Sagrantino di Montefalco

Sagrantino di Montefalco, without doubt the best kept red wine secret of Italy is about to be well and truly exposed. I am so excited about this wine for a multitude of reasons! Sagrantino di Montefalco comes from the Sagrantino grape grown around the hills of a town called Montefalco, a town that I could literally tee off and hit with a golf ball from the back terrace of my home in Umbria. I'd heard of Sagrantino di Montefalco, I've tried it but I had no idea just how good Sagrantino di Montefalco could be. We even sell a decent Sagrantino di Montefalco, there's a bottle sat on my mantelpiece (yes, not laid down, naughty) but only yesterday did I get my first taste of REAL Sagrantino di Montefalco, this was by what many consider to be the best producer of the wine, Arnaldo Caprai.

My past opinion of this wine was limited to, "sure this is the best red in Umbria, but really, that's not hard". I'd been served this wines a few times in some trattorias in Todi and Perugia but they must have been giving me the worst examples possible. Well, I have to take all that back and stand completely corrected because this is a serious red wine, a serious serious red wine that you absolutely need to try.

The Sagrantino di Montefalco (Arnaldo Caprai Sagrantino di Montefalco 25 Anni 2001) I sampled yesterday was easily in the same league as the best Brunellos and Barolos and at a third of the price. We're talking sheer quality, really aromatic, tannic, spicy, plummy wines, really dry and in need of aging. In case I am not the only one living in ignorance of Sagrantino di Montefalco, let me share with you a few facts! Oh, and the town is just round the corner from Bastardo, I didn't just add that photo for comedy value alone *ahem*

The stand out characteristic of Sagrantino di Montefalco is the exceptional dryness you get, the grapes for this wine are dried in passito style and made from 100% Sagrantino grapes. This has been a DOCG wine since 1991. There are around 30 producers of this wine with the best examples of this wine selling for around €50-60 a bottle (these are 95-97 point wines so exceptional QPR). There are only about 300 acres of this grape currently planted so it's a wine that can be a little hard to find, an exclusive wine. The wine itself is very very tannic and drying and benefits hugely from aging, can be aged up to 40 years from the best vintages. 2000 and 2001 were great vintages for the grape but the 2004 is the latest release and is gathering lots of support as an outstanding vintage.

Arnaldo Caprai is generally agreed to be the best producer of Sagrantino di Montefalco but Paolo Bea and Colpetrone also produce excellent wines. Next weekend I will be making a trip to the Arnaldo Caprai vineyards and picking up some Sagrantino di Montefalco as well as sampling their other wines, I'm very excited about this, partly because this is the standout vineyard in Umbria and partly because I can roll out of bed and stroll there.

Arnaldo Caprai Sagrantino di Montefalco 25 Anni 2001 - BUY - €55
Dark, thick, brooding and inviting in the glass the aromas are hitting me before I even take a sniff. Huge, intense nose of plums, jam, coffee, fruit comes through so strongly here it really is exceptionally jammy, a real plum jam hit. On the palate the wine was so drying but the fruit in the mid palate carries it through but it's clear we could do with some extra aging here. The mouth feel is soft and caressing, not acidic with a lovely 30 second + finish. A fantastic surprise, delicious, great structure, an exceptional wine tasting experience. 96 Points

You can pay €200 for a 96 Point Gaja Barolo or a Casa di Neri Brunello, if you have a celebration that calls for a great bottle without the price tag, say your 2nd child's graduation or a 15 year wedding anniversary, and you don't want to splash the cash,this is the wine to buy! Top marks. Go get it. Now. Leave the blog, don't look at the question of the day. Brits, don't pay that price at F&R, we sell a 2004 Sagrantino di Montefalco for £13 at The Cellar Door. If you want the Caprai go to the European recommendation.

Where can I buy this wine?

Europeans - Italian Wine Selection - €55

Americans - The Wine Connection - $89 !ON SALE!

Brits - Fine and Rare - £52

Question of the Day

What are you doing here? I told you, go buy the wine.

