Tasted at Vinitaly: Michele Castellani

There are many ways to meet people at Vinitaly. One is to run into someone you know, and be introduced to who he is talking with, and that's what happened here: I had just left a stand when I met up with Lorenzo Begali, who was talking with a gentleman he introduced as Michele Castellani, and suggested I taste the wines. I had another appointment, and when I got back he was gone, so his daughter poured.

 It was the last day and I was too rushed to converse, but they are located in Marano della Valpolicella, where they have 40 hectares of vineyards planted to the three classic varietals of the Valpolicella, Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara.

Castellani Campo del Biotto  Calpolicella Classioc 2011
Lot 12/53
Lively cherry ruby with violet reflections and cherry rum. The bouquet is fresh, with a slight pungency that is due to recent bottling and will fade, while there is also berry fruit supported by some greenish accents and slight sandalwood. Fresh. On the palate it's ample and fresh, with moderately intense berry fruit supported by warm smooth light tannins and moderate acidity that has a slight greenish overlay and flows into a warm slightly peppery finish with slight tannic underpinning. Pleasant, in a slightly softer key, and this is attributable to the heat in August and September. It will drink quite well with foods, supporting rather than taking center stage, and you may need a second bottle.
2 stars

Castellani Valpolicella Classico Superore Ripasso 2010
 Lot 12/16
This ages in large wood for about 18 months. Deep black almandine with black reflections and almandine rim. The bouquet is quite young, with fairly rich cherry fruit supported by mentholated accents and some balsamic notes, and also sea salt and some deft jammy notes. Pleasant, and still coming together. On the palate it's bright, with lively fresh wild cherry fruit supported by tannins that have a slight flinty bitterness, and by deft sour berry fruit acidity that flows into a clean berry plum finish supported by lasting acidity. Pleasant, and very fresh; it needs another year for the nose to come together, and will be quite versatile, working well with a wide variety of red meats and also roasts; I might be tempted to serve it with stuffed turkey too.
2 stars

Castellani Campo Casalin Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Riserva 2008
Lot 12/41
Deep black almandine with black reflections and almandine rim. The bouquet is intense, with considerable cedar that at present blankets the fruit, which manages to peek out from underneath its coating, revealing some red berry fruit. On the palate it's full, with rich sandalwood laced cherry fruit supported by moderate peppery acidity and tannins that are very smooth and flow into a fairly long cedar laced finish. It's quite international in style, and well made in this style though very young, and needs at least a couple of years to digest the oak. I wouldn't think of opening it before 2016. If you like the international style you will enjoy it, but do be patient.
2 stars (barely)

Castellani Cinque Stelle Amarone Della Valpolicella Classico 2008
Lot 12/41
This is from vineyards at higher elevations, and is aged in a mix of large and small wood. It's deep black cherry ruby with black reflections and cherry rim. The bouquet is intense, with berry fruit supported by cedar that is quite apparent but not completely predominant, and by sandalwood and some underlying vegetal notes. On the palate it's ample, with powerful spicy cherry fruit laced with sandalwood and supported by some sweetness, and by tannins that have a dusky cedar laced burr, and flow into a fairly long dusky finish with berry fruit and some sweetness, and underlying savory cocoa accents, and sandalwood laced sweetness as the other things fade. It's more approachable that the Campo Casalin, and also more graceful, a powerful wine in a fairly international key that has the fruit and intensity necessary to stand up to the wood, and will with time be quite pleasant. If you are not an absolute traditionalist you will enjoy it.
88-90

Castellani Monte Fasenara Recioto della Valpolicella Classico 2008
Lot 11/328
Deep pyrope with pyrope rim; it's close to poured ink. The bouquet is fairly intense and fairly sweet, with prune cherry fruit supported by some cedar and fairly bright spice, and also some greenish vegetal notes. On the palate it's full, sweet, and quite smooth, with elegant prune cherry fruit supported by moderate acidity and slight bitter accents, and smooth sweet tannins that flow into a fairly long soft finish with some underlying bitter accents. It's fairly modern in style, and very smooth, with relatively less acidity than some, and is as a result a little simpler; I would sip it far from the table with friends.
1 star

Enjoyable in a middle-of-the-road to modern key, and if you would like more information, check their site.

Tasted at Vinitaly: Lorenzo Begali

Lorenzo Begali is an old friend of Elisabetta Fagiuoli's, and I was fortunate enough to meet him and his family many years ago when he invited Elisabetta and Sergio to dinner the last night of Vinitaly, and I tagged along. It was a memorable meal, and at the end of it I found myself jotting down recipes, which you will find listed here.

