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 100% Sagrantino from central Italy.  Typically, this wine needs a minimum of 10 years ageing, but, it's nice to try one young to determine if it is worth purchasing more.  Purple in color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose is nice with a "sweet" scent of black cherries, dust, cloves and slight vanilla note.  Full bodied.  Very tannic!  On the palate, this is deep but tight.  Black cherries with cloves and black pepper.  A bit of anise on the finish.  This is 15.5% abv., but not noticeable while drinking.  It is delicious but needs another five to ten years cellaring and then shoul

This is 100% Grechetto from Umbria, Italy.  Light golden in color,  clear and bright.  The nose is nice with slight tangerine, peach and chalk.  Medium bodied.  On the palate, peach and tangerine with mineral undertones.  Good acidity.  Slight almond note on the finish.  This is a lighter wine that drinks well on its own and would be great with appetizers or lighter foods.  This would be nice with a vegetable/bean soup.  Drink over the  next couple of years.  

Screw capped.  This is an excellent value in white wine from central Italy.  It is a blend of Grechetto 40%, Procanico 20%, and other white varietals (Verdello, Canaiolo Bianco) 40%.  Light gold in color, clear and bright.  The nose is nice with minerals, copper, dust, and apples.  Not a lot of fruit from nice depth.  It has a nice, slightly oily texture.  On the palate, lemons with a slight candied note.  Good minerality.  Solid acidity.  A bit of bitter almond on the finish.  This drinks easy on its own and will work well with lighter foods.  It would work well with a squash soup.  Drink

Tasted blind, I guessed 2004 Bordeaux (St.

This wine comes from north east Italy.  It is a blend of Corvina, Rondinella, Corvinone and Negrara grapes.  To make a Ripasso styles wine, the wine, after fermentation, is poured over the leftover pomace from the Amarone.  This gives the wine a bit more stuffing than a regular Valpolicella.  Ruby in color, clear and bright.  The nose has cherries, Heering liqueur, and spice.  Medium to full bodied.  Medium tannins.  Good acidity.  On the palate, this is tasty with cherries and black cherries with underlying char and spice.  Long finish.  Nice on its own, but better with food.  This would g

This is a more accessible style of Barolo.  Ruby in color with slight browning (normal even in a young Barolo).  Clear and bright.  The nose has cherries, anise, cranberries, and a very slight floral quality.  Medium to full bodied.  Very firm tannins.  Good acidity.  On the palate, cherries and slight rhubarb note with underlying char and slight anise.  Long finish.  This drinks easy for such a young Barolo, but this should continue to mature over the next five to seven years.  Either way, it should drink well of ten years.  Nice on its own, but this wine was made to go with food.  Pasta w

This is a wine made from the Frappato grape in southeastern Sicily.  Donnafugata is one of the top wineries in Sicily.  13% abv.  Ruby in color with some purple swirls, mostly clear and bright.  The nose is nice with cherries, strawberries and floral notes.  Light tannins.  On the palate, there is depth here but it takes some air/cellaring to bring it out.  Flavors of cherries and cranberries with a bit of salinity and slight underlying char.  Good acidity.  Long finish.  It drinks well on its own, but is better with food.  This would be great with an Anchovy Pizza, but also Salmon.  It may

This is a Sangiovese wine from Emilia Romagna in Italy.  What an impressive Sangiovese!  Deep garnet in color, mostly clear and bright.  The nose is nice with cherries, black cherries, anise, tea leaves and slight ground coffee notes.  Medium to full bodied.  Good acidity.  On the palate, this is young with some tannins.  Lots of cherries, black cherries and plums with underlying forest floor/earthiness.  Good finish.  There is some depth but this will take a few years to unwind.  While drinking well already, a few more years of cellaring would help.  If not, give it plenty of air before se

From the excellent 2006 vintage, this seemed to be just about at peak.  Pop and pour.  Deep garnet in color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose is lovely with dark cherries, slight plums, tea leaves, dust and spice.  Full bodied.  Tannins about resolved, maybe some wispy ones left.  On the palate, cherries and black cherries with some dried fruits.  Complex and layered with forest floor/tea leaves and spice.  Good acidity.  Long finish.  This drinks well on its own, but would work better with food.  A nice match would be a Lasagna.  Drink over the next five to ten years. 

Cantina di Montalcino is the only cooperative in the Brunello DOCG.  It has just under 100 members who are for the most part, small vineyard owners.  This is an excellent wine and don't be afraid of buying from a co-op.  The vintage, 2017, was hot and dry, and the wines produced were more generous and flashy than a more typical vintage.  The wine is purple in color, ruby at the rim, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose is great with black cherries, dried cherries, cigar tobacco, spice and slight char.  Full bodied with medium to firm tannins.  On the palate, cherries, black cherries with som