Wine Tasting Corner: Italian Wines
Filed Under Wine Reviews
Casata Monfort 2006 “Blanc de Sers” Vigneti Dolomiti IGT
Only in a region as culturally bisected as Trentino would you find a funky blend of the obscure – Wanderbara, Vernaza, Nosiola, Veltliner rosato – and the familiar – Chardonnay, Moscato. Like the region itself, the wine represents a meeting ground of Teutonic and Italian varietals.
The Monfort cantina supports and buys from local growers in order to maintain the profile of indigenous grapes that would otherwise become extinct.
This wine, sourced from a dozen vintners, has a fruity nose of red grapefruit, pineapple and orange blossoms backed by musky scents of forest greenery and a distinct arome of sage. Crisp on the palate, it delivers lively peach, pear and green apple flavors invigorated by tangy saline minerals. Solid, well defined finish that adds sensations of citrus.
Interesting, decidedly eccentric, not easy to categorize – in other words, definately Italian.
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Italian Pick of The Week, 6/08/09
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Botromagno 2005 Primitivo, Gravina DOC
The Botromagno winery is located in an area more known for white wines from a grab bag of Malvasia, Trebbiano Toscana and Greco di Tufo among others. The source for this varietal Primitivo is an ancient vineyard near the centrally positioned town of Gioia del Colle in the upper Murgia. The soils are a mixture of terra rossa over limestone (as in Australia’s Coonawarra), giving the wines power without sacrificing acidity.
This wine has a classic Mezzogiorno nose of earth, tar and woodsy fruit. Don’t expect finesse in this rough and rustic package that fills the mouth with dark cherries and blackberries. Earthy herbs and spices form a background for soft tannins that turn just mildly bitter at the end.
There’s no mistaking this for its DNA cousin Zinfandel, especially when paired with hardy local pastas topped with vegetables and spices, dusted with ricotta salata. Or tangy lamb based dishes.
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A Most Unusual Zinfandel
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Blueberries and spice and everything boozy and nice, right? I mean, that’s Zinfandel, isn’t it?
Well, not always.
Last weekend, at the Barossa and Beyond class, we tasted a most unusual Zinfandel–the Glaymond 2003 “Krause’s Berg” Single Vineyard from the Barossa Valley. Instead of rich, ripe fruit and gently mouth-tingling alcohol and spice, this bottling showed tar and black fruit and the slightest hint of flowers in the background. Kind of like what the lovechild of Cali Zin and Northern Rhone Syrah would taste like.
Unexpected? Perhaps. Addictively delicious? Without a doubt.
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Italian Pick of The Week, June 1, ‘09
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Mesa 2006 “Buio”, Carignano di Sulcis DOC, Sardinia
Those Sardinian wines that don’t compromise cultural fidelity have a feral, not-for-everyone quality that evokes their rocky, wind swept terroir. A sense of mystery, intrigue, the unknown – which is a translation of buio.
Mesa’a carignano may not hold dark secrets but it will satisfy those looking for full bodied, earthy authenticity. Aromas of game and woodsmoke surround dark cherries and berries, with hints of macchia, that island mix of wild herbs and flowers.
The decision to forego malolactic fermentation has left rough edges, making this an unapologetically rustic wine. Concentrated and solid on the palate, it picks up some warmth on the finish.
It has the stuffing to complement an insular cuisine more influenced by its rugged interior than its coastline.
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Another year, another Philly Wine Festival. Looking for this year’s Tudori, looking past the usual suspects. Seeing old acquaintances and making some new ones. Learning more than a thing or two from representatives who were not just pouring and picking up a day’s pay but actually were engaged with and articulate about the product. And even though I’d sworn to breeze through the Italian aisle…here is a sampling of some things worthy of attention.
Livio Felluga 2007 “Esperto”….a crisp, pure Friulian Pinot Grigio that expresses what the grape can be. All sorts of floral and ripe fruit aromas with a touch of honey that stays focused until a balanced, mineral laced finish.
Jermann 2007 Pinot Grigio IGT….there’s an Alsatian savoriness in the fresh and mildly spicy aspect of this full, rich wine that hits all the varietal high notes. With the right amount of acidity and minerals to showcase its Isonzo terroir.
A pair of surprises from Geandre Imports:
Vivalda Massimiliano 2004 “Il Clumbe” Barbera d’Asti…more extraction and earth than usual for an Asti, at first sip it comes on like a Monferrato with concentrated dark, forest fruits backed by herbs and spices. Gains depth as it goes, with bursts of acidic lift to support soft, mature fruit. A chunk of Piemonte in a glass.
Poggio al Pino 2003 “Templare”, Toscana Rosso IGT…there was enough spice and “macchia” in here to make me think it was Sardinian Cannonau…but it’s pure Sangiovese with waves of cherries, leather, mushrooms behind the deceptive opening. Power and finesse in a rich package that stays balanced throughout.
