The Mauro Veglio wines - from husband-and-wife team Mauro and Daniela along with their nephew, Alessandro - are elegant wines focused primarily on single vineyard expressions. Of their six Baroli (the Rocche dell'Annunziata not tasted here), only the Barolo DOCG is a made from a combination of vineyards and villages. Their aim is to release wines ready to drink - not an easy feat to achieve thanks to Nebbiolo's firm tannins. However, they certainly did hit the bullseye with their stylistic aim in three - possibly four - of the wines in the 2017 vintage.
Read MoreI've been following Attems Pinot Grigio (non-Ramato) for over a decade. It is always strikingly good, true to variety and place and well-distributed. For so many reasons, it is an easy-to-recommend wine in this country, where distribution is highly unpredictable. So, I was deeply interested in the chance to taste the Ramato, or copper, wine, which is made as a skin-contact rosé. It has been produced for years, but it has somehow evaded my glass. Not so this year, and thank goodness for that!
Read MoreWines arrive constantly at my doorstep and occasionally, I end up with wines that didn't fit into a tasting elsewhere that still merit write-ups. Such is the case here, with both of the reds being personal favorites.
Read MoreThe new Prosecco DOC Rosé category continues to impress. The Consorzio's rigid standards for Rosé DOC - between the two exclusive varieties allowed, the quantities required of each variety, the vintage prerequisite, the longer fermentation period and the narrower residual sugar allowances - are creating a more homogenous category that is easier to navigate than the (non-rosé) Prosecco DOC category. I'm happy to report that the Caposaldo entry in the field performs nicely. Of notable interest is the fact that 100% of the grapes are hand-picked.
Read MoreItalian rosatos are incredibly distinctive in that the vast majority of them come from uniquely Italian varieties. While you might - if you look hard - find a rosato made from Montepulciano made outside "the boot" of Italy, it's unlikely you'll find one made from Negroamaro. Plus, I guarantee you there are none made of Susumaniello or Rondinella. So, pop open a bottle of one - or all - of these and discover a whole new flavor range of rosé wine!
Read MoreEasy-going and impressively accessible already, this juicy, berried wine is surprisingly gluggable. Svelte tannins meet lightly piquant acidity to give this blend a real pop of freshness. This is super fun though not very complex.
Read MoreSardinia is deeply distinctive. The island is detached sentimentally from its legal association with Italy. The languages spoken there today - including Italian - reveal its rich history, including isolation and invasion. The local Sarda language is considered to be the closest Romance language to "vulgar", or non-classical, Latin, and a dialect of Catalan is spoken in the northwestern corner of the island. Vinously, the grape varieties are historically Spanish.
Read MoreAs hard as it may be for some to believe, Merlot is a much-loved grape. The Sideways effect on Merlot at this point feels almost as distant as the 60 Minutes effect on red wine in general almost three decades ago. Kids born the year that the movie Sideways hit the indie screens (2004) will be legal drinkers in the USA in just four years. They and many other young sippers don't care that Merlot was sidelined - by a small portion of the drinking population - for a fairly short while. They are going to drink what they like, just like many other drinkers have been all along.
Read MoreMandrarossa is based near Sicily's southwestern coast near the town of Menfi. In 2020, over twenty years since its founding, which itself happened only after years of painstaking research, the winery expanded to begin gathering grapes from two more world-class sources: Etna and Pantelleria. The wines are clean, precise and soulful. For the second time, I've come away highly impressed from my tasting.
Read MoreCorvezzo makes exclusively organic Prosecco, over half of which is estate grown. This bold choice was made by third generation "happy farmer" Giovanni Corvezzo as soon as he came to work full-time at the family farm near Treviso, one of two historical centers of the Prosecco production region. Not only has the switch to organic farming given Giovanni healthier grapes with thicker skins good for fending off the Veneto's occasionally finicky weather, he believes the wines are tastier, too. I can't say anything about the pre-organic wines, but these certainly are good wines, especially for the money.
Read MoreCasa Paladin makes truly striking rosé - both still and bubbly. The Pinot Grigio rosé is particularly fun for its play on Pinot Grigio's natural pink and gray clusters, meriting a favorite notation "*". The packaging of all these wines is striking, too, especially the Prosecco bottles.
Read MoreCastelvecchi undertakes a plant-by-plant approach in its vineyards, working in lockstep with a team from the University of Milan led by Leonardo Valentini. Two vineyards in particular at this 22-hectare estate are source of great pride. First is Le Madri, whose 50-plus-year-old vines serve as propagation material for replanting the rest of the vineyards. Second is the Vivaio vineyard, a small plot hosting a collection of Sangiovese clones collected over the centuries.
Read MoreI am a fan of the Bortolomiol wines for their sharp lens into the interaction of the Glera grape and terroir through a single vintage. The focus on quality and precision is key, and the overall approach helps to gives sparkling wine lovers a true glimpse into what is possible with this traditional grape in this historic region.
Read MoreWith a casual glance at the symbol on the front of the Enrico Serafino label, and you might think you're looking at a drawing of a grape cluster. Look more closely and apply some imagination; now you may see that this is the cross-section of a conch shell, symbolizing the Piedmontese soils that were once under the sea.
Read MoreHailing from a stunning new winery built in the shape of the surrounding, undulating hills with vines planted atop the roof, the innovative architecture certainly fits with founder Ermenegildo Giusti's construction business background. This striking building is not the only on the property; just 1,100 yards away is the Abbey of Sant'Eustachio, a Romanesque structure built in 1000 CE. The pair create a compelling reason to visit and take a stroll through the vineyards with a glass of wine in hand.
Read MoreBarbaresco tends to be a wine that needs time before it can be enjoyed, but the idea behind all of the Reversanti wines is to make them immediately enjoyable upon release. I wrote this tasting note before I looked into the winery, so I can honestly say that they have succeeded in that mission with this wine!
Read MoreThis blanc de blancs made exclusively of Chardonnay grown in the heart of Trentino is aged a minimum of five years on its second fermentation yeast lees. Distinguished and deeply flavorful, this is ready to enjoy.
Read MoreAs food prices continue to creep up, it's nice to know that good wines are still available for a Jackson. (Or, maybe soon it will be a Tubman!) All three of these red blends taste delectably of Tuscan sunshine, and they all hail from highly acclaimed estates.
Read MoreFor almost 100 years, the Zemmer family has been making wines in southwestern Alto Adige in the small town of Cortina. This is the last town of German speakers before reaching the Trentino border, and it is uniquely positioned on the valley floor rather than perched in the hillsides. The winery's website has a brilliant, interactive aerial view where visitors can take in the natural beauty of the Dolomites while observing where the Zemmer vineyards lie.
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