Tasted at Vinitaly: Tedeschi

I have known the Tedeschi family for many years: when I visited the Valpolicella region to collect samples shortly after founding the Italian Wine Review (which was then a paper magazine) they quite willingly contributed samples, and when Vinitaly rolled around invited me to a dinner. Which has by now become a tradition, on the first night of the Fiera. I tasted most of these wines on the first day of the Fiera, and finished up on the second.

Captel Tenda Soave Classico 2010
Lot 2 2010 (I think)
Pale brassy yellow with brilliant brassy reflections. The bouquet is fairly rich, with herbal notes and some heather mingled with spice and sea salt. Fresh, and still developing. On the palate it's bright, with lively white berry fruit supported by acidity and sea salt, with some peppery spice as well that adds depth and verve, and it flows into a fairly long peppery finish with considerable vegetal accents and a savory underpinning that continues at length. It's fresh and fairly direct, but a touch heavy; it will drink well as an aperitif with cheese or fish based antipasti, and also be nice with grilled or roasted fish, while it also has the backbone necessary for risotti or simple white meats.
1 star

Corasco Rosso delle Venezia IGT 2008
Lot 181
This is a blend of Corvina, Raboso and Refosco, made after drying the grapes slightly. It's fairly deep cherry ruby with black reflections and some garnet in the rim. The bouquet is moderately intense, with bu and alcohol mingled with brambles and some brambly acidity, and with underlying spice; there's also some wet earth. On the palate it's brighter than one might expect from the nose, with lively dusky cherry fruit supported by a warm peppery burr and by bright acidity that flows into a long finish that owes its considerable warmth in part to alcohol (14%). It's quite brash, aggressive even, and very mich a food wine; I wouldn't drink it by the glass,, and would make certain my guests like this style before I opened a bottle because it's not for everyone. If it is for you, it will work quite well with grilled meats, including fattier things such as spare ribs (seasoned the Italian way, with salt, pepper, rosemary & perhaps sage), and also with fired meats, for example lamb chops.
1 star

Capitel Nicalò Valpolicella Classico Superiore 2009
Lot 181
The label says appassimento, drying; it's lively cherry ruby with hints of almandine in the rim, and ahs a fairly rich bouquet with cherry plum fruit supported by sandalwood, spice, and moderate alcoholic warmth. Nice balance and harmony, and pleasant to sniff. On the palate it's bright, with lively sour cherry fruit supported by moderately intense tannins that have a warm peppery burr and by bright berry fruit acidity that has slight brambly accents, and it flows into a fairly long warm sour cherry finish. It's quite approachable in a brash key, rather like a grinning tomboy with scabs on her knees, and if you like the style it will work well with pasta dishes, meat-based risotti, simple grilled meats, including fattier fare,a nd also fried meats and vegetables
2 stars

Lucchine Valpolicella Classico 2010
Lot 1618
Pale cherry ruby with black reflections and cherry rim. The bouquet is bright and brambly with lively sour cherry fruit supported by greenish brambly accents and some sandalwood, with slight alcoholic warmth as well. On the palate it's light, with bright sour cherry fruit supported by lively sour berry fruit acidity and by tannins that are rather slight, and flow into a warm sour cherry finish. Quite pleasant, a simple, lark of a wine that will drink very well with simple foods, ranging from pasta and burgers through light strews. It would be nice to drink day-by-day.
2 stars

Capitel San Rocco Valpolicella Superiore DOC Ripasso 2008
Lot 634
Deep cherry ruby with black reflections and cherry rim. The bouquet is fairly rich, with sour cherry fruit supported by peppery spice and warmth with some sandalwood as well. Still coming together. On the palate it's bright, with fairly rich cherry fruit supported by peppery spice and fairly intense warmth, while there is also deft berry fruit acidity and tannins that have a warm burr and hints of sweetness to them, and flow into a warm peppery finish. It's quite young and still coming together, but promises nicely, and will work quite well with stews or roasts when it has another year or two under its belt.
2 stars

