Viti*Culture

Tedeschi 'Lucchine' Valpolicella Classico 2004

2007-07-01T20:26:00.000-04:00

Fratelli Tedeschi 'Lucchine' Valpolicella Classico 2004

Sight: Deep ruby core, slightly garnet rim. Nice, vibrant color.

Nose: Spicy, dark berry aroma, hints of characteristic bramble fruit. A little hot but at the same time the fruit is restrained and somewhat 'cold'. A bit monochromatic but great at $10.99.

Taste: Hot again in the mouth, but nicely structured with fine tannin and dark fruit. Alcohol definitely a bit off balance. Shortish finish. Again, a surprise at this price.

Opinion: I tend to stay away from Valpolicellas, but this one was really good. Much more elegant than I expected and unbeatable at that price. The wine had structure and depth.

Heinrich St. Laurent, Burgenland 2004

2007-06-06T23:38:00.001-04:00

Heinrich, St. Laurent from Burgenland, 2004.

This variety is often compared to Pinot Noir, and I can see why, although there are some clear differences between the two.

Sight: Dramatic, deep purple red, and surprisingly pink rim with a watery finish. Striking color, deep and dark - but remarkably natural looking. Doesn't look like over extraction.

Nose: Meaty, heady. Deep dark and ripe cherry, but not over the top. Reminds me of a Pinot Noir from Oregon I tried recently that was surprisingly concentrated and powerful. Unlike the Oregon wine, however, this one wasn't over the top, but rather balanced. Not sure what I would've made of it if tasting blind.

Taste: Surprisingly dry. Medium+ body. Very peculiar. Almost medicinal. Flavors of dried berries. No tannin. Like nothing else I've tasted. Ripe but not obviously so. Although the acidity is not obvious, the wine is not flabby. Very long finish.

Conclusion: I tasted it again after about three hours and it had mellowed out a good bit. The nose became much sweeter and jammy. Still smoky and meaty, though. The flavor changed dramatically, the wine became much more fruity on the palate. Very similar to ripe Oregon Pinot. A very interesting surprise.

Domenico Clerico Visadi Dolcetto Langhe 2004

2007-01-21T15:00:00.000-05:00

Sight: Very deep purple color with a bright purple rim.

Nose: Dark candied raspberry with a distinct menthol (!) edge.

Taste: Light tannin, low acidity, a bit hot. Candied berries, pleasantly bitter end.

Overall: I had been wanting to have a Dolcetto for a while and I definitely picked a good one. This is a high quality example, from a quality-minded producer. As expected, it is not complex or too intriguing, however it does have a definite, assertive character, not at all generic. At 14% abv, the heat seemed a little excessive, but not overwhelming.

Jeriko Estate Mendocino Sangiovese 2002

2006-12-24T12:19:00.000-05:00

Sight: Red with slightly purple rim, medium depth.

Nose: Minerally nose, sweet, dusty blackberry. It would smell 'old world' if the blackberry was just a bit less sweet. Good nose.

Taste: Not terribly flavorful, but pleasant and smooth. Touches of berries. Low acidity and fine, ethereal tannin.

Overall: It smells Italian, which is cool, with just a little extra sweetness that betrays its true origin. A pleasant drink. It was a gift but I looked up the price, around $24. A little overpriced.

Borsao Campo de Borja 2005

2006-12-23T23:23:00.000-05:00

Sight: Purple and vivacious. Very young and lively in appearance. Nice color.

Nose: Meaty blueberry with tell-tale soft leather aroma from the Grenache. A hint of caramel signals very ripe grapes, though the wine (at 14% abv) smells quite balanced.

Taste: Fleshy fruit in the palate as well. Very fine, slightly chalky tannin. The alcohol does get a little 'heavy' in the mouth and throws the wine off balance a bit. Also a hint of bitterness.

Overall: The wine fell apart in the glass after about 10 minutes and all that was left was a vague metallic smell and a bitter flavor. Not good. The wine was a gift so I don't know the price, but I am assuming it was on the inexpensive side.

