Carpenè Malvolti: A New Wine and More

Carpenè Malvolti is one of the largest producers of Prosecco, and when I stop in a supermarket to pick up a bottle of light, young, zesty bubbly I often emerge with their basic Prosecco di Conegliano Extra Dry, which goes down nicely and is nicely priced. But they make many other wines as well, and have been introducing impressive new wines at the rate of one per year for a while now. Last year it was Viognier, and this year it's something called Cserszegi, which we'll get to presently. To begin, however:

Carpenè Malvolti Prosecco Brut 2008
Pale brassy yellow with hints of pink, and fine perlage. The bouquet us fresh, with tart apples and clean spice; the impression is direct and quite welcoming. On the palate it's fresh and full, with pleasant apple fruit supported by golden delicious acidity and sparkle that flows into a clean fresh finish. Good, in a simple key, and will drink nicely as an aperitif or with foods, especially cold cuts and other picnic fare.
2 stars

Carpenè Malvolti Extra Dry 2008
Pale brassy white with fine perlage. The bouquet is fairly rich, with apple fruit supported by some greenish accents and deft, sweetness. Appealing. On the palate it's ample, and rich, with fairly sweet apple fruit supported by peppery notes from acidity and sparkle, and clean slightly bitter apple accents that flow into a fairly tart finish. Pleasant in a quite approachable key, and will work well as an aperitif or at poolside. Expect it to go quickly.
2 stars

Carpenè Malvolti Prosecco Cuvée Oro Dry 2008
Pale brassy white with fine intense perlage. The bouquet is fairly rich, with delicious and Granny Smith apples mingled with tart crisp apple acidity and pleasing airy hints of sweetness. On the palate it's full, with failry rich delicious apple fruit supported by apple acidity and slight savory accents, while the finish gains depth from hints of apple bitterness. Quite nice, and will work well as an aperitif or far from the meal. Expect it to go quickly.
2 stars

Carpenè Malvolti Cserszegi 2008
This is a new wine: it's produced from Cserszegi, a Hungarian varietal developed in the late 1940s by Karoly Bakonyi , who crossbred Israi Oliver and Traminer Rosso with the goal of obtaining grapes well suited to the climate, that would ripen early, and have good sugar levels and aromatic potentials. The vineyards are on the banks of the Danube, and Carpenè is the first to produce a sparkling version, through the Charmat method. The wine is pale brassy yellow with fine persistent perlage, and has a fairly rich greenish nose mingled with some bitterness, cut flowers, and some savory spice. On the palate it's full and rich, with clean bright slightly sour minerality supported by sparkle and smooth warm citric acidity that flows into a clean apple laced finish with savory accents. Pleasant, and quite welcoming, with greater depth than the Prosecco. It will work quite well as an aperitif, and also be nice to drink at table, with fish or meat-based dishes.
2 stars

Carpenè Malvolti Kerner 2008
Pale brassy white with fine intense perlage. The bouquet is rich, and elegant, with floral accents and spice mingled with some vegetal notes and minerality. Considerable depth and very pleasant to sniff. On the palate it's it's full, with rich slightly bitter minerality supported by clean bright sparkle that confers creaminess, and by deft acidity that flows into a clean fairly rich slightly bitter finish. Very pleasant, and will drink beautifully as an aperitif.
90-91

Carpenè Malvolti Viognier 2008
Pale brassy yellow with intense perlage. Bright bouquet, with rich citric accents mingled with greenish notes and hints of savory heather. A lot going on in a slightly more muscular key than some of the others. On the palate it's bright, with deft minerality supported by clean fresh creaminess from sparkle, and by fairly deft acidity that flows into a clean bright finish. Quite pleasant, and will drink very well with foods or as an aperitif.
88-90

Carpenè Malvolti Rosè Brut
Pale salmon with lively pinkish perlage. The bouquet is fresh, with some berry fruit supported by acidity and savory accents. Delicate. On the palate it's full, with fairly rich mineral laced berry fruit supported by acidity and clean greenish bitterness that flows into the finish. Pleasant, and will work well as an aperitif though it has quite enough body to work well at the table too, with richer grilled fish, white meats, and also with flavorful cheeses. In short, versatile.
2 stars

