Italian Wine Blog - Wine90

Livon Tiare Mate Merlot

2008-07-04T06:48:00.000-07:00

Livon Tiare Mate Merlot

Livon Tiare Mate Merlot is a 100% Merlot from the Friuli region of Italy (see, I got it right this time) and the last of our Merlot Month wines. Finally I have worked my way, painstakingly and without praise, through 10 of Italy finest Merlots recommended to me by friends, colleagues and even the Parker reviewer himself, Antonio Galloni.

Of course 10 Merlot wines alone are not exactly a Gambero Rosso stylee cross section of quality but we had here 10 of the best Merlot wines Italy had to offer and almost all of them I'd re-order, 3 I'd buy a case of tomorrow and 1 is the best wine I've tasted since beginning the blog.

I know you are getting bored of all the Merlot and want to move into Summer with some new grape varietals and next week, that is what we shall do. Please bring some Italian Rosé wines to my attention, I have in my mind a good idea of the wines I shall review but if there is one you'd like to see go up my nose and down my throat, do say wontcha!

So, Livon hey? Big old Livon with vineyards in Friuli, Tuscany and Umbria produce a mammoth selection of wines. "Yeah Yeah, you always say that" I hear you whinge, but THIS TIME it's true.

Over forty different wines are produced by Livon including Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Tocai Fruilano, Pinot Bianco, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Sagrantino and even a new Spumante with a name on it's bottle that makes you look twice. EYES RIGHT! (that's Fenis)

Livon are well praised internally, the Italian wine press are big fans but outside of Italy the wines are not quite as well appreciated, they are well sold, but not commanding the same kind of respect as back home.

Usually it is this wine, the Tiare Mate Merlot that take the top awards but Gambero Rosso are usually well taken with the Braide Alte, routinely awarding Tre Bicchiere, an age worthy and exemplary blended white (seek that one out, very tasty). With such a large production what Livon really brings to the table is a fairly good standard of wine at a very fair price.

This whole range is QPR (um, except this one time!) and there are not many rotten apples in this 40 wide bunch. Reliable Livon. We all like reliable don't we?!

The cheapest Merlot of all the recommendations at €17, I'm sorry to say that it does show. This past month I've been thru Redigaffi, Messorio and Patrimo, some of the best Merlots out of Italy so perhaps I have a spoiled palate. This is the worst of the bunch in terms of score, in terms of QPR, it's alright, but I wouldn't buy it again and I wouldn't recommend it to you guys. I had the 2003, couldn't find a 2004, which I am sure would be better, and if also at €17 could be worth a second look.

Livon Tiare Mate Merlot 2003 - PASS - €17

Brick red in the glass, beautiful but lighter than expected. A quick and interesting nose, all the berries but rather simple. Mid bodied and a disappearing fruit act on the palate wasn't appreciated however the mouth feel was smooth and the finish was elegant. Nice but too simple, vintage issues? 86 Points
So tha-that-tha-tha-thats all folks. Merlot Month is finished. Quick Round up? Let's do it.

98 Points - Tua Rita Redigaffi Merlot 2001 - BUY - €210

95 Points - Le Macchiole Messorio 2001 - BUY - €169

93 Points - Feudi di San Gregorio Patrimo 2004 - BUY - €60

93 Points - Avignonesi Desiderio Cortona Merlot 2004 - BUY - €35

92 Points - Villa Russiz Merlot Graf de la Tour 2004 - BUY - €32

92 Points - Falesco Montiano 2001 - BUY - €26

91 Points - Roberto Voerzio Langhe Merlot Fontanazza 2004 - PASS - €129

87 Points - Radikon Merlot 2000 - PASS - €100

87 Points - Vie di Romans Voos Dai Ciamps Merlot 2001 - PASS - €25

86 Points - Livon Tiare Mate Merlot 2003 - PASS - €17

So the best QPR here is the Avignonesi, which is a mostly Merlot from Tuscany and a rather embarrassing but happy accident for Merlot Month! The Avignonesi, Villa Russiz and Falesco are all case worthy buys.

The biggest QPR *blows into hand* PASS goes to my main man Roberto Voerzio and the wooden spoon for worst Merlot of the pack goes to Livon.

Tua Rita waltz off with top marks again. I am sure they are stoked to have won Merlot Month!

