Grignolino varietal

 Fabio Gea 'Black Grin' Grignolino 2016 (Piedmont).

 

This bottle itself stands out visually and evokes curiosity. The wine comes in a Traveglini Gattinara bottle, an old school charm. Then there is the wax top with a string attached for easy removal; another step in the old school direction.

When next you are about to reach for the wine corkscrew opener, you realize they went the 'modern path' this time round with a glass closure. No TCA issue here from a cork.

This wine is made using organically grown, destemmed grapes which were fermented in procelain vessels. Its holds a pale ruby-red colour, is light-bodied, with lovely red fruits and spice appeal. Though of light body, you tend to find a notable presence of tannins within the body. Definitely a lively drink to start an evening with.

You can get this wine in Singapore via Arcodyn Company Pte Ltd.

Happy sips !

Grapes used in Chianti Classico sub-region

 

The Montesecondo Chianti Classico DOCG 2019 by Silvio Messana (Tuscany).

Youthful, fresh and vibrant. It's produced using only indigenous varietals: Sangiovese 80%, Canaiolo 10% and Colorino 10%.

The current appellation rule for Chianti Classico DOCG requires the use of a minimum of 80% Sangiovese in its red wine. Other varietals allowed are Colorino, Canaiolo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah. Since 2006, no white varietal (namely Malvasia)is allowed by appellation law for use in Chianti Classico DOCG reds.

The international varietals have their uses to contribute colour, body and flavours to the reds. However when used inappropriately, they tend to overpower the qualities of the Sangiovese varietal.

Here Silvio Messana relies exclusively on the indigenous varietals so as not to make the error. Rather than merely produce a Chianti Classico red, he strives to show the virtues of Sangiovese in this wine.

This wine is available in Singapore via Luigi's Wines Pte Ltd.

Happy sips!

Grignolino varietal wine

Apart from the Freisa and Ruche varietal wines, the Grignolino varietal wine is one other red wine which shows itself as a light bodied, ruby red coloured wine coming from Piedmont. These 3 varietals give consumers an option to start an evening with something on the 'light bodied, fresh red fruits side' before progressing to medium and full bodied options for the later part of the evening. 

Local wine consumers tend to be more familiar with the Nebbiolo, Barbera and Dolcetta varietals coming from Piedmont rather than the other 3 varietals mentioned above. But a country like Italy which is noted for having the largest number of native grape varietals has a treasure trove of wines to offer for the curious wine enthusiast who is willing to venture further afield to discover something different to try and taste.

Francesco Rinaldi & Figli Grignolino d'Asti 2019

This Francesco Rinaldi & Figli Grignolino d'Asti 2019 comes from the municipality of Montaldo Scarampi, Piedmont. Pale red-ruby colour greets the eye (one would almost think its a rose wine). Floral aromas are noticeable followed by sour red cherry and strawberry notes. Palate follows through with similar profile of red fruits backed by spice notes. Lively acidity keeps the wine fresh while noticeable tannins in the finish adds to the character. Tannins does not come as harsh, bold or overpowering though.

Wine trivia:

Grignolino in local Italian dialect refers to 'pips' (highlighting the fact that this varietal has a greater number of pips then other grape varietals). 

Apart from Grignolino d'Asti DOC, the other DOC appellation notable for this varietal is 'Grignolino del Monferrato Casalese DOC'. Some of the other DOCs it can be found are Colli Tortonesi, Gabiano and Monferrato.

In Singapore you can get this wine via Luigi's Wines Pte Ltd.

Happy Sips!

Wine from the Cesanese d' Affile varietal

Something new I came across this year; a red wine made from the Cesanese d'Affile varietal. It comes from the Lazio wine region (in central Italy). Production revolves around the town of Affile, which is located close to the Central Apennines.

This varietal is native to Lazio and production numbers are small. This could be one reason why this wine is not readily found in local wine outlets. The other reason could be that it takes a 'brave' wine merchant to import wines made from varietals that local wine consumers are less aware of. Not many will want to take the risk of carrying wines which local consumers may hesitate to buy due to lack of familiarity.

The usual Lazio wines one encounters locally tend to be white wines produced from Est! Est!! Est!!! di Montefiascone DOC & Frascati DOC appellations; and also possibly sweet wines from the Cannellino di Frascati DOCG appellation. A red wine from the Lazio wine region tends to be a rare exception.

