Posts Tagged italian

Aldo e Riccardo Seghesio, not to be confused with the Sonoma winery of a similar name, produces a number of different Piedmont varietals including Barolo, Barbera, and this Dolcetto. Most of their wines are fairly easy to find in most better wine stores. I picked this wine up from the Wine Library for around $13. I’d only had their Barbera and enjoyed it, so I figured “why not”. Plus Wine Spectator liked it well enough with an 89pt score.

Overall, the wine is still pretty young and acidic. I know that Dolcettos tend to be drunk at a younger stage and the draw is their bright fruit and acidity, however this was just tight on the get-go. Cherry and sandalwood flavors upfront, with a little plum action. The nose wasn’t anything too exciting, and was tough to get a read on anything specific. Maybe a little cinnamon and clove, and some damp forest floor. There were some grip-y tannins throughout the tasting, and maybe if there had been a longer decant, we would have convinced those to settle down. Nonetheless, it has a big, strong finish with cherry cola core, and a little tobacco and cocoa on the end. Still, it seemed the wine was a little uneven overall. Not a bad wine, but there are definitely better ones out there.

On the score I’d rate this a Drinkable – just a hair under the 89 score that WS gave them. Maybe revisited in a year, it might all come together but right now its just missing something.

With the explosion of wine bars and wine-focused restaurants across the country, we’ve started to see an increase in the various varietals offered in these establishments. The willingness to experiment has thrust new grapes and styles into the limelight after years in the shadows. Particular the white wines from Italy and Spain have received the most love from these places, expanding the palates of American wine lovers. This is great news for those looking for good wines at lower prices. These wines since they are relatively new to the market also tend to be cheaper, partial based on the fact that there is no reputation to push up the prices.

Falanghina is an Italian wine from the Campania region in southern Italy. These wines tend to have a little sweetness, similar to a Viognier, with a little of the acidity and body of a Pinot Grigio. This wine, priced around $11, is no different with a crisp acidic mouth-feel, good full body, and a little sweetness mixed in. There are quince, lemon, and pear flavors, mixed with a little smokiness and butter. The acidity hits first, but the residual sweetness helped cut into this and rounds out the overall flavor of this wine.

I’m going to rate this a Brick Solid. It’s a good wine, and a good example of this wine, though maybe missing a little complexity. However its got all of the trademarks of the wine style and could be a good wine to break yourself into the different white wines starting to become available.

Now here’s the perfect bargain. Its something that Italy has been doing more consistently than all other countries with the exception of maybe Australia. This Tuscan red wine blend is a mixture of Sangiovese, Cabernet and Merlot, and can be found for anywhere from $8 to $10. I’ve had this brand many times over the years as it tends to deliver a decent wine at a good price. This vintage is no exception. The other thing that makes this wine a winner is accessibility. I’ve been able to find this at most wines stores and better grocery stores, making it more impressive that they can mass-produce a quality product like this. Quality was higher across the board in 2006 and this wine definitely benefited from the ideal growing conditions.

Monte Antico 2006

Medium-bodied, this wine has a good cherry and plum core. The nose is fragrant and pure, with hints of lavender and spice. The mouth-feel is fairly rich due to the Cab and Merlot, giving this wine some body, however it never feels too heavy. It has a cool, lithe quality that makes a good wine for everything from pizza to pastas, and maybe even a little bit of bar-be-que chicken. The finish is smooth and enjoyable. Its by no means a deep, intellectual wine, but for the price it really delivers a solid wine with an interesting flavor palate, and pairs well with alot of foods. I’ve got to stay this is a Brick Solid Plus wine that I’ll go back to again and again.

Below are some notes on various Italian wines I’ve had over the years. There’s no particular order here, but hopefully you’ll find something you like.

