Dogliotti 1870, Extra Brut, 2018, Piemonte, Italy
I’m starting to see how good Italian sparkling wine can be and this one from Dogliotti 1870 is stunning. Made with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, it’s dry and crisp with yeasty notes. A hint of floral is in there, it’s rich with good acidity and balance and a long lasting finish. It’s a bit like a high-end fiat 500, get past the badge and you’ll find a really good product.
Palazzona di Maggio, Le Armi, 2019, Romagna, Italy
This Sangiovese red wine from Palazzona di Maggio has been a highlight in recent months. Dry, smooth, beautiful cherry and plum with floral notes and a little bit of tobacco and chocolate mixed in, it is a fantastic wine. At £25 a bottle it’s worth every penny. Its like getting a Bentley for the price of VW Golf 😀.
Ca La Bionda, Amarone Della Valpolicella, Classico, Ravazzol, Veneto, Italy
This classic Amarone from Ca La Bionda, is made from grapes on one particular hill in the vineyard – Ravazzol and is kept in oak vats for 42 months. Its a fabulous wine, rich and valopuous, full of black cherry and plums, dried raisins, vanilla poking though with a little chocolate in the background. This only issue is the price, at Eur70 a bottle it’s not cheap. Its like buying a top of the range Mercedes but wondering if mid range one would have a better buy. Excellent wine at the end of the day though.
Orsogna, Nican, 2009, Montepulciano D’Abruzzo, Italy
This got a mixed review from various wine awards but I’m leaning towards a Silver medal from the Brussels Awards because 17 years old this red wine from Orsogna, in the Montepulciano D’Abruzzo region of Italy is fresh and full of ripe black flavours which are on the jammy side. Its this jammy side that is splitting me. That said there are oak and chocolate notes and the tannins are soft and subtle. Its a wine to drink with food. We had a slow cooked roast beef joint and it paired wonderful. At Eur75 a bottle it’s rather over price for me, it also means many people won’t get to taste it, that’s a shame. Its like an aging Rolls Royce, still excellent but expensive.
Ferrari, Maximum, Sparkling wine, Italy
Chardonnay from Italy is not something that the average consumer would get to try. This Ferrari, Maximum, Sparkling wine from Italy is a Chardonnay which will rival most French offerings. Dry, crisp, it’s classy and refined. Its very Chardonnay is the best I can say. Its like a Jaguar car when its working perfectly, excellent.
Casale del Giglio, Matidia, Cesanese, 2022, Lazio, ItalyI was intrigued by this wine made by Casale del Giglio, with the Cesanese grape, from Lazio, Italy.
A dry red wine with red cherry and redcurrant flavours it’s an easy drinking wine, quite light in body and flavours though. It’s not bad but at £22 a bottle I would expect much more.
Waitrose, Prosecco, Italy
Its a Procecco under the Waitrose supermarket brand in the UK is the best description I can gave. Its very nice, flavour is pear, its light in a good way and not overly sweet. Its one of the better Prosecco’s I’ve tasted and at £8 worth trading up to from the £5-6 bottles you see in many supermarkets. Its like the new wave of Chinese electric cars coming to the UK, much better than many European cars especially at the cheaper end.
I did like this dry, smooth red italian wine. 90% Sangiovese with a bit of Merlot and Canaiolo. Its a juicy wine with plenty of black cherry that has long length and while not as complex as many Chianti Classico’s its very easy drinking and at £16 a bottle its very good value and one to try.
Ermacora, Schioppettino, 2020, Italy
You can’t really go wrong with Italian red wine and this one from Ermacora in Northern Italy almost proves it. It’s not that there’s anything wrong with it, its just a dry red wine. Red fruit and pretty light is the best any of us that tried it could say. When tasted one evening with 2 other reds, it was left limping into 3rd.
Fondo Antico, Nenè Nero d’Avola, Sicilia, Italy
Dry and bold but pretty smooth best describes this southern Italian red wine, or great red to just enjoy. With Red cherry and redcurrent flavours and notes of oak and leather with a very slight smokiness and chocolate poking though its very easy drinking and doesn’t need food to be enjoyed, just what I like. Pasta and red meat would still go very well with this. At about EUR12 a bottle its a wine to buy by the case.