Radikon Merlot

Radikon Merlot

Radikon Merlot comes in one jazzy bottle in a litre size with a shocking label. Radikon Merlot is one of the top Merlot bottlings of Friuli and as Merlot Month enters its final leg we are investigating the Merlots of my 'hood, north eastern Italy and specifically Friuli. This is where the great and the good oeneologists have deemed the area of Italy most similar to Pomerol, France and that terrific Merlot should be naturally at home here. They're certainly trying. Friuli Merlot is pouring out of the wine makers veins and vines around these parts and todays offering, the Radikon Merlot, has a real cult following. Will all the pzazz be equal to the quality of the wine? Erm, no.

Perhaps following Redigaffi on the palate was a tall order for the Radikon, or perhaps the 35°c week long heat blaze has made me angry with my locale, but I'm pretty sure this just isn't all that great. It's 87 points good, which is jolly tasty indeed, but for €100 - I've been robbed.

So what of wine maker Radikon?

Stanislao Radikon is a pioneer in wine making, perhaps on this occasion he hasn't produced the best Merlot I've had, but the producer is notable for other reasons.

Radikon is a naturalist wine maker who has managed to make his wines resistant to oxidation, even though he uses no sulfur dioxide to stabilize the wine. There are no stainless steel fermentation vats or a whiff of new oak around his vineyards, instead old wine making techniques are employed. It makes sense then, that with the naturalist approach and a terroir most suited to Merlot that this wine has won high praise, indeed it was recommended to me by Antonio Galloni himself. As an 80's kid raised in the UK, I am not best placed to appreciate the particularities of natural wine production, so please, try the Radikon Merlot for yourself! What I do love about the wine is that it is a fine expression of the stoney, minerally ground upon which it sprung but it just didn't taste all that great, and that's kinda important.

Radikon Merlot 2000 - PASS - €100

Mid ruby red with an expressive mineral nose, the stones of the terroir are present and some good fruit on the nose including plums and cherries. On the palate the wine is mid bodied and a little acidic, good tannic structure and a nice length to the finish but where is the fruit? 87 Points

I know I can be a bit of a Ribena Berry, but I'm down with vegetal, down with animal and down with mineral and I'm not sure where, on the palate, this wine belongs. A little help?

Where can I buy this wine?

Europeans - Corte di Bacco - €100

Americans - Wine Library - $109

Brits - Corte di Bacco - €100

LEAVE A COMMENT!

If you've tried this wine, please tell me what you think to it? I am confused. Or comment about anything, comments have gone off the boil and tears are welling in my eyes.

Tua Rita Redigaffi

Tua Rita Redigaffi

Tua Rita Redigaffi is the mega Merlot from top Bolgheri estate, Tua Rita. Redigaffi - the cult wine with the Valentino price tag is a critic pleasing Merlot of the highest order. If ratings are to be trusted the Tua Rita Redigaffi should claim top spot in Merlot Month (which is zipping by now, half way thru 5 of 10). I've already written about Tua Rita this month so if you want to learn more about this fabulous coco-chic estate then click here.

Read it? Good, so let's carry on. The Redigaffi is the only wine in Italy to have achieved a perfect 100 Parker point score. Consider there are 1000's of Italian winemakers, consider all the D.O.C and D.O.C.G wines out there that never managed to score 100 Parker points. This is a Vino da Tavola wine. A wine that Italy isn't really supposed to do well at and yet forget Giacosa, forget Gaja, forget Soldera only Tua Rita can claim this prestigious title. With the title comes the price tag, to buy a bottle of this 100 point wine you are handing over minimum $600, and more likely $800. That might even be considered a bargain compared to the 100 point French Pomerol counterparts.

I want to make a quick mention of scores, most of the emails I've had since starting the blog have been about the ratings of wines. For example, I went to town on a Barbera recently and exclaimed I wouldn't use it in a cooking sauce and still gave it 73 points. How can this be? The lowest a wine can score is 50 points. 50 points is for being a liquid in a bottle basically, and then a rough guide from there would go like this.

50 - 70 - Wines that range from truly and utterly vile to just kinda gross.

71 - 79 - Wines that range from quite bad to almost drinkable. Anything 79 or under could find its way down my kitchen sink.

80 - 84 - There are aspects of this wine I like, but the wine has flaws that probably would stop me buying it again.

85 - 89 - These could be wines I'd recommend, but the price would be important. For instance, if a wine cost €3 and I gave it a 86, this would be a steal. If a wine cost €30 and I gave it 87, I'd probably write a PASS next to it.

