Wine Adventure - Alto-Adige, Valpolicella, Soave, Bolgheri, Barbaresco & Barolo
Italy
Tasted Wednesday, September 11, 2013 - Friday, September 20, 2013 by djlevin with 1,347 views
Introduction
Spent two weeks in Northern Italy visiting wineries. Used my Sommelier certification and wine consulting activities to arrange trade tastings at many wineries along the way. A few significant thoughts about the trip:
1) Pergola is starting to go away here and guyot is taking its place. Along with it, the practice of dropping fruit to improve concentration is becoming common. Very glad to see!
2) Every red wine producer I visited fermented in stainless steel, with automated pump-over. The wines were easily noticeable as less manipulated, more vintage character coming through each year and the tannins were finer than I am used to in the U.S.
3) NO AGING IN AMERICAN OAK! Generally, even limited contact with new French oak. I found myself missing the oak from these wines and having to adjust my palate. Although, the wines all clearly had a fresher fruit characteristic because of it.
4) All red wine producers worked with varietals and winemaking technique that tended to focus the wine away from texture. IMHO, the best wines here were those that focused on taking the local style and move it towards an emphasis on mouth-feel in the final product.
5) The red wines I enjoyed most, all seemed to have an element of mushroom, or wet earth on the nose. Not sure why that was, but consistently true for me on this trip. VERY STRANGE.
6) Also, a bitter dark chocolate finish of varying length and power was a characteristic of most red wines I tasted. When it was missing, the wines tasted incomplete.
7) FOOD - Don't miss Piemonte... It is hard to describe how special this area is for a wonderful dining experience. No other region we visited was even close.
8) Barbera d'Alba is one of the best wine values in Italy and while it is a completely different wine, does not get enough respect in comparison to the Barolo and Barbaresco produced in the same region.
9) Almost all of the wine we drank in Italy was pretty good, even at $10Eur/btl. In my small sampling on this trip, it could be the Italian wine industry has a much better grasp of how to make reasonably good, value priced daily drinkers. The premium end of the fine wines was another story. I felt like there were only a few wineries that stood-out, but of course nowhere else is Nebbiolo like this.
I was very disappointed to have lost my Conterno Fantino and Cigliuti tasting notes. Great people and very good wine. I will limit the flights to the more notable visits. Too much content to bore you all with. For perspective on my tasting notes - I do not enjoy white wine, unless there is minerality. Start off with my impressions by region:
Trento-Alto-Adige
The clear winner here is Terlan. Simply fantastic white wines. The minerality is so heavy here, that they have to chip out precipitated minerals at the bottom of their large Hungarian Oak barrels every 8-10 years. They call it wine rock! The winery popped some 20 year old pinot bianco for us. These white wines age VERY WELL! So glad to have found this winery. It is something special in the world of white wines.
Valpolicella
This is the one area I wish I would have planned more time with. My life experience with Valpolicella Classico has not impressed me over much, but I have not really spent the money to explore Amarone, Ripasso and Recioto... my loss. These are truly exceptional wines. What I have been missing all these years.... aaaaah, lost opportunity.
Soave
Again, another area that has under-impressed over the years. In my experience, limited to lower priced wines selected by importers. I found a VERY SPECIAL producer here: Pieropan. I will seek out their white wine in the U.S.
Bolgheri
The wines tasted here generally were disappointing, with some notable exceptions. Very much, French Bordeaux style wines, but missing the fine wine making tradition to make the wine special. One of the very notable exceptions was Tenuta San Guido. Sassicaia was a truly amazing wine and so far beyond the other wine there, it was tragic.
Barbaresco
I fell in love with the Nebbiolo wines from this area. It is a pity the area is geographically so tiny and has such small production.
Barolo
This area was hit or miss for me. The better wineries here seemed to zero-in on making these massive tannins as fine as possible. When accomplished - FANTASTIC! When not, wines that will take 20 years before you can touch.