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Rose Cava? Rose Cava!
Filed Under Beer, Wine Reviews
PLCB stores recently began carrying a delicious rose Cava–the Conde de Subirats NV Rose, an $11.99 pink sparkler that both charms and goes blissfully easy on the wallet. It shows notes of ripe cherries and a touch of spice, all of it bound up in a thoroughly gulpable, supremely food-friendly package that easily justifies picking up multiple bottles as the weather turns warmer and the need for something refreshing grows with each longer day.
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Not Your Uncle Enzo’s Bonarda
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Let’s set the record straight – Croatina is NOTBonarda, although in Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna that is how it is erroneously identified. Bonarda is a separate varietal that is extensively cultivated in the Piedmont, showing up in the Nebbiolo based blends of several DOCs in the northern tier of the region.
The same varietal that emigrated to South America in the 19th century and is now more widely planted in Argentina than Malbec. The same true Bonarda that is known as Uva Rara in places where the term Bonarda is mistakenly applied to Croatina. Unless, of course, Bonarda is being referred to as Raione or Oriola. But it is definately NOTCroatina.
If only Croatina hadn’t strayed from its suspected place of origin in Lombardy into the southern provoinces of the Piedmont all of this confusing nomenclature might have been avoided. But it took to the welcoming environment of the verdant hills around Tortona, where it is sometimes produced as a varietal.
A fine example of that is Walter Massa’s 2004 “Pertichetti” from the Colli Tortonesi DOC. It manages to blend rustic earthiness with a ripe, jammy texture that gives off generous amounts of fruit without being excessive. Concentrated, well extracred red and dark berries come in flavorful waves balanced by solid acidity and integrated, mildly dry tannins. A rich palate of smoothness with no edges or bitterness.
If you see it or another Croatina on a shelf, remember – it is what it is…and what it’s not.
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Italian Pick of The Week, Feb. 9, 2009
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Ascevi 2005 Sauvignon Blanc “Ronco die Sassi”, Collio DOC, Friuli
French varietals have a long history in Italy, most notably in Friuli. Commitment to producing monovarietal white wines has put a uniquely Italian stamp on those grapes and reflects the cross cultural influences that have informed modern Friulian winemaking.
The Ascevi winery is located in a small village near the Slovenian border, surrounded by decidedly non-Italian neighbors such as Josko Gravner, Radikon, and Tercic. Though part of the Collio Goriziano, proximity to the higher saline content and moderating breezes of the northern Adriatic have imbued their wines with a saltiness sometimes found in maritime climates.
A point of interest in this wine is the disconnect between nose and palate. While there is a Sancerre-like herbacity, musky grassiness, and even a whiff of overly ripe grapefruit, the palate is more tropical and vaguely sweet. A veil of chalkiness on the fruit cannot hold off the repeated tang of salinity – in fact, they play off each other to good effect. The finish is soft and round in spite of persistantly juicy, citric acidity.
Line this up with the usual suspects from the Loire and a Marlborough Sauv and its singular, terroir induced expression of a too often pedestrian grape becomes evident.
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Italian Pick of The Week, Feb. 3, 2009
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Abbazia di Novacella 2007 Kerner, Alto Adige DOC
The Alto Adige may be politically and geographically part of Italy, but its wines exhibit an attitude born of altitude that is decidedly continental. Nestled in the visually stunning Valle Isarco is the 900 year old Augustinian monastery of Novacella, surrounded by vineyards in which grape varietals of Teutonic lineage abound – Veltliner, Gewurztraminer, Sylvaner, Muller-Thurgau….and Kerner.
Kerner is a cross of Riesling and Trollinger (aka Schiava). In the rough granitic soils of Italy’s northernmost winery it achieves a triangulated balance of aromatic complexity, freshness, and depth.
Extremities of climate and terrain have imbued this wine with a crispness and distinction that mark its place of origin. Mountain flowers and cool weather spices on the nose become mildly sweet on the palate. Sharp, tangy acidity and minerals are a counterpoint to a creamy, Riesling-like texture enhanced by hints of citrus. There’s a wave of chalky, Gewurzy warmth meandering through the background.
A lot is going on here, all of it good. This is what you serve to those who still believe that comparably priced white wine from Italy begins and ends with commercially produced Pinot Grigios.
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It’s Not Port…
Filed Under The Wine World, Wine Reviews
So maybe it doesn’t have the same name-recognition as Port, but a great vin doux naturel, like we tasted at last night’s annual Champagne & Dessert Wine Gala, proved, as it does every time, that there’s more to fortified vino than just juice from the Douro. From the more mature nuances of the Domaine la Tour Vieille 2003 to the younger, more mineral-and-fruit notes of the Helyos 2002, Banyuls showed, yet again, that when the mercury drops, reaching for a bottle of sweet fortification from Southwestern France is always–always–a good move.
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