La Fabriseria Valpolicella Classico Superiore DOC 2007
Lot 162 (I think)
Deep black cherry ruby with black reflections and some orange in the rim. The bouquet is rich, with bright sour cherry fruit supported by some sandalwood and pleasant spice with a fair amount of alcojhol as well. Still very young, and needs time to grow. On the palate it's medium bodied tending towards full, with rich sour cherry fruit supported by deft peppery berry fruit acidity and by tannins that are smooth, but do have a peppery burr that continues into the finish, which is fairly long and rather alcoholic. Pleasant in a fairly brash key, and, like the other wines, needs time, If you must drink it now, drink it with a roast or stew, but if you can give it time it will reward you.
2 stars

Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2006
Lot 10b3
Deep black cherry ruby with black reflections and cherry rim. The bouquet is still quite young, with cherry fruit supported by alcohol and greenish vegetal accents mingled with sandalwood spice; it's elegant but not too happy about being open. On the palate it's full and rich, with powerful spicy cherry fruit supported by some sweetness, and by considerable warmth, while the tannins are clean and have a warm burr to them, flowing into a long clean slightly jammy berry fruit finish with underlying exotic spice. It's still very much a child, and though one could approach it one should with caution, because it's not happy and might bite. But it does have considerable potential, and is a wine I would simply set aside and forget about for a few years, because the potential is there.
88-90

Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2007
Cask sample
Deep black pyrope with cherry rim. The bouquet is moderately rich, with berry fruit and some sandalwood. On the palate it's ample and smooth, with slight sweetness, and considerably more approachable than the 2006, and this is especially impressive considering that it's a cask sample while the 06 is already in bottle and has been for a while. It will be graceful in a ripe approachable key, and will drink very well with stews or roasts. I expect nice things from it.

Capitel Monte Olmi Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2006
Lot 1b3
Deep black cherry ruby with black reflections and cherry rim. The bouquet is elegant, with rich licorice-laced sligthoy candied cherry fruit supported by some sandalwood and spice, and by a fair amount of alcohol as well. It's clearly very young, and shows considerable promise. On the palate it's full and rich, with powerful rather bitter cherry plum fruit laced with licorice and sandalwood, and supported by moderate acidity and by tannins that have a peppery burr, the one I have come to associate with the vintage, and flow into a long warm peppery finish. It needs time, another 2-3 years at least for the tannins to smooth and gain grace, at which point it will be very nice, and continue to age well for a decade longer at least. If you feel you must drink it sooner, pair it with something rich along the lines of leg of lamb, fairly well done.
88-90

Capitel Monte Olmi Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2007
Cask sample
Deep ruby with hints of orange in the rim; it's not quite as dark as the 06. The bouquet is rich, and fairly sweet, with cherry fruit supported by spice and sweetness, and some sandalwood too. Promises nicely. On the palate it's full, and fairly sweet, with rich cherry plum fruit supported by moderate acdity and by tannins that are much softer and smoother than those of the 2006. It's going to be graceful in a fairly rich warm weather key -- a touch less complexity, and a touch less acidity -- and shows considerable promise.

La Fabriseria Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2007
Cask sample
Impenetrable pyrope with black cherry towards the rim, and orange nail. The bouquet is powerful and a bit up in the air, with red berry fruit and sandalwood with some underlying cedar and spice, and if one concentrates an underlying vein of sweetness that brings Recioto to mind. On the palate it's ample, rich, and fairly sweet (for a dry wine) with prune cherry fruit supported by smooth sweet tannins and elegant greenish sandalwood spice. As was the case with the other 2007 wines, its tannins are much softer than those of the 2006, and it will be more approachable sooner; it will also be graceful in a rather voluptuous key. Something to look out for.

Capitel Fontana Recioto della Valpolicella Classico 2006
Cask sample
Impenetrable pyrope with cherry rim. The bouquet is fairly rich, and sweet, with prune fruit shot though with greenish accents and spice; it has an angry feel to it. On the palate it's full and sweet, with elegant sandalwood-laced jammy cherry plum fruit supported by moderate acidity and by smooth sweet tannins that do reveal a slight burr in the finish, with is fairly long, gradually settling into sweet warmth. The tannins are softer than those of the Amaroni, though they do have a slight peppery component to them, and this is I think because of the sweetness. It's pleasant and will work quite well with green or well aged cheeses, assuming you don't decide to sip it with friends far from the table.