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.

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.

Ferrari Perle 2015 and Maschio Dei Cavalieri prosecco

Ferrari is a big sparkling wine producer in the Trento region in Northern Italy. It is made with 100% Chardonnay picked by hand. It is aged at least 50 months on the yeast before being bottled. The ABV is 12,5% and the vintage is 2015. The nose is very fresh. The taste is of brioche, citrus and  apple. A very good sparkling wine.

Next up is a prosecco from producer Maschio Dei Cavalieri. It is a Rive di Colbertaldo 2018 and is a Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore. Rive is like a quality designation. It demands that the grapes are handpickes, the grapes are from the same farm and that they are from the same vintage. Here the grapes used are 85% Glere and 15% other grapes. Maschio Dei Cavalieri is a big producer of wine but they don't grow any wine. They buy grapes from different growers in the area. In the taste I get pear, apple and citrus in  a good and fresh mix. This is an excellent Prosecco.

The region Friuli Venezia Giulia in Italy borders to the east Slovenia and to the north Austria. This region is known for their white wine and one famous region here is the Collio area which is in the north-east area of Friuli Venezia Giulia and it is quite a hilly area bordering Slovenia. In the photo below the border to Slovenia is about 2km away.

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.

 

 

In this blogpost I will focus on their white wine Collio Rierva. This wine was produced for the first time in 1999, at their winery, This Collio riserva, is vinified exclusively with the indigenous varieties, Ribolla Gialla, Malvasia and Friulano.  The fermentation is don in large wooden casks (botti) of 10 hectoliters in size. After almost one age of ageing in the bottis itis tranferred to bottle and is aged for at least 15 more months., hence the name riserva.

The vineyards in which these grapes are grown are located in Bukova at Monte Calvario and in the vineyards of Ruttars, a frazione of Dolegna del Collo, at an altitude of 120 to 180 meters (400 to 600 feet) above sea level.

The vinatge is 2015 and the ABV is 13%. A very nice smell of white fruit on the nose.Taste of almosnd, grey pear and some grapefruit and the wine also has a very good body. A long aftertaste in the mouth. A lovely wine that is good as a food wine but also to drink on its won.

 

 

 

 

Feudi Di San Gregorio part 2

For the part two of Feudi Di San Gregorio I will try two wines, one Greco Di Tufo and one Sirica wine. First up is the Greco Di Tufo wine. It is a white wine and the name Greco says that the grape is the Greco grape. Many times one also use Greco Bianco to differentiate it from Greco Nero, but the Greco di Tufo is an area of growing only the white Greco grape in Campania. The name Tufo comes from a rock formed by volcanic ash. The Greco Di Tufo from Feudi Di San Gregorio contains 100% Greco grapes and the vintage is 2018. It is stored for 4-6 months in steel tanks before being bottled. This is a very elegant wine. A taste if minerals, apple and grapefruit. Very good and I think that this wine can be stored for a couple of more years to bring out some extra flavours but it is good to drink now.

Next wine is the Sirica red wine from 2015. Sirica is a rare grape from Campania. In 2005 Feudi di San Gregorio found three very old, tree-sized vines in an Aglianico vineyard in Taurasi. They weren’t Aglianico, it was a mystery, until DNA analysis established that these were descendants of Sirica – the only ones known so far. Now Feudi Di San Gregorio has three hectars of Sirica growing. So a quite rare wine. This wine has been aged for 12 months in french barriques of medium toast. This is a very well integrated wine with a taste of blueberry, plum, cherry and some tannins rounding out the wine. A very good wine yet again and a very interesting wine, Reminds me of Teroldego which is a relative of this grape.

Planeta Chardonnay 2015

Chardonnay is a grape that grown all over the world but producer Planeta in Sicily has been doing a Chardonnay that should be unmistakeably Sicilian.It is a Sicilian Menfi DOC wine that consists of 100% Chardonnay grapes. The grapes comes from Cantina Ulmo in the south west of Sicily. The altitude of the vineyard is 250 meters above sea level. Time of harvest is in the beginning of September. The maturation is done in oak barriques. So how is the wine? In the nose I get a lot of white fruits. In the taste i get butter and apricot, a very full bodied Chardonnay which can handle ageing very well. A very special wine that may not be for everyone that expects a younger fresher wine, instead what you get here is a more mature wine which is very good.

Two Montepulciano D'Abruzzo wines

Montepulciano is a red grape that is mostly grown in the southern parts of Italy and especially in the region of Abruzzo in Italy. Due to that the grape ripens late it is not grown in the north of Italy. The first wine is the Montepulciano D'Abruzzo from producer Terraviva from the hills of Teramane (Colline Teramane). The vintage is 2015 and the ABV is 13,5%.This is a very fruity wine with taste of cherry, some strawberry with some acidity and just a hint of tannins. A nice quite easy drinking wine.