Damiano Ciolli Silene Cesanese DOC Superiore 2019

The Damiano Ciolli Silene Cesanese DOC Superiore 2019 shows with a bright ruby red, lightly coloured appeal. There's the aromatic appeal with red berry, floral and spice notes which captivate one's attention. It's medium bodied with a pleasing silky texture and ample acidity to keep the body fresh and lively. It offers a pleasant sip.

The Cesanese di Affili DOC requires a minimum of 90% Cesanese d'Affile varietal in its wine. It can be made either in the dry or sweet style.

This particular wine (a dry red) is made from 100% Cesanese d'Affile varietal. Grapes are hand harvested and fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks.

You can find this wine locally via the Italian Wine Club.

Happy sips!

Nebbiolo varietal produced in a fizzy, rose style

Something light and inviting to begin the evening with; and surprisingly it's made from the Nebbiolo varietal.

Most times in Singapore we see Nebbiolo sold as still, red wines; especially when they come from Piedmont's Barolo, Barbaresco, Gattinara or Gheme sub-regions. It's taken seriously with the need to age and at times decant awhile before serving. 

This particular wine caught my attention as it brings out the 'lighter' side of Nebbiolo. It's made in a fizzy, rose style, something not usually seen when you visit a local wine retail outlet. 

This 2015 Fabio Gea 'Falavosca' Rosato Frizzante comes from Barbaresco. The viticultural practice leans toward the organic way. Upon harvest,  destemmed grapes undergo a short maceration before fermentation begins. It is bottled unfined and unfiltered. A nifty wine label made from handmade paper further lends to this wine's appeal.

2015 Fabio Gea 'Falavosca' Rosato Frizzante

wine is bottled unfined and unfiltered

It's available in Singapore now via Arcodyn Pte Ltd.

Happy sips!

The Ruche wine

 

Ruche, the aromatic, light bodied red varietal grape from Piedmont. It’s hardly known over here.

Sadly it gets lost in recognition and presence compared to the other well known reds from Piedmont made from the likes of Nebbiolo, Barbara, Dolcetta (and even Brachetto). Red wines from Piedmont made from varietals like Freisa, Grignolino and Ruche are by and large still a yet to be discovered endeavour among the local wine drinking population here. It is encouraging though to see local wine merchants making the effort to import and introduce these less familiar varietals to our wine drinking public.

2020 Crivelli Ruche di Castagnole Monferrato DOCG

This 2021 Crivelli Ruche di Castagnole Monferrato DOCG reveals a youthful bright ruby red colour with purple highlights in the glass.

Red rose aroma captures your attention first, followed by red berry and spice notes. The aromas does not come as bold (neither are they overwhelming), instead they offer a persistent and pleasant experience.

The body is light plus in weight with red fruits and spice being the prominent flavours. There’s ample acidity to keep the body alive and fresh. There’s a good presence of tannins in the body without the tannins being aggressive or harsh. A certain harmony in the body makes you want to finish the first pour quickly and happily reach for the second one. At 15% abv it’s certainly not a pushover sip.

I am happy to see this wine currently imported and sold in Singapore. You can find it via Luigi's Wines.

Wine bit:

This wine is produced in the Monferrato Astigiano area (located northeast of Asti). Among its communes,  Castagnole Monferrato and Scurzolengo stand out as important ones for Ruche wine production.

Happy sips!

A Tasting of Fattoria Betti wines in Singapore

An evening with wines from the Montalbino wine region of Tuscany. I had the opportunity to attend a winetasting cum dinner last week at Singapore eatery Casa Tartufo. It was a press meet to introduce wines from Fattoria Betti winery. This event was hosted by Guido Betti, a co-owner of this winery.

A brief introduction by Guido Betti revealed that this winery is located within the sub-region of Montalbano DOCG (in a small town called Quarrata). It’s a family owned winery presently in the hands of 2 brothers: Gherardo Betti the resident oenologist takes care of viticulture & winemaking, while Guido Betti concentrates on sales & marketing.

Guido Betti with Edmond Yau Kin Hung

Guido Betti highlights that production at present is around 60,000 bottles but with the potential and ability to produce more in the near future. At present this winery grows Chardonnay, Trebbiano, Sangiovese, Canaiolo, Colorino, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot varietals for use in their wines. For now, Fattoria Betti wines are exported to countries like Belgium, Netherlands, Poland, Russia, China, Taiwan, Japan, Malaysia and Singapore.

