Alberto

Ciao Ore, ciao albiston. If the bottle has a sediment, probably it hasn't been filtered (a good thing). The tax stripe (no, it's not that your bottle is n°107 but only a UTIF code) should say if your brandy is "invecchiato meno di un anno", "da due a tre anni" o "più di tre anni". The bottle is 70cl and not 75cl so it's quite recent, don't know about the Scuola Enologica di Avellino... I generally avoid domestic brandies; Poli makes quite a decent one in the vanilla-y style, though. Saluti, Alberto

Hi all! I just purchased a 75cl bottle of Werner Dorwagen 1999 St. Johanner Geyserberg Ortega Beerenauslese (Rheinhessen). Any knowledge about the producer and/or the grape? (I know it's a cross involving riesling and gewuerztraminer, but that's all... ). I think the AP code states that it has been bottled in 2001, so maybe it underwent some maturation in wood. Thanks for any information , Alberto

Talking about coincidences... Bello Ovile = Florence Alberto

Thanks for the reply and the link Rogelio! I was trying to say that they make sherry without making one because they make Montilla-Moriles DO wines and not Jerez/Sherry DO wines. BTW, I think that Viejisimo has 21% ABV "natural" as they state in the technical sheet (and on the label), and not 17% ABV as they say earlier, which is the ABV of some Don PXs. Very detailed informations in their website, anyways. Cheers, Alberto

I'm no particularly aknowledged about, but according to this forum it seems that Bodegas Toro Albalà make some of the best "sherries" without making Jerez, actually. I've seen their Don PXs very well priced, especially their GR 1975 (but I've not seen the 1972 yet, alas!), if compared to other very old Jerez/Sherries. Are their wines natural or fortified? Alberto

Yum. Shame that it goes for US$ 50, few dollars more than Amarone. Alberto

Hi Tim. Wines like that are, alas, hard to find on the market even in Friuli, due to the tiny production volumes; I think there are only two producers, Emilio Bulfon and Ronchi Cliona. BRW, was it Venezie IGT or Vino da Tavola? Infos on some ancient Friuli varieties Cheers, Alberto

Natural sweet wine from late-picked fruit on 50 years old vines. 13,5% ABV (potential 20% ABV) Inky purple, opaque. Thick purple legs. Massive concentration, shy start on the nose with menthol, stewed plums, blueberry liqueur, tobacco, leather, hot sawdust and tannic mulberry aromas developing as it slowly opens in the glass. A distant nuttiness in the background too. Fat, hot mouthfeel. Albeit being that young, shows some balance between upfront sweetness and a striking, muscular combination of acidity and tannins which takes control on the palate early. Like black fruit syrup to pour over the ice-cream. Like eating glazed berry tarts. Some sweetened cocoa powder and a definite note of just over-ripe blackberries in the medium length finish. A little simplified, almost elementar profile for now, but its size can make this wine evolve for 10 years. Alberto

