Ragaletti, Castel Del Monte Riserva 2008

From the heel of Italy (Puglia) comes wines from the Castel Del Monte area and most of them have pictures of the famous castle. The Ragaletti Reserva consists of 100% of the grape Nero di Troia. It was aged for 14 months in barrels before being aged 8 more years in other containers. I get red currants, spices and some tannins in the end. Quite nice and interesting wine.

The grapes Verdeca and Gaglioppo

There are several grapes that is not so rare but is not that well known. One of these grapes is Verdeca. It is grown in Italy especially in the provinces of Apulia (Puglia) and Emilia-Romagna. These grapes mature late and can get a quite high acidity especially in southern Italy. The wine Talo is made from 100% Verdeca. The producer is Cantina San Marzano and they are from Apulia in southern Italy. The ABV is 12,5% and the vintage is 2018. In the taste I get apple, some gooseberry, minerals and some citrus. A very fruity wine and very interesting.

The next grape is Gaglioppo. A red wine grape that is mostly grown in Calabria. The wine Cirò consists of 100% Gaglioppo. The producer Romano & Adamo is from Calabria. The ABV is 13% and the vintage is 13%. In the taste I get cherry, black peppar with some tanins and a high acidity. Interesting grape worth trying more.

Torcicoda Primitivo from Tormaresco

Primitivo is a grape that in Italy is grown in Puglia. In America it is known as Zinfandel which is the more famous name. Tormaresca is a procucer of several different wines in Puglia in Italy and the wine Torcicoda is made of 100% Primitivo grapes. The vintage is 2017 and the ABV is 14,5%.

The grapes for this week were harvested in the first week of September. After fermentation it was stored in oak barrels for ten months and in bottle for eight months before being sold. This is a rich heavy young primitivo. It has a very nice smell on the nose. In the taste I get leather, black currant and some oak. An excellent primitivo from Italy.

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.

Rare grapes from Italy

There are so many rare grapes in Italy and it will take a very long time to try them all. But two rare grapes that I have tasted are Minutolo and Erbaluce from northern Italy.

First are the producer I Pastini with the wine Rampone made from 100% Minutolo grapes. I Pastine are situated in Puglia and Minutolo are a rare grape variety from Puglia. The vintage is 2016 and the ABV 12,5%. How is the taste? This wine has an aromatic and tropical taste. I can feel tropical fruits with some citrus. Almost feels like a southerns Gewürztraminer. A very good wine.

Next up is the wine Erbavoglio from producer Torracia Del Piantavigna in Piemonte. It uses the grape Erbaluce but they are not allowed to write the grape name on the label due to certain Italian rules regarding the DOC Colline Novaresi. The vintage is 2017 and the ABV 13,5%. The taste is quite strong with grassy notes with minerals, pears and some citrus. An interesting wine from a rare grape.

Tempranillo from Spain and Nero di Troia

This time I go from Spain to the south of Italy. I don't drink so much wine from Spain but it is interesting to try out new stuff. Anciano is a Gran Reserva 2006 made by Tempranillo grapes. It is from producer Bodegas Navalo. The wine is stored in oak barrels for 18 months before being bottled and then they store it 8,5 years longer before selling the wine. So it is as least ten years old. The vintage is 2006 and the ABV is 13% Since it is ten years old it is quite smooth. The wine has hints of vanilla with red currants and some liquorice. Just lacking a bit in the after taste. A good price for the value.

Now going to the south of Italy and the region of Puglia. In this region they have several interesting grape varieties and one of them is Nero di Troia. producer Poderere 20 produces a 100% Nero di Troia wine called Gelso Nero and the vintage that I have tried is the 2017, so it is quite a young wine. The ABV is 13%. It has a taste of plums,, dark cherries, viols and some tannins. Not an older elegant wine but a more younger wild wine which I quite like.

Susumaniello, a rare grape from Puglia

Susumaniello is a rare grape from Puglia in Italy. It is only grown on the heel of Italy and not much wine made from this grape reaches Sweden. It is only in the last ten years that this grape has become more popular in  Puglia. Earlier on it was used as a blending grape but nowadays it can also be found as a single grape wine.

I Pastini is a producer in Puglia. It is a small family owned vineyard near Locorotondo in Puglia. Never seen these products in Sweden before before a friend told me that a small wine importer called Solo Io imported their wines. I pastini also makes other wines with some rare grapes.

The wine made by 100% Susumaniello grapes is called Verso Sud. The vintage is 13,5% and the vintage 2016. The grapes were grown at a heigh of 50-100 meters above sea level. it has been aged four months in a steel container, barrel for six months and finally four months in the bottle before being sold.
The colour is deep ruby red. It is a dry spicy wine with a taste of dark cherries and black currants. A long after taste with softer tannins.I think that this wine will gain by two more years of ageing but it is very good right now.

Two red wines with very commercial labels

Time for two red wines with some commercial labels. First up is the wine Villa valentina which is a Sangiovese wine from Puglia in Italy. The vintage is 2017 and ABV is 13%. This organically wine has a taste of red fruits and berries with some sharpness. Nice wine but uncomplicated.

Next wine is the red wine Quentaurus from Abruzzo. It is made from the grape Montepulciano. The vintage is 2014 and the ABV is 14%. This is quite strong with red currants, some viols and tannins. Definately a food wine.

Red from North and white from South

Let us start with the wine from the north. It is a Barbera wine from producer Fontanafredda and it is called Briccotondo. The wine is from Piemonte and the vintage is 2016. The ABV is 13,5%. The taste is smooth and red fruits and some tannins in the end. A good table wine from Fontanafredda, showcases a good young Barbera wine.

