Senorio De Broches, vino dulce natural

Senorio De Broches, vino dulce natural is a sweet wine from the region of Malaga in Spain. The producer is Bodegas Antonio Muñoz Cabrera, which is a family owned Bodega that was founded in 1927. They focus on the grape Moscatel to produce sweet and dry wines. 

Their wine Senorio De Broches, vino dulce natural is made by letting the grapes dry in the sun in so called paseros so they can get a high sugar level and therefore no extra sugar is added to the wine. The wine is fermented up to 10% before brandy is added to stop the fermentation at the ABV of 15%. 

The taste is of orange, honey and dried apricot. A nice fortified sweet wine.

San Claudio II Vino Nobile Di Montepulciano 2015

Tuscan reds are among the most popular wines in the world but I have not drank so much from the region of Montepulciano in Tuscany. The wine San Claudio II Vino Nobile Di Montepulciano is from the producer Del Giusto Cantina. The Cantina Del Giusto is a small size farm situated near the foot of Montepulciano in the area of Acquaviva. it is run by the Del Giusto family, now into their fourh generation of winegrowers in Montepulciano.

Their wine Sand Claudio II is a Vino Nobile Montepulciano 2015. SAN CLAUDIO II comes from the name of the old farm built in 1958, once utilized for winemaking and ageing cellar, where today the precious old instruments used for wine making are conserved. The grapes used are 85% Sangiovese (Prugnolo Gentile), 10% Canaiolo Nero, 5% Mammolo.  The wine is stored 6 months in stainless steel containers, 24 months in large casks of Slavonian oak, 8 months in the bottle before being sold.

The taste is of red cherry, red currant and some leather. A complex wine which are very good. This is a wine that is good to drink today but can be stored a couple of years longer.

Mandrarossa, Serapias passito di Pantelleria 2019

The island of Pantelleria south of Sicily is an Italian island that produces fantastic sweet wines from the Zibibbo grape.The producer Mandrarossa is a cooperative in Sicily. The grapes for the Serapias wine is harvested in the last week of August from vineyards in the northwest on the island. After the harvest the grapes are dried for 20-22 days. The grapes are then pressed and fermented and then stored in steel tanks for 10 months and then finally in the bottles for three months.

The taste is of flower, orange and raisin in a very complex sweet passito wine. This wine is made to drink young and won't age as other passito di Pantelleria will.

Tommasi exclusive celebration box

 The Tommasi exclusive celebration box consists of six wines from producer Tommasi and all the wines are from the Veneto region. It is three white wines, two red wines and a sweet red wine. Tommasi is a big wineproducer in Italy which has several different wine estates all over Italy. The company started in 1902 when Giacomo Tommasi bought a plot of land in Valpolicella. Let us start with the wines in the box. 

Tommasi Le Fornaci Lugana, is from a vineyard situated on the Garda lake south end. It consists of 100% Turbiano grapes also called Trebbiano di Lugano. The vintage is 2019. The taste is fresh with notes of pear, tropical fruits and grapefruit. Quite a high acidity which is well integrated.

Tommasi Perla Appassionato, is an Itaian spumante (sparkling) made from the grape Pinot Nero. This is a dry sparkling wine. In the taste I get pear, citrus and brioche in this nice wine.

Tommasi Bosco del Gal Custoza, This is a white wine from the hills of southern lake Garda. It has the grapes Garganega, Trebbiano, Incrocio Manzoni and has the vintage 2019. The taste is of pear, citrus and minerals. A well balanced wine.

Tommasi Villa Fontana Bardolino, this wine is from the Bardolino Classico DOC area in the Veneto region. The grapes used are 60% Corvina Veronese, 30% Rondinella, 10% Molinara and the vintage 2019. This is a lighter red with well integrated flavours of red cherry, red currant and black currant. Perfect for warmer days.

Tommasi Palanca Ripasso, is from the Ripasso Valpolicella Superiore DOC area in Veneto. It consists of the grapes 70% corvina veronese, 25% rondinella, 5% corvinone. The vintage is 2017. This is a good integrated ripasso with notes of dark chocolate, oak, cherry, black currant and plum. A very good food wine.

 

Tommasi Fiorato Recioto, This sweet wine wine is produced from grapes grown on a plot named FIORATO, high in Tommasi vineyards. These grapes are ideally suited for the production of Recioto. Grapes used are Corvina Veronese 65%, Rondinella 30% and Molinara 5%. The grapes are dried for 5 months prior to being pressed, and then matured for one year in tonneau barrels of 500 L. The taste is of cherry, raisin and some dark chocolate. Very good recioto.

