Antinori Guado al Tasso Bolgheri

Antinori Guado al Tasso Bolgheri

Antinori's Guado al Tasso Bolgheri is the last Super Tuscan to get the Wine90 treatment this month. Antinori Guado al Tasso Bolgheri is a blended Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot wine in almost equal amounts with just a splash of Syrah (usually 5%). These Super Tuscans are ITG wines which means they don't have to follow any particular ratio of grapes or have a certain alcohol limit. So in different vintages, depending on the success of the harvest the ratios can alter. However, most producers try to stick closely to previous vintages to keep some continuity in the brand. Blind tastings would be even more fun if they did not!

We are focusing on Guado al Tasso today because we sold out. Plain sold out. One customer came along and just gobbled up our entire inventory last week so I had to see what the fuss was about and if the 2005 vintage has been slightly disappointing like the Tignanello and Ornellaia.

Before we get into this you may have noticed there have been no tweets from me and very few blog posts. Twitter went nuts last week. Deleting all my followers and those I follow in a botched update so go kick their butt! As for not posting... last week I spent some time in Paris and it gave me the chance to try some interesting French wines so I've been busy drinking instead of writing which is slightly more fun!

As this is the "Italian wine blog" I would like to be able to bash the French vin but actually they were all rather excellent. Reviewed for your pleasure is the Perrin & Fils Chateauneuf du Pape 2005 and the Chateau Leoville Poyferre 2004 .

I'm not actually pledging any kind of allegiance to France in that photo I'm not sure why I have posed so bizarrely! I'd also like to apologise for my hair which took a "tour bus bashing" with not only the wind messing me up but also assorted twigs and leaves smacking me about the bonce as the bus hurtled far too quickly through the streets of Paris.

Back to the Guado al Tasso. It's one of Italy's most requested, famous, respected wines but still only the third most well known of the Antinori stable, following Solaia and Tignanello. Meaning "Badgers Ford" in English, Guado al Tasso's vineyards are in Bolgheri and the 2005 vintage is made up of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot and 5% Syrah. As with much of Tuscany, 2005 was a difficult vintage with a wide variance of successes and failures due partly to localised weather patterns, and as always the particular skills of the wine makers themselves. Antinori have some of the best wine makers in the world so any disappointment should really be weather related.

2005 was a better year for Merlot, always forgiving, so the 2005 is heavier on Merlot than some past vintages. And? And? Well, it's as good as last years. Of course it is a different wine experience but taking everything into account, 2005 and 2004, no real quality difference. In fact, I slightly prefer this vintage on taste and as much as I love sticking my nose into wines and am all about the nose, taste does matter somewhat! So they tell me.

Antinori Guado al Tasso Bolgheri 2005 - BUY - €55

Very dark, deep ruby red. Needs decanting and produces an explosive nose after a few hours. Brings around aromas of plums, blackberries and that familiar chocolate note as well as noticeable but non-offensive oak. Full bodied and well balanced, the 2005 is a fruity wine with the dark bitter chocolate notes continuing in the mid palate. A generous finish, the most striking point is the overall balance of the wine, well tuned and elegant. 93 Points

Perrin & Fils Chateauneuf du Pape 2005 - BUY - €40

Great deep purple colour with pink hues. The nose was kirsch like, lots of raspberries, very sweet but not sugary, noticeable cherry notes too. Mid bodied and rich on the palate but so smooth, one of the easiest drinking wines I've tasted this year. Really simple, very fruity, looks like a wine to drink young, fun and easygoing with a great nose and lovely flavour. Like wine flavoured juice! 90 Points

Leoville-Poyferre 2004 - BUY - €40
Lovely deep red in the glass. My bottle came out of the fridge in a tiny restaurant in the Marias so the nose was almost impossible to decipher. Some definite vanilla, cherry and a hint of smoke on the nose. Super mouth feel, really firm and fruity, great tannins, rounded and opulent I can't believe the price on this 2004 Bordeaux and can't stress how much you should be buying this wine esp considering the 2005 prices. 92 Points

"You are not passing many wines these days". Yes I know, I know, but I don't go out looking for horrible wines and this is my own money here folks. Sometimes I do find a stinker and it will get soundly trashed. If anyone would like to send me a horrendous wine I am open to your samples (of wine!).

Lastly, you may notice I've snuck in the occasional vini stranieri lately. Yours truly will be leaving Venice in the next few months for another European city, likely London, possibly Paris where the amount of choice of international wines is luxurious. Although I will always try to keep the blog focused on Italian wines, you may know that I am on the WSET wine course and as such can not limit myself entirely to experiencing only Italian wines, I preach trying different wines so I should practise this myself. Also, I'd just plain fail if I don't try other wines and as much as I love you all, I'd like to pass my exams!

I knew you'd understand! Lastly, I've added "Australians" to the last section of the blog as I've noticed a great increase in hits from down under. *waves* G'day!

Where can I buy this wine? (Guado al Tasso)

Europeans - Enoteca Grandi Vini - €54

Americans - NapaCabs! - $89.95

Brits - The Cellar Door - £52

Australians - Discount Wine - AU$105

Leave a comment!

Tried any of these wines? Are you one of the Aussie readers? Would you move to London or Paris? Are you going to send me revolting wine? Or anything else that tickles your fancy, except comments about my hair, which are forbidden.

Sassicaia 2005

Sassicaia 2005

Sassicaia 2005 from Tenuta San Guido is another one of those Super Tuscans that might have had a rough time in 2005. Sassicaia is pretty much the undisputed king of Super Tuscans, and along with Tignanello and Ornellaia make up the triple crown of Super Tuscan wines. With half the production of Antinori's Tignanello but always in demand, Sassicaia is considerably more expensive (around 180,000 bottles a year are produced) and personally, year on year, I prefer Sassicaia.

2005 hurt Tignanello and Ornellaia but did Sassicaia also take a beating? Not so much. It's not the best Sassicaia of the decade, it's not even better than the 2004, but its the best of the top 3 Super T's and for my marks, a 94 point wine. Sassicaia is a Cabernet Sauvignon wine with the smallest handful of Cabernet Franc grapes so really it is a remarkable job by Tenuta San Guido to produce such a fine wine on a summer that was unkind to Cab Sauv, but even worse for Sangiovese and perhaps why this year it's clearly a better wine than the Tignanello.

This is a pricey wine. Like the other Super T's and in a similar vein to what happened in Bordeaux last year, the prices haven't gone anywhere from the 2004 mega vintage. So if you can find a 2004 its a safer bet for investment or laying down. However the 2005's are really accessible and great for today and will continue to be at an optimum from around 2010-2020. The 2005 Sassicaia is clearly thinner than the 2004 so its a question of which style of wine you prefer and what you are buying the wine for. To drink of course? Hmmm, maybe not, Sassicaia from the best vintages sells for hot money at auction.

Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia 2005 - BUY - €90

Good deep ruby red in the glass, generous notes of chocolate raisins, some herbs and a little smoke. Mid bodied and well balanced, lovely mouth feel with silky tannins. Blackberry on the mid palate, very fresh, lively and fruity. Long sumptuous finish. Stellar effort. 94 Points

Where can I buy this wine?