Bianco di Toscana IGT "Creto die Betti"2018

  

 

The first course for the evening was Burrata with Rucola, Sicilian tomatoes and pesto paired with a white, a Fattoria Betti Bianco di Toscana IGT “Creto di Betti”2018”. This is a blend of 70% Chardonnay and 30% Trebbiano Toscano with current production at around 4,000 bottles. You get a play of floral, citrus and stone fruit aromas on the nose and palate from this wine. The fruit on the palate is fresh and young with a noticeable ripe element to it. This medium bodied wine also reveals a fleshy and supple side to it in the mouth. Acidity supports the fruit rather than overwhelm it.

Chinati Montalbano DOCG 2018

The second course was Purple potatoes Gnocchi in spicy tomato sauce paired with a Fattoria Betti Chianti Montalbano DOCG 2018. This wine is a blend of 90% Sangiovese with the remaining 10% made up of Canaiolo and Colorino. Current production is at around 20,000 bottles. Fresh aromas of black & red cherries and spice greet you in nose and palate. The medium plus body reveals soft tannins, smooth texture, easily noticeable fresh cherry notes and an ample display of acidity. It’s still on the youthful phase of its development profile and makes for a good example of a Montalbino red which can be appreciated while still young and fresh.

Rosso di Toscana IGT "Semel"2016

The third course was char-grilled ribeye steak with truffle fries and Pommery mustard paired with a Fattoria Betti Rosso di Toscano IGT “Semel”2016. It’s a single varietal wine comprising of 100% Merlot. This is a different creature from the previous red we tasted. Black cherry and plum notes greet you on the nose and palate. What surprises you is the intensity, power and depth revealed in the palate. It’s certainly a wine with good aging potential. According to Guido Betti, the first vintage for this wine was in 2009 and to date only a small quantity is produced. Current production stands at around 1,200 bottles only.

Rose di Toscana "Caprone"2018

The last course for the evening was Tiramisu with a Fattoria Betti Rose di Toscana “Caprone”2018. It’s a single varietal 100% Sangiovese, dry wine showing light, fresh red cherry notes of strawberry and raspberry flavours. It comes off as an easy, playful and cheerful sip. You want to sit back and enjoy it over a good conversation with friends at the table rather than ponder over it.

Edmond Yau, Claudia Bondi, Guido Betti & Morgun Pathi

In Singapore these wines are available via local wine merchant V Wine Studio at 321 Alexandra Road. My many thanks to Ms Claudia Bondi of Perle & Perlage, the organizer of this event, for her invite.

Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux vintage 2015 tasting in Singapore

“You have around a minute and a half to taste each wine, so spend your time wisely”, that was the advice given by Ch'ng Poh Tiong of The Wine Review to guests attending the recent Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux’s vintage 2015 tasting.

The Wine Review was the local organizer of this event held at Conrad Cennential Singapore. It came as good advice as there were 69 chateaux presenting 80 wines for guests to contend with within 2.5 hours. With slightly more than 500 wine enthusiasts and professionals participating in this year’s tasting at Conrad Centennial Singapore, one can surmise that it was an event eagerly looked forward to and well received.

I took the opportunity to take pictures of this event. These can be viewed within an album via the following link:

                                          Photos of the UGCB Tasting

For those keen to know the location of these 69 chateaux, the breakdown is as follows:
Graves: 2
Pessac-Leognan: 10
Saint-Emilion: 9
Pomerol: 7
Listrac-Medoc: 1
Moulis-En-Medoc: 3
Haut-Medoc: 9
Medoc: 1
Margaux: 10
Saint-Julien: 8
Pauillac: 5
Saint-Estephe: 1
Sauternes et Barsac: 3

Representatives from these chateaux (coming from the various Bordeaux wine sub-regions), were at hand to share with guests their perspective on vintage 2015’s challenges and offerings.

A common view from guests on the red wines of this vintage was their approachable character. Quite a few easily acknowledged the ripeness in the fruits while finding the tannins playing more of a supporting role (rather than an overwhelming or a harsh one). Though constitution and wine style differed from chateau to chateau and guests had their particular favourites to recommend, by and large this vintage was noted for its 'buy to drink' profile.

