Zoom Tasting

[Rory]

Zoom Wines.jpg

Our second Zoom Tasing, wines picked up from a local restaurant already divvied out into 100ml little bottles, numbered accordingly. Food supplied to each participant by the restaurant for zoom time. Works really well.
Tonight's wines supplied by one of the group, served blind, usual line up of questions.

1. 2016 Chiesa del Charmine Trebbiano Spoletino 2016.
A great example of Trebbiano done well. It is a Clone specific to this region of Umbria, and is very much like the Trebbiano Di Lugana. Opened up looking like a Riesling, then broadened out to more of a Chablis style with lovely lemon sherbet hints with texture. Worth hunting down.
2. 2018 Edwardo Torres Versante Nord Bianco Terre Sicilian.
Unfortunately either scalped from TSA or the evident Brett was covering things, but lacking any flavour at all.
3. 2018 Foradori Toreldego
Native grape to Trentino/Alto Adige, this was pure and precise, lovely bright wine that would be anyone's go to for first wine of the night or on a hot summers night.
4. 2015 Mascarelo Dolcetto Vigna Bricco Mirasole.
Stunning wine. Lots of discussion how they could easily make more money grafting the Dolcetto over to Neb, but thankfully they haven’t. Serious Dolcetto with structure and length.
5.2011 Manzone Barolo Bricat.
Sublime, Ive never tried this producer before, but delivered all that I need in Barolo. Power, depth, structure and finess. Length was outstanding. I believe 2011 was a hot vintage? This didn’t show it.
6. 2010 Paolo Bea Rosso de Vio.
Montefalco, Umbria. 65% Sagrantino, 25% Sangiovese, 10% Montepulciano.
A mouthful of a wine! Rich, ripe, yet the acid of the Sangiovese holding it all together. 14.5% Alc, not showing it. A well made, interesting wine to finish the line up of the reds.
6. 2011 Fritz Haag Brauneberger Juffer Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese.
In a great place, beautiful wine. Long finish, great sugar/acid balance as you would expect.

[JamieBahrain]

G Manzone is very good and a very elegant producer from Monforte. I visited last year- great hosts!

I’ve arrived for a quick stay at Monforte. Hopefully I’ll get a few wineries in but I’m a slow paced tourist preferring to experience the atmosphere of a medieval wine town such as Monforte d’Alba.

http://www.manzonegiovanni.com/

Manzone is a good consideration to look at the area . They are small, very affordable and present over a number of famous Cru’s.

After a quick shower at my apartment in Monforte it’s off to the winery for a tasting with Mauro.

Manzone is another producer that puts to rest the simplicity of the modernist / traditionalist debate . I can’t quite nail their oak regime but they are self-declared traditionalists, minimal interventionists and traditional winemaking , with a modern winery.

Barolo Castelletto 2015- Beautifully ripened fruit with cliche tar and roses and Turkish Delight chocolate notes arising from sweet strawberry/raspberry fruit and spice. This ripeness carries on the palate edges with the wine being long and gently muscular . Lots of joy inside of a decade with 2015 though no doubting cellaring potential .

93pts

Barolo Bricat 2015 is from the top of the Gramolere vineyard, a Cru within as Cru picked only in exceptional vintages .

This is bigger than the 2015 Castelletto despite Gramolere elevation and soil composition usually delivering a more elegant expression.

Concentrated dark tar masking deeper buried red fruit notes, less showy and more retrained than the Castelletto 2015. Latent potential in a powerful yet elegant and long structure- tannins Monforte ripe and firm .

94pt+

Gramolere Barolo 2014- locals are far less critical of the vintage than the rest of the market .

Distinctly perfumed here, cool and classic high notes , lovely tar nuances more open toward an old vintage car engine- rose petals too. Classical austerity , a little lean, time and food will flesh out the wine with raspberry vanilla cream fruit notes .

91pts


Gramolere Riserva 2011- Ripe and perfumed berry mix, deeper Cadbury’s Turkish Delight notes with sweetened walnuts . A very giving wine, rounded and fully loaded with generous Nebbiolo fruit concentrated rather than palate spread - a nice energy keeps interest and freshness .

93pts

Gramolere Riserva 2008- This classic vintage pairs perfectly with Manzone’s house style . Has the ripened fruit notes of Gramolere above though with cool and mineral overtones. Palate is similar - elegant and long - with red fruit focus and delineation beam like. Old fashioned Monforte tannins flood the back palate .

96pts

Gramolere Riserva 1993- vintage engine oil and spiced , well tamed red and black fruit notes . Wove is carried by a calcareous austerity , flavour profile similar to aromatics clings at the edges , light grip in persisting tertiary notes .

95pts

Castelletto Barolo 2007- Excellent plump-ripe amalgamation of red and black fruits with tertiary tobacco like development suggesting it’s in window . Delivered on a long structural package , savoury with mineral undertones, lacks fruit stuffing though food will draw less critics .

92pts

Gramolere Barolo 2010- this is in a lock down but there is still enough to see of its high quality . Black pepper and dry spices , red fruit and tar in a classic mix, compelling structure and balance. Obviously unyielding though with glamorous potential !

94pts +


[url=https://postimg.cc/cgK2LxbJ][img]https://i.postimg.cc/MTtStX01/9-D52-EAEA-337 ... 1-D260.jpg[/img][/url]

Hard to tell much here from 2018 though a step up from 2017 . Love the hard Piedmont cheeses !


[url=https://postimg.cc/zLG44SwK][img]https://i.postimg.cc/fbcZt8J2/B81-A694-F-2-B ... -F82-F.jpg[/img][/url]

Overall, a visit to Manzone, the highest rating I could recommend for a genuine lover of Barolo .


[url=https://postimg.cc/Hr2fSPMT][img]https://i.postimg.cc/jj0tSpdn/68730-E6-C-71- ... 4-CAFF.jpg[/img][/url]

Looking toward Castiglione, from the cellar door , overlooking Perno Cru . They will eventually make an individual Barolo from here. I have Perno in my cellar from other producers like G Macarello and I feel Mazone will fit nicely with their style .

[Rory]

Great info thanks Jamie!

[I Love Shiraz]

Great lineup of wines Rory.

I have done a couple of Zoom wine tasting sessions over the past couple of months with a few wine loving mates, and found them to be a lot of fun. Mind you, our lineup was not as impressive as this one!