Three red wines from Italy

 First up is the wine Rånäs Slott Barbera 2018. Rånäs Slott is a conference center situated in an old mansion in Sweden. So it is not  brand name as they also name the producer of the wine on the bottles. The producer is Ricossa in Piemonte. 60% of the grapes have been stored in oak barrels so this wine could be quite fruity. The taste is of red cherry and blackberry This is a fruit delight with a lot of fruits. A very good Barbera.

The next wine is the wine Gricos from producer Grifalco in Basilicata. This is a new vintage from 2018 and is made from 100% Aglianico grapes. A fruity red wine with a taste of red cherry and black currant with a hint of plum and earthy notes. Very good.

The last wine is a Montepulciano D'Abruzzo called Tertulia from the producer Guiseppi Savini. In the taste dark fruits such as plum with a hint of violet and acidity. Very nice.

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.

Two red wines from Langhe, Marchesi Di Barolo and Giacosa Fratelli

Langhe area has three main red grapes. The famous Nebbiolo, the less famous Barbera and the little know grape Dolcetto. Marchesi Barolo is a producer in Langhe that produces several kind of wines such as Barolos and Barbarescos. They also make a wine called Langhe Rosso. It is of the vintage 2017 and has an ABV of 13%. It consists of 45% Dolcetto, 40% Barbera, 15% Nebbiolo. The colour is almost purple. The taste is of violet, leather and dark cherry with some black peppar. Quite strong and one can feel the influence of Dolcetto here.

The next wine from Langhe is the red wine Leunin from the Giacosa Fratelli. It is made of 100% Nebbiolo and the vintage is 2018. In the nose I get a lot of fruit. In the taste I get cherry, red currant and some spices with almost a pepper and possible some oak. A bit lighter than I imagined.

Camparo Langhe rosso 2015

Last week I tasted a white wine from the producer Camparo in Langhe, Piemonte, Italy. This week I have tasted one of their red wines. Their Langhe Rosso from 2015 with an ABV of 13,5%. The grapes used are 50% Dolcetto, 25% Barbera and 25% Nebbiolo. I get a lot of red fruits in the nose. In the taste I get red and black currants, some cherry with some slight bitterness and tannins with some oak. Very nice Langhe blend.
I like the butterflies that they use for the bottles.

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.

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.

Barbera and Gavi wines from Marchesi di Barolo

Marchesi di Barolo is an old producer of wine in Barolo, Piemonte. They do much more than Barolo wines and nowadays Marchei Di Barolo is run by the Abbona faily for a long time.
 

Unfortunately their Barolo wines are at this moment not available in Sweden but I have found some of their other wines. For this tasting I have one red wine and one white wine. The red wine is called Rure Barbera d'Asti which is made of 100% Barbera grapes. The ABV is 13% and the vintage is 2017. The wine is aged in traditional Slavonian oak barrels before being bottled. The taste is of black currants, blueberry and some red cherry.  A quite stringent wine with some tannins. I like this Barbera wine.

The next wine from Marchesi di Barolo is the white wine Gavi. The vintage is 2017 and the ABV is 12,5%. As for the rule for Gavi wines it is made of 100% Cortese grapes. I fins this white wine to be quite austere with a taste if apple and citrus. A lovely wine.

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Barbera D'Asti from Rovero

Time to go to Piemeonte and taste a Barbera D'Asti. The producer is Rovero and the wine is called Sanpansè. This wine is made with 100% Barbera grapes. The vintage is 2016 and the ABV is 14%. The taste is of cherry, dark currants, tannins and some oak. A nice Barbera.

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.

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.

Red from North and white from South

Let us start with the wine from the north. It is a Barbera wine from producer Fontanafredda and it is called Briccotondo. The wine is from Piemonte and the vintage is 2016. The ABV is 13,5%. The taste is smooth and red fruits and some tannins in the end. A good table wine from Fontanafredda, showcases a good young Barbera wine.

Then we go south to the heel of Italy and the region Puglia. Here we have the producer Paololeo which makes a Fiano wine called Cala Luna. The vintage is 2016 and the ABV is 13,5%. It is a very fresh Fiano, with an aromatic and elegant taste.

Montepulciano vs Barbera

Montepulciano is a grape that is grown a lot in Marche in Italy. Producer Garofoli I have tasted several wines from and the latest one is the red wine Pian Carda. It is a wine from 2014 and is made of 100% Monetpulciano grapes. It is matured in oak casks for at least one year before being bottled. It is from the the hills behind Monte Cònero in Marche. I get a lot of red fruits on the nose. In the taste I get red cherries with some tannins and a dry finish. It is decent but nothing special. A good tablewine.

