Casal Thaulero, Sangiovese Terre Di Chieti

 A month ago I tasted a Montepulciano D'Abruzzo from the producer Casal Thaulero in the region of Abruzzo in Italy. This time it is a Sangiovese Terre Di Chieti from the same producer. Cantina Casal Thaulero takes its name from the small town of Casal Thaulero (TE) where the hills of Abruzzo meet the Adriatic Sea. In 1961 some winemakers joined together and developed a cooperative winery to produce and export Abruzzo wines to the world. 

 The wine Borgo Thaulero is a Sangiovese wine. The vintage is 2019 and ABV is 13%. This is a light fresh easy drinking wine. A lot of red cherry with some black currant and some plum with some tannins at the end. A decent wine.

Three red wines from Italy

 The first red wine is the the wine Nur from the Sardinian producer Sardus Pater of the vintage 2017. This wine is made Carignano grapes, also known as Carignan in French. It is from the DOC Carignano Del Sulcis in Sardinia. This is a very fruity red wine with cherry, jam and some tannins at the back which leaves you with a dry finish. Very good.

The next wine is from the region of Marche in Italy, it is called Il Segreto and is made by Sangiovese grapes. The vintage is 2017. This is a wine which is specially bottled for Sweden by Poggio Fiore. It is a nice heavy Sangiovese with a taste of red cherry, coffee and vanilla. Probably some newer oak casks have been used for this wine. 

The last wine is a Montepulciano D'Abruzzo called Miravigna from producer Casal Thaulero. The vintage is 2019. This is a youthful Montepulciano with a taste of red cherry, plum and some tannins. It is slightly spicy. Very good and nice.

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..

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.

Seven Rondineto wines from Fattoria Guiseppe Savani

Fattoria Guiseppe Savini is a producer of wine in the region of Abruzzo in Italy. This producer was founded in 1949 and now is owned by the same family in the third generation. The Savini property consist of 600 hectares of which 80 hectars is used for vineyards. The vineyards starts near the sea and goes up into the mountains. Savini has several brands and I have focused on their Rondineto brand and I have tasted seven of their wines. Three red wines and four white ones.

First red wine is their Monepulciano D'Abruzzo from 2015 with an ABV of 13%. The Montepulciano grapes are grown in the area of Teramo. In the taste I get a lot of black currant with some coffee and some more red fruits.

Next wine is the Pinot Nero from 2017 with and ABV of 12,5%. The Pinot Nero grapes are grown in the the area of Teramo. It is a nice Pinot nero with a taste of violet and dark cherry, Quite dry.

The final red wine is Cerasuolo D'Abruzzo which is more like a rose wine with the light red colour, but it is made of the Montepulciano grapes. It is written red wine on the bottle. In the taste I get a lot of strawberry with some more strawberry. Has a nice body for the style.

Now for the first white wine. It is the wine Trebbiano D'Abruzzo from 2017 with an ABV of 12,5%. The Trebbiano grapes are grown in the area of Teramo. The taste is of pear and citrus. Nice with seafood and chicken.

The wine Passerina from 2017 and an ABV of 12,5%. The passerina grapes are grown in the area of Teramo. It is a fresh wine with a taste of apple, pear and some honey and minerals,

Next up is the wine Pecorino from 2017 and an ABV of 12,5%. The pecorino grapes are grown in the area of Teramo. In the taste I get apple, pear, grapefruit and some acidity.

The last wine is a mix of Pinot Grigio and Chardonnay from 2017 with an ABV of 12,5%. It is a light and refreshing wine with a taste of pear and some apricot.

A good line up from Savini. Good wines all over the board.

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 wine from Camerano and Orlando Contuccio Ponno

I visited Camerano which is a producer in Barolo last year. They produce many different red wines. One of them are of the variety Dolcetto D'Alba. Dolcetto is a grape that is common in Piemonte and is made as a table wine but I find this grape to be under appreciated. I bought a bottle of this wine in Barolo as it was quite cheap compared to the Barolos. The vintage is 2015 and the ABV is 13%. I gets herbs on the nose. The taste is sour cherries with some herbs and with some tannins in the back. A good wine that showcase the quality of Dolcetto and worth all the money I spent on it.

Next up is yet a wine from producer Orlandi Contucci Ponno from Abruzzo. I have tasted several other wine from this producer before. This wine is called La Regia Specula and is a Montepulciano D'Abruzzo Colline Teramane. The vintage is 2013 and the ABV is 14%. This wine has been aged for 10 months in a barrel and the six months in the bottle before being sold. It consists of 100% Montepulciano grapes. The taste is of dark sour cherries with some herbs with some big hits of tannins. A good wine.

