Le Pianelle Tasting with Cristiano Garella (11/24/24)
2018 Le Pianelle Bramaterra: Very well made and enjoyable. Much firmer and more structured than the '18 Al Forte, but still quite accessible with silky tannins and refreshing acidity. Delicate and weightless on the palate.
2019 Le Pianelle Bramaterra: This was very good. More intense, more structured, with refreshing acidity, and a graceful, silky texture on the palate. Dark red fruit, with a touch of drying bitterness on the finish. But, with food, this is quite approachable right now.
2019 Le Pianelle Coste della Sesia Al Forte: Considerably more structured and acid-driven than the 2018, but with pretty red fruit and a silky quality to the tannins. Lovely.
2018 Le Pianelle Coste della Sesia Al Forte: Dark red-fruit dominates on the palate, this seems very broadly texture, fruit-driven, and not extremely complex. Perhaps a bit too easy-going for me -- it feels like it could use more tautness and minerality.
Italian White Wines
2020 Tiberio Trebbiano d’Abruzzo: Golden color, with green apple and citrus aromas. On the palate, primarily savory and mineral; there's also white fruit, with a subtle hint of lemon and salt, and good, mouth-watering acidity. Medium-bodied that gets richer and deeper with air, and the finish is herbal, slightly bitter, and medicinal. This is excellent for it's price point. One of best sub-$20 wine I've had in years.
2022 Tiberio Trebbiano d’Abruzzo: Bright, herbal, citric, with a bounty of white orchard fruit on the palate and terrific density. Crisp and mineral, yet sleekly textured. Pure. A very expressive nose. Terrific and a wonderful value.
2021 Cantina Terlano Alto Adige Sauvignon Blanc Quarz: Pure, crystalline, mineral, citric, herbal, complex, a bit round, but elegant, with plenty of energy and mouth-watering acidity. Long finish. A stately wine that feels cool and composed, as if finely-etched and chiseled in quartz (apropos). One of the better Sauvignon Blancs I’ve ever had (though, I’m fairly indifferent to Sauvignon Blanc).
2020 Vigneti Massa Timorasso Derthona Sterpi: Big, brash, and opulent in its aromas and flavors. There’s a massive dollop of dried apricot on the palate (I’m assuming from botrytis) swirling in a whirlpool of ripe, tropical fruit, floral honey notes, spices, and minerals. Slightly oily texture, but throbbing with vibrant acidity. Long finish. Not for everyone (I’m not sure if it’s even for me) but a fascinating, exotic, completely unique wine. Has a brief period of maceration on the skins.
2022 De Fermo Concrete Bianco: Generous white fruit on the nose: I get melon, apples, and pears. Feels relatively full-bodied on the palate with a velvety texture, rich white fruit and good, if not quite racy, acidity. Enjoyable, if a little straightforward. Primarily young-vine Pecorino with some Chardonnay and a little Trebbiano.
2021 De Fermo Pecorino Don Carlino: Slightly reductive on the nose, coming across as a touch of caramel-coated funk with subtle fruit notes of apple and pear. On the palate, loads of electrified minerals and mouth-watering acidity enveloping hints of white fruit and herbs, with a touch of grippiness on the finish. Beautifully vibrant stuff. A living wine.
2022 De Fermo Launegild Chardonnay: Quite a bit of reduction on the nose, with not a lot of fruit notes. Medium body and round on the palate, it has good acidity and a nice mineral spine, but you can definitely taste a noticeable hint of wood on the finish. Apparently aged in used oak tonneaux (with no new oak), this is not over-the-top oaky and I can see it integrating with time.
2023 Il Colombaio de Santa Chiara Vernaccia di San Gimignano: Muskmelon and citrus on the nose. Ripe white fruit on the palate. A bit round texturally, though acidity is sufficient and there is some mineral complexity. Not bad. A nice summer white for the porch.
Other Italian Reds and Roses
2022 De Fermo Concrete Rosato Easy-going and gluggable rose. Hints of watermelon and strawberries on the nose, with juicy, bright red fruit on the palate. Fun, easy-going and gluggable rose.
2022 De Fermo Concrete Rosso Dark, red brambly fruit with mineral and savory notes. Crisp and drinkable. Solid wine, though out-classed by the whites and rosato today.
2012 La Stoppa Macchiona: Slightly rustic and volatile, perhaps a slight whiff of brett on the nose, but a wine that is absolutely brimming with character. There’s dark cherry and floral on the nose, high-toned red fruit on the palate, and a long finish infused with salt and iodine. Excellent acidity with firm, drying tannins, I’m presuming from the 50/50 blend of Barbera with Bonarda (either Croatina or Piedmontese). This reminds me of a slightly more refined version of Lino Maga’s Barbacarlo Montebueno. A natural wine that wasn’t made to be “natty” or “glou-glou.”
