Tasted at Vinitaly: A Selection of 2001 Amarone

Amarone is a wine that needs time to develop; though it's usually released 3 years after the harvest, at that point t it's a work in progress, and while it may show grace and elegance, these qualities generally emerge through a filter of disjointed if not screechy youth. Things begin to improve with another 3-5 years of bottle age, when the wine is approaching a decade in age, and in the case of good to very good vintages, the wines can continue to grow for decades.

2001 was a very fine vintage, and this year, in addition to pouring their current vintages, the folks at the Valpolicella Crus stand brought their 2001 Amarone. A perfect occasion to evaluate how it has developed.


Lorenzo Begali Monte Cà Bianca Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2001

Deep black almandine with black reflections and hints of brown in the rim. The bouquet is elegant, with pleasing stewed plum fruit supported by spice, in particular nutmeg, mingled with sandalwood and some sweetness, and supported by slightly mineral acidity and some alcohol, while there is also a licorice root underpinning that provides direction and allure. On the palate it's full and very smooth, with powerful licorice root laced prune fruit supported by deft slightly greenish acidity and by tannins that are velvety, and flow into a long warm prune finish with licorice underpinning and peppery spicy warmth. It's still very young, and while eminently drinkable -- it will be wonderful with a rich Veronese stew along the lines of pastissada -- it also has a great road ahead of it. A timeless delight.
93-5

Venturini Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2001

Deep black cherry ruby with black reflections and some hints of almandine brownishness in the rim. The bouquet is intense, and rather smoky, with berry fruit laced with hardwood ash and some airy spice, and also warm peppery accents. And as it opens some licorice root as well. It's more hesitant than the Begali, which is eager to explode out of the glass. Here we have a wine that isn't quite as sure that having been opened was a good idea. On the palate it's ample, smooth, and moderately sweet, with prune fruit supported by cooked strawberry prune acidity and by smooth sweet tannins that do have a slight splintery burr, and flow into a warm prune laced finish with lasting warmth that also reveals some licorice root as the fruit fades. It's a less explosive interpretation of Amarone, one that evolves around rich smoothness of fruit, and is quite pleasant though more of a sipping wine than a wine to serve with a richly flavored stew.
2 stars

Novaia Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2001

Deep black almandine with brilliant ruby red and some brown in the rim. The bouquet is intense, and rather exotic, with rather voluptuous stewed prune fruit supported by sandalwood and licorice root, and hints of cocoa and peppery spice as well, and also fairly bright alcohol. Powerful. On the palate it's full, with rich cherry prune fruit supported by warm fairly deft berry fruit acidity and by tannins that are smooth though a touch dry, and have slight cocoa accents. Quite pleasant, and sunny on the palate, with a tannic zestiness that will make it better suited to rich meats dishes -- goulash, or pastissada, for example, than being sipped on its own. It has a lot to say in a sort of sassy key, and is still very young.
90

Stefano Accordini Vigneto il Fornetto Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2001

Deep black garnet with black reflections and some brown to the rim. The bouquet is intense and delicate, with smoky prune fruit supported by nose tingling spice and deft sandalwood, while there is also some licorice root and some underlying alcohol; it takes its time coming out of the glass. No rush., and as it opens some brown sugar also emerges, together with hints of cola, and it becomes more voluptuous. On the palate it's full and fairly sweet, with powerful cherry prune fruit supported by warmth and hints of sandalwood and licorice root, white the tannins are smooth and silky, and flow into a long prune laced finish with some cocoa sweetness from the tannins. Quite pleasant in a seductive slightly more international key, and is a wine that one could sip now, though it will also9 work very well with succulent stews. It's not quite as young as some of the others -- perhaps in second grade rather than first -- but still has a long climb ahead of it
92

Villa Spinosa Guglielmi di Jago Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2001

Guglielmi di Jago was the ancestor who built the family residence, and this is a special selection of about 3,000 bottles they make with their best grapes. The first vintage was 1998, which they released in 2008 to considerable acclaim, and this is the third vintage, released now.
Deep black almandine with almandine reflections and rim paling to brownish orange. The bouquet is intense, with prune fruit laced with hardwood ash and fairly intense sandalwood .-- it's more apparent than in some mingled with sweetness and some licorice root. Heady, and as it opens, voluptuous, and as it opens further delicate nutmeg also emerges supported by cedar. On the palate it's ample, fairly sweet, and very smooth, with rich prune fruit supported by slight smoky accents and moderate mineral acidity, and by tannins that are very smooth on the outset, revealing a slight splintery burr as the fruit fades. It's very pleasant in a rich, ripe, polished key, and is a wine that will work quite nicely with a roast or stew, and will also be a wine that one could drink far from the table, though more in a few years' time than now -- the burr of the tannins is still folding in. With respect to the others it is the most polished, with a ripe smoothness of fruit that makes it slightly more seductive. If you are a wine geek drawn to raw power it won't work quite as well for you, but if you instead like silkier wines it will impress you considerably.
93

Trabucchi Amarone della Valpolicella 2001

Deep pigeon blood ruby with slight almandine accents and almandine rim with hints of brown to it. The bouquet is intense, and distinct, with warm prune fruit supported by some bell pepper jelly and licorice root with slight sandalwood mingled with licorice root and peppery underlying spice. Rich, and displays considerable depth. Quite pleasant to sniff. On the palate it's full, rich, and fairly sweet, with pleasant prune cherry fruit supported by slight licorice root-laced acidity and by tannins that are warm and fairly splintery yet, and flow into a fairly long sandalwood and licorice root laced greenish prune fruit finish with lasting warmth. It's quite elegant, in a graceful slightly greenish spicy key, and will drink well now with stews or roasts. It's quite fresh, and will continue to age for many many more years.
88-90

