Browsing the archives for the Italy tag

Midwest Wine School Experience – WSET Intermediate Level – Class 5

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13 Mar, 2010
Midwest Wine School Experience

Jaclyn Stuart, co-author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Wine & Food Pairing, led our fifth class of the WSET Intermediate Level course.  This session was devoted to the wines of Italy, Spain and Portugal.  We spent the majority of the class discussing the wine producing regions of Italy.  The smaller, but no less important regions of Spain and Portugal were covered in much less detail.

Italy’s rich history of winemaking rivals that of France. Regions like Tuscany and Piemonte (among the many others) have been making distinctive wines for centuries.  Italy’s location shape give it many different climate zones where numerous types of white and red grape varieties thrive.  It would be easy to spend the entire course talking about nothing other than Italian wines.

Spain, though much larger than Italy in geographic area, has much fewer wine producing regions and even fewer grape varieties.  Regions such as Rioja and Ribera del Duero make the majority of the quality Spanish wines.  Tempranillo and garnacha (grenache) are the top red varieties, while international varieties, like chardonnay, make up the majority whites.

We spent the last part of the evening discussing the wines of Portugal.  The Duoro region topped the discussion with its high tannin, high acid red wines.  We also spent a short time reviewing Vinho Verde, the slightly fizzy, light bodied white wine that is becoming more popular in the US.

Jessica Bell returns next week to give us the low-down on grenache, syrah and riesling.

Wines Tasted (Class 5):

  1. Camp du Rouss 2005 Barbera d’Asti (Piemonte, Italy)
  2. Poggio Vignoso 2008 (Chianti, Italy)
  3. Levantino 2006 Primitivo (Salento, Italy)
  4. Compania de Telmo Rodriguez “LZ” 2007 (Rioja, Spain)
  5. Bodegas Navarro-Lopéz Laguna de la Nava 1999 Gran Reserva (Valdapeñas, Spain)
  6. Castillo Real Monastrell 2006 (Bullas, Spain)
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Tuscan Wines on the Horizon – New Wines from Le Miccine

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28 Feb, 2010
Tasting Note

I recently had the unique opportunity to taste four new wines from Le Miccine, an Italian winery in the heart of Tuscany.  The line-up consisted of a unique mono-varietal made from 100% vermentino, two chianti classicos, and a “super-tuscan” made from a blend of merlot and malvasia nera.

Left to right: ’08 I’aura, ’07 Don Alberto Chianti Classico Riserva, ’07 Chianti Classico, ’07 La Principessa

About Le Miccine…

When they purchased Le Miccine in 1996 Clifford Weaver and Donna Meneghetti Weaver took on the monumental task of converting a languishing bulk-wine producer into a  quality-focused estate winery.  For the past fourteen years, the Weaver’s and their team of experts, led by consulting enologist Vittorio Fiore and consulting agronomist Remigio Bordini,  have created award-winning wines tailored to today’s discerning wine drinker while maintaining the time honored traditions of Chianti Classico.

The Weaver’s acquired neglected vineyards with great potential in an area well suited to making premium Italian wines.   A rigorous program of thinning, retraining, and replanting the vineyards has resulted in lower yields, allowing each vine to produce the best fruit possible.  The changes in the vineyards, combined with upgrades to the equipment and technology in the winery have enabled the team at Le Miccine to dramatically improve the overall quality of their wines.

The Wines…

2008 Le Miccine I’aura (100% vermentino)

Finding vermentino in a mono-varietal wine is somewhat rare.  Most of the time you’ll find it blended with other varieties such as trebbiano.  I’aura is a distinctive wine that stands well on its own.  It has a pale golden color with floral and herbal aromas reminiscent of a crisp sauvignon blanc.  The light-bodied flavors are very refreshing with distinct notes of tropical and stone fruits tied together by an underlying backbone of flinty minerality. Its fresh acidity and clean finish make this a very food friendly wine that will pair well with light summertime fare.

2007 Le Miccine Chianti Classico (85% sangiovese, 10% malvasia nera, 5% merlot)

The ’07 Chianti Classico is a direct descendant of the Weaver’s first vintage in 1997.  Emanating from its gorgeous ruby color are refined aromas of dark cherry with delicate undertones of vanilla and toasty spice.   Juicy flavors of cherries and raspberries along with creamy vanilla nuances are brought into balance by bright acidity and light tannins with distinctive peppery spice.  The medium-length finish reinforces the well balanced combination of fruit an oak.  This wine paired nicely with the rich shrimp and pasta dish that we had for dinner.

