Category: Italy

2021 Castelluccimiano Bianco Catarratto Valledolmo Contea di Sclafani

From a fairly recent DOC I think up in the western hills of Sicily comes another native of the island. Castelluccimiano’s website has more information about the vineyard at an altitude of above 700m and some great photos of a rebirth of some old farming territory. In times of a changing climate you can only hope they’re surviving the drought afflicting much of central Sicily. This had a succulent depth of savoury citrus fruit with a bit of maybe local prickly pear. Having just tried some from a local market, maybe it’s valid. The local slang for the fruit is big bastard, great. Good sweep of dried herb and chamomile too. A pleasing chunk of ripe acid makes a plate of Sicilian sea creatures a good idea. I thought I knew a bit about the island’s wine but there’s so much more to discover. Doing my best.

13% alcohol. Diam, yes again. €15 ish.

92 or 93 for faith in a place.

2020 Serafini e Vidotto Recantina Montello – Colli Asolani

Ah Asolo, a favourite and very beautiful village in the Veneto near Treviso which was so loved by Robert Browning and Elizabeth Barrett that they turned the name into a verb. Hanging around the pretty village was Asoloing. S and V have made some of my favourite Italian Cabernets too. Their home is in the town of Nervesa della Battaglia, maybe apprehensive about the fight, probably not. Finding three different labels of theirs in the impressive Trieste Eataly mega store caused some dithering. Mrs CBT sagely suggested the one with the nicest graphics. With no indication of the grapes on the label or so I thought, it was sort of disappointing to find this wasn’t Cabernet but a super rare Veneto oldie, Recantina, der. The result was no disappointment, incredibly intense wafts of spice and sap like diving nose first into a freshly scythed herb bed. Loads of sweet fruit extract too filling the senses with red fruits galore. The texture of ripe dense sweet tannin mingled beautifully with mouthwatering acidity that lightened and matched the fruit loading. Another previously unacquainted Italian and love at first sight.

13.5% alcohol. Diam again. €19.

93 points.

2023 Cantina Gries Bolzano Lagrein Alto Adige

The train from Munich to the Veneto passes through the beautiful Alto Adige or Südtirol as Italy’s language complications would have it. There’s a lot of vineyards around Bolzano and the misty mountains, maybe the train passed by the source of this bright spark to the appetite. Lagrein seems to make wine with healthy rich extract without being weighed down by alcohol or tannin. Tart and mouth watering. Sour cherry, dry kirsch and mountain crisp to finish but still a generosity of fruit. A good bite of just ripe skin tannin. There seems to be some really well organised cooperatives up in the Alto Adige. Good to see growers banding together to make something more than the sum of its parts. Together we’re better, even it involves some spirited discussion, it’s Italy after all.

13% alcohol. Diam again. €13.

92 points.

2022 Dorigo Cabernet Franc Friuli Colli Orientali

Spell check turned Dorigo into Dorito, maybe not a recommended food match. I wondered if this producer is related to one of the best Australian left backs who unfortunately played for both Chelsea and England. Secular things aside, it’s interesting that Cab Franc and Merlot are not recent international arrivals in Friuli. Very unsubstantiated sources suggest they either arrived pre phylloxera with pilgrims wandering back from France or were established by Napoleon which may be at odds with his supposed love of Burgundies. Nonetheless the two most offered reds around here in Trieste seem to be these Bordelaise upstarts, with Refosco and Schioppettino making the odd appearance. So, a random Franc from the supermarket shelf and a good result. Easily fooled into thinking this a good Loire version with just so Franc flavours of dark raspberry and sweet leafiness. Good sinewy tannins are carried by ripe acidity. Just medium bodied and not trying too hard. Good value from the shelves of Trieste’s Coop supermarket. Their deli section is impressive too.

13% alcohol. Diam. €14.

91 points.

2019 Giovanni Rosso Esther Canale Rosso Langhe Nebbiolo

I do get to drink incredibly well sometimes thanks to friends’ extreme generosity. I did at first think, so, you’ve only opened a Langhe Rosso while I’ve dug a 2010 Boschis Via Nuova out for you. Teach me to be so unkind. The Boschis Barolo was malty, muddy and horribly oxidised, not the first 2010 to be disappointing. To be honest, I did have a vague memory of Giovanni Rosso making a Langhe from a cru vineyard and it being a bit special, and not cheap. Turns out this comes from a cherished Rosso family plot in Vigna Rionda no less. And what a fine glass of wine it was. So finely wrought. All the best possible sweet red cherries dusted in perfumed sweet spices. A lift of flowers to fill out the edges. The essence of summer fruit is backed up by a savoury nut paste. In shape, sort of like Grand Cru Burg, inasmuch as there’s enormous flavour that just floats on fine tannin of great finesse that dissipates on a long vapour trail of gentle but persistent acidity. Best possible way to forget a dodgy bottle of Barolo.

14% alcohol. Cork. $275 RRP, eek.

96 points.