Carpenè Malvolti Metodo Classico 2005
Lively brassy gold with brassy reflections and fine intense perlage. The bouquet is fairly intense, with deft acidity and bread crumbs mingled with some greenish vegetal accents and slight butterscotch. Nice balance. On the palate it's full, with fairly rich savory minerality supported by sparkle and slight greenish bitterness that flows into a clean peppery finish. Deft, and though I would have liked a little more acidity, it is pleasant, and will work well as an aperitif, or with fish, including crustaceans.
2 stars

Cà Lojera: Tasty Lugana and More (Reprise)

I met Cà Lojera's Ambra Tiraboschi, who looks rather like Maria Callas in the photo she puts up in her stand at Vinitaly, many years ago at Bordeaux's Vinexpo: It was the end of a very long day, my feet wished they belonged to someone else, and I had stopped to say hi to Paolo Abbona of Marchesi di Barolo. Sat down too, and found myself sipping a rather nice sparkling wine that turned out to be a Lugana from the southern shores of Lake Garda.

When I asked whose it was, Ambra raised her hand and smiled. Much has happened since then; they've redone their cellars and added a restaurant, which is open for dinner during the summer months, and Ambra's daughter Alessandra has had two delightful children. I make a point of stopping by her stand at Vinitaly every year, usually managing to catch her husband Franco too (he prefers to stay out of the limelight), and have noted with considerable pleasure that since I began liking their wines others have too. In fact, AIS, the Associazione Italiana Sommeliers, declared their wines the best of the Brescano area (Lake Garda's western shore) for 2009. And well they might:

Cà Lojera Lugana DOC 2007
Lot TF209
Last year's wine: Delicate brassy yellow with brilliant brassy reflections and white rim. The bouquet is fairly rich, with minerality and some white berry fruit laced with greenish accents and moderate acidity coupled with spice. Graceful. On the palate it's full and bright, with graceful warm yellow plum fruit supported by clean acidity and savory accents that flow into a clean bright gunflint laced finish. Quite pleasant and will drink very well with fish or vegetable based first course dishes (and also creamy risotti in general), fish, and white meats that aren't too fatty rich -- a chicken pot pie for example.
87-90

Cà Lojera Lugana DOC 2008
Lot TT0309
Pale brassy white with greenish reflections and white rim. The bouquet is fresh and very young, with moderate honeysuckle supported by spice and savory notes. Nice depth in its youth. On the palate it's rich and full with yellow plum fruit and acidity supported by hints of minerality that flow into a clean slightly bitter finish. Quite pleasant, though it's going to be much better in a year's time,and is worth waiting for. Beautiful wine.
88 now

Cà Lojera Lugana Superiore DOC 2004
Lot 504
Lively brassy gold with brassy reflections. The bouquet is fresh and deft, with clean mineral accents and spice mingled with gunflint and moderate acidity. Pleasant, and mature. On the palate it's full and quite rich, with deft yellow plum fruit supported by slightly greenish acidity that flows into a clean fresh mineral finish with greenish tannic accents that become quite savory. Quite nice though not a wine to drink far from the table; it will instead nicely complement rich fish dishes, e.g. grilled sea bass or even grilled salmon. Very nice, and has a great deal to say.
90

Cà Lojera Lugana Riserva del Lupo DOC 2004
Lot LR04
Deep brassy gold with greenish highlights and brassy reflections. The bouquet is rich, with greenish gunflint accents and barest hints of butterscotch and bitterness mingled with yellow peach, and savory notes. Quite a lot going on, and it opens very well. On the palate it's full, and rich, with powerful minerality supported by clean fresh tart berry fruit acidity that flows into a spicy finish with lasting warmth. Quite elegant and rich, with considerable depth; it will drink very well with grilled fish, or other rich flavorful foods, and also has the capacity to age nicely for several more years.
88-90

Cà Lojera Lugana Superiore DOC 2001
Lot 0703
Lively charged brassy gold with brassy reflections that have brilliant golden hues; it looks its age. The bouquet is fresh, impressively so considering the wine's age, with clean lemony fruit supported by some greenish accent and deft spice with hints of butterscotch. On the palate it's full, rich, and clean, with fresh lively white berry fruit supported by considerable savoriness and by sweet tannins that flow into a clean slightly greenish finish. Pleasant and has kept very well, furnishing further proof -- if any was needed -- of Lugana's ability to age.

