Manzone, Barolo, Santo Stefano, 1998
Light cherry-maroon colored. Floral prune stink, along with some mint & catsup. In the mouth, much tight cherry Twizzlers®, betel juice, tight tannins...more powerful than elegant. Ok, I guess. It's still nebbiolo, after all.
Antico Brolio, Colli Orientali del Fruili, Schioppettino, 2003
Medium cranberry with violet highlights for the attractive color. On the nose are smoky perfumed dark redcurrants, while the palate shows off a fresher redcurrant juice, some rose oil, and fresh tobacco leaf, all very ripe but where lively acidity keeps it hopping. Lightly herbal on the end. Very nice to meet your acquaintance, Mr. Schioppettino!
Pieropan, Soave Classico, 2002
Tawney gold colored. Basket straw, and preserved field flowers, pickled, and not as fresh as the nose on this used to be. Calcified stalagmites with light ginger zest, feels a little aged in the mouth. Like spending time with an attractive older woman who wears her charms well but wishing you knew her during her younger years.
Stefano Mancinelli, Marche Rosso 'Rubrum', 2005
See-thru ruby red. Fragrant floral nose of roses and delphiniums. A light, flowery palate with mulberry notes and a slightly chalky ending. An inexpensive, freshly made bistro red that works great as asummertime picnic red. And only 12.5% alcohol(!)
Dolianova, Cannonau di Sardegna, 'Anzemas', 2005
Yes, this is grenache for you grenache-haters out there, so what? This is still a little adorable fruit puppy of a wine, like drinking liquid fruit punch with some anise and basket straw in the glass. Some sour plum on the finish. Even though alcohol is 13.5%, this shows thru with air time. Fun while it lasted, but not something I would load up on.
Michele Chiarlo, Barbera d'Asti 'Le Orme', 2004
Dark cranberry red colored. Floral redcurrants and rosy hibiscus on the aroma, echoed on the palate, with a bright singing acid and floral finish. Like a wine made from Red Zinger® teabags.
Vitanza, Brunello di Montalcino, 1998
Still blackish red colored. Cherry-licorice incense aromas. Black cherry cola, old strawberry preserves minus the sugar, stewed plums and old wooden closet, this is beginning to take on an aged patina finally, and I like it. Of course, I like sangiovese at this stage of development. Keeping it's own.
Monasterio Trappiste Vittorchiano, Vino da Tavola bianco 'Coenobium', 2005
From the cenobitic women somewhere in the centre of Italia comes this funky-assed white that delivers its package and lets you decide if God smiles upon His own. Color is a hazy pear-white, which makes sense, since Emidio Pepe has his hands in this project. Yellow plums and spring fruits, starfruit, a waxy texture, and the chalk dustiness I find in Trebbiano. A blend of several grapes, and good.