Italy Vs France- The Result

Well, the votes have been counted and verified and we can officially announce a shock win on behalf of Italy. The French wine was the stinker of the night and at €24 I can safely say it's among the worst bottle of wines I've tasted. The colour and nose was all Bordeaux and for a moment I thought Italy was going to be shown up! The palate was insipid, very very watery with no finish at all. This was the worst Bordeaux I've ever had. We can not really call this experiment any kind of contest but for what it was, Italy trumped up some beautiful wines. Thanks to the anonymous recommendation for this wine as the worst Bordeaux, on that you were correct. That it would be better than any Italian wine, you were very wrong!

The biggest shock of the night was the Petit Verdot, this is the wine I recommend most highly to buy at €10! This wine outshone the Barbaresco and the Brunello di Montalcino! Amazingly total agreement on the the best wine, the Petit Verdot and the worst wine, the Pauillac.

Although the first bottles were open at 4pm the food was not ready until 8pm so, to accompany the food, and because most of the wine was gone, I opened a magnum of Giacosa Barolo Falletto 1998. Everybody enjoyed this wine and it was truly exceptional. This bottle was the best Italian wine I've ever had. Maybe it's the turkey talking but I truly can't think of another bottle I've tried that beats this. Consider the fact it is still improving, I highly recommend this wine for a special occasion. The aromas flew out of the bottle with no decanting. We really should have decanted the wine as smelling the small amount left this morning it has taken on a different character but, straight out of the bottle, it was a beautiful wine.

Tasting Notes

Casale del Giglio Petit Verdot 2004 - BUY - €10

Dark purple in the glass, very deep intensity. A little timid on the nose but aromas of spice, berries and cherries with the most intense smell profile being blackberries. Shockingly refined and balanced on the palate denoting a classier wine that the price, some nice fruit on the mid palate. A really enjoyable and easy drinking wine. The lack of intensity on the nose is the reason this missed 90 points. Perfect for dinner parties. 89 Points

Fontanafredda Barbaresco 2000 - PASS - €18

Noticeabley purple/brown in the glass with some orangey hues. A lovely nose of candied cherries and vanilla extract with a hint of cinnamon. Very weak tannins and acidity through roof let this down badly, mid length finish and a medium body complete this so/so wine. Really disappointing from Fontanafredda in a stellar year for Barbaresco - 79-81 Points

Angelini Brunello di Montalcino 2001 - BUY - €30

Dark ruby, edging on purple colour with significantly lighter hues. Very expressive nose, spicy with some cherries but the most overwhelming smell is orange rind. The palate is tannic and drying but pleasantly so again with orange on the mid palate. Totally unexpected flavour profile from a Brunello which caught me off guard but nevertheless it's a very enjoyable complete wine. 90 Points

Baron Phillipe de Rothschild Pauillac 1999 - PASS - €24

Close to purple in the glass with an almost artificially sweet nose of cherries and flowers with strawberries as the standout aroma. The palate is revolting, insipid, watery, the weight of the wine and the tannic content reminded me of drinking Ribena, thin, no finish, sugar water. In fact, I would take Ribena any day over this wine, even Vimto. It's very difficult to score a wine you dislike so intensely but for colour and nose alone I give it 74 Points

Bruno Giacosa Barolo Falletto di Serralunga D'Alba 1998 - BUY - €275

From Magnum: Pale brick red colour, looks a little dirty and cloudier than the other wines we had but the hues were surprisingly dark for the age. A beautiful expressive nose the second it was uncorked, berries, cherry, strawberries; acres of ripe fruits. The palate was like velvet with complimentary tannins and exceptional length. Breathtaking. The wine came from magnum. 97 Points

As far as Italy Vs France goes it was obviously a tongue in cheek contest with only one winner possible but was an exciting experiment anyway. Everyone had fun and now we all have a new everyday drinking wine to rave about, the Casale del Giglio Petit Verdot wins the QPR award. Wines like Giacosa's Barolo are wonderful and have their place in my heart but it's the everyday drinking wines, the supermarket bargains, that can be the most exciting discoveries. After all, not every meal is a thanksgiving slap up.

