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

Aurelio Settimo: Verticale e Vini

Last year I paid a visit to Tiziana Settimo on the day after Alba Wines, and had a great time, though we wandered the vineyards in the pouring rain and I came home with quite a bit of her topsoil stuck to my shoes.

This year she organized a vertical after one of the day's tastings at Nebbiolo Prima, and I eagerly accepted her invitation. We began with something new, and worked back:

Aurelio Settimo Riserva Rocche Barolo 2004
This is a prerelease sample of the final blend, taken from the tank. In other words, a work in progress that has yet to have bottle age. The wine is pleasing almandine with black reflections and almandine with almandine rim. The bouquet is intense, with some balsamic accents and spice supported by berry fruit and savory notes. It's a work in progress and still developing. On the palate it's quite elegant, with rich berry fruit supported by deft berry fruit acidity and smooth sweet tannins that have slightly sweet balsamic accents and flow into a clean bright berry fruit finish. Beautiful wine, and will be very very fine when it has some bottle age under its belt. Expect it to age well for a decade or more and to simply continue to improve.

Aurelio Settimo Riserva Rocche Barolo 1999
This was made by Aurelio -- Tiziana's first vintage was 2000 -- and was refused by the tasting commission the first time around, because -- they said -- it was at risk of aging too quickly and needed to be "protected." How, one wonders, and indeed the second time Tiziana presented it it passed easily. It's a rich deep black almandine with black reflections and almandine rim paling to orange; it's darker than the 2004 Riserva despite being 5 years older. The bouquet is quite nice, with rich berry fruit supported by lively acidity and by some chestnut skins, also slight underbrush and the beginnings of tertiary aromas such as saddle leather and leaf tobacco. Very fresh and a great deal going on, a pleasure to sniff, and one of those wines one could get used to, and demand daily. On the palate it's beautiful, with rich berry fruit supported by deft savory acidity and by smooth sweet tannins that flow into a clean bright cherry finish with some underlying bitterness and very slight sweet accents that add depth and complexity. Beautiful wine, one to write home about. Most impressive.
93-5

Aurelio Settimo Rocche Barolo 1989
First, a little history: 1989 was the first really dry vintage they had, and also the first hot vintage. In 1990 they harvested early for the first time. 2004 was a more traditional vintage, harvesting in October, but many of the more recent vintages have been early.

And now the wine:
Not a Riserva this time; Deep almandine with black reflections and almandine rim paling to yellow onionskin on the nail. One wouldn't necessarily guess it is older than the 99 from the color. The bouquet is rich, with bright balsamic acidity and savory accents mingled with green leather, dusky leaf tobacco, and some spice. Quick to write, but very pleasant to sniff and it displays great depth. On the palate it's full and rich and very smooth, with powerful red berry fruit supported by smooth sweet velvety tannins that have beautiful savory depth, and flow into a clean bright savory finish. Very nice, a wine of tremendous finesse and elegance whose age one would never, ever guess. Tremendously impressive, and a wine that will be eternal.
93

Aurelio Settimo Rocche Barolo 1979
This is with a specialty label showing Elena of Toledo, from a company Tiziana and her cousins set up to market all of their wines (the idea didn't work out, and they went back to their labels a year later). Pretty almandine with brownish reflections and almandine rim with onionskin nail. The bouquet is fairly intense, with elegant leaf tobacco and spice supported by pleasant savory notes and deft balsamic acidity. On the palate it's rich, but beginning to show its age, with savory leathery leafy fruit supported by savory tannins that are distinctly dry and flow into a clean bright balsamic finish with some minerality and a degree of wet earth. Quite pleasant, though it is beginning to show its age and has clearly peaked. Tiziana opened another bottle yesterday, and it is quite interesting; the greater aeration has resulted in much more pronounced tertiary aromas - it's like sniffing a palate of leaf tobacco. The palate is richer and more elegant, with smoother sweeter tannins and much less earthiness than the bottle opened today. One often hears that with older wines each bottle is a story unto itself, and here we see it. Yesterday's bottle was distinctly superior. A score would be pointless, because it's simply good, one of those rare treasures one stumbles across in a cellar or a wine shop or restaurant with a good collection of wines.

