Tag Archives: Italy

I Giusti & Zanza Rosso Vigna Vecchia Toscana IGT 2015, Tuscany, Italy

18 Friday Oct 2019

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It’s quite bright and fresh looking in the glass with a deep garnet shade.  On the nose – rhubarb crumble, cherry and chocolate dust.  On the palate it is refreshing, tart and brimming with red fruits.  There’s a hint of balsamic as well as coconut on the initial.  The mid palate gives me some woody notes alongside the red currants and cherry.  The tartness gets a little spiky and herbaceous on the finish, a little off-putting.  Overall this is a tasty wine that has some structure to last a few years in cellar but is drinking nicely now.  I’m gonna bury the others I have as I believe they will improve vastly with a bit of age.  Made from Organic grapes and costing $50 makes it a wee bit pricy.  Pair it with Fettucine or pot roast, perhaps Osso Bucco..  Drink till 2035.  90 points from me (the pros went as high as 95!) and 3 stars.  Salut….

Nativ Taurasi ‘Rue 333’ 2014, Campania, Italy

02 Wednesday Oct 2019

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I last had the 2011 Nativ Rue a while back but remembered it for an obscure reason.  The original shipment was heat damaged and really nasty.  The vendor sent me replacements, but the name has stuck with me.  When I saw the 2014 vintage, I had to try.

A nice shade of purple in the glass with thick legs belaying the 14% alcohol.  On the nose I get blackberry, chocolate, oak and vanilla bean.  The palate is a touch austere with black currants, capsicum, sour cherry and raw oak.  It’s a bit off-putting to be honest.  There’s quite an acidic sourness that is hard to ignore, it fights with the green tannins to take over the palate.  The wine is a bit one-dimensional with all eyes on the tannins and opposing acidity.  I’m gonna give this wine some time in the cellar, it deserves a chance, after all an Italian Pro gave it 96 of his make believe points.  I’m going with 89 for now, but I really think it has potential.  I enjoy the Aglianico grape, but this one is really young and imperious.  Give it time.  Cellar till 2022 or aerate it and drink till 2030.  I paid $17, which makes it a 3 star effort.  Salut….

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Marianot Garblet Barolo DOCG 2014, Piedmont, Italy

08 Sunday Sep 2019

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Quite see-through with a darker purple hue in the glass.  The nose has violets, cherry essence, bramble and leather.  On the palate it is fruity, lighter than expected and a touch dry.  Blueberry is the primary flavor alongside some cedar plank and those violets.  The tannins start to really grip on the mid palate to go along with the blue fruit compote and wood.  The wine finishes strong, with the tannins really getting stuck in and the gums really getting pounded.  The fruit remains for a while but is eclipsed by the 60 second plus grip of the astringency.  Very young wine, but thoroughly enjoyable if you like ‘em dry.  I would personally drink this wine now with veal chops on the grill, a heavy duty pasta dish or  perhaps Moroccon lamb in the tagine.  If you have patience, this one will mellow nicely for a few years and be presentable from 2024- 2030.  91 points, $35 and 4 stars for this Nebbiolo.  Salut….

Ricossa Antica Casa Barbaresco DOCG 2014, Piedmont, Italy

18 Thursday Jul 2019

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See through but with slight bricking.  I noticed the cork had signs of possible seepage which gives me cause for concern.  Here goes….

On the nose – it’s corked.  I even tasted it….done.  Luckily I’m not far from the shop so I returned it .

The second bottle looks much better in the glass.  Light, see through purple.  On the nose it is not very open.  I’m struggling to swirl some life into it and all I get is faint cherries, some capsicum and carrot.  Yes, carrot.  On the palate this Nebbiolo starts off with some lush, medium tannins and a dollop of cherry juice.  It’s not subtle.  The mid palate has more breadth with cherries, currants, a touch of fresh oak and sassparilla.  The finish is quite dry with the tannins still in full force.  There is a woody note alongside red fruits and cinnamon.  Tasty but restrained, I feel this wine might be hibernating.  It should improve with age and drink nicely till 2028.  90 points and 3 stars for this $25 effort.  Salut….

Tenimenti Capanne Ricci Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2012, Tuscany, Italy

09 Tuesday Jul 2019

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Pretty dark red and semi opaque with big legs showing in the glass.  On the nose it’s an intriguing blend of strawberry syrup, rooibos tea and raspberry.  On the palate it gives me red fruits including cherry, strawberry and rhubarb alongside some pretty fresh tannins.  The grip of which starts at the onset and builds into a mighty teeth- coating crescendo at the finish.  Wow…. this is a wine packed with flavor, structure and is balanced to boot.  Very young, it needs cellaring or a run through the Venturi.  I’m gonna cellar the three other bottles I have, thinking there will be some nice evolution in addition to a softening of the tannins.  For now, 92 points and 5 stars for the $30 price point.  Pair this Sangiovese up with some rich stews, hearty pasta or a thick Ribeye. Drink from 2022-2032.  Salut….

