Tag Archives: Italy

Marchesi Frescobaldi Castello di Nipozzano 2014, Chianti Rufina Riserva DOCG, Italy

25 Sunday Jul 2021

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I had to buy this funky bottle, it is gold.  As in they sprayed the bottle, there is no looking through the glass.  With a bit of age on it, there may be some hope of tertiary development in this Reserva.  It’s pretty dark in the glass, a lovely shade of ruby.  On the nose I get red cherry, cooked red cherry, earth, mushroom, pomegranate and oak.  The palate is very delicious, smooth and not biting.  I am really enjoying lush flavors of dark cherry, earth, game and cooked red cherry.  The tannins are really well integrated and meet up on the back end with some vibrant acidity.  The body is decent, heavier than I was expecting and certainly welcome, the mouthfeel is balanced and smooth.  I am thoroughly enjoying this Sangiovese, and feeling that most people would not buy it due to the strange packaging- I’m off to get the remnants, it’s that yummy for the barebones price of $15.  A veritable steal that gets 91 points and 5 stars.  Drink till 2025 with pasta, duh!  Salut….

Dievole Novecento Riserva 2015, Chianti Classico DOCG, Italy

11 Sunday Jul 2021

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The third wine at tasting #19 was this 100% Sangiovese. Medium purple, it was more opaque than I was expecting from this varietal. The tasters got aromas of raspberry, flowers, iodine, chocolate, black cherry and a medicinal note (Oak influence?). On the palate it was very smooth with grippy tannins and medium plus acidity. Flavors of black cherry, coffee, iodine, licorice and black tea were accompanied by that medicinal note which someone stated was akin to cherry cough syrup. It is a tasty, bold wine with lots of aging capacity. It will drink well now if you like them tannic, or mellow out in a cellar and be more approachable in 2025 till 2030. 91 points from me for this $33 effort makes it a 4 star wine. Salut….

Caparsa Chianti Classico DOCG 2016, Tuscany, Italy

08 Thursday Jul 2021

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This week’s tasting assignment for school is a wine from Italy or Spain. I’ll end up doing both but here is the Tuscan one that I paid $20 for. It gets 91 points from me and is a brooding baby. This one needs a good aeration or several years in the cellar. 5 stars. Salut….

  • Appearance- Medium garnet with thin legs.
  • Nose- Medium (+) intensity with aromas of red cherry, red plum, cranberry, coffee, earth.  Developing.
  • Palate- dry, medium (+) acidity, high tannins, medium alcohol, medium body, medium (+) flavor intensity of red cherry, cranberry, tobacco, earth and coffee with medium (+) finish.
  • Conclusion- very good quality wine that can be drunk now, but has potential for aging.

Delicious but young Sangiovese, paired with dry-aged T-bone steak and baked potatoes.

 

Stefano di Blasi IGT Toscana Gold 2019, Tuscany, Italy

11 Friday Jun 2021

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It’s pizza night- an Italian wine is in order. This Tuscan blend of Sangiovese, Cab Sav and Merlot is pale purple in the glass. The nose is of medium (+) intensity with strawberry, rhubarb, cherry cola, blackberry and woodsy spice. On the palate it is off-dry, brimming with those red/black fruit notes and medium (+) tannins that caress the gums. The wine has a nice acidity that is just enough to balance out the structure. I am enjoying the primary fruit flavors of this drop and it’s mid weight body. The mouthfeel, albeit a touch tannic, is really nice and refreshing. It’s going to rock my pepperoni pie. The finish is of decent length and leaves a good impression. This wine is drinking nicely now and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. At $15, I got a great deal and I’m going with 90 points. 5 stars in my book. Salut….

Monteraponi Chianti Classico DOCG 2018, Tuscany, Italy

04 Friday Jun 2021

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Clear, medium garnet in the glass, this Sangiovese has a funky nose. Sour cherry, sauerkraut and compost all come to mind. #Concerned.

The palate allays my worries- cherry, blackcurrants, straw and rhubarb are present alongside lithe tannins. Juicy acidity keeps my jaws watering for an eternity whilst the finish lasts a medium amount of time. The wine is of light to medium body and lithe. It drinks well and will go nicely with my Lamb Kofta, which are very fatty and need some acidity to curb the grease. I’m ambivalent about this wine right now- I think it has potential but the nose is very off-putting. I will give it 88 points initially. On sale for $27, it gets 3 stars from me. Drink till 2028 with meaty tapas, Duck breast or Lamb stew. Salut….