Allegrini La Grola, Veronese IGT, 2001

2006-12-09T19:13:00.001-05:00

Blend: 70% Corvina Veronese, 15% Rondinella, 10% Syrah and 5% Sangiovese, aged in French barriques for 16 months.

About the style: Valpolicella is the second wine of Italy in terms of production. The Valpolicella DOC vineyards lie east to west, north of Verona. Basic Valpolicella can be very bland stuff, sourced from overcropped vineyards on the valley floors. Valpolicella Classico DOC comes from better sites on hillsides. Notably, one of the great wine styles of the region, and indeed of Italy, is the Amarone della Valpolicella, originating from the same area, and produced entirely from semi-dried grapes, fermented all the way through into a dry wine with great body, very distinctive aroma and a delightfully bitter finish.

The wine I am reviewing here, however, is a Veronese IGT (Indicazione Geografica Tipica), a category that allows the use of more grape varieties and in different proportions from those allowed by the stricter Valpolicella DOC rules. DOC Valpolicella must include Corvina, Molinara and Rondinella in the blend and no 'foreign' varieties. The addition of Syrah and Sangiovese to this blend obviously breaks the mold. More on why, below.

The Producer: Allegrini is one of the most renowned producers in the region. The Allegrini family has been in Valpolicella for centuries. Giovanni Allegrini was the force that modernized Allegrini in the 60's and 70's by objectively analyzing quality and technical standards and changing standard practice where necessary. After his premature passing in the early 80's his three children, Walter, Franco and Marilisa took over the company. Under their management Allegrini continued to improve the quality of their wines. When they felt too constrained by DOC legislation, they opted to 'drop out' of the system and produce wines under the Veronese IGT category, something like the famous "Super Tuscans," deciding which grapes were best to achieve the best blend, not necessarily following tradition.

First taste, right after opening.

Sight: Purple core with ruby-red rim.

Nose: Black cherry, hints of sweeter brambly berries on the fringes, but feels closed.

Taste: Fine tannins, medium acidity. Feels elegant, but just like the nose, not much going on yet.

Second taste, after an hour in the decanter.

Sight: Same.

Nose: Not much going on yet. Caught a hint or two of softer, brambly fruit, but nothing particularly strong. It's not that the wine is subtle, it's just muted.

Taste: Softer in the mouth, showing nice brambly red fruit flavors. Not much of a finish, but more pleasant than before.

Third taste, after another hour:

Sight: Same.

Nose: Starting to open up after all this time. Shows riper fruit, plumper fruit, and mineral lift.

Taste: Spicy and smooth. Very concentrated flavor and thick texture.

Overall: Disappointing. The wine never really came into its own. I actually tasted a second bottle to see if maybe I had gotten a bad one, but the results were the same. The La Grola is their most basic bottlling, so I will try to get a hold of their higher end blends and taste that to compare.

Taurino Salice Salentino DOC Rosso Riserva 2000

2006-12-08T20:41:00.000-05:00

About the Wine

Style: Salice Salentino DOC is a wine made in the Salento Peninsula, in Apulia, the 'heel' to Italy's boot. The main grape used in its production is Negro Amaro (at least 85%) with the balance being Malvasia Nera. Apulia is a region known predominantly for its output of deeply colored and alcoholic wine used anonymously in blends. Its quality wine production is completely dwarfed by its bulk wine output, though producers are making more quality wines in line with demand. Other DOC wines from Apulia include Aleatico di Puglia DOC, made almost entirely from Aleatico grapes, Copertino DOC, made from at least 70% Negro Amaro, and Primitivo di Manduria DOC made from Primitivo grapes, now known to be the same as California's Zinfandel.

Producer: Taurino is a family run operation headed by Francesco Taurino, son of Cosimo Taurino, now deaceased. They make quality wines from both the Salice Salentino and Brindisi DOCs.

Price: Around $14.00.

Tasting Notes

Sight: Medium intensity, ruby core with garnet rim.

Nose: Leathery, (a little bretty), pleasant, showing clear hints of age. As the initial (maybe slightly dirty) aromas blow off very succulent dark berry aromas begin to emerge, laced with dusty and leathery aromas in succession. The fruit isn't obvious at first, but once it appears it is wonderfully plump and clean at the same time. With time in the glass the bouquet of age begins to show a little more but very distinctive, sweeter fruit begins to emerge as well.

