Melbourne Offline / 7 July / Italy - Grape Varieties Starting With N

[conformistpete]

TDF finishes up in Nuits St George tomorrow. Might have to have a bottle ready for when I get home and settle in to watch the country side.

[Con J]

I'll bring an extra fortified to finish with.
See you all tomorrow night.

Cheers Con.

[conformistpete]

Geez I may not make it home at this rate.

[Ozzie W]

TDF finishes up in Nuits St George tomorrow. Might have to have a bottle ready for when I get home and settle in to watch the country side.

Your post reminded me of the TDF in days gone by.





Oh how the times have changed!

[Ian S]

Now that's a feedzone

[conformistpete]

Love to be able to see what was the wine of choice!

[Rossco]

Hope you have a great dinner guys. Sorry i couldnt make it. My wine will be ready for the next offline

[Ozzie W]

A smaller offline than usual with only 5 of us. Nevertheless, another outstanding event. We had a great mix of Italian wines starting with a great white, then some Nerello/blends and then finally moving onto Nebbiolo. And to finish off a wonderful fortified. Quite a few wines were really hard to pick but in a great way. Amazing food as usual too. A big thanks to everyone for the wines and company! The wines tonight really reinforced why I love Italian wines so much.

The line up was as follows:

2014 Foradori Nosiola Fontanasanta Vigneti delle Dolomiti IGT
2007 Passopisciaro Sicilia Passorosso
2013 Le Casematte Faro
2010 Linnaea Trifulau Barolo
2005 Domenico Clerico Barolo Pajana
2010 Alessandro e Gian Natale Fantino Laboro Disobedient Vino Rosso 2010
1947 Hardy's Show Reserve Tawny Port

[Ian S]

Applause from me for a lovely cross-section of wines.

Will be very interested in your views on the Nosiola - a favourite grape and a favourite producer, and although having one in the cellar, not yet tasted it (wasn't on tasting at the winery, but bought one anyway). In the local vino santo, it performs wonderfully, but I've enjoyed it in dry wines and even as a grappa.

Also interested in opinions on the Faro

[Diddy]

The Faro was drinking beautifully - it was put up against the 07 Passo and most preferred it from memory.

[Ozzie W]

I received an email from Sipper earlier this evening. Unfortunately he's really ill at the moment.

[Diddy]

I received an email from Sipper earlier this evening. Unfortunately he's really ill at the moment.

Sorry to hear that.

[conformistpete]

Will be very interested in your views on the Nosiola

Very enjoyable albeit opened too young. Gave it a quick decant before dinner. Especially loved the acid structure of the wine.

I also got a Chalmers Nosiola as a back up that wasn't used. Will be interesting to see an Australian expression of the grape.

[Ian S]

Good on Chalmers! I'll be interested to see what they make of it, considering how good it is in Trentino. Climate wise will be different, but you never know until you try. My Foradori is 2010 vintage, so I don't think it will too long before I open it.

More importantly ... get well Sipper.

[Ozzie W]

A few comments on the reds:

2007 Passopisciaro Sicilia Passorosso - Was drinking well, although a lot of people tasted coconut on the palate which was a detractor. This bottle had been sitting on the shelf at a retail store for some time, so not ideally stored.
2013 Le Casematte Faro - Most thought this was drinking better than the Passopisciaro. This is a blend of 55% Nerello Mascalese, 25% Nerello Cappuccio, 10% Nocera, 10% Nero d'Avola. A different style of Nerello to the usual Etna style.
2010 Linnaea Trifulau Barolo - A very modern style of Nebbiolo. Just lovely easy drinking. Made by Melbourne-based winemakers Michelle Edwards & Daniel Fischl.
2005 Domenico Clerico Barolo Pajana - Too much oak dominated the fabulous fruit.
2010 Alessandro e Gian Natale Fantino Laboro Disobedient Vino Rosso 2010 - Wine comes from a Barolo Riserva cuvee even though it's not certified as Barolo. Once again, a lovely easy drinking 2010.

[via collins]

I shared a bottle of the 2011 Linnea Triulau barolo a few weeks ago, and it was all kinds of lovely. Beautiful nose, lovely length, just so enjoyable. Will be repeating the dose next week.

I recall mixed reviews on the wine, early than 2011, but was duly impressed and converted.