Europeans - Bracali - €90

Americans - Wine Library - $150

Brits - Four Walls Wine - £85 - (sorry Brits, ripped off again)

Leave a comment

Which is your favourite Super Tuscan? Simply your favourite blended wine from Tuscany, one of the Big 3 or not? Got any recommendations?

Gaja Barbaresco 2005

Gaja Barbaresco 2005

Gaja Barbaresco 2005 is one of the most hotly awaited wines in Italy. Gaja Barbaresco is considered to be the very best Barbaresco money can buy, and in the very best vintages, like 2004, sells out fast and becomes very collectible (indeed I have a few '04's tucked away myself). So what of the 2005, certainly across the Piedmont this is no 2004 vintage but how did Gaja, with his wizard like legendary skills cope with the weather for this signature bottling of the Gaja estate?

The answer is, about as well as can be expected. In fact, for such a poor vintage he has managed to produce a very good Barberesco. Whilst, I have only a very limited basis of comparison, James Suckling has recently waxed lyrical about the Ceretto Barberesco's apparently markedly better and the Ceretto Bernadot is markedly cheaper. The worst thing about this vintage is the price. The 2005, despite being a worse vintage, has not taken a hit, if anything the prices have gone up and I'm sat in Italy, so I can't imagine the American market being happy with this situation.

Forgetting the great name, forgetting the vintage information there is no way I can recommend this wine if we are strictly talking about QPR. At the Cellar Door we have marked this wine up the by the smallest amount policy allows because the wine doesn't represent good value. The wine will sell. Gaja Barbaresco is the the crème de la crème of Barbaresco, which, with Barolo, is the crème de la crème of the Piedmont. Find a 2004, or if 2005 represents some kind of special year for you, go with Ceretto. Or wait for the Giacosa effort which I will be very excited to try.

Enough with the negativity, this is a 93 point wine in my books, it's beautiful and a tremendous effort and Gaja fans will be very impressed. We've priced this £5 under anyone else in the UK guys so if you are a Gaja fan.... we're trying!

Gaja Barbaresco 2005 - PASS - €126

A mid ruby red in the glass with a nose that needed some coaxing. Tight. When it comes forward the aromas of blackberries, strawberries and light rose are there in typical style. Full bodied and mouth coating, good firm tannins and a long finish. Luscious mid palate, lots of fruit, well balanced, opulent and structured. 93 Points

Personally, I'm not buying it, I will wait to see what Giacosa's Barbaresco is doing and, even so, this vintage is blah. Just blah.

Where can I buy this wine?

Europeans - The Cellar Door - €126

Americans - Wine House - $184

Brits - The Cellar Door - £85.50

Question of the Day

Is there a wine you will buy year on year regardless of the price? Have you had to curb your wine spending habits with the state of the weak dollar?

Ruffino Chianti Classico Riserva Ducale Oro

Ruffino Chianti Classico Riserva Ducale Oro

Ruffino Chianti Classico Riserva Ducale Oro is the top Chianti Classico bottling from Ruffino. The Riserva Ducale Oro edition has a gargantuan production of some 600,000 bottles and I'm reviewing this today, along with the Antinori Chianti Classico for a couple of reasons. Firstly, I had a conversation with another wine blogger last night about the quality of Chiantis being drunk in the UK/USA markets and secondly because I get so many emails telling me that the wines I am reviewing are very hard to find. So, today let's take a look at two of the biggest production Riserva Chiantis (IE - should be pretty darn good) from two of the biggest producers in Italy (IE - should be pretty darn easy to find).

Before I get into that, I'd like to reply here to a lot of emails I receive about choice, specifically the lack of different Italian wines available in the US and UK wine stores. Let me tell you a few things about choice by jove. I hate it. I'm sick to the back teeth of choice. Liberty, freedoms, choice - I'm giving them a PASS*. We've become obsessed with choice and all these options are the bain of my life! Do I want chocolate sprinkles? What is the difference between tall and grande? I now have to upload my wines onto Snooth, Corkd and Adegga! Do you know they even have low fat super noodles now? It's noodles and water, how fatty can it be? I want my mummy and I want her now!

Things were so much easier when she decided what time I ate, when i slept, what I wear, who are the kids from the wrong side of the tracks. I can't make these decisions for myself, its simply too much! We were all so much happier as kids right? I ate chips 5 times a week and I liked it! There was no choice, there was no "hmmm, hang on ma, I don't feel like going to the garden centre" (and believe me I didn't). You went, and if you complained, it was a smacked bottom and off to bed you went. Happy Days.

Be patient, I am going somewhere with this.

So, you're telling me you don't have the choice in the States and the UK? Well, that's OK baby, as long as those making the choices for you have your best interests at heart (like your mum) and with these two Chianti Classico's you have been taken care of. I don't even think your mother could pick two better Chianti Classicos for these kind of prices even if she tried.

This is why I love living in Italy. Sure, there is choice, I can choose between 30 different kinds of tomato paste and pasta shapes, but at the end of the day, I'm eating Spaghetti Pomodoro several times a week. And would you look at these Italians! Slim, good skin, happy, holidaying IN Italy, going TO Italian restaurants, all signed up to the gym and all without the burden of choice. This is why they love Silvio, he is their daddy, not the German in the Vatican, but Silvio. He makes it so we never have to choose. Big love to Silvio.

This is a wine blog right?

Yes yes, onto Ruffino! Ruffino! One of my favourite Tuscan mega producers, they have a diverse range of wines, they do a great Pinot Nero I reviewed last month. The Chianti Classico Riserva Ducale Oro is the top Chianti they produce from a confusing range of Chiantis that all have very similar names and labels. They even have 3 Chaintis called Ducale, so if you order this wine, pay careful attention.

This wine has been about for ages. Produced in Italy since 1947 its a fair bet, for those of you who spend far too much time in off licenses, that you've seen this label before. Tuscany went through 3 sublime vintages in '99, '00 and '01 and these Chianti Classicos are now coming bang up to their drinking age. Any one of these wines would provide you with some of the best Chianti that has ever been produced. We are not talking "break the bank" here either. A Tre Bicchire, 92 Point, $27 wine.

Still too expensive? Alright, how about a Chianti from Tuscany's most famous producer? The one who brought you Tignanello? In my opinion, and its been said in the comments on this very blog, that in certain years, Antinori's Chianti Classico Riserva is better than Tignanello. Shocking? Absolutely. When you consider the price difference and the hype of Tignanello. It's true though, it drinks earlier, it's fruitier and it's cheaper, and sometimes I'm in the mood for a quick fix! The 2004 is a 91 point Chianti and you can pick this one up for under $18.

Antinori Chianti Classico Riserva 2001 - BUY - €16

Very dark colour in the glass, intense dark ruby red with some nice pinky looking hues. The nose is fruity, spicy with the most noticeable aroma profiles of blackberries and vanilla. On the palate we've got some good tannic structure and some noticeable acidity, the wine is well balanced and enjoyable with good length on the finish as well as warming alcohol. Mid to Full bodied wine. 91 Points

Ruffino Chianti Classico Riserva Ducale Oro 2004 - BUY - €22

Beautiful intense ruby red in the glass with a typical Chianti nose. Plums, cherries, vanilla and spices fill the air around the glass, the wine is very aromatic. On the palate the wine is full bodied and offers a spectrum of different tastes, herbs, cherries and a little mocha too. Nice smooth coating tannins, good structure and balance. Top Chianti. 92 Points

€6 for 1 more point. It's all about flavour profiles and what you enjoy at the end of the day. I slightly prefer the Ruffino so I'd opt for it. Read the notes and take it as a guide, however, buying them both is really the only sensible solution :oD

Where can I buy this wine?

