Tenuta Bellafonte Pomontino Montefalco Rosso, an excellent blend of Sangiovese and Sagrantino

Tenuta Bellafonte Pomontino Montefalco Rosso (DOC) 2019, 13% ABV 

RRP: €22.95. Stockists: 64 Wine, Greenman Wines, Bradleys Cork, Le Caveau online

An excellent blend of Sangiovese and Sagrantino from Umbria.

This Montefalco Rosso from the centre of Italy has a mid-ruby colour. The nose is inviting and elegant with cherry, smaller red fruit and a touch of

Poderi Del Nespoli Sangiovese - a wine for every occasion

Poderi Del Nespoli Sangiovese Romagna (DOC) 2020, 

13.5% ABV, €12.00 O’Donovan’s.

This is a wine for every occasion

This easy-to-drink organic Sangiovese is a wine for every occasion, proclaim the producers.

.It has a bright red ruby with violet highlights. Aromas are rich, with cherry and plum prominent. Full-bodied, it is smooth and intense, and fresh as

This organic and vegan-friendly Sangiovese is ideal for the table. And a refreshing red from Ventoux.

ERA Sangiovese Marche (IGT) 2020, 13% ABV

RRP: €14.60 Stockists include: Quay Co-Op Cork/ Olive Branch, Clonakilty/ Little Green Grocer, Kilkenny/ Mortons of Galway/ Sonas, Newcastlewest.

(Below: Refreshing red from Ventoux).

This organic and vegan-friendly wine is ideal for the table.

You’ll more than likely associate the grape Sangiovese with Italy’s Tuscany where they use it to produce the well-known, well-loved Chianti wine. Immediately to Tuscany’s east is another Italian region called Marche, pronounced Mar-Kay, which has the shores of the Adriatic Sea as its eastern border, and that the region is where this Sangiovese originates.

The aromas of our ERA wine are intense, ripe dark red fruit, floral and herbal notes too, and liquorice also. Flavours are just as bright and intense, full of those red and darker fruits, plus more than just a hint of spice. Tannins are more or less silky and there’s enough acidity to ensure harmony through to the lingering finish. 

An organic and vegan-friendly wine, it is ideal for the table. Try it with Broiled Marinated Pork Chop, Savoy cabbage, Fondant Potato and Mustard Sauce. Winery tips are stewed meat and aged cheeses while other suggestions include Fried chicken livers, Pappardelle pasta with a rabbit and porcini mushroom ragù,  spaghetti bolognese, lamb shank and steak Milanese, and Slow-roasted pork with white bean mash. 

Highly Recommended. Very well priced too, by the way. 

++++++++++++

Charm and character in this Ventoux red by M. Jacques

Jacques Frelin Contreforts Du Delta Ventoux (AP) 2021, 14% ABV, Mary Pawle Wines

This organic red wine, another from Mary Pawle, is a blend of Grenache and Syrah, and comes rom the edges of the southern Rhône. 

The vineyard (soil consists of “Gravel and pebbles”) is under the gaze of Mount Ventoux, the mountain famous for its Mistral Wind and its long-lasting association with the Tour de France. I did climb it once myself - by car! The pebbles referred to above by the way are rather large flat stones.

The colour is a light garnet, a little lighter than you might expect by comparison to your regular Côtes du Rhone. The aromas have raspberry and strawberry notes, a bit on the jammy side, with a hint of spice.

It is immediately refreshing in the mouth, soft, supple and fruity, a really juicy blend and indeed one that may be served cool (not chilled though!). Very enjoyable and an easy-drinking style.

As the label promises, this expressive organic wine exudes charm and character. Well rounded and aromatic. Try with grilled lamb with thyme, or goats cheese with fresh figs. Serve at 18 degrees.

Highly Recommended.

Muscadet and Sangiovese excel on home ground. A lovely white and red wine for you.

Muscadet and Sangiovese excel on home ground. A lovely white and red wine for you. 

La Fessardière “La Mer qu’on voit danser” Muscadet Sèvre et Maine sur Lie (AC) 2015, 12%

€16.00, Mary Pawle Wines, Mannings Ballylickey and Little Green Grocer in Kilkenny 

Melon de Bourgogne, the grape from which Muscadet is produced, is sometimes referred to condescendingly as a “inoffensive grape or a “neutral” one. The Melon grape certainly lacks the boisterous aromas that characterise New World Sauvignon Blanc. But this lack of initial assertiveness is deceiving, especially if it has spent some time on its lees (sur lie, on the label) and, as is also the case here, a little time in oak.

