SOME SUNNY WINES  FROM ITALY

MASCIARELLI

This fellow makes some terrific wines in the region of Abruzzo.  His basic bottling of "Montepulciano d'Abruzzo" is routinely one of the best bargains known to those in search of a wine with "soul" that doesn't cost a fortune.

The new bottling of Masciarelli is probably the best we've had, the wine having a particular character that says "Abruzzo."   When you taste this, you'll have trouble believing you paid such a modest sum for this wine.  

Masciarelli has worked diligently to cultivate good fruit.  He uses only his own grapes.  The basic, "little" wine comes from nine vineyard sites at various elevation levels.  They now have densely planted vineyards in an effort to maximize quality. 

He is such a stickler for quality, he actually goes to France every year to scope out wood for barrels for his wines.  As I understand it, he goes there to actually have a sniff of the various oaks that are available for purchase and then he has the barrels custom-built for his winery!

Gianni Masciarelli's wife is Marina Cvetic and he puts her name on a very fine bottle of Montepulciano d'Abruzzo. 


The full name of this wine will be a challenge for most: "Montepulciano d'Abruzzo San Martino Rosso Marina Cvetic."

(Good luck on remembering all of that!)

The wine is made entirely of Montepulciano.  It's fermented in wood and matured in oak.  The current vintage is from the 2004 growing season.    We much prefer it to the wine of the hot vintage of 2003.  This is deep in black fruits and has a whiff of wood.  

The top-of-the-line is a wine called Villa Gemma.  This comes from a rather high elevation vineyard and it's been made for about 20 years now.

This is a stellar wine, getting top ratings from all the critics.  The wine is matured in French oak, a significant percentage of the barrels being new.  The wine displays tons of black fruit aromas and a sweet oak bouquet.  It's delicious, now, in its youth, yet seems to have good aging potential.  Less than 9,000 bottles are produced annually, so it's not a wine one can easily find.

A Page About Abruzzo (and Lunch With Masciarelli)

Currently in stock:  2004 MASCIARELLI MONTEPULCIANO D'ABRUZZO (list $8) SALE $6.99
2004 MARINA CVETIC MONTEPULCIANO D'ABRUZZO $27.99 
1998 VILLA GEMMA MONTEPULCIANO D'ABRUZZO  $74.99

 

 

PASETTI (Tenuta di Testarossa)

The Abruzzo region catches the warm sun and has the possibility to produce some exceptional red wines.  The Pasetti family has been growing grapes (amongst other crops) for several generations and their "Testarossa" Montepulciano, essentially a 'reserve' quality wine, recently caught our attention.  

Fittingly, young Francesca Pasetti is a red-head!  But the "Testa Rossa" name has been associated with the Pasetti's for years, since the typical hat of the region worn by the old-timers was a red cap called "cocciarosce."  The family, however, does have a bunch of red heads!

Their Montepulciano d'Abruzzo comes from older vineyards which feature densely planted vines.  They try to pick the fruit late in the harvest season.  Part of the lot is fermented in stainless steel, part in wood.  The wine is matured for about two years in oak.  We like the ripe cherry fruit notes and the hint of vanilla and mocha from the oak.  You can sense there's oak here, but the wine is not woody or oaky tasting.  It's reasonably deep and rich.  Drinkable now, this strikingly tall bottle may be cellared for several more years, if you like.

We also have their excellent Pasetti label of Montepulciano.  This comes from the 2005 vintage and it's a dark, deep red.  It doesn't have the wood of the Testarossa bottling, being an intensely fruity version of Montepulciano.

Francesca in the sales room.

"The secret of our Montepulciano is that the best wines are reserved for aging in wood, while lesser wines are sold in bulk to customers who come for a visit."


I found the cellar to be neat and orderly (as it should be).

Large Slavonian oak is used to mature some of the "reserve" wines.

Customers come with empty jugs and demijohns and they "filler 'er up!"
A gas station-like pump and meter measures their purchases.
This wine is a good, everyday red, but their "Testarossa" label is kept in wood and sold in bottles (what a concept, eh?).  Some of those bottles find their way to Burlingame, California where they are popular with Weimax customers.

People haul their wine back home.


Francesca and her folks in the cellar.

Currently in stock: TENUTA DI TESTAROSSA 2004 Montepulciano d'Abruzzo SALE $22.99  
PASETTI 2005 Montepulciano d'Abruzzo $13.99
We can special order their deluxe Montepulciano d'Abruzzo called "Harimann".  The 2002 is $51.99 with a 6 bottle minimum order (list price is $63)...
They also produce a Trebbiano called Zarache...the 2005 is $15.99 per bottle...six bottle minimum.

