The Cellar: Berlucchi + Avignonesi
Friday, April 25, 2014
Spring = Italy
Italy remains the world’s largest producer of wine. One of the things that continues to amaze me about Italian wine is not only the thousands different types and styles of wine produced, but that a lot of Italian wine remain great values. This week features two such wines.
NV Berlucchi, Franciacorta Brut, Franciacorta, Lombardy
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTThis week’s first wine is an outstanding, traditionally made sparkling wine from Lombardy. I recently featured ‘Italy’s Champagne region’ - Franciacorta - and figured I would follow-up this week with another, more readily available, example. This Franciacorta is made by the #1 (in terms of volume) ‘Metodo Classico’ sparkling wine producer in Italy, the famed Guido Berlucchi Estate. Alongside Franco Ziliani, Guido Berlucchi is often credited for having been the first to understand the winegrowing potential of Franciacorta and the first to bottle a sparkling wine under the label ‘Franciacorta’ – that was in 1961. The $35 Berlucchi Franciacorta non-vintage Brut is a sparkling blend of 90% Chardonnay and 10% Pinot Noir matured for a minimum of 24 months. This wine features aromas of baked green apple and pears. On the palate the aromas are replicated with the addition of citrus. The bubbles are dense, yet smooth. Great wine!
2011 Avignonesi, Rosso di Montepulciano, Tuscany
This week’s second wine represents everything I love about a great Rosso Di Montepulciano, arguably one of Italy’s best ‘everyday’ red table wines; it is absolutely delicious, can be consumed by itself as well as with an array of food and finally, it is very reasonably priced (under $20). Montepulciano (the region, not to be confused with the grape of the same name) is one of Tuscany’s southernmost appellations with its vineyards surrounding the town of Montepulciano. Regulations of the appellation, amended in 1999, allow Rosso di Montepulciano to have less Sangiovese (70%) than the ‘Nobile’, and more Canaiolo, as well as other varieties such as Mammolo, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. The best producers however insist on keeping Sangiovese front and center in their Rossos. Avignonesi’s Rosso is almost exclusively Sangiovese (96%). The wine is aged for 5 months in a mix of barriques and oak casks with an additional 3 months in bottle allowing the wine to come together. This is a bright and juicy example. Well structured and dry, this wine displays ripe red cherries, dark plum and herbal forest floor. It finishes bright with lingering acidity.
Enjoy!!
Steffen Rasch is a Certified Sommelier and Specialist of Wine. Feel free to email him at [email protected] with any wine-related question or learn about wine in person by signing up for one of his tastings through the Providence Wine Academy.
Related Slideshow: 10 New England Wine Getaways
Related Articles
- The Cellar: 3 French Wines at Great Prices
- The Cellar: Budget Blended Wines
- The Cellar: Coastal Wine Trail’s Truro Vineyards
- The Cellar: Food + Wine Pairings
- The Cellar: Great Buys from Spain + Portugal
- The Cellar: Great Wines from Big Companies
- The Cellar: Napa Valley Finds
- The Cellar: South African Wines to Love
- The Cellar: Summery Sauvignon Blancs
- The Cellar: Top Wines of 2010
- The Cellar: Wine Finds from Austria
- The Cellar: 3 Finds From The ‘New’ Campus Fine Wines
- The Cellar: French Values
- The Cellar: Sipping Wines For Spring
- The Cellar: French Wine Finds For Spring
- The Cellar: Oregon Pinot Gris + Washington Rosé
- The Cellar: Sparkling Wines From France + California
