Tasted at Vinitaly: Oscar Bosio

Oscar Bosio is best known for his Moscato, and when he contacted me via Facebook, asking me to taste his wines at Vinitaly, I expected it to be a quick stop. Big mistake, because he makes more than I realized, and Maurizio Fava, who helps him sell his wines, wanted me to taste everything.

Here we go:

Oscar Bosio La Bruciata Langhe Chardonnay 2010
Lot CH 4 11
Pale brassy green with brilliant brassy reflections. The bouquet is fairly rich, with greenish accents and fairly intense minerality mingled with sea salt and some apple fruit. On the palate it's bright, and fresh, with pleasant white berry fruit supported by fairly bright citric acidity that leads into a clean fairly bright finish with pleasant minerality. Not at all overripe (which makes sense considering the vintage) and pleasant.
2 stars

This had been just bottled, so Maurizio had me try:

Oscar Bosio La Bruciata Langhe Chardonnay 2009
Lot CH 03 11
Elegant greenish brassy yellow with brilliant brassy reflections. The bouquet is elegant with rich warm white fruit, pineapple supported by sunny acidity and some greenish vegetal accents. Beautiful bouquet, and it's in part the additional time in bottle, and in part the vintage. On the palate it's full and rich, with languid honeydew melon supported by savory accents and deft loquat acidity that flow into a clean bright savory white berry fruit finish with a loquat and honeydew melon underpinning. Very fine, in an elegant, richer key.
90-92

Oscar Bosio La Bruciata Langhe Arneis 2010
Lot AR 04 11
This Arneis was Bruno Giacosa's; when dante Scaglione, who used to work with Mr. Giacosa, joined Oscar he brought the vineyard with him. The wine is pale brassy white with greenish reflections, and has a fairly intense bouquet with minerality and spice supported by heather and deft citric accents. Quite pleasant, and theminerlaity is quite refreshing. On the palate it's bright, and quite mineral with lemo9ny citric fruit supported by minerality and sea salt, and flow into a very long clean mineral finish with savory underpinning. Very nice, and will work well as either an aperitif or with fish.
90-91

Oscar Bosio Aivé Vino Bianco
Lot 2.09
This is a Vino da Tavola and therefore doesn't have an official vintage, though the 09 in the lot number does tell its age. An aivé is the opposite of a Sorì, in other words a north-facing slope, and this is a Moscato from north-facing slopes, bottled still. It's pale brassy white with brilliant brassy reflections and has a rich bouquet with classic Moscato aromas of honeysuckle, honey and white berry fruit mingled with very ripe yellow peach and honeydew melon. Very fine. The palate is full and rich, with bright slightly sweet lemony fruit supported by tangerine and honeydew melon , and by savory accents that flow into a clean bright finish with savory honeydew melon acidity that gradually settles into minerality. Quite pleasant and offers an excellent alternative to the more usual aromatic dry white wines (e.g. Sauvignon); it's well worth seeking out if you like richly aromatic whites, and will also work well with aromatic or spicy foods, including curries either Indian or Thai.
88-90

Oscar Bosio La Bruciata Moscato D'Asti 2010
Lot MO 12 11
Pale brassy yellow with brassy reflections, greenish highlights, and fine white perlage, The bouquet is rich, with honeysuckle, sugars, and some savory notes, and though this may sound one dimensional, it's remarkably harmonious. On the palate it's quite elegant, with rich honeysuckle and fleshy yellow peaches supported by peach acidity and sweetness, and flows into a long sweet finish. Great finesse on the palate, and this is because it's less sweet tan the average Moscato, and as a result is fresher and more pleasant to drink. It will work very well with creamy or dry desserts, and will also be a fine wine to sip on a summer evening.
90-91

