Velenosi, wines from Piceno in Marche, Italy

Velenosi is a wineproducer in the Piceno area of Marche in Italy. They produce all kinds of wines, from red to sparkling wines. The company started in 1984 by Angela and Ercole Velenosi. The heart of the company is situated in the town of Ascoli Piceno in Marche. They have several vineyards located in the area and also in the area of Castelli Di Jesi.

For this tasting session I have tasted two of their white wines. The first one is the Verdicchio Dei Castelli Di Jesi Classico. The Verdicchio grapes come from 100 meters above sea level. The grapes are handpicked. For the vinification the must is aged in stainless steel tanks. The vintage is 13% and the vintage is 2019. In the nose a floral smell. In the taste a pear, grapefruit and citrus. It is a very fresh and crisp wine and goes very well with spicy food.

 

The second wine is the Rêve offida DOGC Pecorino. And I have to say that this bottle is the heaviest I have ever lifted. Massive amounts of glass must have been used. This wine contains 100% Pecorino from the Offida area. The hand picked grapes comes from 200 meters above sea level. Half of the wine is aged in barriques while the half of the wine is aged in stainless steel tanks. After 24 months the wine is blended together before the bottling.The ABV is 13% and the vintage is 2018. In the nose I get white fruit smell. In the taste I get pear, grapefruit, tropical fruits and an oak influence. A quite rich wine and very good.

 

Yet again excellent white wines from Marche and Velenosi is a producer to watch. Hopefully in a couple of weeks I will try some of their red wines and maybe even some sparkling wines.

Tordiruta, Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi, passito 2011

 Passito is a sweet wine type from Italy in which the grapes are dried in the production process. The Tordiruta, Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi, passito 2011 is made of 100% Verdicchio grapes and it comes from the area Castelli di Jesi in Marche. The exact location is the village of Castelplanio. The grapes are dried for 12 weeks before the pressing. The fermentation and maturation red one in oak barriques for 12 months before being bottled. In 2016 the Tordiruta was the chosen sweet wine for the Nobel prize dinner.

In the nose I get a smell of honey and dried fruit. The taste is of dried apricot, honey and citrus. An excellent passito.

White wines from La Staffa, Fontanafredda and Rocca di Montemassi

This time I have one new wine and two wines with a new vintage.

First up is the new experience and that is the wine Verdicchio from La Staffa. This wine is produced by Ricardo Baldi who is a wine producer near the village of Staffolo in the Marche region and makes about 2500 cases of wine a year. This Verdicchio is of the vintage 2017 and the ABV is 13%. This is a very fresh Verdicchio. I get apples and minerals in the taste. Probably the best Verdicchio that I have ever tasted.

Next up is one favourite producer for me, namely Fontanafredda situated in Piemonte. I have tasted this wine before but it was another vintage. The vintage is 2015 and the ABV is 12,5%. This is a white wine made of the grapes Chardonnay and Nascetta. Being a rare grape is true of Nascetta as at one time it was only grown around the hamlet of Novello in Piemonte. Now it is more spread around in Piemonte.How is the taste? It is a very fresh wine with some tropical fruit, honey, apple and some acidity. As last time it was very good.

Driving from Montalcino towards Pitigliano in southern Tuscany one passes by the town of Montemassi. It is situated on top of a hill and is dominated by old Rocca (castle) looming over the village. Here they produce a wine called Calasole made of Vermentino.I have tasted several vintages of this wine such as 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2017 and they have all been good. The 2018 vintage gives me green apple, papaua, citrus ad some almonds in the taste. A very fresh and fruity wine. This is the best vintage that I have tasted from this producer.

Two white wines from Ciu Ciu in Marche

It is interesting to try two different wines from the same producer. Here the producer is Ciu Ciu and they are situated in Marche in Italy. They own apprimately 185 hectars of land there. The first bottle is called Arbinus and is a Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi classico from 2016 with and ABV of 2016. The second bottle is called Evoè and is made of Passerina grapes and is from 2016 also and the ABV is 13%.

The Arbinus is a wine consisting of 100% Verdicchio grapes which is one of the big grapes in Marche. I get some light flavours with some strong apples. A quite easy drinking wine, not bad but nothing exciting.

The second wine Evoe is made from 100% Passerina grapes and these grapes are only found in the Marche region in Italy. In the taste I get pears, citrus and some minerals. This wine is much more interesting than the Arbinus wine.

Two nice wines but the Evoe wine is the better for me and more interesting.

Gulietta from Verona

How will a white wine called Guiletta from Verona taste? Since the producer is Tomassi there has to be certain quality to it. The ABV is 12% and that is all I know of this wine except for the words Together, Love, Eternity, Kiss. Romeo and Verona written on the label. In the nose I get fresh herbs. The taste is aromatic peaches with some citrus. A good summer wine for those warm summer days.

Next up is a is a Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi from producer Ciu Ciu and the wine's names is Arbinus. The vintage is 2016 and the ABV is 13,5%. It is an easydrinking wine with light flavours and some strong apples. Not bad but I have drank more exciting Verdicchios.

