2/12/2024 - retired_and_roving Likes this wine:

From the wine list at Ci Siamo (NYC), with dinner in celebration of hubby's birthday! Drinking beautifully - golden color, tastes of honey nuts, stone fruit, with some lemon pith. Paired really nicely with the scallop tartare dish. Delicious but the pricing on these is crazy!!!!

2/8/2024 - retired_and_roving Likes this wine:

Last bottle from a case purchased about 5 years ago and this was still delicious!! A bit darker in color, but amazing layers of flavor in this well balanced and lovely bottle of wine - punching way above its price point.

2/10/2024 - retired_and_roving wrote:

Not sure if this was a bad bottle or I just waited too long to drink - dark amber in color and very oxidized. Loved these about 4-5 years ago - decided to see if they would improve with some more age so I stashed some away in storage - probably should have consumed earlier.

2/9/2024 - retired_and_roving Likes this wine:

Popped and poured and drinking beautifully. Lots of earth and bramble, dark fruited - very balanced and lovely!

12/15/2023 - retired_and_roving wrote:

Bought a six pack of these from Chambers in 2022 and all but 1 of the bottles were deeply oxidized and undrinkable - had to pour down the drain. Had tasted a more recent vintage in Italy and really liked this producer, but will avoid any older bottles going forward.

1/31/2023 - retired_and_roving Likes this wine:

From the wine list at Eat Me (Bangkok). Paired with beef tenderloin and mashed potatoes. First western food we've eaten after three weeks in SE Asia, so decided to go for a red wine. This was drinking well, although still could benefit for a couple years of cellar time. Red fruited, strawberry notes with some tannins on the finish. Easy drinking and tasty!

1/31/2023 - retired_and_roving Likes this wine:

From the wine list at Eat Me (Bangkok). Had a bit more age than anything else you usually see on a Bangkok wine list, so decided to take a flyer. This was quite good. Nice notes of green apple, with some plushness but enough acidity to stay balanced and paired very well with the hamachi tartar. Funny story - we have good friends that live in Heytesbury village in England, so we sent them a picture of the wine. They did some research and it turns out the same family (many generations removed) that the village was named after was involved with this wine - small world.

11/22/2022 - retired_and_roving Likes this wine:

From the glass list at Vineria Sociale, La Morra. Fragrant and floral, nice balance of fruit and acid.

11/22/2022 - retired_and_roving Likes this wine:

From the wine list at Uve, La Morra with lunch. Red berries on the nose, medium weight red fruit and floral on the palate, fine tannins. Nice and easy with tajarin and white truffles.

11/22/2022 - retired_and_roving Likes this wine:

From the wine list at Tre Galline, Torino. The fragrance is going strong but perhaps a bit of poached fruit in addition to the herbal perfume. Red fruited and herbal on the palate , silky elegant texture medium finish .

11/19/2022 - retired_and_roving Likes this wine:

Tasting Visit to Giuseppe Quintarelli; 11/18/2022-11/19/2022 (Negrar): Purchased this at the winery after our tasting to drink back at the apartment. Popped this for sunset on the terrace. This is in a really nice place now, well integrated dark fruits, those Christmas spices again (gingerbread, spice cake, raisins etc..) but still fresh on the finish. Very nice!

11/18/2022 - retired_and_roving Likes this wine:

Tasting Visit to Giuseppe Quintarelli; 11/18/2022-11/19/2022 (Negrar): Tasted at the winery with Francesco - 6th in the lineup. My first time trying the Recite. 15% abv and 70 grams/liter of residual sugar. On initial taste this has a syrupy texture and sweetness hits the front of the mouth - but then the acidity kicks in and it is surprisingly balanced. I enjoyed our small tasting pour although I am not sure I could handle much more than that. My husband who has a sweeter tooth, than I loved this one!

11/18/2022 - retired_and_roving Likes this wine:

Tasting Visit to Giuseppe Quintarelli; 11/18/2022-11/19/2022 (Negrar): Tasted at the winery with Francesco - 5th in the lineup. Blend of 40% Cab Sauv, 40% Cab Franc and 20% Merlot. Grapes are dried for 1.5 months - don't need as long to dry given the nature of the grape variety. Interesting here we got to taste two bottles side by side - one that had been opened 2-3 days prior and one opened just then. The bottle that was just opened has a much more expressive nose, but it tighter on the palate vs the one that has been open is less aromatic but softer and more integrated on the palate. I prefer the one that has taken the air.

