Tasted at Vinitaly: Trabucchi D'Illase

A couple of years ago I visited Raffaella and Giuseppe Trabucchi, who are located in Illasi, on the eastern edge of the Valpolicella Appellation overlooking Soave. A beautiful place, and a most impressive extremely modern winery that is under their home, an elegant country villa. Fine wines too, and I was pleased to have the opportunity to taste the current vintages at Vinitaly.


Trabucchi D'Illasi Valpolicella 1 Anno 2010

Lot L 1212 - 11
This was introduced because they had requests for a young quaffing wine
It's pale cherry ruby with black reflections and cherry rim. The bouquet is bright, and fairly vegetal, with cherry fruit supported by greenish sandalwood accents and spice. Quite light. On the palate it's light, with bright slightly greenish sour cherry fruit supported by warmth and by tannins that are warm and slightly splintery, and flow into a clean greenish berry fruit finish. A classic, simple, easy to drink Valpolicella of the sort we could use a lot more of.
2 stars

Trabucchi D'Illasi San Colombano Valpolicella Superiore 2007

Lot 04 - 12
Deep black garnet with black reflections and almandine in the rim. The bouquet is fairly intense, with greenish vegetal accents and some sandalwood and licorice root, and also a fair amount of warmth It is pleasant but clearly still developing, and this makes sense given that it was just bottled. On the palate it's bright, with fairly rich cherry fruit supported by tannins that have a warm splintery burr, and by moderately intense fairly bright mentholated acidity that flows into a fairly long warm finish. It's still coming together, but will be quite pleasant in a fairly delicate key when it has its bearings. It needs another year at least.
2 stars

Trabucchi D'Illasi Terre del Cereolo Valpolicella Superiore 2005

Lot L05 09
This is their answer to Ripasso, which they do not make; they dry the grapes for a month or slightly more and then press them. Deep black almandine with black reflections and almandine rim with dusky ruby accents. The bouquet is fairly intense with greenish berry fruit laced with cedar and some licorice root with underlying spice; with respect to the San Colombano the wood stands out more, and this is because here there were barriques. On the palate it's ample and fairly smooth, with moderately intense berry fruit supported by tannins that are quite dry, and flow into a dry tannic finish. It's conditioned by the vintage, which was cooler and damper, and the fruit is as a result less intense than it might have been. Because of the dryness of the tannins it will work best with succulent meats that need something to balance them.
1 star

Trabucchi D'Illasi Amarone della Valpolicella 2004

Lot 77 08
Deep black almandine with black reflections and almandine rim. The bouquet is intense, and young, with bright greenish vegetal accents mingled with sour prune accents and considerable licorice root with underlying minerality and spice. Pleasant, and harmonious, but a toddler. On the palate it's full, with fairly bright sour cherry prune fruit supported by tannins that have a warm peppery burr and flow into a warm licorice root laced finish with lasting warmth and a slightly peppery tannic underpinning with slight smoky accents. It's very, very young and needs another 3-5 years to come together. It will be worth the wait.
2 stars

Trabucchi D'Illasi Amarone della Valpolicella 2006

Lot 07-11
This has a new label. The wine is deep black almandine with slim reflections and black cherry rim. The bouquet is intense, and spicy, with powerful greenish accents mingled with balsamic notes and slight savory accents, there's also a slight barnyard tang. Harmonious and holds together quite well, in a youthful key. On the palate it's richer and much more along than the 2004, with bright elegant prune cherry fruit supported by bright prune acidity and by tannins that are smooth and dusky with slight greenish accents, and flow into a clean bright prune laced finish. It's more approachable than the 2004 is at present, and one could drink it with a succulent roast or stew, though it will reward those blessed with patience.
90-91

Trabucchi D'Illasi Recioto della Valpolicella 2005

Lot 08 08
Impenetrable pyrope ruby with some brick in the rim. The bouquet is intense, with prunes mingled with sweetness and some rather penetrating vegetal notes at the fist swish that rapidly fade, leaving spice to brown sugar and some oatmeal, which nicely balance with the fruit. On the palate it's full and voluptuously sweet, with elegant smooth sweet prune fruit supported by sweet moderately intense brown sugar laced acidity, and by tannins that are fairly dry, and flow into a clean sweet rather dry finish. Very pleasant, especially the sweetness of the fruit, while the tannic underpinning is such that I would be tempted to enjoy it with flavorful creamy cheeses than by itself. If you like sweet wines you will enjoy it.
88-90

Trabucchio D'Illasi Recioto di Soave 2006

Lot 03 - 11
Pale tawny gold with brilliant old gold reflections and white rim. The bouquet is intense, with sweetness laced with slight botrytis and some honeydew melon with slight passion fruit as well, and a re3freshing coolness too. On the palate it's full and quite sweet, with rich honeydew melon supported by sweetness and moderate acidity that is enough to keep it from being cloying on the outset, and as it fades into honeyed sweetness very fine candied melon rind, which is one of those things that not everyone likes, but if you do it is a very pleasant surprise and lasts and lasts. Very pleasant, and if you like sweet wines you will enjoy it very much because it's not simply sweet, but plays within the sweetness register. I didn't pour it out.
90-91