2007 Cirὀ ἉVita Rosso Classico Superiore

A tasting note that was lost in the mail - Wine tasted early July 2012. Posted for blogging posterity. Interested if people have tried this wine, or later vintages recently.

Purchased from one of the most impressive bars in a blossoming Sydney wine bar scene (121BC), this Calabrian wine is defined by its tannins: if you are not a fan of tannic wines, a trip to merlotville might be advisable. The Cirὀ ἉVita Rosso Classico Superiore is made using the indigenous Calabrian Gaglioppo grape, and in the glass, the wine looks and smells a bit like a Pinot – light crimson with a sappy, cherry nose. On the palate it is light to medium bodied with dark and sour cherry fruit, some all spice and sappy, earthy flavours with nice savoury intensity at the finish. The tannins are prominent and lingering in a good way – you find yourself pondering the tannins long afterwards. The drying characteristic of the tannins demands and greatly compliments food – a good start would be some rustic Calabrian pasta dishes.

Rating: 90pts

RRP: $32
ABV: 14%
Supplier: 121BC Cantina http://www.121bc.com.au/

2009 Castellare di Castellina Chianti Classico

What Chianti Classico often lacks in wow factor, it normally more than makes up for with its unforced charm and versatility with food. The 2009 Castellare di Castellina Chianti Classico (how's that for alliteration) is a good example of this.

It's lovely to smell with notes of ripe cherry and flowers. To drink, it offers just a bit more than a medium-bodied frame, with an unexpected generosity and creaminess for a Chianti Classico, before it reverts to type through the back palate with sour cherry, drying tannin, and a lovely hint of bitterness. It drank increasingly well over 3 days, and while it’s good to go now with some time in the decanter, I’d suggest it will be at its best in another 3-4 years. Lovely wine. 3.5 Stars +

Rated:

+


ABV: 13.5%
Closure: Screwcap
Drink: 2012-2020

Website: http://www.castellare.it/

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2011 Scott Fiano (Adelaide Hills)

If you had asked me a week ago where to go for a good Australian Fiano, I would have said Coriole, maybe Oliver’s Taranga, and then have been stumped for much else. I can now add Scott Wines from the Adelaide Hills to that list. I initially tasted it blind in amongst a line up of 35 other whites, courtesy of wine scribe Mike Bennie, and it really stood out then, and only subsequently improved upon retasting over a couple of days.

This is a wine of nice weight and richness of fruit that remains taut and trim all the same. It tastes of melon and pear, lovely spice, and some appealing herbal notes that really add to the wine. Crisp acidity, a sense of minerality, and that bit of viscosity, all give it a texture that distinguishes it from more run of the mill white wines. A great length of finish rounds it all off.

This 2011 Scott Fiano is terrific and worth seeking out if you want to see what we are capable of with this Southern Italian variety.





Rated:


ABV: 13.5%
RRP: $26
Website: http://www.scottwinemaking.com.au/


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2008 Masciarelli Montepulciano D'abruzzo (Italy)

I don't often drink Montepulciano D'abruzzo, but everytime I do I tend to enjoy it. I find it combines lovely juicy fruit with with just a nice bit of rusticity, and so it is with this wine.

An expressive nose of red fruits and a nice touch of leather. To drink it's medium bodied, and went well with a mushroom pasta dish. Bright red fruits are joined by earth, a bit of funk, and some tobacco. There's a lovely sour cherry finish to. Altogether a very satisfying and enjoyable drink.

Rated:


RRP: $25
ABV: 13.5%
Website: http://www.masciarelli.it/


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Some Sexy Italians . . .

The old and the new are both exciting in Italian wine at present. Iconic regions of pedigree like Barolo are seemingly producing as wonderful wines as ever, while numerous less well known regions, like Mt Etna in Italy, are just starting to gain cachet in the world of wine. Below are two wines that I’ve really enjoyed while out and about of late.

2001 Gastaldi Barolo – Retail RRP - $90 – Consumed at 121 BC, a wine bar in Sydney. Of the classic tar and roses flavour profile for Nebbiolo, this is very much tar dominant. It’s from the Serralunga d'Alba commune and accordingly is a powerful and tannic rendition of Barolo, even at 10 years of age. It opened up nicely over 2 hours, revealing increasing savoury complexity with time. Tremendous length on the finish. I’d love to see this wine in another 10 years.

2006 Benanti Rosso di Verzella Etna – Retail RRP - approx $45 – Consumed at Rockpool Bar & Grill in Sydney for our anniversary dinner ($88). Mt Etna. As both a volcano I’ve been reading about since high school Ancient History, and a volcano that is also still very active, it is a fascinating place to be growing wine (a random lava flow at vintage must pose the odd difficulty). That it is a high altitude, cooler climate site in Sicily, making wines from unfamiliar grapes like Nerello Mascalese just adds further interest. This wine is a blend of 80% Nerello Mascalese, and 20% Nerello Capuccio.

When I try a new varietal or style of wine for the first time, I find it natural to try and reference it against wines I’m more familiar with. My initial assessment is that this wine was something akin to a cross between a Cabernet Franc and a Nebbiolo. The reality though is that it was none of these things and was both complex and unique. It had a sense of weight but was light on its feet. Good acidity with a nice touch of grip, all lead to a lovely sense of texture. Flavours included cherry and plum, earth, tar, and a touch of barnyard funk, and finally an appealing herbal grassy note. A great food wine and the seal of approval from the Missus. My first Etna and it certainly won’t be my last.



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