11/18/2022 - retired_and_roving Likes this wine:

Tasting Visit to Giuseppe Quintarelli; 11/18/2022-11/19/2022 (Negrar): Tasted at the winery with Francesco - 4th in the lineup. 2015 was a hot & sunny year - resulting wine in 16.5% abv. The nose here is more intense and warmer than the '14 Rosso del Beppe. Much fuller on the palate with dark fruits, spice and the unmistakable raisin notes.

11/18/2022 - retired_and_roving Likes this wine:

Tasting Visit to Giuseppe Quintarelli; 11/18/2022-11/19/2022 (Negrar): Tasted at the winery with Francesco - 3rd in the lineup. The Rosso del Beppe is declassified Amarone - only released in years where the weather was not good enough to declare it as Amarone. Apparently this happens roughly 1 in 4 vintages. The grapes are dried for 4 months and then the wine spends 8 years in barrel - the same treatment as for the Amarone. The nose is very dark fruited with some Christmas spice. On the palate dark cherries, earth and spice - surprisingly silky with fine tannins. 15.5% alcohol delivers some heat on the finish.

11/18/2022 - retired_and_roving Likes this wine:

Tasting Visit to Giuseppe Quintarelli; 11/18/2022-11/19/2022 (Negrar): Tasted at the winery with Francesco - 2nd in the lineup. A blend of Corvina, Corvinone and Rondinella. Aged six years in oak. The 2015 is the current release. Dark fruited on the nose. Cherry and spice on the palate, with a good flush of acidity and drying tannins on the finish.

Had this again at dinner at Trattoria Pane e Vino, Verona, so had more time to spend with the wine. Really opens up with the food and air. I would prefer to hold these for some more aging, although Francesco feels that they release the wines when they are fresh and ready to drink - already aged.

11/18/2022 - retired_and_roving Likes this wine:

Tasting Visit to Giuseppe Quintarelli; 11/18/2022-11/19/2022 (Negrar): Tasted at the winery with Francesco, 1st in the lineup. Approx 80% Garganega, blended with Trebbiano and Sauvignon. Mostly made in Stainless Steel with some in neutral oak barrels. At blending approximately 1-1.5% of the Amabile del Cere (sweet wine) is added to the blend. 12.5% alcohol. Very fragrant nose of tropical fruit. Very fresh and bright on the palate, but quite lean, consistent with prior experience. I actually prefer the nose here to the palate.

11/20/2022 - retired_and_roving Likes this wine:

Bought this at the wine bar in Mercato Centrale, Torino. Golden fruit, lemony tang - easy to drink with Pizza Al taglia at home.

11/21/2022 - retired_and_roving Likes this wine:

From the glass list at Taglio, Torino. A brisk November afternoon, decided to enjoy a glass of wine outside in the piazza. Very easy to like ripe tropical fruit with balancing acidity. Ordered from the chalkboard by variety, tasted familiar so I checked with the server and indeed I had previously enjoyed this by the glass in Rome.

11/21/2022 - retired_and_roving Likes this wine:

From the wine list at Tre Galli, Torino. Quite tight on initial opening, but with air and food this becomes more expressive. Medium weight, cherries and lots of tar with the tannins clamping down on the finish. Last glass was best with traditional agnolotti. I would give this at least 5 more years before opening or a longer decant.

11/19/2022 - retired_and_roving Likes this wine:

From the wine list at Brest Oyster & Champagne Bar, Verona. Perpetuelle 2003/19, Bottled 2020, Disgorged 2021. Paired with raw bar - oysters, scallops, shrimp and langoustine. This was tasting really well for a young champagne. The bubbles we small and fine, red fruited, very creamy and soft on the palate, delicate and delicious!.

