Lunae, a piece of Liguria in winter

The white wine Lunae is from Liguria and the DOC Colli di Luni. This spring I visited Luni which is an old Roman town of which only some ruins remain.

The wine Lunae are made of the Vermentino grape and the vintage is 2016 and the ABV is 12,5%. This wine is called Etichetta grigia (grey label). I find it be very fresh with some minerals, acidity, citrus and some green apples. When I drink it I get the following in my head.

I feel like I am back in Liguria, sitting by the seaside in Cinque Terre drinking this wine. A wonderful wine perfect for seafood.

Garofoli, excellence from Marche

I have drank wine from the producer Garofoli in Marche earlier and this time I have tried two different expressions from Garofoli. One is the white wine Macrina and the other is the red wine Novello.

First up is the white wine Macrina from 2016. This is from the Verdicchio Dei Castelli Di Jesi DOC Classico Superiore. This wine is made in Marche in the region of Colline Dei Castelli Jesi.  The grape is of course Verdicchio. The ABV is 13%.  Maturation has been done in stainless steel tanks. It has a nice nose of flowers and white fruits. The taste is of melon and pears, I get a crisp grapefruit in the finish. Good structure and a very good Verdicchio Dei Castelli Dei Jesi.

Next wine is something of a rarity for me, it is a red Novello from Marche. The vino Novello is a young wine and it is from this year, 2017. From what I have read is that vino novello is similar to its French cousin Beaujolais nouveau. But since I have never drank Beaujolais nouveau I have no idea what the taste will be. One thing is that there will be less tannins compared to a normal wine. The taste I get is red fruits, some violets and some acidity. A young good table wine. I am very surprised by the quality.

Two different sides of Garofoli and both wines are very good. So far I have tried three wines from this winery and all of them have been very good so far.

Tuscany vs Piemonte

Let's do a battle between Tuscany vs Piemonte, with an older Tuscan wine against a younger Piemontese wine.

First up is the older Tuscan wine Stielle from Rocca di Castagnoli. It is of vintage 2009 and ABV is 13,5%. It contains 100% Sangiovese grapes. It has been aged 18 months in oak and then 12 months in a bottle before being released. The taste is of red cherries and some black currants with soft tannins. A good wine that showcases the Sangiovese grape.

Next up is the younger wine from Piemonte and it is a Dolcetto D'Alba called A Elizabeth from producer Cascina delle Rose. It is made of 100% of the grape Dolcetto and is from 2015. The ABV is 13%.  The taste is dark cherries with some liquorice with some spices and tannins in the aftertaste. This is a good Dolcetto.

So who won. Here the Stielle wins due to a bit more complexity in taste while in price the Dolcetto wins.

Torlasco Barbaresco versus Umbrian red wine

For the second time in my life I tried a Barbaresco. It is the wine Torlasco of the vintage 2011 and the ABV is 14%. When trying to find information about this wine I find the following: "Torlasco is a line of wines born to satisfy the most exclusive markets and customers." This does not sound so good but in the end it is the taste that matters. The grape is 100% Nebbiolo and the grapes have been grown in the Barbaresco area of Piemonte. I find a lot of red berries on the nose. The taste is of black currants, tobacco and some violets. Some harsh tannins in the aftertaste. It is a decent wine but I expect more from a Barbaresco. I think this has been made for American tastes.

Next up is a wine from Umbria in Italy. It is from producer Cantina Roccafiore and the wine is called Rosso Melograno. The grapes is Sangiovese and Montepulciano and the vintage is 2013. ABV is 12,5%. The nose is full of light red berries. The taste is of red currants, raspberry with some herbs like sage. Nice easy wine, not so complex but clear flavours.

Three white wine from Abruzo, Gavi and Soave

The Italian white wines are not as famous as the red wines but there are many different white wine grape varieties in Italy and so many regional styles.

