Castano Dulce Monastrell 2016

The Castano family is a wine producer in south eastern of Spain in the region of Murcia in the small town of Yecla. The Castano Dulce is a fortified wine done in a similar tradition as port wine.  Monstrell grapes are a very hardy bush vine that can survive the dry and austere landscape of south eastern Spain. The overripe Monastrell grapes are handpicked from old unirrigated bush vines. The fermentation is done slowly during 17 days and then grapespirits is added and then the wine is stored for 6-8 months in oak barrels.

The vine that I have tasted is of the vintage 2016 and has an ABV of 16%. On the nose a deep hit of red and black currant. In the taste black currant, cherry and some chocolate. It feels like a lighter port wine but not written as a bad thing but it is different. I like this wine very much. Very good together with chocolate and is quite easy drinking.

Nero D'Avola from Sicily of the vintage 2016, Tolo and Principi Di Butera

Nero D'Avola is a red wine grape that is grown primarily in Sicily and is very common in that region. From what I know it is the most grown grape in Sicily. 

The producer Tola I have tried several of their white wine expressions but their Nero D'Avola is the first red wine from them. It is of the vintage 2016 and has an ABV of 13,5%. The grapes are picked in September. The wine is aged first three months in steel vats and then stored in the bottle for three months before sale. In the taste I get red fruit with some violet and a few tannin in the back. A nice easy drinking Nero D'Avola.

The next wine is a Nero D'Avola called Amira from the producer Principi Di Butera. This producer is owned by the family Zonin who owns several vineyards all over Italy. Half of the wine was stored in 350 l Tonneaux and the rest of wine in large bottis. It is a very good structured wine. In the front I get red cherry and some blackberry before the taste brings out some black currants with some tannins in the back. Quite elegant and a very good Nero D'Avola.

Feudi Di San Gregorio part 3

For the last part on Feudi Di San Gregorio I will focus on one Aglianico wine from them. The wine is Dal Re and is made from 100% Aglianico which is considered one of great red wine grapes of Italy. It is mostly grown in Southern Italy because Aglianico needs a long maturing period and is normally picked in November which is quite late for a grape. This grape tends to do well in Volcanic soils which can be found in Campania and Basilicata.  The Dal Re is an Irpinia Aglianico DOC wine. It is aged six months in French barriques and the rest of the time in stainless steel vats. Before being sold it is then aged six months in the bottle. This wine is part of their more exclusive line for the best restaurants and wine bars. The vintage is 2016 and the ABV is 13,5%.

The taste is of black currants, coffee, blackberry, dark cherry and nicely integrated tannins. A very good wine. Feudi Di San Gregorio is a big producer in Campania and they know how to produce good wines and I love that they focus on the indigenous grapes of Campania.

 

Basilisco, Teodosio Aglianico Del Vulture

With this review I will start looking into the wines from Feudi di San Gregorio. But first we have the producer Basilisco In Basilicata that is owned by Feudi di San Gregorio. Basilicata is not a famous wine region and finding wines from there in Sweden is rare. Basilisco was founded in early 1990 and from 2011 it is run by the Campania producer Feudi di San Gregorio. 

The wine Teodosio Aglianico del Vulture is named after an Roman emperor and the name Basilisco means little king in Greek The Vulture is an extinct volcano in Basilicata. The vintage is 2016 and the ABV is 13%. It is made from 100% Aglianico grapes that is grown at 500 meters above sea level near Barile in Basilicata province of Italy. The wine is aged for 10-12 months in French oak barriques. The taste is quite strong, I get oak, black currants, sour cherry and some plum. Quite tight at the beginning and it almost feels like a 15% ABV wine. This wine needs some air to open up an is quite dry, because of the tannins. Good to drink now but I think 2-3 more years of ageing will bring out some more complexity.

Manzone Rosserto Langhe Rossese Bianco 2016

Rossese Bianco is a rare grape that is grown around the communes of Roddino and Sino in the Langhe area of Piemonte in Italy. The producer Manzone is credited for saving this grape from extinction. From 2012 the grape has the DOC Langhe Rossese bianco denomination. The harvest is done in the first week of October. The wine is aged for 12 months in 500 litre barrels on the leese. I find this wine to be quite full bodied with a taste of pear, grapefruit, minerals and butter. A nice aftertaste of citrus and pear. Very good and interesting. Will handle some ageing very well also. A n excellent foodwine and I am quite lucky that someone decided to save the Rossese Bianco grapes.

