This was the second big Italian tasting this Autumn with one bad innovation, for Belgium; the charging of an entry fee of €15, with no offset against purchases. As usual with these two big Italian importers, there were many times more wines on show than I am capable of assimilating. Both charge discouragingly high prices for retail customers but this one often has interesting bin-ends.
Another difference from the first Italian importer’s tasting was that here the tasting hall and, consequently the red wines, were not overheated; indeed some of the Italian exhibitors wrapped themselves in woollies and scarves and apologized for their reds being insufficiently warm; personally I much prefer this. In spite of the entry fee, the hall was very crowded and it was often a struggle to get to the few spittoons. As a result, I missed out one or two interesting estates where the spittoons were especially inaccessible.
This year I decided to stick mostly with familiar estates. Let us go clockwise starting with Friuli, then going down the Adriatic coast and returning through Tuscany to Piedmont.
Roncùs – Capriva del Friuli (GO)
This was the one unfamiliar estate in my selection and I was impressed. I am not normally a fan of Pinot Bianco IGT but this 2005 (€18) was nicely crisp with good “gras” and was less heavily perfumed than the Alsatian one from Ginglinger tasted last week; 15.5/20.
Sauvignon IGT 2006 (€19) had characteristic gooseberry and grapefruit notes and was beautifully crisp but with more amplitude and generosity than most Sancerre and Kiwi; 15.5/20++.
Collio Tocai Friuliano 2006 (€19) showed aromas of grapefruit, rhubarb and liqueur on a generous palate with an attractive grapeyness; 15.5/20++.
Collio Roncùs bianco Vecchie Vigne 2004 (€27), from Malvasia 70%, Tocai 20% and Ribolla Giallo 10%, showed soft orange notes in its aromas and was full, fragrant and fruity with some complexity; 16/20.
Val di Miez IGT 2004 (R) (€21), made from Merlot 85% and CabFranc 15%, was leathery and characterful with good red fruit and tang; jam free and more to my taste than most Merlot from outside Bordeaux; 15.5/20++.
Fattoria Zerbina near Faenza, Romagna
High quality is being achieved here. The Sangiovese fruit here seems a tad sweeter and less acidic than most in Chianti-land.
Tergeno IGT 2006 (W) (€16), 50% Albana di Romagna and 50% Chardonnay, showed nicely burnished aromas with mineral notes and a round palate with a touch of sweetness balanced by minerals and good acidity; 15.5/20+.
Sangiovese di Romagna Superiore (“SRS”) Ceregio 2007, 100% Sangiovese, showed aromas of round red fruit with nerve and white meat touches and a savoury palate with a fine tang and only a touch of roughness on the finish; 15.5/20+.
SRS Torre di Ceparano 2004 (€15), 90% Sangiovese with Merlot, Syrah and Ancelotta, was more muted but some fine fruit, touches of tar and a more tannic and linear structure; 16/20+.
Marzieno IGT normally contains 70% Sangiovese, 15% Cab Sauv and the balance Merlot and Syrah but, in the difficult 2002 (€26) vintage, Sangiovese was reduced to 50%; it showed some sweet fruit, noticeable wood, a quite lean structure with good tension and elegance; 15/20.
Marzieno IGT 2004 was much fuller, rounder and more with wood fully absorbed but aromas somewhat closed; 16/20 with + potential.
SRS Pietramora Riserva 2004 (€35), Sangiovese 97% and Ancelotta, was a fine structured wine with complexity and needing more time; 16/20 with ++ potential.
Vallerosa Bonci, Cupramontana (AN), Marche
There was some carelessness with service temperatures here; the first white was too warm and the subsequent were too cold from an ice-bucket; these temperature differences probably influenced my impressions. These are wines from distinct terroirs not blends.
Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi (“VCJ”) San Michele 2006 (€17) was generously burnished with meat touches and usual VCJ tenderness; 15.5/20.
VCJ Le Case 2005 (€15) seemed to reveal more grapefruit and mineral notes; 15.5/20.