Still, the aromas of this 2015 are reticent. You’ll probably get citrus but you’ll need to work harder to get more. Mid gold is the colour and it’s quite attractive. All the work and care (including a light oaking and 9 months on lees) that has been lavished here, comes through on the palate with its superb texture. Excellent citrus flavours, the fruit rounded, and well balanced by a sprightly acidity.

For decades now, it has been the traditional accompaniment to seafood, especially in this corner of France, though it will do the job just as well in Ireland. An refreshing appetiser as well.

The Domaine de la Fessardiere has produced organic wine since 1997. Michel Sauvion the former winemaker, made this choice in order to increase the quality of its Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine wine and work closer to nature. In 2014, Jérôme & Emeline met Michel Sauvion.… As wine lovers, Jérôme and Emeline were seduced by the wine and Michel’s knowhow and they choose right away to keep producing wine following the organic method. Then, they decided to value the different parts and typicity of the land and the winery through a new range of Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine wines.

Made with love. You’ll love it! Highly Recommended.

And then you can check up on the other Muscadets in the range by the same producer, including the two below, recently reviewed here, also from Mary Pawle:

L’Air Innocent https://www.corkbilly.com/2019/04/lost-in-muscadet-vineyard-in-nantes-and.html

La Gloire De Nos Pères https://www.corkbilly.com/2020/11/a-french-red-and-white-each-very-highly.html

Volpi “Boira” Sangiovese Marche (IGT) 2019, 13%,\

€14.40 Mary Pawle Wines, Mannings Ballylickey and Little Green Grocer in Kilkenny

This charming Sangiovese, not from Tuscany but from Marche (between the central mountains and the east coast), has a lovely ruby colour. Aromas are intense, ripe red fruit, floral and herbal notes too. Flavours are just as bright and intense, full of red and darker fruit flavours, plus a hint of vanilla. Tannins are more or less silky. Dry and harmonious, the Boira has a lingering finish. 

An organic and vegan-friendly wine, it is ideal for the table. Try it with stewed meat and aged cheeses (winery tips); other suggestions include spaghetti bolognese, lamb shank and steak Milanese, Pappardelle pasta with a rabbit and porcini mushroom ragù, Fried chicken livers, Slow-roasted pork with white bean mash. 

Speaking of pork, I had a glass of it the other night with a dish from On the Pig’s Back: Broiled Marinated Pork Chop, Savoy cabbage, Fondant Potato and Mustard Sauce. An excellent match.

Highly Recommended. Very well priced too, by the way. 

Screw Cap and Cork. A masterclass from Tuscany by wine-maker Paolo De Marchi

Screw Cap and Cork. A masterclass from Tuscany by wine-maker Paolo De Marchi

Paolo De Marchi

Tuscan wine-maker Paolo De Marchi saw “the other side of the moon” in the early years of this century. He told us how that came about during yesterday's online masterclass.

Paolo, the owner of the superbly tended Isole e Olena vineyards in Tuscany, has a tendency to see what’s hidden - once he dug holes “everywhere” with a back-hoe to see what the roots of his vines were doing down there. So it was no surprise that when Liberty’s David Gleave MW asked him to start using screw cap on some of his wines that Paolo went into the subject in deep detail.

His initial answer though was negative. “I said not ever!”  But, he decided to try. “The DOCG though does not allow screw cap, it was not easy decision. I have to go deeper, to the moon, to imagine the other side. There may be other answers, so I try.”

It worked out well though. From 2005, the Liberty allocation of Cepparello, with screw cap but without the DOCG of course, went off to the UK and then, not over surprisingly, Australia wanted 100% screw cap. And New Zealand followed.

Clare Valley’s Tim Adams attended a 2010 event in Cork’s Blackrock Castle and his bottles that night were all screw cap. Tim and his neighbouring winemakers went for this method of closure in the late 1990s and are very happy with it. “But we are still learning...the process of evaluation is long term... could go on for 20 years”. They are well into that now!

As indeed is Paolo. And Paolo is better placed to speak on the merits of screw cap versus cork as he also bottles the Cepparello under cork for Italy, for Italian restaurants abroad, for long established importers in the UK and also for the USA. “Screw cap is more popular on white wines… every year increasing.”

“Twelve vintages now we have screw cap. Very hard to choose.” But he did indicate that the best wine you’ll ever drink will be from cork, indicated also that screw cap wines are excellent and more consistently so.

“Cork is always a mystery. Screw cap is less of a mystery - just check for physical damage to the closure, maybe a little shock on the cap. But I still prefer the wine from the cork,” and then he smiles, “from a good cork”.

