistance of her sister Maria Paola, a sommelier, to perfectly accompany the dishes presented. There are also surprises, including Mariotti's excellent Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi or Carbone's Fiano from the Vulture, and if you like bubbly there's Carlino, a pinot Grigio brut from the Collezione Giuseppe Trisciuzzi (Veneto); from Campania come the wines of Ciro Picariello and Masseria Venditti, and then there are great reds including Fratelli Cavallotto's Barolo Bricco Boschis and Monte dell'Ora's Amarone della Valpolicella Classico. With dessert one can enjoy Laus di martinez's fortified Malvasia, head to Umbria for Poggio Turri's Sagrantino di Montefalco Passito, or enjoy Di Filippo's Vernaccia di Cannara.

Obviously, all this Bounty of God is made even more attractive by Maria Luisa's friendliness and openness; she doesn't hide in the kitchen but rather comes out to chat and discuss things with her guests. That the place is small does have advantages.

Prices? Honest; from start to finish will be about 30 Euros, wines not included.

Ristorante La Rocca del Gusto - Via della Rocca, 36 Monterotondo (RM)
Open: Wednesday to Sunday, 8-11 PM
Tel. 333/9243753
email: laroccadelgusto (AT) gmail.com


Published Simultaneously by IGP, I Giovani Promettenti.

We Are:
Carlo Macchi
Kyle Phillips
Luciano Pignataro
Roberto Giuliani
Stefano Tesi

Serego Alighieri: Valpolicella and More

The Serego Alighieri estate has belonged to the Serego Alighieri family for hundreds of years -- following Dante's exile from Florence his son Pietro Alighieri bought land in the Valpolicella, and there the family stayed; in the 1500s the last Alighieri married into the Serego family, and that line of the Serego family added Alighieri to their name.

In 1973 Count Pieralvise Serego Alighieri reached an agreement with a neighbor, Sandro Boscaini, by which they would make and age their wines (they still have, in a walled vineyard, Molinara vines belonging to the Serego Alighieri clone, on native root stock, while in their cellars they use, in addition to oak, 600 liter cherry casks, following an old Veronese tradition that they are the only ones to continue), while Masi Agricola would take care of bottling and selling the wines, and provided technical assistance as necessary.

The goal was to promote quality, which was a revolutionary idea at the time (as was a collaboration between two wineries), and the relationship has worked very well; Serego Alighieri's wines are now renowned and eagerly sought out throughout the world.

This winter Piervalise's daughter Massimilla presented their wines at the Ristorante Olivero in Florence, and I was fortunate enough to be invited. We began with a white, the only one produced within the Valpolicella Classico zone. It's a blend of Garganega and Sauvignon:

Serego Alighieri Possessioni Bianco IGT Veneto 2009
Pale brassy yellow. The bouquet is quite ripe, with elegant white berry fruit that has some passion fruit and some sweetish accents. It's rather voluptuous, with the Sauvignon evident but not in-your-face. On the palate it's bright, with lively greenish lemony fruit supported by an abundance of savory minerality that provides depth, with some artichoke stem accents that are rather pleasant, and lead into a long clean savory finish with greenish vegetal and sour lemon underpinning. Pleasant, and while it worked well as an aperitif it would also be quite nice with fish.
2 stars

Serego Alighieri Possessioni Rosso IGT Veneto 2009
This is a blend of Corvina, Molinara of the Serego Alighieri clone, and Sangiovese. Deep cherry ruby with violet rim. The bouquet is rich, with violets and red berry fruit supported by some alcohol and pleasant sour berry fruit acidity, with some wood, that has cherry accents. Fresh and inviting. On the palate it's bright, with lively cherry fruit supported by lively acidity, with some dusky graphite bitterness and fairly intense minerality that carry into a long, brooding berry fruit finish. The Molinara is pre-phylloxera, planted in 1875 to celebrate the birth of Massimilla's great grandfather Piervalise, while the Sangiovese is for them traditional -- they have been planting it since the 1800s, to round their wines, and it works. Quite well.
2 stars

Serego Alighieri Valpolicella Dell'Anniversario Valpolicella Classico Superiore DOC 2007
The first vintage of this was made in 1999 (and released in 2003), to celebrate their 650th anniversary, and Massimilla's Father and Mr. Boscaini chose to make a Valpolicella rather than an Amarone to emphasize the importance of Valpolicella. They made 3000 magnums, and to their surprise it proved quite popular. It's produced using the double fermentation technique, which is essentially what is called Governo Toscano in Tuscany -- partially dried grapes are added to the wine as it sits in the tanks in November, relaunching the fermentation and providing greater depth and richness, and also perking it up. Following fermentation it spent 3-4 months in cherry, and then went into large oak.

Deep pigeon blood ruby with violet rim. The bouquet is powerful, and dusky, with rich prune cherry fruit supported by rich berry fruit and shadowy accents, with some underbrush and slight violets as well. Quite elegant, On the palate it's deft, with lively cherry fruit supported by considerable graphite bitterness and very smooth tightly woven tannins, while what acidity there is -- not too much -- is more mineral than fruit derived, and the finish is fairly long, fading into bitterness. It's graceful in a relatively brooding key, and is a wine one can converse with, though it's not a wine I would suggest if you like bright fruit-driven wines. If you instead prefer wines that are more thoughtful you will like it very much.
88-90

Serego Alighieri Vaio Armaron Amarone della Valpolicella Classico DOC 2005 The Vaio Amaron is a small valley on their property, and Massimilla said, with a sly grin, that they like to think of it as an alternative etymology for Amarone. They accept slight botrytization of the grapes as they dry, because it results in glycerin that softens the wine, without contributing sweetness.

Deep black almandine with cherry rim. The bouquet is fairly intense, with alcohol and some sandalwood spice supported by red berry fruit that gradually emerges as the wine opens, supported by alcohol, cocoa, and some brandied berry fruit accents. On the palate it's rich, with powerful jammy cherry fruit supported by some sweetness and tannins that are brooding, with considerable peppery spice and some minerality that flow into a rather peppery finish, which is elegant and fairly long. It's not as rich as a better vintage would be, but quite nice and a beautiful expression of 2005.
92

Serego Alighieri Vaio Armaron Amarone della Valpolicella Classico DOC 1995 I recall this vintage as having been cool and wet in Tuscany -- several periods of rain -- and in the Veneto, Massimilla says, it was "bizarre." Deep brick ruby with cherry rim. The bouquet is intense, with leaf tobacco and savory notes mingled with cedar and camphor, supported by fairly intense sour cherry fruit and some Moroccan leather. Nice depth. On the palate it's fairly rich, with dry cherry fruit supported by smooth tannins that have a degree of cherry dryness and resin to them -- the wine spent longer in cherry wood than it does now -- and flow into a long warm finish. It has a distant feel to it and a fellow taster says it reminds him of a Marsala, and I can understand the impression. Nice, but clearly from a more difficult vintage.
88-90

