A brilliant garnet red, the nose carries hints of strawberry, red fruit, rose, violet and a touch of liquorice. On the palate it is full of power and precision with clean tannins.
Italy
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2018 Tufarello, `Vigneti Canosini` Nero di Troia
TU201B18
Taste Notes:
100% Nero di Troia. Deep ruby red in colour with garnet highlights, the 2018 Vigneto Canosini has an intense, long-lasting and fruity perfume. It has great structure and well-balanced tannins.
Vineyard:
Canosini is an old, 30 hectare, bush-trained vineyard which produces fruit of outstanding quality. On the right bank of the Ofanto river, the area lies nearly 20 kilometres from the Adriatic Sea between 105 and 140 metres above sea level.
Vinification:
On arrival at the winery, the grapes were destemmed and gently crushed before fermentation and maceration on the skins in stainless-steel tanks between 30-32°C for 15 days. After fermentation, the wine was aged in barriques for four months.
Producer:
Another of the enterprising Valentino Sciotti's projects, Tufarello is made by the Farnese winemaking team at their winery where Dennis Verdecchia is in charge with Alberto Antonini as consultant. The wine is made from the Uva di Troia (also known as Nero di Troia) grape that is grown around Canosa di Puglia in southern Italy. The name attests to its Greek origins (Troy) and it is said to take its name from the nearby town of Troia, named by the Greek invader Diomedes.
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Gran Passione, Veneto Rosso IGT
GP0119
Taste Notes:
Merlot: 60%, Corvina: 40%. Vibrant purple colour, rich luscious nose full of sweet ripe dark cherry, plum, vanilla and christmas spice. Rich and velvety, with lots of juicy fruit. Very easy drinking.
Vinification:
The grapes come from selected vineyards harvested at the beginning of October, to allow the grapes to have increased maturation. Before picking, the vines' cordons are cut, but the grapes are left on the vines, and for up to 15 days the grapes begin to dry naturally on the vine (Appassimento on vine). The grapes are then carefully hand harvested before being pressed. After fermentation the wine is aged in oak for 3-4 months.
Producer:
For centuries Veneto, in the North East of Italy, has been one of the foremost wine producing regions and one of the most modernised of Italy. With its vast micro-climates, no other region offers more diversity in such close proximity than Veneto. The Gran Passione project was set up in 2013 in homage to the Venetians long standing history of being great traders and their rich wine culture. The aim was to create wines of high quality, that are affordable and representative in style to those that have been made in Veneto for centuries. Using traditional varieties, whilst honouring long-established techniques, Gran Passione create beautiful expressions of these classic Venetian wines.
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Pipoli, Aglianico Del Vulture
ts1860
Garnet red in colour. The nose has layered, highly complex aromas with hints of underbrush, violets and cocoa. Full-bodied, the wine has a sweet red fruit character with delicate oak nuances and persistent fruit notes through to the finish.
Valentino Sciotti (of Vesevo, Gran Sasso and other Farnese estates) took over this small co-operative in Basilicata in Acerenza in the heart of the Aglianico del Vulture zone in 2008. Consultant winemaker, Alberto Antonini now works with talented young winemaker, Dennis Verdicchia, and together they managed to capture the character of the grapes and the zone superbly in the bottle.
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Barolo, Serralunga, Ettore Germano
ET0715
Stunning with risotto milanese or braised venison with polenta and porcini.
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Barbaresco
PB0216
A ruby red with powerful aromas of concentrated and ripe red and black fruits. The fruit aroma reaches a wonderful depth and is complemented by herbal and medicinal hints. The palate is beautiful; silky, rounded and textured with red and black fruits, perfume and liquorice notes. The tannins are ripe and firm with a balancing acidity and lingering notes of dried cherries.
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Luma Syrah
CE0419
Intense ruby color, violet notes. Soft tannins, full and persistent aroma. Well balanced and easily drinking.
Good with barbecued and grilled meat, game birds and aged cheese eg Gouda, Cheddar.
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Montepulciano D'Abruzzo Yume
A fabulous red ruby color with garnet highlights, this Montepulciano d'Abruzzo is intense and persistent, with spicy aromas, hints of chocolate and tar. The dominant flavor however, on both the nose and palate, is the copious fruit. This wine boasts good structure, tannins and a reassuring balance.
Best served with rich main courses such as roasted or stewed meats and typical Abruzzese salami.
During the first few days fermentation takes place at a low temperature, allowing a good extraction of polyphenols, responsible for the red color of the wine. Then the temperature is reset at 27 ° C. The wine subsequently undergoes malolactic fermentation, before refining in American wood barriques for about 6 months (60% French oak - 40% American oak barrique).
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Montresor Amarone della Valpolicella ‘Satinato’ 100 Anniversary
A celebration of the Montresor family's Amarone heritage, and 100 years since the wine was first released in its distincive frosted bottle. This anniversary bottling has spent nearly a decade in old Slavonian oak - an elegant and refined Amarone, nicely developed but still with plenty of life.
Montresor believe 2011 to be one of their top 10 Amarone vintages, comparable in quality to those of 1988 and 1997 - with good acidity levels and concentration of sugars. A blend of Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara - the wine was aged for almost 10 years in a 55hl Slavonian Oak barrel (over 20 years old).