Viviani L'Amarone della Casa Di Bepi Amarone della Valpolicella 2001

Deep black garnet with black reflections and garnet rim. The bouquet is more cautious than most, hanging back, and when prodded releases warmth and balsamic accents with hints of lathered horse, which are followed, as it opens, by spicy prune fruit with slight savory accents. It's calm, and in no great hurry. On the palate it's ample and rather dry, with moderate prune fruit supported by dusky tannins that have some sandalwood and slight cedar to them, and flow into a fairly long finish in which licorice root emerges strongly. Of the wines in the flight it's the driest and the one with the least fruit; while the tannins are a bit more apparent than in the other wines. It's a wine that I wouldn't consider sipping far from the table, but because of the tannic structure would perhaps open with a succulent stew or roast.
2 stars

These wines prove what I have often said: Amarone is at its release an unfinished wine that needs time to come together. Not months, but years, and all of these wines were very young and very fresh: they are ready, but are at the beginning of their lives as finished wines, and all are still climbing.

While the give pleasure now, they will give more pleasure a few years' hence, and this is why I suggest those who buy Amarone not do so for the moment, but in the expectation of a happy occasion. Think of them as investments in the future.

The History of Sangiovese di Romagna In 7 Chapters and 26 Bottles

There's no question that Sangiovese ages well -- Traditional Brunello begins to show well after a decade or more, there are legendary bottles in Chianti Rufina, and it has been my good fortune to taste some extraordinary, and extraordinarily fresh Carmignano wines from the 30s.

These are all Tuscan. People tend to think less of ageworthiness in conjunction with the Sangiovese from Romagna, perhaps because the general image of Sangiovese di Romagna is as a lighter quaffing wine. This doesn't mean, however, that Sangiovese di Romagna cannot age well, and indeed in 1970 Mario Pezzi, of the Fattoria Paradiso, decided to try something new: A Sangiovese di Romagna aged in small oak the first wine of its kind in Romagna, and a wine that the late Luigi Veronelli thought was a great idea. So did others -- he was invited to supply it to the Palazzo del Quirinale, Residence of the President of Italy, and it quickly attracted both attention and imitators.

His daughter Graziella brought the last bottle to a retrospective of Sangiovese di Romagna organized by Giorgio Melandri on the occasion of the establishment of a Sangiovese di Romagna archive in the cellars under the main square in Bertinoro, a town in the heartland of Sangiovese di Romagna.

The retrospective featured 26 bottles, which Giorgio organized into 7 chapters (for want of a better term), each illustrating an aspect of winemaking in Romagna over the past 40 years.


The invention of the Riserva, and other Ways of Making Wine: the 70s

Fattoria Paradiso: Vigna Lepri 1970

Pale almandine with orange rim. The bouquet is elegant, in a thoroughly tertiary key, with dusky accents, alcohol, Moroccan leather, brandied prunes with some brandied raisins too, sweetness from alcohol, and some bramble, cool accents, slight balsam, hints of sherry and also some nougat. A lot going on, and it continues to evolve with great interest. On the palate it's dusky, with warm rather leathery sour cherry fruit with savory accents and some leaf tobacco as well, flowing into a long savory tobacco laced finish. Very nice, and though it is clearly quite old, has a story to tell and is a wine a wine lover will enjoy conversing with. This was the last bottle.

Fattoria Paradiso Vigna Lepri 1975

Pale almandine with orange rim. The bouquet is deft, though not as bright as the 70, with warm savory notes and sour berry fruit supported by considerable leaf tobacco and some greenish notes with considerable balsamic accents too. Pleasant, in a quite material key. On the palate it's tertiary, with leather and sour cherry fruit supported by deft tannins and some brandied fruit, also savory notes and flows into a long dry greenish tannic finish. It has a lot to say, and is perhaps a little more powerful and interesting on palate than the nose. It's not quite as bright as the 70, and this is in part the vintage, and in part the bottle.

Both wines were quite interesting and very much Sangiovese, with the acidity typical of Sangiovese of the period and scrappy tannins holding them up.

Spalletti Rocca di Ribano 1975

Deep almandine with some black reflections and almandine rim. Quite deep color, surprisingly so for a Sangiovese of that time. The bouquet is interesting, and a bit odd, with cut flowers and chrysanthemums, with a degree of sweetness as well; it's quite green, with aromas that are more typical of older southern wines -- Negroamaro and Primitivo -- than Sangiovese with some savory notes too. It's interesting. On the palate it's earthy, with savory notes and spice, sour berry fruit and some balsamic notes, with considerable leather as well. Unusual mouthfeel, with some carob and a certain leatheriness, and one again has the impression that there is also something else in the wine in addition to Sangiovese.

It is quite possible; winemaking was approximate at the time, and many did flesh out their wines with more powerful southern wines.

Giuseppe Nicolucci Sangiovese 1975

Pale almandine with almandine rim. The bouquet is fairly rich with carob and leather mingled with some savory notes and balsamic brambly acidity. The palate is quite alive, with bright leathery savory notes supported by tannins that are brambly and leathery, and flow into a clean savory finish. Quite whole yet, and a lot going on with considerable depth and elegance. It's interesting, and though again quite old is graceful in a rather lacy key, and has quite a bit to say. Very impressive, and as is the case with the other 1970s wines shows that there was much more territoriality, taking the acidity the wine had and accepting it, without attempting to soften it or make it more appealing to an "international" taste, and this is part of the reason for its longevity.