Serego Alighieri Casal Dei Ronchi Recioto della Valpolicella Classico DOC 2006 Impenetrable pyrope with cherry rim. The bouquet is fairly intense, with graphite and some bitterness supported by moderate berry fruit -- black cherry and blackberry -- and by some sweetness. On the palate it opens nicely, revealing rich red berry fruit and blackberry fruit with delicate slightly sour prune accents supported by smooth sweet tannins that have a deft graphite shaving overlay and flow into a clean rather bitter finish in which graphite balances sweetness, and there are slight rusty accents. Quite deft, and will drink nicely far from the table or with cheeses. It's a more measured interpretation of Recioto than some, concentrating more on finesse and balance than opulence.
2 stars

A Discovery at Vinitaly: Amalia Cascina in Langa

Amalia Cascina in Langa is a new (the first vintage in 2007) winery in Monforte, which Marco Sodini -- a fellow Pellegrino Artusiano -- introduced me to, and I have to thank him. The estate, which is centered around a Cascina, or farm house, was bought a few years ago by Luigi Boffa, who restructured the place, building a very functional cellar. His son Paolo makes the wines, under the direction of Gian Franco Cordero and Gian Piero Romana (consulting winemaker and agronomist, respectively), and though the Boffa family is new to winemaking, they are doing something right. Lots of things, actually.

Amalia Sant'Anna Dolcetto d'Alba 2009
Intense pyrope with violet rim. The bouquet is classic Dolcetto with berry fruit supported by bitter almonds and floral accents with some underlying jammy notes. What one expects of a Dolcetto. On the palate it's rich, with powerful slightly sour berry fruit supported by violets and bitter almonds, and tannins that are slightly splintery and flow into a clean fairly long tannic finish with violets and fruit. Quite pleasant, in a rich and friendly cast, and will drink very well with simple grilled meats or light stews, and also hearty pasta dishes.
2 stars

Amalia Barbera D'Alba 2008 Deep black almandine with black reflections and cherry rim. The bouquet is fairly intense, with red berry fruit supported by savory accents and cedar, and by some greenish warmth. On the palate it's bright, with lively sour cherry fruit supported by bright berry fruit acidity and by tannins that have a slight cedar overlay and flow into a clean sour cherry finish. The wood is less apparent on the palate than the nose, though it does contribute nicely to the tannic structure, and the wine is pleasant in a middle of the road key. It will work well with grilled meats or light stews, and will go quickly.
2 stars

Amalia Sogno Langhe Rosso 2008 This is a blend of Cabernet and Barbera; they decided to go with Cabernet because they had the opportunity. They make about a thousand bottles, and the proportions vary from year to year. This vintage is 90% Cabernet. It's deep pyrope with black reflections and cherry rim. The bouquet is rather varietal, with red berry fruit supported by classic grilled green pepper and by pleasant underlying spice,with while there are also some jammy accents to it. On the palate it's full and rich, with powerful berry fruit, a mix of sour cherry and some forest berry fruit supported by bright sour cherry acidity that is the contribution from Barbera, and supported by very smooth sweet tannins that have a slight greenish overlay and flow into a long warm fruit laced finish. Pleasant, and will drink very well with red meats, from a crown roast through leg of lamb. It will also age nicely for 5 or more years, though the brightness of the acidity at present is quite pleasant.
88-90

Amalia Langhe Nebbiolo 2009
Deep almandine with black reflections and almandine rim. The bouquet is elegant, with rosa canina and red berry fruit supported by deft bramble and hints of sandalwood spice; it's a fine expression of Nebbiolo. On the palate it's bright and rich, with elegant sour cherry fruit laced with raspberries and supported by bright berry fruit acidity, while the tannins are warm and slightly splintery, flowing into a clean rather savory tannic finish with lasting raspberry warmth. Quite pleasant and very fresh, a wine that will work well with read meats and light stews, and will also age nicely for 3-5 years. A pleasant discovery that will drink very fast.
90-91

Amalia Barolo 2006
Deep almandine with black reflections and almandine rim. The bouquet is fairly intense,with ith quite a bit of cedar and some red berry fruit supported by chemical notes and spice. It's still very closed,a nd really doesn't want to be disturbed. On the palate it's ample, with moderately intense warm sour cherry fruit supported by tannins that are rather angry, with a decidedly peppery burr that continues at length into the finish, settling gradually into lasting warmth. It reflects the vintage, with a green aggressiveness to the tannins, and it needs a number of years for things to fold in. In the wine's defense this was their first vintage, and they were very much getting a feel for things when they made the wines.
1 star
Amalia Barolo 2007
Cask sample
The bouquet is muted, which can happen in a barrel samle, but reveals berry fruit and slight cedar. On the palate it's another animal with respect to the 2006, with richer cherry fruit and tannins that are much sweeter and softer, and though they do have a youthful burr they aren't aggressive, and don't have any of the angry peppery spice that the 06 displays. Quite promising and will be an elegant Barolo in a few year's time, in a middle of the road key that will be worth looking out for.

Want to know more? Their Site.

Garantito IGP : On Corks and Alternatives

If you drink wine sealed with corks you will sooner or later come across a bottle that is corked.

This is not good; ideally the aroma will be of that unpleasantly metallic gassy frizz-your-hair-and-make-your-eyes-water variety, which leads you to refuse the bottle if you're at a restaurant (arguing with the owner if need be) or ask for another bottle if you're at a tasting. Unfortunately, cork taint is not always this obvious. Quite the contrary, it can be subtle, and in its most pernicious form it simply casts a veil over the aromas, making the wine seem drab and uninteresting. In this form it's easy to miss, because there's nothing really obviously wrong -- the wine just seems humdrum, and there's certainly a lot of humdrum wine out there. However, if you do taste a second bottle of the wine, the difference is like the sun emerging from behind a cloud.

As you might guess, this latter sort of cork taint -- which I find to affect between 5 and 10% of the wines I taste -- gives winemakers fits. And there are solutions, for example synthetic corks, glass stoppers with silica rings, and screw caps. All of which (screw caps especially) are by now quite common outside of Italy. However, in Italy there is still considerable resistance to alternative closures, on the part of the Appellations, which continue to call for cork, and on the part of the restaurant trade, which claims that screw caps and such eliminate the "poetry" inherent in uncorking the bottle and sniffing the cork and so on.

How anyone can find a product that ruins 10% of what it seals poetic is beyond me, but they do. However, things are beginning to change, thanks in part to winemakers sick of the damage they suffer from bad corks (price does not guarantee an absence of taint) and thanks in part to importers requesting non-cork closures.

In 2009 I tasted Paolo De Marchi's 2007 Chardonnay IGT Toscana, which he bottles with screw caps for those who want them, and corks for those who don't. It was quite interesting: The wines were both very good (90-91 points for both), but also quite different; the screw cap was fresher, while the cork was a little more mature, and I concluded that, "Comparing them side-by-side is like looking at a pair of twins, who might seem identical at first glance, but reveal differences as one gets to know them; the screw cap wine is just a touch crisper and has a slightly harder edge to it, whereas the cork-stoppered wine is a little softer, and comes across as slightly more seductive. Both are very fine, and which you prefer will be a matter of taste. To continue with the twins analogy, one trains competitively -- the screw cap -- while the other -- the cork stopper -- dances."

