|
Home >
Caro's Wine Shop >
Recommended Wines >
Hot Picks >
Italian Reds
|
|
The Manetti family were terracotta producers for over three centuries and on turning to wine in 1968, Giovanni Manetti went for ultimate quality. "One of Tuscanys finest producers, Fontodi is a name readers can rely on for high quality wines." R.Parker.
"Bright red. Vibrant raspberry and candied cherry aromas are strongly underscored by violet and vanilla. Juicy and dense on entry, then soft and creamy in the middle, with sweet flavors of red cherry, redcurrant, licorice and minerals. This wonderfully balanced wine finishes long and smooth, with enough ripe acidity to maintain its shape, and lingering mineral and peppery nuances. Beautiful wine." 92/100 Tanzer
"Blackberry and dark plum aromas follow through to a full body, with silky tannins and a bright, fruity finish. There's a nice combination of bright fruit and clean acidity. 91/100 Wine Spectator
|
|
|
|
|
La Massa is right in the heart of Chianti Classico, in an area known as the Conca de Oro or Golden Basin where four south-facing spurs are occupied by four of Chiantis top producers. Densely planted on a wide range of orientations and soil types, this is a crucial factor in lending great complexity to Giampaolo Mottays wines while late harvesting gives them beautiful harmony and super-ripe tannins. As for Giampaolo, he is a young, well-travelled Neapolitan. Taking his team on a fact finding mission to Chateau Margaux is just one example of the fresh approach he brings to Chianti. A beautifully crafted wine. Here is a note on the 2008 vintage
" a blend of 70% sangiovese, 20% merlot and 10% cabernet sauvignon; 14% alcohol) Deep ruby. Very ripe aromas of blackberry, sweet spices and vanilla, with a suggestion of roasted fruits. At once sweet and vinous, with juicy acidity lifting the flavors of blackcurrant, licorice and minerals. Finishes long, ripe and soft, with a note of licorice and considerable fleshiness." 90/100 Tanzer
|
|
|
|
|
An important northern Italian varietal that calls the region of Piedmont home. The Dolcetto ("little sweet one" in Italian) ripens very early and thus provides an excellent every day alternative to the more powerful Nebbiolos that the region is famous for. Dolcetto ripens early and grows well on the more northerly slopes in Piedmont, where it is said to prefer the limestone marl soil type. Dolcetto wines have a very full pigment as well as aromas and flavors of cherries, plums, almonds and anise. They have low acidity levels and are delicious young though they may age gracefully for up to ten years.
|
|
|
|
|
Continually rated in the Wine Spectator's Top 100 Red Wine Values of the World. Parker writes "Every year this wine delivers consistent quality, immense drinkability and excellent value for money.The 2009 Sangiovese is rich and full-bodied in its dark cherries, plums, cinnamon, cola and chocolate. This is a decidedly rich Sangiovese layered with generous oak, but within this style it is an attractive wine"
Di Majo Norante is located in Molise, one of the least well-known regions on the east coast ( opposite Tuscany ) in Italy. Proprietor Alessio Di Majo and consulting oenologist Riccardo Cotarella make plump, richly-flavored wines that offer incredible value for the money.
|
|
|
|
|
Robert Parker raves about Falesco's wine- and with good reason. "One of the great values in the world continues to be the blend of equal parts Sangioves,Merlot and Cabernet called Vitiano. As I have written before, it's almost too good to believe at this price. The 2009 Vitiano Rosso is a big, super-ripe wine bursting with red cherries, earthiness and spices. This is a truly beautiful Vitiano Rosso with tons of fruit and a racy, opulent personality, especially for what remains an exceedingly modest price."R.Parker
Riccardo and Renzo Cotarella, brothers and fellow enologists have been building their vineyard holdings in Umbria and Lazio for 20 years. (Riccardo consults for many of the worlds top wineries and has a huge following in the industry.) Vitiano, first produced in 1995, is the workhorse of their venture. Eighty -five percent of the grapes come from vineyards on the 740 acre Falesco estate- the rest from producers under strict control. This is a very modern, stylish Italian red and superb value.
