Tag Archives: Italy

Grifalco della Lucania Daginestra Superiore Aglianico del Vulture 2018, Basilicata, Italy

27 Saturday May 2023

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Deep ruby/garnet colored, this Aglianico was an interesting turn for our virtual wine tasting group as not many had ever had this varietal.  Intense aromas of tobacco with blueberry, smoke, blackberry, tomato paste, lilac and pine were noted.  The palate was dry with high tannins, medium acidity, a full body (14% ABV) and had flavors resembling the nose.  A hint of ripe strawberry was also noted in addition to the florals, oak and black fruit.  A medium finish for this wine makes it a 90 point effort that gets 3 stars due to its $40 price point.  On our tasting scale- 14 points.  Drink till 2030 with food, it really needs some pasta to balance it all out.  Salut….

Fontanafreda ‘Ebbio’ Langhe Nebbiolo 2020, Piedmont, Italy

13 Saturday May 2023

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Pale ruby colored with some slow moving legs (13.5% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of cherry, roses, tar, cranberry, dried thyme, red licorice.  The palate is dry with high acidity and high tannins.  Medium to full bodied, this Nebbiolo has classic red fruit notes with dried herbs, red flowers and earthy tar nuance.  The finish is tart and medium in length.  This is a scaled down version of Barolo that is easier to drink when young- it begs for pasta dishes which is what I’m pairing it with.  It is very smooth and balanced with the high levels of structure that will reward some cellaring.  It gets 90 points from me and for $26 it gets 4 stars.  Drink till 2026.  Salut….

Manni Nossing Kerner Sudtirol Eisacktaler 2020, Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy

02 Tuesday May 2023

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Medium lemon colored with medium to high viscosity even though it only sports a 13% ABV.  The nose has intense aromas of Meyer lemon peel, papaya, white flower, grapefruit, orange pith, mineral notes and petrichor.  The palate is dry with high acidity and some upfront bitterness. The acidity is piercing with a refreshing quality that leads into the citrus and tropical fruit flavors.  Florals are abundant with white flowers and geranium alongside orange blossom.  The body is medium (-) and leads to a long finish that is citrus focused with a hint of phenolic bitterness.  This is my first foray into the Kerner varietal, I like it.  This bottle runs $30 and gets 92 points from me.  I am going to pair it with Jamaican Curry Goat- I believe the acidity will balance the spicy dish nicely.  5 stars, drink till 2025.  Salut….

Marchesi Antinori Tignanello Toscana IGT 2009, Tuscany, Italy

19 Wednesday Apr 2023

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A murky, deep garnet colored with some light staining and medium viscosity legs (14% ABV).  The nose is stupendous- pronounced intensity aromas of ripe blackberry, vanilla, baking spices, cedar, tobacco, cassis, crushed violet, white truffle, baked black cherry- it’s over-the-top.  The palate is dry with medium acidity and medium (+) tannins that are polished and very fine grained.  Full bodied, this blend of 75% Sangiovese, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc gives me flavors of cassis, blackberry and black cherry along with the secondary and tertiary notes I got on the nose.  It all turns a touch tart on the mid-palate, something Old World wines tend to do.  The silky mouthfeel is smooth and leads to a long finish that is layered and delicious.  The cassis and vanilla lasting for an eternity.  This wine has matured beautifully for me and I’m proudly serving it with Pappardelle and Meatballs- it’s my birthday week after all so I can do what I want.  95 points from me for this $ 175 bottle makes it a 5 star treat.  Salut….

Felice Abbona & Figli ‘Abbona’ 2020, Barbera d’Asti DOCG, Italy

07 Friday Apr 2023

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Deep ruby colored with a brownish tinge and medium viscosity tears (14.5% ABV).  The nose of this wine has medium intensity aromas of red cherry, red raspberry, dried herbs, a gamy note and some licorice.  The palate is dry with high acidity and low tannins, kinda crisp.  The body is medium (+) and I get red fruit flavors and licorice.  The gaminess returns on the back end alongside tart red cherry.  It is a food-friendly wine from the Piedmont that is quite bracing in it’s acidity yet has a nice freshness to it.  Made from the Barbera grape, this will pair well with rich pasta (obviously!) as well as grilled pork chops or even Moussaka.  It runs $20 and gets 89 points from me making it a 4 star effort.  Drink till 2027.  Salut….

