Crena 2008 Riviera Ligure di Ponente Vermentino Vigneto Isasco (Liguria) People who insist Italian whites are worthless arewell, theyre idiots, but theyre apparently also idiots whove never tasted a vermentino. Even in its paler, more industrial expressions, theres plenty going on. When given a little more attention and terroir, I fail to understand how anyone could not, at least, appreciate the goings-on. Here, theres grayish-tan soil, a lot of sun (but with shadows lurking in corners and crannies), a light oxidativeness that adds rather than detracts, and plenty of complexity and interest to hold attention. Not a great vermentino, but certainly a good one. (9/10)
Occhipinti 2008 SP68 (Sicily) Outrageously drinkable. Quaffable, even. Gluggable. Slurpable. Etc., etc., etc. Were it about half the cost, Id request that this be piped into my house in lieu of public water. Pure liquid joy. (9/10)
De Conciliis 2004 Paestum Antece Fiano (Campania) The skin-bitterness and inexorable textural impact of the orange wine set gets a chalky/waxy interpretation here, mingling acid and something slightly reminiscent of Rainier cherries but deeper and more metallurgic. Really fascinating. Im not much of a fan of De Conciliis, across the range, but this one wine makes up for the disappointments. (8/10)
Montevertine 2002 Montevertine (Tuscany) This is just so supple and approachable that the structure almost goes unnoticed. But eventually, get noticed it does, and its where the frayed edges and deficiencies of the wine show. Maturing quickly enough that, if I owned any more, Id be thinking about getting to the rest of it. For all the previous talk of insufficiency, though, theres plenty to like about the soft red fruit and earthy spice of the wine. Drink up, though. (9/10)
Montevertine 2006 Pian del Ciampolo (Tuscany) The usual beautiful, soft red fruit with the fine particulate texture somewhere between earth and spice. Hints of vegetation, still a fair (but gentle) wash of tannin, balanced all around. This is good now, but itll be a fair bit better a few years down the road. (8/10)
Livio Felluga 2007 Collio Sauvignon (Friuli Venezia-Giulia) Firm, cold-tasting, riesling-ish sauvignon blanc. A pillar of metallic/acidic structure is rammed right through the spine of this wine, and though theres a low level aura of faint electricity around that pillar, this is still a monosyllabic wine. On the other hand, some wines say more in a single syllable than others. (8/10)
Bucci 2002 Rosso Piceno Pongelli (Marches) Absolutely the most egregiously corked wine I have ever encountered. They could teach classes with this bottle. For decades. (7/10)
Bucci 2002 Rosso Piceno Pongelli (Marches) Complicated interplays of tart red fruit, baked goods, a pair of sharp tannic and crisp acidic bites, and high quality mixed with an insistent unwillingness to play along or submit. Yes, Pongelli, you may be on top. (8/10)
Sardi Giustiniani 2008 Colline Lucchesi Vermentino Quinis (Tuscany) Starts tentatively, then grows in interest as vermentinos so often do. Water-marked aquatic leafery, subtle shadings of sunlight, an ascending finish. Good. (7/10)
Sella & Mosca 2002 Alghero Tanca Farra (Sardinia) Swaggering, but the calloused mountain man and the fancy suit dont necessarily cohere. Angry, dark-souled fruit with a fierce lash of skin and strap. Its not overly big, though it is thickened by ambition, but the essential core of this wine survives its commercial acculturation without taking too much damage. (8/10)
Ca de Noci a Quattro Castella 2007 Sottobosco (Emilia-Romagna) Blackcurrant vinegar and raw pepper dust, trapped under an avalanche of ash with someone who hasnt cleansed their armpits inwell, years. Grossly imbalanced in terms of both acid and tannin. Awful. This cant be what this is supposed to taste like, can it? (8/10)
Podere Castorani 2009 Montepulciano dAbruzzo Cerasuolo Majolica (Abruzzi) Its wine. Its red. Its drinkable. Its drinkable red wine. (8/10)
Velenosi Quercia Antica 2008 Visicole (Marches) 500 ml, and aromatized in the manner of a chinato. Only, not so much. Its more sweet than bitter, as if some odd alchemist had decided to blend a sweet red, a chinato, and one of the sweeter amari, and then thought better of it and stopped before following through to any one of a number of possible conclusions. The result is interesting but a little bereft of persistent interest. (9/10)
Venturini 2003 Valpolicella Classico Superiore Ripasso Semonte Alto (Veneto) If someone poured this for me from an unmarked container and told me it was a slightly fresher take on Amarone, I would not be the least bit surprised. Ripasso flavors cranked past 11 to about 15, leaving a thick paste of licorice, strawberry, and quince of incredible density. It seems like it should be structured, but even the tannin cant really rise to this level of density, and theres no useful acidity to speak of. Its actually not bad at all, and would be extremely appealing for those who love this sort of specific gravity in all their wines, but to say its more of a spread for toast than it is a wine would not be unreasonable. (11/10)