Taste: Flavorful, crisp, and poised. Very fine tannin, medium to medium-full body. The texture is a bit chalky. The age is apparent as is the fruit, which is red, intense and almost jammy on the tongue. This is fantastic wine for the price. I had this same wine a year ago and it was much less evolved, so I think the time to drink it is now. On the other hand, I also had a bottle where the brett was so out of control that we couldn't drink it. This is a wine that is very distinctly Italian it its flavor profile.

Overall: I really love this wine. It is clearly old world, has a lot of character and is very easy to drink. This is what I would consider a value wine - great wine for the price.

Chateau Rauzan-Segla Margaux 1998

2006-11-23T17:35:00.000-05:00

Region & Style: Chateau Rauzan-Segla is a Classed Second Growth Bordeaux from the commune of Margaux. Margaux is the southernmost commune of the Haut-Medoc, the portion of Bordeaux's the left bank where most classed growths are located. Margaux's only First Growth is the eponymous Chateau Margaux. Of the five Second Growths, Rauzan-Segla is arguably the best along with Chateau Lascombes. At their best, the wines of Margaux are characterized by a more elegant perfume and silkier texture than wines from the other great communes, however quality can be notably inconsistent. The blends are heavy in Cabernet Sauvignon, followed by Merlot and Cabernet Franc.

Tasting Notes

Sight: Purple core and redder rim, looks very youthful.

Nose: Distinctive fleshy blackberry aroma with hints leather and cedar and a clean, stony minerality. Somewhat closed.

Taste: Very fine tannins, light with a bit of a gap in the mid-palate. Some cedary notes and red fruit flavors. Very soft and silky.

Overall: Pretty disappointing. I tasted it over two hours and it never really improved (I kept hoping it would!). Pretty one-dimensional. It wasn't unpleasant, it just wasn't special in any way.

Hamilton Russel Vineyards Walker Bay Chardonnay 2003

2006-09-24T13:03:00.000-04:00

Sight: Beautiful yellow color, with a slightly golden core.

Nose: Fresh nose of citrus with noticeable minerality, note of hazelnut and toast. Nose is delicate and elegant, with an obvious, but pleasant, metallic edge.

Taste: Unfortunately, the 'elegance' on the nose translated into 'watered down' in the palate. Not much fruit or body, and a slightly bitter aftertaste of toasted wood.

Overall: It looked and smelled pretty good, and then splat! It was extremely weak flavorwise. Oh well. On the up-side, it's refreshing and goes down easy.

Luigi Bosca Gala 1 Mendoza 2003

2006-09-14T10:23:00.000-04:00

My father gave me this nice bottle as a gift. The Luigi Bosca Gala 1 2003, from Mendoza, is a blend of 85% Malbec, 10% Petit Verdot, and 5% Tannat.

Sight: Deep purple core, purple rim. Looks extracted but not 'syrupy'.

Nose: Sweet blackberry, jammy blueberry, and other layers of ripe berry fruit, with the tell-tale Malbec varietal aroma. A touch of licorice, and perhaps, too, a minimal touch of oak.

Taste: Somewhat persistent tannins, good acidity, a bit bitter at the end. Not very fruity in taste, chocolaty.

Overall: Obviously restrained, this wine is not over-ripe, or over-oaked, or over-extracted, which is great. The aromas are rich and the wine manages to reign in some of the power in favor of elegance. It would benefit from a few more years in the bottle.

Guigal Cote-Rotie Brune et Blond 2001

2006-09-11T20:00:00.000-04:00

I bought this Guigal Cote-Rotie Brune et Blonde 2001 in a half bottle. The Cote Brune and the Cote Blonde are, respectively, the two regions within Cote-Rotie. The Brune is known for power, the Blonde for elegance and aroma. This is a blend of the two.

Sight: Purple core and red rim. It looks elegant.

Aroma: The higher notes are of herbs and mineral, very fresh. The aroma is of crushed dark berries with a hint of wood. I get a touch of mint on the fringes.

