Some wines from Italy that tasted pretty good to me!

Why is Italy such an exciting country for wine lovers, while France is such an intimidating one. It's not like Italy is any easier to understand. The regions still tend to give name to the wine and you don't even have the comfort of well known grape varieties to give you an idea what you're getting. For me it's the earthy generosity of the wines and above all ripe reds and fragrant zesty whites which compliment the equally rustic and deceptively simple cuisine of Italy.

I will be coming back to Italy and Looking at particular regions in future posts so this is just a catch up of a few Italian wines I've had recently that seemed particularly good value.

Barolo, Piedmont, Italy 2010
Nebiolo 14.5%
Lidl £11.99

This has the classic aroma of rose and generous sweet red fruit on the palate without being overly concentrated or extracted. It has some balanced tannin which gives it a dryness and bite on the finish but at no point seems too much for the wine, which you might expect at this sort of price.

This was a well balanced and enjoyable wine and a cut above the usual supermarket Barolo fare. It has some of the elements that you might expect in a wine twice the price while not having the class or concentration of the more expensive stuff it has more than you expect for twelve pounds. This has something like the feel of place that I look for in fine wines and for that alone it has to be worth the entry price.
19/20 for Value 18/20 for Barolo where money is no concern.

Asti, Piedmont, Italy
Dolcetto 12%
Marks and Spencer, £6.99

This is pretty cheap and cheerful fare too not quite as juicy as the Frapatto( mentioned in an earlier post) but with plenty of summer berry fruityness. This comes from Piedmont the same region as the Barolo but is a million miles removed from the weight and complexity of those wines.

This is another fresh and fruity summer red with a nice sideline in mouthwatering acidity. Lovely cherry aroma and blueberry blackcurrant on the palate this is a slightly simple even one dimensional wine but tastes as fresh as if the grapes were picked last week.
18/20

Alba, Piedmont, Italy
Barbera 14%
Ascheri 2008 £10-15

Now were back to something with some weight, from the wonderful Ascheri stable this is all dark fruit and autumn spice. This is Piedmont again and balances somewhere between the Barolo and the Dolcetto. It has the vibrancy and fruityness of the Dolcetto and some of the weight and character of the Barolo.

A wine to suit fans of New World wines this has a real ripe and juicy blackberry/plum/damson thing going on getting close to jammyness. It has a nice rounded lush weight in the mouth that makes it feel a bit serious and satisfying without it getting dry or oaky. Most of the vineyards around Alba are planted with the more illustrious Nebbiolo grape so Barbera is more often to be found in the fruity and easy drinking style from Asti but wines like this show the grape can give something altogether more dense and intriguing.

A really lovely wine from an excellent company who rarely make anything less than excellent wines.
18.5/20

Veneto, Italy 2010
Corvina Rondinella Molinara 15%
Masi Amarone Costasere £30

Might just be in my top 10 of Red wines for the last twelve months. This is the real deal from the guys who re-introduced the apasimento method and it is simply brilliant. Made with grapes that have been allowed to dry over the winter so all the flavour and sugar is concentrated and then fermented slowly to extract as much of everything that can be extracted. This wine is like the amp in spinal tap that goes up to 11 its just that bit more.

 Fabulously concentrated and rich the wine has an opulence that makes you slow down and relax into the glass. It's not over done but it has a presence that is not about huge oaky savour or tannic heavyness it's much more welcoming and relaxed than that. Again the balance is very fine and the fruit, the alcohol, the tannin are all there giving a structure that holds all the other elements in place allowing them to unfold slowly as you work your way down the glass or the bottle.

I've said in the past that there is a danger with wines from regions or producers that have a reputation of being underwhelmed, well that is not a problem here. This is everything that a red wine drinker could possibly hope for layers of flavour and aroma that develop from one sip to the next. One second cherry and the next cedar and liquorice but all the time staying alive and fresh.

