Exceptional Italy

Saturday, June 8th 2pm

The diversity and variety of Italian wine is almost limitless. Its indigenous varietals that grow only in small pockets produce fantastic wines that are unique to place if only it’s the only place they grow. This Saturday we have a fine line up of delights and surprises form these little gems that most of the world ignores. Come discover them for yourself.

2010 Vili Ligi, Birrarelle, Bianchello del Metauro $11
Biancame
Vili Ligi is a family run estate that helped rescue indigenous varietals of the Marche area. The wine is made from 45 year old vines of Biancame (Bianchello). Its particular aroma combination and the fresh notes together with its sapidity and smoothness make this wine a perfect choice for pasta and risotto dishes based on fish, and also with grilled and fried fish and seafood.

2010 Pietratorcia Vigne del Cuotto, Ischia Bianco $16
45% Biancolella, 45% Forastera, 5% Uva Rilla, 5% San Leonardo
Ischia is an island off the coast of Naples. The Pietratorcia vineyards lie just 50 meters from the Mediterranean, and 400 meters above the sea, providing a unique micro-climate that is both temperate and windy. The wine has intense floral aromas and a full body that is fresh on the palate with notes of apples, nectarines and almonds

2008 Palmoletino Scarafone, Rosso di Montecucco DOC $13
90% Sangiovese, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon
Montecucco is a Tuscan appellation that begins on the slopes of Monte Amiata (the volcano facing Montalcino) and extends almost all the way to the coast. The Scarafone has notes of violets, strawberry and cherry fruit followed by smooth light tannins.

2011 La Kiuva, Arnad Montjovet $22
75% Nebbiolo plus Gros Vien, Neyret, Cornalin and Fumin.
The DOC of Arnad-Montjovet is named for two small villages in the Vallee d’Aoste up in the Tyrolean Alps where the main grape grown is Picatendro, the local clone of Nebbiolo. La Kiuva is a tiny co-op of just 60 growers comprising 25 hectares of vines mostly organic. The high altitude and the addition of the other indigenous varietals make for a very pretty and elegant Nebbiolo with lilting cherry fruit, some spiciness and a smoky nuance.

2011 Caldaro Kaltern Lagrein $20
The Caldaro (Kellerei Kaltern) cooperative winery in the Alto Adige has 410 members, which own over 290 hectares of vineyards. Here Lagrein tends to produce full-bodied, purple-colored, boisterously fruity wine. After a gentle malo-lactic fermentation, the wines age for 12 months in barriques The wine is full and rich with notes of violets, blackberry, and mountain herbs along with mineraly tannins.

 

 

Comments are closed.