The Rest of Italy

 

2000 Castello di Spessa Collio (Bordeaux Blend) Conte di Spessa $$$

Color:  Purple

Nose:  Barnyard, earth

Taste:  Earth, sour cherry spice

Finish:  Terroir driven wines with barnyard, earth and spices

Evaluation:  Should cellar for a few more years 89 points

2001 Ars Poetica Aglianico del Vulture Riserva Red Wine $$$$

Color:  Medium purple

Nose:  Leather, spice, mushroom

Taste:  Spice, red peppers, dirt

Finish:  Short and watered down

Evaluation:  Not much on the finish  82 points

2001 Avignonesi Desiderio Merlot

Color:  Extremely dark

Nose:  Espresso and menthol hints

Taste:  Rich jumped out at first.  It has a little gritty side to it and should age beautifully.  It had nice earth tones, espresso and subtle fruit.

Finish:  Over 3 minutes of pure joy.

Evaluation:  The best merlot I have had to date!  A steal for around $45.  95 points

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2001 Montevetrano Colli di Salerno Campania $$$$

Color:  Light purple

Nose:  Spice, cinnamon, little funk

Taste:  Spice, red currants, mushroom

Finish:  Nice acidity, mushrooms, currants and smooth tannins

Evaluation:  This is a solid wine without the over the top tannins that some 01s' are showing.  90 points

2003 Rengo Amarone della Valpolicello $$$

Color:  Purple

Nose:  Floral, earth

Taste:  Intense with spice, floral, and earth tones

Finish:  Very intense with spice, floral, and earth

Evaluation:  Well made wine.  Not for the weak.  90 points

2004 Vinicola San Martino Dal Peduncolo Friuli Refosco $

Color:  Medium purple

Nose:  Vibrant with cherry, floral

Taste:  Sharp acid with cherries, earth and floral

Finish:  Short and earthy

Evaluation:  Well made for $8 84 points

2004 Falesco Vitiano Umbria $$

Color:  dark ruby

Nose:  Violets but no noticeable fruit

Taste:  A tannic taste with no distinct tastes emerging.

Finish:  Short

Evaluation:  A poorly made wine.  70 points

2005 Cantele Primitivo Salento Puglia $

Color:  Medium purple

Nose:  Tobacco, plum, cherry

Taste:  Earth, tobacco, plum

Finish:  Medium

Evaluation:  Simple sipping wine 84 points

2005 Zenato Ripassa Superiore Valpolicella $$$

Color:  Medium purple

Nose: Spice, mineral, ripe fruits

Taste:  Nice balance of fruit and spices

Finish:  Medium and tannins are firm

Evaluation:  A nice overall wine 87 points

2006 Di Majo Norante Terre Degli Osci Sangiovese $

Color:  Medium purple

Nose:  Violets, cherry, mushrooms

Taste:  Spices, violets, sweet fruits

Finish:  A touch of sweetness with violets, spices, and cranberries

Evaluation:  Solid effort for $10 87 points

2006 Tommasi "Rafael" Valpolicella $$

Color:  Medium purple

Nose:  Spice, violets, plum

Taste:  Spice, violets, plum, cinnamon

Finish:  Medium and quite balanced

Evaluation:  Try this Valpolicella today!  90 points

2006 Zenato Classico Valpoliclla $$

Color:  Light purple

Nose:  Light fruits, mineral

Taste:  Light wine with fruits and mineral elemants

Finish:  Light

Evaluation:  OK but nothing exciting 84 points

2007 Falesco Vitiano Umbria IGT $

(Equal parts Sangiovese, Cabernet, Merlot)

Color:  Medium purple

Nose:  Minerals, cherry, floral, plum

Taste:  Wow what great minerality combined with cherry, plum, floral

Finish:  Medium and concentrated.  This finishes like a $40 wine

Evaluation:  Hard to believe this is $10.  These wines come around about three times a year.  91 points (Wine of the year candidate)

 

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