This wine is like Cassius Clay before he became Mohammed Ali hard to put your finger on but with a mighty wallop.
19.5/20

Sicily, Italy 2012
Nero D'avola & Syrah 13%
Donnafugata Sherazade £12.99

This Sicilian red is based on Nero D'Avola and while it has good intense black fruit aromas and some spicy depth on the palate it does not have a heavy tannic weight. This again is that lovely balance of generous fruit and rustic earthiness that makes so many Italian wines a joy.

It's not that this is short on class or complexity but that it retains the warmth  and carefree pleasures of a weekend somewhere warm. From the cool label to the modern winemaking everything about this wine oozes a relaxed self confidence. The grapes are given a relatively short period in contact with the skins and aged briefly to let flavours develop without becoming too overwrought or jammy. The morello cherry and plum flavours remain fresh and bright while acidity and tannin balance to give structure without dominating. An enjoyable wine for al fresco dining with some good olives, salami and crusty bread.
18/20

Gavi de Gavi, Piedmont, Italy
La Toledana 2013 £11.99
Cortese 13%

Gavi is a wine I have developed a real soft spot for, whether it is because I am generally keener on Italian reds than whites that when I do find a region I enjoy I cling on for dear life or the balance between alsace florality and burundian richness. Whatever the reason I feel safe selecting Gavi when often I am underwhelmed by other Italian Whites.

So the Toledana is a pretty straight down the middle Gavi lovely white blossom floral aroma and clean citrus. The palate is washed by fresh acidity that sets your mouth watering then tart peachy apricot flavours make themselves known like a less rich viognier, the whole thing ends with a touch of chablis like flintyness. There are better Gavi around but as an introduction to the style and for sheer value for money this takes a bit of beating.
18/20

Soave Classico, Italy 2013
Pieropan 2013 £12.99
Garganega 12%

If you are feeling flush La Rocca is the single vineyard wine widely considered to be the best that Soave has to offer however even the entry level wine has huge class. Soave is within the Veneto region and uses the Garganega grape which in richer soil than that of  Soave often gives thin and disappointing wines.

However somehow late harvesting and poor soils combine to give something pretty special in the hands of the Pieropan family. They were the first to label their wines as Soave and the first to produce a single vineyard wine so not lacking in ambition or confidence. This is not simply a classic but a region defining wine and like Kellogs it remains the original and the best.

Pieropan's wines have a lightness and freshness on the palate which makes it elegant and refreshing yet they are not thin or weak and have a mouthfilling intensity of flavour. The aromatic brightness of spring blossom is matched on the palate by lime and sweeter more tropical fruit which finishes with a hint of buttery nuttiness. If you are used to Garganega being the supporting act to Pinot Grigio in supermarket wines then you owe it to yourself to find a bottle of this wine and have your eyes opened.
19/20

As ever if you've got any comments I'd love to hear from you.

Rhone

I recently attended a tasting by the Wine Society and worked my way diligently through the 30+ wines on show pausing only to nibble on a dry water biscuit every now and then. For those who do not know the Wine Society is a members only society set up to buy good quality wine for sale exclusively to it's members. Set up in 1874 it is a little old fashioned, but not out dated, has long standing relationships with many of its suppliers allowing it to negotiate some excellent wines and prices.

There are always plenty of people dressed in tweed and a good number of very fine waistcoats were in evidence also. I don't intend to dwell on any wines that didn't float my boat however what did become apparent over the course of the tasting was that price didn't always mean a more enjoyable glass of wine and that where price did indicate an upswing in quality it was often slight. There are no scores as only a brief impression was gained but here we go.


Domaine Barou, Condrieu 2013 £29

Condrieu is a wine made from the Viognier grape in tiny quantities hence the price tag there were three Condrieu on the tasting and for my money this was the best of the bunch. The aroma was floral and pretty, lovely mouthwatering acidity which gave balance on the palate to the bright peachy stonefruit. This was broad and mouthfilling without being flabby and a wash of lingering minerality on the finish. Quite light and sprightly on the palate there was a very fine elegance to this wine which would happily pair with Lobster, Crayfish or good meaty Scallops.