Starting from the south in Abruzzo we have the wine Sprezzatura from producer Azienda Marramiero. This wine is made of the grape Trebbiano D'Abruzzo, vintage is 2016 and the ABV is 12%.  This wine I think is only produced for the Swedish Market as I cannot find this wine on the homepage of Azienda Marramiero. When I nose it I smell pears. The taste is of minerals and citrus and the wine has a long fresh taste. I quite like this wine.

Going up north to Veneto and the Soave we find the wine Soave by producer Brigaldara. I tasted some of their red wines when I visited Verona earlier this year. This Soave wine is a white wine from 2016 and the ABV is 13%. When I nose it I can smell elderberries. The taste is of elderberries, pears and some melon. I like this one also.

The last wine is from Piemonte and the region of Gavi. It is a Gavi wine called Spinola from producer Castello Di Tassarolo. A Gavi wine is made of 100% of Cortese grapes and this wine comes from the Municipality of Tassarola. The vintage is 2016 and the ABV is 13%. The taste is fragrant and I get peaches and flowers and it is very good. I definitely want to taste more of these Gavi wines.

From Montalcino to two new places, Montepulciano and Molise

Tody it is all M, red wine from Montalcino, Montepulciano and Molise.

First up is a red wine from Montalcino in Tuscany, it is the Villa al Cortile Rosso Di Montalcino from 2015 with an ABV of 13,5%. The bottle says the the grapes comes from the south and north slopes of the Montalcino territory. As usual the grapes are 100% Sangiovese Grosso. The taste is of red fruits, red cherries, soft tannins, some liquorice, and a good aftertaste. A good wine.

Next we move to the town of Montepulciano also in Tuscany. It is the wine Vino Nobile di Montepulciano from producer Poliziano, with the subname Viti nuove. The vintage is 2014 and the ABV is 13,5%. It is made of 85% Prugnolo Gentile and 15% of other grapes such as Colorino and Canaiolo. The Prugnolo Gentile is the name for Sangiovese in Montepulciano. The taste is very spice, some black peppars, black currants and some liquorice. There are some tannins lingering in the aftertaste. Also a good wine.

The last bottle is a red wine from the little known region Molise in Italy. It is called Biferno Rosso Riserva by producer Zengarello. This wine is of the vintage 2011 and the ABV is 14%. The wine is made of the grapes Agliancio and Montepulciano, not to be confused with the town Montepulciano. The taste is of black currants, tobacco and liquorice. The tannins are quite strong. This is a wine that will age very well and I would probably like it even more when it becomes older. A good wine today with some ageing potential.

Three wines from Veneto

Time to go north in Italy and try three different wines from the Veneto region. First up the the only red wine of this session. It is a Valpolicella ripasso from producer Antiche Terre of the vintage 2015. The ABV is 13,5%. I taste vanilla, cherries and some other red fruits. Some softer tannins in the aftertaste. A good wine.

Next up is two white wine. The first white wine is the Soave by producer Luigi Righetti. Vintage is 2015 and ABV is 12%. It has a smell of white fruits like melon and some elderberry. The taste is of melon and some elderberry. Quite a light wine but a good tablewine for a warm summer day. This wine is made of the grapes Garganega and Trebbiano.

The last wine is the wine San Vincenzo from producer Roberto Anselmi. The vintage is 2015 and the ABV is 12,5%. This is an IGT Veneto Bianco wine, and the grapes used are Garganega (70%), Chardonnay (15%) and Sauvignon blanc (15%). I get a taste of melon, grapefruit and honey. A very good wine.

Two whiskies from Edradour

Edradour is a small distillery in the Highlands in Scotland. It is privately owned distillery, it was bought 2002 by Andrew Symington of Signatory company. Edradour has one of the most smallest stills allowed in Scotland so therefore the distillery character is a bit heavy and oily.

The whisky Caledonia is a 12yo whisky from Edradour. The first Caledonia whisky was chosen by Dougie Maclean and in this video below one can see the process when Dougie Maclean choose the first cask.

The nose is intense and one can feel fruits and sherry, quite a complex smell. The taste is strong and quite oily, it feels stronger than the 46% ABV. It has different flavours such as sherry, fruits and some vanilla and spices. A long aftertaste. A really good whisky. And now listen to the song Caledonia by Dougie Maclean.