Oscar Bosio La Bruciata Ermengildo
This is a Vendemmia Tardiva da Uva Autoctone di Langa, in other words "from late-harvested indigenous grapes;" the grapes in question are Moscato, cut and left to dry in the vineyards for an additional 3-4 weeks after the regular harvest. Due to the concentration of the grapes, fermentation times are quite long. The wine is named after Oscar's father, and is am elegant gold with brilliant gold reflections and white rim. The bouquet is quite intense, with honeysuckle and vegetal accents laced with orange and lemon blossoms, and supported by tangerine acidity. Beautiful nose. On the palate it's full, with rich, powerful sweet Muscat fruit -- It's like Moscato raisins with bitterness to balance the fruit, while there's not quite so much acidity and it flows into a clean sweet sugar-laced finish. I'd have expected a little more acidity on the palate given the nose, but minerality steps in and does so well, and it flows into a long, reather bittersweet finish. Very pleasant and will work well with flavorful cheeses, for example Stilton.
88-90

Oscar Bosio La Bruciata Il MosChin
Lot 80Q309
This is aromatized with quinine and a mixture of 42 herbs and spices; it's white with brilliant brassy reflections and some greenish highlights. The bouquet is powerful, with rich quinine and elegant spice, nutmeg, cloves and more, supported by deft sweetness that confers considerable complexity. A great lot going on. On the palate it's rich and full, with powerful quinine and other aromas supported by sweetness and greenish bitter spice that flow into a long sweet spicy finish.
91-2

Note: Maurizio says this is a progenitor of Vermouth, which was made with Moscato until the big industrial winemakers decided Moscato was too expensive to put to this use. Serve it very cold as an aperitif, or slightly warmer at the end of the meal.

We closed with a red:

Oscar Bosio La Bruciata Barbera D'Alba DOC 2008
Lot BA 03 10
Deep black almandine ruby with black reflections. The bouquet is bright with lively red berry fruit supported by sour berry fruit acidity that's just as lively, clean spice, and some greenish accents. On the palate it's light and fresh, with zesty sour cherry fruit supported by sour cherry citric acidity and by slight tannins that flow into a clean sour berry fruit finish, Classic Barbera and a wine you will set out and drink with grilled or fried mats and vegetables. A perfect summer wine.
2 stars

Marramiero and Angelucci: Two Wineries in the Abruzzo

Marramiero is one of the better known wineries of the Abruzzo, and a friend insisted I try their wines a number of years ago. They greatly impressed me, but Vinitaly is large enough and dispersed enough that it's impossible to keep track of everyone. However, this year a tasting of sparkling wines in the Abruzzo pavilion was delayed, so I decided to take advantage of the Regione Abruzzo's stand to taste through Pecorino, a white grape that I knew little about.

Though there are a number of theories regarding the name, which is clearly related to sheep (pecore in Italian, while Pecorino is also sheep's milk cheese), the most likely seems to be that the name is related to the transumanza, or twice-yearly migration from summer to winter pasturelands: Pecorino grapes ripen in early September, about the time of the migration south, and sheep, who know a good thing when they come across it, would eagerly enter the vineyards along their trails to eat the grapes. Hence the name.

One of the Pecorinos that most impressed me at the Regione Abruzzo's stand was Marramiero's and I therefore took notes and then went to pay a visit to their stand.

Marramiero Pecorino Colline Pescaresi IGT 2009
Pale brassy white with golden reflections and greenish highlights. The bouquet is fairly rich, with heather and greenish accents mingled with cut grass, hints of milkiness, and spice. Nice balance. On the palate it's ample, with fairly languid minerality supported by savory accents and sea salt, which flow into a clean savory finish uplifted by moderate acidity. Pleasant in a languid key, and will be nice as an aperitif or with simple soups and vegetarian dishes.
2 stars

