Vino Amato's Annual Italian Wine Fair 2017

My first time at Amato's for their big wine show…I must confess I had a certain amount of trepidation but it proved to be a superb tasting…Mind you, I got there as the doors opened and, by 230pm, it was all elbows and over crowding…

• 2016 Argiolas Vermentino di Sardegna Costamolino

  Italy, Sardinia, Vermentino di Sardegna

  Very fruit forward with plenty of peaches, slight spritz. Juicy, fruit is more savoury on the palate and it's a little alcoholically warm.

  Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2016 Mandoleto Pinot Grigio Delle Venezie

  Italy, Delle Venezie

  peach and pear, fruit forward…and so it proves, juicy and fruity with a touch of bitterness on the finish.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2015 Taglia Pinot Grigio

  Italy, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Friuli Grave

  fruity, savoury, bit of struck match. More going on structurally but not for me.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2015 Mezzacorona Pinot Grigio Trentino Castel Pietra

  Italy, Trentino-Alto Adige, Trentino

  Quite confected melon fruit, slight spritz. More juicy. Fruit a little shorter. Bitterness.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2015 Azienda Agricola Adalia Soave Singan

  Italy, Veneto, Soave

  Glue and crushed almonds. Wet stone/mineral. Juicy acidity, touches of grapefruit, tannic burr. Woof to the structure.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2015 Monte delle Vigne Lambrusco

  Italy, Emilia-Romagna, Emilia IGT

  cherry and graphite, charcuterie. Juicy with gritty, grippy tannic burr is enhanced by the mousse. Fruit a little muted. Okay.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2014 Cantina Di Dolianova Cannonau di Sardegna

  Italy, Sardinia, Cannonau di Sardegna

  liquorice, slight tar over red berries and cherries. Spice savoury rather than sweet. Juicy, savoury, chewy tannins. All structure but lacks fruit on the palate (fussy bastard aren't I).

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2012 Santa Margherita Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso

  Italy, Veneto / Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Lison-Pramaggiore

  Dusty, dried spices and fresh herbs over cherries and baked earth. More of the same on the palate with textured but drying tannins.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2015 Borgo Magredo Friuli Grave Pinot Nero

  Italy, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Friuli Grave

  Cherry fruit forward pinot noir…juicy, friendly, fruit forward on the palate as well. Rather nicely done.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2015 Paolo Cottini Valpolicella Valpo

  Italy, Veneto, Valpolicella

  Gamey notes, bretty in fact, dominates nose. Tough tight tannins close things down a bit. Meh.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2014 Paolo Cottini Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Mazzano

  Italy, Veneto, Valpolicella, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico

  ripe cherry, chocolate over Brett, sweaty horse. Juicy, fruity, funky, massive tannins. Balanced in a dirty, bolshy way. Kind of fun.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2007 Savignola Paolina Chianti Classico Riserva

  Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico DOCG

  Funky, slight oxidised, smells old and a little tired. Better on the palate but still a little meh for me.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2014 Azienda Vinicola I Pastini Susumaniello VersoSud

  Italy, Puglia, Valle d'Itria IGT

  Soft cherry with a touch of blackberry. Soft on the palate as well, fresh, juicy, fruity, tannins are chamois leather soft. Yum

  Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2015 Pico Maccario Barbera d'Asti Flawed

  Italy, Piedmont, Asti, Barbera d'Asti

  Corked - FLAW

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2015 Vigneti Zabù Sicilia Il Passo

  Italy, Sicily, Sicilia

  Plummy fruit, slight vanilla ,quite perfumed slight fennel, herbs. Dry tannins, plums, simple but kind of nice.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2011 Vigneti del Vulture Aglianico del Vulture Piano del Cerro

  Italy, Basilicata, Aglianico del Vulture

  Plums, tar, herbal notes, baked earth. Juicy with sweet fruit, slight oxidised element then huge tannins come in and close everything down. Out of whack.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2013 Farnese Edizione Cinque Autoctoni

  Italy, Vino da Tavola

  Ripe, jammy black fruit, over extracted, raisins as well. It's all quite baked. Nah.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2015 Kettmeir Pinot Nero Alto Adige - Südtirol

  Italy, Trentino-Alto Adige, Alto Adige, Alto Adige - Südtirol

  lightweight, slight biscuit and red currant with some mineral notes. Juicy, savoury, coffee and biscuit, fine tannins. Meh