Cesari Sangiovese Riserva 1979

Pale almandine with almandine rim. The bouquet is, well, the Italian term would be scarico, which means unloaded or empty, with some balsam and slight mentholated accents, some alcohol. Slight dried leaves. And hints leather. On the palate it's bright, with slightly candied fruit supported by fairly bright brambly acidity and some sweetness from alcohol, and tannins that have a brambly burr and flow into a fairly long savory brambly finish with slight sweetish accents. Pleasant, and though some of the other tasters found it more commercial, I found it to display some of the same distance of the others -- perhaps not quite as much, but the distance is there.


These are wines of the pre-consulting winemaker era, when the winemakers in the wineries made the wine following tradition using what they had, some wood, all large, and tradition.

Consulting winemakers began to arrive in the early 1980s. Vittorio Fiore was one of the first and most important, settling in at the Azienda Castelluccio.

One can dream: The early 1980s

Castelluccio Ronco delle Ginestre 1982

Ruby with almandine rim; color has held more than the older wines. The bouquet is deft, with savory balsamic accents with warm sea salt and green leather, also Moroccan leather, and some deft mentholated accents with slight underbrush as well. Quite interesting. On the palate it's bright, with fairly rich cherry fruit supported by slight bitter accents, and by moderately intense rather scrappy tannins, and flow into a clean slightly leathery finish. Quite a bit going on, and quite impressive, a testimonial to the potential of the land. Castelluccio, which used barriques, was the first wine from Romagna to break out of the region and sell well outside of Romagna, commanding prices higher than those of Chianti Classico in places like Rome. Though it is now quite mature, it is quite obvious why it commanded the prices it did.

Giuseppe Nicolucci Sangiovese Superiore Dlà Pré 1981

Pale almandine with almandine reflections and orangeish rim. The bouquet is fairly rich, with unusual floral accents and savory notes, with some sea salt as well, and a slight balsamic underpinning with some herbal notes -- woodsy thyme with mentholated accents in particular -- the wine is not quite perfect, and this is the bottle. On the palate it's ample and mineral, with considerable savory accents and dusky balsam-laced berry fruit supported by moderate acidity and tannins that have a warm greenish burr, and flow into a warm savory finish. Impressive, and again clearly reveals the potential of the area. Which is considerable, though the vintage was weaker, and this wine is more tired.

The 80s and 90s: Ugly Ducklings

Innovation is a process of trial, experimentation, and reaction to the results of the trials and experiments, which are sometimes successful and sometimes less so. The 80s and 90s were a period of tremendous experimentation, with people trying new pruning techniques, new planting strategies, and new cellar techniques.

Poderi dal Nespoli Borgo Guidi 1983

Cherry ruby with black reflections and almandine rim paling to orange. The bouquet is fresh, with hints of balsam and berry fruit that bring to mind nougat somehow, and some menthol and leaf tobacco, with some leather too, and pleasant spice. Quite a bit going on. On the palate it's bright, with fairly lively warm sour cherry fruit supported by leathery accents and some spice, quite a bit of sea salt, and tannins that have a greenish burr, and flow into a warm savory finish. It's rich and smooth, and has a certain suppleness to the tannic structure that suggests it isn't completely Sangiovese.

La Berta Cà di La Berta 1999

This was by Stefano Chioccioli, a leading Tuscan consulting winemaker whose wines tend to be richly fruit forward in youth. It's deep black cherry ruby with black reflections and some almandine in the rim. The bouquet is ripe, with fairly bright cherry fruit supported by some prune liqueur and candied accents, with some mineral notes, and some greenish vegetal accents with something fairly aromatic. On the palate it's ample and soft, with cherry fruit supported by smooth sweet tannins, while the acidity is firmly in check and the finish is rather bitter, a reflection of the oak. It's much less alive than the other wines, and while it may have been seductive and fruit forward in youth the production technique has penalized it with time.

The 90s: Here Comes The Gang

Experimentation continued, spreading to those who had been hesitant at first, and people began to get a feel for what they wanted to do.

Fattoria Paradiso Vigna Lepri 1990

Deep black almandine with black reflections and almandine rim. The bottle is less than perfect, a problem that can happen with older wines. It's spicy, with candied accents and some mint supporting berry fruit and slight balsam and some leather as well, also Moroccan leather and some alcohol. On the palate it's also a touch tired, and this is again the bottle; reading between the lines there is pleasant acidity and slightly balsamic tannic structure supporting sour berry fruit while the tannins are dusky with a silky underpinning, and the finish is savory with some prune plum fruit and some dried mushrooms as well. An imperfect bottle, but one that clearly reveals the potential of the vintage.

Drei Donà - La Palazza Pruno 1994

Fairly deep black cherry ruby with cherry rim. The bouquet is fairly intense, with berry fruit and some vegetal accents, balsamic acidity and spice and an underpinning of dried mushrooms. Pleasant but going in a different direction with respect to the earlier 70s wines. Much cedar too. All Sangiovese? On the palate it's ample, with cherry fruit supported by splintery accents, and moderate acidity; the acidity plays second fiddle to the tannins and flows into a bitter finish savory finish with some oaky accents. It revolves more around minerality and leafy notes than fruit, and this makes it more particular; my first impression was that it was less interesting, but fellow tasters rave about it and sipping it again makes me realize they have a point. It is in any case what one would call international in style.