A little report of the day... In the guided event we tasted six wines under the supervision of Rolf Klein. Sekt b.A. brut blanc de noirs "Pinot", Weingut Peter Graeber (Edenkoben), 2002 12,5% ABV, 12,7 g/l RS Inviting greeny gold color, bubbles of medium-to-coarse grain. Clean, delightful fruit in both nose and palate, composed acidity and clean finish. None of the nutty/toasty Champagne markers, more on the Trento style. Smooth, soft, not complex but still better than all the hard-boned Franciacorta I've had. From this producer, in the free tasting area I tried a simple, flowery 2002 Weisser Burgunder and the 1999 Spätburgunder "Il Pino", a powerhouse of pinot noir at 14,5% ABV and with 30 () months in new french barriques. Open nose and rounded palate, out of the three Spätburgunder I tasted it was the only one that showed defined varietal characters, but still under a layer of oak taste. Riesling Q.b.A. trocken "Palts", Vier Jahreszeiten Winzer (Bad Dürkheim), 2003 12,5% ABV, 7,6 g/l RS Quite pale. Fabulous nose of nectarines, candied citrus and sage, rather flat and straight-forward palate without an intense flavor profile and acidity slightly lower than promised (and expected), shame. From this co-operative winery I also tasted an interesting 2002 red blend called "Premium Rotwein Cuvèe", young and oaky with the color of pinot noir and some muscles and tannins from cabernet and merlot, very long and powerful vanilla-ed finish. Oak is still way too strong to tell. Riesling Q.m.P. Spätlese Forster Pechstein trocken, Weingut Lucashof (Forst), 2003 12,5% ABV, <8 g/l RS Great wine from basaltic terrains. Delicate but complex mineral nose, nervous, textured and focused palate, very dry throughout. The 2003 basic riesling from this producer is labelled as Forster Bischofgarten and offers a simpler profile, less concentrated with a bright open fruit. Slightly disappointing was the 2002 Spätlese Forster Ungeheuer, weighty but pretty uninspiring, maybe a bit closed. Muskateller Q.b.A. halb-trocken "S", Weingut Gehrard Klein (Hainfeld), 2003 13,5% ABV, 15 g/l RS Rich passion fruit, apple and gooseberry nose, turning a bit "artificial" (fructose) with time. Substantially dry, plain palate with decent acidity, good feelings but nothing really exciting. Mr. Klein told me that in cooler years they end up with 3-4 g/l of RS. Among the reds, they brought a 2001 Spätburgunder called "Theatrum-Vinum" which undergoes 18 months of burying in brand-new barriques. Warm coffee, chocolatey nose, not as open as the Graeber's sample but it's younger. Both were not my favourite style, anyways; way too a heavy hand with wood. This one in particular was virtually un-pairable with food, IMHO. Dornfelder Q.b.A. trocken, Winery Leinigerhof Familie Benzinger (Kirchheim), 2003 13,1% ABV, 4,1 g/l RS Somehow, this hybrid grape reminded me quite a little of cabernet franc in the nose, but less tannic. Dark purple color, low in acidity, dense but lacking in elegance and complexity, one could have bet that it was coming from much more southern lands. For roasted meat. Spätburgunder Q.b.A. trocken, Weingut Becker (Schweigen), 2002 12,5% ABV, 1 g/l RS For me, some cork issues. BTW, it seemed relatively unoaked with a deep, if slightly "green", nose and an extremely young profile, concentrated in the mouthfeel but still duff and unexpressed. The only sweet (or medium sweet actually) wine I had was the creamy rich but balanced 2000 Riesling Auslese by Dr. Von Basserman-Jordan (Deidesheim), which I found showing the first hints of that famous hydrocarbons aroma said to be a distinctive trait of older rieslings. No further details as the focus started to be lost a little bit... As a side note, at the festival there were perhaps 200 wines to try; I was able to taste about two dozens Prosecchi, between tranquilli (still) and spumanti (and a buttery 14% ABV barrique-aged Incrocio Manzoni 6.0.13 that a producer brought in abusively ). Alberto

