Lungarotti, Il Pometo Pinot Grigio

Il Pometo is a white wine from the region of Umbria in Italy.  The vintage 2019. It is made by the producer Lungarotti situated in Torgiano. Lungarotti was started in the beginning of the 1960s by Giorgio Lungarotti. Today the company is run by his daughters Chiara and Teresa. This wine consists 100% of the grape Pinot Grigio. 

This is a very good expression of Pinot Grigio. Light and fresh with notes of pear, tropical fruits and citrus. Everyyhing is well integrated and it is an excellent wine. 

Three white wines from Germany, Portugal and Italy

 The first white wine is the wine Alvarinho Contacto from producer Anselmo Mendes i Portugal. It is a Vinho Verde from the subregion Moncao and Melgaco. It is made from the grape Alvarinho which is grown in the north of Portugal. The vintage is 2020 and the ABV 12,5%. I get a lot of fruit in this wine. Pear, green apple and some tropical fruit with some minerality, honey and lime. A good wine but lacks some acidity to take it to another level.

The white wine from Germany is the Grauburgunder Gutswein from producer Wagner Stempel in the region of Rheinhessen. The vintage is 2019 and the ABV 12%. The grape is Grauburgunder which is also known as Pinot Grigio or Pinot Gris. This wine has a lovely fresh taste of apple, minerals and citrus. A very good expression of the grape Grauburgunder.

The last wine is from Italy. It is the Bonea from producer Masseria Frattasi in Campania. The grape is Falanghina and the DOP is Taburno Sannino. The vintage is 2018 and the ABV 12,5%. In the taste melon, honey and papaya and everything is very nicely integrated. Good.

Pinot Grigio, Collio, from Alessio Komjanc

One year ago I visited Friuli Venezia Giulia and visited the producer Alessio Komjanc near the Slovenian border in the area of San Floriano del Collio. It is a family owned business. The winery Alesssio Komjanc was founded in the seventies by Alessio Komjanc. When visiting this winery the one showing us around were Roberto Komjanc, one of the four sons of Alessio Komjanc. This winery has 24 hectars of vineyards. And they focus on many of the grapes used in Friuli Venezia Giulia. For white wines Komjanc uses regional grapes as Ribolla Gialla – still and sparkling; Friulano, Malvasia Istriana, Picolit and the international grapes Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon and Traminer Aromatico. Komjanc also produces some red wines on grapes such as Schioppettino, Pinot Nero, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Also there is a production of olive oil.

In the last blogpost about Komjanc I wrote about the native grapes and this time I will look at one international grapes, Pinot Grigio. It is a white wine grape that is grown internationally and can make bad to excellent wines but in Friuli Venezia Giuli it makes very good wines  The wine that I have tasted from Komjanc is their Pinot Grio from 2017 which has an ABV of 14%, which is a bit stronger than your usual Pinot Grigio. In the taste I get pear, lime and some honey. A very nice smooth Pinot Grigio whih is very good.

A batch of white wine from Italy

Some of these white wines I have tried before but there are some new vintages and it is interesting to see how wines change of the years and also how ones taste can change.

Mezzacorona in Trentino has a new vintage of the Chardonnay from 2017. It is a quite light Chardonnay with notes of apple and some grapefruit. A decent white wine but the 2015 vintage was better.

Torrebono has a Vernaccia di San Gimignano of the vintage 2018. In the taste I get citrus, almond and some pear. A nice light Vernaccia di San Gimignano.

The third white wine is the wine Monteoro from the producer Sella&Mosca. It consists of 100% Vermentino grapes. The vintage is 2017 and I tried this vintage one year ago. One more age of ageing has brought out honey in addition to the apple and grapefruit. Even white wines can gain complexity by being stored.

Fontanafredda Langhe Chardonnay with the vintage 2017 I have tried before and this one remains the same with apples, gooseberries, minerals and citrus.

The last wine is a Pinot Grigio from Santa Margherita. The vintage is 2018  and I get apples pear, citrus and some honey. A very nice Pinot Grigio.

Two white wine from Trentino Alto Adige

Mezzacorona is a big producer in Trentino and they produce a lot of different wines. One of their wines is the Pinot Grigio Riserva. I have taste this before but never the 2017 vintage. In the taste I get peach, butter and some citrus. A nice easy drinking Pinot Grigio and here the extra ageing has brought out some butter taste.

The second wine is a Chardonnay from Kellerei Schreckbichl (Cantina Colterenzio). The vintage is 2017 and the name of this wine is Altkirch. I get a nice smell of apple of pear. In the taste I get banana, apple, some citrus and minerals. A nice pure Chardonnay from Alto Adige.