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2015 Vite Colte Barbera d'Asti Rosso Fuoco

  Italy, Piedmont, Asti, Barbera d'Asti

  cherry, sweet spice, slight volatile acidity. Juicy, cherry, slight volatile acidity on the palate lends a sour notes. Nah.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2013 Tenuta Trerose Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Santa Caterina

  Italy, Tuscany, Montepulciano, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano

  Cream, cherry, slight oxidised, spicy, earthy notes. Juicy cherry fruit, tight tannins which dry things out but fruit carries. Hmm

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2011 Val di Suga Brunello di Montalcino

  Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino

  savoury cherry, leather, slight herbal notes, touch of polished oak. Juicy, cherry leather plenty of tannic grip but balanced. Very good.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2007 Ventolaio Brunello di Montalcino

  Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino

  Oxidised, cherry, leather, tobacco leather, savoury with earthy elements as well on the nose. In the mouth the sweet cherry fruit is married to tight drying tannins. Nice but not $100 nice.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2013 Fattoria La Valentina Montepulciano d'Abruzzo

  Italy, Abruzzi, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo

  Cherry, slight spice…juicy, fresh with cherry fruit, simple, savoury finish. Yeah, really good, easy and nice.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2014 Cantine San Silvestro Nebbiolo d'Alba

  Italy, Piedmont, Alba, Nebbiolo d'Alba

  Perfumed plummy fruit, slight maraschino cherry. Juicy and more savoury on the palate, fruit is a little muted and there are bold tannins. Nice.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2011 Cantine San Silvestro Barolo

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  Bacon fat, savoury plum, slight pot pourri Young with mouth watering acidity, plummy fruit, slight orange peel, massive drying tannins, slight oak notes. Hmm, time required.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2011 Tenuta di Angoris Friuli Colli Orientali Schioppettino

  Italy, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Friuli Colli Orientali

  Perfumed, peppery spice, juicy, fleshy.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2015 Maretti Langhe Nebbiolo

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Langhe DOC

  Cherry, plums, slight reductive notes. Quite dense initially with tight tannins then a lovely lick of acidity cleans things up…nice.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2013 Cantine San Marzano Primitivo di Manduria

  Italy, Puglia, Primitivo di Manduria

  Plums, prunes, black cherry , sweet spice, quite polished fruit. Juicy, plummy, ripe tannins, dry things out but by no means kills the fruit. It tastes off dry and very fruit forward but without being preposterously overblown. Yum.

  Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2012 Cantine San Marzano Primitivo di Manduria Riserva Anniversario 62

  Italy, Puglia, Primitivo di Manduria

  Ripe plums, prunes, raisins, cherries with sweetly polished oak. More of the same on the palate, short surprisingly, a little more controlled. Good.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2015 Marco Bonfante Nebbiolo d'Alba Flawed

  Italy, Piedmont, Alba, Nebbiolo d'Alba

  Corked - FLAW

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2015 Marco Bonfante Barolo

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  Pot pourri, slight oxidised, slight plums; almost umeboshi, cream and dusty cedar. Juicy, big tannins but a little lacking a fruit on the mid-palate.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2015 Cantina Danese Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Flawed

  Italy, Veneto, Valpolicella, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico

  Massive VA - Hmm, I call it as FLAW

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2015 Cielo e Terra De'Conti Appassimento 100 x 100

  Italy, Puglia, Puglia IGT

  Plums tending to prunes - quite an intense ripe fruit driven nose. Juicy, very slight volatility, plums, big tannins. Slightly drying, closes down the fruit a lot. Time? Food?

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2015 Vigneti del Salento Primitivo di Manduria Zolla

  Italy, Puglia, Primitivo di Manduria

  Plummy fruit, sweet spice, slight violets, black cherry. Juicy, sweet fruit, savoury.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2012 Vigneti del Salento Primitivo di Manduria Vigne Vecchie

  Italy, Puglia, Primitivo di Manduria

  Rich plum, prunes, vanilla, coconut, sweet spice. Juicy but off dry, some fruit on the palate front of mouth grip. Boisterous.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

Woof. What a lot of fun. So many wines! I managed over half of them but then it just got out of hand so I picked up a few bottles…The Valentina Pecorino, Italo Cescon, San Marzao tolo primitivo and, my personal favourite, I pastini versosud…and some pasta, olive oil and anchovies...marvellous...especially as the whole lot was cheap as chips...