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Italy: Odd Bottles

Italy is home to a fascinating diversity of wines - no other country challenges France with such a brilliant array of indigenous grape varieties and wine styles. It's the classic styles - Chianti, Amarone and Barolo to name just three - that impress me most, but I am aware also of the vinous revolution in the south, particularly in Sicily. Click to locate stockists:

L'Arco Grave Cabernet Franc (Friuli) 1997: The 1996 vintage could be lovely, but suffered from marked bottle variation. This vintage has an appealing garnet colour, with herbaceous blackberry aromas. The palate is astringent, with black fruit, and has a lick of tannin. Medium bodied with high acidity, this wine needs food. Not a great wine, but makes an inexpensive accompaniment to some good pasta. Good. (9/7/00)

Azienda Agricola Bricco Rosso Dolcetto di Dogliani 2002: Rather pale colour here. Some simple red fruits on the nose. Very unimpressive on the palate; dilute and unbalanced. Astringent fruit. Very disappointing indeed. Poor. (8/9/03) Label

Cantina Sociale Cooperativa Copertino Riserva (Puglia) 1994: I opened this one sooner rather than later, as the bottle I had last year was a bit tired. I needn't have worried. A good, red-purple hue, with just some bricking at the rim. Much more berry and cherry fruit on the nose than I recall from previous. Nicely textured palate, with soft tannins and good balance. Restrained rather than exuberant fruit. Clean finish. Good. (3/1/01)

Castiglion del Bosco Brunello di Montalcino 1999: Dark coloured core, with just a little paling and maturity at the rim. A moderately expressive nose, which gives off notes of currants, cloves and dusty tobacco, with some rather nervously high toned dark fruits. This high toned character, coupled with firm acidity and a wave of tannin, comes through onto the palate. Dark berry fruits, but overall the structure is most prominent at the moment. Needs 3-5 years to calm down, and should drink well for a similar time thereafter. Good potential. 16.5+/20 (20/7/05)

Villa Cerna Chianti Classico 1998: A garnet-red hue, fading to a pink rim. Not a great intensity of colour. Agitation brings the fruit to the fore on the nose, with a macerated, slightly stewed character. Alongside there are gamy aromas, and a suggestion of dry, twiggy undergrowth, which gives it a Burgundian feel. There is obvious weight on entry, together with some good fruit. Strong acidity, with soft, woody, drying tannins. The overall mouthfeel is somewhat lean and reserved, although there is a rounded, slightly oily edge to the texture. Eventually I decided I enjoyed this wine. What more can I say? Good. (4/9/02) Label

Poderi Colla Barolo Bussia Dardi la Rose 1997: A decent depth of colour with some maturity at the rim. Unsurprisingly at this age such a wine takes some time in the decanter or glass to open out. When it does it offers aromas of black cherry fruit, and after a good 48 hours in the decanter (not something I often do - but it was needed here) the wine offers up a little of the haunting tar and rose petal nuances that mark good Barolo. It has some good weight on the palate, and a pleasing, seamless integration of maturing, spicy fruit, rounded almost silky mouthfeel and correct acidity, but behind it all is a more than firm vein of tannins in the background. With food this wine works well now, although it illustrates how difficult it can be to get any pleasure out of young Barolo. It could really do with another five to eight years in the cellar to encourage complexity and let the tannins fade some more. Good, potentially very good. (6/1/04)

Conte Contini Bonacossi Capezzana Barco Reale di Carmignano 2000: A deep red-purple hue on inspection. On the nose it has an intense layer of crushed summer fruits, with some pleasing smoky-toasty oak. The palate has a slightly fat, well rounded texture and good weight, with plenty of fruit as the nose suggested. Then comes the surprise - a delicious, charred, bitter streak, and wonderful acidity, which provides a muscular structure for the body and fruit. A lovely package. Very good. (4/9/02) Label