Rocco Pasetti also offers his wines...a Pecorino 2005 is $14.49 per bottle (6 bottle minimum),   The basic 2004 Montepulciano comes in 12pk format and those are $8.99 with a 10% case discount.

DE CONCILIIS

Located south of Naples and Salerno is this producer in Campania.  The De Conciliis family has about 25 hectares of vineyards, producing a wine of the Aglianico grape which attracted our attention.

This variety has nobility written all over it.  Some people say the grape was introduced to Italy by the Greeks and was known as Vitis Hellenica and later as Ellenico before corrupting to Aglianico.  





The De Conciliis family makes about 40,000 bottles of a wonderfully berryish and mildly spicy (think white pepper) Aglianico called "Donnaluna."  We've heard of the man in the moon, but apparently there's a woman up there, too.  Medium-bodied, this is fairly smooth, so we like it served at cool cellar temp.  It's perfect with grilled pork, but also big enough to stand up to well-seasoned lamb.  The 2005 is currently in stock.  Good wine!  It's a delightful example of Aglianico, perhaps a shade less ripe than the 2003.  It's versatile, pairing with pizza, pastas, sausages, etc.  Good!

Naima is Bruno's top Aglianico.  We had it in a blind-tasting of Aglianico wines from Campania and Basilicata a few years ago and the wine ran away with the tasting...even alongside entries from Mastroberardino and Feudi di San Gregorio. 
Click here to check out the notes on that tasting...

The wine is extraordinary.  Deep and dark, with wonderful wood scents.  Complete on the palate and it demonstrates Aglianico can be a wine of top quality.
The 2003 is the current vintage.  I think it shows less oak than the 2001.  Very fine and it, too, won a recently blind-tasting of Aglianico wines!

 

We can order Bruno's lovely white wine, Fiano, for you...it's about the same price as the Donnaluna Aglianico.

 

Currently in stock:  2005 "Donnaluna" Aglianico $19.99
2003 "NAIMA"  $49.99

VALLE DELL'ACATE

The Sicilian landscape features many interesting wines.  Quality has improved over the past decade and Sicily today produces quite a broad spectrum of wines.

The Jacono family cultivates many parcels of vines in the Ragusa area, having worked diligently to re-plant something like half of the 100 hectares.  I think, at one time, they sold grapes to a local grower's co-op facility.  Today they vinify their best grapes and have become rather well-known in the realm of Sicilian wines.  

The winery produces a number of interesting reds and a few choice white wines.   

Gaetana Jacono is the dynamo behind this property, her father having gotten the ball rolling many years ago.   Her family cultivates Inzolia, Cerasuolo di Vittoria, Frappato, Nero D'Avola and some odd variety called "Chardonnay."

We currently have a terrific dry white wine from Valle dell'Acate.  It's called "Bidis" and it's a blend of Inzolia and Chardonnay.  If you're a fan of minerally and mildly leesy white wines from France, you probably should give this a try.  Its aromas display smoky notes which I suspect come from some period of time on the spent yeast.  It's dry and  reasonably crisp.  Very fine, in fact.  We have the 2004 in stock presently.  
Bidis is sold in some Las Vegas restaurants and we often get requests from people around the country for this wine...

Their Poggio Bidini this year is delightfully drinkable and reasonably priced.  Here's a youthful, simple, fruity red wine (made of Nero d'Avola) with NO oak, no sugar, low tannins and modest alcohol, all assuring low numerical scores from critics.  
They won't like it because it isn't inky in color (but it is fairly dark), it doesn't have a forest-full of wood, it doesn't need 20 years of cellaring (a major 'flaw' on a hundred point scorecard) and it's not mouth-burning with 16% alcohol (wines which smack you over the head are deemed "worthy," no drinkable vino such as this one).

We suggest chilling the Poggio Bidini for an hour in the 'fridge...you can pair it easily with white meats, but it's also flavorful enough to match nicely with tomato-sauced pastas, grilled sausages, a pork chop or various red meats with Mediterranean seasonings.

 

I can order their other wines for you...these include Tané,  Cerasuolo di Vittoria and Il Moro.

Currently in stock:  2004 BIDIS  $29.99  (blend of Chardonnay and Inzolia)
2006 POGGIO BIDINI Nero d'Avola  (List $14)  SALE $10.99

 

 

 

 

MASSERIA TRAJONE

About 20 years ago I remember wandering around the various pavilions at VinItaly looking for wines to import.  I'd scoped out wines from Piemonte, Friuli, Toscana and the Alto Adige.  I had even found a couple of good wines from Campania.

