Grattamacco Rosso 1988 & 1989

The two oldest wines we've tasted for this site... side by side... scurred?

EXPERIENCE
1988 Cork smells like cherry cola with some good olde funk. The nose is cherries and sherry. First taste is a lot lighter than expected; tart and the finish is soft. Definitely needs to be decanted (as is always the case with wine this old), the flavors are harsh at first and begging for some air.  As the wine opens the nose becomes more raisiny, and the wine becomes less tart and develops a cocoa finish. The wine becomes fuller bodied and the balance evens more and more with time decanted.
1989 Big differences right off the bat... Cork is more floral than cherry. The nose is funky, earthy, and dark - very much like a truffles and black pepper. First taste is sweet and smooth, more balanced than the '88 at first. As the wine opens it becomes closer to the '88. Holds strong with the balance. There is a fruit and raisiny quality showing as it opens.

VERDICT
SHELL OUT if you've got the capital and the cojones for one of these. One of these bottles will set you back around $75-$100. Yes, that is a lot... but aside from being great aged wines, these bottles have historical value. Grattamacco was one of the originators of the ever popular "Super Tuscan" category, dating back to their first vintage in 1978. Both of these wines offer a look back to the roots of perhaps the foremost region in contemporary Italian winemaking.

FACTS
The 1988 and 1989 Grattamacco Rosso are blends of 50% cabernet sauvignon, 25% sangiovese, and 25% merlot. The bottles are simply classified "Table Wine" as they predate the advent of the IGT classification. The vineyards are located in Southwestern Toscana near the Mediterranean coast. For more information on current offerings, check out Grattamacco's website.

La Selva Ciliegiolo 2007

Our final bottle brought back from Tuscany...(sigh)... We were hanging on to this one for sentimentality sake when, while visiting with Roland Krebser (the winemaker himself!) in NY, we were ordered to drink it.

EXPERIENCE
The cork has a very light hint of fruit. The first nose has notes of truffle, dark fruit, and cherries. The first taste has a jammy cherry flavor on the tongue with a semi-tart dry finish. Medium body with a good balance of fruit, acid, and earthy tannins throughout the tasting. The cherry aroma that ciliegiolo is known for is ever present, but never overwhelming. Though we never talk about terroir, this is a great and obvious example for us. Here you have a very unique grape with strong characteristics, but the resultant wine has many of the same characteristics of La Selva's other wines and of the region in general. A great wine and lesson to be learned all in one bottle!

VERDICT
GREAT VALUE - This was one of our favorite wines from all of our Italian travels, and that memory holds true. A really unique grape made into an excellently balanced and interesting wine. Of course... you can't get it here in the US, but hopefully that will change soon. It looks like the wine sells for around 20 Euros in Europe... if you can find some, get it!

FACTS
This IGT wine is made from 100% organic ciliegiolo grapes at La Selva's winery near Magliano in Toscana in the beautiful Maremma region of Southwest Tuscano. The wine is vinified in stainless steel and aged in oak barriques for 8 months before being bottled. We have had the great fortune of being in touch with the winemaker, Roland Krebser, after meeting him during a tour of the winery. According to the man himself, his wines are meant to be drank young. So forget about sticking these in the cellar and buy a case to drink now!

Motta Giove Ciliegiolo 2008

Alongside the Motta Morellino we found this... 100% ciliegolo. Definitely something you don't see often and an opportunity to compare the pure grape to the morellino blend.

EXPERIENCE
The nose... well, frankly, it smells like cherry NyQuil. Maybe thats a bit harsh... at best cherry brandy. You are punched in the face with alcohol and cherries, and thats about it. Taste follows suit... overpowering cherries, lots of alcohol, sweet and smooth finish. It almost drinks like grappa, though the alcohol content is not high. We decanted for almost 2 hours... no change.

VERDICT
TASTES CHEAP - This bottle was around $20, and while interesting, it was practically undrinkable. We tasted this when we were halfway through the Motta Morellino, and it was interesting to really get a sense of the ciliegiolo and how it combines with the sangiovese. We've had ciliogiolo before and actually enjoyed drinking it, so give it a chance... just not this one.

FACTS
Motta's Giove is an IGT classified wine made from 100% ciliegolo. Motta is located near Grosseto in the beautiful Maremma region of Southwester Toscana. Checkout Motta's website for more info.

Le Sughere di Frassinello 2006

Schlepped this one all the way back from the vineyard in Tuscany! We know it's quality wine, but were worried it didn't survive the travel...

