Villa Franciacorta Satèn: A Vertical

Satèn is Franciacorta's reply to Champagne's Crémant, a softer, more seductive sparkling wine initially developed by Cà del Bosco and Bellavista (they allowed all to use the term after the French were given rights to Crémant) to attract those who might be put off by drier sparkling wines such as Brut or Pas Dosé. As such one might expect it to be less interesting than its drier cousins. And in some cases it is.

But not as many as one might think, however, because it quickly became quite popular, and Franciacorta's sharper producers realized it had become one of their most important calling cards, a way to get people to try their wines, and then (hopefully) move up the scale towards their top bubbly. One doesn't stint with a calling card, and when Villa's Alessandro Bianchi decided to introduce his Satèn in 1995, he didn't cut corners in the slightest.

What he did do was favor approachability over complexity and depth, because at the time the Italian taste for sparkling wines was much less sophisticated than it is now. We will get to the 95 presently, because the vertical was for a general audience, and started with the youngest wine:

Villa Franciacorta Satèn DOCG 2005
Pale brassy yellow with fine intense persistent perlage. Rich nose, with some breadcrumbs, moist spice, savory accents and minerality. It seems quite soft, and is still developing. On the palate it's rich, with elegant minerality supported by gunflint bitterness and savory accents, with slight pepper from the sparkle, and flows into a clean bright savory finish. Considerable depth and more complex than many Satèns I've tasted; it will be a good aperitif, and offers an excellent introduction to Satèn if you have never tried it. There's a touch more acidity than in some years, because 2005 was a cool summer. Quite graceful.
89-91

Villa Franciacorta Satèn DOCG 2004
Pale brassy yellow with fine intense persistent perlage. The bouquet is rich, with deft spice and breadcrumbs laced with clean freshness, tart mineral acidity, and some gunflint. Quite nice, with excellent balance; it's richer than the 05, and this is in part the vintage and in part greater age. On the palate it's fresh with clean bright savory accents and more structure than the 05; it's supported by clean savory acidity and sparkle, whose softness confers the creaminess typical of Satèn and flows into a clean savory finish with some bitter accents. Very pleasant, and will work beautifully as an aperitif or at table. Impressive.
92-93

Villa Franciacorta Satèn DOCG 2003
The wine is a richer brassy gold than some, and this is because of the long, hot 2003 summer; there's fine, intense, bubbly perlage. The bouquet is full and fresh, with minerality and hints of sweetness mingled with sea salt, spice, and slight breadcrumbs, with underlying vegetal notes and tart acidity laced with softness. It's richer and riper than the others, again because of the summer, but not excruciatingly ripe. On the palate it's ample, rich, and full, with minerality and gunflint bitterness supported by sparkle and some savory accents; there's less acidity and this makes it softer. Good, but less interesting than this is the vintage at work.
2 stars

Villa Franciacorta Satèn DOCG 2002
2003's mirror image, the child of a cold wet summer. Pale brassy yellow with brassy reflections and fine persistent perlage. The bouquet is intense, with breadcrumbs and minerality mingled with acidity and some greenish gunflint accents. More mature than those preceding it, and also much livelier, with more depth and zest -- a brilliant wine, that also reveals honey and walnut skins. On the palate it's bright, with rich lemony fruit supported by sea salt and bright acidity, with some walnut skin bitterness, and sparkle that confers creaminess. Quite nice, rich, lively, and deft. They say sparkling wines shine in cool vintages because they have more acidity, and this vintage certainly confirms the saying. Beautiful freshness and youth, too.
93-4

Villa Franciacorta Satèn DOCG 2001
Brassy gold with brassy reflections and abundant persistent perlage. The bouquet is elegant, and mature, with rich savory breadcrumbs and spice mingled with some walnut rind bitterness -- what is called mallo in Italian -- and some gunflint. Quite a bit going on, and quite elegant. On the palate it's full, rich, and powerful, with savory minerality supported by walnut-laced sour lemon acidity and clean peppery spice, while the sparkle again confers creaminess that flows into a long bitter finish supported by deft acidity. Quite elegant, and has quite a bit to say, with a nice balance between acidity and savory, and has aged very well. It is approachable, but also displays considerable depth, and will work equally well as an aperitif or at table. An impressive wine that is mature, and anything but tired.
90-92

Villa Franciacorta Satèn DOCG 2000
Pale brassy yellow with brassy reflections and fine intense persistent perlage. The bouquet is fairly rich in a softer key -- August 2000 was searingly hot -- with minerality and some gunflint but less acidity; there are also some tertiary aromas, including greenish walnut skin. Nice depth, and elegant albeit in a softer hot summer key. On the palate it's ample and rich, with minerality and savory notes supported by bitterness and sparkle; it's softer, and the heat of the vintage comes through in the relatively lesser acidity, and as a result it comes across as flatter than the others. Quite approachable in any case.
2 stars