At one point I stopped to taste wines called "Primitivo" and these were from near the city of Manduria in Puglia.  Holy mackerel!  These were uniformly bizarre and I thought the name of the grape, "Primitivo" was appropriate...the wines were, in fact, primitive in my view...  

Every one of them was hugely alcoholic, made from over-ripe grapes and simply, for my palate, undrinkable.  In the intervening years, we now know that Primitivo may be a cousin to California's Zinfandel.  And there are certainly many "primitive" California wines in today's wine marketplace.

What's remarkable is the amount of "civility" one can find in some of the Primitivo wines from Puglia.  

We were delighted when tasting this Masseria Trajone Primitivo di Manduria.  It's from the 2006 vintage and I find it nicely ripe and juicy, with lots of berry notes.  There seems to be an undertone of wood here.  It's full without being heavy or ponderous and the tannins balance nicely with the fruit.  This is a pleasant surprise!

Currently in stock:  2006 MASSERIA TRAJONE Primitivo di Manduria  $14.99

ARGIOLAS

The Argiolas wines have been in our market for a number of years.  We've periodically had some of their wines as they seem to be a leading light in Sardegna.  

We applaud the Argiolas' family for maintaining the traditional grape varieties of their region, rather than jumping into the pool of Chardonnay and Cabernet.  So many Italian winemakers feel the need to make the same wines as the rest of the vintners on the planet, they often forget the heritage wines of their backyard.

Not Argiolas!


We're presently enthralled by a curious little white wine they offer called Nuragus di Cagliari.   The name "nuragus" comes from the nuraghi (stone towers) which dot the island.

Nuragus is a grape variety which is said to have been brought to Sardegna by the Phoenicians.  That must have been a while ago!

 

We've been fans of this little white wine for several vintages, yet it's only recently that we've actually had some in the shop to sell...

 

Guigal's $100 Condrieu was served alongside the Argiolas "Nuragus" wine at
our New Year's fest with seared Ahi tuna stuffed with crab meat & basil.
Both excellent wines, but most of us preferred the Argiolas wine.

 

The Argiolas family calls the Nuragus wine "S'elegas," apparently it's the name of the vineyard.   The wine doesn't see oak, yet there's an almost woodsy aspect to it which we find intriguing.  There are also fruity notes here...elements of ripe peach or melon come to the fore.  It's dry, of course.  We've typically paired this wine with seafood and it works very nicely with crab, prawns, scallops, clams, mussels, etc.  You could also match it with a mildly seasoned chicken dish if you like.  It's remarkably good and carries a modest-sized price tag (a combination we particularly appreciate)...

The Argiolas family also offers two stellar after-dinner beverages.  One is a Lemoncello-like liqueur called "Limonsardo."  It's actually a shade less sweet than most of the Italian lemon-flavored liqueurs.  Very nice, though. 
Also impressive is their Myrtle-berry infusion called "Mirto."  It's dark and deep, with an intense berry fruit aroma and flavor. 

Currently in stock:  ARGIOLAS 2006 Nuragus di Cagliari $14.99
ARGIOLAS  TREMONTIS "LIMONSARDO"  $29.99
ARGIOLAS  TREMONTIS  "MIRTO"  $29.99
We can special order other Argiolas wines for you.

     

 

DI GIOVANNA

The Di Giovanna family traces its roots back to the 1860s in Sicilia, but the current 'chapter' of this story began in 1985 and it's a work in progress.

The vineyards amount to some 50 hectares around Sambuca di Sicilia, about an hour, or so, by car south of Palermo.  It's east of Marsala, if you're familiar with the Sicilian landscape.

The current generation of the Di Giovanna family are Gunther and Klaus, not exactly Sicilian-sounding names.  That's because their father, Aurelio, married a German woman, Barbara.  

They cultivate all sorts of local and not-so-local varieties.  We turned our nose up seeing they were making Viognier, but we have to admit, it's one of the nicest renditions of this Rhone grape we've had from outside France!  They make a good Merlot, too, but then, with consulting winemaker Riccardo Cotarella, they should.  And they do.  But we have little interest in these grapes.

Instead we're attracted to Nero d'Avola and Nerello Mascalese.   These are typical grapes from Sicilia and we found these to be particularly good.  I would not have guessed, when first tasting the range of wines of Di Giovanna, that Cotarella was involved here, since I didn't find his thumbprint on the wines.  Kudos to all for that!

There are two Nerello grape varieties.  Nerello Mascalese is thought to have originated on the "Mascari" plain, while the other Nerello, Nerello Cappuccio, is cultivated on the eastern side of Sicilia.