EXPERIENCE
It survived! Cork is light with cherries. First nose is beautiful (candle worthy) with a potpourri of pepper, some fruit, & a subtle amount of earthy funk. First taste, pepper all down the middle, sangiovese! It has some raisin/prune with a bit of cherry on the finish. Full bodied and opens to more raisin with soft earth tones & softer on the pepper. Becomes a little less dry with a dried cherry finish. Towards the end we tried it with some spicy capocollo, and it made a great combination... makes the wine seem extra smooth.

VERDICT

GREAT VALUE - We got this from the vineyard for 20 Euro, but it's widely available in the States for around $30... definitely worth it. A great example of what the new "Super Tuscans" are all about. A sangiovese blend that is unique and new, yet still true to the region and its history. 

FACTS

Rocca di Frassinello is located near Grossetto in the North of the Maremma region of Toscana. The winery is beautiful with one of the largest cellars in the world designed by Renzo Piano. Rocca is actually a joint venture between two heavy-weights of the wine world, Chianti producer Castellare di Castellina and the legendary Lafite from France. This IGT Maremma Toscana blend is made from 25% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 50% Sangiovese. It is aged for 12 months in French oak, and then another 9 months in the bottle. Check the winemaker's website for more on this interesting collaboration. 

Tenuta Santa Lucia Ótio 2004

Another offering from Cul De Sac in Rome brought out with a second plate of local meats and cheeses. Life is good...

EXPERIENCE
Spicy nose, a medium body, and a dry peppery finish. Excellent paired with cured meats; the finish cuts right through and refreshes the palate.

VERDICT
NOT A VALUE - This is not a bad wine, but our rating system is based on value. €23.50 paid in rome converts to about about $30 US, and though this wine is enjoyable, it's overpriced. If you've got money to burn, give it a try. If not, there are many comparable wines at lower prices. It really compares closely to a good Morellino di Scansano, which you can usually get for under $20.

FACTS
Tenuta Santa Lucia's Ótio is made from Montepulciano, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot all blended after separate vinification. The wine is classified IGT and comes from Poggio Mireto in northeastern Lazio. For more information visit the winery's website (complete with corny new age music).

Falesco Ferentano 2006

A trip to Italy for The Vintage Knows can mean only one thing... many, many wines. Here's the first... A stop into Cul De Sac, an amazing wine bar just off the Piazza Navona in Rome. This place is a must if you are ever in Rome. Their wine list is a catalog of Italy's best offerings, and their selection of cheeses and cured meats is almost as extensive. A request for a full bodied white wine from Lazio yielded the following result...

EXPERIENCE
The wine has a deep golden color, and the nose is dark and earthy (funky if you will). A medium full body, yet a surprisingly crisp finish. All the depth you hope for in a full white, yet also refreshing. Overall, great balance and an interesting duality to its flavors that you don't usually get out of a white wine.

VERDICT
GREAT VALUE - This bottle was €19, so that puts at around $25. Definitely worth that price. From a quick search online, it looks like it's available stateside for $20-$30. If you can find it, get it!

FACTS
Falesco's Ferentano is classified IGT and is made from 100% Roscetto grapes. It comes from Montefiascone in the Lazio region. The wine is aged in barriques for 4 months and then further in bottles. Check our Faleso's website for more information.

Cantine Colosi Nero d'Avola 2007

We are big fans of the Colosi "Rosso", so when I saw this bottle along side it at out local liquor store I grabbed one of each. This bottle costs a bit more, but $18.50 is still not a lot for a good bottle of wine. Let's see how it stacks up...

EXPERIENCE
Synthetic cork. The nose is smoky with a small amount of alcohol along with black berries and a hint of plum. The first taste is pleasant and smooth, a bit watery, and tart on the finish. The body starts out on the lighter side, but as it opens up becomes more medium. The fruit gradually comes out, with a citrus finish more black fruit and plum. A balanced and smooth wine with enough complexity to keep your attention.

VERDICT
GOOD AND CHEAP. Colosi wins again. We saved our last glass of this one for a side-by-side tasting with the Colosi "Rosso" and found that while the two neros are quite similar, the 2007 offered a more complex fruity flavor... perhaps the justification for its higher price. On its own, though, this is a good bottle of wine for less than $20.

FACTS
100% Nero d'Avola and classified IGT. The labeling on this wine as compared to the "Rosso" is confusing, but I was able to solve my quandary on the winery's website. The "Nero d'Avola", their premium nero, is made from the property's best grapes and aged entirely in stainless steel, while the "Rosso", their entry-level nero, is made from standard-quality grapes and aged in oak.

Buceci Nero Merlot 2006

This wine, consumed prior to a lovely easter meal, was purchased at IWM for just under $22. We are big nero d'avola fans, but blended with merlot? We'll see...

