Wine Tag: I

[Brad Ballinger]

Without taking time to think, one might assume the letter “I” would prove challenging. But, waiting only one second, most would follow that up with “I” is for Italy. Forgoing the easy way out by selecting any wine from the country, there are other reasons why “I” is for Italy. There are the DOCs of Ischia and Isonzo del Friuli. There are IGT (Indicazione Geografica Tipica) wines, including Irpinia and Isola dei Nuraghi. There’s one of my favorite Tuscan producers, Isole e Olena. And there are many producers whose names ,or whose wines’ names begin with “Il” – such as Brancaia’s Il Blu and Notaio’s Il Repertorio. I would be remiss, however, if I didn’t offer a nod to the wines of Israel since two frequent posters here (Daniel Rogov and Andre) live there and enlighten us with their knowledge and impressions of those wines. I’ve just never had any.

And there is ice wine, wine poured from an Imperial (6 liters), wine chilled in an ice bucket. From California, there’s Iron Horse, Inglenook, Ravenswood’s Icon, Mondavi’s Io, and Sine Qua Non’s Imposter. Inky wines or okay, but not insipid ones.

2001 Attilio Contini ’Inu, Cannonau di Sardegna Riserva. I have no idea what ’Inu means or what the apostrophe represents. The nose of the wine changed during the 1.5 hours of drinking it. It initially started out with a bit of a stewed fruit aroma, accented with cloves, smoke, leather, and some earthy tones. With a huge inhale, I could get some mint. Midway through drinking, vanilla and oak appeared. Toward the end, the oak had retreated into the background. A bit angular on the palate, with the structure appearing to be wood-driven. Berry and spice flavors. Dusty finish.