So, it's not technically rose season. Not that wines really have a season, but I always think of rose as a hot weather thing. But this one called my name, and I thought it would pair delicously with the chicken and olive vinaigrette I'm planning for dinner tonight. I must begin by emphasizing the fact that not all rose is a blush wine, a la Beringer or Riunite. It doesn't have to be sweet, and it doesn't have to be...nasty. In fact, I love rose. Roses just have a bad reputation, much like pitbulls, as a result of people mistreating them.
I'm not entirely sure what the blend of grapes is in this particular wine. Bardolino is the appellation, and also the type of wine (called Bardolino Chiaretto in the case of roses), but the grapes can be a blend of several, such as corvina, rondinella, and molinara. They are the same grapes used in Valpolicella, a wine that became one of my favorites after a trip to Venice a couple of years ago.
This wine is absolutely beautiful in the glass. One of the things I love about rose wines is the range of colors they can assume. This one is is salmon pink, weighted heavily on the orange side. The aromas aren't overly powerful - green apple and lime, with something weightier in the background, almost a smokiness.
Another thing I love about rose is its tendency towards creaminess with a hint of strawberries that comes after the acidity mellows out in the mouth. It doesn't always happen, but happily in this case it has. The wine is bone dry, and the first impression is of bracing acidity and a hint of effervescence. The wine then evolves a slight astringency and bitterness (there is some skin contact in the wine-making processes, which gives the wine its color, and can also lend depth of flavor and structure), then comes that delicious strawberries and cream. I'd be happy to drink roses all winter long!
Vintage: 2009
Grape: Unknown
Region: Italy, Veneto
Price: $15
My rating: 91/100
Showing posts with label Italy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Italy. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Saturday, January 1, 2011
2009 Villa Marchesi Pinot Grigio
I'm really supposed to be "drying out" after a long week of holiday wine consumption. (Thank you to those of you who opened your wine cellars for us - it was delightful! And I'm really nervous now that I know so many of you are reading this....)
Anyway, I'm having pasta for dinner, and I just can't do Italian without wine. It may actually be illegal in Italy (given how convoluted their wine laws are, it wouldn't be surprising). Tonight's wine is a Friulian pinot grigio with a medium-pale gold hue with even a hint of brown. Pinot Grigio grapes are actually quite pink for white wine grapes, so that can happen while the wine is still young. Some even pick up some pink from the skins.
The aromas are intensely fruity, with some delicious honeydew melon and pear, as well as honeysuckle and yeasty notes. Very intriguing! In the mouth, it's a tad flabby. It could use a little more acidity to counteract the slight sweetness and medium-high viscosity. That said, it's very smooth and I think it will pair nicely (because, frankly, it's a little bland) with my pasta.
Vintage: 2009
Grape: Pinot Grigio
Region: Friuli
Price: $11
My rating: 83/100
Anyway, I'm having pasta for dinner, and I just can't do Italian without wine. It may actually be illegal in Italy (given how convoluted their wine laws are, it wouldn't be surprising). Tonight's wine is a Friulian pinot grigio with a medium-pale gold hue with even a hint of brown. Pinot Grigio grapes are actually quite pink for white wine grapes, so that can happen while the wine is still young. Some even pick up some pink from the skins.
The aromas are intensely fruity, with some delicious honeydew melon and pear, as well as honeysuckle and yeasty notes. Very intriguing! In the mouth, it's a tad flabby. It could use a little more acidity to counteract the slight sweetness and medium-high viscosity. That said, it's very smooth and I think it will pair nicely (because, frankly, it's a little bland) with my pasta.
Vintage: 2009
Grape: Pinot Grigio
Region: Friuli
Price: $11
My rating: 83/100
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
2006 Vietti Barolo Castiglione
This wine was most definitely a splurge, though since I work in a wine shop it wasn't as expensive as it could have been. But I was on a search for an Italian wine that would compliment some unusual cheeses - namely Taleggio, Pecorino Toscano, and Robiola due Latte - to present as a pairing for a wine studies course I am taking. But even at the full price of $45, this wine is worth every penny.
The aromas are delicate and luscious - milk chocolate, sweet cherries, and violets. Just the perfume I would desire in a nebbiolo. In the mouth, it is certainly muscular and tannic, as nebbiolos tend to be, but the tannins are velvety and refined, not in the least coarse. They coat the mouth in the perfect way to make you yearn for some creamy cheeses or a savory steak. It's perfectly balanced and has a lingering, ethereal finish that most winemakers would give their left pinky for. It will be even better after it ages another year or two.
