Mosel Riesling

Date: Tue, Aug 19, 2008 Wine Tasting

Mosel Riesling

Mosel Riesling, or what 18 months ago was Mosel-Saar-Ruwer Riesling is the area of Germany where the Riesling grape finds its best expression. Aside from Alsace, the other great Riesling producing region of France, (that once was Germany, where German Shepherd dogs are named after, but really should be called French Shepherd dogs post 1945, but that wouldn't frighten any intruder now would it?) Riesling is thought to be king. Frankly, it's all a bit complicated before we even begin. For German wines, the categorisation of such, the different harvest times and the unpronouncable terminology leave me a little confused. Italian wine is a dive in the penalty box compared with your Eiswein, Spätlese, QbA's and Prädikatswein.

It's worth it. If only for the bottle shapes alone! Riesling is still out of vogue which is a bizarre trend seeing as the wine could be described as the antithesis of Chardonnay, as Riesling never has an oaky character. Since my London wine flight two months ago where a sweet Riesling from New Zealand hit 9 other big names out of the park I've been sampling Rieslings from any country at every opportunity, which living in Italy, isn't all that often actually! However, when I see Riesling on the menu it jumps out at me and is definitely my grape of the season. That season being summer, it's a timely grape fad as with Riesling you have the luxury of a range of sweetness in your wine and a variety of countries growing the grape. As possibly the most terroir driven grape variety I would recommend anyone studying wine or interested on picking up on the nuances of terroir to stick with Riesling for a few months and really come to appreciate it.

In 2 days I fly to Frankfurt, just 100 miles outside the Mosel zone for a long weekend where I plan to sample a full range of Rieslings. I have the wine lists of a few restaurants printed out already and I'm good to go. Of course the notes will appear here on Wine 90 as will restaurant recommendations, if they're any good of course!

Mosel Riesling has a huge production and a wide variety of producers who go about making wines through the sweetness range from the dry Rieslings right the way thru to Eiswein (Ice Wine), so called because the grapes have been frozen on the stalks and harvested as late as necessary, usually December. The frozen water within the grape creates a concentrated must and a super sweet wine. Whilst Eiswein is waxed lyrical across internet wine blogs, I have never had the pleasure, so this is one of my "must do" experiences for Frankfurt. The top Eiswein names to look out for are Hermann Donnhoff, Selbach-Oster and Dr Loosen among others, to make an Italian comparison these are Gaja priced producers and I'll be looking for something a little more value driven on my trip.

Mosel Dry Rieslings are usually well balanced fruity affairs with precise and clear flavour profiles. These wines are usually quite low in alcohol, crisp and light bodied and very good value. If this is the white wine profile you enjoy then producers to seek out include the guys above who produce a range of sweetness among their Rieslings and Fritz Haag, Winninger, Egon Muller and Merkelbach.

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Any restaurant or sight seeing recommendations for Frankfurt? Any Riesling recommendations? Do you enjoy Riesling? have you tried Eiswein? can you speak German? ever been bitten by a French shepherd? or any other rootin' tootin' thing you have to say.

Bibi Graetz Testamatta 2005

Date: Fri, Aug 15, 2008 Wine Tasting

Bibi Graetz Testamatta 2005

Bibi Graetz Testamatta 2005 has been sat in my cellar now for a few months and with the recent review of Bibi Graetz Testamatta 2006 from Wine Spectator getting an unbelievable 98 points it seems the time was right to pop what I already knew was a good wine and see if the 2005 comes anywhere close to that impressive. I've been neglecting Tuscany a little over the past few weeks but tonight with the rain pelting down on Venice I needed to be taken away to another terroir and I don't think another bottle wraps up Tuscany in the way this Bibi Graetz wine does.

Concha y Toro Casillero del Diablo

Date: Wed, Aug 13, 2008 Wine Tasting

Concha y Toro Casillero del Diablo Reserva Privada

Concha y Toro Casillero del Diablo Reserva Privada doesn't sound very Italian does it? Concha y Toro Casillero del Diablo Reserva Privada isn't Italian, not by any stretch of the E-magination. However, this weekend I sampled the worlds worst Barolo. I can't even bash the producer because the bottle was bought in London in Whistlestop by a friend who thoughtfully saw the word "Barolo" and bought it for me. There was no producer. Alarm Bells? Apparently not!

