𝑨𝒍𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒃𝒂𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓𝒈𝒆𝒓 𝑹𝒐𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒃𝒆𝒓𝒈 𝑹𝒊𝒆𝒔𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑲𝒂𝒃𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒕𝒕, 1983

In perfect shape, this Riesling blew my mind. It was alive, mature but still very young with lots of freshness.

The aromas were very expressive and ripe, offering notes of preserved lemon, ripe peach, syruped kumquat, wax, wet stones, old eraser and mild smoke (like the oldschool cap guns with smoke - a little matchstick-like). No extreme petrol.

On the palate, it was medium-bodied, off-dry, highly acidic but very rounded on the edges. Lemon wine gum, lemon zest, a hint of honeycomb (but not sweet), tangerine, ginger sweets and salt in the finish.

Such a pure wine! In love with these +30 years old Rieslings, where the marriage between sweetness and acidity is reaches a unique level.

• “Kabinett” is one of six designated German wine classifications and indicates the lightest style of German wines. The grapes are picked at normal harvest, typically in September when they have ripened, and shows an off-dry style, unless “Trocken” (dry) is mentioned on the label as well, which indicates a longer fermentation leading to less residual sugar content (a drier wine) and a bit higher alcohol.

Behind this label is a story of the great Staatsweingute (state wineries) of Germany, which are owned by the state and works like umbrella wineries, where smaller wineries finished their vinification. This label refers to the old state winery Niederhausen-Schlossböckelheim, founded in 1901, but by the A.P. Nr. on the label (1 750 053/10/84), the 750 refers to the bottler/the specific winemaker, which is Gut Hermannsberg.

Since 2010, the winery has worked under the official name of Gut Hermannsberg. They are also founding members of VDP.

 ⭐️93+/100⭐️ 𝑨𝒍𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒃𝒂𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓𝒈𝒆𝒓 𝑹𝒐𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒃𝒆𝒓𝒈 𝑹𝒊𝒆𝒔𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑲𝒂𝒃𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒕𝒕, 1983

“𝑷𝒖𝒍𝒊𝒏” 𝑪𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒆 𝑺𝒂𝒗𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒊 𝑹𝒐𝒔𝒔𝒐, 2015

🍇 70% Granaccia / 20% Syrah / 10% Barbera

Nice dark and muddy look - beautiful color. The bouquet is very dark and spicy, offering blackberry, blackcurrant leaves, black olive, sweet liquorice, tar, smoky game meat, black pepper and wood. Some Mediterranean herbs and a funny hint of tonka bean.

The palate is rich and full with medium acidity and easy going tannins, offering blackcurrant, baked plums, charcoal, vanilla, black pepper and dill in the finish.

The alcohol is definitely present on the palate, but it’s well integrated.

• Fermented in steel tanks (10 days maceration and three daily pump-over)

• Aged 13 months in 2nd and 3rd use barrique followed by 11 months in the bottle

• The variety of Granaccia is a local variant of Alicante, that’s very close to Grenache (Alicante is an old cross between Grenache and Petit Bouschet)

• In local dialect, "Pulin" means "last born," as this wine is aged longer than any other Bruna wine

Bruna, established in the 1960s, is located in the village of Ranzo Borgo (not far from Imperia and Savona) in the beautiful mountains of western Liguria with the famous terraced vineyards.

They work organically in their 7,5 ha vineyards and use only a tiny amount of sulfites when needed.

Colline Savonesi wines, like this Pulin, tend to lie at altitudes between 400 and 700 meters. All local varieties are allowed in the blend in any proportion - most often with Granaccia as the lead singer.

 ⭐️88/100⭐️ “𝑷𝒖𝒍𝒊𝒏” 𝑪𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒆 𝑺𝒂𝒗𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒊 𝑹𝒐𝒔𝒔𝒐, 2015 📍Ranzo Borgo

“𝑰𝒍 𝑭𝒂𝒗𝒐𝒕” 𝑳𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒉𝒆 𝑵𝒆𝒃𝒃𝒊𝒐𝒍𝒐, 2005

📍Monforte d’Alba, Barolo, Piemonte, Italy🇮🇹

Beautiful color with a fine orange rim that doesn’t seem too oxidized.

The bouquet started offering notes of port, brown apple and prunes, but after a bit of air it blew off and revealed quite a youthful and fresh Nebbiolo for its age. Strawberry (fresh and candied), dried sweet cherry, pressed flowers, orange peel, tar, thyme, mint, charcuterie and rusty metal followed on the nose. The oak is clear too.