Flight 1 - Alto-Adige (12 Notes)
Terlan was amazing. Producing Chardonnay and Pinot Bianco (among other varietals) that handle age very well. Maybe not like Riesling, but certainly for a dry white... as interesting as White Burgundy. Their terroir produces wines with so much minerality that they have to chip out the precipitated minerals from the barrels every 8-10 years. They call it wine stone! Also, barrel aging (in lieu of bottle aging) of whites is very common here. They showed us a 1996 Chardonnay still in the barrel! Visited Foradori... very disappointed after reading some of the CellarTracker notes and professional reviews. Very old style vineyard management. Many of their vineyards were still arranged in the Pergola style and with this varietal, the harvest looked enormous. No dropping of fruit here to add concentration. Wines were all thin and undrinkable young.
Flight 2 - Valpolicella & Soave (7 Notes)
Oh, I wish we had more time here. Allegrini was outstanding. Very experimental with wines produced from dried grapes, beyond Amarone and Ripasso.
Flight 3 - Bolgheri (17 Notes)
Overall, disappointed with the wine here. If wine is made in a lighter style, there needs to be SOME mouth-feel, otherwise the wine just seems like alcoholic flavored water. When most wines are produced in re-used French Oak barriques... the neutral oak doesn't add anything to the wine. Sassicaia had it all though. A lighter French Bordeaux style blend... but with very fine tannins, a silky mouth-feel and EXTREMELY well integrated and balanced. The only way to describe is - perfectly harmonious. VERY well made!
Flight 4 - Barolo & Barbaresco (9 Notes)
Oh my gosh! Nebbiolo heaven. No other region in the world can come close to doing this with the Nebbiolo grape. Cigliutti was the stand-out for me here. My gosh, in a lighter style, no more beautiful wine on the planet. Visited Paolo Scavino also. Good Barolo and Barolo cru, but nothing particularly notable.
Flight 5 - Sassicaia vs. Ornellaia (2 Notes)
The original Super Tuscan smack-down! Stopped in at Enoteca Tognoni and tasted everything on tap!
We also tasted Le Macchiole, Ca'Marcanda, Sapaio, Guado al Tasso and Grattamacco, but the Sassicaia and Ornellaia was so much more enjoyable than the others.
2000 Cantina Terlan Chardonnay 93 Points
Italy, Trentino-Alto Adige, Alto Adige, Alto Adige - Südtirol
(9/12/2013)
This winery has changed my perception of Italian white wine. Chardonnay with dimension and complexity! This terroir produces Burgundy quality Chardonnay suitable for aging. 13 year-old Chardonnay with a powerful nose of lemon curd, red apple and a floral aspect. This follows through to a fruit forward palate with nice stoney minerality. Medium high acidity. The time in the bottle has crafted a beautifully balanced wine.
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2010 Cantina Terlan Terlano Nova Domus Riserva 90 Points
Italy, Trentino-Alto Adige, Alto Adige, Terlano
(9/12/2013)
White blend. Nose of citrus and mown grass. Palate of citrus at front and then carmelized butter from mid-palate through to a long finish. As typical of Terlan - mineral overtones. They have really coaxed the lees into providing extracted flavors and texture. Only neutral oak.
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2011 Cantina Terlan Sauvignon Terlano Quarz 88 Points
Italy, Trentino-Alto Adige, Alto Adige, Terlano
(9/12/2013)
Grassy on the nose. Palate of citrus and fresh mown grass, finishing with very noticeable minerality. I was aware of more alcohol than I would prefer. Very strong acidity with a refreshing bite. The nice structure moved the score higher to offset some of the other characteristics.
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2011 Cantina Terlan Gewürztraminer Lunare 88 Points
Italy, Trentino-Alto Adige, Alto Adige, Alto Adige - Südtirol
(9/12/2013)
Nose of red roses that carries through to the palate. Very interesting, but too floral on the palate to be really enjoyable. Typical Gewurtz spice on the finish. Very strong acidity. Score reflects the unusual predominance of the rich red rose aroma. I could get lost in the nose on this wine.