2010 Massolino Barolo Margheria

Continuing to open special bottles while the tasting is good, a special cru from Serralunga albeit not marked on the map photo above. Think it’s the unnamed vineyard next to the S of Serralunga maybe? Was anorak fun googling the amazing Masnaghetti MGA maps to check. The incredible detail is a joy for both wine and map fiend. I always liked Massolino’s cheaper bottles, clean, good fruit and good winemaking. Time to open a cru which ten years ago was seen as relative value and now retails over two hundred Australian. Must admit it was a blind buy for the cellar based on Massolino’s Dolcetto and persuasive reviews. It’s rare for most of us to get a taste before deciding. Not sure it would have done any good here, as I’d have been as puzzled then as now maybe. Opened well visually but the first sniff was swamped by a haze of pine forest with the hint of fresh fruit below. The palate likewise a drying, dominant pine needle flavour gives the beautiful fruit that lurks below a bit of a biff. It sort of looks like a cedary, raw oak flavour but it’s much more complicated and earthy too. All the publicity says it’s made using big, traditionally sized oak. Serralunga or barrel or both, beyond me. Nonetheless, despite the distraction there’s intense cherry, rose perfume, deep sweet stone stuff, all held in eternal tannin and pleasing acidity of real quality. I’ve a few more Massolino bottles to go, here’s hoping.

14.5% alcohol. Cork. Around $100 at the time?

Somewhere between 89 and 95 depending on how much you like pine forests.

2020 Gran Sasso Montepulciano d’Abruzzo

For not much money we may be getting something a nudge up from the bottom of the quality pyramid. I think it’s from a clever operation buying good grapes in quite a few regions and looking for something safe and clean but properly whence it comes too. In the days when friends would let me tell them what to put on their restaurants’ wine lists, this often helped financially and slid the pasta down nicely. A decade later and it’s still helping with the illusion that the wine budget’s OK. Maybe one of the better recent years? Vivid purple and red, clean, a punch of bramble fruit, fresh and preserved. Not that deep but the boisterous Monty skin tannin and crunchy acid are well under control, nipping the fruit but not imposing. There’s a volcanic smell and salami savoury lick that adds interest. Really well made. Bouncy fun.

13% alcohol. Screw cap. $15 well spent.

89 for sure, easily persuaded 90.

2021 Michele Chiarlo Palás Barbera d’Asti

The 2019 was such a good, straightforward bright and light crunchy fruit effort. This new vintage is even better. First day and it looked as simply delicious as the 2019 but given 24 hours of oxygen and there’s good indication of how 2021 may justify the early praise. Such a pretty red purple colour in appearance and flavour if you can taste colours? Freshly squished berries, bramble jelly, wine gums and that sort of gently caramelised jam Barbera brings to mind. Not much tannin but a whoosh of tart and ripe acidity cleans out the mouth and leaves it watering for more. Such a good foil for pizza that it’s far too easy to eat and drink and repeat till it’s all gone. Simple pleasure indeed.

13.5% alcohol. Screw cap. $19 in a Murphy’s six.

91 points.

Of the others in this month’s Murphy trials….

2019 Cantina di Montalcino Rosso di Montalcino

Volcanic amount of sulphury reduction that didn’t really let go over two days. Underneath the smoke and bitter swell there’s some good acidity and Sangio tannin but it would have been good to actually taste it

14% alcohol. Diam. $26.60

87 points.

2018 Guillaume Gonnet Monsieur Grenache VdT

Oh dear, this is what happens when a lot of H2S turns into mercaptan. Filthy and undrinkable.

14% alcohol. Screw cap. $13 member’s special.

N R

2019 Pala i fiori Cannonau di Sardegna

A friend who’s much more energetic when it comes to battling those free retail tastings thoughtfully emailed his view of a Prince Wine Store event in deepest South Melbourne. The theme was wine from the European islands. What about Grenache from Sardinia I demanded? Seems there was some Cannonau as it is called thereabouts I was corrected. They included a not too bad one from a maker named Pala. New one for me I, my failing memory blanked. That’s two memory lapses about very important wine things. I should also pay more attention to bids at auction. Amongst them was this bottle from Pala, a welcome sort of coincidental memory fart for once. Just medium weight, a little developed, there were cherry syrup and red fruit things. A good clean crunch of, here we go again, rocky earthy minerals. I’m heartened proper describers of wine sometimes resort to those vague words. The earthy combination of flavour and texture seemed nicely sweet too. Lower acidity and glycerol smooth gave the feeling of gentle but still strong fruit quality. Nonetheless, a savoury tilt and those rocks made me think more of Spain than the Rhone or South Australia. Time for more Grenache journeys.

13.5% alcohol. Nomacorc sugar cane seeking closure. $22 at auction which is a bit less than retail. Phew.

91 points.

2013 Paolo e Lorenzo Marchionni Poggio della Bruna L’Erta Toscana Sangiovese IGT

Shared at the table with the 2008 Vietti Castiglione and again no proper note but equally worth a shout. From what seems a small producer near Florence and only made in good vintages. Spotlessly clean, gently extracted and just a touch of good clean oak. Simply perfect, gently savoury Sangiovese, dark cherry, that sweet leather and bitter almond paste to close. Exquisitely fresh and ripe sweet tannin settled into mouthwatering acidity. Not for those seeking hefty, power packed Brunello but for us who value quiet charm. Reminds me of those lovely Castell’in Villa Chianti. This and the Vietti were the best of Italians with impeccable table manners. Perfetto indeed.

14% alcohol but again no sense of heat. Cork? What a thoughtful dinner guest to bring such treats.

94 points plus a bit for quiet deliciousness.