90 - 93 - Excellent wines, wines I would drink and re buy, there is some exceptional element to the wine.

94 - 97 - World class wines, wines for very special occasions where the grape has almost reached its perfect expression.

98 - 100 - Perfect wines, the best wines money can buy.

When thinking about points you must always think about price. I can rate a wine 91 and PASS it (like the Voerzio wine of two days ago) if it costs €169 a bottle. Some people award 5 points for colour, 20 points for nose etc, and have a very scientific way of calculating it, but there is an OMPF factor in wines, a personal factor that can't be quantified so this is just MY scale for my personal taste. So quit yer yapping at me.

Tua Rita Redigaffi Merlot 2001 - BUY - €210
Dark, heavy, deep and dense purple in the glass. Rich and heavy nose of chocolate and berries, spicy, lingering and licorice. The mouth feel is all encompassing, you have a wine hit here, thick and full bodied, dense and coating and yet very complex and intriguing. On the palate a rich variety of dark fruit, very concentrated with the longest finish on any Italian Merlot I've tried and even sweet and fruity to the last. Mega Merlot, Mega Impressed. 98 Points

Ooooooooh, the highest scoring wine so far on Wine90, am I scared to go 98! Not at all, 98 to my palate, I love it, I want to bathe in it, bake with it and take it home to meet my parents.

THE GAUNTLET HAS BEEN THRUST TO THE FLOOR. Can the other 5 Merlots come close, can you wait? You can huh.

Where can I buy this wine?
Europeans - Eno Sardegna - €210
Americans - The Spirit Shoppe - $349
Brits - Fine and Rare - £238

LEAVE A COMMENT!
Never was there a better time to comment, this is the highest rated wine so far. Have you tried it? What's your highest rated wine of all time? Is Andy Murray arrogant?

Le Macchiole Messorio

Le Macchiole Messorio

Le Macchiole Messorio - the top bottling from Le Macchiole, the Messorio is a 100% Merlot wine that is the 4th of 10 Italian Merlots I am trying out for Merlot month. We're into the top guns now, yesterday we crowned Falesco's Montiano as the best Italian Merlot outside of the traditional growing areas of Tuscany and Friuli and today we are looking at one of Tuscany's finest. Along with the Redigaffi, the Messorio can claim to be the top Tuscan Merlot of each vintage, although grown in the same region from the same grape these wines have their differences and we shall be seeing which, from the 2001 vintage, was the best.

So, a little bit about Le Macchiole. A relative newcomer to wine making, Le Macchiole began making wines in 1972 and have Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc under vine at their vineyards in the Super Tuscan region; Bolgheri. The wines of Le Macchiole have always been popular with critics and the sheer class of their wines can be derived from their studious attention to detail. Their philosophy, "one bottle per vine" illustrates what exceptionally low yield Le Macchiole enforce. The Merlot is not the only award winner at this vineyard but the Paleo (Bordeaux-esque blend) and Scrio (100% Syrah) are also international successes.

So, to the Messorio itself. 18 months in new oak, from very small yields this is as fine a Merlot as you can expect. So, did expectations and reality match up? Let's see!

Le Macchiole Messorio 2001 - BUY - €169

Dark ruby red in the glass, good intensity. Delicious aromas of cherries, coffee, plums and smoke. Round and chewy tannins, very fruity with a smooth, gorgeous mouth-feel. Sumptuous wine, good structure and pleasant flavours. This wine needs a long time in the decanter. 95 Points

Where can i buy this wine?

Europeans - MTVWines - €169

Americans - Corporate Wines - $179 (Bargain)

Brits - Fine and Rare - £209 (Not a Bargain)

Make a Comment

Like this wine, hate this wine, never heard of this wine? Watching Wimbledon? It's good to talk.

Roberto Voerzio Merlot

Roberto Voerzio Merlot

Roberto Voerzio Merlot, or, Roberto Voerzio Langhe Merlot Fontanazza to give the wine its full name, is the 3rd wine of 10 Italian merlots I am sampling for Merlot Month. Already blown away with the Feudi di San Gregorio Patrimo and the Falesco Montiano, I was really looking for something to fall on its face but how could it be Roberto Voerzio? For his wines are my love and passion, my Romeo and Juliet, my Sharky and George.

Why the photo? That is public enemy number 1 here in Italy today, the Spaniard that put Italy out of Euro 2008, Cesc Fabregas. He also plays for Arsenal, so "shoot on sight" *

Recommended to me directly by Mr Antonio Galloni, the Italian wine critic for Robert Parker's "Wine Advocate", it took little persuasion for me to add the Roberto Voerzio Merlot to the "merlots from outta town" list. Italian Merlot traditionally comes from the Friuli and Tuscan regions of Italy but I was keen to make this an Italian affair and bring in the best from other regions, and the best is what we got. However, and this will be my second direct bashing for my beloved Voerzio, this merlot, in my humblest of humble opinions, was not quite up to the two previous merlots.

Roberto Voerzio Merlot is still a 91 point wine, but as the most expensive of the 3 at over €129 a bottle, I've got to be honest and PASS the wine. It's a beautiful effort, from a very limited production, but my criteria for BUY or PASS is based on just one factor, would Sarah Newton buy this wine again? Negative. I'd buy 5 bottles of Falesco instead and a Mars Bar. If you are rolling that kind of dosh and enjoy Voerzio wines, be my guest, it's all a matter of means at the end of the day, Jack. So onto the review.

Roberto Voerzio Langhe Merlot Fontanazza 2004 - PASS - €129
Dark ruby red in the glass, good colour. On the nose, regal and opulent and very generous with all the dark fruits you'd be expecting from your Merlot as well as some nice tobacco, fungus and tar. The palate continues down regal road and the wine is very fruity with lots of berries and some herb notes too. A fine finish, full bodied and smooth but €129? 91 Points

Would I drink this if they were handing it out at London Bridge? For sure, I'm not down on the Fontanazza it's very interesting with some herb/mushroom notes that give you a sense of the terroir. For those that like to pick wine apart it's a cool little puzzle. So let's continue to show the RV love because the guy tries and brings something original to all his wines *points at you all*, don't forget it.

So, to round up the Merlots outside of the Tuscany/Friuli region and give them their places on the podium *drum roll*

1st - Falesco Montiano 2001 - 92 Points
2nd - Feudi di San Gregorio Patrimo 2004 - 93 Points
3rd - Roberto Voerzio Langhe Merlot Fontanazza 2004 - 91 Points

So, a close run thing, but for value there is no beating the Montiano, yes the Feudi di San Gregorio is the better wine, just, but at over twice the price, I crown Falesco's Montiano the best "Merlot from outta town". Remember folks, there are no losers here, except Roberto, he lost. Love you.

Where can I buy this wine?
Europeans - VinoLanghe - €129
Americans - Sherry Lehmann - $210
Brits - VinoLanghe - €129

Leave a comment!
Anything to say? Anything at all? Favourite Italian Merlots, am I unfair to PASS this Merlot? Do you see the glass as half full or half empty? Am I the only one to have never met a Scorpio I liked? How come Pluto and Goofy are both Disney dogs but Goofy gets to wear clothes and Pluto don't? Pipe up people, pipe up!

* Legal Disclaimer - Please do not shoot Cesc Fabregas on sight.

Italian wine and cheese

Italian wine and cheese

Italian wine and cheese combinations are fairly stock and I can reel off Italian wines and pair them with different cheese all day long. I'm not gonna go that route though. I'll be kind enough to list the traditional pairings but really, taste is, um, a matter of taste! As a child and right up until today I grate cheese all over my meals. My mother despaired as she laid down lovingly prepared meal after meal and I'd bring out the cheddar (and the vinegar) and top off my roast lamb with cheese. Just yesterday I invited an old friend over for Riesling and Cheese and she laughed at me. Who's joking? A sweet Riesling and a french Langres is a dream match! That's right folks, I am a heart attack waiting to happen.

So what of the Italian wines? Let's be methodical and go all alphabetical! Red wine and white wine can go with cheese, don't forget that, as some white wine and cheese matches are heaven.

Amarone and cheese
Traditionally pairs up with hard cheese like Parmesan or Grana Padano. However, I like Amarone with a Gouda pairing. Spicy sausage, saucy stews and chocolate puddings are also nice matches.

Barbaresco and cheese
Traditionally pairs up with Taleggio cheese. This is a washed rind Italian cheese with a particularly strong smell. Not so easy to find so why not go with Barbaresco and Pied-de-Vent or Mi-carême? Not as full on as Barolo, you can pair Barberesco with some softer cheeses.

Barbera and cheese
High acidity Barbera can pair with fatty cheese like Brie rather well. How about a Braida Barbera and Pouligny-Saint-Pierre? Gorgonzola is my personal favourite match for Barbera though you can also go with the harder cheese. Barbera is a great wine for cheese.

Barolo and cheese
"Full bodied serious wines like Barolo don't really need to be dominated by outrageously stinky cheese". So don't ruin your minimum €40 Barolo outlay with a bad cheese. They say a Pecorino compliments a Barolo but I'm going to go against the advice and say a strong cheese and a Barolo can be good stuff. I'm a cheddar lord and some seriously strong or old cheddar and Barolo is a dream combo for me, but then I put Ketchup on everything so decide for yourself.

Brunello di Montalcino and cheese
Piquant Cheeses are the way to go here apparently. I have to agree, last weekend I was drinking a beautiful Altesino Brunello and matched it up with Pave de Moyaux . Young Brunello can be tannic city so don't go the Parmagiano route.

Cannonau and cheese
Cannonau is a puzzler, it's fruity and it can be big, but it's also acidic and I struggle pairing it up, probably because I don't enjoy Cannonau particularly. The textbook says sheep cheese.

Chianti and cheese
The two Italian P Cheeses - Pecorino and Parmigiano Reggiano. I like full fat cheese with Chianti though especially Taleggio.

Dolcetto and cheese
Provolone. In a word!

Falanghina and cheese
Robiolina cheese and a Feudi Falanghina and you are kicking back on the picnic blanket and enjoying summer. However, what about those pepper added soft cheeses and a Falaghina?

Franciacorta and cheese
Peppery Cheese, Piccante Cheese or smoked cheese do wonders for these wines. Franciacorta wines are perfectly suited to creamy, semi soft cheese. You could even go herby Philadelphia if you are slumming it.

Greco di Tufo and cheese
I'd go Camembert or Taleggio on a full bodied GdT. This can even go with the lighter harder cheeses, what about Cheshire cheese? Try it.

Montepulciano d'Abruzzo and cheese
Strong cheese like Pecorino are the order of the day once more. With the Zaccagnini I love to pair it up with Ricotto and especially Wensleydale. Top tip, go Zaccagnini Montepulciano d'Abruzzo and Wensleydale, it tastes like Christmas, really, literally, like Christmas cake!

Nero d'Avola and cheese
Strong wines can be troublesome, related to Syrah traditionally we would go cheddar, red leicester and Gruyère. I'd stick to the recommendations here.

Pinot Bianco and cheese
Cream cheese, things like mozzarella are your best bets here. Sounds bland though right? Monteray Jack might kick it up a notch?

Pinot Grigio and cheese
The safe route: Urgelia. However, with a full PG I like to go the hard cheese route so bring out the GP with the PG (Grana Padano).

Primitivo and cheese
The sibling of Zinfandel will pair up nicely with all kinds of wacky foods and cheeses. Zinfandel and Primitivo are great food and cheese wines. Traditional route: Chedder, Emmental, Gouda, Pecorino, Jarlsberg.. actually the list goes on and on. If you don't know what to pair with a cheese, bring out the Primitivo and you've got a good chance of being dead on!

Prosecco and cheese
This is another great cheese wine, can go from Gorgonzola to Grana Padano with it. Good Prosecco and a mix of cheese is an EVENT! Bring this into your summer picnics.

Sagrantino and cheese
Super strong and tannic Sagrantino doesn't need a stinky friend. Go for very hard cheeses.

Soave and cheese
Another great wine for a range of cheese. I really enjoy a stilton and soave, but it is a versatile wine so can also go with the blander milkier cheeses.

Taurasi and cheese
Ripe cheese once more. Taurasi is a very strong wine so pairs off with hard cheese, another case for Parmigian. Personal favourite pairing is Beaufort.

Tocai Friulano and cheese
I don't really rate this wine with cheese. If you really are keen to find a friend for Tocai Friulano then why not go out there with something a bit interesting and smelly, definitely soft. Go gorgonzola!

Trebbiano and cheese
A Trebbiano wine and goats cheese is my secret recommendation. The experts go strong semi soft cheeses and smoked cheeses.

Valpolicella and cheese
Cimbro is a traditional recommendation. A cows milk cheese. Another local recommendation I can give you though is Monte Veronese cheese! This is a real match.com, match made in heaven, going to make it to their golden wedding pairing.

Vernaccia and cheese
Another good white for cheese. Spicy/Aromatic, semi hard and hard cheeses are all going down a storm with Vernaccia. I go Roquefort here and I love it for days!

So from stinky cheese to stinky wine, last night I was in the mood to smell something funky so opted for a regional Cabernet Franc. I got what I wished for!