2007 Le Miccine “Don Alberto” Chianti Classico Riserva (100% sangiovese)

The “Don Alberto” Riserva is made from the best fruit in Le Miccine’s vineyards.  In 2007 the small amount of fruit provided enough juice for only 155 cases!  Careful selection and meticulous vinification has resulted in an opulent Chianti Classico with a complex range of aromas and flavors.  The deep ruby color is full of rich cherry and blackberry aromas with complex hints of leafy tobacco.  Juicy black cherry flavors and spicy vanilla notes are integrated with well-rounded tannins made evident by the additional barrel aging required for riservas.  The lingering finish is laced with subtle flavors of dried berries and smoky vanilla.  I would give this one a more few years to mature in order to fully enjoy the complexities of a Chianti Classico Riserva.

Note:  This was a barrel sample provide by the winery.  The ’07 “Don Alberto” will be released in May, 2010.

2007 Le Miccine La Principessa (80% merlot, 20% malvasia nera)

The final wine in the line-up was La Principessa, Le Miccine’s “super tuscan.” It’s bright red ruby color is full of fresh cherry and wild berry aromas.  Full bodied flavors hold true to the aromas with the soft textures of creamy vanilla and soft well-rounded tannins.  Pair this with a succulent roast or a rack of lamb and you can’t go wrong!

A Final Note…

Le Miccine’s wines can be found in numerous retail outlets and restaurants in Illinois and the greater Chicago area.  They can also be found in a few select locations in California.  Keep an eye out for these wines in a location near you as they expand into the U.S. Market.  See Le Miccine’s website for a retailer or restaurant in your area.

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2006 Antinori Pèppoli Chianti Classico

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7 Feb, 2010
Tasting Note

The Antinori family has a long history of making fine wines going back as far as 1385. Considered to be pioneers and innovators in the Italian wine industry, their methods and techniques have helped reinvent winemaking in Tuscany and have been credited with starting the “Super-Tuscan” revolution. Over the past six centuries, Antinori has developed and acquired vineyards throughout Tuscany and across the world, including the United States, Hungary, Chile and Malta.

The Pèppoli vineyards are one of the newest acquisitions.  Located in Italy’s Chianti Classico region, Pèppoli is just a few miles from Antinori’s famed Tignanello estate.  Antinori purchased the property in 1985, on the family’s 600th anniversary in the winemaking business, and released the first vintage of Pèppoli Chianti Classico in 1988.  The vineyards are planted in a protected valley on east and northeast facing slopes where the grapes can take full advantage of the morning sun.  The rocky, mineral-laden soils are perfect for growing sangiovese with lively fruit flavors and bright acidity.

Tasting Notes:

Pèppoli ($23) is a blend of 90% sangiovese and 10% merlot and syrah, creating a unique expression of Chianti Classico, with the characteristics of a young fruit-forward wine and the complexity of an oak-aged riserva.  This modern Chianti has a deep ruby color with the juicy aromas of strawberries and raspberries, amplified by vanilla and toffee notes imparted while aging in American and Slovenian oak barrels. The flavors are fruit-forward, but not sweet, with full body and soft, round tannins that play out over a long finish.

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Banfi – Rosa Regale 2007

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20 Sep, 2009
Tasting Note

I learned of this interesting sparkler on a Wine for Newbies podcast. It was suggested that Brachetto d’Acqui pairs well with chocolate, not an easy feat with wine. A rich ruby or tawny port are the usual suspects when it comes to pairing wine with chocolate.

Sue’s brother, Chris is in from New York and they have prepared their family favorite, Dobos Torte, a very rich and decadent dessert. Just looking at it raises my cholesterol 10 points!

We chilled the wine during dinner. Before dessert we popped the cork and were greeted with fragrances of roses and raspberries. The dark rosé color reminded me a little of cranberry juice, Flavors of fresh, red fruit and light acidity greeted the palette and followed up with a short, clean finish. Very refreshing! Personally I found the Brachetto d’Acqui to be a little too sweet for this dessert. I think I would prefer it as a standalone aperitif or as a partner to a darker, more bitter chocolate.

Banfi – Rosa Regale 2007 ($17)

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Allegrini Palazzo della Torre 2005

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6 Sep, 2009
Tasting Note

I first had this wonderful Italian nectar at Sala da Pranzo on Milwaukee’s East Side. This weekend I had the opportunity to indulge in another bottle of this fine wine. I opened the bottle early in the afternoon and poured off a glass to sample and give it some room to breathe. The deep garnet colors revealed aromas that were very woody with undertones of blackberry and wet vegetation. Flavors were “tight” and fruity with lots of tannins…Not what I had expected. After letting the bottle rest for a few hours I returned to an entirely different experience. The aromas had opened up revealing a pleasant peppery, blackberry bouquet. Now the dark berry flavors evolved into the spicy, raisinated texture that I remembered. The tannins had softened quite a bit now unveiling a soft sweetness on the finish. I look forward to trying another bottle after it has had a few more years to mature.

Allegrini Palazzo della Torre 2005 ($19)

  • 70% Corvina Veronese, 20% Rondinella, 5% Sangiovese
  • From Palazzo della Torre vineyard, Fumane di Valpolicella
  • Allegrini tasting notes
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