Giovanna Madonia Ombroso 1997

Deep cherry ruby with cherry rim. The bouquet is fairly intense, with considerable minerality and some iodine, and also hints of camphor and slight cedar. On the palate it's fairly rich, with lively cherry fruit supported by minerality more than acidity, and by tannins that have greenish vegetal accents and a warm pencil shaving graphite laced burr, and flows into a clean rather bitter finish. Interesting, and though it doesn't have the acidity that the earlier wines have, does display pleasing personality. I wonder if it is all Sangiovese.

Fattoria Zerbina Marzeno 1998

Deep black cherry ruby with cherry rim. The bouquet is fairly rich, with savory accents and warm berry fruit supported by sea salt, brings sweat socks to mind in a positive way. The palate is bright, with lively cherry fruit supported by considerable minerality and graphite shaving bitterness that flows into a clean bright mineral finish. Interesting, with considerable personality, and it does have Cabernet in it, which however hues to Romagna. Quite interesting.

Romagna By Luck and By Chance

Further experimentation during the 1990s, some quite successful, and some slightly less so.

Calonga Michelangiolo 2000

Deep black cherry with cherry rim. The bouquet is warm and savory, brings well salted stewed tomatoes to mind, with savory notes and spice, and some berry fruit. On the palate it's ample, with rich jammy cherry fruit supported by tannins that are quite mineral and decidedly dusky, flowing into a dusky mineral finish. It's charged, and quite distinctive, a wine that you will like or not. Powerful too, and though Giorgio says it has Merlot I don't note it in the tannins -- though there is some cassis on the nose.

Il Pratello Badia Raustignolo 1998

Deep black cherry with black reflections and cherry rim. The bouquet is interesting, with candied accents and berry fruit supported by some leather and prunes, also savory notes and some caraway seed. Smoky notes too. On the palate it's fairly rich, with mineral laced berry fruit supported by greenish tannins that have a warm burr and flow into a fairly long rather bitter greenish finish. Unusual, and though I might have though there was something else, they say it's Sangiovese in purezza. Distinct with respect to the other wines.

Castelluccio Ronco Ginestre 1999

Claudio Fiore, Vittorio's son, was in Castelluccio for this, and oversaw bottling it. Cherry ruby with almandine in the rim. The bouquet is smoly and balsamc, with some animal hair and stable straw. On the palate it's bright, with savory sour cherry fruit supported by minerality and spice, and flows into a rather tannic finish. It's much greener than the earlier Castelluccio wine, and it's more of a food wine -- it will work very well with stews or roasts, and is less of a wine to sip far from the table. Quite fresh.

Ferrucci Domus Caia 1999

Deep cherry ruby with cherry reflections. The bouquet is fairly intense, with brandied plums and cherries with some quite a bit of mint as well, and some cedar too. On the palate it's ample, smooth with cherry fruit supported by cedar laced tannins and some minerality while there is also acidity, though the tannins are carrying the show more than they did in the earlier vintages, where acidity played a greater role. The wine is particular, in that it's a late harvested wine, and the lower acidity comes out in this respect.

An Awareness of Terroir:

Following the period of intense experimentation in the 80s and 90s there has been a return to terroir, and an interest in making the wines reflect their vineyards. At the same time, however, vineyard technique has changed considerably, as have harvesting criteria and winemaking techniques. In particular, many winemakers aim for physiological ripeness, ripeness of the tannins, which comes later than sugar ripeness (that which will give a certain minimum alcohol content). The wines therefore tend to be more alcoholic and less acidic, though this is not a hard-and-fast rule.

Fattoria Zerbina Pietramora 2001

Deep cherry with black reflections and cherry rim. The bouquet is fairly intense, with animal accents and minerality supported by acidity and spice with a fair amount of balsamic accents too. On the palate it's rich, with jammy cherry fruit supported by minerality and slight acidity, and by tannins that are a fairly dusky mineral finish, with some greenish accents. It's fairly rich, but by now the acidity that was so distinctive in the early wines is gone. Much more tannins and structure, and much less acidity.
2 stars

Nicolucci - Casetto dei Mandorli Vigna del Generale 2001

Deep black cherry ruby with black reflections. The bouquet is fairly intense, with cherry fruit supported by some cedar and moderate acidity, with some minerality as well. On the palate it's bright, and fresher than I expected, with lively cherry fruit supported by dusky graphite shaving bitterness and some mineral acidity that flows into a clean rather bitter finish with dry tannic underpinning. Pleasant.
2 stars

Il Pratello Mantignano 2004

Deep black cherry ruby with cherry rim paling to white. The bouquet is a bit more balsamic than some, with animal notes and some lathered horse, and as it opens rather penetrating brambly accents and some sea salt. On the palate it's ample, with fairly bright savory berry fruit supported by minerality and spice, and by tannins that have a warm savory notes and flow into a greenish mineral accents. It's fairly deft, with minerality that works well and gives nice depth, and will work well as a food wine.
2 stars

San Patrignano Avi 2005

From a magnum
Deep cherry ruby with black reflections and cherry rim. The bouquet is fairly rich, with some berry fruit supported by greenish accents and slight burnt rubber, which sounds odd but is slight enough to just add depth, and some jammy cherry fruit accents too, with slight sweetness and moderate alcohol. On the palate it's ample and smooth, with moderate fruit supported by tannins that have a warm burr, and some acidity; the fruit is more evanescent than I might have liked.
1 star