Olivier Bernard, President of UGCB

 A similar feedback was provided by Mr Olivier Bernard, President of the Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux, during the media conference. He highlighted 2015 (like 2005 and 2009) as a warm vintage where the weather provided ample sunshine to ensure phenolic ripeness in grapes. These vintages offered easy to make and early to drink red wines. Whites for 2015 he observed showed more roundness, generosity in flavouris and a ready to drink character as opposed to vintages 2014 and 2016 where one gets more vertical definition (thus offering wines which can be aged a little longer). Likewise for botrytised wines, the weather conditions were ideal to produce great wines.

A few more snippets of information on the Bordeaux wine region was offered by Mr Olivier Bernard during this conference. Those well versed with Bordeaux wines may find the information familiar, however I like to offer them just the same for wine enthusiasts beginning to explore this wine region.

45th parallel North

The Bordeaux wine region lies in this latitude, in an area located between the "cold north and warm south". Upwards of 45N the weather gets colder and ideal for white wines (think Loire, Champagne and Alsace), while south of 45N the regions get warmer offering favourable conditions for ripening red varietals. Lying at what can be viewed as in the border between these 'warm-cold' regions, Bordeaux is greatly influenced by weather fluctuations which goes to affect the maturity of the grapes as opposed to grapes grown for example at 50th parallel North or 40th parallel North. Vintage thus matters in Bordeaux due to this uncertainty brought about by climate fluctuations.

Warm summers & great vintages

Thus the climate in Bordeaux for a given year can be either cold, warm or what one considers to be a normal vintage. Olivier Bernard highlighted that quite a few great vintages of previous decades generally fall on years with 'warm summers'; for example 1928, 1929, 1954, 1961, 1982, 1989, 2009 and 2015.

Cold summers and great vintages

He also mentioned that 2010 and 2016 are recent exceptions where great vintages were made in 'cold summer' years. This is due to the fact that recent advances in viticulture has led to the ability to ripen the grapes on the vine and harvest them a little later towards mid to late October, thus offering the red varietals like Cabernet Sauvignon more time to attain phenolic ripeness (especially allowing the tannins to ripen and get softer). Where previously the harvest was 'done by obligation', in the present days it is 'done by choice', he asserted.

Winemakers’ style

Apart from the climate, winemakers play a crucial role in the style of wine which each chateaux produces. The degree of extraction, type of fermentation and aging plays a part to influence the syle of wine: for example, whether being big or balanced. Though 10 years ago there was a trend leading some producers toward making big wines, now he sees a trend towards producing wines with balance. He personally prefers producing 'balanced wines' and views it as a hallmark of quality. “You need everything but nothing too much. Too much in a wine, as in other things in life, is not necessary. We don’t need too much. A perfect balance is one with everything enough but nothing too much” he explains.

Global Warming & Buyers’ interest

Interestingly, as far as 1975 more whites were produced in Bordeaux than reds. It was not easy to mature red varietals like Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot in all parts of Bordeaux. With global warming, these last 3 decades has seen a shift where its getting easier to mature red varietals. Now 88% of wines produced are reds and the remaining are whites. Another reason for this change he cites is the fact that it is easier to sell a red than a white wine in Bordeaux. This also played a part in the change when opportunity presented in the form of warming weather.

I hope these comments from Olivier Bernard help when trying to understand the Bordeaux wine region.

Keep well.

A snapshot of Prowine Asia (Singapore) 2018

A quick look at the wine side of this exhibition.

The recently held ProWine Asia (Singapore) 2018 drew the strong participation of around 300 international wines and spirits exhibitors. Held for the second time in Singapore, it witnessed the attendance of 7,200 trade visitors. Local visitors made up 60%. Overseas visitors to this exhibition were mainly from Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and Philippines.

Though the primary purpose of an exhibition such as this is to bring producers and buyers together, give prospective buyers a chance to get to know the products up for offer and possibly result in the makings of successful deals, the organizers did better by arranging wine & spirits seminars, cocktail competition and even held a wine course under WSET to keep visitors actively engaged.

Seminars

Wine related seminars took a major chunk of these seminars organized over the four days. Apart from wine, other topics covered were on beer, sake and whiskey. One interesting wine seminar topic was on the production of wines in South East Asia by Eddie McDougall. It highlighted wine production in newer regions and showed South East Asia in a new light ... of being a region for wine producers as well … small steps yet but a promising start.