11/18/2022 - retired_and_roving Likes this wine:

Bought at Signorvino, Verona - consumed on the terrace overlooking Piazza delle Erbe. After passing on Day 2 - '20 Pieropan La Rocca, I decided to open this instead. Lovely bright and fresh, quite tasty made for a perfect companion to sunset.

11/17/2022 - retired_and_roving wrote:

We enjoyed the '11 at lunch so much, we decided to pick up a current release at Signorvino to drink on the terrace. Much more fruit forward, apricot and peach but this felt a bit heavier and after two glasses, I was done - not as fresh and lively as I was expecting.

11/17/2022 - retired_and_roving Likes this wine:

From the wine list at Antica Bottega del Vino, Verona. When in the Veneto it is time to drink some Soave. Great deep list here so got to try an older vintage. This was outstanding. Some apricot and honey on the nose - deep golden color. Waxy texture, apricots, bright acidity, minerals on finish. Really good - with prosciutto and risotto all'amarone.

11/16/2022 - retired_and_roving Likes this wine:

Wine Tasting in Friuli-Venezia Giulia - Ronchi di Cialla and Venica & Venica; 11/14/2022-11/17/2022 (Cialla, Dolegna del Collio, Trieste): Bought this at Enoteca Bischoff, Trieste. Had with dinner of soup and salad at home. First time trying the white label chardonnay from BdT. Tart apple, golden fruit great balance and nice length. At this price point a really lovely wine.

11/15/2022 - retired_and_roving wrote:

Wine Tasting in Friuli-Venezia Giulia - Ronchi di Cialla and Venica & Venica; 11/14/2022-11/17/2022 (Cialla, Dolegna del Collio, Trieste): From the wine list at Ristorante al Monastero, Cividale dei Friuli. We passed this estate on our way from Cialla to Cividale, it appeared to be very fancy from the road. When we saw it on the wine list we figured why not let's give it a try. Tart acidity and tang at first sip, then the fruit comes in mid palate. Pleasant, went well with the food but not a stand out.

11/14/2022 - retired_and_roving Likes this wine:

Wine Tasting in Friuli-Venezia Giulia - Ronchi di Cialla and Venica & Venica; 11/14/2022-11/17/2022 (Cialla, Dolegna del Collio, Trieste): Bought this bottle at Enoteca Bischoff in Trieste in anticipation of our tasting appointment at the winery the next day. Popped open for an apertivo prior to dinner. Too young and serious perhaps for this type of consumption, but this is the first place in Italy we had found these for sale and we are big fans. A. beautiful wine with great balance of fruit and acidity and lots of minerals - highly enjoyable. Revisited the bottle the next day - after sadly our appointment was cancelled due to illness at the winery. More open on day 2 and the finish was even more pronounced. Can't wait to taste these with a bit of age.

11/16/2022 - retired_and_roving wrote:

From the wine list at Bianospino, Trieste. A new producer to us, not as elegant as the Ronchi di Cialla, but this was enjoyable;yable and went well with the boar ragu tagliatelle. Red fruited, cherries earth and some tar.

11/15/2022 - retired_and_roving Likes this wine:

Wine Tasting in Friuli-Venezia Giulia - Ronchi di Cialla and Venica & Venica; 11/14/2022-11/17/2022 (Cialla, Dolegna del Collio, Trieste): Tasted at the winery - 7th in the lineup. This was surprisingly peppery on the palate to me, more spice than I expected from a Merlot. Mouth texture was silky and earth comes through on the backside. This wine was a special release that they made to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the unification of Italy and to raise money for the victims of the Japanese earthquake and tsunami.

11/15/2022 - retired_and_roving Likes this wine:

Wine Tasting in Friuli-Venezia Giulia - Ronchi di Cialla and Venica & Venica; 11/14/2022-11/17/2022 (Cialla, Dolegna del Collio, Trieste): Tasted at the winery - 6th in lineup. 14%abv, a blend of Malvasia and Friulano, late harvest . Oxidative nose, straw color . I quite liked this with the notes of honey and bread dough alongside the fruit, balAnced, long finish.

11/18/2022 - retired_and_roving wrote:

Tasted at the winery -5th in the lineup. From northwest oriented slopes so cooler exposure and later harvesting than the Ronco del Cero. More green and less tropical fruit on the nose - tomato leaves. On the palate this is more herbal and subtle than the Cero. They recommend pairing with Gorgonzola.

