Mate Marinaia, Toscana, Italy
Italian red wine is normally as a very high quality if you spend the money and £30 a bottle you expect something quite special and this Mate Marinaia, Toscana is just that.
Made with sangiovese grape medium bodied wine with good subtle tannings, quite dry and balanced acidity. You get lots of flavours ranging from sour cherry and cranberry to blackcurrant and plum with tobacco and Oak notes coming through which are all well-balanced.
Tenuta Carretta, Canorei Romero Arneis, 2013, Italy
It’s my first time having this Tenuta Carretta, Canorei Romero Arneis, 2013 from Italy and it was quite wonderful. It’s quite a boldwine, dry with reasonably acidity.
There are massive amount of flavours in here with a melon, apple, citrus – limes and lemons with an open vanilla, buttery undertone and frankly it’s magic.
It’s £15 to £20 for bottle but it’s worth it it really is.
Patrizia Cadore, Lugana Riserva, Lombardy, Italy
Made with 100% Turbiana grapes this white from Lombardy, Italy is fresh, clean, fruity with hints of stone fruits. It’s uncomplicated but its a lovely wine that is meant to be drunk in the sun, with food and not thought about too much. Its a wine to have with friends.
Cantina Negrar, Vigneti Di Roccolo, Amarone Della Valpolicella Classico, Italy
There are many Amarone’s out there and this Vigneti Di Roccolo from Cantina Negrar is one of the best Amarone Della Valpolicella Classico wines I have tasted in many years
There is just so much going on, sure it’s bold, it’s also quite smooth. It’s not overly dry and there’s definite softness on the texture. You’ve got cherry, raspberry, redcurrant, you got some plum, BlackBerry, there’s chocolate and tobacco. Hints of coffee and there’s some smokiness and in a bit of earthiness in there as well, which just complement each other superbly.
The only sad thing is that with spring upon us there will be probably be less opportunity to drink Amarone, you really want to drink this in front of the fire or with a hearty stew. We did have it with homemade pizza which which was probably quite decadent. At £25 a bottle it’s actually good value for Amarone, sure it’s £25, but it’s Amarone.
Franchini, Valpolicella Classico Superiore Sedèse, 2017, Italy
Oohh this a great example of Valpolicella Classico from Italy. There are red and black fruit aromas with a dry, medium tannins and good length in the flavours. It’s a firm but soft red wine that lends itself to red meat meals or cheese and biscuits in front of a wood fire.
At £20 a bottle it’s not cheap but for a Decanter Silver medal winner it’s a fair price.
Gamba, Campedel, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico, Italy
There are Amarone’s and there are Amarone’s and this one from Gamba is a great Amarone wine. Made with the Corvina, Rondinella, Croatina and Corvinone grapes, its a dry red that has great length and is smooth with well integrated tannins. There are plenty of flavours of red and black fruits, notes of tobacco, leather and chocolate, a bit of earthiness brings this back from being in heaven to a reality that this is just wine but great wine at that. Its a Bentley of the wine world.
The down side to this is the price of £30 a bottle, but thats Amarone for you.
Italian prosecco is pretty popular in the UK and there are some good sparkling examples and some bad, this one from La Marca is a good one.
Its light, fizzy with high acidity but with a sweet under note. Theres not much aroma but you get flavours of apple, pear, citrus with a creaminess that elevates this prosecco above many others.
At £14 a bottle its a bit pricey but its rather good.
Tenute Cadorin Le Favole, Vigneti Bosco Bando, Malvasia, Italy
This dry white wine from northern Italy went very well with lobster. Not my usual start to a review but it did go very well.
There are aromas and flavours of pineapple and citrus with light oaky notes. Its a reasonably bold wine with good acidity levels, flavours are well balanced and great with seafood.
Its a very good italian white wine.
Citra, Niro, Montepulciano, d’Abruzzo, Italy
This red wine is made with the Montepulciano grape which gives it a wonderfully rich red colour. It has a full bodied feeling that lasts a long time. There are aromas and flavours of sour cherry, pepper and spices and its very smooth with well integrated tannins.
Its a solid italian red wine that won’t let you down. Pair it with a steak or a beef roast diner and you won’t regret opening a bottle.
Oh its also Eur 6 a bottle, so great value.
Castello del Trebbio, Congiura, Bianco Toscana, Tuscany, Italy
Its unusual for a Tuscan white to be made with Riesling but this wine from Castello del Trebbio gains when adding it to the Pinot Grigio and Chardonnay grapes.
It has a wonderful straw colour with a fresh mineral aromas and flavours with apple and pears and notes of almonds and peach. There’s some complexity to this dry white and it would be well paired with seafood. A decent wine but not fantasic.