The second whisky from Edradour is their brand Ballechin and their 10yo. Ballechin is the heavily peated Edradour brand. The malt used for the whisky is smoked to at least 50ppm. For the Ballechin the whiksy used has been aged in former Bourbon barrels and sherry casks. The smell is smoky with some dark chocolates and some oil. The taste is complex with smoke, some oak, oily and some light fruits and spices rounding it off. It has a long aftertaste with a lingering light smoke in the mouth. This is a very good 10yo whisky.

Campania to Tuscany

The first wine is a white wine from Campania. It is made of 100% Greco grapes. It is called Greco di Tufo since it is made in the DOGC area Greco di Tufo around the town of Tufo. It is called Iovine and the vintage is 2016. The ABV is 13%. The taste is of pears and minerals. The aftertaste is long and fresh. This wine I like a lot.

Next wine is a red wine from Tuscany. Rendola is made from 100% Sangiovese, ABV is 13,5% and the vintage is 2015. The taste is of plums and cherries with a well integrated softer tannins. Very good wine and is not as heavy as I thought it would be.  A perfect food wine.

Super piemontese against normal Italian wines

The wine Corniolo from producer Livio Pavese is what some people calls a Superpiemonte. It is of the vintage 2010 and the grapes used are Barbera, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. They planted the grapes after being inspired by the Super tuscans of Tuscany such as Sassicaia. On the label is is written that it is a modern wine, full bodied, round and gentle.
So what is my impressions of this wine? The smell is of dark fruits. The taste is of cherries, viols and some tannins. For me tannins are a bit on the harsh side, and the aftertaste is very dry and here one can feel the tannins. For this wine the tannins are not integrated into the wine. For me there are much better wines in this priceclass to buy. I rather go with a pure Barbera wine. I would not say that this wine is gentle. It would need maybe seven years more of ageing and then I don't know if the tannins would be better or not.

Orlandi Contucci Ponno is a producer in Abruzzo in Italy that makes the wine Rubiolo. This wine is produced using only Montepulciano grapes grown from vineyards with a good southern exposure. The vintage is 2014 and the ABV is 13,5%. The taste is of black currants, some coffee and are a bit spicy. A nice red wine from Abruzzo.

The last wine comes from Maremma in Tuscany. It is the wine Le Facaie from producer Rocca Di Montemassi. The vintage is 2015 and ABV is 13,5%. It is made by 100% Sangiovese grapes. The are where this wine is produced is very beautiful. There are great aromas in the nose. The taste is dark berries and coffee and the taste is quite strong. A nice aftertaste in the mouth. A good wine that showcases the Sangiovese grapes

Abbazia Novacella

Abbazia Novacella is a wine producing Augustinian Canons Regular monastery in Alto Adige in the north in Italy. The vineyards are situated at high elevation (500-800m) and this gives their white wines a freshness and acidity that is hard to beat.

I visited the monastery in 2013 and bought several wines at their wine shop. The landscape around the monastery is very beautiful and the monastery is also very beautiful. So if you go there take time to visit both the monastery and the winery.

The three wines that I bought are all white wines from 2012, so they have been stored for four years before opening them. The first wine is the Sylvaner wine made from Sylvaner grapes. The taste is of melons, citrus and some aromatic spices. Just a bit sour aftertaste, it goes very well with asian food. A really good wine.

Next wine is the Müller Thurgau made with the grapes of the same name. This wine has fresh fruity aromas in the nose. The taste is of citrus and white peaches and some sharpness in the aftertaste. A rich full wine, a very good wine.

The final wine is a Gewürztraminer. The nose is very good and the taste it is very aromatic and fruity with pears. Still crisp and fresh after four years of storage. Long aftertaste and it has aged very well. A wonderful wine.
Three very good wines from an excellent winery.

Balblair vintage 2005 and Tomatin 12 years

Let us leave Italy and wine and go to Scotland for whisky. I will look into two releases from two less known distilleries Balblair and Tomatin.

First up is Balblair and the Balblair 2005, Balblair is one of the oldest distilleries in Scotland and was founded in 1790. Balblair is owned by Inver House and is located in the northern Highlands north of Inverness. Bablair differs from other distilleries in that they only bottle vintages. So the vintage that I have tried is their 2005 and it was bottled in 2015, so it is approximately 10 years old. It is natural colour and is non chill-filtered. I have to say that the box is very beautiful and that the bottle shape is a delight to see as it show the contents very well and one can see the natural colour of the whisky very well.
The colour of this whisky is a bit lighter and one can see that bourbon barrels have been used for maturing the whisky.
The nose of the Balblair 2005 is some oak and vanilla with green apples and almost some toffee.
The taste is a delight. One gets a citrus with toffee and some spices. A medium finish that lingers.
I like this whisky very much and I have to try other vintages. Because one can find old vintages and not become ruined as both the 1999 and the 1990 are reasonably priced.

Next up is the Tomatin 12 years. Tomatin is owned by japanese owners Takara Shuzo and Tomatin is situated south east of Inverness. Tomatin is also the one of the highest situated distillery in Scotland. they are also very open with their whiskies and have a wide range available. They call themselves the softer side of the highlands.
The 12 year old whisky is matured in ex bourbon barrels and sherry casks. The nose has a fruity aroma. The taste has a definitive taste of apples which seem to be the distillery character followed by oranges and oak. This is a smooth whisky and has a very good price, definately softer side of the Highlands.

If you have the chance, visit the Highlands in Scotland, it is such a beautiful place and if you have the time, visit a distillery.

From rock to Montefalco

Rock is a Valpolicella Ripasso from 2015 from ITALIANS. Bought in Germany so a strange producer and also the text on the label is all about rock in various forms. So how does it taste? It is spicy with some liquorice and a lot of tannins. Feels a bit unbalanced and after my trip to Verona I can say that there are much better Ripassos.

I have tried the Montefalco rosso from producer Arnaldo-Caprai earlier. This time it is the vintage 2015 with and ABV of 13%. It is a combination of Sagrantino, Sangiovese and some Merlot grapes. It is aged 12 months in wood and then four months in bottle before being sold.  The taste of dark fruits and cherries and the tannins are in a very good combination. It is an excellent food wine.

Valpolicella wines in Verona

Verona is a beautiful city and what better place to try some red wine from Valpolicella?

First wine is from producer Brigaldara and the wine is a Valpolicella ripasso superiore. Brigaldara is situated in the Marano valley in the village San Floriano. The vintage is 2015 and the ABV is 14,5%. I find it to be a very good fruity wine and when I say fruits I mean dried red fruits. A good after taste and I really like this wine.

Next wine is from producer Villa Spinosa, it is called Figari and the vintage is 2012 with an ABV of 13%. This grapes for this wine comes from a terrace called Figari. The grapes are a blend of Corvina Veronese and Corvinone. It has soft tannins with a taste of black currants and some red cherries. It is an elegant wine and very good.

  

When in Verona please make a visit to Locanda 4 cuochi. A very good restaurant mentioned in the Michelin guide. Good prices and very good food.

  

Tasting two Sangiovese in Bologna

Bologna, the beautiful red city of the fat and learning.

In my last visit to Bologna I had the chance to sample some of the region Emilia-Romagna wines made from the grape Sangiovese. I had the chance to try two different Sangiovese Superiore di Romagna DOC. The first one is from producer Montaia and the vintage is 2015. ABV is 13%. The taste is of strong red fruits with some sharpness and acidity. Definitely a food wine due to the acidity.

Next wine is a  Sangiovese Supeirore di Romagna DOC Riserva by producer Campo del Sol.  The vintage is 2013 and the ABV is 13,5%. The taste is of liquorice and black currants. The nose is amazing on this wine, very strong, Goes very well together with traditional bolognese food.