Two wines from Italy, Pian Del Griso and Bianca Vigna

The wine Pian Del Griso Conti Bossi Fedrigotti is from the produer Masi and this is a white wine made of Pinot Grigio grapes from Valdige in Italy. Masi is a big and famous wineproducer in Italy and is very known for some of their red wines. The grapes used for this wine is grown at 300 meters of height. The vintage is 2018 and the ABV is 12,5%.  I get a lot of pear in this wine with some citrus and minerality. A good pinot grigio.

Next wine is a sparkling wine  called Bianca Vigna Cuvee 1902 from the producer with the same name, Bianca Vigna. It is a non vintage wine and has an BV of 11,5%. The wine is from Veneto in Italy. This is a nice Spumante with a taste of citrus and some brioche.

Two older white wines from Peter Zemmer

This tasting is of two white wines from the producer Peter Zemmer in South Tyrol or Alto Adige/Südtirol as it is also know as. This time it is a bit special as it is two older white wines that I am tasting are from 2013 and the recommended storage age is 2-3 years. So how have they aged during these years and how do they taste?

First up is a Chardonnay from 2013 with ABV of 13,5%. The taste is of melon, citrus and some apricot. I can feel that it is starting to change from a young fresh wine to a more aged wine. Not for everyone but quite good.

Next up is a Pinot Grigio from 2013 with an ABV of 13,5%. After six years this wine has still freshness but shows some signs of maturity. In the taste I get pear, citrus and some gooseberry. Very good.

I have tried younger versions of this wine and it is interesting to try older versions.

Three white wines from Central and Northern Italy

The wine Lunae Etichetta Grigia I have tried the previous vintage but 2017 is the new vintage on sale now. It is a Vermentino wine from producer Paolo Bosoni in Liguria. The ABV is 12,5% and the vintage is 2017.  The taste is smooth fresh and aromatic with pears and citrus. yet another very good vintage yet again.

Next up is a white wine from producer Lungarotti in Umbria. I have tried several red wines from Lungarotti but never a white wine from them. The wine is Torre Di Giano from 2017. It is made of the grapes Vermentino, Grechetto and Trebbiano, the ABV is 12,5%. The taste is of pears and citrus. It is young and a fresh wine, perfect for warm summerdays.

The last wine is a wine from South Tyrol or Alto Adige. It is a Pinot Grigio wine from producer Santa Margherita in the DOC Valadige. The vintage is 2016 and ABV is 12,5%. The taste is fresh slightly mineralic apples and citrus. A good pinot Grigio and it has been years since I drank this wine from this producer.

Two recommended wines from Italy

Italian sparkling wines especially Prosecco can be quite light but easy-drinking. The sparkling wine Agata Cuvee Millesimato from 2016 is more complex but still easy to drink. The producer is Ardenghi from the Veneto region in Italy. The taste is quite fresh with citrus and bread tones. A very nice sparkling wine perfect for a warm day.

Next wine is a white wine from Friuli in the northern eastern part in Italy. The grape is Pinot Grigio and the name of the wine is Ciani. The producer is Azienda Agricola Ciani Valter and the vintage is 2016. On the nose I get a lot of white fruits. The taste is of melons, grapefruit and some pears. This is an excellent expression of a Pinot Grigio which I highly recommend. One producer that knows how to make good wines.

France vs Italy

Lets compare a wine from Gascony in France with a wine from Veneto in Italy. Who will win?

The wine from France is a white wine from Gascony, this region is normally known for the Armagnac. The producer is Alain Brumont and the grapes for this wine are Gros Manseng and Sauvignon Blanc. The vintage is 2016 and the ABV is 12%. This wine has a fresh fruity nose. The taste is of pears and grapefruit. A tablewine for me as it screams out for food.

The italian wine is a white wine from Veneto. It is by producer Bottega and is made of the grape Pinot Grigio. The vintage is 2016 and ABV is 12%. The wine has a very nice balance of acidity and the taste is of melons, pears and some grapefruit. A nice wine.

In this battle Italy wins by a small margin.

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.

Muscadet from Loire

Once in a while I leave Italy to drink wine from other countries and regions. But I usually always stay in the old world. La Saulzaie is a wine from Loire in France. It is made by producer Pierre Chainier from the town of Amboise. It is from the AOP Muscadet de Sèvre et Maine. The grape is 100% of Melon de Bourgogne. This is a grape that is a crossing between pinot blanc and Gouais blanc and is a green grape from France. The vintage 2015 has a very fresh nose and the taste is pears, citrus, mineral and some almonds. It goes very well together with seafood. A lovely wine.