Where can I buy this wine? (Livon Tiare Mate Merlot 2003 - Um Don't! Get the Montiano)

Europeans - Enoteca Costantini - €17

Americans - Grapes of Norwalk - $42

Brits - You can't. Cry no tears fellow limeys.

Leave a Comment!

Should I do a 10 flight again? Did you enjoy the reviews of these Merlot wines or are you screaming "No more frickin Merlot" like someone might have said in a film once! :op Do these results surprise you? Rosé recommendations, come now.

Antinori Tignanello 2005

2008-07-04T02:00:00.000-07:00

Antinori Tignanello 2005

Antinori Tignanello 2005, our second most requested wine after Antinori Tignanello 2004, the 2005 bottling was hotly awaited following the 4th place Wine Spectator "Wine of the Year" ranking for the Tignanello 2004. Everyone is wondering if the 2005 vintage, a difficult Tuscan growing vintage is going to scoop similar accolades, so buying it up in droves before the prices go insane. Here at The Cellar Door, as soon as the product is loaded it sells out within a matter of weeks and so I decided to get my grubby mits on a bottle to see what all the fuss is about.

Although 2005 has produced some great Sangiovese wines the growers at Tignanello were showing some concern. The summer months in 2005 in Tuscany were quite cool and rainy, however, the grapes did their job and ripened and, for drinking today, I prefer this bottle.

I wasn't in love with the 2004 like the rest of the world was, its a great wine no doubt, but was tight as a rock when I sampled it and was definitely something to stick in the cellar for 10 years, a late bloomer. So what of the 2005 vintage?

The Tignanello is one of Italy's most famous wines from one of Italy's most famous producers, something of a commodity and a flag bearer. The 2005 is a blend of 85% Sangiovese, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon e 5% Cabernet Franc and although the percentages do change slightly year on year these ratios are pretty stock. This years Tignanello is weightier than normal and gave up fruit far quicker on the nose and palate so, in my opinion this years Tignanello will be a wine to drink much sooner than the 2004, this suits me personally, although I have many wines cellared I have little patience!

Today's blog entry was supposed to be for the end of Merlot Month. Well, you are lucky blighters because today I will enter two posts. We have the RESULTS of Merlot Month and the final wine up for review, Livon's "Tiare Mate".

Antinori Tignanello 2005 - BUY

Striking ruby red in the glass, lovely colour. The nose quickly brings serious aromas, generous amounts of berry, spices, chocolate and some tobacco. A real monster on the palate with a great balance of acidity, flavours of coffee, jam and chocolate on the mid palate with a nice smooth and pleasing finish. Very well structured and balanced, drinking nicely today but expect maturity within a few years. 93 Points

Where can I buy this wine?

Europeans - Grand Vini Alba - €40

Americans - Wine Anthology - $79

Brits - The Cellar Door - £36.50 (serious deal, £5 cheaper than anywhere else!)

Leave a Comment

The Tignanello posts garner comments thru the year I would love it if you left your own reviews of any Tignanello vintages, or have any other comments to make regarding Tignanello or Antinori :oD

Avignonesi Desiderio Merlot

2008-07-03T07:27:00.000-07:00

Avignonesi Desiderio Merlot

Avignonesi Desiderio Merlot, or Avignonesi Desiderio Cortona Merlot (why can't anyone agree on a name!) is a cheeky entry that I have realised contains 15% Cabernet Sauvignon. This actually disqualifies it from my 100% Merlot list for Merlot Month. However, I've tried it now and so will write about it none the less. Avignonesi is a producer with a fine pedigree out of the Tuscany region of Italy. Their Via Santo scored a huge 100 points with James Suckling and the Wine Spectator in 1990 (and they say sweet wines can fool you right?).

So what do we have here, an 85% Merlot/15% Cabernet Sauvignon blend, aged 18 months in french barriques, from a producer who is steadily reducing their range of wines and concentrating on producing fewer finer wines. The company has four vineyards and the Merlot comes out of La Selva, situated at Cignano, on the hills of the Chiuso di Cortona. Hence, the name Avignonesi Desiderio Cortona Merlot.