A very good box which showcases various wines and areas of Veneto.

Lungarotti, Il Pometo Pinot Grigio

Il Pometo is a white wine from the region of Umbria in Italy.  The vintage 2019. It is made by the producer Lungarotti situated in Torgiano. Lungarotti was started in the beginning of the 1960s by Giorgio Lungarotti. Today the company is run by his daughters Chiara and Teresa. This wine consists 100% of the grape Pinot Grigio. 

This is a very good expression of Pinot Grigio. Light and fresh with notes of pear, tropical fruits and citrus. Everyyhing is well integrated and it is an excellent wine. 

Two Nero D'Avola from Sicily, Mandrarossa and Siquilia

The cooperative Mandrarossa in Sicily produces many different wines. One of them is Costadune Nero D'Avola that is made of 100% Nero D'Avola. This grape is a grape that is completely red throughut, many red grapes only has a red skin. This grape is mostly grown in Sicily and has during the last years shown to produce good red wines and not just simple table wine. The wine is from 2019 and I have tasted the 2017 vintage earlier. The wine has the ABV 13,5%. This is a nice fruity Nero D'Avola. Lots of red fruit such as cherry and some plum and blackberry. It is a very good wine and is more complex then the 2017vintage.

The second wine is the Siquilia Nero D'Avola of the vintage 2020. The producer is Cantina Ermes in Sicily. The ABV is 13,5%. The grapes comes from an area south of Palermo. In the taste blueberry, some plum and a hint of vanilla. Some light tannins in the back with some acidity. A good wine.

Velenosi, wines from Piceno in Marche, Italy

Velenosi is a wineproducer in the Piceno area of Marche in Italy. They produce all kinds of wines, from red to sparkling wines. The company started in 1984 by Angela and Ercole Velenosi. The heart of the company is situated in the town of Ascoli Piceno in Marche. They have several vineyards located in the area and also in the area of Castelli Di Jesi.

For this tasting session I have tasted two of their white wines. The first one is the Verdicchio Dei Castelli Di Jesi Classico. The Verdicchio grapes come from 100 meters above sea level. The grapes are handpicked. For the vinification the must is aged in stainless steel tanks. The vintage is 13% and the vintage is 2019. In the nose a floral smell. In the taste a pear, grapefruit and citrus. It is a very fresh and crisp wine and goes very well with spicy food.

 

The second wine is the Rêve offida DOGC Pecorino. And I have to say that this bottle is the heaviest I have ever lifted. Massive amounts of glass must have been used. This wine contains 100% Pecorino from the Offida area. The hand picked grapes comes from 200 meters above sea level. Half of the wine is aged in barriques while the half of the wine is aged in stainless steel tanks. After 24 months the wine is blended together before the bottling.The ABV is 13% and the vintage is 2018. In the nose I get white fruit smell. In the taste I get pear, grapefruit, tropical fruits and an oak influence. A quite rich wine and very good.

 

Yet again excellent white wines from Marche and Velenosi is a producer to watch. Hopefully in a couple of weeks I will try some of their red wines and maybe even some sparkling wines.

Demarie, Langhe Dolcetto and Nebbiolo

 Demarie is a producer in the Roero area in Piemonte, Italy. They have been there for three generations running vineyards. They use only grapes from their own vineyards. For this tasting I have tasted two different grape varieties that is usually grown in the Langhe area of Piemonete, namely Dolcetto and Nebbiolo.

The first wine up is the Langhe Dolcetto 2020. This wine has been fermented in steel tanks and contains 100% Dolcetto. A very fruity wine with a taste of blackberry, red currants, and some plum and violet. Nice and easy drinking with some acidity. An everyday wine as I would call it.

The next wine is the Langhe Nebbiolo 2019 made of 100% Nebbiolo. This is quite a strong wine.  A lot of black currant, plum, sour cherry, leather and some coffe. A very good Nebbiolo.

 

Lunadoro Pagliareto Vino Nobile di Montepulciano 2016

Montepulciano in Tuscany is a place that I just drove by and never had the time to stop and visit unfortunately when I visited Tuscany last time. Vino Nobile di Montepulciano is a red wine with a Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita status produced in the vineyards surrounding the town of Montepulciano, Italy. The wine is made primarily from the Sangiovese grape varietal (known locally as Prugnolo gentile) (minimum 70%), blended with Canaiolo Nero (10%–20%) and small amounts of other local varieties such as Mammolo. The wine is aged for 2 years (at least 1 year in oak barrels). Three years if it is a riserva category.