Belvino Pinot Grigio 2022, delle Venezie IGT, Italy

29 Wednesday Mar 2023

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Pale platinum colored with copper highlights and low viscosity (11% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of pear, green apple and grapefruit zest.  The palate has medium (+) acidity and a light body.  Confirming the fruit flavors are the same but with slightly bruised pear and the apple is yellow in color.  Medium length finish that is crisp.  86 points from me for this $6, (yes – six dollars) bottle of refreshingly crisp and light wine makes it worthy of 5 stars.  Stock up for the  hot summer!  Drink now.  Salut….

Renieri Invetro Toscana IGT 2018, Tuscany, Italy

10 Friday Mar 2023

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Deep dark purple color with medium legs (14% ABV).  The nose of this Sangiovese, Merlot and Cab Sav blend has some exotic dark fruit aromas- mulberry, boysenberry, elderberry with vanilla, coffee bean, baking spices, eucalyptus and camphor (yup).  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity and finely grained medium (+) tannins.  The body is full and the flavors echo the dark berry notes I got on the nose.  I’m missing the pungent camphor but I get oak influence by way of vanilla and baking spice.  The wine retails for $18 and got a big score.  I’m thinking 91 points and 5 stars.  Tonight- it’s pasta with meatballs, sausages and meat sauce- this will pair beautifully.  Drinking window till 2026.  Enclosed by a glass stopper btw.  Salut….

Donnafugata Anthilia 2021, Sicily Italy

21 Tuesday Feb 2023

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I’ve been rather busy lately, studying for exams, attending blind tastings and conducting classes- so when the opportunity came up to drink a few bottles with friends I did just that.  We started out with this Catarratto from Sicily, which we tasted chilled and then at room temperature.  Pale gold colored it had awesome aromas of apricot, peach, yellow apple and citrus.  Crisp acidity and a medium (-) body made for a refreshing mouthfeel that was laced with grapefruit, lemon pith, melon, honeysuckle and stone fruit.  A decent finish made me award it 91 points.

The room temperature version had less citrus on the nose and more stone fruit.  We still got the apple, honeysuckle and some waxy notes.  The palate felt a bit heavier with less acidity and it was less complex overall.  90 points from me on this one.  It’s interesting how a wine morphs with temperature.  For $15 this many be on my short-list for summer patio pounders.  It is delicious, refreshing and will pair well with many lighter dishes.  I would drink it on purchase.  5 stars.  Salut….

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Risata Moscato d’Asti DOCG 2019, Piedmont, Italy

28 Saturday Jan 2023

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Pale straw colored with some effervescence in the glass.  The nose is fruity and aromatic with orange blossom, yellow apple, rose water, quince and and lemon/lime soda.  The palate is semi-sweet with medium (-) acidity and smooth, easygoing bubbles.  The flavors include orange, lemon/lime soda and some quince.  The rose component is lost past the nose.  The bubbles make the wine seem airy, the body is definitely light and the finish is balanced and surprisingly long at medium.  Crisp and relatively fresh, if not a touch too sweet for my liking, this is a wine that needs to be drunk well chilled on a hot afternoon, basking away in the sunshine and nibbling on charcuterie.  88 points from me and for $12 it’s a 4 star effort.  Salut….

Cataldi Madonna Malandrino Montepulciano d’Abruzzo 2020, Abruzzo, Italy

23 Monday Jan 2023

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Moxie and I just dropped off our daughter at university in NYC.  We had a last dinner with her at this amazing Italian restaurant.  I dined on herb-infused papardelle with an oxtail ragout that screamed for a juicy, yet not overly tannic red.  My choices included this $20 (at retail) bottle of Montepulciano.  No notes were taken but from memory I recall it being the perfect choice.  Red fruit driven with medium (+) acidity, a modicum of tannic grip and a medium body.  The freshness of the fruit was evident as was a touch of spice, some herbs and a hint of oak.  The finish was medium in length with red fruit driving the flavors.  It was thoroughly enjoyed and I will be looking for more, at that price-point this 90 point wine is getting 5 stars.  I would drink it with all manner of pasta until 2025.  Salut….