Europeans - Al Corte di Bacco - €22

Americans - Millstone Buy Rite - $27

Brits - Al Corte di Bacco - £17

Leave a Comment

Could your mother pick a better Chianti? What wines were in your house as a child? Was there a strict "no sampling" rule, could you have a small glass at Christmas? Was it all Blossom Hill? Or are your parents really into Vino, were you brought up on the stuff. Lets talk about the oldies.

* I'm not really giving freedom a PASS it was just a cute little segue into mega brands and another opportunity to embarrass my mummy. I also do not love Silvio. I am not a Red. Much. OK, maybe a Rosè. The skins have been left on an awfully long time.

Primitivo di Manduria

Primitivo di Manduria

Primitivo di Manduria is a DOC zone in the Puglia region of Italy. Primitivo is not only grown within the Manduria region of Italy, in fact, some of the very best Primitivo is registered as ITG wine grown outside of the DOC zone around the Brindisi region. Gambero Rosso's current Primitivo beau Tenute Rubino are a great example of award winning Tre Bicchiere Primitivo grown outside the zone.

I chat about Primitivo constantly. It's a miracle to me that the best examples of this wine are retailing under €20. I regularly enjoy the Racemi, A-Mano and Feudi di San Gregorio Primitivo wines and the buzz is beginning to spread. Puglia is best known for it's cone shaped Trullo houses, rotten economy and expanding tourist industry but the wines of Puglia are being pushed into the spotlight with Primitivo leading the charge. They're very proud of Primitivo in Puglia, so much so there is an interesting museum devoted entirely to it in Manduria.

Primitivo is an early ripening grape and down here in Puglia it's a fairly easy grape to cultivate. An alcoholic wine (typically between 13.5-14%) the challenge to producers is less about ripening and more about fruit/alcohol balance. The worst Primitivos can be atrocious because of this mismanaged equation and I mean down the sink atrocious. Careful wine slurpers, see the recommendations below!

Primitivo, in its finest expression is a delightful wine, full bodied, jammy with tones of chocolate and raisins. If you enjoy fruity wines, and of course, if you enjoy Zinfandel, a close relative of Primitivo, then you will love these wines. You can pick up respectable Primitivo for under €5, like all the wines published here, I want to tell you about the very best producers.

There have been some excellent vintages down here in Primitivo land, the wine can stand some ageing but generally speaking it's a wine to drink young. Look out for '04 vintage for the younger wines and from the best producers you can get great value from the '96, '97 and '01s. Below is my personal "Top 5" Primitivo producers.

Feudi di San Gregorio - Them again! The famous Campanian powerhouse has moved into the Primitivo scene creating an explosive wine netting a 92 AG point score. The highest for any Primitivo in the Parker guide. An achievement indeed considering the wine has been produced for less than 10 years.

A-Mano - American, Mark Shannon takes care of A Mano vino and it's certainly a labour of love. The A Mano range is show stopping and I haven't seen it fail yet, even in the lesser vintages. It's an American Primitivo if ever there was one, aged in American oak. If you don't have the brain space to waste remembering what years are good and bad then just remember the A Mano brand and you'll be aye-ok.

Accademia di Racemi - Another new producer (1998) that raced to the top. This entry is a little personal. I love the Felline Primitivo in an unnatural and scary way. I love the price, I love that I can get it in the supermarkets and I loved the '05. €8 and 90 points. Bargain. Buy a case.

Castello Monaci - Traditional favourites with critics within Italy and without. The 2004 Primitivo Artas, with a cheeky 15% Negroamaro is perhaps the finest wine in the whole of Puglia, I haven't seen a more expensive Primitivo than this one. It's the flagship wine at Castello Monaci and has a sweet, delicious quality. Expensive it may be, but if you're a Primitivo lover, this has to be tried.

Tenute Rubino - Producing the only Primitivo "Visellio" to nick 3 glasses in the Gambero Rosso awards last year Tenure Rubino can feel very smug, and so can you because the wine is great value. An "old boy" in these parts, the company has been operational since the mid 80's, Tenute Rubino also produce a 100% Susumaniello wine that scooped the 3B. Interesting winery, nice, media savvy, visitor friendly people, check them out.

There's your top producers, but the best examples? Let's do it!

Feudi di San Gregorio Ognissole Primitivo 2004 - €9 - BUY

Deep, penetrating red in the glass. Filling aromas of dark fruit, jam, and tar. Full bodied and thick on the palate, exactly what you're looking for, jammy and luscious. Job done at €9, simple but tasty. 89 Points

A Mano Prima Mano 2003 - €8 - BUY
Nice dark, brooding ruby red in the glass. Super nose, pulls you in with aromas of dark fruit, esp blackcurrent, raisins, the wine actually smells hot/alcoholic and on the palate that theme continues thru to the finish. Lovely mouth feel, good raisin notes but the hot vintage isn't the best example of A Mano, go '04 or '05. Drink it now. 88 Points

Racemi Felline Primitivo di Manduria 2005 - €8 - BUY

Dark intense ruby red with a powerful nose of sweet dark fruits, chocolate and vanilla, even hints of orange. Tannins are a little aggressive, mid-full bodied, a very fruity mid palate with the strawberries continuing through. Nicely alcoholic on the finish. Really surprising complexity to the wine - 90 Points

Castello Monaci Primitivo Artas 2005 - €17.50 - BUY

Dark ruby red. The nose is giving up an array of wonderful notes including spices, flowers, tobacco, leather and cherries. The mouth feel is excellent, pure silk and opulence, a very sweet wine with fine tannins and the longest Primitivo finish I've experienced. Good job. 91 Points

Tenute Rubino Primitivo Visellio 2004 - €16 - BUY
Dark and intense ruby colour. The bouquet is jumping out of the bottle. Fruity on the nose with cherries, forest fruits and a hint of chocolate. A rich and layered palate with a long finish and a flavour profile of cherry jam and mocha. Really tasty wine. 91 Points

I'm recommending all these wines?! Well yeah, I love Primitivo and these are the best producers in some great vintages. They are all QPR to the max, the last two are glorious.

Where can I buy this wine? (the Feudi di San Gregorio Ognissole)

Europeans - Piero Costantini - €9

Americans - Wine County North Plainfield - $12.97

Brits - Piero Costantini - £7

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As always, please leave any comments relating to the article. I'd also like to hear about which grape variety is currently rocking your wine world? Are you partial to Primitivo, crazy for Cab Franc, ga-ga over Gewustraminer, spill?

Poderi Colla

Poderi Colla

Poderi Colla have to be one of the best value producers in the Piedmont, improving year on year Poderi Colla are my choice for some really good Nebbiolo to stick away for 10 years and some choice Barbera and Dolcetto for drinking today. I drink more Poderi Colla than most, selling it at TCD I've been exposed to Poderi Colla for a couple of years now and though not really a famous name outside of Italy the company are well known for (take a guess) QPR! It's a little secret, a cult winery, but I'm willing to be kicked out of the club and give you the heads up.