Now Paolo is also bottling Cepparello with a screw cap for foreign markets that request it.

The Azienda Salcheto in Montepulciano is being even bolder: They have taken the radical step of bottling half of the 2005 vintage of their signature wine, Salcheto Evoluzione, which spends four years in bottle prior to release, with screw caps and the other half with corks. The same wine, with the screw cap bottles classified IGT, and the cork-sealed bottles Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG, sold in boxed sets with one of each kind. As I said, a bold move, because it will oblige the many Italian consumers who greatly enjoy Salcheto Evoluzione to try a top quality wine with a screw cap closure of a kind still viewed with disdain here.




At Vinitaly we tasted them blind:

1 (the screw cap)
Fairly deep almandine ruby with black reflections and almandine rim that has faint hints of ruby to it. Fairly rich berry fruit with slight candied accents and clean bramble with some spice and delicate underbrush. Quite fresh, and displays considerable harmony. On the palate it's rich, deft, and elegant, with rich sour cherry fruit supported by brisk sour berry fruit acidity and slight underbrush, and by tannins that are warm and smooth, and flow into a clean bright tannic finish. Graceful, with beautiful acidity that interplays very well with the tannins, making a wine that is deft and quite light on its toes, rather like a dancer. It will go beautifully with a steak or roast, and will age quite nicely for many more years.
90-92

2 (the cork)
Fairly deep almandine ruby that has slightly more garnet to the rim. Moderately rich bouquet with berry fruit supported by warmth and slight balsamic accents with underlying greenish spice; it has a slightly ethereal feel to it and is somewhat more reserved than sample 1, while there are hints of cedar that don't stand out as much in the other. On the palate it's rich, with fairly bright sour cherry fruit supported by bright sour cherry acidity and by tannins that are quite smooth, and display a slight cedary burr that carries into a long fresh bright cherry finish. The tannins are a little smoother here, and display a greater degree of cedar and vanilla than those of sample 1, and this makes the wine a touch more settled than the first.
90

Both are quite elegant, and very pleasant to drink, to the point that one really cannot say that one is better and the other is worse. The first (which is the screw cap bottle) is slightly fresher, and a touch brighter, whereas the second is slightly more mature, and displays the oak to a greater degree.

A very interesting comparison, of a sort that would not be possible where screw caps are already commonly accepted. And quite impressive; the screw caps held very well, and were also more consistent -- there was some variation from one cork-stoppered bottle to the next, whereas the wine in the screw cap bottles was the same. And this brings up the question of what, exactly, the cork stoppered bottles, none of which suffered from cork taint, are getting from their corks. It turns out corks do release tannins into the wine, and also aromas, which Michele Manelli, Salcheto's Director, describes as "earthy and animal." And oxygen (which must be mopped up with a shot of sulfites to keep it from damaging the wine), even if the bottling line fills the neck of the bottle with inert gas.

The bottom line is that for wines to be drunk young, alternative closures are definitely a good idea, and given this the Nobile di Montepulciano Consorzio's decision to allow bottling Rosso di Montalcino with screw caps is quite interesting and -- for Italian Appellations -- potentially groundbreaking. For wines to be aged? Corks are potentially more interesting because of what they release, but there are several ifs. What is the quality of the cork, what tannins will it emit, and what aromas? In short, Michele says, corks in the long run are a roll of the dice. They may improve the wine, but they may not, and in this respect are like barriques, which can have more or less positive effects upon the wine they contain.

Bottom Line: I will continue to appreciate corks in bottles suitable for long aging, because when they contribute positively they can add wonderful nuances, but will certainly not look askance at a screw cap, even from the most august Appellation.



Published Simultaneously by IGP, I Giovani Promettenti.

We Are:
Carlo Macchi
Kyle Phillips
Luciano Pignataro
Roberto Giuliani
Stefano Tesi

A picture for the day, and Tasted at Vinitaly: Aurelio Settimo

To begin, the picture: Not from Vinitaly, but rather from (if I remember right) Alba Wines. In any case, Pin, a wonderful guy and an excellent sommellier, pouring a covered bottle for us to taste.

Returning to Aurelio Settimo, I look forward to seeing Tiziana at Vinitaly every year -- despite the hubub that surrounds her stand, the wines invite concentration and reflection, and strange as it may seem give me an opportunity to (briefly) get away from it all.

This year they also offered an opportunity for reflection, because she was pouring not just the most recent (2007) Barolo, but th 2006 as well, and also a couple of older vintages. Long term readers know that I had my doubts about the 2006 vintage when it was released, and though I am not as drastic now, I continue to think that it's a difficult vintage that will require considerable time to emerge. When it does it will be very nice, and therefore unless you absolutely must drink it now, set it aside and (if you like young Barolo) enjoy the 2007 vintage, which is readier.


Aurelio Settimo Dolcetto D'Alba 2009
Lot A 11
Lively cherry ruby with cherry rim. The bouquet is quite fresh, with considerable sour berry fruit acidity and clean spice with pleasant bitter almonds as well, and some alcohol too. Quite elegant and very fresh. On the palate it's bright, and rather tannic, with rich sour cherry fruit laced with violets nd supported by tannins that have a dusky burr and flow into a clean rather bitter finish. A classic food wine that will work very well with grilled meats or light roasts, and go quite quickly, supporting what it's served with.
2 stars

Aurelio Settimo Langhe Nebbiolo 2006
Lot F10
Elegant almandine with brilliant reflections and garnet rim. The bouquet is elegant, though grudging -- it doesn't want to reveal itself -- with rosa canina and sour berry fruit supported by alcohol and some spice with slight hints of leather and leaf tobacco, and a savory underpinning. On the palate it's elegant, with deft sour cherry fruit supported by hints of roses and savory notes, and by tannins that have an angry peppery burr and flow into a fairly long tannic finish. It's graceful, but still hampered by the tannins, which continue to be rather angry and need more time; this said one could drink it now, and enjoy it considerably, but one would need a succulent cut of meat with some fat to balance the tannins, say leg of lamb or even lamb chops -- including fried lamb chops. I would expect it to age well for close to a decade more.
2 stars

Aurelio Settimo Barolo 2005
Lot A09
Pale almandine with black reflections and almandine rim paling to an orange nail. The bouquet is quite pleasant, with some rosa canina and pleasant spice, with leather and leaf tobacco and underlying berry fruit that's not too intense; it gives the impression of being from a cooler vintage but is quite graceful. On the palate it's bright, with lively sour cherry fruit supported by sour berry fruit acidity and by tannins that are warm and smooth with some greenish vegetal accents that are again indicative of a cooler vintage, and it flows into a clean bright tannic finish with lasting warmth. Graceful in a lesser vintage key, and very much alive; it will drink well now with grilled meats or hearty roasts, but also has considerable aging potential, nd will become pleasantly ethereal with time.
88-90