Villa Franciacorta Satèn DOCG 1999
Pale brassy gold with fine intense persistent perlage. Mature colors; there's more gold to it. The bouquet is rich, with deft breadcrumbs and bitterness supported by chestnut honey and some greenish accents, also walnut rind. Impressive and quite elegant; there aren't many 10-year old Satèns at this level. On the palate it's rich and full, with bright mature lemony fruit supported by walnut skin bitterness and clean fresh creamy sparkle that flow into a pleasant rather bitter finish. It's graceful, deftly balancing minerality and acidity, with a lot to say. Impressive.
92-3

Villa Franciacorta Satèn DOCG 1998
Brassy yellow with brilliant brassy reflections and fine persistent perlage. The bouquet is rich, and elegant, with clean spice, minerality, and some savory balsamic notes. Quite harmonious with acidity and minerality plying off each other. On the palate it's full, and rich, and sweeter than the younger vintages, and this is because of a course correction -- the initial vintages of Satèn were intentionally sweeter and softer to appeal to the tastes of Italian wine drinkers of the time -- there's clean bright slightly savory citrus fruit supported by deft acidity that flows into a clean savory finish with some balsamic accents. Graceful, and has a lot to say; it has held up quite well and will continue to age well for years to come. It's more approachable and softer than the younger vintages, with a fine balance between bitterness and acidity.
91-93

Villa Franciacorta Satèn DOCG 1996
Pale brassy yellow with brilliant brassy golden reflections and fine persistent perlage. The bouquet is intense, with breadcrumbs and wet bread supported by greenish accents, walnut rind, and some gunflint, with underlying balsamic accents. On the palate it's a bit duskier than the younger vintages, ample, soft, and quite approachable, with a deft balance between sweetness and sparkle; it's a classic and very approachable Satèn, and is what one expects of the wine: while it is pleasant (and better on palate than nose), it's not as interesting as some of the more recent vintages that have a defter acid balance, and this is why Villa's Satèn has evolved. This said, hats off; it is a fine wine that laid the groundwork for the vintages that followed.
88-90

Villa Franciacorta Satèn DOCG 1995
This was their first Satèn, and as such is not quite an experiment, but almost. Brassy gold with fine persistent perlage, and a rich bouquet with minerality and spice, coupled with savory accents. It comes across as rather soft, but is quite elegant, a study of harmony. Quite nice, and I would certainly never have guessed it was 14 years old. On the palate it's full, rich, and savory, with clean bright white fruit supported by savory accents and sweetness, while the sparkle provides creaminess, and the whole is beautifully balanced. A most auspicious launch for a wine, and though some of the other wines were perhaps better, it offers much room for thought. I see, in my notes, the word "superlative."
90-92

Winding down, it was a most impressive tasting, which clearly showed how the wine developed, gaining complexity and depth from vintage to vintage, and following a path that is in some respects more interesting than those traced by other sorts of Franciacorta, for example Brut.

Villa's Franciacorta Selezione Brut: Another Vertical, and a more thorough presentation of Alessandro Bianchi and his winery.

Villa's Site

The 2006 Roero, Tasted at Alba Wines

This Year's Alba Wines began on May 11, and as always we began by tasting Roero, the Nebbiolo-based wine made downstream of Alba, on the hills overlooking the left bank of the Tanaro river, facing the Barbaresco production area.

I confess that I continue to have the same impression of the wine that I have in the past: That Roero has yet to decide what it really wants to be. Because of the sandier nature of Roero's terrains, the Nebbiolo grown there tends to yield wines with richer, more delicate bouquets, but less power than those from Barolo or Barbaresco.

Of course, the grape is only half the equation. There is also the winemaker, and because of the characteristics of the Nebbiolo, their stylistic preferences -- a preference for grace and finesse on the one hand, or power and structure on the other -- are more apparent than they are in either Barolo or Barbaresco. 2006 was a fine vintage, giving those of both schools considerable material to work with, and there are good wines across the spectrum. But one does have to select with care to match one's palate with the winemaker's. Most of the Roero we tasted -- 15 wines -- were 2006. There were also a few bottles of 2005 Roero Riserva, which were considerably weaker, and this is attributable to the weakness of the 2005 vintage.

Finally, in the course of the afternoons thoughout Alba Wines producers poured their 1999 vintages, and you will find the notes from the 1999 Roeri I tasted here.