Morellino di Scansano

Last night I had dual reasons to celebrate. Firstly, Manchester United won a Championships League final they had no right winning beating the loathsome, silver-spooned Chelsea and secondly, I got my first taste of an excellent Morellino di Scansano at a sneaky wine bar that has been hiding from me not 50 steps from my apartment in Mestre. Before the big game, myself and a few work colleagues headed down to this enoteca for drinks and "cichetti" (the Venetian dialect word for tapas) and, as per what passes for fun with my techie colleagues, I was handed a glass of red and challenged to name it. To their pleasure and my shame, I was wrong, but I wasn't far off! as it had the nose and taste of a young clean Chianti Classico but was none other than the neighbouring DOCG 85% Sangiovese wine Morellino di Scansano.

Morellino di Scansano is usually cheaper than its famous neighbour and you can pick up the very best bottles from the top producers at bargain prices. So for those of you who don't know much about Morellino di Scansano, here is the QT!

Morellino di Scansano is a DOCG wine made from 85% Sangiovese grapes and any other non aromatic black grape. Commonly the wine is labelled as coming from the "Morellino" grape, but this is simply a dialect word for the common Tuscan Sangiovese grape. Grown in the Maremma around the hills of Scansano, the wine has been produced for several hundred years and was very popular in the 1800's but fell out of fashion and was surpassed by both Chianti and Brunello di Montalcino. The Maremma area is now famous for the blended ITG Super Tuscan wines and so Morellino di Scansano is still heavily overshadowed. These facts combine to make Morellino di Scansano a very affordable wine. The wine is released very young and doesn't really keep for ageing, it's a wine to drink within 5 years and in the very best vintages can be an excellent tre bicchiere option.

There are 4 or 5 excellent producers, most famously Fattoria Le Pupille who produce roughly 300,000 bottles a year and their most basic expression of the wine sells for around €8. If you want to try the top bottling (Morellino di Scansano Poggio Valente) expect to fork out roughly €25, for a 92-93 point wine, that's pretty good QPR, so look out for it.

Fattoria Mantellassi are a larger outfit producing roughly 700,000 Morellino di Scansano wines per year as well as many other excellent ITG wines that are worth a look (especially the Italian/Spainish blended Querciolaia). Mantellassi's best expression of Morellino di Scansano is their Riserva bottling (Morellino di Scansano Le Sentinelle Riserva) which is a little cheaper at €20 and is the wine I got to sample while John Terry skied his cup winning penalty *ha!

Fattoria Mantellassi Morellino di Scansano Le Sentinelle Riserva 2004 - BUY - €20

Really intense, glinting ruby red colour with some garnet reflections on the sides of the glass. The nose was chocolate coffee with cherries, crushed berries and plums and hints of vanilla and licorice, reminded me a great Chianti. The mouth feel was almost perfect, chocolatey once more with a dry crisp note on the end, the finish was clean, a little short but the wine was dessert like and very enjoyable. I'm drinking this at a perfect age, so drink today. 90 Points

NOTE: I could not find the Mantellassi outside of the European mainland so for the US and UK readers I've sourced the top bottling 2004 of the Fattoria Le Pupille Morellino di Scansano.

Where can I buy this wine?

Europeans - Enoteca Lombardi - €19 (Fattoria Mantellassi)

Americans - Wine Library - $32 (Fattoria Le Pupille)

Brits - Laithwaites - £22 (Fattoria Le Pupille)

Question of the Day

Morellino di Scansano will forever remind me of the 2008 Champions League final and the worlds most undeserving win. What special moments in your life are forever connected to which wines? (Yes, you actually have to think about this one!)

Borgogno Barolo

Borgogno Barolo has been enjoyed in these parts since production began in 1761 making Borgogno one of the oldest winemakers in the region. Giacomo Borgogno e Figli, to give the company its full name, is a traditional style Barolo producer who were exceptionally trendy and revered in the 50's and 60's and their bottles, with or without the wine inside, are traded as artistic pieces here in Italy and even in the USA. Borgogno, despite real pressure from the new breed of Barolo producers have never veered from their traditional, Barolo crafting, routes although the new generation at the company, Cesare & Giorgio Borgogno, are taking the company forward in huge leaps and bringing the company back to the forefront of Barolo production with some exceptional recent vintages.

