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+--- Thread: Italian night...14 wines :) (/thread-7710.html)
- TheEngineer - 04-04-2008
Went for an Italian wine lesson one night and got to try a nice selection of stuff, especially Aglianico's which I really do like. They can be approachable and forward but can also be a cousin to the Petite Syrah as it can bash you around a bit with its power.....at least that is how it feels to me. Lots of spitting...trust me [img]http://wines.com/ubb/smile.gif[/img]
2006 Santa Maria LaPalma Aragostra Vermantine de Sardegna DOC. Veyr light, straw yellow. Very light floral nose, some hints of fizziness still, tart, super clean, focused, low in complexity, starfruit, great acidity, perfect lunch seafood wine. About $15
2006 Doliannova San Pantalco Prendas Vermentino de Sardegna DOC. Same area, same grape, same vintage, sooooo different. This one is denser, riper, a bit more flabby, spicy, apple notes, mineral finish. While there is more to this wine, stylistically, I prefer the previous wine. About $15
2006 Statti Greco Calabria. This had a very floral nose, slightly off dry, like a muscat, hint of paint thinner, bitter finish and tart, fresh. About $15
2006 FalanghinaSannio De Feudi Di San Gregorio Campania DOC. color was pale yellow with a hint of green. This one had a more muted nose, green apples, slightly off dry, stemmy, tart and very fresh. Good persistence too. About $15
2004 Feudi Dan GGregorio Fiano Di AVellino Pietracalda DOCG. Pale gold wine, nose of white port, very dense, powerful, strangley a little beefy, some chinese medicine, nice density of flavours, high acidity, very tart, some oxidative notes. About $30
2006 Santa Maria La Palma Le Bombarde Cannonau di Sardegna. Made from Nero D'Avola. Rather floral, spicy, very fruit forward, Slightly off-dry, velvety mouthfeel, raspberry, and ready to drink
2006 Stratti Gaglioppo Calabria. Nose of dark cherries, slightly meating, dense flavours. Plummy, rounder mouthfeel, and lower in tannins but alcohol notes. This is a very huggable wine. Like a soft pillow with gummybears on top....maybe I'm getting too tired to type..
2004 Tenuta Le Querce Il Viola Basilicata DOC. Wow, this wine is almost black and very dense. The first Aglianico of the tasting [img]http://wines.com/ubb/smile.gif[/img] . Wow, great nose of beef Boullion, dense prune, rather pleasant chinese medicine, tannic still but hard but manageable....All for about $17.
2004 Gravello Val Di Neto. Combination of (60% Gaglioppo and 40% Cabernet Sauvignon). This one could take a bit more bottle time. Rather forward again smooth, Nose of dense ripe fruits, and a smoky bacon. The high Cab add percentage certainly gave this wine a backbone. While many in the group liked it, I thought that the combo was kinda strange. Gaglioppo is soft and round and bright and huggable... then mixed with this very serious cab with gave it structure and backbone. Kinda like a Drew Barrymore that can Kung Fu fight....err..maybe that is why people like Charlie's Angels...
2005 Rubrato Aglianic Dei Feudi Dan Gregoria IGT. More fruit yet still very dense in flavours. slightly off dry,Brooding red and black fruits, very sense in flavours.
2001 Cantine Antinori Caggiano Vigna Macchia Dei Goti. Very dark in colour. Nose is very mushroomy, chinese medicine, prune, wooding, and very tannic. Feels like you walked into a Lacquer store. Probably my wine of the night. Love these Aglianicos, about $48.
2001 Cantina del Notario, La Firma, Aglianico del Vulture, Deep nose, Very dark. bright tannins, dense, red cherries, brooding. THis was the second wine that I absolutely loved that night. About $48 Also, you gotta be a confident guy to order a wine called La Firma....... [img]http://wines.com/ubb/smile.gif[/img]
[This message has been edited by TheEngineer (edited 04-04-2008).]
- brappy - 04-04-2008
Great notes Eng.... While I don't know any of the wines, your notes make me want to know them. Thank you!
mark
- dananne - 04-05-2008
Thanks for taking the time with these great notes. I had made a New Year's vino resolution to get better acquainted with Italian wines, but have done nothing to date, save for a few middling Dolcettos and a Nero d'Avola (a variety that I find I quite like, actually). This list gives me a few ideas on how to approach my exploration. Again, thanks!
- TheEngineer - 04-05-2008
You guys are too kind! I also love Nero D'Avola, two varietals that while they might not topple Nebbiolo and Sangiovese, are nontheless very compelling.
The whites were in general all great buys for around $15. They were all food whites, meaning high acidity and clean. The only one not fitting this category was the Thre brioo(sp?) winning 2004 Feudi Dan GGregorio Fiano Di AVellino Pietracalda DOCG which was as dense as some heavy chards.
The Reds, 2006 Santa Maria La Palma Le Bombarde Cannonau di Sardegna, 2006 Stratti Gaglioppo Calabria and the 2004 Gravello Val Di Neto are...well do you ever go to a restaurant and want to order an italian red and then look across the table and realize that you would be the only one drinking it...these are NOT that type of italian. They were very approachable, forward, fruity.....i.e. err...not very italian. I preferred some of the more ..err...manly stuff that came after these but the previous ones were eminently doable wines.