Careglio
Baldissera D'Alba Località Aprato 15
Tel 0172 40436

Careglio Roero DOCG 2006
Garnet with some orange in the rim. The bouquet is fairly rich, and vinous, with cherry and rosa canina supported by fairly brisk tart brambly acidity, and some hints of leaf tobacco and mentholated spice. On the palate it's bright, with lively sour cherry fruit supported by brambly acidity and by tannins that have a youthful burr and glow into a fairly long bitter finish. It's quite young, but will drink well with simple grilled meats and light stews. Fairly traditional in style, with bright brash aggressiveness and some greenness to it. Will age nicely too, 8-10 years
2 stars

Cornarea
Cornarea Roero DOCG 2006
Dusky almandine with brownish reflections, looks older than it is. The bouquet is muted, though swishing brings up some spice mingled with Moroccan leather and wet clay. Not much fruit. On the palate it's ample and rather languid, with brighter sour cherry fruit than I expected, supported by smooth rather voluptuous tannins that flow into a clean tart cherry raspberry finish. It's in mid-stride, and needs a couple of years to figure out where it's going.
1 star

Monchiero Carbone
Monchiero Carbone Sru Roero DOCG 2006
Deep brownish almandine with black reflections. The bouquet is fairly rich, with cherry fruit supported by spice and alcohol, also some cedar. On the palate it's medium bodied tending to full and very young, with moderately intense sour berry fruit supported by sour brambly acidity and tannins that have a warm slightly dusky burr and flow into a long savory finish. It's pleasant in a fairly direct up front key, and will drink well with grilled meats or light stews. I would drink it sooner than later, because one of its strong points is its freshness.
1 star

Monchiero Carbone Printi Roero Riserva DOCG 2005
Black almandine with black reflections. It's like sniffing a cedar chest; some green, abundant cedar, and petroleum, which in this case is another manifestation of cedar. On the palate it's ample, with considerable cedary bitterness, some minerality, and not much in the way of fruit; the finish is gain cedar laced and bitter.
1 star

Tasted in the afternoon:
Monchiero Carbone Printi Roero 1999
Deep almandine with black reflections and almandine rim. The bouquet is fairly rich, with savory balsamic notes and spice mingled with some dried roses and a fair amount of nutmeg. Mature, and pleasant. On the palate it's full, with rich savory balsamic fruit supported by tannins that have a bright savory burr and flow into a clean fairly rich balsamic finish. It will work quite well with succulent roasts or stews, and also with furred game.
2 stars

Porello Marco
Porello Marco Torretta Roero DOCG 2006
Deep black cherry ruby with black reflections and cherry rim. The bouquet is fairly bright, with pleasing red berry fruit supported by raspberry acidity and by some greenish vegetal accents; nice balance in a cheeky youthful key. On the palate I's full, with fairly bright sour cherry fruit that gains direction from lively raspberry acidity and is supported by clean tannins that have a warm bitter underpinning and flow into a long rather bitter finish. Cheeky, in a scrappy tomboyish key; will drink well with grilled meats or light stews, and also has the acidity necessary to age well or (now) work with fried meats and vegetables. If you like the more aggressive traditional style you'll like it. Worth seeking out.
2 stars

Matteo Correggia
Matteo Correggia Roero DOCG 2006
Deep black cherry ruby with black reflections and almandine rim. The bouquet is fairly rich, with rosa canina and some leather and underbrush underlying delicate berry fruit. Nice balance. On the palate it's direct, with moderately rich berry fruit supported by savory greenish accents and by a bitter leafy tannic underpinning that brings chestnut leaves to mind, and flows into a rather bitter finish. It's direct, and a little more settled than I might have liked; though it will age nicely, becoming lacy with time. In short, a wine that won't excite (me) now, but may well do interesting things with time. In 5 years the picture will be very different.
2 stars

Cascina Chicco
Cascina Chicco Montespinato Roero DOCG 2006
Elegant almandine with black reflections. The bouquet is quite elegant, and absolutely typical, with rich rosa canina laced with saddle leather and berry fruit. Very nice, and has a lot to say. On the palate it's full and rather languid, with bright sour cherry fruit supported by smooth sweet tannins that have a velvety feel underlain by steel, and flow into a long clean slightly tannic finish with lasting warmth and oak leaf bitterness. Quite pleasant, and will drink very well with succulent meats now, though I would be tempted to hold the wine for 5-10 years, because it's at the beginning of an interesting journey.
88-90