 Lunadoro is a wine producer in Montepulciano and the vineyards is situated in Valiano. Their wine Lunadoro Pagliareto Vino Nobile di Montepulciano 2016 is made from 100% Sangiovese grapes and has an ABV of 14,5%. The wine is stored in oak barrels for 24 months before being bottled. The barrels used are French oak barriques.

In the nose I get a lot of red fruits.The taste of cherry, black currants, oak and some leather with pepper at the end. In the beginning quite closed as it need some air to open up. But after some time in the glass the taste is integrated and quite complex. Quite a strong wine which will benefit from a couple of more years of ageing before drinking. A very good wine now for me but with a couple of years more in the bottle it would be an excellent wine.

Bolla, Prosecco Superiore

The Bolla Prosecco Superiore from Valdobbiadene from Veneto in Italy. Prosecco is a sparkling wine in which the sparkling made is pressure tanks.  The grape is 100% Glera and the company was founded in 1883. In the taste pear, citrus and some minerals. A very good prosecco.

Grifalco, Damaschito, Aglianico Del Vulture superiore

The wine Damaschito from the DOCG area Agianico Del Vulture Superiore is from the producer Grifalco in Basilicata in Italy. The wine is made from 100% Aglianico grapes and the vntage is 2015. Basilicata is an unnown region region in the south of Italy and Vulture is an extinct volcano in that area. Around the volcano a lot of good Aglianico grapes are grown.

Grifalco was funded in 2004 by Fabrizio Piccin and Cecilia Naldoni after they tired of Tuscany and moved to Basilicata. Today it is the sons Lorenzo and Andrea who runs the business. The grapes for this wine comes from the place Maschito and the vines are about 80 years old. Altitude is 580 meters above sea level.  Fermentation takes place with a temperature that never exceeds 28 degrees, followed by a period of maceration on the skins that reaches and pass the 60 days in which the malolactic fermentation takes place. It ages in Slavonian oak for the next 12/18 months. Then it is aged in bottles for at least 12 months.

This is a strong wine  with a taste of black currant, leather, plum and strong tannins. It needs time to open up so open the wine at least one hour before consumption. This is a wine which can be easily stored for at least ten more years and I think that 4-5 more years of ageing will bring out the best of this wine. Now it is very good but give it 3 more years and it will be excellent.

DeMarie Langhe Arneis 2019 and Corto Giacobbe Soave 2019

 Demarie is a producer in the Roero area in Piemonte, Italy. They have been there for three generations running vineyards. They use only grapes from their own vineyards. The wine Langhe Arneis is made from 100% Arneis grapes and is of the vintage 2019 and has an ABV of 13%. For this wine traditional production methods has been used and the vinification has been done in steel tanks.
The taste is of grapefruit and pear. A young and fresh wine and due to the acidity and the grapefruit note it goes very well together with fish. However, some people may find the grapefruit note too strong for them.

The second wine is a white Soave wine called Tenuta Corte Giacobbe Soave made by producer Dal Cero in Veneto, Italy. This producer own several vineyards in Italy and the one in Soave is called Tenuta Corte Giacobbe. The grapes used are 100% Garganega and for the storage a mixture of steel tanks and oak casks ha been used.
The taste is  lot of grey pear with some citrus. A nice wine.

Castano Dulce Monastrell 2016

The Castano family is a wine producer in south eastern of Spain in the region of Murcia in the small town of Yecla. The Castano Dulce is a fortified wine done in a similar tradition as port wine.  Monstrell grapes are a very hardy bush vine that can survive the dry and austere landscape of south eastern Spain. The overripe Monastrell grapes are handpicked from old unirrigated bush vines. The fermentation is done slowly during 17 days and then grapespirits is added and then the wine is stored for 6-8 months in oak barrels.

The vine that I have tasted is of the vintage 2016 and has an ABV of 16%. On the nose a deep hit of red and black currant. In the taste black currant, cherry and some chocolate. It feels like a lighter port wine but not written as a bad thing but it is different. I like this wine very much. Very good together with chocolate and is quite easy drinking.

Three red wines from Italy

 First up is the wine Rånäs Slott Barbera 2018. Rånäs Slott is a conference center situated in an old mansion in Sweden. So it is not  brand name as they also name the producer of the wine on the bottles. The producer is Ricossa in Piemonte. 60% of the grapes have been stored in oak barrels so this wine could be quite fruity. The taste is of red cherry and blackberry This is a fruit delight with a lot of fruits. A very good Barbera.