So not a Merlot at all, but still a very pleasant wine and better than some of the others of this week, not even a Friuli Merlot, man, I really dropped the ball on this one! Lots of availability in the states for this wine, probably Avignonesi is a brand you might know? Let me know. This is another case buy recommendation, I'm sorry it's not a 100% Merlot as this could have been crowned QPR king! Oh well, a gem anyway!

Avignonesi Desiderio Cortona Merlot 2004 - BUY - €35

Very dark purple, edging on black in the glass. Aromatically explosive, berries, vanilla, cedar, cassis and chocolate. Completely full bodied and luscious, tremendous mouth feel, supple, silky tannins, fruity all the way down with a super long satisfying finish. Great QPR. 93 Points

Where can I buy this wine?

Europeans - Italian Wine Shop - €35

Americans - Salt Creek Wine Co - $49

Brits - Everywine - £31

Leave a Comment

Short blog today, thanks for those comments yesterday, I love to discuss the wines with you guys and will definitely do the Rosé thing and the two different grape varietals as well as Futronics Trebbiano rec. Keep Talking!

Vie di Romans Voos Dai Ciamps

2008-07-02T05:21:00.000-07:00

Vie di Romans Voos Dai Ciamps

Vie di Romans Voos Dai Ciamps is a 100% Merlot from the Friuli producer Vie di Romans, producer of a wide and fine range of Italian wines. Not content with just a Merlot, Vie di Romans routinely produce award winning Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Tocai Fruiano, Malvasia and Riesling. Now, I've had some rumblings about when is Merlot Month going to end, well, this is wine 8 of 10 and it's Wednesday, so, by the end of the week I'll be freed from the chains of Italian Merlot and we can move on to something else. What else? You tell me, I've had some interesting emails about Nero d'Avola and many would like me to turn some spotlight on Rosé as we're in the height of summer. So, leave a comment and tell me what you'd like to see sunk and drunk! Don't be shy!

So, the wines are getting cheaper and cheaper and harder and harder to come by. This is the 2001 vintage, another fine Italian vintage but this wine, especially compared to yesterdays, is leaving me a little cold. These Fruili Merlots are all over the place, not settled in a price slot or style so far. The Vie di Romans effort stands out from the "Merlot" character and is the most distinctive wine of Merlot Month, just because it doesn't contain the normal traits of the grape.

So, Vie di Romans, do you know them? Serious Italian wine fans probably will, a large outfit with a simply shocking family name. Say "Gallo" to any wine snob and the wince will spread across their face (talking of wine snobbery, see the Bottle Shock preview below), but these Gallos are the family that created these vineyards some 30 years ago. The family have a keen interest in the history of the area and their specific terroir and offer more in depth information about their vineyards than any producer I've ever seen, click here.

Before I review the wine I'd like to just do a quick catch up. People have been asking where I've been, of course I know my absence created a huge void in your life and I don't have a note from my mother (2nd time I've mentioned you in under a month, leave a frickin comment mummy!) but sorry, I spent the weekend at the fabulous Carlton and Grand Canal in Venice (ok, I'm not sorry) it was too hot for anything but Prosecco which I drunk in copious amounts with my travel pal! Lastly, let's take a look at the trailer for Hollywood blockbuster "Bottle Shock" which premiers this autumn, maybe Bottle Shock is going to be some kind of shot in the arm for Chardonnay, still being stoned alive from the memory of Bridget Jones.

Vie di Romans Voos Dai Ciamps Merlot 2001 - PASS - €25

Nice brooding red in the glass, with a sugary and tight nose. Aromas of plums as you'd expect, but dirt and animal characteristics that you wouldn't. Terroir driven Merlot? Probably. Mid bodied on the palate, soft and silky tannins, quite acidic but saved with a good long and memorable finish. I am all about the nose, even though this was decanted, it was mean with me. 87 Points

Nice wine, especially on the palate, but €25 and 87 points is not a ratio trade off I enjoy. I didn't bring the Planeta Merlot into the mix, costs a little less and much better. If you want to come into Italian Merlot at this price point, do Planeta.

Where can I buy this wine?

Europeans - Trimani - €25

Americans - Prime Wines NY - $45

Brits - Winebuythecase - £20

Leave a comment!

Looking forward to Bottle Shock? What grape varietal shall I rock next? Any wine you'd like to see reviewed at all? Will Nadal beat Murray? (please, please, please).

Villa Russiz Merlot

2008-07-01T06:10:00.000-07:00

Villa Russiz Merlot

Villa Russiz Merlot, and to be spot on, Villa Russiz Merlot Graf de la Tour, is the 7th Merlot of Merlot Month and the 2nd in the Friuli flight.

Another recommendation from Mr Galloni and at one of the lowest price points of the 10 Merlot offerings I was keen to see what this was all about. The 2004 vintage in the Friuli region was superb, as it was across the majority of Italy and so this could be a very good value for money Merlot indeed.

A tre bicchiere effort according to the Gambero Rosso guide, a 90 point Antonio Galloni rating for the 2003, I was raring to go with the Villa Russiz Merlot and boy o boy, is this a step up from the Radikon.

Another wine with a story Villa Russiz is a charitable winemaker, not for profit, who ploughs any profits straight back into the local region and specifically to needy kids in the area. This is no "charity album" wine, Villa Russiz is headed up by top winemaker Gianni Menotti and the wines are of award winning quality. In fact Villa Russiz has risen to become one of Friuli's top producers.

The Merlot itself is the top bottling of Villa Russiz, aged 24-months in French oak barriques, and with a tricky cabernet-esque nose, plenty of graphite and cedar box. Very alcoholic at nearly 15% and with a tiny production of just 8000 bottles, this Merlot could soon become something of a collectors piece as well as a superbly priced bottle for weekend drinking. This is the joker in the pack of Merlots so far, interesting, great QPR, laying down potential, this is a real find. Of all the wines so far, only this and the Montiano deserve a recommendation for case buying.

Villa Russiz Merlot Graf de la Tour 2004 - BUY - €32

Dark purple in colour with a refined and generous bouquet of graphite, cedar box, cherries, vanilla, raisins and plums. Full bodied with chocolate and plum flavours coming through on the palate, concentrated and still tannic but that should ebb away. Mouth filling and big, yet elegant with some acidity but good balance. Enjoyable. 92 Points

Where can I buy this wine?

Europeans - Italian Wine Shop - €32

Americans - Winerz - $62

Brits - Ravi's Wines - £32

Leave a comment

Anything to say about Villa Russiz, or charity wines, or Merlot, or this blog, or my 4 day absence!

Radikon Merlot

2008-06-26T06:07:00.000-07:00

Radikon Merlot

Radikon Merlot comes in one jazzy bottle in a litre size with a shocking label. Radikon Merlot is one of the top Merlot bottlings of Friuli and as Merlot Month enters its final leg we are investigating the Merlots of my 'hood, north eastern Italy and specifically Friuli. This is where the great and the good oeneologists have deemed the area of Italy most similar to Pomerol, France and that terrific Merlot should be naturally at home here. They're certainly trying. Friuli Merlot is pouring out of the wine makers veins and vines around these parts and todays offering, the Radikon Merlot, has a real cult following. Will all the pzazz be equal to the quality of the wine? Erm, no.

Perhaps following Redigaffi on the palate was a tall order for the Radikon, or perhaps the 35°c week long heat blaze has made me angry with my locale, but I'm pretty sure this just isn't all that great. It's 87 points good, which is jolly tasty indeed, but for €100 - I've been robbed.

So what of wine maker Radikon?

Stanislao Radikon is a pioneer in wine making, perhaps on this occasion he hasn't produced the best Merlot I've had, but the producer is notable for other reasons.

Radikon is a naturalist wine maker who has managed to make his wines resistant to oxidation, even though he uses no sulfur dioxide to stabilize the wine. There are no stainless steel fermentation vats or a whiff of new oak around his vineyards, instead old wine making techniques are employed. It makes sense then, that with the naturalist approach and a terroir most suited to Merlot that this wine has won high praise, indeed it was recommended to me by Antonio Galloni himself. As an 80's kid raised in the UK, I am not best placed to appreciate the particularities of natural wine production, so please, try the Radikon Merlot for yourself! What I do love about the wine is that it is a fine expression of the stoney, minerally ground upon which it sprung but it just didn't taste all that great, and that's kinda important.

Radikon Merlot 2000 - PASS - €100

Mid ruby red with an expressive mineral nose, the stones of the terroir are present and some good fruit on the nose including plums and cherries. On the palate the wine is mid bodied and a little acidic, good tannic structure and a nice length to the finish but where is the fruit? 87 Points

I know I can be a bit of a Ribena Berry, but I'm down with vegetal, down with animal and down with mineral and I'm not sure where, on the palate, this wine belongs. A little help?

Where can I buy this wine?

Europeans - Corte di Bacco - €100

Americans - Wine Library - $109

Brits - Corte di Bacco - €100

LEAVE A COMMENT!

If you've tried this wine, please tell me what you think to it? I am confused. Or comment about anything, comments have gone off the boil and tears are welling in my eyes.

Tua Rita Redigaffi

2008-06-25T05:10:00.000-07:00

Tua Rita Redigaffi

Tua Rita Redigaffi is the mega Merlot from top Bolgheri estate, Tua Rita. Redigaffi - the cult wine with the Valentino price tag is a critic pleasing Merlot of the highest order. If ratings are to be trusted the Tua Rita Redigaffi should claim top spot in Merlot Month (which is zipping by now, half way thru 5 of 10). I've already written about Tua Rita this month so if you want to learn more about this fabulous coco-chic estate then click here.

Read it? Good, so let's carry on. The Redigaffi is the only wine in Italy to have achieved a perfect 100 Parker point score. Consider there are 1000's of Italian winemakers, consider all the D.O.C and D.O.C.G wines out there that never managed to score 100 Parker points. This is a Vino da Tavola wine. A wine that Italy isn't really supposed to do well at and yet forget Giacosa, forget Gaja, forget Soldera only Tua Rita can claim this prestigious title. With the title comes the price tag, to buy a bottle of this 100 point wine you are handing over minimum $600, and more likely $800. That might even be considered a bargain compared to the 100 point French Pomerol counterparts.

I want to make a quick mention of scores, most of the emails I've had since starting the blog have been about the ratings of wines. For example, I went to town on a Barbera recently and exclaimed I wouldn't use it in a cooking sauce and still gave it 73 points. How can this be? The lowest a wine can score is 50 points. 50 points is for being a liquid in a bottle basically, and then a rough guide from there would go like this.

50 - 70 - Wines that range from truly and utterly vile to just kinda gross.

71 - 79 - Wines that range from quite bad to almost drinkable. Anything 79 or under could find its way down my kitchen sink.

80 - 84 - There are aspects of this wine I like, but the wine has flaws that probably would stop me buying it again.

85 - 89 - These could be wines I'd recommend, but the price would be important. For instance, if a wine cost €3 and I gave it a 86, this would be a steal. If a wine cost €30 and I gave it 87, I'd probably write a PASS next to it.

90 - 93 - Excellent wines, wines I would drink and re buy, there is some exceptional element to the wine.

94 - 97 - World class wines, wines for very special occasions where the grape has almost reached its perfect expression.

98 - 100 - Perfect wines, the best wines money can buy.

When thinking about points you must always think about price. I can rate a wine 91 and PASS it (like the Voerzio wine of two days ago) if it costs €169 a bottle. Some people award 5 points for colour, 20 points for nose etc, and have a very scientific way of calculating it, but there is an OMPF factor in wines, a personal factor that can't be quantified so this is just MY scale for my personal taste. So quit yer yapping at me.

Tua Rita Redigaffi Merlot 2001 - BUY - €210
Dark, heavy, deep and dense purple in the glass. Rich and heavy nose of chocolate and berries, spicy, lingering and licorice. The mouth feel is all encompassing, you have a wine hit here, thick and full bodied, dense and coating and yet very complex and intriguing. On the palate a rich variety of dark fruit, very concentrated with the longest finish on any Italian Merlot I've tried and even sweet and fruity to the last. Mega Merlot, Mega Impressed. 98 Points

Ooooooooh, the highest scoring wine so far on Wine90, am I scared to go 98! Not at all, 98 to my palate, I love it, I want to bathe in it, bake with it and take it home to meet my parents.

THE GAUNTLET HAS BEEN THRUST TO THE FLOOR. Can the other 5 Merlots come close, can you wait? You can huh.

Where can I buy this wine?
Europeans - Eno Sardegna - €210
Americans - The Spirit Shoppe - $349
Brits - Fine and Rare - £238

LEAVE A COMMENT!
Never was there a better time to comment, this is the highest rated wine so far. Have you tried it? What's your highest rated wine of all time? Is Andy Murray arrogant?

Le Macchiole Messorio

2008-06-24T05:25:00.000-07:00

Le Macchiole Messorio

Le Macchiole Messorio - the top bottling from Le Macchiole, the Messorio is a 100% Merlot wine that is the 4th of 10 Italian Merlots I am trying out for Merlot month. We're into the top guns now, yesterday we crowned Falesco's Montiano as the best Italian Merlot outside of the traditional growing areas of Tuscany and Friuli and today we are looking at one of Tuscany's finest. Along with the Redigaffi, the Messorio can claim to be the top Tuscan Merlot of each vintage, although grown in the same region from the same grape these wines have their differences and we shall be seeing which, from the 2001 vintage, was the best.

So, a little bit about Le Macchiole. A relative newcomer to wine making, Le Macchiole began making wines in 1972 and have Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc under vine at their vineyards in the Super Tuscan region; Bolgheri. The wines of Le Macchiole have always been popular with critics and the sheer class of their wines can be derived from their studious attention to detail. Their philosophy, "one bottle per vine" illustrates what exceptionally low yield Le Macchiole enforce. The Merlot is not the only award winner at this vineyard but the Paleo (Bordeaux-esque blend) and Scrio (100% Syrah) are also international successes.

So, to the Messorio itself. 18 months in new oak, from very small yields this is as fine a Merlot as you can expect. So, did expectations and reality match up? Let's see!

Le Macchiole Messorio 2001 - BUY - €169

Dark ruby red in the glass, good intensity. Delicious aromas of cherries, coffee, plums and smoke. Round and chewy tannins, very fruity with a smooth, gorgeous mouth-feel. Sumptuous wine, good structure and pleasant flavours. This wine needs a long time in the decanter. 95 Points

Where can i buy this wine?

Europeans - MTVWines - €169

Americans - Corporate Wines - $179 (Bargain)

Brits - Fine and Rare - £209 (Not a Bargain)

Make a Comment

Like this wine, hate this wine, never heard of this wine? Watching Wimbledon? It's good to talk.

Roberto Voerzio Merlot

2008-06-23T05:06:00.000-07:00

Roberto Voerzio Merlot

Roberto Voerzio Merlot, or, Roberto Voerzio Langhe Merlot Fontanazza to give the wine its full name, is the 3rd wine of 10 Italian merlots I am sampling for Merlot Month. Already blown away with the Feudi di San Gregorio Patrimo and the Falesco Montiano, I was really looking for something to fall on its face but how could it be Roberto Voerzio? For his wines are my love and passion, my Romeo and Juliet, my Sharky and George.

Why the photo? That is public enemy number 1 here in Italy today, the Spaniard that put Italy out of Euro 2008, Cesc Fabregas. He also plays for Arsenal, so "shoot on sight" *

Recommended to me directly by Mr Antonio Galloni, the Italian wine critic for Robert Parker's "Wine Advocate", it took little persuasion for me to add the Roberto Voerzio Merlot to the "merlots from outta town" list. Italian Merlot traditionally comes from the Friuli and Tuscan regions of Italy but I was keen to make this an Italian affair and bring in the best from other regions, and the best is what we got. However, and this will be my second direct bashing for my beloved Voerzio, this merlot, in my humblest of humble opinions, was not quite up to the two previous merlots.

Roberto Voerzio Merlot is still a 91 point wine, but as the most expensive of the 3 at over €129 a bottle, I've got to be honest and PASS the wine. It's a beautiful effort, from a very limited production, but my criteria for BUY or PASS is based on just one factor, would Sarah Newton buy this wine again? Negative. I'd buy 5 bottles of Falesco instead and a Mars Bar. If you are rolling that kind of dosh and enjoy Voerzio wines, be my guest, it's all a matter of means at the end of the day, Jack. So onto the review.