Some recent wines and pairings. Aperitif of the week: Erbaluce di Caluso DOC, TerreDaVino, 2003 12% ABV Extremely pale, grey-ish, not very appealing. The tiniest amount of residual CO2 too, a tour-billon of incredibly small bubbles. Floral nose (jasmin, cyclamin), somewhat floury at first then somewhat mineral and waxy (lipstick, plasticine, wet clay). Shows a bit more body and weight in the palate with off-dry toasted white bread, wind-flower seeds, citrus and pear notes, albeit remaining fairly light. Lightly honeyed finish. Weird but unpleasant at all. With tagliatelle with prawns and tomato sauce, grilled tuna and grilled aubergines seasoned with extra-virgin olive oil: Breganze DOC Pinot Nero Superiore, Savardo - Cantina Beato Bartolomeo, 2000 12,5% ABV Ruby-garnet hue. Warm, correct, rather simple nose of earth, cherries, dried flowers, sandalwood and icing sugar which is carried into a medium-bodied smooth palate. Resolved tannins. Earthy, slightly fat finish with a touch of oak. Good wine, very good pairings. With fruit salad: Moscato di Noto Liquoroso DOC, Villa Dorata - Elorina, 1993 17% ABV Fortified muscat (100% white muscat) from south-eastern Sicily, late harvested. ~90 g/l of residual sugar. No wood. Full gold color. Needs time to open on the nose. Has developed a (bottle-age, I suppose) pleasant popcorn note. Plush texture, quite unctuous but not cloying. Fresh grapey fruit, lemon peel, lanolin. Good acidity, very flowery and delicate throughout. Long finish and clean after-taste; this wine will keep for many years. A surprise. Temperature is warm enough for the first barbecue & open-air dinner of the season! With chicken and sausages (and various cooked vegetables): Bagnoli DOC Friularo, Ca' Zen, 1997 12,5% ABV Very dark ruby. Intense, almost piercing tart wild cherries, wood spices, eucaliptus and mineral (graphite) aromas. Mid-weighted, bone-dry and fruity (ripe raspberries, cassis, plums) palate with softened tannins letting the natural high acidity of the grape play the main part. Fruit-marked finish with a somewhat smoky feeling. Great nose, I liked this wine a lot. With dessert: Colli Orientali del Friuli DOC Verduzzo Friulano, Zof, 2002 14% ABV Pale gold, pale indeed. Reclutant, closed nose; grape skins and an alcoholic pear brandy note. Medium sweet, pretty flat palate which continues the theme, rather low in acidity and a little out of balance with the alcohol. Turns fruitier (melon, pear again) and a little nutty towards the (alcoholic again) finish. Disappointing and unfocused, maybe still too young. Shame. Cheers, Alberto

Thanks for the replies! I'll take note. That particular tasting is organized by Consorzio Tutela Prosecco di Conegliano-Valdobbiadene as one of the events in the annual prosecco festival; I've searched a list of the guest producers (and their wines) with no results, hence the reason of this topic. The tasting will be lead by Rolf Klein of WeinWelt. Anyways, I'll enjoy the event for what it will be... Cheers, Alberto

Hello all. This sunday I will attend a Pfalz wine tasting ; what should I expect from that region? There are some standing out producers to seek for in particular? I have no experience with german wine whatsoever. Alberto

Miguel, I can assure you that Macallan 25 years old is UNDOUBTEDLY better than cat piss (not that I have direct experience with cat piss, of course); it is quite something as a single malt scotch whisky in fact. Obviously, it's not cheap. I think I'm missing the point a little here. Can you explain better? Cheers, Alberto

COLLECTOR'S MARKET ROCKED BY FAKE MACALLAN DISCOVERY Mon 17 May 2004 After months of speculation, The Macallan has announced that some of it’s antique whisky is fake.

Excellent TNs again, Jim! Only one side note...Inferno is actually one of the crus of Valtellina Superiore DOCG (the others being Valgella, Sassella, Grumello and Maroggia) so maybe it's not correct to put the word between quotes. Alberto

Pecorino Romano and Moscato di Noto Liquoroso from Sicily (or Sicilia IGT Zibibbo, which is easier to find). Recommendable. Alberto

Well Kahrs...so to say I've not a clue, actually! Anyways, I think that most distilleries allow booked visitors, don't know about regular tours or things like that. It depends also on the period, good producers distill exclusively fresh pomace i.e. they run the stills only in autumn. Cheers, Alberto

Hello all. The matter is simple. In Cognac there are six recognised sub-zones, in descending order of quality (and actually in ascending order of distance from the centre of the region too): Grande Champagne Petite Champagne Borderies Fins Bois Bons Bois Bois Ordinaires Cognac blend coming from both Grande Champagne and Petite Champagne can be labeled as Fine Champagne, although it isn't a sub-region in itself. No relationship with sparklers, then. Alberto

Well friends, a couple of things... Myrtillo from Roner is a cranberry juice liqueur (juice, sugar and a grappa base; pretty nasty stuff IMHO), Mirto di Sardegna is another story, coming from myrtle berries. Nonino grape distillate is spelled ùe (with capital), plural of ùa which means grape (ùva) in both veneto and friuli dialects. Grape distillate has never been my cup of tea, I found it rather weak in comparison with a good old traditional grappa as those from Domenis, Nonino and of course the benchmark Nardini. But women like it... Kahrs, if you will be in Padova again I can suggest you a visit to Bonollo distillery shop in Mestrino, 10 km west the city center. The plant itself is located in Conselve, in the south part of the province (Bagnoli DOC area). Alberto

