We tasted last night (4/27/16) Some New Italian Reds:
1. Bruna Pulin Rosso IGT: Colline Savonesi (14%; www.BrunaPigato.It; Granaccia+ Syrah/Barbera)
Ranzo Borgo/Liguria 2011: Dark color; light earthy/dusty/mushroomy strong cherry/black cherry/
bit blackberry slight cardboardy (not TCA) bit spicy/peppery lovely nose; bit tart/tangy strong
black cherry/blackberry/black cherry cola rather earthy/dusty/root cellar/mushroomy slight
licorice flavor w/ light smooth tannins; very long rather tart/tangy black cherry/blackberry/
licorice some earthy/dusty/mushroomy finish w/ light smooth tannins; resembles a bit Langhe
Dolcetto w/o the tannic bite; quite an interesting/attractive Rosso. $54.00 (BWM)
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2. Ka*Mancine Galeae DOC: Rossese di Dolceacqua (13.5%; L.01/15G; www.OMWines.com) Ka Mancine
Repaci Roberta/Soldano 2014: Med.light color; beautiful bright/cherry/spicy/Ross slight dusty
very fragrant/perfumed nose; lightly tart very bright/vibrant cherry/tart cherry/spicy/Ross
slight dusty/earthy bit peppery flavor w/ light gentle tannins; very long bright/spicy/peppery/
cherry/cherry pie bit dusty finish w/ light gentle tannins; a very/very pretty expression of
Roussesse at a very good price. $24.00 (BB)
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3. Matteo Correggia Anthos VinoRosso (100% Brachetto; L12AN1; 13.5%) Canale 2011: Very light color;
very fragrant/perfumed Brachetto/apple blossom/perfumed soap quite lovely nose; lightly tart light
bodied rather perfumed/Brachetto/fragrant slight dusty fragrant flavor w/ light tangy tannins;
med.long very perfumed/fragrant/Brachetto/apple blossom finish w/ light bit bitey tannins;
a bit of a floozy/artificial/perfumed soap very aromatic character; quite an attractive expression
of Brachetto at a great price. $16.50 (Gom)
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4. Sottimano Mate 05 VRdT (100% Brachetto; 13%) NV (2005): Dark bit murkey color; rather earthy/
mushroomy bit adhesive band-aid/brett rather dull/lifeless nose w/ none of that bright Brachetto
perfume; lightly tart bit sour/earthy/mushroomy/loamy rather bretty/adhesive tape/band-aid dull
flavor w/ some drying tannins; med.long earthy/sour/loamy rather bretty finish w/ light tired
tannins; totally lacks any bright Brachetto fruit; too old & tired. $17.00 (Vino)
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5. Nivasco DOC: Brachetto Piemonte (6%) Viticoltore: Vinchio-Vaglio Serra/Asti 2009: Light color w/
slight bricking; slight TCA/corked slight apple blossom/flowery/Brachetto nose; frizzante slightly
sweet bright Brachetto/strawberry/flowery/appley slight TCA/cardboardy flavor w/ little tannins;
med.short appley/apple blossom/Brachetto bit TCA/musty/cardboardy finish w/ no tannins; too old &
lacks freshness; shows a bit of Brachetto prettiness but robbed by the TCA. $18.00 (CR/KC)
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6. LaVillerinaSecca Freisa DOC: Langhe (13.5%; L10/15; NealRosenthal) Brovia/CastiglioneFalletto 2012:
Med.light color; slight bretty/leathery some earthy/dusty/mushroomy very light strawberry/Freisa nose;
quite tart very sour earthy/dusty metallic/tangy little fruit bit smoked hot dog flavor w/ ample
coarse/rough tannins; med.long tart very sour rather earthy/loamy/dusty slight strawberry/Freisa
finish w/ rather coarse/rough tannins; a pleasant enough nose but pretty dreadful on the palate;
pretty overpriced at $34.00 (BWM)
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7. LaMondianese Ruche DOCG: Ruche di CastagnoleMonferrato (L0313; 14%; www.JGWines.com)
Montemagno/Asti 2010: Med.dark color; light earthy/dusty light strawberry/fruity/fragrant slight floral/
Nebb-like/lilacs attractive nose; rather tart/lean/austere some floral/lilacs/Nebb-like bit earthy/
dusty flavor w/ light smooth tannins; very long floral/lilacs/Nebb-like rather tart/austere/lean
finish w/ light bit hard tannins; bit on the hard/austere side but nice Nebb-like fragrance.
