A TASTE OF ITALY

Una cena senza vino e come un giorno senza sole – A meal without wine is a day without sunshine.

Whilst the slight changes to restrictions of the UK lockdown is thankfully enabling us to enjoy taking more outdoor exercise and being permitted to travel outside our immediate area, sadly it doesn’t look as if we will be jetting off on holiday any time soon.

As suggested in our previous voyage of discovery case, although we are not able to travel at present, we are thankfully still able to taste the experience of our favourite places, by enjoying a glass of wine from the regions we love.

Having watched the emotional on-line videos of people standing on their balconies, playing music and singing so inspiringly, (reminiscent of a scene from their beloved opera), I thought it opportune to offer a taste of Italy!

Travelling from the south, we have two super value wines from Sicily and Apulia, with the zesty apple and citrus fruits of Fabrizio Vella’s ‘biodynamic’ Catarratto and the full bodied but surprisingly mellow Primitivo of Tenuta Giustini. From Veneto we have the irresistibly voluptuous, Valpolicella Ca Friuli of Corte Sant Adla, whilst moving to Piemonte, we discover Olim Bauda’s stylish and sophisticated Gavi di Gavi, followed by the incredibly refined Dolcetto and Barbera of Claudio Viberti, which really reflect the essence of their native land.

The Taste of Italy selection is available in either a Six Bottle Case, containing 1 bottle of each of the following wines @ £107.34 – Less Quarantine Support Discount = £96.60 Or
Twelve Bottle Case, containing 2 bottles of each of the following wines: £214.68 – Less Quarantine Support Discount = £193.00

TENUTA GIUSTINI, Apulia The family owned, Tenuta Giustini, comprises some 30 ha of vineyards in the beautiful Ionio Salento region of Apulia, the ‘heel’ of Italy. With their close proximity to the sea, the indigenous vines grown here have the ideal conditions to flourish, with the benefit of the fertile soils, hours of warm sunshine and fresh sea breezes. Salvatore Papodopli, who now runs the estate, leads a team, passionate and dedicated to unlocking the best potential of their terroir, climate, vines and grapes. Great care is given at every stage of the production, both in vineyard and cellar, to ensure that the wines they bottle fully capture these unique qualities. The 2015 Primitivo has matured beautifully. Sunshine in the glass.

2015 Terrame Primitivo, IGT Salento Good depth of colour with a delightfully fragrant, slightly floral bouquet and spiced berry fruits, intermingle with subtle hints of leather and tobacco. Full bodied, but mellow on the palate with ripe, warming, black berry fruits, hints of earthy, spice. Lovely balance with attractive lift of freshness on the finish.

FABRIZIO VELLA, Sicily From the island of Sicily, the talented and passionate Fabrizio Vella, produces wine which truly reflect the spirit of his native homeland. Working only with indigenous varieties, the Catarratto and Nero d’Avola, his high altitude vineyards, (350 to 450 metres) are managed organically. The exposure afforded by their location, ensure the benefit of cool night temperatures, which, combined with Fabrizio’s slightly earlier picking dates, ensure the grapes retain a super acidity, resulting in tantalizingly refreshing, clean fruit flavours. Please note, to ensure the wine retains its lovely complexity of flavour and aroma, it is bottled without filtration, so it may contain a little sediment, which is completely natural.

2018 Bianco Organico Very attractive, aromatic bouquet, with zesty citrus, apple and slightly tropical fruits. Dry, but silky on the palate with delicious fruit salad flavours, balanced by a refreshing, saline minerality and crisp citrus acidity. Perfect wine for an al fresco lunch.

TENUTA OLIM BAUDA, Piemonte Gavi is another wine which has become extremely popular over recent years, with the usual result, that many ‘commercially manufactured’ examples have appeared, to provide a volume at a price. Unsurprisingly, these are pale shadows of the wines produced by the dedicated growers.