Di Majo Norante Biferno Rosso 'Ramitello' 2000: This blend of Montepulciano and Aglianico has a delightfully dark, red-purple hue. Piles of fruit on the nose, with very much a summer fruit profile, led by macerated raspberries and blackberries, then black cherry. Behind the fruit there lies a layer of oak, with a tarry, smoky, high quality leather feel to it. On entry there is an abundance of fruit, which takes on a spicy character through the midpalate; underpinning it all is a seam of acidity running right through the wine, and some tannins which demonstrate a bit of grip on the finish. Lovely drinking for now and over the next couple of years. Very good. (16/4/04) Label

Ducale Chianti Rufina 1997: Good colour, and an enticing nose of raspberries and blackberries. Nicely structured palate, with well balanced tannins, fruit and a streak of acidity. There are hints of complexities yet to come. Very good. (4/5/01)

Falesco Vitiano (Umbria) 2000: A deep, purple-black wine. A delightful, rich nose, which hides nothing - aromas of blackberries on toast, liquorice and charcoal - there's obvious oak influence here. The palate is succulent and fleshy, but has the necessary structure. Firm yet ripe and supple tannins, and correct acidity. Absolutely packed with extract and flavour. A short display of tannins on the finish - this wine will cellar for up to five years. This is a strong contender for wine bargain of the year. Very good. (5/2/03) Label

Falesco Vitiano (Umbria) 2002: Another vintage of this wine from Ricardo Coterella proves to be a success. Here we have a deeply coloured liquid, a red-black hue. The nose is open and exuberant, loaded with blackberry and blackcurrant fruit. There is a tarry richness to it, with notes of cloves alongside, and some polished oak too. The texture on the palate is full and voluptuous, nudging creamy in fact. It has balance though, with some ripe tannins and sufficient, although slightly low, acidity. Like the nose it is packed with intense, tarry fruit, with an explosive finish. Background notes of oak. Lovely now, but should be fine for drinking over the next year or two. Very good. (23/4/04) Label

Frescobaldi Brut Millesimato (Trento, Trentino-Alto Adige) 2002: A metodo classico wine made from Chardonnay and Pinot Nero. 'Millesimato' indicates two years presa sui lieviti (on the lees) before bottling, as opposed to no designation (minimum 17 months) and riserva (36 months). Showing a somewhat rich, copper-tinged hue, with a good bead. Good yeastiness on the nose, with lemon freshness. Fine palate, fresh, balanced, with good character. Nice weight and presence. Not a DOC I am familiar with and on this basis that's a shame. 16/20 (16/12/05)

Casa Girelli Canaletto Primitivo (Puglia) 2000: A deep, youthful garnet red hue. The nose takes some time to open out to its full potential, but it is worth the wait, as it offers up multiple, complex aromas of dark, ripe fruits, with nuances of rubber and liquorice, which give way to more dominating aromas of smoke and charcoal. More than a match for the nose, the palate is similarly impressive. Plenty of body and extract, full bodied, with plenty of spice and blackberry fruit flavour. Just a moderate amount of grip, with approachable tannins cut through by some brilliant acidity, make this wine delicious to drink now. What a delight. Very good. (2/5/03) Label

Kore Isola dei Noraghi IGT (Sardinia) 1997: A moderate depth of colour, showing early maturity at the rim. Black olives and roasted berry fruit on the nose. The palate has supple yet firm, very masculine tannins. The texture is somewhat on the lean side, but the flavour profile certainly isn't; black olives, roasted meat, treacle toffee and burnt wood. Mouthfilling, but with a meaty, savoury richness rather than a fleshy texture. Certainly makes a change! In the end I decided I liked this - in fact it was delicious. 16.5/20 (16/6/04)

A Mano Primitivo (Puglia) 2000: A lovely colour, with a red-purple hue. This is followed by a delightful nose, full of fresh cherry and berry fruit, accompanied by dense and dark aromas, of liquorice predominantly, but also some leather, spice and a touch of smoke. On the palate, a similar profile comes with a medium body, rounded texture with cherry and spice flavours. There are soft tannins and similar acidity. Despite the dispute about this wine (some respected wine writers have given quite pointed criticism) I found it to be very pleasant, and it certainly went down well with some guests. Very good. (5/6/02) Label

