Author: Bruno Donaggio

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Several tastings this week and I began the fun on Monday afternoon at the Martin Scott Grand Portfolio tasting. The tasting was held at the David Koch Theater at Lincoln Center, it was a huge event as Martin Scott has a large portfolio.

The lobby area of the theater is huge and very elegant. Since there was so much juice to try, I decided to focus on high-end California wines from small boutique wineries. My opinion is that in general, many of the wines were the stereotypical big, fat, juicy fruit bombs that people expect to come out of California.

Some that I enjoyed included:

Perfect Season 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon ‘Knights Valley”, Napa Valley. Very small production of 250 cases. It was dark purple with a nose of dried herbs and was dusty and velvety with a long finish.

Saint Helena Winery 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Reserve “Sympa”, Napa Valley. It was dark purple with a nose of bacon smoke and black berries and was concentrated and velvety with excellent balance. The 2009 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon was nice as well, dark purple with oak and spice on the nose and was chewy and dusty fruit on the nice balance.

Cimarossa Vineyards 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon “Riva di Ponente Vineyard”, Howell Mtn. It was black in color with black cherry notes on the nose and was concentrated and silky with mouth coating tannins.

Barbour Vineyards 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon, St. Helena. It was dark purple with black berry and cinnamon on the nose and was thick and chunky with some toasty oak on the finish.

Kamen 2009 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma Valley. It was black with a robe of dark purple with a nose of crushed strawberry and black licorice and was chewy with dusty plum on the balanced finish.

Casa Piena 2009 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Yountville. This was dark purple to black with red candy notes on the nose and was thick and silky.

Snowden 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve, Napa Valley. It was dark red to black with barnyard on the nose and was tight with firm, silky tannins on the long finish.

Janzen 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley. This was black in color with dusty  black fruits on the nose and was concentrated with good balance.

Getting away from all that Cab, the Breggo 2010 Pinot Noir, Anderson Valley was nice. Dried mushroom and earth on the nose with velvety fruit with earth notes on the long, balanced finish. Very tasty.

The next day I attended the Frederick Wildman portfolio tasting which was held at Gustavino’s restaurant at 409 East 59 Street under the Queensboro bridge and is always an impressive venue to hold a tasting. Wildman’s portfolio is a little weak on the Italian wines but strong on US and French wines. It was another huge tasting and unfortunately at the end of the event I grabbed the wrong tasting book (doh!) so my notes disappeared.

The wines I enjoyed, from the Old World: Domaine Christian Moreau 2012 Chablis and the 2009 Chablis Grand Cru “Vaudesir”, Chateau Fuisse 2010 Pouily-Fusse “Les Brules”, Casteninau de Suduiraut 2007 Sauternes, Paul Jaboulet Aine 2007 Hermitage “La Chapelle” and Domaine Armand-Rousseau 2007 Clos de la Roch Grand Cru.

From the New World: Hanzell Vineyards 2012 Chardonnay “Sebella”, Merry Edwards 2010 Pinot Noir “Coopersmith”, Bond Estates 2009 “Quella” Red Wine, Heitz Cellars 2004 & 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon “Martha’s Vineyard” and Chappellet 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon “Signature”.

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This week is the start of the Autumn trade wine tasting season which means for the next couple of months I will be drinking copious amounts of good juice.

On Tuesday I attended a tasting sponsored by the Union of Cotes de Bordeaux which promotes Bordeaux wines from the lesser known appellations of Blaye, Cadillac, Francs and Castillon. They are also trying to fight the perception that Bordeaux is only about high end trophy wines for the wall street crowd and that they are not accessible to most people or more importantly to younger wine drinkers who get their wine excitement from other wine regions. Since Bordeaux is France’s largest wine region, there is plenty of wine in all price ranges.

The event was a sit down tasting of eleven wines and was held at Hearth restaurant at 403 East 10th street in the East Village along with colorful commentary by the owner of the restaurant on the wines.

The 2009 Chateau Moulin de Clotte (Castillon) was dark red with a purple robe with a nose of smoky plums and black fruits and was dusty amd tight with moderate tannins and finished with some tartness.