Pecchenino San Luigi 2019, Dolcetto di Dogliani DOCG, Italy

29 Saturday May 2021

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I wanted to introduce the Dolcetto grape to my group of virtual tasters. This bottle was only $15 and got decent reviews and a 90 point rating. Unfortunately it was not a huge hit with the crowd. I noted it was 75% opaque and had a nice shade of purple in the glass. The nose came with cherry, raspberry, rhubarb, blackberry and pepper. The group got flavors of cherry, almond, strawberry, a touch of smoke and some meatiness on the palate. I wrote down- medium tannins and very juicy acidity. I think the acid component and somewhat lighter body was the detractor for most. We have been tasting some pretty heavy duty bottles in our group and the finesse and lighter style of the Dolcetto may have been overlooked in expectation of another big, brooding wine that is so imposing in the glass- quite the opposite of a young Brunello. I am close to the pros on the rating, giving it an 89 points. For the price- this s a decent Tuesday night drop that won’t break the bank, just pair it with some pasta and you’ll be fine. 3 stars for me. Drink now. Salut….

Kirkland Asolo Prosecco DOCG NV, Italy

10 Monday May 2021

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One of my course requirements this week is to taste a Prosecco. I had previously bought some very reasonably priced bottles at Costco so I thought I would rate one. I enjoyed the wine- it’s rather basic but fresh and light. We are ordering some spicy Thai dishes tonight, this has to be one of the best pairing options. At $ 7, it’s a steal that gets 88 points from me. Stock up and enjoy chilled in the summer- 5 star stuff. Salut….

Kirkland Asolo Prosecco DOCG NV, Italy.  11% ABV

Appearance : 

  • Intensity : Pale
  • Color : Lemon

Nose : 

  • Intensity : Medium 
  • Aroma characteristics : Primary notes of Green Apple, Grapefruit and lemon

Palate : 

  • Sweetness : Off-Dry
  • Acidity : High
  • Alcohol : Low
  • Body : Light
  • Flavor intensity : Medium with Primary notes of pear, lemon and grapefruit. 
  • Finish : short

Conclusions : Quality is Acceptable

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Azienda Agricola Gabutti Boasso Barolo Serralunga 2016, Barolo DOCG, Italy

28 Wednesday Apr 2021

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The Nebbiolo grape is very deceiving. In the glass it is see-through and pale garnet in color yet I know what to expect when we first taste this one. The nose gives me gobs of red cherry, cranberry, strawberry, spice and some caramel. On the palate it’s exactly what I was expecting and hoping for. Richly tannic, mouthwateringly acidic and delicious with red fruits galore. Cherries, strawberries, mouth searing tannins, and enough acidity to melt nuts and bolts. The mid palate allows the fruit to shine whilst the tannins and acid step aside momentarily. The finish is a really dry affair but I still get red fruits- the tannins are searing. This young wine needs a bunch of time in the cellar or a good aerating. It will last a long time if cellared correctly and will hopefully gain some tertiary flavors as we have already seen with a touch of Caramel on the nose,( which did not translate onto the palate). 93 points for me make this a big wine. At $40, it’s at the lower end for most good Barolos and gets 5 stars from me. Drink from 2025 to 2035. Salut….

Collina San Ponzio Barolo DOCG 2016, Piedmont, Italy

04 Sunday Apr 2021

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This Barolo is relatively young at five years but I wanted to try it. In the glass it’s almost got a touch of orange and is completely see-through. The nose is intriguing with cherry, sandalwood and a little bit of Bergamot. The initial palate is definitely fruity with some astringency hitting my gums right off the bat. Very strong cherry flavors alongside cedar notes and black tea. The tannins are really starting to grip on the midpalate but I am enjoying the bright red fruit flavors that accompany. Towards the finish I get more of a cola taste with some lively acidity to balance or attempt to balance the very dense tannins. 91 points for this young Nebbiolo blend that runs $30 making it a 4 star effort. Drink from 2022 till 2027 with pasta, steaks or grilled poultry. Salut….

G.D. Vajra Albe 2016, Barolo DOCG, Italy

21 Sunday Feb 2021

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I asked the group to decant this Nebbiolo for several hours before we met for tasting #15. I did not want to fight with a tannic beast and felt it best to go against my norm and give it a chance to soften. As expected from this varietal it was see-through with nice legs and showing a touch of bricking already. On the nose we got truffle, pepper, chocolate, dried cherry, tobacco, earth and it smelled ‘dry’. On the palate it was kinda blah. Tart cherry, tobacco and not much else going on. It was very disappointing from the hype generated by the reviews. I was hoping for a rich, beefy wine that would show off the grape but was let down. Overall I will go with 89 points and 2 stars for this $34 wine. Drink till 2028. Salut….