Mirabelle Restaurant Austin, Texas
Tasted Sunday, July 10, 2011 by austinwinesalon with 962 views
Deep in the heart of our worst Austin summer ever, we had a need to get back to deep roots, so the July salon was a celebration of the great Italian white wine varietals, provided by a very generous Susan Thomas. Last July we tasted 45 of Susan's lesser white Italian varietals in a spectacular "Act 1" salon, and this was Act 2 of Susan's Bianchi play, where she has collected about 150 of the greatest Italian white wines to sample. Act 3 will follow for a future salon.
This salon had six groups of 5-6 tasters each. Tasters are wine and food professionals and afficionadoes, many of which have earned various sommelier certifications. We tasted our wines in geographic order, from the norther of Italy to its south and then Sicilia and Sardinia. Wines were generally opened at the tables and poured to all tasters at the same time --they were not decanted and had been kept on top of ice buckets. Each wine was tasted by three separate groups. Prepared food was available during and between flights.
A thank you to Lauren Holbrook of Paggi House for helping compile these tasting notes.
A light, straw color with fine aromas of fruit, sea salt, forest floor, and rose, which blew off and developed into some complexity. This was the favorite of the flight, as it had clean acidity and rich flavor notes of pear/apple, spice, almond, grass, lemon, and some minerals. It had excellent balance and a nice finish, with some lingering honey and peach flavor, and reminded several tasters of a dry Alsatian pinot gris.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
Light yellow with much clarity, this was a bold wine which some liked a lot and some didn’t, owing to some oxidized notes. It had a strong and strange nose of cotton candy, caramel, butterscotch, circus peanuts, almond, and lemon curd which differed a bit with a palate of sour lemon, minerals/slate, honey, and some caramel candy. It was “creamy,” for some, and had some oxidized character. A very different Gavi which intrigued some of the tasters, not all.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
Pale yellow with good clarity, it had a tropical fruit nose, with additional aromas of grapefruit, peach, honeysuckle, heather, minerals, and some varnish or wood. A pleasant wine, especially with food, it gained pear and peach flavors on the palate, along with grapefruit, mandarin orange, nectarine, guava, and savory notes. Well-balanced and moderate acid, with a light finish.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
Straw-colored, the Masi blend had a subtle but distinct bouquet of pear and green apple which developed into a modern, fruit-forward wine. Tasters noted flavors of red apple, melon, pear, citrus, and stone fruits, with light tannins and moderate acidity. Very enjoyable for all and the second favorite of the flight of six Italian whites.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
Light straw color, it had an interesting nose of buttermilk and tropical fruits, green apple and key lime, and almon, what one taster noted was “a classic expression of Italian pinot grigio.” It had a lot of acidity, was described as a “medley of tropical and citrus fruit”; others noted some strong butter and mineral notes as well as a nutty and herbal character. This wine gained a lot of balance with food, because of its acidity, and was quite good with fish.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
Most tasters thought this wine was slightly corked, but a fascinating taste. Rich and weighty, with a deep yellow/gold color, it had a strange nose—some found ammonia and barnyard (the sensitive types), and others found perfume and spice, butterscotch and caramel (other sensitive types). There has been some bottle variation with this wine, but many tasters were quite fascinated with it, enjoying flavors of honeysuckle, cream, spice, sweet and sour, cinnamon, green tea, and ginger—quite distinct, and you liked it or didn’t. Improved some with food.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
This wine displays notes of pears, peaches and kumquats, orange blossoms and a smoky toasted peanut shell note, this is a very clean wine with pronounced minerality of medium body with a med + acidity. Very enjoyable and the second favorite wine of the six bottle flight among three tasting groups.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
This wine has a deep but bright yellow color, this is a Pinot Grigio in its own category, notes of carmelized apple, ripe peaches, dried apricot, and a touch of finger lime, also notes of orange oil, Indian spices, sweet peanuts; this is a fuller white with a mouth-texture with med + acid and med + alcohol.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
Notes of pear and apricot and a notable grape spice, white pepper, a cider characteristic, touch of Indian spice, and great minerality, also some orange blossom and yellow flowers on the nose, very balanced wine with a great palate .