The next wine is called Valle Reale and it is a Montepulciano D'Abruzzo from producer Botteotto in Abruzzo. This wine has been stored 12 months in French wine casks so it should be a bit heavier than the previous wine. The vintage is 2016 and the ABV is 13,5%. This is a medium bodies wine with dark cherry, plum and some oak. A nice wine also but a bit heavier than the previous wine..

Il Roncal, wine from Friuli part 1

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 wine and one red wine.

The first wine is a red Merlot wine from 2015. For this wine 20% of the wine has been aged in oak tonneaux for one year before being mixed together with the rest of the wine. The wine then rests for three months on the bottle before being sold. In the taste I get black currant with some earthy notes and tannins in the end. A nice Merlot.

The second wine is a Friulano from 2018. Friulano is a native grape to Friuli Venezia Giulia. For this wine only steel tanks are used for storing and fermentation. In the taste I get honey, lime and tropical fruits in a good light fresh white wine.

The third wine is the the white wine Ribolla Gialla from 2017. Also Ribolla Gialla is a native gape of Friuli Venezia-Giulia and also here steel tanks has been used for fermantation. The taste is of pear, minerals and this wine is fresh and quite harmonius.

Three very good wines from Il Roncal and in the second part I will go into their sparkling wines.

Camparo Langhe rosso 2015

Last week I tasted a white wine from the producer Camparo in Langhe, Piemonte, Italy. This week I have tasted one of their red wines. Their Langhe Rosso from 2015 with an ABV of 13,5%. The grapes used are 50% Dolcetto, 25% Barbera and 25% Nebbiolo. I get a lot of red fruits in the nose. In the taste I get red and black currants, some cherry with some slight bitterness and tannins with some oak. Very nice Langhe blend.
I like the butterflies that they use for the bottles.

Ziggurat, Montefalco Rosso from Lunelli

The wine Ziggurat from Tenute Lunelli, which is an Italian wine producer in Italy and they have estates in Tuscany, Trentino and Umbria. Their Umbria estate is called Tenuta Castelbuono and is near Montefalco. Their wine Ziggurat is a Montefalco Rosso and contains 70% Sangiovese, 15% Sagrantino and the rest 15% is Cabernet and Merlot. The ABV is 15% and the vintage is 2015. I tasted this wine 18 moths ago and I wrote that I thought that the would become better with a few more years of ageing so let us see how 18 extra months of ageing has treated the wine.
In the taste I still get the black currants, dark cherries and the strong tannins but also some tones of tobacco now and I feel that the various elements of the wine has been better integrated. I wonder how it will be in yet another 18 months? A very good wine with storage capability and interesting to follow this over the years.

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!

White wines from La Staffa, Fontanafredda and Rocca di Montemassi

This time I have one new wine and two wines with a new vintage.

First up is the new experience and that is the wine Verdicchio from La Staffa. This wine is produced by Ricardo Baldi who is a wine producer near the village of Staffolo in the Marche region and makes about 2500 cases of wine a year. This Verdicchio is of the vintage 2017 and the ABV is 13%. This is a very fresh Verdicchio. I get apples and minerals in the taste. Probably the best Verdicchio that I have ever tasted.

Next up is one favourite producer for me, namely Fontanafredda situated in Piemonte. I have tasted this wine before but it was another vintage. The vintage is 2015 and the ABV is 12,5%. This is a white wine made of the grapes Chardonnay and Nascetta. Being a rare grape is true of Nascetta as at one time it was only grown around the hamlet of Novello in Piemonte. Now it is more spread around in Piemonte.How is the taste? It is a very fresh wine with some tropical fruit, honey, apple and some acidity. As last time it was very good.

Driving from Montalcino towards Pitigliano in southern Tuscany one passes by the town of Montemassi. It is situated on top of a hill and is dominated by old Rocca (castle) looming over the village. Here they produce a wine called Calasole made of Vermentino.I have tasted several vintages of this wine such as 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2017 and they have all been good. The 2018 vintage gives me green apple, papaua, citrus ad some almonds in the taste. A very fresh and fruity wine. This is the best vintage that I have tasted from this producer.

Montefalco rosso from Colsanto and Dolcetto d'Ovada from Tachino

One of my favourite wineregions in Italy is Montefalco in Umbria, especially their Montefalco Rosso and the Sagrantino di Montefalco. These wine can be quite strong but balanced by a lot of flavour. This time I am tasting a Montefalco Rosso from a producer that I have never tasted anything from before, the producer is Colsanto. The ABV is 14% and the vintage is 2014. The grapes used are Sagrantino and Sangiovese. This wine has a lot of red and dark berries on the nose. There is deep structured tannins which linger for a long time and combines well with the dark cherries and black currants in the taste. This is a very good wine which I think that will age well for a couple of more years gaining more complexity. But beware, It is a very strong wine.