Cà Lojera Garda DOC Chardonnay 2006
Forgot to note lot number
Brassy gold with brilliant greenish brassy reflections. The bouquet is bright, with tropical fruit laced with some hardwood ash and greenish spice, and supported by alcohol as well. On the palate it's full and rich in a rather seductive key with swank citric fruit supported by deft acidity that flows into a clean slightly overripe tropical fruit finish. Pleasant, and has considerable life, though it doesn't display the tight control of the Lugana.
2 stars

Cà Lojera Garda Chardonnay DOC 2001
Lot 15402
Brilliant lemony yellow with brassy reflections that pale to white at the rim. The bouquet is fairly rich, with clean fresh savory white fruit supported by minerality and spice, and some pungency as well. Quite pleasant. On the palate it's ample and rich, with tropical fruit -- honeydew melon and some pineapple -- supported by warm savory accents that flow into a clean bright rather citric finish. Impressive for an Italian wine this old, but then again I have come to expect this sort of performance from Ambra's wines.
2 stars

Cà Lojera Vino da Tavola Rosato
Lot not apparent.
Lively salmon with pink rim paling to white. The bouquet is fresh and bright, with fairly rich raspberry supported by bright greenish acidity. On the palate it's full (for a rosée), with lively righ red berry fruit supported by acidity and light smooth sweet tannins that flow into a clean fresh raspberry finish. Quite pleasant and approachable.
2 stars

For more information on Cà Lojera, check Ambra and Franco's Site

Tasted at Vinitaly: Montenidoli

Elisabetta and Sergio - the passion and soul behind Montenidoli - and I are old friends; in addition to doing their website, I am a frequent guest at their home and was one of the lucky few invited to taste back through their older Vernaccia a couple of years ago. If I had ever harbored any doubts about Vernaccia's capacity to age, that tasting laid them to rest, and this year at Vinitaly Elisabetta decided to present a number of older vintages. Of other wines, and they were just as impressive.


The Wines

Canaiuolo Rosato di Toscana IGT 2008
Lively salmon with bright salmon reflections and rim paling to white. The bouquet is rich, with greenish raspberry fruit supported by underbrush and alcohol, with clean spice form grapes; nice balance and fair depth. On the palate it's rich, with powerful raspberry laced berry fruit that has some yellow plum accents, and is supported by lively acidity and clean light sweet tannins. Quite graceful, and will work very well as an aperitif, or with simple pasta dishes or risotti. Because of its rich fruit, it will also be nice with oriental dishes. Worth seeking out.
2 stars

Vinbrusco Bianco di Toscana IGT 2005
This is a blend of Malvasia and Trebbiano, and is brilliant brassy gold with brassy reflections and white rim. The bouquet is rich, with fairly intense rather bitter white fruit that includes pear, and is supported by greenish bitter notes, mingled with warmth and alcohol, there's a lot going on with many facets, and it's quite interesting to sniff. On the palate it's full, with rich white fruit supported by savory minerality and some greenish tannins that flow into a very long bitter white berry fruit finish. It shows considerable depth and complexity, and is one of those wines that will distract you from what you're drinking it with. In other words, demanding, and it will richly reward those who listen to the tale it tells.
90

Vinbrusco Bianco di Toscana IGT 2000
This is from a considerably hotter vintage; it's brilliant brassy gold with lively apricot-laced brassy highlights. The bouquet is powerful, with rich tart butterscotch laced with some citric acidity and warmth, with hints of mint and pear that provide depth. It's clearly from a hot vintage, but displays grace and elegance. On the palate it's full and languid, with rich white berry fruit supported by bright slightly greenish acidity that flows into a clean bracing finish in which acidity is joined by tannic hints. Very pleasant, displaying considerable depth and power in a hotter vintage key, and though it does suffer the heat of the vintage slightly, is a testament to what carefully grown Tuscan whites can achieve.
89

Carato Vernaccia di San Gimignano DOCG 2005
This is Elisabetta's barrel fermented Vernaccia, and it's brassy gold with white rim and brilliant brassy reflections. The bouquet is fairly rich, with clean bright bitter almonds and hints of gunflint mingled with greenish accents and slight savory butterscotch; it's quick to write, but displays considerable depth and elegance. On the palate it's full and languid, with clean bracing gunflint minerality laced with warm white berry fruit and some tannins that reveal oaky butterscotch accents and flow into a warm languorous finish that lasts and lasts. Most impressive, and one of the finest barrel-fermented Venaccias I know of. Even staunch traditionalists who prefer steel will find things to think about.
90-91