The 2010 Chateau Tetre de Belves (Castillon) was black with a dark purple robe and I was getting pixie stix and red licorice on the nose, it was concentrated and silky with a tight finish.

The 2010 Chateau de Lardiley (Cadillac)  was dark red with bell pepper and slate on the nose with silky fruit and tannin and wet rocks on the balanced finish.

The 2009 Chateau Suau (Cadillac) was one of my favorites and was dark in color with a big perfume of stinky earth, violets and black cherry and was chewy, juicy and tight on the long finish.

The 2010 Chateau Lamothe de Haux (Cadillac) was black with a nose of stewed fruit and dried herbs and was tight with big acids on the finish, I thought it was unbalance.

The 2010 Chateau La Rame la Charmille (Cadillac) was dark purple with a closed nose and was astringent and unbalanced.

The 2010 Chateau Monoconseil Gazin (Blaye) was dark purple with a toasty nose, chewy and oaky with a firm grip and tight fruit.

The 2009 Chateau Morange (Blaye) was another favorite of mine, it was dark purple with some brown notes on the robe with a nose of black fruits, good fruit with a balanced grip of tannin and acids with notes of slate on the finish.

The 2009 Lalande du Chateau Tifayne (Francs) Another favorite, dark red with a purple robe with a candy nose and some stinkiness at the back-end, silky fruit with a firm and balanced finish.

The 2010 Chateau Puygueraud (Francs) was black to dark red with a nose of sweet cherry and was chunky with mouth puckering tannins and some heat on the finish.

I attended another tasting by alt./pour wine importers held at L’Apicio restaurant in the Bowery. Several importers and distributors were at the event and the restaurant put out some tasty appetizers. I had some good juice including Flavio Roddolo’s wines from Piedmont. He had a couple of nice Dolcetto’s including the 2009 Superiore and the 2011 which did not taste like a typical Dolcetto to me. It was dusty, earthy and rustic but tasty. A couple of nice Barolo were the 2006 Barolo “Ravera” which was dark amber with the classic nose of cigar box with silky fruit with notes of tar and cigar box on the balanced finish. The 2006 Barolo “Bricco Appiani” was excellent. It was dark red with a nose of black cherry and leather and was chewy and silky with tar notes on the finish. Big fruit for a Barolo.

I had some nice juice from the Burgundy producer of Domaine Coudray-Bizot. They poured some older vintages of their wines including the 2001, 2004 and the 2006 of the Puligny-Montrachet “Les Comettes”. The ’06 had a big nose of mushrooms and forest floor with some toasty mouth coating fruit and a long finish. Very tasty. The reds I enjoyed were the 2001 Nuites-St-George “Au bas de Combe” which had some cloudiness to it with hints of earth on the nose and great balance. The 2001 Vosne-Romanee 1er Cru “La Croix Rameau” was light red with barnyard on the nose with smoky fruit and a long finish. The 2003 Echezeaux Grand Cru “En Orveaux” was medium red and slightly cloudy with the classic barnyard nose and was silky with notes of forest floor and sour cherry on the long finish.

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Saturday afternoon I attended a wine tasting event run by Ave Gourmet which advertises it’s events as “high-end tastings of the world’s best wine”. This is the second event run by this organization that I’ve attended and I’m not sure if I would say the world’s best wines but they do throw a fun party with some decent juice to be had. This tasting was held at the Gallow Green, a roof-top bar at the McKittrick Hotel located very far west at 542 West 27 Street. Very nice spot like an outdoor garden with lots of plants and greenery, and it was a beautiful Saturday afternoon to be outdoors.

It was a casual tasting and I was able to score a table which I soon shared with a couple of lovely ladies. They started us with a glass of Drusian Prosecco, I’m not a big fan of Prosescco but it was a nice way to start the tasting, after that they poured:

Donna Laura Pinot Grigio which was light yellow and dry, a little bland but drinkable.
The 2008 Prophet’s Rock Dry Riesling from Central Otago, New Zealand had a nose of peaches and was dry and lemony with mouth puckering acids on the finish.

