A handful of Italians, no Tuscany/Piedmont Allowed

Columbus, OH
Tasted Monday, July 31, 2006 by psmith with 747 views

Introduction

A friend's trip to Columbus with a red wine from my favorite producer of Italian whites was the impetus for this event, organized by another friend and held at his house. Dinner was a delicious assortment of "Silk Road" vegetarian dishes with lulu kebabs and grilled lamb chops, with Jeni's Ice Cream and chocolate-covered cheeses from J.P Hevin for dessert. The wine theme was Italy, but no Tuscany or Piedmont allowed.

Flight 1 (12 Notes)

  • 1995 Marega Holbar Bianco 84 Points

    Italy, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Venezia Giulia IGT

    Peach and pear fruit. Floral with some dewey notes. Medium body. A bit tired, but not bad.

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  • 2003 Jermann W.... Dreams ......... 88 Points

    Italy, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Venezia Giulia IGT

    Tropical fruit, banana, and more oak-kissed than overtly woody. A nice minerallity on the palate - sort of like a high quality Macon. Fat, creamy body might prove tiring or heavy with time, but a small glass is very nice.

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  • 2001 Damijan Podversic Collio Ribolla Gialla 87 Points

    Italy, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Collio

    Subtle nose shows some melon and peachy notes. Aggressive tannins. Exotic and expressive, though some might find the wine overly coarse and drying. Not as exotic as the Gravner wines, with a less refined and more masculine style; still, the best of the Damijan wines I've had..

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  • 2003 Castello di Lispida Amphora 82 Points

    Italy, Veneto, Veneto IGT

    Cloudy pink-tinted color. Penetrating nose with floral notes and canned mandarin oranges. Very different impression on the palate with odd, resinous, chemical cleaner notes. Short and oxidized flavors. Drinkable, but not a good example of this style.

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  • 2001 Gravner Ribolla Gialla Anfora 92 Points

    Italy, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Venezia Giulia IGT

    Gold/pink color. Pretty, multi-faceted nose with melon, cherry blossom, and white flowers. Streamlined with moderately fine tannins that never dominate despite the obviously long skin-contact this wine receives. Rather feminine for Gravner. A beautifully exotic wine.

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  • 2001 Gravner Breg Anfora

    Italy, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Venezia Giulia IGT

    Colored like a full-bodied Rose. Somewhat musty and muted cherry pit and melon fruit notes. Drying tannins dominate the fruit and turn downright hard on the finish with some sharp, oxidative character. Out of whack - maybe some TCA at fault. A relative failure.

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  • 1998 Emidio Pepe Montepulciano d'Abruzzo 93 Points

    Italy, Abruzzi, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo

    Smoked meat and rather rustic flavors with leathery, spicy, black fruits. Medium-full bodied on the palate with a nice restraint and hard, classic tannic structure. Loads of character. Stunningly good.

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  • 1994 Gravner Rujno Venezia Giulia IGT 93 Points

    Italy, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Venezia Giulia IGT

    Surprisingly forward and powerful nose. Roasted cassis and dark fruits mineral notes. Persistent and dense with rustic flavors and a balanced, hard tannic finish. The style may not be capable of the distinctiveness or heights of the Gravner whites, but a very good wine with plenty of character.

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  • 2001 Salvatore Molettieri Taurasi Cinque Querce 90 Points

    Italy, Campania, Taurasi DOCG

    Black fruits with violets, pumpkin pie spice, and mineral notes. Full, boldly stated flavors, richly textured, and with a fiercely tannic finish. Ought to really benefit from bottle age.

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  • 2003 Donnafugata Passito di Pantelleria Ben Ryé 91 Points

    Italy, Sicily, Passito di Pantelleria

    Really fresh nose with candied orange peel, flowers, and pineapple cake notes. Intensely sweet and, while quite viscous, remains really vibrant and refreshingly light on its feet. Really good.

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  • 1997 Pieropan Recioto di Soave Le Colombare 87 Points

    Italy, Veneto, Recioto di Soave

    Orange marmalade, cotton candy, and almond notes. Delicate, front-heavy fruit flavors. Lighter bodied than expected. A bit sloppy and acid-deficient, but enjoyable.

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  • 1997 Tommaso Bussola Recioto della Valpolicella Tb 92 Points

    Italy, Veneto, Valpolicella, Recioto della Valpolicella

    Raisined, dark, porty fruit notes with toffee and caramel. Intense, rich flavors with a thickly textured palate to match. Despites it's density remains well-balanced throughout. Finely tannic finish. Very good Recioto.

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Closing

A great evening of wine, food, and conversation.

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