Bolla, Prosecco Superiore

The Bolla Prosecco Superiore from Valdobbiadene from Veneto in Italy. Prosecco is a sparkling wine in which the sparkling made is pressure tanks.  The grape is 100% Glera and the company was founded in 1883. In the taste pear, citrus and some minerals. A very good prosecco.

Ferrari Perle 2015 and Maschio Dei Cavalieri prosecco

Ferrari is a big sparkling wine producer in the Trento region in Northern Italy. It is made with 100% Chardonnay picked by hand. It is aged at least 50 months on the yeast before being bottled. The ABV is 12,5% and the vintage is 2015. The nose is very fresh. The taste is of brioche, citrus and  apple. A very good sparkling wine.

Next up is a prosecco from producer Maschio Dei Cavalieri. It is a Rive di Colbertaldo 2018 and is a Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore. Rive is like a quality designation. It demands that the grapes are handpickes, the grapes are from the same farm and that they are from the same vintage. Here the grapes used are 85% Glere and 15% other grapes. Maschio Dei Cavalieri is a big producer of wine but they don't grow any wine. They buy grapes from different growers in the area. In the taste I get pear, apple and citrus in  a good and fresh mix. This is an excellent Prosecco.

Two proseccos, Serenello and Bisol 1542

I quite like drinking lighter sparkling wine in the heat of the summer. I find it quite refreshing and Prosecco is one to go to of one wants a lighter sparkling wine.

The first Prosecco is Serenello which is an extra dry Prosecco.I get apple, pineapple and some citrus. As they say quite dry and I fins it to be good Prosecco.

Next one is Bisol 1542 Riva di Campea and Bisol is the producer here. This is from the prosecco region of Valdobbiadene prosecco Superiore and it is extra dry. I find it very mineralic and quite dry. This one I like a lot.

Two very good proseccos.

Chianti classico and a Prosecco

Time to go to Chianto region in Tuscany to try red Chianto classico riserva from producer Castelgufo. It is of the vintage 2015 and the ABV is 13%. In the taste I get black currants, some red cherries and some tannins and oak. Quite light for being a riserva. Nice and easy drinking wine.

Next up is the Prosecco Astoria Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG. As the name says, it is not the normal Prosecco but a higher quality prosecco.   It is light with citrus with a bit of yeasty character. A very good Prosecco, light but still flavourful.

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.

Two wines from north eastern Italy

Time for a sparkling wine. First up is the prosecco wine from the producer Corte Real called Lupi Reali. I find it to be a good prosecco with notes of pear and apples in the taste with some citrus in the back. Not as dry as I thought it would be.

Next up is a white wine from the Veneto region in Italy. It is from the producer Zenato and it is a Pinot Grigio delle Venezie from 2016. The ABV is 12,5%. The taste is of white peaches, citrus and a little grapefruit. A nice wine.

Two sparkling wines from northern Italy

Prosecco has became a big seller around the world and I understand why because of the lightness and freshness that Prosecco has. Also not to forget that even that it is quite light is that the production quality is quite high. I have tried a lot of Prosecco and they are all good so far.

The prosecco Victora, La Dolce Vita is more of the same. Light and fresh with citrus taste. Quite nice. Perfect as an apeterif.

Sparkling wine from Piemonte I have not tried so much but Acuesi is a DOC Cortese wine. Cortese is a white grape grown in these areas. It has the same alcohol level as a Prosecco and the same freshness and lightness. Quite good.

Some fine wines from Italy and France

Wine from France I usually don't drink so much of except the Alsace region. Alsace produces may good white wines. Domaine Rieflé produces several different white wines and the one I had the chance to try is their Gewurztraminer Bonheur Convivial from 2013 is made from 100% of Gewurztraminer. The taste is of Elderberries and is very aromatic. Very good.

Italy has many different grapes and wine regions. One that produces good white wine is the Verdicchio Dei Castelli Di Jesi. Fattoria San Lorenzo has a wine called Di Gini which is made of 100% Verdicchio. It has a taste of apples and some citrus. A sharp taste so not for everyone but I quite like it.