Il Templare Bianco di Toscana IGT 2003
This is a blend of all the white varietals in the older vineyards, and is brilliant brassy gold with brassy reflections and white rim. The bouquet is rich, with greenish accents and gunflint supported by bright acidity and clean bitter white pear and spice; it's quite graceful and a pleasure to sniff, offering many facets. On the palate it's full and bright, with ample fairly rich white berry fruit supported by savory notes and a fair amount of languid minerality that flow into a clean peppery finish. Pleasant, though the richness reveals the heat of the summer, which has also reduced the acidity some, making the wine a little bit softer than it is in cooler vintages.
2 stars

Il Tempare Bianco di Toscana IGT 1999
Brilliantgoldwith brassy reflections and white rim. The bouquet is rich, with greenish notes and vegetal accents mingled with bright acidity, and supported by minerality, gunflint, and some bitter white pear. Great depth and elegance. On the palate it's full and rich, with powerful gunflint laced white berry fruit with minerality and languorous fullness form glycerin that gains depth from savory acidity and flows into a clean savory finish. Quite nice, and superior to the 2003 because it has more acidity, which confers greater life and richness.
88-90

Vernaccia Tradizionale DOCG 2007
Lively brassy gold with brassy reflections and white rim. The bouquet is fairly rich, with white floral accents mingled with savory spice and some bitter almonds, and warm alcohol as well. Quite a bit going on, in a deft, fairly muscular key. On the palate it's full and rather languid, with clean charged white fruit supported by deft acidity and by some warm slightly greenish accents with tannic underpinning that flow into a peppery finish with lasting acidity. It's ample, and charged, like a well muscled teen who is pleasant but hasn't yet learned finesse, and will drink quite well with hearty soups, rich pasta dishes, along the lines of a dried porcini risotto, and will also work well with white meats. Expect it to age nicely for at least 3-5 years.
2 stars

Fiore Vernaccia di San Gimignano DOCG 2007
Lively greenish gold with brilliant brassy reflections. The bouquet is deft, with greenish accents and almond skins supported by alcoholic warmth and minerality; it's quite young, but already displays considerable depth. On the palate it's full, with rich, elegant white berry fruit supported by greenish accents and spice from grapes, and by clean rich white berry fruit acidity. Very nice, and though it is already quite drinkable, will reward those who can give it a few years before opening it. One of those wines one hates to pour out at a tasting.
91-2

Il Garrulo Chianti Colli Senesi DOCG 2006
Livelydusky cherry ruby with cherryrim. The bouquet is fairly rich, with warm berry fruit supported by brambly acidity and by warm spice, while there is also dusky underbrush and hints of stable straw. Pleasant, though not for lovers of smoother, softer fruit driven wines. On the palate it's medium bodied-full, with fairly rich cherry fruit supported by smooth sweet tannins that flow into a clean fresh rather bitter berry fruit finish. Pleasant in a frankly traditional key, and will drink nicely with a variety of foods, from hearty pasta dishes through stews and roasts. If you like the style you will like it very much.
2 stars

Montenidoli Chianti Colli Senesi DOCG 2006
Lively cherry ruby with cherry rim. The bouquet is bright, with fresh berry fruit supported by brambles, clean spice, with some graphite shaving bitterness, jammy warmth, India ink, and a fair amount o alcohol. Still quite young. On the palate it's full and rich, with deft red berry fruit supported by bright sour berry fruit acidity and by smooth sweet tannins that flow into a warm rather tannic finish. Pleasant, in a slightly rustic key, and you have to like the style -- lovers of studied Merlot won't be happy with it. If you are of more robust tastes, it will drink quite well with succulent red meats and light stews.
2 stars

Sono Montenidoli Rosso di Toscana IGT 2001
Deep pigeon blood ruby with black cherry rim. The bouquet is fairly rich, with cherry plum fruit supported by balsamic warmth and deft cedar-laced spice. Beautiful depth and a delight to sniff. On the palate it's full and rich, with powerful cherry fruit supported by sour berry fruit acidity and by warm sweet tannins that flow into a clean bitter tannic finish. It's quick to write about, but elegant and has a great deal to say; if you're of traditional tastes you'll like it very much, all the more because time has begun to apply its polish, and even if you're more inclined to the international style you'll find muchto think about. Even more as it opens in the glass. Expect it to age nicely for many more years.
90-91