Taste: Very tasty, slightly tangy dark fruit, very smooth, with very soft, fine tannin.

Overall: I definitely opened this wine in its infancy, so it wasn't nearly all it could be. The complexity of the nose, though, was impressive. It was like catching a breeze through the herb garden. Very nice.

Tollot Beaut Chorey Cote de Beaune 2002

2006-09-02T14:33:00.000-04:00

Sight: Pretty ruby core with pink rim.

Aroma: Expressive dark strawberry, raspberry and blackberry. Deep and delicate.

Taste: Medium bodied, fine even tannin and good acidity. Not very fruity in the mouth.

Overall impression: The nose was very pleasant and the wine was balanced. It took a while to open up, but when it did it had a nice Pinot Noir nose and was quite agreeable. What else can you ask for!

Nervi Vigneto Molsino Gattinara DOCG 1998

2006-08-27T19:51:00.000-04:00

Sight: Surprisingly deep red core, slight browning at the rim. Looks young and lively.

Nose: Very characteristic nebbiolo nose, deep fruit with mineral hints and higher, sweeter fruity/floral aromas. Beautiful varietal expression.

Taste: Savory flavor with marked acidity and dry tannins. Pleasant if a bit austere.

Overall impression: I think this wine could go another 8 years in the bottle and be the better for it. Almost no hints of age are evident in the aroma.

Guido Porro Barolo Vigna Lazzaraisco 2000

2006-08-19T10:36:00.000-04:00

Last night I bought a bottle of Guido Porro's Barolo Vigna Lazzaraisco 2000. My boss recomended I decant it for 2 hours before drinking, so I decided to taste it along the way, before we drank it with lunch.

10:40 AM - First taste, right after opening it.

Sight: Beautiful brick edges, slightly redder core.

Nose: Tight, feels like it's coiled, ready to pounce. Noticeable minerality, fruits a little muted but not far away, very clean and elegant. I want to say hints of kirsch. Can't wait for it to open up!

Mouth: Very fine tannin, tight flavors. Crisp, noticeably bitter finish, but not upleasant.

11:34 Am - Second Taste

Sight: Color remains the same.

Nose: The nose has notably softened and become more fruity. It seems to have become a bit 'hotter' (14.5% abv, according to bottle) for some reason, maybe because the wine has warmed up some. The nose displays what I recognize as the 'italian progression'. Hard to describe, but something about how the aromas are layered. I'm also picking up a leathery note.

Taste: In the mouth the wine seems to also have softened considerably. The bitter finish is a lot fainter. I feel like it needs food.

Overall: Nice, softer nose.

12:47 PM - Before eating.

Sight: Same.

Nose: Elegant, layered fruits with hints of earth. I want to say floral high-notes, but not fresh flowers, fading flowers is more like it. Some leathery notes, hints of wood. The wine is vibrant, and although its age shows a bit, it seems youthful enough to last for a few more years.

Taste: Has softened a great deal. I suspect if the tannins were just a little softer it would feel velvety. Almost Burgundy-like in texture.

Overall: Much softened and enlivened. Very nice.

1:20PM - With food.

I made a mushroom risotto with a touch of red wine. The Barolo held up to it well, though the flavors didn't really enhance each other - they just left each other alone. It was interesting to see how the wine softened up over the few hours it was in the decanter. About an hour after lunch I returned to it and it was still opening up - it was then that I caught a hint of roses, one of the 'classic' aromas of Barolo.

Drouhin Vero Bourgougne AC Pinot Noir 2002

2006-08-17T13:01:00.000-04:00

Sight: Garnet rim, reddish core. Attractive color showing hints of time.

Nose: Meaty and full at first sniff, then unfolding with surprisingly deep strawberry jam and blackberry aromas cradled by a very pleasant and ephemeral earth component. Although I refer to jam, this is not a 'jammy' wine, it's just that the intensity of the fruit gives it the feel of concentrated rather than fresh fruit.

Taste: Tasty red fruit flavors, light to medium body, pleasant acidity and fine but persistent tannin. Not as interesting in the mouth as it was in the nose.

