15 popular Italian Grape Varieties Tasting (with pirates)

A friend of mine who knows Italy quite well hosted this tasting together with me to get a look into the maze of autochthonous Italien grape varieties. We added some pirates from France just for fun.

• 2011 Elio Altare Dolcetto d'Alba 87 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Alba, Dolcetto d'Alba

  During a "Top 15 Italian grape varieties" tasting, grape Dolcetto. Medium purple. Discrete nose of red and blue berries dominated by red and black cherries with hints of mineral and Eucalyptus. Medium-light body, with acidity and fruit in balance but aromatically rather short. A bit "light & harmless" on the palate. Needs more mid palate volume to score higher but a good commercial offering as a table wine.

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• 2008 Cantine Sardus Pater Carignano del Sulcis Is Arenas Riserva 89 Points

  Italy, Sardinia, Carignano del Sulcis

  During a "Top 15 Italian grape varieties" tasting, grape Carignano which originally comes from Spain and is today most common in southern France. Since this grape is frequently used in Sardegna we have included it. Medium ruby. Discrete nose of dried fruit, sweet spices, toast and a hint of barnyard, quite complex. Medium body with quite strong tannins but ok balance overall. Needs a bit more mid palate weight to score higher.

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• 2006 Paternoster Aglianico del Vulture Don Anselmo 87 Points

  Italy, Basilicata, Aglianico del Vulture

  During a "Top 15 Italian grape varieties" tasting, grape Aglianico. Medium-deep ruby. Expressive nose of red berries with strong mineralic, meaty and smoky tones, good complexity. Slight oxidative note unfortunately. On the palate medium-full bodied with strong, drying tannins. I think the tannins were not fully ripe, too drying.

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• 2010 Planeta Sicilia Plumbago 87 Points

  Italy, Sicily, Sicilia

  During a "Top 15 Italian grape varieties" tasting, grape Nero d'Avola. Medium ruby with purple hue. Discrete nose of red cherry with dried fruit and sweet spices, a bit alcoholic. On the palate medium bodied with good balance of fruit/acidity. I think the strong side of this wine is that they made it not too "southern-sweet". On the other hand it needs to be said that it remains overall quite simple. Decent table wine.

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• 2010 Planeta Nerello Mascalese Sicilia 89 Points

  Italy, Sicily, Sicilia

  During a "Top 15 Italian grape varieties" tasting, grape Nerello Mascalese. Light garnet, quite transparent. Expressive nose of strawberry, rose petals and minerals. On the palate, fresh and light, the antithesis of the typical Sicily plum, overripe blockbuster. Well done!

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• 2009 Château Moulin Haut-Laroque 91 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Fronsac

  This was one of the pirates. Medium ruby/purple. Expressive nose of dark fruit, plum, oak, toast and chocolate, quite "southern" but complex. Medium body with strong but silky tannins. The warmth of the 2009 vintage is noticeable. Very nice Merlot from an exceptional vintage in Bordeaux at a very attractive price, ca. 25$.

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• 2009 Michele Chiarlo Barbera d'Asti Superiore Nizza La Court 86 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Asti, Barbera d'Asti Superiore Nizza

  During a "Top 15 Italian grape varieties" tasting, grape Barbera. Medium ruby. Nose of red cherry flowers and sweet spices, not very complex with a bit of an alcoholic note. Medium-light body with soft tannins. A solid table wine but not much more.

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• 2006 Volpe Pasini Friuli Colli Orientali Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso Zuc di Volpe 91 Points

  Italy, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Friuli Colli Orientali

  During a "Top 15 Italian grape varieties" tasting, grape Refosco. Medium purple. Expressive nose of black fruits with oaky and smoky notes. Medium body with silky tannins and pronounced acidity. Smells like a Bordeaux, tastes like a Zweigelt, I am inclined to say whenever I drink the grape Refosco. Very nice and fresh wine.

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• 2007 Azienda Agriverde Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Plateo 92 Points

  Italy, Abruzzi, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo

  During a "Top 15 Italian grape varieties" tasting, grape Montepulciano. Deep purple. Very southern nose of plum, ripe dark berries with coffee, tobacco, mint, minerals and caramel. On the palate, full throttle with thick ripe fruit, strong but ripe tannins and medium acidity. A full bodied wine but structured/complex enough to make it nicely drinkable. Attractive price/quality ratio too.

