Four new white wines from Italy

The first white wine from Italy that I have tried is the Vette di San Leonardo in Trentino/Alto Adige. It is made from 100% Sauvignon blanc and the vintage is 2016. I get white fruits in the nose. Gooseberries in the taste with some citrus and almost some butter. A very well balanced wine which is very good.

The second wine is the Mafefa wine from Tuscany which is from producer Agrisole. It is of the vintage 2016 and has an ABV of 13,5%. The grapes used for this wine is Vementino, Grechetto and Malvasia Bianca. It is a fresh wine with a light taste. The taste is some citrus with pears and grapefruit.

The third wine is a Vermentino wine from Liguria. It is called Armentin Valpolcevera by producer Andrea Bruzzone. It is of the vintage 2016 and has an ABV of 12%. The taste is fresh with soemmelons and pears and finish with some citrus. A good Vermentino for seafood.

The last and fourth wine is a wine from Sicily. It is a Fiano wine from procducer Colpasso. The vintage is 2016 and the ABV is 13,5%. It is a floral taste with honey, pineapple and acidity. A good  wine.

Montepulciano vs Barbera

Montepulciano is a grape that is grown a lot in Marche in Italy. Producer Garofoli I have tasted several wines from and the latest one is the red wine Pian Carda. It is a wine from 2014 and is made of 100% Monetpulciano grapes. It is matured in oak casks for at least one year before being bottled. It is from the the hills behind Monte Cònero in Marche. I get a lot of red fruits on the nose. In the taste I get red cherries with some tannins and a dry finish. It is decent but nothing special. A good tablewine.

Next up is a Barbera d'Alba from Piemonte and the producer Giovanni Rosso who are situated in Serralunga d'Alba. When I was in Piemonte I visited Serralunga d'Alba and it was a beautiful small village with a magnificent castle.

The view from the castle is amazing and gives a good impression of how the surrounding lands look like.

Just a few kilometers outsude of Serralunga D'Alba Giovanni Rosso has their base in the hamlet of Baudana. Their barbera D'Alba wine is called Donna Margherita and is of the vintage 2014. The ABV is 13%. The taste is of black currants, cherries and some plums with some soft tannins. It is a very good wine and reminds me of my trip to Barolo. Barbera is an under appreciated grape.

Lagrein and Negroamoro, north to south

Lagrein that is grown in Alto Adige (South Tyrol) is my favourite red grape that is grown there. Lagrein gives usually a bit tannic wines with high acidity and low pH.

The producer K. Martini & Sohn makes wine called Gurnzan Rueslhofer and the vintage is 2014. ABV is 13,5% and it consists of 100% Lagrein grapes from near the town of Bolzano. The colour is very dark purple. The taste is of dark cherries with some cloves. A strong taste and some tannins. A very good Lagrein.

From the northern part of Italy to the southern part of Italy, namely Puglia which is the heel of Italy. Here they have several interesting grapes that is grown there and one if called Negroamaro. The wine is called Orfeo from producer Paololeo. The vintage is 2014 and the ABV is 14,5%. The taste is of red bitter cherries, some herbs and then some tannins in the back. A good food wine. This is the second wine I have tasted from this producer and they hold a good quality.

Whisky: Deanston 12 and Glengoyne 12

Time to return for some whiskies. First up is the Deanston 12 year old. Deanston is a distillery near Doune. Probably all have seen Doune castle in the Monty Python move Holy Grail. It is quite a new distillery and it started in 1957 when an old cotton mill was converted into a distillery. From the beginning Deanston was not known for great whisky but in recent years it seems that the owner has increased the quality a lot. The Deanston 12 year old I believe has only been aged in Bourbon barrels. It is un-chilledfiltered and uncoloured. In the nose I get a malty smell with maybe some toffee. The taste is of malt, vanilla and some oak. In the aftertaste I get some malt and spices. A very good 12 year old.

