Notes took a while to write up, but eventually did it. A big nod to Tom Hill for the impetus to add the ramblings section at the bottom (Not in the class of the wee bloody pulpit of course!).
Decanter Italian tasting 17th May 2008
Format is just short of 100 producers, often with the owner/winemaker at the table. Anywhere from 1 to 7 wines per producer. These events have their limitations, not least the overcrowding, but are good for getting general vibes.
Cusumano Noa 2005 Good Spicy nose with intense blackberry fruit. The fruit intensity is supported by the structure that hints at austerity, but perhaps all said and done, this is somewhat international in style. Oh well, doesn’t stop me enjoying it.
Jermann Vintage Tunina 2006 Great balance and poise except for having a shade too little acidity. There’s subtlety and depth here.
Jermann Were dreams… 2006 A touch of butter here but in an elegant style and this is really well balanced between fruit, minerality and barrel induced character. Both this and the Tunina impressed.
Anselmi San Vincenzo 2007 Classically styled , with a faint touch of sweetness that doesn’t detract or make the wine fat. Really good for their lowest level wine on show.
Anselmi Capitel Foscarino 2006 Great nose. Soave character? A clear yes, but with some lovely buttery complexity. Light on the palate but far from being short on flavour.
Anselmi Capitel Croce 2005 Very intense nettle aroma and shouts out as a great food wine.
Anselmi I Capitelli 2005 Nose is a stunningly pungent apricot with pineapple in support. It’s a fraction soft on the palate, lacking the level of acidity I’d like to counter the rich fruit sweetness. Complex finish and an impressive wine.
Masi Campofiorin 2005 Reserved nose, but blackberry and cherry fruit there. There’s good supporting acidity and it’s a wine that’s straightforward but balanced.
Masciarelli Trebbiano Castello di Semivicoli 2006 Late harvested, but not that you’d realise. The nose is subtle and slightly herby. There is some complexity, but this is perhaps a little too neutral. Would perhaps come into it’s own with food.
Masciarelli Villa Gemma Bianco 2007 The Chardonnay in the blend gives a little more on the nose. There’s a touch of nettle about the wine and the refreshing acidity points to a good, albeit not especially complex, food wine.
Masciarelli Iskra 2003 Solid nose and good tight body, lacking a little complexity now, but offering some potential for the short/medium future.
Masciarelli Villa Gemma Rosso 2003 Most complex nose of their wines and the palate is similarly complex. There’s fruit depth, yet an inherent tightness about the wine, which suggests a significant potential over medium term.
Masciarelli Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Marina Cvetic 2004 Tight blackberry nose, some oak influence which also comes through on the palate. There’s definite medium term potential here.
Candido Cappello di Prete 2004 Smoky nose, which also features on the palate and gets in the way of enjoying the wine. It’s also a little baked/fat, which is a shame as we’ve really liked this wine before and it usually offers fine value.
Candido Duca d’Aragona 2001 The nose shouts of sweet fruit and this was indeed true on the palate. The soft tannins, short finish and lack of sufficient acidity made for a big disappointment. Perhaps age might bring added complexity, but the lack of acidity worries me.
Terredora Fiano di Avellino Terre di Dora 2007 Sweet nose, but not replicated on the palate, which had a faint prickle and moderate complexity. More enjoyable than the note sounds!
Terredora Greco di Tufo Loggia della Serra 2007 Quite complex honeyed lemon nose, with a hint of nuts. Just a shade fat, but still interesting.
Terredora Falanghina 2007 A Sauvignon Blanc like nose but with a touch of sweetness on the palate. Simple, but still enjoyed this.
Terredora Taurasi Fatica Contadina 2001 Good complex nose, but surprisingly faint tannin and a little shy on the acidity. One to enjoy over the short term?
Mastroberardino Radici Fiano di Avellino 2006 Great nose, and with good nutty complexity in support to the fruit. Really enjoyed this and will seek this out again.
Mastoberardino Taurasi 2003 Soft for Taurasi, and a little fat, but the acidity was almost sufficient. It works ok now, but not likely to cellar well.