Next up is a Barbera d'Alba from Piemonte and the producer Giovanni Rosso who are situated in Serralunga d'Alba. When I was in Piemonte I visited Serralunga d'Alba and it was a beautiful small village with a magnificent castle.

The view from the castle is amazing and gives a good impression of how the surrounding lands look like.

Just a few kilometers outsude of Serralunga D'Alba Giovanni Rosso has their base in the hamlet of Baudana. Their barbera D'Alba wine is called Donna Margherita and is of the vintage 2014. The ABV is 13%. The taste is of black currants, cherries and some plums with some soft tannins. It is a very good wine and reminds me of my trip to Barolo. Barbera is an under appreciated grape.

Ca Marrone vs Barbera d'Alba

It is fun to see how some producers try everything to sell their wine. The wine Ca' Marrone is produced by Casa Marrone, and they shorthen the name to Ca' Marrone on the label. Because then it will be a bit similar to Amarone. But tis wine has nothing to do with Amarone or even the Veneto region because it is produced in Puglia. The grapes are 60% Negroamaro, 25% Merlot och 15% Primitivo. The vintage is 2016 and the ABV is 14,5%. The taste is a bit sweet and very fruity, a lot of red fruits. A nice wine, missing some complexity.

Next wine is a wine from Piemonte of the type Barbera d'Alba of vintage 2016 and ABV 14%. The producer is Giacosa Fratelli and the name of the wine is Busije. On the nose there is a lot red fruits. The taste is good with some red cherries, tobacco and prunes. The tannins are quite light and gives some extra complexity. A good wine.

Super piemontese against normal Italian wines

The wine Corniolo from producer Livio Pavese is what some people calls a Superpiemonte. It is of the vintage 2010 and the grapes used are Barbera, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. They planted the grapes after being inspired by the Super tuscans of Tuscany such as Sassicaia. On the label is is written that it is a modern wine, full bodied, round and gentle.
So what is my impressions of this wine? The smell is of dark fruits. The taste is of cherries, viols and some tannins. For me tannins are a bit on the harsh side, and the aftertaste is very dry and here one can feel the tannins. For this wine the tannins are not integrated into the wine. For me there are much better wines in this priceclass to buy. I rather go with a pure Barbera wine. I would not say that this wine is gentle. It would need maybe seven years more of ageing and then I don't know if the tannins would be better or not.

Orlandi Contucci Ponno is a producer in Abruzzo in Italy that makes the wine Rubiolo. This wine is produced using only Montepulciano grapes grown from vineyards with a good southern exposure. The vintage is 2014 and the ABV is 13,5%. The taste is of black currants, some coffee and are a bit spicy. A nice red wine from Abruzzo.

The last wine comes from Maremma in Tuscany. It is the wine Le Facaie from producer Rocca Di Montemassi. The vintage is 2015 and ABV is 13,5%. It is made by 100% Sangiovese grapes. The are where this wine is produced is very beautiful. There are great aromas in the nose. The taste is dark berries and coffee and the taste is quite strong. A nice aftertaste in the mouth. A good wine that showcases the Sangiovese grapes

Three red wines from northern Italy

Back to normal after some very busy weeks.

First red wine is from Alba in Piemonte. It is the Dolcetto D'Alba from producer Orlando Abrigo. The vintage is 13% and the vintage is 2014. The taste is of red berried with black currants with some soft tannins. Nice and good.

Next wine is from Asti, which is in Piemonte just north of Alba. It is a Barbera D'Asti from producer Castello del Poggio. The vintage is 2014 and the ABV is 13%. The taste is of red cherries and some viols. Nice.

The last wine is a Greccio Rosso from Bepin de Eto in Veneto. It is a Bordeaux blend from 2012 consisting of the grapes Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and some Marzemino. the ABV is 15%. The taste is rich and complex. Tobacco and dark fruits. A long aftertaste. Let is open up for an hour before drinking.

Marco Rabino, Pey 2007

Genova is a nice twon full of small alleys and very nice places to eat. The place for this evening was a meat restuarant in an alley in Genova. Their specialty was raw meat. The wine of the evening was a wine from the neighbouring region Piedmont. A Barbera d'Asti made from Barbera grapes by the producer Marco Rabino called Pey from 2007. I like this red wine as it was not this sour taste as I get in so many red wines. Good smell and taste. The strong alcohol of 15% was not felt when drinking this so all in all very good. And the food? Delicious. Genova makes the best pesto.