Castello di Gabbiano Chianti Classico DOCG 2016, Tuscany, Italy

07 Sunday Jul 2019

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Semi opaque yet intriguingly purple in the glass.  On the nose I’m getting sour cherry kirsch, strawberries and rooibos tea.  On the palate it is light, tart and tasty- just what I was expecting.  The opening notes are much the same…. cherry juice, strawberry coulis and rhubarb.  There are some gripping tannins that hit the mid palate and that sour cherry must be the source of the bracing acidity.  These factors, combined with the young fruit are going to bode well for a patient lover of Sangiovese.  It will evolve nicely I think.  91 points and 5 stars for this $12 wine.  Drink till 2028.  Salut….

Fattoria Vignavecchia Odoardo Beccari 2014, Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG, Italy

09 Sunday Jun 2019

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Quite dark and opaque for a Sangiovese.  On the nose it’s quite purply ( is that even a word?). Plum pie, black currants and a dose of chocolate cake.  On the palate it is quite fresh, young in presence and fruit forward.  Cherry essence is the first on a list of palate notes- rhubarb comes in second.  There are some strawberry hints as well as kirsch- but no dark fruits.  Very strange, I was expecting more black notes and ended up with red.  The mid palate has some heat and the comings of some young tannins.  The dryness hits the base of my teeth.  Nice.  On the back end it’s all red fruits and some acidic charm to counter the tannic pinch.  Overall a decent wine that will drink nicely to 2024.  90 points and 3 stars for this $40 wine.  Salut….

Nativ ‘Eremo San Quirico’ Aglianico Irpinia Campi Taurasini 2015, Campania, Italy

09 Sunday Jun 2019

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Wow- 99 points form one critic, I just had to try it!  Then I realized the pro in question rates on a different scale. It looks pretty dark in the glass, but there’s an effervescence appearing on the top that concerns me- either a tainted glass or something in the wine.  On the nose I’m getting currants, cherry and bramble.  The palate is quite sweet, with layered blackberry jam/blackcurrant reduction.  This wine is very thick and juicy, loaded with fruit extract.  There’s a nice dose of tannins that gently appear on the midpalate, melding with the dark fruits and carrying the wine to a nice, balanced finish of black berries, black currants and black tea leaf.  There’s a Ribena note right at the end that I’m enjoying.  This is a solid 91 pointer that will drink nicely till 2024.  I’m going 4 stars at $30 for this Aglianico.  Salut….

If you look close- effervescence in the glass

La Loggia ‘Toscaia’ Rosso Toscana IGT 2017, Tuscany, Italy

07 Tuesday May 2019

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It’s a pretty shade of purple in the glass with a 98 point sticker on the bottle….. hmmm.  The nose is thin but offers up strawberry coulis and cherry juice.  On the palate it has much more presence.  A rich mouthful of dark cherry, strawberry extract and cola hit me square on.  Tannins introduce themselves right away and are not holding back.  This is a hefty wine, with structure to boot.  The mid palate has more of that extracted cherry that is almost overwhelmed by the tannic grip.  Wow, this wine is built.  The finish is very astringent yet tasty.  Red fruits swirl alongside black tea and jaw drying tannins.  It’s certainly an interesting wine that I am really enjoying, yet wondering what the cellaring potential is as there is very little acidity.  The tannins and fruit are certainly present, I am just a little concerned about the long term structure.  Let’s see in a few years.  For now, enjoy this Merlot/Sangiovese blend with pasta, steaks or moussaka.  It gets a realistic 91 points from me and 5 stars for the $14 price I paid.  Drink till 2027 at the least.  Salut….

Tinazzi No 3 Vinum Italicum Opera Rosso NV, Italy

30 Tuesday Apr 2019

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Medium purple, somewhat opaque int the glass.  On the nose I get bramble, black cherry and bacon.  On the palate it has a unique flavor profile.  Very meaty with that black cherry note along with licorice.  Smoke and tar really hit me on the mid palate alongside black berry and mid level tannins.  The finish is black, dark- brooding and tannic.  Black fruits dominate with some Lapsang Souchong tea notes.  Earthy, smoky and strong.  This is a unique wine which is composed of the following grapes: Corvina, Primitivo, Nero d’Avola.  The pros went with red fruits, I am sticking with black.  This is a non-vintage wine, so there is room for wiggle on style and tastes.  It gets 89 points from me- forget the 98 rating it splashes on the bottle, that guy uses a strange rating system.  Pair it with steaks, pasta (of course) or a heavy duty stew.  It’s tasty, unique and worth a try, but at $30, it’s a bit pricey.  2 Stars.  Salut….