New from Italy
Italian wine is all too often misunderstood. The bewildering array of grape varieties, wine styles, and unpronounceable names has misled many a wine drinker into seeing the often austere and aloof Chianti as representative of Italian wine as a whole.
However, the word “Renaissance” has never been more appropriate for describing the changes that have occurred in Italian wine culture over the last twenty years or so. Gone is the image of the thin, astringent red wine covered in sackcloth. More and more wine drinkers are discovering the veritable cornucopia of vinous delights that are to be had from one of the oldest wine-producing countries in the world. Every region of Italy has something unique to offer, from Alto-Adige and Piedmont in the North, to the hotter regions of Puglia, Campania, and the always-improving Sicily. Even Tuscany has taken the bull by the horns in recent years and is now producing some stunningly deep, complex wines, in the Chianti region and elsewhere, that can often match many of the very best wines of Bordeaux.
With this in mind, we have decided to give a new lease of life to our Italian range, putting more emphasis on indigenous grape varieties and all things peculiarly Italian. We have spent many an exhausting (honestly) day tasting our way through scores of Italian wines, and have now added several of these to our range. There will be more to follow, but here are a few examples of the wines that will now be gracing our Italian corner :
Georgio Scarzello, Nebbiolo d’Alba, 2007. £14.99 Bottle
There is a linear thread of purity and concise majesty that runs through this range of wines, serious yet immensely drinkable. A warm, soft and fruity Nebbiolo with high-toned violet notes and beautiful acidity keeping each mouthful as fresh and as attractive as the last. Better than most Barolo’s at £30 a bottle!
Giorgio Scarzello Barolo DOCG 2004. £35.99 Bottle
The bouquet is fairly intense, with rich cherry fruit supported by greenish accents and spice, there’s also elegant rose and perfumed scents, and it’s very pleasant to sniff. On the palate it’s rich, and full, with powerful cherry fruit supported by smooth sweet tannins and by acidity that’s a touch less bright than it might have been in a better vintage, but is very much present, and flows into a clean fresh berry fruit finish. Quite pleasant, and a beautiful expression of a difficult vintage; it’s approachable now and will drink well for a decade or more. Better than most Barolo’s at £20 a bottle more.
Piera Martellozzo, Traminer Aramatico, Veneto 2008. £8.50 Bottle
An attractive rose-petal nose, delicate, yet well rounded, lychee palate.Full of herbaceous notes on the nose and a clean fresh yet subtle finish. This will make a pleasant change from the dull, flat and insipid Pinot Grigio’s currently flooding the market. Please ask to try some next time you are in the shop.
Plozner, Cru “Quatroperuno Uno”, Venezia Giulia 2008. £13.99 Bottle
This Sauvignon Blanc is the flagship of the Plozner range that has been on the cusp of Italy’s highest wine award for the past 3 vintages. Dont expect New World flamboyance, this is elegant, consice and refined- more akin to Poilly Fume. It’s herbaceous, green pepper and sage aromas are matched by a crisply defined grapefruit palate, the judicious addition of a small amount of Viognier has given it another dimension. This is a wine to make the most serious of wine lovers stand back and go WOW!!