COS 2007 Cerasuolo di Vittoria (Sicily) Delicious. Theres a shyness, but its not that the wines holding anything back. Rather, it teases and asks you to come to it, rather than the opposite, but the reward is an enveloping, seductive softness of rich, warm southern fruitnot heavy, not dark, not understructured, but definitely not Alpine or Teutonic in nature. Slowly-unfolding layers of earth and sapid fruit are the reward for boldness and patience in equal measure. Yum. (2/10)
Vercesi del Castellazzo 2005 Oltrep Pavese Barbera Cl (Lombardy) A heavier expression of barbera, with both supporting and masking elements (cellar- and site-derived), dialing down the varietal characteristics to a tangy yet ripe raspberry element as one among a host of more standardized northern Italian characteristics: pre-Alpine chill, rough but dense rock, a vague peppery quality. Honestly, Id be hard-pressed to identify this as barbera in a blind tasting. Its not a bad wine, but its either not particularly characterful or its a character I dont appreciate. (2/10)
Bera 2005 Barbera dAsti Ronco Malo (Piedmont) The needle and pierce one expects from barbera are both present and vibrant here, though without the so-often accompanying thinness and over-transparency. Even among the cohort that avoid those flaws, this is a bigun, intensifying the vivid red-berried fruit and turning up the supporting structural and earthen harmonics. Complexities continue to emerge as the wine finishes, and airs, and theres not yet an end to them by the time the bottles empty. All that said, theres a somewhat clumsy adolescence to the wine that I think, but do not know, will resolve with time (certainly, theres no indication that the wine requires immediate consumption). It really shines with a heavy, yet acidic, meal, while I think it might overpower something as simple and pure as a marinara. (2/10)
Grosjean 2006 Cornalin Vigne Rovettaz (Valle dAoste) This is a wine that seems to propel itself along parallel tracks. On the left, theres a rail of a gritty, steely structure; neither powerful nor dominant, but present and insistent nonetheless. On the right, a meandering weave of crisp (occasionally sour) flavors that are only related to identifiable berries by marriage rather than genetics, yet are unmistakably fruity nonetheless. For a reason I cant quite identify, this wine reminds me of drinkable popcornnot in flavor, but in contrasts of absorbent and crunchy structure, airy absence and lingering aftertaste. Its much more interesting than it is good, but I suspect that this is a judgment that will prove highly malleable with time. (2/10)
Grosjean 2005 Pinot Noir (Valle dAoste) Stumbles and tumbles out of the bottle, showing a clumsy, almost sticky, light berry aroma with zingy acidity and a lot of disjointed seams of minerality. But as it airs it coalesces, melding fruit and stone, wrapping its structure about itself, and broadening the complexity of its finish. By the final glass, its a rather extraordinary study in the interplay of grape and soil. The lesson, I guess, is patience. (2/10)
Velenosi Querci Antica 2008 Lacrima di Morro dAlba (Piedmont) Lacrima di morro is so lurid that it can be a problematic food match. However, the exotic spice of a (non-traditional) veal tagine provided an opportunity, and thus it was time. Lurid it is, showing neon fruit in the blue-purple range, a bite of scraping tannin, and very fresh acidity, but theres some peppery complexity as well, and the overall impression is one of striving rather than laurel-resting. Even if those laurels taste more like Chihuly glass. (2/10)
Saladini Pilastri 2008 Rosso Piceno (Marches) Extremely approachable. A burst of complex, well-soiled fruit berries, quince, some plum with just enough structure. Good with or without food, albeit more structured with the latter, and more fruit-dominated otherwise. Not complex, but it doesnt need to be. Disappears very quickly, which can only be counted as praise. (2/10)
Corte dei Papi 2007 Cesanese del Piglio Colle Ticchio (Lazio) Hard-edged, as if shelled, with a slather of dark, brooding fruit once one penetrates the exterior difficulties. Tastes as much like the Platonic idea of a Madiran (whatever the reality) than anything from Lazio, albeit with a lessening of the tannin in relation to the wines other elements. Id like to explore this with a little more age, or at least air. (2/10)
Sella & Mosca 2005 Cannonau di Sardegna (Sardinia) A normally-reliable crowd-pleaser, here tasted from two bottles and found wanting from each. The strawberry bubblegum with a little more grate to it is present, as expected, but it cannot escape the two-ton lead weight pressing down on it. Its not that the wine is overly heavy, its that its squashed. If both bottles are corked, its imperceptible and theyre identically-infected, which seems low-probability. Maybe a bad batch, or damaged, or just not very good. (2/10)
