TEN ITALIAN WINE THIS MONTH ON THE TOP WINES MEDIA&PRESS
UK PRESS
Cantina Cleto Chiarli Pruno Nero, Emilia-Romagna, Italy NV
Rather than giving up drinking in January, why not change your wine habits by “trying something new”, suggests David Williams in The Guardian, while recommending this Italian sparkler.
He said: “How to approach wine post-Christmas excess? Some of us give up for a month, but there are better times for abstinence than the dark days of January. I prefer the frisson of transgressive pleasure that comes with drinking styles that feel slightly inappropriate amid the austerity. Sparkling wines, for example, whether a decent, budget-friendly white fizz such as Aldi’s creamy Philippe Michel Crémant du Jura 2012 (£7.39), or, to go with the season’s meaty stews, Chiarli’s vivid, ripe black-cherry-filled sparkling Italian red, with its soft mousse and gentle tannic grip.”
Price: £12.95, Great Western Wine
He said: “How to approach wine post-Christmas excess? Some of us give up for a month, but there are better times for abstinence than the dark days of January. I prefer the frisson of transgressive pleasure that comes with drinking styles that feel slightly inappropriate amid the austerity. Sparkling wines, for example, whether a decent, budget-friendly white fizz such as Aldi’s creamy Philippe Michel Crémant du Jura 2012 (£7.39), or, to go with the season’s meaty stews, Chiarli’s vivid, ripe black-cherry-filled sparkling Italian red, with its soft mousse and gentle tannic grip.”
Price: £12.95, Great Western Wine
2013 Fiano Masseria Bianca, Salento, Puglia, Italy
Matthew Jukes, writing in the Daily Mail recommended six “tremendous wines for Indian recipes”, including this “sumptuous” Fiano.
He said: “Gosh, this is a classy creation with a diminutive price tag and it is because the wines from Puglia still manage to fly way under the radar. The sumptuous pineapple husk and jasmine nose and thrilling, dry lemony palate make it a dream with all manner of let alone complex Indian seafood and chicken dishes.”
Price: £8.95, Corney & Barrow
He said: “Gosh, this is a classy creation with a diminutive price tag and it is because the wines from Puglia still manage to fly way under the radar. The sumptuous pineapple husk and jasmine nose and thrilling, dry lemony palate make it a dream with all manner of let alone complex Indian seafood and chicken dishes.”
Price: £8.95, Corney & Barrow
2013 Pecorino Terre di Chieti Central Italy
Brian Elliott of The Scotsman offered up a “sextet” of wines priced £6 and under this week as the population embarks on a collective post-Christmas tightening of belts. But as Elliott explains, cutting back does not mean cutting out, “certainly as far as wine is concerned”.
He said: “There are some absolutely terrific Italian whites about currently, such as this fresh and long tour de force with an unusual degree of mellow depth. Enjoy in particular its herbal, greengage fruit with just a suggestion of peach in the background and the savoury edge that combines so well with its measured acidity.”
Price: £7.99, Waitrose
He said: “There are some absolutely terrific Italian whites about currently, such as this fresh and long tour de force with an unusual degree of mellow depth. Enjoy in particular its herbal, greengage fruit with just a suggestion of peach in the background and the savoury edge that combines so well with its measured acidity.”
Price: £7.99, Waitrose
David Williams, writing in The Guardian, explored the world of Chianti this week recommending three “very distinct and very tasty Chiantis” – starting with Bibbiano Chianti Classico.
He said: “As is the case in wine regions all over Europe, there is a certain amount of ideological debate about what constitutes true Chianti. Traditionalists tend to argue that it’s all about the Sangiovese, maybe backed up with a little of another local red grape, Canaiolo. And while their argument rather glosses over the fact that, until the mid-1990s, producers weren’t officially permitted to make a 100% Sangiovese, and that, historically, the Chianti blend also included white varieties Malvasia and Trebbiano, the composition of most of my favourite Chiantis tend to back them up. Certainly, I wouldn’t disagree with Berry Bros & Rudd buyer David Berry Green’s assessment that Bibbiano’s all-Sangiovese Classico tastes exactly as I think Chianti should do: that racy-raspy quality presented with deliciously pure oregano-edged red fruit.”
Price: £14.99, Berry Bros & Rudd
He said: “As is the case in wine regions all over Europe, there is a certain amount of ideological debate about what constitutes true Chianti. Traditionalists tend to argue that it’s all about the Sangiovese, maybe backed up with a little of another local red grape, Canaiolo. And while their argument rather glosses over the fact that, until the mid-1990s, producers weren’t officially permitted to make a 100% Sangiovese, and that, historically, the Chianti blend also included white varieties Malvasia and Trebbiano, the composition of most of my favourite Chiantis tend to back them up. Certainly, I wouldn’t disagree with Berry Bros & Rudd buyer David Berry Green’s assessment that Bibbiano’s all-Sangiovese Classico tastes exactly as I think Chianti should do: that racy-raspy quality presented with deliciously pure oregano-edged red fruit.”
Price: £14.99, Berry Bros & Rudd
Isola e Olena Chianti Classico, Tuscany, Italy 2012
Of this Isola e Olena Chianti Williams said: “Blind-tasting a bunch of Chiantis with some fellow wine-writers recently – including one passionately arch-traditionalist Italian – two of the highest-scoring wines turned out to contain doses of one of those dreaded international, character-diluting grape varieties, albeit in tiny amounts. Syrah was the offender in Isola e Olena’s gorgeously poised example, but at 5% (along with 15% Canaiolo) it didn’t obscure the sour plum tang and vivacious cherry of the Sangiovese.”