Two Montepulciano D'Abruzzo wines

Montepulciano is a red grape that is mostly grown in the southern parts of Italy and especially in the region of Abruzzo in Italy. Due to that the grape ripens late it is not grown in the north of Italy. The first wine is the Montepulciano D'Abruzzo from producer Terraviva from the hills of Teramane (Colline Teramane). The vintage is 2015 and the ABV is 13,5%.This is a very fruity wine with taste of cherry, some strawberry with some acidity and just a hint of tannins. A nice quite easy drinking wine.

The next wine is called Valle Reale and it is a Montepulciano D'Abruzzo from producer Botteotto in Abruzzo. This wine has been stored 12 months in French wine casks so it should be a bit heavier than the previous wine. The vintage is 2016 and the ABV is 13,5%. This is a medium bodies wine with dark cherry, plum and some oak. A nice wine also but a bit heavier than the previous wine..

Alessio Komjanc, wine producer in Friuli Venezia-Giulia

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.

 

For this tasting I have focused on the red wines, made from Cabernet Franc and Pinot Nero. The first bottle is the Cabernet Franc red wine.  It is made of 100% Cabernet Franc grapes and is of the vintage 2016. In the taste I get black currant, strawberry and some cherry. This wine is very slightly sparkling which gives it a bit more refreshing taste when it is warm outside. A good wine which for me is perfect in summer time.

 

Next wine is the Dedica Pinot Nero, which is made from Pinot Nero grapes and has the vintage 2016. This wine has been aged for 18 months is French barrels. The ABV is 14,5%. In the taste i get sour cherries, tobacco, oak and some black currant. Nice structure with the tannins in the back. Works best with food as it complements food very well.

 

 

Manzone Dolcetto D'Alba and Cantina di Gasorga Barbera D'Asti

Nebbiolo is the famous grape from Piemonte but two other good grapes are Dolcetto and Barbera. Manzone is a producer in Monforte D'Alba. The Manzone Giovanni winery was founded in 1925. The production is limited to about 50000 bottles per year. The bottle I have tried is their Dolcetto D'Alba Le Ciliegie with the vintage 2016 and an ABV of 13,5%. It consists of 100% Dolcetto grapes which are harvested in the beginning of September. The ageing is all done in steeltanks for 11 months after which it is bottled. So this is a Dolcetto which is to be enjoyed young. In the nose I get a lot of red fruit. In the taste I get blackberry, plum, sour cherry and tannins in the back. Quite a punchy straight in your face Dolcetto which I love.

The next wine is a Barbera D'ati from producer Cantina di Gasorga. It is made of 100% Barbera grapes and the vintage is 2017. This is a very much berry driven wine. In the taste I get  a lot of cherry and red currants. Nothing wrong and it is drinkable but a bit one dimensional for me. For those who love a lot of red fruits this will be a winner.

Three red wines from Italy: Kellerei Bozen, Terre di Giurfo and Zenato

Kellerei Bozen is located in South Tyrol in the far north of Italy. It is located in the town of Bozen which is the German name, for Italians it is more known as Bolzano. From what I could read with my school German Kellerei Bozen is a cooperative started to promote the wines of the region. The wine I have tasted is a Lagrein wine called Perl from the vintage 2018. Lagrein is a hard grape to grow but the wine it produces is very good. This particular Lagrein has been grown in Bozen at the height of 250m and the grapes are picked at the end of September/beginning or October. It is fermented in steeltanks before being stored in big oak casks before being bottled. In the taste I get cherry, plums and some tannins. A very nice and well structured Lagrein.

Next wine is the Valpolicella Classico Superiore from the producer Zenato in Veneto of the vintage 2017. Zenato is a quite big producer and is run by Carla Zenato together with her children Alberto and Nadia. This Valpolicella wine contains 85% Corvina Veronese, 10% Rondinella, and 5% Corvinone. In the taste I get a mix of red and black fruits and berries with some oak in the back. A nice Valpolicella.

The last wine is a Frappato from Sicily. The wine is called Belsito Frappato DOC Vittoria by the producer Terre di Giurfo of the vintage 2016. Terre di Giurfo is situated in Ragusa in Sicily and specialises in native grapes from Sicily. Frappato is not a known grape and it is native to Sicily. It is mostly grown in Sicily and has been mostly used for blending and there has not been many monovarietal wines made from Frappato. This frappato wine is harvested in the middle of September from vineyards at a height of 500 meters above sea level. It is then fermented and stored in stainless steel tanks before being bottled.  In the taste I get cherry, strawberries and some acidity with a hint of tannins. Quite light and good,  quite a typical Frappato.