This is a wine for which I highly encourage you to go out of your way. 93.
Vintage: 2005
Grape: Nebbiolo
Region: Piedmont, Italy
Price: $45
My rating: 93/100
The aromas are delicate and luscious - milk chocolate, sweet cherries, and violets. Just the perfume I would desire in a nebbiolo. In the mouth, it is certainly muscular and tannic, as nebbiolos tend to be, but the tannins are velvety and refined, not in the least coarse. They coat the mouth in the perfect way to make you yearn for some creamy cheeses or a savory steak. It's perfectly balanced and has a lingering, ethereal finish that most winemakers would give their left pinky for. It will be even better after it ages another year or two.
This is a wine for which I highly encourage you to go out of your way. 93.
Vintage: 2005
Grape: Nebbiolo
Region: Piedmont, Italy
Price: $45
My rating: 93/100
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
2008 Villa Vallemaggiore Maremma Toscana Campostella
I'm on an Italy kick these days, it seems. This wine, also from Tuscany, is one of the so-called "supertuscans," which essentially means that the winemakers didn't follow the rules set out by the Italian government, thus there wine is not "classifiable." This particular winemaker broke the rules by blending 15% cabernet sauvignon into his or her sangiovese. This often has the effect of taming sangiovese's prevalent acid and tannins, making for a more approachable wine, in the international sense.
This one is a lovely medium crimson in the glass, obviously still quite young as it hasn't taken on any browns or oranges, even towards the rim. I feel like I can sense some of the cabernet sauvignon on the nose, as there is a distinct aroma of currants, some green pepper, and some oak. But in the mouth, this is most definitely a sangiovese. Sour city. The tannins aren't overpowering, but are fairly wooly and unrefined. I would classify this as a "rustic" wine. The finish is short and bitter, and there isn't much in the way of fruit on the palette. A little currant and spice, perhaps, but it isn't pronounced. This wine will be fine with dinner, but I wouldn't just sit down to a glass of it unaccompanied (often how I feel about sangiovese-dominant wines). 83.
This one is a lovely medium crimson in the glass, obviously still quite young as it hasn't taken on any browns or oranges, even towards the rim. I feel like I can sense some of the cabernet sauvignon on the nose, as there is a distinct aroma of currants, some green pepper, and some oak. But in the mouth, this is most definitely a sangiovese. Sour city. The tannins aren't overpowering, but are fairly wooly and unrefined. I would classify this as a "rustic" wine. The finish is short and bitter, and there isn't much in the way of fruit on the palette. A little currant and spice, perhaps, but it isn't pronounced. This wine will be fine with dinner, but I wouldn't just sit down to a glass of it unaccompanied (often how I feel about sangiovese-dominant wines). 83.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
2008 Poderi Sanguineto Rosso di Montepulciano
I am excited to taste this wine, not only because I've heard its praises sung several times, but also because I'm interested to see if I can taste the difference between wine from this bottle and the one I opened at a tasting at the wine shop a couple of weeks ago. Several of the wines at that tasting didn't perform up to expectations, and my colleagues and I wondered if they weren't experiencing some bottle-shock. Bottle-shock is a condition that wines undergo when they're disturbed in some way, such as in a rough transport. The flavors of the wine can become muted or disjointed for a few weeks following a "traumatic even."Some people do not believe that bottle-shock exists, and I haven't had much experience with it. I don't know if I'll be able to conjure up the experience of the wine from a few weeks ago, but we shall see.
The color is a deep garnet, darker than many sangiovese-dominant wines I've seen. But Rosso di Montepulciano is aged in oak at least one year, which can enhance color (and tannin). On the nose, I don't get a whole lot, but what I do get is delicate and perfumey. Some ripe red cherries, vanilla, and candied violets. In the mouth - heavenly! It is delicate but firm, with excellent balance between acid and tannin. It's a little hollow in the middle but the texture is creamy and the flavors are just lovely. There is a hint of juicy sweetness, cocoa, and toasty oak.
This wine is definitely not pure sangiovese - the acid and astringency are far too low. By Italian law, Rosso di Montepulciano must be at least 70%, but other grapes such as canaiolo nero and mammolo can also be added. Whatever blend was used, the wine is delicious, and I'm looking forward to pairing it with the sausage and polenta I have on the stove.
As for the bottle-shock, this wine tastes vastly different than the one I sampled in the shop. I remember a distinct stewed-tomato flavor in that wine, and it definitely lacked the delicacy of the bottle I'm tasting now. Certainly not proof that bottle-shock exists, but very interesting to note, nonetheless.