We have the 2005 Nerello Mascalese, a wine with some dark fruit notes, a hint of spice and barely a whiff of wood.  The wine sees less than half a year in oak, as the Di Giovanna family wants to highlight the grape more than the barrel-maker's art.  In fact, Gunther Di Giovanna lives in the vineyard and is obsessed with the grapes...in fact, he told us they spend most of their resources in the vineyard, since "you can't make good wine without good grapes."

The Nero d'Avola from Di Giovanna is also quite good.  We like Morgante's Nero, another Cotarella wine.  But the Morgante tastes like a Cotarella wine and the Di Giovanna tastes more like a Nero d'Avola.  It's matured in wood only briefly and so the fruit and berry notes are more prominent.  The tannins are fairly supple and pairing it with a tomato-sauced pasta or red meat will further soften the wine.

Currently in stock:  2005 NERO D'AVOLA $17.99
2005 NERELLO MASCALESE $16.99

 

CAPICHERA

This wine production is the work of the Ragnedda family, but they chose the name Capichera, figuring, I suppose, it's easier to pronounce and remember than Ragnedda.

Capichera is thought to be a corruption of the Latin phrase "caput erat," which meant something like "it was the capital."  My first exposure to Capichera wines was in Italy...I tasted a number of exceptional and exceptionally expensive Vermentino wines.  Obviously they have a lot of ambition, but the real question is can this winery make wines of good quality and realistic price tags?

They hired the famous Beppe Caviola, a Piemontese winemaker, as their consulting enologist.  Caviola makes good wines under his own label and works with dozens of good Piemontese estates.  

 

Of the Capichera label we have a really impressive red wine called "Assajé," a wine that's made of Carignano (or Carignane, if you prefer the French name).

This variety is regarded as a workhorse grape as the vines can produce a prolific crop.  I was counseled by an old Santa Clara County winemaker back in the 1970s that Carignane, when grown with care, could make a wine superior to Cabernet Sauvignon.
Yeah, yeah, yeah...sure.

But having tasted this, having tasted an "old vines" bottling from California and some skillfully-farmed Carignane in the Languedoc recently, I can say the grape can make some impressive wines.   The Capichera wine labeled "Asajé" is made entirely of Carignano.  The 2005 vintage is fairly deep in color with a youthful robe.  It's got dark blackberry fruit and a nice touch (maybe more than a touch depending upon what wine you've consumed before this one) of oak.  

Now the Ragnedda family has a new challenge and it's a brand called Kharisma.

We've found two stellar wines of this project and both are attractively priced.

KHARISMA white is predominantly Vermentino with a splash of some unusual grape called "Chardonnay."  About 25% of the must is fermented in French oak, the balance going into stainless steel tanks.  The nose is a bit 'quiet' but it's remarkably expressive on the palate.  We find a hint of melon and apples on the nose, with coconut and ginger tones in the mouth.  It's much fuller on the palate than you'd expect.  Dry, of course.

The 2005 Kharisma Red wine is 95% Carignano with 5% Cabernet Sauvignon.  We like the dark berry notes in this wine and there's a nice spice note from the oak.  We find these Kharisma wines to be good values, too.

 

Currently in stock:  2005 CAPICHERA "ASAJÉ" (Carignano)  SALE $39.99
2006 KHARISMA WHITE (Mostly Vermentino)  SALE $19.99
2005 KHARISMA RED (Mostly Carignano)  $24.99

CAGGIANO

I'm guessing Antonio Caggiano is in his late 60s or early 70s.  (The San Francisco Chronicle, in a 2004 article by Janet Fletcher on obscure grapes and the wines they make describes Caggiano as a "young revolutionary who has built a modern cantina and overhauled outmoded vineyard practices."  I suppose Janet views Robert Parker, then, as a really young buck!

 

The "young" Antonio Caggiano, Mister Taurasi

Caggiano spent his life owning a construction company.  He has been a skilled photographer, too, visiting remote places in search of adventure and the perfect photo.  In 1990 he decided to take the plunge and get into the wine business.   He started selling grapes back in the early days and started making wine in 1994.   Today, with the help of winemaker Marco Moccia and his son "Pepe" (who handles much of the business side of the operation), Caggiano turns out about 150,000 bottles of wine annually.

The winery is actually located in the town of Taurasi, so Caggiano really does carry the flag for the appellation.  

The winery produces several versions of Aglianico wines.  Their Taurasi wine from the vineyard "Macchia dei Goti" is the heavy hitter.  This is matured in French oak barriques such as the ones in the photo directly above.