QPR is what I'm all about, it's what we want in wine, it's what we want in life. We don't mind paying for quality and we have quality here in spades. With some of the most beautiful vineyards about, take a looksee left, Poderi Colla own vineyards in Alba, Barbaresco and Monforte the company produce some very interesting wines that I think you might want to aim directly at your north and south.

The incredible value wines come from Poderi Colla's Alba estate, these are a little more affordable. Growing on the Bricco del Drago (Dragons Hill) Poderi Colla produce 70,000 bottles at this estate including a favourite wine of mine, the blended Nebbiolo/Dolcetto "Bricco del Drago". This isn't the only great value wine from the Alba estate, no siree, you can also pick up a really very good Nebbiolo d'Alba.

They also produce a number of wines I've never tried. If you have tried them then tell me purlease below in the comments. Those wines are a Pinot Nero, Freisa, a blended Pinot/Chard/Riesling, a Riesling, a Pinot Nero Spumante and a sweet Moscata. There's also a wine museum on this estate. Poderi Colla is a great vineyard to visit in Alba, picking up the wines cheaper than usual and getting an education too. What could be better?

The next two estates are where the serious wines come from. Poderi Colla's Barberesco is coming forward in leaps and bounds year on year. Barbaresco Roncaglia has been a 90+ wine every year realised this millennium, it is a really elegant wine, not a powerhouse but opulent and luxurious and it's also a frickin steal.

The show stopper, attention grabber, muscled Mary showing off at the back is the Barolo from Monforte. The Barolo Dardi le Rose from 2004 has been praised internationally and shows a very particular type of Barolo. If the Barbaresco is a little feminine, the Barolo is its complete opposite. Rich, complex, bold with a luscious big mouth feel, you know you've been Barolo'd with this effort. It's a 93 Point Antonio Galloni wine, I'd go along with this score and at €31 for a 2004 vintage, 93 Point Barolo well, it's QPR city.

Where can I buy this wine?

Europeans - Enoteca Grandivini - €31

Americans - Corporate Wines - $49

Brits - The Cellar Door - £24

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Which has been your favourite vineyard visit and why?

Colli Euganei Wines

Colli Euganei Wines

Colli Euganei Wines are improving at a crazy fast rate. Colli Euganei is a wine growing area of the Veneto in the hills around Padova. This famously flat area of Italy has but a small serious of hills rising up out of the volcanic and mineral filled soil, the Colli Euganei. Upon these hills has been a long, successful and experimental history of viticulture but not until recently was the area considered to be one of top quality. Ideally placed for growing a range of grape varietals, the area is blessed not only with great soil but cooling, salty sea breezes.

The Colli Euganei is still a well kept secret, outside of Italy only a handful of the most serious wine enthusiasts will have heard of this appellation and that's good for us wine fans, cos the prices stay rooted to the floor whilst the quality is going up.

Up and Up into the prestigious Tre Bicchiere zone infact. The last Gambero Rosso edition gave a coveted 3 glass award to a winery from Colli Euganei, that honour went to Ca 'Orologio. However, this wont be the last award for an area that is brimming with enthusiastic wine makers. Sending many bottles to the GR finals, what we have in Colli Euganei is your ultimate Italian wine bargain. The QPR round these parts is palpable and I'm going to blow it wide open for you and tell you the best buys from this area and you will love me forever because this is a D*E*A*L. No Parker or WS scores here, they don't pay it any attention, but you're not influenced by that, are ya... are ya!

"Yeah, Yeah, Newton, but what if I don't like the grapes grown here?" Well my doubting Thomas' that is highly unlikely. In the Colli Euganei they've been playing with varietals from all over the world for the last century as well as perfecting the home boys. You can get Colli Euganei wines from Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenere, Garganega, Serprina, Tocai, Chardonnay, Pinot Bianco, Riesling Italico, Barbera, Raboso, Pinella and even Sangiovese grapes. If you don't like any of those grape varietals then you're in the wrong place and might enjoy it more over here.

Last weekend I spent a lovely day in Padova, tasting some wines and taking in the sights. The city itself is rather small, you can walk from top to bottom in 30 minutes and what strikes you foremostly is how rich everyone is, and how well dressed. I was not expecting a Bulgari in Padova for example, so if you do take a trip to the Colli Euganei and pop into Padova, wear your bling, get a haircut and practice your "who the hell are you" look.

So, all my emails seem to be asking me about the best deals on the market and for my money this area is buzzing, you can get great everyday drinking wines for under €10 as well as ageworthy and collectable wines for €20-30.

Lets look at the top producers in Colli Euganei.

La Montecchia - The most internationally famous producer in the area turning out a good variety of whites and reds, the only Colli Euganei producer to get a Parker rating, probably due to the fact half the product goes overseas.

QPR Secret: Colli Euganei Rosso Cà Emo '04 - €20

Ca' Lustra - Popular at home, Ca' Lustra produce about 200,000 bottles a year and have handled the international grapes superbly. Their Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon are Gambero Rosso finalist wines.
QPR Secret: Colli Euganei Cabernet '04 - €15

Il Filo della Vigne - Consistently one of the best producers in the area year after year the prices for the wines of Il Filo della Vigne are a little higher than the others. These are winemakers wines, balanced and structured and made after the grapes are picked. The wines are mostly exceptional and much cheaper than an equivalent Piedmont or Valpolicella wine (aside from Allegrini's Valp which is a stupid steal) so no real QPR alert here.

Best Wine: Colli Euganei Fior d'Arancio Luna del Parco - €25

Monte Fasolo - Fairly new producer whose yields and small production (150,000) has allowed for low prices indeed. An award winning Cabernet at €10 is what we all want. Here you have it. That is, if you can find it anywhere.

QPR Secret: Colli Euganei Cabernet Podere Le Tavole '04 - €10

Vignalta - Producing a range of red, white and dessert wines Vignalta is one of the biggest Colli Euganei producers. Probably the most famous wine of the region, the Gemola (Merlot/Cab Franc), is a Vignalta showcase. A traditional Tre Bicchiere wine, the '98, '99, '00 and '01 are all collectors items. You can still pick this up at a fair price.

Collectors Item QPR: Tre Bicchiere Colli Euganei Rosso Gemola '99 - €29

Ca 'Orologio - A 100% Carmenère wine from the hills of Padova getting a Tre Bicchiere award from Gambero Rosso. Yeh-huh in fact. "Relogio 04" was the only Colli Euganei wine to scoop the award in 2007 and its even cheaper than the Gemola. Get it bought.

Collectors Item QPR: Tre Bicchire Relogio - €18

Where can I buy this wine (La Montecchia is the most widely available)

Europeans - Enoteca Ronchi - €20

Americans - Winerz - $28

Brits - Enoteca Ronchi - €20

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Please tell me your "best value" wine. I've left you with a few here but its impossible to cover every appellation of every Italian county. Even if its an american, french, aussie wine, give us your super bargains that are just great everyday drinking wines or wines you think will become collectable in the future. Let's share the wealth! Ta

Bistrot de Venise

Bistrot de Venise

Bistrot de Venise is one of Venice's premier wine restaurants. Bistrot de Venise, located a few blocks north of Saint Marks square is a favourite for both well informed tourists and the dwindling local population of Venice and the wider Venice area. The restaurant is run by Sergio Fragiacomo, energetic and generous I met him of Wednesday night and found one of the most passionate people on Veneto wines I've ever met. Not satisfied with offering one of the most complete and eclectic range of wines from the region, Sergio also runs a busy events calender showcasing the finest of the areas wines, literature, poetry, cuisine, art and photography.