Cascina Chicco Valmaggiore Roero Riserva DOCG 2005
Deep black almandine with black reflections and almandine rim. The bouquet is fairly bright, with considerable cedar, alcohol, and moderate fruit. The vintage. On the palate it's smoky, with moderate fruit supported by bitter mineral acidity and spice, but not much richness.
1 star

Tasted in the Afternoon:
Cascina Chicco Valmaggiore 1999
Deep almandine with blackish reflections and almandine rim. The bouquet is fairly mature, with leaf tobacco and balsamic spice, savory accents, and some bitterness. Robust and invites further sniffing. On the palate it's full, perhaps overfull even - it lumbers some, like a big person who's trying to be deft - rich, and savory, with leaf tobacco and a fair amount of acidity supported by smooth savory tannins that display a warm burr, and flow into a savory tannic finish. I found it lumbering.
2 stars

Ponchione Maurizio
Ponchione Maurizio Monfrini Roero DOCG 2006
Lively almandine with black reflections and almandine rim. The bouquet is fairly rich, with berry fruit supported by menthol and eucalyptus, and some cedar as well. Charged, and very young, but holds together. On the palate it's medium bodied, with moderate berry fruit supported by some mineral acidity and by tannins that have a cedary imprint that gradually covers all else, resolving into cedary bitterness. It's heavily oaked and has yet to digest the oak it was fed. It may with time, but only time will tell. I would in any case give it a couple of years.
1 star

Almondo Giovanni
Almondo Giovanni Bric Valdiana Roero DOCG 2006
Deep black almandine with black reflections and cherry rim. The bouquet is dusky, with greenish cedar and spice supported by considerable bitterness, but not much fruit. On the palate it's fill, with moderately intense sour berry fruit supported by some acidity, and by ample fairly lax cedary tannins that flow into a long rather bitter finish. I'd have liked more richness; it was fed a lot of oak and is like a toddler with a belly ache. Not happy, and I'm not sure how it will turn out. But trying too hard to be a bigger wine than it is.
1 star

Negro Angelo e Figli
Negro Angelo e Figli Prachiosso Roero DOCG 2006
Almandine with black reflections and almandine rim. The bouquet is fairly rich in a slightly rustic key, with an intriguing (for me) mixture of lathered horse and red berry fruit supported by green leather and savory accents. On the palate it's fairly full, with graceful red berry fruit supported by sour cherry acidity and by tannins that are fairly smooth, and will become moreso with time, flowing into a clean warm slightly acidic finish that's moderately long. Fairly direct now, but it's in mid stride, and will emerge much more interesting than it is now in 3-5 years. I would give it the time, because I think it could do something interesting.
2 stars

Negro Angelo e Figli Sudisfà Roero Riserva DOCG 2005
Almandine with black reflections. The bouquet is rustic, with stable straw and wet horse. Animal. On the palate it's moderately rich, with savory berry fruit supported by spice and bitterness, while the tannins are laced with sea salt and bitterness, and flow into a decidedly savory finish. The grapes lacked sun and sucked the minerals from the earth; it's interesting, though a wine more for the curious wine lover (read wine geek) than for those who look for fruit and concentration. In short, particular, and only for certain people. I found it interesting, but I am one of those certain people, and if you are too you will likely find it has much to say.
1 star

Tasted in the Afternoon:
Negro Angelo & Figli Sudisfà Roero 1999
Elegant almandine with brownish reflections and almandine rim. The bouquet is brisk, with balsamic acidity and saddle leather mingled with savory accents and some spice. Nice balance and quite a bit to say; it's one of those wines one sniffs and sniffs again. On the palate it's full, rich, and fairly bright, with savory berry fruit supported by leaf tobacco and underbrush, which gain depth from sea salt and minerality, while the tannins are clean and smooth, and flow into a clean savory finish. You have to like the style to drink it far from the table (I would), but it will offer wine lovers of all stripes much to think about when served with a succulent roast or stew.
88-90

Cascina Val del Prete
Via Santuario 2, Priocca (CN)
Tel 0173 616 624

Cascina Val del Prete Roero DOCG 2006
Deep almandine with black reflections and almandine rim. The bouquet is fairly intense, with violet-laced cherry fruit supported by green leather and spice, with some cedar as well. Very young, and clearly still developing, though pleasant. On the palate it's medium bodied, with rich cherry fruit supported by brambly acidity and by tannins that are fairly smooth, with a degree of velvet that shows through a youthful burr, and flow into a clean slightly green tannic finish. Pleasant, in a fairly traditional key, and will drink well with grilled meats or light stews, and also has the capacity to age well for up to a decade. Worth seeking out.
2 stars