The highly successful Tenuta Olim Bauda has been owned by the Bertolino family since 1960. However, the vinification sadly stopped here after the tragic death of Agostino Bertonlino in 1985. Happily, some 15 year later, the three children that he had left behind, decided to follow the family tradition and return the estate to its former glory and have successfully regained its reputation as one of the finest estates in Piemonte.

The trio, Dino, (the wine maker), Diana and Gianni Bertolino, share an in depth knowledge and respect for their terroir and environment and no chemical herbicides or fertlizers are employed. Dedicated and passionate about their work, which they see as a form of art, they are devoted to tending their vines, to produce the finest possible wine. Coming from vineyards at an altitude of 300 metres, located only within the delimited area for the Gavi di Gavi DOCG, this is a superb example with a seamless style.

2018 Gavi di Gavi 100% Cortese, which The Bertonilos consider Piemonte’s best white grape variety. Enticing bouquet with good ripeness and subtle floral aromas. Lovely depth to the palate, refined and seamless, with intense, ripe fruits, subtle saline notes and clean lift of acidity. Real poise and focus. Stylish, elegant and lingering finish.

CORTE SANT ALDA, Veneto Marinella Camerani is a producer with a real intuition and great understanding of her vineyards. Each wine here is produced from a specific vineyard, which she feels best suited to the grapes she wishes to grow and the style of wine she intends to make. All the work is conducted by organic and biodynamic principles, to allow the vines to thrive in a healthy, living environment.

This fabulous Valpolicella comes from the hillside vineyard, Ca’Fiui, where the cellar of Corte Sant Alda is located. The Corvina Grossa, Corvina Veronese, Rondinella and Molinara grapes which make up most of the blend, together with a few other native varieties all ripen well in this sunny micro-climate. The grapes are hand picked and fermented in large oak vats, where it is then aged for at least a further six months prior to bottling. There is little influence of oak here. This is all about the amazing purity of delicious, rich, vibrant fruits and elegant balance.

2017 Valpolicella Ca Fiui Wonderfully bright, deep cherry in colour with beautifully fragrant bouquet. Opulent, sweet berry, cherry and bramble fruits with hints of rosemary. Possessing substance and backbone, with beautifully integrated tannins. Delicious vibrant fruit and elegant balance. Oozes charm and class.

ROCCHEVIBERTI. Piemonte Located in the sleepy village of Castiglione in the beautiful region of the Langhe in Barolo, we find the fabulous wines of Claudio Viberti. With a mere 4.5 ha, Claudio produces micro cuvees, of very limited production.

Claudio represents the 4th generation here and since his first vintage in 2003, has gained the reputation as one of the finest producers of the region. The Roccheviberti wines have real life and soul, which undoubtedly comes from Claudio’s passionate belief, that a great wine, must represent the perfect harmony between the vine, the terroir and tradition.

Producing wonderfully elegant Barolo wines on the Rocche di Castiglione, Claudio achieves the same refined finesse in his charmingly expressive, Dolcetto and Barbera, which are produced on his other Barolo vineyard, Bricco Boschis. With a westerly exposition and deeper, rich clay soils, the Barolo here is more structured and masculine than the Rocche di Castiglione. This also gives the Dolcetto and Barbera, more depth and substance than often found in these varietals, combined with the charm and finesse, which is the hallmark if the Viberti’ wines. Brimming with ripe, wild, red cherry fruits, the vibrant Dolcetto possesses a good structure, whilst the Barbera offers an extra concentration and richness, with a riper, black cherry profile.

2016 Dolcetto, Vigna Malera Claudio’s Dolcetto is grown on a small parcel on the high part of the Bricco Boschis vineyard, known as, Vigna Malera. This impressive Dolcetto is brimming with ripe, cherry fruit and hints of almond, but possesses a structure and substance, far more exciting than most Dolcetto.

2016 Barbera d’Alba, Superiore Grown on the lower slopes of the same Bricco-Bochis vineyards, the sumptuous Barbera has a fabulously alluring, fragrant bouquet, with a darker fruit profile on the palate, offering delicious black berry and black cherry fruits, seamless balance and long, fine finish.