Gallegati Corallo Nero 2006

From a magnum
Deep black cherry ruby with black reflections. The bouquet is fairly rich, with ripe plum cherry fruit supported by floral notes and some sweetness, and by some savory accents. Quite concentrated and quite ripe. On the palate it's bright, and ripe, with fairly rich cherry plum fruit supported by tannins that are warm and greenish with a mineral underpinning and flow into a clean mineral finish. Pleasant, in a fairly mineral key, and it has quite a bit to say; the fruit is ripe but not overripe.
2 stars

Graziella Pezzi Vigna Lepri 2006

Deep black cherry with cherry rim. The bouquet is moderately intense, with some berry fruit and some acidity, and also some savory accents with slight greenish notes. On the palate it's fairly direct, with savory accents and some spice, and tannins that are warm and splintery. It's not what I had expected given the earlier vintages -- it's neither as bright nor as lively, and lacks the pleasing deftness of its older siblings.
1 star

Villa Trentola Il Moro 2008

Deep black cherry ruby with black reflections and cherry rim. The bouquet is fairly intense, and rather animal, with lathered horse and some wet stable straw and greenish balsamic accents with underlying brambles. Not much fruit. On the palate it's pleasant in a rather savory key with moderate fruit supported by powerful greenish savory notes, and flow sinto a clean rather savory finish with greenish accents. It's powerful, and a wine that you will like if you like the style, but you have to like the style, which is a bit rustic. It will work quite well with grilled meats or roasts if you like the style.
2 stars

We closed with a couple of wines Giorgio says Look towards the Future:

Villa Venti Primo Segno 2008

Deep cherry ruby with black reflections and cherry rim. The bouquet is fresh, with jammy cherry fruit supported by some greenish vegetal accents and spice. Fairly direct. On the palate it's ample, with cherry fruit supported by moderate plum cherry acidity and by tannins that are smooth and sweet, and flow into a fairly sweet cherry finish. Direct, and fairly p front in a light key, with a fair amount of sweetness that will make it more approachable to those who are not traditionally minded, though someone who expects more acidity and tannin may wonder about it.
2 stars

Balia di Zola Balitore 2009

Deep cherry ruby with cherry rim. The bouquet is rich, with pleasant violets and floral accents supported by some berry fruit and underlying spice. Quite young. On the palate it's bright and fresh, with lively cherry plum fruit supported by deft acidity and by smooth sweet tannins that balance the acidity, and flow into a clean fresh cherry finish. Beautifully fresh, one of those wines one can drink by the bucket.
2 stars

A fascinating tasting that on the one hand showed the evolution of the wines, from the tarter much more aggressive (in their youth) Sangiovese of the 70s though the lusher riper wines of today, and also the introduction of new kinds of wood for aging -- and the struggles to learn to use them rather than be used by them, and on the other confirmed the aging potential of the older styles of Sangiovese. I am not sure that the newer riper style will prove as long-lived, but it will be interesting to see.

Tenuta Oliveto Rosso di Montalcino DOCG 2001

This is an older bottle, obviously, which I opened to serve with a roast pork loin -- I was looking for a red, but not something tremendously substantial, and was curious to see how it had evolved, in part because I have always found Tenuta Oliveto's Brunello to be quite overripe, to the point that it marches to its own drum. What might Tenuta Oliveto's Rosso be like? Put simply, it surprised me:

Deep almandine with black reflections and almandine rim with hints of brown. The bouquet is intense, with mentholated brandied cherries laced with prunes and balsamic accents, savory notes, and leaf tobacco. Mature and fairly elegant. On the palate it's full, with rich brandied cherries laced with prunes, leaf tobacco, and savory balsamic accents that echo the nose (and carry into the finish) and is supported by silky tannins that flow into a clean finish with some underbrush as well as the fore-mentioned balsamic accents. It's graceful, in a rich rather opulent key, and I found it unexpectedly good. A bit too powerful for arista, but good.
90

The vintage certainly helped -- 2001 was very good -- but it showed much better than I expected it to, and it is perhaps time to contact the Tenuta for a Brunello vertical; if could vintages of the Brunello also follow this path they may prove quite interesting.

Tenuta Oliveto's site

Montenidoli: Canaiuolo, Other Current Releases, and Some Much Older Wines

When Elisabetta Fagiuoli was starting out at Montenidoli, Giacomo Tachis told her that to make good wine you must also know how to cook. I don't know if she was already handy in front of a stove when he gave his advice, but she certainly is now, and invitations from her are to be regarded with a mixture of expectation and worry:

Expectation, because you will eat well, and worry, because you will eat much more than you should, and the meal will take longer than you expect, both because of the conversation and because of the number of courses.

The other thing Elisabetta likes to do is break out older vintages, and because of this, not only do you eat well, but you also learn something: We all know that Tuscan reds can age very well -- look at Brunello -- but few consider Tuscan whites to be ageworthy. A mistake, because they can perform most impressively if given time, and here Elisabetta is a pioneer, because she releases her wines when she thinks they're ready, not when those who only want whites bottled yesterday would prefer.

In the course of this lunch, which Elisabetta held in January, we tasted current and older vintages of a number of her wines, and finished up with a Burgundy she happened to have.