Guido Porro 2005 Dolcetto dAlba Vigna lPari (Piedmont) Corked. (2/10)
Vercesi del Castellazzo 2005 Oltrep Pavese Barbera Cl (Lombardy) A heavier expression of barbera, with both supporting and masking elements (cellar- and site-derived), dialing down the varietal characteristics to a tangy yet ripe raspberry element as one among a host of more standardized northern Italian characteristics: pre-Alpine chill, rough but dense rock, a vague peppery quality. Honestly, Id be hard-pressed to identify this as barbera in a blind tasting. Its not a bad wine, but its either not particularly characterful or its a character I dont appreciate. (2/10)
Bera 2005 Barbera dAsti Ronco Malo (Piedmont) The needle and pierce one expects from barbera are both present and vibrant here, though without the so-often accompanying thinness and over-transparency. Even among the cohort that avoid those flaws, this is a bigun, intensifying the vivid red-berried fruit and turning up the supporting structural and earthen harmonics. Complexities continue to emerge as the wine finishes, and airs, and theres not yet an end to them by the time the bottles empty. All that said, theres a somewhat clumsy adolescence to the wine that I think, but do not know, will resolve with time (certainly, theres no indication that the wine requires immediate consumption). It really shines with a heavy, yet acidic, meal, while I think it might overpower something as simple and pure as a marinara. (2/10)
Grosjean 2006 Cornalin Vigne Rovettaz (Valle dAoste) This is a wine that seems to propel itself along parallel tracks. On the left, theres a rail of a gritty, steely structure; neither powerful nor dominant, but present and insistent nonetheless. On the right, a meandering weave of crisp (occasionally sour) flavors that are only related to identifiable berries by marriage rather than genetics, yet are unmistakably fruity nonetheless. For a reason I cant quite identify, this wine reminds me of drinkable popcornnot in flavor, but in contrasts of absorbent and crunchy structure, airy absence and lingering aftertaste. Its much more interesting than it is good, but I suspect that this is a judgment that will prove highly malleable with time. (2/10)
Grosjean 2005 Pinot Noir (Valle dAoste) Stumbles and tumbles out of the bottle, showing a clumsy, almost sticky, light berry aroma with zingy acidity and a lot of disjointed seams of minerality. But as it airs it coalesces, melding fruit and stone, wrapping its structure about itself, and broadening the complexity of its finish. By the final glass, its a rather extraordinary study in the interplay of grape and soil. The lesson, I guess, is patience. (2/10)
Velenosi Querci Antica 2008 Lacrima di Morro dAlba (Piedmont) Lacrima di morro is so lurid that it can be a problematic food match. However, the exotic spice of a (non-traditional) veal tagine provided an opportunity, and thus it was time. Lurid it is, showing neon fruit in the blue-purple range, a bite of scraping tannin, and very fresh acidity, but theres some peppery complexity as well, and the overall impression is one of striving rather than laurel-resting. Even if those laurels taste more like Chihuly glass. (2/10)
Saladini Pilastri 2008 Rosso Piceno (Marches) Extremely approachable. A burst of complex, well-soiled fruit berries, quince, some plum with just enough structure. Good with or without food, albeit more structured with the latter, and more fruit-dominated otherwise. Not complex, but it doesnt need to be. Disappears very quickly, which can only be counted as praise. (2/10)
Corte dei Papi 2007 Cesanese del Piglio Colle Ticchio (Lazio) Hard-edged, as if shelled, with a slather of dark, brooding fruit once one penetrates the exterior difficulties. Tastes as much like the Platonic idea of a Madiran (whatever the reality) than anything from Lazio, albeit with a lessening of the tannin in relation to the wines other elements. Id like to explore this with a little more age, or at least air. (2/10)
Sella & Mosca 2005 Cannonau di Sardegna (Sardinia) A normally-reliable crowd-pleaser, here tasted from two bottles and found wanting from each. The strawberry bubblegum with a little more grate to it is present, as expected, but it cannot escape the two-ton lead weight pressing down on it. Its not that the wine is overly heavy, its that its squashed. If both bottles are corked, its imperceptible and theyre identically-infected, which seems low-probability. Maybe a bad batch, or damaged, or just not very good. (2/10)
Guido Porro 2005 Dolcetto dAlba Vigna lPari (Piedmont) Corked. (2/10)