The 2010 Saint Andre de Fiquire Cotes de Provence Rose was salmon colored with a nice balanced mouth-feel of cherry and herbs. Very drinkable

They poured four reds and I started with the 2010 “Little J” red blend from Western Cape, South Africa. It was dark red with a toasty and floral nose with sour cherry notes on the fruit with very crisp acids on the finish.

The 2012 Les Fontanelles Pinot Noir from Languedoc, France was light red in color with a nose of sweet cherry and candy cherry notes on the fruit with the finish dropping, a little bland at the end.

A local wine, Macari’s Collina 48 North Fork Long Island, Non-Vintage Merlot was dark red with a nose of sea air and dark plums and had tight black cherry fruit and a firm balance.

The 2012 Dos Fincas Cabernet Sauvignon/Malbec blend from Mendoza, Argentina was dark red to black in color with a nose of black licorice and cherry and was tight and tart with firm tannins on the end.

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It’s been a while since I took a road trip to the North Fork wineries and It was a nice Sunday afternoon for a drive. I stopped by a couple of favorites and a couple of newly opened tasting rooms.

As usual, I began the tasting tour at The Winemakers Studio at 2885 Peconic Lane.  The studio is a cooperative tasting room run by Anthony Nappa that features wines he produces and the pet projects of local winemakers. It also is a good place to catch up on the local wine gossip and to find out if any new tasting rooms opened up.

At the Studio I started with the 2011 Anthony Nappa “Bliss” Rose. It was medium red in the glass with some earth notes on the nose with crisp acidity on the finish. A bit tart for my taste.  The 2012 SuHru Pinot Grigio made with Finger Lakes fruit had a greenish tint in the glass with a nose of bubble-gum with an oily mouth-feel with nice acidity and lime notes on the finish. A little more interesting than the mass-produced Pinot Grigio on the market.  I enjoyed the 2012 Anthony Nappa “Bordo” Cabernet Franc. Fermented wild without any additives, with a nose of dark cocoa and coffee with black cherry fruit and a balanced, long smoky finish. I didn’t  get any of the green, vegetal aromas you get with many Cabernet Franc. I was told of some new tasting rooms that have opened since I was in the area last.

My next stop was to one of my favorites, One Women Winery at 5195 Old North Road. A truly family run operation with a cozy shack for a tasting room and very friendly pourers, they produce the only Gruner Veltliner on Long Island. They had just released the 2012’s so I started with the 2012 Gruner Veltliner which was yellow in the glass with a nose of ripe peaches and nice acidity. The 2012 Gewurztraminer was light yellow with a big floral nose and cinnamon notes. The 2012 Rose was dark pink and full-bodied with a nose of earth and dark flowers. The 2010 Merlot was dark purple with a nose of black licorice and was chewy and dusty and was tight with dusty tannins on the finish.

Driving East from One Women I made my way to a new tasting room, the Kontokosta Winery at 825 North Road. Sprawling grounds surrounded by vines and a brand new tasting room that opened this past June. The view from the tasting room was outstanding and you can take glass and walk down the road for a view of the sound which I didn’t do this time around. I had a flight of four wines and  started with the 2009 “Orient” Chardonnay and then to the 2010 Viognier which was dark yellow with a nose of ripe peaches and was very tight with crisp acids with some oiliness and burnt rubber notes on the finish. The 2007 Merlot was very interesting. If I would have tried this wine blind I would have been sure it was a Chianti. The color was black with a purple robe and had the classic Sangiovese nose of violets, tar and crushed blackberries with silky fruit and tongue tighting tannins on the finish. The 2007 Cabernet Franc was dark purple with a nose of stewed fruit and black licorice with dusty stewed fruit and roasted coffee on the finish.

Working my way back East I stopped another new tasting room, Coffee Pot Cellars. Another second project from one of the local winemakers, I’ve had the wines at the Winemakers Studio but it seems the winemaker decided to open their own tasting room. They also like bees. The winemakers are bee keepers as well and you can see part of a real live hive in the tasting room, enclosed in glass of course. It’s a no frills room pouring four wines. I started with the 2011 Sauvignon Blanc which had a very stinky, barnyard nose and was crisp and tart. The 2011 Chardonnay was gold in color with a nose of ripe melon and honey with notes of rosemary on the finish.  The 2008 Merlot was dark purple with a nose of violet, tar and red cherry with tight, chunky fruit and a crisp finish.  I ended with the 2008 Meritage which was dark red with a nose of roasted coffee with toasty fruit.