Roberto Voerzio Langhe Merlot Fontanazza 2004 - PASS - €129
Dark ruby red in the glass, good colour. On the nose, regal and opulent and very generous with all the dark fruits you'd be expecting from your Merlot as well as some nice tobacco, fungus and tar. The palate continues down regal road and the wine is very fruity with lots of berries and some herb notes too. A fine finish, full bodied and smooth but €129? 91 Points

Would I drink this if they were handing it out at London Bridge? For sure, I'm not down on the Fontanazza it's very interesting with some herb/mushroom notes that give you a sense of the terroir. For those that like to pick wine apart it's a cool little puzzle. So let's continue to show the RV love because the guy tries and brings something original to all his wines *points at you all*, don't forget it.

So, to round up the Merlots outside of the Tuscany/Friuli region and give them their places on the podium *drum roll*

1st - Falesco Montiano 2001 - 92 Points
2nd - Feudi di San Gregorio Patrimo 2004 - 93 Points
3rd - Roberto Voerzio Langhe Merlot Fontanazza 2004 - 91 Points

So, a close run thing, but for value there is no beating the Montiano, yes the Feudi di San Gregorio is the better wine, just, but at over twice the price, I crown Falesco's Montiano the best "Merlot from outta town". Remember folks, there are no losers here, except Roberto, he lost. Love you.

Where can I buy this wine?
Europeans - VinoLanghe - €129
Americans - Sherry Lehmann - $210
Brits - VinoLanghe - €129

Leave a comment!
Anything to say? Anything at all? Favourite Italian Merlots, am I unfair to PASS this Merlot? Do you see the glass as half full or half empty? Am I the only one to have never met a Scorpio I liked? How come Pluto and Goofy are both Disney dogs but Goofy gets to wear clothes and Pluto don't? Pipe up people, pipe up!

* Legal Disclaimer - Please do not shoot Cesc Fabregas on sight.

Italian wine and cheese

2008-06-21T01:03:00.000-07:00

Italian wine and cheese

Italian wine and cheese combinations are fairly stock and I can reel off Italian wines and pair them with different cheese all day long. I'm not gonna go that route though. I'll be kind enough to list the traditional pairings but really, taste is, um, a matter of taste! As a child and right up until today I grate cheese all over my meals. My mother despaired as she laid down lovingly prepared meal after meal and I'd bring out the cheddar (and the vinegar) and top off my roast lamb with cheese. Just yesterday I invited an old friend over for Riesling and Cheese and she laughed at me. Who's joking? A sweet Riesling and a french Langres is a dream match! That's right folks, I am a heart attack waiting to happen.

So what of the Italian wines? Let's be methodical and go all alphabetical! Red wine and white wine can go with cheese, don't forget that, as some white wine and cheese matches are heaven.

Amarone and cheese
Traditionally pairs up with hard cheese like Parmesan or Grana Padano. However, I like Amarone with a Gouda pairing. Spicy sausage, saucy stews and chocolate puddings are also nice matches.

Barbaresco and cheese
Traditionally pairs up with Taleggio cheese. This is a washed rind Italian cheese with a particularly strong smell. Not so easy to find so why not go with Barbaresco and Pied-de-Vent or Mi-carême? Not as full on as Barolo, you can pair Barberesco with some softer cheeses.

Barbera and cheese
High acidity Barbera can pair with fatty cheese like Brie rather well. How about a Braida Barbera and Pouligny-Saint-Pierre? Gorgonzola is my personal favourite match for Barbera though you can also go with the harder cheese. Barbera is a great wine for cheese.

Barolo and cheese
"Full bodied serious wines like Barolo don't really need to be dominated by outrageously stinky cheese". So don't ruin your minimum €40 Barolo outlay with a bad cheese. They say a Pecorino compliments a Barolo but I'm going to go against the advice and say a strong cheese and a Barolo can be good stuff. I'm a cheddar lord and some seriously strong or old cheddar and Barolo is a dream combo for me, but then I put Ketchup on everything so decide for yourself.

Brunello di Montalcino and cheese
Piquant Cheeses are the way to go here apparently. I have to agree, last weekend I was drinking a beautiful Altesino Brunello and matched it up with Pave de Moyaux . Young Brunello can be tannic city so don't go the Parmagiano route.

Cannonau and cheese
Cannonau is a puzzler, it's fruity and it can be big, but it's also acidic and I struggle pairing it up, probably because I don't enjoy Cannonau particularly. The textbook says sheep cheese.

Chianti and cheese
The two Italian P Cheeses - Pecorino and Parmigiano Reggiano. I like full fat cheese with Chianti though especially Taleggio.