The next wine is the wine Gricos from producer Grifalco in Basilicata. This is a new vintage from 2018 and is made from 100% Aglianico grapes. A fruity red wine with a taste of red cherry and black currant with a hint of plum and earthy notes. Very good.

The last wine is a Montepulciano D'Abruzzo called Tertulia from the producer Guiseppi Savini. In the taste dark fruits such as plum with a hint of violet and acidity. Very nice.

Fortified wines, Cave de L’Abbé Rous Banyuls Rimage and Thasos Moscatel De Setubal

 Two fortified wines from France and Portugal. The first wine is the  La Cave de l'Abbé Rous Cornet & Cie Banyuls Rimage 2017. Banyuls is an AOC that produces fortified or dessert wines in Rousillion in France. The production process is similar to that of port wine with alcohol added to stop the fermentation. The wine is then matured in oak barreles of glass containers which allows for some oxidisation. Rimage is a catalan word which means vintage so this is a vintage wine.  La Cave de l'Abbé Rous is a producer of wine in Rousillion and incorporates 750 smaller producers. It is hard to find information as usual about Banyuls wines as most of the information is in French and is not easy to find but I read that the grape used should be Grenache.

In the taste I get plum. red cherry and chocolate with sweetness. A very good fortified wine that goes down too easy. 

The next wine is the Thasos Moscatel De Setubal 2010. This is a fortified wine from Portugal and also here the wine is stopped fermenting by adding alcohol. The grape used is Muscat and then it is stored in oak barrels. This wine is produced by the Enoport group in Portugal.

The taste is of oranges and honey. For me it is lacking some acidity to lift it up A nice wine but nothing that I remember.

 

Torre Di Giano 2019, White wine from Umbria

 Torre di Giano is a white wine from the region Umbria in Italy.  The vintage 2019. It is made by the producer Lungarotti situated in Torgiano. Lungarotti was started in the beginning of the 1960s by Giorgio Lungarotti. Today the company is run by his daughters Chiara and Teresa. This wine consists of the grapes Vermentino, Grechetto and Trebbiano harvested in early September. The wine is vinified in stainless steel tanks.

This wine is named after the tower today still present in Torgiano: the literal translation of the name is “Tower of Janus”. It was originally dedicated to the Roman mythological god Janus (the god of war and peace). This tower is today the symbol of the village.

The taste is of pear, citrus and some minerals. The finish is full of pear. Nice, fresh and young. Drink it young and don't wait. 

 

Periquita Reserva 2018

Periquita Reserva 2018 is a red wine from Portugal. The producer is Jose Maria Da Fonseca. The designation is Vinho Regional Peninsula De Setubal. The grapes used are 52% Castelao, 26% Touriga nacional and 22% Touriga Francesa and the wine has been aged for eight months in French oak barrels. In the taste I get plums, chocolate oak and some sour cherries. it is nice but I hink that the oak barrels have been used too much and dominates too much.

Tordiruta, Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi, passito 2011

 Passito is a sweet wine type from Italy in which the grapes are dried in the production process. The Tordiruta, Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi, passito 2011 is made of 100% Verdicchio grapes and it comes from the area Castelli di Jesi in Marche. The exact location is the village of Castelplanio. The grapes are dried for 12 weeks before the pressing. The fermentation and maturation red one in oak barriques for 12 months before being bottled. In 2016 the Tordiruta was the chosen sweet wine for the Nobel prize dinner.

In the nose I get a smell of honey and dried fruit. The taste is of dried apricot, honey and citrus. An excellent passito.

Il Roncal, Friulano and Ribolla Gialla 2019

 Time for a return to the producer Il Roncal in Friuli in Italy. I have received two new vintages of the white wines Friulano and Ribolla Gialla from the vintage 2019.

Il Roncal is a wineproducer situtated in Cividale del Friuli in the Italian region of Friuli Venezia-Giulia close to the border of Slovenia. This wine producing area is know as Friuli Colli Orientali. Il Roncal own 20 hectars of vineyards on the Montebello hill. The winery name comes from a local Friulian expression meaning “estate on a hill cultivated in terraces” (also known as “ronchi”).Il Roncal was founded in 1986 by Roberto Morealo and is run today by his wife Martina Moreale. They produe several different wines and here I will focus on two white wines amde from two local grapes called Friulano and Ribolla Gialla.