Marramiero Brut Metodo Classico
This is a non-vintage blend of Pinot Nero and Chardonnay. It's pale brassy gold with brilliant golden reflections and fine perlage that bubbles up and settles. The bouquet is intense, with breadcrumbs and floral accents mingled with butterscotch and some spice with underlying hints of bitterness. On the palate it's ample, with pepperiness from the sparkle, which is a little too sharp to make the wine creamy, and lively lemony acidity that flows into a clean fairly rich finish with savory citric acidity. Pleasant in a slightly large shouldered key; it brings to mind a person who has overdone it though slightly in the weight room, while the acidity and savory accents keep it interesting. Muscular and enthusiastic.
2 stars

Marramiero Anima Trebbiano D'Abruzzo DOC 2009
As one might guess from the vintage, this fermented in steel. It's pale white, with greenish yellow reflections and highlights. The bouquet is still closed, though swishing brings up spice and cut heather, and floral accents with some greenish vegetal overtones. Nice depth. On the palate it's deft, with full savory yellow berry fruit supported by bright berry fruit acidity that flows into a fairly long savory finish. Quick to write but quite nice, and will work very well with vegetarian risotti, soups, or pasta dishes, and also has the power to accompany both fried fish and white meats. Worth seeking out.
88-90

Marramiero Altare Trebbiano D'Abruzzo DOC 2007
This instead goes into oak. It's fairly rich gold with greenish reflections and white rim, and has a powerful, fairly oaky bouquet with vanilla and butterscotch overshadowing fruit, though some acidity does emerge. On the palate it's ample and rather languid, with bitter savory minerality that flows into a clean mineral finish with some savory bitterness and hints of vanilla from the wood. It's quite elegant, and the oak will fold in nicely with time, but I missed the richness and vibrant acidity displayed by the unoaked Trebbiano. The former is a Siamese cat with all the brash talkativeness of the breed, whereas here it has had its claws pulled. If you like oaked white wines it is very well made, but you have to like the style.
2 stars

Marramiero Incanto Montepulciano D'Abruzzo DOC 2007
This is in steel; it's deep cherry ruby with cherry rim, and has a rich bouquet with cherry fruit supported by bitter India ink and clean leathery minerality. Pleasant and inviting, and there is also some acidity to provide lift. On the palate it's full and rich, with clean sweet cherry fruit supported by languid berry fruit acidity and smooth sweet tannins that display some warm splintery youth, but will become silky with time. Quite pleasant, and though it will drink very well with grilled meats, I'd also be tempted to swerve it with creamy dishes, for example a chicken pot pie.
90-91

Marramiero Inferi Montepulciano D'Abruzzo DOC 2006
This is instead barrique aged; it's deep pigeon blood ruby with black reflections. the bouquet is intense, with India ink laced with cedar and some berry fruit, with underlying spice. It's still quite young, and coming together, in a more international key than the Incanto. On the palate it's ample and smooth, with rich berry fruit supported by smooth sweet tannins that have vanilla-laced bitterness more than acidity, and flow into a clean rather sour berry fruit finish with lasting bitterness. Pleasant in an international key, and if you like the style, which is powerful and fruit driven, you will enjoy it. Considerably, and it also has the capacity to age well for a decade or more.
90

Marramiero Dante Marramiero Montepulciano D'Abruzzo DOC 1999
Brick almandine with black reflections and almandine rim. The bouquet is full and powerful, with jammy berry fruit laced with balsam and some acidity, and supported by wood smoke and cedar. Considerable harmony and depth coupled with great elegance. On the palate it's full and rich, with powerful slightly savory berry fruit supported by clean brambly acidity and smooth sweet tannins that flow into a clean fairly bright berry fruit finish with deft brambly acidic underpinning and some bitterness. Quite nice, and fully mature; it will continue to age nicely for many years, and will work well with grilled meats or hearty stews including those made from game. An impressive wine.
92

Angelucci: An Interesting Autochthonous Moscato

Angelucci is a small winery that makes one wine, a Moscatello, using a Moscato clone indigenous to the Abruzzo, which was remarked on in the 1700s but then largely forgotten. The Angelucci family decided to revive cultivation, and had the grape recognized by the Regione Abruzzo's Department of Agriculture in 2009.

