La Grotta Di Vegneron

La Grotta Di Vegneron is a producer in the fantastic Valle D'Aosta in north western corner of Italy on the border to France. It is the smallest wine growing region in Italy and this region has many interesting grapes. Due to its small size, wine from Valle D'Aosta is very hard to find as the production is so limited. And don't forget the beautiful nature of Valle D'Aosta also.

 

But going back to La Grotta Di Vegneron I have tried two of their wines. A red and a white wine. First up is a dry wine from 2010 called Attente. It is made of Muscat grapes from the village of Chambave. Normally Muscat grapes are used for sweet wines so this dry aged white wine is quite interesting. This wine is aged for 40 months in steel tanks which is a long time for a dry white wine. The taste is dry but the smell confuses my mind as I expect a sweet wine. taste of apricots, dried fruits but with a clear dryness. Not for everyone but I find it good and interesting but I find it hard to categorize.

Next up is the red wine Esprit Follet made from the ancient grape Fumin from Valle D'Aosta. In the taste I get complex red fruits, black currants, viols, dark chocolate and some spices. A very good wine. Love it and Fumin have become one of my favourite grapes.

Three Sangiovese based red wines from Italy

Sangiovese is a fabulous grape and I had the chance to try three red wines that uses the Dangiovese grapes from Tuscany, Umbria and Emila-Romagna.

First out is the Spezieri wine from producer Col d'Orcia in Tuscany. It is a blend of mostly Sangiovese and Ciliegiolo. The ABV is 14% and the vintage is 2016. From 2013 this wine is organically made. I get red fruits on the nose which is typically for a Sangiovese wine. I get a taste of cherries, black currants and some spiciness. Some tannins in the finish. A good wine.

Next we go to Tuscanys neighbour, namely Umbria. The green heart of Italy. Here we find a Montefalco Rosso from producer Lungarotti. For this wine the grapes Sangiovese, Merlot and Sagrantino is used. Here at least 60-70% Sangiovese must be used and between 10-15% Sagrantino and the rest other grapes. The ABV is 14% and the vintage is 2014. This is a big and powerful wine. Dry and strong tannins with dark sour cherries and earthy notes. Definitely some tobacco in the back. This wine needs food. After tasting it I would give it 2-3 more years of ageing before drinking it. Good now but with a couple of more years of storage I think it will be even better.

Finally we go to Tuscany and Umbrias northern neighbour Emilia-Romagna. Here we find the wine Ora from producer San Patrignano. It is a Romagna Sangiovese superiore from 2015 with and ABV of 14%. This wine contains only 100% Sangiovese. The taste is of dark cherries and black currants with some harsher tannins. This needs more time in storage before it gains it full potential. Like the Montefalco Rosso wine above, good now but will be even better in two years time.

White wine from Tuscany and Piemonte

Col 'D'Orcia in Tuscany produces many good wines and especially Brunello di Montalcino. But this time it is not a Brunello that I am tasting but a Vermentino from Col D'Orcia. Vermentino is a grape that it is used to make white wines from. The vintage is 2017 and the ABV is 13,5%. This white wine is dry and has  taste of apples, citrus and some gooseberries. A very nice wine.

The producer Enzo Bartoli is a new acquaintance for me. It is a producer from Piemonte in the north of Italy. This wine is made from 100% of Cortese grapes and this is the first time I have tasted a wine made from Cortese grapes. These grapes are mostly found in southern Piemonte. The vintage is 2016 and the ABV is 12%. This white wine feels very fresh, It is quite mineralic with citrus in the taste. A wine which is very good right now and should be drunk young.

Balblair 1999, 1st release

Balblair is probably the only distillery that still sells their whiskies as vintages. The 1999 vintage 1st edition has been a mainstay of the travel retail. It was bottled in 2016 which makes the whisky approximately 17 years old. It has been aged in ex bourbon barrels and some ex spanish oaksherry butts. So how does it taste?

Smell: A nice complex smell. With vanilla, spices, fruits and some apples and some citrus
Taste: Spicy and some toffee and some vanilla and sweetness.
Aftertaste: Long spicy sweet finish.

A highly recommended whisky. One of the best whiskies in the travel retail range.

Sparkling rose from Monte Rossa

Monte Rossa  is a a sparkling wine producer in Franciacorta in Lombardy in Italy. This firm was founded in 1972 by Paolo Roveto. Monte Rossa wines is produced by the method of second fermentation in the bottle. The grapes used for the Monte Rossa Flamingo wine are 60% Chardonnay and 40% Pinot Noir, So this wine is produced like how Rose Champagne is done. Before being sold the wine is stored for 24 months on the bottle.

The nose of the wine is very nice and feels very fresh. The taste is light and good with wild strawberries, citrus and raspberries. Very good however the aftertaste could have been a bit longer. A very good rose sparkling wine.

Tempranillo from Spain and Nero di Troia

This time I go from Spain to the south of Italy. I don't drink so much wine from Spain but it is interesting to try out new stuff. Anciano is a Gran Reserva 2006 made by Tempranillo grapes. It is from producer Bodegas Navalo. The wine is stored in oak barrels for 18 months before being bottled and then they store it 8,5 years longer before selling the wine. So it is as least ten years old. The vintage is 2006 and the ABV is 13% Since it is ten years old it is quite smooth. The wine has hints of vanilla with red currants and some liquorice. Just lacking a bit in the after taste. A good price for the value.

Now going to the south of Italy and the region of Puglia. In this region they have several interesting grape varieties and one of them is Nero di Troia. producer Poderere 20 produces a 100% Nero di Troia wine called Gelso Nero and the vintage that I have tried is the 2017, so it is quite a young wine. The ABV is 13%. It has a taste of plums,, dark cherries, viols and some tannins. Not an older elegant wine but a more younger wild wine which I quite like.