Garantito IGP: Serra della Contessa 1999 Etna Rosso DOC

This time Luciano Pignataro takes the stand:

The Blend: Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio
Price: 25-30 Euros in wine shops
Fermentation and aging: In wood

There are wines one drinks for work, and others that give reason to the work. In the latter one seeks personality, though they shouldn't be eccentric, they should be true-to-type but not hide-bound, and clean but recognizable on nose and palate. And they must put the face and voice of those who made them into the glass, voyaging through space and time, and allowing one to find them.

Benanti is lucky to work in Sicily, but Sicily is just as lucky to have him. For what would Sicilian chocolate have been in the 1990s without this bitter, fine, faded, elegant, extraordinary corrective given by the puffs of Mount Etna?

The Greek individualism that provides the anthropologic foundation of most Italians leads to insurmountable problems in the organization of daily life, but also provides unsurpassable peaks in the Arts and in Beauty.

Like drinking Serra della Contessa 1999, freshness with fumè accents and echoes of wild cherries, savory, not the slightest sweetness, so far from the good volcano, from the Trout the Serva Brothers, who have already been noted by the Giovani IGP for their new dish, caramelized eel with honey, catch in the springs of Santa Susanna in Rivodutri.

Then you take a sip, and another. And you finish it. Thanks also to its freshness, which has always been the key to wine. The vintage is superb, bringing out the best in whites and reds from the Val D'Aosta to Etna. And what a wine.

From which I awaken in this body, after a long, long journey

Luciano Pignataro

Viagrande (CT) - Via Garibaldi, 475 - Tel. 095/7893438 - Fax 095/7893677 - benanti [at] vinicolabenanti.it - www.vinicolabenanti.it - Bottles produced: 165.000 - Hectares under vine: 55 - Varietals: Nerello Mascalese, Nerello Cappuccio, Nero d'Avola.

Valpolicella, Soave, Lugana & More: Some wines from the Azienda Bennati

The Azienda Bennati was established in 1920 by Annibale Bennati, whose father Antonio had been a successful wine merchant, dealing in wines from both Soave and Valpolicella. At the time Annibale also purchased several hectares of vineyards in their home town, Cazzano di Tramigna, which is in the Soave appellation, and after WWII, when his sons Ezio and Aldo began working with him, the family increased its holdings and began to produce Valpolicella as well.

This year they made their debut at the Amarone in Anteprima, and also introduced a new wine called Gardetta, which they offered to send me. I replied that I would be delighted to taste it, but that more than one wine would give me a better idea of their production. And they very kindly sent me six of their wines, a mixture of whites and reds from the Veronese.

We'll begin with the Amarone, drawn from my 2008 Anteprima notes :

Soraighe By Bennati Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG 2008

Deep black cherry ruby with black reflections and cherry rim. The bouquet is bright, with sour cherry fruit laced with India ink and some hints quinine, also some graphite shavings. Gives impression overripeness. On the palate it's ripe, with cherry plum fruit supported by dusky tannins and moderate acidity, while there are greenish sandalwood accents as well, and it flows into a rather bitter berry fruit finish. Fairly direct, and with time may become rather austere.
2 stars

And continue with the wines they sent me, which are all in the Soraighe line, their best, farmed to lower yields to increase quality:

Casa Vinicola Bennati Libet Soraighe Soave Classico DOC 2011

Lot 3053 (? Blurred)
Brassy pinkish gold with brassy highlights and white rim. The bouquet is fairly rich, and quite fresh, with floral accents and loquat fruit supported by some honeydew melon and slight peppery vegetal accents with hints of white pepper as well. On the palate it's light, with bright white berry fruit supported by some honeydew melon and slight greenish brambly notes, with gunflint laced mineral acidity, and flows into a fairly long slightly greenish honeydew melon loquat finish with slightly bitter mineral notes that emerge as the fruit fades. Pleasant in a refreshing light rather languid key and will be a nice summer wine to drink with pasta salads, cool summer rice dishes, and similar, and will also be a nice picnic wine. Expect it to go quickly.
2 stars

Casa Vinicola Bennati Soraighe Lugana DOC 2011

Lot number hidden by the fascetta, the band indicating DOCG status
Pale brassy yellow with bronze-salmonate reflections and white rim. The color -- the reflections in particular -- is a little unusual for a Lugana. The bouquet is instead typical, with loquat and brambly heather mingled with fairly mineral acidity and some gunflint, and underlying spice. On the palate it's fairly full, with warm lemony loquat fruit supported by bright citric acidity that has some brambly accents, and by slight gunflint that flows into a fairly long rather bitter more grapefruit than lemon finish. It's more powerful and more angular than the Soave, and will work better with more flavorful dishes, say a rich fish risotto, or grilled fish, or fried fish or fried white meats. Again, it will drink quickly in the proper setting.
1 star