Borgogno is slap bang in the heart of Barolo land with vineyards in Cannubi, Liste, Rue, Fossati and San Pietro. Here the company are famous for keeping and releasing many older vintages from their huge cellars. Borgogno is the most traditional of all producers and perhaps the one the Italians themselves are most proud of.

With this huge legacy to protect the new Borgogno wines are surpisingly fairly priced and actually pretty high quality. The traditional Barolo style is perhaps most obvious in Borgogno wines (even more so than Cavallotto) and the attention to detail in vinification is extreme. The main focus here is obviously Barolo and the company does not produce many different wines but in a good vintage you can pick up a very nice Barbaresco and acceptable Barberas, Langhes and Dolcettos.

Borgogno wine comes entwined with a beautiful history and a sense of bourgeois wonderment and if you were in such a mind, you could pretend to yourself that you are some notable noble of Italian parentage as you sip and contemplate over your ruby nectar. I like to gaze lovingly in the distance but am then sad to awake and find I have clearly fallen on harder times. *slaps self* Away from the whimsy, I've had the chance to try a couple of Borgogno Liste Barolos and here are my musings! (Tasting date - May 2008)

Giacomo Borgogno Barolo Liste 1997 - BUY - €100
A very attractive dark ruby red with huge powerful aromas of traditional Nebbiolo at its finest. Black Cherries, crushed forest fruits, a clear mineral element, a little soil like. The wine itself is huge, full bodied on the palate, very deep and hung on a complex structure. Super smooth and silky and an achievement within a wonderful vintage. I am lucky enough to be drinking this at a perfect age. Phenomenal. 96 Points

Giacomo Borgogno Barolo Liste 2001 - PASS - €60
Another dark ruby red effort that looks fantastic in the glass. This wine is a little hot and a little bigger than the 1997, a real fruit bomb lovers treat, dark fruits a plenty with cherries, plums and spices coming thru in spades on the nose. The palate is a little simpler than the 1997, rounded and packing more of a punch, nice length to the finish and a very pleasant taste and mouth feel but less finesse than I like from a Barolo. Needs a few more years. Not all that for the vintage. 92 Points

Where can I buy this wine?
The Liste cru only produces very small amounts of wine and it is seldom imported to the states, so I'm afraid unless you have some very very good friends, you might have trouble getting hold of this wine. Try wine auction website, Winebid. I also found a bottle of the '98 at a good price of $80 at Wine Access (94 point WS).

Cavallotto Barolo

Cavallotto Barolo is HOT at the moment. Never reaching the Gaja, Giacosa, Voerzio prices but scooping 90-95 points with Parker et al what we have here is fabulous value for your euro Barolo. Cavallotto Barolo reaches its finest expression with the Bricco Boschis Vigna San Giuseppe, the Riserva bottling that typically sells for around €60 a bottle. Cavalotto releases their Riserva Barolos later than other producers sparking great anticipation. This week I picked up a 6 pack of Cavallotto's flagship riserva 2001's for €180 on Italian Ebay, as these wines are fairly common on their home soil.

Thanks in part to a glowing review by Antonio Galloni (the young critic at the Parker fold) interest has steadily grown in the States, where it's becoming more and more common to find Cavallotto Barolo in the better Italian restaurants in New York. Those with a spare $600 can try the fabulous 1978 Cavallotto Barolo Bricco Boschis Vigna San Giuseppe or the '79 bottling in New Yorks' fantastic Babbo restaurant. As the 2001 is generally agreed to be the best Barolo ever produced by Cavallotto (both the standard bottling and the riserva), I shouldn't bother!