Santa Margherita Lison Pramaggiore Cabernet Franc 2006 - PASS - €7
Light-mid bodied, dark ruby red, very typical Cab Franc character, some red berry fruit but very vegetal, little vanilla, plum too, no real tannins to speak of on the mouth-feel, fairly acidic and light, little red fruit on the mid-palate and a hot finish for just a 12.5% wine, not great balance but one of the better under €7 cabernet francs I've had from the Veneto. Not dazzling, but drinkable. 84 Points

Where can I buy this wine
Europeans - Di Leva - €6.50
Americans - You can't - and you shouldn't anyway
Brits - Same goes for you

Leave a comment!
Yes, I've missed some wines out of my cheese list, but that gives you a reason to leave a comment! What's missing here please and what do you feel is a good match for these wines? Am I out of my tiny mind? Tell me so then! I will dance for comments.

Feudi di San Gregorio Patrimo

Feudi di San Gregorio Patrimo

Feudi di San Gregorio Patrimo is a 100% Merlot wine from the Campania region of Italy. Feudi di San Gregorio Patrimo 2004 is the vintage I chose for Merlot month and I was not disappointed. This is a pricey bottle of wine but I was always confident this would be a winner. The wine was a recommendation from some esteemed Parker board members so came highly recommended but coming from such a savvy producer as Feudi di San Gregorio you can be pretty sure in the knowledge that you are going to get quality. Feudi di San Gregoria produce wines from €5-€80 and I've yet to buy a wine from them that was overpriced or a disappointment.

The Patrimo is really a labour of love for Feudi di San Gregorio and can be considered the estates top bottling usually scoring high with critics. I can't say it represents the best QPR around, I scored it 93 and at €60 we are not talking about excellent quality to price ratio BUT, its 100% Merlot, coming from Campania, it's interesting and a very cool experience so if you are happy laying down €60 on a bottle of wine and love Merlot, then it's a BUY. I would re-buy this wine.

Ironically, we don't actually carry any Feudi di San Gregorio wines and as Campania's leading estate probably it's time to get them on board. So who is this producer? If you live in Italy you will have seen their distinctive labels and bottles in every supermarket and enoteca, even if you're a stateside or a UK dweller its very possible your local wine shops are stocking Feudi di San Gregorio.

The outfit is producing some fabulous reds and, even I can admit it, some great whites. I have a real love of their Falaghina bottling and have recommended it here before. It's actually a new outfit, created in 1986 with a heavy eye on marketing but also a solid team of winemakers who have achieved excellence across the board. Other wines to look out for from Feudi di San Gregorio would include the Serpico in the red corner, possibly the best Aglianico wine in Italy and the Greco di Tufo in the white corner.

So what about the Merlot? It is insanely dark coloured and intensely aromatic, it's a real sensual wine but why spoil my tasting notes? Here we go Jack, see below.

Feudi di San Gregorio Patrimo 2004 - BUY - €60

Crazy dark in the glass, close to black ruby red wine. The aromas of blackberries and dark fruit hit you pretty quickly, lots of smoke and mineral tones. A huge sensational wine on the palate, holds its fruit with some plum and blueberries from the start, the tannins are ingrained and not bothering me though distinctly there, the wine is hugely concentrated and needs several hours of decanting. Drinking far too young but still a stunning wine. 93 Points

Drink this wine while watching the 2012 Olympics and not before.

So that's two down and I'm impressed by the Patrimo and the Montiano and there really isn't much to pick between them. I slightly prefer this one, but could buy two bottles of the Montiano for one bottle of the Patrimo, so if you're price conscious the Montiano is the way to go. Oh well, just another 8 Merlots to go, my poor liver.

In other news, we completely sold out of Tignanello in one day yesterday, this is the 2005, forget the 2004, that can't be bought for love or money. We will be re-buying this week. I would love to know what happened, did Tig get some TV exposure yesterday? I can't believe an entire stock sold out in one day, we just bought it! Oh well.

The Wine Spectator reviews for 33 Piedmont reds came out yesterday and as a signed up member I can tell you before the scores come out and the prices shoot up that Ceretto got incredible scores for their Barberesco Asili 2005 - 95 Points! This is the highest Ceretto have ever scored from Wine Spectator. Barberesco fans and those wanting to flip their wines should invest in this wine the minute it hits the stores. BIG TIP guys, don't be ignoring me!

Where can I buy this wine?

Europeans - Everywine - €62.61

Americans - Shoppers Vineyard - $55.99 (this is a frickin steal, way under priced)

Brits - Fine and Rare - £50

Leave a comment!

