Browse Tag

veneto

Torcolato numbers

Maculan 1998 Breganze Torcolato (Veneto) – Takes a while to get going, but when it does, it shows metal-sheathed peach, pear, apricot, and pineapple doused with sweet, spicy syrup. The minerality and spice come ever more to the fore as the fruit recedes, there’s fine acidity, and the finish is very, very long. Perfectly mature, I’d say, though my individual preferences are for this wine with just a bit more cream, and thus a year or two younger. It’s very hard to deny in its present form, however, and it is far better than all but the best Sauternes at parallel stages in their development. (8/08)

Saturday Night Fever

[vineyard]Pratello 2006 Garda Classico Groppello “Discobolo” (Veneto) – Spoofy Garda? That’s what it seems to be, anyway, with tortured fruit of great tartness forced to wear a tuxedo and dark, dark makeup. One might even call it blackface. This wine is a struggle from bottle to gullet, and not for one moment is it enjoyable. (6/08)

Euganeics

VR dei Colli Euganei Prosecco Spumante “Extra Dry” (Veneto) – Overly-buffed yet sharp at the core, and somewhat flavorless. An essentially meaningless wine. (5/08)

"Bebe" Raboso

Raboso Piave (Veneto) – Polished but still close to the earth, with red fruit on the ground, herbs, and a vibrant, complex finish. Really good. On this one, I get a hint of the producer as the bottle is wielded in front of me…something with multiple leading Ms. Yeah, that’s helpful. (10/07)

Hagia Sofia

Santa Sofia 2006 Soave Classico Montefoscarino (Veneto) – Clear and light, with a perfumed nose that veers a little too close to grandmother-ish bath soap for my tastes. The core is also a little watery. It’s pleasant, and it washes down a wide range of foods with unobtrusive aplomb, but it makes no clear statement of its own. Not even a whispered one. (10/07)

Five

Quintarelli 1998 Valpolicella Classico “Superiore” (Veneto) – Concentrated and dense. Black licorice, strawberry, black cherry, and a solid, graphite-textured structure. Gorgeous but still fairly repressed; this isn’t done going wherever it’s going. (2/08)

Into the fire

dal Forno Romano 2002 Valpolicella “Superiore” (Veneto) – Fabric softener texture and aroma. Dense, hard, and absolutely no fun at all. Red licorice dominates the finish. This is pretty awful. Thankfully, it’s neither famous nor expensive. Oh, wait… (2/08)

Capitel building

Anselmi 2004 Capitel Foscarino (Veneto) – Sulfurous and tight, but pretty nonetheless. Grapey, with lovely, floral fruit. The finish is short, and has some dry botrytis-like characteristics. Overall, the effect is a little odd. What’s going on at this property? (2/08)

Bay Area Rapid Transit

[bottle]B. Bartolomeo da Breganze 2000 Breganze Torcolato (Veneto) – 500 ml. Tastes thirty years old, possibly due to a dried-out cork, but I have noticed that even the fantastic Maculan Torcolato is probably best in its exuberant youth. Were this a thirty-year wine, it would be pretty good, showing makrut lime, maraschino cherry, and a sine wave of extreme sweetness. At its young age, however, it’s a little disappointing. (10/07)