Cavallotto was once a premier league Barolo brand, in the 1970's the company could be considered one of the best in the Piedmont producing the best quality Barolo's and was part of the force that really brought the wine to forefront of the international wine worlds attention. While the Gmen, Clerico and others brought huge improvements over the last 20 years Cavalotto stood still and the company got left behind not scooping the accolades of their rivals. With the 5 stellar vintages of '96 thru 2001Cavallotto managed to turn it around and theirs are some of the most sought after wines of this most recent golden period of Barolo, mostly because of the great QPR trade-off.

The Cavallotto vineyard in Castiglione Falletto is as beautiful and timeless as any in the Piedmont and is a favourite for those on the Barolo trail. Cavallotto produces 11 primary wines over 23 hectares of finely cultivated vineyards. Most famously Barolo, but also noteworthy are the fine Langhe, Barbera and Dolcettos as well a Pinot Nero and a pretty fine Chardonnay. For scale of production, variety and natural beauty I would highly recommend a visit.

Having never tried the Langhe bottling I'm unable to comment but I have here some notes on the recent Dolcetto, Barbera and of course the signature Barolo. All of these wines represent fantastic value for money, I can't recommend Cavallotto highly enough as a luxury wine at a bargain price.

Cavallotto Barolo Riserva Bricco Boschis Vigna San Giuseppe 2001 - BUY - €60

Dark and intriguing in the glass, not showing much change in tonality at the edge of the glass, the wine looks fantastic and young. On the nose the wine has a far more generous expression than expected with a great spicy, smokey quality as well as a dried fruit mix, some plummy action, crushed cherries there too. The wine was a brute force on the palate, a real knock out expression but wonderfully structured and complex, the tannins were very soft and the aftertaste long and supple. This wine is a charming mix of flavours, power and subtlety that evolves intriguingly with every hour. An absolute pleasure and a wine to be contemplated. 96 Points

Cavallotto Dolcetto d'Alba Vigna Scot 2006 - BUY - €10

A large, fruity, fun Dolcetto, rather simple but a smooth and satisfying every day drinking wine, a little tannic, good vintage, good value, nice and fresh, don't bother cellaring, get it open, get it drunk. 86 Points

Cavallotto Barbera d'Alba Vigna del Cucolo 2003 - BUY - €15

Dark rich ruby red, the 2003 vintage for Barbera was pretty fantastic, mid bodied and clean on the finish without the harsh abrasive nature of Barbera this is a solid choice for a mid priced option. Sweet and fruity on the nose, with a distinct mineral quality, some plums and licorice too. Fresh, fruity and juicey, very pleasing. 89 Points

Where can I buy this wine? (Cavallotto Barolo)

Europeans - R2M - €52

Americans - Rye and Brook - $67 - !ON SALE AT THE TIME OF WRITING! TAKE ADVANTAGE!

Brits - R2M - €52

Question of the Day

Where is the craziest place you have drunk wine?

Venice Wine

Venice Wine

Apologies for the long gap, my internet connection is limited to a green flashing box provided by Vodafone Italia who will cut my access if I dare to download anything longer than the mondo convenienza jingle. Internet access in Italy is still a long way behind the deals you get in the US and UK but, this is a wine website and not a forum for the flailing fortunes of Italian telecoms. So, FYI, did you know... I have moved to Venice, well, to Mestre, but Venice sounds better. In these past two weeks it's sure to say that the wine scene here is very different to that of Rome. Venice wine is an important deal and they're sticking fiercely with what they know, that being Amarone and Valpolicella. The whites up here are definitely on another strata, trading filthy Frascati for some beautiful Soave's and Pinot Grigios is one of the highlights of Venice Wine.

Venice Wine does run the gambit. The local supermarket stocks an abysmal selection of wines and I have walked up and down Corso del Popolo searching for an Enoteca but without luck. Underneath my apartment block is a wine bar, and it's terrible. The area certainly grows some fabulous wines, and in the very best restaurants you can find them but it seems the Venetians, for the most part, just won't let go of their Spritz. This can't be the whole story, there are some famous wine bars in Padova, so I'm going to ride the rails out of my Mestre Vino hell and hope the town is no more than an aberration in the Veneto, and then I'll move house!