EXPERIENCE

Synthetic cork (sigh). First aromas of wine are soft with spice and berries. The initial taste is smooth, medium bodied, and sweet with some dryness and spice at the end. The wine definitely has a nero nose, dark & deep, but the merlot adds the softer, sweeter side. As it opens up, you notice dark berry and subtle "jam" flavors and bit of tartness on the finish. Overall, a complex flavor with nice balance throughout. 

VERDICT

GREAT VALUE. You get more than what you pay for. This is definitely a wine you can take your time and really think about, which is not something you usually come across for $22. The merlot really works well with the nero; the two grapes compliment each other and come together to produce a really interesting, well balanced wine. GO GET SOME!

FACTS

The blend is 60% nero d'avola and 40% merlot and is classified IGT. Not much info out there on Buceci (looks there their website is down). The origin is marked on the label as Palermo, Sicilia. If anyone out there in our vast audience of readers can find more information, please let us know.

Bussola "Ca' del Laito" 2003

After an 8 month hiatus, we picked up this recommended bottle at IWM for $45. We later came to find out that this is actually a declassified Valpolicella Superiore (listed as DOC on Bussola's website, though the wine is actually IGT... sounds like someone disagrees with classification laws).

EXPERIENCE
Not much from the cork... just, well, cork. The nose is earthy, very much like grape stems. The first taste is quite soft; the wine has a good medium body and lingers in your mouth pleasantly. The finish is sharp, almost bitter, and does not do the wine's other elements justice. As the wine opens, it still has an earthy nose with some alcohol undertones, though the body becomes thinner and slightly watery.

VERDICT
NOT A VALUE. It's not that we don't like this wine, it just left something to be desired. The aroma and flavor are complex, but the overall experience is inconsistent. At $45 we want to be grinning ear to ear when the bottle is empty, not wishing things had been different.

FACTS
Tommaso Bussola is located in Negrar, near the city of Verona in the Veneto region of Italy. The winery has a great website with information about this wine, so rather than cherry pick the specifics, we'll just send you there!

Cantine Colosi "Rosso" Nero d'Avola 2006

This Nero d'Avola came highly recommended from the trusted proprietor of our neighborhood liquor store. We got it for a mere $13, and from the looks of a quick Google search you may be able to find it for less.

EXPERIENCE
Synthetic cork isn't our favorite way to start a bottle, but it doesn't always spell disaster. The wine has a soft, pleasant aroma with small amount of alcohol. The first taste has a nice 'jam' flavor, slightly sweet, and a bit watery in the beginning. That leads to a full fruit flavor in the middle and ends with a very light dryness. The full body of fruit in the wine is the essence. You are left with the middle of the wine in your mouth not the beginning or end. Very well balanced throughout.

VERDICT
GOOD AND CHEAP. We can't stop picking this bottle up, and apparently neither can anyone else in out neighborhood; the liquor store sold out their original stock and had to order a second round. Its surprisingly full for a Nero d'Avola and more surprising for only costing $13. Once again with this wine, pleasant flavor and balance prevail!

FACTS
Cantine Colosi is located on the isle of Sicilia in Italy. Their "Rosso" 2006 is a Nero d'Avola and thusly made entirely from the nero d'avola grape, the main grape of Sicily. Our friend at the liquor store told us this wine gets its full flavor from aging in oak. It is classified IGT.

San Leonardo 2001

This $65 bottle was a recommendation from our friends at Italian Wine Merchants. 

EXPERIENCE

The cork has a very bright, sweet aroma, but the nose on the wine couldn't be any more different. When swirled in the glass, the wine's aroma is very earthy...we're talking soil. This is not necessarily a bad thing, in fact it's often the sign of a dark, complex wine. This wine, however continues to defy our suspicions. The first taste is closer to what we got from the cork's aroma; a sweet beginning with a slightly dry and very tart finish. The tart aftertaste is so extreme that it causes you to salivate, washing away much of the wines flavor. As the bottle opened up it offered less and less, seeming almost watery on the tongue and more offensively tart on the finish.

VERDICT

SIT OUT on this wine. We didn't really enjoy this bottle, but upon doing our research it looks like this might have been a mistake on our part. According to the San Leonardo website, this vintage is rated as their highest quality; they also say you should "try to forget it in the cellar" and decant at least 2 hours before drinking. Perhaps if we had given this bottle its recommended treatment it would not have gotten our thumbs-down, perhaps we deserve a thumbs-down, and perhaps we should start doing our research before we drink? hmmm....

FACTS

This IGT blend is made up of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Cabernet Franc and 10% Merlot. According to their website, the exact percentages are determined barrel by barrel through taste tests. The wine is aged at least 2 years in small oak barrels. The vineyard is located near the Southwestern border of the Trentino-Alto Adige region of Italy.