Friday Sips

Drop by today to taste 4 different wines from 4 different regions of Italy ranging from Sicily through Tuscany and on up to Piedmont and Il Veneto.

Back in May we featured the little brother of this wine, Fattoria Del Cerro’s Rosso di Montepulciano, and today we are opening the more prominent and serious bigger sibling. Vino Nobile di Montepulciano is the major wine from the popular and much visited southeastern Tuscan village of Montepulciano. The grape here is not, repeat not Montepulciano. That one comes from Abruzzo further south on the Adriatic Coast. In this area, like the majority of Tuscany, the prime grape is Sangiovese and Fattoria del Cerro does very well indeed in highlighting the grape and where it’s grown.

Founded in 1978, Fattoria del Cerro’s specialty is this wonderfully priced red wine which is a blend of 90% Prugnolo Gentile (the local clone of Sangiovese) and 10% Mammolo. Aged primarily in larger barrels, this classic beauty woos you in from the first waft of violet, lush cherry, raspberry and sweet roasted Tuscan herbs. This wine is all about elegance and balance in the mouth with an intense depth of flavor, alluring spice and energy from the soils all beautifully frame the well-placed fruit. The overall quality from the entry is pleasantly echoed on the finish and depth and expansion of flavor linger on the palate. A terrific Tuscan wine that is undervalued and one that will drink and develop over the next 5-6 years.

Bertani's role of importance in the Veneto region cannot be understated in the least. Located near Verona in northeastern Italy, Bertani is one of the region's most renowned and influential wineries producing a full spectrum of classic wines from the Veneto (Valpolicella, Amarone, Soave & more) which have enjoyed a reputation for quality right from the start. Founded in 1857 by two brothers who believed that quality winemaking held the key to the future, the Bertanis invested their money in some of the finest vineyards in the province and began making their own wines and the estate has continued their excellence to this day.

The Original Vintage Secco and its recipe are from a time well before Amarone and Ripasso came to existence. Bertani Cristian Ridolfi came across an 1888 document in the Verona library written by the Commission of Agriculture and Industry that described in detail the Secco-Bertani winemaking process as it was back in 1888. Cristian was inspired and embarked on a journey to re-create this wine, as it was when first made using the original clones, winemaking methods and equipment that were used back then – a truly unique project. The future back from the past. The philosophy of this wine is to bring back from the past the best of the winemaking of the original Secco, A project limited to a small quantity of bottles with the vintage replica of the packaging, its label and wooden case were retrieved from the ‘30's and 40's and feature the famous image "Berty" which represented Bertani for years.

Unlike the modern version of Secco Bertani, this wine is made without the use of the ripasso technique. 80% Original Corvina clones, 10% Sangiovese Grosso, 5% Syrah, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon following the blend of the original document this terrific Italian red is mind blowing. Classic Veneto amare scents along with cherry pit, tealeaf and touches of anise follow through to a concentrated but very well balanced texture that is silky-smooth, savory and engagingly elusive due to the classic use of cherry and chestnut wood casks in lieu of oak. Long and drawn out, this wine is quite the match with polenta coated with a hearty lamb or pork sugo with porcini mushrooms.

Enrico Rivetto and his family’s estate in Serralunga are undoubtedly one of the new guard in Piedmont and are among a group of young producers who have elevated Serralunga to meet the potential that these great terroirs have always possessed. Along with several Barolo wines, Barbera is also a prime focus and this flavorful offering comes from vineyards within Serralunga but also some in the neighboring commune of Sinio.

Aged solely in large casks, this Barbera is a medium to full-flavored offering that displays some of the wildness and minerality of this Barolo zone and delivers a cacophony of bountiful scents of truffle, violet, red cherry and earthy spice. Palate-filling, pure and having some teeth, it is an admirable choice for hearty fare such as braised or slow roasted meats, or try it with a three-cheese pizza of Grana Padano, Pecorino, Reggiano and a hefty drizzle of white truffle oil.

When it comes to modern-day Sicilian wines, one of the important influences on the island has been Planeta. First and foremost, I absolutely loathe Planeta’s French varietal wines, especially their Chardonnay. These are overoaked, glossy and soulless but we do have to give credit to this estate for bringing attention to the island and being one of the producers to move the island away from overly alcoholic, pruny, volatile reds and oxidized whites into the booming area that we are seeing nowadays. In the last decade, Planeta has embraced Sicily’s local varietals and they have purchased vineyards in some of the best areas including Mt. Etna.

100% Carricante and what I love about this wine is that they haven’t mucked around with it and had it suffer in a bunch of new barrels, only a small percentage (10%) is fermented in wood and none is new, the remainder is done in stainless steel tanks which preserves the freshness and character of the Carricante grape. Instant white peach aromas leap from the glass along with underlying scents of quince, anise, subtle spice and mineral. Overflowing zesty aspects shine on the palate, which penetrates quite deeply and possesses ample expansion as well as a lingering, vibrant finish. An excellent choice with many seafood dishes, it has weight and depth to go with salmon but enough vibrancy that will allow it to pair well with sashimi or prawns.