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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Grillo, Passerina and Vermentino

Grillo, Passerina and Vermentino are three white wine grapes found in Italy. So lets try a wine from each of these grapes.

First up is the Grillo grape and this grape is mostly grown in Sicily since it is especially used for Marsala wines. The cooperative Mandrarossa in Sicily produces a wine called Grillo Costadune. The vintage is 2017 and the ABV is 13,5%.  In the taste I get mineral, citrus, papaya and some green fruit such as apples and pears. A very good Grillo expression.

Next up is the grape Passerina which is grown mostly in the Marche region of Italy. The name of the wine is Rondineto and it is produced by Guiseppi Savini and the area which these grapes are grown are called Colli Aprutini. The vintage is 2017 and the ABV is 12,5%. In the taste I get apple, pear, some minerality. A nice surprising wine with a lot of freshness.

Last up is the grape Vermentino and here I choose a wine from Sardinia. The producer is Mesa and the name is Primo Bianco. It is a Vermentino Sardegna DOC. The vintage is 2018 and the ABV is 13%. This is a young fresh Vermentino. It has a taste of tropical fruits, apple and some citrus. Very good.

Two white wines from Ciu Ciu in Marche

It is interesting to try two different wines from the same producer. Here the producer is Ciu Ciu and they are situated in Marche in Italy. They own apprimately 185 hectars of land there. The first bottle is called Arbinus and is a Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi classico from 2016 with and ABV of 2016. The second bottle is called Evoè and is made of Passerina grapes and is from 2016 also and the ABV is 13%.

The Arbinus is a wine consisting of 100% Verdicchio grapes which is one of the big grapes in Marche. I get some light flavours with some strong apples. A quite easy drinking wine, not bad but nothing exciting.

The second wine Evoe is made from 100% Passerina grapes and these grapes are only found in the Marche region in Italy. In the taste I get pears, citrus and some minerals. This wine is much more interesting than the Arbinus wine.

Two nice wines but the Evoe wine is the better for me and more interesting.

Gulietta from Verona

How will a white wine called Guiletta from Verona taste? Since the producer is Tomassi there has to be certain quality to it. The ABV is 12% and that is all I know of this wine except for the words Together, Love, Eternity, Kiss. Romeo and Verona written on the label. In the nose I get fresh herbs. The taste is aromatic peaches with some citrus. A good summer wine for those warm summer days.

Next up is a is a Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi from producer Ciu Ciu and the wine's names is Arbinus. The vintage is 2016 and the ABV is 13,5%. It is an easydrinking wine with light flavours and some strong apples. Not bad but I have drank more exciting Verdicchios.

Podium from Garofoli

The white wine Podium from producer Garofoli is a bit more expensive than the usual white wines that I drink so it will be interesting to see how it tastes. The wine Podium is from 2015 and has and ABV of 14%. It is a Verdicchio dei castelli Jesi from Marche so 100% of the grapes are Verdicchio. It has several processing techniques such as low yield per acre. Maturation was done 15 months is steel vats and then bottle aged for another four months before being sold.
In the taste I get pears and melon with some grapefruit in the finish. A foodwine that goes well with chicken or seafood. One of the better Verdicchios that I have had.

Garofoli, excellence from Marche

I have drank wine from the producer Garofoli in Marche earlier and this time I have tried two different expressions from Garofoli. One is the white wine Macrina and the other is the red wine Novello.

First up is the white wine Macrina from 2016. This is from the Verdicchio Dei Castelli Di Jesi DOC Classico Superiore. This wine is made in Marche in the region of Colline Dei Castelli Jesi.  The grape is of course Verdicchio. The ABV is 13%.  Maturation has been done in stainless steel tanks. It has a nice nose of flowers and white fruits. The taste is of melon and pears, I get a crisp grapefruit in the finish. Good structure and a very good Verdicchio Dei Castelli Dei Jesi.

Next wine is something of a rarity for me, it is a red Novello from Marche. The vino Novello is a young wine and it is from this year, 2017. From what I have read is that vino novello is similar to its French cousin Beaujolais nouveau. But since I have never drank Beaujolais nouveau I have no idea what the taste will be. One thing is that there will be less tannins compared to a normal wine. The taste I get is red fruits, some violets and some acidity. A young good table wine. I am very surprised by the quality.