The palate was medium(+)-bodied with well integrated tannins and a vibrant acidity. Cherry, cranberry, raw liquorice, dark chocolate, cloves, spicy vanilla and mint. A taste of chalk and iron in the finish.

• “Il Favot” means “the favorite”

• Grapes from different small (and younger) parcels at Bussia

• Fermented in steel tanks (8 days skin contact - brings a deep color but lower tannic level) with indigenous yeast

• Aged a few months in steel tanks followed by some months in barrique

• No clarifying and filtration before bottling

An estate of the elite in the Barolo area. The history dates back to 1969, when Aldo left him and his brothers (Giacomo Conterno) wine business to start his own adventure with more modern philosophies, following Angelo Gaja, meaning shorter maceration and some barrique next to the large Slavonian barrels.

Aldo Conterno passed away in 2012, leaving the winery to his three sons, France, Giacomo and Stefano, who were all working with their father during his last yeast.

They work organically without certification, farms 25 ha with very low yields - a total of 80.000 bottles pr. year.

 ⭐️90/100⭐️ “𝑰𝒍 𝑭𝒂𝒗𝒐𝒕” 𝑳𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒉𝒆 𝑵𝒆𝒃𝒃𝒊𝒐𝒍𝒐, 2005 📍Monforte d’Alba

4th generation winemaker, Professor of Viticulture, Tenerife native, Juan Jesus has spent the past 25 years dedicated to preserving the indigenous grapes of Tenerife.

Ungrafted vines are 100+ old in volcanic soils, 300-700 meters in elevation in the northwestern part of the island. Hand-harvested, spontaneous fermentation with wild yeasts, aged 3 months in used 225L French oak barrels.

Concentrated layers of black cherry, blackberry, blueberry, red currant, roasted sage, black pepper, licorice, smoky earth framed by fine grain tannins and fresh acidity.

Black currant and blueberry linger on the smoky finish.

Viñátigo Listán Negro Tenerife DOP 2019

 4th generation winemaker, Professor of Viticulture

Produttori del Barbaresco is renowned for their quintessential, traditional Barbaresco.

Grapes are from various vineyards in the Barbaresco DOCG, with a mix of limestone, clay, sandy streaks, calcium rich soils. Aged 24 months in large oak casks.

Transparent garnet in colour, with aromas of rose, cherry, strawberry, tarry earth, trace of baking spice.

Fine grain tannins and fresh acidity frame strawberry, blackberry, rose petal, white pepper, cigar box spice and a wisp of cedar smoke.

Subtle spice and tarry earth linger on the red fruit finish.

Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco DOCG 2017

 Produttori del Barbaresco is renowned for their

📍Sant’Angelo in Colle, Montalcino, Toscana, Italy🇮🇹

Very old school Brunello with a bouquet slowly opening up revealing well matured notes of baked red fruits (a bit aged tawny-like), dark cherry, old leather, cinnamon, anise, dried herbs, sweet tobacco and old coffee grounds. It’s quite dusty as well and has some iron and blood-like scents coming through.

On the palate, it’s medium(+)-bodied with powdery tannins and medium acidity. Notes of dark cherry, prunes, baked tomato, cloves, oak, dark chocolate and rosemary/thyme-like herbs. The finish is long and balsamic, and the alcohol is (maybe a bit too) present. Not as floral as expected.

• Grapes are hand-harvested from the winery’s oldest vineyards (150-450 meters altitude)

• Fermented in steel tanks with indigenous yeasts

• Aged in big French oak barrels (30-50 hectoliters) for 3 years

An iconic winery in Toscana, still owned by the Francheschi-family since the establishment in 1890.

They own 600 ha of land, of which 125 are vines and 70 are olive trees, in the area next to the village of San’tAngelo in Colle, which is known as being one of the best terroirs in the Brunello di Montalcino-area.

Il Poggione is a winery with great quality, that delivers pretty much in all vintages. And the prices are not bad…

 ⭐️90/100⭐️ Tenuta Il Poggione Brunello di Montalcino, 2012

𝑳𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒉𝒆 𝑵𝒆𝒃𝒃𝒊𝒐𝒍𝒐, 2006

Mario Minuto established Moccagatta in 1952 in the small village of same name located just south of the town of Barbaresco.

Today, the winery is run by Mario’s sons, Sergio and Francesco, and their children too.

Moccagatta is a modernist styled winery, using barrique for aging of which 20% are new (the rest 2nd and 3rd use) and short maceration (around 7 days).