The first wine is the Friulano from 2019. Friulano from Friuli-Venezia Giulia was known as Tocai Friulano until March 31, 2007 when the European Court of Justice prohibited of using the name Tocai in the name of the wine^. Since 2007 Tocai Friulano is merely known as “Friulano” in Friuli and is labeled as such.This is a quite aromatic grape. For the production no oak is used. The ABV is 13%. In the taste I get honey, minerals, pear and citrus. All the flavours are in a very good combination. Perfect for warmer weather or spicy food. Would love to try a sweet version of this grape.

The second wine is the Ribolla Gialla 2019 with an ABV of 12,5%. It is made from the grape Ribolla Gialla which is mostly grown in Friuli. In Slovenia this grape is known as Rebula. The first written documentation of the grape was in 1289 so it has been around for many years, In the taste I get per, elderberry and citrus. This is an excellent fresh and young Ribolla Gialla and an excellent vintage.

Il Roncal continues to show a high quality in their winemaking and so far all their wines have been very good to excellent. 

Bartoli Giusti Tenuta Comunali, Brunello Di Montalcino Riserva 2010

Bartoli Giusti Tenuta Comunali is an estate in the Montalcino region of Tuscany, Italy. Its main wines are Sant’Antimo Rosso DOC, Rosso di Montalcino DOC and Brunello di Montalcino DOCG. The Bartoli Giusti family has deep roots in Montalcino and a long history of cultivating vineyards. Wine has been made here by the family since the 1700s, as a map found whilst renovating the cellars shows. Today the company is run by siblings Gino Antonio and Anna Maria Focacci. I bought several of bottles from them when I visited Montalcino in 2016.

The wine Brunello Di Montalcino Riserva 2010 is made of 100% Brunello grapes.  The ABV is 14%. The taste is quite strong of sour cherry, black currants and some plum. Very strong despite the age and with a long aftertaste. A very good Brunello.

Blandy's Verdelho and Malmsey ten years old

One type of wine that is many times overlooked are Madiera wine. Once you get by the cheaper cooking wines you will find a lot of very good Madeira wine. It is made in different styles from dry to sweet. A lof of the flavour of Madeira wine comes from the oxidizing process that all Madeira wines undergo. Because of this process it is one of the wines that can survive for several hundred of years, this is especially true for the high quality wines.

Blandy's is a one of the few producers of Madeira wine. This time I have tried two of their wines. One Verdelho 10 years old and the Malmsey 10 years old. Verdelho is a grape grown on Maideria that produce a version of Madeira that is between dry and sweet called medium dry. In the taste I get caramel, raisin, walnut and some citrus. A very good aperitif wine. This is one Madeira that I would go for on a warm summer day.

Next up is the ten year old Malmsey wine. This grape gives the sweetest Madeira wines of them all. In the taste I get a lot of rich sweetnes with burnt sugar, raisin, nuts and honey. Quite a complex taste and a very good dessert wine or even meditation wine.

LVNAE, Auxo and etichetta grigia

Cantina Lunae is a wine producer from Liguria in Italy. Earlier on I have tried only their Vermentino but this time I have tried also their red wine Auxo. Their wineyards are in the Colli di Luni. This is in the eastern corner of Liguria bordering Tucany.

The Auxo red wine is from the Colli di Luni DOC. It is a mix of the grapes Sangiovese, Cillegio and caniolo. The wine rests ten days on the skin before fermentation. After the fermentation the wine is stored six months in large oak barrels. The ABV is 13% and the vintage is 2017. This is a lighter fruiter wine with a lots of red cherry and a hint of strawberry and red currant. Very nice.

And then it is tie again to try their Vermentino wine Etichetta Grigia of the vintage 2018. This wine is still excellent. Such a good combination of fruit and acidity and is still my favourite Vermentino wine.

Rosenberg, Cantina di Ruscio, white wines from Marche

 In my last blog post I tasted the red wines from Rosenberg and this time it is the white wines that are the focus.

Rosenberg wines is a wine importer that imports wines from Italy to Sweden. It started when the Rosenbergs bought a villa in Marche and they discovered the wines of the winery Cantino di Ruscio. Marche is situated along the coast with Emilia-Romagna above and Abruzzo below and on the west side it has a long border with Umbria.

There are many white wine grapes in Marche and the most famous ones are Verdicchio, Passerina and Pecorino. The most famous wine is probably the Verdicchio Castelli di Jesi. 

