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.

Vermentino Nero from Terenzuola

Vermentino Nero is a rare Italian grape that is mostly grown in the north-western parts of Tuscany. It almost became extinct at one time but has received some renaissance in later time. Terenzuola is a producer in Tuscany that makes a wine made from Vermentino Nero. The vintage is 2015 and the ABV is 12,5%. In the taste I get raspberries and some blackberries with some softer tannins and spices, There is some acidity in this wine. A very good softer style of red. I quite like the wines that I have tasted from Vermentino Nero so far.

Sparkling red wine from Piemonte, Duchessa Lia

It is not often that I drink sparkling red wine. Once in Bologna a couple of years ago and once yet again in Bassano del Grappa this year. Once good experience and one neutral experience.

So now what is this red sparling wine. It is called Duchessa Lia and it is a Barbera del Monferato from Piemonte. The grape is 100% Barbera. The ABV is 12,5% and the vintage is 2012. It is not heavily sparkling but a lightly sparkling red wine. So it should be like the lightly sparkling red wine I had earlier this year in Bassano del Grappa. The taste is of red fruits and a hint of black peppar and
then some bubbles in the back. Interesting and quite nice table wine.

Etna Rosso and Valpolicella Ripasso

From the south to the north. I start in Sicily with a red wine from Etna. It is an Etna Rosso from Tornatore of the vintage 2016. The ABV is 13,5%. The grapes used are 95% Nerello Mascalese and 5% Nerello Cappuccio. Due to the height of the volcano Etna and how the lava streams has flowed there are several interesting areas on Etna where grapes are grown. For this wine I get strawberries, cherries and some acidity in the taste. A bit lighter than I thought it would be but a very good wine.

Next up is a Ripasso from Valpolicella. It is from producer Ca' Vendri and of the vintage 2015. The ABV is 13,5%. This wine has a hint of sweetness with some dry tannins, dark cherries and plums. Yet another good Ripasso.

Cremant du Jura and Prosecco

Soon it is time for new year so let us try some sparkling wine. First up is is a Cremant du Jura from Jura in France. The name is Tissot-Maire Cuvee Lapiaz. It is an extra brut sparkling wine with and ABV of 12%. It is a non vintage wine. The taste is of citrus and some bready tones with a very little fruit. Not a long aftertaste. Simple but nice.

Next up is a Valdobbiadene Prosecco superiore, which is a higher quality Prosecco. The producer i Ca'Val and it is a brut of vintage 2017. It is a light procecco with some bready tones with pears, citrus and some minerals. Very nice.

La Grotta Di Vegneron

La Grotta Di Vegneron is a producer in the fantastic Valle D'Aosta in north western corner of Italy on the border to France. It is the smallest wine growing region in Italy and this region has many interesting grapes. Due to its small size, wine from Valle D'Aosta is very hard to find as the production is so limited. And don't forget the beautiful nature of Valle D'Aosta also.

 

But going back to La Grotta Di Vegneron I have tried two of their wines. A red and a white wine. First up is a dry wine from 2010 called Attente. It is made of Muscat grapes from the village of Chambave. Normally Muscat grapes are used for sweet wines so this dry aged white wine is quite interesting. This wine is aged for 40 months in steel tanks which is a long time for a dry white wine. The taste is dry but the smell confuses my mind as I expect a sweet wine. taste of apricots, dried fruits but with a clear dryness. Not for everyone but I find it good and interesting but I find it hard to categorize.

Next up is the red wine Esprit Follet made from the ancient grape Fumin from Valle D'Aosta. In the taste I get complex red fruits, black currants, viols, dark chocolate and some spices. A very good wine. Love it and Fumin have become one of my favourite grapes.

Three Sangiovese based red wines from Italy

Sangiovese is a fabulous grape and I had the chance to try three red wines that uses the Dangiovese grapes from Tuscany, Umbria and Emila-Romagna.

First out is the Spezieri wine from producer Col d'Orcia in Tuscany. It is a blend of mostly Sangiovese and Ciliegiolo. The ABV is 14% and the vintage is 2016. From 2013 this wine is organically made. I get red fruits on the nose which is typically for a Sangiovese wine. I get a taste of cherries, black currants and some spiciness. Some tannins in the finish. A good wine.

Next we go to Tuscanys neighbour, namely Umbria. The green heart of Italy. Here we find a Montefalco Rosso from producer Lungarotti. For this wine the grapes Sangiovese, Merlot and Sagrantino is used. Here at least 60-70% Sangiovese must be used and between 10-15% Sagrantino and the rest other grapes. The ABV is 14% and the vintage is 2014. This is a big and powerful wine. Dry and strong tannins with dark sour cherries and earthy notes. Definitely some tobacco in the back. This wine needs food. After tasting it I would give it 2-3 more years of ageing before drinking it. Good now but with a couple of more years of storage I think it will be even better.

Finally we go to Tuscany and Umbrias northern neighbour Emilia-Romagna. Here we find the wine Ora from producer San Patrignano. It is a Romagna Sangiovese superiore from 2015 with and ABV of 14%. This wine contains only 100% Sangiovese. The taste is of dark cherries and black currants with some harsher tannins. This needs more time in storage before it gains it full potential. Like the Montefalco Rosso wine above, good now but will be even better in two years time.