Mastroberardino Naturalis Historia Taurasi 2003 I thought this was meant to be the modern take on Taurasi – yet this had much more austerity / structure than the normale and it felt there was plenty in the tank to be released in time. Will keep an eye out for this one.
Mastroberardino Taurasi Riserva Centotrenta 1999 Also a good comparison to the Naturalis Historia, as this wine had more fruit depth, but lacked the same level of structure. I preferred the NH
Cantine del Notaio
La Stipula Spumante Metodo Classico Millesimato 2005 Something very wrong here – Unpleasant – perhaps a faulty bottle, but surely they tasted it on opening?
Cantine del Notaio La Firma Rosso 2005
Young, fruity, vanilla oak nose, fat and alcohol a touch prominent – not a winner for me.
Cantine del Notaio Il Sigillo Rosso 2004
Interesting notes of black olive and even a touch of petrol in this red, which had a very firm finish. Difficult to tell where this will go, could be an interesting cellaring gamble.
Cantine del Notaio L’Autentica Bianco Passito 2006 How often the dessert wines shine at large tastings, but this shone on merit. Great nose and equally attractive on the palate. The Malvasia adds a nice twist on the dominant Moscato. Will definitely look out for this one.
Massolino Chateau Barolo 2004 Young fruity nose and unsurprisingly no sign of age. However the tannins aren’t strong and the wine isn’t shouting out any great promise, so difficult to perceive future greatness.
Massolino Barbera D’Alba Gisep 2005 Youthful nose, just starting to open out and become more interesting. There’s perhaps a lack of freshness on the palate though (surprising for Barbera) giving it a somewhat dull edge.
Massolino Barolo Parafada 2004 Soft, sweet fruits on the nose, more grip and intensity than the normale and good refreshing acidity. Seems like it’s in good shape for the future.
Aldo Conterno Chardonnay Bussiador 2005 Subtle nose with some butter, nuts, but also a faint edginess to it (serving temperature too warm?). The palate showed great balance and decent length.
Aldo Conterno Langhe Nebbiolo Il Favot 2005 Vibrant purple in colour and showing some spice on the nose. There is nebbiolo character there and whilst balanced, was a little light in weight.
La Spinetta Langhe Nebbiolo 2005 Fairly plain nose, but perhaps showing a touch of orange. Distinctly odd palate and not pleasant. This, plus the table-hogging crowd at this table meant nothing else was tasted (a shame as I do like their Moscato’s).
Damilano Langhe Arneis 2007 Expressive nose of lemon, spice and gooseberry, with the palate adding a slightly sherbety feel
Damilano Chinato NV Pungent, spicy, twiggy nose with plenty going on. As ever (with Chinato), the sweetness is balanced by the twiggy grip more than acidity. It’s certainly an acquired taste, but one that I acquired a while back.
Pelissero Langhe Rosso Long Now 2005 Grapey nose with something high-toned that I can’t place. Soft and balanced for drinking now
Pelissero Barbaresco Nubiola 2004 Pleasant nose but somewhat lacking in charm
Cavallotto Langhe Nebbiolo Bricco Boschis 2005 A touch of fennel on the nose, good balance, subtle supporting tannins and a faint whiff of tobacco. A very good wine indeed for the price.
Cavallotto Barolo Riserva Vignolo 2001 More age on the nose than the Langhe Nebbiolo, with again a touch of fennel. Elegant with decent complexity. There’s good structure and balance to suggest more will come in time.
Cavallotto Riserva Bricco Boschis Vigna San Giuseppe 2001 The nose is very attractive and showing some age. The acidity in this wine is more prominent than the Vignola and this seems to throw the balance out a bit. I’d lay this one down for a bit to see if the acidity will soften.
Batasiolo Roero Arneis 2007 Neutral and blandly so
Batasiolo Barolo Corda della Briccolina 2003 High-toned nose, tight but also somewhat light and doesn’t seem to offer great prospect for the future..
