The Cellar: Italian Discoveries
Friday, July 08, 2011
The average Italian wine drinker consumes around 15 gallons of wine per year. How much do Americans consume? Not even two gallons per year! Given these facts you probably won’t be surprised to learn that Italy ranks first in wine production worldwide with wine growing regions stretching the entire length of the country; from Piedmont in the north to Sicily in the south. With all the types of wines produced in this diverse wine producing nation it would be impossible to cover all of Italy’s wines in one review. But since we have to start somewhere, why not start in Tuscay?
2007 Monte Antico Toscana IGT
A 90 point rating from Wine Spectator Magazine and the title as one of the best wines on the marked made the 2006 Monte Antico Toscana one of last year’s bestsellers. The availability, along with the attractive price
(under $10 in many places) made it an instant favorite. The 2007 vintage is out now and it is time to see if winemaker Franco Bernabei has struck gold once again.
The classification ‘Indicazione Geografica Tipica’, or IGT, is Italy’s second highest. It tells you that the wine is made from grapes sourced from a region, in this case Tuscany, and not from a specific vineyard or a village. This year’s blend is equally warm on the nose displaying much of the same mixed red and dark fruit with a lovely spice note. On the palate this wine is soft with ripe red fruits, a hair more acidic than the ’06 making it more suitable for food and less of a sipping wine. Still a good value for around $10.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST2009 La Rocca Pinot Grigio, Collio DOC
From Tuscany we head east to the wine region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia which sticks out like a small ear from the northeastern top of Italy. This area is known for producing some of Italy’s most vibrant and racy white
wines - some of them indigenous blends, others based on international varieties such as Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Grigio. Among the most sought after wines from ‘Friuli’ are the ones from the sub-region close to the Slovenian border that bear the DOC status ‘Collio’.
This is a special treat for all you Pinot Grigio lovers! On the nose the 2009 La Rocca displays sweet citrus notes. On the palate the wine comes across surprisingly medium-bodied and creamy, not at all light and flimsy like most Pinot Grigios in this price range. While crisp, with mouthwatering citrus and earthy mineral notes, the wine also has notes of stone-fruits and nuts on the long finish.
2008 San Giuseppe Valpolicella Classico Superiore Ripasso, DOC
Some of Italy’s more well-known and widely exported wines come from the Veneto in the country’s northeast corner, including the sparkling Prosecco, the white Soave and this week’s final red wine: Valpolicella, named
after the sub-region where the wine is produced. The leading native red grape varietal in Valpolicella, and the key ingredient in its wine, is Corvina. Valpolicella comes in different styles based on the ripeness, some would say quality, of the grapes ranging from a light and fruity ‘Nuveau’ style to the more serious and concentrated style called ‘Recioto della Valpolicella’.
Valpolicella Classico Superiore Ripasso is the second-highest quality Valpolicella. It is made by adding newly fermented Valpolicella to the pulpy mass of the seeds and skins leftover after making the more serious wine Amarone. During this second fermentation, called ripassare, the wine picks up the extra color, tannins, flavor and structure that make this style of Valpolicella unique and delicious. The 2008 from San Giuseppe is a big boy that needs to aerate for minimum an hour. When it opens up you will taste dark dried fruits alongside smoke and earth. This wine is smooth in texture yet bombastic in flavor with a long finish. Good stuff!
Enjoy!
If you have any wine-related questions, comments or concerns feel free to contact Steffen Rasch by emailing [email protected]. And as always, don’t forget to follow GoLocalProv’s Wine Cellar on Facebook.
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