However, I can recommend a fabulous little wine bar at Marco Polo airport giving a small but select group of great little reds and whites accompanied by some fine cheeses, just the ticket to kill some time. You will have no trouble spotting it, it's the only wine bar there.

So, it's been 6 weeks, and I have drunk some wine and in accordance with my contract, I have to tell you all about it now. So let's do that thing. I've been on a Chianti Classico bender for a while now and I think I found the best Chianti Classico ever made in the Castello di Ama 2004 effort, pricey, but nicey. 2004 was a great vintage and so all the wines are from that year.

Castello di Ama Chianti Classico Bellavista 2004 - BUY - €100
Ripe, fruity, berries and cherry explosion. This is a killer offering, dark ruby red in the glass, inviting with a nose you're not going to tire of. Fantastic development, a really interesting wine that gets top marks at all stages of the tasting. Structure and class running throughout and a thick chocolate topped cappuccino note in the midpalate, it's something of a desert treat as much as a wine. Long finish and as clean as a whistle. Sumptuous, possibly the best Chianti Classico around, 2004 fantastic vintage. Am I really going to give a Chianti Classico... 94 Points

Nozzole Chianti Classico La Forra Riserva 2004 - BUY - €10
Really full bodied and leathery wine, making its way from dark red to an inky purple in the glass, good rounded tannins and a clean finish make for a satisfying Chianti. Would have expected a little better but still, for the price, its a nice effort. Wasn't giving much up on the nose so leave it a couple more years, what I did get, after a sound swirling was a meaty, raspberry tone. 90 Points

Fontodi Chianti Classico 2004 - BUY - €12
Really dark in the glass, this Chianti was made to be drunk young quickly giving up beautiful cherry notes, the wine is mid bodied and opulent, no aggression here, finely weighted tannins, and a fruity mid finish. It's not half bad for the price and is a typical Fontodi Classico that got a leg up from a beaut of a vintage. 90 Points

Riecine Chianti Classico 2004 - PASS - €22
There will be people who love this. It's powerful, tight and robust, chewy tannins, full bodied, it's a really big big effort. In my opinion, it's overpowering and not particularly tasty or interesting on the nose. Could be it is a stonking wine that needs time. To drink now? Rather dull. 87 Points

Where can I buy this Wine? (The Castello di Ama)
Europeans - Enoteca San Domenico - €100
Americans - Cabrini Wines - $170
Brits - Wine Direct - £106

Question of the Day
What was the last bottle of wine you bought?

Allegrini Amarone Classico

Allegrini Amarone Classico

Today is my last day in the Italian capital before my move to Venice and last night I celebrated in style at a local restaurant in my neighbourhood of Talenti. As always, the food here was first rate but their wine list is rather basic (read 50 main courses compared to just 6 bottles of red) so on arriving home I popped the Allegrini Amarone Classico 2004 I'd bought last week.

Allegrini Amarone Classico 2004, as mentioned in the last blog entry comes from the Valpolicella growing area of the Veneto close to Lake Garda. 2004 was an excellent vintage in the area and so I was expecting great things from the wine and was not disappointed.

Allegrini Amarone Classico is probably one of the best value wines on the market, I got a mag from Ebay for €50 and so can you if you're quick there are 3 days left on this baby. EBAY LINK

So today's blog entry is just a quick review of the Allegrini Amarone as I must make like an Umbrella Pine and leaf for Venezia with haste. I'm not sure Umbrella Pines have leaves, I do know they have huge pine cones that drop from 10 meters in the sky and smash your windscreen but that, my friends, is a story for another day. Ciao Ciao

Allegrini Amarone Classico 2004 - BUY - €50

A very deep dark red coloured wine with a complex and rich nose of prunes and figs, dark summer fruits and the usual chocolate spicy nature. Well structured and a little drying on the palate but sweet with the alcohol not making itself known with a smooth clean finish. Very well balanced but requires more cellar time. 93 Points

Where can I buy this wine?

