CWG Tasting - Italian Benchmarks
Gabrielskloof, Bot river
Tasted Thursday, August 11, 2022 by rikipedia with 54 views
Introduction
Dominic Nocerino is obsessed with sourcing premium and top-quality wines. Vinifera Imports has been in the business since Dominic's father founded the company in 1979, and he prides himself on bringing the best Italy has to offer into the USA.
For tonight's tasting, Dominic opted for a selection that serve as reference points for where Italian wine is at the moment; also, wines that most assuredly express prime areas and appellations across the country. All wines are Italian from small to medium producers and give a picture of what premium Italian wine is all about - and how good the wines can be when put in the right hands. In most cases the chosen wines are shown in relative youth and with considerable bottle age to show how they develop over time.
Dominic says: "Most of these producers are working the same way they have for decades, so without trying to be relevant or progressive they are mostly farming organically, making wines with indigenous yeasts and no additions besides a touch of sulphur at bottling. The way I explain it is to imagine the wines are made by the Flintstones."
And, like a Flintstone, you're likely to go to sleep tonight as soon as your head hits the pillow.
Thank you for joining us and we hope you enjoy the tasting.
Peter-Allan Finlayson
Flight 1 - Introduction Wine (1 Note)
Flight 2 - I Pentri (2 Notes)
I Pentri is a small, family-run winery in Campania with ten hectares under vine on the hills of Sannio Benevento, between Monte Taburno and the south-eastern Matese. Farming is organic and all wines are all made using fruit from their own vineyards. The winery was established in 2002 to delve into terroir driven wines focusing on Piedirosso, Aglianico, Falanghina, Fiano and Malvasia.
Flight 3 - Fontodi (2 Notes)
Since 1968, Tuscan winery Fontodi has been run by the Manetti family, who for centuries have been involved in the production of the region's other famous export - terracotta tiles. Perhaps unsurprisingly there are more than a few clay vessels in the cellar. The winery has 70ha of certified organic vineyards from which its entire production is harvested. Outside of a small cuvee made from Lamole, all of Fontodi's vineyards are in the heart of the famed Conca d'Oro or "Golden Shell" in Panzano in Chianti. The soils of the Conca d'Oro are formed largely of the schistous rocky clay known locally as galestro. Besides Chianti Classico and their flagship IGT Flaccianello, which they are best known for, Fontodi also produces small quantities of Syrah, Pinot Noir, Malvasia and Sauvignon Blanc.
Flight 4 - San Giusto a Tentennano (2 Notes)
San Giusto a Rentennano is in the southernmost part of the Chianti Classico in Gaiole. The estate began life as a medieval monastery of Cistercian nuns and portions of the ancient fortification are still used for cellaring. Fully organic certified since 2006, the primary focus is Chianti Classico, Chianti Classico Riserva and their flagship IGT Percarlo. There are also various smaller bottlings of Merlot and a dessert wine. The various soil types across the 160ha estate are rich in clay, sandstone, and galestro. Since the mid 2000s the farm has been 80% solar powered.
Flight 5 - Canalicchio di Sopra (2 Notes)
It's all Sangiovese all the time at Canalicchio di Sopra and the resulting wines are routinely rated among the best expressions of Brunello di Montalcino. 2020 marked the winery's 50th vintage - three generations of winemaking has seen Canalicchio play a key role in establishing the esteem of the DOCG. The vineyards in Canalicchio are located on the north east side of the hill of Montalcino at 300m altitude on clay-rich soils while those at Montosoli are further north, between Montalcino and Siena, with rockier, well-drained soils meaning deeper-rooted vines that bring salinity and minerality. Most of the wines made at Canalicchio di Sopra are blends from the two sites but the focus in coming vintages will increasingly be on single vineyard expressions.
Flight 6 - Giuseppe Rinaldi (2 Notes)
Giuseppe was one of Piedmont's most famous and respected producers until his untimely death at the age of 69 in 2018. His daughters have been running the estate since roughly 2014 with Marta primarily undertaking the winemaking duties while Carlotta, a trained agronomist, looks after the vineyards. Giuseppe Rinaldi was a big traditionalist and now, as ever, fermentation in oak vats and ageing exclusively in large Slavonian oak barrels (botti). All grapes are destemmed and all ferments are spontaneous. Giuseppe believed blends from various sites was the best way to express Barolo and the market clearly agrees - their 4000-bottle production disappears very fast. Soils here are mostly marls, with sand and clay layers.
Flight 7 - Guastaferro (2 Notes)
Founded in 2003, Guastaferro is located in the heart of Taurasi, Campania. Two and a half of the nearly eight hectares at Guastaferro are planted to enormous, pre-phylloxera vines between 175 and 200 years old, with the remaining vineyards planted to cuttings from those vines - meaning the estate has a bio-type of Aglianico found only on its land. The Taurasi Riserva is vinified exclusively from the ancient vines. While all vineyards are in the township of Taurasi, the old vines are in the heart of the famed Piano d'Angelo vineyard.
2020 Crystallum Chardonnay Ferrum 91 Points
South Africa, Cape South Coast, Overberg
(Tasted Blind): A deep and mineral-driven nose with aromas of orange peel and ripe tangerine segments. The wine shows good intent on the palate, with spirited acidity, pithy texture, and saline notes that support ripe orange fruits. A touch phenolic on the close.
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