Tag Archives: Italy

Castelli del Grevepesa Lamole 2019, Chianti Classico Gran Selezione DOCG, Italy

21 Saturday Dec 2024

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Pale to medium garnet colored with copper highlights, and a medium viscosity (14% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of red cherry, pomegranate, rhubarb, baking spice, olive tapenade, and a green stalk note (thyme?).  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity, a medium body and medium (+) tannins.  Flavors of red cherry, pomegranate, thyme, dried leather, rhubarb, and some baking spice.  The finish is zippy with some acidity that lingers.  Fruit length is medium and red in nature with some slight astringency right at the end.  It’s a very delicious and food-worthy wine that gets 92 points from me.  I would drink this $25 effort till 2030 with Bolognese all day long. 5 stars.  Salut….

castelli del grevepesa lamole chianti classico gran selezione

Basilisco ‘Fontanelle’ 2017, Aglianico del Vulture Superiore DOCG, Italy

14 Saturday Dec 2024

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Opaque, inky purple colored with medium staining and a high viscosity (14% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of black cherry, black currant, coffee, loamy earth, eucalyptus, licorice, bramble berry and blueberry.  The palate is dry with high acidity, a full body and high tannins that are slightly green and very grippy.  Ripe fruit flavors of black cherry, black plum, blueberry, bramble, leather, licorice, coffee, loam, and eucalyptus.  The wine is weighty and very rich as well as structured.  This is a young wine for sure.  The finish is medium in length and layered with dark fruit and secondary flavors.  The tannins seem to sort themselves out after a few minutes, they are very prominent but not green and rough.  This is a delicious bottle that needs a hearty pasta or thick Ribeye.  It will cellar well for at least 20 years and become more approachable in 5, but you can drink now if you like them super dry and astringent.  If not, aerate or decant and you should be good to go.  93 points from me for this $35 effort makes it a 5 star treat.  Salut….

Basilisco 'Fontanelle' Aglianico del Vulture Superiore

Livio Felluga Pinot Grigio Colli Orientali del Friuli 2022, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy

25 Thursday Jul 2024

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I took this bottle of Pinot Grigio to a blind tasting a few nights ago and am just now getting around to reviewing it.  Pale gold colored with copper highlights and a watery sheen (13.5% ABV).  It’s obviously had a bit of skin contact by the color.  The nose has medium (+) intensity aromas of grapefruit pith, lemon and lime zest, white blossom, chamomile, orange peel and slate.  On the palate it is dry with medium acidity and a medium (+) body.  The flavors have medium (+) intensity with some peach added to the citrus notes I got on the nose.  It is slightly astringent (skin contact) yet has a nice mouthfeel.  The mid palate has some melon and shies away from the citrus.  The finish is delicious and long with waves of flavors.  I like this wine a lot.  93 points and for $25 it’s a 5 star gem if you like this style.  Lovely stuff to drink till 2028 with poultry or pork dishes.  Salut….

Zenato Ripassa Valpolicella 2019, Ripasso Superiore Veneto, Italy

18 Thursday Jul 2024

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Medium ruby colored with copper highlights, slight staining and medium viscosity (14.5% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of black plum, prune, black raisin, acacia tree planks, band aid, coffee, a medicinal note, blackberry jam and dried herbs.  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity, a full body and medium tannins that are silky.  The flavors echo the nose and are medium in intensity but leaning more to the jammy blackberry, black plum and medicinal notes.  It’s delicious and far better than the last vintage I drank- this one is layered and inviting.  A perfect pairing for grilled Rosemary Lamb Chops methinks.  I’m going with 92 points on this $26 bottle, making it a 5 star effort to drink ill 2030.  Salut….

Mary Taylor ‘Annamaria Sala’ Sicilia 2022, Sicily, Italy

06 Thursday Jun 2024

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Deep purple colored with some staining and medium viscosity (13% ABV).  The nose of this Nero d’Avola has medium intensity aromas of game, black plum, cracked pepper, purple licorice, violets, charred oak and blueberry compote.  It’s very uplifting and quite floral once past the initial waft of gaminess.  The palate is dry with medium acidity, medium body and medium tannins that tickle the front of my tongue.  Flavors of black cherry, black plum and ripe blueberry with somewhat muted florals and oak.  The bitterness I get on the mid palate is noticeable yet enjoyable.  The finish is medium (-) in length and trends toward earth and bitterness.  The game note I got on the nose never showed.  I like this $19 effort and think it gets 89 points which makes it a 4 star wine to drink till 2028.  My pairing tonight is cast iron steaks with baked yams and roasted asparagus.  Salut….