Two white wines from Friuli, Tonon and Guerra Albano

Friuli region in Italy is a relative unknown producer of high quality white wines. From the Friuli Grave DOC in the province of Pordenone comes a sauvignon wine from the producer Tonon. This winery was founded in 1936 by Pietro Tonon. The winery itself is situated in the north eastern part of Veneto very close to the border of Friuli. Their Sauvignon wine is the only wine they make with grapes from Friuli, otherwise they are mostly focused on for example prosecco wines and other wines from Veneto. The Sauvignon wine is fermented slowly for 15-20 days and then the wine is stored in tanks until bottled. The vintage tasted is the 2016.
In the taste grass, papaya and some gooseberry. Quite a soft Sauvignon, perfect for warm days. Could be the slow fermentation that keeps it under control.

Guerra Albano is a winemaking company in the Friuli Colli Orientali DOC in the Montina village. They have a wine called Friuliano. This grape is an autochthonous grape from Friuli. This grape was know previoulsy as Tocai Fruliano before EU regulations regarding names came into use. In Slovenia this grape is known known as Jakot, whih is Tokaj spelled backwards. The vintage of this wine is 2018.
This wine is quite mineralic with some grapefruit and melon. It is quite an austere vintage and works perfectly together with fish. It seems that Guerra Albono makes quite strong Friulianos.

Mayolet, a rare grape from Valle d'Aosta

Mayolet is a native early-maturing grape of Valle d'Aosta, Although it is planted in limited numbers (10 hectars), the Mayolet occupies a rather large cultivation area that extends from Saint-Vincent in Avise, on the right and left slopes of the Dora Baltea, and reaches the significant altitude of 800 meters above sea level. But there are some disadvatages with this grape, that it is hard to work with mainly due to tight concentration of grapes and very thin skin. So not many produers plant this grape and to find a bottle of Mayolet outside of Valle d'Aosta is almost impossible

The bottle of Mayolet that I tasted I bought in Valle d'Aosta in 2018. As can be seen in the photo below the vinyards climb quite rapdidly up the mountains.

The producer of the Mayolet bottle is Cave Des Once Communes. The vintage is 2016 and the ABV is 13% and it is a red wine. It is a light red wine with a taste of of some cherry and a hint of black peppar. Nice aftertaste of red fruit.

Toso, Nebbiolo D'Alba and Montepulciano D'Abruzzo from Cantina Zaccagnini

The wine Marne Forteí is a Nebbiolo D'Alba from the producer Toso. It is of the vintage 2016 and the ABV is 13%. The grapes are 100% Nebbiolo.  In the taste I get black currant with spice and some earthy notes with some tannins and oak. A nice Nebbiolo.

The next wine is Montepulciano D'Abruzzo from Cantina Zaccagnini. It is of the vintage 2017 with an ABV of 12,5%. I get a lot of red fruits on the nose. On the taste I get dark cherry and plum with some vanilla. A lovely wine.

Three red wines from Italy

The producer Mandrarossa in Sicily produces many different wines. One of them is Costadune, this is made of 100% Nero D'Avola. This grape is a grape that is completely red throughut, many red grapes only has a red skin. This grape is mostly grown in Sicily and has during the last years shown to produce good red wines and not just simple table wine. The Costadune wine is from 2017 and has the ABV 13,5%. The taste is of red currants, som red cherry with some spice and tannins and acidity. Goes down quite well and is a nice easy drinking wine.

Next red wine is the wine Rosso Di Montalcino from producer Col D'Orcia in Tuscany. It is made of 100% Sangiovese grapes. The vintage is 2016 and the ABV is 14%.  In the taste I get a big hit of sour cherry, some leather, black currant with tannins on the finish. A great food wine.

The last wine is a red wine from Valpolicella from producer Tenute Falezze. It is a Valpolicella Superiore wine from 2016. It contains the grapes Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella and Oseleta. This is a beautiful delicate red. Very elegant taste with cherry, licorice, with some viol and cassis. A wonderful Valpolicella.

Fontanafredda and their wines Barrbaresco, Pradalupo and Raimonda

Fontanafredda is a big producer in Piemonte who produces many different wines. They have 122 ha of land of which 100 hectares is vineyards. Fontanafredda produces many different wine but here I have only tried three.

