WTN: Three fine bottles from Fèlsina and Sandrone plus more Southerners

Stefano P runs a good example of that typically Belgian institution, the small one man specialist wine business run from home or, in his case, from a small warehouse the outskirts of Liège. His speciality is Italy and he offers wines of a couple or so well chosen growers from each of Italy’s important regions. His range is, of course, much smaller than that of the major importer on whom I reported last week but his prices are much more reasonable.

On this occasion he organized a tasting to show ten wines from Italy’s Deep South but, at the end, with great generosity opened three bottles of superb wine, two from Tuscany and one from Piedmont, as a bonus. If his object was to sell the Southern wines, I’m not sure that this was wise as these three showed up the relative lack of class and complexity of the southerners but, as a way of cementing goodwill, it was fabulous.

So, first for the bonus wines –

Fattoria di Fèlsina – Castelnuovo Berardenga (SI)

Chianti Classico 2005
This is the estate’s basic Chianti Classico but it is lovely. N: Pure plum fruit with a sweeter hint than usual. P: Right from the entry this wine was more friendly and accessible than most young Fèlsina CC; body was medium weight, fruit round, “sweet” but lively; there were attractive minerals and Chianti tang allied to elegance, tannins less marked than usual and good length; one of us remarked that there was a touch of Chinon Cabernet franc and I see what he means. A very forward but fine Fèlsina. Stefano thinks that the wine has improvement potential but, on this showing, I plan to start drinking mine right away; I have given a good 5+ years to most other vintages. 16+/20.

Fontalloro 2001
N: Spectacular with deep sweet red fruit, a touch of blackberry and meat with rose notes. P: Deeply integrated and quite seamless palate with rich red fruit, aromas as on the nose, velvety mouth-feel but showing Sangiovese tang, impressive structure and great length. Already a superb bottle but probably will develop further with more complex secondary aromas; 17.5/20+ with further potential.



Luciano Sandrone – Barolo (CN)

Nebbiolo d’Alba Valmaggiore 2002
This is revelatory of what a fine grower can do in a poor year. N: Tender fruit with meaty touch. P: Similar in weight to the Fèlsina CC showing full pure fruit, polished patina (well managed wood) and considerable elegance. I remember the 1997 as richer and the 1998 as showing more structure but this is fine; 16/20.



And now for a rapid survey of the Deep South offerings but I begin with a couple of observations. First, this is further confirmation of the drinkable freshness now being obtained in Southern whites. Second, the reds can be solid with some attractive local colour but they lack the class not only of good Sangiovese and Nebbiolo based wines, like those above, but also of the best Aglianico from Vulture and Campania, like the range of A. del Vulture from Cantine de Notaio which I tasted last week.

The CHARDONNAY 06 (EUR 7,21) from MANDRAROSSA (Sicily) had a very pretty nose of fresh and candied fruit but its palate was by comparison bland but showed good freshness with just some melon and mineral peeping though; 14/20. I liked less the MARMORELLE 06 (80% Chard., 20% Malvasia B.) from RUBINO (Puglia) with its gluey nose and bitter touch on the finish; 13/20. Much better was LEONE D’ALMERITA 06 from REGALEALI (Sicilia) from Cattaratto, Chardonnay and Tasca (a cousin of Sauvignon); the nose was quite complex with notes of sweet tropical fruit and the medium weight palate showed good fruit and was aromatic with a Sauvignon type freshness and gooseberry touch; 15/20. BIANCO DI CORTE 05 from PATERNOSTER (Basilicata) - 100% Fiano- was an award winner in Vino Magasine but, as so often with such eminence, over luxurious oak treatment came along; the nose was complex and attractive as was the entry and mid-palate but the finish was spoilt, for me, by strong caramel notes; 13.5/20.