Aurelio Settimo Barolo 2006
Lot B10
Pale almandine with brilliant reflections and almandine rim. The bouquet is fairly intense, with delicate rosa canina supported by tart berry fruit and some greenish accents with quite a bit of alcohol and some leaf tobacco. It's still quite young, and needs time, but is developing nicely. On the palate it's full, with rich cherry fruit on the outset that is still interrupted by a rush of angry peppery tannins that flow into a warm tannic finish. The tannins are green and rather strident, and the wine needs time to work its way through them, at present it's like a person in a tizzy who REALLY WANTS TO BE LEFT ALONE. If you must drink a bottle now, I would serve it with a succulent, fairly well done leg of lamb or a crown roast, cooked medium rare and sliced thick. But given the choice I would let it sit for at least 5 years, because it has nice potential that has yet to emerge.
2 stars

Aurelio Settimo Barolo 2007
Lot B11
Elegant almandine with brilliant black reflections and almandine in the rim. The bouquet is elegant, with red berry fruit supported by savory notes and fairly rich berry fruit acidity, while there is also alcohol and there are hints of rosa canina. Very young, but promising. On the palate it's a distinct step up from the 2006, with rich cherry fruit supported by sour berry fruit acidity and by sweet smooth tannins that have a slight vegetal underpinning but are already fairly smooth, and flow into a long clean bright finish with deft tannic underpinning. Very nice, and though woefully young is already drinkable; if you must it would be nice with a steak, but it will richly reward you if you have the patience to give it time.
91-2

Aurelio Settimo Rocche Dell'Annunziata Barolo 2005
Lot G08
Lively almandine with black reflections and almandine rim. The bouquet is fairly rich, with leaf tobacco and some spice supported by acidity and some berry fruit; there's also some leather and a degree of minerality, while there isn't too much fruit. Cooler vintage. On the palate it's elegant, with moderately intense sour cherry fruit supported by deft sour cherry acidity and smooth sweet tannins that flow into a fairly long clean sour cherry finish with a brambly warm tannic underpinning. It's more graceful than the base, but again clearly from a cooler vintage, and in this context quite graceful and has a great deal to say.
90-91

Aurelio Settimo Rocche Dell'Annunziata Barolo 2007
Lot LC11
Elegant almandine with black reflections and almandine rim. The bouquet is delicate, with ripe berry fruit supported by peppery spice and some leaf tobacco, with hints of Risa Canina too. It's quite elegant but at the outset of a long journey. On the palate it's rich, with elegant sour cherry fruit supported by fairly bright berry fruit acidity and by smooth sweet tannins that do have a slight burr, and flow into a fairly long clean fresh berry fruit finish with savory tannic underpinning. It's quite elegant, but extremely young and needs time to get together; by comparison with the 2007 base it's a bit further behind now but will I think surpass it handily with time. A wine to set aside.
90

Aurelio Settimo Riserva Rocche Barolo 2004
Elegant almandine with almandine rim. The bouquet is eye opening, along the lines of a religious experience, with leaf tobacco and spice supporting rosa canina and some smoky noes, with berry fruit as well. It's very young but already beautiful and clearly still coming together. On the palate it's beautiful with rich leathery fruit supported by savory berry fruit acidity and sweet tannins that have slightest hazelnut bitterness and flow into a long warm berry fruit finish; it's quite quick to write, but extraordinarily elegant, and will do beautiful things with time. Most impressive.
93-4

Aurelio Settimo Rocche Barolo 2000
Tiziana finds the 2007 to have many similarities with the 2000 when it was young, and therefore brought a bottle of it that I found some of in my glass. It's elegant almandine with black reflections and almandine rim, and has a rich bouquet with rosa canina and leaf tobacco supported by berry fruit and brandied cherries, and deft spice; there's rare harmony and rather than pick aromas as they emerge it's a wine that's fun to simply contemplate. On the palate it's rich and elegant, with powerful cherry fruit supported by deft sour berry fruit acidity and by tannins that are smooth and supple, and flow into a clean savory berry fruit finish; it's again quick to write but extremely harmonious, and one of those wines that captures the attention. Most impressive, and if you're lucky enough to have 2 bottles, keep one for a looooong time.
95

Garantito IGP: The Count's Beer, Beloved of Longshoremen

This time Stefano Tesi takes the Stage:

It's called Giovanni dalle Bande Nere, and comes from a microbrewery in Castagno D'Andrea, at the base of Mount Falterona. It's a London Porter with enveloping aromas of coffee and extremely British accents. But they make it in the mountains, with no carbon footprint. And it's organic.

Before I go further I should say that as a rule I'm not a fan of micro or craft breweries. I don't like them because, without wanting to detract in the slightest from the many excellent brewers out there, the activity has become stylish. And those who know me know I keep my distance from anything trendy.

I say this so what follows will be even higher praise for a beer I recently tasted for the first time, almost by chance and certainly under conditions not favorable for tasting: At San Godenzo, during the appetizer-foods pause after the seriously draining "Dolomitic stage" of the recent Pellegrinaggio Artusiano (see here, here and here) that had led us, on foot of course, from Portico di Romagna, over the 900-meter high pass, and on down to San Godenzo. In other words, given the circumstances neither my palate nor my mind were at their best.

Even so, among the many enticing things we were offered under the town's portico, this beet struck me. Not just because of its name, which is demanding (Giovanni was a famous war chief), nor because of the exuberant personality of the young brewmaster, Simone Campigli (who, I assume from his surname, renamed himself and the brewery (Conte di Campiglia). But because I was immediately struck by the by the immediate, almost overwhelming impact of the London Porter (a dark beer much loved by London's longshoremen in the 1800s, and hence the name) I was offered: It was just a short step to retaste it calmly, when rested.

Chewy, dense, with a firm head almost like cappuccino foam, and a powerful, unmistakable coffee nose made more likely by the porter's dark color, a brown with inky reflections. Served at the proper temperature (about 10 C, 50 F) and properly, so as to bring out its reassuring creaminess, it releases yeasty aromas, wet underbrush, and licorice that mingle and blend on the palate, where Giovanni dalle Bande Nere reveals its power, firm backbone, the vigor of its greater-than-7% alcohol content, dryness, severity, smokiness, and a fullness that leaves the palate clean and eager for another sip.

An English-Style beer, in short, perfect for herring, whole wheat bread, and mutton stew. Or our own baccalà. Or to mediate with, by the fireplace (or better yet by an English pot-bellied stove).

The brewery is located in Castagno D'Andrea, 830 meters above sea level, at the base of Monte Falterona, and produces eight beers. All unfiltered, and unpasteurized, some made with certified organic ingredients and labeled organic. ICEA, the certifying organization, takes samples of both the ingredients and the beers several times per year. They follow the German raisenghebot rules, using only water, yeast, malt, and hops; the ingredients are strictly local and as natural as possible, also from an energy standpoint: the waters used to cool the brews are then stocked in insulated tanks and reused as tap water in the brewery, while the vapor given off by the brewing process is recovered and reused to save energy.

It is perhaps because of this that the Conte di Campiglia Brewery was awarded the Beer of the Year prize at Rimini's Pianeta Birra.