Angelucci Moscatello Passito 2009
Brassy gold with brassy reflections. The bouquet is rich, and classically Moscatello, with honeysuckle and honeydew melon mingled with sweetness and acacia honey. Quite intense and quite elegant. On the palate it's full and sweet, with rich candied apricot fruit with some honeydew melon accents, supported by bright acidity, while there are also bitter notes to balance the sweetness, and the finish is long and sweet. Quite pleasant; despite its richness it is light on its toes, and this makes it a refreshing change with respect to many Moscato-based Passiti that are more cloying. If you like sweet wines you will like it very much, and though people commonly talk about serving this sort of wine with dry pastries (shortbreads and similar) I would be tempted to serve it with cheeses instead.
90

Wines from Giorgio Carnevale, Winemaker in Cerro Tanaro

Time was, the farmers of the hills around Alba who grew the grapes used to make Piemonte's renowned wines would tend their vineyards, and at harvest time bring the grapes down to Alba's main square, where the mediatori, or wine merchants, waited to buy the grapes and make the wine. Since then the farmers have become vintners, stars of the agricultural firmament, while most of the merchants are gone.

Most; the town of Cerro Tanaro still boasts the Azienda Giorgio Carnevale, founded by Giorgio's grandfather more than a century ago. Back in those days, the commerce centered around the sale of vino sfuso, wine in bulk, and the units of measurement were primarily the barrel and the demijohn. Giorgio, who got his degree in enology in 1946, was one of the first in the area to realize that it was more important to produce quality than quantity (among other things, this led to bottling the wines). All the Piemontese producers whose names are now household words in the wine industry came to see what he was doing, and his Barolo so impressed the commission charged with drawing up the Barolo DOC regulations in the early 60s that it decreed the wine be produced either within the 5 Comuni where the vineyards are planted -- or at Cerro Tanaro.

"The 60s and 70s were golden decades, but in the 80s conditions changed," said Giorgio's son Alessandro, who now directs the family business. "Many of our suppliers turned their vineyards over to their children, people who had studied enology. They invested heavily to increase quality, struck out on their own, and many have become leading figures." The loss of these long-term suppliers has forced the company to adjust and develop new sources of grapes, which is an on-going process. "We do have some advantages over producers who own their vineyards," he continued. Many landowners, especially those who have inherited the land but have other jobs, are quite happy to sell grapes and have someone else worry about production and wine sales; Alessandro has thus been able to select choice parcels of land throughout the area. "The relationship is based on friendship and trust," he says, observing that quality must be recognized and paid for. In return he asks for careful cultivation, minimal use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, and low yields. Come harvest time, the grapes are brought to the company headquarters at Cerro Tanaro, fermented, aged, and bottled.

The production is quite traditional, in the sense that though Alessandro likes Cabernet and Merlot, he is against blending them with the local grapes, either to produce table wines or to add an "international" dimension to Piemontese wines. He feels that doing so introduces an element of distortion: The wines may be good, but are no longer uniquely Piemontese, and are therefore not what he is interested in.

I stopped by the winery on my way home from Piemonte last summer, picked up some samples, and though great fault of my own, and none of Alessandro's, am posting the notes now.

Giorgio Carnevale Moscato d'Asti 2008
Pale greenish brassy yellow with intense perlage that fades to ring the glass. The bouquet is intense, with citrus fruit mingles with gooseberry and fair sweetness that gains depth from some bitter accents. Quite pleasant. On the palate it's full, sweet, and creamy, with elegant regina Claudia plum fruit supported by clean bright acidity, creamy sweetness, and sparkelt hat lends lsight peppery accents, while there is ample bright regina Claudia plum acidity that flows into a long clean finish. Quite nice, and will be perfect at the close of a meal, or with friends far from the table.
88-90