"Salae Domini" is labeled as Aglianico dell'Irpinia though this, too, comes from Taurasi vineyards.  It's matured in French oak, too.   Spending less time in wood as it's vinified for immediate drinkability if their "Tari" wine.  They seem to be changing the name of this from Tari to Tauri.  This is an exuberantly berryish version of Aglianico and we like it served at cool cellar temp with all sorts of Mediterranean fare.  The 2005 is currently in stock.  Very nice!

Caggiano also has a modest-sized agriturismo down the hill from the winery.  It looks like a nice place.

The Caggiano wines age much better than has this garlic near the barbecue area at Caggiano's agriturismo.

Currently in stock:  2005 CAGGIANO "Tari" Aglianico dell'Irpinia  $19.99 (by special order...6 bottle minimum)

 

 

AZIENDA AGRICOLA PETILIA

This is a modest-sized estate, run by Roberto and Teresa Bruno.  They're in Campania and produce a delicious Aglianico.  The estate was founded only a few years ago and yet they're already well-regarded for both their red and white wines.

We're fans of an Aglianico dubbed "Le Sepaie."  It's a youthful Aglianico, but one that's balanced and ready to drink.  You need not wait several years to enjoy this...

The importer has a most honest price on it, too.  If you've not been exploring Aglianico wines, this one is well worth trying as it's a good example.  We like this as an alternative to Zinfandel.

Currently in stock:  2004 "Le Sepaie" AGLIANICO IGT Irpinia $12.99

PIERO MANCINI

One of our favorite Italian white wines has reappeared after a couple of years' absence.  It's not that the wine hasn't been imported, it's simply we didn't care for the previous vintages (one year the wine was just too 'mature' and the next the bottles seemed a bit tainted by the corks.  In fact, the importer specified that this vintage be bottled using a synthetic cork after Ellen sampled the previous vintage and kept finding something off in the wine. 

This comes from a modest-sized winery on Sardegna.  The winery is located in a small area on the northeastern tip of the island called Olbia.  Mancini started the enterprise in the mid-1960s and currently cultivates about 100 hectares of vineyards.  He's got an interesting range of grape varieties, from international grapes such as Chardonnay, Cabernet and Merlot to local ones such as Cannonau and Vermentino.  This last variety is a delicious white wine, being wonderfully aromatic and flavorful without being oaky or alcoholic.  


Vermentino is a grape that's cultivated along the French and Italian Riviera's, as well as on Sardegna and Sicilia.   In France it is called "Rolle," while on Corsica the grape is sometimes called Malvoisie.  Adding to the modest confusion is that there are about a dozen clones of Vermentino.  The French, despite their chauvinistic reputation, surprisingly admit the variety originates in Italy.  Mancini's soil types tend to be somewhat granitic.  This tends to be well-drained soil, causing the vines to send roots deep into the earth in search of moisture.  Vermentino di Gallura is one of the few Italian white wines to carry a "DOCG" designation (not that it's a sign of quality, but it is interesting that this little wine is recognized with that distinction).  

You'll want to pair Mancini's 2004 Vermentino with fried calamari, a basil-infused tomato salad (don't forget the chopped red onions!), stuffed mussels or clams.  

 

Currently in stock:  2004 MANCINI VERMENTINO DI GALLURA  Sold Out

LIBRANDI

Calabria hasn't been particularly well-known in the international market, though the Librandis are working on changing that.  They have a prestigious red called "Gravello," which has gained some notoriety.  But their basic little "Cirò" red wine is made entirely of the grape known as Gaglioppo.   This is serviceable instead of a Chianti, if you like.  It's medium-bodied and has a touch of a spicy note.  


The Duca San Felice bottling is a shade richer and aged longer, given a longer fermentation on the skins and spending some time in large wooden cooperage.

The most impressive wine we've tasted from this estate is called Magno Megonio.  It's made entirely of Magliocco, a grape nobody outside of Calabria seems to have heard of.   This is a grand wine on any scale, but we have no frame of reference for comparison.  The Librandi wine shows notes of berry and a hint of tobacco with some espresso tones...yes, it's "internationally-styled" on one hand, but very original on the other.  Pair this with grilled meats or a prime rib roast instead of a Cabernet...it's mighty impressive.  The 2001 was superb and it's now sold out...the 2003 is good, but a shade less exciting.

 

Currently in stock: Librandi Cirò Rosso $9.99
Librandi 2001 Magno Megonio  Sold Out  (the 2003 is available by special order, though we don't find it to be as elegant as the 2001...)

