Wine of the Week

Wine of the Week

 

Feudi di San Gregorio Sannio Falanghina DOC 2010

Having tasted quite a few of the San Gregorio wines recently I've been heartily impressed with them all. Their Aglianico red wines and sparkling wine are well worth buying but this wine from the variety Falanghina takes the trophy of most enjoyable.

Nevermind the long and confusing name. This is one of the most lovely white wines I've tasted in a long time. Textural, vibrant, floral and layered. This wine would be at home at a picnic or paired with the finest fish/white meat dish you could muster!

If you've never taste Falanghina before do yourself a favour!

$47ea

All The Pinots Tasting @ Mezzo 25/08/12

Some of All The Pinots.

Given there has been some glimpses of Spring Silvio and I thought we'd celebrate with a tasting of All The Pinots. Well, we got most of them. Blanc, Gris, Noir, Meunier in various wine guises including sparkling, white, red and sweet.

With somewhat Spring like weather, Mezzo's wonderful canapes and a room full of eager Pinot lovers we commenced the tasting. You can see my notes on the Pinot family and order form here.

Pinot Blanc from North Eastern Italy.

Overall it was a great tasting with some lovely wines. The general theme that linked all the wines together was the textural complexity that all the wines had and the elegance - everything in moderation and harmony. This made these wines almost too drinkable especially when paired with the food. Lucky the tasting only went for 1.5 hours!

First Pinot of the bunch was Chanter's Ridge Sparkling Pinot Noir from Macedon. A beautiful expression of Pinot's cherry, rose petal and red berry fruits. Plenty of depth and nice structure and quite dry. A great fizzy and refreshing way to kick off the tasting. A great wine for starting a meal.

The next Pinot we picked was Cantina Valle Isarco Pinot Bianco DOC 2011. Flying the flag for Pinot Blanc or Weissburgunder as it is labelled. The most shy and reserved of all the wines, it showed floral notes, pears and a hint of spice and mineral. It did have a wonderful mouthfeel and really sang when I could flag down some of Mezzo's canapes. A brilliant wine for matching with shellfish, white meats and creamier pasta and risotto dishes.



Trimbach was amazing!

To complete the whites we had two Pinot Gris/Grigio wines. Both being the same grape variety but showing the stylistic differences it can achieve. Celestial Avenue 2010 was light, fresh and simple with pears, and a hint of stonefruit, citrus and a doughy note. Celestial is perfect for chilling down and drinking in the warm weather with or without food. Trimbach Reserve 2007 was another story altogether. A lot of depth, concentration and complexity. Trimbach showed a lot more fruit complexity, perfume and minerality at the core. The mouthfeel was divine and despite its concentration it was very clean and savoury on the finish. Yum! Suited to many styles of food I do have fond memories of a fun night eating chilli crab and Trimbach Pinot Gris.


Star of the show?

The reds started with the wonderful Pegeric Pinot Noir 2008. A celebration of Pinot's lovely savoury side, plenty of wet earth and undergrowth to balance the primary red fruits and floral characters. It has great texture and silk on the palate, it was by far my favourite of the wines. Not sure if it will get better in the bottle but there is no need to find out when it drinks so well now. This would match well with gamey dishes like Mezzo's wild boar ravioli, lighter red and white meat dishes or nothing at all. Clearly I wasn't the only fan as it sold well and Paul from Pinot Post couldn't wait to feature it on his blog.

The second red was an Australian classic, Best's Pinot Meunier 2011. This wine was from their young vines and was lovely for its simple, red fruits, floral notes and crisp, crunchy palate. I am not an expert on varietal still red wines made from Meunier but this is guaranteed to charm any Pinot lover! Easy drinking on its own or with light meals, could even be served a bit chilled in the warmer months.
The final wine of the tasting was Pegeric's Late Picked Pinot Noir 2008. It was interesting watching people reaction when the wine wasn't golden in colour or cloying in taste. It was late picked in the   proper sense meaning that it was before botrytis set in so the wine is still delicate, perfumed and refreshing with only a hint of sweetness that is well balanced by the other characters in the wine. This was delicious drink that would pair well with fresh fruits and lighter style deserts.

Next month there will be no tasting as there is some sort of pagan celebration on the last Saturday of September. However October will see us showing the very best of Sparkling wines from around the world to celebrate Spring. Email me to be kept up-to-date.

Also keep an eye out for Mezzo's Northern Italy Dinner. Silvio and his team will take you on a journey through the food and wines of this beautiful part of the world.With four courses and 10 wines you guaranteed to have a good time. Email Silvio for more information.

Italian Varieties in Australia Tasting @ Mezzo Restaurant 28/07/12



The place to be on this cold afternoon.

Having done quite a focus on Italian wines over the last few months, I thought it was time to bring it closer to home and show some Australian interpretations of Italian varieties. Teaming up with Silvio at Mezzo Restaurant we selected seven wines from interesting Australian producers making excellent examples of Italian varietals. The team at Mezzo put on a spectacular spread of food and so all we needed is some willing participants! On a cold and rainy Melbourne afternoon we were warm inside Mezzo munching on amazing wild boar ragu, mussells, arancini and salmon tartare and sipping on some Australian wine gems.
You can see the notes I made for the tasting and if you are keen the order form is here.

The challenge for those who attended.