Europeans - WebdiVino - €50

Americans - Izowine - $72 - (great deal)

Brits - Andrew Chapman - £42

Allegrini Amarone

Allegrini Amarone

Allegrini Amarone is produced around ten miles east of beautiful Lake Garda in the Valpolicella classico region. The most distinctive character of Valpolicella wines are their very high alcoholic content (up to 16%) with the very best producers, Allegrini, Quintarelli, Tedeschi and Dal Forno successfully managing to create structurally excellent wines where the alcohol level does not stymie quality and overtake flavour.

Allegrini Amarone, like all Amarone subjects the grapes to a loft drying process producing highly concentrated and potent wines that many Italians, especially those of the Veneto region displaying typical campanilismo, claim the best in Italy. The Allegrini vineyards have been on something of a decade long winning run, producing some of the finest Amarones and Valpolicella classicos to enter the market. Thanks in part to some blistering vintages but also due to the keen efforts of the Allegrini family to improve their product. The family are revolutionaries in the area seeking to move outside the D.O.C.G zones to produce other fabulous wines including the award winning La Poja Vino da Tavola.

Allegrini Amarone della Valpolicella 2001 received the prestigious Tre Bicchere award and a 93 from WineSpectator. The 2006 releases from Allegrini represent the very best of top end affordability with the signature wine. Allegrini produce over half a million bottles annually and quality runs through the entire production with the cheapest wine, the La Grola '03, selling for under €10 and winning a Due Bicchere award.

Such quality along the entire huge production, with vision and attention to detail through the vinification process makes Allegrini a strong contender for the best producer in the region.

The international wine buying market, particularly the American market doesn't seem to be terribly up to speed on Amarone. Take a look at any wine discussion board or along the shelves of a US supermarket or wine merchant and Amarone is glaring in its omission. Perhaps it's the raisin like potent style or maybe the market can simply not cope with a third Italian wine, Brunello and Barolo are foreign words enough, can we really expect a third to be remembered? And, Amarones inclusion would break the rule of B, don't underestimate this (Bordeaux, Burgundy).

Moving to Venice on Tuesday, this particular wino had better get down with Amarone and in this spirit tonight I will be enjoying (let us hope) the latest Allegrini Amarone, the 2004, with my lovingly prepared Sunday Lunch. My past experience of Allegrini has always been fantastic, the QPR with Allegrini is always first rate and I've had the pleasure of several of their past bottlings with reviews below. I really recommend you try this producer they are one of the few names where you can pick any bottle off the shelf and never be disappointed.

Allegrini Amarone Classico 2001 - BUY - €40

Very dark ruby red in the glass quickly giving up rich aromas of chocolate cherries with some dried fruit and plum action. The palate was mouth pucker tannic, full bodied and fat but with plenty of fruity cherries on the mid palate. Lingering finish holding its alcohol well - 94 Points

Allegrini Amarone Classico 1999 - BUY - €53

Dark red verging on purple in the glass with a show stopping nose, rich in plums, cherries, chocolate and cinnamon. The palate is hot, lots of dark fruits and a little coffee action in the mix. The finish is extremely long and satisfying. Outstanding - 96 Points

Allegrini La Poja 2001 - PASS - €40

Lovely deep red in the glass, nice intensity. An oaky, spicy nose with the typical cherry aromas the palate is full bodied and tannic with some nice pepper and cherry notes on the palate. A little simpler and one dimensional than expected but with a good finish - 90 Points

Allegrini Valpolicella Classico 2006 - BUY - €10
Dark red in the glass the 2006 has a simple cherry chocolate nose, some surprising mineral notes too. A very enjoyable, silky wine if a little simple and hot on the finish. Good value - 88 Points

Where can I buy this wine? (Amarone '99)

Europeans - Parenti - €53

American - European Wine Resource - $72

Brits - Everywine - £43

Question of the Day

Simply, what was the last bottle of wine you drank and was it any good? Submit a review if the mood so takes you! Ta