Torre Di Giano 2019, White wine from Umbria

 Torre di Giano is a white wine from the region 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 of the grapes Vermentino, Grechetto and Trebbiano harvested in early September. The wine is vinified in stainless steel tanks.

This wine is named after the tower today still present in Torgiano: the literal translation of the name is “Tower of Janus”. It was originally dedicated to the Roman mythological god Janus (the god of war and peace). This tower is today the symbol of the village.

The taste is of pear, citrus and some minerals. The finish is full of pear. Nice, fresh and young. Drink it young and don't wait. 

 

LVNAE, Auxo and etichetta grigia

Cantina Lunae is a wine producer from Liguria in Italy. Earlier on I have tried only their Vermentino but this time I have tried also their red wine Auxo. Their wineyards are in the Colli di Luni. This is in the eastern corner of Liguria bordering Tucany.

The Auxo red wine is from the Colli di Luni DOC. It is a mix of the grapes Sangiovese, Cillegio and caniolo. The wine rests ten days on the skin before fermentation. After the fermentation the wine is stored six months in large oak barrels. The ABV is 13% and the vintage is 2017. This is a lighter fruiter wine with a lots of red cherry and a hint of strawberry and red currant. Very nice.

And then it is tie again to try their Vermentino wine Etichetta Grigia of the vintage 2018. This wine is still excellent. Such a good combination of fruit and acidity and is still my favourite Vermentino wine.

Two Vermentino from Italy

Vermentino is a grape that I like and it is especially grown in the areas of Sardinia and Tuscany in Italy. The producer Sella & Mosca in Sardinia I have tasted several Vermentinos from but the wine Cala Reale is a new wine that I have not seen before. It is made from 100% Vermentino and is the vintage 2019. It is a nice vermentino with a huge pear taste and grapefruit with some honey in the back.

The next Vermentino is from the producer Col D'Orcia in Tuscany. It is of the vintage 2017. This is a good solid Vementino with a taste of green apples, citrus and some minerals.

Lvnae Vermentino 2018, Etichetta Grigia

Lvnae Vermentino is one of the few Vermentinos that I can buy in Sweden. But I am quite lucky since Lvnae is a good producer of vermentino. Lvnae is from Liguria in Italy. I have been following their vintages over the years and the quality has been very good. So how is the 2018 vintage? It has a fresh and crisp taste with pear and citrus with a lovely nose of peach and pear. It is an excellent vintage and it is lovely together with seafood.

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 Vermentino from Tuscany

Vermentino is one of my favourite white wine grapes and they make wonderful white wines using this grape in Italy especialy in Sardinia, Liguria and Tuscany. This time I have tried two white wines from Tuscany. First up is the Vermentino 2018 from producer Aia Vecchia with an ABV of 13%. In the taste I get citrus, lime and minerals. Yet another lovely vintage from this producer.

The second Vermentino is Bellovile from producer Seregi Alighieri. It is 2018 vintage with an ABV of 13%. In the taste I get a lot of pear and almost nothing else, had much better Vermentinos. With some air and time this wine opens up a bit and I get some vanilla and citrus and less pear. This wine feels a bit strange and I wonder if there are some problems with this bottle.

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.

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.

A round up of recent wines

First up is something I barely drink and it is a Sherry which is a fortified wine from Spain. It is the Real Tesoro del Principe Amontillado from producer Marques Real tesoro. It is an Amontillado sherry which has been ages for at least 15 years in oak casks. The ABV is 18.5%. The smell is strong of oxidized sherry. The taste is bonedry and it is a good sherry.

The Wine A Elisabeth if a Dolcetto wine from Alba in Piemonte. I have tried the 2015 vintage before and now the 2016 vintage is out. It is from producer Cascina delle Rose and the ABV is 13%. It has red fruits on the nose. Dark cherries, viols and liquorice with soft tannins and spices in the back. This vintage for me is better than the 2015. An excellent foodwine.

Now over to three white wines. First is a Vermentino wine from Tuscany. The producer is Aja Vecchia, the ABV is 13,5% and the vintage is 2016. I get a fresh nose with green fruits. The taste is citrus, green apples and some grapefruits. A great wine with seafood.

Next up is a white wine from Umbria. It is the wine Villa Monte Vibiano which is a white wine which contains the grapes Viogner, Grechetto and Trebbiano. The taste is a bit dissapointing with some pears and a lot of grapefruits. Works much better if drank with food.