Three whites and four reds was the assignment. We started off with a new wine from the Chalmers Heathcote Vineyard Montevecchio Bianco 2011. A field blend of Vermentino, Fiano and Moscato Giallo this wine was crisp, clean and dry with nice amount of yellow fruits, floral notes, grapiness and citrus. Perfect for uncomplicated but satisfying drinking. Next up was Mac Forbes Arneis 2010. From the Yarra Valley, this Arneis showed all the hallmarks of great examples of the style; lovely aromatics, textural mouthfeel and clean finishing. It was very hard to have just one glass of this wine (luckily I got to take home the 'dregs'). The final white was the Freeman Fortuna Pinot Gris Plus 2010 a wine that manages to straddle the rich and textural side of Gris while avoiding oily/cloying characters. Melons, grapes, fleshy stone fruits and a nice hint of spice. The addition of small amounts of Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Aleatico seem to be a masterstroke!


Me (Phil) setting up. So much romantic screwcap crackle!

While the whites were well received the red bracket was definitely the favourite of those who attended. We tasted Montevecchio Rosso 2011, also from Chalmers' Heathcote vineyard this was a field blend, containing Shiraz (yes there is some Shiraz in Italy), Lagrein, Nero d'Avola and Sagrantino. It was spicy, red fruited, mid weight and a hint savoury. Nice easy drinking and really showed well for the price. Staying  in Heathcote we tasted Greenstone Rosso di Colbo Sangiovese 2011. The Greenstone story is fascinating to hear but the wines are just delicious! This is their entry level Sangio and it had all of the cherry, earthy and hint of meat and oak characters with the clean and dry elements celebrated in Chianti. This is an excellent wine! Building up in weight we went to Freeman Secco 2008, made in the style of Valpolicella and Amarone this uses Rondinella and Corvina grapes that are run through a prune dehydrator to concentrate the flavours (Amarone use an air drying process to achieve a similar result). There was plenty of red and blue fruits, a full weight in the mouth but a nice freshness and great balance with the acid and tannin elements and a dry finish. Finally we had a variety that I think has a lot of potential for Australia Beach Road Aglianico 2010. Beach Rd make a great range of Italian varieties from Langhorne Creek and McLaren Vale, This is one of their best (in my opinion). I've recently been getting excited by Aglianico and this offers a lot of their big red and black fruit, leather notes, spice and a herbal edge. Nice palate length and very drinkable.

This is one of the most interesting tasting I've hosted as all these wines were so different from what we normally taste in Australia. There was almost a dead heat between the last three reds for most popular wine with Mac Forbes Arneis following close behind. Thanks to those that came out and hopefully we can top this tasting next month.

A Tale of Two Regions: Piedmont at Chianti Tasting 30/06/12

Mezzo in all its glory

Yep, it has been a busy week and very much focussed on Italian wines, it has been fun and informative.

On Saturday TWD teamed up with Mezzo Restaurant to host a tasting that featured wines from two of Italy's premier red wine producing regions. Piedmont – the foggy, hilly region in the North West and the centrally located Chianti which has captivated wine lovers for many years. It was a free event that saw us taste six wines that represented the regions.

Farnetella - My favourite of the Chianti wines.

From Chianti we had a lovely progression that featured an entry level IGT wine Il Corzanello 10 - a blend of Sangiovese with Cabernet and a hint of Merlot. This wine showed some nice juicy red berry fruit, mid-weight palate and generous flavours. It really highlighted the fantastic savoury and clean nature of Sangio with the plump and vibrant Cabernet. Next we had a fantastic wine from just South West of Chianti Classico being Farnetella 2009 from Chianti Colli Senesi. This is my sort of wine. 95% Sangiovese with a little bit of Merlot this is dry, savoury, clean, refreshing, elegant and with just a hint of dry tannins on the finish. This wine is really drinkable and the sort of wine that sees you finishing the bottle and looking for a second before you realise. The third wine from the line up was Rocca di Montegrossi Chianti Classico 09. This was quite well received at TWDs recent Chianti dinner and showed the Chianti Classic style really well. A bit more flesh and vibrancy than the Farnetella but still having that savoury, cleansing charm that is the hallmark of great Sangio. The journey from entry to Chianti Classico was great fun. Check out the dinner notes to see where the next stops on the journey take you. Mmmmm Brunello!

My wine of the day. I do love Barbaresco.

Next we switched to wines from Piedmont. Some of these we had already featured at TWD's Piedmont Dinner. First up we had the delicious Brezza Dolcetto d'Alba 2008. There is a lot to love about Dolcetto, it is fruity and aromatic with a savoury and structured palate. It goes great with slow cooked meals in winter! Brezza is a seriously good producer of Piedmont wines and this was a highlight. After Dolcetto we tasted the seriously amazing Produttori del Barbaresco DOCG 2007. I've recently tasted a range of their single cru wines. This was my favourite wine of the day but it was also the youngest and most ungiving. I had more than a few people almost choke on their wine when I suggested it needed another 15-20 years. Even after they confirmed I said 15-20 I think they still thought I was pulling their legs. I think Barbaresco (and its close cousin Barolo) are some of the best wines in the world and should be part of everyone's cellar. And of course, if you are tasting Piedmont wines you have to have Moscato. Patrizi Moscato d'Asti is one of the best because it is so clean and fresh with nice light bubbles that dance on your tongue. This is a wine of balance and charm not overt sweetness.

Of course all of these wines are available for sale if you are keen to taste them. And if this sounded like fun, TWD and Mezzo should be teaming up regularly for tastings of this style. Email me for more information

Barbaresco Dinner at Mezzo 02/07/12

That is right folks, it has been an Italian-a-thon in my tasting circles. But far out it has been a great adventure. This was my third Italian wine event in a week and while I was a bit tired, my enthusiasm for their wines is as strong as ever.

This dinner revolved around the 2001 vintage of Produttori del Barbaresco. Last month we tasted a range of their magnificent 2007s at Matteo's.

2001 was an excellent vintage in Barbaresco and we were all keen to see if an extra six years meant the wines were softer and more seductive.

The short answer is not yet. Like the 2007s they were tannic, acidic and chewy. But they did possess an impressive core of densely packed fruit. They just need a lot of time. And by that I mean 15 or more years. Which for some people is a scary prospect. Which is why you have to start your cellar when you are young.

We had quite a long chat about the value of the wines and if people would be willing to cellar them. The consensus was no. Because people are not sure the wines will come around. I love these wines and feel they are as good if not better than a lot of Bordeaux and Burgundy. They are also significantly better value in my humble opinion.  

So the challange has been laid on Patrick to find some really lovely older examples to prove just how good these wines are at their peak.

Until then I can reminisce about the good times I had with these wines.


A likely looking lot. This was all the 2001s we tasted with 2007 'minders'

Charles Orban Blanc de Blancs NV A lovely, fresh, clean and crisp Champagne that went perfectly with yummy oysters from Merrimbula and my favourite Mezzo starter arancini balls.

The six wines from Producttori del Barbaresco we tasted below were all from 2001. Patrick put them in order from most elegant to the beefiest (that is an authentic wine term!). These were all dry and savoury wines with long and clean acidity and hefty tannins. They were all so young and vibrant but tightly packed.

Barbaresco Riserva DOCG 'Moccagatta' Red, currants, stoney, hint of rubber and spice. The palate was spicy, with hints of oak, pepper, rocket and brilliant length. Definitely the lightest of the line up in terms of weight and tannin intensity but probably one of the best balanced.

Barbaresco Riserva DOCG 'Rabaja' Oxy dark berries, olives and a hint of oyster shell. This wine was a bit shy at first but eventually jumped out of the glass and was one of the favourites of the night. The palate was beautifully sweet with red fruits, floral - rose petal notes. Very long and refined. This was a pleasure to drink.


The sleek and sexy wine. It was lovely drinking.

Barbaresco Riserva DOCG 'Pora' This wine had the most overt nose. Cardomom, floral/roses, aniseed, smoke/flint and jubey fruit. In the mouth it was dark, smokey/flinty/stoney, very long, vibrantly fruited on the finish and firmly acidic. This was the most complete and the best balanced of the wines. It really showed well on the night and was my favourite for drinking. 

Barbaresco Riserva DOCG 'Asili' Initially this was my favourite wine. It showed lovely dense smoke, dark fruits, plums and toasty/spicy oak notes. The palate showed red and jube like fruits, tea leaf and was long and dense. But as the night wore on it became apparrent this wine was suffering from cork taint and by the end of the night it was definitively corked. Shame because this was the third vintage I had tried of this wine and the previous two were awesome. This will require re-tasting because it had so much potential!

Barbaresco Riserva DOCG 'Ovello' This guy was a monster. Dark, earthy, dense with a hint of grapeyness. The palate was the tightest, most tannic and muscular. Great if you want to put a wine away from 25 or more years but once the food was gone it was pretty hard work to drink now.

Barbaresco Riserva DOCG 'Montestefano' It was almost perceptible the minute I sat at the table but this wine was so corked that it was DNPIM (Did Not Put In Mouth) and everyone was subtly pushing their glass as far away from themselves as they could. Stupid cork. Such an attention seeker!


Not sure why I always end up with bottles in front of me...

Seppeltsfield Rare Tokay In a break from two traditions we had no mystery wine and didn't have a Port. I have to say I missed the mystery wine experience sorely. However I was happy to be drinking such a classy fortified. Rich, silky, dense with lots of layers for flavours. This sort of wine really needs a nice hunk of blue cheese though, as I find the sweetness gets a bit much for my savoury obsessed palate.

As we were leaving Mezzo's owner Silvio gave me a taste of a mellow, elegant and vibrant Willows Cabernet 2002 and a caramel, stoney fruity and mid-weight Moss Wood Chardonnay 2010.  Not a bad job if you can get it.

Chianti Dinner and Masterclass at Scopri 26/06/12

This was only the second dinner I hosted for the The Wine Depository so there was a lot of fussing to make sure I was on top of everything. I wonder if Led Zeppelin felt this much tension for their second outing?
Luckily I had a team of seasoned veterans around me who made everything run smoothly. They being Alison and Anthony at Scopri and Michael Trembath of Trembath and Taylor, wine importer and Italian wine encyclopedia.

This event was flagged at the end of my first dinner featuring Piedmont and Michael and I nutted it out over a glass or two of Chianti. The centre piece of the tasting would be three Chianti Classico producers with three different philosophies. We would show a 'normale' and Riserva from each producer which would cover four recent vintages. As a contrast we would show a Brunello and a Super Tuscan type wine.

I created some notes for the night and you can take a peek at the order form.
Michael really nailed Chianti and the Sangiovese grape by describing it as a really "winey" grape and a style of wine that you could drink every day of the week. This showed through in the Chianti wines, so savoury, refreshing and subtle.

Once again Scopri came to the party with a brilliant menu and some of the best wine service I have experienced in Melbourne. I cannot recommend them highly enough.


Yummy Prosecco leading the charge.

On Arrival Mozzarella In Carozza - Mozzarella skewers

Canella Prosecco NV Not from Chianti, Tuscany or Sangiovese. But the perfect way to start a meal. Canella is crisp, clean and vibrant, nice amount of fizz. Great balance and very enjoyable to drink. There were no complaints (maybe because we opened a second bottle?)

Entree Pappardelle al cacao con ragu di cervo - Our handmade chocolate pappardelle with slow cooked venison ragú, fresh parmesan

2009 was an excellent year in Chianti (and large parts of Europe too). It has made Chianti of great balance and depth.


All Class(ico)

Rocca di Montegrossi Chianti Classico 09 These guys were flying the flag for high altitude, stoney soil, traditional production and low oak style of Chianti.
It had lovely red and blue berry fruits, savoury/earthy notes with tea leaf and liquorice. The palate was dry, clean and bright. Showing the typical Sangio red cherry fruit and sour acidity. So much harmony.

Poggerino Chianti Classico 09 From right smack in the middle of the region on Volcanico soils and using biodynamic principles. This wine showed more savoury/minerally on first look but opened up with some dense blue fruits and pepper to support it. For me this wine had the most silk and flesh with a great mouthfeel. There was a hint of plums and prunes on the palate and the flavours showed incredible persistence. This was a wine of finesse and elegance.

Felsina Chianti Classico 09 Felsina is situated about as far South as you can get in Chianti Classico and has the warmest vineyards of the three we tasted. It is also probably my favourite Chianti producer. It showed dense and deep characters of red fruits, rose petal, fruit cake and aniseed.
The palate was long, clean with a hint of oak. It is a focussed and structured wine. The one I would most likely age of the trio.

Main Agnello brasato su polenta al pecorino e funghi - Lamb neck braised in red wine with grilled polenta and Mt Macedon pine mushrooms


The Riservas

Rocca di Montegrossi Chianti Classico San Marcellino 06 This is made as per Riserva laws but does not use the term on their labels. The fruit here comes from their oldest vineyard. 06 offered classic growing conditions in Chianti.
This wine offered spice, aniseed, pip/stalky notes, chocolate and oxy fruits. In the mouth it was rich and silky with a plummy, dense mid palate, good length and pretty, floral finish. A clear step up and a wine that needs a bit more time in bottle to show its very best.

Poggerino Chianti Classico Riserva Bugialla 07 Poggerino try to make a softer style that will improve over 8-15 years. 2007 was a warmer and riper year in Chianti, which explains the extra silk and power here. Chocolate, rich, fruitcake a hint new worldly fruit, caramel/oaky notes. There is so much flesh and silk here. Great mouthfeel, vibrant flavours and good tannic stucture. It is easy to see the family resemblence! So drinkable but so much promise to be even better it time.

Felsina Chianti Classico Riserva Rancia 08 Another vineyard oriented selection with the aim to make a tannic wine that will improve in the bottle and be amazing in 20 years. 2008 was similar to 2006 in offering classic conditions for growing. Rich, ripe, oxy fruits, minerally, red berry, spice. The palate was dark, tart, tea leafy with a good balance of bright fruits, savoury elements, clean acid and fine tannic structure. Beautiful.

Cheese and Coffee Formaggi Misti - Selection of Italian cheeses with Mallee honey from Kangaroo Island, plum jam, potato bread & Happy fruit

If you want to contrast, why not start with the best?

Conti Costanti Brunello di Montalcino 07 There is an aura around Brunello wines and I swear there was a little halo above my glass. This wine did not disappoint. Again 07 was a warmer year in Brunello but it did not detract from the wine. The intensity was certainly increased but not at the expense of subtly and freshness. Very savoury, almost gruyere cheese like, meaty, spice nose. Lots of silky fruit, caramel oak, clean acid with hints of cola. This wine is finely structured, boney and youthful. It needs time.

Brancaia Il Blu 08 A look at the Super Tuscan style. This is a blend of 50% Sangiovese, 45% Merlot and 5% Cabernet. It was clearly different with the Sangio definitely taking a back seat to the Cab family. Very vibrant and dense nose of blue and black fruits, floral hints, caramel oak, spice, tart, fruit cake, and terracotta like notes.
The palate is rich, silky with a fair whack of young cabernet like tannins. The core of the wine had a great intensity and the wine lingered for a long time. Again, this is just a baby.

After some discussion we moved on to traditions and what you would traditionally finish a meal with in Tuscany. So Michael generously shouted us some Vin Santo - A sugar rich, high intensity wine that was as fascinating to drink as hear about how it was made. Then some unusual wine/grappa macerated with herbs from Piedmont which seemed to divide the table. It was compelling but hard to imagine when you would drink it.

And because more is more up came a two litre bottle of Nonino Grappa for those who were brave (or fool hardy?).  As it turns out it was a lovely, cleansing and fitting end to a great night.

Barbaresco Dinner at Matteo's 04/06/12

Continuing my Italian Odyssey (sadly without leaving Melbourne) Patrick's group assembled to taste most of the Single Cru wines from one of the worlds best cooperatives Produttori del Barbaresco
from the fantastic 2007 vintage.

It is a sight of beauty.

Barbaresco is in the region of Piedmont in North West tip of Italy, you can read a general overview of the region I wrote for TWDs Piedmont Dinner. Barbaresco is made with 100% Nebbiolo, a variety that packs a fair punch with tannin and acid power. They are notable for their ability to age and evolve very slowly for a very long time. The classic descriptor for the variety is "Tar and Roses" supported by a lot of savoury characters with some red fruits.
The 2007 vintage was celebrated for its long ripening season that allowed the grapes to reach maturity and therefore the resulting wines to be aromatic with plentiful but ripe tannin and a rich core of fruit. Something that was a common theme amongst the wines we tasted on the night.

None of these nights would function without Champagne. Happily it was the same one I loved at our last dinner at Mezzo Bar.

Lanson Gold Label Vintage 2002 Zesty and citrus with strong autolytic undertones. Really refreshing and enjoyable.

Sadly we did have to sacrifice doing our regular study of Riesling for this month. But it was for a good cause. 

The next eight wines are all from Producttori del Barbaresco and the vintage 2007. They are all single cru (single vineyard). First of all let me say that they were all excellent. They all showed a common theme of savoury wines with a tight core of fruit and a firm, ripe corset of tannins. Trying to split these in terms of quality was almost impossible, but it was well worth the 'headache'.These were all stunning wines and well worth tasting. But the other theme they all had in common is they need a lot of time. Check out TWDs Produttori del Barbaresco offer for pricing and availability.

Asili defintely stood out. But it was in great company.

Barbaresco Riserva DOCG 'Asili' Dry, floral - roses, cherry, stones, rubber, limestone, aniseed.
Tart, tannic and bacon fat, fine tannins, minerals, great length, great core, spicy, meaty, long, ripe. A very majestic wine and the wine that stood out to me as being the best in a great lot of wines.

Barbaresco Riserva DOCG 'Moccagatta'  Dense, earthy, fresh red lift, smokey, blood orange, dusty.
Tart, zesty, clean, crunchy, cardamom, herbal finish, dry fruit tannins.

Barbaresco Riserva DOCG 'Montefico' Light, spice, rubber, hint of mint?, sweet plums.
Plush and silky, smoke, mineral, fruit tannins, fruit cake, chocolate, comparatively soft.

Barbaresco Riserva DOCG 'Montestefano' Red currants, tart, fine, spice, earth, black stones, soot, pepper.
Round, silky, tart, mineral, fine, hint bitter, cardamom.

So hard to separate these wines.  

Barbaresco Riserva DOCG 'Ovello' Roses, floral, red fruits, spice and sweet spices, ripe sweet fruits.
Dry, savoury, very tannic, cinnamon.

Barbaresco Riserva DOCG 'Paje' Dark, rubber, blue and black fruit, spice, tea leaf, dense, hint of oak.
Silky, dense, dark fruits, hint oaky palate too.

Barbaresco Riserva DOCG 'Pora' Red fruits, fresh, lively, tea leaf, deep, rich cinnamon.
Silky, dense, v tart, clean, cinnamon, good length. A very good wine.

Barbaresco Riserva DOCG 'Rio Sordo' Floral, red fruits, stones, tea leaf.
Great balance, red fruits, dry tannins, mineral drive, density and fat. Very, very good wine.

So similar yet so different. A great problem to have.

Options Wine - This month was a good lesson in not over thinking this part of the night!
Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco Riserva DOCG 'Asili' 1997 Initially it looked really old. Cloudy, brown and a bit unappealling to the eye. The nose was quite waxy, savoury, tea leaf, hint of VA and a fair whack of aniseed.The palate had undergrowth, sweet fruits, chocolate, red apple, rose petal. Fine, balanced and long.
At first I was thinking old Chateauneuf du Pape, but after re reading my notes for this post I don't know why, it reads like all the other Barbarescos we just tried. When we were told it was Barbaresco and from the same Cru as one of the wines already on the table I remember aniseed and went with the only other wine I had tasted that had that character. So atleast I picked the Cru.

This wine really opened up with time in the glass and with more time it showed its true class and value. These wines are seriously cheap for the quality level.

Like a kid at a candy store.

Fonseca 10yo Tawny Corked - curse the silly things. Given we were already quite full of Nebbiolo it was probably a good thing.

There was also a Macedon Pinot, glass of beer and a glass of Cognac. None of which I feel the need to remind myself of.

Piedmont Dinner and Masterclass at Scopri 15/05/12

It is with a lot of pride I can write about the inaugural Wine Depository dinner which took place on Tuesday 15th May 2012.

The private room at Scopri. An ideal setting.

The goal was to have a casual and informative night on one of the worlds great regions: Piedmont. In many ways it is the Italian equivalent of Burgundy, but has a style and charm of its own.

The wines are imported by Peter Johns from Deja Vu and he kindly donated his time and came along to discuss the wines we had selected.

Scopri put together a magnificent menu to match the wines and came to the party by supplying a lot of glassware. Their wine service was second to none and I highly recommend a visit for any wine lover (yes they allow BYO).

You can see the brief notes I prepared for the evening and the order form if you are seriously tempted by what you've read. Orders can be emailed to philip@thewinedepository.com.au

Pira - One of the modern masters of Piedmont.

On Arrival Zeppole al Formaggio - Parmesan Fritters

Paitin Roero Arneis 2009 Lovely drinking. Appley, floral, mealy, nice mid weight palate, zesty acidity and clean finishing. This matched brilliantly with parmesan fritters and showed the strength of the whites in the area.

