Wine Regions & Grapes
Sampling of Wineries
Acorn Andrea Oberto Atlas Peak Benziger Beringer Blandy's Bodega Navarro Correas Burgans Cantina Terlano Chimney Rock Chronicle Domaine Carneros Domaine de la Mordoree Dow's Dr. Loosen Emilio Lustau Fonseca Foxen Gaston Riviere Glen Ellen Hess Collection Innocent Bystander Kendall-Jackson Korbel La Caudrina Luna Vineyards Madeira Wine Company Martin Codax Masi Merryvale Mulderbosch Navarro Vineyards Pahlmeyer Roederer Estate Ruggeri Sawyer Cellars Sbragia Six Sigma Winery St. James Steltzner Vineyards Trinchero Winery Trione V. Sattui Winery William Fevre Wilson Winery
Category Archives: Piemonte
Cascina Castle’t Moscato d’Asti 2008
Cascina Castle’t, Moscato d’Asti 2008 This wine is delightful in its expression of orange blossoms with an added complexity from the extra year in the bottle – creamy and delicious. Estate bottled by Maria Borio in Costigliole d’Asti 5.5% purchased … Continue reading
Red Wines of Piemonte
Vietti, Barbera d’Asti, Tre Vigne 2007 In the nose you’ll find tar, licorice, black fruit and chocolate. In the mouth there is Barbera’s acidic trademark, yet with density of flavor throughout – very nice and very long. The grapes are … Continue reading
La Caudrina Moscato d’Asti 2009
La Caudrina, Moscato d’Asti 2009 This is a consistent wine, with a repeat of notes from the previous vintage: a lovely sense of orange blossoms in the nose while the mouth is sweet and ethereal – very nice. Estate bottled … Continue reading
La Caudrina Moscato d’Asti 2008
La Caudrina, Moscato d’Asti 2008 There’s a lovely sense of orange blossoms in the nose while the mouth is sweet and ethereal – very nice. Estate bottled in Castiglione Tinella 5.5% purchased for $15.99 at Bottle Barn
Il Conte d’Alba Moscato d’Asti
Il Conte d’Alba, Moscato d’Asti DOCG nv This wine smells of ginger and flowers while in the mouth it is sweet and lightly fizzy. It’s almost perfect except for a bit of TCA which unfortunately is adding a bit of … Continue reading
Posted in Italy, Muscat, Piemonte, Sparkling sweet
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La Spinetta Moscato 2008
La Spinetta, Moscato d’Asti DOCG, Bricco Quaglia 2008 Heaven in a glass, with plenty of flowers, lovely sweetness, light effervesence and freshness all day. This is a personal favorite from the legend. I was blessed to meet Rivetti before the … Continue reading
Posted in Italy, Moscato d'Asti, Muscat, Piemonte, Sparkling sweet
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Banfi Rosa Regale 2008
Rosa Regali, Brachetto d’Acqui DOCG 2008 This wine shows its red fruit, both visually and in the nose. Strawberries combine with green herbs and a sense of mint in the nose. In the mouth, it is evocative of raspberries and … Continue reading
Posted in Brachetto d'Acqui, Italy, Piemonte, Sparkling sweet
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Martini & Rossi Asti nv
Martini & Rossi, Asti DOCG nv The fruit is rather muted in this wine, smelling mildly of citrus overlayed with butter. In the mouth it is buttery, almost oily, with the fruit in the background. The grapes are all Moscato … Continue reading
Posted in Italy, Muscat, Piemonte, Sparkling sweet
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Ceretto Moscato d’Asti 2008
I Vignaioli di Santo Stefano, Moscato d’Asti DOCG 2008 The orange blossoms are alight in the nose of this wine. On the palate it is beautifully sweet, tasting of tangerines with a dusting of powdered sugar – delicious. The grapes … Continue reading
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La Spinetta Moscato d’Asti 2007
La Spinetta, Moscato d’Asti DOCG, Bricco Quaglia 2007 This is a personal favorite from the legend. I was blessed to meet Rivetti before the skyrocket to fame. This wine remains an affordable way to taste some of this estate’s expertise. … Continue reading
Posted in Italy, Moscato d'Asti, Muscat, Piemonte, Sparkling sweet
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Across Italy
Vietti, Langhe DOC, Nebbiolo, Perbacco 2005 Spot on with black licorice and a wallop of tannin. Estate Bottled in Castiglione Falletto 13.5% $26.99 at Traverso’s Vietti Badia a Coltibuono, Chianti Classico DOCG 2005 There is a pleasant combo of earth, … Continue reading
Posted in Chianti Classico, Italy, Langhe, Nebbiolo, Piemonte, Sangiovese, Tuscany
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Star quality
Elio Altare, Dolcetto d’Alba DOC 2006 The density of this wine is of the inky variety. There’s tar and a sense of the forest in the nose. The mouth is amazing in that the tannin is there yet fully ripe, … Continue reading
Posted in Dolcetto, Italy, Piemonte
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Piemonte specialty
Banfi, Rosa Regali, Brachetto d’Acqui DOCG 2007 This ’07 is perfectly fresh with plenty of flowers and fresh strawberries. Serve this with fresh berries after dinner to match the sweetness. The ’05 tasted one year ago was sweet and with … Continue reading
Posted in Brachetto, Brachetto d'Acqui, Italy, Piemonte, Sparkling sweet
Tagged Banfi
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Charge!
La Spinetta, Barbaresco DOCG, Vigneto Starderi 2004 The previous vintage was a concentrated, oaky heavyweight, still in its infancy when tasted in late ’07. This ’04 smells of sweet oak and New World fruit. Again we see a tannic monster … Continue reading
Posted in Italy, Nebbiolo, Piemonte
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Italian classics
Castello della Paneretta, Chianti Classico DOCG 2005 There’s loads of acidity and the taste of cherries. The grapes behind this wine are 90% Sangiovese and 10% Canaiolo. Estate bottled in Barberino val d’Elsa 13% $17.99 at Traverso’s Paneretta Andrea Oberto, … Continue reading
Posted in Chianti Classico, Italy, Langhe, Nebbiolo, Piemonte, Sangiovese, Tuscany
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The diversity that is sparkling wine
J, Russian River Valley, cuvee 20 nv Clean, fresh, fruit, tasted at the winery in May. This wine has the zip of fresh green apples. The base wine is from a recent vintage with 25% oak-aged reserves adding to the … Continue reading
Posted in California, Champagne, Chardonnay, France, Italy, Moscato d'Asti, Muscat, Piemonte, Sparkling sweet
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Sparkling the world over
La Morandina, Moscato d’Asti DOCG 2007 The ’07 is just as vibrantly fresh and full of orange blossoms as the previous vintage. There’s lots of residual sugar and the light body and freshness that you expect in Moscato d’Asti. P&B … Continue reading
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