Mascarello Dolcetto d'Alba Bricco 2001: A concentrated and still quite youthful colour when poured into the decanter. The nose is complex, with elements of tomato leaf, liquorice and fennel alongside some roasted plum. The palate has a fine texture with quite obvious extract, a welcome seam of defining tannin and rather firm acidity. Overall it is the most serious example of Dolcetto I have ever encountered. Rather austere if anything. Certainly very good, for drinking or short-term keeping. 16.5/20 (20/10/06)

Paolo Masi Bianchi Vergine Valdichiana 2005: An agglomerate cork. A clear hue, still showing a little residual carbon dioxide. There is a fruit-laden nose, with a fresh and grassy edge. Rather more full on the palate than I was expecting, nicely rounded out but with a bitter citrus streak. There is plenty of acidity and the carbon dioxide is tangible here also. Attractive and easy drinking, gently composed, soft but with freshness. Good. 15.5/20 (16/11/07)

MGM Madonna dei Miracoli Chiaro di Luna Montepulciano d'Abruzzo (Marches) 1997: A fair amount of sediment left in the bottle, mainly tartrate crystals. Restrained on the nose, with subtle black cherry fruit and hints of toasted oak. Somewhat thin and watery on entry, with a hollow, slightly astringent midpalate. Some pleasant black cherry fruit again, with some green, drying tannins, but sufficient acidity. This served as an acceptable foil for a spicy pasta dish, but lacked depth on its own. Poor. (30/10/01)

MGM Madonna dei Miracoli Chiaro di Luna Montepulciano d'Abruzzo (Marches) 1998: A good colour here. Quite an enticing nose of sour black fruits, cherries, a touch of dark chocolate and a streak of charred oak. Good and lean acidity on the palate, with a reasonable body of sour fruit. Marked astringency on the finish. A much more interesting wine than the 1997, but certainly not a great wine in its own right. Quite good. (30/10/01)

MGM Mondo del Vino Tre Uve Ultima (Abruzzo) 2002: Synthetic cork. Good, dark, youthful hue. Black cherry nose, with a smoke and toffee oak presence. Really nice medium weight on the palate, which fits well with the juicy and acidic black and red fruits. Some drying tannins give a little grip which shows well at the end. A touch savoury and herby. Rather nice, sharp, dry finish which cries out for food. Drink over the next couple of years. 15.5/20 (14/10/04)

MGM Mondo del Vino Tre Uve (Abruzzo) 1999: A dense, inky red-black colour. The nose is packed with exuberant and smoky bramble fruit, new oak, roasted herbs, coffee, and a mineral edge to the fruit. The palate is fresh and has plenty of youthful smoky, roasted herb fruit. There is a prominent streak of acidity, which sears through the fruit, and persists on the palate on the finish. Notes of cigar box and tobacco. Quite a nice texture, with a savoury edge which shows up on the finish. A great food wine. Very good. (2/1/02) Label

MGM Mondo del Vino Tre Uve Ultima (Abruzzo) 1999: This is very deeply coloured, an intense and glossy purple, almost black wine. The nose has plenty of blueberry and blackberry fruit, which seems almost Australian in character, but there are also delightful crispy, smoky bacon aromas and charred toasty oak. The palate has glorious upfront fruit and is just packed with flavour, with a lovely savoury feel and depth. It has strong, spicy, slightly chalky tannins giving a great structure. A mouthfilling weight and firm texture just add to the pleasure. Very good. (1/2/02) Label

MGM Mondo del Vino Tre Uve Ultima (Abruzzo) 1997: The colour is a surprisingly rich deep ruby-purple hue. New, vanillin oak on the nose. Red berry, sour cherry and blackberry aromas. Lovely. Classical Italian bouquet. Slight touch of volatile acidity. On the palate it is medium to full bodied, with good acidity - a good food wine. Quite thick but also pleasant tannins. Sour cherry flavours, a little volatility again, very good. Finish fruity, the sourness making it quite a mouth-watering wine. Some length. Very enjoyable. Very good. (13/5/00) Retaste: Deep and vibrant purple black. High toned volatile nose, grilled/barbecued meats, cherries and summer fruits. Extracted cherry fruit on the palate, firm but integrated tannins, rich in fruit but also in acidity. A powdery/chalky touch not noticed last time, and a sharp fruity finish. Good. (30/1/01)