Giorgio Carnevale La Fleisa Vivace De La Rocchetta Freisa d'Asti Secco 2008
Elegant deep ruby with fine perlage that rises, and then things the glass as it settles. The bouquet is rich, with fresh floral accents mingled with dusky bitterness and raspberry. It brings to mind a crisp fall day, somehow, and is quite invigorating. On the palate it's bitter, with moderately intense berry fruit supported by leafy underbrush bitterness and sparkle, which flow into a clean bitter finish. Simple, direct, and a bit of a lark, it's an ideal wine for cold cuts, pizza, and other quickly prepared foods, for example grilled hamburgers. Expect it to go quickly.
1 star

Giorgio Carnevale Barbera del Monferrato Frizzante DOC 2008
Deep ruby with fine perlage that settles quickly. The bouquet is fresh, and bitter, with some underbrush and dusky berry fruit with savory accents; as it opens delicate floral accents emerge as well. On the palate it's direct, and quite up front, with moderately rich sour berry fruit supported by sparkle and fairly light tannins, while there is moderate acidity as well. It's direct, a simple food wine of the sort one sets out on the table and quickly has to replace, because it will go very well with foods, supporting rather than distracting, and people will drink it. What foods? Quickly grilled meats, simple stews (with polenta) and also pizza or even fried meats and vegetables.
2 stars

Giorgio Carnevale Grignolino D'Asti DOC 2008
Pale pinkish brick with onionskin fading to white rim, the classic color for Grignolino. The bouquet is brambly, with considerable acidity and some leafy underbrush mingled with tart berry fruit and savory spice. Seems tannic, and this is again typical of Grignolino. On the palate it's bright, with lively sour raspberry fruit supported by lively sour cherry acidity and by tannins that are a tad rough, with a clean warm burr that leads into a long tart finish. It's particular, and Grignolino is; if you like tart wines with high acidities you will enjoy it very much, and it will be perfect with fried meats and vegetables, or grilled meats, especially rich fare such as sausage or chicken with the skin. Worth seeking out.
2 stars

Giorgio Carnevale Barbera D'Asti DOC 2007
Deep cherry ruby with black reflections and cherry rim. The bouquet is intense, with slightly jammy cherry fruit supported by some dusky underbrush and spice from grapes, with hints of graphite shavings and bitterness. Pleasant to sniff. On the palate it's medium bodied, with moderately intense sour cherry fruit sipported by moderate acidity and by smooth sweet tannins. It's a touch lax, and I'd have liked a little more force to the acidity, which is pronounced, the way one wants in a young unoaked Barbera,but not quite forceful enough. This in a tasting situation; it will drink quite well with foods, however, supporting what it's served with without demanding the limelight.
1 star

Giorgio Carnevale Il Crottino Barbera D'Asti DOC 2000
This is obviously not the most recent vintage, but Alessandro still has some and asked me to try it. Since older Barberas are relatively rare, I was happy to say yes. It's deep black cherry ruby with black reflections and brick rim. The bouquet is powerful, with red berry fruit supported by hints of caramel and spice, with underlying cedar too. Nicely balanced,a nd though clearly mature it doesn't come across as old. On the palate it's ample, with fairly rich cherry fruit that has a slight sweet underpinning, which is attributable to the heat that came in August 2000, supported by deft slightly savory balsamic acidity and by smooth sweet tannins that flow into a graceful bitter cherry finish with graphite shaving underpinnings. To be frank, it's a surprise; it has aged very well, and will be nice with leaner red meats, along the lines of thickly cut rare roast beef. It is particular, but if you like older wines you will enjoy it.
90

Asti and Moscato D'Asti: A Quick Comparison

Piemonte has a very long tradition of sweet wines, and of the various varietals used to make them, Moscato is the most important. It's mentioned in early 13th century documents, and though one cellar master I asked suggested that name Moscato derives from mosca (fly) because the grapes are so sweet they attract flies, the medieval writers were being much more respectful: Moscato (or Moscado) derives from the Latin Muscus, the musk so highly valued by perfume makers. In other words, the name Moscato is a nod to the grape's delicious aromas.

