Bibi Graetz Testamatta 2007

Bibi Graetz Testamatta 2007

From a roundly touted vintage, the 2007 Testamatta is the flagship wine from the estate of full time winemaker/part time artist - Bibi Graetz. A trailblazer for 100% old vine Sangiovese, Bibi Graetz has put the town of Fiesole firmly on the international wine map within a few vintages with his single varietal Testamatta. Graetz's range of wines all come with an additional splash of colour as his own artwork adorns every bottle.

Shunning international varieties, Graetz uses local varieties throughout his range of wines including Canaiolo and Colorino for other reds and Ansonica (imported from the beautiful Tuscan island of Giglio) and Vermentino for his whites. If you're interesting in learning more about Tuscan varieties then the Bibi Graetz range would be an excellent (and guaranteed delicious) place to start.

Earning massive points in 2006, a 98 from James Suckling, the 2007, despite the A Rating vintage, didn't fair quite so well scooping a "lowly" 95 from the old Wine Spectator man and a disappointing 93 from Antonio Galloni. I also enjoyed the 06s, so, with such damning praise heaped upon the 2007, I was excited to bag a case myself and see if the dropped points were warranted.

Bibi Graetz Testamatta 2007 - BUY - £75 (easily £40 within Italy)

Intense dark purple to the rim. On the nose the wine offers concentrated & powerful aromas of cedar, leather, chocolate, prune, cherry and smoke but it is on the palate that the wine truly shines. Super silky smooth mouth feel combined with layers of dark fruit, the chocolate note continuing to the finish with a flutter (I'm going to use "flutter" - deal with it) of violet on the end. 95 Points

For those into instant Graetzification (ooo that's good) then opt for the 07, a tastier, more vibrant wine for drinking today will be hard to find. The 2006's score better for structure alone. The 2007 can be drunk, very happily, from 2012.

Do you have an opinion on the Bibi Graetz Testamatta 2007? Let me know.

Cesanese del Piglio DOCG

If Maximus drunk wine you can bet your bippy it was Cesanese del Piglio. Leave the monks their Est! Est!! Est!!! and the senate their sweet Mulsum, Casanese del Piglio is a wine for tough guys and Lazio fans. Cesanese del Affile (90% min variety in Cesanese del Piglio) is a difficult, stubborn little grape, gesturing in its back yard yet unwilling to travel but; is he worthy of honour?

Since the year dot (well, Roman times, if anyone knows when the year dot was I'll send you this bottle, scroll down for competition) they've been producing wine on the red soils of the Ernici mountains, yet it took until November 2011 for this plucky little wine, produced solely in Frosinone province to be awarded its very own DOCG and get the chance to show some true potential. For many, this was a DOCG too far and Cesanese del Piglio has some work to do to disprove the naysayers.

With DOCG status comes the responsibility to get these wines up to international snuff and emerge as THE Lazio wine.

However, the Italian Wine quality drive has arrived in Frosinone. In recent years these wines have gained some following in the capital (Rome, not London) but also in Germany and some unexpected notoriety in the USA, still currently enjoying its Italian Varietal fad. But what about Blighty? Sorry, no. To the best of my knowledge not one of the major wine retailers, even those specialising in Italian wine carries a Cesanese del Piglio, and considering its rich, long history and growing reputation I think that's a bit rubbish.

Learn a little about Cesanese del Piglio
From the province of Frosinone, around 100kms south-east of Rome covering around 15,000 hectares, Casanese del Piglio DOCG lies on the volcanic red slopes of the Ernici mountains.

The soils are, in general, severely lacking in nutrients but cover a large area so lots of variation exists within the general quality of the grapes from the region as a whole, with vines planted from 200 m to 1000 m above sea level the exposures also vary. As with any large appellation knowing which vineyards produce the best fruit and which producers control their yields effectively is important. One variable this region shares in common is climate, and it shares that climate with Rome. Hot summers that cause drought for 1-2 months of every year. Within DOCG regulations in Cesanese del Piglio it is permissible to use irrigation in times of stress.

So what's a Cesanese del Piglio like?