I have since made a point of keeping an eye out for his wines, and am quite glad that I stopped at his stand to taste this year.

Lorenzo Begali Valpolicella Classico 2011

Lot 20 131
Deep black almandine with brownish black reflections and almandine rim. The bouquet is intense, with bright berry fruit supported by peppery spice and greenish acidity that mingle with slight animal accents and fairly bright acidity. Zesty. On the palate it's light and deft, with bright light cherry fruit supported by some greenish accents, fairly bright strawberry acidity, and by tannins that have a warm slightly greenish burr and flow into a warm slightly greenish strawberry laced finish. A simple lark of a wine that you will need a second bottle of because the first will just go.
2 stars

Lorenzo Begali La Cengia Valpolicella Classico Superiore Ripasso 2010

Lot 20 130
Deep black cherry ruby with black reflections and cherry rim. The bouquet is intense,with ith berry fruit supported by sandalwood and some vegetal accents, and by pleasing mentholated spice with hints of licorice root as well; it has a zesty electric feel to it and is very much on its toes. On the palate it's bright, with lively sour cherry fruit supported by bright slightly greenish cherry acidity and by tannins that are ample and clearly display the substance they drew from the Amarone marks, while the zest notes on the nose is present but not excessive, A finely balanced wine that will go very well with roasts or stews. A second bottle will come in handy.
88-90

Lorenzo Begali Tigiolo Rosso Veornese IGT 2008

Lot 10 721
This is a blend of Corvina and Cabernet, with considerably lesser amounts of Rondinella and Merlot, set to dry until November and then pressed. It's deep slightly purple ruby with black reflections and almandine rim. The bouquet is fairly intense, with greenish vegetal accents mingled with some chalk and peppery spice, and moderate mentholated accents. There's less fruit to it, and more minerality, and this is the international half of the blend coming to the fore. On the palate it's brighter, with ripe prune cherry fruit supported by dusky slightly vegetal accents and by tannins that are warm and peppery, and flo9w into a smooth sweet slightly vegetal finish. By comparison with the ripassa there's considerably less acidity, and while it is pleasant I found it less interesting.
2 stars

Lorenzo Begali Amarone Classico Della Valpolicella 2008

Lot 10 721
Deep black almandine with black reflections and almandine rim. The bouquet is still very young, with prune cherry fruit supported by pleasant greenish vegetal accents and underlying spice. A lot going on, and very young. On the palate it's ample and quite smooth, with rich prune cherry fruit supported by deft greenish vegetal accents and some sandalwood, and also slight leaf tobacco, and by tannins that are fairly smooth, though they still need time to settle and smooth. It's quite pleasant in an unfinished way, and if you happen upon one or more bottles you should exercise patience, because while you could drink and enjoy it now, you will enjoy it considerably more in 5-10 years. In short, a babe that needs to grow.
2 stars

Lorenzo Begali Ca Bianca Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2007

111 28
They changed the labels in 2003 because people confused the Cà Bianca with their Amarone base. Deep almandine with black reflections and almandine rim. The bouquet is rich, and a head above the base, with sweetish prune fruit laced with sandalwood and licorice root, and with pleasing spice as well; it's very young yet, and though it shows the promise a gifted child might, it's quite obvious that it has a ways to go. On the palate it's full, with rich prune fruit supported by deft licorice root laced spice and tannins that will be smooth, but now have a splintery licorice root laced burr, and flow into a long licorice root laced finish. It's a toddler, and a pleasant one -- no tantrums here -- but still of that age, and while you could drink the wine now, it will richly reward you if you give it the time it needs to grow up. I would figure a decade or more.
88-90

Lorenzo Begali Recioto della Valpolicella Classico 2009

Lot 11 031
Pyrope with violet rim. Poured ink. The bouquet is intense and sweet, with rich prune fruit supported by slight sandalwood and pleasant greenish accents with underlying greenish warmth and some pleasant spice. A lot going on, and frankly voluptuous. On the palate it's full and sweet, with powerful prune fruit supported by warmth and prune acidity, and also by sweet slightly greenish tannins that have some sandalwood accents, and flow into a long warm prune laced finish with bright prune acidity to hold it up, and pleasing sweetness for balance. A beautiful Recioto that will add magic to a selection of cheeses, or be perfect to sip far from the table with friends (while waiting for the Amarone to mature).
92