Casa Vinicola Bennati Gardetta Soraighe Rosso del Veneto IGT 2009

A Corvina-Merlot blend, Lot not apparent.
Inky pyrope that doesn't lighten a jot at the rim. The bouquet is intense, with jammy berry fruit supported by fairly intense graphite shaving bitterness and fairly intense cassis with slight violet floral accents, and some underlying rust and bramble. On the palate it's full, with rather bitter berry fruit supported by moderate acidity and tannins that have a warm bitter underpinning, and aren't as smooth as I generally expect Merlot tannins (which as a rule have a profound influence) to be; here the Merlot comes through more in the cast of the fruit while the tannins are more Corvina's doing -- though they are smoothed some -- and the effect is rather dusky. It's not a wine to be sipped by the glass, but will work nicely with hearty stews, for example a goulash (they are made in the Veneto too) or a pastissada.
2 stars

Casa Vinicola Bennati Ireos Soraighe Rosso Veronese IGT 2008

A Rondinella, Corvina, Molinara, Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Nero blend, Lot 1325.

Inky pyrope ruby with cherry ruby rim. The bouquet is moderately intense, with cedar and berry fruit supported by some vegetal accents and underlying spice with some greenish notes as well. On the palate it's full, and rather exotic, with berry fruit supported by cedar and some cumin spice, and by tannins that are rather vegetal and flow into a fairly long rather vegetal finish with underlying peppery accents and some bitterness. It comes across as trying very hard, but is rather blocky, and all flows together, with some cabernet elements that do color the rest. With a lighter touch, it could be more interesting.
1 star

Casa Vinicola Bennati Gadum Cabernet Sauvignon Veneto IGT 2009

Lot 1335
Poured pyrope ink, with the barest lightening at the rim. The bouquet is ripe, and jammy, with prune plum fruit laced with slight greenish vegetal accents and hints of cocoa supported by spice, flinty mineral acidity, and some bitter notes. It gives an impression of roundness. An impression confirmed on the palate; it's full with fairly rich ripe jammy forest berry fruit-plum fruit with slight vegetal accents supported by tannins that have a warm bell pepper laced burr -- the Cabernet comes out -- and flows into a fairly long rather bitter graphite laced forest berry fruit finish. It's fairly direct, and is again more of a food wine than a sipping wine; it's quite powerful and will work well with hearty roasts or stews.
1 star

Casa Vinicola Bennati Ripasso Valpolicella Classico Superiore DOC 2009

Lot hidden by the Fascetta, the band indicating DOCG status
Inky pyrope ruby with deep pyrope rim. The bouquet is moderately intense, with some berry fruit supported by cedar and some spice with greenish accents; it's still developing and needs time. On the palate it's fairly rich, with bright rather jammy greenish fruit supported by moderate acidity and tannins that are warm, with a spicy cedar laced burr and some underlying bitterness, and flow into a fairly sweet sandalwood laced finish with a cedary underpinning. It's rather direct, and though it does need another year to come together is not quite as tight as I might have liked; this said, it will do a nice job of accompanying stews or roasts.
1 star

It was an interesting group of wines; I found the Soave to be the most interesting, because it was lighter, and while the fruit was luscious, displaying a certain agility that will make it enjoyable in the summer months, followed by the Lugana, which is again the sort of wine one can set out and drink on a summer day.

The reds were somewhat more problematic for me; while the search for quality is quite evident in the power and concentration they display, the search for these qualities is taken further than I might have liked, and as a consequence finesse and agility suffer. This is especially true of Ireos, which I found rather muscle bound. Their Amarone, tasted at the Anteprima, is defter, as is Gardetta, and it will be interesting to taste future vintages.

Tasted at Vinitaly: A Selection of 2001 Amarone

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

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


Lorenzo Begali Monte Cà Bianca Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2001

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

Venturini Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2001

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

Novaia Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2001

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

Stefano Accordini Vigneto il Fornetto Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2001

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

Villa Spinosa Guglielmi di Jago Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2001

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

Trabucchi Amarone della Valpolicella 2001

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

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

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

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

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