Monte del Fra, Ca Del Magro 2018

The producer Monte del Fra was founded in 1958 by Massimo Bonomo and his two sons Eligio and Claudio. The company is situated near Verona in the area Bianco di Custoza where they have most of their vineyards, however for about ten years they also have a an estate in Fumane, Lena di Mezzo in the heart of the Valpolicella classico area. The company produce many different wines and the Ca Del Magro I have tried the 2016 vintage before but now it is time for the 2018 vintage.

The wine Ca Del Magro Custoza Superiore of the vintage 2018 and has an ABV of 13%. This wine is from the heart of Custoza in the hills near Sommacompagna. Grape varieties are 40% Garganega, 10% Trebbiano toscano, 15% Trebbianello, 35% Cortese and Incrocio Manzoni. In the taste I get apples, peach and minerals and with a citrus acidity that binds it all together. This is an excellent vintage that is a wee better than the 2016 vintage. I think can be stored for a couple of years before drinking and gain some complexity.

Three white wines from Piemonte

Piemonte is one region of Italy that produces very good white wine but it is not that well known. One bottle that I have tried 2,5 years ago is the Gavi di Gavi from producer Roberto Sarotto of the vintage 2016. Gavi wines are made from the Cortese grapes. So I wonder what 2,5 more of ageing has done to this wine. With age the pear has become more dominant while the citrus has been toned down and is more to the back and the aftertaste. A bit different compared to the last time but a lovely wine.

Next one is the Langhe Arneis from producer Voghera. The vintage is 2018 and the ABV is 13,5%. Arneis is a little known grape from Piemonte. It is a crisp and fresh wine. Taste of citrus, gooseberry, and some pear. A nice young Arneis.

The last wine is the Langhe Favorita from producer Tenuta Langasco. The vintage is 2016 and the ABV is 13,5%. Favorita is a grape that is mostly grown on the the left bank of the Tanaro River in the Roero district near Alba. This grape is closely related to the Vermentino and Pigato grapes. Nowadays this grape is in decline due to popularity of Cardonnay and Arneis. The taste is of pear, citrus with almost some perfume in the back. A nice and interesting wine.

All these wines come from the Langhe region of Italy. A very beautiful area full of rolling hills and beautiful villages.

Barbera and Gavi wines from Marchesi di Barolo

Marchesi di Barolo is an old producer of wine in Barolo, Piemonte. They do much more than Barolo wines and nowadays Marchei Di Barolo is run by the Abbona faily for a long time.
 

Unfortunately their Barolo wines are at this moment not available in Sweden but I have found some of their other wines. For this tasting I have one red wine and one white wine. The red wine is called Rure Barbera d'Asti which is made of 100% Barbera grapes. The ABV is 13% and the vintage is 2017. The wine is aged in traditional Slavonian oak barrels before being bottled. The taste is of black currants, blueberry and some red cherry.  A quite stringent wine with some tannins. I like this Barbera wine.

The next wine from Marchesi di Barolo is the white wine Gavi. The vintage is 2017 and the ABV is 12,5%. As for the rule for Gavi wines it is made of 100% Cortese grapes. I fins this white wine to be quite austere with a taste if apple and citrus. A lovely wine.

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Gavi and Chardonnay from Fontanafredda

Fontanafredda is a big producer of wines from the Piemonte are and especially Barolo and Barbaresco. However this time I have tried two white wines from Fontanafredda. First up is their Gavi wine from 2016 which contains 100% Cortese grapes. The ABV is 12% and the grapes were harvested in mid September. In the taste I get apples, minerals and some citrus. A very good and well balanced wine.

Next up is Fontanafreddas Chardonnay from 2017 which has an ABV of 12,5%. This wine has a quite varied taste. Some apples, gooseberries, minerals and some citrus. A good Chardonnay.

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.

Three white wines from Italy

From the south to the north. First up is a white wine from Sicily called Blu Profondo.  It has the ABV 13% and is of the vintage 2017. The grapes used for this wine is zibibbo and catarratto.  The taste is aromatic and is an easy drinking wine for a warm summer day.

Next wine is from the the Emilio-Romagna region in Italy. It the sparkling wine Camlet from producer Valle delle Lepri which is situated southwest of Rimini. They make several different sparkling wines and the Camlet one is made of 100% Chardonnay grapes. It is very nice and fesh with apples in the taste. Reminds me of a good prosecco.

The last wine is from Veneto region and it is called Lenotti Bianco Del Veneto. It is made of the grape Cortese and Garganega. The vintage is 2015 and the ABV is 12,5%. It has a fresh clear taste with some citrus, grapefruits and flowers. A very good wine.

Three white wine from Abruzo, Gavi and Soave

The Italian white wines are not as famous as the red wines but there are many different white wine grape varieties in Italy and so many regional styles.

Starting from the south in Abruzzo we have the wine Sprezzatura from producer Azienda Marramiero. This wine is made of the grape Trebbiano D'Abruzzo, vintage is 2016 and the ABV is 12%.  This wine I think is only produced for the Swedish Market as I cannot find this wine on the homepage of Azienda Marramiero. When I nose it I smell pears. The taste is of minerals and citrus and the wine has a long fresh taste. I quite like this wine.

Going up north to Veneto and the Soave we find the wine Soave by producer Brigaldara. I tasted some of their red wines when I visited Verona earlier this year. This Soave wine is a white wine from 2016 and the ABV is 13%. When I nose it I can smell elderberries. The taste is of elderberries, pears and some melon. I like this one also.

The last wine is from Piemonte and the region of Gavi. It is a Gavi wine called Spinola from producer Castello Di Tassarolo. A Gavi wine is made of 100% of Cortese grapes and this wine comes from the Municipality of Tassarola. The vintage is 2016 and the ABV is 13%. The taste is fragrant and I get peaches and flowers and it is very good. I definitely want to taste more of these Gavi wines.

Two sparkling wines from northern Italy

Prosecco has became a big seller around the world and I understand why because of the lightness and freshness that Prosecco has. Also not to forget that even that it is quite light is that the production quality is quite high. I have tried a lot of Prosecco and they are all good so far.

The prosecco Victora, La Dolce Vita is more of the same. Light and fresh with citrus taste. Quite nice. Perfect as an apeterif.

Sparkling wine from Piemonte I have not tried so much but Acuesi is a DOC Cortese wine. Cortese is a white grape grown in these areas. It has the same alcohol level as a Prosecco and the same freshness and lightness. Quite good.