Two different sides of Garofoli and both wines are very good. So far I have tried three wines from this winery and all of them have been very good so far.

Super piemontese against normal Italian wines

The wine Corniolo from producer Livio Pavese is what some people calls a Superpiemonte. It is of the vintage 2010 and the grapes used are Barbera, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. They planted the grapes after being inspired by the Super tuscans of Tuscany such as Sassicaia. On the label is is written that it is a modern wine, full bodied, round and gentle.
So what is my impressions of this wine? The smell is of dark fruits. The taste is of cherries, viols and some tannins. For me tannins are a bit on the harsh side, and the aftertaste is very dry and here one can feel the tannins. For this wine the tannins are not integrated into the wine. For me there are much better wines in this priceclass to buy. I rather go with a pure Barbera wine. I would not say that this wine is gentle. It would need maybe seven years more of ageing and then I don't know if the tannins would be better or not.

Orlandi Contucci Ponno is a producer in Abruzzo in Italy that makes the wine Rubiolo. This wine is produced using only Montepulciano grapes grown from vineyards with a good southern exposure. The vintage is 2014 and the ABV is 13,5%. The taste is of black currants, some coffee and are a bit spicy. A nice red wine from Abruzzo.

The last wine comes from Maremma in Tuscany. It is the wine Le Facaie from producer Rocca Di Montemassi. The vintage is 2015 and ABV is 13,5%. It is made by 100% Sangiovese grapes. The are where this wine is produced is very beautiful. There are great aromas in the nose. The taste is dark berries and coffee and the taste is quite strong. A nice aftertaste in the mouth. A good wine that showcases the Sangiovese grapes

Going back

It is fun to go back and try different vintages of wine that I liked. Will it still be good or has something changed.

From one of my favourite producer Donnafugata in Sicily comes the wine Anthila. It is a white wine of vintage 2016, Cataratto is the main grape but is complimented by various other grapes. The taste is of pear and peaches with  crispy fresh taste. As good as I remembered it. Definitely a wine for the Swedish summer.

Then we move on to producer Piersanti and the wine Zecci which is a white wine from Marche in Italy. It is made of 100% Verdicchio grapes and is from the DOC Verdicchio Dei Castelli Jesi. The vintage is of 2015. This is a full bodied wine. Pears and apples in the taste. A very good food wine.

Very good to see that both producers has good quality over the years.

Passito wine from Marche and then to Etna

I don't drink so much sweet wine nowadays unfortunately as some sweet wine is the best wine that can be drunk. The Dorato is a passito wine from Marche and it is produced by Garfoli. It is made 100% Moscato grapes and has the vintage 2013. To make a passito wine the grapes are dried before making the wine. This wine is then matured in wood for six months before bottling. The colour is golden yellow, not as amber as many passito wines has. The smell is very aromatic with fruits and dried fruits. The taste is intense, full of dried apricots and tropical fruits. A very good wine. Not as good as the Pantelleria passitos but it is much cheaper.

Nerello Mascalese is a red grape that is grown in Sicily. For the wine Ciure it has been used to produce a white wine. Terrazze Dell'Etna is the producer and the vintage is 2014. The taste is very good. Minerals, citrus and some apples. I thought I was drinking a Carricante. Highly recommended.

From Jesi to Alsace

Verdicchio is an Italian grape variety which is grown primarily in the Marche region of Italy. One of the two DOP is the Verdicchio dei Castelli Jesi. In this region the producer Pievalta produces their Verdicchio wine. The farms are situated on either side of the Esino river valley and the production if organic and for those who are vegans this wine is completely vegan.
The Pievalta Verdicchio dei Castelli Jesi is made of 100% Verdicchio grapes and the ABV is 13%. The colour is light hay. The taste is citrus and has a good freshness. A very good wine.