Cascina Val del Prete Bricco Medica Roero DOCG 2006
Deep black almandine with black reflections and cherry rim. The bouquet is fairly bright, with greenish berry fruit supported by fairly rich spice and some chestnut leaf bitterness that resolves into cedar with more swishing. On the palate it's medium bodied with moderate fruit supported by slight acidity and cedar laced tannins that stand out and gradually flow into a fairly long cedar laced finish. It's quite oaky, and to be frank I doubt it will ever completely digest the oak; the fruit isn't up to the task.
1 star

Tasted in the Afternoon:
Cascina Val del Prete Roero 1999
Almandine with brownish rim. The bouquet is fairly intense, with dried flowers mingled with savory balsamic notes and coca, with underlying leaf tobacco and underbrush. Nice balance, and though oak is evident it works well, complementing rather than overshadow. On the palate it's full, with rich sour berry fruit supported by savory notes and leathery acidity that flows into a long warm leathery finish with graceful berry fruit acidity. Pleasant, and will drink well with foods; it's a fine expression of Roero in a modern oak-laced key, and even if you are traditionally minded you will find things to like about it.
88-90

F.lli Rabino
Santa Vittoria D'Alba, Via Rolfi 5 (CN)
Tel 0172 478 045

F.lli Rabino Roero DOCG 2006
Black almandine with black reflections and almandine rim. The bouquet is muted, though swishing does bring up some sour berry fruit with greenish vegetal accents. On the palate it's brighter than the nose would suggest, with fairly intense sour cherry fruit supported by bitter brambly acidity and by tannins that have a warm burr to them, and flow into a clean rather bitter finish. It needs time, another couple of years, by which point it will clean up nicely in a fairly traditional key, and age well for at least 5-8 more. I would give it time, because it's really not ready yet, and will do interesting things.
2 stars

Giacomo Vico
Giacomo Vico Roero DOCG 2006
Deep black almandine with black reflections and cherry rim. The bouquet is fairly rich, with bitter accents and some green leather mingled with savory spice and some cedar, supported by a fair amount of alcohol as well. Not much fruit. On the palate it's bright, with fairly rich sour cherry fruit supported by clean deft acidity and by tannins that have a warm burr, and flow into a clean deft finish. It's pleasant, and honest, a wine that displays lithe grace and doesn't try to be bigger or more muscular than it is -- more about finesse than power, and though very young will go places and will be interesting to follow. Worth seeking out.
2 stars

Tasted in the Afternoon:
Giacomo Vico Roero Superiore 1999
From a Magnum. Inky ruby with brownish almandine rim. The bouquet is fairly intense, with alcohol and dried plum fruit mingled with deft spice and underlying balsamic accents. Pleasant in a mature key. On the palate it's full, with rich elegant savory berry fruit supported by brisk berry fruit acidity and smooth sweet tannins that flow into a long rather bitter finish. Impressive, and even if you prefer smoother, softer international wines you will find things to like about it. If you're a traditionalist, you'd do well to seek it out.
92


Cantina del Nebbiolo
Cantina del Nebbiolo Roero DOCG 2006
Deep almandine with black reflections and almandine rim. The bouquet is fairly rich, with savory spice mingled with smoke and a fair amount of minerality; there's also some green leather, but not much fruit. On the palate it's medium bodied, with fairly bright mineral acidity and tannins that have a slightly metallic tang to them, but, again, not much fruit; a second bottle is not metallic, but decidedly mineral on the palate, and I'd have expected more fruit than I found.
1 star

Cascina Cà Rossa
Cascina Cà Rossa Audinaggio Roero DOCG 2006
Deep black almandine with black reflections and almandine rim. The bouquet is fairly rich, with greenish berry fruit supported by spice and some warmth. On the palate it's full, with fairly rich sour cherry fruit that has a bitter underpinning, and is supported by mineral acidity and fairly bright youthful tannins that flow into a clean savory finish. Pleasant, in a bright youthful key, and will dirnk well with simple grilled meats or light stews; I found it growing upon me.
2 stars

Cascina Cà Rossa Mompissano Roero Riserva DOCG 2005
Almandine with black reflections. The bouquet is moderately intense, with green leather and warmth supported by spice. Not much fruit. On the palate it's medium bodied, with moderate fruit supported by warm mineral acidity and fairly bright tannins that flow into a long warm tannic finish. A child of the vintage, with warmth and acidity and wood doing more than fruit.
1 star