As kind and sweet a gesture as this was, we were both spitting it out and pouring it down the drain and refilling our glasses with this famous mass produced Chilean number. Casillero del Diablo have loads of products that I will definately be checking out on the basis of this wine, today I am raving about their 65% Cabernet Sauvignon & 35% Syrah blend Reserva Privada retailing around $13 or £8.

I have to admit, I eyed it with some suspicion. It looks fabulous, has a great name and the reserva came in at something like £8 but in actual fact, it was really very good, one dimensional, could have come from anywhere sure, but as far as grape juice goes, it was a fruit hit and head and shoulders over this nameless shameful Barolo (and about a third of the price).

Back to Concha y Toro Casillero del Diablo, I had the 2005, but as with a lot of these mass produced wines, vintages play a smaller role in the overall quality. I have found my second fruity guilty pleasure to go alongside Gallo Zinfandel and it's this wine. As a sucker for good looks, this is an attractive wine and will appeal to the average wine buyer on so many levels, its got the groovy label and the cool name, its got the fruit, its got the "reserva" option if you want to feel a bit special, it's a wine marketing success, and its Chilean, which is kinda cool lets face it. Like Marcello Rios.

My London trips are always great for trying out non Italian wines, sat by the Thames with the HMS Belfast right up in my face I actually found a green Chardonnay in my glass, I don't mean it tasted vegetal or was under-ripe, I mean it was the color green. At a party that same night I got to try an Argentinian Shiraz that was pure raisins, simply raisin juice. I know to you readers sat out there in Milton Keynes or Arlington, VA this is not exciting news, but I am locked up in Italian wine jail, it makes me want to paint my face blue and shout FREEEEEDOM.

So, buy this wine. Try this wine. It's simple but its got nose, it's got palate, it's got it all going on and it's going to accompany meat dishes superbly, it's a red you can drink on its own with a bag of crisps, and if you want to recreate my life, add to the mix a fruit and nut Toblerone and watch Kill Bill I and II back to back. Perfect Sunday I reckon.

Concha y Toro Casillero del Diablo Reserva Privada 2005 - BUY - €10

Dark ruby red in the glass, explosive spicy nose of blackcurrents, plums and pepper, a full bodied and fruity palate, smooth and well structured, firm tannins, balanced and so fruity. It has a finish, maybe a little clipped but overall, completely enjoyable and highly recommended. 90 Points

Don't forget there is still a competition live until Friday to win a case of wine click here.

Where can I buy this wine?

Europeans - Schuwo - €10

Americans - Empire Wine - $13

Brits - Morrisons or Tesco - £8

Australians - Can't find it online, but probably like everyone else, you can get it down the shops!

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I know, it's not Italian! Tried any Concha y Toro wines? Tried any Chilean wines? Do you think the HMS Belfast is an eye sore too? Did you like Kill Bill? What's your movie wine?

Wine Olympics

Date: Tue, Aug 12, 2008 Wine Tasting

Wine Olympics Competition

One thing the Olympics do not inspire me to do is to drink more wine but the UKs gradual slide down the table probably will. The Olympics are the creme de la creme of sporting achievement and, being unhealthily obsessed with vino as I am, it led me to think, quite unnaturally, about which bottles our countries would send off to the Wine Olympics.

I'm English, really we don't produce wine, we do produce some quite good act-chew-ally sparkling whites, but well, *muffled cough*. As I live in Italy, we would send the mighty Barolo to the Olympics and probably come in somewhere around 9th too.

Please leave your answer, name and email address as a comment to this post. Competition live until Friday the 15th of August, the best answer wins a 6 pack of Italian wine worth around €80. Good luck!