As a dry red it can be bitter and this is why several other grapes are permitted as a small part of the blend to add that touch of aroma/acidity. Currently it is permissible to add 10% Sangiovese, Barbera, Montepulciano, Trebbiano or Bombino Bianco. Cesanese del Piglio is available in a variety of styles including still, sparkling, dry and sweet. These wines are said to accompany smoked cheese and smoked meats rather well, traditionally they display blackberry and tobacco notes and can be rustic and tannic if handled poorly.

Who are the best producers of Cesanese del Piglio?

Tre Bicchiere Awards have gone to Antonello Coletti, but excellent and good value, reliable Cesanese del Piglio are produced each year by producers such as Casale della Iora, Marcella Giuliani, Colletonno, Giovanni Terenzi, Villa Simone and La Viscola.

Are these wines available in the UK?

You tell me? If you can find one, I'll throw up a link.

Win this bottle of Cesanese del Piglio DOCG?
Q1. When was the year dot?
Q2. Do you think the bottle in the photo is pronounced "dives" or "divvies"?

Best answer wins. Leave your mail address but space it or you could get spammed! (ex. wine90 @ gmail . com)

Tignanello 2008

Antinori's Tignanello 2008 has officially reached the status of wine bling. One of a handful of Italian wines (particularly Super Tuscans) set to climb in price over the next 12-18 months, out of reach for the majority of UK wine buyers as Chinese collectors and oenophiles begin to buy up Italian "status" wines.

Was it only a year ago I was lamenting the price of Tignanello 2006? Too bad, the '06, '07 and '08 vintages can expect to reach and exceed £100 in the coming months according to all sources.

There's been plenty written about the potential for Italian "status" wines to go stratospheric in the press lately (see Decanter April 2012 and Vino Al Vino) but it wasn't until a Bordeaux wine investment company called my home number and tried to flog me a few cases of Sassicaia that I realised how hot these wines are right now.

How do these people get your number and know your interests? And if they know this much, why don't they know I'm not good for several cases of outrageously priced wine? They're not quite as irritating as the "Turn your computer on, you have a virus and must download some software from www.dodgybuggers.org" people, but they're still rather creepy.

So does this spell the end of Tignanello on every decent Italian restaurants wine list?

Will the demand be sufficient and the trend long enough to dampen my Italian city breaks for the foreseeable future?! (!)... (!!!)

Well, nah, the great thing about Tuscan wine in the 21st century is the amazing depth and breadth of fantastic quality wines available, as the older STs have inspired producers, old & new, to get into the game and produce blended wines of outstanding quality all hoping to be the next big thing in Tuscan wine. So if you 're mad for Sangiovese based Super Tuscans but don't fancy the £80 price tag then there are plenty of great alternatives that fly a little further under the radar (for now!)

My three recommendations for Sangiovese based Super Tuscans that hit all the right notes are:

Il Blu by Brancaia - £40
Primamateria by Poggerino - £25
Il Futuro by Colombaio di Cencio - £35

Tignanello 2008 - Antinori - BUY - £80
Deep, intense ruby red. Aromatically very fruit forward with black fruits dominating hints of spice and earth. On the palate this wine is impressively smooth, with medium + acidity and layers of black fruit, particularly dark cherries unfolding easily and readily on the attack & through to the finish. Of course this wine is tannic right now but even for early drinking this Tig was well balanced. Tignanello 2008 has an elegant yet firm structure and great length. How it will unfold over the next 10-15 years? I'm afraid I'll only have to guess! 95 Points

Masciarelli Montepulciano d'Abruzzo 2009

Bugger! Walking away from Bermondsey Street, home of the WSET (wine skool), I was pretty sure I'd blown my latest round of exams on the WSET trail. Questions about Montepulciano d'Abruzzo I'm pretty sure I aced, but the 6 points allocated to "How do you open a bottle of Champagne" I have since found out (via frantically looking through my textbook as soon as I'd left the building), I got totally wrong.

Yet, somehow, I've managed to open countless bottles of Champagne in my time, when it comes to expertly knowing how to do it, I'm afraid I just "dont av di know how". Poor me. I await my result in 8 weeks time.

In the meantime, I am celebrating or commiserating with a firm friend, sod Champagne, Masciarelli Montepulciano d'Abruzzo has always come through for me so I am excited to try the 2009.

