The Edinburgh Wine Club |
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Tasting Thursday, 20 March 2008An evening devoted to Italian wines chosen by the co-host and supplier, David Henderson of Henderson Wines. David's brief was to be different - to choose wine of special character from a well known DOC or a wine offering good value from a less frequently featured area. |
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Wine |
Grape |
Price |
Comments |
Ranking 1-3 and Best Value |
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Mandrarossa Sicilia 2006 |
Fiano |
7.99 |
A real find. A grape unknown to most present but with great freshness and fruit deriving from cold maceration and cool fermentation. |
2nd equal |
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Terreliade Timpa Giadda 2004 |
Grillo |
9.99 |
Another less well known grape; one used in Marsala. A rich wine that I have subsequently confirmed as an excellent accompaniment to shellfish. |
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Anselmi Capitel Croce Veneto 2005 |
Garganega |
13.25 |
Single vineyard. Deliberately labelled by the producer as IGT Veneto despite being entitled to DOC Soave. Standing head and shoulders above many wines labelled Soave. |
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Umani Ronche Fonte del Re Lacrima di Morro d'Alba 2006 |
Lacrima |
10.49 |
An ancient grape only just saved from extinction and grown in a tiny area around the town of Morro d'Alba (near Ancona), which is a DOC. An unusual perfumed nose; dry, delicate and well rounded in the mouth. |
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Franz Haas Pinot Nero Alto Adige 2004 |
Pinot Nero (Pinot Noir) |
15.00 |
The only wine of the evening entirely from a grape non-indigenous to Italy. From an experimental producer with vines at high density and range of altitudes from 300 to 800m. A complex wine with a beautiful mix of high fruit and soft tannins. |
2nd equal |
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Corte Giara Ripasso Valpolicella 2005 |
60% Corvina Veronese 35% Rondinella 5% Molinara |
8.99 |
Another very well balanced wine though with slightly more obtrusive tannin to the Franz Haas (at least to my palate). Scored highly though not among the top 3. My candidate for best value and runner-up overall for best value. |
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Masi Toar Rosso de Veronese 2000 |
Corvina & Oselata (% not available) |
11.50 |
"Toar" is the volcanic soil type of the terraces. Oselata was yet another new grape to most. This wine falls within Valpolicella but is produced under more flexible IGT regulations. Described as a "Supervenetian", this complex wine was my favourite of the evening and scored highly overall though not among the collective top 3. |
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Gran Sasso Montepulciano d'Abruzzo 2006 |
Montepulciano |
5.99 |
A cheaper wine that stood up very well indeed to the more expensive reds. |
best value |
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La Braccesca Vino Nobile di Montepulciano 2004 |
90% Prugnolo Gentile 10% Merlot |
14.50 |
Montepulciano is in SE Tuscany; Prugnolo Gentile is a local variety of Sangiovese. A rich. complex wine which I found offered more than many from Chianti just to the north. I slightly preferred the Masi but the overall score speaks for itself! |
1st |
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Fontanafredda Eremo Langhe 2004 |
70% Barbera 30% Nebbiolo |
9.99 |
I'm not a great fan of the highly tannic wines that can come from the Nebbiolo grape. However while a 'big' wine, the tannin in this was well off-set by the softer fruit of the Barbera. |
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Antinori Donato degli Antinori NV |
Trebbiano (most) Malvasia (small amount) |
8.99 |
Until recently this would have been labelled as Vin Santo but a change in wine law now requires Vin Santo to be identified by vintage. This wine is a blend of different years, named after a nephew of Pope Clement XII. It is sweetened with concentrated must, fortified and aged for many years in small barrels. Toffee in the nose and an intriguing Fino sherry-like quality in the mouth. |
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