Tommasi exclusive celebration box

 The Tommasi exclusive celebration box consists of six wines from producer Tommasi and all the wines are from the Veneto region. It is three white wines, two red wines and a sweet red wine. Tommasi is a big wineproducer in Italy which has several different wine estates all over Italy. The company started in 1902 when Giacomo Tommasi bought a plot of land in Valpolicella. Let us start with the wines in the box. 

Tommasi Le Fornaci Lugana, is from a vineyard situated on the Garda lake south end. It consists of 100% Turbiano grapes also called Trebbiano di Lugano. The vintage is 2019. The taste is fresh with notes of pear, tropical fruits and grapefruit. Quite a high acidity which is well integrated.

Tommasi Perla Appassionato, is an Itaian spumante (sparkling) made from the grape Pinot Nero. This is a dry sparkling wine. In the taste I get pear, citrus and brioche in this nice wine.

Tommasi Bosco del Gal Custoza, This is a white wine from the hills of southern lake Garda. It has the grapes Garganega, Trebbiano, Incrocio Manzoni and has the vintage 2019. The taste is of pear, citrus and minerals. A well balanced wine.

Tommasi Villa Fontana Bardolino, this wine is from the Bardolino Classico DOC area in the Veneto region. The grapes used are 60% Corvina Veronese, 30% Rondinella, 10% Molinara and the vintage 2019. This is a lighter red with well integrated flavours of red cherry, red currant and black currant. Perfect for warmer days.

Tommasi Palanca Ripasso, is from the Ripasso Valpolicella Superiore DOC area in Veneto. It consists of the grapes 70% corvina veronese, 25% rondinella, 5% corvinone. The vintage is 2017. This is a good integrated ripasso with notes of dark chocolate, oak, cherry, black currant and plum. A very good food wine.

 

Tommasi Fiorato Recioto, This sweet wine wine is produced from grapes grown on a plot named FIORATO, high in Tommasi vineyards. These grapes are ideally suited for the production of Recioto. Grapes used are Corvina Veronese 65%, Rondinella 30% and Molinara 5%. The grapes are dried for 5 months prior to being pressed, and then matured for one year in tonneau barrels of 500 L. The taste is of cherry, raisin and some dark chocolate. Very good recioto.

A very good box which showcases various wines and areas of Veneto.

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.

Etna Rosso and Valpolicella Ripasso

From the south to the north. I start in Sicily with a red wine from Etna. It is an Etna Rosso from Tornatore of the vintage 2016. The ABV is 13,5%. The grapes used are 95% Nerello Mascalese and 5% Nerello Cappuccio. Due to the height of the volcano Etna and how the lava streams has flowed there are several interesting areas on Etna where grapes are grown. For this wine I get strawberries, cherries and some acidity in the taste. A bit lighter than I thought it would be but a very good wine.

Next up is a Ripasso from Valpolicella. It is from producer Ca' Vendri and of the vintage 2015. The ABV is 13,5%. This wine has a hint of sweetness with some dry tannins, dark cherries and plums. Yet another good Ripasso.

Three wines from Veneto

Time to go north in Italy and try three different wines from the Veneto region. First up the the only red wine of this session. It is a Valpolicella ripasso from producer Antiche Terre of the vintage 2015. The ABV is 13,5%. I taste vanilla, cherries and some other red fruits. Some softer tannins in the aftertaste. A good wine.

Next up is two white wine. The first white wine is the Soave by producer Luigi Righetti. Vintage is 2015 and ABV is 12%. It has a smell of white fruits like melon and some elderberry. The taste is of melon and some elderberry. Quite a light wine but a good tablewine for a warm summer day. This wine is made of the grapes Garganega and Trebbiano.

The last wine is the wine San Vincenzo from producer Roberto Anselmi. The vintage is 2015 and the ABV is 12,5%. This is an IGT Veneto Bianco wine, and the grapes used are Garganega (70%), Chardonnay (15%) and Sauvignon blanc (15%). I get a taste of melon, grapefruit and honey. A very good wine.

From rock to Montefalco

Rock is a Valpolicella Ripasso from 2015 from ITALIANS. Bought in Germany so a strange producer and also the text on the label is all about rock in various forms. So how does it taste? It is spicy with some liquorice and a lot of tannins. Feels a bit unbalanced and after my trip to Verona I can say that there are much better Ripassos.

I have tried the Montefalco rosso from producer Arnaldo-Caprai earlier. This time it is the vintage 2015 with and ABV of 13%. It is a combination of Sagrantino, Sangiovese and some Merlot grapes. It is aged 12 months in wood and then four months in bottle before being sold.  The taste of dark fruits and cherries and the tannins are in a very good combination. It is an excellent food wine.

Valpolicella wines in Verona

Verona is a beautiful city and what better place to try some red wine from Valpolicella?

First wine is from producer Brigaldara and the wine is a Valpolicella ripasso superiore. Brigaldara is situated in the Marano valley in the village San Floriano. The vintage is 2015 and the ABV is 14,5%. I find it to be a very good fruity wine and when I say fruits I mean dried red fruits. A good after taste and I really like this wine.

Next wine is from producer Villa Spinosa, it is called Figari and the vintage is 2012 with an ABV of 13%. This grapes for this wine comes from a terrace called Figari. The grapes are a blend of Corvina Veronese and Corvinone. It has soft tannins with a taste of black currants and some red cherries. It is an elegant wine and very good.

  

When in Verona please make a visit to Locanda 4 cuochi. A very good restaurant mentioned in the Michelin guide. Good prices and very good food.

  

Cathing up on the tasted wine

Being in Italy means that I am busy and cannot write any reviews so here a some older one that I have tasted.

Valpolicella Ripasso Pasqua of vintage 2014 contains the grapes Corvina, Rondinella and Negrara. It is made by using the Ripasso method. The taste of red berries, smooth tannins and a good after taste.
The wine Ghemme by producer Torraccia Del Piantavigna is from 2005. It is made of 90% Nebbiolo and 10% vespolino. The ABv is 13,5 %. It has a taste of cherries and tobacco, but the tannins are strong and despite being 12 year old the tannins are to strong for me.

There is a sparkling wine called Ferrari and now I have tasted a sparkling wine called Lamborghini Brut NV. It contains Pinot and Chardonnay and has an ABV of 12,5%. It has a very fresh smell of apples and tastes of citrus and bread. Almost like a heavier Prosecco. Very nice.
I don't drink half sweet wine that often but Germany knows how to make them. Kloster Eberback produces the wine Riesling Spätlese Crescentia of vintage 2015. It has a taste of tropical fruits and is very balanced half sweet wine if drunk in not to much quantities. As otherwise the sweetness takes over. For me a glass is perfect.

Pasqua Valpolicella Ripasso 2010

When I make a tagliatelli al ragu at home wine is an important component. When I were younger I used the cheapest wine I could find. But if I can't drink the wine I am using for cooking why should I even use it for cooking? I normally use both red and white wine when cooking a ragu. The nice thing is that if I use a good wine when cooking I can always sample some of the wine while drinking.
For my latest ragu I used a wine from Valpolicella near Verona. And if you ever get the chance to visit Verona go to the town square when darkness falls and enjoy one of the most beautiful town squares in Europe. The Pasqua Valpolicella ripasso are made of several different grapes like Corvina, Rondinella, Corvinone,  and Negara and obtained from the Ripasso technique. I checked the tasting notes before buying the wine so it would go well with the ragu and the tasting notes said a strong taste of cherries. I can only agree as it has a strong taste of cherries and not that much else. Very drinkable together with the tagiatella al ragu.