Pradalupo is a white wine made from 100% Arneis grapes with an ABV of 13,5% and the vintage 2017. Arneis is the grape and for this bottling all the grapes has come from the Roero hills in Piemonte and therefore the wine is a Roero Arneis DOGC. Unfortunately the grape Arneis production areas continues to decrease but hopefully the world will see what a good wine this grape can give. The Pradalupo wine has a taste of apple, grapefruit, minerals and some citrus. Quite a sharp wine but goes excellent with spicy food.

Next up the the wine Raimonda which is a Barbera D'Alba wine with an ABV of 13,5% and the vintage 2016. This is made from 100% Barbera grapes. Part of the wine is matured in larger oak casks while the remaining wine is matured in smaller barrels (225 l) of medium tosted French and American barrels. Before bottling these two parts are the blended. In the taste I get black currant, plums and then some oak and soft tannins with some bitter almonds at the end. Quite an interesting Barbera and a very good food wine.

The last wine is Barbaresco of vintage 2013 with an ABV of 13,5%. Despite being a famous wine I have drunk very little Barbaresco. As with the more famous Barolo a Barbaresco is made from 100% Nebbiolo grapes. This wine is aged for 12 months in oak barrels and then 12 months in the bottle before being sold. One thing I noticed with this wine was that this Barbaresco gained a lot by having air contact. So I would suggest to open the bottle one or two hours before being served or to decant it. In the taste I get  black currants, leather and some tobacco with tannins at the end. This is a wine that is still developing and is quite strong. Good now and will gain a bit extra with two-three more years of ageing.

The white wines from Germany and Italy

Sometimes I try some rieslings from Germany since the rieslings in Germany can give very good wines. The last one I tried was Georg Breuer and the Sauvage riesling from 2018.  Georg Breuer is a producer in the region of Rheingau. The ABV of this vintage is 12%. In the taste I get green apple, petroleum and some minerals. In the aftertaste I get some slight bitter almonds. A nice riesling.

The next wine comes from Italy and the region of Sicily. It is the wine Colomba Platino from the producer Duca Di Salaparuta. It is the vintage 2016 and the ABV is 12,5%. The grape used is 100% Inzolia or Ansonica as it is also known as. It is a native grape to Sicily and is quite rare. In the taste I get peach, apple and some citrus with some tropical fruits in the back, This is a very good white wine from Sicily.

For the last wine is we go from the south to the north and the region Friuli Venezia Guilia. I have tasted wine from Villa Chiopris before and this time it is their wine Sauvignon Blanc from 2014 that I have tasted. This wine is five years old and that is quite old for being a white wine. In the taste I get tropical fruit with goosberry and apple. Very nice and fresh despite being five years old. Together with spicy food this wine becomes even better. So try it with spicy food and you will not be disappointed.

Three wines from Monte Del Frá

The producer Monte del Fra was founded in 1958 by Massimo Bonomo and his two sons Eligio and Claudio. The company is situated near Verona in the area Bianco di Custoza where they have most of their vineyards, however for about ten years they also have a an estate in Fumane, Lena di Mezzo in the heart of the Valpolicella classico area. The company produce many different wine and I had the fortune to try three of them.

First up is the wine Ca Del Magro Custoza Superiore of vintage 2016 and has an ABV of 13%. This wine is from the heart of Custoza in the hills near Sommacompagna. Grape varieties are 40% Garganega, 10% Trebbiano toscano, 15% Trebbianello, 35% Cortese and Incrocio Manzoni.In the taste I get apples, citrus and some minerals. This is a lovely white wine which I think can be stored for a couple of years before drinking.

Next wine is the Valpolicella Classico Lena Di Mezzo of vintage 2017 and ABV 12,5%. The vineyard is located in the heart of Fumane and this area is full of hills and the mean altitude is about 300 metres above sea level. The grape varieties are 80% Corvina veronese, Corvinone, 20% Rondinella, the classic grapes of Valpolicella. In the taste I get strawberries, red cherry some oak and tannins. Quite dangerously easy drinking wine. A very good Valpolicella.

The last wine is the Valpollicella Ripasso classico superiore from 2016 and this wine is also from Lena di Mezzo. The ABV is a bit higher and is at 14%.  As usual for the ripasso the skins of the grapes from Amorone is added for a slow second fermentation when making this ripasso. Lastly the wine is stored in French oak casks for 18 months before being bottled. In the taste I get plum, oak and some red fruits. Very nicely balanced and yet another very good wine from Monte Del Fra.