The winery Cantino Di Ruscio is family owned and has been producing wine since the fifties. It is situated in Campofilone in Marche. So therefore the first one that i try is the white wine Campofilonis 2019. It is made of equal parts Trebbiano, Passerina and Pecorino. This is a lighter wine mix with nice acidity. Taste of pear, citrus and some notes of elderflower. Goes very well with fish.

The next wine is the Passerina 2019. This is a very good structured wine. In the taste I get minerals, tropical fruit and apple with citrus. Quite a high acidity. Very good.

The last wine is the Pecorino 2019. In the taste I get apple, citrus, elderberry and some melon. This is a very good expression of Pecorino.

It was very nice tasting all these white wines from Marche and it shows that Marche can producer very good white wines. Many people think of Italy as a red wine country but there are so many regions in Italy that produces top notch quality white wines using native grapes to Italy. 

Rosenberg, Cantina di Ruscio, red wines from Marche

Rosenberg wines is a wine importer that imports wines from Italy to Sweden. It started when the Rosenbergs bought a villa in Marche and they discovered the wines of the winery Cantino di Ruscio. Marche is not a region which I have written so much about. Marche is situated along the coast with Emilia-Romagna above and Abruzzo below and on the west side it has a long border with Umbria.

In this blogpost I will focus on the red wines that Rosenberg imports to Sweden. For the second part I will focus on the white wines. The red wine grapes used in Marche are normally Sangiovese and Montepulciano. Rosenberg imports wines that either falls into the denominations Marche Rosso and Rosso Piceno. The Rosso Piceno has the following rules. It has to contain 35-85% Montepulciano and 15-50% Sangiovese and up to 15% other authorized red wine grapes.

The winery Cantino Di Ruscio is family owned and has been producing wine since the fifties. It is situated in Campofilone in Marche.

I have tried three red wines from Rosenberg. The first wine is Rosenberg Marche Rosso 2017 with an ABV of 14%. The grapes are 50% Montepulciano and 50% Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine has been aged for 12 months in oak barrels and the at least six months in the bottle. This is quite  heavy wine with a dry finish. In the taste I get sour cherry, liquorice, violet and some oak. This is an excellent food wine and I wonder how it will do with a couple of more years of ageing.

The next wine is the Rosso piceno 2019 with an ABV of 13,5%. This is a nice red fruity red wine. Taste of red cherry, black currants and plum with some tannins at the end. Lighter than the previous wine but very good.

The last red wine is the wine Rosso Piceno del Poeta 2017 with an ABV of 14%. I have no information about the grape blend for this wine except that it should be a majority Sangiovese and Montepulciano grapes. This is a quite dry and stringent wine. Taste of black currant, plum and oak. Quite a lot of tannins at the end leaving a dry finish. Goes very well with food.

Three good red wines from Rosenberg wines with different characters. For the next blog post will be three white wines from Rosenberg Wines.

Casal Thaulero, Sangiovese Terre Di Chieti

 A month ago I tasted a Montepulciano D'Abruzzo from the producer Casal Thaulero in the region of Abruzzo in Italy. This time it is a Sangiovese Terre Di Chieti from the same producer. Cantina Casal Thaulero takes its name from the small town of Casal Thaulero (TE) where the hills of Abruzzo meet the Adriatic Sea. In 1961 some winemakers joined together and developed a cooperative winery to produce and export Abruzzo wines to the world. 

 The wine Borgo Thaulero is a Sangiovese wine. The vintage is 2019 and ABV is 13%. This is a light fresh easy drinking wine. A lot of red cherry with some black currant and some plum with some tannins at the end. A decent wine.

Dominio Alto Rioja Gran Reserva 2013

Dominio Alto Rioja Gran Reserva 2013 is a spanish wine from the Rioja appellation. Gran Reserva says that the wine needs to be aged two years in a barrel and three years in the bottle before being sold.The name Dominio Alto is a Swedish Brand name and the real producer is Bodegas La Eralta. The taste is of violet, plum, tobacco and oak. Very dry finish with oak in it. This is definitely a food wine. Just a bit to much oak for my taste.

Gradis'cutta, Rosso 2014

During spring 2019 I visited the producer Gradis´cutta. 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 sprakling wines.

The Gradis'cutta wine Rosso 2014 is a red wine made from 70% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. The grapes are grown in the territory of Vecchia  Contea of Gorizia close to the border of Slovenia. The wine is aged 12 months in large wooden casks for about 12 months and then aged in the bottle.