Back to Italy we go to Vicenza. Here producer Torre Dei Vescovi producer a pinot grigio wine. the vintage 2014 is funny. When drank from straight after opening the bottle the taste is very tropical and sharp. But after leaving the bottle open for a couple of days the character has changed a bit. Now a bit more citrus and pear and less sharp. Interesting wine.

Wine from Sicily and Friuli

I have drank a lot of good wines from Sicily. A new acquaintance for me is the wine Nero D'Avola and Feudi del Pisciotto from 2012. It consist of 100% of Nero D'Avola. The taste is of black berries and spices. But for me it is lacking in depth, something that other Nero D'Avola wines has.

The second wine is from Friuli in the far north of Italy bordering Slovenia. It is by producer Casali Roncali and is from 2014. The grape is 100% Pinot Grigio and the taste is of fruits. Nice.

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.

From Austria to Italy

I have tried the riesling wine from weingut Stadt Krems in Steinterrassen earlier, now I have tried the vintage from 2011.  It is still excellent. The colour is straw yellow with some hits of green.  A lot of acid, excellent structure and so good. I wish I had more bottles at home. Despite the alcohol level is only 12,5 % it goes well together with heavier food such as schnitzel.

The region of Trentino/Alto Adige produces some of Italys finest white wines. I have tried the producer Mezzacorona white dry wine PG. The grapes for this wine is Pinot Grigio and are from the wineyards in the dolomites in the Trentino area. It has an alcohollevel of 13% and is from 2013. The taste if of pears, citrus and some grapefruit in the aftertaste. A good wine.

One place in Italy I would like to visit is the island of Elba, until then I have to do with wine from the island. I have tasted an Elba Bianco from producer Aquabona. It is from 2010 and with an alcohol level of 12,5 %. It is flavourful, some acidity and have a taste of peaches. A very good food wine.

From the capital of Italy to Alsace in France

I have never tried much wine from the Lazio region in Italy where Rome is situated. I did drink some local wine when I visited Rome but that was a few years ago and the wines from Lazio don't have such great reputation. Now I have tried the wine Ville Simone from the Frascati DOC. Fracsati is a wine region about 25 km from Rome. For me it is an easy drinking wine with no special characteristics. Easily forgotten after drinking it. Maybe they have good wines in Lazio but this is not one of them.

One grape that I like is the Pinot Grigio or Pinot Gris as it is called in France. In Aslace they make many good white wines and the white wine Pinot Gris from producer Cave de Turckheim is nice to drink after tasting the Villa Simone wine. It has a very fresh taste. Very much fruits such as apples and pears with acidity. Nice wine and would go well with fish and probably asian food.

Two on the road

While being away on business i had the chance to try two different white wines. One from Chile and one from Italy.

Wine from Chile is not normally on my menu but it is nice to try new things. this wine is from producer Errazuriz and is from 2013 and the grape used is Sauvignon blanc. I had a couple of Sauvignon blanc of the years and they have tasted nice but this wine tasted all gooseberry and not much else. Not very nice to drink for me. I have had better.

Better is the wine Da Luca from Siciliy.It is made from pinot grigio and chardonnay grapes and is from 2012. It has a taste of apples, pears and some citrus and with a long finish. Decent wine.

Two white from Italy

Rocco Ventosa is a white wine from the region of Abruzzo in Italy with the designation IGP Pinot Grigio. So the grape is Pinot Grigio and the producer is Cantina Tollo. I bought it because of the region and I usually love Pinot Grigio wines.  But this wine is nothing special. Not bad but nothing that says anything to me. Rather bland unfortunately.

Planeta is a big producer in Sicily and I have loved their previous wines that I have drunk. The white wine Casa Planeta that I have tried is their family wine and with a nice price can be on anyone's table. The grapes are Grecanico and Chardonnay. The colour is of yellow with hints of green. The smell is of flowers and the taste is very fresh. Notes of citrus, green fruit and a good acidity. Good to drink as it is and also with food such as chicken or vegetarian dishes. With this quality I wonder why this is not in the regular range at Systembolaget. Planeta is one firm that I have to try more of. I wonder how their top brands taste when their table wine is this good.

From one end of Italy to the other

Campania, the region there Napoli is situated has the grape Aglianico that is used in the Taurasi wines and is also used in the IGT wine Aglianico by producer Terredora. Compared to the Taurasi wine this is stored less on barrels and has less tannins. The vintage is 2010 is deep red. It has a strong taste of black currants, violets, a bit sharpness and a strong aftertaste. Worked very well with good green olives from Sicily.

On the other side of Italy, in the region Friuli bordering Slovenia the white wines are dominating. The bottle from producer Bidoli is a pinot grigio wine and is the first bottle I ever bought from this region. The colour is very light yellow and is almost clear. The taste is light and is of pears, citrus and ends with an aftertaste of grapefruit. Good wine.