The Somm Journal

Dec 2015-Jan 2016

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112 { THE SOMM JOURNAL } DECEMBER/JANUARY 2015/2016 Italy's Wild Child Wines Marcato 2012 Monte Tenda Soave Classico, Veneto ($17) Pretty and fresh aromatics, good acid, but a palate that fell short of interest. More suitable as an aperif or a first-course wine. VINO ET SPIRITUS Castello di Luzzano 2013, Lombardia ($15) "Very exotic" with orange-rose- petal aromas; "interesting" and "surpis- ing" but "not for everyone." Drink with crudo and cantaloupe. VIAS IMPORTS LTD. Nino Negri 2013 Ca' Brione, Lombardia ($36) Tasted like a "style of white Burgundy" with some Chardonnay-like qualities; a wine "you can pour with white meat and mashed potatoes and gravy." Good mouthfeel and intense acid all the way through. FREDERICK WILDMAN & SONS Castel San Michele 2013 Incrocio Manzoni Vigneti delle Dolomiti IGT, Trento ($23) Vegetal and herbal with grassy lime and earthy hay aromas. Has personality, but what that was, no one could pinpoint. Well-intentioned but a little bit unbalanced. VIAS IMPORTS LTD. La Scolca 2012 Gavi dei Gavi Bianco Secco Black Label, Province of Alessandria, Piedmont ($45) Though noted by one panelists to be wildly popular for a certain clientele, com- ments ranged from "non-offensive" to "tannic and shrill." Lacks "an opinion or any sort of point of view." FREDERICK WILDMAN & SONS Umberto Cavicchioli e Figli NV Robanera Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro DOC, Emiglia Romana ($12) Dark, intense fruit. "Very grape-y, very heady on the nose." "Dry, chewy quality" that needs roasted meats to mitigate the chalky tannins. FREDERICK WILDMAN & SONS Maison Anselmet 2013 Petit Rouge, Vallée d'Aoste DOC, Valle d'Aosta ($23) Did not leave an impression of careful winemaking. "Super-high acid," "Lean and mean," thin. "Really tart red fruit." VIAS IMPORTS LTD. Mazzoni 2010 Piemonte Barbera, Piedmont/Tuscany ($18) Fruit from Piedmont vinified in Montalcino. Some fruitiness on the nose, but in the glass, overwhelmed by raisin and prune notes. TERLATO WINES Castello dei Rampolla 2012 Chianti Classico DOCG, Tuscany ($25) Floral aromatics; classic and comforting, sun- baked Tuscan: savory, dry, tannic, with red-fruit tartness. VIAS IMPORTS LTD. Fattoria dei Barbi 2012 Morellino di Scansano DOCG, Tuscany ($22) From the Maremma region of Tuscany, well-made, ripe and floral; a little lean and exhibiting drying tannins. "No sense of place." FREDERICK WILDMAN & SONS Tenuta dell'Ornellaia 2012 Le Volte dell'Ornellaia Toscana IGT, Tuscany ($33) Notes ranged from "coarse, rus- tic and bitter" to "very modern." FOLIO FINE WINE PARTNERS Christine echoed, calling it "wild boar funkiness." She added a "burnt-orange Campari-like thing that I get with bitter reds from Italy." The final summation ranged from "disjointed and funky" to polished and elegant, demonstrating the wild range and wild cards that Italian wines can be. "This was a challenging tasting," Mike said. "Italy is a large place with lot of wine. You have to do a lot of work to find the good stuff." "But what we found—these three were good and they're not expensive and I think there's a lot of upside for those willing to do the work."

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