Then we go south to the heel of Italy and the region Puglia. Here we have the producer Paololeo which makes a Fiano wine called Cala Luna. The vintage is 2016 and the ABV is 13,5%. It is a very fresh Fiano, with an aromatic and elegant taste.

Lagrein and Negroamoro, north to south

Lagrein that is grown in Alto Adige (South Tyrol) is my favourite red grape that is grown there. Lagrein gives usually a bit tannic wines with high acidity and low pH.

The producer K. Martini & Sohn makes wine called Gurnzan Rueslhofer and the vintage is 2014. ABV is 13,5% and it consists of 100% Lagrein grapes from near the town of Bolzano. The colour is very dark purple. The taste is of dark cherries with some cloves. A strong taste and some tannins. A very good Lagrein.

From the northern part of Italy to the southern part of Italy, namely Puglia which is the heel of Italy. Here they have several interesting grapes that is grown there and one if called Negroamaro. The wine is called Orfeo from producer Paololeo. The vintage is 2014 and the ABV is 14,5%. The taste is of red bitter cherries, some herbs and then some tannins in the back. A good food wine. This is the second wine I have tasted from this producer and they hold a good quality.

Ca Marrone vs Barbera d'Alba

It is fun to see how some producers try everything to sell their wine. The wine Ca' Marrone is produced by Casa Marrone, and they shorthen the name to Ca' Marrone on the label. Because then it will be a bit similar to Amarone. But tis wine has nothing to do with Amarone or even the Veneto region because it is produced in Puglia. The grapes are 60% Negroamaro, 25% Merlot och 15% Primitivo. The vintage is 2016 and the ABV is 14,5%. The taste is a bit sweet and very fruity, a lot of red fruits. A nice wine, missing some complexity.

Next wine is a wine from Piemonte of the type Barbera d'Alba of vintage 2016 and ABV 14%. The producer is Giacosa Fratelli and the name of the wine is Busije. On the nose there is a lot red fruits. The taste is good with some red cherries, tobacco and prunes. The tannins are quite light and gives some extra complexity. A good wine.

France vs Italy and some Prosecco

Been a while since the last update as a cold has put the blog on the backburner.

First up is two very different white wines. The first wine is from Languedoc in France. It is called Fleur de Vignoble from the AOP Picpoul de pinet. Picpoul is a grape in this region. The color is very light. Almost water like. A bit sharp and fruity in the taste, some hawthorn.
The next wine is the wine Falanghina from producer Villa Schinosa in Puglia, Italy. It is made by 100% of Falanghina grapes. The color is straw yellow and the nose is very strong. It smells delicious. The taste is strong and it has some acidity. Citrus and fruits in the taste.

Lastly I have tried yet another Prosecco. It is Prosecco Extra Dry by producer Farina. It is as a Prosecco should be, Good, light and well tasting,

Bambino Bianco and Tocai Friulano

Italy has many different grape varieties and many of them only grows in Italy. This time I have had the chance to try two, Bombino Bianco and Tocai Friulano.

The wine Marese from producer Rivera is made from the grape Bombino Bianco. It is from the DOC Bombino Bianco Castel Del Monte in Puglia. This grape is mostly grown in Puglia but can be found in several other regions in Italy. This wine were very nice to drink. Interesting and I have to try more of this grape.

The second wine I had the chance to try is the wine Friulano from producer Guerra Albano, whose winery Guerra Albano is located in the DOC Colli Orientali del Friuli area in Montina, near Cividale del Friuli. The wine is very strong and tastes like green apples, pear, grass some citrus and is very intense and fresh. Quite interesting wine and needs some food with the wine. The grape used for this wine is called Tocai Friulano. These wines were also called Tocai Friulano earlier but had to change the name due to name regulations of the EU to Friulano. This grape is mostly grown in Friuli Venezia Giuli and recently scientists have found out that the grape Sauvignon Vert is the same grape. For more information about this grape I recommend the book "Native Wine Grapes of Italy" by Ian D'Agata.

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.

Primitivo from Salento

Primitivo grapes is grown a lot around the Salento region in Puglia. And from this region I had the chance to try the Primtitivo Di Manduria (2013) from producer Paololeo. The colour is dark ruby. The taste is of red cherries, woody with strong chocolate flavour. One can feel the tannins in the back of the throat. Decent wine. Primitivo is the same grape as Zinfandel.

Another journey into Italian wines

The journey to try everything in Italian winemaking continues. This time I am in Puglia region on the southern part of Italy. The wine is Il Falcone by producer Azienda Vinicola Rivera. It is from the DOC Castel del Monte and is made of 70% Nero di Troia grapes and 30% Montepulciano grapes. It is a red wine and the colour is deep red. Before bottling it is stored in barrels for one year before being stored in bottles for another year before selling. This is from 2008 so it has been stored in the bottle for a longer time before being sold. The taste is of red currants and red cherries. Reminded me of my youth eating berriedsin my mums garden. Soft tannins that lingers a while. Good wine.

Summer of wine continues

Three more Italian wines I have that has been excellent during this warm summer. First up is a Sauvignon wine from producer Winkl in Alto Adige. It is strong nice food wine. Very good.

Next is an older red wine from 2006 and from the heel of Italy the region of Puglia, namely Vigna Pedale from Castel Del Monte. It is strong and has a taste of cherries. A nice and good wine.

Chianti wines I don't drink that often but the Chianto Classico from 2008  from producer Castellani is very good. It has a strong peppery taste with cherries. Good wine.