The last stop of the day was at another new tasting room located on Love Lane. There are two roads on the North Fork wine trail, Sound Avenue and Route 25. At some point they are separated by only a couple of blocks, that is Love Lane and it’s like a mini village with various shops. Roanoke Vineyards opened a second tasting room on the Lane. I’m quite familiar with the original tasting room if only because it’s the last room before the expressway and it’s open late. The juice is not bad either. The Love Lane tasting room is cozy with a nice little “piazza” out back. I had a glass of the 2012 “The Wild” Chardonnay which is made with wild yeasts, had a seat in the piazza and called it a day.

Summer is the slow season when it comes to trade tastings. September is looking like it will be a bountiful month for the drinking of the juice. Fortunately at this time of year, there are still some consumer events to keep the palate fine tuned. On Tuesday I attended a tasting at Vino Versity wine shop located at 1657 first avenue. The theme was South American wines and they poured a couple of dozen whites and reds. While I wasn’t blown away by anything particular wine, it was a fun evening.

With the whites, the 2012 Cucao Winery Pedro Ximenez (Chile) was something different, anytime I’ve had this grape in the past it’s been as a sweet sherry. This one was dry with a nose of bread dough and white flowers with some of the dough components on the fruit and was crisp and very drinkable.

2011 Michel Torrino “Cuma” Organic Torrentes (Argentina) had a big sweet, nose of cinnamon and lychee with grapefruit notes with good acid and grapefruit peel on the finish.

2012 Pulenta Estate Pinot Gris (Argentina) had some nice weight to it for a Pinot with a nose of white flowers with some earth notes on the finish.

2012 DeMartino Legado Reserva Chardonnay (Chile) had a nose of very ripe melons and white flowers and was tight and lemony with good balance and some heat at the end.

With the reds, the 2011 Vina Tabali Reserva Carmenare (Chile) was black in color with a perfume of crushed black berries and mint with chewy, bacony and meaty notes on the young fruit with some tartness at the end.

2012 Casarena “505” Malbec  (Argentina) was dark purple in the glass with a nose of herbs and red flowers with firm fruit of leather and meat with a long finish.

2011 Bodega Bouza Reserva Tannat (Urugauy) was black in color and was chunky, chewy, dusty and smoky.

2010 Ruca Malen Reserva Petit Verdot (Argentina) was black and concentrated with hints of herbs and black currents and was nicely balanced.

2012 Pulenta “Lar Flor” Cabernet Sauvignon (Argentina) was dark purple in the glass with a nose of bell pepper and crushed blackberries with chewy fruit and black licorice and bell pepper notes on the finish.

2010 DeMartino Lagado Reserva Syrah (Chile) was black with a nose of ripe flowers and sweet cherries and was meaty and tight with firm acids.

 

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Last Saturday afternoon I attended a tasting held at the Italian Wine Merchants wine shop located at 108 East 16th Street near Union Square Park. It was a consumer event and originally was to be a walk-around event. Apparently they didn’t get the numbers they were hoping for and it was set up as a sit down tasting. They poured an interesting line up of eight Italian and French whites. As usual for this venue good cheeses and proscuitto were served.

We began with the Domaine Barat 2010 Chablis 1er Cru “Cote de Lechet”. It was gold in color with a big nose of honey and wild flowers with some nice mouth filling honeyed fruit. A nice beginning.

Hofsatter  2011 Pinot Bianco from Trentino-Alto Adige was yellow gold in color with a nice nose of lavender and herbs with good balance.

Rijckaert 2009 Monthelie Blanc “La Combe Danay”.  It was dark gold with a nose of slate, wet rocks with a salty tang on the full finish with  moderate acids and was very drinkable.

Antinori Castello della Sala 2009 “Cervaro della Sala”.  Primarily Chardonnay, it was very deep gold in color with a nose of ripe mango and melons, full-bodied with some oak notes on the finish. Balanced, this wine was the most Cali-like of the bunch.