Some Wines Tasted Here and There

A couple of weeks ago there was a show called Taste in Florence's Stazione Leopolda, the old train station that is now one of the nicest venues for shows and events in all of Italy. Though Taste was dedicated primarily to foods, there were a number of wineries as well, and I made a couple of interesting discoveries

Bellaguardia is an estate located in Montecchio Maggiore, in the Monte Lessini, not far from Vicenza, and produces a number of sparkling wines using Durello, an indigenous grape, and in some cases other grapes as well. I started with:

Bellaguardia Riserva di Mario Metodo Classico IGT Veneto

This is non-vintage, and spent 14 (!) years on the lees. It's a blend of Durello and Pinot Bianco. Elegant slightly greenish gold with brilliant lime green reflections and fine perlage. The bouquet is interesting and rich, with savory breadcrumbs supported by mineral acidity and very ripe lemons, and has something haunting to it. Great depth. On the palate it's full and quite mineral, with smoky overtones, and clean savory citric accents, while the sparkle, which is a little too charged to be called creamy, adds pleasant peppery notes and flows into a long peppery mineral finish. Quite pleasant, and an eye-opening illustration of Durello's potential.

It also develops beautifully in the glass; I set it aside as I tasted the other wines, and by the time I returned to it it also displayed smoky accents and menthol mingled with caramel, while sour lemons emerge in the finish and to a degree on the palate. Very much a moving target.

91-2

Bellaguardia Extrabrut IGT Veneto

This is a blend of pinot Bianco and Pinot Nero,and spends 30 months on the lees. It's pale brassy white with fine perlage. The bouquet is airy, with breadcrumbs and some minerality laced with citric accents. On the palate it's full and creamy, with the creaminess from sparkle, and some minerality. Coming on the heels of the Riserva it has a tough act to follow, but is pleasant in a light fairly direct key. A nice wine to drink as an aperitif.

1 star

Bellaguardia Capuleti Rosé Metodo Classico IGT Veneto

This is Pinot Nero, and is an intriguing shallot skin with greenish reflections and fine intense perlage. The bouquet is intense, with bitter minerality and breadcrumbs and some smoky savory notes. On the palate it's rich, with clean elegant savory bitterness supported by the sparkle, which confers creaminess and flows into a clean savory finish. Pleasant and quite versatile; it will be nice as an aperitif and will also drink well with foods, from fish through risotti. In a word, bracing.

88-90

Tenuta Zicari
This is an Apulian estate that has pretty labels, and yes, they do matter. They have three different Primitivo wines, from three vineyards of varying ages, and I think that they are wise to differentiate.

Tenuta Zicari Patruale Primitivo di Manduria DOC 2008

This is from a 25 year old vineyard; it's deep pyrope ruby with brick ruby reflections. The bouquet is fairly rich, with balsamic accents and savory notes mngled with plumft and some underbrush. On the palate it's full and rather languid, with moderately intense dry plum fruit supported by cedar-laced tannins with the cedar from grape, and savory accents that flow into a clean fairly dry finish. Pleasant in a chewy key; it's a touch drier than some of the Primitivo I have tasted, but has the softness I associate with Primitivo, and is nice to drink.

2 stars

Tenuta Zicari Calabrìgo Primitivo di Manduria DOC 2008

This vineyard is 15 years old. The wine is elegant brick ruby with ruby reflections; the bouquet is cut from the same cloth as its sibling, with clean rich spicy notes, sweetness, and jammy accents with some underbrush as well. Zesty in a rich key. On the palate it's full and rich with elegant plum cherry fruit supported by clean sweet plum laced tannins that flow into a plume-prune finish. Quite pleasant in an open approachable key; it is easier and friendlier than the Patruale, and will be nice by the glass if you like rich, softer smoother reds. The Patruale has more to say, and is more distant.

2 stars

Tenuta Zicari Apulus Primitivo di Manduria DOC 2008

This is from a younger vineyard. Lively ruby with black reflections. The bouquet is vinous and fairly tart, and considerably less ripe than the other wines; this is in part because of the immaturity of the vineyard. On the palate it's bright and fresh with cherry plum fruit supported by cedary tannins (cedar from grape) and bright mineral acidity. Quite fresh, and will drink very well with lesser grilled meats, or, for that matter, an elegant pizza. Approachable, and nice fruit.

2 stars

In addition to the Primitivo in Purezza they also make a pair of blends, one Primitivo-Cabernet and the other Primitivo-Merlot, both of which are designed -- much as Supertuscans were 40 years ago, when Sangiovese was largely unknown on the world stage -- to appeal to international markets that won't know what to make of a Primitivo. I liked them both in this context -- they are quite approachable, and easy to drink with considerable fruit, and if you like lush fruit driven wines you will especially like the Solicato, Tenuta Zicari's Primitivo-Merlot blend.

Tenuta Zicari Diago Salento IGT 2007

This is a Negroamaro, and is lively ruby with some orange in the rim. The bouquet is fairly rich, with sour cherry fruit supported by strawberries and raspberries, and some menthol, with underbrush too. Nice, and fresh. On the palate it's bright, with lively sour cherry fruit supported by smooth tannins that have some bitter accents and flow into a clean rather bitter finish. Quite approachable, and will work well as a cookout wine, with grilled meats, and they also say grilled fish.

