Two red wines from Alba and Aosta

Let us go and start with A. With wines from Alba and Aosta. First up is a Barbera D'Alba from producer Camerano who I visited in 2017. It is made of 100% Barbera grapes and the ABV is 14%. the vintage is 2013. This wine has soft tannins with red and black currants and hints of cherries. A good Barbera which is quite easy drinking.

Next wine is from Valle D'Aosta next to the border of France. It is from producer Grosjean and when I was in Aosta earlier on this year I tasted several of their wines but not this red wine made of the grape Cornalin. It is called Cornalin Vigne Rovettaz 2014 with an ABV of 13%. Not a complex one but in the taste I get raspberry, some acidity followed by cherries. Some tannins later on followed by black currants. I like the Grosjeans wine Fumin better but this is a good red wine also. Good quality by Grosjean.

Two white wines from Langhe

Langhe in Piemonte produces several good white wines, some based on local grape varieties and others on international varieties. This time I will focus on two white wines with international varieties.

First up is a favourite producer of mine called Fontanafredda, they are one of the biggest private producers in Langhe. The grape is Chardonnay and the vintage is 2017. The ABV is 12,5%. This wine a quite varied taste with some apples, gooseberries, minerals and some citrus. A good wine.

The last wine is a Riesling wine from producer Saracco also located in Langhe. The vintage is 2016 and the ABV is 13,5%. I get some apples, minerals and some citrus. A bit different from a German Riesling. Also a good wine.

Soave and Alsace

The first wine is a white wine from Soave in the Veneto region of Italy. It is called Farina and is a Soave classico wine. The ABV is 12,5% and the vintage 2016. It has a taste of green apples and a lot of grapefruit. Definitely a food wine and goes very well with fish which balances the grapefruit flavour.

The next wine is a white wine from Alsace in France The producer is Leon Beyer and the wine is called Fruits De Mer. The grapes being used are of the Pinot Blanc variety and the vintage is 016. the taste is fresh and fruity with apples, honey and some citrus. Lacking some acidity to raise to another level. A decent wine.

Lagavulin Distillers edition 2000/2016

The whisky Lagavulin 16 years old in one of the classic whiskies around the world. The Lagavulin distillers edition is released every years and it is  vintage whiksy that is 16 years old but that has been finished in PX sherry casks. So what is PX sherry? It is a very sweet sherry wine and it is normally used as a dessert wine. So how will the classic Lagavulin handle a finishing with PX sherry casks? The Lagavulin DE that I have tried was made in 2000 and bottled in 2016.

Smell: In the beginning the normal Lagavulin smoke with tar and medicine and very far in the back some sweetness.
Taste: Very rich taste. Smoke with tar and some medicinal notes. After some time a bit of sweetness come out.
Aftertaste: Smoke with some sweetness

For me the PX sherry is hidden in the smoke. I prefer the normal 16 yo because it is more austere and luckily for me the normal Lagavulin is cheaper than the Lagavulin DE.

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 Sangiovese from Italy

Three different Sangiovese blends from three different regions in the central Italy wine growing regions. Let's start with the northern most region which is Emilia-Romagna. Here the producer Nespoli makes a Romagna Sangiovse Superiore Riserva wine made of 100% Sangiovese grapes. The vintage is 2013 and the ABV is 13,5%. I find this wine to be very full bodied oaky wine with a taste of tobacco and dark cherries. A very good wine which will become better with a couple of years storage.

Next we move south to Tuscany and the wine la Bestia Governo which are made from the grapes Sangiovese and Colorino. The vintage is 2016 and the ABV is 14%. I get red fruits on the nose and the taste is of red cherries, vanilla and some coffee. A nice rich fruity wine. Almost ripasso like in the style.

The last wine we find in Tuscany's south eastern neighbour Umbria. The Montefalco Rosso from producer Arnaldo Caprai I have tried before but this time it is their new vintage from 2016. It consists of 70% Sangiovese grapes, 15% Sagrantino and 15% Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon. It is strong with cherries with spice and tannins. Almost tastes like the 2015 vintage but I think that this vintage won't get much better with storage, very good to drink right now.