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
This wine is dry but with a sweet nose, very floral with a touch of marzipan, green apple and pear, mineral driven with nice round complexity. Everyone seemed to enjoy this wine with subtle fruit, great floral tones, and a pronounced mineral driven finish. The strong favorite wine of this six bottle flight among three tasting groups.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
Notes of pear, honeydew melon and citrus fruits, a clean and crisp mineral driven wine, most everyone found it to be quite enjoyable but not very complex. Might have been better when younger.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
This is a simple wine, a porch sipper, but one that was enjoyed by just about everyone – notes of sweet citrus fruit and apricots – a light uncomplicated white. 40% Grechetto, 30% Trebbiano, and 30% Malvasia.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
Cloudy orange in color, like an organic apple cider or apricot juice, it carried the cider look into the nose, with some petrol, varnish, meat, mineral, and caramel on the bouquet. This is a complicated wine to taste, with flavors evolving and mixing—sometimes you like the wine, sometimes you don’t. With much acidity and a creaminess, there were brandy notes amidst citrus, grapefruit, orange peel, and tangerine, some dried apricot and dried peach, black pepper and spice/herbs. It resembled a red wine, and was somewhat volatile. The odd favorite of some, the dumped glass of others.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
A lovely and clean apertif, with some frizzante. Golden in color (dark for a Moscato, maybe from its age), it had a peach, honey, stone fruit, grapefruit, and mineral nose. Lots of sweetness and good acidity with some yummy flavors, including honeysuckle, pink grapefruit, fruit cocktail, vanilla, and peach. One taster described it aptly as peach cobbler with vanilla ice cream in a light drink….. Went well with our soup. A rare wine over here, especially in Austin!
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
A blend of Tocai Friulano and Pinot Grigio. A light straw color, with some lime shading, this blend five varietals had good residual sugar and acidity, a bit like a Riesling. It had a nose of grass, lemon-lime, and chalky mineral, and was quite lively and “generous,” with flavors of sour apple, tropical fruit, citrus, olive oil, grilled pear, and herbs. “Big” resounded amongst tasters.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
A blend of Malvasia, Tocai Friulano, and Riesling. Light straw color, the wine was light, feminine, dry, and floral, with mineral, flowers, and citrus on the nose, a good balance, and noticeable minerality, tropical fruit, soft grapefruit, sour apple, and grass/hay on the palate. Well-liked by all, it had a nice mid-palate and finish. Very enjoyable and the second favorite wine of the six bottle flight among three tasting groups.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
Was this a light Calvados? It had a copper color and was very dry, with noticeable oak tannins and quite exotic. It had a nose of orange marmalade, ginger, all-spice, apple, peach, and wood, This wine is composed equally of five varietals (Grechetto, Malvasia Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Garganega), so its flavors go all over the place for tasters. One taster called it bananas foster, another cantaloupe juice, and several Calvados. Flavors included stone fruits, bubble gum, sweet candy, bitter orange, pecan shell, minerals, and apple. Food helped this wine, especially with its tannins and lively acidity.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
Light straw color with a nice flora, green apple, and honey bouquet, “like sweet hay in the fall.” The wine was clean and refreshing, tart and a bit sweet, an interesting expression of four grapes expression of the grapes (chiefly Verdicchio), with flavors of light lemon, papaya, pear, apple, some petrol, vanilla, and honey. Went well with food and had a fruity finish. The strong favorite wine of the six bottle flight among three tasting groups.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
A wine from the Marche showing lemon, lime, green apple and grapefruit on the nose and palate, a well balanced wine overall with m+ acidity and chalky minerality, a fairly lean wine on the palate. However, there is a touch of sweetness of the fruit flavors – not residual sugar sweetness just ripe fruit sweetness
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
This wine caught our attention … the color was an amazing deep yellow color with tinges of orange/orange reflections – fruit aromas of kumquats, stewed apricots, and mandarin oranges, perfumed flowers and a stoney minerality. The favorite wine of a very good flight of six bottles for our three tasting groups.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
The color of this wine is an orange-yellow – right off the bat I get aromas of peach pie with lemon – this is a funky wine! Also shows notes of guava and papaya with a certain smokiness – a different and enjoyable wine that is full-bodied – medium acidity, medium alcohol.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
This is a light and simple porch sipper, it is an off dry wine showing notes of honey and riper fruit but with great minerality that keeps this wine in balance.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
Medium yellow color - this is another funky, earthy, smoky white wine – notes of sweet flowers and caramel green apples – a touch of grape spice, great minerality and a touch of citrus fruits.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
Pale straw yellow color with some flects of white gold – aromas and flavors of yellow and green apple and citrus fruits – notes of oranges. A second favorite of one of our tasting groups.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
Tthis is a round and fairly complex wine showing notes of pear flesh and pear skin, cantaloupe and a rocky/chalky minerality – a touch of smokiness as well. Very enjoyable and the second favorite wine of the six bottle flight among three tasting groups.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
Light straw in color, we drank this wine at room temperature, probably too warm, at the insistence of our resident Italian oenophile/restauranteur. This is quite a lovely and powerful wine, a favorite of the salon. It had a strong floral and noticeable nose, a bit musty and smoky from its warm temperature so that offal, mushroom, and brisquet showed through. Well-balanced with good acidity, it had flavors of earth, smoke, creamy, vanilla, lime zest, pear, and slate. Multi grande! A favorite wine, along with the Masciarrelli and Felsina, of the whole salon.
Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue
Most tasters thought this was a corked wine, but a few hung in there and declared it okay, noting its gold color, a musty (and musky?) nose, even detecting some fruit, and a simple and clean tannin character. But no flattering flavor……
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
Light gold and bright in color, with a lively nose and palate, tasters differed on this wine. Some disliked its petrol nose and vinyl/leather taste, others thought this gave way to a nose of orange peel and fresh pine, with flavors of almond, honey, apple, grilled peach, pear, green apple, and lime.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
Clear, this drank a bit like a moscato with a clear light straw color and lively aromas of orange blossoms, perfume, spice box, mango, and honey. It had a light acidity with flavors of ripe pear, peach, mandarin orange, honey, and tropical fruits. Went great with our ceviche.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
Vermentino, this was straw-coloured, quite exotic, with a petrol, mineral, caramel nose. It resembled a Riesling. Had an overtone of sweetness and was viscous, with flavor notes of Japanese pear, forest floor, green apple, and nuts. Most tasters enjoyed this wine much, and it went well with our ceviche.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
Straw-colored with some oxidized and sour flavor notes, it had a bouquet of butter, apples, and olives, truly, with lots of acidity and flavors of vanilla brulee, caramel, turbo sugar, over-ripe apple, almonds, and soft lemon. Exotic. Fun. A favorite of one of our tasting groups.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
Quite delicious, dark amber with butterscotch, orange peel, bourbon, almond, coconut, stewed fruit on the nose, and full flavors of nuts, caramel, marzipan, raisin, toasted coconut, maple, orange peel, and dates. “A wow wine!” and a favorite of a couple of our tasting groups.
Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue
© 2003-24 CellarTracker! LLC. All rights reserved. "CellarTracker!" is a trademark of CellarTracker! LLC. No part of this website may be used, reproduced or distributed without the prior written permission of CellarTracker! LLC.
2007 Saracco Moscato d'Asti
Italy, Piedmont, Asti, Moscato d'Asti
Frizzante, pale yellow straw color, medium bodied wine with a fruit-coating, luscious mouth-feel, aromas and flavors of peach, mandarin orange, ripe pear, sweet flowers like honeysuckle, honey, wild mountain flowers, a touch of St. Germain, a sweet wine but at the same time quite refreshing with nice acidity in the background, simple yet highly enjoyable.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2009 La Scolca Gavi Etichetta Bianca
Italy, Piedmont, Gavi
From the white label bottle, the grape here is Cortese. Had citrus notes such as orange and lime zest, white pepper, peanut shells, button mushroom, touch of truffle, gravelly-stony minerality. This is a dry mineral laden wine with a slightly bitter finish (not unpleasant however), a touch of grape spice with m+ acidity, and a medium body.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2008 Punta Crena Vermentino Riviera Ligure di Ponente Vigneto Isasco
Italy, Liguria, Riviera Ligure di Ponente
This is a medium bodied wine with medium plus acidity and a very pronounced minerality, lots of citrus fruits: lemon, lime, grapefruit, also notes of tart barely ripe pineapple, a well-balanced crisp and refreshing wine with loads of terroir! All agreed the wine would be wonderful with the fried seafood of the region Liguria! The overall favorite of the flight, among three groups of tasters.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2006 Azienda Agricola Prà Soave Classico Monte Grande
Italy, Veneto, Soave Classico
This is considered to be Pra’s best Soave made from the Garganega grape, lots of citrus notes and high acidity, also some notes of bruised/slightly macerated fruits such as lemon, yellow apple, kiwi, a touch of dried apricot, this is a wine with medium plus body and a nice round mouth-feel, most seemed to comment on the high acidity and this wine could be slightly out of balance because of such searing acidity.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2007 Zenato Lugana San Benedetto
Italy, Lombardia / Veneto, Lugana
Grape is Trebbiano, lots of tree fruit: yellow apple, lemon and lime, white and yellow flowers, touch of raw cashew, this is a clean and refreshing wine with a touch of sea salt minerality, this wine has pretty high acidity but maintains a round well balanced structure. The second favorite of the flight, among three groups of tasters.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2007 Livio Felluga Friuli Colli Orientali Pinot Grigio
Italy, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Friuli Colli Orientali
This was noted to be quite a complex and well balanced wine, sweet ripe citrus fruit notes, apple and pear, a touch of dried peach and apricot and a notable nuttiness: sweet raw peanuts, peanut shells, great minerality – stones and graphite
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue