I spent too much time chatting with acquaintances and too little time drinking wine so I only managed to taste a handful of wines.
Luigi Di Tuccio of Antica Enotria
Antica Enotria continues to please me. They are lovely, bright, unforced, refreshing wines. Apart from the ones I've previously posted on (Senzazolfo, Dieci Ottobre, Nero di Troia) his new releases of Primitivo and Negroamaro were both lovely. The Primitivo was notable for not being heavy, unstructured and soupy but actually being refreshing and drinkable despite obvious sunny sweetness. The Negroamaro was not black and bitter - well, it was, but only in the positive senses. It also had the most refreshing palate. It is amazing how graceful these wines are and how cool-climate they seem.
David Sampedro Gil
This is DSG's project in the Saar: an oak aged Riesling. But the toffeed aroma just didn't work with the grape IMO.
DSG's Spanish wines were however really, really good. Originally from Rioja, he makes wines in various regions of Spain. The first I tried was a nice, dark toned but refreshing Bobal, La Malkerida 2010, from Utiel-Requena, really quite interesting for a grape usually gets only negative comments. Then I tried a rather complex Garnacha from Navarra, Pasolasmonjas 2007 which had a nice mix of sweet and savoury on the nose, the palate had lovely tannins and was refreshing and lively. A very positive experience - and this comes from one who has enormous trouble liking this grape!
I also tried a grape I had never heard of before, Rufete, in their wine El Cuento 2010 from Sierra de Salamanca. It had lovely apple and cherry aromas, seemed quite like Sumoll to me!
He had two Riojas to show, one Alta one Alavesa. The Londoño 2007 was the Alta, The Phincas DSG 2007 the Alavesa. Both were nice, neither was over-oaked, both had good structure, but my preference wasfor the Londoño because of its bright acidity compared to the more round character of the Phincas.
Franco Zanetti of Winepunk
Zanetti had some Venetos on show. First a Piccolo Pazzo 2009 which seemed like a Cab Franc with sunnier fruit. The I tried the Chateau Punk 2009 which is made from the autochthonous Marzemino grape. And what a great wine that was! Lovely cherry aromas, good bite and structure. I usually avoid wines with cutesy or provocative of pseudo-funny names, but I'm glad I tried this. I liked it enough that I must find a bottle to drink with dinner some time as a hurried tasting like this is never the ideal way to try such grapes that I have no previous reference points with.