11/15/2022 - retired_and_roving Likes this wine:

Wine Tasting in Friuli-Venezia Giulia - Ronchi di Cialla and Venica & Venica; 11/14/2022-11/17/2022 (Cialla, Dolegna del Collio, Trieste): Tasted at the winery - 4th in the lineup. Intense fruity nose. Tastes of pineapple and mango, good balancing acidity. Sabrina recommends this pairs well with Thai food or chicken with herbs. Quite tasty even though I am not usually drawn to Sauvignon.

11/15/2022 - retired_and_roving Likes this wine:

Wine Tasting in Friuli-Venezia Giulia - Ronchi di Cialla and Venica & Venica; 11/14/2022-11/17/2022 (Cialla, Dolegna del Collio, Trieste): Tasted at the winery - 3rd in the lineup. 1,200 bottles
made. Fragrant nose with aromas of struck match. Good
solid Chardonnay - bright acidity and apple - enjoyable

11/15/2022 - retired_and_roving Likes this wine:

Wine Tasting in Friuli-Venezia Giulia - Ronchi di Cialla and Venica & Venica; 11/14/2022-11/17/2022 (Cialla, Dolegna del Collio, Trieste): Tasted at the winery - 2nd in the lineup. The name Primaral means 1st son. One of the largest production with 30,000 bottles. Tropical fruit on the nose. On the palate stone fruit balanced with acidity and finishing with a bitter almond that is a nice counter balance to the fruit. Right in my wheelhouse quite tasty.

11/15/2022 - retired_and_roving wrote:

Wine Tasting in Friuli-Venezia Giulia - Ronchi di Cialla and Venica & Venica; 11/14/2022-11/17/2022 (Cialla, Dolegna del Collio, Trieste): Tasted at the winery - 1st in lineup. 20,000 bottles made. This wine is named for the father of the current winemakers (they are the 3rd generation ). Fragrant nose of white flowers. Quite lean and brisk with acidity that clears the palate. Similar to my prior experience with this wine, I find it a bit reserved.

11/15/2022 - retired_and_roving Likes this wine:

Wine Tasting in Friuli-Venezia Giulia - Ronchi di Cialla and Venica & Venica; 11/14/2022-11/17/2022 (Cialla, Dolegna del Collio, Trieste): Tasted at the winery with Ivan. 2013 is the current vintage - surprising for me as I have always thought of Refosco as a fruity jug type wine but this is serious stuff. Somewhat similar in to the schioppettino with red fruit and earth but a bit brawnier and weightier on the palate. Tannins are round though this is not rustic. Ivan likes to pair this with more robust dishes like goulash (stew). Fermented in neutral oak and kept in barrel for one year then aged in bottle. Very surprising and enjoyable !

11/15/2022 - retired_and_roving Likes this wine:

Wine Tasting in Friuli-Venezia Giulia - Ronchi di Cialla and Venica & Venica; 11/14/2022-11/17/2022 (Cialla, Dolegna del Collio, Trieste): Tasted at the winery with Ivan - 4th in the lineup. 2016 is the current release - approximately 14,00 bottles made. Wine is fermented in neutral French barrique and stays in barrel for 1-2 years followed by four more years of aging in bottle. Low alcohol (12.5%), elegant and refined. Red fruited with minerals and earth, silky mouthfeel, and lively acidity. Drinks well now but should age beautifully as well. Ivan’s favorite pairing is with Tartar di Cervo (a type of venison). Lovely wine!!

11/15/2022 - retired_and_roving wrote:

Wine Tasting in Friuli-Venezia Giulia - Ronchi di Cialla and Venica & Venica; 11/14/2022-11/17/2022 (Cialla, Dolegna del Collio, Trieste): Tasted at the winery with Ivan- 3rd in the lineup. Ivan referred to this as the fresher version of their schiopettino. From 30 year old vines, with shorter skin contact (2 weeks in stainless on the lees). Built for early drinking - great to pair with barbecue. Only 12.5% abv. Light with red fruit and a bit of earth - easy drinking. Was served with quite a chill - so didn’t get the full flavor profile.