A last thing: The brewery also has a ristopub at Castagno that sounds very nice. As soon as I go I'll tell you about it.



Published Simultaneously by IGP, I Giovani Promettenti.





We Are:
Carlo Macchi
Kyle Phillips
Luciano Pignataro
Roberto Giuliani
Stefano Tesi

Tasted at Vinitaly (and a photo for the week): Cà Lojera

I met Cà Lojera's Ambra Tiraboschi, who looks rather like Maria Callas in the photo she puts up in her stand at Vinitaly, many years ago at Bordeaux's Vinexpo: It was the end of a very long day, my feet wished they belonged to someone else, and I had stopped to say hi to Paolo Abbona of Marchesi di Barolo. Sat down too, and found myself sipping a rather nice sparkling wine that turned out to be a Lugana from the southern shores of Lake Garda.

When I asked whose it was, Ambra raised her hand and smiled. Much has happened since then; they've redone their cellars and added a restaurant, which is open for dinner during the summer months, and Ambra's daughter Alessandra has had two delightful children. I make a point of stopping by her stand at Vinitaly every year. This year her husband Franco, who dislikes the limelight, was not there, but there was another surprise: she had redone her labels, with drawings by Angelo Peretti, friend and colleague who is also Director of the Consorzio del Bardolino.

2010, says Ambra, was a difficult vintage with very uneven ripening thanks to the cool temperatures and rains; they had to work their way though the vineyards repeatedly during the harvest, and the wines from the different passages were very different. "It took a lot to assemble it," she said.

Cà Lojera Lugana DOC 2010
Lot TF 03 11
Pale brassy yellow with brassy reflections. The bouquet is fairly rich, with stong greenish accents mingled with minerality and sour lemon fruit, and supported by fairly intense sea salt. On the palate it's ample and languid, with unexpectedly rich loquat fruit that's fairly sweet, and supported by deft minerality that flows into a long mineral finish with a slight bitter counterpoint that continues into the finish. I had expected the acidity to be more citric than mineral from the nose -- and observation -- but it is nicely balanced and will work well as an aperitif or with lake fish.
2 stars

Cà Lojera Lugana Superiore 2006
Lot TF LS 06
Pale brassy yellow with brilliant brassy reflections and white rim. The bouquet is deft, with considerable minerality laced with slight butterscotch and slight hints of white fruit, including white pear. Nice depth. On the palate it's rich, with loquat fruit supported by citric acidity that is laced with butterscotch bitterness and is supported by some savory accents that flow into a clean loquat-laced finish with a bitter slightly tannic underpinning that also has some sea salt to it. Pleasant, and though it's a little powerful to work as an aperitif, it will be quite nice with grilled or roasted fish, and will also work well with creamy risotti and white meats. In short, versatile.
88-90

Cà Lojera Lugana del Lupo Lugana DOC 2006
Lot TF LL 06
Brilliant brassy yellow-gold with brassy gold reflections and slight greenish highlights. The bouquet is rich, with butterscotch supported by some greenish accents and hints of tamarind, and also dusky greenish honeydew melon with hints of honeysuckle as well. Nice depth and complexity. On the palate it's ample, with rich minerality supported by languid butterscotch and mineral acidity that flow into a fairly long mineral finish with some butterscotch accents. Quite pleasant, and will drink very well as an aperitif, or with delicate fish or white meats.
2 stars

Cà Lojera Chardonnay Monte della Guardia 2009
Lot TF 09 04
This year Ambra decided, since the people at the Garda DOC appellation refused to let her bottle her rosé, made from red grapes that go into two Garda DOC wines, as Garda DOC, that she would label all of the wines that qualify as Garda DOC as Vino Da tavola, table wine. I can't but agree with her decision.

This said, the Chardonnay is brilliant brassy yellow with white rim, and has an elegant bouquet with rich floral accents supported by slight citric fruit and some minerality, with slight butterscotch sweetness as well. Nice balance. On the palate it's bright, with lively lemony honeydew melon fruit supported by minerality and some savory accents, and flows into a fairly long tart finish. Graceful, and quite pleasant; it clearly draws from a better vintage than the 2010 Lugana, and is quite pleasant to drink. It will work very well with grilled or roasted fish, and would be nice with perch and polenta, a classic dish from Lake Garda.
90-91

Cà Lojera Tur Blanc Metodo Classico 2008
Something new! Pale brassy yellow with brilliant reflections and fine perlage. The bouquet is is pleasant, with bread crumbs and citric accents supported by some gunflint and slight butterscotch with underlying bitterness. Nice depth. On the palate it's bright, with fresh gunflint shot lemony fruit supported by sparkle and citric-mineral acidity that flows into a fairly long mineral finish with a sea salt underpinning. Pleasant, and will work well as an aperitif, and also be a nice wine to drink a tutto pasto.
2 stars

Cà Lojera Rosato Monte della Guardia 2010
Lot TF RO 10
Pale salmon with brilliant salmon reflections and white rim. The bouquet is fairly intense,with ith raspberry fruit supported by some spice, also some savory accents. It's a bit disjointed, and this is because it was just bottled. On the palate it's pleasant, with fairly rich moderately sweet raspberry fruit supported by delicate acidity and some bitter accents, and it flows into a clean slightly sour raspberry finish. Pleasant in a light key, and will work nicely as an aperitif, with simple summer dishes, or with friends on a summer evening.
1 star

Cà Lojera Merlot Monte della Guardia 2008
Lot TF ME 10
Lively cherry ruby with black reflections and some almandine in the rim. The bouquet is fresh and vinous with fairly pronounced warmth and some vegetal accents, not quite bell pepper but green, and fairly intense graphite shavings too. Up front in a smiling sort of way. On the palate it's ample and quite smooth, with dusky berry fruit supported by moderate mineral acidity and tannins that are extremely smooth, as Merlot's are want to be, becoming drier in the finish, and assuming some savory brambly accents. Pleasant, and will drink very well with succulent not too fatty red or white meats; it would be nice with roast beef cooked medium rare and sliced thick, or with pork loin, for example.
2 stars

Cà Lojera Cabernet Monte della Guardia 2008
Lot TF CA 08
Dusky brick ruby with black reflections and cherry rim. The bouquet is quite varietal, with rich slightly brandied cherry and forest berry fruit supported by grilled pepper and sea salt with some spice and hints of graphite shavings as well. On the palate it's quite pleasant, with bright smooth back cherry fruit laced with ripe currants and hints of blackberry sweetness, and supported by fairly bright mineral acidity and smooth sweet tannins that have warm grilled pepper accents that complement the fruit and emerge nicely in the finish, which is fairly long and gradually dries. It's one of those wines you can set out and drink, and suddenly realize you're paying more attention to than you expected to, rather like a person who comes across as simple but turns out to be a very good conversationalist. It will be quite nice with grilled meats or light roasts, and if you like Cabernet -- it makes no bones about what it is -- you will enjoy it.
88-90

Tasted at Vinitaly: Wines from Commendator Burlotto

My last stop of the year at Vinitaly has been Commendator Burlotto for a number of years now. This year I got held up and arrived late, while fabio had to leave early, so I didn't get to taste everything. But the Barolo I did taste, from the 20007 vintage, was quite good.


