Two sparkling wines from Italy, Cesarini and Dalfiume

Today I review two sparkling wines from Italy which I have some family connections to them.

First up is the wine Cesarini Sforza Le Millesime of vintage 2014. It has an ABV 12,5% and the production method is Metodo Classico which is the same technique as Champagne production. The producer Cesarini Sforza is situated in Trento in Italy. The grapes used are Chardonnay and Pinot nero. The taste is a dry bready taste with some citrus and pears. A very good sparkling wine.

Next up is a sparkling wine from near Bologna, namely the wine Pignoletto Vino Frizzante from producer Dalfiume. The vintage is 2016 and the ABV is 11,5%. From my experience these sparking Pignoletto wins are usually only lightly sparkling. When opening the bottle I only get a small pop and the wine is just slightly sparkling. The taste is light and quite easy drinking. Made for a warm summer day. For those who loves a lot of bubbles in their wine stay away.

Three is the number of red and white

Time for a catch up of the tasted wine. First up is three red wines from Italy followed by three white wine of two is from Italy and one is from France.

One region that I don't try so much wine from is from Molise. I have tried one biferno Rosso Riserva earlier but this one is from producer Cantina Manzini. The grapes are Aglianico and Montepulciano. The vintage is 2011 and ABV is 14%. In the taste I get red fruits and a berry like feeling. Black currants and soft tannins in the aftertaste. A nice one yet again from Molise.

The next one is a Sangiovese from Tuscany. It is the producer Poggio Nero and earlier on I have tried their Montalicino wines. The vintage is 2014 and the is ABV 13%. In the taste I get red cherries and some black peppar. A nice wine with some smooth tannins.

The third red wine is a Dolcetta D'Alba from Piemonte. I am glad that I found this wine as Dolcettos are hard to find in Sweden as most people go with the Barbera or Barolos. The producer is Bruno Giacosa from Neiva in Piemonte. The vintage is 2015 and the ABV is 14%. I get a lot red fruits on the noose. Black currants and smooth dry tannins in the first taste. In the after taste I get red cherries. Some viols comes out a bit later. A very good wine.

Now over to the white wines. First up is the Zecci Colleione Classico from producer Piersanti. It is a Verdicchio Dei Castelli Di Jesi. No it is time for the vintage 2016. The ABV is 14%. Apples and pears in the taste with some citrus in the end. Quite a strong white wine and very good with food.

The producer Lunae I have tried some wines earlier from and this time it is their Vermentino wine called Etichetta Nera. It is called so since the thing that differs from the other bottle I tried is the label colour. The other I tried is called Etichetta grigia and that label is is gray. The black label is the more prestige label as it is older than the grey label. The vintage is 2016 and ABV is 13%. The Etichetta Nera is very fresh and hits of citrus and grapefruits. Lovely wine.

Last wine is a white wine from France and the region Loire. It is a Vouvray wine from producer Lacheteau and the grape is Chenin Blanc. The vintage is 2015 and the ABV is 11,5%. A veru good nose and tropical fruits in the taste. Mango, melon and some apples with a lingering citrus. A good white wine.

White wine of Valle d'Aosta

I had the chance to travel to Valle d'Aosta in the northwester corner to try some of their wine and also to enjoy the beautiful scenery of the mountains.

For the white wines of Valle d'Aosta I mostly focused on the grape Petit Arvine. This grape was introduced into Valle d'Aosta in the seventies by the Institut Agricole of Valle d'Aosta.
First up the producer Chateau Feuillet and their vintage 2017. I find this wine to be dry and mineralic with fresh green apples. Absolutely lovely taste.

Next is a Petit Arvine wine from Grosjean, it is called Petit Arvine Vigne Rovettaz of vintage 2016 and ABV 13,5%. Thi swine is produced from grapes growing at 550m at the Rovettaz vineyard. It is very fresh with minerals, apples and some grapefruit. Yet another lovely wine.

The we have the producer Les Cretes which I have visited earlier and tasted several of their wines. This time their Petit Arvine wine is from 2013. Here I find peaches and minerals with some acidity. Losing some freshness due to age but gaining some complexity instead. The Petit Arvine grape showing their ageing potential.

These Petit Arvine wines are defintaly something to look for if you can find them. Since Valle d'Aosta has a small wine production.

Three white wines from Italy

From the south to the north. First up is a white wine from Sicily called Blu Profondo.  It has the ABV 13% and is of the vintage 2017. The grapes used for this wine is zibibbo and catarratto.  The taste is aromatic and is an easy drinking wine for a warm summer day.

Next wine is from the the Emilio-Romagna region in Italy. It the sparkling wine Camlet from producer Valle delle Lepri which is situated southwest of Rimini. They make several different sparkling wines and the Camlet one is made of 100% Chardonnay grapes. It is very nice and fesh with apples in the taste. Reminds me of a good prosecco.

The last wine is from Veneto region and it is called Lenotti Bianco Del Veneto. It is made of the grape Cortese and Garganega. The vintage is 2015 and the ABV is 12,5%. It has a fresh clear taste with some citrus, grapefruits and flowers. A very good wine.

Two red wines with very commercial labels

Time for two red wines with some commercial labels. First up is the wine Villa valentina which is a Sangiovese wine from Puglia in Italy. The vintage is 2017 and ABV is 13%. This organically wine has a taste of red fruits and berries with some sharpness. Nice wine but uncomplicated.

Next wine is the red wine Quentaurus from Abruzzo. It is made from the grape Montepulciano. The vintage is 2014 and the ABV is 14%. This is quite strong with red currants, some viols and tannins. Definately a food wine.

Poderi dal Nespoli and Anselmi

Time to try Poderi dal Nespoli and one other white wine.

First up is the Poderi dal Nespoli which is situated in Romagna in Italy on the hills of Forli. I have tasted their wine Dogheria. This wine is from the IGT Rubicone IGT Pinot Bianco. The vintage is 2016 and the ABV is 12,5%. The colour is a straw yellow colour. The taste is of stone fruits and is aromatic. A good wine.

Next wine is also a white wine from Italy. It is the wine San Vincenzo from producer Anselmi. I have tasted this wine before but this is vintage 2017 and the one I had tasted was the vintage 2015. This wine is from Soave in Veneto in Italy. This wine is made from Garganega grapes. I get melons, some grass, grapefruit in the taste. It has a long aftertaste and is this is yet another good vintage.

Older red wines from Italy and Spain

It is quite interesting to try older red wines and this time I have tasted two older red wines and also a younger red wine.

The first older red wine is the Marques De Arienzo Reserva from 2004. This I found at a lower shelf and I had forgotten about it. I think I bought it in 2010 and had been forgotten. It is a rioja wine and it is made of the Temopranillo (85%) and Graciano and Mazuelo (15%). The colour is dark red with a brownish tint indication an older wine.In the nose I get a smell of red and black currants. In the taste if get dark cherries, black currants and some tannins. I think that it has reached maximum maturity and it should be drank right now. As I don't feel that it will increase in complexity. A very good wine but I don't think that it increases so much in complexity by this long aging. 2-4 years of aging is recommended.

The net older wine is a wine that I have tasted before. It is the Les Cretes wine Fumin from Valle D'Aosta. The vintage is 2009 and the ABV is 13%. In the taste I get a dark fruity taste with red sour cherries and some black currants. In the aftertaste I get some viols and oak. I like this wine and it ages very nicely. I think that this wine can be stored maybe for 5 more years.

To finish it off I go with a younger wine from Veneto and it is a Castelforte Appassimento from 2014. The ABV is 14%. In the taste I get red fruits with some spices. A quite easy drinking wine.