Glengoyne belongs to the highland distilleries but their storage area for casks are across the road in the lowlands. They use a lot of sherry casks in their whiskies and one of the few distilleries that has a complete age statement range for a good price. Their 12 consists of 20% first fill European sherry oak casks, 20% 1st fill bourbon barrels and 60% oak refill casks. I was quite disappointed when I tasted it the first time. It felt a bit inmature and very closed. I went back a couple of months later and then it had completely changed its character. So it need some time to open up. When it had opened up it was very good. The nose was of sherry, spices and some vanilla. The taste is of sherry, oak and some spice. The aftertaste is of sherry and spices. Very nice. Will be interesting to try their older whiskies in the future such as the 18 and 21 year old.

Ca Marrone vs Barbera d'Alba

It is fun to see how some producers try everything to sell their wine. The wine Ca' Marrone is produced by Casa Marrone, and they shorthen the name to Ca' Marrone on the label. Because then it will be a bit similar to Amarone. But tis wine has nothing to do with Amarone or even the Veneto region because it is produced in Puglia. The grapes are 60% Negroamaro, 25% Merlot och 15% Primitivo. The vintage is 2016 and the ABV is 14,5%. The taste is a bit sweet and very fruity, a lot of red fruits. A nice wine, missing some complexity.

Next wine is a wine from Piemonte of the type Barbera d'Alba of vintage 2016 and ABV 14%. The producer is Giacosa Fratelli and the name of the wine is Busije. On the nose there is a lot red fruits. The taste is good with some red cherries, tobacco and prunes. The tannins are quite light and gives some extra complexity. A good wine.

La Bettigna, Vermentino from Liguria

I quite like Vermentinos from Liguria. Always a good choice. Producer Societa Agricola La Bettigna is situated near la Spezia in Liguria and the wine I have tasted is their Colli Di Luni Vermentino 2015 with and ABV of 13%. The colour is a light orange, almost a bit like a natural wine. The wine has a light fruity character with some passionfruit and grapefruit in the end. A foodwine but lacking some acidity. I wonder if this wine has oxidised a bit? Need to taste it once more to give a complete review.

Barolo Camerano 2012 Cannubi San Lorenzo

When visiting Barolo in 2017 I had the chance to buy some Barolo wines from the producer Camerano. They also have a shop and runs an agroturismo in Barolo. Drop by and try their wine if you are in Barolo.

So what about the wine Barolo Camerano 2012 Cannubi San Lorenzo. From what I understand this wine is produces mostly from the vineyards in Cannubi San Lorenzo. Cannubi and the various other Cannubis such as Cannubi San Lorenzo are known to the best areas of Barolo. The ABV of this Barolo is 14% and the grapes are 100% Nebbiolo.

The taste is spicy with dark cherries with some tobacco and very well integrated tannins. Complex and a lovely wine. One of the best that I have ever tasted.

Ferrari Perle, another chance

Last time I tasted a Ferrari Perle I found it lacking and I wondered if I had gotten a bad bottle or if the vintage maybe was not so good. This time I had the chance to try the Ferrari Perle 2010. Now this was completely different than the 2008 vintage that I had tried before. The taste was full of citrus, apples and bread and it felt quite fresh for being seven years old. I liked this vintage a lot. As usual it is made of 100% Chardonnay.

Two champagnes, Napoleon and Moet Chandon Imperial

At the end of the year is the only time as I taste Champagne. The first champagne is the Napoleon of the vintage 2002. It has been lying on the yeast for 13 years so one can expect quite a bready champagne. The producer is Champagne Ch. & A. Prieur and it was founded in 1825. This vintage consists of equal parts Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The smell is quite powerful. The taste is of bread and some apples or pears. For me it is just a bit to much bready but for others this will be the perfect champagne.

Moet Chandon is a big producer of Champagne and their Moet Chandon Imperial is a very common Champagne. It is a non vintage champagne. The taste is of bready and apples with some acidity. A bit similar to to Napoleon but lighter in taste.

Two white wines from Italy

First up is the the white wine Bianco passivento from producer Barone Montalto in Sicily. It is made by putting the grapes in baskets to be dried by the wind. The taste is fruity with some melons and freshness, in the aftetaste one can feel some sweetness. Loses a bit in the long run.

Next white wine is from the region of Veneto. It the called Oropasso from the winemaker Biscardo. It is of the vintage 2016 and has an ABV of 13%. The grapes used are Garganega and Chardonnay. The wine has a very good smell. The taste is of melon, apples and citrus. A very good wine.