Edi Kante 2008 “Vitovska”,Fruili. Bottled in one liter bottles with a skinnier than normal cork. Something different, Vitovska is the grape varietal and it was dark gold verging on brown with a nose of dried herbs and candy (I wrote tic-tacs) and was tight with a salty, citrusy finish.

Gravner 2003 Ribolla Gialla Anfora, Fruili.  Something very different. The wine maker is one of those mad scientists wine guys that make wine in a biodynamic manner,  in this case using wild yeasts and fermenting the wine in large amphorae that reside underground. The wine was decanted and was bright brown in color with a nose of smoky toffee, dusty with notes of hard candy and was tight with mouth puckering tartness and some wet cardboard on the finish. Unusual.

Domaine Michael Lafarge 2010 Bourgogne Aligote Raisins Dores.  Gold with brown notes on the color, closed nose of ripe peaches and was lean and tart.

Conarea 2011 Roero Arneis, Piemonte. Gold in color with green tints with a nose of sweet candy and bread dough with a crisp finish.

On Friday June 28 me and a colleague took a road trip to Southampton to attend the “Around the world in 80 sips” wine event sponsored by Bottle Notes and Sherry Lehman Wines & Spirits. We took the bullet train from Penn Station and arrived a couple of hours later and the event space was conveniently close to the train station. The event was actually two tastings, the regular tasting in the main room and the “Sherry Suite” with some very nice juice to be sampled. Of course, we made a beeline to the Sherry suite.

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I started the evening with a glass of the 2002 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne and then a glass of the 2009 Louis Jadot Corton-Charlemagne. Another nice white in the room was the 2010 Domaine du Vieux Lazaret white Chateauneuf du Pape. White Rhones are  rare so I never miss an opportunity to try one and this one was excellent.

Chateau Montelena from Napa Valley poured a few of their wines. I started with the 2010 Chardonnay. It was light yellow with a nose of ripe melons and tropical fruit up front followed with crisp acidity. They poured a vertical of their Estate Cabernet Sauvignon starting with the current release 2009 which I thought was very tight with high acids. I had better luck with the older vintages. The 2003 was dark red to black with a nose of cherry cough drops and was silky and concentrated with a firm and dusty, balanced finish. The 2004 was my favorite and was black in color with a nose of crushed blackberries and was chewy and silky with a firm but balanced finish. The 2005 was dark red and had a nose of dried herbs and tight fruit. Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars poured a couple of nice wines, the 2009 “Fay” Cabernet Sauvignon and the excellent 2009 “Cask 23” Cabernet Sauvignon.

I stopped by the Italian part of the room and tried some nice juice. The 2009 Gaja Barberesco was purple with an amber robe with a nose of cigar box, tar, truffles and red roses and was silky, firm with a nice grip at the finish.

Antinori poured a trio of some very nice wine. The 2007 Badia A Passegnano Chianti Classico Riserva  is 100% Sangiovese and was dark red in the glass with a nose of rose petals and tar and was chewy and silky with notes of earth and good grip on the finish. The 2008 Guado Al Tasso, a Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot was black in the glass with a nose of smoky black cherry with toasted oak notes on the fruit with a firm and balanced finish. The 2009 Tignanello was black in color with a closed nose of slate and was deeply concentrated. Cerreto poured a couple of their wines, the 2007 Barolo “Brunate” and the 2008 Barberesco “Bricco Asili” which was dark amber in color with a nose of cherry tar and was silky with firm tannins on the finish. Allegrini’s 2007 “La Poja” was dark purple with a nose of red cherry and bright fruit with notes of smoke, earth and sour cherry. Altesini’s 2007 Brunello di Montelcino was dark amber in color with a nose of toasty earth and truffles, concentrated with a toasted firm finish. Out in the main room, Chateau D’Esclans poured several different rose which was made for an interesting tasting.

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On Tuesday I attended a tasting sponsored by the Penin Guide. The guide lists what they consider the best wines from Argentina, Chile, Spain and Mexico. The event was held at the Bowery Hotel located at 335 Bowery in Manhattan. Cool hotel and mercifully, the event was indoors as it was brutally hot that afternoon.