Where can I buy this wine? (The Petit Verdot)

Europeans - Vinaoi - €8.30

Americans - Quality House Wines - $27

Brits - Everywine - £5.97

Question of the Day

What will you drink on Thanksgiving/Christmas day?

Altesino - Caparzo

Altesino - Quietly stealing Caparzo's thunder!

The awards have been coming in thick and fast over the past 10 years for the Altesino vineyards and yet this wonderful producer still seems to be largely unknown to a wine community obsessed with the American owned Banfi and Antinori.

Altesino's most famous wine, the Brunello di Montalcino Montosoli (pictured left), has to be one of the best Brunellos ever made. The 1997, a 5 star vintage year, received 98 points from Wine Spectator magazine and exchanges hands for €130/$200 a bottle.

Our little gem is even first alphabetically in the expert round ups but, outside of Italy, Altesino just hasn't caught fire. The labels are classy, the website is flashy and the wine is top notch so what is stopping Altesino from joining the elite ranks of Tuscan super producers?

I'll let you answer this because truly I don't know and actually I don't care. The Altesino range of Brunello and secret stash of Alte d'Altesi "Super Tuscans" are one of the few Tuscan wines you can drink guilt free.

If Altesino's light is hidden under a bushel then even more obscure is the brand that bought them out, Caparzo. Alright, a true Italian wine enthusiasts should know who Altesino is, but I'm willing to bet a Sassicaia '85 that you haven't heard of Caparzo.

The 1997 Caparzo Brunello di Montalcino La Casa (94 points WS) and under €60 is excellent value for money and improving every time I drink it. What I'm interested in though is the 2001. The best vintage in Tuscany for 10 years the 2001 Caparzo Brunello La Casa is massively under-rated and is easily holding its own against the 97. This wine is selling for under €40 a bottle!

We're talking about the estates top bottling, in its best year. The last time I tried this wine was Easter 2007 and it has really started to take on flavours and aromas of real Brunello perfection. The bottle hasn't been revisited by the experts in a few years and when it does (I'm blowing the secret here I know) the prices are going to rise.

I am strongly recommending all Brunello lovers to buy a case of this now. Take this as a virtual poke in the ribs ie. drop what you are doing and order this wine. It's still a little closed but the potential is becoming obvious and it's massively enjoyable right now, a thick jammy wine, the tannins need to calm down but this bottle is going to be epic.

You have to let this wine breath! It's such a big wine that it's been misread as simple but in fact it needs time in the bottle and needs to decant. I spoke to the owners of Altesino/Caparzo a few years ago about this wine and it was their belief that this was the best Brunello they had ever made at Caparzo.

Tasting notes to follow....

Caparzo Brunello di Montalcino La Casa 2001 - €37 - BUY
Huge nose of blackberries, plums and earthy notes, hints of cedar. Massively full bodied and strong tannins this wine has the makings of a classic. Super ripe and fruity the palate is simple elegance but there is an overly tannic characteristic straight from the bottle but after some decanting the wine becomes smoother. Long finish that let's you appreciate the complexity of the wine. A sleeping giant leave this wine if possible 15 years+ 92 Points for today but I can see this being a 95+ wine over the next 5 years.

While we're talking about Altesino, I'd also like to share my notes on another wine from their umbrella of brands, the Borgo Scopeto Chianti Classico Misciano Riserva 2004.

If you're not the type to spend €37 on a bottle of wine then let me introduce a Chianti Classico that has a very small production that is very popular in Italy but relatively unknown in the UK and the USA.

This is the best Chianti Classico I've tasted from 2004 and far better than the Cecchi/Banfi/Fontodi Chainti Classicos I'm seeing. This is the riserva bottling and retails around €15. This is a real VFM and is drinking beautifully today. Possible to cellar for up to 15 years if you wish to.

Borgo Scopeto Chianti Classico Misciano Riserva 2004 - €15 - BUY
Beautiful nose full of spices, blackberries, cappuccino & oak, super structure and rounded tannins, a medium to full bodied wine with a fruity, pleasant, long and silky finish. 90-92 Points

The 2004 Chiantis haven't been reviewed yet but the comparison to 2003 is not worth making. I'm getting seriously good 2004's coming through so stock up on your favoured producers.

Question of the Day

Who is your favourite Tuscan producer and what is it about them that makes them so special?