As they age, he maintains both will be beautiful if different. “But that’s a minor problem. When you have a beautiful wine, enjoy it.”

David Gleave agreed. “You’re right, either way there’s diversity (diversity even within cork). Besides, corks are getting better but my personal preference is for screw cap. The tannins evolve a little more slowly. It is more consistent and Cepparello is well suited” Paolo, by the way, also does a superb Chardonnay under screw cap.

The Portuguese cork makers did up their act after the turn of the century shock from down under.  Back in 2013 in L’Atitude 51, Philip Grant of Chateau Bellevue la Foret, Fronton AOC, said he had noted a major improvement in the traditional closure since 2001 “when the Portuguese cork industry reacted to the enormous pressure they was coming under from the emergence of the screw cap as the favourite closure of Australia and other wine producing countries”.

Philip insisted that consistency is guaranteed under screw cap. He had very little to say in favour of the synthetic cork, beyond indicating that it may be useful for wines that are intended for a very limited shelf life and he meant months!

Paolo of course had an opinion. ”I don’t like DIAM - a wannabe cork!” The synthetic Noma though is “more interesting” and he might take a look at that.

Just to finish with a note or two on the Cepparello (first released in 1980). This is a Chianti Classico - it will be on the label if you buy the cork version, won’t be there if you buy screw cap. The grapes are grown on the estate which is right in the heart of Chianti Classico between Florence and Siena. It is a blend of Sangiovese 80%, Canaiolo 15% and Syrah 5%.

Why Syrah? That was a popular question during the Question and Answer session that followed Paolo’s talk. No hesitation from Paolo. “Syrah, because it ripens well, adds colour and spice, and blends very well with Sangiovese.”

Lots of other questions too for Paolo before he could take a break but I didn’t get the tail-end as my connection began to act up. Looking forward to the next masterclass from Liberty Wines and their team!

All pictures above are screenshots from the masterclass.

Two Outstanding Reds from Yecla and Valpolicella

Two Outstanding Reds despite contrasting growing seasons in Yecla and Valpolicella

Drought was a regular feature in Spain’s Yecla in 2016, resulting in very low yields, but that in turn led to increased concentration in the Monastrell grapes. No complaints about the season in Valpolicella in north east Italy and the results were excellent. Here, the wine-maker availed of a version of the Ripasso method to enhance concentration. And so we have two excellent reds for you to enjoy.

Bodegas Castano “Hécula” Monastrell Yecla (DO) 2016, 14%, €17.99

Baggot Street Wines; McHugh’s Off Licence; Red Island Wine Co Ltd; World Wide Wines; Martins Off Licence; JJ O’Driscoll; The Wine Centre; Drink Store; Clontarf Wines; Fresh The Good Food Market; wineonline.ie

Just a few info bits and pieces for you…

“Hécula” is the name of the wine and it is produced by the Castano family from the Monastrell grape in Yecla ( a small wine DO in the north of Murcia, about an hour inland from Alicante). The grape is known as Mourvedre in France and the fruit used here is from 40-year old vines.

Dark intense ruby, legs slow to clear. Inviting aromas of blueberry and raspberry. Not at all shy on the palate, soft and elegant with fresh juicy raspberry flavours, a hint of the oak too, quite concentrated. A long and substantial finish. This wonderfully harmonious wine is Very Highly Recommended.

Drought was a regular feature in Yecla in 2016, resulting in very low yields and that probably accounts for the extra concentration of flavour. After fermentation, the wine was aged for six months in oak barrels of which 50% were new. The oak used was 80% French and 20% American. It is untreated and unfiltered so you expect to see some sediment. It may be best to decant. I didn’t take my own advice but, as it happened, there was no sediment.

Pic via Allegrini Facebook

Allegrini Palazzo Della Torre Rosso Veronese (IGT) 2016,  13.5%, €27.99

Clontarf Wines; 64 Wine; Blackrock Cellar; McHugh’s Off Licence - Malahide Road; Mitchell & Son Wine Merchants; Thomas`s of Foxrock; Jus de Vine; Whelehans Wines; Drink Store; Seamus Foley T/A Cashel Wine Cellar; Red Nose Wine Ltd; La Touche Wines 4U; Martins Off Licence; Wineonline.ie

Mid to dark ruby is the colour of this blend of 70% Corvina/Corvinone, 25% Rondinella, 5% Sangiovese. Quite aromatic with cherry prominent and some scents too of chocolate/coffee. Juicy and darkly flavoursome, velvety smooth with refreshing acidity. Harmonious all the way with silky tannins in a long and richly satisfying finish. 