Overall Impression: The nose surprised me because the fruit aromas were darker than I would've expected from a Bourgogne AC wine. Some 2003's were fruitier than usual, but were not as deep as this. The winemaking is definetely having an effect on the end product, and it's not at all unpleasant. It may not be traditional, but it certainly isn't bad.

This is what the very descriptive label says: 125 years ago, Joseph Drouhin began making wine in the Burgundy region of France. Today, the fourth generation of Drouhin winemakers continues the family's proud tradition with this bottle, named for Joseph's great granddaughter Veronique. Having produced highly acclaimed wines at Domaine Drouhin Oregon in the Willamette Valley, Veronique and her Brothers, Philippe, Frederic and Laurent are now using their cumulative experience to make Vero, an old world wine with new world appeal.

Ca' del Bosco, Franciacorta Brut, Italy

2006-08-03T22:24:00.000-04:00

This is another interesting wine from a relatively new Italian appelation.

The appelation: The Franciacorta DOCG is located in Lombary, north-central Italy. Although wine had been produced there for centuries, sparkling wines only appeared in the 1960's and soon gained wide acclaim. In 1995 the region was given DOCG status for it's sparkling wines, while still wines were given the Terre di Franciacorta DOC.

The style: The grapes allowed for sparkling wine are Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc and Chardonnay. The wines must be produced using the traditional method, undergoing the second fermentation in the bottle, and aged for at least two years before release.

The producer: Ca' del Bosco is one of the undisputed leading producers of the region. The winery was founded in 1968 by Maurizio Zanella. In 2003, Gambero Rosso named it Winery of the Year, after awarding it 22 Tre Bicchieri ratings.

The Wine: Ca' del Bosco Franciacorta Brut

Sight: Deep gold with hints of salmon.

Nose: Pleasantly yeasty with mineral notes. Faint hints of apricot. There is a certain austerity to the aroma, almost stony, very fresh and appetizing.

Taste: Dry, but not completely Brut. Very champagne-like flavors and feel. Quite refreshing.

Overall impression: Obviously a quality product, and very enjoyable, though I found something lacking. This is their most basic cuvee, and it was great, so I imagine their higher end wines must be truly outstanding.

Argiolas 'Turriga' 1999

2006-07-26T13:55:00.000-04:00

I tried a very interesting wine last night: Argiolas' Turriga 1999. It is a blend of Carignano (Carignan), Malvasia Nera and Cannonau (Grenache). Argiolas winery was founded in Sardinia, Italy, in the 1930's by Antonio Argiolas and is now run by his two sons. They produce outstanding wines from local varieties.

The Turriga was a very pleasant surprise: The aromas were Southern France meets Southern Italy, and the results were very interesting. You get the fruit and herbs aromas of the French varietals with the minerality and peculiar fruit character of Italian wines. The whole of the aroma is framed by a faint (and very pleasant, mouthwatering) brininess. The wine is full bodied and very crisp, something I didn't expect.

This is definitely worth searching out. Very different and satisfying.

Giacomo Conterno Barbera d'Alba 2001

2006-07-21T11:14:00.000-04:00

About the Grape: Barbera is the most planted grape in Piedmont. Wines range from simple and crisp to more modern, serious, barrique-aged wines worthy of cellaring. Deep ruby color, full body, low tannins, and marked acidity.

About the producer: Roberto Conterno now runs the Giacomo Conterno house after his father, Giovanni, passed away in 2003. Giaovanni was the son of Piedmont legend Giacomo Conterno. Aldo Conterno, another famed producer in the region, is Giacomoâ€™s other son, who opened his own winery in Monforte dâ€™Alba in the seventies.

The wine: Giacomo Conterno Barbera d'Alba 2001

Sight: Lively ruby red color with pink rim.

Nose: Elegant, moderate on the attack. Starts off with a slightly tangy, mouth-watering aroma of berries that sweeten as the wine opens up turning into dark berry scents shrouded in a faint, haunting minerality. Very beautiful nose.

Taste: Tangy berry flavors. It shows noticeable acidity that is extremely well balanced. Tannins are light-medium to medium. Medium-full body. The finish is long and satisfying.

Overall impression: This is an extremely well crafted barbera that would go very well with food. Very elegant and flavorful.