The last wine is a French white wine from Loire. it is the Clisson 2013 wth an ABV of 12%. The grape used is Muscadet. It is a fresh wine despite the age. The taste is of citrus, peaches and minerals.

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.

Three is the number of red and white

Time for a catch up of the tasted wine. First up is three red wines from Italy followed by three white wine of two is from Italy and one is from France.

One region that I don't try so much wine from is from Molise. I have tried one biferno Rosso Riserva earlier but this one is from producer Cantina Manzini. The grapes are Aglianico and Montepulciano. The vintage is 2011 and ABV is 14%. In the taste I get red fruits and a berry like feeling. Black currants and soft tannins in the aftertaste. A nice one yet again from Molise.

The next one is a Sangiovese from Tuscany. It is the producer Poggio Nero and earlier on I have tried their Montalicino wines. The vintage is 2014 and the is ABV 13%. In the taste I get red cherries and some black peppar. A nice wine with some smooth tannins.

The third red wine is a Dolcetta D'Alba from Piemonte. I am glad that I found this wine as Dolcettos are hard to find in Sweden as most people go with the Barbera or Barolos. The producer is Bruno Giacosa from Neiva in Piemonte. The vintage is 2015 and the ABV is 14%. I get a lot red fruits on the noose. Black currants and smooth dry tannins in the first taste. In the after taste I get red cherries. Some viols comes out a bit later. A very good wine.

Now over to the white wines. First up is the Zecci Colleione Classico from producer Piersanti. It is a Verdicchio Dei Castelli Di Jesi. No it is time for the vintage 2016. The ABV is 14%. Apples and pears in the taste with some citrus in the end. Quite a strong white wine and very good with food.

The producer Lunae I have tried some wines earlier from and this time it is their Vermentino wine called Etichetta Nera. It is called so since the thing that differs from the other bottle I tried is the label colour. The other I tried is called Etichetta grigia and that label is is gray. The black label is the more prestige label as it is older than the grey label. The vintage is 2016 and ABV is 13%. The Etichetta Nera is very fresh and hits of citrus and grapefruits. Lovely wine.

Last wine is a white wine from France and the region Loire. It is a Vouvray wine from producer Lacheteau and the grape is Chenin Blanc. The vintage is 2015 and the ABV is 11,5%. A veru good nose and tropical fruits in the taste. Mango, melon and some apples with a lingering citrus. A good white wine.

Forlini Cappellini from Cinqueterre DOC

One of the places that I love to visit in Italy is Cinque Terre. Beautiful landscapes everywhere. Unfortunately to much tourists during daytime but up in the surrounding mountains and in the evenings it is very peaceful.

In the picture one can see the village of Manarola in the distance and the vineyards up on the mountain side. Here in Manarola the producer Forlini Cappellini makes the white wine Cinquterre DOC.  The grapes are a mix of Bosco, Albarola and Vermentino and the vintage is 2016. The ABV is 13,5%. For 2016 the production was 8103 bottles.  As can be seen in the picture it is quite labour intensive to make a wine here but the results have been very good for the wines that I have tasted so far. This wine has a quite intense taste with citrus, mango and gooseberries and has a quite lingering after taste. Goes perfect with seafood. Very good.

Four new white wines from Italy

The first white wine from Italy that I have tried is the Vette di San Leonardo in Trentino/Alto Adige. It is made from 100% Sauvignon blanc and the vintage is 2016. I get white fruits in the nose. Gooseberries in the taste with some citrus and almost some butter. A very well balanced wine which is very good.

The second wine is the Mafefa wine from Tuscany which is from producer Agrisole. It is of the vintage 2016 and has an ABV of 13,5%. The grapes used for this wine is Vementino, Grechetto and Malvasia Bianca. It is a fresh wine with a light taste. The taste is some citrus with pears and grapefruit.

The third wine is a Vermentino wine from Liguria. It is called Armentin Valpolcevera by producer Andrea Bruzzone. It is of the vintage 2016 and has an ABV of 12%. The taste is fresh with soemmelons and pears and finish with some citrus. A good Vermentino for seafood.

The last and fourth wine is a wine from Sicily. It is a Fiano wine from procducer Colpasso. The vintage is 2016 and the ABV is 13,5%. It is a floral taste with honey, pineapple and acidity. A good  wine.

Lunae, a piece of Liguria in winter

The white wine Lunae is from Liguria and the DOC Colli di Luni. This spring I visited Luni which is an old Roman town of which only some ruins remain.