The Domaine is a small family affair producing wines in St Jospeh and in Condrieu producing organic wines. The yield is carefully controlled to increase the quality of the fruit and the use of sulphur is minimised through the use of companion crops. Whether it is fair to say this care and commitment is reflected in the wine is impossible to say but it certainly stood head and shoulders above the other whites for me.

However I will give a nod to Domaine Villard Contour de Mairlant Marsanne which at 12.50 a bottle had some real freshness and verve and while lacking the depth of the Condrieu had a smattering of its class.

Domaine Courbis, Cornas Champelrose 2006 £23 and Cornas Sabrotte 2010 £38

Cornas is a smallish appellation below the larger St Joseph and it's South facing vineyards give wonderfully ripe Syrah fruit that is often the first to be harvested across the Northern Rhone. Both these wines exhibited real concentration of flavour without ever straying into jammy over extraction. There was a savoury almost herby oilyness with the Sabrotte just ramping this up slightly and offering a bit more balance and depth but both wines exhibited a significant degree of class. I haven't really mentioned fruit because it was there but in a Timothy Spall backgroundy kind of a way.
Certainly these had more complexity and depth than anything from the Southern end of the Rhone Valley and indeed for me outshone the more illustrious wines from Cote Rotie which seemed a touch simple in comparison, especially to the Sabrotte.

Domaine Villard Seul en Scene Terre de Vienne 2007 £30

With hopes to achieve appellation status for these vineyards across the river from Cote Rotie this may represent an interesting region to keep an eye on. The wine had more than a hint of the vegetal green pepper note that can be evident on Syrah but the fruit on the palate had a real sweetness and vivacity which suggested a wine of some energy despite having spent a few years in the cellar this was as sprightly as a puppy and equally good fun.

The Syrah L'Appel des Sereines 2012 at £11.50  was a much lighter proposition but still very enjoyable made from younger vines from St Joseph predominantly this had a nice warming peppery spice and red fruit with a little tannin giving it a backbone. There is plenty to recommend both these wines and it probably depends on the depths of your pockets or your curiosity which you would plump for.

Domaine Maby Lirac Blanc La Fermade £9.50
Tavel Prima Dona £9.95
Lirac Rouge La Fermade £9.95

The Tavel Rose is Domaine Maby top wine from Tavel and iis utterly lovely mde to have more intensity than the normal french rose this is almost like a Clairette from Bordeaux in colour. There are red summer fruits of all complexions fresh raspberries, sweet strawberries and tart redcurrants rub against each other giving a liquid version of summer pudding without the sweetness. This wine is made from Grenache 55% and Cinsault 45% from a site on a plateau covered in the same kind of pebbles found in Chateau Neuf Du Papes.

The White has buckets of white blossom aroma and tropical fruit on the palate stopping short of pineapple sweetness but getting into mango kind of territory. A blend of Clairette Grenache Blanc and Picpoul which retains enough cleansing acidity to balance the big fruit and keep this wine light refreshing and moreish. If you fancy an alternative Kiwi Sauvignon this could be an interesting one to have a go at.

Lirac is on the other side of the Rhone from Chateau Neuf Du Papes and as mentioned shares similar soils and geography however thanks to rather too many dull wines it does not have the reputation of it's famous cousin across the river. The wines of Domaine Maby thankfully are not dull and have balance and finesse and crucially lots of tasty sweet dark fruit. The wines are alive and balanced with a clear pure definition to them which enhances the expression of the fruit while the finish is a little short it reinforces the simple and enjoyable nature of the wine which is one of the reasons the wines of Southern Rhone are so popular. This is serious wine for people who do not take life too seriously. there is plenty to enjoy but no need to spend hours in contemplation.

As you may have guessed Domaine Maby is the wine I will be putting my hand in my pocket to get in a case or two, of the Societies own wines the Cotes Du Rhone by Domaine Jaume was fabulous value while the Societies Exhibition Hermitage Rouge 2007 was a lovely example of a mature wine with still plenty of oompf.