Batasiolo Barolo Cerequio Better than the Briccolina and with a more typical nose. Austere and definitely needs time, but also lacks a little weight
Travaglini Nebbiolo Coste della Sesia 2005 A horribly oaky nose, but there’s a good structured wine below. Leave in the cellar (in hope).
Travaglini Gattinara 2003 Really nice balance and a good, long but subtle finish. Sotto Voce.
Travaglini Gattinara Riserva 2001 Beautiful nose – classic high class Nebbiolo. There’s quite spiky acidity and this makes it a little unbalanced (at least at this stage)
Travaglini Gattinara Tre Vigne 2001 A nutty, tobacco influenced nose. The wine is awfully tight now, with overpowering tannins and what appears to be quite a light elegant wine beneath.
Avignonesi Vino Nobile di Montepulciano 2005 Cherry fruited nose, also showing a little vanilla. Sadly nothing much to shout about from a DOCG I often enjoy and a producer I expect much of.
Avignonesi Desiderio Cortona 2005 Lovely rich, sweet fruited nose with a touch of spice. Supporting tannins and acidity back up cherry and almond complexity.
Avignonesi 50&50 Toscana IGT 2001 The nose is more reminiscent of Bordeaux, even cabernet based wines, with the Merlot perhaps bringing a greater richness of fruit. The balance is good and the two separate parts seem to gel well. Acidity is just strong enough but I’d have preferred a little ‘fresher’ acidity for long ageing.
Avignonesi Vin Santo 1993 If the other wines were good (the latter two were), this is off the scale. Treacly textured with a pungent toffee-laden and alcoholic nose. The palate is really stunning, in impact and complexity and the very long finish helps round out the picture. Stupidly expensive, but maybe, just maybe, it’s worth the price.
Selvapiana Chianti Rufina 2006 Cherry fruited and not overstated or over oaked. Noticeably dry, astringent even, but it does have balance still and I enjoyed this wine all the more for the understatement.
Selvapiana Chianti Rufina Riserva Bucerchiale 2004 Greater intensity than the normale, but still a classical chianti nose, and also ‘in character’ on the palate. This seems a very good reflection of the classic style but with more substance.
Col D’Orcia Rosso di Montalcino 2006 Simple, youthful and perhaps better in a year or two?
Col D’Orcia Rosso di Montalcino Banditella 2005 More body than the normale, with some tightness from the tannins
Col D’Orcia Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Poggio al Vento 1999 Very tight still, though holds some interest / prospects for the future
Col D’Orcia Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2002 An attractive nose and enjoyable now, but with some potential to develop further. Preferable to the 99 Poggio for current drinking.
Podere Brizio Colli Toscana Centrale IGT 2002 Light bodied, albeit with some structure and potential
Podere Brizio Leonensis Sant’ Antimo 2004 Similar to the Colli Toscana, but perhaps a touch more expressive
Podere Brizio Brunello di Montalcino 2000 Showed some good aged complexity and a balance that bodes well for the future
Roberto Bellini Pupa Pepu IGT 2000 A cab/merlot blend and internationally styled. Ho-hum.
Podere Brizio Brunello di Montalcino 2001 Preferred the 2000 normale, but maybe, when the oak has receded, things might change.
Umberto Cesari Polvere di Stelle Sangiovese Cabernet Sauvignon Rubicone IGT 2004 Crass Bottle. The wine had a sherbety edge, but that aside was a soft good quality quaffer, but nothing more.
Umberto Cesari Liano Sangiovese Cabernet Sauvignon Rubicone IGT 2004 Thankfully a normal bottle. The wine inside is 70% Sangiovese and 30% Cabernet and has a great floral, light, fruity nose. Over-prominent Vanilla suggests heavy handed oak treatment, but that aside, a good quaffer. Not sure how different the treatment of this and the previous wine was, nor how subconsciously I’d been put off the previous one.
Umberto Cesari Tauleto Sangiovese Rubicone IGT 2003 90% Sangiovese - I didn’t note the other grape(s). Very impressive with a real sense of class on the nose and subtle structure to the wine. Very impressive and had shades of Piemonte about it.
Drei Dona Il Tornese Chardonnay 2006 ‘Some nuttiness’ was all I wrote down.