The wine Lunae are made of the Vermentino grape and the vintage is 2016 and the ABV is 12,5%. This wine is called Etichetta grigia (grey label). I find it be very fresh with some minerals, acidity, citrus and some green apples. When I drink it I get the following in my head.

I feel like I am back in Liguria, sitting by the seaside in Cinque Terre drinking this wine. A wonderful wine perfect for seafood.

White wine from Valle D'Aosta and Sardinia

I tasted the red wine Fumin from the producer Les Cretes in Valle D'Aosta a month ago and now is the time for their white wine Petite Arvine from 2014. It has an ABV of 13,5%. This grape Petite Arvine is a native grape of Switzerland and was introduced in the Italian region of Valle D'Aosta in the seventies. When I tasted this bottle it reminded me of a Chardonnay. Fresh and fruity with some citrus and minerals. Very good and Petite Arvine is an under-appreciated grape.

Vermentino is a grape that I like a lot. I have tasted everything from excellent wines to just decent wines. The wine Piras from Cantina Gallura is one of the excellent wines. The taste is very aromatic with citrus and some pear notes. The flavour of this wine is very deep. Buy it if you can find a bottle. The vintage is 2015 and the ABV is 13%.

Vermentino from Tuscany and a Grechetto from Umbria

Codice V is a wine from producer Mazzei and is made of 100% vermentino grapes. I have tasted the 2014 vintage earlier and now the 2015 vintage is in stores. The smell is very good and the taste is of citrus, tropical fruits and the wine is very aromatic with good acidity. I like this vintage. Good quality over the years.

A grape which I have only tasted once before is the Grechetto grape. I tasted it when I visited Umbria earlier this year (2016). Sitting on the street in beautiful Norcia everything that one drink will taste good. On a sadder note I hope that Norcia will be completely rebuilt after the devastating earthquake a few months ago. But back to wine. Grechetto wine is almost impossible to find in Sweden. However on a rock cruise I found a bottle of San Giovanni Della sala from 2014 from producer Castello Della Sala (Marchesi Antinori). It consists of 50% Grechetto, 25% Procanico and 25% Pinot blanc and Viogner. Grechetto is a grape an Italian grape variety grown mostly in the Umbria region while Procanico is a local Umbrian clone of the Trebbianio grape. So this wine is very much Umbrian. The grapes used in this wine were picked separately and also fermented separately. The first impression of the wine that it is fresh and vibrant. The taste is of apples, light citrus, melon, peach, grapefruit and some mineral. I like this wine a lot. I hope that the next time I go on a cruise that they still have this wine on the shelves.

Beautiful Norcia in the evening.

The hills and mountains of Umbria.

Difference between vintages

I don't have the chance to try so many different vintages from a wine producer. A couple of months ago I tried the wine Solosole from 2014 by the producer Poggio al Tesoro which is situated near Bolgheri.

Now I have tried the same wine from 2015 and it is fun to compare. While the 2014 vintage was a food wine this wine is a bit lighter. The aromas when opening the bottle is amazing. It smells of flowers and is very nice. The taste is almost the same but a bit lighter than the 2014 vintage. So it can be enjoyed even without food. The taste is strong and aromatic of peaches and citrus. I quite like this vintage.

Wine from south to the north of Italy

From Sicily comes the white wine Adenzia of the vintage 2015 from producer Baglio Del Cristo Di Campobello. It contains the grapes Grillo and Insolia. The taste is citrus and tropical friut. Nice and good.

From Sardinia comes the wine Monteoro of the vintage 2013 from producer Sella E Mosca. It is made with the grape Vermentino which is one of my favourite grapes. Good taste with some nice acidity.

Finally from the north comes the wine I Frati lugana. This wine is from the area near Lago Garda and is made of the local variant grape of Verdicchio. The taste is of pear, tropical fruits, a good acidity and a bit aromatic. Very good. So good I went and bought another bottle of this wine.

Two Vermentino from Maremma

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 from 2014 made of vermentino. It is a fresh good wine with a taste of citrus and some almonds. The 2013 vintage were good and so is the 2014.

Close to Pitigliano producer Tommassi ha an estate called Poggio al Tufo where the wine where they produce a white wine made from Vermentino grapes. It is a decent wine with notes of pear and citrus, bur for me it is lacking a bit in taste.

The town is Pitigliano is quite interesting especially from the outside. Worth a short visit.