Abbona Dogliani Papa Celso Dolcetto

Date: Thu, Aug 7, 2008 Wine Tasting

Abbona Dogliani Papa Celso Dolcetto

Enrico e Marziano Abbona Dogliani Papa Celso is one of the best Dolcetto wines on the market today. Abbona Dogliani Papa Celso Dolcetto, produced in my favourite region of Italy, the Piedmont, is a QPR king in a region where QPR is becoming increasing hard to find. The Piedmont, home to the king of Italian wines, Barolo, has a QPR trick up its ermine laced sleeve and that trick is Dolcetto (well, along with Barbera anyway!).

Fattorio Petrolo Galatrona

Date: Tue, Aug 5, 2008 Wine Tasting

Fattorio Petrolo Galatrona

Fattorio Petrolo Galatrona is a Merlot that should have appeared during Merlot Month. Fattorio Petrolo Galatrona is one of the most revered Merlot's in Italy, Galatrona's fairly small annual production of 13,000 bottles make it highly sought after though the price is nowhere near a Redigaffi. The 2004 was an awesome one off. The 2004 vintage was crazy across Tuscany producing many greats, but it is here where the vintage gave a great wine the kick into legendary status. The 2004 got a stonking 96 points from Antonio Galloni and an outrageous 97 from James Suckling at Wine Spectator and year after year this bottle is awarded the prestigious Gambero Rosso Tre Bicchere. 2004 Petrolo Galatrona is special, its all that and a bag of chips it is a case buy wine, no questions asked.

Fattorio Petrolo are a slice of Tuscan heaven. Not only do they grow this award winning Merlot but their piece of Tuscany is also a kind of Agriturismo come holiday estate with swimming pools and tennis courts and a beautiful Tuscan villa in which you can stay. You may or may not know your author here has two passions, and two jobs in fact, I love wine but I also love foreign travel, being one of the founders of HotelsClick.com and selling villas across Tuscany. As beautiful as it is, some kind of busmans holiday I would enjoy at this property! If this looks like your kind of holiday a list of prices can be obtained by clicking here. Sadly, this property isn't on my books! Boo Hoo.

Back to the wine. This Merlot is an outrageous deal. I got to try the 2004 this week and it is absolute QPR heaven. In my opinion a 95 point wine, I wasn't quite as impressed as JS but for the money a better value Tuscan Merlot surely can't be found. Can it? This is a wine that must be decanted and probably a points value will depend on which part of the time bell curve you are sampling.

This is the wine! This is the wine you are looking for to impress your boss, new girlfriend (or boyfriend), for your wedding anniversary, this is the wine, call off the dogs, stop the search and just use the links below to buy a case of the 2004. If you like Merlot, this is it, this is standing side by side with Pomerol. Did I mention the price yet? €75. If you are balling €75 a bottle its a no brainer, otherwise, go for the 2001 Falesco Montiano.

Fattorio Petrolo Galatrona 2004 - BUY - €75

Lovely dark ruby red, a vibrant almost blood red in the glass. An explosive nose, particularly fresh, vibrant and fruity, loads of dark cherries, chocolate and some floral notes too, I also got some smoke and spices. A complex nose indeed unfolding like a flower. Full bodied and luscious on the palate, superb balance to the wine and a finish that goes on for a full minute. A wine for decanting several hours. Great value, top ageing potential. 95 Points

Where can I buy this wine?

Europeans - Italian Wine Selection - €75

Americans - Wine Boutique - $99

Brits - Fine and Rare - £51

Australians - Italian Wine Selection - AU$126

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The Brits got a fair deal for once! What have you been drinking over the weekend? What are you drinking over next weekend? What are you drinking right now?

Antinori Guado al Tasso Bolgheri

Date: Tue, Jul 29, 2008 Wine Tasting

Antinori Guado al Tasso Bolgheri

We are focusing on Guado al Tasso today because we sold out. Plain sold out. One customer came along and just gobbled up our entire inventory last week so I had to see what the fuss was about and if the 2005 vintage has been slightly disappointing like the Tignanello and Ornellaia.

Before we get into this you may have noticed there have been no tweets from me and very few blog posts. Twitter went nuts last week. Deleting all my followers and those I follow in a botched update so go kick their butt! As for not posting... last week I spent some time in Paris and it gave me the chance to try some interesting French wines so I've been busy drinking instead of writing which is slightly more fun!

