Three sweet wines from Italy from I Pastini, Fattoria Zerbina and Monte Del Fra

Sweet wines are one of my favourite kind of wines but unfortunately I don't have so much chances to try them out but here are three wines that I have tasted over the last three months.

First up is the sweet wine Elogio Alla Lentezza from producer I Pastini in Puglia from the Valle D'Itria. I have tasted several good wines from I Pastini so far and it will be interesting to see how this sweet wine is. This wine is made of the grape Minutolo and the grapes are grown at 350 above the sea level. The grapes are picked in October after the berries has been left to wither on the vine. The vintage is 2015 and the ABV is 13,5%. In the taste I get some spice with dried apricots and some flowers.  A nice wine but I expected more. I think that this wine would go very well with some strong cheese.

Next up is the wine Arrocco from producer Fattoria Zerbina in Romagna in Italy. This wine is a passito wine made from Albana grapes and the Arrocco wine is only produced in 3000 bottles each year. Passito is a wine made from grapes that has been left to dry. The vintage is 2016 and the ABV is 12,5%. The taste is deep and rich. I find apricot, orange and some honey. This is a very good passito that will probably get better with a couple of more years of storage.

The last wine is a passito wine from Veneto in Italy. It is Monastero from the producer Monte Del Fra. It is made of 60% Garganega, 20% Cortese, 20% Chardonnay. The grapes comes from a vineyard in Custoza in Veneto. The grapes are harvested in October after some withering on the vine they are dried in boxes. The wine is aged 6 months in Barrique and then 8 months on the bottle. The wine that I tasted is from 2012 and the ABV is 12%. The colour is deep amber as it has been aged for a couple of years before drinking. On the nose I get almost a smokey raisin smell. In the taste I get a lot of raisins and apricots with an abundance of sugar. Not for everyone due to the strong taste and the sweetness but for me this is a wonderful passito. Love it!

Arpago and Cupa from I Pastini

Producer I Pastini in Puglia has become a favourite of mine due to the good wines that I have tasted. This time I have tasted yet another two wines from this producer.

First up is the red wine Arpago which is a Primitivo wine made from 100% primitivo wines. The grapes is grown at 50 meters altitude. The wine is from 2015 and the ABV is 14%. I find this wine to be a very fresh primitivo with a taste of cherry, plum and some lingering soft tannins. This is an excellent primitivo. Probably the best that I have ever tasted.

The second wine is the white wine Capa made from the grape Bianco D'Alesanno which is quite an unknown grape. This grape is grown in the hills of Valle d'Itra at a height of 350 meters. The vintage is 2017 and the ABV is 12%. In the taste I get tropical fruits, peaches and some bitterness at the end.  Yet another food wine from I Pastini.

So far everything has been good to excellent from I Pastini.

Sparkling wine from France and Italy

Three sparkling wines in different styles and countries and regions. First up is a sparkling wine from Champagne. It is a Moet & Chandon Grand Vintage Rose from 2006. It has an ABV of 12,5%. Vintage champagne is not made every year. Year 2006 had a hot July followed by a cool and rainy August. But when the harvest started it was hot and dry. Then the wine rested seven years on the yeast before being degorged. I let it rest for four more years before opening the bottle. In the taste I get raspberry, spicy bread with good acidity and body. A lovely rose wine which could probably been resting for many more years.

Then going south to Italy we find the producer Ciu Ciu and the wine Altamarea which is a Vino Spumante Brut. The ABV is 12% an it is a non vintage sparkling wine. On the nose I get some pear. The taste is light and slightly bready. Could work as an alternative to Prosecco.

Last is the sparkling wine Spumante brut from producer I Pastini in Puglia in Italy. The vintage is 2017 and the ABV 12%. The grape used for this wine is Verdeca. The taste is of melon, apple and some bread notes. Quite nice and light. Short to medium finish. A nice sparkling wine.

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.

Susumaniello, a rare grape from Puglia

Susumaniello is a rare grape from Puglia in Italy. It is only grown on the heel of Italy and not much wine made from this grape reaches Sweden. It is only in the last ten years that this grape has become more popular in  Puglia. Earlier on it was used as a blending grape but nowadays it can also be found as a single grape wine.

I Pastini is a producer in Puglia. It is a small family owned vineyard near Locorotondo in Puglia. Never seen these products in Sweden before before a friend told me that a small wine importer called Solo Io imported their wines. I pastini also makes other wines with some rare grapes.

The wine made by 100% Susumaniello grapes is called Verso Sud. The vintage is 13,5% and the vintage 2016. The grapes were grown at a heigh of 50-100 meters above sea level. it has been aged four months in a steel container, barrel for six months and finally four months in the bottle before being sold.
The colour is deep ruby red. It is a dry spicy wine with a taste of dark cherries and black currants. A long after taste with softer tannins.I think that this wine will gain by two more years of ageing but it is very good right now.