The subtle aromas are quite shy to start, but open in the glass to give complex dried fruit characters with brown spice, liquorice and dried flowers. Ripe fruit with a gentle sweetness is nicely balanced by fresh acidity and bitter cherry grip leading to a velvety, ethereal finish. Echoes of fine old Tawny Port or mature Barolo, a real old charmer.
Great to sip and savour, or pair with a cheese board including classics such as Parmigiano Reggiano and Stilton. We recommend you decant first to allow the wine to open up.
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Gulfi NeroBufaleffj - Organic
Vigna Bufaleffj is a single vineyard in the district of Pachino, planted with Nero d'Avola vines which have been trained according to the Alberello system. The grapes are harvested in the second half of September. A long maceration on the skins through fermentation. After the malolactic, the wine is transferred into small barrels, capacity 500L, where it remains for about two years. And at least one year in bottle before release.
Excellent with red meat, game, and mature cheeses
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Tenute Guardasole Pio Decimo - Organic
Fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks at a controlled temperature, followed by a maceration of about 40 days. Malolactic fermantation in durmast barrels and further refinement of 12 months. 6 months in bottle before release.
Garnet, with ruby reflections. A shade that refers to the cardinal's clothing, such as "Pio Decimo" to which the label is dedicated. An elegant and layered nose of black pepper, red currant, walnut kernel, star anise, rhubarb, with blood orange and sweet notes given by the toasting of the wood. Fresh, medium body and intensity.
Pairs great with risottos, ravioli, aged cheeses, red meats.
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Travaglini Gattinara Riserva
The Gattinara Riserva is made only in the best vintages. A careful selection of grapes is harvested in the beggining of October. The grapes are crushed and then left to macerate on the skins for around 15 days before fermentation in stainless steel at a controlled temperature. The wine is aged on Slovenian oak for two years and then spends a year in bottle pre release.
Deep garnet ruby-red color, it is a full and harmonic wine, the bouquet verges on dried fruit, violet, blackberry, raspberry with hints of spices coming form the barrels. Deep, dry and full-bodied taste, long and lingering with the correct degree of tannin.
You can serve this wine with all courses, with strong first courses, red meat, game and seasoned cheese as well.
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San Polo, Rosso di Montalcino
The Rosso is bright ruby red in colour. On the nose, it has aromas of fresh berries, Morello cherry and blackberries that are complemented by a hint of vanilla spice. This is a fragrant, intense wine with smooth, finely-balanced tannins and a persistent, aromatic finish.
The grapes for this Rosso di Montalcino came from three hectares of vineyard planted in 2000. The vineyards are situated at an altitude of 450 metres above sea level, facing south and south-east, with chalky clay soils. The vines are spur-cordon trained and planted at a density of 7,000 vines per hectare. Yields are on average 49 hectolitres per hectare.
This property was purchased by Marilisa Allegrini in 2006. Marilisa has continued to invest heavily in the estate, and this investment is now evident in the ever-increasing quality of the wines. Situated in the eastern part of Montalcino, this estate covers 22 hectares of which 16 are under vine, and produces wines that are classic in style, but with a bit more weight than would be found to the north of the zone.
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Gulfi Cerasuolo di Vittoria - Organic
"The 2019 Cerasuolo di Vittoria is lifted, presenting a pure display of sweet violets, black cherries and hints of wet stone. It impresses further with silky textures that envelop the palate in bright red and blue fruits, along with a refreshing wave of juicy acidity. Hints of spiced orange and inner florals linger long through the lightly structured finale. This is an equal-parts blend of Nero d'Avola and Frappato that is
aimed at immediate satisfaction, but in a nicely balanced style." 90 points, Eric Guido, Vinous (June 2021).A classic blend of Nero d'Avola and Frappato di Vittoria.
Pairs beautifully with tuna steak.
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Rosso No.1 Coste del Vivo 16/17/19
Toby Owen's multivintage Rosso no1 is an absolute corker. When described by an eminent wine writer as "delicious, delicious, delicious" after they have tasted hundreds of wines over 7 hours, you look smart! 63% Sangiovese, 18% Cabernet Franc, 11% Merlot, and the remainder two indigenous varieties, Pugnitello and Cillegiolo. 60% 2019, 8% 2018, 18% 2017, 12% 2016 and the remainder 2015.
Toby used to run a wine shop in St Andrews and always dreamt of making wine. He studied in the UK and worked for several years for an English sparkling producer before making the move to Italy. He was mentored by one of Brunello di Montalcino's top producers, San Polino, for several years and worked at another top estate, Casa Raia. A few years ago, he stumbled upon some vineyards in a less fashionable area that were in danger of being abandoned due to their low yields and the back-breaking work it took to farm them due to the steep slopes of the “Coste”. With a gift of a few bottles of wine, he convinced their owners for him to take them on, and has since been responsible for 5 small vineyards close to the villages of Seggiano and Castel del Piano totalling 2.5 ha. He farms organically and almost entirely by hand, and very low intervention in the cellar too. The name Coste del Vivo refers to the rugged slopes that form the picturesque valley of the Vivo - a narrow tributary of the River Orcia.
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Caiaffa Primitivo - Organic
Bright, lifted, fresh aromas of red and dark fruits. On the palate it is slightly creamy yet very fresh with a hint of spice on the finish. Lovely balance, very bright and easy.
The land is cultivated organically, maintaining a synergistic balance between man and nature. The grapes are harvested with care, manually and then destemmed and crushed before being spontaneously fermented in contact with skins for around 20-25 days. The wine is aged for 3 months in oak barrels.
