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.

Renato Ratti "Ochetti" Nebbiolo d'Alba 2006

A random evening and a random bottle of wine from the liquor store shelf. Lets see what we can get for $19.50...

EXPERIENCE

The cork is very nice, a bright berry scent; however, as soon as you pour the wine in the glass, that is gone. The nose has bit of alcohol and spice, and you can see how light and thin the body is. The first taste has a smokey, spicy flavor with a sour dry finish; there is nothing sweet about this wine. The thin, watery texture leaves something to be desired and everything is dwarfed by the finish.

VERDICT

TASTES CHEAP. We take a chance... and we lose. Certainly not the worst wine we've had, but not something we enjoy drinking. For a red wine to be this light we'd prefer it to have some bright fruit and not such a harsh dry/sour finish. 

FACTS

Renato Ratti is located in and around the town of La Morra in Piemonte, Italy. Their "Ochetti" 2006 is a Nebbiolo d'Alba and made entirely from the nebbiolo grape. The wine is aged in oak barrels for one year and is classified DOC.

Mastroberardino Aglianico Irpinia 2003

We picked this wine up at IWM for just over $20. Mastroberardino is known for their Aglianico, so we were looking forward to this one...

EXPERIENCE

The cork has a fruity aroma and you can tell right away the wine is light. When swirled in the glass, you get the fruit along with a slightly unpleasant whiff of alcohol. The first taste is sweet and obviously fruity, but then it disappears and you are left with a dry, tart, bitterness. Even with time to breathe, the wine doesn't leave a lasting impression other than it is slightly watery and you wish it had more substance.

VERDICT

TASTES CHEAP. Our actual cost for this wine was $20.35, so we weren't sure which price category we should rate it in; however, given the fact that the wine tastes "cheaper" than you'd expect, we put it in the under $20 range. The simple truth is that we would not buy this wine again. It was not offensive, it just did not deliver.

FACTS

IWM has a great page on Mastroberardino, so be sure to check that out as well as the company's own website. The winery is located in central Campania and this bottle comes from the Irpinia IGT in the province of Avellino. It is made from 100% aglianico grapes.

Carpineto Dogajolo 2005 & 2006

In case you were wondering what exactly our name means... this post explains it all. This is a wine we picked up at our neighborhood liquor store for a meager $9. We've had it before, so we were looking forward to giving it some thought. We popped the cork, took a sip, and were simply puzzled. This was not the wine we've had before?!?! Well, it just so happens that we still had the empty bottle from the last time we had the wine. After some quick label sleuthing, we realized that the old bottle was a 2005 and this new bottle is a 2006. Seeing this as a great opportunity for a side by side tasting, we ran out and grabbed the last 2005 bottle they had at the liquor store. Here are the results...

EXPERIENCE

We tried the 2006 first. The nose is weak, but you can tell the wine is going to be relatively bitter; the first taste follows suit. There is not much of anything when the wine hits your tongue, and then all you are left with is an intense tart bitterness. There is really no fruit taste to this wine at all, just a dry finish that leaves you reaching for a glass of water.

The 2005 is the wine we remembered. There is a hint of bitterness in the nose, but there is also a more complex, fruity aroma that is missing from the 2006. The first taste is starkly different; this is a much more balanced wine. There is a slight berry flavor and a smooth texture, both of which are missing from the 2006. The finish has a similar bitterness, but is less dry and much less harsh. Rather than make us wish we just had water, this wine makes us wish we had more.

VERDICT

2006 TASTES CHEAP while the 2005 is GOOD AND CHEAP. This is a great example of how different two vintages of the same wine can be. If you can find the 2005, pick up a couple of bottles; if not, skip 2006 and hope for a better vintage in 2007.

FACTS

Carpineto is based in the Chianti Classico region on the coast of Toscana; however they have several estates throughout the region. The grapes for this wine come from their vineyards near Chianciano and Montepulciano. Dogajolo is their "super-tuscan" blend made up of 80% sangiovese and 20% cabernet sauvignon. Though it is not labeled as such, according to Carpineto's website this wine is classified IGT. The website also notes that the two grapes that make up this wine are harvested and vinified separately, then later combined in small wooden casks.

BEHOLD! A rating system.

"And the Lord sayeth to them: Drink wine, and describe it in a way that pleaseth me."

I give you... THE VERDICT

No, this isn't an episode of Law & Order. Seriously, though, what does 85 points mean anyway? We don't know. So rather than come up with some new and unimproved rating system, we are going to keep things simple. 

Wines are separated into 3 categories based on price; they are then given a thumbs up or thumbs down accordingly. Here's the break down:

under $20 - GOOD AND CHEAP or TASTES CHEAP

$20 to $50 - GREAT VALUE or NOT A VALUE

$50 and up - SHELL OUT or SIT OUT

This makes it easy to find a wine that has a positive review and fits your budget.

Now, get on with it. Drink up and be somebody.