Moscato's popularity continued through the 1300s and 1400s, and gained a significant boost from Duke Emanuele Filiberto Di Savoia's decision to reorganize the Duchy of Piemonte in 1560, reforming and supporting agriculture. Among other things he emphasized the production of quality wines in the hilly areas suited to wine making, and as a result Moscato vineyard area increased.

In 1606 Giovanni Battista Croce, whose official post was Court Jeweler (he also had a keen interest in agriculture), published a treatise on the wines made around Torino, in which he singled out Moscato as known by all and used to make a wine by the same name, and went on to discuss production technique, saying that the winemakers would start the fermentation, which would be interrupted by the drop-off in temperature that naturally occurred in the fall. Come spring it was therefore sweet, low in alcohol, and also lightly carbonated, and they would bottle it and keep it cold to keep the fermentation from resuming.

Unfortunately, a weak wine with unfermented sugars and yeasts is unstable -- the fermentation can resume, causing a pressure buildup that can lead to exploding bottles -- and therefore this particular kind of Moscato, which is a precursor to modern-day Moscato D'Asti, was something the winemakers made primarily for themselves. The renown of the Moscato grape continued to grow, however, and in the late 1700s the Società di Agricoltura di Torino singled it out as one of the best Piemontese grapes for making quality wine.

It wasn't until the late 1800s, however, the modern Asti wines developed -- on the one hand Asti Spumante, now known as Asti, a sweet sparkling wine made primarily by large wineries working at industrial scale, and on the other Moscato D'Asti, a sweet semi-sparkling (the Italian term is frizzante) wine made primarily by smaller producers.

The Disciplinari governing the production of the two wines, Asti and Moscato D'Asti, are quite similar: Both specify that the wine is to be made exclusively from the Moscato Bianco varietal produced within the production zone, from vineyards that are well lit and either on hilltops or slopes whose soil is either calcareous or at the most marly (calcareous clays). Vineyards on valley floors or other flat-lying areas are excluded, as are those not on the proper soils. The maximum allowable yield is 100 quintals/hectare, with a maximum yield into wine of 75 hectoliters/hectare, and new vineyards must be planted to at least 4000 vines per hectare.

The grapes destined to the production of Asti must have sugar levels sufficient to produce 9% alcohol, while those destined to Moscato D'Asti must be able to produce 10% alcohol, and though the regione Piemonte can lower this limit to 9.5% for Moscato D'Asti in bad vintages, the rule indicates that Moscato D'Asti is made from riper, more concentrated grapes than Asti, and this in turn suggests that the yields of vineyards used to make Moscato D'Asti are lower than those dedicated to Asti -- something that makes perfect sense considering that Moscato D'Asti is primarily made by smaller producers, whereas Asti is primarily made in huge volumes by much larger wineries.

Of course total alcohol content is a moot point with all Asti, be it Asti Spumante or Moscato D'Asti, because the winemaker chills the wine to interrupt fermentation before it has run its course, and thus keep the wine sweet, filters it to remove the yeasts (which would otherwise go happily back to work on the sugars if the wine warmed up), imparts sparkle, and bottles it. Asti, which is a true sparkling wine, with much more sparkle, gets a traditional mushroom cork and wire cage, whereas Moscato D'Asti, whose sparkle is much more subdued (maximum total pressure is 1.7 bars), gets a standard cork.

Other important differences? Though the grapes used to make Moscato D'Asti must be sweeter, the wine is less alcoholic than Asti -- 4.5-6.5% as opposed to 7-9%. This, coupled with Moscato D'Asti's softer sparkle, will make the Moscato seem richer and creamier than its cousin.