I started with some whites and I always like to try wines made from the Verdejo grape which is pretty much unique to the Rueda region of Spain. You know you are drinking a Verdejo the minute you sip it, it’s like drinking a grapefruit. At this event I tried some Verdejo that were barrel aged and took on a different flavor profile with rounder fruit and more moderate acids. One that I liked was the 2011 Nisia, DO Rueda. Penin gave this wine a 95 rating and it had a nose of grapefruit and sweet mango with moderate and juicy fruit with notes of bubble gum on the fruit. It tasted more Chardonnay than Verdejo.

Some of the wines I enjoyed  from Spain:

The 2011 Abadia da Cova de Autor, DO Ribera Sacra and is 100% Mencia grape, a varietal pretty much unique to Spain and was dark purple with a nose of roasted coffee, young, juicy and dusty. Another Mencia I liked was the 2008 Men de Mencia, DO Bierzo and was dark red to black in color with a nose of earthy berries and mint and was fresh and juicy with some cherry earthiness in the glass.

The 2006 Frontaura Crianza DO Toro, was dark red to black with a closed nose and roasted coffee notes on the big finish.

The 2009 Don Miguel Comenge DO Ribera del Duero was dark purple to black with a nose of stewed fruit and was rustic and chewy with a long toasty finish.

The 2009 Domaines Lupier La Dame Vina Viejas, DO Navarra was dark red with a nose of stewed red fruit and spicy cinnamon and cherry fruit notes and a balanced finish.

The 2009 Eccoci Tinto Premium, DO Vino de Gerona was black in color with a nose of toasty stewed red cherry and plums and was concentrated and firm with a long finish.

The 2010 Urbezo Crianza, DO Carinena was dark purple with a nose of stewed fruit and was chewy and rustic with notes of dried mushrooms on the balanced finish.

The 2006 Vega Enix Damaris, DO Ribera del Andarax is 100% Merlot and was black with a closed nose of black licorice and was chewy with roasted nuts on the fruit and was nicely balanced.

The 2008 Marques de Caceres “Gaudium”. DO Rioja was a big wine, black in the glass with a nose of roasted coffee and black cherry and was very chewy with notes of toasted nuts on the long finish. Tasted like a big Cali red. 

Something different, a wine from the Baja region of Mexico. The  2007 Bodegas de Santo Tomas “Unico” which is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot and is in an impressively heavy glass bottle, was black in color with a nose of black plums with toasty and juicy fruit.

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It seems that the 2011 vintage was a declared year for Port. I attended a tasting of newly declared 2011’s held at the Benjamin Hotel located at 125 East 50 Street.

Drinking newly released vintage Port is not the easiest thing to do, at this stage the wines aren’t polished and are usually thick and sweet. Fortunately the Port houses that were present brought along older vintages for us to try as well.

If I had to drink a 2011 tonight it would be the Taylor Fladgate “Vargellas Vinha Velha”. These guys have been making Port since 1692. This one is from their top estate and from the oldest vines on the property. It was dark purple with a purple robe with a nose of dried rosemary, very concentrated and tight with a good grip on the long finish.

Some of the others from 2011 I sample were from Croft, Fonseca, Qunita Da Romaneira and Quinto Do Noval. The Quinto do Noval 2011 “Nacional” got rave reviews from the big wine writers and at about $500 a bottle I had some high expectations. Wasn’t blown away. It was black in color, , light on the initial attack but filled out to a long finish. After sampling the 2011’s I went off to the older vintages, some that I liked:

2009

Croft,  Black in color with a nose of mint and dried plums, concentrated and tight, silky with some grapiness on the finish.

2008

 Quinta do Noval, black with a purple robe, a nose of dried herbs and black licorice, chewy and silky.

2007

Croft, black with a purple robe, nose of cherry candy, sweet with a nice grip with some heat peeking through at the end.

Quinta do Noval,  black with a purple robe, nose of smoky crushed black berries, a mouthful of crushed berry fruit on the finish, nicely balanced with good grip.

2004

Taylor Fladgate “Vargellas Vinha Velha”, dark black with a nose of white flowers and mint, thick and juicy.