SANNINO

The Sannino family has been cultivating grapes in Ercolano for many years.  They are located just south of Napoli and north of Pompeii inland a ways from the Gulf of Napoli in the shadows of Mount Vesuvio.

 

 

 

That's Naples in the background of this photo I shot from atop the Sannino "fortress" in Ercolano.

We tasted a couple of wines from them which we found worth drinking, since the quality is good and they're reasonably priced.

The 2003 Aglianico from the Beneventano appellation is quite good.  
You really get a nice berry and mild spice note of the Aglianico.  We liken this grape to California's Zinfandel, except that it ripens more evenly.  This allows them to pick the fruit ripe without the over-mature or raisined notes we find in many Zins.  

The other feature we appreciate here is a rather modest level of alcohol.  If you're tired of the brain buster, 14+% alcohol of so many New World wines, this is truly a delight.  Pair it with a homemade pizza or tomato-sauced pasta.  

Currently in stock:  2003 Aglianico Beneventano Sold Out

PLANETA

Sicily experienced a huge earthquake in 1968.   Not far from its epicenter, another tremor is taking place: it's called the Planeta winery!  The Planeta name is known in Sicilia, as Diego Planeta has been the head man at the large Settesoli winery where they make a wide range of wines.  A fellow from a neighboring winery says without the efforts of Signor Planeta, Sicily would "still be asleep" in terms of producing good quality wines.

Planeta's daughter Francesca and nephew Alessio head a team (assisted by Piemonte's Carlo Corino) to create an interesting assortment of modern wines. 

They make Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon.  This, I believe, they do to try to gain international attention (much like Angelo Gaja did in Piemonte in the early 1980s).   These wines fare well compared to new and old world offerings.  Once they've gained notoriety for those varieties the average wine consumer is familiar with, perhaps that customer will venture into wines which are particular to Planeta. 

I have tasted a range of wines from this estate.  Virtually everything I've tasted has been well-done.  Whether or not the quality of the wines matches their price tags is something else, though they make perfectly serviceable, modestly-priced wines.

My view is that the wines could have a bit more depth (perhaps as the vineyards become mature and they have more vintages under their collective belts?).  However, this is a property to watch!

Their white wine, La Segreta Bianco, is made of Grecanico blended with 30% Chardonnay.   No oak.  I like the somewhat spicy notes of this dry white. 

Cabernet Sauvignon seems to thrive in this microclimate.  I had tasted some other Sicilian Cabernets and thought cultivating that variety under such a hot sun was a mistake.   These kids must have either the perfect vineyard site, a great handle on the cultivation or both.  We included Planeta's 1997 Cabernet in an Italian Cabernet tasting (years ago, now)  and it placed second behind Isole e Olena's outstanding wine and ahead of Antinori's Solaia, for example.  

 

 

I read of a major blind-tasting in Europe, the theme of which was "Best Italian White Wine."  It's not clear to me how a group of experts can compare such a diverse bunch of wines.  They were tasting Chardonnays, proprietary blends, Gewürztraminers, Verdicchio, Sauvignons, Trebbiano and more.  Two Planeta wines from the Planeta family fared well.  In fact, one was voted the best Italian white wine, period.  The other came in third place.  Quite a showing for Planet and for Sicilia!
That said, I bought a bottle of their Cometa, a wine made of the Fiano grape, and wondered how in the world it took top honors.  Perhaps the wine develops in the bottle and, at 5 or 6 years of age, it shows something unimaginable in its first year or two?  
Their Chardonnay, however, is one of those "wine-tasting wines."  Big, fat, relatively high in alcohol and palate-fatiguing.  At least to me.

Anyway, we can order their wines for you, but I don't have anything in the shop presently.

 

MORGANTE

Though the Morgante family has been cultivating grapevines and almonds for many generations, it's only in the past decade that they've embarked upon their own winemaking mission.  Located in Southern Sicily, the Morgantes fiddle around with  a number of acres of Nero d'Avola, the red variety which is Sicily's best shot at making something of exceptional quality and which is unique to the area. 

 Helping orchestrate things is winemaker/wine-wizard Riccardo Cotarella, who is doing a fabulous job in Umbria and elsewhere.


You can see Cotarella's fingerprints all over this wine.  It reminds me, very much, of the style of La Carraia's Sangiovese from Umbria and Sportoletti's blend called Assisi Rosso.   Some people argue "That's what's wrong with some winemakers.  They put their stamp on a wine so you can tell it's their  wine, but you can't tell where the wine is from precisely."

With Morgante's Nero d'Avola, Cotarella obtains a very "juicy", fruity foundation with minimal tannins.  The wine then is put into oak for but a few months;  just enough to add some cedary notes, but not enough to diminish the fruit.  