$24.00 (Gom)
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8. BelColle DOC: Verduno Pelaverga (14%; ToscoWines) Verduno 2014: Med.light color; somewhat earthy/dusty
rather floral/lilacs/cherry/bit Nebb-like/apple blossom fairly perfumed/aromatic nose; bit tart/tangy/
angular/wirey light floral/violets/Nebb-like/strawberry/cherry flavor w/ light bitey tannins; very long
tart/tangy/nervous/wirey rather perfumed/lilacs/strawberry/cherry light earthy/dusty finish w/ light
bitey/angular tannins; quite a pretty floral/perfumed wine some like a Nebb-Lite. $18.00 (K&L)
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9. Guglierame DOC: Ormeasco di Pornassio (13.5%; www.Ormeasco-Guglierame.It; SelectioNaturel.com; Dolcetto)
Nicola Guglierame/Pornassio/Liguria 2012: Med.color; quite spicy/grapey/Dolcetto light earthy some
fragrant/floral/violets quite lovely nose; rather tart/tangy bright/floral/strawberry/grapey/appley/
Dolcetto slight pungent/licorice/earthy flavor w/ light gentle tannins; very long/lingering bright/floral/
strawberry/grapey/appley/violets slight pungent/earthy finish w/ light smooth tannins; a beautiful
fragrant bright/high-toned expression of Dolcetto as I've ever seen; lovely wine. $36.00 (BWM)
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10. Idlewild Dolcetto FoxHillVnyd/MendoCnty (13.4%; 100% whole-cluster) 2014: Dark color; very spicy very
grapey/Dolcetto/bit licorice strong peppery/whole-cluster slight earthy very perfumed beautiful nose;
lightly tart/tangy quite spicy/peppery/w-c very grapey/Dolcetto/licorice/black cherry cola/RCCola flavor
w/ ripe round tannins; very long/lingering rather peppery/w-c very grapey/lush/Dolcetto/licorice/black
cherry cola/spicy slight earthy/dusty balanced/structured/ripe finish w/ modest ripe/round tannins; this
is how they'd make Dolcetto in the Piemonte if they could; reminds more of Dolcetto di Dogliano than
anything because of its ripe lushness; lovely expression of Dolcetto. $28.00
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11. Foradori Teroldego IGT: Vigneti delle Dolomiti (12%; U; L.05/15; www.ElisabettaForadori.com;
Louis/Dressner) 2013: Dark color; beautiful plummy/black cherry/blackberry/licorice some mineral/
stony/granatic complex perfumed nose; quite tart/tangy/citric very strong plummy/black cherry/blackberry/
black cherry cola/slight licorice bit earthy/mineral structured flavor w/ modest ripe/round tannins;
very long/lingering tart/citric/tangy strong black cherry/plummy/blackberry bit earthy/granatic complex
finish w/ some ripe/round tannins; not as rich & liush as previous vintages and a strong citric streak;
should age well; as pur an expression of Teroldego as you can find; very well priced at $31.00 (DiVino)
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12. Foradori Granato Teroldego IGT: Vigneti delle Dolomiti (13%; U; L.08/12) 2010: Very dark color; strong
black cherry/Teroldego/blackberry/plummy very light toasty/oak/smokey more complex beautiful nose;
rather tart/tangy slightly less intense Teroldego/black cherry/blackberry/plummy/licorice somewhat
smoother/polished light toasty/oak fairly complex structured flavor w/ modest round/smooth tannins;
very long/lingering smooth/graceful strong Teroldego/black cherry/blackberry/licorice very light toasty/
oak complex finish w/ modest ripe/smooth tannins; smoother & more complex and not as rustic as the
regular; a beautiful/complex Teroldego that should age well; very well priced at $49.00 (LM)
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13. Quercia Rossa Terenzi IGT: Rosso del Frusinate (13%; 100 cs; Tuscan grapes; www.SalviaBianca.com)
Giovanni Terenzi/Serrone/Lazio 2010: Med.dark color; bit earthy/dusty some Sangio/cherry/grapey