In the taste I get black currants, cherry and tannins in the back that leaves a long aftertaste. Quite a slow drinker due to the long aftertaste but very good. This bottle just shows how good the Merlot grape is in Friuli.

Three white wines from Germany, Portugal and Italy

 The first white wine is the wine Alvarinho Contacto from producer Anselmo Mendes i Portugal. It is a Vinho Verde from the subregion Moncao and Melgaco. It is made from the grape Alvarinho which is grown in the north of Portugal. The vintage is 2020 and the ABV 12,5%. I get a lot of fruit in this wine. Pear, green apple and some tropical fruit with some minerality, honey and lime. A good wine but lacks some acidity to take it to another level.

The white wine from Germany is the Grauburgunder Gutswein from producer Wagner Stempel in the region of Rheinhessen. The vintage is 2019 and the ABV 12%. The grape is Grauburgunder which is also known as Pinot Grigio or Pinot Gris. This wine has a lovely fresh taste of apple, minerals and citrus. A very good expression of the grape Grauburgunder.

The last wine is from Italy. It is the Bonea from producer Masseria Frattasi in Campania. The grape is Falanghina and the DOP is Taburno Sannino. The vintage is 2018 and the ABV 12,5%. In the taste melon, honey and papaya and everything is very nicely integrated. Good.

Castiglion Del Bosco, Brunello Di Montalcino 2009

 The Castiglion Del Bosco, Brunello Di Montalcino 2009 is  wine that I tasted the last time 2014.A long time ago now and I remember that I thought that it was quite heavy at that time so it will see what seven more years of ageing has brought on. The producer Castiglion Del Bosco is a producer in Tuscany, Italy. They own 62 hectares of vineyards near Montalcino

In the taste I get red cherry, red currant and black currants. Some tannins in the back that has became smooth after seven years of ageing. Quite complex wine with flavours that go very well together. This wine definitely needed some more ageing and now it is excellent.

However, this wine cost 189 SEK when I bought it seven years ago. Now it costs 495 SEK. Very expensive but very good.But way out of my price range nowadays.

Wachau Riesling and Cotes Du Jura Chardonnay

 Time to step outside of Italy for some white wine from Austria and France. First is a the Riesling wine from the Region of Wachau in Austria. It is called Selection Riesling and is made by Domäne Wachau. it is a big producer and the cooperative owns at least 420 hectars of vineyards and that is almost 30% of the vineyards in Wachau. The wine is of the vintage 2019 and the ABV is 13%. In the taste I get pear, melon and some stoney minerality, A nice easy drinking Riesling.

The next wine is  Chardonnay from the Cotes Du Jura region in France. The producer is Fruitiere Vinicole D'Arbois which is a cooperative having 250 hectars of land and consist of 100 members. The vintage is 2019 and the ABV is 13,5. This is  dry style Chardonnay with a taste of pear and apple with some grapefruit. A good wine but some higher acidity would have lifted the wine.

Three red wines from Italy

 The first red wine is the the wine Nur from the Sardinian producer Sardus Pater of the vintage 2017. This wine is made Carignano grapes, also known as Carignan in French. It is from the DOC Carignano Del Sulcis in Sardinia. This is a very fruity red wine with cherry, jam and some tannins at the back which leaves you with a dry finish. Very good.

The next wine is from the region of Marche in Italy, it is called Il Segreto and is made by Sangiovese grapes. The vintage is 2017. This is a wine which is specially bottled for Sweden by Poggio Fiore. It is a nice heavy Sangiovese with a taste of red cherry, coffee and vanilla. Probably some newer oak casks have been used for this wine. 

The last wine is a Montepulciano D'Abruzzo called Miravigna from producer Casal Thaulero. The vintage is 2019. This is a youthful Montepulciano with a taste of red cherry, plum and some tannins. It is slightly spicy. Very good and nice.

Praepositus Gewürtraminer 2018 Abbazia Di Novacella

 Abbazia di Novacella is a monastery in Alto Adige in Italy that produces very good wines. The monastery is surrounded by vineyards.

The monastery is also very beautiful and is worth a visit.

The wine series Praepositus is their prestige wine. This line shows off what the best growing areas can do with grapes. The grape for this Praepositus wine is the grape Gewürztraminer and the vintage is 2018. The ABV is one of the highest that I have seen and it goes up to 15%. The growing area is the Bressanone valley basin. The elevation sis 600-650 meters. The grapes have been grown in south to south-west. The fermantation and ageing has been done in steel tanks.
On the nose I get aromatic fruit notes. In the taste I get tropical fruit, grapefruit and some apple and gooseberry in a wonderful combination. This is an excellent wine.