We have the 2005 in stock currently.  The wine is young, exuberantly fruity and drinkable immediately.  It is not intended for cellaring, though the Morgante's do offer a "more important" version of Nero d'Avola (at a more painfully important price, too, I might add).    We had both in a blind tasting of Sicilian reds and I had the Morgante wines ranked first and second.  I gave the nod to the special bottling, but find the basis bottling to be of similar quality, just styled differently.

 Anyway...great wine.  Modest price, given this quality.  Another undiscovered gem from someplace other than California.  Don't miss it.

Currently in stock:  Morgante 2005 Nero d'Avola $15.99

 

TASCA D'ALMERITA

You might know the name of these wines as "Regaleali," a famous brand of wine which for some wine drinkers equates to "Sicilia."  The Tasca d'Almerita family has been cultivating vines on the property for more than 150 years and they've routinely been viewed as innovators in vine-growing as well as in the cellar.

The name of the property, Regaleali, harkens back more than a thousand years, when Sicily was under Arab rule. The name comes from "Rahal Ali" and it means something like "Ali's Fortress."

The estate is located a modest drive from Palermo and though most people think of Sicily as a hot climate area, you must remember that this estate is planted at its lower elevations around 450 meters (approximately 1476.38 feet). The higher elevation vines are at 700 meters (or about 2296.59 feet).  As a result, despite the warm (or hot) temperatures during the day, aromatics and acidity are bolstered by cool night-time temps.  This is one of their secrets.

 

Though they cultivate many of the normal, indigenous grape varieties at Regaleali, the property also features famous French varieties such as Chardonnay and Cabernet.  Lucio Tasca d'Almerita secretly planted these years ago and kept them a secret from his father who would have been upset.  That's because these grapes were not permitted at that time and, of course, they're not "traditional" vines for Sicily.   In my limited tasting of these, I can't say I've found Cabernet which rivals Bordeaux or Napa.  Nor can I say I'm replacing white Burgundies or California Chardonnays with the Regaleali wine.

They do make, however, some nice wines of traditional Sicilian grapes.  Rosso del Conte is a notable "ambassador" from Sicilia and it's a blend of Nero d'Avola with, usually a small percentage of Perricone.  It's an internationally-styled wine, being matured in French oak.  

We tasted a number of their wines in early June 2007.

Regaleali Bianco 2006 is a nice little dry white that's a blend of Inzolia, Cataratto and Grecanico...it's a pleasantly appley, mildly citrusy dry white that's a good aperitif wine and it sets up red wines nicely.

Regaleali "Le Rose" 2006 is a dry pink wine made from Nerello Mascalese...It's lightly cherryish and also will set up a nice red.  It's a refreshing wine for warm weather drinking.

Regaleali 2004 Nero d'Avola, their basic red wine is a pleasant, simple rendition of this increasingly popular grape.  It's not trying to be a grand vin and it's a medium weight, well-made, if unspectacular red wine.

More interesting (and more costly) is their 2004 "Lamùri" wine, another rendition of Nero d'Avola.  Now you're getting serious.  This is a deeper, darker, more soulful wine.  I found a fragrance of violets and it reminded me of some Australian reds which also have this floral tone on the nose.  

The 2002 Rosso del Conte is their "old vines" bottling of Nero d'Avola, essentially.  It's more structured and tannic, with nice dark cherry fragrances and a woodsy element from its having been matured in a high percentage of new French oak.  

We can special order any of these wines for you...Give us a few days' notice, please.

 

By Special Order:  2006 Regaleali Bianco  $9.99
2006 Regaleali "Le Rose" $9.99
Regaleali 2004 Nero d'Avola $12.99
Tasca d'Almerita 2004 "Lamùri" (Nero d'Avola) $19.99
Tasca d'Almerita 2002 "Rosso del Conte" $47.99
Tasca d'Almerita 2002 "Cygnus"  (Nero d'Avola/Cabernet blend) $26.99
Tasca d'Almerita 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon $49.99










FEUDI di SAN GREGORIO

Located in Campania, you'll find Feudi di San Gregorio in a sub-region known as Irpinia.  This is a special micro-climate, not as hot as you'd expect for central and southern Italia.   The place is named after Pope Gregory the Great.  It was founded in 1986 by the Capaldo and Ercolino families and Riccardo Cotarella is their consulting enologist.   The property comprises some 105 hectares.

The wines, in our opinion, have been uniformly good.  Whites, I think, are probably best when youthful, though I wouldn't be surprised to see them age nicely for several years.  Reds, of course, especially Aglianico wines, can be cellared for quite a while.