The "Questions of the Day" don't really get answered. So, instead, if you have anything to say about Feudi di San Gregorio, or Wine Spectators latest Piedmont review, or Tignanello, or the crazy prices of cod, then do it. I like the comments people, whats on your mind?

Trebbiano d'Abruzzo

Trebbiano d'Abruzzo

Trebbiano d'Abruzzo is a huge D.O.C area in the Abruzzo region of Italy. Trebbiano d'Abruzzo wines can be, at their very best (see Valentini) epic whites capable of ageing, honeyed and nectar-esque and at their worst, like myself and pal Tina experienced last night, like Apple Tizer with some lemon Jif (no, hang on, Cif) mashed in for that extra kick.

So last night Italy were smiled upon by the footballing gods once more as red cards flew from the refs pocket and French players were sent cursing from the field. There wasn't a seat in the house at the local pub in Piazza Ferretto, well, not a seat facing a TV anyway, so we sat in a cramped corner all the while being eyed up by those guys that sell the fake Gucci bags on the tartan rugs at Piazzale Roma. Much more Apple Tizer d'Abruzzo and today we'd both have our fill of faux Fendi accessories but alas resistance came easily.

Before the game we decided on Sushi and from the choice of 6 unnamed whites, we opted for the Trebbiano. I can't tell you where it was from because the label said this, "Trebbiano". That's it folks. So really, it quite possibly wasn't even a Trebbiano d'Abruzzo but this is my SEGUE (thank you Tara from Boston) to what I really want to talk about today which is Trebbiano d'Abruzzo and more specifically the expert Valentini production.

If you only try one Trebbiano d'Abruzzo make sure absolutely that it is a Valentini. There are hundreds of Trebbiano d'Abruzzo wines out there but Eduoardo Valentini was a traditionalist and the wines have that air of someone taking their time. You know when you can just tell a wine is low yield and human industry heavy? That's what Valentini wines taste like. The sweet essence of blood, sweat and tears.

The techniques at the vineyard are fairly guarded and the wines of Valentini are not really typical of Trebbiano d'Abruzzo as a varietal but there are still unmistakable characteristics and the producer is pretty much universally agreed to be the regions best. Only 50,000 bottles come out of the estate each year, which is teeny tiny and an indication of the attention to detail. Eduoardo's son, Francesco, now handles the operation. This is a producer who shunned the critics and media and as such, I can't find a website for him to link up for you. However, I can recommend a wine with a tasting note... what a novel idea!?

Valentini Trebbiano d'Abruzzo 2004 - BUY - €33
A cloudy golden yellow in the glass with a super packed nose of total minerality as well as the usual lush honey and flower aromas, a little bit of stone fruit too. Lovely mouth feel, caressing and super stylish, complex with good length and a real sweetness on the finish, fruity and unabashed! Brava. 90 Points

Where can I buy this wine?
Europeans - Web di Vino - €33
Americans - Chambers St Wines - $67
Brits - Web di Vino - £25

Question of the Day?
What wine should I drink with Sushi if Martinelli's is off the menu?

Falesco Montiano 2001

Falesco Montiano 2001

Falesco Montiano 2001 is a 100% Merlot from Falesco (Lazio). Falesco Montiano 2001 is one of Lazio's most famous wines and was a frequent suggestion as a top Merlot that I must try out for "Merlot Month". The 2001 got some great reviews from Parker et al and as such I was itching to try it. The price is really fair for a 93-94 point wine at around €25. This is the first Merlot of my 10 flight of Italian Merlot so I should really reserve judgement until the end but for a QPR wine, we have something very special.

I am a huge fan of Falesco, I love their cheapy wine, the "Tellus" and I love that they are breaking into Lazio that has no business being the hub of mass produced whites. Lazio is some premium terroir and the Montiano is proof perfect of this. This wine is capable of ageing and I suspect, as the more recent vintages are also very good, that this could be a pretty clever investment wine over the next 20-25 years.

This wine is really versatile, you can drink it alone but where it really shines is with meats such as lamb. Another reason why this wine is close to my heart is that it's grown just outside one of my favourite towns in the whole of Italy, Montefiascone. This is a beautiful town perched on high with views of lake Bolsena below and occupies a fabulous position, look to the east to find Umbria and to the north is Tuscany, literally only a few clicks from both. Wonderful area. Despite the fact I have had 4 speeding tickets from the Montefiascione police, I still love it there.

So onto the review, obviously I can't place this in any order, it being the first Merlot down the hatch so you'll just have to take it for what it is. The 2001 vintage was pretty good, there has been better before and since but its a good example of the wine so, here we go.