Afternoon tastings:
Cascina Cà Rossa Audinaggio Roero 1999
Elegant black almandine with brown reflections and rim. The nose is mature, with Moroccan leather and savory spice supported by dried fruit - prunes and some dried orange peel - and a fair amount of alcohol. Quite a bit to say. On the palate it's full and fairly rich, with savory berry fruit supported by moderate acidity and clean savory tannins that flow into a fairly bright savory finish. I found the nose more impressive than the palate, which is a bit clumsy.
2 stars

Malabaila di Canale
Malabaila di Canale Castelletto Roero Riserva DOCG 2005
Deep black almandine with black reflections and almandine rim. The bouquet is moderately rich, with fairly bright green leather and warmth, also cedar and wet leaves, but not much fruit. On the palate it's bright, with richer than expected sour cherry fruit supported by brisk acidity, and by fairly sweet tannins that do have a splintery burr, and flow into a clean tannic finish. Pleasant in a lesser vintage key, and will become rather graceful in an ethereal way with time. Worth seeking out if you like the style, which is fairly traditional.
2 stars

Tasted in the Afternoon:
Malabaila di Canale Castelletto Roero Superiore 1999
Deep slightly leathery almandine ruby. The bouquet is powerful, with mentholated leather and some leaf tobacco supported by abundant savory alcohol and spice. Nice balance in a mature key. On the palate it's full, with rich dried cherry fruit overlain by dried flowers and savory spice, which flows into a clean fairly dry savory finish. Elegant, and though clearly Nebbiolo it's just as clearly not Barolo; it's more of a food wine than a meditation wine, and will work magic with hearty, succulent roasts or grilled meats.
2 stars

Malvirà
Malvirà Trinità Roero Riserva DOCG 2005
Deep black almandine with black reflections and almandine rim. The bouquet is fairly rich, with bright vegetal berry fruit supported by warmth and alcohol, with pleasant spice as well. On the palate it's moderately intense, with fairly rich cherry plum fruit supported by greenish acidity and spice. It's a bit disjointed, and going in several directions at once.
1 star

Malvirà Mombeltramo Roero Riserva DOCG 2005
Deep black cherry ruby with black reflections. The nose is dusky, with cedar and some greenish berry fruit; fairly rich but cedar leading the way. On the palate it's ample, with moderately rich berry fruit supported by tart warmth and cedar-laced tannins that flow into a clean fairly bright finish. It's pleasant, in a lesser vintage key, and a nice expression of same, though in a better vintage the wine will be much more interesting.
1 star

Afternoon Tasting:
Malvirà Mombeltramo Roero Superiore1999
Almandine with black-brown reflections and almandine rim. The bouquet is elegant, with mentholated spice laced with nutmeg and sea salt, and some hardwood ash as well. Nice balance, and mature. On the palate it's full, with fairly bright leathery berry fruit supported by deft acidity and warm splintery tannins that flow into a lasting warm finish. It's more of a food wine than a meditation wine,a nd will work well with roasted or stewed red meats.
2 stars

Pace
Canale - Frazione Madonna di Loreto Cascina Pace 52
Tel 0173 979 544

Pace Roero Riserva DOCG 2005
Black almandine with black reflections. The bouquet is, well, interesting, with, well, sweaty aromas that I can accept in a Sauvignon, but don't expect to find in a Nebbiolo. It's suffering the vintage. On the palate it's fairly bright, with bitter savory fruit supported by deft acidity and warm splintery tannins that flow into a clean bitter finish. A child of an adverse vintage.
1 star

Taliano Michele
Taliano Michele Ròcche Dra Bassora Roero Riserva DOCG 2005
Black almandine with black reflections; a fellow taster talks about chocolate on the nose, but I find more dried chestnut leaves and bitterness, with savory notes and alcohol. Not much fruit. The palate reflects the nose; there's moderate fruit and considerably more savory tannic underpinning that flows into a savory finish.
1 star

Querceto di Castellina's Podalirio: A Moving Target

There are two kinds of verticals, one that I call classic, and the other moving target.

The classic vertical is a series of vintages of a given wine that has been made the same way for years, or even generations. Differences from vintage to vintage are attributable to seasonal variations, and the older vintages, in addition to providing the excitement (or even religious experience) that can come with maturity, give an indication of what one can expect from younger vintages whose seasons were similar. As such, classic verticals are especially important for wine collectors and others who buy and age wines, either for personal enjoyment or for profit.

The moving target vertical is instead dedicated to a wine that is still developing: either because the wine was introduced only recently, or because the winery has decided to embark on a new course. There can be considerable technical differences from vintage to vintage, for example a mixture of barriques and botti one year and all one or the other (or even tonneaux) the next, or differences in varietal composition, and what one observes is how the winemaker adjusts the various factors to produce the wine he or she wants to make.