Thre red wines from Italy, Lungarotti , Mandrarossa and Vajra

The first red wine is from Producer Lungarotti in Umbria. It is called Rubesco and is of the vintage 2016. This is a wine that I have tried several other vintages before. In the taste I get dark cherries and black currants. The 2016 vintage is slightly better than the 2015 for me. A good buy.

Next up the the producer Mandrarossa from Sicily in Italy. The wine s called Frappato Costadune and it is made of 100% Frappato grapes. Frappato is an Italian red wine grape that is mostly grown in Sicily. The vintage is 2017 and the ABV is 13%. In the taste I get raspberry, strawberries and viols. A good nice easydrinking wine.

The last wine is from producer G.D. Vajra in Piemonte, Italy. It is the red wine Langhe Rosso and is a mix of the grapes from the Lange region such as Nebbiolo, Barbera and Dolcetto and small amounts of Albarossa, Freisa, Pinot noir. The vintage is 2017 and the ABV 13,5%. I get dark cherry and black currants with some earthy notes and tannins in the back. A very good Langhe Rosso from producer G.D. Vajra.

Two older red wines from Italy, Capo di Terra and Syrah Maroccoli

Time to taste two older red wines from Italy. The first red wine is the Syrah Maroccoli from the producer Planeta in Sicily. The grapes for this wine comes from the estate Cantina Ulmo near Menfi in Sicily. It is made of 100% Syrah grapes and the vintage is 2010. The ABV is 14%. It has been two years ago since I tasted this vintage so it will be interesting to see how two years has changed the wine.The spicy tones in the wine remains but the extra two years has toned down the strength a bit leaving a more complex wine. Very good.

Next up is a wine from Valtellina in Lombardy. It is the wine Capo di Terra from the producer Conti Sertoli Salis. The ABV is 12,5% and the vintage is 2009. The grapes used are Nebbiolo. I get black currants, plum and some tannins. A bit lighter than I expected maybe due to the 12,5% ABV. A nice wine that is easy drinkable despite the age.

As a bonus review a younger red wine from Sicily. The de Aetna from Terra Costantino is made of 90% Nerello Mascalese grapes and 10% Nerello Cappuccio grapes. The vintage is 2016 and the ABV is 13,5%. In the taste I get strawberry, oak and red cherries all superbly balanced by a high acidity. A very good younger red wine.

Two white wine from Friuli Venezia Guilia, La Cricca and Les Enfants

Friuli Venezia Giulia is a beautiful region in the northeastern part of Italy. This region borders Slovenia and the white wines are not that famous as for example the white wines from South Tyrol.

The producer La Cricca is situated in Craeretto, a small village situated in Friuli. La Cricca is four people making wine and they say that their mission is to respect the heritage. The wine I have tasted is their white wine Friulano from 2016 with an ABV of 13%. This wine if from the Colli Orientali are which is a winemaking region near Udine. This vintage was of only 1322 bottles and the grape used is the native grape Friulano which has been cultivated in Friuli since 1600. This is a fruity wine with a long aftertaste. I get honey, pear and some citrus and flowers. A delightful wine.

Next up is the white wine Les Enfants from the producer Villa Russiz which is a big producer in Venzia Giulia. This wine is a blend of several grapes,  50 % Pinot Grigio, 25% Pinot Bianco, 20% Ribolla Gialla and 5% Sauvignon. This wine is fresh, crisp and with a taste of citrus, pear and some mineral. Yet another good white wine from Friuli Venezia Giulia.

Dolcetto wines from Alba

Dolcetto is a black wine grape grown in Northern Italy, especially it is grown in Piemonte around Alba and is considered more of a table wine compared to the Barbera and Nebbiolo. The first bottle is  a Dolcetta d'Alba from producer Grimaldi Luigino. The vintage is 2017 and the ABV is 13,5%. In the taste I get Black currant, blackberry and some sourness. A decent Dolcetto but I have had better ones. I think that this Dolcetto would benefit from one or two years of aging.

The next Dolcetto is a Dolcetto d'Alba from Cascina Ballarin and it is called Pilade. The vintage is 2016 and the ABV is 13%. In the taste I get cherry, some viols and some juniper. This one I find to be very good.