Classic Italian Wine Tasting

Notes from a recent wine tasting - one of the best I have ever been at...

We started with Ferrari Perle 2001 Methode Champenoise Italian sparkler from Trentino - traditionally considered Italy's best sparkling wine and it was a lovely creamy mouthful with yeasty characteristics - not quite krug but v. tasty nonetheless. Next up were two Fruili reds donated to us by Enrico Fantasia of Sheridans (interesting wine selection in Sheridans btw - check out the lovely wine bar and pub if you are in Galway). These wines are from a small family run winery -
Vignai da Duline Schioppettino - light, pinot like obscure Italian grape from the region. good flavours but a little shorter than we hoped.
Vignai da Duline Viburnum - earthier, largely merlot based wine. Soft and rich with subtle cherry tones.

Then the real deal began - Fontodi Reserva del Sorbo 2003 - from Eric's cellar but imported by Liberty so should be around. Ripe cherry, fine complex chianti - muscular lingering wine - sangiovese with balls.
To compare we had a well reputed Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and the original Brunelo di Montalcino from Biondi Santi 2001 (both from my cellar - gifts from our Italian Student last year). Biondi Santi more or less made the reputation of the region but their wines have been a little eclipsed by the stars promoted by Parker and Wine Spectator. nevertheless the estate is back on form by most accounts and this had a lovely chocolate and fruitcake nose with deep colour, ripe tannins and a solid dense fruit structure and above all elegance. a keeper.
Romeo Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Reserva 2001 - the basic one is 40 euro in Berry Bros so this presumably costs much more. this was the favourite of most of us with an open attractive nose of ripe fruit - cherries, strawberries and plums - lingering intense but open fruit flavours on the palate - very drinkable.
At this stage the Pizzas had been collected from Bellagio in Terenure - simple italian thin pizzas with lots of organic rocket and italian sausages on top. - beats cheese and crackers anyday!!

Last flight was Gaja Barbaresco 2003, and Moscarello Monprivado Barolo 1998 and Luciano Sandrone Nebbiolo d'Alba (sadly corked but good fruit still evident). The Moscarello was lighter in texture than the earlier wines (as we would expect) - in musical terms a vibrato - light but very intense and lingering. Velvet and steel. The Gaja was a revelation with a beautiful candy floss and violets nose, sweet ripe fruit on the attack but elegant delicate fruit and soft tannins on the middle palate and lingering lingering floral and fruit notes on the finish. We have had Gajas at the club before and they have been nice but I dont remember them being this nice. maybe it was the pizza and the fact that we were just 6 people with all this wine in front of us but it seemed at this point we were drinking some of the finest wines known to humanity!! Finally we finished with a bottle of Vin Santo from Agricola San Giovanni - from Eric's cellar - a gift from some close friend's family estate. this was about ten levels better than any vin santo I have tasted before with lovely delicate honey and apricot notes and lingering floral tones. delicious stuff.

anyway you should have been there....