Back in 2002 when Vino Italiano was first published, its authors described  Allegrini as one of the biggest names in Valpolicella. They added: “the value-priced Palazzo della Torre (which includes 30% dried grapes) is a fruity and fun Valpolicella with more meat than most.” Still holds true today and this 2016 is Very Highly Recommended.

The Modern History of Italian Wine praises the “fruit philosophy” of the Allegrinis, first espoused by Giovanni, “a true innovator of the 1960s”, a philosophy based on preserving the fruit from the vine to the bottle.  They are based in Fumane, with Lake Garda about 20 minutes to the west and Verona less than 30 to the southeast.

Nowadays Franco Allegrini (of the new generation) uses the modern version of the traditional 'ripasso' technique for Palazzo della Torre, drying a proportion of the grapes in the 'Terre di Fumane' drying centre, to intensify “the character of this vineyard”. And, the 2016 season and the result here “was one of the best ever, outstanding for its great balance and elegance”.

Palazzo della Torre pairs effortlessly with various Italian dishes, above all risottos, especially those flavoured with saffron, porcini mushrooms and pork; classic dishes such as pasta with Amatriciana and Carbonara sauces, baked lasagna, gnocchi with gorgonzola cheese and walnuts; grilled meats and roasts. It also excels when matched with Parma ham and fine-cured Zibello pork loin, as well as medium-matured cheeses, especially Parmigiano Reggiano (Parmesan), Pecorino and Monte Veronese. Anything Italian by the looks of it!

Three wines to enjoy from Tuscany

Three wines to enjoy from Tuscany

Terrabianca Chianti Classico Riserva Croce (DOCG) Riserva 2012, 13.5%, €25.75 Karwig Wines 

Colour is a beautiful ruby red. Aromas of ripe cherry. Superb fruit on the palate, sweet juicy cherry, touch of pepper, terrific structure, good acidity and satisfyingly long fruit-driven finish. Very Highly Recommended.

This is 97% Sangiovese with 3% Canaiolo. The grapes are selected at the winery before being approved for separate vinification in stainless steel tanks at a controlled temperature. Ageing: Aged in Slavonian oak (50 hectolitre), then about 3 months in French oak barrique (2nd use) and in bottle for at least 12 months. 

Serving Suggestions: Best served at 16-18 °C (60.8-64.4 °F). Pairs well with pasta dishes.

Selvapiana Chianti Rufina (DOCG) 2015, 13.5%, €23.99 JJ O’Driscoll’s Cork, Wine OnLine, Liberty Wines 

Rufina is a highly regarded sub-zone in Chianti and its best wines are a match, some more than a match, for those from Chianti Classico. This producer is one of the best and produces the wine from the area’s famous Sangiovese grape (with a touch of Canaiolo). It is aged for 12 months, some in steel but most in oak casks and barriques.

It is a startlingly light red. Cherry and berry on the nose. Fresh and juicy on the palate, quite a backbone of flavour, smooth though and easy drinking but also generously blessed with finesse. Elegant and precise and with a long finish, this Chianti Rufina is Very Highly Recommended, especially if you like the lighter styles.

Camillo Ciliegiolo Maremma Toscana (DOC)  2015, 13.5%, €18.85 64 Wine Dublin, Bradley’s of Cork, Greenman Dublin, Le Caveau Kilkenny

This is made from organically grown, forty year old Ciliegiolo vines. Ciliegiolo? I hear you ask. I asked too and confirmed it is little known with an uncertain genealogy, being either the parent or offspring of Sangiovese. 

Antonio Camillo is noted as a top grower in Maremma (an area of southern Tuscany that has been producing wines since the Etruscans) by none other than Oz Clark in Grapes and Wines.

The book, co-written with Margaret Rand, says Ciliegiolo (little cherry) “is sometimes bottled as a varietal, and it can be found as far south as Sicily and as far north as Val d’Aosta.”

The Camillo version is a bright mid-ruby in colour, the aromas a mix of cherry and berry. Refreshing ripe cherry fruit, some spice also, good acidity and persistent fine-grain tannins all in the dry finish. Good structure, very drinkable and Highly Recommended. Try, they say, with hearty dishes (stews) and hard cheeses.

Three Excellent Reds From Karwigs

Teruzzi Puthod Peperino Toscano (IGT) 2014, 13.5%, €19.35 Karwig Wines

From the heart of Tuscany comes this deep-ruby wine. Fragrant for sure, all the way through to the end. In between, you’ll find it well-balanced and satisfying on the palate, tannins assertive, spice much less so. A very pleasant amalgam indeed and Highly Recommended. They also make a lovely white Vernaccia.