Drei Dona Turno Sangiovese 2006 Cherry fruited, with a tannic grip, but overall a light body but with some class.
Drei Dona Pruno Sangiovese Riserva 2004 More class than the Turno and the structure is fine. Really liked this and felt there was more to come
Isole e Olena Cabernet Sauvignon IGT Toscana 2001 Quite a linear wine, but with good acidity and fine but persistant tannin. Not really of much interest now, but has the balance and structure to age well and may emerge as something much more interesting in time.
Ramblings
o Great quality throughout from Anselmi. After previously struggling with Pieropan, this is much more to my tastes and will definitely be one to look out for in the future.
o Masciarelli. Discussion at this table helped bring full confirmation that the general attitude of the punters at the event sucked. In such a busy & enclosed environment, there was a lot of impatience/rudeness on show and it was at this table it was clear that my own impressions had been shared by the lady serving the wines. This really is not an ideal way to taste wines and perhaps pushes the event more towards the ‘booze-up’ style of drinking. TBOTO pointed out how much better the experience is touring round the regions… and how much better the wines show. A very astute observation on reflection.
o Masciarelli -the wines. The whites didn’t excite me, but I did like the lack of showiness in the reds. I’d certainly like to try one with some age on it.
o Sangiovese/Brunello. We tried. Honestly. We even tasted some good sangiovese wines at this event. However to get really enjoyable wines, it seems trading up towards the top end is the best strategy, yet rarely can they offer anything near value for money. The better wines on show were also a little young and at times were a frustrating experience, especially true of the Brunello wines. I suspect a somewhat barren hunting ground for my tastes.
o Temperature. There were plenty of people there and poor facilities for keeping wines cool (many of the punters mistook the iced water in front of the tables as an additional spittoon). This led, on the whole, to wines being served at a higher than ideal temperature and in some cases (especially the Sangiovese wines I suspect) caused the wines to show very poorly. If I were a producer I’d have wine-cooler sleeves, or my own iced water behind the stand. I’d hate to think poor organisation would be allowed to damage my wines’ reputation amongst so many people.
o Aldo Conterno. Maybe they didn’t bring enough wine, or maybe the punters were cherry picking the producers (more than usual), but after two passes where the crowd was too big, space eventually appeared, but by then they were down to 2 wines. It would have been good to taste the Barolo Romirasco as I’ve not tasted it before, but having tasted earlier vintages of the Barolo (BS) and Conca Tre Pile, I felt happy that I got to taste the two complete unknowns (to me) of the Chardonnay Bussiador & Nebbiolo Il Favot. This was the one table where the Decanter tasting ‘cherry-picking’ syndrome seemed most prevalent.
o Cavallotto. First chance to taste their wines and a very good first impression. Will be keen to visit next time we’re in Barolo area.
o Umberto Cesari Polvere di Stelle. This one got the full eye-roll from me. Picking out a semi-random wine from their list, as the lady reached for the bottle studded with Swarovski crystals my spirits dropped. My expression said it all and I don’t think the lady serving had bought into the benefits of the packaging either. Not the first winery to do such a thing and I’m sure not the last. Frankly it’s embarrassing, fit only for the worst sort of retro dinner party.
o Drei Dona: We’d first encountered one of their wines in an old (Copernicus was a past patron) wine bar in Ferrara, Italy. That wine was a cabernet dominant wine called Magnificat and it certainly impressed. As it turned out it wasn’t on tasting (they really have a very limited distribution in UK and it’s a small production wine). Anyway, we got their details and on a short break in Forli (nr. Bologna) contacted them for a visit. We only tasted 3 out of the 4 wines at the decanter tasting and sadly we gave the Graf Noir a miss, as on tasting at the winery it impressed greatly. Worth a small detour for anyone flying into Bologna (sic.) Forli airport via Ryanair.
o Isole e Olena: Missed the Cepparello, as to be honest I preferred a 1994 Syrah from them over the 1993 Cepparello – so figured the Cabernet would be worth a try.
regards
Ian
Very well done