Verduno Pelaverga 2010
Barrel sample

Pale ruby with violet reflections and white rim. Clsssic pelaverga nose with intense sandalwood and spice and some berry fruit, and also deft minerality. On the palate it's bright, with rich sour cherry fruit supported by sandalwood laced acidity and bright berry fruit, flows into a clean fresh berry fruit finish. Quite pleasant and nicely reflects the varietal. Quite promising and a pleasant wine. Will be Worth seeking out. If one were asked to use a word to describe it , one would say Varietal!

Commendator Burlotto Barolo 2007
Lot BR 1 10
This is from all of their vineyards. It's pale almandine with brilliant almandine reflections and almandine rim The bouquet is rich, with elegant red berry fruit supported by deft slightly greenish acidity and clean greenish savory notes, with alcohol and slight hints of rosa canina. Very young, but already approachable. On the palate it's quite nice, with rich sour cherry fruit supported by tannins that have a spicy slightly splintery burr and flow into a clean rather bitter berry fruit finish. Quite nice, though still very young, and needs time; one could drink it now and enjoy it, but the pleasaure will be considerably more in 2-3 years, and it eill age well for a decade at least.
2 stars

Commendator Burlotto Barolo Monvigliero 2007
Lot BRM 110
Pale almandine with almandine rim. Elegant. The bouquet is rich with deluicate floral accents and spice, and pleasing goudroin, and spice with herbals accents and spice, and some heather, and savory notes. Beautiful depth, complexity and harmony. On the palate it's full and rich with powerful cherry fruit supported by bright berry fruit acidity and tannins that are smooth and sweet with dusky overtones and flow into a clean slightly greenish finish. It's very young, but could be drink now, though if you have the patience to give it 3-5 years or more it will richly reward you. A beautiful wine in the making.
90-91

Commendator Burlotto Barolo Vigneto Cannubi 2007
Lot BPC 110
Brilliant almandine ruby with almandine rim. Bright bouquet with rich rosa canina supported by clean bright berry fruit acidity and spice; it's very young and has great ower and personality, but needs time to develop. On the palate it's full, rich, and elegant, with sour cherry fruit supported by bright sour cherry acidity and tannins that have a youthful burr and flow into a long warm berry fruit finish, It's a toddler but a good natured one, and one could drink it now with a roast or a stew and not quite be committing infanticide, though it would be close. If you have the patience to give it 3-5 years or more it will richly reward you, and age well for a decade or more thereafter.
93

Commendator Burlotto Elatis Vino Rosato 2010
Pale pinkish rose with brilliant reflections. The bouquet is fresh, with raspberry and forest berry fruit fruit supported by sandalwood spice, and some sweaty blonde. Inviting. On the palate it's bright, and light, with rich sour red berry fruit supported by raspberry accents and clean greenish notes, and flows into a clean bright berry fruit finish that has some sweetness overtones balance the acidity. Quite pleasant and will work very well at a cookout or with simple summer dishes.
2 stars

Commendator Burlotto Langhe Sauvignon 2010
Lot VL 111
Pale greenish brassy yellow with brilliant brassy reflections and greenish highlights. The bouquet is rich, with greenish accents and gooseberry laced with sweaty blonde with a hint of Irish and savory notes supported by sea salt. Quite charged and pleasant to sniff. On the palate it's full and rich with fairly sweet gooseberry fruit supported by gooseberry acidity and savory notes that flow into a long fresh gooseberry finish that gains depth from some savory accents. Classic Sauvignon, and quite fresh; it will work well as an aperitif, and I would think about serving it with egg dishes -- frittate and similar -- and with vegetable- based first course dishes, or with fish.
2 stars

Commendator Burlotto now has an Agriturismo too! Check out their site.

Tasted at Vinitaly: Duca Carlo Guarini

Duca Carlo Guarini is an estate in the southern half of Puglia, about half way between Lecce and Santa Maria di Leuca. They make a number of wines, primarily from autochthonous varietals, and though they do use some oak much of their production is in steel, and to be frank doesn't miss the oak at all.

In addition to wine, the estate makes all sorts of foodstuffs, from olives in brine though artichokes and more, which makes a visit -- it's quite pretty -- doubly interesting.

Duca Carlo Guarini Burdì Bianco Salento IGT 2010
Lot BB1 2011 (the first bottling of 2011)
This is a Bombino Bianco, and is brassy white with some greenish reflections. the bouquet is fresh and quite savory, with bright minerality and some greenish accents as well. Pleasant and refreshing, and impressive for a just bottled wine. On the palate it's light, and fresh, with lively mineral laced lemony fruit supported by deft mineral acidity and flows into a clean fairly crisp citrus laced finish with underlying savory accents that provide depth and continue at length. Quite pleasant in a light simple key, the sort of wine one can drink by the bucket with no ill effects, and that will go well with all sorts of summer things. Expect it to go quickly and you will want more.
2 stars

Duca Carlo Guarini Murà Sauvignon Salento IGT 2010
Lot M 1 2011
Beassy yellow with bright slightly greenish highlights and white rim. The bouquet is pleasant, with classic sauvignon aromas, though not as wild as some; it revolves more around gooseberry and lemon than the more animal notes sauvignon can reveal. Fresh, and still developing, but pleasant. On the palate it's bright, with rich lemony fruit supported by greenish vegetal accents and tannins that have hints 9of artichoke greenness to them, and flow into a long warm sour lemon finish. It's pleasant in a vigorous key, and will drink well with grilled fish, including more flavorful fish such as salmon, and also be a nice accompaniment to fried fish and vegetables during the summer months.
2 stars

Duca Carlo Guarini Campodimare Salento IGT 2010
Lot CP2 2011
This is an organic wine --not the only one they make -- and by 2013 all of their wines will be certified organic. It's pale salmony rose with brilliant pink reflections. the bouquet is fresh, with mineral laced raspberry fruit supported by heather and savory accents. Fresh. On the palate it's bright, with fresh raspberry fruit supported by clean sour berry fruit acidity and warmth, and by intense savory minerality that gradually emerges in the finish. Quite fresh, and peasant, and will drink nicely with picnic foods in the summer, or light dishes. Versatile and will go quickly.
2 stars

Duca Carlo Guarini Nativo Salento IGT 2009
Lot NB 1 2011
This is a Negroamaro in purezza, and is certified organic. It's deep ruby with black reflections and almandine in the rim. The bouquet is intense and still coming together -- it was recently bottled -- with berry fruit supported by leather, and needs time; as it opens dusky berry fruit emerges supported by some vegetal notes and balsamic accents. On the palate it's fresh, with bright cherry fruit supported by deft acidity and by tannins that are slightly splintery, and have some coffee ground bitterness to them, and it all flows into a berry fruit laced finish with some vegetable underpinning. The palate is well ahead of the nose and pleasant; it needs a few months for the nose to catch up, and will be quite pleasant with simple grilled meats or light stews, and also could be pressed into service with fried meats and vegetables. Expect it to go quickly.
88-90