Myself and four friends completed a wine bar crawl of Venice ending up at this fabulous restaurant around 9pm. The restaurant is the epitome of Venetian elegance with a warm and charming interior, lots of dark wood, tiled floors and photography of Venice adorning the walls, you may also be tempted by the attractive young men serving up the vino.

This was a surprising night for two reasons, not only did I spend my first evening in this atmospheric wine bar and get treated to some fabulous local wines gratis but, I was recognised by the lovely sommelier at the restaurant to the delight of my friends and the beetroot red embarrassment of myself. Sergio was generous enough to offer us all samples from 3 of his favourite local wines and the reviews are below.

So a little more about the restaurant. Bistrot de Venise is ideal for those travellers who love to try the best of the local produce, of course, the majority of the wines are from the area but there are wines from the Piedmont and the Alto Adige too. On the food side, the menu offers food you'll recognise as well as staple Venetian cuisine from centuries ago. The menu, like most menu's in Venice is fish heavy, though a few meat dishes are offered as well as pasta of course. The Bistrot de Venise is Venice's restaurant. No restaurant encapsulates the rich history of Venice like this one.

So, yeah, yeah, I went to the Bistrot de Venise but who won the competition? Well, my personal lucky number (27) was pre-chosen to be the winner of the 6 bottles and the comment maker for that was..... *drum roll* Andrew (wine.scribbler AT gmail dot com). I've emailed him and will send over those bottles next week.

So back to the vino. Sergio kindly let myself (and 4 friends so this was very generous) try 3 different wines, the first white I didn't get the name of so will email Sergio today and get it! Whoops. The wines we tried are from the area, very small production and rare, I can not find an online seller for either of these wines, you'll have to get yourself down to the Bistro to try them, or you can try the producer. Bistro de Venise also allow you a 20% discount on buying wine at the restaurant to take home.

Giancarlo Stecca Turchetta Luisa - BUY - €25

Unlike anything I've seen or tasted! Dark ruby red in the glass and sparkling, exceptionally fizzy. The bouquet is a bit off putting, a little barnyard, a little dirty but with some flowers in the dirt. On the palate, super refreshing, mid bodied and really enjoyable. Fruits and cherries on the mid palate, to be served chilled. Very interesting. 89 Points

Emilio Bulfon Pecol Ros La Santissima - BUY - €30

Dark rub red in the glass this is a serious wine. Great nose, full of blackberries, violets and earth, a nutty character too. On the palate the wine has a great smooth mouth feel, kind of extracted the flavours are so intense, the finish is long and pure. Grape Variety - Piculit Neri! 91 Points

I am encouraging you to buy these wines, not because the QPR is excellent but because these are made from rare grapes, have a tiny production, attention to detail wines. Only 6000 bottles of the Pecol Ros and 600 of the Turchetta are produced a year.

Where can I buy this wine?

Don't cha listen?!

Leave a comment!

Give us your restaurant recommendations in your city. Which restaurant in your area carries a great wine list to accompany the super food?

Italian Rosé Wine

Italian Rosé Wine

Italian Rosé wine report summer 2008! Italian Rosé is the best Rosé in the whole world. Really? No, not really, but what Italian Rosé is, is Super Mario value for money with many of the top producers pitching in to bring up the quality level of Summer's official vino. Now, many people regard Rosé with some disdain, like a half way house made for the proles. Tut Tut and for shame! Just because something is pink doesn't make it girly or any less serious. Embrace the pink, embrace Rosé. Be the geek in the pink, geek is the colour for Summer (not fall).

We sell a fair bit of Rosé at TCD so I have a soft spot for the pink stuff. However, I tried the Ibisco Rosa earlier in the year and was overwhelmed by aromas of feet and cow. Personally, I'm not that into bovine hoof so I wont be recommending it but if you dig that flavour profile then all power to you.

So, which areas of Italia are knocking out the quality pink? Your usual suspects are there producing the corkers, Tuscany and the Piedmont, but in the value range take a look to my area (Friuli/Veneto) and one of my favourite overlooked areas, Abruzzo.

Now, in my locale, we love our funky coloured drinks, so it's no surprise Rosé is a hit. Tonight I am partying Venezia stylee with the expat USA ladies of Venice and I'm sure they'll be ordering up striking orange and green "spritz" beverages. We're off to the best enoteca in all of Venice so I'm going to see what Rosé's are on offer.

If you've never seen a "spritz", I've attached a foto for y'all.

Who wouldn't be tempted by this? It isn't made in Scotland from girders but, well, I wiki'ed it. "Spritz, an alcoholic beverage has its origins in the Veneto Region, Italy. Spritz is a bitter, summery pre-dinner aperitif made of either Aperol, Campari, Select or Cynar and mixed with White Wine or Prosecco".

I digress. Back to centre field and on topic, Italian Rosé.

Last night I gave the ol' Riedel a rinse and began popping corks on 6 choice Italian Rosé wines, sat on my terrace overlooking the beautiful industrial estates of Mestre, I began sipping and scribbling. Now, so not to spoil you, I'm going to put 3 up today concentrating on Friuli and Abruzzo and 3 up tomorrow from the Piedmont and Tuscany.

I have 3 really interesting wines. Bortolotti Spumante Lagrein Rosé from the Veneto (cos its fizzy Lagrein!), Vie di Romans Ciantons Rosé from Friuli (because I bashed their Merlot last week and this uses the same grapes, ut ho) and Bruno Nicodemi Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Rosato Cerasuolo from Abruzzo (just cos).

Bortolotti Spumante Lagrein Rosé 2006 - PASS - €7.50

It's pink and fizzy by jove, an average shade of pink with some nice almond and violet notes on the nose. The wine is balanced and enjoyable but I can't escape that 1996, round your mates house dancing to the Macarena cheapo fizz vibe. Not a wine for wine lovers, a wine for a party. 79 Points

Vie di Romans Ciantons Rosé 2006 - BUY - €21

A light Rosé, very pretty in the glass with some great notes on the nose of flowers and strawberries. A very refreshing wine but serious and well structured, really great flavour profile, floral and fruity. How the Rosé is better than the Merlot is incredible, but it is and it's the best Rosé of the 6. 90 Points

Bruno Nicodemi Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Rosato Cerasuolo 2006 - PASS - €10

It's pink again, bright and vibrant with another strawberry and apple nose. Fresh and fruity, simple and enjoyable. Nothing special to say here, pleasant and fairly priced. 82 Points

Ugh! I want so badly to love Lagrein, everyone tells me how they've had that one special Lagrein and it changed their wine lives. Can someone PLEASE tell me what the magic bottle is? I want to be part of your club. So only the Vie di Romans to recommend here.

Where can I buy this wine?

Europeans - Trimani - €22

Americans - Not sure! If you know, leave it in the comments?