Masciarelli Montepulciano d'Abruzzo 2009 - PASS - £9

A clear, deep ruby red. On the nose the wine presents youthful, intensely perfumed notes of dark cherry, dark chocolate, violets and blackcurrants. A dry and drying palate awaits with medium- acidity and medium+ tannins, alcohol level of 13% is held well in balance by a "semi-skimmed" body and gum chewing tannins. This is a big, flavoursome wine with some very raisened dark fruit notes, and kinda stalky (high yields much). The finish is quite short although those tannins will hang around your mouth all evening. 82 Points

Value for the €5 in Italy, not for the £9 in the UK. Served up with Spaghetti al Pomodoro - it's more than passable. Speaking of which...

And in case you were wondering:

• Remove the foil and loosen the wire cage.
• The cork must be held securely in place from the moment the wire cage is loosened.
• Tilt the bottle at an angle of 30 degrees, gripping the cork, and use the other hand to grip the base of the bottle.
• Turn the bottle, not the cork.
• Hold the cork steady, resisting its tendency to fly out and ease it slowly out of the bottle.
• The gas pressure should be released with a quiet "phut", not an explosion and flying cork.

"Give it a shake and aim it at yours friends" - is surely more fun?

Antinori - Castello della Sala - Cervaro della Sala 2009

Antinori Cervaro della Sala 2009

Name: Antinori Cervaro della Sala

Grapes: 85% Chardonnay, 15% Grechetto*

Alchohol: 13%

Classification: IGT Umbria

While all the world's wine bloggers are enjoying a jolly good knees up in Perugia at the #iwinetc, I thought I would pay homage to the event with a quick note on one of the very best wines of the area, Antinori's Cervaro della Sala. Certainly one of the big names on the Umbrian wine landscape, along with the icons of Caprai & Lungarotti, Cervaro della Sala takes its rightful place in the line up of Umbrian wine superstars.

Benefiting from the huge experience of the Antinori family (who took over the estate in 1940), the Castello della Sala Chardonnay is certainly the most famous, and by some the most highly regarded, Chardonnay of Italy. Decorated by Gambero Rosso, seemingly year on year, the 2009 scooped another Tre Bicchieri award, one of only nine awards to be bestowed upon Umbria this year.

So how is the 2009 Antinori Cervaro della Sala any different from the similarly excellent Gambero Rosso award scooping 2008? Simply a matter of vintage? Well, not quite.

Although vintage did play an important role in the difference between the 2008 and the 2009, the most obvious difference is the reduction of oak on the nose and palate. 2009 is the first year since I've been tasting this Chardonnay that the wood, especially in the early phase of the wines life, has not made itself immediately known upon opening the bottle.

2009 is the first year that "new oak" has not been specified by Antinori and here we have a slightly different, possibly more interesting, Castello della Sala. We already know the critics are just as impressed, but what will your everyday Antinori fans make of the changes and will the 2010 follow suit? Time will tell.

Apart from the use of new oak (or not) - there were significant differences in the growing season. 2008 was a classic vintage in Umbria with ideal conditions, a good amount of water in spring and a long, steady beautiful summer with the harvest coming in late August.This balanced, systematic weather allowed for perfectly ripe bunches, making great wine in such a vintage, is child's play for the winemakers at Antinori. In comparison, 2009 was a little more challenging with earlier budding, a blisteringly hot August and an even earlier harvest in mid August left tight skinned berries though with zippy acidity.

Antinori Cervaro della Sala 2009 - BUY - £37.99
"An intense golden colour with satisfying aromas of butter and hazelnut, although the oak profile strikes a better balance in 2009 than 2008 with tropical fruits, banana and flowers on the nose. The palates hazelnut & pear twang and coating full bodied mouthfeel give way to a long pleasant finish where the acidity comes through strongly. A well balanced, weighty wine with another 5-6 years ahead of it.". 91 Points

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About Antinori, Oak in Chardonnay or this particular wine!

* No matter what Decanter Magazine may tell you.

