This Saturday we’ll be traipsing the Italian countryside from Friuli to Sicily as well as Lazio, Maremma and Campania. It’s a lot of ground to cover, but the reward is five great wines to sample. It’s worth the journey. Meander on in and join us.
2011 Principe Pallavicini Frascati $12
50% Malvasia (Bianca di Candia), 30% Malvasia del Lazio, 20% Trebbiano
A white wine from the overlooked area of Lazio, Frascati grows in the Alban hills south of Rome. The bouquet is fairly intense, with greenish herbal accents mingled with minerality and some gunflint, and underlying airiness. On the palate it’s bright, with clean warm lemony fruit supported by clean sour acidity that flows into a clean tart finish.
2011 Purato Cataratto Pinot Grigio Terre Siciliane $11
60% Catarratto and 40% Pinot Grigio.
From Sicily, this blend of Pinot Grigio with Cataratto a more local indigenous grape is made from organic grapes and is about as eco-friendly as they can get it (The label is made from recycled paper and vegetable ink, the bottle is made from 85% recycled glass and the cartons are made from recycled cardboard.) The wine has intense aromas of both citrus and tropical fruit.
2011 Bastianich Friulano Adriatico $18
100% (Tocai) Friulano
Friulano is an indigenous grape variety grown in Friuli for hundreds of years. The Bastianich is a classic Friulano, medium bodied with ripe, luscious pear flavors carried by a refreshing mineral flavor and zesty, mouthwatering acidity.
La Mozza, Morelolino di Scansamo I Perazzi $17
85% Morellino (the local name for Sangiovese in Maremma), 5% Syrah, 5% Alicante, 2% Colorino, 3% Ciliegiolo
I Perazzi, was created to be unlike most typical Morellino di Scansano. The blend, which includes Mediterranean varieties, is more expressive and better demonstrates the potential of Maremma’s terroir. I Perazzi is named after the pear like fruit that grow on the estate. The wines juicy dark fruit mingles with spice and licorice on the palate. The bright, ripe cherry and soft texture makes this a natural match with fresh Mediterranean flavors and dishes
2007 Terradora di Paolo, Taurasi $30
100% Aglianico
Aglianico is a native Italian varietal that is widely used in Campania. It is of extremely ancient origin and some experts argue that it was cultivated in the early period of Roman history and was introduced to Italy by the Greeks. Teurasi, like Barolo for Nebbiolo and Brunello for Sangiovesse, are the best expressions of the grape. The wine is aged in small French oak barrels for 18 months. After blending it matures in large oak barrels for 12 months and then in bottle for a further 8-12 months. The Teradora has a pronounced and complex bouquet with hints of cherry, fruits of the forest, spicy scents of violet and tobacco and a suggestion of minerals. Elegant, smooth, velvety and intense it displays characteristic hints of plums, black cherries, black pepper and tar. It is full bodied and austere on the palate with balanced tannins and acidity. It easily will continue to age and develop for more than a decade.