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• 2008 Massolino Barolo 91 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  During a "Top 15 Italian grape varieties" tasting, grape Nebbiolo. Light brick/garnet. Expressive nose of strawberry, clove, violet and tar. Medium-light body with very soft, medium tannins. The tannins, which are often drying in a Barolo are very soft and ripe, a strong point of this wine.

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• 2010 Russo & Longo Pietra di Tesauro Calabria IGT 89 Points

  Italy, Calabria, Calabria IGT

  During a "Top 15 Italian grape varieties" tasting, grape Gaglioppo/Greco Nero. Medium ruby/purple. Expressive "hot" nose of burnt rubber, dark berry, coffee and smoke, interesting and powerful but not to everybody's taste. Unfortunately the palate cannot follow-up completely on the deep, southern aromatics of the nose but freshness is good given the ripe nose. Medium body with soft tannins, a little short finish.

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• 2000 Château Giscours 93 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  This was one of the pirates. Medium ruby. Expressive nose, very Medoc, of black currant, earth, minerals, smoke and barnyard, complex. Medium body with soft tannins and adequate acidity. A very solid Bordeaux in this price range.

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• 2009 Vinosia Primitivo di Manduria ue' Passula 88 Points

  Italy, Puglia, Primitivo di Manduria

  During a "Top 15 Italian grape varieties" tasting, grape Primitivo. Medium purple. Expressive nose of blackberry and dark cherries, very fruit forward with a sight touch of alcoholic heat. Very fruity on the palate with low tannins but enough acidity. The strong point of this Primitivo is that it is not too sweet as many wines of this grape with Pugliaorigin. A correct table wine.

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• 2008 Agricole Vallone Vigna Castello 91 Points

  Italy, Puglia, Salento IGT

  During a "Top 15 Italian grape varieties" tasting, grape Negroamaro. Light garnet. Expressive nose of red cherry, red current with rose petal, elderflower and juniper, reminiscent of a red Burgundy. On the palate medium-light with pronounced fruitiness, medium tannic strength. A fresh and elegant wine, proving that not everything that comes from the south of Italy must be "sweet & sunny".

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• 2007 Arnaldo-Caprai Montefalco Sagrantino Collepiano 89 Points

  Italy, Umbria, Montefalco, Montefalco Sagrantino

  During a "Top 15 Italian grape varieties" tasting, grape Sagrantino. Medium ruby. Expressive nose of dark berries with tobacco, coffee and cedar wood, complex. Medium-full bodied with very strong and a bit drying tannins. Needs softer tannins to obtain a score in the 90ies.

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• 2000 Château Lynch-Bages 93 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  This was one of the pirates. Deep ruby. Discrete nose of cassis, earth, blackberrey oak and tobacco, clearly Medoc. On the palate still a bit reserved/reductive but potential visible. This needs another 3 years in the cellar but will be very good. 93++

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• 2000 M. Chapoutier Ermitage Le Pavillon 95 Points

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

  This was one of the pirates. Deep ruby. Expressive nose of fig, licorice, black pepper with smoke and leather, very complex indeed. On the palate, medium body with pronounced acidity and low fruitiness. Definitely not your sweet Shiraz here. Soft tannins and very good balance and elegance overall. In my view would need a bit more fruit to score above 95 points.

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• 2008 L'Anima Di Vergani Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 92 Points

  Italy, Veneto, Valpolicella, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico

  During a "Top 15 Italian grape varieties" tasting, grapes Corvina Veronese (70%), Corvinone (15%), Rondinella (15%). Medium ruby/garnet. Expressive nose with red berries, dark cherries, cedar and and strong tobacco note. Full bodied with a ripe fruit dominating but also strong enough tannins and a enough acidity, again noticeable tobacco note. A nice Amarone (I guess this is a private label of a wine shop in Zurich) that does not come across a too sweet.

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• 2009 Serracavallo Terre di Cosenza Terraccia 90 Points

  Italy, Calabria, Terre di Cosenza

  During a "Top 15 Italian grape varieties" tasting, grape Magliocco (+10% CabSav). Medium purple. Very southern and war nose with oppulent aromas of plum and fruit compote with cloves and meat. Very fruity, full bodied with strong, a bit drying tannins, low acidity. A blockbuster.

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• 2006 La Rasina Brunello di Montalcino Il Divasco 92 Points

  Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino

  During a "Top 15 Italian grape varieties" tasting, grape Sangiovese. Medium garnet. Expressive nose of raspberry, rose, violets sweet spices, cedar and hints of tobacco, very good aromatic complexity. Medium bodied with granular, slightly drying tannins preventing a higher score.

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