A roundup of recent tested wine

First up is three white wines from Italy. First is a white wine from Sardinia that I have tried before. It is Monteoro buy producer Sella and Mosca. The one earlier I had tried were from 2013 and now I have tasted their 2015 vintage. The ABV is 14%. The taste is very fresh with citrus and elderberries. Very good Vermentino from Sardinia.

Next wine is a white wine from Soave in Veneto called Mito. It is by producer Monte Tondo and this wine contains 100% Garganega grapes. The vintage is 2015 and the ABV is 12%. The taste is of apples and some citrus. A nice one.

The white wine is a Pecorino from Abruzzi. The producer is Orlandi Contucci Ponno and the wine comes from the IGT Terre Di Chieti. The vintage is 2015 and the ABV is 13,5%. The taste is fresh and fruity, green apples with some citrus. Almost some grapefruit in the aftertaste. Very good.

The final white wine is Classico Terlaner from Cantina Terlan and it is the first white wine that I taste from them. It is a cuvee or a mix of the grapes Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc from 2014. It is from Alto Adige and the ABV is 13,5%. It has a strong fruity flavour and it feels fresh. A good wine.

The first red wine is from the prooducer Bepin De Eto, I have tasted several other wines from them and they have been all good. This wine is called cabernet and their is no vintage on the labels. The wine is from Veneto region and the ABV is 13%. The taste is of red berries and black currants, a bit milder than expected with some tannins in the aftertaste. With some air the wine changes character and the tannins feels more harsher and more deeper. Quite interesting.

The last red wine is the love wine called Amore Assoluto from the Veneto region. It is by producer Antiche Terre and the vintage is 2015. The ABV is 13,5%. The taste is of red fruits, liquorice and dark cherries. A good red wine.

A trio of Italian white wines

I have tasted three Italian white wines from south to north. The first is the wine da Sergio made by the grapes Inzolia and Cardonnay. It is from the big producer Mare Magnum based in Montalcino. The vintage is 2016 and the ABV is 13%. The wine is light and fresh with some tropical fruits. A wine for a very warm summer day.

For the second time I tried a Roero Arneis from Piemonte. It is by producer Matteo Correggia and the vintage is 2015. The ABV is 13%. It has a fresh acid citrus taste with some almonds in the aftertaste. A good wine.

Gavi is a white wine produced in Piemonte in a limieted area. If the wine is produced within the commune of Gavi it is allowed to be called Gavi di Gavi. Gavi wines contains 100% Cortese grapes.  Producer Roberto Sarotto makes the wine Di Capo which is a Gavi di Gavi. The vintage is 2016 and the ABV is 12,5%. The taste is of citrus, grapefruit and some grey pears. A lovely wine.

Passito di Pantelleria, the nectar of gods

The sweet wine Passito di Pantelleria from the island of Pantelleria is a special wine. It is made of the grape zibibbo (also known as Moscato d'Alessandria). From my experience a passito from Pantelleria need several years to mature. If drunk to young it is good but with a couple of years in the bottle it goes from good to excellent, it turns into the nectar of the gods. This time I tasted the Passito di Pantelleria from producer Buffa. The vintage is 2004, so it is quite an old wine. The ABV is 14%. The colour of the wine is dark amber. One can see the age of the wine in the colour. The nose if of honey and raisin. The taste is long and full of raisins with almost a burnt oxidized taste. Wonderful, this is a wine I wish I could drink every month.

Three red wines from northern Italy

Back to normal after some very busy weeks.

First red wine is from Alba in Piemonte. It is the Dolcetto D'Alba from producer Orlando Abrigo. The vintage is 13% and the vintage is 2014. The taste is of red berried with black currants with some soft tannins. Nice and good.

Next wine is from Asti, which is in Piemonte just north of Alba. It is a Barbera D'Asti from producer Castello del Poggio. The vintage is 2014 and the ABV is 13%. The taste is of red cherries and some viols. Nice.