2004 Renzo Masi Chianti Riserva

This was nice little chianti I found, priced around $14 dollars. While it might have been a little more new world in style, it was a wonderfully simple and all-together enjoyable wine. Made in a richer style, with bigger fruit, the wine had a dark color, and a floral nose. The taste was full of earth, cherries, and lavender. There was a good backbone of acidity running through the wine and the tannins were fairly noticeable. Contrasting with the dryness however was a ton of big fruit giving this wine a huge presence. Overall I crowd-pleaser.

Rating: 90pt

1998 Le Presi Brunello Di Montalcino

I had this out in San Francisco at our favorite Italian restaurant, Venticello. A really nice wine with great floral aspects of lavender and strawberries. This was a medium bodied wine, brick colored. The nose was amazing! Dried cherry and strawberry flavors on the tongue along with a rich, earthy flavor of mushroom and roasted game. The wine went great with my roasted lamb meal and gorgonzola gnocchi.

Rating: 92pts

2003 Le Macchiole Rosso

This was a wonderful wine. Priced around $25, this wine had the classic Tuscan nose; lots of strawberries and mushrooms, followed by some white pepper and dried cherries.  It reminded me of a Brunello, with its nicely integrated tannins and earthy flavors.  It went perfectly with the lamb Osso Bucco I was eating at the time.  Even after dinner, it was the perfect Italian wine to linger with at the table.  It was not too tannic that it overpowered.  The beautiful acidity it possessed kept the flavors lively, and the finish long and lush.

Rating: 93

1999 Villa Caffagio San Martino ITG

Made from 100% Sangiovese, this was a wonderful wine we picked up while traveling through Tuscany. It had a plum red color and a slight orange hue around the edge of the glass. The nose was full of sandalwood, Asian spice, and crushed cherries. This medium-bodied wine was long and rich, though not overpowering by any means. The tannins were nicely integrated, creating a soft mid-plate. The finish was smooth and the flavors of earth and mushrooms slightly lingered on the tongue. I let this wine decant for about 1 hour prior to drinking; however I doubt it needed that much time. This wine is definitely recommended if you can find it.

Rating: 93 pts

2004 Altesino Rosso Di Altesino Montalcino Tuscany

This wine was a medium bodied, brick-red colored wine. At the beginning, it started tight and acidic , but the earthy flavors eventually came through.  The wine opened up within an hour, becoming softer and more approachable. The tobacco and dried cherry flavors dominated the mid-palate. This was a nice wine for the price ($12).

Rating: 89 pts

2003 Podere Il Pozzo Chianti Ruffina Reserva

This wine was a well-made Chianti with earthy, rich and classic in its flavor. Cherry brick colored. The wine definitely softened a bit as it opened up. Initially, it had some firm tannin that melted away and exposed a dark oak core. The wine possessed a classic style and texture for Chianti. Priced around $17.

Rating: 85pts

2004 Toscolo Chianti Classico

This was a solid Chianti wine with good depth and cherry notes, full of good acidity and earthiness. There was good balance between the fruit and the earthiness, though it was a little heavy without food. With a little air, it boasted sweeter fruit and a dried cherry core. It is a decent everyday Chianti priced around $15.

Rating: 89pts

2003 Villa Dante Tuscan ITG

The rich fruit can’t hide the fact that this wine was over-oaked and had a little too much meaty earthiness to the wine. It also seems to lack a good finish to the wine, remaining a bit hard and rustic even with proper decanting. The flavors found included mushroom, meat, earth and tobacco. Also with a little air, the flavors, while softened, also looses a bit of the bounce the fruit provided. Priced around $10.

Rating: 85pts

1999 Castello Banfi Brunello di Montalcino

This wine took about 3 hours to open up. It started very hard and tight. It reminded me more of a Chianti at first. There was still a lot of acidity to the wine which means it would probably be good for a number of years to come. Once it opened up however, the rich fruit and also the big chewy tannins really started to show. Big dark plums and cherries dominated the palate, and the flavors resembled more of a merlot-type grape with chocolate and mushrooms. The taste was a little one-dimensional however to rate it this wine too high. I would have to say good but not great given the price, around $50.

Rating: 90pts