The full text of the Diciplinare (in Italian)

Finally, a word about the Consorzio: Asti (Spumante) and Moscato D'Asti have long been enormously popular, and it's therefore not surprising that Asti's winemakers were among the first to realize the importance of banding together. In 1932 they established a Consorzio, which was formally recognized in 1934, to oversee production and make certain the rules were followed. Asti and Moscato D'Asti were also among the first Italian wines to receive DOC status, in 1967, and both became DOCG wines in 1994.

Enough History! What I tasted at Vintialy, primarily at the Asti Consorzio's stand.

First, Moscato D'Asti:

Scagliola Giacomo & Figlio s.s. Azienda Agricola
Regione S. Libera, 20
14053 Canelli (AT)
http://www.scagliolagiacomo.it/

Scagliola Santa Libera Moscato D'Asti DOCG 2007
Pale Brassy gold with fine perlage. Delicate bouquet with honeysuckle and some greenish accents, mingled with hints of mapo (a grapefruit-tangerine hybrid grown in Italy). On the palate it's ample and rich, with clean citric fruit backed up by honeydew melon, and supported by sparkle and deft sweet acidity. Quite pleasant, and will drink very well on a patio or at poolside.
2 stars

Rivetti Dante Azienda Agricola
Loc. Bricco di Neive, 12
12057 Neive (CN)
http://www.danterivetti.com

Dante Rivetti Rivetto Moscato D'Asti DOCG 2007
Pale brassy gold with brassy reflections and fine perlage. The bouquet is powerful, with white plum fruit laced with some honeydew melon laced with citrus and heather. Inviting. On the palate it's full and quite sweet, with bright yellow plum fruit supported by sweet loquat acidity that flows into a clean sweet finish. Nice depth and richness, and will work well as an aperitif.
2 stars

Azienda Vitivinicola Tenuta Il Falchetto
Loc. Valle Tinella, 16
12058 S. Stefano Belbo (CN)
http://www.ilfalchetto.com

Il Falchetto Tenuta Del Fant Moscato D'Asti DOCG 2007
Pale brassy white with fine persistent perlage. The bouquet is fresh, with ripe honeydew melon supported by loquat and sweetness. On the palate it's full, bright, and rich, with clean rich sparkle supported by delicate sweetness that flows into a long finish Quite elegant and perfect for an evening under the stars, r an afternoon under a patio.
88-90

Ca'dei Mandorli.
Via IV Novembre 15
14010 Castelrocchero (AT)
http://www.cadeimandorli.com

Cà Dei Mandorli Dei Giari Moscato D'Asti DOCG 2007
Pale brassy gold with gold reflections and ifne perlage. The bouquet is frehs, with loquat and floral accents supported by delicate minty accents. Pleasant. On the palate it's full and rich with powerful loquat fruit supported by clean sweet acidity that flows into a clean sweet finish. By comparison with the other Moscato D'Asti wines it is a bit more muscular, and not quite as deft in mouthfeel, though still pleasant.
1 star

Carussin
Reg. Mariano, 27
14050 San Marzano Oliveto (AT)
http://www.carussin.it

Carussin Filari Corti Moscato D'Asti DOCG 2007
This was from the first lot. The second, which is bottled subsequently has finer perlage, Bruna says. Pale brassy yellow with greenish highlights and fine perlage. The bouquet is rich, with honeysuckle and honeydew melon supported by sweetness and hints of clover. Quite pleasant. On the palate it's full and sweet with nice honeydew melon fruit that gains definition and fullness from slight melon acidity and flows into a clean sweet finish. Perfect far from the table with friends.
2 stars

And next, several Asti DOCG wines:

Mondoro Asti DOCG 2007
This wine is sold in a showy green glass bottle of the sort a (lady) genie might chose to live in. It's pale brassy white with brassy reflections and fine perlage. The bouquet is fairly intense, with bitter accents, some pungency, and underlying sweetness. On the palate it's ample and fairly rich with bitter notes that settle into a bitter finish.
1 star