Michele Nicolello Barbaresco Reserva Speciale 1964: A good mahogany red colour. Some rancio on the nose suggesting that this wine really needs drinking, but also attractive macerated strawberries and a hint of black pepper. The palate is medium bodied, with a pleasant amount of integrated alcohol that builds towards the finish. Some nice spice and pepper notes to the flavour profile, barely evident tannins and a soft, almost silky texture. Good, peppery length. Very good. (10/10/00) Retaste: Bottle number 6734. Fragile cork. Obvious age here, with a wide orange-pink rim, and a mature pale red core. Good nose; meaty-leathery, oranges and spice. Moderate impact on the palate, still a little residual tannin. Firm, with refreshing acidity. Smoothly integrated, dignified, ageing well. Drying out a little though and does need drinking up. Unbelievable stamina at forty years of age; nobody present had an inkling as to the age of this wine. 16.5/20 (4/1/05)

Rocca di Montegrossi Chianti Classico 2002: Picked from a restaurant list after a very gentle argument with a colleague who wanted the riserva from another estate. This was a good choice; an up and coming estate of the region that will make waves soon. Nice deep colour. Pleasing aromatics, ripe black cherry fruit with a meaty complexity. Most impressive on the palate, showing a firm structure in good proportion with some reserved fruit. Very nicely composed, and very food friendly. Punching a little above its weight I feel. Drink over the next 2-4 years. An impressive 17+/20 (16/12/05)

Terra Viva Bianco Terre di Chieti IGT 2001: A pale lemon-gold hue. Fresh pears, peach and citrus fruits on the nose. Medium bodied, with fresh acidity, and creamy-edged stone fruit, and an attractive mineral complexity. Nicely balanced, with a bitter twist on the finish, which is otherwise dry and clean. Good. (5/3/03) Label

Terre Cortesi Rosso Conero Riserva (Marches) 1995: After decanting off a light sediment, this wine has a deep inky-purple red, with numerous oily legs. On the nose there are sweet bramble fruits with some vanilla oak, and attractive, complex nuances of dark chocolate, tea, spices and beef stock. The tannins have softened since I last tried this, which was about a year ago. Good black fruit and balanced acidity. Toasty vanilla oak. Very enjoyable. Good. (3/10/00) Retaste: Still a dark red-black colour. Great nose, with persistent dark fruit, but also beef extract, black olives, roasted tomatoes and blood. Rich and full bodied on entry, with the acidity cutting through. Black tarry fruit, and good structural, grippy tannins which are nicely integrated. Plenty of weight. The youthful vanilla and toast present two years ago has all but disappeared. This wine certainly had (this is the last of a six-pack) the potential to keep on going for another five years at least. Very good. (13/12/02)

Volpaia Chianti Classico 1999: Deeply coloured, with a rich, garnet red hue. The nose has plenty of dark fruits with a slightly smoky sheen of wood, and hints of sweet roasted meats, but like many young wines it needs time in the glass to open up. It has a fruit dominated palate, with typical, strong acidity. Medium bodied and good structure, with firm, chalky tannins, which dry out the finish. Very good. (30/10/02) Label

Volpaia Balifico 1985: A red-tawny hue. There is good fruit, with a dominant note of toffee-caramel alongside it. There is a lushness to the fruit on the palate, although this is countermanded by a hard, inky edge. There are also some rocky, stony complexities, and an organic aroma, redolent of undergrowth or possibly compost. Spice on the finish. Somewhat lighter than the other wines tasted here, but not at all outclassed. A ringer in a Bordeaux 1985 blind tasting. Very good. (18/9/02)

Italy: Odd Bottles

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Central/South Italy