Duca Carlo Guarini Malìa Salento IGT 2008
Lot MA 1 2011
This is Malvasia Nera; it's elegant almandine cherry ruby with black reflections and almandine rim. The bouquet is powerful, with rich slightly vegetal laced jammy red berry fruit supported by spice and some alcohol and pleasant underlying herbal notes. Impressive for a wine just bottled. On the palate it's bright, with lively sour cherry fruit supported by distinctive savory accents and a pleasant mineral underpinning that carries into a long savory finish with some peppery accents. It needs another few months, but will be quite pleasant and work well with either meats or with rich legume-based dishes, along the lines of fava bean puree with chicory.
2 stars

Duca Carlo Guarini Pìutri Negroamaro Salento IGT 2008
Lot P1 2011
This is in part barriqued, for about 8 months, while the remainder aged in steel. It's deep cherry ruby with black reflections and has a fairly rich bouquet with berry fruit supported by greenish leather accents and some cedar, and also by some vegetal notes. On the palate it's bright, with lively sour cherry fruit supported by fairly brisk acidity, and by tannins that are nicely polished, and smooth, and display a slight cedary overlay that wasn't present in the non-oaked wines, flowing into a fairly long rather tart berry fruit finish with a cedar and coffee ground underpinning. It's quite elegant and also quite approachable, with the brightness of Negroamaro's acidity smoothed but not hidden by the oak. Enjoyable, and will work very well with grilled meats or roasts. A nice introduction to Negoramaro if you are new to the varietal.
88-90

Duca Carlo Guarini Vigne Vecchie Salento IGT 2008
Lot VV1 2011
This is a Primitivo; it's deep slightly almandine ruby with white rim. The bouquet is moderately rich with berry fruit mingled with orange peel and some spice, supported by a fair amount of alcohol. It's still coming together. On the palate it's ample and rich, with powerful plum fruit supported by savory tannins that have a slight burr and flow into a clean warm plum finish with savory tannic underpinning and lasting tannic warmth. It's quick to write and the wine is very young, but it's pleasant and shows considerable promise; it needs a few months to get its bearings, and will then drink nicely with rich stews.
2 stars

Duca Carlo Guarini Boemondo Salento IGT 2007
Lot bo 1 2011
This is Primitivo; it's made with about 30% dried grapes, and spends a couple of years in tonneaux. It's inky pyrope with black cherry rim. The bouquet is elegant, with rich prune plum fruit supported by some cedar and hints of scndalwood, and by some sweetness as well. On the palate it's full and rich, with warm sweet prune fruit supported by sandalwood laced tannins and rune acidity with underlying warmth that flows into a long warm prune laced finish. Quite elegant, and very pleasant; it's a wine that still coming together but already displays considerable depth and complexity, and is a wine you should think about if you like Primitivo. In addition to the standard roasts and stews, it will also work well with aged cheeses thans to the sweetness that derives from the dried grapes. Very pleasant.
90-92

Duca Carlo Guarini Ambra Passito Bianco Salento IGT 2009
Lot not on label (bottled for Vinitaly)
This is a Sauvignon. It's brassy gold with brilliant brassy reflections. the bouquet is powerful, and sweet, with some gooseberry accents and some dried white fruit, supported by quite a bit of sugar. On the palate it's rich, with powerful dried apricot fruit supported by dried apricot acidity and sweetness, which confers a rich languor to it, while there are some spicy mineral accents that gradually emerge in the finish, which is warm and very long. Quite elegant and with considerable depth, while the richness of the fruit and the sweetness are balanced well by acidity, which keeps the wine from being cloying.
90-91

Duca Carlo Guarini Rarum Passito Salento IGT 2008
Lot 1p 11
This is a blend of Negroamaro and Malvasia Nera fermented in steel (as was Ambra); it's deep pyrope with black reflections and cherry rim. The bouquet is powerful and elegant, with sweet prune fruit supported by bitter chocolate of the Modicana sort and pleasant spice, also some vegetal notes and some alcohol, and some dark brown sugar. Quite a bit going on. On the palate it's ample, rich, and sweet, with full bright berry fruit supported by dusky brown sugar sweetness that confers a certain languir, while there is also deft warmth and the tannins are smooth and again cocoa laced, flowing into a long smooth finish. Very pleasant and though it needs another year to come together fully is a wine that you should definitiolay look for if you like passiti; it's very different in terms of flavor registry from the classic north Italian passito (i.e. Recioto), and well worth seeking out.
92

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Garantito IGP Siccagno 2008 Sicilia IGT, Nero D'Avola according to Arianna Occhipinti

This time Luciano Pignataro takes the stage:

Today Vinitaly begins, and we'd rather not think of tired or repetitive rituals, but rather new reasons for interest in wine.

For example Arianna Occhipinti, the fresh new image of Sicily, a symbol of Slowfood, made her bottle debut when I had already been to Verona in the spring eight times. We paid a visit to her with Carmelo Corona and Leo Ciomei (the gastrofanatic photos are his) to capture her sense of wine, an example of how it is necessary to buck the current well with seriousness and coherence, as those who look beyond the tips of their noses can do.

In all barely 12 hectares built around the heart of the estate born in the property her architect father bought as a country home in Vittoria.

The young Arianna, still far short of 30, tied herself to this sandy calcareous land incessantly buffeted by Iblean and Ionian winds, and went, a journalist might say, from big to small yields, from conventional to certifiably organic agriculture, from weet to savory, from softness to acidity, from selected to indigenous yeasts.

It is thus that Sicily defends herself, for example with a sip of Siccagno 2008.

It was the early 90s and Sicily seemed the new California, people were coming and buying, in wine bars people spoke only of Nero D'Avola, and it was mildly exotic to drink it in Rome or Milan.

Thus whole generations of young wine lovers grew up without knowing the true flavor of Sicily's most important red, thinking perhaps that the wind bore licorice from Rossano, and that the land yielded Modica Chocolate rather than wine.

It's rather like someone who eats Mozzarì thinking it's Mozzarella.

Rivers of resinous wood with Merlottish accents, tremendous alcohol, sweet and cloying.

Here is the Siccagno 2008, fresh, savory, and cherry laced, it should be adopted by all those wine classes as the archetype of a famed and forgotten varietal. Yes, because another Nero D'Avole, the real one, is still possible.

We drink it with new feelings and brimming with passion, we slake our thirst with a lively, dynamic, light wine.

And we love this tomboy of ours.



Published Simultaneously by IGP, I Giovani Promettenti.





We Are:
Carlo Macchi
Kyle Phillips
Luciano Pignataro
Roberto Giuliani
Stefano Tesi

Pugnitello, Lambrusco, Botticino...

I know, there's not much of a connection between these wines, but I recently received samples of all three.

We'll begin with the Lambrusco.

Lusvardi, whose slogan is "Sparkling by Nature," is a small winery in Molino di Gazzata (Province of Reggio Emilia), which employs Salamino and Grasparossa to make their wines. They sent two, both labeled Lambrusco Brut Vino Spumante (on the back labels), one of which is Red and the other Rosato. Neither indicates a vintage, but I would expect them to be from the 2010 harvest.