Brits - Peck - £19.50

Leave a comment

So 50 comments and counting from yesterday, if you want to enter the competition leave your answer on yesterdays blog entry. It doesn't mean I don't want any comments on Italian Rosé though. Anything to say at all, about this, the blog, things that taste a bit funny cos they are pink, other things that taste like cow toes. Leave it here. Fanks!

Tenuta dell'Ornellaia Bolgheri Superiore Ornellaia

Tenuta dell'Ornellaia Bolgheri Superiore Ornellaia 2005

Tenuta dell'Ornellaia Bolgheri Superiore Ornellaia 2005, recently released and enjoyed here in la belle paese is another of those 2005 vintage Super Tuscans, usually such a flag bearer for Italian wine, that might have suffered from the wet and wild 2005 Tuscan weather. Bad vintages set apart great winemakers and Tenuta dell'Ornellaia have a sterling reputation and team Axel Heinz/Leonardo Raspini go to work to ensure, if grapes ripen Ornellaia reach excellence. They released 2005 and im pleased they did, for what we have here, like the Tignanello 2005, is a wine more quickly approachable and at prices that are not going to smash through the roof (not that €92 is small potatoes but it's far less than the 2004).

This producer was far more upbeat about 2005 than Antinori was about their 2005 Tignanello but, how much of this is a positive spin on a bad vintage? I'll let you decide. Tenuta dell'Ornelellaia produce a top quality Merlot, the Masseto, together with Redigaffi probably Italy's finest, but their most interesting wine is this one, the Bolgheri Superiore Ornellaia blended effort, 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Franc, 4% Petit Verdot. These wines, in great vintages are even spoken about in the same breath as Lafite and the Italian wine community are very proud of this vino. Exporting well to the US where Wine Spectator, Tanzer and Parker also wax lyrical about the wine, we are talking about a world famous and celebrated wine, did 2005 hold up?

Um. Kinda. Almost. Well, not really. At €92 and 92 points I wouldn't fill my cellar with this wine, but, it's Tenuta dell'Ornellaia Bolgheri Superiore Ornellaia, it's going to sell, restaurants will be snapping this up and marking it up thru the roof and, at this price, if you've always wanted to try this wine, if it is your life's ambition, then this can seem like an attractive proposition. It's a good wine, it's just not "a smart buy".

*** Now, as a reward for reading this far and because last week the blog received over 500 readers a day I am going to run a competition in celebration! All you have to do for free vino is leave a comment! That's it, simple pimple. I am going to choose one comment leaver, at random, and send to them FOR FREE, FOR NOTHING, AS A GIFT, GRATIS, 6 bottle of Cellar Door vino just because I have love! Of course you must be over 18 and, sorry, must live in Europe (inc Ireland and the UK). Leave a comment on this blog entry any time before 4pm Friday 11th of July. ***

Tenuta dell'Ornellaia Bolgheri Superiore Ornellaia 2005 - PASS - €92

Interesting dark ruby red in the glass, a lovely generous nose filled with mocha, chocolate cherries, spices and some light oak. Surprisingly mid bodied but drinking very well, nice length to the finish, nice rich mouth feel, well structured and a pleasant palate flavour profile of blueberries and coffee. Drinking too well today, if such a thing can be claimed! 92 Points

Like the Tignanello 2005, this wine should be maturing in a couple of years. 2004 was an outrageous vintage and 2006 sounds far more promising so if it really, really is your life's ambition, and you have exactly €92 in your pocket. Then shoot!

Where can I buy this wine?

Europeans - Nettari Etruschi - €92

Americans - Sterling Fine Wines - $129

Brits - Nettari Etruschi - £73

Leave a comment!

So here we are, competition time, let's see how many of you are attracted to freebies!

So for a free 6 pack of wine, leave a comment and answer this question...

"If you were a bottle of wine.... (see where this is going?) what bottle of wine would you be"?

Go varietal or producer name, go Italian or Californian I care not!

Mazzi Valpolicella

Roberto Mazzi Valpolicella

Roberto Mazzi Valpolicella Classico Superiore and Roberto Mazzi Valpolicella Classico Superiore Poiega are among two of the best Valpolicella wines produced in Italy. Subtly different, these are two wines both under €20 that are real bargain wines. The very best Valpolicella wines can be classed as "little Amarones" and a savvy wine drinker can get that Amarone flair for a third of the price.

Mazzi has been producing wine in the Valpolicella region (Negrar), north of Verona for 100 years, a family business that seems to get better with every passing generation their Valpolicellas are among the most respected of all. Mazzi also produce a lesser known, though interesting, Amarone, Passito and a Grappa di Amarone.

This weekend I was lucky enough to spend time at the much improved Ambasciatori Hotel in Mestre and sample their Valpolicella. My travel pal this time around did not drink red wine at all (I know, I know) and so ordering the half bottles seemed prudent. I knew I was onto a safe bet with the Mazzi Valpolicella Superiore 2005, I've tried this wine several times over the last 12 months and thought I would recommend it today as a great QPR wine. At only €12 a bottle and with a few years ageing potential too this is a super little wine.

Valpolicella, especially in the states, has some kind of "Chianti" type slur attached to it. By this, I mean that Valpolicella is usually sneered at by wine drinkers. I'm not familiar with the Valpolicella brands being exported over to the US, maybe there has been some negative publicity about the wine. Please leave a comment if you know why Valpolicella is so slated in the U.S of A? Poor mans Amarone? Nah. Clever mans Amarone.

Mazzi are not the most famous name out there producing Valpolicella, if you wish to experience the finest Valpolicella's known to humanity then be prepared to pay some big notes. I'm not sure who is buying Romano Dal Forno's €80 Valpolicella when you can get an Allegrini, Bussola or Tedeschi Amarone for the same or less. I suppose if quality Valpolicella is your thing then a case can be made for it.

So, let's see the reviews for these two wines.

Roberto Mazzi Valpolicella Classico Superiore 2005 - BUY - €12

Pretty ruby red in the glass with a fast and loose nose, quickly giving up plums, acres of dark fruits and some nice vanilla/walnuts flavours. Mid bodied effort, on the palate the vanilla continues to come thru and the finish is good. Quite a simple wine but pleasant drinking with an appealing bouquet. 87 Points

Roberto Mazzi Valpolicella Classico Poiega Superiore 2003 - BUY - €19

Darker red in the glass and a step up in concentration from the regular bottling. Similar profile on the nose, plums, dark fruit and vanilla, however this effort has some chocolate notes and is noticeably a thicker and chewier wine. Good length on the finish, a Valpolicella hit. 89 Points

For just two points more and only a slight improvement you should look to the tasting notes to see which of these would be a more exciting Valpolicella for your palate. Personally, I'd pocket the €7 and go for the standard label. Twenty Thousand of these bottles are produced per year, I believe this wine has a strong presence in the USA so should be no trouble to find it. The 2005 blend was 70% Corvina, 25% Rondinella and 5% Molinara.

Where can I buy this Wine (standard bottle)

Europeans - Wineshop.it - €12

Americans - Wine Pro - $15

Brits - Wineshop.it - €9

Leave a comment!

Over 500 of you read the blog on Friday and I saw 3 comments! Are you trying to break my heart? Let's talk about Valpolicella Bay-bee, drunk it? What did you think? Why are the US wine-o's hating on it? Know Mazzi? Tell me your secrets!