Bacio Della Luna is a prosecco from Italy. It has a good apple and citrus taste and is quite light. Your typical good prosecco.

When in Tucany I drove by Castello Banfi which is situated in a beautiful area of southern Tuscany. For the first time I had the chance to try their wine, namely a Rosso Di Montalcino from 2013. The taste is rich and of black currant and plums and many soft tannins. This wine could probably be stored for several years before drinking. Very good.

Prosecco and the Pinot

Italy produces a lot of good sparkling wine. I have drunk some Prosecco and they are usually light and fresh. The Carpene Malvolti brut is not different. It has a very good taste of citrus and pears and is very good.

The next sparkling wine comes from a region which I don't drink so much wine from. Lombardy does not produce so much famous wine except for their sparkling wine made in Franciacorte and Oltrepo Pavese. The wine Oltrepo Pavese DOP Pinot Spumante is a sparkling wine from the producer Bersano which is a big producer in Lombardy. This wine is made of Pinot Noir according to the Charmat method. The taste is of apples and bread but still light and well tasting.A good sparkling wine made for aperitif or light meals.

Falanghina

Recently I have tried two white wines made with the grape Falanghina. This grape is is an old ancient Italian grape and is mostly cultivated along the coast of Campania. The first wine is from producer Dodocettari and is called Falanghina 5. THis wine has character and it feels very fresh. The second wine I have drank is called Falanghina by producer Corte Normanna. Also very good and fresh. It seems that with this grape that it is hard to go wrong.

Finally I travel to the Venoto area for a good Prosecco. This prosecco is from producer Vinironia. It is a very elegant prosecco. With apples, citrus and minerals. Excellent to drink on its own or together with lighter food.

Prosecco, Prosecco and more Prosecco

I like Prosecco and Prosecco can be drunk on many occasions since they are quite light and fresh. The proseccos that I had the chance to try this time are Cinzano, Drusian and Redentore. They are all light and fresh and easy to drink. The Redentore is a Grand Cuvee of vintage 2014. This had a taste of green apples, citrus and is dry.
The Cinzano prosecco  has a fresh smell and a taste of pears and citrus.
The Drusian is a Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore D.O.C.G. It also has a taste of green apples and citrus and is light and fresh.

France vs Italy and some Prosecco

Been a while since the last update as a cold has put the blog on the backburner.

First up is two very different white wines. The first wine is from Languedoc in France. It is called Fleur de Vignoble from the AOP Picpoul de pinet. Picpoul is a grape in this region. The color is very light. Almost water like. A bit sharp and fruity in the taste, some hawthorn.
The next wine is the wine Falanghina from producer Villa Schinosa in Puglia, Italy. It is made by 100% of Falanghina grapes. The color is straw yellow and the nose is very strong. It smells delicious. The taste is strong and it has some acidity. Citrus and fruits in the taste.

Lastly I have tried yet another Prosecco. It is Prosecco Extra Dry by producer Farina. It is as a Prosecco should be, Good, light and well tasting,

Good new white wines from Italy

Systembolaget has several new wines from Italy in their store now and of the ones I have tasted they are a good addition. The first new wine in their standard range is the Terre Fenicie by producer Sardus Pater from DOC area Vermentiono Di Sardegna. As the name says it is made of Vermentino grapes and is from 2014. It is a good wine with a lot of acidity and a taste of citrus, peach and herbs. Good wine and serve it chilled. Time to visit Sardinia soon for me?

The next new Italian wine in Systembolagets ordinary range is the white wine Collevite Verdicchio from the DOC area Dei Castelli di Jesi. The producer is Cantine della Marca and it is from 2014. This area is situated in Marche on the west coast of Italy. It is yet another good wine. Good bouquet from the smell. The taste if of grapefruit and some very aromatic taste. It has a taste that lingers. Good wine.