Lusvardi Brut Rosé
Lot 04
Pale raspberry pink with white rime and lively perlage that bubbles nicely. The bouquet is fresh, with fairly bright raspberry fruit supported by some acidity and slight breadcrumbs with some hints of mint as well. On the palate it's fairly full, with the fullness also coming from the sparkle, and moderately intense sour raspberry cherry fruit that is supported by both savory raspberry acidity, and by an underlying bitterness that almost brings quinine to mind, and though this might make one wonder it shouldn't, because it provides depth and counterpoint to the acidity. It will be a very nice summer wine and will drink quite well at a cookout or picnic, with white meats or fish, and also be nice with cool summer dishes. Expect it to go quickly.
2 stars

Lusvardi Brut
Lot 04
It's a pale garnet, and the foam is pinkish white, which leads me to suspect that there is more Salamino than Grasparossa in the blend. The bouquet is moderately intense, with berry fruit mingled with bitter accents and some herbal notes, a mixture of oregano and chopped rosemary needles, and some underlying sea salt as well. On the palate it doesn't have the verve of the Rosato -- the sparkle is less intense -- though it is present and adds peppery body, while the fruit is moderately intense red berry fruit supported by bitter accents, almost a graphite shaving bitterness, and by some acidity that flows into a clean savory finish with bitter underpinning that also reveals some herbal accents of rosemary and oregano. It's pleasant though a little more demanding than many Lambruschi; it's a wine that looks one in the eye and converses, rather than going down thoughtlessly. It's not as fruity nor as floral as some Lambrusco, and if you look for that in your Lambrusco this won't work as well for you. If you instead prefer a touch more minerality and hints of underbrush, which do work well, you will enjoy it. In terms of accompaniments, I would think of simple grilled meats and the fixings of a cookout, or perhaps a simple red sauced summer pasta dish.
1 star

Lambrusco has come a great ways since my college days, and every year there are ore Lambruschi that revolve more around quality than simplicity. A pleasant development.

For More Information, Check Lusvardi's Site

Cantine Olivi

A while back I received an invitation to something I couldn't attend. In reading it, however, I noted that one of the wineries, the Azienda Agricola Le Buche, was presenting a Pugnitello. This is an old Tuscan varietal that San Felice has been working with for a while, and I was quite curious to taste another winemaker's interpretation, so I asked Le Buche for a sample, which they were kind enough to send.

The Azienda is located in Sarteano, which is south of Siena in Central Tuscany, not far from either Montalcino or Montepulciano. In addition to the Pugnitello they sent me Coreno, a white, and we'll begin with that:

Coreno 2010 IGT Toscana 2010
Lot 11-400
This is a blend of Trebbiano and Malvasia Bianca, the traditional Tuscan white grapes, and is from an older vineyard. It's pale brassy gold with brilliant brassy reflections, and has an intense bouquet with savory citric accents -- almost like a sour lemon dusted with salt -- supported by herbals notes and heather from a cut field, with some bitter honey as well. On the palate it's rich, and quite savory, with considerable minerality as well, and a slight burr, which flows into a long warm mineral finish with underlying savory acidity. Powerful, and rather brash, in a way that the nose partially presages, and we're a far cry from a delicately oaked wine here. If you like the style, which is vigorous, it will drink very well with grilled fish, and has the acidity and savor necessary to work well with fried fish or meats. With the proper company, it will go very fast.
2 stars

Olivi Cantine Pugnitello Toscana IGT 2008 Lot 10-500
Impenetrable pyrope with violet rim; it's close to poured purple ink. The bouquet is fresh, with fairly bright violets and floral accents mingled with iodine and graphite shavings, and some very ripe forest berry fruit, with underbrush as well. Intriguing, and a nice change of pace from Sangiovese. On the palate it's ample and quite smooth, with minerality more than fruit, and an underlying earthy bitterness that flows into the finish, which is fairly long and again mineral with some India ink, and reveals tongue-tingling black pepper notes as the other things fade. It's interesting, and does require a shifting of gears with respect to the more common Tuscan wines, but is enjoyable and will work well with roasts or stews. It's not for everyone; if you prefer wines that are fruit forward it won't work as well for you, but if you like to think outside the box and think about what's in your glass you will likely enjoy it.
2 stars

The Azienda Le Buche's Site


Franzoni: Vini Bresciani
Lombardia has a number of so-called lesser appellations, and Botticino, from the Alpine foothills to the west of Brescia (mid-way between Brescia and Lake Garda), is one of them. They note that the climate and topography of their region resemble those of Piemonte, but have been wise enough not to tangle with Nebbiolo, which is extraordinarily picky regarding where it is planted, and instead work with a mixture of Barbera, Marzemino, Sangiovese, and Schiava Gentile.

The other thing to note about Botticino is that the wineries employ a bottle called a Deformata Piemonte, which resembles an Albeisa-style bottle, but has a twist in it that throws it off-center. Looks a bit odd, but fits the hand very well and is easy to pour from.

The Azienda Franzoni sent two samples, a 2005 Botticino and a 2003 Botticino Riserva; there are wines that age well and need time to emerge.

Franzoni La Foja Botticino DOC 2005
Lot not visible.
Brick ruby with black reflections and brick rim. The bouquet is intense, and bright, with red berry fruit supported by acidity and by some heather; the acidity is to be expected given the Barbera, and the other grapes contribute complexity, with some graphite shavings and hints of iodine, and also spice with slight hints of wet earth, and as it opens some balsamic accents. Pleasant, in a slightly reserved key. On the palate it's bright, and medium bodied, with fairly rich sour cherry fruit supported by deft berry fruit acidity and by rather slight tannins that are smooth, and flow into a fairly long, slightly greenish sour berry fruit finish. Quite pleasant and will drink very well with roasts or stews; it has a traditional feel to it and is far removed from barriques or other newfangled inventions, and is more a food wine than something to sip (unless you're a traditionalist) far from the table. I enjoyed it, which should come as no surprise considering my tastes.
88-90

Franzoni Foja d'Or Botticino Riserva DOC 2003 Lot 3400
Deep garnet ruby with garnet in the rim; one wouldn't guess, to look at it, that it's going on 8 years old. The bouquet is moderately intense, with iodine and wet tree bark at first sniff, followed by slight red berry fruit and more intense savory accents; it has an austere feel to it. On the palate it's rich, with bright ripe cherry and sour berry fruit that is not at all jammy -- a problem that is frequent in 2003 vintage wines, though there is a greater ripeness than in the 2005 wine and some alcohol-related sweetness -- supported by moderately intense smooth sweet tannins and by deft slight bitterness that flow into a clean underbrush laced mineral finish. It's graceful and quite enjoyable, and will drink very well with a roast or a hearty stew. Expect the bottle to go quickly.
88-90

Botticino is a wine I have tried before, but never systematically, and I must now thank the Azienda Franzoni, because they have given me a project for Vinitaly.