Caroline Wine Shop - Italy - Various

Carolines Wine Shop
Tasted Wednesday, October 29, 2008 by rikipedia with 45 views

Flight 1 - The Whites (4 Notes)

2007 Allegrini Soave 85 Points

Italy, Veneto, Soave

Mid lemon to yellow; the restrained nose offers gentle floral hints and green apple that starts leaning towards boiled sweets. The style is somewhat phenolic with a pithy texture, fresh, chalky acidity, with ripe citrus flavours: grapefruit and lemon. Simple finish, the wine remains edgy. Not too bad.

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2007 Allegrini Pinot Grigio Delle Venezie Corte Giara 83 Points

Italy, Delle Venezie

Mid lemon colour initially muted, then stone fruit and a funky, resin-like elements. I wasn't sure if there is perhaps some VA lurking here?
Leaning towards being phenolic and rustic, there are citrus and mineral notes, suggesting skin contact.
The acid and texture is sherbet-ty, and the finish salty and saline, with a touch of boiled sweets. It is an okay wine, but the phenolic character is prominent.

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2006 Tenuta La Giustiniana Cortese Gavi Rovereto Lugarara 88 Points

Italy, Piedmont, Gavi

A deep lemon-to-yellow colour with pronounced aromas of summer flowers, apple blossom transitioning into the scent of ripe Williams pear. It displays good intensity on the palate, with a broader and fleshier profile typical of the variety with apple, mineral and some seasalt. Good depth and better length compared to others. An enjoyable, cleanly made wine with crisp acidity without being too challenging.

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2006 Cantine Lunae Bosoni Vermentino Lunae Etichetta Grigia 87 Points

Italy, Tuscany / Liguria, Colli di Luni

Mid straw in colour, the nose is open-knitted, gently perfumed expression that initially shows melted plastic but seems to blow over. The palate meanwhile, has a resin, balsamic note with honey, quince and cheese rind edges that are intriguing. It flows nicely with a vigorous acidity thread. It is an interesting tasting experience and closes with a combination of grassy, green notes, celery stalk and that mid-palate mixture morphing to nougat.

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Flight 2 - Tuscan Reds (3 Notes)

2006 Castellare di Castellina Chianti Classico 82 Points

Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico DOCG

Light to mid-ruby colour with a slightly cloudy core. Funky, with fresh and stewed cherry notes. Relatively lightweight for a Chianti, the mid-palate delivers jammy notes, including some green, unappealing tones and tomato leaf, and closes with a harsh and phenolic edge. Didn't rock my boat.

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2004 Castellare di Castellina Chianti Classico Riserva 89 Points

Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico DOCG

A medium to deep garnet wine, again a little dullen in appearance. It presents aromas of saddle leather, tar with sour cherry and strong Marmite. The savoury element adds to the complexity, whilst the mid-palate is smooth with density to the leathery tannins. Deep, this is classic old-style Chianti carried out well.
2004 was a classic restrained vintage.
His flagship wine I Sodi di San Niccolo is a blend of 85% Sangiovese and 15% Malvasia nera grapes.

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2003 La Rasina Brunello di Montalcino 91 Points

Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino

Medium to deep garnet wine with a noticeable brown edge. A pretty complex, profuse nose exuding class. Notes of chocolate, spice and perfumed brushed leather intermingle with shrivelled cherry and savoury button mushroom.
Complex, brooding, the firm, ripe tannins are well-integrated, providing a base for the wealth of clove, chocolate, and cherry on the mid-palate, leading to a long finish.
It is worth noting that Brunello di Montalcino is required to be aged for a minimum of five years before release.

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Flight 3 - Valpolicella Reds (3 Notes)

2006 Allegrini Ripasso della Valpolicella Corte Giara 83 Points

Italy, Veneto, Valpolicella, Ripasso della Valpolicella

A medium to deep garnet cherry-colour. Exhibiting some bandage aromas along with iodine and medicinal hints. I found the wine to be rather basic and one-dimensional in terms of complexity. It has a sinewy texture, and awkward dark cherry notes that lean towards plum. I wasn't convinced that there was a touch of microbial issues.

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2005 Allegrini Palazzo della Torre Veronese IGT 88 Points

Italy, Veneto, Veronese IGT

A deep, thickly coloured black ruby that extends to the rim. Relatively medium in intensity, there is a bouquet of barnyard, feral notes with overripe berries. I suspect that is the style here as the mid-palate opens to more chocolate, blackcurrant drops and plum; more decadent textured and deep flavours. The tannins are ripe and leathery in texture that rises to firmness on the close. Fair length, it wasn't a dynamic but good example.

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2004 Allegrini Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 94 Points

Italy, Veneto, Valpolicella, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico

A deep, heady wine featuring a bouquet redolent in soy, balsamic, overripe strawberry, liquorice, prune, caramel and red berries confiture. Certainly complex, the entry is powerful, extracted and intense with dry, firm to astringent tannins. Dry with that bitter character towards mineral, dry spice mix and dried fruit (fruitcake) mix add to the glycerol to balance the wine out. It impresses, although I wasn't sure if the finish was super long.

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