Pecchenino Botti Langhe Nebbiolo 2021, Piedmont, Italy

20 Monday May 2024

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I wanted to introduce our tasting group to young Nebbiolo without the price tag of a Barolo, nor the monster structure of one that is not yet ready to drink.  The answer lay in Langhe where this grape is made in a more approachable and affordable style.  Pale garnet colored with high viscosity (14% ABV).  The nose had medium (+) intensity aromas of forest, messy floor (!), stinky feet (not my descriptors!), chocolate covered cherry, strawberry, flint, anise, tobacco, smoke, green and floral.  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity, medium body and medium (+) tannins that are starting to soften.  Cherry tart, tobacco, black tea, forest floor and mushrooms with a long finish.  At $27, it’s an excellent value bottle to showcase the wonderful tastes and structure of this alluring grape.  I gave it 18/20 points on our grading scale making it my #2 wine of the night.  Technically speaking I scored it 92 points and 4 stars.  Drink till 2030 with pasta.  Salut….

Inama Carmenere Piu 2021, Veneto Rosso IGT, Italy

20 Monday May 2024

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A Carmenere from Italy was next up at the 36th virtual wine tasting.  This one had a dab of Merlot added but still showed plenty of greeness, especially on days 2/3.  Our tasters found this wine to be medium garnet colored with medium viscosity (13.5% ABV).  On the nose we got toasted marshmallows (!), vanilla, white pepper, toasted nuts, black cherry, plum, black raspberry, tobacco, the telltale capsicum, cedar and tomato leaf.  The pallet was dry with medium (-) acidity, a medium body and medium tannins.  Leather, tobacco, green pepper, black cherry, prune and some toasty notes were tasted.  The finish was medium in length.  I scored it 14 points on our tasting scale.  Technically speaking I think this is a 90 pointer with good potential.  For $22, it gets 4 stars from me with a drink by 2028 window.  Salut….

J. Hofstatter Steinraffler Lagrein 2020, Alto Adige Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy

16 Thursday May 2024

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Deep garnet colored with low viscosity (13% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of açaí berry, blueberry, fennel stalk, violets, charred wood and perfumed bramble.  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity, light to medium body and medium (-) tannins- a very easygoing mouthfeel.  Flavors of blueberry, açaí berry, bramble with some green but not vegetal notes alongside bright florals.  It’s a nice, light wine with good aromatics and flavors that finishes with a medium (+) length.  If you are a red fan but don’t like tannic monsters, this one’s for you.  89 points and 4 starts for this $20 bottle to drink till 2028.  Salut….

Torrevento ‘Barbuto’ Primitivo 2020, Puglia IGT, Italy

15 Monday Apr 2024

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Deep ruby colored with light staining and high viscosity (13.5% ABV).  The nose has medium (-) intensity aromas of black plum, baking spice, rose, licorice, coffee, vanilla and dried green herbs.  The palate is dry with medium acidity, a medium body and medium tannins.  Medium intensity flavors of black plum, black cherry, vanilla, baking spice, purple licorice and black pepper.  The finish is slightly tart with the tannins starting to show more prominence.  It lasts for a good 20 seconds.  My pairing for this $18 bottle is a meat lovers pie from our local wood oven pizzeria.  It gets 87 points from me making it a 3 star effort to drink till 2025.  Salut….

Botromagno Primitivo 2021, Puglia IGT, Italy

07 Sunday Apr 2024

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Medium to deep red-ruby colored with slight staining and a high viscosity (14% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of bramble, mulberry, vanilla, cracked black pepper, mint, black plum and a medicinal note.  The palate is dry with medium acidity, a full body and medium (-) tannins.  It’s quite bitter right off the bat but then I get muted black fruit, vanilla, mint, and black pepper.  There is a coffee note to go along with a touch of the medicinal hint I got on the nose- both from oak treatment.  The astringency is cloying and sticks with me to the bitter end, which is relatively short in nature.  This wine is a bit disjointed and the bitterness is out of balance with the fruit and structure.  86 points from me for this Zinfandel that I will be pairing alongside Bison steaks.  At $15 it gets 3 stars.  Drink till 2026.  Salut….