As this is the "Italian wine blog" I would like to be able to bash the French vin but actually they were all rather excellent. Reviewed for your pleasure is the Perrin & Fils Chateauneuf du Pape 2005 and the Chateau Leoville Poyferre 2004 .

I'm not actually pledging any kind of allegiance to France in that photo I'm not sure why I have posed so bizarrely! I'd also like to apologise for my hair which took a "tour bus bashing" with not only the wind messing me up but also assorted twigs and leaves smacking me about the bonce as the bus hurtled far too quickly through the streets of Paris.

Back to the Guado al Tasso. It's one of Italy's most requested, famous, respected wines but still only the third most well known of the Antinori stable, following Solaia and Tignanello. Meaning "Badgers Ford" in English, Guado al Tasso's vineyards are in Bolgheri and the 2005 vintage is made up of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot and 5% Syrah. As with much of Tuscany, 2005 was a difficult vintage with a wide variance of successes and failures due partly to localised weather patterns, and as always the particular skills of the wine makers themselves. Antinori have some of the best wine makers in the world so any disappointment should really be weather related.

2005 was a better year for Merlot, always forgiving, so the 2005 is heavier on Merlot than some past vintages. And? And? Well, it's as good as last years. Of course it is a different wine experience but taking everything into account, 2005 and 2004, no real quality difference. In fact, I slightly prefer this vintage on taste and as much as I love sticking my nose into wines and am all about the nose, taste does matter somewhat! So they tell me.

Antinori Guado al Tasso Bolgheri 2005 - BUY - €55

Very dark, deep ruby red. Needs decanting and produces an explosive nose after a few hours. Brings around aromas of plums, blackberries and that familiar chocolate note as well as noticeable but non-offensive oak. Full bodied and well balanced, the 2005 is a fruity wine with the dark bitter chocolate notes continuing in the mid palate. A generous finish, the most striking point is the overall balance of the wine, well tuned and elegant. 93 Points

Perrin & Fils Chateauneuf du Pape 2005 - BUY - €40

Great deep purple colour with pink hues. The nose was kirsch like, lots of raspberries, very sweet but not sugary, noticeable cherry notes too. Mid bodied and rich on the palate but so smooth, one of the easiest drinking wines I've tasted this year. Really simple, very fruity, looks like a wine to drink young, fun and easygoing with a great nose and lovely flavour. Like wine flavoured juice! 90 Points

Leoville-Poyferre 2004 - BUY - €40
Lovely deep red in the glass. My bottle came out of the fridge in a tiny restaurant in the Marias so the nose was almost impossible to decipher. Some definite vanilla, cherry and a hint of smoke on the nose. Super mouth feel, really firm and fruity, great tannins, rounded and opulent I can't believe the price on this 2004 Bordeaux and can't stress how much you should be buying this wine esp considering the 2005 prices. 92 Points

"You are not passing many wines these days". Yes I know, I know, but I don't go out looking for horrible wines and this is my own money here folks. Sometimes I do find a stinker and it will get soundly trashed. If anyone would like to send me a horrendous wine I am open to your samples (of wine!).

Lastly, you may notice I've snuck in the occasional vini stranieri lately. Yours truly will be leaving Venice in the next few months for another European city, likely London, possibly Paris where the amount of choice of international wines is luxurious. Although I will always try to keep the blog focused on Italian wines, you may know that I am on the WSET wine course and as such can not limit myself entirely to experiencing only Italian wines, I preach trying different wines so I should practise this myself. Also, I'd just plain fail if I don't try other wines and as much as I love you all, I'd like to pass my exams!

I knew you'd understand! Lastly, I've added "Australians" to the last section of the blog as I've noticed a great increase in hits from down under. *waves* G'day!

Where can I buy this wine? (Guado al Tasso)

Europeans - Enoteca Grandi Vini - €54

Americans - NapaCabs! - $89.95

Brits - The Cellar Door - £52

Australians - Discount Wine - AU$105

Leave a comment!

Tried any of these wines? Are you one of the Aussie readers? Would you move to London or Paris? Are you going to send me revolting wine? Or anything else that tickles your fancy, except comments about my hair, which are forbidden.