ITALIAN WINE ON THE "JULY TOP 10 WINES ASIAN MEDIA&US/UK PRESS"

ELEVEN ITALIAN WINE THIS MONTH ON THE TOP WINES MEDIA&PRESS

US PRESS

2011 Inama Soave Classico

In the LA Times Irene Virbila recommended this wine, as “perfect summer drinking”.

She added: “The grapes for his Soave Classico come from 30-year-old vines, and the wine has an uncharacteristic intensity. The bouquet is gentle, mostly wildflowers, but the 2011 has a minerality reminiscent of Chablis along with a bright thread of acidity. And that’s what holds your interest, sip after sip. Drink this crisp, dry white with sushi and sashimi, crudo, seafood risotto and pasta, and grilled fish.”

2011 Michele Chiarlo Moscato d’Asti

Mark Tarbell, from the Arizona Republic, wrote: “A well made Moscato d’Asti is as good as it gets for dry-heat outdoor dining, pool parties or staring at stars. It has one-third the amount of alcohol than that of most big Napa wines. It is slightly sweet and — here’s the kicker — has a wisp of bubbles.”









Le XI Terre, Custoza Superiore DOC 2010

Rebecca Murphy, in the Dallas Morning News, described this as “an elegant white wine with great structure and finesse.” She added: “It’s a blend of eight grape varieties. It has layers of flavours: yellow plum, apples and lemons with floral, herbal and chalky notes. In the mouth it’s creamy and light-bodied with zesty citrus acidity. It’s perfect for a baked or sautéed white fish or pasta with clam sauce.”








2011 Braida Montebruna Barbera d’Asti

Irene Virbila picked out this wine for her readers in the LA Times. She wrote: “The 2011 Braida Montebruna Barbera d’Asti is lighthearted but also has palate-cleansing acidity.”

She added: “The 2011 Montebruna is almost violet in colour. It comes from a vineyard in Rochetta Tanaro and is lighthearted enough for pasta dishes. But with its palate-cleansing acidity, it’s ideal with charcuterie or salumi. Open up a bottle for some grilled sausages or pork chops. Or to enjoy with cheese after the meal.”




UK PRESS 


Fratelli Berlucchi Brut 25 Franciacorta

Williams also recommended this wine, writing: “When it comes to sales, Prosecco rules the sparkling roost in Italy, and the style has been a massive hit in the UK. In terms of quality, however, the Italians tend to view the fizz produced in Franciacorta in Lombardy as a cut above. It’s made in the same bottle-fermented way as Champagne, using the same varieties, and this vivacious, toasty 100% Chardonnay suggests the Italians may be on to something.”





Triade Fiano/Falanghina/Greco IGT Campania (Paolo Leo)

This is one of the wines recommended by David Williams in The Observer, he wrote: “Southern Italy has become my go-to wine region for inexpensive supermarket drinking: there’s still plenty of plonk produced in the Mezzogiorno, but the standard is so much better than it used to be.”

He added: “This fleshy white blend is a useful beginner’s guide to three of the region’s best white-grape varieties, offering orange citrus, peach and a subtle streak of Italianate herb and nut bitterness.”

Asian Media

The Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2006 (Biondi Santi)

Wine Times Hong Kong, wrote of this wine: “This was my favourite wine of the lunch (which included 1997 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva, Rosso di Montalcino 2009 and Brunello di Montalcino Annata 2006).”

Adding: “It has great fruit, very clean on the palate and has a long, juicy finish. Give this a little more time, 5 years says Jacopo, and it will be as elegant as the iconic 1997 vintage. Definitely worth a buy, a try and, if you can, a good couple of years more in the cellar.”






1997 San Guido – Bolgheri Sassicaia

This wine was recommended by Jeannie Cho Lee MW, in asianpalate.com. She described it as a “gorgeous Sassicaia at its peak – exuberant, layered with great depth.”

She added: “The wine was decanted for about two hours but kept getting better and better in the glass. The tannins are still firm and are just starting to integrate into the wine; the flavours are still youthful with hardly any tertiary notes. The wine tastes barely 10 years old right now and it certainly has a long future head of it.”

Tormaresca Chardonnay, Puglia IGT, 2012

Wai Xin CSW, recommended this wine in winexin.sg. He wrote: “Located down south at the heel of Italy, I had expected Tormaresca wines to be big, bold and overly ripe. On the contrary, this Chardonnay was vibrant, youthful, and it’s all about fresh bright aromas of orange blossom and flowers. Hints of tropical fruits were noted. The palate was well balanced with refreshing acid and salty mineral.”





 
La Braccesca Vigneto Santa Pia, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG 2006

Wai Xin also picked out this wine, writing: “La Braccesca, from Tuscany, is an estate that delivers what it demonstrates. The brand is represented with an armoured arm wielding a sword, and its wine equally powerful and well guarded. A slightly late harvest and fairly good weather provided the desirable level of ripeness and firm chewy tannins. Although perfectly approachable now, it will probably show better with more ageing.”





Castello Romitorio Morellino di Scansano DOCG 2007

Damon Yuen recommended this wine in winebuzz.hk, writing: “Brilliant clear garnet, nose of fresh flowers, earth and plum. On the palate, bitter cherries end in a steady silky finish. This wine pairs well with (1) pea sprouts stir-fried in garlic (2) mushroom, beef or pork rice noodle wraps (Cheung Fun) with a light soya sauce (3) steamed prawns dipped in soy sauce with chilies and (4) fish steamed with ginger and green onion, bathing in hot oil and soya sauce.”