VCJ Pietrone Riserva 2004 (€23) was more complex and rich, burnished and long with mineral, pineapple and honey notes and a slight hot feel on the finish (alc.14%); 16/20.
Rosso Piceno Casa Nostra 1999 (€10), 90% Montepulciano and 10% Sangiovese, was ripe with nice dark fruit and leather veering towards the barnyard; not for the brett phobic; 15/20.
Masciarelli, Santo Martino sulla Marrucina (CH), Abruzzo
There is sad news that Gianni Masciarelli died prematurely aged 53 in June. His wife, Marina Cvetic, who is a qualified oenologist, has taken over the reins of this fine estate.
Trebbiano d’Abruzzo Marina Cvetic 2005 (W) (€39) belied this grape’s pedestrian reputation; complex exotic fruit, especially pineapple, and appealing minerals polished by a fine wood patina; 16/20.
Monteulciano d’Abruzzo (MdA) 2006 (€13) , their basic red, showed the usual robustness with lots of red and dark fruit, nerve and minerality and should be a worthy successor to now more complex 2004, my stock of which I have just finished; 15.5/20+.
MdA Valori 2006 needs more time being somewhat closed and seeming more raw than the previous but showing more substance and structure; 15/20 with +++ potential.
MdA Marina Cvetic 2004 (€23) showed fine aromas, depth, structure and length with a touch of rich liqueur soaked English fruit cake; still needs time for full expression; 16.5/20+.
Iskra Rosso IGT 2003 (€40), 100% Montepulciano, raised the stakes in richness of fruit cake and added prune and jammy notes; well structured; 16/20+.
Iskra Rosso IGT 2004 was more closed at this stage with some leather notes and showed greater complexity and class and more potential than the 03; 16/20+++.
MdA Villa Gemma 2004 (€67) is their flagship wine; I remember a 2000 which was impressively deep but rather too rich and unctuous for me; this one balances better the delicious fruit cake with acidity and structure; needs more time for full expression; potentially 17/20.
Tenuta Fontodi, Panzano in Chianti (FI), Tuscany
This is one of my favourite estates and most of its wine shone here by their extra class and distinction. They were presented by owner Giovanni Manetti.
Meriggio IGT 2007 (€19), Sauvignon 90% and Pinot bianco, showed a lot of grapefruit and a squirt of cat’s pee with good generosity but less crispness than from further North; I preferred Rocùs; 14.5/20 and perhaps more if the feline retreats.
Chianti Classico here, 100% Sangiovese, is always a lovely wine with some ageing potential and 2005 (€23) is more forward than usual with an exuberantly fruit nose and a supple palate with acidity, tang and structure present but less marked than in 2006 which was also more mineral, firmer, longer and needing more time; 15.5/20 ++ for 05; 16/20 with +++ potential for 06.
Chianti Classico Riserva Vigna del Sorbo 2004 (€43), with 10% CabSauv, was noticeably deeper, richer and more complex than the two previous but with as much tang and with some old book notes of maturity beginning to creep in; should still improve; potentially 17/20.
Flaccianello della Pieve IGT 2005 (€63), 100% Sangiovese, was quite closed but showed good substance, depth and structure for this soft vintage; 16/20 with +++ potential. Manetti claims that 2004 is something special and I can well believe him; 1990 is a wonderful memory.
Pinot Nero Case Via IGT (€38) is, IMHO, the least interesting wine in his line-up and poor QPR. 2006 had some rather soggy orange peel notes but was softly easy drinking; 14.5/20.
Syrah Case Via IGT is a different matter. 2000 (bin-end at €15) was ripe and complex with orange peel notes and generosity but with less cherry, acidity, rigour and finesse than the 96 which I bought last year; 16/20. 2004 (€43) was structured fresh, mineral and long more in the 96 mode but with additional ripeness and amplitude, I think; potentially 17/20.
Castello di Monastero, Castelnuovo Beradenga (SI), Tuscany
These wines were presented by owner, Lionello Marchesi, along with the wines from his Maremma and Montalcino estates. I thought that they were rather overshadowed by Fontodi.