Montenidoli Canaiuolo IGT 2010
This had just been bottled; it's pale salmon pink paling to white at the rim, with some onionskin. The bouquet is quite fresh, with greenish vegetal notes and hints of gunflint supported by intense sea salt. Quite young, and very zesty. On the palate it's rich, with intense savory ripe but not overripe berry fruit supported by raspberry acidity and a gentle burr that has greenish notes of youth. Very pleasant, and will be nice as an aperitif in the immediate future, and be perfect in the summer months too, when you want something cool and refreshing.
90-91

Vinbrusco is a blend of Trebbiano and Malvasia Bianca:

Montenidoli Vinbrusco IGT Toscana 2000
Elegant ambery gold with brilliant tawny reflections and greenish highlights. Elegant bouquet with honey and deft minerality supported by rather languid acidity and slight butterscotch. Very nice, in a hot weather key,a nd beautifully balanced. The palate reflects the nose, with deft honey-laced minerality supported by pleasant languidity and minerality. Great depth and elegance, and will drink very well with greens and salads, or light soups, or simple fish. It has a great deal to say and one would never guess its age.
92-3

Montenidoli Vinbrusco Toscana IGT 2005
Lively brassy gold with amber highlights. The bouquet is rich, with vegetal notes and butterscotch supported by sea salt and some gunflint. Tremendous depth and elegance, with just the right amount of bitter acidity to provide direction and interest. On the palate it's extremely elegant, with bright minerality supported by savory acidity and some dusky tannins from grapes, flowing into a clean finish with lasting minerality and some bitterness. Beautiful, and a delightful expression of a cooler wetter vintage in which acidity comes more to the fore; it will bring greta joy to the table, and wiol drink very well with fish or white meats.
92-3

Il Templare is a blend of Vernaccia, Trebbiano and Malvasia Bianca:

Il Templare IGT Toscana 1999
Brassy gold with tawny greenish highlights. The bouquet is rich, with brambly honey and butterscotch supported by savory acidity and sea salt, It's clearly mature but very fresh, with lively savory lemon acidity and some bitter minerality with tannins as well, and flows into a clean bright finish with lively savory notes. A beautiful wine that has a great deal to say and is still very young, with the capacity to continue to climb for many more years. A fellow taster says the nose reminds him of fine Champagne.
90-92

Il Templare IGT Toscana 2001
Deep tawny gold with golden reflections. Extraordinary nose with vegetal accents and dry hay mingled with sea salt, eucalyptus, hardwood ash, and bitter honey; it comes across as simpler than it is because of its harmony. On the palate it's rich and full, with bright lively acidity supported by greenish minerality and deft savory accents that flow into a long savory finish with some bitter notes, which gradually fade. Beautiful, and is one of those wines that you will remember for decades.
93-5

Il Templare IGT Toscana 2007
Brassy gold with brilliant brassy reflections. the bouquet is rich and mineral, with deft hardwood ash and savory accents supported by gunflint and some sea salt. Very young, and very promising. On the palate it's deft and bright, with rich lemony minerality supported by clean bright savory tannins that flow into a clean savory finish. Beautiful and very pleasant to drink; it has great depth and if you want to seek facets you will find them, while your companions who are simply drinking the wine will drink it even faster. And it does have a considerable future, too.
90-92

Il Garrulo is the traditional Chianti blend, with white grapes.

Montenidoli Il Garrulo Chianti Colli Senesi 2008
This is unfiltered; it's lively pale ruby with black reflections and whitish rim, and has bright lively cherry fruit on the bouquet, supported by some graphite shavings and raspberry acidity. Quite fresh and still developing. On the palate it's bright, with lively cherry fruit supported by savory tannins that have a warm burr and flow into a clean savory berry fruit finish with underlying bitterness. Quite pleasant, and will be perfect with grilled meats fried meats, and will also work well with hearty pasta dishes and similar. Expect it to go quickly.
88-90

Triassico is Sangiovese

Montenidoli Triassico IGT 2007
This is something new, a Sangiovese in Purezza from the new vineyards planted on Triassic red earth soils, and it's still a work in progress (Elisabetta was able to procure barriques that are usually destined to Burgundy for it); production was low, in part because critters got into the vineyard and are much of the harvest, and Elisabetta has decided not to release this vintage. But it is quite promising: impenetrable pyrope with violet rim, and its darkness is also because it's unfiltered. The bouquet is elegant, with rich berry fruit supported by bramble and wet leaves with some tannic acidity, and underlying savory minerality, while a fellow taster finds fireplace, which can emerge in Sangiovese. Very young, and promising. On the palate it's full, rich, and quite mineral, with lively savory acidity and tannins that have a slight youthful greenish burr and flow into a long bright savory finish. It's a toddler stumbling about, but will be most impressive when it all comes together, in 3-5 years.
2 stars

Sono Montenidoli is Elisabetta's Flagship Red

Sono Montenidoli 1985
This was made from Sangiovese and Malvasia nera, employing the Governo Toscano technique. It's rich almandine brick with brownish reflections and some brick in the rim. The bouquet is elegant, with rich leaf tobacco and underbrush supported by savory accents and wood smoke. Fully mature and beautiful to sniff. On the palate it's rich, with deft savory minerality supported by savory notes and sloightly leathery accents, with pleasant herbal overtones and savory tannins flowing into a clean savory finish. Tremendous depth and elegance, and it ahs a wonderful story to tell. A stunning expression of one of the great vintages of the second half of the last century.
95

Sono Montenidoli IGT Toscana 2004
This is Sangiovese; it's black cherry ruby with cherry rim. The bouquet is quite elegant, with rich berry fruit supported by slight leathery notes and hints of smoke and fireplace, and underlying acidity and bramble. Fantastic depth and elegance, a wine that is quite young but that has a great deal to say. On the palate it's rich and full, with powerful berry fruit supported by lively berry fruit acidity and smooth dusky tannins that do have a youthful burr and flow into a clean savory sour cherry finish with underlying bitter accents. Beautiful though still very young, and though one could drink it now with a steak, it will very richly reward those blessed with patience.
90-92