Campania has a very long and ancient wine history.  The Greeks were fooling around here a zillion years ago and their influence is still seen:  Greco di Tufo, for example, a white grape.  "Greco."  Greek. 

The Aglianico was also known as "Greco Nero." 


FIANO is a wonderful grape in the hands of this firm.  The aromas are striking, being reminiscent of tropical fruits such as guava and mango.  We love this with seafood!  

 

The winery has received the most attention for its "Serpico" wine.  This is an Aglianico wine which they say comes from fruit grown within the Taurasi region.  It's an "IGT" designated wine, though.  You'll taste the Aglianico, certainly, but it's also made in a modern, oak-aged style.

 

We have access to many of their wines, so we can special order their other bottlings for you.  

Currently in stock: 
2003 "Serpico" $69.99 (sale priced)






FAZI BATTAGLIA

This firm was founded in 1949 and in the 1950s organized a competition for designers to create a wine bottle for their Verdicchio.
An architect from Milano named Maiocchi won the competition, creating a bottle in the fashion of an old amphora.  This is Fazi-Bazzi's trademark today, some 50 years later!  
Their Verdicchio is a decently made, if somewhat anonymous tasting white wine.  It has a touch of fruit when young and is dry and light.  

 

Currently in stock:  They finally have a new importer and we may, one of these days, have this in stock.  Stay tuned.




GULFI

Vito Catania (does that name sound Italian, or what?) makes his money in northern Italia, but spends it on olives and grapes in Sicilia.  Catania has some sort of enterprise in or near Milano, but is of Sicilian origins, so he's simply returning to familiar (grape) stomping grounds.

His Gulfi winery is a specialist in the Nero d'Avola variety, "the" red grape of Sicily.   To help him achieve the goal of being "Mister Nero d'Avola," he's enlisted the services of Salvatore Foti, a noteworthy consulting winemaker.

Though the property has been been producing wine for but a few vintages, the Gulfi name is already known to connoisseurs in Italy.   Thanks to a small importer and wine lover here in the Bay Area, we're able to have a few bottles of these special wines for our customers.

We have two single vineyard Nero d'Avola wines from the Pachino region.  One is called "Nero San Lorenzj," a vineyard not far from the sea.  The other bottling is Nero Baronj, a full-bodied, robust red with some jammy notes and a hint of wood.  

Currently in stock:  2002 Gulfi Nero d'Avola "Nero San Lorenzj" $39.99
2002 Gulfi Nero d'Avola "Nero Baronj" $39.99

 

PALARI

We understand Julius Caesar was a fan of the wines from Messina, a small wine growing region in the shadows of Mount Etna.  Here, in north-east Sicilia, one finds an interesting production of unusually elegant red wine.

Former architect-turned-vintner Salvatore Geraci produces a much sought-after wine called "Faro."  This is a small DOC and Geraci's wine is the reference point for the appellation.   Palari came about thanks to the late wine critic, Luigi Veronelli.  He introduced Geraci to winemaker Donato Lanati.  The pair worked for a number of years before Geraci was happy enough with the quality of the wine to expect people to pay money for it.

The vineyards are such that production is quite low.  I think they claim to harvest but a couple of pounds of grapes per vine.  Many winemakers prefer such a low yield in their attempts to make wines of great color, intensity and concentration.  They seek huge numerical scores from various critics and "turning up the volume" by making "extreme" wines is the way to go. 

But Palari is not deeply-colored.  Nor is it huge, over-the-top, pushing-the-envelope red wine.  I suspect many tasters will be disappointed since the wine doesn't club you over the head with alcohol, extract or oak.  Instead Geraci's Faro wine is elegant in the fashion of a fine Burgundy, rather than being reminiscent of a Turley Zinfandel.

 

The wine is a blend of Sicilian varieties.  Nerello, Cappuccio, Nocera , Acitana, Tignolino, Galatena and one called Calabrese (which is, apparently, not from Calabria but is the Nero grape, as in Nero d'Avola).  The wine is fermented in small lots and then matured in French oak, Alliers and Tronçais in particular.   

We have the 2003 Faro in stock presently.  I've tasted several vintages and they're consistently good.  The color is, as mentioned before, close to that of a good Pinot Noir.  The aromas are of red fruits with notes of vanilla and a touch of brown spice.  The wine is medium-bodied on the palate and the tannins are rather round and soft.  The winery people claim this can cellar nicely for a decade, but I'd view it as something to drink over the next couple of years.  

 

Currently in stock:  PALARI 2003 "Faro"  $59.99

 

 

 

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