Wine Tasting Video: Chianti, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and Pignolo from Friuli

Posted by Simon on March 28, 2013

Volpetto Sangiovese di Toscana 2011 (£5.99 Ocado)
Reasonable plum and cherry flavours, but it’s a bit volatile and overall just too rustic. C(-)

Volpetto Chianti 2011, Tuscany (£7.99 Hercules Wines, Cambridge Wine Merchants, Sandhams Wine Merchant, Last Drop Wines, Addison Wines, SH Jones, Temple Wines)
Still some of the rusty/rustic notes, plus the volatility, but this is riper and rounder, with more of the plummy dark cherry flavour, and a touch of spice too. C+

Volpetto Chianti Riserva 2009, Tuscany (£8.99-9.49 Hercules Wines, Last Drop Wines, Addison Wines, SH Jones, Temple Wines)
Again some rusticity, but this has decent cherry, plum and cola flavours, a touch of spice, and enough tangy acidity to hold it all together. B(-)

Avignonesi Vino Nobile di Montepulciano 2010, Tuscany (£23.99 Amordivino, Butlers Wine Cellar, Champion Wines, D Byrne, Eton Vintners, The Good Wine Shop, Grapebox, Harrods, Haslemere Cellar, Hedonism, Imbibros, Laytons, Mill Hill Wines, Olivino, Reid Wines, Revelstoke Wine, V&S Vino, Soho Wine Supply, Vini Italiani)
Confident, grown-up style, combining the classic chewy cherry edge of Sangiovese with extra blackcurrant and damson flavours. There’s also a savoury, earthy character, aromas of vanilla and grilled meat and just the right amount of chewy tannin. Iron fist in velvet glove stuff, very impressive. S+

Comelli Pignolo 2009, Friuli (N/A in the UK)
It seems like there’s reasonable plummy loganberry and mulberry fruit here, but it’s very hard to get to it under the overlay of tannic smoky oak. I gave this three days to see if the wood would soften, but it didn’t seem to… ???

Wine Tasting Video: Chianti Classico

Posted by Simon on March 21, 2013

Tesco Chianti Classico 2010 (£6.99 Tesco)
Warm, earthy, Wednesday-evening type of wine, slightly chewy with some freshness, and enough hearty cherry and plum fruit to pad it out. B(+)

Castellare Chianti Classico 2010 (£15.95 Bibendum)
Polished plummy plushness, modern style with blackberries and blackcurrant alongside the cherries, and touches of spice and vanilla to back it up. Purists might not like it, but it’s very tasty. S

San Felice Chianti Classico 2009 (£11.49 D Byrne, Field and Fawcett, John Hattersley Wines, Noel Young, Partridges, Woodwinters)
Soft and rounded style, with mature cherry (flesh and kernel) flavours, notes of cola and herbs, and a spicy, savoury finish. Brett plays a part, but it doesn’t destroy the gentle drinkability. B(-)

Poggerino Chianti Classico 2009 (£15.50 Lea & Sandeman)
Light and charming, delicate and fragrant, with juicy cherry and red berry, an undercurrent of earthiness, and a fresh finish. High cheekboned style, with effortless allure. S(+)

Barone Ricasoli Rocca Guicciarda Chianti Classico Riserva 2009 (£16.99 selected Sainsbury’s)
Another from the modernist school, with the leafy blackcurrant and berry pointing to the inclusion  of some Bordeaux grapes. But there’s still enough of the spicy cherry kernel, cola and herb to say that this is Chianti. S

Wine Tasting Video: Sangiovese from Tuscany & Emilia Romagna

Posted by Simon on August 2, 2011

Piccini ‘Orange Label’ Chianti 2010, Tuscany (£6.99 Sainsbury’s)
Fruity youngster that wouldn’t object to 20 minutes in the fridge before serving, with vibrant plum and cherry freshness, a touch of almond, some spice & herbs, and just the right amount of tannic bite to the finish. B(+)

Umberto Cesari Yemula Sangiovese/Merlot IGT Rubicone 2008, Emilia-Romagna (N/A in UK – RRP ~£22)
Peculiar wine, with a soft, smoky oak sheen and some soft berry fruit, but the main impression is of coffee and vanilla tinged with some volatility – reminds me of Tia Maria! C+

Umberto Cesari Liano Sangiovese/Cabernet Sauvignon IGT Rubicone 2008, Emilia-Romagna (£21.99 Hallgarten Druitt)
Shares the same Tia Maria/vanilla/coffee style as the Yemula, but has a little more structure and more evident fruit – blackcurrant and cherry. B-

Umberto Cesari Sangiovese di Romagna Riserva 2008, Emilia-Romagna (£14.99 Hallgarten Druitt)
The savoury sour cherry kernel and blackcurrant edge of Sangiovese comes through here, but – again – let down by that clumsy volatile vanilla note. B

Tenute Costa Terre di Fiori ‘Ventaio’ Morellino di Scansano 2008, Tuscany (£30-£35 Grossi Wines, Club Vini Italiani )
Plush, warm, friendly wine with an almost Burgundian undergrowth allure, has generous cherry, red berry and damson fruit, quite exotic floral and fresh vanilla bean aromas, ripe tannins and a juicy come-hither finish. S+

Umberto Cesari Tauleto IGT Rubicone 2004, Emilia-Romagna (£36.99 Hallgarten Druitt)
There’s a touch of the volatility that was in the Cesari 2008s, but here it’s in balance with the earthy mineral, cherry (flesh and skins), blackcurrant and damson fruit and the note of cola. Still on the chewy side, with just a hint of green tannin, but decent, ever-so-slightly rustic wine. S(-)