Entree Fettuccine al Ragu Lucano - Handmade fettuccine with traditional three meat ragu

Brezza Fossati Dolcetto d’Alba 2008 Choosen to represent the Northern style of Dolcetto. Dry, compost, spice and cloves. Very earthy. The palate was dark, earthy with a stoney minerality. Nice structure too.

Luigi Pira Dolcetto d’Alba 2008 Representing Southern Cru Dolcetto. Red fruits, rose petals, meaty with a hint of 'funky' sulphides and terracotta notes.
The palate was dry, spicy and clean. Despite being light of weight it packed a fair punch of tannins which the fettuccine soaked up brilliantly.

The first bracket of reds certainly set a high standard.

Brezza Barbera d’Alba Santa Rosalia 2009 Showing unoaked Barbera, this wine had the classic cherry & red berry with a hint of roses. The palate was plush, soft and easy drinking. It was a hint simple, but incredibly drinkable and enjoyable. |

Paitin Campolive Barbera d’Alba Superiore 2008 The superiore refers to a wine that has an extra level of ripeness - something that is celebrated in cold climates. This was definitely a step up in quality. It showed more density, earthy, graphite and tea leaf characters to balance out the red berry fruits. The palate made a nice tart element along with a pretty bergamot note. A really great example of Barbera.  

There seemed to be an even split between love for Barbera and Dolcetto at the table.

Mains Spezzatino Rustico di Capretto al Forno - Kid Goat baked 'rustico' with fresh grated pecorino.

The big show. Nebbiolo is definitely the pinnicle of Piedmont.

Bruno Giacosa Casa Vinicola Nebbiolo d’Alba 2009 A lovely entry point to Nebbiolo, but don't let that fool you. This is a seriously good wine! Cherry, roses, tar, spice, waxy apple, earth and tea leaf. The palate showed silky red fruits, tart acidity and spices. It was long, lean and elegant. This is an excellent wine for the price!

Bruno Giacosa Casa Vinicola Barbaresco 2005 Despite its age this was just a baby. Dense, tea leaf, apple skin/waxy, tart red fruits. The palate was savoury, dry, mineral laden, and structured! Young and aggressive now, it was well balanced and has a great future ahead of it. It showed a great core of fruit and a lingering floral note on the finish. This was the most expensive wine on the table and it showed its pedigree really well.

Luigi Pira ‘Marenca’ Barolo 2005 Pira is a modern producer who uses new oak barriques in production of their top wines. This was a fair shift from the much more traditional Giacosa style that uses large format old oak. This really polarised the table, some loved it, some didn't. The wine did really open up and change with air though.
Initially it showed a lot of oaky, coconut and vanilla notes. It really dominated the nose. With air some plums and cherry came through. The palate was tannic, dry and very youthful. This was just a baby and I believe it will age wonderfully. As was proved with the next wine.

So elegant and refined.

Cheese & CoffeeFormaggi Misti - Selection of Italian Cheeses

Luigi Pira ‘Marenca’ Barolo 1998 This really shows how the Pira wines change with a bit of time. It was really tart, zesty, savoury, truffle, aniseed, earth and clay. The palate was silky with a tart mouthfeel. It was still quite young, but the balance was far better. This wine is approachable now but would benefit from about 5-10 (possibly more) years to really come together.

Patrizi Moscato d’Asti 2011 The traditional way to cleanse the palate after a meal before getting stuck into the Grappa. I was a hint sceptical at first, but after tasting it I have seen the light. This is a really lovely, fresh, vibrant slightly fizzy drink that is so refreshing. There was great balance between the grapey, floral notes, the light sweetness and the soft fizz. Contextually it was perfect and really easy drinking.

Brezza Grappa di Barolo NV There were more than a few turned up noses at the poor Grappa. It showed some obvious spirit character. But once you got beyond that you could see hints of the Nebbiolo that had been used to make it. The palate was really clean and I found my self reaching for one of the rejected glasses before too long.

Sadly, that was the end of the night. Apart from our quite old Taxi driver 'educating' us on the 'brilliance' of Justin Timberlake. But that is a story for another night...

Dinner at Mezzo 07/05/2012

Having missed one month due to work pressures, the Mezzo crowd were all pretty keen to catch up and taste some seriously good wine.  And we were far from disappointed despite cork playing a starring role in two of the wines. CURSE YOU VILE THINGS! This month the theme was 2004 Burgundy, a vintage that I have tasted a lot of and enjoyed since release. A lot of people don't rate this vintage because it was a cold vintage, but the good producers made excellent wines. The wines below are a good example.

Lanson Gold Label Vintage Champagne 2002 I'm a huge fan of Lanson Champagnes (see why) and this wine only served to further my love. Great texture, zesty, floral, good amount of yeasty/autolytic notes and plenty of life in it. This is one Champagne that definitely lends itself to aging. Even a few years on this would have some of the lovely honey, toast, brioche and truffle notes that good older Champagne develops.

Maurice Ecard Savigny-Les-Beaune Les Narbantons 1er Cru 2004 Floral, mineral, ironstone, chocolate, tea leaf, dried leaf, herbal tart and hint oxidised.
Nice tart acid, clean, fresh, rounded, mineral/stoney, chocolate, very long.
Everything you want from a good Savigny!