Sangiovese Toscana IGT 2005 (€11), 100% Sangiovese, was fruity and simple with “bonbon” notes; 14/20.
Chianti Superiore Montetondo 2005 (€13) also had good fruit and was broader with malt notes; 14.5/20.
Chianti Classico Toscana 2005 (€16), with 10% CabSauv, was more closed but rounder with more class and tang; 15/20+.
Morellino di Scansano Poggio alle Sughere 2006, with 10% CabSauv, pointed up very nicely the difference between Maremma and Chianti; it was more warmly generous with les nerve and tang; 15/20.
It is hard to believe that Rosso di Montalcino Coldisole 2006 (€19) comes from the same grape variety and management and the same broad area as the previous wines here; the aromas and palate were strongly marked by orange peel and there was already an impression of evolution; 14/20.
Brunello di Montalcino Coldisole 2003 (€45) was much better with round substance and a lot of rich fruit cake but a lack of tension and nerve, probably due to the hot vintage; 15.5/20++.
Gaja, Barbaresco (CN), Piemonte
Langhe Sito Moresco 2006 (€39), made from Nebbiolo 35%, CabSauv 30% and Merlot 35%, was quite deep and dark in its fruit but not especially distinctive; 15.5/20.
Barolo Da Gromis 2003 was darkly round and richly suave; 16/20.
La Ghibellina, Gavi (AL), Piemonte
I first met this estate at last year’s tasting and so liked their Gavi that I bought some and rapidly drank it up.
Gavi di Gavi Mainin 2007 (€13) is delightfully refreshing with its white fruit, juicy acidity and minerals; 15.5/20 ++.
Gavi di Gavi Altius 2006 (€15), which is made from old vines and sees 4 months barrique ageing, is more complex and slightly richer than the previous with tropical fruit notes combined with similar bright minerality; 16/20++.
Monferrato Rosso 2004 (€18) was quite tannic and dense with dark fruit, toffee, which I dislike, and leather; 14.5/20.
Montaribaldi, Barbaresco (CN), Piemonte
It is a pity that mainly 2005s were shown here because they seemed to lack nerve.
Roero Arneis 2007 (W) (€11) was nicely fresh and mineral without quite the focus of the Gavis; 15.5/20.
Both Dolcetto d’Alba Vagnona 2005 (€11) and Barbera d’Alba La Consolina 2005 (€11) were disappointingly soft though easy drinking; 13.5/20.
Barbaresco Palazzina 2005 (€33) was also quite soft but was fuller with some tang and structure; 15/20.
Barbaresco Sori Montaribaldi 2004 (€37) was better with more finesse, structure and a fragrant finish; 15.5/20++.
Barbaresco Ricu 2004 was richer but less structured; 15/20+.
Pira & Figli, Barolo (CN), Piemonte
Dolcetto d’Alba 2006 (€12) was an altogether more exciting proposition than the Montaribaldi; lively fresh fruit with minerals, leather and a bright tang; 16/20.
After this, Barbera d’Alba 2004 (€19) was quite disappointing with some brightness peeping through its evolved orange peel notes; 14/20.
I thought that Barolo Cannubi 2003 (€63) had more personality than the suave Gromis from Gaja with fragrant notes of violet and raspberry and good finesse in a difficult hot year; 16/20++.
Bin-ends
I was very pleased with the Sassella Valtellina from Sertoli Salis and the Gattinara from Monsecco which I bought last year, so this time I tried Grumello 1998 from the former and Ghemme 1985 from the latter but found both over-ripe and on the verge of breaking up.
However, I leapt upon Alto Adige Pinot Nero Barthenau Vigna S. Urbano 1995 Hofstätter (€15) because I remembered it from 2 years ago (then €34) as perhaps the finest Pinot Noir which I have had from outside Burgundy and Champagne. It still had the same beautifully complex fruit, with a lot of cherry, velvety mouth-feel, elegance and length but had perhaps lost some freshness; still well worth buying a few bottles, though; 16/20++.