Broadbent 10 year Verdelho and Blandy's 15 year sercial, Madeira wine

Broadbent is a bottler of for example Madeira wine. I have tasted their 10 year old Verdelho. Here the Verdelho is a grape that produces semi sweet Madeira wine going over to almost a bit dry style. In the taste I get notes of caramel, orange and some walnut in a drier style. Quite a delicate and not in your face as some other Madiera wines can be. A good meditation wine.

The Blandy's 15 year old Sercial is made with the grape Sercial with makes this Madeira wine to be quite dry. In the taste I get walnut, burnt almond, oak and it is quite dry. Perfect as an aperitivo or an after dinner drink.

Gradis'cutta Malvasia 2017, Collio, Friuli, Italy

 

During spring 2019 I visited the producer Gradis´cutta in Friuli, Italy. Gradis'cutta is a producer which have 20 hectares of vineyards in the communes of Gorizia, Capriva del Friuli and Dolegna del Collio. 

The locations of the vineyards are at different elevations and therefore they have many different growing conditions for indigenous grapes, such as Ribolla and Friulano, and international grapes such as Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot. Gradis'cutta produces a multitude of wines, from white to red to sparkling wines.

The wine that I have tasted is the Malvasia 2017. This grape is a grape called Malvasia (Istriana). There are many grapes with the name Malvasia but this grape is native to Friuli. The Malvasia that is used for this wine is grown at 180 meters above sea level. The wine is kept on the yeast until bottling.

 

In the taste I get peach, apricot and some citrus and honey. A very good Malvaia that works well with spicy food.

 

Rotari Flavio 2011

The Rotari Flavio is a sparkling wine of the 2011 vintage. Rotari is a big producer in Trentino in the northern parts of Italy in the Dolomites. Rotari Flavio is a Metodo Classico wine which means the wine is produced in the same way as a champagne. The grapes used are 100% Chardonnay. The long secondary fermentation and refinement takes place in the bottle. For Rotari Flavio it is stored in the bottle on the yeast for at least 5 years. That is quite a long time and will give increase flavours to the wine such brioche. 

On the nose I get brioche and apple. In the taste I get toast, yeast and citrus, Quite a big body wine with very good flavours.

Nero D'Avola from Sicily of the vintage 2016, Tolo and Principi Di Butera

Nero D'Avola is a red wine grape that is grown primarily in Sicily and is very common in that region. From what I know it is the most grown grape in Sicily. 

The producer Tola I have tried several of their white wine expressions but their Nero D'Avola is the first red wine from them. It is of the vintage 2016 and has an ABV of 13,5%. The grapes are picked in September. The wine is aged first three months in steel vats and then stored in the bottle for three months before sale. In the taste I get red fruit with some violet and a few tannin in the back. A nice easy drinking Nero D'Avola.

The next wine is a Nero D'Avola called Amira from the producer Principi Di Butera. This producer is owned by the family Zonin who owns several vineyards all over Italy. Half of the wine was stored in 350 l Tonneaux and the rest of wine in large bottis. It is a very good structured wine. In the front I get red cherry and some blackberry before the taste brings out some black currants with some tannins in the back. Quite elegant and a very good Nero D'Avola.

Agliancio and Falanghina from Fattoria Pagano

Fattoria Pagano is a producer in Campania in Italy. The vineyard is situated in the area of Casale di Carniola in the sout of Campania. The company was founded by in 2001 by Antonio Pagano. The vineyards are situated on a height of 270-300 meters above sealevel and the soil is old volcanic soil.

The first wine is a young Falanghina wine from 2019. It is made of 100% Falanghina grapes which is a white grape that is common in Campania. Before being bottled it has been aged two months in steel vats. In the taste I get apple, pear, grapefruit and some minerals. A nice good Falanghina which is very easy drinking and is perfect for an aperitivo or together with fish or spicy food.

The second wine is a bit more mature. It is an Aglianico from 2017 made from 100% Aglianico grapes. Agliancio I have talked about in my previous posts and it is the red wine grape of southern Italy. This wine has been aged 6 months in steel vats and then 10 months on the bottle before being sold. One year ago I tasted the same vintage so it will be interesting to see how it has changed. In the taste I get cherry, black currants and with big powerful tannins. One more year of storage has integrated the flavours in the wine and I think one more year would make this wine even better.

 

Moncaro Vigneti Del Parco, Conero, 2010 Riserva

Moncaro is a coop in Marche Italy, with about 900 members. In Sweden Moncaro is mostly known for their white wines but the Conero DOGC produces only red wines. The Conero DOCG appellation is located on the slopes of Mount Conero in Marche, produces full-bodied dark red wines with aromas of black cherry and herbs, mainly from Montepulciano and Sangiovese grapes. The wine Vigneti Del Parco from 2010 is a riserva and is made from 100% Montepulciano grapes. the wine has been aged for 18 months in French oak barriques and then aged in the bottle. I bought it 2019 so it has been aged a lot in the bottle before being sold.

The taste is of sour cherry, black currants and some oak and liquorice with some soft tannins in the back. Very good wine but remember to let it breath before drinking. As air makes it better and the sour cherries transforms into dark cherries then.

Gricos, Aglianico Del Vulture from Basilicata

Gricos is a red wine from the Aglianico Del Vulture area in Basilicata and the producer is Gricfalco, which is is a produer i Basilicata. The Grifalco company was founded in 2004 by the Fabrizio and Cecilia Piccin after having been a wine producer in Montepulciano, Tuscany, for 20 years. They wanted to forge a new path and start producing Aglianico wines in Basilicata. Thi project is run by their sons Lorenzo and Andrea. Grifalco has 16 hectars of vineyards with different age of the vines. They have five different vineyards around the extinct volcano Vulture in the wine area called Aglinico del Vulture. 

The grape that Grifalco is focusing on is the Aglianico grape. Which is one of the best red wine grapes of southern Italy which requires a long ripening time with an harvest in early November. They produce only wines using the Aglianico grape, no other grapes. Currently for red wines and one rose is produced using the Aglianico grape. The wine Gricos is a basic Aglianico and is normally produced using the grapes of the youngest vines coming from Venosa, Maschito and Forenza vineyards. They produce 40000 bottles per year of this wine. The altitude of the vineyards are at 450-550 meters a.s.l. The wine is fermented in steel tanks and then aged in reused American oak barrels and French oak barriques. The vintage is 2017 and the ABV is 13%.

On the nose I get black and red currants. In the taste plum, black currants and some tannins. This is a good wine and I believe that with 2-3 more years of ageing this wine will be even better and more complex. Works very well with food.