The last wine is a Greccio Rosso from Bepin de Eto in Veneto. It is a Bordeaux blend from 2012 consisting of the grapes Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and some Marzemino. the ABV is 15%. The taste is rich and complex. Tobacco and dark fruits. A long aftertaste. Let is open up for an hour before drinking.

Three reds from Italy

Italy produces much good red wine. Some of it are made with indeginous grapes while other are made from international grapes.

The wine Syrah Maroccoli from producer Planeta is made using 100% Syrah from the vineyard Maroccoli situated at 400 meters height near Menfi in south western Sicily. The winery is Cantina Ulmo. The wine is matured in oak barriques of which 30% is new. The ABV is 14% while the vintage is 2010. The taste is rich and spicy, some black pepper. I think that this wine would go very well together with Oriental spicy food.

The wine Un Poco is a red wine from Puglia. It is made of the primitivo grape, in USA it is known as Zinfandel. This wine comes from producer Cantine San Marzano, however this is not written on the label. The vintage is 2016 and the ABV is 13,5%. The nose is very good on this wine. The taste is spicy and cherries with some soft tannins.A good wine.

The last wine comes from the one of the most famous wine districts in Italy, namely Chianti. Terreno Chainto classico from 2013 has and ABV of 13,5%. The grapes used for this wine is Sangiovese and Merlot.  The fields are located at a height of 350 meters above sea level. The smell is of red fruits. The taste is of cherries with some violets, a bit softer than expected. Some mild tannins. A nice wine.

Two whites from Italy, Arneis vs international grapes

Auelente is a white wine from San Patrigano in Emilia Romagna. San Patriagno is a place for youths who has lost their way and here they can be rehabilitated. They produce a white wine called Aulente. The wine consists of the grapes Chardonnay and Sauvignon. The vintage is 2015 and ABV is 13%. The taste is of fresh apples and gooseberries. A very nice mix of these grapes.

Arneis is a grape from Piemonte that is a bit rare. I think that this is the first time I have tasted this grape. The producer is Antica cascina dei Conti di Roero, that was quite a mouthful. The vintage is 2016 and the abv is 13%. The wine is very fresh with some citrus and acidity. Perfect for fish. An interesting wine from an interesting grape.

Planeta Eruzione 1614

In 1614 the volcano Etna on Sicily in Italy erupted and it lasted for ten years. The winemaker Planeta say that the lavaflows reached the edge of Planetas estates before they stopped. In remebrance of this Planeta has two wine named Eruzione 1614.

The first wine is the red wine Eruzione 1614 made by 100% Nerello Mascalese grapes. The vintage is 2014 and the ABV is 14%. After fermentation the wine is stored in oak barrels for 12 months. The colour is ruby red. The nose is very soft with some red fruits. The taste is of some spices and cherries with some well structured tannins from the oak and a long aftertaste. A very good wine.

The second wine is the white wine Eruzione 1614 made by 90% Carricante and 10% Riesling. The grapes are grown high up and up to 850 above sealevel. The wine is made without the use of any oak barrels. The colour is pale yellow, with almost some green. The nose has some flowers in it. The taste is excellent. It is fresh, apples and minerals. A lovely wine, highly recommended. The only negative thing about this wine is that it tastes so good that it disappears very quickly.

Pinot Noir from France

It is not often that I get to drink a red wine from the French region of Languedoc, or even French wines. The wine is Ferrandiere and is from 2015. The grape is pinot noir and the ABV is 13,5%. The taste is spicy, some violets and some harsh tannins in the back of the throat. A decent wine.

So lets return to Italy after the short visit to France. Dogajolo is a white wine from producer Carpinetto in Tuscany. The vintage is 2015 and the ABV is 12,5%. The grapes used for this wine is Chardonnay, Grechetto and Sauvignon Blanc. Already in the nose I can feel the Sauvignon Blanc grapes. But it is the taste that I find lacking. It is fruity aromatic just lacking some acidity. For me it gets a bit tiresome after one glass.

