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.

Monte Vibiano, wine producer in Umbria

Monte Vibiano is a wine producer in the green heart of Italy, Umbria, and I have tasted some of their wines before and this time I have tasted three of their wines. First up is the Villa Monte Vibiano Bianco of the vintage 2017. This is a white wine with the ABV of 12%. The grapes used are 40% Trebbiano spoletino, 35% grechetto di Todi, 15% sauvignon blanc och 10% viognier. The storage is done in steel tanks to preserve the freshness of the wine. In the taste I get pear, citrus and grapefruit. When I had this wine two year ago I found it a bit unbalanced but two more years in the bottle has brought out a more harmonious wine which I find now to be quite good. Lovely to have with some spicy food.

Villa Monte Vibiano Rosso is from 2017. The grapes used for this wine is the following. 55% Sangiovese, 25% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon och 5% Cabernet Franc. It has been stored in steel tanks for six month before being bottled. In the taste I get cherries, some coffee and some soft tannins at the end. More easy drinking than the 2016 vintage. Very good.

The last wine is the red wine Monvi from 2014. The grapes used here are 52% Sangiovese, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot och 8% Cabernet Franc. The Sangiovese were stored for 15 months in steel tanks while the Cabernet Sauvignon and the Merlot grapes were stored for 15 months in oak barrels. So this should have more oak character compared to the Rosso. Here I get cinnamon, red fruit and dark fruits in the mix with tannins in the back. I like it and it is quite structured and it gets better with food. Takes some time to open up so open the bottle one or two hours before dinner.

Bocale Montefalco Rosso and Villa Poggio Salvi Caspagnolo

Bocale is a producer in Montefalco, Umbria. The Valentini family created the Bocale winery in 2002. This winery produces several different wines such a Sagrantino di Montefalco and Montefalco Rosso. For their Montefalco Rosso the following grapes are used, 70% Sangiovese, 15% Sagrantino, 10% Merlot and 5% Colorino. The ABV is 15% and the vintage is 2017. The wine is aged in Bottis and Barriques for 12 months before being bottled. In the taste I get black pepper, dark sour cherry, some blackberry and tannins. Very well integrated and the taste is very good. Yet again a wine from Montefalco delivers. And as always I would recommend to visit Umbria, one of the hidden gems of Italy.

The next wine is the wine Caspagnolo from producer Villa Poggio Salvi. This wine is from the Chianti Colli Sienesi. I have tasted one wine from Villa Poggio Salvi earlier and that was their Brunello di Montalcino. So it will be interesting to see how a non Brunello tastes. This is a Chianti wine and the grape composition is 90% Sangiovese and 10% Merlot. The vintage is 2016 and the ABV is 13,5%. This is a nice light red wine. I get cherry, some strawberry and some tannins in the end. Very good and it looks like Villa Poggio Salvi delivers all across the board.

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.

Vindia, a rosso Toscano from Corte Di Valle

Corte Di Valle is a wine producer in Tuscany but they also is an agroturisimo and produce such products as Saffron and olive oil. They are situated right in the middle of the Greve in Chianti area in Tuscany. The wine I have tasted is their Vindia wine of the vintage 2011 so this wine has been stored for quite a long time before being released. It is a Rosso Toscano IGT since it contians 50% Sangiovese and 50% Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. It is aged for 12-14months in French barrels before being aged in the bottle.
This wine has a lovely smell with with some spice and red berries. In the taste I get black currants, dark cherry with some spice and tannins in the back. Quite a long aftertaste. Quite a complex wine that has aged well. An excellent wine.

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.

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.

Two Italians and a return to Dr Loosen.

For my homecooked Taglatelli al ragu I had a bottle of Bepi Deeto, a merlot from 2012. It is a wine from the Colli Trevigiani area in the Veneto region of Italy with an alcohol level of 14,5%. The colour if very deep red, almost black and it need some time to open up. It tasted better the day after. The taste of black currant and some tobacco. Very strong and definately a food wine.

The sparkling wines from Italy that I have tried have been good and Berlucchi Cuvee Imperiale is no different. This sparkling wine if from the Franciacorta DOGC in northern Italy. It has a taste of bread and citrus and works very well with cheese and salami. Very good.

It has been some time I had a sweet wine despite sweet wines being my favourite type of wine. I was not impressed with the Dr Loosen 2006 Riesling beerenauslese when I first had a taste of it but I discovered one bottle at home and opened it up. Time works miracles. Now it is very good with a strong riesling taste and the acid to match it. Excellent wine, it just needed two years of extra storage.