ProWine Asia 2018 Seminar Speakers
 

Amidst known seminar speakers like Tan Ying Hsien, Edwin Soon, Eddie McDougal and Indra Kumar, it was refreshing to see new faces like Sean Ou, Dr Jackie Ang and Huijuan Wu coming forth to share their knowledge in wine & spirits.

Seminar Speaker: Eddie McDougal
 

Apart from seminars held at the main seminar room, there were individual wine pavilions organising their own wine talks as well. Local wine professionals like Stephanie Rigourd, Daisuke Kawai and Jessica Tan contributed at these wine talks. By and large one can see a good turnout at most of these seminars and wine talks.

More photos of the seminars are at: Seminars Photos

Competition

One highlight at this exhibition was the National Cocktail Competition. It was held in collaboration with the Association of Bartenders and Sommeliers (ABSS) with more than 50 participants taking part in various categories.

ProWine Asia 2018 Cocktail Competition
 

ProWine Asia 2018 Cocktail Competition
 

Champagne Lounge

An impressive showpiece during this exhibition was the Champagne Lounge. It showcased different types of champagne and offered tastings from 17 champagne houses. Visitors also had the opportunity to talk and learn more from representatives of these champagne houses who were present at this lounge.

ProWine Asia 2018 Champagne Lounge

ProWine Asia 2018 Champagne Lounge

 More photos of the Champagne Lounge are at: Champagne Lounge Pictures

Common interest tasting spots

Similar in concept of the Champagne Lounge, other wine tasting spots with a common theme were also located amidst different wine pavilions. One example would be the booth focusing on Albarino wines from different producers originating from Rias Baixas. Another example would be the rose wines tasting booth showcasing rose wines from Provence. Chianti and Rioja producers offered similar tasting spots as well.

ProWine Asia 2018: Albarino tasting booth

ProWine Asia 2081: Rose wines tasting booth

ProWine Asia 2018: Chianti wines tasting booth

ProWine Asia 2018: Rioja wines tasting booth

Less familiar wine exhibitors

French, Italian and Spanish wine exhibitors took the major portion of the wine exhibition floor area and marked their presence in good numbers. On a smaller scale there were exhibitors from wine producing countries like Australia, Portugal, South Africa, Germany, Austria and US. Wines from these countries are fairly known and can be found in Singapore. There were wines from less familiar wine regions (less familiar at least in this part of the world) during this exhibition as well. These came as pleasant surprises offering wine professionals something new to taste and learn about. These wines came from countries like Croatia (Dalmacijavino Winery), Belarus (Minsk Sparkling Wines Factory), India (Grower Zampa Vineyards), Thailand (Siam Winery) and Romania (Dealu Mare Vineyard). Wines from these countries are not easily available in local wine retail outlets yet which makes them an interesting find at this exhibition.

ProWine Ssia 2018: Dalmacijavino Winery (Croatia)

ProWine Asia 2018: Minsk Sparkling Wines Factory (Belarus)

ProWine Asia 2018: Grower Zampa (India) 

ProWine Asia 2018: Siam Winery (Thailand)

ProWine Asia 2018: Dealu Mare Vineyard

Local producers

Two local producers stood out at this exhibition. One is the producer of craft beer Brewlander and the other a local producer of 'wines made from honey, Rachelle The Rabbit Meadery. It’s lovely to see local boys getting into the production side of the alcoholic beverage world.

ProWine Asia 2018: Rachelle The Rabbit Meadery (Singapore)

 

More pictures of the exhibitors are at: ProWine Asia 2018 Exhibitors' Photos

Castello del Terriccio Wine Lunch

Ms Carolina Zucchini Metelli, Sales Manager of Castello del Terriccio (Tuscany), was in town recently to showcase her company's wines. The team from Grand Vin Pte Ltd organized a tasting session for the local media folks to share with us information on the winery and its Tuscan sips.

Carolina Zucchini Metelli

The Winery

Going by size, Castello del Terrico is one of the largest estates in Tuscany (at 1,700 hectares) explained Ms Carolina. It's located long the coastal shores of Maremma (between Pisa and Bolgheri), facing the Tyrrhenian Sea. Much of this estate is given to forest lands, olive & cereal cultivation and breeding of horses. Vine cultivation at present takes up 60 hectares of the land.