Podium from Garofoli

The white wine Podium from producer Garofoli is a bit more expensive than the usual white wines that I drink so it will be interesting to see how it tastes. The wine Podium is from 2015 and has and ABV of 14%. It is a Verdicchio dei castelli Jesi from Marche so 100% of the grapes are Verdicchio. It has several processing techniques such as low yield per acre. Maturation was done 15 months is steel vats and then bottle aged for another four months before being sold.
In the taste I get pears and melon with some grapefruit in the finish. A foodwine that goes well with chicken or seafood. One of the better Verdicchios that I have had.

Garofoli, excellence from Marche

I have drank wine from the producer Garofoli in Marche earlier and this time I have tried two different expressions from Garofoli. One is the white wine Macrina and the other is the red wine Novello.

First up is the white wine Macrina from 2016. This is from the Verdicchio Dei Castelli Di Jesi DOC Classico Superiore. This wine is made in Marche in the region of Colline Dei Castelli Jesi.  The grape is of course Verdicchio. The ABV is 13%.  Maturation has been done in stainless steel tanks. It has a nice nose of flowers and white fruits. The taste is of melon and pears, I get a crisp grapefruit in the finish. Good structure and a very good Verdicchio Dei Castelli Dei Jesi.

Next wine is something of a rarity for me, it is a red Novello from Marche. The vino Novello is a young wine and it is from this year, 2017. From what I have read is that vino novello is similar to its French cousin Beaujolais nouveau. But since I have never drank Beaujolais nouveau I have no idea what the taste will be. One thing is that there will be less tannins compared to a normal wine. The taste I get is red fruits, some violets and some acidity. A young good table wine. I am very surprised by the quality.

Two different sides of Garofoli and both wines are very good. So far I have tried three wines from this winery and all of them have been very good so far.

Going back

It is fun to go back and try different vintages of wine that I liked. Will it still be good or has something changed.

From one of my favourite producer Donnafugata in Sicily comes the wine Anthila. It is a white wine of vintage 2016, Cataratto is the main grape but is complimented by various other grapes. The taste is of pear and peaches with  crispy fresh taste. As good as I remembered it. Definitely a wine for the Swedish summer.

Then we move on to producer Piersanti and the wine Zecci which is a white wine from Marche in Italy. It is made of 100% Verdicchio grapes and is from the DOC Verdicchio Dei Castelli Jesi. The vintage is of 2015. This is a full bodied wine. Pears and apples in the taste. A very good food wine.

Very good to see that both producers has good quality over the years.

From Jesi to Alsace

Verdicchio is an Italian grape variety which is grown primarily in the Marche region of Italy. One of the two DOP is the Verdicchio dei Castelli Jesi. In this region the producer Pievalta produces their Verdicchio wine. The farms are situated on either side of the Esino river valley and the production if organic and for those who are vegans this wine is completely vegan.
The Pievalta Verdicchio dei Castelli Jesi is made of 100% Verdicchio grapes and the ABV is 13%. The colour is light hay. The taste is citrus and has a good freshness. A very good wine.

Going to Alsace where many good white wines is produced. Producer Michel Fonne is a new experience to me. The wine Pinot Gris Roemerberg is from 2007. Quite an old age for a white wine. Michel Fonne is situated in  Bennwihr. Michel Fonne uses the sweetness scale on this wine and it shows a 4. So the wine is semi sweet. A 1 means a completely dry wine. This wine is fruity almost some apricot and surprisingly fresh for the age. If I drank this wine blind I would say that the age of the wine would be a 2013 vintage. An excellent wine and I will try more this producer in the future.

Wine from south to the north of Italy

From Sicily comes the white wine Adenzia of the vintage 2015 from producer Baglio Del Cristo Di Campobello. It contains the grapes Grillo and Insolia. The taste is citrus and tropical friut. Nice and good.

From Sardinia comes the wine Monteoro of the vintage 2013 from producer Sella E Mosca. It is made with the grape Vermentino which is one of my favourite grapes. Good taste with some nice acidity.

Finally from the north comes the wine I Frati lugana. This wine is from the area near Lago Garda and is made of the local variant grape of Verdicchio. The taste is of pear, tropical fruits, a good acidity and a bit aromatic. Very good. So good I went and bought another bottle of this wine.

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.

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.

Wine from Giglio and more Verdicchio

First time I heard about the island Giglio outside the coast of Tuscany were when I watched Bo Hagströms tv-program Solens mat. It looked beautiful and one day I will go there but until then I will have to do with the white dry wine Cicala Del Giglio from 2010 by Testamatta di Bibi Graetz. The colour is very yellow almost going over to orange. The taste is very strong and reminds me of herbs, citrus and grapefruit. Would go very well with seafood.

Next wine is made from the grape Verdicchio which is a grape grown in central of Italy especially in the Marche region. The Verdicchio grape produces dry white wines. This time I tried the wine Bisci Verdicchio di Matelica from the town of Matelica some distance from Perugia. It has a nice smell of pears and lemon. The taste is dry but very good. With some hints of pears and grapefruit. Good both with food and as drink all by itself. This is a wine which I am going to get a pair of more bottles.

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.

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.