2018 Le Pianelle Bramaterra: Very well made and enjoyable. Much firmer and more structured than the '18 Al Forte, but still quite accessible with silky tannins and refreshing acidity. Delicate and weightless on the palate.
2019 Le Pianelle Bramaterra: This was very good. More intense, more structured, with refreshing acidity, and a graceful, silky texture on the palate. Dark red fruit, with a touch of drying bitterness on the finish. But, with food, this is quite approachable right now.
2019 Le Pianelle Coste della Sesia Al Forte: Considerably more structured and acid-driven than the 2018, but with pretty red fruit and a silky quality to the tannins. Lovely.
2018 Le Pianelle Coste della Sesia Al Forte: Dark red-fruit dominates on the palate, this seems very broadly texture, fruit-driven, and not extremely complex. Perhaps a bit too easy-going for me -- it feels like it could use more tautness and minerality.
Italian White Wines
2020 Tiberio Trebbiano d’Abruzzo: Golden color, with green apple and citrus aromas. On the palate, primarily savory and mineral; there's also white fruit, with a subtle hint of lemon and salt, and good, mouth-watering acidity. Medium-bodied that gets richer and deeper with air, and the finish is herbal, slightly bitter, and medicinal. This is excellent for it's price point. One of best sub-$20 wine I've had in years.
2022 Tiberio Trebbiano d’Abruzzo: Bright, herbal, citric, with a bounty of white orchard fruit on the palate and terrific density. Crisp and mineral, yet sleekly textured. Pure. A very expressive nose. Terrific and a wonderful value.
2021 Cantina Terlano Alto Adige Sauvignon Blanc Quarz: Pure, crystalline, mineral, citric, herbal, complex, a bit round, but elegant, with plenty of energy and mouth-watering acidity. Long finish. A stately wine that feels cool and composed, as if finely-etched and chiseled in quartz (apropos). One of the better Sauvignon Blancs I’ve ever had (though, I’m fairly indifferent to Sauvignon Blanc).
2020 Vigneti Massa Timorasso Derthona Sterpi: Big, brash, and opulent in its aromas and flavors. There’s a massive dollop of dried apricot on the palate (I’m assuming from botrytis) swirling in a whirlpool of ripe, tropical fruit, floral honey notes, spices, and minerals. Slightly oily texture, but throbbing with vibrant acidity. Long finish. Not for everyone (I’m not sure if it’s even for me) but a fascinating, exotic, completely unique wine. Has a brief period of maceration on the skins.
2022 De Fermo Concrete Bianco: Generous white fruit on the nose: I get melon, apples, and pears. Feels relatively full-bodied on the palate with a velvety texture, rich white fruit and good, if not quite racy, acidity. Enjoyable, if a little straightforward. Primarily young-vine Pecorino with some Chardonnay and a little Trebbiano.
2021 De Fermo Pecorino Don Carlino: Slightly reductive on the nose, coming across as a touch of caramel-coated funk with subtle fruit notes of apple and pear. On the palate, loads of electrified minerals and mouth-watering acidity enveloping hints of white fruit and herbs, with a touch of grippiness on the finish. Beautifully vibrant stuff. A living wine.
2022 De Fermo Launegild Chardonnay: Quite a bit of reduction on the nose, with not a lot of fruit notes. Medium body and round on the palate, it has good acidity and a nice mineral spine, but you can definitely taste a noticeable hint of wood on the finish. Apparently aged in used oak tonneaux (with no new oak), this is not over-the-top oaky and I can see it integrating with time.
2023 Il Colombaio de Santa Chiara Vernaccia di San Gimignano: Muskmelon and citrus on the nose. Ripe white fruit on the palate. A bit round texturally, though acidity is sufficient and there is some mineral complexity. Not bad. A nice summer white for the porch.
Other Italian Reds and Roses
2022 De Fermo Concrete Rosato Easy-going and gluggable rose. Hints of watermelon and strawberries on the nose, with juicy, bright red fruit on the palate. Fun, easy-going and gluggable rose.
2022 De Fermo Concrete Rosso Dark, red brambly fruit with mineral and savory notes. Crisp and drinkable. Solid wine, though out-classed by the whites and rosato today.
2012 La Stoppa Macchiona: Slightly rustic and volatile, perhaps a slight whiff of brett on the nose, but a wine that is absolutely brimming with character. There’s dark cherry and floral on the nose, high-toned red fruit on the palate, and a long finish infused with salt and iodine. Excellent acidity with firm, drying tannins, I’m presuming from the 50/50 blend of Barbera with Bonarda (either Croatina or Piedmontese). This reminds me of a slightly more refined version of Lino Maga’s Barbacarlo Montebueno. A natural wine that wasn’t made to be “natty” or “glou-glou.”