Romano Dogliotti La Selvatrice Asti DOCG 2007
Pale brassy white with fine perlage. The bouquet is fresh with floral accents and some very ripe honeydew melon. On the palate it's full, soft, and sweet, with clean loquat fruit supported by delicate loquat acidity combined with sparkle that flows into a clean fairly rich finish. Pleasant, and will be nice with friends after dinner, far from the table.
2 stars

Martini ASTI DOG 2007
Pale brassy yellow with greenish reflections and fine perlage. The bouquet is moderately rich, and though sweet has a pungent underpinning and some savory accents. On the palate it's fairly rich, and by comparison with the Moscati considerably drier, with the greater dryness translating into a less seductive mouthfeel. In terms of fruit, there's ripe loquat laced with clean slightly savory accents that flows into a clean sweet finish that again has a slightly savory underpinning. Well made but in a mass market key.
1 star

Cinzano Cuvée Asti DOCG 2007
Pale brassy white with fine perlage. The bouquet is fairly rich, with white berry fruit and some underlying pungency that confers savory accents to the sweetness. On the palate it's full, with the fullness both fruit -- moderately intense loquat -- and perlage, flowing into a clean sweet finish. It has a slightly dilute feeling that may be related to the volume produced, but is pleasant and will drink well as a direct dessert wine.
1 star

Taken as a group, I found the Moscato 'Asti to be richer and creamier. Asti was on the other hand lighter, and crisper, and a couple of the wines had a slightly dilute feeling to them as well. Considering the relative volumes of Moscato D'Asti and Asti produced, the differences make perfect sense, and would lead me to prefer bottle of Moscato D'Asti if wine-loving friends came calling and I decided to open a bottle of something light and sweet to enjoy as we talked. Asti might instead be a better bet at the close of a meal, when people are talking and less likely to be devoting all their attention to what's in their glass.

Winding Down, a selection of Romano Dogliotti's other wines (tasted separately):

Romano Dogliotti
20, Strada Brosia
CASTIGLIONE TINELLA
12053 CN - ITALIA
http://www.caudrina.it/

Romano Dogliotti La Caudrina Moscato D'Asti DOCG 2007
Pale papery white with greenish reflections and fine perlage. Rich bouquet with floral accents mingled with loquat, honeysuckle, and very ripe honeydew melon. On the palate rich, with powerful clean tart loquat fruit supported by creamy sparkle and sweetness that flow into a long finish with loquat and honeydew melon sweetness that gradually fades into tarter loquat. Very fine, and will be wonderful in the shade on a hot day, or in the evening with friends.
Score: 90

Romano Dogliotti La Galeisa Moscato D'Asti DOCG 2007
Pale brassy white with fine perlage. The bouquet is quite rich, with pungent honeydew melon supported by minty hints of sage, honeysuckle, and sugar. Mouthwatering. On the palate it's rich, with clean loquat-honeydew melon fruit supported by sugars that are deft and not at all cloying, and by smooth, creamy sparkle that flows into a long graceful finish that lasts and lasts, with the baance between loquat, sweetness and acidity holding rock steady as it fades. In a word, impressive.
91-2

Romano Dogliotti Redento Piemonte Moscato Passito DOC 2003
Pale brassy yellow with white rim. Rich bouquet with white fruit laced with sugars and clean spice, and some underlying lemony accents. Quite inviting. On the palate it's rich and full, with powerful white berry fruit supported by moderate sweetness -- it's not as sweet as the sparkling wines -- and by clean bitter accents from wood, while the texture is powerfully creamy, and flows into a clean finish in which the sweetness is again moderated by bitter accents. Quite elegant, and tightly controlled; the grapes were dried at low temperatures, which makes for freshness, while the wine went into wood to knock down the sweetness as well. It's extremely interesting and a very different expression of Moscato passito. If you like sweet wines, it will seduce you.
88-90.