Italy

• Abruzzo
• Alto Adige
• Apulia
• Basilicata
• Calabria
• Campagna
• Emilia-Romagna
• Friuli-Venezia Giulia
• Liguria
• Lombardia
  • Franciacorta
• Marche
• Molise
• Piedmont (Piemonte)
• Sicily
  • Mt. Etna
• Trentino-Alto Adige
• Tuscany
  • Brunello di Montalcino
  • Chianti
• Umbria
• Valle d'Aosta
• Veneto
  • Prosecco
  • Soave
• Sardinia

This is really drinking quite well right now.  I had been told it might be past prime, but this bottle, bought on release and well cellared was about as good as one could expect.  Ruby in color.  Very pretty nose of cherries, tar, and slight roses.  On the palate, this has layers of fruit, dried fruit and earthy forest floor.  Great acidity.  Nice finish.  Worked perfectly at the dinner table.  No hurry on this but this is at or close to peak.  

I wondered if this were past prime, but no, it is drinking beautifully (at least this bottle).  Ruby/purple in color.  The nose has cherries, dried cherries, sandalwood and tea leaves.  On the palate, this is medium bodied.  complex and layers of cherries, dried cherries and forest floor.  Great acidity.  Perfect at the dinner table.  Long finish.  Everything I want out of cellaring a wine for 20 years.  Still fresh and vibrant but also mature and complex.  Certainly no point in waiting on these.  

It can be hard to find a time to open these kinds of "orange" wines.  I love them but they are not for everyone.  This is a white blend of grapes that is fermented, on the skins in amphorae and then finished in barrels.  It has Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio and Riesling.  These kind of wines are best served at cellar temperature.  Golden brown in color.  The nose is oxidized but also has some apple cider, slight citrus and even a floral note.  If oxidized wines bother you, stay away.  I found the nose vibrant.  On the palate, this is also vibrant and full of energy.  Apple cider

This is always one of the best values out there in red wine.  It drinks like a mini-Barolo.  Ruby, clear and bright.  The nose has roses, slight earthiness and cherries.  With air, some sour cherries emerge.  On the palate this is complex and layers of sherries, earth and tobacco are found.  Great acidity.  Nice finish.  At eleven years from vintage, this seems at peak but has at least five or six years left.  Current vintages are still available all over for under $25 per bottle.  Great with food.  

Deep ruby in color.  The nose has dark cherries, some smoke, some leather and a bit of spice.  Great silky but full texture.  On the palate, dark and sour cherries with some forest floor.  Shows a nice complexity.  It opens beautifully in the glass.  Great with food.  Long finish.  This wine has soul.  

This is Cabernet Franc from Italy.  It is really quite good if a bit on the riper side.  Purple in color.  The nose has dark cherries, roasted herbs, and slight cigar box.  On the palate, this has a juicy acidity.  Plenty of dark cherry fruit.  Some tannins.  It is just getting to maturity at this point but not quite.  Certainly plenty of life left.  Food friendly.  Showing some complexity, it unwinds in the glass.  Has some upside for improvement.  

Light golden in color.  Lots of medium sized bubbles.  The nose has some lemon and minerals on it.  On the palate, this is dry.  The minerality is there.  Not a ton of fruit but some lemon.  Good acidity.  Nice finish.  Works well with food.  On the upper end of Prosecco in quality and value.  

This comes in a four pack of 187ml sized bottle. It looks like it would be a caged Champagne cork but is a screw top with a plastic cover.  King of cute.  The wine is salmon/pin/orange.  The nose is slight at first but then an orange peel note comes out and also a nice minerality.  On the palate, there is some citrus and minerals.  A fair amount of carbonation.  Labeled Extra Dry, which in the odd world of sparkling wines means a bit sweet.  This is sweet but not cloying.  This would also come in handy if making mimosas or other fruity sparkling mixed drink.  

This is made from 100% Nerello Mascalese grapes.  Salmon color, clear and bright.  The nose has strawberries, slight raspberries and a hint of rhubarb.  This took about 30 minutes to open once the screw cap was removed.  The palate is very smooth.  No bite on it which is quite refreshing.  There is a nice tart acidity on it which makes if very food friendly.  Light cherries with a slight herbal note somewhat akin to bitters on the finish.  It works very well at the table.  This is a nice and easy rose and a very good value.  

This is a blend of Inzolia, Catarratto and Grecanico grapes along with some Chardonnay.  Silvery, green gold in color.  The nose is a bit mild with minerals and light pine notes.  Better on the palate.  Slight soapy (but not in a bad way) more like lanolin.  Then tart green apples come thru picking up intensity especially on the finish.  This is clean with very nice acidity.  A medium length finish.  Screw capped, this took a few minutes to open.  It was served at about 50F but really showed better once it warmed a bit.  Very refreshing wine and the tart apple acidity worked quite well with