Most of the 04s we tasted.

Robert Chevillon Nuits-St-Georges Les Vaucrain 1er Cru 2004 From the Southern end of the village of Nuits this wine initially showed signs of TCA. It did also show some good character too. Herbal, dry, leafy sour, pickles, red fruits, potatoes. The nose certainly changed with air.
The palate showed coffee, chocolate, increased density, good flesh, nice tannins if a hint on the astringent side, ironstone. V. long and persistent.
I'd love to see another bottle of this as I have had a few of their 04s and they just had more lift. The makings of an excellent wine were there though.

Jean Grivot Nuits-St-Georges Les Boudots 1er Cru 2004 This vineyard is situated at the Northern end of Nuits right next to Vosne and was served as a bridge between the Chevillon and the Mongeard that followed.
It was lovely, almost wine of the night! Floral, lifted crushed ants, currants, tobacco, blood orange mulch, mulberry.
Dark cherry, tart, chunky tannins, stoney, marachino cherry, hint bitter.
Very enjoyable wine from an excellent producer

Mongeard-Mugneret Vosne Romanee Les Suchots 1er Cru 2004 Defintely the wine of the night. Les Suchot is a Premier Cru situated amongst some of the greatest of the Grand Crus. At its best it rivals them. Tonight, it was by far and away the best wine on the table.
It opened up a lot with time in the glass. Coffee, savoury, rocket, pepper, brown spice, clay, meaty, pickle, dense, musky, oak.
On the palate it was dense, silky, pretty, red frutis, musk, violet and cherry. It was a complete Burgundy that just made me happy to be drinking it.

The Two Echezeaux

Bruno Deaunay-Bissey Echezeaux Grand Cru 2004 This was an unsual wine. It was green as a they come on the nose, a really good example of why people might dislike the vintage.
The palate was much better though. It had dark fruits, olives and minerals. But it was still tart and green. I have no experience with this producer but it was a shame because it wasn't all that enjoyable.

Mongeard-Mugneret Echezeaux Grand Cru 2004 Sadly this was a corked as they come. It was almost DNPIM (Did Not Put In Mouth). But curiosity got the best of me and I instantly regretted it. It was definitely and undeniably corked.

Options Wine
Lynch-Bages Pauillac 5th Growth 2004 If you saw my notes from last Matteo's Dinner (here) you would remember the pride I had at picking the options wine. Well it all came undone tonight. I thought it was Italian, then Merlot based and then Patrick gave up and told us what it was.
Earthy, dirt, dense, clay/terracotta, hint beef and pepper.
Fine moderate tannins, limes tones. Long, floral cherries, seductive.
It was an excellent wine but just a baby. It has a lot longer to go yet!

Lynch Bages 2004 - Awesome wine. Just a baby.

Additional Wines
Grosset Gaia Cabernet 2002 I'm not sure how we came to be drinking Gaia. It was definitely welcome on the table, but as always, Australian wine tends too look sweet, thin and bland after a lot of good European wines.
I thought it looked quite smart if you ignored the French winese. Currants, cherry, clay, earthy, stalky. The palate was silky, elegant and it looked young and lean despite being the equal oldest wine on the table.
Good old screwcaps, sealing in freshness and keeping away nasty cork taint!

Awesome Aussie Cabernet - Grosset Gaia 2002

Outis Nessuno Etna 2007 So this was the last wine of the night and if you don't know much about it, neither do I. It comes from Sicily and the region is Etna which is near the Mount Etna volcano. The varieties are Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio, both of which are native varieties.
It was a lovely drink, but again after all that old wine looked and tasted almost like a fortified. There was some nice characters there.

Italian Wines

There has been some seriously good wine consumed at the Red House (TWD HQ) and at events. At home we've had some awesome Italian wines. All red and a lot of them have been because customers have tipped me off.

If you want more information or would like to order any of them (or all of them) you can email me philip@thewinedepository.com.au or call 0418 23 04 82.

I love the wines from Veneto, and in particular from Valpolicella (including Amarone) as seen here, here and here. I think they have a good cross over point from new world wine drinkers who want to put their toe in the water in Italy. They are also extremely yummy, which makes them great for wine drinkers in general.
Allegrini is one of the best Estates in Valpolicella leading the 'modernist' charge.


Modernist with a cause.

Allegrini La Grola 2008 $57ea I really enjoyed this wine. It is a blend of the traditional Valpol variety Corvina with a bit of Syrah(Shiraz). It had all the vibrant and rich, blue/black fruits, dense but fleshy fruit weight and the floral, leather and earth notes you'd expect. But it had lovely restraint and structure and a little bit more tannin and acid than I would expect from Valpol, which I would attribute to the Syrah. Beautiful balance and really a joy to drink. Will age very well.
Allegrini Palazzo Della Torre 2008 $52ea This is a blend of the three traditional varieties plus some Sangiovese. This wine uses the 'ripasso' technique (refermenting a wine on the skins of Amarone wines. More info) which adds more alcohol, weight, fuller tannins, and makes the wine more overt. It certainly had a lot of impact but still some nice finesse, and a lot of savoury characters.



Dolcetto, the little sweet one... with massive tannic fangs!

Conterno Fantino Dolcetto d'Alba 2008 $41ea This guy has made an appearance before in our Wines to drink now March. The wine has a really expressive nose; dark, jubey red berries, smokey, violets & lavender, plums, meaty, raw oak.
Balanced, crunchy acidity, gritty tannins, great mid palate flesh, blue berries and chocolate, quite dry and savoury despite what the nose would suggest. A great wine for slow cooked meats in particular.

