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.

Three wines from Abruzzo

Abruzzo is a region in Italy which is famous for two grapes. The green grape Trebbiano and the red grape Montepulciano (not to be confused with the wines made from the town of Montepulciano in Tuscany).

First up is the white wine Mario's 45 made with 100% Trebbiano from the producer Tenuta Terraviva. The Trebbiano grapes for this wine is grown in the traditional Pergola Abruzzese. Harvest time is at the end of September. The wine is aged 12 months in casks, 6 months in steel containers and finally six months in the bottle before being sold. The vintage is 2017. In the nose I get pineapple and in the taste I get pear and grapefruit, It is a nice wine that goes perfectly with spicy food due to the acidity. Will also go very well together with fish.

The next two wines are red wines made from the Montepulciano grapes. First up is the Montepulciano d'Abruzzo from producer Umani Ronchi. The vintage is 2018. In the taste I get some oak or dark chocolate with dark cherries  and some blackberry. A very fruity wine. Nice for the price.

The last Montepulciano d'Abruzzo is the Annata Historica from the producer Ripresa. This is an older expression from 2012. The colour is quite dark. The nose is quite soft. In the taste I get cherry, blackberry, violet and some tannins in the back. It has a medium finish, Very nice and I think it will get better with a few more years of ageing.

Sparkling wines from Rotari and Sella & Mosca

Rotari is a producer of sparking wines from Trentino in Northern Italy. Their Blanc de Blancs Millesimato is an extra brut (dry) from the vintage 2012. Since it is a Blanc de Blancs it is made of 100% Chardonnay grapes. The wine is fermented 36 months on the leese before it is degorged. In the taste I get apple, brioche and citrus. A very good sparkling with complexity and that can probably age a couple of more years.

The next wine is from producer Sella & Mosca from Sardinia. It is their Alghero Torbato spumante. I have tried the 2017 vintage earlier and this is the 2018. This has a lot of brioche with some citrus and apple. Compared to the 2017 vintage the 2018 vintage has a lot more brioche in the taste.

Two older red wines, Tancredi 2012 and Adanti Sagrantino di Montefalco 2008

Two older red wines from Italy. First is the wine Tancredi from the Sicilian producer Donnafugata. The vintage is 2012 and the ABV is 13,5%. It is made of several grapes such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Nero d'Avola, Tannat and several other varieties. It has been aged 14 months in a barrel before being bottled. The taste is deep and I get leather, oak, black currant and some dark cherry. This is a lovely wine that is very well structured and is complex and elegant. So far Donnafugata has not produced a wine which I have not loved.

The next wine is a Sagrantino di Montefalco from the producer Adanti in Umbria. It is made of 100% Sagrantino grapes. The ABV is 14,5% and the vintage is 2008. It has been aged in casks for two years before being bottled and then it has been aged in the bottle for 10 years before being opened. But still after 12 years of ageing this wine is very strong. A lot of cherry, plum, black currants and some leather tones with strong but balanced tannins at the end. Excellent wine from Adanti

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Col D'Orcia, Brunello di Montalcino 2012

This is the second time I try a Brunello di Montalcino from the producer Col D'Orcia. The last time vintage was 2010 and now it is the vintage 2012. Col D'Orcia is an organic winery in Montalcino and for the ageing of their brunellos they use large slavonian oak barrels. They keep the wine in barrels for three years before bottling it and they keep the bottles for one year before being sold to the public. It is made of 100% Sangiovese.

The taste is of red currants and black currants with some tobacco and light tannins. Very elegant and very good. Reminds me of the 2010 vintage but a bit stronger. Highly recommended.

Three sweet wines from Italy from I Pastini, Fattoria Zerbina and Monte Del Fra

Sweet wines are one of my favourite kind of wines but unfortunately I don't have so much chances to try them out but here are three wines that I have tasted over the last three months.

First up is the sweet wine Elogio Alla Lentezza from producer I Pastini in Puglia from the Valle D'Itria. I have tasted several good wines from I Pastini so far and it will be interesting to see how this sweet wine is. This wine is made of the grape Minutolo and the grapes are grown at 350 above the sea level. The grapes are picked in October after the berries has been left to wither on the vine. The vintage is 2015 and the ABV is 13,5%. In the taste I get some spice with dried apricots and some flowers.  A nice wine but I expected more. I think that this wine would go very well with some strong cheese.

Next up is the wine Arrocco from producer Fattoria Zerbina in Romagna in Italy. This wine is a passito wine made from Albana grapes and the Arrocco wine is only produced in 3000 bottles each year. Passito is a wine made from grapes that has been left to dry. The vintage is 2016 and the ABV is 12,5%. The taste is deep and rich. I find apricot, orange and some honey. This is a very good passito that will probably get better with a couple of more years of storage.

The last wine is a passito wine from Veneto in Italy. It is Monastero from the producer Monte Del Fra. It is made of 60% Garganega, 20% Cortese, 20% Chardonnay. The grapes comes from a vineyard in Custoza in Veneto. The grapes are harvested in October after some withering on the vine they are dried in boxes. The wine is aged 6 months in Barrique and then 8 months on the bottle. The wine that I tasted is from 2012 and the ABV is 12%. The colour is deep amber as it has been aged for a couple of years before drinking. On the nose I get almost a smokey raisin smell. In the taste I get a lot of raisins and apricots with an abundance of sugar. Not for everyone due to the strong taste and the sweetness but for me this is a wonderful passito. Love it!

