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

Tormaresca is an Antinori winery in Apulia in southern Italy.

This now carries a Gran Selezione status (and price tag).  Purple in color with some ruby swirls.  The nose has cherries, forest floor, dust and slight anise.  Full bodied.  Medium tannins.  On the palate, bright cherry fruit.  Deep.  On the palate, cherries and slight plums with some underlying forest floor.  Good acidity.  Long finish. A very pretty Chianti.  It is drinking well but should continue to for another ten to fifteen years.  Better with food.  Ribolitte (Vegetable stew) would be a great dinner match.  

One of the classic great wines in the Antinori stable.  It is a blend of 80% Sangiovese, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc.  This was essentially pop and pour and which it showed well, it underperformed expectations.  It seems likely given the history of this wine that it needs more cellar time/air.  Deep ruby in color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose has dust, cherries, but also a slight aquarium note which can often mean poor storage conditions at some point in shipping or retail.  Light tannins.  Good acidity.  On the palate, nice cherry fruit with a tart finish.  Probably

Ruby in color, clear and bright.  The nose has a lot of earthy barnyard, but also some cherries, macerated cherries and tea leaves.  Medium bodied.  Tart acidity.  Firm tannins.  On the palate, cherries with earthiness.  Nice finish.  Drinking well but the barnyard may be a bit much for some.  Drink over the next five years.  Better with food.  Bistecca alla Fiorentina or other steak dishes should work well.

Great showing for this wine.  Ruby/purple in color, mostly clear and bright.  The nose has cherries, slight black cherries, tea leaves, sandalwood and dust.  Firm tannins.  Good acidity.  On the palate, sour cherries with some fresh cherries and underlying forest floor.  Nice finish.  This is still young and may improve with further cellaring.  Drink over the next ten to fifteen years.  Probably better with food.  Tordelli Versiliesi or other pasta dishes would be great.  

The origins of the Italian Spritz date back to the late 1800s when German soldiers found the local Italian wines too strong. The soldiers added a “spritz” of water to the wine to create a lighter beverage. Using 100% Glera grapes then infused with botanicals, bitter herbs, and flowers, the addition of pink grapefruit and a little carbonation creates a delightful sparkling beverage low in alcohol just in time for the summer months. Slightly sweet with light grapefruit, there is just a hint of bitterness on the finish.

Purple/ruby in color, mostly clear and bright.  On the nose black cherries, dust, some cherries and tea leaves.  Medium bodied.  Silky texture.  Black cherry fruit with some underlying forest floor.  Tight and tannic.  This seems riper than other vintages but also seems very closed.  Eventually it opened up after a couple of hours in the glass.  Maybe hold for a couple years and drink for ten after that.  It will work better with food.  Maybe Potato Tortelli would be a nice match young.  

Ruby/purple in color, mostly clear and bright.  The nose is earthy/sweaty socks along with cherries and slight anise.  Medium bodied.  Light tannins.  Lovely texture.  On the palate, cherries and tea leaves.  Good acidity.  Nice finish.  There is a nice depth as well.  Nice on its own, but better with food.  Drink over the next five to eight years.  It would work well with Braised meat and pasta.

Ruby in color, clear and bright.  The nose has a "dusty attic" quality to it along with cherries.  Light bodied.  On the palate, light tannins.  Cherries turning a bit candied on the finish.  Good acidity.  This is a bit lighter in style but still true to its Chianti roots.  Better with food than on its own.  This would be nice with a creamy Tuscan Chicken dish.  

Ruby in color, purple at the core, mostly clear and bright.  The nose is earthy with cherries, sandalwood and smoke.  Good acidity.  Medium tannins.  On the palate, cherries with some char.  Nice finish.  This wine will work better with food.  A great choice with a plate of pasta.  Drink over the next five to eight years.