Next wine is made from one of the lesser known red grape varieties from Piemonte, namely Dolcetto. The wine is Dolcetto D'Ovada from producer Tachino. The vintage is 2015 and the ABV is 14%. In the taste I get black berries, viol, plum and some black currant. A very nice Dolcetto that shows that Dolcetto is under appreciated grape.

Arpago and Cupa from I Pastini

Producer I Pastini in Puglia has become a favourite of mine due to the good wines that I have tasted. This time I have tasted yet another two wines from this producer.

First up is the red wine Arpago which is a Primitivo wine made from 100% primitivo wines. The grapes is grown at 50 meters altitude. The wine is from 2015 and the ABV is 14%. I find this wine to be a very fresh primitivo with a taste of cherry, plum and some lingering soft tannins. This is an excellent primitivo. Probably the best that I have ever tasted.

The second wine is the white wine Capa made from the grape Bianco D'Alesanno which is quite an unknown grape. This grape is grown in the hills of Valle d'Itra at a height of 350 meters. The vintage is 2017 and the ABV is 12%. In the taste I get tropical fruits, peaches and some bitterness at the end.  Yet another food wine from I Pastini.

So far everything has been good to excellent from I Pastini.

Red wine from Cantina Lavis, Casisano and Rosset

This time I try three red wines from Alto Adige, Tuscany and Vallé d'Aoste. First up is the wine Lagrein from Cantina Lavis. It is made of 100% Lagrein grapes, the vintage is 2017 and the ABV is 13%. Very dark ruby colour. Almost an earthy red fruits smell. On the taste I get blueberries and some plum with some leather notes and viols. A very nice wine.

Next is a Rosso di Montalcino called Casisano from the producer Tommasi. The grape is Sangiovese, the vintage is 2015 and the ABV is 13%. Red fruit on the nose. In the taste black currant, cherries and some tannins. I get some mushrooms in the aftertaste. A nice complex rosso di Montalcino.

Last is a red wine from the small province of Valle d'Aosta from the producer Rosset. It is a wine made with 100% Cornalin grapes. The vintage is 2015 and the ABV is 12%. In the taste I get viols, red currants and some acidity. A nice Cornalin.

Not a rosewine, Prëmetta from Grosjean

One unusual grape from Valle D'Aoste is Prëmetta. Because of the large grapes and the lack of pigmentation in the skins the Prëmetta grapes gives a lightly red coloured wine. Some mistake it for a rosewine because of this. Producer Grosjean makes a wine from Prëmetta and I have tried the 2015 vintage. The ABV is 12,5. The colour is very light red going up almost into pink territory. In the nose I get light red fruits. In the taste there are strawberries and red currants with some acidity and some light lingering tannins. A wellbalanced and very good wine  from this rare grape Prëmetta. I think that this wine should be drank young but it would be interesting to try a well aged Prëmetta.

Two wines from Mezzacorona in Trento

The producer Mezzacorona is situated in the mountainous area called Trento in the northern part of Italy. First up is their Merlot from 2016. This wine consists of 100% Merlot grapes and has an ABV of 13%. In the taste I get dark plums, some oak, some spices and a few dark cherries. A nice Merlot.

Next up is the white wine Chardonnay from Mezzacorona. The vintage is 2015 and the ABV is 12,5%.  This wine has a crisp fresh smell. Almost grassy. The taste is fresh and mineralic with a hint of citrus and green apples. Yet another nice wine from Mezzacorona.

Vermentino Nero from Terenzuola

Vermentino Nero is a rare Italian grape that is mostly grown in the north-western parts of Tuscany. It almost became extinct at one time but has received some renaissance in later time. Terenzuola is a producer in Tuscany that makes a wine made from Vermentino Nero. The vintage is 2015 and the ABV is 12,5%. In the taste I get raspberries and some blackberries with some softer tannins and spices, There is some acidity in this wine. A very good softer style of red. I quite like the wines that I have tasted from Vermentino Nero so far.

Etna Rosso and Valpolicella Ripasso

From the south to the north. I start in Sicily with a red wine from Etna. It is an Etna Rosso from Tornatore of the vintage 2016. The ABV is 13,5%. The grapes used are 95% Nerello Mascalese and 5% Nerello Cappuccio. Due to the height of the volcano Etna and how the lava streams has flowed there are several interesting areas on Etna where grapes are grown. For this wine I get strawberries, cherries and some acidity in the taste. A bit lighter than I thought it would be but a very good wine.

Next up is a Ripasso from Valpolicella. It is from producer Ca' Vendri and of the vintage 2015. The ABV is 13,5%. This wine has a hint of sweetness with some dry tannins, dark cherries and plums. Yet another good Ripasso.

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.