Umbria, the region of good red wines

Umbria in Italy may not be that known but it is a very good wine producing wine region. Beautiful landscapes and the rolling green hills and not so many tourists.

Several of the wines I review here I have tried earlier but there are some new vintages for sale.

First up is a lighter red wine from the producer Lungarotti in Torgiano. It is a Rosso di Torgiano DOC wine consisting of Sangiovese and Colorino grapes. The vintage is 2012 and the ABV is 13,5%.  I get red fruits on the nose. Cherries and black currants in the taste with soft smooth tannins that linger in the mouth. This one is better than the 2015 vintage that I have tried. This is a wine that gains by storing it for a couple of years. A wine that is very good year from year.

Next up is Arnaldo Caprais Rosso di Montefalco of the vintage 2015. Now it has been stored for another year so let's see how it is. The ABV is 2015 it is a combination of Sagrantino, Sangiovese and some Merlot grapes. This wine is strong with cherries, tannins and spices. It could be stored for several more years before drinking. A good wine now and will last for several more years in the cellar. The vintage 2016 is now available to buy.

The third wine is from producer Sportoletti and this wine focuses on the international grape varieties merlot, cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc. the grape blend is as the following: Merlot 70%, Cabernet Sauvignon 20%, Cabernet Franc 10%. The name is Villa Fidelia Rosso and the grapes are grown on the Spello and Assisi hills. The ABV is 15%. This is quite a heavy wine. Strong taste with tobacco, dark cherries and black currants. Should be stored a couple of more years before drinking.  After aerating the wine it got smoother and more black currants. This confirms that this wine should be stored for a longer time. A good wine today and will be even better in a few years time.

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.

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.

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.

  

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.

Barolo and Barbaresco , a comparison between two Fontanafredda wines

Barolo and Barbaresco are two famous wine producing regions in the north of Italy in the province of Piemonte. Barolo is situated southwest of Alba while Barbaresco is northeast of Alba. The saying is that Barolo is the king while the Barbaresco is the Queen. The king is more powerful and the Queen is more elegant.

I had the chance to try two wines from Fontanafredda. One Barolo from 2011 and one Barbaresco from 2012 so I could compare them. Both are made from 100% of the grape Nebbiolo. The grapes for the Barolo wine was picked in beginning of October while the grapes for the Barbaresco were pickes at the end of September. Also the rules for a barolo stipulate at least three years of ageing while for barbaresco it is two years.

I had tasted the Barbaresco a couple of months earlier so the Barolo were news for me. Both wines have an excellent taste but the difference between them is that the Barolo is more powerful and lacks some of the elegance of the Barbaresco. I also felt that I should have stored the Barolo maybe two more years before drinking while the Barbaresco is ready for drinking now.

So right now I prefer the Queen. Maybe that will change in two years time when I make another comparison.

Fontanafredda Barbaresco 2012

The Fontanafredda wine Barbaresco 2012 is my first ever barbaresco. I have tried other wines from Fontanafredda but never a Barbaresco. The alcohol level is 13,5% and the grape is 100% Nebbiolo. It has an elegant structure and everything goes so well together. Tannins and the different tastes blends together. Excellent wine. Will definitely not be my last Barbaresco. One day I have to travel to Piemonte to visit the Barbaresco area.

Two wines from Tuscany

Tuscany has several areas that produce good wine. Although Tuscany is not known for its white wine but there are producers in Tuscany that make very good Vermentino wine for example.

Producer Cold Di Bacche makes a Vermentino wine. They are situated close to Grosseto and Maremma in the south parts of Tuscany. It is their only white wine and it consists of 100% of Vermentino grapes. It is a good wine and is very fresh.

Otherwise Tuscany is known for their red wines and a producer whose red wines I have tried before are Mazzei. This time I bought their wine Ser Lapo which is a Chianti Classico Riserva. The Ser Lapo wine consists of 90% Sangiovese and 10% Merlot. It is a very good wine with some tannins but they are smooth and the wine disappears quite quickly.

Tuscany and Umbria

The Italian regions Tuscany and Umbria lie side by side butTuscany is so much more famous.

I tried the wine Rubesco riserva from Umbria producer Lungarotti a month ago and now I have tried their normal Rubesco wine. This wine is from 2012 and is a Rosso di Torgiano DOC and have an alcohol level of 13,5%. The taste is of cherries, tobacco and currants and is very easy to drink and still feels a bit elegant. One can see the start of the riserva in this wine.

Next up is a red wine from 2012 from the Chianti Colli Senesi DOCG which is an area south of Siena. The producer Azienda Agricola Casale Falchini in San Gimignano produces a wine called Chianti Colli Senesi DOCG Titolato Colombaia. This is my first experience of a red wine from San Gimignano. The taste is of liquorice and blackberries and one can feel the tannins. A nice wine.