Thanks for the tasting note grandcru! Vino Santo Trentino DOC is made of Nosiola sometimes left out to dry for 6-7 months. They've just crushed the grapes from 2003 vintage I think. BTW, nosiola means hazelnut. Ah... ...yes, Piave cheese comes from eastern Veneto. Vecchio is quite good but nowhere at the same level of true Friuli hard cow cheeses, IMHO. Alberto

From La Grola vineyard in S.Ambrogio di Valpolicella (24,26 Ha); 70% Corvina, 15% Rondinella, 10% Syrah, 5% Sangiovese; 17 months in wood; 13,65% ABV. This wine was born as a cru Valpolicella Classico Superiore DOC, then the producer kicked out the Molinara grape from the blend and declassified it into Veronese IGT; now it can earn the DOC once again, since the new regulations approved last year do not compulsory include Molinara in the Valpolicella blend. Dark ruby with tiny purple shades, very attractive indeed. Integrated, ripe Valpo nose of blackberries and mint tea but with more peppery, spicy, smoky nouances which are not so typical of the style, in my opinion. Medium bodied, lightly "perfumy" fruit, soft tannins, some oak and some meaty notes; round and quite rich although somewhat straight-forward. The finish has again a lavender-like perfumy tone. I'd expected (and liked) a firmer tannic structure. Good but not much more, and maybe already peaking. Not worthy the US$20 price tag, IMHO. Importers: Winebow Inc. (USA) - Philippe Dandurand (Canada) Cheers, Alberto

Easter wines: Colli Euganei DOC Cabernet Riserva, Fattoria Monte Fasolo, 1997 12,5% ABV Young-looking, clear purple-ruby color, turning pink-ruby at the edge. Some sediments inside the bottle. Composed bouquet of violets, mint, sandalwood, wet clay, cherry pie and ripe figs, turning slightly to dried figs. Also a somewhat "inky" note. Lightish, refined mouthfeel and body, with great balance between fresh cherry-like fruit, softened tannins and firm acid structure. Long finish marked by a tender rhubarb-like bitterness. Very good. Bagnoli DOC Friularo Classico Vendemmia Tardiva, Il Dominio, 1997 Il Dominio is the most important cellar in Bagnoli (south of Padua, adjacent to Colli Euganei DOC); Friularo is the local name for Raboso del Piave grape, late-harvested in this case. This is an ancient wine, very popular in XVIII Century Venice but probably much older in its origins. There's also a sweet Friularo Passito. 14,5% ABV, 100% Raboso. Intense, saturated dark red hue with small bricking at the edge. Is deep on the nose: liqueurish and leathery, tea leaves, not unlike Amarone but a tad fresher (ripe, sweet water-melon in the background). Plummy, raisiny, jammy palate, very big and dry. The grape is famed for its high acidity, and despite all that yummy fruit I'll not argue with that statement in this case: impressive grip and intensity. Leafy, earthy, cherry pith-like finish, extremely long, evolving towards milk & coffee after five minutes. Quite individual and unique flavors. Outstanding. I don't think it's easy to find Friularo di Bagnoli outside Veneto, shame. Buona Pasqua , Alberto

Nor am I Alberto

Any info about this product? There are two bottles remaining on the shelf at my favourite store (EUR 40). Alberto

15 % ABV. Probably bottled in 1998, the next vintage has been the 1995 (19,5% ABV! ) which sports the Monteregio di Massa Marittima DOC. Topaz color. A petrolly varnish note, almond oil, pork fat, cinnamon, nutmeg, saffron and a dozen of other oriental spices. With some air I also get menthol balsam. Quite light in body but with a gorgeous buttery texture. After a lightly honeyed start it gets very dry with substantial acidity and a wonderful and definite strong black bitter chocolate note together with interesting and elegant (yes) forest aromas (wet leaves and nuts on the floor, fungal notes, resin) that have the last say in the finish. In this kind of wines I've sometimes encountered some "off" notes in the finish, but this is not the case. Wow! And I think that it will get better in the bottle. Alberto