Price: from £17.50, The Wine Society; Slurp.co.uk
Price: from £17.50, The Wine Society; Slurp.co.uk
Poggerino Chianti Classico Riserva Bugialla 2010 Italy
Fattoria Rodáno, Toscana IGT, Poggialupi 2012
2011 Corte alla Flora Pugnitello, Tuscany, Italy
Stemmari Dalila 2012, Sicily
Price: $13 to 15
2011 Brancaia Ilatraia Rosso, Tuscany, Italy
Moore also recommended this Chianti Classico from Poggerino. Available only in magnum format, Moore said it was “exceptional”.
She said: “High levels of alcohol are usually a no-no that I spot at a thousand paces. This for me is a rare exception: a proud, beautifully delineated single-vineyard Sangiovese from a small producer. Exceptional. Invite some good friends around for a winter weekend dinner of steak and salad, and crack open a magnum.”
Price: Lea & Sandeman, magnums only, £54.50
She said: “High levels of alcohol are usually a no-no that I spot at a thousand paces. This for me is a rare exception: a proud, beautifully delineated single-vineyard Sangiovese from a small producer. Exceptional. Invite some good friends around for a winter weekend dinner of steak and salad, and crack open a magnum.”
Price: Lea & Sandeman, magnums only, £54.50
US PRESS
Fattoria Rodáno, Toscana IGT, Poggialupi 2012
“Though the first Super Tuscans were pricey, it is now possible to find them at lower prices, like this one from Rodáno”, wrote Rebecca Murphy in the Dallas Morning News.
She said: “It is 90% Sangiovese blended with Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. With this blend and the winery’s location in the Chianti Classico region, it could have been labeled as such. However, Enrico Pozzesi, owner-winemaker of Rodáno, feels that Poggialupi has a more modern expression than his more traditional Chianti Classico wines and is better represented in the category of IGT. This is a cheerful, generous and easy-to- drink wine with bright cherry fruit with hints of anise and dried herbs, lively acidity and integrated tannins. Enjoy it with a mushroom pizza.”
Price: $14 to $15.99
She said: “It is 90% Sangiovese blended with Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. With this blend and the winery’s location in the Chianti Classico region, it could have been labeled as such. However, Enrico Pozzesi, owner-winemaker of Rodáno, feels that Poggialupi has a more modern expression than his more traditional Chianti Classico wines and is better represented in the category of IGT. This is a cheerful, generous and easy-to- drink wine with bright cherry fruit with hints of anise and dried herbs, lively acidity and integrated tannins. Enjoy it with a mushroom pizza.”
Price: $14 to $15.99
2011 Corte alla Flora Pugnitello, Tuscany, Italy
This “full-bodied red with a big, spicy perfume” from Tuscany was recommended by Irene Virbila in the LA Times.
She said: “In Tuscany, only a few producers work with the Pugnitello grape, which was practically extinct until recently. Named “small fist” because of its tight grape bunches, Pugnitello is not only rare, its yields also are very low, so producers have to be dedicated to make the wine at all. A deep, full-bodied red with a big spicy perfume and a character reminiscent of Brunello or Vino Nobile, this is a wine to break out for a chilly evening. It’s a great bottle to bring out for friends who know and enjoy Italian wines.”
Price: $27 to $32
She said: “In Tuscany, only a few producers work with the Pugnitello grape, which was practically extinct until recently. Named “small fist” because of its tight grape bunches, Pugnitello is not only rare, its yields also are very low, so producers have to be dedicated to make the wine at all. A deep, full-bodied red with a big spicy perfume and a character reminiscent of Brunello or Vino Nobile, this is a wine to break out for a chilly evening. It’s a great bottle to bring out for friends who know and enjoy Italian wines.”
Price: $27 to $32
Stemmari Dalila 2012, Sicily
This powerfully aromatic Sicilian white was recommended by Dennis Sodomka in the Augusta Chronicle. It is made from the native Sicilian grape Grillo and Viognier,
He said: “The flavor is an elegant melding of peach, citrus and floral with an undercurrent of vanilla and oak.”
He added: “The blend spends four months in bottles before it is released. The result is a complex, refreshing elegant wine that most white wine drinkers should love. The fruit is powerful, but there is a nice backbone of acidity to make this a great food wine.”
He said: “The flavor is an elegant melding of peach, citrus and floral with an undercurrent of vanilla and oak.”
He added: “The blend spends four months in bottles before it is released. The result is a complex, refreshing elegant wine that most white wine drinkers should love. The fruit is powerful, but there is a nice backbone of acidity to make this a great food wine.”
2011 Brancaia Ilatraia Rosso, Tuscany, Italy
This “rich and smooth” Tuscan red was recommended by Irene Virbila of the LA Times, calling it a special bottle to bring out for a dinner with wine-loving friends. Pair it with roast duck, a game bird or even a roasted pig’s head, she said.
“Let’s celebrate every bit of cold weather we can muster this winter”, Silfven said. “Time to light the fire, roast a big hunk of meat and break out a big red. This one comes from Maremma, near the Tuscan Coast, and it’s a Bordeaux-style blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc aged in French oak. Ilatraia has a wonderful presence, silky and smooth with flavors of currant, wild herbs and spice. The tannins are there, but tamed, and the finish is long and satisfying.”
Price: $36 to $46
“Let’s celebrate every bit of cold weather we can muster this winter”, Silfven said. “Time to light the fire, roast a big hunk of meat and break out a big red. This one comes from Maremma, near the Tuscan Coast, and it’s a Bordeaux-style blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc aged in French oak. Ilatraia has a wonderful presence, silky and smooth with flavors of currant, wild herbs and spice. The tannins are there, but tamed, and the finish is long and satisfying.”
Price: $36 to $46
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