Recommended! 89.
The color is a deep garnet, darker than many sangiovese-dominant wines I've seen. But Rosso di Montepulciano is aged in oak at least one year, which can enhance color (and tannin). On the nose, I don't get a whole lot, but what I do get is delicate and perfumey. Some ripe red cherries, vanilla, and candied violets. In the mouth - heavenly! It is delicate but firm, with excellent balance between acid and tannin. It's a little hollow in the middle but the texture is creamy and the flavors are just lovely. There is a hint of juicy sweetness, cocoa, and toasty oak.
This wine is definitely not pure sangiovese - the acid and astringency are far too low. By Italian law, Rosso di Montepulciano must be at least 70%, but other grapes such as canaiolo nero and mammolo can also be added. Whatever blend was used, the wine is delicious, and I'm looking forward to pairing it with the sausage and polenta I have on the stove.
As for the bottle-shock, this wine tastes vastly different than the one I sampled in the shop. I remember a distinct stewed-tomato flavor in that wine, and it definitely lacked the delicacy of the bottle I'm tasting now. Certainly not proof that bottle-shock exists, but very interesting to note, nonetheless.
Recommended! 89.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
2005 Masciarelli Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Marina Cvetic San Martino Rosso
I'm sure there there is not-so-good Montepulciano d'Abruzzo out there - but I can't recall ever having one. Of course, I don't remember much about any wines I tasted before I really learned to taste. But this wine from Masciarelli certainly upholds my vision of Montelpulciano as a delicious wine.
It's dark, dark, dark in the glass, in fact a completely opaque ruby. Luckily I gave it a sniff before the chicken roasting in the often started to overpower it (wine may smell like many thinks, but chicken isn't generally a desired aroma). There are dark chocolate-covered cherries in this glass, some earth as well, though the aroma isn't intense - it's clear, but like I'm smelling it from far away, as a member of my tasting group said today (about a different wine). The chocolate is likely the influence of oak-aging, which can also impart vanilla, toasty, buttery, and caramel aromas and tastes, depending on the age of the barrel, the grape varietal, the level of charring in the oak, etc.
I think part of the reason I can't get a lot of aroma out of the wine (which is also making it hard to taste much) is that...it's really cold in my apartment and I think the wine would be a lot more expressive if I bit the bullet and turned up the heat. But....I'd rather spend my money on wine than gas bills....
The palate is quite dominated by some firm, scratchy tannins, which I think would have mellowed out a bit if I had opened the wine a year ot two from now. Right now, they're making my lips stick to my teeth and I'm wishing that chicken would hurry up and roast so I had something to eat with the wine. Ooooh, or maybe some nice pasta with marinara and spicy sausages....mmmmmmm.... The wine also has some pronounced acid that is making me pucker, but it's fairly well balanced out by some juicy red fruit and - believe it or not - black olives - on the finish.
Overall, a wine with excellent structure and potential to pair really well with a rich, Italian dish. By itself, the acid and tannins are kind of hurting me. Must go in search of cheese. I give it an 84.
It's dark, dark, dark in the glass, in fact a completely opaque ruby. Luckily I gave it a sniff before the chicken roasting in the often started to overpower it (wine may smell like many thinks, but chicken isn't generally a desired aroma). There are dark chocolate-covered cherries in this glass, some earth as well, though the aroma isn't intense - it's clear, but like I'm smelling it from far away, as a member of my tasting group said today (about a different wine). The chocolate is likely the influence of oak-aging, which can also impart vanilla, toasty, buttery, and caramel aromas and tastes, depending on the age of the barrel, the grape varietal, the level of charring in the oak, etc.
I think part of the reason I can't get a lot of aroma out of the wine (which is also making it hard to taste much) is that...it's really cold in my apartment and I think the wine would be a lot more expressive if I bit the bullet and turned up the heat. But....I'd rather spend my money on wine than gas bills....
The palate is quite dominated by some firm, scratchy tannins, which I think would have mellowed out a bit if I had opened the wine a year ot two from now. Right now, they're making my lips stick to my teeth and I'm wishing that chicken would hurry up and roast so I had something to eat with the wine. Ooooh, or maybe some nice pasta with marinara and spicy sausages....mmmmmmm.... The wine also has some pronounced acid that is making me pucker, but it's fairly well balanced out by some juicy red fruit and - believe it or not - black olives - on the finish.
Overall, a wine with excellent structure and potential to pair really well with a rich, Italian dish. By itself, the acid and tannins are kind of hurting me. Must go in search of cheese. I give it an 84.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)