Livon Tiare Mate Merlot

Livon Tiare Mate Merlot

Livon Tiare Mate Merlot is a 100% Merlot from the Friuli region of Italy (see, I got it right this time) and the last of our Merlot Month wines. Finally I have worked my way, painstakingly and without praise, through 10 of Italy finest Merlots recommended to me by friends, colleagues and even the Parker reviewer himself, Antonio Galloni.

Of course 10 Merlot wines alone are not exactly a Gambero Rosso stylee cross section of quality but we had here 10 of the best Merlot wines Italy had to offer and almost all of them I'd re-order, 3 I'd buy a case of tomorrow and 1 is the best wine I've tasted since beginning the blog.

I know you are getting bored of all the Merlot and want to move into Summer with some new grape varietals and next week, that is what we shall do. Please bring some Italian Rosé wines to my attention, I have in my mind a good idea of the wines I shall review but if there is one you'd like to see go up my nose and down my throat, do say wontcha!

So, Livon hey? Big old Livon with vineyards in Friuli, Tuscany and Umbria produce a mammoth selection of wines. "Yeah Yeah, you always say that" I hear you whinge, but THIS TIME it's true.

Over forty different wines are produced by Livon including Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Tocai Fruilano, Pinot Bianco, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Sagrantino and even a new Spumante with a name on it's bottle that makes you look twice. EYES RIGHT! (that's Fenis)

Livon are well praised internally, the Italian wine press are big fans but outside of Italy the wines are not quite as well appreciated, they are well sold, but not commanding the same kind of respect as back home.

Usually it is this wine, the Tiare Mate Merlot that take the top awards but Gambero Rosso are usually well taken with the Braide Alte, routinely awarding Tre Bicchiere, an age worthy and exemplary blended white (seek that one out, very tasty). With such a large production what Livon really brings to the table is a fairly good standard of wine at a very fair price.

This whole range is QPR (um, except this one time!) and there are not many rotten apples in this 40 wide bunch. Reliable Livon. We all like reliable don't we?!

The cheapest Merlot of all the recommendations at €17, I'm sorry to say that it does show. This past month I've been thru Redigaffi, Messorio and Patrimo, some of the best Merlots out of Italy so perhaps I have a spoiled palate. This is the worst of the bunch in terms of score, in terms of QPR, it's alright, but I wouldn't buy it again and I wouldn't recommend it to you guys. I had the 2003, couldn't find a 2004, which I am sure would be better, and if also at €17 could be worth a second look.

Livon Tiare Mate Merlot 2003 - PASS - €17

Brick red in the glass, beautiful but lighter than expected. A quick and interesting nose, all the berries but rather simple. Mid bodied and a disappearing fruit act on the palate wasn't appreciated however the mouth feel was smooth and the finish was elegant. Nice but too simple, vintage issues? 86 Points

So tha-that-tha-tha-thats all folks. Merlot Month is finished. Quick Round up? Let's do it.

98 Points - Tua Rita Redigaffi Merlot 2001 - BUY - €210

95 Points - Le Macchiole Messorio 2001 - BUY - €169

93 Points - Feudi di San Gregorio Patrimo 2004 - BUY - €60

93 Points - Avignonesi Desiderio Cortona Merlot 2004 - BUY - €35

92 Points - Villa Russiz Merlot Graf de la Tour 2004 - BUY - €32

92 Points - Falesco Montiano 2001 - BUY - €26

91 Points - Roberto Voerzio Langhe Merlot Fontanazza 2004 - PASS - €129

87 Points - Radikon Merlot 2000 - PASS - €100

87 Points - Vie di Romans Voos Dai Ciamps Merlot 2001 - PASS - €25

86 Points - Livon Tiare Mate Merlot 2003 - PASS - €17

So the best QPR here is the Avignonesi, which is a mostly Merlot from Tuscany and a rather embarrassing but happy accident for Merlot Month! The Avignonesi, Villa Russiz and Falesco are all case worthy buys.

The biggest QPR *blows into hand* PASS goes to my main man Roberto Voerzio and the wooden spoon for worst Merlot of the pack goes to Livon.

Tua Rita waltz off with top marks again. I am sure they are stoked to have won Merlot Month!

Where can I buy this wine? (Livon Tiare Mate Merlot 2003 - Um Don't! Get the Montiano)

Europeans - Enoteca Costantini - €17

Americans - Grapes of Norwalk - $42

Brits - You can't. Cry no tears fellow limeys.

Leave a Comment!

Should I do a 10 flight again? Did you enjoy the reviews of these Merlot wines or are you screaming "No more frickin Merlot" like someone might have said in a film once! :op Do these results surprise you? Rosé recommendations, come now.

Antinori Tignanello 2005

Antinori Tignanello 2005

Antinori Tignanello 2005, our second most requested wine after Antinori Tignanello 2004, the 2005 bottling was hotly awaited following the 4th place Wine Spectator "Wine of the Year" ranking for the Tignanello 2004. Everyone is wondering if the 2005 vintage, a difficult Tuscan growing vintage is going to scoop similar accolades, so buying it up in droves before the prices go insane. Here at The Cellar Door, as soon as the product is loaded it sells out within a matter of weeks and so I decided to get my grubby mits on a bottle to see what all the fuss is about.

Although 2005 has produced some great Sangiovese wines the growers at Tignanello were showing some concern. The summer months in 2005 in Tuscany were quite cool and rainy, however, the grapes did their job and ripened and, for drinking today, I prefer this bottle.

I wasn't in love with the 2004 like the rest of the world was, its a great wine no doubt, but was tight as a rock when I sampled it and was definitely something to stick in the cellar for 10 years, a late bloomer. So what of the 2005 vintage?

The Tignanello is one of Italy's most famous wines from one of Italy's most famous producers, something of a commodity and a flag bearer. The 2005 is a blend of 85% Sangiovese, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon e 5% Cabernet Franc and although the percentages do change slightly year on year these ratios are pretty stock. This years Tignanello is weightier than normal and gave up fruit far quicker on the nose and palate so, in my opinion this years Tignanello will be a wine to drink much sooner than the 2004, this suits me personally, although I have many wines cellared I have little patience!

Today's blog entry was supposed to be for the end of Merlot Month. Well, you are lucky blighters because today I will enter two posts. We have the RESULTS of Merlot Month and the final wine up for review, Livon's "Tiare Mate".

Antinori Tignanello 2005 - BUY

Striking ruby red in the glass, lovely colour. The nose quickly brings serious aromas, generous amounts of berry, spices, chocolate and some tobacco. A real monster on the palate with a great balance of acidity, flavours of coffee, jam and chocolate on the mid palate with a nice smooth and pleasing finish. Very well structured and balanced, drinking nicely today but expect maturity within a few years. 93 Points

Where can I buy this wine?

Europeans - Grand Vini Alba - €40

Americans - Wine Anthology - $79

Brits - The Cellar Door - £36.50 (serious deal, £5 cheaper than anywhere else!)