Corte Gardoni 2006 Custoza (Veneto) Oxidized. 100% oxidized. Not even useful as cooking wine, at this point. Undoubtedly a closure effect. (11/10)
Occhipinti 2008 SP68 (Sicily) Outrageously drinkable. Quaffable, even. Gluggable. Slurpable. Etc., etc., etc. Were it about half the cost, Id request that this be piped into my house in lieu of public water. Pure liquid joy. (9/10)
De Conciliis 2004 Paestum Antece Fiano (Campania) The skin-bitterness and inexorable textural impact of the orange wine set gets a chalky/waxy interpretation here, mingling acid and something slightly reminiscent of Rainier cherries but deeper and more metallurgic. Really fascinating. Im not much of a fan of De Conciliis, across the range, but this one wine makes up for the disappointments. (8/10)
Montevertine 2002 Montevertine (Tuscany) This is just so supple and approachable that the structure almost goes unnoticed. But eventually, get noticed it does, and its where the frayed edges and deficiencies of the wine show. Maturing quickly enough that, if I owned any more, Id be thinking about getting to the rest of it. For all the previous talk of insufficiency, though, theres plenty to like about the soft red fruit and earthy spice of the wine. Drink up, though. (9/10)
Montevertine 2006 Pian del Ciampolo (Tuscany) The usual beautiful, soft red fruit with the fine particulate texture somewhere between earth and spice. Hints of vegetation, still a fair (but gentle) wash of tannin, balanced all around. This is good now, but itll be a fair bit better a few years down the road. (8/10)
Livio Felluga 2007 Collio Sauvignon (Friuli Venezia-Giulia) Firm, cold-tasting, riesling-ish sauvignon blanc. A pillar of metallic/acidic structure is rammed right through the spine of this wine, and though theres a low level aura of faint electricity around that pillar, this is still a monosyllabic wine. On the other hand, some wines say more in a single syllable than others. (8/10)
Bucci 2002 Rosso Piceno Pongelli (Marches) Absolutely the most egregiously corked wine I have ever encountered. They could teach classes with this bottle. For decades. (7/10)
Bucci 2002 Rosso Piceno Pongelli (Marches) Complicated interplays of tart red fruit, baked goods, a pair of sharp tannic and crisp acidic bites, and high quality mixed with an insistent unwillingness to play along or submit. Yes, Pongelli, you may be on top. (8/10)
Sardi Giustiniani 2008 Colline Lucchesi Vermentino Quinis (Tuscany) Starts tentatively, then grows in interest as vermentinos so often do. Water-marked aquatic leafery, subtle shadings of sunlight, an ascending finish. Good. (7/10)
Sella & Mosca 2002 Alghero Tanca Farra (Sardinia) Swaggering, but the calloused mountain man and the fancy suit dont necessarily cohere. Angry, dark-souled fruit with a fierce lash of skin and strap. Its not overly big, though it is thickened by ambition, but the essential core of this wine survives its commercial acculturation without taking too much damage. (8/10)
Ca de Noci a Quattro Castella 2007 Sottobosco (Emilia-Romagna) Blackcurrant vinegar and raw pepper dust, trapped under an avalanche of ash with someone who hasnt cleansed their armpits inwell, years. Grossly imbalanced in terms of both acid and tannin. Awful. This cant be what this is supposed to taste like, can it? (8/10)
Podere Castorani 2009 Montepulciano dAbruzzo Cerasuolo Majolica (Abruzzi) Its wine. Its red. Its drinkable. Its drinkable red wine. (8/10)
Velenosi Quercia Antica 2008 Visicole (Marches) 500 ml, and aromatized in the manner of a chinato. Only, not so much. Its more sweet than bitter, as if some odd alchemist had decided to blend a sweet red, a chinato, and one of the sweeter amari, and then thought better of it and stopped before following through to any one of a number of possible conclusions. The result is interesting but a little bereft of persistent interest. (9/10)
Venturini 2003 Valpolicella Classico Superiore Ripasso Semonte Alto (Veneto) If someone poured this for me from an unmarked container and told me it was a slightly fresher take on Amarone, I would not be the least bit surprised. Ripasso flavors cranked past 11 to about 15, leaving a thick paste of licorice, strawberry, and quince of incredible density. It seems like it should be structured, but even the tannin cant really rise to this level of density, and theres no useful acidity to speak of. Its actually not bad at all, and would be extremely appealing for those who love this sort of specific gravity in all their wines, but to say its more of a spread for toast than it is a wine would not be unreasonable. (11/10)
Corte Gardoni 2006 Custoza (Veneto) Oxidized. 100% oxidized. Not even useful as cooking wine, at this point. Undoubtedly a closure effect. (11/10)