light toasty/oak/smokey/pungent slight mucilage some Chianti-like rather attractive nose; bit soft
slight tangy/metallic strong Sangio/cherry/black cherry some toasty/smokey/oak bit earthy/dusty flavor
w/ light angular tannins; very long bright/cherry/black cherry/Sangio slight earthy/dusty some toasty/
smokey/oak bit complex finish w/ modest rough tannins; quite an attractive much like a good Chianti but
somewhat more richness; well-priced at $24.00 (BB)
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A more blatherings from TheBloodyPulpit:
1. BrunaPulin: Never had a wine from Colline Savonesi before. They grow primarily Pigato (Vermentino), with
a bit of Rosesse and these three varieties.
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2. Rossesse: This was easily the best Ligurian Rossesse I've tried, out of maybe 8-10. I had two out in
Calif that were "natural" Rossesses that were pretty funky and dull. This had all the bright/vibrant/
scintillating fruit that makes Rossesse such a great variety. They should be planting Rossesse all up&
down the coast of Calif and, once & for all, drive a nail into the PinotNoir coffin. An OliverMcCrum
wine.
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3. Freisa: This is one of my favorite grapes from Piemonte. Nebbiolo X ??---> Friesa. It is realted to
Viognier. It often has a bright strawberry perfume to it. This one was not a good Freisa.
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4. Pelaverga: A grape variety that is indigenous to Piemonte, mostly around Dogliani. It's a rather rare,
lightly colered, scented that makes a Pinotish-like red, often frizzante.
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5. Ormeasco: This is the first wine from this DOC I've ever tried. Ormeasco is the local/Liguria name for
Dolcetto. This producer is a "natural" wine producer. Generally, I'm a bit leery of those wines. This
one was perfectly clean/well-made and quite lovely.
Matt Mollo is the mind/behind SelectionNaturel wines (www.SelectioNaturel.com). His portfolio is
very/very interesting looking, mostly Italy, some French. Must try more of his wines. If I can find them.
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6. Idlewild: These are the Italian varietals made by SamBilbro up in an old mushroom cellar near Geyserville.
This Dolcetto is one of the best Calif Dolcettos I've yet had and would be hard-pressed to think of
a Piemonte Dolcetto that I like better. Sam is really hitting on all cylinders these days.
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7. Teroldego: It seems that ElisabettaForadori is the master when it comes to Teroldego. We did a visit w/
her in Oct (taking a btl of the Harrington Teroldego to show her). She is most charming and a gem of a
lady. I've yet to find a Teroldego that measures up to hers....but I'll keep looking. It's a great grape.
She farms biodynamic and ferments in Spanish-made tinajas (clay amphorae).
Both of these wines had a tangy/citric streak that I'd not found in previous vintages. They both
showed a granitic minerality that brings to mind the towering granite cliffs above the winery/vineyard.
In the past, I'd preferred the regular Teroldego to the Granato. The later had a lot of new Fr.oak
and was a bit too modern in style for my tastes. In these two Teroldegos, the Granato showed very little
new oak and, because of its greater complexity & structure, was a slight favorite over the regular.
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8. Terenzi: This is a new wine made from 100% Sangiovese Grosso Brunello clone. Fermented & aged in oak.
They also grow a lot of Cesanese d'Affile. Lazio, known mostly for Frascati, doesn't make a lot of
reds. This was, easily, the best Lazio red I've had.
Tom