Four Sangiovese wines from Umbria and Tuscany

Time to catch up on some new vintages from some producers that I like.

First up is Lungarotti from Umbria in Italy. Their wine Rubesco is made from mostly Sangiovese grapes and some colorino grapes from the Torgiano area in Umbria. Compared to the 2015 and 2016 vintages  the 2018 vintage has more red berries and less black currant. A very good Sangiovese.

Antonellis Rosso di Montefalco is of the vintage 2012 and I have stored it for five years. The grapes used are 70% Sangiovese, 15% Sagrantino and 15% Montepulciano. In the taste I get a lot of red cherry and some sour cherry with black currants and some tannins. This red wine can handle several years of ageing very well. Still well structured and quite powerful.


For the next two wines we move from Umbria and travel to Tuscany. Forst up is the Cold D'Orcia 2018 Rosso di Montalcino. Made from 100% Sangiovese grapes. This is a quite a multifaceted wine.  Red cherry and red currants first on the taste followed by blask currants and tannins in the back. Quite a long aftertaste. A very good expression of a Rosso Di Montalcino.

Last up is the Chianti Classico wine from Terreno of the vintage 2017. It is made from Sangiovese grapes and a little Merlot grapes. In the taste I get red cherry, red currant and some violet. Some smooth tannins in the back. Better than the 2013 vintage.

 

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.

Umbria, the region of good red wines

Umbria in Italy may not be that known but it is a very good wine producing wine region. Beautiful landscapes and the rolling green hills and not so many tourists.

Several of the wines I review here I have tried earlier but there are some new vintages for sale.

First up is a lighter red wine from the producer Lungarotti in Torgiano. It is a Rosso di Torgiano DOC wine consisting of Sangiovese and Colorino grapes. The vintage is 2012 and the ABV is 13,5%.  I get red fruits on the nose. Cherries and black currants in the taste with soft smooth tannins that linger in the mouth. This one is better than the 2015 vintage that I have tried. This is a wine that gains by storing it for a couple of years. A wine that is very good year from year.

Next up is Arnaldo Caprais Rosso di Montefalco of the vintage 2015. Now it has been stored for another year so let's see how it is. The ABV is 2015 it is a combination of Sagrantino, Sangiovese and some Merlot grapes. This wine is strong with cherries, tannins and spices. It could be stored for several more years before drinking. A good wine now and will last for several more years in the cellar. The vintage 2016 is now available to buy.

The third wine is from producer Sportoletti and this wine focuses on the international grape varieties merlot, cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc. the grape blend is as the following: Merlot 70%, Cabernet Sauvignon 20%, Cabernet Franc 10%. The name is Villa Fidelia Rosso and the grapes are grown on the Spello and Assisi hills. The ABV is 15%. This is quite a heavy wine. Strong taste with tobacco, dark cherries and black currants. Should be stored a couple of more years before drinking.  After aerating the wine it got smoother and more black currants. This confirms that this wine should be stored for a longer time. A good wine today and will be even better in a few years time.

Calabria to Umbria

Calabria at the tip of the Italian boot is a place I have never visited and also have not drank so much wine from. The wine Korone rosso from producer Poderi Marini is a new eperience. The vintage is 2015 and the ABV is 14%. The grapes used are mainly Aglianico and Sangiovese with some Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.  I get red fruits on the nose. In the taste I get dark cherries, black currants and some soft tannins and vanilla in the end.

Next wine if from producer Lungarotti in Umbria. Their Rubesco wine I have tried before but then it was the 2012 vintage and now I have tried their 2015 vintage. The ABV is 14,5% and the grapes used are Sangiovese and Colorino. In this wine I get red fruits on the nose. I get black currants and dark cherries in the taste with some tannins in the back that lingers for some time. A good wine that I think gets better with one or two years of storage.

Tuscany and Umbria

The Italian regions Tuscany and Umbria lie side by side butTuscany is so much more famous.

I tried the wine Rubesco riserva from Umbria producer Lungarotti a month ago and now I have tried their normal Rubesco wine. This wine is from 2012 and is a Rosso di Torgiano DOC and have an alcohol level of 13,5%. The taste is of cherries, tobacco and currants and is very easy to drink and still feels a bit elegant. One can see the start of the riserva in this wine.

Next up is a red wine from 2012 from the Chianti Colli Senesi DOCG which is an area south of Siena. The producer Azienda Agricola Casale Falchini in San Gimignano produces a wine called Chianti Colli Senesi DOCG Titolato Colombaia. This is my first experience of a red wine from San Gimignano. The taste is of liquorice and blackberries and one can feel the tannins. A nice wine.

Rubesco and Ferrari

For my birthday I always serve wines that I have never tasted before. As an aperitif was the sparkling wine Riserva Lunelli from producer Ferrari in Trento. The vintage is 2006 and it consists of only Chardonnay grapes. It has spent seven years on the yeast. The alcohol level is 12,5%. The taste is deep and one can feel apples and bread. A powerful vintage, I think that this one will be better if stored for a couple of years more. A long aftertaste. An excellent vintage.

The next wine were the Rubesco Vigna Monticchio from 2005 by producer Lungarotti in Umbria in Italy. The grape is primarily Sangiovese with up to 30% of the grape Canaiolo. It is from the DOGC Torgiano Rosso Riserva. I have heard that this wine is made for storing and can be stored for a long time. The smell is nice but the big surprise is the taste. I had expected a strong wine with a lot of tannins. But I got a very elegant wine which were surprisingly very easy to drink but with a great character. Yet another excellent wine from Italy.