Rinomata Cantina, Tombacco, Rosso Piceno, 2020, Italy
Madd with Montepulciano and Sangiovese grapes with red wine from Tombacco in central Italy is just great. Reasonable bold, dry but with lots of black and red fruit flavours and aromas. There are underlying notes of chocolate and tobacco and our earthiness which is very very subtle it makes this wine superb to go with red meat or to sip on its own. At £12 a bottle it’s excellent value
Villa Sandi, Prosecco Valdobbiadene Superiore, Millesimato, 2020, Italy
Another prosecco that delivers on being easy to drink with decent bubbles and taste. Green apple, melon, lemon, hints of honey and an undertone of minerals make it very enjoyable.
Pontenari, Toscana Rosso, 2020, Florence, Italy
Marks and Spencer sell some excellent wine and this is one of them and at £12 a bottle it’s decent value. Loads of black fruit flavours with notes of spice in the background. It’s a big bold wine that would benefit from food, a jiucy steak or big bowl of pasta.
Tenuta di Angoris, Collio Bianco, Angoris Riserva Giulio Locatelli, 2018, Italy
Tenuta di Angoris, Collio Bianco, Angoris Riserva Giulio Locatelli, 2018, Italy
Tenuta di Angoris has been making wine for generations and this Angoris Riserva Giulio Locatelli shows that. It’s a dry bold white wine with flavours of green apple, grass, ripe citrus and hints of peach poking through. It’s a little austere but goes well with fish and white pasta sauce dishes.
At £18 a bottle it’s a little pricey but worth a try.
Tenuta, San Giorgio, ‘Ugolforte’, Brunello di Montalcino, 2016, Tuscany, Italy
This could be described as the typical Tuscan quality red wine. At £35 a bottle it’s not outrageously expensive either. What it is though is too young. At 6 years old it needs another 3 to 6 years in the bottle to develop further. There’s nice black fruit flavours and notes of oak, blueberry vanilla and some freshness but it’s all a little lacking. All it needs is time and this will be great
Ronc Soreli,
Schioppettino, Italy
A half decent red wine from northern Italy made with Schioppettino it’s a good wine. Its got decent flavours of red fruit, with hints of spice but it’s a little light on the length and body for me. It’s not bad but not one that you would get a case in.
Cà dei Maghi, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico, Italy
At £40 a bottle this Cà dei Maghi, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico from Italy is not cheap but its flipping great, there’s plenty of red fruit with notes of chocolate, oak, vanilla, dried fruit, raisins and cherry. It’s on the sweet side but there’s boldness and smoothness overflowing with great length.
Cantina di Negrar, Appassimento, Italy
At £10 a bottle this Appassimento from Cantina di Negrar has got to be the bargain of the year.
This dry, smooth red wine has soft tannins and decent lengh. Plenty of cherry, plum, chocolate and spice aromas and flavours. It’s not overly complex but has enough for you to sip and enjoy over the evening on its own or with food.
Majestic wines have a real corker here, worth few bottles when you want to treat yourself.
Scriani, Valpolicella Classico Superiore Ripasso, 2019, Italy
As you would expect from a Valpolicella classic this is very good red wine from Scriani. Its on the dry side, bold but smooth with plenty of red and black fruit flavours. It’s got excellent length of the flavours and even went well with salad but better suited with pasta dish or a lump of red meat.
At £18 a bottle it’s not cheap by red wine standards but decent for the quality of a Valpolicella.
A pretty colour, nice bottle and interesting label doesn’t always make the wine inside great but this Rosé from Lake Garda is rather good. Everything is subtle from the red fruit aromas and flavours to the crisp, dry feel in the mouth. Its a bit expensive at £13 a bottle but if you ignore the price it’s very enjoyable in the garden on a summers evening listening to birds sing.
Pasqua, ’11 Minutes’ Rosé 2021, Lake Garda, Italy