Zind Humbrecht Pinot Gris Reserve 2009

Zind Humbrecht Pinot Gris Reserve 2009

I am incredibly suspicious of Zind Humbrecht, for it has joined the ranks of random phenomena that follow me around and make surprise appearances in my life. Like the number 47 or that "Express Yourself" song by Madonna, Zind Humbrecht is there, waiting in the shadows, ready to pop up and wave at me like an old friend you're possibly, maybe, perhaps... trying to avoid. 

But secretly, as with Madonna and 47, there's always a part of me which is happy to see the familiar flute of this Alsatian number, its consistency and reliability make me feel secure, plus, it was on half price at Majestic round the corner so I figured, what the hell.

This isn't the first time Zind Humbrecht has made an appearance on the Wine90 blog (of course). With over 30 different wines produced each year the wines of Oliver Humbrecht receive praise not just for sheer variety, it's not simply a case of "A for Effort", they also run the gamut of price points whilst maintaining a strong quality brand, i.e, the lower priced wines also exhibit craftsmanship and attention to detail. 

All Humbrechts wine, since 1997, have been produced biodynamically, care and attention to detail are the watchwords here. It is the well known philosophy of Oliver Humbrecht to let the quality of the terroir speak for itself, keep the yields low and let the work of winemaking take place in the vineyard. In other words, let the grapes express themselves. Hey Hey.

The Zind Humbrecht Pinot Gris Reserve 2009 is one of the entry level wines from Zind Humbrecht. The grapes come from an assortment of their own domaines rather than one individual clos or vineyard as with the Clos Windsbuhl Gewurztraminer. Even so, this wine, just £12.99 at Majestic (in-store, they've run out online) displays all the tell-tale signs of Humbrecht perfectionism and the natural potential of Alsatian Pinot Gris.

Zind Humbrecht Pinot Gris Reserve 2009 - BUY - £12.99
Highly evocative, perfumed nose with spicy floral notes overlaid with a hint of pineapple and blossom. Mid bodied with zippy acidity and a streak of minerality on the palate. I'm assured this is totally dry but the tip of my tongue told me otherwise, if not, fruit is playing me for a fool once more! A lovely wine either way, nice length to the finish and certainly a bargain at £13. 88 Points

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Zind Humbrecht Pinot Gris Reserve 2009 - Is this dry? Go out and buy it and tell me I'm not going mad?

What random phenomena follows you around? Let's get spooky... it's that time of the year after all.

Joseph Drouhin Grand Cru Grands Echezeaux 2004

Joseph Drouhin Grand Cru Grands Echezeaux 2004

In between the heat wave of '03 and the evangelising of '05 came the often dismissed Burgundy vintage of 2004, a brilliant year for nabbing choice bargains both in Burgundy and Bordeaux. Whenever I get a chance to taste Red Burgundy, which is sadly all too rare, I make sure I taste any 2004s in the line up, looking for a savvy purchase.

2004 Burgundy not only offers great value in 2011, we're also, well within for some and approaching for many, the optimum drinking window of these undervalued wines.

The wine I want to review today, the Joseph Drouhin Grand Cru Grands Echezeaux 2004, is not exactly a value driven wine by an unknown producer! It is still however, a bargain. Unlike so many other red burgundies of the vintage, we see no signs here of lack of concentration or green murky palates, in fact quite the opposite with a rich layer of quality, savoury fruit.

Joseph Drouhin Grand Cru Grands Echezeaux 2004 - BUY - £76

An enchanting nose with opulent notes of violets, minerals and intense cherries with a hint of nuttiness. The fruit and acidity seem to be perfectly in balance in 2011 and the tannins have not yet lost their grip. Longevity on the finish and a supple, rounded mouthfeel complete the experience. 94 Points - Drink Now - 2018

If you're prepared to trust in an Icelandic merchant, you can find the Joseph Drouhin Grand Cru Grands Echezeaux 2004 for just £76. The lower scoring "superior vintage" 2007 Joseph Drouhin Grand Cru Grands Echezeaux is currently retailing for over double this price. So if you're looking for some quality Burgundy but still fancy a bargain then this 18 Point Jancis Echezeaux must be the way to go.

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2004 Red Burgundy - Any Recommendations? Tried the Joseph Drouhin Grand Cru Grands Echezeaux 2004?