Over the past month, I have been fortunate to try a bunch of interesting wine from Northeast Italy - Trentino-Alto Adige, Veneto, and Friuli-Venezia Giulia. Almost all of these are whites, but I had a couple of reds from Ottella, too.
While I was familiar with some of these producers, others are new to me. I have had several wines from I Clivi, and have always found them to be nicely balanced and structured, and bargains for their quality. Likewise, I had previously tried a couple of wines from Ottella, though never any of their reds. Elena Walch is a name that I have heard, but I never actually had tried any of her wines until now.
2008 Elena Walch Beyond the Clouds Alto Adige DOC
"Beyond the Clouds" is Walch's top-tier white wine. It is a field blend of mostly Chardonnay, with some other native white grapes whose identities are not disclosed.
Full-bodied, dry, nicely structured, with good underlying acidity. Mineral, mildly oaky, with notes of gold plums, straw, and citrus fruits. Excellent; should develop nicely.
2006 Elena Walch Beyond the Clouds Alto Adige DOC
Like the 2008, this is a field blend of Chardonnay and other undetermined white grapes. Not surprisingly, it is more elegant and developed than the 2008; moderately full-bodied, nicely balanced, with good underlying acidity, and almost a Burgundian sense of style. Very mineral, with notes of white and golden fruits, fresh earth, stones, herbs, and spices. Excellent; should continue to improve over at least the next few years.
2009 I Clivi Friulano Colli Orientali del Friuli DOC “Vecchia Vigna ai Clivi”
Medium-bodied, nicely balanced, with good structure and acidity. Very mineral, with honey, citrus, and herbal notes. Should develop quite nicely, and a great QPR for $15.
2007 I Clivi Bianco degli Arzillari Colli Orientali del Friuli DOC "Vecchia Vigna ai Clivi"
100% Verduzzo; Arzillari is the name of the vineyard. Moderately full-bodied, with good structure and acidity. Bone dry, with citrus, apricot, honey, mineral, and herbal notes. Very good/excellent; great QPR for $15.
2007 Ottella Lugana DOC Superiore “Molceo”
100% Trebbiano di Lugana (probably Verdicchio). Medium-bodied, lightly crisp, and very mineral, with good definition and acidity. Shows pineapple, apple, citrus, and light herbal notes. Excellent.
2009 Ottella Gemei IGT Veronese
40% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon; the rest a blend of Corvina, Rondinella, and Molinara. Nose of cough syrup, with a slight animal note. Moderate in weight and tannin, with dark berry, crème de cassis, and spice notes. This one is unfortunately riper than I would have liked.
2007 Ottella Camposireso IGT Veronese
50% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 25% Corvina, made using the ripasso method. Full, nicely balanced, and somewhat reminiscent of a Valpolicella Ripasso with its dried fruit/blackcurrant flavors. Other notes include fresh blackberries, black cherries, and violets. The Merlot gives it a lushness beyond what most Corvina-based wines have, but it never comes off as being too modern in style. Still very primary, and it has the structure to develop for at least several more years. Very good+.
2009 Mario Schiopetto Friulano Collio DOC
Medium-bodied, moderately acidic, and bone dry; stony/lightly earthy, with pear, lemon, and peach notes. Good/very good.
2008 Gino Pedrotti Nosiola IGT Vigneti delle Dolomiti
Medium-bodied, bone dry, well balanced, with moderate acidity; a nutty, mineral style, with notes of herbs and spices. Good/very good.
2004 Bressan Pinot Grigio IGT Venezia Giulia
In most cases, a 2004 Pinot Grigio would be dead right now; this one is far from dead, due to extended lees and bottle aging before release. Medium-bodied, bone dry, moderately acidic, and nicely balanced. There is a vanilla note that suggested some new oak to me at first, although this actually does not see any oak. Other aromas/flavors of pears, apples, cloves, and straw. Very good.