We have an excellent example of the latter here: The Di Battista family purchased Querceto di Castellina, an elegant country villa in the townships of Castellina and Radda in Chianti, in 1945. It was a country estate, a place to escape the heat of the city, and though they did make wine, what they or the tenant farmers didn't drink personally was sold in bulk. The farmers abandoned the land in the 1970s, and they rented out the vineyards; in 1981 Jacopo di Battista's father, who was an architect, restructured the villa, while they rented the vineyards to Ruffino.

In 1998 Jacopo Di Battista decided to oversee production personally, and enlisted the assistance of Gioia Cresti, a young enologist whose wines were attracting considerable attention. They now have 11.5 hectares of vineyards, mostly of Sangiovese planted to high densities (6,000 vines per hectare), and though their potential production is 70,000 bottles, they produce about 40,000 and sell the rest.

Their top wine is Podalirio IGT Merlot, a wine they now make with the best of the small amount of Merlot they have, fermenting it in steel and aging it in barriques for 18 months, followed by another year in bottle prior to release. It hasn't always been Merlot, however: since the Merlot vineyard was still too young in 1999, the first vintage was made with the best of the older Sangiovese on the estate. By 2000 the vineyard was producing, and the wine was 15% Merlot. In 2001 it was 20%, in 2003 50%, in 2004 100%. In other words, a moving target:

Podalirio IGT Toscana 1999
Mostly older vines, a Sangiovese in purezza. Deep almandine with black reflections and almandine rim. Dusky looking, and vibrant. The bouquet is quite young yet, with bright sour berry fruit supported by sour brambly accents and a fair amount of wet leafy underbrush as well as deft alcohol and some green leather, also spice. Pleasant and zesty. On the palate it's full, with bright sour cherry fruit supported by smooth sweet cherry plum acidity, and by smooth sweet tannins with a slight cedary underpinning that flows into a long clean bright berry fruit finish. Quite pleasant; it will drink very well with succulent roasts or hearty stews, and also has the wherewithal to age nicely for another 5-8 years, and perhaps more. A nice, bright, rather voluptuous expression of Sangiovese, with a tight muscular underpinning. A fellow taster found it austere (while liking it very much), and you may too, but I instead found it to be rather curvy.
90-91

Podalirio IGT Toscana 2000
85 % Sangiovese, 15 % Merlot. Deep almandine with black reflections and almandine rim. The bouquet is powerful, and a distinct departure from the 99; the Merlot makes its presence felt in the timber of the fruit, which has warm cassis overtones; the vintage also contributes, with alcohol and a slight dryness derived from the August heat; this said, getting down to specifics the bouquet is rich, with cherry plum berry fruit supported by slightly more marked cedar, with an underpinning of cassis and greenish mentholated spice. On the palate it's full and rich, with warm sweetish berry fruit supported by fairly brisk sour berry fruit acidity that has some greenish accents, and by tannins that reveal a certain smoothness that comes from the Merlot, and flow into a clean bright fairly savory berry fruit finish. Very different from the 99, in a cheekier brighter key; it somehow brings to mind a pretty girl batting her eyes.
88

Podalirio IGT Toscana 2001
80% Sangiovese, 20% Merlot. Deeper poured pyrope ink with black cherry rim. The bouquet is powerful, with deft mentholated cedar at the first swish, supported by savory accents, berry fruit, some wood smoke, and underlying black currant and slight sandalwood, with hints of white truffle as well, supported by alcohol. Complex in a fairly charged key, and does reflect the richness of 2001 nicely. On the palate it's ample and very smooth, with rich slightly sour black currant fruit supported by some tart cherry acidity, and by very smooth sweet tannins -- the Merlot is overshadowing the Sangiovese, and the wine is pleasant in a rather seductive international key; powerfully fruit driven, and if you like the style you will enjoy it very much.
88-90

Podalirio IGT Toscana 2003
50-50 Sangiovese-Merlot. Poured pyrope ink. The nose is eye opening, with savory animal notes that bring to mind either prosciutto left out in the sun or perhaps a sweaty blonde, of the sort that I generally associate with a Sauvignon; with swishing the sweat diminishes (vanishing with time), but the meat remains, mingled with animal hair and sea salt, some cooked notes as well and underlying berry fruit. The hot, hot sun of the 2003 summer did something to it. On the palate it's ample, with warm cedar laced cocoa berry fruit supported by savory spice more than acidity, and by smooth sweet tannins that owe much of their substance to Merlot, and are very well polished, flowing into a cocoa-laced finish with some sweetish accents. It's heat struck, and a bit stunned; rather like a person stumbling about after a quick blow to the chin. Much weaker than the other wines.
1 star