Falesco Montiano 2001 - BUY - €26

Penetrating and intense ruby red. The nose quickly gives up heavenly aromas, we have loads of plum here with touches of chocolate and coffee and well as dark berries, the nose profile continues onto the palate, the wine is wonderfully fruity and has a nice mouth feel, great tannins and a smooth and satisfying finish. Classy. 92 Points

Where can I buy this wine?

Europeans - Drogheria Pedrelli - €26

Americans - The wine to buy - $39

Brits - Imbibros - £22.50

No Questions on the Merlot Flight Entries but feel free to comment you little terrors!

Gaja Darmagi 2001

Gaja Darmagi 2001

Gaja Darmagi 2001 is a 100% Cabernet Sauvignon wine from the Piedmont. Gaja Darmagi is considered to be one of the most exciting Cabernets in Italy's top vintages and I'm writing a quick blog entry to announce that we're now carrying this wine and for those Gaja fans out there who haven't tried the 2001, the wine is very expressive of the terroir and carries a real essence of Barbaresco with it.

Stephen Tanzer rated the 2001 as a 93 point wine, we go a point under that, it's a luscious wine but not as complex as some Gaja wines. Coming in at €138 and at 92 points it's clearly not a value wine, but Gaja rarely is. Gaja wines are for a special occasion, an experience to remember and for anniversaries and fancy parties!

A better value wine and a better wine period from Gaja is the Barberesco of the same vintage, still expensive at €114. However, if you are Cabernet Sauvignon fan, like I know many of you are, then the Darmagi will give you a real treat, traditional Cab nose and flavours, cassis, bell peppers and some spicy dark fruit, the colour is as dark as any Cabernet I've seen recently, pretty close to black, inky and full bodied.

If you would like to try some Italian Cabernet Sauvignons but are not willing or able to spend €130 on a bottle of wine then a 100% Italian Cab worth a quick look would be a Santa Anastasia Litra 2004 coming out of Sicily these are great value wines (€30). Review below.

Santa Anastasia Litra Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 - BUY - €30

Nice dark ruby red looking thick and full bodied in the glass. Takes a bit of wristy swirling to open up, be patient, a wonderful nose of spices, sugar, plums and dark fruits. A little herbaceous and hot too. Fat and bold on the mouth feel, a little oaky at the end but a very pleasant tasting experience, not too much fruit on the palate, needs a few more years. 2012 and on is my guess. 91 Points

You can buy the Darmagi at The Cellar Door but I'm going to recommend the Santa Anastasia as a better value buy, like I said, the Gaja is a one off celebration wine, the Litra is more an everyday drinking wine or a Sunday special.

Where can I buy this wine?

Europeans - La Cantina di Cicerone - €30

Americans - Not imported to your shores. Sorry folks.

Brits - La Cantina di Cicerone - €30

Question of the Day?

What is the most money you have ever spent on a wine? Was it worth it?

Lagrein

Lagrein

Lagrein, yes, Lagrein, it's Italian wine, Lagrein, look it up. Coming from the Alto Adige region of Italy we have a wine that is black as night and can be serious, deadly serious. It's a tiny little region where old Lagrein is produced, shockingly this is from up close to the Austrian border, close to Bolzano hence the Germanic name... Lagrein.

The production comes from around 750 acres of this small piece of Italian terroir, the best can be dark fruit city and bold, the worst, like I just tried 30 minutes ago, can be vegetal and not in a good way. I'm not here to bash Lagrein chums, I'm a big fan normally but today, dodging the fat Venetian rain and thirsting for something a little different I thought I'd try Pam's selection of reds.

Seemingly, I may never learn my lesson with my local supermarket, every week I scour the top shelves (for wine.... filthy minds) hoping to see a little gem leap out and in a squeaky whiny voice say "pick me, I'm your friend" and once more I was conned by a pretty label. Well, winemakers at Villa Von Steiner, if that is your real name, you have inspired me to write about Lagrein which is a good thing, but I'm afraid you're going to take a small and inconsequential bashing.

So, who produces good Lagrein? There's 3 or 4 producers that come to mind where you can experience Lagrein for what its known for, heavenly colour, a minerally, black fruit nose and smooth mouthfeel. Cantina di Terlano are practically dead certs year in and year out their Lagrein Porphyr Reds are very good but pricey at around €30. I have a back tasting note on their 2001 for you later on. If you are not rolling in gold but would like to try a good Lagrein then a solid smaller priced producer would be Alois Lageder for roughly half that price. You really want to know what I thought of my Pam wine dontcha? Ok, I was being a little harsh but I like to draw you in, let's do it.

