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.

Two older red wines from Italy, Capo di Terra and Syrah Maroccoli

Time to taste two older red wines from Italy. The first red wine is the Syrah Maroccoli from the producer Planeta in Sicily. The grapes for this wine comes from the estate Cantina Ulmo near Menfi in Sicily. It is made of 100% Syrah grapes and the vintage is 2010. The ABV is 14%. It has been two years ago since I tasted this vintage so it will be interesting to see how two years has changed the wine.The spicy tones in the wine remains but the extra two years has toned down the strength a bit leaving a more complex wine. Very good.

Next up is a wine from Valtellina in Lombardy. It is the wine Capo di Terra from the producer Conti Sertoli Salis. The ABV is 12,5% and the vintage is 2009. The grapes used are Nebbiolo. I get black currants, plum and some tannins. A bit lighter than I expected maybe due to the 12,5% ABV. A nice wine that is easy drinkable despite the age.

As a bonus review a younger red wine from Sicily. The de Aetna from Terra Costantino is made of 90% Nerello Mascalese grapes and 10% Nerello Cappuccio grapes. The vintage is 2016 and the ABV is 13,5%. In the taste I get strawberry, oak and red cherries all superbly balanced by a high acidity. A very good younger red wine.

Planeta Eruzione 1614

In 1614 the volcano Etna on Sicily in Italy erupted and it lasted for ten years. The winemaker Planeta say that the lavaflows reached the edge of Planetas estates before they stopped. In remebrance of this Planeta has two wine named Eruzione 1614.

The first wine is the red wine Eruzione 1614 made by 100% Nerello Mascalese grapes. The vintage is 2014 and the ABV is 14%. After fermentation the wine is stored in oak barrels for 12 months. The colour is ruby red. The nose is very soft with some red fruits. The taste is of some spices and cherries with some well structured tannins from the oak and a long aftertaste. A very good wine.

The second wine is the white wine Eruzione 1614 made by 90% Carricante and 10% Riesling. The grapes are grown high up and up to 850 above sealevel. The wine is made without the use of any oak barrels. The colour is pale yellow, with almost some green. The nose has some flowers in it. The taste is excellent. It is fresh, apples and minerals. A lovely wine, highly recommended. The only negative thing about this wine is that it tastes so good that it disappears very quickly.

Dolcetto D'Alba by Scanavino

Dolcetto is an Italian grape variety grown in the Piedmont region in northern Italy. Producer Scanavino produces a wine using the Dolcetto grape called Dolcetto D'Alba and I could taste their 2014 vintage. It is lighter than the heavy barolos and Brunellos of Italy. The taste is of red currants, berries and has a sharpness in the after taste. A very good wine that goes well with food.

It has been two years since I tasted Planetas white table wine Casa Planeta. The grape mix is still Chardonnay and Grecianico. For this vintage is get a taste of citrus, grapefruit and some apples. A very fresh wine that is still very good.

Planeta and Candido from southern Italy

Chardonnay is a grape that grown all over the world but producer Planeta in Sicily has been doing a Chardonnay that should be unmistakeably Sicilian. The vintage 2013 has a taste of apricots, citrus and some tropical fruit notes. Planeta continues to produce quality wine year after year.

Fiano is a grape grown in southern Italy, primarily in the Campania region. The wine Tenuta Marini is 100% made of Fiano by producer Candido of vintage 2014. The taste is very aromatic and taste is apple and apricots. A good wine.

Etna Bianco

There are many good white wines from Sicily and wines grown on the volcano Etna I have not tried many of.  Tenute Delle Terre Nere is a producer with wine yards located on the northern slope of the volcano. They produce two kinds of white wines. One from a blend of Carricante, Catarratto, Grecianico and Minella. The other, from Carricante alone, is fermented in barrels. The one I have drank is the blend which contains approximately 65% Carricante. The vintage is 2014 and this is a good wine. The taste is of citrus, minerals and peaches. It has a strong acidity and I think that it can be stored for a couple of years if needed.

SurSur and Lugana

This time I have tried two different white wines from Italy. One in the extreme north while the other from Sicily in the south.

From producer Donnafugata I have drank several wines and they have all been excellent. Their white wine SurSur from 2013 is a new experience. It is made of the grape Grillo which is a grape widely used in Sicily and is used also for the production of Marsala wine. SurSur has a good smell and the taste is excellent. It has notes of grapefruit, peaches and some aromatic notes and has an excellent structure. Goes very well with seafood. Very good wine and the white wines from Sicily continues to impress me.

From the south to the north of Italy. The wine Lugana from producer Casello Bondoni on the western side of lake Garda in the Lombardy region. Very close to Switzerland. The grapes used for this wine is the grape Trebbiano di Lugana and the alcohol level is 13%. The colour is yellow with almost greenish tints. The taste is of peaches, pears and herbs. Good structure and very fresh. A nice wine.

Planeta and Fonterutoli, two producers from Italy

Planeta started their production of wines in 1995 and they have been producing many good wines since then. They have many different wineyards in Siciliy. On a airplane trip I found a bottle of Planeta Syrah Maroccoli from 2009. It is produced in the wineyard Maroccoli in the south western corner of Sicily near lake Arancio. The grape is Syrah which I have never drank so much of before. The colour is very deep red. The taste is of black peppar and red cherries. A very strong wine with long aftertaste which can handle spicy food very well. And I can imagine that this wine can be stored for several years before drinking.