Vernaccia di Carato is Elisabetta's barrel-fermented Vernaccia di San Gimignano

Carato Varnaccia Di San Gimignano DOC 1997
Brassy gold with greenish highlights. The bouquet is rich, with savory minerality and some spice and underlying vegetal accents shot with hints of butterscotch. Tremendous depth. On the palate it's ample, and fairly rich, with delicate languidity that flows into a clean rich, almost chewy finish. It's from an over-the-top vintage, and has a richness to it that derives form this. Quite pleasant, and will age well for another decade.
90-91

Carato Varnaccia Di San Gimignano DOC 2002
This was from a cooler, wetter vintage; it's elegant brassy gold with brassy reflections, and has a powerful bouquet with rich savory minerality supported by deft bitterness and acidity with some butterscotch, and hints of petroleum too. It's extremely fresh, and quite beautiful. On the palate it's rich, powerful, and bright, with rich minerality supported by gunflint bitterness and butterscotch that flow into a clean rather bitter savory finish that lasts and lasts. Stunning, and a beautiful expression of the 02 vintage, which was horrible for reds in Tuscany, but much better for whites than people realize.
95

Chateau de la Maltroye is an interloper from afar:

Chateau de la Maltroye Batard - Montracet Grand Cru 2002
This is a grand Cru de Bourgogne Cuvée Exceptionelle; it's elegant golden yellow with brilliant greenish highlights and brassy reflections. The bouquet is rich, with powerful gunflint and savory notes mingled with sea salt and some bitterness. Beautiful depth and elegance, and a joy to sniff. On the palate it's rich, with lively sour white berry fruit supported by clean sea salt, and bitterness with considerable minerality that has some sweetness woven into it, and flows into a clean savory finish with some bitterness. Quite elegant and with great depth, but with respect to the 2002 Carato it is coarser, and a fellow taster is more drastic, saying it's acidic and sweet. This is a judgment of today but does tell; I found the sweetness less problematic, but can see where he is coming from, because the sweetness does reduce finesse.
2 stars

Barolo: An Extraordinary Look Back Through the Years

There's a reason people have always called Barolo Il Re dei Vini e il Vino dei Re, the King of Wines and the Wine of Kings: when carefully made it displays unparalleled finesse coupled with a capacity to age that only a few other wines can match. 1996, 1990, 1985, 1978, 1971, 1964, 1958, 1947…

The problem is finding these vintages; few people have cellars that stretch that far back, and even fewer are willing to part with their much loved wines.

So when Andrea Cappelli called me to say he and Gianfranco Soldera were organizing a dinner featuring Barolos ranging from 1978 to 1931, and would I come, I eagerly accepted the invitation. With wines this old it would have been too much to expect them to all be from the same producer, and I actually prefer it so, because they offered us a look at how a number of people worked, including Elvio Cogno, Bartolo Mascarello, Giuseppe Mascarello, Giacomo Conterno, Luigi Pira, and Giacomo Borgogno.


The wines, in the order they were poured:

Marcarini Barolo 1971
This was made by Elvio Cogno, with grapes from the Brunate vineyard. It's pale almandine with ruby rim. Rich, delicate bouquet with dried flowers and warm raw savory accents mingled with spice from grapes and clean, well polished, well oiled saddle leather. Great depth, and it's like listening to a sonata . On the palate it's full, with rich, slightly leathery savory cherry and dried plum fruit supported by tannins that are deft and smooth, with a clean burr that flows into a long deft finish with mentholated overtones. Great depth, and something to remember for years and years.

With time, it becomes more ethereal, gaining in depth, while the fruit also emerges more fully. With more time -- 2 hours -- I also begin to find rhubarb in the nose.
96-7

E Pira e Figli Barolo 1971
This is from the Comune of Barolo, and, according to the estate's website, Luigi Pira was the last winemaker to eschew all machinery, working by hand and pressing his grapes by foot. In other words, this is a true window into the past, and -- alas -- a brief one, because after his premature demise, his sisters sold the estate to the Boschis family, which introduced machinery.

Luigi Pira's 1971 Barolo is elegant almandine with almandine rim; it looks younger than it is. The bouquet is clean, with beautiful Moroccan leather and savory accents mingled with dried flowers and some dried red berry fruit and prunes. Quite elegant. On the palate it's delightful, with rich clean bright berry fruit supported by clean slightly leathery acidity and very nice smooth tannins that flow into a long clean bright finish. Terrific depth and a beautiful wine to enjoy.

With time, kerosene and dried flowers emerge from the nose, while the palate reveals more dried fruit - plum/prune - mingled with leather, and then it settles, but on an even keel, while dried roses emerge. Interesting!
90

Giuseppe Mascarello Barolo 1978
Deep almandine with black reflections. The bouquet is quite rich, with spice, a mixture of green leather and well polished saddle leather, clean savory accents, dried flowers, and hints of truffle. Very nice, young, and with great depth. On the palate it's rich, with powerful red berry fruit supported by clean bright berry fruit acidity and smooth velvety tannins that have deft slightly leathery accents and flow into a clean bitter berry fruit finish. Extraordinary depth, in a key that is still young enough that it's almost a sin to drink it now -- we're not quite talking infanticide, but it is very, very fresh, and nobody would guess that it's already thirty years old. This said, because of its relative youth it is the most immediate of the wines we tasted.

