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Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/30177
CHEERS WINE PANEL Italian Delights and Summer Sippers I talian varietals are food friendly and are seeing more and more play on operators’ lists. The selection is not limited to those hailing from Italy alone, as producers everywhere from California to Australia are making wines with these native Italian grapes. This issue also features a special section on lush and refreshing summer wines that follows after the Italian varietals. (94) Bonny Doon Vineyards, Ca del Solo Nebbiolo 2007 (California). This great Monterey juice has floral aromas off the top with some licorice in the back flowing into ripe cherries, vanilla and tobacco. There is a touch of oak on this long, smooth finish. Pair this with a nice Osso Buco or a slice of Fontina cheese. ($19) (94) Oddero Barolo “Rocche di Castiglione” 2004 (Italy). Licorice and intriguing smoky Indian spice aromas round out traditionalist Barolo producer Mariacristina Oddero’s 2004 Rocche di Castiglione. Dark red cherry fruit meets undertones of savory herbs in a generous, beautifully integrated complex finish. ($48) (93) La Fuga “Le due Sorelle” Brunello di Montalcino DOCG Riserva 2004 (Italy). On the nose, the wine shows dark fruits, prunes, figs, forest floor, Bay leaves and tobacco. On the mouth it is full and round, with smooth tannins still alive and playful in balance with the acidity that lifts this complex wine. ($60) (92) Montevina Winery Barbera, Amador County 2008 (California). This wine is such a great value at this price point with lush aromas of chocolate, black cherry and toffee while providing a palate full of blackberries and ripe currants with a bit of toastiness on the long finish. It is a great food wine with the well-balanced acidity and it will pair nicely with a Bolognese sauce over spaghetti. ($10) (92) Fattoria di Paltratico Bianco della Toscana IGT 2009 (Italy). This wine has an intense bouquet of ripe peaches, hints of honey suckle, orange blossoms and vanilla. On the mouth it’s dry and mineral with balanced fruit and acidity that holds the orange peel, peaches and rose petals. It has a delicious finish. ($15) (93) Fattoria di Paltratico Rosso della Toscana IGT Sangiovese 2006 (Italy). This wine has a bouquet of red and black cherries, graphite, pencil shavings, pan juices and a bit of “savage” or gamey notes. It is undoubtedly an Old 48 | MAY 2011 World wine. On the palate the wine is light with elegant integrated tannins and acidity in tandem. It has pleasant red and dark fruits: plums and cherries on the finish. ($23) (91) Folonari “Campo al Mare” Vermentino Bolgheri DOC 2008 (Italy). This wine has light yellow with pinkish hues and shows a ripe yellow apple nose with hints of Chilean Papaya and a flinty freshness. On the mouth it’s linear, fresh and mineral with the deliciousness of the yellow apple found in the bouquet. It is a great expression of Vermentino with a long finish. ($19) (91) Lindemans Bin 90 Moscato 2009 (Australia). This is a fantastic value for this semi-sweet Moscato from the land down under. It shows notes of honeysuckle, apricot and peach followed with plum fruit on this nice extended finish. Great acidity and nice effervescence make this wine very refreshing. Use this wine as a palate cleanser mid-meal or pair it with a warm dark chocolate cake for a nice contrast. ($7) (91) Sant Antonio “Nanfre” Valpolicella DOC 2008 (Italy). On the nose, the wine shows mushrooms, dry berries and cherries and dry eucalyptus leaves. On the palate it has an elegant medium attack with a bright acidity and flavor of mushrooms, thyme and cherries. The tannins are round and deliver a pleasant finish. ($15) (90) Alois Lageder “Riff Terra Alpina” Pinot Grigio delle Venezie IGT 2009 (Italy). The bouquet is complex with notes of flowers, white peaches and guava, with marked minerality and sea water. On the mouth it shows its origin and the minerality holds the wine, which displays lemon and lime rind freshness and balance acidity with the roundness of well-crafted pinot grigios. ($12) (89) La Spinetta “Cà di Pian” Barbera d’Asti DOC 2007 (Italy). It smells like Figs cake, quince compote and minerals like graphite and coal. On the palate is light and playful with cherries, figs and rosemary, with a pleasant acidity that carries the mineral finish that lingers a bit longer than you think it would. ($23) (87) Fontanafredda Briccotondo Barbera 2008 (Italy). This Barbera is characterized by an intense nose of fine ground coffee and berry flavors. It has a pleasingly rustic character, with medium acidity and a well-integrated balance of oak and rich dark fruit. ($13) (85) Erste & Neue Kalterersee Auslese, Leuchtenburg 2009 (Italy). Best served with a slight chill, this light to medium red hailing from Alto Adige is made www.cheersonline.com