Three white wines from Itay

I have always liked the white wine from the town of San Gimignano called Vernaccia di San Gimignano. The town of San Gimignano is known for the many towers that the town has. The wine I have tasted is from Fattoria di fugnano e Bomberto and is from 2014. The taste is nice and fresh and surprisingly no aftertaste of bitter almond.

The next wine is from the island of Ischia outside of Napoli, the wine is from producer Azienda Agricola Fratelli Muratori and the wine is called Pietra Brox and is from 2012. The wine consists of the local grapes Biancolella and Forastera with some addition of the grape Fiano. It is from the Ischia Bianco DOC. The color goes a bit towards orange and the taste is strong with notes of grapefruit and citrus. Coupled with seafood this wine is a delight.

Going over to the east coast of Italy is Abruzzo and the wine Trebbiano d'Abruzzo. The producer Barone di Volforte  produces the wine Villa Ambrosia and the vintage is from 2013. It consists of 100% of the grape Trebbiano. The taste is strong and has notes of pears, citrus and peaches. Very good and an excellent food wine.

Franciacorta, quality sparkling wine

Franciacorta is a sparkling wine from Lombardy. These are made almost exactly like champagnes and the only one I have tried so far were very good. Now I have finally found some more of these Franciacorta sparkling wines.

The wine Animante is from producer Barone Pizzini. It is a non vintage Franciacorta made of the famous grapes Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Blanc with the Chardonnay dominating. It has an alcohol level of 12%. This is a good wine. The smell is very nice and smells apples and pears. The taste is of Bread, citrus, minerals and with a long strong after taste. Yet another good wine from this area. Unfortunately I cannot find this producers wine in Sweden. I bought this wine on a ferry.

Moving away from the north of Italy towards the centre of Italy and the region Umbria and the area Montefalco. Here I find the wine Montefalco by producer Arnaldo Caprai. It is vintage 2012 and the wine consists of the grapes Sangiovese, Sagrantino and Merlot. It has a very deep colour, almost blue reddish colour. The taste is strong with notes of Violet, Black Currants and liquorice. A good wine.

Verdeca wine from Puglia

Verdeca is an Italian indigenous grape to Italy. It is mostly grown in the region of Puglia i Italy. It is only in the last couple of years that Verdeca has been used to make monovarietal wines. I have tried the white wine Askos Verdeca from the producer Masseria Li Veli. Askos is the name that they have given to the selection of ancient Apulian grape wines. It is a good wine.The colour is bright yellow. The taste is very fruity and strong. Very good and interesting. Would buy it again if I have the chance.

I have also tried two more "normal" Italian white wines. One made by Pinot Grio by producer Tenuta Ca'Bolani. It is a good Pinot Griogio. The other is a Vermentino called Prelius from Maremma in Tuscany. It is very fresh and very good.

Rubrato from Campania

Aglianico is a grape grown mostly in Campania and is used to make wines like the Taurasi. It is a very important grape in this region and in previous times it was shipped northwards in Italy to augment "weaker" red wines, the so called "wine railroad".
The wine Rubrato Aglianico from 2012 by producer Feudi Di San Gregorio in Campania is made by 100% Aglianico grapes. This wine is from the Irpinia Aglianico DOC. The colour of the wine is very dark. The taste is of black currant and dark cherries, it is very strong and leaves a long after-taste. This wine needed to breath before drinking. When drinking it at once it showed to be very closed and after twenty minutes it had reached it full potential. Like the Aglianico wines I have drunk previously it need some time in the glass before drinking. Yet another good wine from Feudi Di San Gregorio.

I tried the producer Peter Semmers Chardonnay a couple of months ago and this time I had the chance to they Peter Semmers Pinot Grigio from 2013. This one is better than the Chardonnay. Taste like what a Pinot Grigio should taste like and is a good wine. Yet another good wine from Alto Adige.

Sicily and Alto Adige

Two of my favourite wine regions in Italy are Sicily and Alto Adige. And this time all three wines are from these regions.

The first bottle is the wine Chardonnay from Planeta. It is from 2012 and the grapes came from Cantina Ulmo which is near Marsala in the southwestern corner of Sicily. On this wine they have tried to make an unmistakably Sicilian Chardonnay. I have to agree with this as it tastes a bit different from other Chardonnays that I have drunk. The taste is of apricots, citrus and some tropical notes. The colour is very straw yellow. It is good with food but also good to drink as it is.

The next wine I have tried before and it is from producer Donnafuga in Sicily. It is the wine Kabir which is a Moscato Di Pantelleria from the island of Pantelleria. It is vintage 2012 which the last time I tried it was very aromatic. With one more year in the bottle it has become more well rounded with the aromatic note still there but now with more smooth style. Very good and I think it will be even better with some more storage, luckily I have several bottles at home.

From Alto Adige comes the wine Winkl  Sauvignon from 2013. It is produced by the one of Alto Adiges leading wine growers’ cooperatives. The colour is straw yellow with and almost green tint. The taste is as usual with Sauvignon full of gooseberrys and some elderberry. Very aromatic and a good wine. Tasted it last year and it still is very good.