To finish off this trio of Italian white wines is a wine that was just on a temporary sale and I bought one of the last bottles in the store. It is Planeta Cometa from producer Planeta in Sicily. It is made by Fiano grapes from the Cantina Dispensa in the south west corner of Sicily. It is a complex wine with a good taste and not to strong. Very delightful together with seafood. Good aromas in the taste. Excellent 2013 wine.

From still wine to sparkling wine. I like Prosecco from the north of Italy. Normally it is good or it is bad. Nothing in between. It should be easy drinking, youthful but with a good taste. The wine Bosco Di Gica is a dry and a good Prosecco.  Nice to drink and goes very well with food when it is warm outside.

Finally one reason I started drinking wine, namely Eiswein. The nectar of the Gods. This time I had the chance to sample the wine Edenkoben from producer Rhodter Klosterpfad from 2012. The grapes used are Weisser Burgunder. It has a very strong taste with sweet tones. It is a good Eiswein.

A mix of Italian wines

I like wines coming from Alto Adige but I usually don't like Pinot Bianco wine so it would be intersting to try a Pinot Bianco (Weissburgunder) from producer Nals Margried in Alto Adige. However, the aftertaste of this wine I didn't like, so back to Pinot Grigio instead which produces some of Alto Adige best wines.

Sparkling wines are fun to try and a new wine for me at Systembolaget is a the sparkling wine P. Lex, which is a Prosecco wine. This is a dry sparkling wine and taste of apples, citrus and bread. Very nice and good wine, perfect for an aperitif.

Castel De Monte is a famous castle in Puglia in the heel of Italy. One day I will visit that castle but until then I will have to do with wines from that area. The Wine Vigna Pedala Riserva from 2006 by producer Torrevento is not as complex as I expected from an older wine. It is decent but I expected more.

I have grown fond of the grape Verdicchio and the wine Verdicchio Di Matelica by producer la Monacesca is the second wine from Matelica I have tried in a short time. It has a taste of apples and citrus and leaves a pleasent aftertaste. Very good.

Eiswein and two Italians

I have a love for icewines but unfortunately they are hard to find and often very expensive due to the way they are produced. This time I had the the chance to try an icewine by weingut Krughof made from Reisling grapes from 2007. The smell as always is very good for a an icewine. The taste if of riesling, deep and mineralic. Unfortunately there is almost no aftertaste and leaves a very sugary feeling in my mouth, leaving me dissapointed.

Recently I have tried several different Italian sparkling wines. This time it is a Prosecco by producer Pizzolato. The taste is dry with just small taste of pear. Not the best one I have had but okay for its price.

The last wine of the day is Macrina. A wine by producer Garofoli and made from Verdicchio grapes from the region Marche in Italy or Verdicchio dei castelli Jesi. It is a very nice wine and it need some food to go with it. Sea food would have been the perfect accompaniment.

Donnafugata Tancredi and two other Italian wines

The wineproducer Donnafugata from Sicily makes an excellent passito wine from Pantelleria and that got me interested in Donnafugata. Unfortunately their wine has been hard to find in Sweden but finally I found their wine Tancredi for sale. Tancredi is a powerful red wine. It is from 2008 and the grapes used is a mix of Cabernet Sauvignon, Nero d'Avola and some other grapes. The alcohol content is around 13%. Has a very strong nose and the taste is of cacao and red cherries. This strong wine goes well with meats or flavourful pasta dishes. Will be interesting to taste the other wines from donnafugata if I can find them. Next time I will try to find one of their white dry wines.

When in Bologna I bought a bottle Chardonnay made by producer Cossentino in Sicily. It is from 2010 and the nose is of apples and some hints of herbs. The taste is very sharp and dry at first but the sharpness goes away and leaves almost an oxidised taste. Should it be like that or is it a defect? Will never know as I only have one bottle. But this wine would have worked very well with seafood which would have takes away some of the sharpness.

And finally I have tasted a bottle from Collis, an extra dry Prosecco.Works well as an apeteriff and the taste is dry with notes of apples.