Category: Italy

1994 Azienda Agricola Adanti Arquata Sagrantino di Montefalco

The hill town of Spello in Umbria, rich in both beauty and probably money, has a bit of interest for the wine person. A well stocked, straightforward alimentari in the ever upward main street has quite a few oldies on the shelves, most with clean labels and good fill levels. Very fond memories of Adanti making great wine in the late 80s and early 90s made it easy for this to find its way into the backpack. The cork was firm and only stained for a couple of millimeters. The first tentative sniff was autumnal but still kicking. The flavours started a bit subdued but happily filled out toward the end with impeccably clean, still fresh cherries and blackberries. The tannins are becoming a melting ghost of what may have been but the acidity’s still just freshening things up. Held on and got better towards the end of the bottle. Looking a whole lot better in old age than this creaky blogger.

14% alcohol. Cork doing its job for once. 23 bargain euros.

94 points

 

2016 Marengo Barbera d’Alba Vigna Pugnane

Opened up straightaway quick smart with sweet berries and that earthy hard to describe any other way than Piemontese stoneyness. Rich, fresh and just medium weight. Maybe a pinch of barrel tannin for feel and salivating acidity seesaw the whole up and down. Second day the fruit filled out and the earthiness receded.

14% alcohol. Cork. 12.75 euros from another Conad supermercato.

92 points

2016 Roccafiore Melograno Umbria Rosso IGT

Sometimes simple, fresh and crunchy is just what the table needs. Straightforward red cherries with some considerable bracing acidity. Spotlessly clean and perfumed, it’s great to see low alcohol and strict acid grip in a modern version of what good basic Chianti was in rose tinted hindsight. A recent 2015 vintage from an osteria wine list was richer, more delicious and led to a reflexive grab for this from the shelf. Despite being a bit washy, a touch dilute and maybe young viney, this disappeared deliciously quickly with the inevitable Ital carbs and veg.

12.50% alcohol and Diam, good combination. 8 euros in the lovely Perugia superdeli of Umbró.

88 points.

2013 Fontanafredda Barolo

17.80 euros from the top shelf of a Conad supermercato in Umbria. 2013 too made resistance useless despite having only gone in for milk and bananas. If only the two dominant Australian chains were as much fun. This was clean typically Langhe nebb   with all the cherries, florals and earthy bits in the right places. Hung on well for two days with good ripe acidity and some grippy but yielding tannin. Possibly missing the rear end depth and intensity of what makes great Barolo and could be taken for a very good Langhe regional. Not complaining for the price, although perhaps not a match for bananas.

14% alcohol. Cork. 17.80 euros precisely.

91 points.

2016 Feudi di San Gregorio Greco di Tufo

A familiar and loved label for clean reliable and extremely food friendly white wine.  It seems so much good Italian white is more about texture than flavour and this ain’t no exception notwithstanding the lovely citrus and almond paste essences that get swept away by delicious acidity. So clean and fresh. Beautiful package as usual both outside and in. Widely available in Italian supermarkets, hooray.

12.50% alcohol. Can’t remember if cork or diam, have to buy more to check. 12 euros.

89 points

2015 Azienda Agricola Scacciadiavoli Montefalco Rosso

Easier to drink the contents than pronounce the producer. 60% Sangiovese, 15% Sagrantino and 25% Merlot. With the happily confounding exception of vino Piemontese which seems to carry its alcohol with grace, anything over 14% in la Bella Italia tastes a bit prune like to this aging dissolute and a pass for something with a declared 13.50% or less. So this at the declared limit does seem crisper and fresh red fruited. Cherries, walnuts and a touch of sweeter raspberry clamped to good food loving acid and tannins make it seem like southern Tuscany without the ambitious price tag and the sometime scent of the stable. From the Italian supermarket, Conad, which seems happier hunting than trying to find good retail enoteche in Umbria. Maybe the locals buy direct?

13.50%. Diam! 12 euros.

91 points

2016 Produttori del Barbaresco Langhe Nebbiolo

At an irresistible 13.90 euros on the shelf of the venerable Enoteca Trimani not far from the hurly burly of Rome’s Termini Station. Central casting aromas of the Langhe in old roses, old leather chairs, bright red cherries and the basso profundo of the soil. Same in the mouthful with the texture and zing of blood orange juice and fine but stern tannin. Odd thing Nebbiolo as the all flavour seems to be from the middle to end, perhaps a back to front tadpole in shape? Once you get the calling though, the siren don’t stop singing. This one better after a few hours and not quite as bright the next day or maybe this drinker wasn’t. Nonetheless sublime bargain for the Nebb fancier.

14.50% alcohol. Cork. 13.90 euros, yes, the one and three are round the right way.

93 points.

2016 Vietti Dolcetto d’Alba Tre Vigne

When in Rome one road leads to Matricianella and it’s mammoth wine list. A plate of tagliatelle with porcini and cicoria, incidentally another traditional dish to satisfy vegans, and something from Vietti for 20 euros on the list. Could have gone for a Barolo Cru or Brunello but blinding bargains do beckon. Just love Dolcetto with good pasta. This was foot forward, sweetly ripe, full of succulent berries and that wonderful Langhe rocky soil scent and flavour. Clean, no hint of the dreaded Dolcetto reduction and mouthwatering acidity jammed tight to fine tannins. Simple drinker, simple pleasure on a grand scale. La piccola bellezza.

14% alcohol. Cork. 20 euros on a list it takes a while to read.

92 punti but what a drink with s’ghetti.

2016 Azienda Agricola Duca Carlo Guarini Nativo Salento Negroamaro

Another recommendation from the Wine and More Enoteca in Lecce and a lovely. Really clean and perhaps fresher and less dried skinny leather than some Salento Negroamaro. Very ripe pomegranate juice concentrate, something between very ripe raspberry, cherry and plum and only medium weight. Fresh tingly acid wins over fine tannin and goodness doesn’t it make the mouth water for food. Delicioso. Not in anyway profound but the fruit just seems so well grown and even. The fact it’s organic got something to do with it?

14% alcohol but doesn’t seem it. Cork, humph. 13 euros.

93 punti.

2015 Agricola Sanchirico Lutroc Negroamaro Puglia IGT

A return to the great Cucina Mama Elvira in Lecce for a slap up dinner. The wine list is an amazing curation of intelligence and passion for the land of the Salento. All the work of Andrea, owner and maestro of the region’s food and wine. This was a pitch perfect example of richly fruited but acid cut Negroamaro. Lots of clean dark cherry pithy fruit, savoury dusty clay and that dry grape skin flavour and tannin so typical of the sun worn Salento. Sense of place distilled into a glass.

13% alcohol. Diam, yet again! 17 euros on the list.

92 punti.