NobleRottersSydney - North Italy

A night aiming at the better regions of northern Italy. Mostly. A dozen wines was just right for the eight of us.

• 2008 Joseph Perrier Champagne Cuvée Royále

  France, Champagne

  {cork, 12.5%} [Gordon] Fairly mature nose of yeast and bakery aromas. The palate has a real ‘cheese-on-a-biscuit’ character to the flavours. It’s medium weight, with fairly large and vigorous bubbles. Rich palate but properly dry, although it seemed to me surprisingly short and hollow on the finish. Possibly needs more time in either the glass or the cellar. I wasn’t really convinced, but I may have been in the minority.

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

• 2018 Poggiotondo Chianti Riserva

  Italy, Tuscany, Chianti

  {13%} [Andrew] In the Kemeny’s “1960” labelling. Youthful nose of tobacco and spice, adding savoury red cherry fruit on the palate. Nicely balanced along the tongue, evenly structured at medium level, with dusty tannins. Authentic. And startlingly good for $20.

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

• 2019 Gioso Nebbiolo d'Alba

  Italy, Piedmont, Alba, Nebbiolo d'Alba

  {screwcap, 14%} [Kim] Bright, clean cherry nose. Lightly transparent palate of barely medium weight. Gentle red cherry flavours supported by medium/high acid and low powder tannins. Ripe but understated, finishing a little earthy and not very long. Pretty good overall.

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

• 2020 Vietti Langhe Nebbiolo Perbacco

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Langhe DOC

  {cork, 14%} [Glenn] Smoky, blackcurrant fruit, like a chewy cordial. Medium acid and dusty tannins, with plenty of presence on the front and mid-palate. Nicely savoury cherry fruit flavours, medium/full body, short/medium finish. This is OK.

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

• 2018 Roberto Sarotto Barolo

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  {cork, 14%} [Andrew] Fairly new world style of wine, fruit-driven, with super-ripe purple fruit flavours and rich oak. One to rile the purists I suspect. Well-made, clean, inky-rich black fruit, medium dusty tannin, medium acid. Medium/full weight, medium length, inky finish, not too warm. A lot of wine for ~$50.

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

• 2017 Lodali Barolo Bricco Ambrogio

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  {cork, 14.5%} [Andrew] Sweet strawberry fruit and mild oak. Dark fruit underpinning though. A little more dilute than expected on the palate. Medium/high chalky tannins, medium acidity. More traditional Barolo, but certainly making an effort to be drinkable young. Medium body, medium long dry finish. Really good value at ~$60 – the pick of the night in that regard.

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

• 2014 Schiavenza Barolo Broglio

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  {cork, 14%} [Graeme] Black cherries and tar. Right in the slot. Promised much on the nose, but the palate was drying and astringent, with high dusty tannins and soft fruit flavours. Medium/full-bodied, with medium acidity. All about structure but a bit more generosity would be nice. Not entirely convincing.

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

• 2012 Rivetto Barolo Del Comune Di Serralunga D'Alba

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  {cork, 14.5%} [DavidM] Black cherry, roses, violets. Way more evolved than the preceding 2014 wine, but also a better balance of fruit, medium acid, medium chalky tannins. Nicely mature. Right on song for age and style.

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

• 2013 Piero Benevelli Barolo Ravera di Monforte

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  {cork, 14%} [Aaron] Similar to previous, with rose, violet, iodine, cherry, blackberries. Tar-like in character but not over-ripe. Medium powdery tannins that aren’t obviously oaky. Classy fruit, medium/full weight, medium-long finish. This is very good.

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

• 2010 Elio Grasso Barolo Ginestra Casa Maté

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  {cork, 14.5%} [Gordon] Polished, developing black fruit, with a tart sort of aspect. Even a bitter almond character to it. Full-bodied, with high chalky tannin, medium-high acid. Balanced, with an even palate. Funny that the oldest wine of the night is the one that seems most obviously in need of further cellaring. Medium/long finish. Impressive.

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

• 2014 Freie Weingärtner Wachau / Domäne Wachau Beerenauslese Terrassen

  Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau

  {375ml, screwcap, 7%} [Gordon] This vintage appears to have been a blend of riesling, chardonnay, gelber muskateller and weissburgunder (aka pinot blanc). Developing nose of honey, copper, vanilla, and a sense of molten bronze. Voluptuous palate, although less sweet (medium-dry) than I expected. Terrific balance along the tongue, and with medium acidity still; this gives the wine a medium long finish despite never really rising above light/medium in weight. Ready to drink I would say, and really impressive.

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

• 2017 Margan Sémillon Botrytis

  Australia, New South Wales, Hunter Valley

  {375ml, screwcap, 10.5%} [Gordon] Developing vanilla bean and honey. Light-bodied, with medium acid, and a transparent sort of texture. Easy-drinking dessert style, short/medium in length. Definitely suffered in comparison to the preceding Wachau wine! More cellaring unnecessary.

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

Good wines. The last three reds were the pick of the Italians as far as quality went.