The current owner, Gian Annibale Rossi di Medelana Serafini Ferri (also affectionately known as ‘Pucci’), inherited this estate in mid 1970s and embarked on a wine making initiative. He sourced for good vine cuttings from France to plant in his estate. Varietals like Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Syrah and Petit Verdot found a home in his estate from late 1980s. Under the guidance of consultant oenologist Carlo Ferria, the winery adopted new vinification methods like the use of stainless steel for fermentation, French Allier oak barriques for aging wine and a shorter aging period in oak for wines to highlight fruit quality. At present, this winery’s main export markets are USA, China and Russia.

Ervin Tang, Jason Koh, Carolina Zucchini Metelli, Kate Tan & Gordon Tay

During this tasting session at Pizzeria Mozza, Carolina introduced 5 wines from Castello del Terriccio; 1 white and 4 reds. They were:

Castello del Terriccio Con Vento Blanc 2014
Castello del Terriccio Capaninno 2014
Castello del Terriccio Tassinaia 2012
Castello del Terriccio 2009
Castello del Terriccio Lupicaia 2009

Snapshot of these wines

The first 2 wines easily showed freshness, purity of fruits, ready-to-drink approachability and a cheerful personality (ideal wines to start an evening with). The noticeable acidity played a good part in keeping the fruit element lively in both wines. The 3rd wine (Tassinaia 2012), while retaining primary fruit notes as the Capaninno 2014, showed a higher flavour intensity and complexity in its body while displaying a 'ready to drink now' quality as well. The last 2 red wines revealed a persistent core of dark fruits in their body, noticeable depth, complexity, and ample tannins to justify aging to allow for further development.

Tasting notes

Castello del Terriccio Con Vento Blanc 2014

1. Castello del Terriccio Con Vento Blanc 2014
Blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Viognier. Carolina explained that this is a small production of 5,000 bottles/year. It’s an aromatic wine highlighting herb and floral notes. A lively, fresh fruit intense sip with a rich, supple, viscous mouthfeel. It’s not often that one comes across a SB and Viognier blend ín Singapore, I must add. The SB gives acidity and liveliness to the wine, while the Viognier contributes to the body weight and mouthfeel I suspect. Sur lie aging plays its part to contribute to the viscous nature of the body, I beg to suspect again. It makes for a good aperitif and an ideal companion for seafood dishes.

Castello del Terriccio Capaninno 2014

2. Castello del Terriccio Capaninno 2014
Another fresh and lively wine; this time a red blend (Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon) highlighting the purity of fresh fruits in its body. Cherry and eucalyptus aromas reveal on the nose, with fresh red fruit flavours and acidity making for a youthful palate. A medium bodied wine enjoyable at this moment.

Castello del Terriccio Tassinaia 2012

3. Castello del Terriccio Tassinaia 2012
A red made of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and a little Sangiovese; and aged 6 months in used French barriques. A medium bodied wine which still shows primary fruit notes in palate (without being overwhelmed by tannins). Black berry, blue berry, cedar, spice, cassis and hint of chocolate notes add to the complex nature of this wine. Good balance, depth, smooth tannins and a lingering finish add to its charm. You can keep this wine (it has the quality for mid-term aging), but I see no reason for such a venture as it makes a delightful sip at this moment.

Castello del Terriccio 2009

4. Castello del Terriccio 2009
A red blend; Shiraz (50%), Petit Verdot (25%) and a mix of other red grapes (25%). It’s aged for 20 months in new French oak barriques; and spends another 5 years in bottle before release. A complex wine with dark fruits, black berry, spice, leather and tobacco aromas; a good core of dark fruits in its body with ‘grippy’ tannins adding to its character. It’s got a good structure and a strong constitution; making it an ideal candidate for further aging and development.

Castello del Terriccio Lupicaia 2009

5. Castello del Terriccio Lupicaia 2009
Carolina highlighted that Lupicaia is this winery’s flagship; it’s first vintage being 1993. It’s a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and a little Pertit Verdot. The varietals are fermented and aged separately in new French barriques for 20-22 months before blending takes place. It’s aged another 5 years in bottle before release. Black fruits, spice and tobacco notes reveal in nose and palate; a balanced, complex sip with good depth. There’s a lovely smooth, silky texture to its body which highlights elegance rather than a show of power. This is another wine which shows the potential to age and develop further.