Leave a Comment

The Tignanello posts garner comments thru the year I would love it if you left your own reviews of any Tignanello vintages, or have any other comments to make regarding Tignanello or Antinori :oD

Avignonesi Desiderio Merlot

Avignonesi Desiderio Merlot

Avignonesi Desiderio Merlot, or Avignonesi Desiderio Cortona Merlot (why can't anyone agree on a name!) is a cheeky entry that I have realised contains 15% Cabernet Sauvignon. This actually disqualifies it from my 100% Merlot list for Merlot Month. However, I've tried it now and so will write about it none the less. Avignonesi is a producer with a fine pedigree out of the Tuscany region of Italy. Their Via Santo scored a huge 100 points with James Suckling and the Wine Spectator in 1990 (and they say sweet wines can fool you right?).

So what do we have here, an 85% Merlot/15% Cabernet Sauvignon blend, aged 18 months in french barriques, from a producer who is steadily reducing their range of wines and concentrating on producing fewer finer wines. The company has four vineyards and the Merlot comes out of La Selva, situated at Cignano, on the hills of the Chiuso di Cortona. Hence, the name Avignonesi Desiderio Cortona Merlot.

So not a Merlot at all, but still a very pleasant wine and better than some of the others of this week, not even a Friuli Merlot, man, I really dropped the ball on this one! Lots of availability in the states for this wine, probably Avignonesi is a brand you might know? Let me know. This is another case buy recommendation, I'm sorry it's not a 100% Merlot as this could have been crowned QPR king! Oh well, a gem anyway!

Avignonesi Desiderio Cortona Merlot 2004 - BUY - €35

Very dark purple, edging on black in the glass. Aromatically explosive, berries, vanilla, cedar, cassis and chocolate. Completely full bodied and luscious, tremendous mouth feel, supple, silky tannins, fruity all the way down with a super long satisfying finish. Great QPR. 93 Points

Where can I buy this wine?

Europeans - Italian Wine Shop - €35

Americans - Salt Creek Wine Co - $49

Brits - Everywine - £31

Leave a Comment

Short blog today, thanks for those comments yesterday, I love to discuss the wines with you guys and will definitely do the Rosé thing and the two different grape varietals as well as Futronics Trebbiano rec. Keep Talking!

Vie di Romans Voos Dai Ciamps

Vie di Romans Voos Dai Ciamps

Vie di Romans Voos Dai Ciamps is a 100% Merlot from the Friuli producer Vie di Romans, producer of a wide and fine range of Italian wines. Not content with just a Merlot, Vie di Romans routinely produce award winning Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Tocai Fruiano, Malvasia and Riesling. Now, I've had some rumblings about when is Merlot Month going to end, well, this is wine 8 of 10 and it's Wednesday, so, by the end of the week I'll be freed from the chains of Italian Merlot and we can move on to something else. What else? You tell me, I've had some interesting emails about Nero d'Avola and many would like me to turn some spotlight on Rosé as we're in the height of summer. So, leave a comment and tell me what you'd like to see sunk and drunk! Don't be shy!

So, the wines are getting cheaper and cheaper and harder and harder to come by. This is the 2001 vintage, another fine Italian vintage but this wine, especially compared to yesterdays, is leaving me a little cold. These Fruili Merlots are all over the place, not settled in a price slot or style so far. The Vie di Romans effort stands out from the "Merlot" character and is the most distinctive wine of Merlot Month, just because it doesn't contain the normal traits of the grape.

So, Vie di Romans, do you know them? Serious Italian wine fans probably will, a large outfit with a simply shocking family name. Say "Gallo" to any wine snob and the wince will spread across their face (talking of wine snobbery, see the Bottle Shock preview below), but these Gallos are the family that created these vineyards some 30 years ago. The family have a keen interest in the history of the area and their specific terroir and offer more in depth information about their vineyards than any producer I've ever seen, click here.

Before I review the wine I'd like to just do a quick catch up. People have been asking where I've been, of course I know my absence created a huge void in your life and I don't have a note from my mother (2nd time I've mentioned you in under a month, leave a frickin comment mummy!) but sorry, I spent the weekend at the fabulous Carlton and Grand Canal in Venice (ok, I'm not sorry) it was too hot for anything but Prosecco which I drunk in copious amounts with my travel pal! Lastly, let's take a look at the trailer for Hollywood blockbuster "Bottle Shock" which premiers this autumn, maybe Bottle Shock is going to be some kind of shot in the arm for Chardonnay, still being stoned alive from the memory of Bridget Jones.

Vie di Romans Voos Dai Ciamps Merlot 2001 - PASS - €25

Nice brooding red in the glass, with a sugary and tight nose. Aromas of plums as you'd expect, but dirt and animal characteristics that you wouldn't. Terroir driven Merlot? Probably. Mid bodied on the palate, soft and silky tannins, quite acidic but saved with a good long and memorable finish. I am all about the nose, even though this was decanted, it was mean with me. 87 Points

Nice wine, especially on the palate, but €25 and 87 points is not a ratio trade off I enjoy. I didn't bring the Planeta Merlot into the mix, costs a little less and much better. If you want to come into Italian Merlot at this price point, do Planeta.

Where can I buy this wine?

Europeans - Trimani - €25

Americans - Prime Wines NY - $45

Brits - Winebuythecase - £20

Leave a comment!

Looking forward to Bottle Shock? What grape varietal shall I rock next? Any wine you'd like to see reviewed at all? Will Nadal beat Murray? (please, please, please).

Villa Russiz Merlot

Villa Russiz Merlot

Villa Russiz Merlot, and to be spot on, Villa Russiz Merlot Graf de la Tour, is the 7th Merlot of Merlot Month and the 2nd in the Friuli flight.

Another recommendation from Mr Galloni and at one of the lowest price points of the 10 Merlot offerings I was keen to see what this was all about. The 2004 vintage in the Friuli region was superb, as it was across the majority of Italy and so this could be a very good value for money Merlot indeed.

A tre bicchiere effort according to the Gambero Rosso guide, a 90 point Antonio Galloni rating for the 2003, I was raring to go with the Villa Russiz Merlot and boy o boy, is this a step up from the Radikon.

Another wine with a story Villa Russiz is a charitable winemaker, not for profit, who ploughs any profits straight back into the local region and specifically to needy kids in the area. This is no "charity album" wine, Villa Russiz is headed up by top winemaker Gianni Menotti and the wines are of award winning quality. In fact Villa Russiz has risen to become one of Friuli's top producers.

The Merlot itself is the top bottling of Villa Russiz, aged 24-months in French oak barriques, and with a tricky cabernet-esque nose, plenty of graphite and cedar box. Very alcoholic at nearly 15% and with a tiny production of just 8000 bottles, this Merlot could soon become something of a collectors piece as well as a superbly priced bottle for weekend drinking. This is the joker in the pack of Merlots so far, interesting, great QPR, laying down potential, this is a real find. Of all the wines so far, only this and the Montiano deserve a recommendation for case buying.

Villa Russiz Merlot Graf de la Tour 2004 - BUY - €32

Dark purple in colour with a refined and generous bouquet of graphite, cedar box, cherries, vanilla, raisins and plums. Full bodied with chocolate and plum flavours coming through on the palate, concentrated and still tannic but that should ebb away. Mouth filling and big, yet elegant with some acidity but good balance. Enjoyable. 92 Points

Where can I buy this wine?

Europeans - Italian Wine Shop - €32

Americans - Winerz - $62

Brits - Ravi's Wines - £32

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