Ugly-antico... What?
Who here knows knows a lot about grape variety Aglianico? Not me that is for sure. My favourite Italian wine reference book "The New Italy" tells me that it was introducted by the Greeks into Campania and it spread to Basilicata and Puglia. It makes full bodied, well structured and generous wines that age gracefully. It highlights Taurasi DOCG and Aglianico del Vulture DOC as two examples to watch out for.
Being from the Southern regions of Italy I was not expecting elegance and finesse like Barolo or Barbaresco, or the lightness of fruit but density and savoury core of Chianti. But my favourite tasting reference - my palate - tells me it is a substantially good variety. Very reminiscient of good quality Australian warm climate Shiraz in terms of weight, balance and structure. But with the more typical Italian savouriness, texture and refreshing acidity.
Having bought some for a customer I tried some myself, here is what I thought.


The family that revolutionised Irpinia winemaking.

Mastroberandino Taurasi Radici DOCG 2006 $90ea Antino Mastroberandino revolutionised winemaking in the 70s in the regions of Irpinia and surrounds. Today, the wines from this Estate are still amazing. This wine offers an array of red berries fruit, dry, baked earth and a clay like density. There is plenty of volume in the mouth and it is well balanced by the oak tannins and fine acidity.
Despite it's weight, this wine was quite refreshing and very easy to drink.

Feudi di San Gregorio Irpinia Rosso DOC Serpico 2007 $130ea The New Italy tells me this is one of the best producers in Italy. So it is not a surprise that, for my palate, this was probably the most impressive of the Aglianico wines.


Feudi di... One of the best producers in Italy, and hardest to photograph.

Quite dense nose, red and dark berries, pepper and savoury/spicy/gamey notes, a clay or terracotta like note in there and even a slightly floral lift.
The palate had great depth, plenty of intensity, great persistence of flavour and almost perfect balance. Certainly on the young side but it is very drinkable. I suspect it will get better with time though.

Feudi di San Gregorio Aglianico di Taurasi DOCG Piano di Montevergine 2002 $120ea It is great to be able to taste a slighlty older example of Aglianico. This is from a single vineyard Piano di Montevergine and is released as a Riserva.
The extra aging in oak and time in bottle made this wine a lot softer and more round, but the structure was still there. As was the lovely depth and intensity of flavour. The extra dimension of developed, leather and undergrowth characters made this all the more enjoyable.
I do have a slight question mark over whether the cork was doing it's job as well as it could. I will consult with the customer who bought some to see what his experience was.


Basilisco, easy to say, easy to take pics of.

Azienda Agricola Basilisco Aglianico del Vulture DOC Basilisco 2006 $70ea This was the only Aglianico not from Taurasi that I tasted. I found it to be the most straight forward, round and soft of the four Aglianicos, but it was also the cheapest. It showed lovely dark fruits and plums, a hint of chocolate and plenty of body. It was incredibly enjoyable and was awarded Tri Bichieri (Three Glasses) in the Gamberro Rosso - a much respected Italian wine guide (to put it simply).

Some Wine Re-Research

So these wines were happily spruiked in my current Cellar Dozen. But I do like to be thorough... and I really enjoyed them last time I tasted them.

Franz Haas Pinot Grigio DOC 2010  - I've tasted quite a few really good Gris/Grigio wines in the recent past and this is one of the most enjoyable ones. It is quite subtle at first but certainly opens up with a bit of swilling in the glass. The perfume is quite fresh and pure. Lots of lovely floral notes, hints of spice and apple/pear. The palate is really refreshing but has nice body from the lees aging. The balance between all the factors is a real highlight especially when it is lightly chilled (too cold and you will kill all the subtleness).

Speri ‘La Roverina’ Valpolicella DOC 2009 - Valpol is not a widely drunk style, but it really should be. It has all the weight and power of good warm climate shiraz but with more savouriness, moderate alcohol and balance.
Quite dark and backwards at first - looking like oxidised blackberries. It really picked up with time, showcasing it's true worth on the table. Lots of dark fruits, plums and spice. With hints of leather and some spiced meat/salami thrown in. As I mentioned there is a good bit of body to this wine, and some firm tannins on the back of the palate. What I really love in this wine is the savoury element. The Italians sure do excel at that and makes their wines unique and enjoyable drinking prospects.

Marcarini ‘Lasarin’ Nebbiolo delle Langhe DOC 2010 - Nebbiolo is like the Italian Pinot Noir. Once you start really appreciating it, it is hard to go passed it (or stop thinking about it). Haunting perfume, elusive flavours and lots of complexity. Oh and the tannins. So much tannin.
Despite the colour looking quite light this is not a meek wine. Again, it really needs time in the glass to open up (or ideally a few years). Cherries, rose petal, pepper, hung meats, earth and undergrowth. This wine just cycles through layers of flavours. In the mouth it is all action. Those monsterous Neb tannins are somewhat tamed for this wine but they still grip onto every part of your mouth. Despite this the flavours and the acidity still cut through the tannins and make it a pleasureable drinking experience. Highly recommended.


If these guys sound tasty you can always email or call 0418230482 to place an order. And if you want to take it to the next level, all their 'big brothers' are available in our Special Bottle Club this month.