Dolcetto and cheese
Provolone. In a word!

Falanghina and cheese
Robiolina cheese and a Feudi Falanghina and you are kicking back on the picnic blanket and enjoying summer. However, what about those pepper added soft cheeses and a Falaghina?

Franciacorta and cheese
Peppery Cheese, Piccante Cheese or smoked cheese do wonders for these wines. Franciacorta wines are perfectly suited to creamy, semi soft cheese. You could even go herby Philadelphia if you are slumming it.

Greco di Tufo and cheese
I'd go Camembert or Taleggio on a full bodied GdT. This can even go with the lighter harder cheeses, what about Cheshire cheese? Try it.

Montepulciano d'Abruzzo and cheese
Strong cheese like Pecorino are the order of the day once more. With the Zaccagnini I love to pair it up with Ricotto and especially Wensleydale. Top tip, go Zaccagnini Montepulciano d'Abruzzo and Wensleydale, it tastes like Christmas, really, literally, like Christmas cake!

Nero d'Avola and cheese
Strong wines can be troublesome, related to Syrah traditionally we would go cheddar, red leicester and Gruyère. I'd stick to the recommendations here.

Pinot Bianco and cheese
Cream cheese, things like mozzarella are your best bets here. Sounds bland though right? Monteray Jack might kick it up a notch?

Pinot Grigio and cheese
The safe route: Urgelia. However, with a full PG I like to go the hard cheese route so bring out the GP with the PG (Grana Padano).

Primitivo and cheese
The sibling of Zinfandel will pair up nicely with all kinds of wacky foods and cheeses. Zinfandel and Primitivo are great food and cheese wines. Traditional route: Chedder, Emmental, Gouda, Pecorino, Jarlsberg.. actually the list goes on and on. If you don't know what to pair with a cheese, bring out the Primitivo and you've got a good chance of being dead on!

Prosecco and cheese
This is another great cheese wine, can go from Gorgonzola to Grana Padano with it. Good Prosecco and a mix of cheese is an EVENT! Bring this into your summer picnics.

Sagrantino and cheese
Super strong and tannic Sagrantino doesn't need a stinky friend. Go for very hard cheeses.

Soave and cheese
Another great wine for a range of cheese. I really enjoy a stilton and soave, but it is a versatile wine so can also go with the blander milkier cheeses.

Taurasi and cheese
Ripe cheese once more. Taurasi is a very strong wine so pairs off with hard cheese, another case for Parmigian. Personal favourite pairing is Beaufort.

Tocai Friulano and cheese
I don't really rate this wine with cheese. If you really are keen to find a friend for Tocai Friulano then why not go out there with something a bit interesting and smelly, definitely soft. Go gorgonzola!

Trebbiano and cheese
A Trebbiano wine and goats cheese is my secret recommendation. The experts go strong semi soft cheeses and smoked cheeses.

Valpolicella and cheese
Cimbro is a traditional recommendation. A cows milk cheese. Another local recommendation I can give you though is Monte Veronese cheese! This is a real match.com, match made in heaven, going to make it to their golden wedding pairing.

Vernaccia and cheese
Another good white for cheese. Spicy/Aromatic, semi hard and hard cheeses are all going down a storm with Vernaccia. I go Roquefort here and I love it for days!

So from stinky cheese to stinky wine, last night I was in the mood to smell something funky so opted for a regional Cabernet Franc. I got what I wished for!

Santa Margherita Lison Pramaggiore Cabernet Franc 2006 - PASS - €7
Light-mid bodied, dark ruby red, very typical Cab Franc character, some red berry fruit but very vegetal, little vanilla, plum too, no real tannins to speak of on the mouth-feel, fairly acidic and light, little red fruit on the mid-palate and a hot finish for just a 12.5% wine, not great balance but one of the better under €7 cabernet francs I've had from the Veneto. Not dazzling, but drinkable. 84 Points

Where can I buy this wine
Europeans - Di Leva - €6.50
Americans - You can't - and you shouldn't anyway
Brits - Same goes for you

Leave a comment!
Yes, I've missed some wines out of my cheese list, but that gives you a reason to leave a comment! What's missing here please and what do you feel is a good match for these wines? Am I out of my tiny mind? Tell me so then! I will dance for comments.