Villa von Steiner Lagrein 2004 - PASS - €9
Fantastic penetrating dark purple, all the way thru, what hues? ink black vino. The nose just stinks, wet rocks mixed with onions, soil, even horse manure, I mean this nose is seriously unpleasant and here is where the wine can play mind games with you. The immediate mouth feel is gorgeous, black fruits and such a soft silky mouth feel, you begin to forgive the manure, and then it comes back in the mid palate and you lose all fruit, it turns acidic and very plain and uninteresting and then it gives you a really long finish of this foulness, and you think, "what the hell happened". A confusing wine, but for that I have to give it some kudos for being so interesting. 82 Points

Hey, I've paid more than €9 to be confused before but I wont recommend this to you guys. You don't take this wine to a party, you don't sit and eat a selection of fine cheeses with it, you could stir it into your spag bol and actually even to accompany spag bol it would be fine. So onto happier times and a past tasting note of a Cantina di Terlano Lagrein.

Cantina di Terlano Lagrein Porphyr Red Riserva 2001 - BUY - €50
Dark, deep and brooding purple in the glass. A lovely nose of plums, dark fruits and an obvious mineral quality. A good full bodied effort, smooth on the mouthfeel, well structured, perfect tannins, deep and capable of aging. A little bit of oak on the end, but a great effort. What we have here is textbook Lagrein. 91 Points

Where can I buy this wine?
Europeans - Drogheria Pedrelli - €25
Americans - Vinfolio - $39
Brits - Wines of the World - £27

Question of the Day
I already asked you one and I see no comments to it! So you're not getting another. *turns back*

So, in other news, I should be hooking up with a few Italian Food blogs over the next couple of weeks so we can combine my, obvious, talents in the world of wine and get some food matching done. After all, wine is, at its very best, an accompaniment to food and I've been forgetting that and thanks to the readers who like to remind me. If you have an Italian blog and would like to work together to help spread the Italian love then email me at wine90@gmail.com

Italian Merlot

Italian Merlot

Italian Merlot month begins right here, right now. Italian Merlot is a hugely vast and exciting world with some excellent Merlots coming out of the Friuli and Tuscan regions. There are a handful of world famous Italian Merlots that I'm going to be trying this month, as well as some more obscure and culty wines. I went right to the top to get the finest recommendations for you guys with no less than Antonio Galloni, the Italian reviewer for Robert Parker, giving me a few choice recommendations.

So which Merlots am I going to bring out for Merlot month? I've had over 45 suggestions which gives you a good idea of the quality of Italian Merlot, none of these were blends all pure Merlot. From these suggestions I have whittled it down to 10 bottles that I hope represent a good cross section of Italian Merlots through the price points. Ok, yes, perhaps the tiny production Roberto Voerzio merlot was a touch self indulgent but this was a Galloni recommendation, I can hardly disagree with the good man now can I? For fun, and also because this seems to be how I'm rolling these days, I'm going to stick a Pomerol into the mix and pray it doesn't come out top! :o)


Firstly, I'll be taking "Messorio" from Le Macchiole and "Redigaffi" by Tua Rita for a spin. These are among Italy's most famous wines period and swap "best Merlot in Italy" yearly according to Parker ratings anyway. These are my top end Italian Merlots.

Secondly, I'm going to take a look at Merlot produced outside of the traditional quality zones, so outside of Friuli and Tuscany adding Roberto Voerzio's Merlot from the Piedmont, Feudi di San Gregorio's "Patrimio" from Campania and, another famous name, "Montiano" by Falesco from Lazio.

Lastly, I'm going to see if I can find some bargains with Antonio's recommendations, the Radikon "Merlot", Vie di Romans "Voos Dai Ciamps" as well as some other kind recommendations, the Villa Russiz "Merlot Graf de La Tour", Avignonesi, "Desiderio" and finally, Livon's "Tiare Mate". I am very excited about the Vie di Romans wine, not particularly expensive for a 93 point score from Galloni.

So these are the wines I'll be trying and I'm really delighted at all the suggestions I've received and even the negative criticism that I should lay off the international varietals and concentrate on Italy's home team grapes. Well, I am interested in all wines produced within Italy so will continue to cast the net wide. I think it is interesting to compare Italy's success within international varietals compared to other countries, I want to be part of the big push on Italian wine and yes, I am playing fast and loose with the word "interesting"! :op

Question of the Day
Have you tried any of these wines, what did you think?