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2010 Cantina Terlan Lagrein Porphyr 88 Points
Italy, Trentino-Alto Adige, Alto Adige, Alto Adige - Südtirol
(9/12/2013)
Nose of red fruit with a buttery aspect. Fruit forward, lighter textured wine with raspberry and red cherry on the palate finishing with a medium short finish of dark chocolate. Medium tannins and acidity. Seemed like a cross between Sangiovese and Pinot Noir profiles. Good structure for a lighter style red.
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1996 Cantina Terlan Pinot Bianco Classico 92 Points
Italy, Trentino-Alto Adige, Alto Adige, Terlano
(9/12/2013)
Wow, another beautiful aged white at Terlan! Nose of carmelized butter and honey that carries through to the palate. Completely dry though. Fruit is almost gone, but the structure is there. Very, very soft on the palate with mouth-watering high acidity. Mineral overtones that come through at the finish. Whole different experience than the aged Chardonnay, but almost as profound!
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2011 Cantina Terlan Chardonnay Terlano Kreuth 91 Points
Italy, Trentino-Alto Adige, Alto Adige, Terlano
(9/12/2013)
This winery knows how to handle Chardonnay in a Burgundy style. The nose is full of butter with a palate of fruit forward red apple and quince. Has a long buttery finish. High acidity gives this very good structure and the usual Terlan mineral overtones are there too. Very nice mouth-coating texture. Good structure and balance and very enjoyable. If the other aged Chardonnays we tasted are any indication, this will age well too. Terlan ages many of their white wines in the barrel, rather than the bottle. Maybe a contributing factor to how well some vintages hold-up over time? Their sales agent showed us a 1996 Chardonnay still in the barrel!
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2005 Cantina Terlan Sauvignon Terlano Winkl 90 Points
Italy, Trentino-Alto Adige, Alto Adige, Terlano
(9/12/2013)
Northern Italy can really pull New World flavors out of Sauv Blanc! This wine had a very strong honeysuckle and orange blossom nose that carried through to the palate with a long salted butter finish. Texture was a bit heavier, but I enjoyed the weight. Very soft, but off-setting high acidity. A very pretty Sauv Blanc. Putting some age on it, really developed the wine.
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2012 Cantina Terlan Terlano Terlaner Classico 88 Points
Italy, Trentino-Alto Adige, Alto Adige, Terlano
(9/12/2013)
White blend. Nose of honeysuckle. The alcohol is a too prevalent for my liking in a white wine. The palate is full of honey and fruit-forward pineapple with mineral overtones. Very viscous texture. Medium high acidity. Interesting flavor profile for an Italian white, but a bit disjointed and the alcohol was immediately obvious.
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2012 Cantina Terlan Pinot Bianco Classico 87 Points
Italy, Trentino-Alto Adige, Alto Adige, Terlano
(9/12/2013)
This would be a good food wine for white meats... Very acidic. Citrus on the nose, but very little fruit on the palate. Very crisp, fresh profile with a mineral edge, but all very subtle. After having tasted the 1996 Pinot Bianco, this may have enough structure to age and improve. It would be interesting to try this again in another 5 years. This whole aging white wine approach is new to me. I have tasted the result at Terlan and it works, but I do not have enough experience tasting aged whites to have a good feel. Wine... a lifetime of learning.
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2012 Cantina Terlan Pinot Grigio 88 Points
Italy, Trentino-Alto Adige, Alto Adige, Alto Adige - Südtirol
(9/12/2013)
Nose of citrus and flowers. Fresh lemon on the palate with a medium long finish of honeydew melon. Nice, medium texture to add interest. More substantial than many lighter, less tasty Italian Pinot Grigios I have had.
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2012 Cantina Terlan Chardonnay 87 Points
Italy, Trentino-Alto Adige, Alto Adige, Alto Adige - Südtirol
(9/12/2013)
A touch frizzante. Heavy mineral nose of wet rocks. The lemon zest on the nose carries through to a palate of subdued lemon with minerality... that continues in the mouth to a medium long finish. Very acidic. Medium texture. Would be better with food than as an aperitif.
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