The months toward the end of winter and beginning of spring are Amarone della Valpolicella time. In this period, in fact, two important events are hosted in Verona, Italy -- two different series of tastings of this renowned Italian red wine. “Amarone in Villa” (“Amarone in the Manor”) is organized
Another lovely offering from the folks at White Rose in Oregon. They offer a wide range of wines from different vineyards. This one opens with a classic pinot nose of smoked cherries and plums. Tannins are soft and fruit is silken as it lingers on the palate after you first
Honeyed aromas, very fruity, with honeyed, peachy flavors, and honey even in the finish. Fruit and citrus overwhelm the crispness you’d expect to find in a wine made from pinot grigio grapes. It’s a nice example of a modern sweet wine, probably a crowd-pleaser, but not really a pinot grigio.
If you think pinot noir from South America is inevitably too rich, too extracted and too ripe, you really need to get yourself a bottle of this subtle, balanced gem from Bodega Chacra, founded by Piero Incisa, scion of the family who brought you a little Tuscan wine called… Sassicaia.
After I realized that this was a screwcap that looked like a metal capsule covering a cork, I twisted off the cap and found that this Alois Legeder wine is much more than clever marketing for the bottle. When the wine is cold it has delicate aromas: florals, minerals, chalk,
Two weeks ago I returned home from The Symposium for Professional Wine Writers, held at the Meadowood Napa in St. Helena the week prior to Premiere Napa Valley. I’m kicking myself for not accepting the invitation to stay for Premiere – the Napa Valley Vintner’s annual “bake sale,” as NVV
The color is inky dark with maroon edges. The nose is lightly jammy blackcurrant with a background of vanilla and eucalyptus. The palate is more harsh than the nose. Blackcurrant leads, along with some vegetal tobacco leaf as well a higher tones of mint and eucalyptus. It does not show
Roses and cedar aromas, nice mouth-filling classic Chianti flavors on palate. Fruity but balanced. Nicely integrated tannins with fruit in a moderate finish. Drink with plain grilled meat. Recommended. BSE WHO: Marchesi de’ Frescobaldi Castello di Nippozzano WHAT: Sangiovese WHERE: Chianti, Tuscany, Italy WHEN: 2008 HOW MUCH: around $20 (media