- The Cellar: 3 Great Chardonnays
- The Cellar: Budget Bubbles for New Year’s Eve
- The Cellar: Delicious Wine from France’s Loire Valley
- The Cellar: For Best Values, Look to Portugal
- The Cellar: Great Finds from France’s Rhone Valley
- The Cellar: Great Wines to Pair with Spicy Foods
- The Cellar: New Zealand + South African Finds
- The Cellar: Spanish Reds for Cozy Nights
- The Cellar: Syrah Wines
- The Cellar: Travessia Urban Winery
- The Cellar: Wine, Cheese + Chocolate Festival
- The Cellar: 4 Great Sparkling Wines for New Year’s Eve
- The Cellar: French Whites + Italian Reds
- The Cellar: Spanish Wine Under $10
- The Cellar: Fumé Blanc + Saint-Emilion
- The Cellar: Picket Fence Pinot Noir + Boxler Reserve Edelzwicker
- The Cellar: Summer Values from Portugal
- The Cellar: A Pair of Italian Wines Perfect for the Holidays
- The Cellar: 3 Must-Haves for Under $20
- The Cellar: Budget-Friendly Blends from Italy + Portugal
- The Cellar: Delicious, Inexpensive Sparkling Wines
- The Cellar: France’s Rhone Valley
- The Cellar: Great Reds for Under $20
- The Cellar: Italian Discoveries
- The Cellar: New Zealand’s World-Class Wines
- The Cellar: Sparkling Wines for New Year’s Eve
- The Cellar: Taste-Test Winners Over Expensive Bottles
- The Cellar: Two Great Value Wines for Right Now
- The Cellar: Wines for Summer Seafood
- The Cellar: Barrington’s Grapes & Grains
- The Cellar: Great Values From Spain + Portugal
- The Cellar: Spanish Wines For Under $20
- The Cellar: Great Spring Whites—Round Pond & Red Newt
- The Cellar: Pinot Noir
- The Cellar: The King: Amarone
- The Cellar: Cooling Off With Sparkling Wines
- The Cellar: 6 Great Wines for Christmas
- The Cellar: Cabernet Sauvignon
- The Cellar: Discoveries from Argentina
- The Cellar: French Finds
- The Cellar: Great Spanish Wines for Under $20
- The Cellar: Italian Finds Under $20
- The Cellar: Old-World French Classics
- The Cellar: Spring Sippers Under $20
- The Cellar: Tasty Euro-Blends for $15
- The Cellar: Two Italian Reds for Special Occasions
- The Cellar: Wines of Southern France
- The Cellar: Chianti + More
- The Cellar: New Wines, Great Values
- The Cellar: Standout Wine + Food From Mohegan Sun’s WineFest 2013
- The Cellar: Great Wine Grabs From Oregon + Washington State
- The Cellar: Quivira Zin + Tabali Viognier
- The Cellar: The Wonders of Madeira Wine
- The Cellar: Delicious White Wines Under $20
- The Cellar: Affordable Classics from Burgundy
- The Cellar: California Finds Under $20
- The Cellar: Discoveries from Chile
- The Cellar: French Finds Under $20
- The Cellar: Great Wine+Appetizer Pairs for Parties
- The Cellar: Italian Standouts
- The Cellar: Pinot Noirs Worth Grabbing
- The Cellar: Spring Sipping Wines
- The Cellar: Thanksgiving Wines
- The Cellar: Undiscovered Classics for Under $20
- The Cellar: Wines that Get Better with Time
- The Cellar: Chilean Finds For Only $10
- The Cellar: Pinot Gris + Beaujolais
- The Cellar: Two Wines You Should Always Have On Hand
- The Cellar: Great Wines for Outdoor Parties
- The Cellar: Red, White, Rose–3 Wines For The Holiday Weekend
- The Cellar: Wines To Pair With Dad’s Favorite Dishes
- The Cellar: Franciacorta – Italy’s Champagne
- The Cellar: Beaujolais for the Season
- The Cellar: California Red Blends
- The Cellar: Discoveries from France’s Loire Valley
- The Cellar: Fresh Austrian Flavors
- The Cellar: Great Wines for Grilling
- The Cellar: Italian Wines for Summer
- The Cellar: Portuguese Discoveries
- The Cellar: Summer Flavors from Coastal Vineyards
- The Cellar: The Cheese Plate in Warren
- The Cellar: Value Wines for Every Day
- The Cellar: Wines to Pair with Steak + Sushi