The grapes in this blend of Sangiovese and Merlot are grown on the little hills around San Gimignano, well-known for its medieval towers, including the Torre Grossa. Well-known too for its ice-cream which is certainly very good. What I didn't fancy very much was the cappuccino I got in the lovely old Piazza della Cisterna. The wine spends 8 months in barriques, 10% new, and  they say it’s fine for meats and cheeses.

Cà Vittoria Apassimento Gold Release Puglia (IGT) 2015, 14.5%, €16.95 Karwig

Late ripening and then the harvest is followed by a period of drying in trays. When the grapes are close to being raisins, the wine is made. This Appassimento process increases fruit concentration but leaves enough acidity to balance the rich fruit. Grapes used in this bottle are Negroamaro (60%),  Merlot (25%) and Primitivo (15%).

Gold Release may refer to the fact that this mid-purple coloured wine from Puglia in the south of Italy (the heel) has won a few awards. The aromas, like the colour, are intense, mainly plum, hints of sweetness. 

And that fruit concentration, typical of appassimento, is immediately obvious on the palate, that sweetness too. But there is indeed enough acidity to balance; the tannins still grippy. Overall, a pleasant easy-drinking wine. Highly Recommended.

Chateau La Bastide L’Optimée Corbieres (AOP) 2012, 14%, €19.25 Karwig

This is a blend of 80% Syrah and 20% Grenache and has spent some 12 months in Bordelaise barriques. Recommended serving temperature is 16-17 degrees. 

It has a dark red colour, slightly lighter at the rim. Quite an intense red fruit aroma, plus a bit of spice. Intense too on the palate, dark fruit and spice again, ripe round tannins and a long lingering finish. A very pleasant wine indeed and, like earlier editions, Very Highly Recommended. 

The Velenosi of the Marche

When Angela Piotti Velenosi and her husband founded their winery in 1984, cooperative wineries and bulk wine reigned in her local area of the Marches and Piceno. They started with just five hectares. Three decades later, the vineyards stretch to 105 hectares and produce 2.5 millions bottles, “of which a large share is exported to five continents”. Quite a lot it makes its way here to Ireland and Karwigs have quite a selection.

Velenosi Villa Angela Passerina, Marche (IGT) 2013, 12.5%, €16.70 Karwig Wines

Passerina, according to Wikipedia, is both a rare local white grape that is found in the Marche and a DOC for wines of the same name. It has large berries, high yields and a long ripening period. It makes appealing wines with clear, focused fruit.

Not a bad summation at all of this Highly Recommended wine. It has a rather rich straw colour. And there’s a mix of fruity and floral notes in the intense aromas. The palate is soft and fresh. Acidity is excellent and the finish is persistent.

Velenosi Brecciarolo Gold Rosso Piceno (DOC) Superiore 2012, 13.5%, €20.95 Karwig Wines

This is a blend of Montepulciano (mainly, c. 70%) and Sangiovese, It has been matured for c.24 months in new barrels.  Brecciarolo refers to broken stones, typical of soil in the area.

The colour is violet and the aromas (mainly of red fruit, especially cherries) are pretty intense. No shortage of strong flavours, spice is pretty prominent too, a refreshing acidity and it finishes well too. Warm, soft and harmonious, well balanced. Highly Recommended.

Velenosi Brecciarolo Rosso Piceno (DOC) Superiore 2014, 13.5%, €16.50 Karwig Wines

Just like the Gold, this is a blend of Montepulciano (70%) and Sangiovese. After fermentation, the wine “is channelled into second-fill barriques where wines for the production of Roggio and Ludi had been kept the previous year.

Colour is ruby with tints of garnet. There are rather intense red fruit aromas and a little vanilla there too. Warm and juicy on the palate, the red fruit flavours are well delivered, some spice too. One of those mouth-friendly wines, easy drinking, easy to like and Highly Recommended.

* By the way, Velenosi produce quite a range, including a delicious sweet wine. It is a favourite in this house and you may check it out here.

See also (from current Italian series):

Fontanafredda. Important Player in Italian Wine
Two Amazing Whites from Italy.

Wines of Italy's Marche

In the Heart of Chianti

From the Islands

Pighin's "Grave wines are bargains". Good too!

Sweet Favourite of the Romans. Still Going Strong.

Barolo and Amarone. Two Italians Worth Knowing

Puglia: Cool Wines From The Hot Heel Of Italy.

Montepulciano and Montepulciano confusion!
Pinot Grigio, one of the most popular grapes.
Wines from the Alps