ELEVEN ITALIAN WINE THIS MONTH ON THE TOP WINES MEDIA&PRESS
US PRESS
Michael Dresser, writing in The Baltimore Sun, picked this Barbera varietal from Piemonte in Italy which is a bargain at around $15. He said: “This wine shows the softer side of Barbera, an under-rated red wine that can be hard-edged in youth.
“It offers complex flavors of black, cherry, spices, smoked meat and vanilla. It’s a very smooth red wine that can be drunk with pleasure now.”
He said it would pair well with pasta dishes, red meats.
Price: $15
This “mid-priced marvel” Italian Barbera was another of Zacharkiw’s recommendations which he said had a “refreshing authenticity unhampered by oak.”
He said: “So refreshing to taste a red wine that’s, well, so refreshing. Barbera without artifice, so none of that annoying oak flavour that so often dulls Barbera. Just pretty red fruit with enough tannin to give it some great length.
“One of the most versatile wines I have tasted recently. Serve at 16 C. Drink now-2016. Food-pairing idea: Apéritif, spaghetti with tomato (sun-dried) sauce.”
Price: $21
A “perfect food for wine”, this 100% Sangiovese Grosso from Tuscany was Irene Vibila’s pick of the week, writing in the LA Times this week.
She said: “What a beauty. Caprili’s 2011 Rosso di Montalcino, 100% Sangiovese Grosso, is the perfect food wine, bright and chiseled, with flavors of black cherries, sweet spices and chocolate. Tannins are tight, and there’s a lovely slight bitterness at the finish that keeps you coming back to the glass.
“It’s wonderful with tagliatelle or fettuccine with meat ragù, grilled portobello mushrooms, grilled meats or roasted birds.”
Price: $20 to $24
Renieri Toscana IGT, Regina di Renieri 2009
Rebecca Murphy, writing in the Dallas News, also recommended a Tuscan wine – a “spicy” Syrah with “savory cedar aromas.”
She said: “Syrah from Tuscany? Indeed, syrah thrives in sangiovese country, bringing color, fullness and complementary tannins in a blend. It takes a star turn in wines like this one from Renieri. Its spicy, savory cedar aromas alert the taste buds to get ready for a mouthful of wonderful. The rich flavors of blackberry and black cherry fruit show an Italian flair, mingling with licorice, tobacco and wood spice and tempered by decisive acidity and dusty tannins. Enjoy it with a steak grilled with rosemary.”
Price: $35
La Ferla Inzolia 2013
Another recommendation from Dresser was for this Sicilian white made from the lesser-known Inzolia grape.
He said: This is a wonderfully fresh wine, just recently bottled. Inzolia, a white wine grape grown in Sicily, is hardly a household name, but this wine puts 90% of Pinot Grigios to shame. It’s a fully dry wine, but it has so much lively fruit there’s no severity.
“There are refreshing hints of lime, lemon, pear, mint and pine. It’s a thoroughly enjoyable wine at a very appealing price, perfect for outdoor sipping between now and Labor Day.”
Serve with fish, shellfish or Thai cuisine
Price: $9
Fattoria Selvapiana Chianti Rufina 2010
A selection of wines chosen to pair with pizza were highlighted by Irene Virbila this week, writing in the LA Times, including this Tuscan Chianti.
She said: “One of the best estates in the Chianti Rufina area of Tuscany, Selvapiana turns out first-rate Sangiovese-based reds.
“A deep ruby in color, the 2010 Selvapiana tastes of bright cherries and plums, but a touch of earth gives it some weight. A great everyday Chianti.”
Price: $15 to $20
UK PRESS
Malvirà Langhe Nebbiolo 2010
Jamie Goode, writing in The Express, recommended this “elegant” red with notes of “tea and herbs”.
He said: “Nebbiolo is the red grape that’s used to make Barolo and Barbaresco, and it can be a little overpowering. But here it has been used to make a supple, elegant, lighter-coloured red with sweet cherries and notes of tea and herbs. Delicious.”
Price: £11.99 – Waitrose
Benito Ferrara Taurasi Vigna Quattro Confini 2008
Goode also recommended this Italian red produced by the Benito Ferrara winery, headed up by winemaker Paul Caciorgna, based in southern Italy.
He said: “Aglianico is the grape here, and it’s used beautifully in this Campanian red. It has hints of balsamic vinegar and spice, alongside textured black-cherry and blackberry fruit, finishing with fine spiciness and firm flavours.”
Price: £34
Cascina Ballarin Barbera D’Alba Giuli 2008
Writing in The Independent, Terry Kirby chose this “fabulously moreish” 2008 Barbera from Italy’s Piedmont region.
He said: “Serious, sophisticated, medium-bodied red from Piedmont, with a delightful balance of fresh, cherry flavours and a dark, intense structure. Fabulously moreish; drink with a herby roast chicken and rocket salad.”
Price: £25.30, jascots.co.uk
David Williams, writing in The Guardian, like Goode, also picked a selection of wines to match with food. One of his recommendations was for this Italian red blend made up of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sangiovese and Syrah.
He said: “At the [SITT, the Specialist Importers Trade Tasting in London], one of the standout exhibitors was H2Vin, which, as might be expected from a company run by a former top sommelier and a French expat with a couple of decades’ experience selling to the UK’s best restaurants, has a range of wines that have food-friendliness as a priority. These are wines that put the emphasis on texture as much as fruit, with a freshness that complements rather than overwhelms at the table – wines such as this succulent, fragrant light red from Chiantishire, which includes a little Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah in its blend but is really all about the tangy, blood orange, cherry and cranberry of Sangiovese for matching with tomato-based pasta.”
Price: £12, www.h2vin.co.uk
He said: “At the [SITT, the Specialist Importers Trade Tasting in London], one of the standout exhibitors was H2Vin, which, as might be expected from a company run by a former top sommelier and a French expat with a couple of decades’ experience selling to the UK’s best restaurants, has a range of wines that have food-friendliness as a priority. These are wines that put the emphasis on texture as much as fruit, with a freshness that complements rather than overwhelms at the table – wines such as this succulent, fragrant light red from Chiantishire, which includes a little Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah in its blend but is really all about the tangy, blood orange, cherry and cranberry of Sangiovese for matching with tomato-based pasta.”
Price: £12, www.h2vin.co.uk
He said: “This is the 30th anniversary release of my favourite Verdicchio – the brilliant, single vineyard Casal di Serra. Tasting like a classy Italian ‘Chablis-style’ white I have followed this great value wine for 28 of its years and every single one has been a stunner.”
Price: About £12.50, Great Western Wine tel. 01225 322810, Roberts & Speight tel. 01482 870717, Whalley Wine Shop tel. 01254 822581, hic! tel. 01977 550047.
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