11/15/2022 - retired_and_roving Likes this wine:

Wine Tasting in Friuli-Venezia Giulia - Ronchi di Cialla and Venica & Venica; 11/14/2022-11/17/2022 (Cialla, Dolegna del Collio, Trieste): Tasted at the winery with Ivan - 1st in the lineup. The current release - approximately 6000 bottles made. Roughly 65% Ribolla Gialla, 25% Piccolit, 10% Verduzzo. Ivan explained that the Ribolla contributes the salinity and acidity, the Piccolit richness and body and the Verduzzo some tannins. Fermentation in neutral oak barrique with 1 year in barrel and 20 months additional aging I bottle. Built for aging with great years able to age up to 30 years. Ivan feels that 2019 will be a great vintage to age. Currently very youthful and bright with refreshing acidity and nice weight, but you can see this will add complexity with time. Patience will be rewarded.

11/13/2022 - retired_and_roving Likes this wine:

From the glass list at 5000 Wine Bar, Venice. Crisp and light on the palate - lemon and apple. Easy and refreshing.

11/13/2022 - retired_and_roving wrote:

From the glass list at 5000 Wine bar, Venice. Very lean and racy - this absolutely needs some food - too much unbalanced acidity for my preference.

11/14/2022 - retired_and_roving Likes this wine:

From the wine list at Al Bagatto, Trieste. First time trying this wine. Aromatic nose of stone fruit. Tasted of rich stone fruit, pears and wood spice. Some grip at the back of the tongue. Definitely note some oak here but it is not overwhelming. Enjoyable with Thai crab soup and pork filled ravioli.

11/5/2022 - retired_and_roving Likes this wine:

Wine Tasting in Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi (Montecarotta, Staffolo, Jesi): Purchased at the winery and consumed on our balcony in Venice a week later. Great aromatics - florals and fruit. Lots of complexity hitting the palate in different places with a persistent finish. Drank over two days - with a bit more expression on day 2 - this can handle a little air. Terrific!

11/11/2022 - retired_and_roving Likes this wine:

From the wine list at La Colombina, Venice. Good balance between fruit and acid and some crushed almonds on finish. Great with seafood dinner.

11/12/2022 - retired_and_roving wrote:

Crisp and lean, very simple.

11/12/2022 - retired_and_roving wrote:

From the wine list at Ostaria Boccadoro, Venice. More on the tropical fruit side, none of the bitter notes I often associate with Ribolla. Quaffable with a lovely seafood dinner but wouldn’t seek this out again.

11/12/2022 - retired_and_roving Likes this wine:

On our balcony in Venice overlooking gondolas floating past. This was terrific right from the aromatics - floral and enticing. Nice body with fruit and acidity in true balance and a finish that kept going. Will definitely buy this again.

11/5/2022 - retired_and_roving Likes this wine:

Wine Tasting in Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi (Montecarotta, Staffolo, Jesi): Tasted at the winery, 8th in the line up. Fiorella opened a fresh bottle for us as the the first one had been opened to long, fermented to a higher alcohol level and then aged for extra time this has almost whiskey like flavors. Warm and oxidative in the mouth, gets the tingling going all around the mouth. Would be nice to sip by the fire. Fiorella told us this was her favorite.

11/5/2022 - retired_and_roving Likes this wine:

Wine Tasting in Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi (Montecarotta, Staffolo, Jesi): Tasted at the winery, 7th in the line up. 95% Sangiovese, 5% Syrah aged for two years in large oak barrels. This wine was made by the recently passed Lucio Canestrari because he enjoyed having a red wine to drink. This was red fruited, soft and easy to drink with earthy notes and a nice finish. We bought a bottle in honor of Lucio and toasted him over dinner.

11/5/2022 - retired_and_roving wrote:

Wine Tasting in Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi (Montecarotta, Staffolo, Jesi): Tasted at the winery, 6thin the line up. The stracacio and stragaio are made from the same grapes but vinified differently. The stracacio is only in cement and stainless whereas the stragaio is in 500L wood barrel. The stragaio was more round and creamy, compared to the stracacio which was crisper. I don’t think the wood adds anything here.