Amber One, Natural wine from Sicily

Amber one is a natural wine (orange wine) from Sicily and the producer is CR Spa Soc Agr Marsala. It is made with 100% Catarratto. The maceration was for three days and only "natural" yeasts were used. Will this natural wine be the first natural wine that I like. So far I had one decent natural wine and then several bad ones. 

Grapefruit and peach on the taste and a lot of yeast on the aftertaste. Feels very unripe and is not to my liking. Probably needs another year of storage to get rid of the over dominating yeast taste. Yet another bad natural wine.

Masi Costasera Amarone Classico 2012

Time for another Amarone. This is the Masi Costasera Amarone Classico from 2012. The ABV is 15%. Deep taste of cherry, leather and some tobacco. Very strong but nice but quite expensive.

Palagetto Vernaccia di San Gimignano and Vinosia Falaghina

 Palagetto is a producer of wine situated in San Gimignano, Tuscany, Italy. The winery was founded by Luano Niccolai in 1978 and today the winery is run by his grandchildren. Many asks if Tuscany can produce good white wines. The answer is yes, and from San Gimignano comes the grape Vernaccia di San Gimignano. For their wine Palagetto uses only 100% Vernaccia di San Gimignano grapes and the vintage is 2019 and the ABV is 13%. The altitude is 300 meters above sea level. Fermentation is done in steel vats and then at least two months of ageing in the bottle. In the taste I get apple and pear with some gooseberry and citrus. A very good young fresh Vernaccia di San Gimignano.

San Gimignano is also know for the many towers in the city.

 

The next wine is a Falanghina wine from the producer Vinosia located in Campania in Italy. Vinosia is a quite new producer in Campania and the owners have had a history with the big producer Feudi Di San Gregorio. Falanghina is a native grape from Campania. For this wine 100% Falanghina has been used. The vintage is 2017 and the ABV is 13%. The altitude the grapes has been grown on is 200 meters above sea level. The fermentation has been done in steel vats before bottling. In the taste I get minerals, stone and citrus in a very nice combination.

Il Roncal, wine from Friuli, part 4

I thought that I had reviewed all available Il Roncal wines available for me but going through my old reviews I saw that  had forgotten to write about their wine Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso. But first, who are Il Roncal?

Il Roncal is a wineproducer situtated in Cividale del Friuli in the Italian region of Friuli Venezia Giulia close to the border of Slovenia. This wine producing area is know as Friuli Colli Orientali. Il Roncal own 20 hectars of vineyards on the Montebello hill. The winery name comes from a local Friulian expression meaning “estate on a hill cultivated in terraces” (also known as “ronchi”). Il Roncal was founded in 1986 by Roberto Morealo and is run today by his wife Martina Moreale. They produe several different wines and here I will focus on the red wine Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso of the vintage 2015.

Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso is a red grape variety that is mostly grown in the are of Friuli Venezia Giulia region in Italy and from what I have read it looks like this grape is indigenous to Italy. It seems to be related to such grapes as Teroldego and Lagrein and is one of the parents to the grapes Corvina for example. For the Il Roncal wine the grapes are grown at 180 meters above sea level and only Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso is used. The wine is stored in Bottis of the size 25hl for a year before being bottled and stored on the bottle for at least three months. The ABV is 13,5%.

The colour is ruby red with some violet colour. The taste is of black cherry, black currant, some plum and tannins in the back. Everything is very well integrated and the aftertaste lingers a long time. This is an excellent wine ready to be drank now. I should buy some more of his vintage so I have in the upcoming years.

Amarone x 2, Castelforte and Ca'Mantini

 Amarone is a popular wine in Sweden but I don't drink it that much. It is from the Veneto region and is made by partially dried grapes of the varieties Corvina, Corvinone and Rondinella. This process will give a wine that has full flavours and has an high ABV around 15%. The first Amarone wine is the Castelforte Amarone Della Valpolicella from 2010. It has been stored for six years before being drunk. The ABV is 15%. In the taste I get cherry, black currant and rose hip in a good mix. Quite elegant after six years of ageing. Very good.

The next wine is the Ca'Montini Valpolicella Della Amarone. It is of the vintage 2014 and has an ABV of 15%.In the taste I get black cherry, red cherry and tobacco. Very good also. Although this has more power while the Castelforte is more elegant.