Oh The Hops

Seems like everyone is all about beer at the moment and I mean that in a good way. The range and quality of beer is better than I have ever known it to be and the willingness of consumers to spend a couple of extra quid to get a tastier brew is a reflection of this. With all this in mind here are a few Saison style Beers I've had recently, sadly not a style we get too much of in the UK but maybe if we get a half decent summer this year a few local brewers might have a crack at it. It's also a very female friendly style of beer having a big clean fruity hoppy style and champagne like levels of fizz, that w
should win over even the biggest Sauvignon blanc devotee.

So you may already know what a Saison is but some of you may not and this my understanding (it is probably wrong but hey). Back in the time before pubs beer was made on farms as a way of using up grain and making water safe to drink. It was also co-opted by the church to make festivals and celebrations a bit more fun. Harvest time was a natural time for Farmers and Churches alike to celebrate the bounty of the earth by putting as many fresh and tangy hops into a beer as possible. The good people of Wallonis decided while were at it, why not make it twice as strong as the usual stuff we drink all day and enjoy the mellow fruitfullness of the season properly. Ok so probably not quite how it happened but it gives you the gist

Saison Dupont
Wallonia Belgium 6.5%
£7 70cl

Saison Dupont is like Champagne in Beer form. Not only is it sealed with a cork, it also has a tendancy to spray everywhere like you've just won a grand prix, so open with care.

After all that what's it like well the beer itself is very golden and light in colour with a slight haze sort of like a malt whisky that has got too cold. It has a clean and fresh grassy note on the nose supported by malty yeastiness with a touch of candyfloss. The palate has a wonderful lightness which makes it dangerously gluggable lots of fruity floral pear and peach type top notes a little breadth and fullness with the bready mid palate but it's the big dry slap of fresh floral hops at the end makes it a glass of unadulterated joy. Have this with a curry in winter and barbeque in the summer and you will be very happy.

20/20


Saison Vos
Sly fox Brewing company. 6.9%
approx £10 70cl

This 6.9% abv is a US Version of a Belgian Farmhouse Ale has so much in common with the Dupont it's kind of hard to really notice too much difference between the two. However when you taste them side by side you realise that this has a bit more depth and weight to it a fuller malty savour which gives it even more substantial food friendly presence. Its golden with a slight haze and has plenty of peachy fruity citrus in there both on the aroma and the palate. This is less of a frothy fizzy explosion but is still light and refreshing and has plenty of sparkle perhaps more the distinction between a vintage champagne and non vintage in respect of a comparison with the Dupont. If pushed I would have to say the complexity of this makes me want to say I prefer this but the Dupont is so damn yummy in a not even having to think about it kind of way that I'd go for that, but this is a fantastic
beer for all that.

19.5/20

St Lupulin
Odells Brewing Co. 6.5%
£2.99 35cl 

There's some nonsense about the patron saint of hops or some such guff on this very lovely label. Lupulin is a compound in hops which can also be bought on herbal high websites with a whole range of soporific qualities verging on the miraculous. Its dry hopped giving some of the fresh summery floral hoppy character so evident in the previous two. A lovely golden colour with less persistent carbonation than in the larger bottles. There is a touch of drier hop bite on the finish of this one which is less evident in the richer Vos Saison and acts as a wonderful palate refresher.This is not quite as Champagne-like as the other two this is much more of a big fruity hoppy beer as anyone who might regularly drink an IPA would understand it and enjoy. Fresher and lighter perhaps than an IPA but still with that big bitter hop character that we have gotten a bit addicted to .. maybe there's something in that herbal high stuff after all.

19/20

If you wanted an English equivalent to these styles of beers you are looking for something with a big hit of hops and a quite light dry body balanced by alcohol around the six to 8% mark which points us in the direction of a decent IPA maybe like the Kernel below. However what you miss from this style is the lovely fresh hop note that the Saison Dupont throws at you like a bucket full of flowers.

So this summer I'm gonna ditch the Pinot Grigio and Prosecco in favour of a bottle or two of something Saison shaped.