Quinta do Noval, black with a purple rim, with a nose of dried herbs, starts closed but opens up with a nice balance and grip.

2003

Taylor Fladgate, black with a nose of white flowers, silky with a nice grip.

Quinta do Noval, black  with an amber robe, and nose of dried herbs, lavender on the long finish with good balance. Tasty.

Quinta do Noval “Nacional”, black with a nose of dark chocolate and dried herbs, thick and chewy with black licorice on the finish.

 

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All good things must come to an end and that includes my Italian adventure. I decided to spent the last couple of nights visiting family. My peeps live in the town of Chioggia which is a small fishing village on the southern part of the Venetian lagoon. The old town is a miniature Venice with canals, bridges and fishing boats while crossing a causeway takes you to the modern beach area of Sottomarina with B & B’s, restaurants and white sandy beaches. Very off the radar for American tourists, it makes a good base to visit Venice while escaping the hoards. You can take the shorter route which is a 45 minute bus ride or the longer which is more scenic but takes longer. You take a boat from the old town which takes you to Lido where you get a bus which takes you to a vaporetto which takes you to St. Marks Square.

It was six years since the last time I visited the town and you would never call it cutting edge but this time around I experiences something I had never had in Sottomarina, a real wine bar.  After cousin Alberto set me up in a nice hostel in the old town, we headed to the beach area for a glass of wine. We spent happy hour at a new wine bar munching on some pasta and bruschetta while drinking  a glass of the 2011 Russolo Cabernet Sauvignon and a glass of the 2010 Poggio al Vento Morellino di Scansano.

The next day, cousin David decided to take me on a wine tour of the closest wine area, Colli Euganei. The Colli  Euganei wine district is located about 30 miles west of Venice. The area is a group of extinct volcanos that rise above the plains of the Po delta. The area is also known for their hot springs as well as their wines. We spent a rainy Monday driving up steep hills surrounded by vineyards. Very picturesque. Dave called ahead and made an appointment with Azienda Agricola Ca Lustra. We were given the standard tour of the facilities  then we got down to some serious wine tasting. Of course we started with the whites. Very interesting labels with pictographs of the ancient indigenous people.

The 2011 Zanovello “Oliveani” is a blend of five grapes including Sauvignon Blanc and Tocai. It was gold in color with a nose of honey and mango, full bodied, buttery, nutty with good acidity on the finish. Good start.

The 2011 Zonovello “Pendevenda” made with the local grape varietal incrocio manzoni, was gold in color with a nose of dried mushrooms and red candy, medium full-bodied with some lemon-lime on the finish with good balance.

The 2009 Zanovello “Roverello” which is made from Chardonnay, was deep gold with a big nose of lime and wild flowers and forest floor, big bodied with some dried leaf on the on the back-end.

The 2011 Zanovello “A Cengia”  which is a blend of two Moscato grape varietals, was gold with green highlights in color with a very big spicy nose and was medium bodied with juicy green lime fruit and nice acidity on the finish.

The 2011 Zanovello “Agangoor” Rose is an equal blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot and was cherry red with an earthy, sour cherry nose with bright, crisp fruit, and an earthy finish with firm acids on the finish. On to the reds.

The 2009 Zanovello “Girapoggio” is a blend of 30% Cabernet Franc and 70% Cabernet Sauvignon.  It was black with a nose of smoky bacon, concentrated, silky and chewy with firm tannins and acids on the long finish.

The 2007 Zanovello “Natio” which is a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Camenere was black in color and a violet robe with  a big perfume of camphor, very concentrated and silky with notes of black fruits with a great grip with a long finish that coats the tongue.

The 2008 Zanovello “Sassonero” is all Merlot and was black with a purple robe with a nose of sour fruit, it was tight and concentrated with velvet fruit, good balance and a long finish.

The second label 2009 Ca Lustra Rosso, is a blend of three red grape varietals and was dark red to black with a nose of green pepper, black fruit and lots of barnyard, it was rustic and chewy and a big mouthfeel with dusty fruit and good balance on the finish. Very nice.

Overall it was a very interesting tasting.