Three white wine from Abruzo, Gavi and Soave

The Italian white wines are not as famous as the red wines but there are many different white wine grape varieties in Italy and so many regional styles.

Starting from the south in Abruzzo we have the wine Sprezzatura from producer Azienda Marramiero. This wine is made of the grape Trebbiano D'Abruzzo, vintage is 2016 and the ABV is 12%.  This wine I think is only produced for the Swedish Market as I cannot find this wine on the homepage of Azienda Marramiero. When I nose it I smell pears. The taste is of minerals and citrus and the wine has a long fresh taste. I quite like this wine.

Going up north to Veneto and the Soave we find the wine Soave by producer Brigaldara. I tasted some of their red wines when I visited Verona earlier this year. This Soave wine is a white wine from 2016 and the ABV is 13%. When I nose it I can smell elderberries. The taste is of elderberries, pears and some melon. I like this one also.

The last wine is from Piemonte and the region of Gavi. It is a Gavi wine called Spinola from producer Castello Di Tassarolo. A Gavi wine is made of 100% of Cortese grapes and this wine comes from the Municipality of Tassarola. The vintage is 2016 and the ABV is 13%. The taste is fragrant and I get peaches and flowers and it is very good. I definitely want to taste more of these Gavi wines.

A roundup of recent tested wine

First up is three white wines from Italy. First is a white wine from Sardinia that I have tried before. It is Monteoro buy producer Sella and Mosca. The one earlier I had tried were from 2013 and now I have tasted their 2015 vintage. The ABV is 14%. The taste is very fresh with citrus and elderberries. Very good Vermentino from Sardinia.

Next wine is a white wine from Soave in Veneto called Mito. It is by producer Monte Tondo and this wine contains 100% Garganega grapes. The vintage is 2015 and the ABV is 12%. The taste is of apples and some citrus. A nice one.

The white wine is a Pecorino from Abruzzi. The producer is Orlandi Contucci Ponno and the wine comes from the IGT Terre Di Chieti. The vintage is 2015 and the ABV is 13,5%. The taste is fresh and fruity, green apples with some citrus. Almost some grapefruit in the aftertaste. Very good.

The final white wine is Classico Terlaner from Cantina Terlan and it is the first white wine that I taste from them. It is a cuvee or a mix of the grapes Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc from 2014. It is from Alto Adige and the ABV is 13,5%. It has a strong fruity flavour and it feels fresh. A good wine.

The first red wine is from the prooducer Bepin De Eto, I have tasted several other wines from them and they have been all good. This wine is called cabernet and their is no vintage on the labels. The wine is from Veneto region and the ABV is 13%. The taste is of red berries and black currants, a bit milder than expected with some tannins in the aftertaste. With some air the wine changes character and the tannins feels more harsher and more deeper. Quite interesting.

The last red wine is the love wine called Amore Assoluto from the Veneto region. It is by producer Antiche Terre and the vintage is 2015. The ABV is 13,5%. The taste is of red fruits, liquorice and dark cherries. A good red wine.

Trebbiano vs Grüner Veltiner

It is fun to try two different wines and compare them. This time I tried a Trebbiano D'Abruzzo and compared it with a Grüner Veltiner. The Trebbiano wine from Abruzzo if manufactured by producer Orlando Contucci Ponno and is called Adrio and it is from 2015. The Trebbiano grape is one of the most planted white wine grapes in Italy. This wine is very fresh, has a lot of fruit with green apples in the mix. I could also feel a bit minerals. It is very good but should be drank young.

The Grüner Veltiner wine is from producer Leth in Austria and is of the vintage 2016. This wine is very similar to the previous wine. Very fresh, with fruits and apples in the taste. Also some minerality. I would not be able to feel the difference between these wines in a blind tasting.

I recommend both of these bottles. Very good fresh young white wines.

Two white from Italy

Rocco Ventosa is a white wine from the region of Abruzzo in Italy with the designation IGP Pinot Grigio. So the grape is Pinot Grigio and the producer is Cantina Tollo. I bought it because of the region and I usually love Pinot Grigio wines.  But this wine is nothing special. Not bad but nothing that says anything to me. Rather bland unfortunately.

Planeta is a big producer in Sicily and I have loved their previous wines that I have drunk. The white wine Casa Planeta that I have tried is their family wine and with a nice price can be on anyone's table. The grapes are Grecanico and Chardonnay. The colour is of yellow with hints of green. The smell is of flowers and the taste is very fresh. Notes of citrus, green fruit and a good acidity. Good to drink as it is and also with food such as chicken or vegetarian dishes. With this quality I wonder why this is not in the regular range at Systembolaget. Planeta is one firm that I have to try more of. I wonder how their top brands taste when their table wine is this good.