Podalirio IGT Merlot Toscana 2004
Merlot in purezza. Impenetrable pyrope; poured ink. The bouquet is eye opening, with very powerful cassis supported by greenish spice that resolves into (lightly) grilled bell pepper with time, and some savory accents as well, laced with minerality. As it opens, oak, which was initially apparent, pulls back nicely. On the palate it's powerful, with fairly intense berry fruit supported by cedar and greenish vegetal bitterness supported by savory cassis acidity that flows into a bitter savory finish with some graphite shavings as well. My initial impression was that it was fairly oaky, but it opens well, and the fruit emerges, driving the oak into the background, where it plays a nice supporting role. It's obvious that they were refining their aim through the first wines of the flight, and it is interesting to watch them bracket the target. Here they are successful, and the wine is quite pleasant, in what is ultimately an approachable, fruit driven key.
88-90

Podalirio IGT Merlot Toscana 2005
Merlot Deep pigeon blood ruby with ruby reflections and black cherry rim. The bouquet is powerful, and frankly oaky, with sweet cedar and bitterness overshadowing most everything else. A whole lot of wood, and this is a common characteristic of the vintage one encounters elsewhere as well -- as the vintage was cool and wet, with the grapes ripening less, oak steps in to carry the show, though with swishing cassis does emerge, supported by cocoa -- again from oak, primarily. On the palate it's ample and rather bitter, with moderate cassis fruit supported by very polished tannins and some tannic bitterness, with lasting underlying cedar from the oak. Oak in spades, and I doubt the wine will ever completely digest it; it's like a hobbled horse that's trying to keep up with others that are not, and though it's a game attempt, it's not working.
1 star

Podalirio IGT Merlot Toscana 2006
Merlot Deep impenetrable black cherry with black rim. Poured ink. The bouquet is powerful, with vegetal laced cassis fruit supported by cedar and warmth. Rich in a charged, youthful fairly fruit driven key; there is some cedar that still stands out, but ample fruit to back it up. On the palate it's full and rich, with powerful, bright black currant fruit supported by some savory mineral acidity, dusky notes, and very smooth sweet tannins that draw from both Merlot and from oak, and flow into a clean savory bitter finish. It's pleasant, and fairly rich in a decidedly international key; it also needs another year, and perhaps two, to come together and integrate. Expect it to improve with time.
2 stars

Taken as a group the wines are a moving target, with differences each year, and if the 2006 is what it finally settles upon, it is a pleasant fairly international and quite approachable style. Incidentally, Podalirio is the local name for Iphiclides Podalirius, a pretty butterfly that flitters about the estate between April and September.

A couple of other wines form Querceto di Castellina:

Chianti Classico Riserva Vigneto Belvedere 2006
This is Sangiovese, with 15% Merlot, and spent 18 months in barriques followed by a year in bottle. It's deep black almandine with black reflections and almandine rim. The bouquet is intense, and in a way resembles the early Podalirios: There's rich berry fruit, a mixture of cherry and black currant, supported by spice and some vegetal accents, laced with a voluptuousness that has a firm muscular underpinning. On the palate it's full, with rich fairly sweet cherry cassis fruit supported by smooth sweet tannins and some deft, bright berry fruit acidity -- a mix of plum and mineral -- and by smooth sweet tannins that flow into a clean bright cherry cassis finish with tannic underpinning and lasting graphite bitterness. It's full, rich, and very smooth, a decidedly voluptuous international interpretation of Chianti Classico, and also quite approachable; if you like the style you will enjoy it very much, and with will work very well with succulent red meats. If you're of more traditional bent but willing to approach it with an open mind, you will discover it has things to say. But it's more for the richer more fruit driven international enthusiast than lovers of traditional austerity. It will also develop nicely over the next 3-5 years.
88

Antiprima Chianti Classico 2007
This is primarily Sangiovese, with some Colorino and Merlot, and was just bottled. It's deep black cherry ruby with violet rim. The bouquet is a bit out of sorts, with berry fruit supported by spice and some iodine; it's obviously still shocked by the insult that is bottling, but in the space of 45 minutes is revealing menthol and some spice. On the palate it's bright, with fairly rich cherry fruit supported by moderate cedar laced tannins and warm mineral acidity that flows into a clean rather mineral finish. It's not quite a barrel sample, but close enough to being one that it's too young to score, though it will be approachable in a fairly rich fruit driven style, and one could confidently expect a bottle to go quickly.

For more information, check Querceto di Castellina's Site