I have not drank so much wine from Tuscany as there is so much different wines produced in Tuscnay. I received information that the Fonterutoli No 10 was a very good wine so I decided to try a bottle. Fonterutoli is owned by the Mazzei family and is situated in the heart of Chianti Classico. The No 10 is made of Merlot grapes with a small amount of sangiovese grapes added and it is from 2012. The colour is deep red and the taste is of red cherries with herbs and soft tannins. Very nice.

Two very good red wines from Italy.

Sicily and the grape catarratto

Catarrato is a grape that is grown a lot of in Sicily which is used to make white wines. I have tried the wine Costantino by producer Azienda Agricola Costantino. It is wine from 2013 made by 100% Catarratto. The colour is straw yellow with hints of green. It smells very fresh and the taste is of citrus and grape. It is very nice and has a long aftertaste.

One white and one red from Sicily

I am trying wines from the different regions of Italy and this time it is Sicily yet again with one red wine and one white wine.

The red wine is a wine made from the grape Nero D'Avola from producer Cantine Minini caalled Coste dei Mori. The colour is a dark ruby red. The smell is good and the taste is of black currants and liquorice. It is smooth and good.

The white wine Regaleali Bianco is from producer Tasca d´Almerita. It is clear and slighty yellow and the wine is made from the grapes Catarratto, Grecanico, Inzolia, which are local Sicilian varieties. It has a taste of apples, pears and citrus and it feels very fresh. A delight to drink.

Dreaming of Taormina

Yet another blogpost and guess what land wines I have tasted. Italy again and the first wine is from Sicily. The Island that has everything from history to good food and wines.

The wine Feudo Zirtari is a new aquaintance for me. It is made of Inzolia and Chadonnay Grapes. Just Inzolia makes me remember the evenings in Taormina sitting in a back yard drinking wine made from the grape Inzolia in a very nice wine bar.

So rustic and very Italian. This wine, Feudo Zirtari, is a very good wine. Almost yellow colour with strong aromas and an acidity that leaves a good aftertaste in the mouth. Very good together with food. I feel like I am back in Sicily when drinking this wine.

Another good wine if from 2013 in Lavis,Trentino by the producer Casata Monfort in and made with one of my favourite grape varieties, Pinot Grigio. This is a good aperetif wine. Mellow with big notes of apples and grey pears, very nice aromas. Very good and is also so good as an easy drinking wine.

Sicily and Verona

I stay with Italy when trying out new wines and this time it is two new red wines and one old acquaintance.

Sicily should be more famous for it wines which are of good quality as well for the nature and food.

Above picture is from Mozia near Marsala and in Marsala the wine producer Donnafugata has their historical cellars. This time I tasted their wine Tancredi again but now the vintage 2009. The colour is dark ruby. Strong taste of cherries with strong notes of cacao and liquorice. The same strong taste as last time. Goes very well with strong food. Very nice.

A new acquaintance is the wine 6 Sesta by producer Cantina Valle Dell'Acate in Sicily. It is made by Frappato and Nero d'Avola grapes. The colour is not as deep red as the Tancredi wine but lighter. The taste is of black berried with some chocolate. Very good and after tasting these two wines I should explore Sicilian reds more.

The last wine tasted is the wine La Grola by producer Allegrini near Verona in the Veneto area of Italy. It is strong and could have probably been stored for another year or two. The vintage is 2008. It tastes of black currants and with some cherries. Definately a wine for strong food such as red meats or pasta dishes.

Yet another three Italian wines

It is interesting to see how a wine varies between different vintages. This time I had the chance to try two wines and see what one or two years difference makes.

The Kalis Cardonnay Grillo wine I had tasted the 2012 vintage and now I had the chance to taste the 2013 vintage. My recollection of the 2012 wine was that it was a decent drinking wine. But the 2013 vintage is something different, this is very light, not much flavour. A true table wine for those who like their wines simple and with not much taste. Not to my liking.

Each time I get to taste a Donnafugata wine is a good time. I had sampled their sweet Kabir wine from 2010 (Moscato di Pantelleria) and it was excellent. Now I have tasted the Kabir from 2012. I have to say that the 2012 vintage is very aromatic, much more than the 2010. Not to everyone's liking I would think due to the strong aromatic taste but for me this is paradise. Together with some sweet desserts like almond cake this would be a match in heaven.

The last wine is Manzone Bianco from the Veneto region by producer Cantina la Salute. I read a bad review of this in a magazine, but how they described it sounded like a wine for me. The smell is very good, almost fruity. The taste is almost like a pignoletto wine, some citrus and honey. I like it.

When in Siciliy drink Sicilian wine

During my recent Sicilian trip I had the chance to sample some Sicilian wine. In Trapani I had the chance to sample some wine from my favourite Sicilian producer Donnafugata. The wine in this case were the white wine Anthilia from 2013. This wine has the main grape of Catarratto and is complemented by other grapes. The smell is very fresh. The taste is very fresh with pear notes and some grapefruit. It is a delight to drink and I wish I could find bottles of it in Sweden.

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.

Three white Italians

I love Italian wine. And this time it is time for three different white Italian wines. First up is Zecci Classico from 2010 by producer Piersanti. It is made of the grape verdicchio and from the DOC Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi. The smell is clear and very distinct. The taste is sharp and full of citrus and a hint of oak. The taste lingers long in the mouth with a dry finish. Very good for drinking of with food.
Next wine is from Sicily is made of the grape Chardonnay. Producer Cusamano has made the wine angimbé from 2012. The taste is of pear and apples. A perfect summerwine when the sun is shining. Very good.
The last wine tasted is producer Masis white wine Masiano from 2012 made by grapes from Pinot Grigio and verduzzo. The taste of this wine has a big citrus character with big acidity. Definately need food with his wine. I think that fish would go perfectly with this wine.