With time, some kerosene emerges on the nose, laced with dried roses that gradually take precedence. In short, it evolves and grows beautifully in the glass. Last note: A fellow taster found marzipan, which I didn't.
94

Giacomo Conterno Barolo 1967
This is from Monforte and Serralunga, and is deep almandine with almandine rim. The bouquet is a bit more mature than the others tasted so far, with delicate spice, leather, dried flowers, and hints of marzipan with underlying dried plums. Deft, controlled elegance; it's very fine, with a great lot going on, and rather haunting too. On the palate it's rich, and very fresh, with slightly dry leathery berry fruit that has some brandied accents and is supported by deft acidity, leathery again, that flows with the aid of velvety tannins into a clean savory finish. It's one of those wines one spends one's time sipping and enjoying, and forgets to take notes about.

With time it simply gets better, gaining in richness on both nose and palate.
94-5

Bartolo Mascarello Barolo Riserva 1958
This is from an unlabeled magnum (actually, 1.9 liter bottle with a tag; see photo), and is almandine with an almandine rim. Rich bouquet with powerful leathery accents and leaf tobacco supported by clean minerality and spice, with some underlying dried raisins. Extraordinary grace. On the palate it's rich and deft, with clean bright mineral laced berry fruit supported by graceful acidity and spellbinding tannins . Absolutely beautiful, the stuff of dreams, and one of the finest wines it has ever been my fortune to taste.

With time, it remains spellbinding.
97-8

Giacomo Borgogno e Figli Barolo Riserva 1931
The label says this is from "Antichi Vigneti Propri" - Old personally owned vineyards (as opposed to the vineyards of suppliers), that it's 13.5% alcohol, and also says to serve it at 20-22 C (68-72 F), while there's a sticker that says "Riserva Speciale Medaglia D'Oro Concorso Vini di Regime" (Gold Medal at the Vini di Regime competition), the regime being Benito Mussolini's.

Brownish almandine with almandine rim. The bouquet is rich, with plum jam mingled with warmth and savory accents, and some brandied berry fruit as well as brown sugar laced with oatmeal. Beautiful, and very much alive, and it's incredible to think that it's older than either of my parents; concentration on my part reveals very slight hints of oxidation, which in no way detract from the impressiveness of the wine. On the palate it's rich, with clean fairly bright plum fruit supported by deft balsamic acidity and clean bitter accents, while the tannins are still present and smooth too. Bartolo Mascarello's wine is superior from a strictly technical standpoint, but this pulls at the heartstrings, and is an astonishing testament to Piemontese winemaking. I confess to finishing it rather than letting it sit in the glass, but Gianfranco Soldera, who showed more restraint, went on at length about its harmony.
93-4

Bottom Line: This was one of the most impressive tastings it has been my fortune to attend, and fully confirms Barolo's title, King of Wines.

One very important thing to note is that all of these wines predate the so-called Enological revolution that ushered in the New Style of winemaking in Langa (softer, smoother, fruitier Barolo that is much closer to being ready to drink upon release). In other words, these wines were bitingly tannic when they were released, and only reached their present depth and finesse through decades of aging. If one were to decide to lay the groundwork for a similar tasting in 2040, one would have to select wines made by those who are now called traditionalists, because the new-style, softer smoother Barolos simply won't hold for that long.

My thoughts about the innovative and traditional schools of Piemontese winemaking, and why I much prefer the traditional.

Last thing: The dinner was at the Ristorante Silene, a very fine restaurant on the slopes of Monte Amiata. As such it's a bit out of the way, but well worth a journey if you happen to be in southern Tuscany.

An Older Wine: Villa Calcinaia Chianti Classico Riserva 1998

Like most wine writers, I have accumulated quite a few bottles over the years. However, I am Running Out Of Space, and have decided to take action.

Hence an Older Wine, which will, I hope, be weekly.

Villa Calcinaia Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG 1998
Fairly deep garnet ruby with brownish garnet rim. The bouquet is elegant, with berry fruit laced with leaf tobacco and underlying balsamic warmth and dusky leather, with forest underbrush as well. Graceful, and quite pleasant to swish in the glass. On the palate it's medium bodied, with fairly rich leathery minerality supported by clean brambly acidity and very smooth tannins that flow into a long brambly finish with lasting bitterness and some balsamic accents. It's quite elegant, in a fully mature key that thrusts tertiary aromas and flavors convincingly to the fore, and works very well with foods -- we enjoyed it with spit-roasted chicken, roasted potatoes, and salad, and the pairing was just about perfect.
90

And here is what I said when I first tasted it in 2002:

Villa Calcinaia Chianti Classico Riserva 1998
Lot 0104
Black cherry ruby paling to white at the rim. The bouquet is quite fresh, with cherry blossoms laced with cherry fruit and some underlying vanilla. Pleasing and harmonious. On the palate it's medium bodied and quite languid, with cherry plum fruit supported by smooth sweet tannins that do have a slight oaky burr to them, and lead into a clean fresh cherry laced finish with bitter tannic underpinning. Though it won't stand out at a tasting it will work very well with foods, and is one of those whine you'll want to have a second bottle of handy. Enjoy it with meat-based pastas, including lighter north Italian lasagna (made with béchamel and meat sauce, without ricotta), or grilled red meats. It's a little delicate for a hearty stew. If you drink it now you will enjoy its freshness; it also has the capacity to age for a number of years, during which it will become more delicate and perhaps lacy too.
2 stars

I'd say it definitely lived up to its potential.