Going to Alsace where many good white wines is produced. Producer Michel Fonne is a new experience to me. The wine Pinot Gris Roemerberg is from 2007. Quite an old age for a white wine. Michel Fonne is situated in  Bennwihr. Michel Fonne uses the sweetness scale on this wine and it shows a 4. So the wine is semi sweet. A 1 means a completely dry wine. This wine is fruity almost some apricot and surprisingly fresh for the age. If I drank this wine blind I would say that the age of the wine would be a 2013 vintage. An excellent wine and I will try more this producer in the future.

Good new white wines from Italy

Systembolaget has several new wines from Italy in their store now and of the ones I have tasted they are a good addition. The first new wine in their standard range is the Terre Fenicie by producer Sardus Pater from DOC area Vermentiono Di Sardegna. As the name says it is made of Vermentino grapes and is from 2014. It is a good wine with a lot of acidity and a taste of citrus, peach and herbs. Good wine and serve it chilled. Time to visit Sardinia soon for me?

The next new Italian wine in Systembolagets ordinary range is the white wine Collevite Verdicchio from the DOC area Dei Castelli di Jesi. The producer is Cantine della Marca and it is from 2014. This area is situated in Marche on the west coast of Italy. It is yet another good wine. Good bouquet from the smell. The taste if of grapefruit and some very aromatic taste. It has a taste that lingers. Good wine.

To finish off this trio of Italian white wines is a wine that was just on a temporary sale and I bought one of the last bottles in the store. It is Planeta Cometa from producer Planeta in Sicily. It is made by Fiano grapes from the Cantina Dispensa in the south west corner of Sicily. It is a complex wine with a good taste and not to strong. Very delightful together with seafood. Good aromas in the taste. Excellent 2013 wine.

From still wine to sparkling wine. I like Prosecco from the north of Italy. Normally it is good or it is bad. Nothing in between. It should be easy drinking, youthful but with a good taste. The wine Bosco Di Gica is a dry and a good Prosecco.  Nice to drink and goes very well with food when it is warm outside.

Finally one reason I started drinking wine, namely Eiswein. The nectar of the Gods. This time I had the chance to sample the wine Edenkoben from producer Rhodter Klosterpfad from 2012. The grapes used are Weisser Burgunder. It has a very strong taste with sweet tones. It is a good Eiswein.

Sparkling to white to red

Mezzacorona in Trentino Alto Adige produces very nice sparkling wines. Their sparkling wine Rotari Blanc De Blancs extra brut from 2009 is no exception. The grape used are Chardonnay. The taste is very dry as expected and the taste is of citrus and minerals. Very good.

Vermentino is a grape that I have come to appreciate. The bottle Calasole is is from producer Rocca di Montemassi in the region of Maremma in the south of Tuscany. Very good wine and my appreciation of the Vermentino grape continues.

Lastly I have tried a bottle of red wine called Lacrima Di Morro D'Alba from producer Marotti Campi in Marche in Italy. It has a ruby colour and the taste is of violet and tannins. Maybe a bit one dimensional but works together with good food. No as heavy and can be drunk as it is.

A visit to Marche

Marche is famous for its Verdicchio wines but this time I try a different wine. It is a wine made from the grape Pecorino and the wine is called Ofithe by producer Monarco. And the denomination is "Offida Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita Pecorino", Italians have such short names.

The wine is of a straw yellow colour with almost a greenish tinge. The taste is of pear, citrus with a long acidity bitter after taste. Works well with food.

 

Eiswein and two Italians

I have a love for icewines but unfortunately they are hard to find and often very expensive due to the way they are produced. This time I had the the chance to try an icewine by weingut Krughof made from Reisling grapes from 2007. The smell as always is very good for a an icewine. The taste if of riesling, deep and mineralic. Unfortunately there is almost no aftertaste and leaves a very sugary feeling in my mouth, leaving me dissapointed.

Recently I have tried several different Italian sparkling wines. This time it is a Prosecco by producer Pizzolato. The taste is dry with just small taste of pear. Not the best one I have had but okay for its price.

The last wine of the day is Macrina. A wine by producer Garofoli and made from Verdicchio grapes from the region Marche in Italy or Verdicchio dei castelli Jesi. It is a very nice wine and it need some food to go with it. Sea food would have been the perfect accompaniment.