Icy red wine

There exist no icy red wine but ice wine exists and Germany is one of the leading producers of this very rare wine. Because ice wines requires a very cold winter to be produced as the grapes freeze on the vines and then picked and pressed in the middle of the winter. So it is very rare and expensive, especially for good quality ice wine or Eiswein as it is called in German.

Villa Wolf is an estate in Pfalz region in Germany. Ernst loosen took over the estate in 1996. The Eiswein that I tasted if from 2009. The ABV is 8%, very low ABV but that is normal for ice wines. The smell is very good. One can smell dried fruits. The taste is of apricots, honey and almost some burnt flavour. It is very deep and rich. A wonderful wine and buy a bottle if you can find one.

Going a bit south we get to Italy and Alto Adige (South Tyrol). Here I have tasted a Lagrein wine from producer Kellerei St Michael-Eppan of the vintage 2012. Lagrein is a grape that is almost exclusively grown in Alto Adige. The wine smells very nice. The taste is of black currants, cherries and some soft tannins. A very good wine. At its peak right now. Drink and be happy.

Fontanafredda Barolo Serralunga d'Alba

Barolo, the district in the region of Piemonte Italy, famous for the wine Barolo made of the Nebbiolo grape. I had the pleasure to visit Barolo this year and the district is so beautiful. The vineyards are situated on the Langhe hills and everywhere there is small beautiful villages.

The Serralunga d'Abla village in the Barolo district has a beautiful castle and the village is situated in a circle around the castle.

From the castle tower all the vineyards around Serralunga d'Alba can be seen. The Barolo wines from Serralunga D'Alba is know to be complex and powerful.

Fontanafredda is a big producer in Barolo and the estate has approximately 100 hectares  of vinyards. They have a Barolo that comes from Serralunga d'Alba. This wine is made of 100% Nebbiolo that was harvested at the beginning and middle of October. After fermentation in steel jars the wine is stored for 12 months in barriques from Allier and two year in oak casks still from Allier (2000 lt). Then the wine is stored in a bottle for 12 months before being sold. the vintage that I have tried is the 2009 vintage. The ABV is 14%.
The colour is garnet-red with some ruby. The nose is complex. In the taste I get spices, liquorice, dark red berries tannins and sage. It is strong, full bodied but has an excellent balance. A wonderful wine that need food. I think that this wine would have increased in complexity with 5-7 years more of ageing.

Going back

It is fun to go back and try different vintages of wine that I liked. Will it still be good or has something changed.

From one of my favourite producer Donnafugata in Sicily comes the wine Anthila. It is a white wine of vintage 2016, Cataratto is the main grape but is complimented by various other grapes. The taste is of pear and peaches with  crispy fresh taste. As good as I remembered it. Definitely a wine for the Swedish summer.

Then we move on to producer Piersanti and the wine Zecci which is a white wine from Marche in Italy. It is made of 100% Verdicchio grapes and is from the DOC Verdicchio Dei Castelli Jesi. The vintage is of 2015. This is a full bodied wine. Pears and apples in the taste. A very good food wine.

Very good to see that both producers has good quality over the years.

A visit to Cinque Terre

Cinque Terre is one of the most beautiful places in the world with the five villages so beautifully situated along the water. 

Less know is that in Cinque Terre they also produce wine, although in Italy one can produce wine almost everywhere. The wines of Cinque Terre is mainly white wines made by the grapes of Bosco, Albarola and Vermentino. The vineyards are beautifully situated along the slopes of the mountain.

I had the chance to dine at the restaurant Dau Cila in Riomaggiore, this restaurant has excellent seafood. The view of the Mediterranean sea is beautiful from Dau Cila.

If you ever has the chance to visit Dau Cila you should try their excellent seafood starters.

Of course when eating in Cinque Terre I always drink wine from Cinque Terre and for this dinner I choose a white wine from producer Cheo. I have tasted a Sciacchetrà from this producer and that was awesome so I had high hopes for their white wine. This wine is from 2015. It has a full body and it tastes of apples and some citrus. Very good. Matches the seafood perfect.

All in all, a wonderful evening in Riomaggioe in Cinque Terre.