CODICI 06 (EUR 6,12) from MGM (Puglia) - Primitivo/Merlot - was a very pretty wine with attractive round fruit showing plum, strawberry and spice and fair grip; Stefano says that it sells like hot cakes in restaurants and I can well believe it; 14.5/20. I cared less for BONERA 04 from MANDRAROSSA (Sicilia) – Nero d’Avola (“NA”) and Cabernet Sauvignon 50/50 – with its good fruit and structure but slightly jammy and caramel hints; 14/20. MARMORELLE 05 from RUBINO (Puglia) – Negroamaro (“NM”) 80%, Malvasia N 20%- showed aromas of prune, fig and pepper and quite deep plum with a savoury note but not much length; 14.5/20. LAMURI 05 from REGEALALI (Sicilia) – 100% NA - was quite big but soft and round with tang towards the finish but also some orange peel and caramel hints; 14/20. JADDICO 04 from RUBINO (Puglia) – NM 70, Montepulciano 15% and Malvasia N 15% - seemed a bit closed but fruit came up with swirl; there was a not unattractive bitter note on the finish and an impression of some potential; 14.5/20. Stefano found some reductive notes on VISELLIO 04 a Sicilian wine from producer RUBINO – 100% NA – but I did not detect them; the nose showed round and sweet red fruit and the palate showed good depth and ripeness, structure and more length than the others; 15+/20.

Tim, very good review of wines from the south! You are right in your assessment of the whites, progressing in leaps and bounds. Thanks for these reminders.

**about to list some wines from the Portugal event on my Douro thread.

Really excellent notes, Tim, thanks for posting.

I love Felsina's wines. I had an absolutely knockout 1997 Rancia a few weeks ago; it's just now entering a good drinking window, at least the bottle from this fellow's storage. A '95 maybe a year ago also had terrific fruit but considerably firmer tannins, not green, but grippy. One I haven't tried is their Fontalloro, although I've got a few stashed away.

I've only had Regaleali's Rosso del Conte (again, all, or almost all, Nero d'Avola); it can be a very tasty wine -- often very reminiscent of raspberries on the nose -- and can benefit from at least medium-term aging.

Luciano Sandrone – Barolo (CN)

Nebbiolo d’Alba Valmaggiore 2002
This is revelatory of what a fine grower can do in a poor year. N: Tender fruit with meaty touch. P: Similar in weight to the Fèlsina CC showing full pure fruit, polished patina (well managed wood) and considerable elegance. I remember the 1997 as richer and the 1998 as showing more structure but this is fine; 16/20.

I am a fan of Luciano Sandrones wines by and large. Both of his Barolo bottlings I've tasted have been spectacular (the Cannubi and Le Vigne), though certainly favoring a revved up, high-octane style. That goes too for the Dolcetto, from which he achieves things most producers could only dream of. I tasted the 2004 Barbera D'alba last weekend and was a bit under whelmed. The sweet red fruit was a playing dominatrix and I found myself wanton for a touch of old-school brettiness of which there was none. It doesn't surprise me that Sandrones winemaking style would be nicely tamed in a year like 2002. Thanks for the notes.

Fattoria di Fèlsina – Castelnuovo Berardenga (SI)

Chianti Classico 2005
.... I plan to start drinking mine right away; I have given a good 5+ years to most other vintages. 16+/20. .

Thanks for the notes, Tim. Just curious if you have any impressions of the 2004 basic Felsina. The bottle I had a couple of months ago didn't strike me as 5+ year keeper--I didn't get the sense it would fall apart, but neither did it suggest it would benefit from much more cellaring. But I haven't older Felsina to compare.

thanks for notes, especially the Felsinas. Rivals Montevertine as my favorite Tuscan estate.

Re: Fèlsina CC 04.

Clinton, I haven't yet opened any of my few bottles of 2004; I think I had a taste in Italy about a year ago and found it more severe than the 2005 at a similar stage.

Interestingly Gary V included it in a show about Chianti and found it below par for the estate, though perfectly adequate - but one expects more from Fèlsina.