2 stars

The nice thing about fairs like Taste is the unexpected; just a few steps from Tenuta Zicari was Cantine Trexenta, a Sardinian cooperative whose wines I had never tried. I was especially impressed by:

Cantina Trexenta

Cantina Trexenta Corte Auda Canonau di Sardegna DOC 2007
Lively cherry ruby with cherry rim fading to orange. The bouquet is bright and brambly, with greenish accents and bright sour forest berry fruit, a mix of strawberry, tart raspberry, and pleasant mentholated spice from grapes. Scrappy, with quite a bit going on in a bright, wide-eyed key. On the palate it's deft, and fairly light, with lively sour berry fruit supported by brambly acidity and smooth greenish tannins that flow into a clean greenish finish. Quite pleasant, and will drink very well with grilled meats or summer foods. Expect the bottle to go quickly.
88-90

The above was last week. This week I instead went to a celebration of Wine Surf, with all sorts of wines. I mostly swirled and tasted, but did take a few notes too.

Aurelio Settimo

Aurelio Settimo Barolo Rocche 2002

When I tasted Tiziana's 2002 Barolo Rocche for the first time, I was unimpressed, and told her that I would have simply made Barolo from that vintage, which was the coldest and wettest in decades. A number of years have passed, and I was quite happy to retaste it now. Deep brownish ruby with almandine rim paling to onionskin. The bouquet is fairly intense, with mentholated berry fruit and considerable underbrush and wet leaves, and some pungency too. On the palate it's fairly light and brambly, with brambly tannins and acidity more than fruit supported by green leaf tobacco and acidity that flow into a dry bitter finish. It is graceful, in a cool weather key, and I found it fascinating. In other words, Tiziana was right and I was wrong. This said, it is not a wine for the casual wine drinker, but rather for the wine lover who is willing to quietly listen to the tale it has to tell.

90

Aurelio Settimo Barolo Rocche 2003

This vintage was instead the hottest and driest vintage in decades; the wine is garnet ruby with orange in the rim, and has a much richer bouquet with berry fruit that manages to be not too jammy supported by rosa canina and some leather. Clearly from a hot vintage, and some of the heat emerges. On the palate it's full, smooth, and enveloping, with berry fruit supported by brisk acidity (brisker than displayed by many 2003 wines) and smooth sweet tannins. It's quite young, and very different from the 02; it's more approachable (in youth) than the 02, but has less depth, and this is due to the vintage, which was anything but subtle.

2 stars

Cavallotto

Cavallotto Bricco Boschis Vigna San Giuseppe Barolo 2001.

This was poured from a magnum, and is deep cherry ruby with garnet rim. Elegant bouquet, with berry fruit and dried rosa canina mingled with the beginnings of leaf tobacco and spice. Delicate, with considerable harmony and quite pleasant. On the palate it's ample and rich, with elegant berry fruit underlain by leaf tobacco bitterness and supported by smooth sweet tannins that flow into a clean,rich, dusky finish with underlying bitterness. Impressive, one of those wines one hates to pour out at a tasting.

91-2

Montevertine

Montevertine Le Pergole Torte 2007

Deep pigeon blood ruby with cherry rim. The bouquet is still closed, though swishing brings up red berry fruit and some spice. On the palate it's elegant, and rich, with ripe deft berry fruit supported by berry fruit and currant acidity and by smooth sweet tannins that flow into a clean berry fruit finish. A beautiful, graceful wine that displays great finesse even in youth, and is well worth seeking out.
92-4


Castello di Bolgheri

Riccardo Margheri pointed them out to me, and I thank him.

Castello di Bolgheri Bolgheri Superiore 2006

Deep pigeon blood ruby with cherry rim. The bouquet is very young, with underbrush and dusky vegetal-laced bitterness. It says "I'm here," but is a babe. On the palate it's impressive, with lean rich very smooth fruit and nice minerality that flows into a clean rather bitter finish. Considerable depth despite its obvious youth, and it has a great future.
90-91

Muri Gries

Muri Gries St Maddalener Sudtyrol 2007

Pale brick ruby with white rim. The bouquet is fairly rich, with berry fruit and some underbrush , and as it opens bright jammy cherry fruit. Young and zesty. On the palate it's bright and rich, with cherry and currant fruit supported by underbrush bitterness and brambly acidity that flow into a clean brambly finish. A lark of a wine that will be fantastic at a cookout, and nice at a picnic too. Or, indoors, with simple grilled or fried meats. Expect the bottle to go and for people to clamor for more.

90