Browse Tag

italy

TN: Bass, baritone, alto, tenor

[vineyard]Aldo Conterno 1999 Langhe “Quartetto” (Piedmont) – Nebbiolo, barbera, cabernet sauvignon and merlot. Dense, structured, heavy and a little tedious. Graceful nebbiolo aromatics dance above the surface, but beneath are thick, somewhat anonymous black cherry, chocolate, thyme, toast and tar solids. The wine doesn’t lack acidity, but it seems unintegrated. As internationalized wines go, this is a good one. But I suspect the nebbiolo alone would have been better. (5/07)

TN: Sanct for the memories

[label]St. Michael-Eppan “Sanct Valentin” 2002 Sauvignon Blanc (Alto Adige) – Pure essence of sauvignon in all its green-hued glory. Torqued, Kermity and strong, with a mineral undercurrent and a biting skin-abraded finish. Classic. (5/07)

TN: A tortured classic

[label]Allegrini 2004 Valpolicella Classico (Veneto) – Raw, whip-slash fruit, angry and unaccommodating, showing a fierce, acid-soured midpalate and greenish tannin scars on the finish. This used to be a pleasant little wine, but it appears to have undergone a stay at Hotel Abu Ghraib. (5/07)

TN: On the Lam(brusco)

Gibellini “Tenuta Pederzana” 2005 Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro (Emilia-Romagna) – Dark plum residue with a dried berry, slightly tar-like aggression. The bubbles have coalesced to a rough, choppy roll, and this wine is a little fierce in a very small way. Interesting. (4/07)

TN: Ruché & roll

cascina ‘tavijn 2004 Ruché di Castagnole Monferrato (Piedmont) – I’ve had problematic experiences with this wine, but here’s one of the good ones: lurid red fruit with exotic spice and candy aromas intertwined, tuna jerky and an acid-to-the-fore finish. Pleasurable with food, a little bizarre without. (4/07)

TN: Sella few

Sella & Mosca 2003 Cannonau di Sardegna “Riserva” (Sardinia) – Bright, soda-splash red fruit with stripes of light coconut toast and a friendly, obvious appeal. Surprisingly light for an ’03, and while it’s somewhat commercial and simplistic, it can’t really be criticized for its inherent qualities. (4/07)

TN: Monaci Bellucci

Feudo Monaci 2003 Salice Salentino (Apulia) – Thudding, dead and twisted into itself, showing baked fruit, overheated alcohol and a completely absent sense of self. Actively unpleasant. (5/07)

TN: Valentin’s day

[vineyard]St. Michael-Eppan “Sanct Valentin” 2004 Sauvignon Blanc (Alto Adige) – Grass over rocks, with a firm structure dominating whitewashed fruit of balanced, subtle ripeness. The finish is persistent and columnar. Eminently solid. (4/07)

TN: Little weisshauses for you & me

[soil]Colterenzio “Prædium” 2005 Pinot Bianco Weisshaus (Alto Adige) – Stones, water, rocks, sun and gravel, with only the faintest hint of lime-flavored tonic to intrude on the geologic exhibit. Despite all this minerality, it’s somewhat soft on the midpalate. Call it Minerality Lite. (4/07)