|
|
|
|
|
Nebbiolo ( Barolo is made from the nebbilo grape ) is a fickle grape famed as much for its pale appearance as for its tannic character and produces some of the most perfumed and richly flavored wines in the world. Cordero is renowned for its fantastic value barolo - "Medium red with a hint of amber at the rim. The nose and palate hit all the Barolo food groups: strawberry, tobacco, cedar, camphor, mocha, marzipan, nuts and flowers, complicated by a light balsamic quality. Plush in the middle yet delicate for 2006 in spite of its considerable body. A very firmly built wine that finishes with big, sweet, broad tannins and lingering complexity" 90/100 Tanzer.
|
|
|
|
|
This is their top aged wine from a single vineyard and a wine that we always get fantastic feed back from, for its over delivery of quality compared to the price. A top Italian wine for a snip. Fat, rich red with intense black fruits and a spicy, smoky finish. Classic modern Italian red with heaps of flavour and boatloads of character. An antidote to the mass-production bland offerings on the market today. Ideal with hearty Italian food.
|
|
|
|
|
Was $45. Montepulciano is the hilltop town in Tuscany that is the centre of the Vino Nobile zone. High altitude hillside vineyards deliver a meaty sangiovese style. These are quite well structured souped up chiantis basically. An enormous amount of investment has gone into this region and because this is an historically great area the wines are magnificent.
"The 2006 Vino Nobile di Montepulciano is an explosive wine packed with dark fruit. This medium to full-bodied red offers notable intensity and a long, harmonious finish. Sweet notes of tobacco and minerals linger on the polished finish. It is a terrific effort in this vintage, and an equally compelling value. The Vino Nobile is 90% Prugnolo Gentile ( One of many synonyms of Sangiovese, this one being the local name used in the town of Montepulciano ), 5% Canaiolo and 5% Mammolo that spent 18 months in a combination of cask (70%) and smaller French oak barrels (30%)." 90/100 Parker
|
|
|
|
|
"The 2007 Chianti Classico Riserva Rancia bursts onto the palate in a big, brooding expression of Sangiovese from Castelnuovo Berardenga. Muscular and dense to the core, the 2007 powers all the way through to the long finish. Hints of smoke, tar, leather and scorched earth emerge over time, but only with great reluctance. In a vintage where so many wines are open, the Rancia comes across as quite stubborn and in need of at least five more years in bottle. That said, it is a standout, not to mention one of the greatest values in fine, age-worthy wine. In a second tasting the 2007 Rancia came across as decidedly more elegant and restrained in style, so it will be interesting to see where this ultimately settles within the context of recent vintages" 94/100 Parker
The Rancia is made from vines planted on poor soils at 420 meters above sea level. "Dark red. Fresh red cherry, bay leaf and underbrush aromas are complemented by a strong mineral nuance. Starts silky, then turns minerally, brisk and firm in the middle, showing a penetrating quality to the red cherry, ripe plum and delicate herbal flavors. Finishes seamless and very long" 92/100 Tanzer
|
|
|
|
|
arrives first half of 2012
"The 2007 Barbaresco Riserva Ovello comes across as cool, inward and reticent. In other words, very Ovello. It is one of the most complete of these 2007s, as the freshness of the site works to counter some of the more extroverted qualities of the year. The Ovello possesses stunning depth in its fruit, expressive inner perfume and firm yet refined tannins that provide the backdrop for all of the elements to come together beautifully in the glass. The Ovello seems to combine the best qualities of the Montestefano and Montefico. The huge, building finish provides a glimpse as to what awaits those who can exercise a measure of patience. This is a stunning Barbaresco on all counts. Anticipated maturity: 2017-2032"95/100 Parker
|
|
|
|
|