The winery has worked 100% organically since 2014.

• Grapes from younger vines (also from their top crus) located in Barbaresco and Neive

Needed a bit of time to let go of some oxidized “damp basement” scent. Afterwords, a “classic” aged Nebbiolo appeard (maybe a bit too oxi still) with a bouquet offering as scent of aged port with lower alcohol, prunes, cherry, sweet liquorice, (very) old books, pencil shavings, truffle, wet wood, used leather sole, matured meat and black hibiscus tea.

On the tongue, the wine is medium-bodied and well balanced with silky tannins and vibrant acidity. Ripe cherry, warm prunes, dehydrated mushrooms, black tea with red berries, bresaola, juniper berry and iodine in the finish.

 ⭐️88/100⭐️ 𝑳𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒉𝒆 𝑵𝒆𝒃𝒃𝒊𝒐𝒍𝒐, 2006 📍Barbaresco, Piemonte

2016 Fratelli Alessandria - Barolo (92 pts)

ℹ️ This wine 💯 Nebbiolo from the appellation of Barolo in the Piedmont region of Italy. The Alessandria family has been making Barolo in the town of Verduno since 1870. The grapes come from a selection of vineyards in Verduno and Monforte d'Alba. The unique soils of Verduno are a mix of sand and clay with a high proportion of limestone. The average vine age is 25 years old. Grapes are hand-harvested, destemmed, and fermented with indigenous yeasts in stainless steel tanks. The wine is aged for three years in older Slavonian and French oak barrels. The wine is bottled unfined and unfiltered.

👃 Pronounced intensity on the nose. Aromas of ripe and stewed black cherry, black plum, dried potpourri, clove, cinnamon stick, leather (new shoes), and grapefruit bitters.

👄 The wine is dry, high acidity, high drying tannins, high alcohol (14.5%), and medium+ body. The tannins are grippy and drying with noticeable spice on the palate. A medium+ length finish of ripe black fruit, grapefruit bitters, and cinnamon spice.

🔔 The 2016 Barolo from Fratelli Alessandria is filled with that classic Verduno spiciness. Overall, there was a warmth to this wine, and it craves to be paired with heartier fare. This needs a fair amount of air if consumed now, but patience will reward those who can cellar this for a few more years. The wines from Fratelli Alessandria always offer fantastic value for the price, especially as you go up to some of the single cru bottlings. Don't sleep on this producer.

 2016 Fratelli Alessandria - Barolo (92 pts)

ℹ️ This wine is a blend of 60% Nero d'Avola and 40% Frappato from estate vineyards in the appellation of Vittoria of Sicily, Italy. The vineyard is certified organic, but they do work Biodynamically as well.  The average vine age is 25 years old. The grapes are hand-harvested. The indigenous yeast fermentation takes place in unlined terracotta amphorae. The wine is aged in amphorae for 9 months and then rested in the bottle for 3 months before release. Pithos is the Greek word for amphora.

👃 Medium+ intensity on the nose. Aromas of ripe strawberry, sour cherry, raspberry, rhubarb, peony, elderflower, gamey, and slight lambic sour beer

👄 The wine is dry, medium acidity, medium round tannins, med alcohol (12%), and medium+ body. A medium length finish of strawberry, rhubarb, and florals.

🔔 Initially, when this wine was opened, it was extremely "Natty," showing sour beer and yeasty funk than anything else. However, with a fair amount of air, this started to open up. The Frappato is the star of the show, showing those seductive floral notes, and it married well with the ripe and earthy notes of the Nero d'Avola. Overall, I prefer the Cerasuolo di Vittoria bottlings from COS.

 2018 COS - Pithos Rosso @aziendaagricolacos ℹ️ This wine is

🇮🇹🍷A few months back, Flatiron Wines

offered up aged Italian gems from a cellar that they acquired at pretty reasonable prices. I took the opportunity to pick up a few aged Gattinara wines. I haven't had a Gattinara with so much age on it (1964). I was able to pick up a Nervi Riserva and a regular bottling

. It should be interesting to open up this piece of history. This seems like a perfect job for the Zwiesel Conterno Sensory Glass

 🇮🇹🍷A few months back, Flatiron Wines @flatironwines offered

Biondi-Santi Instagram Live Interview and Virtual Tasting with Giampiero Bertolini

🎙 Join the Instagram Live with Giampiero Bertolini, the CEO of Biondi-Santi, on October 8th at 9 am PST / 6 pm Italy. Biondi-Santi's legacy is deeply integrated with the formation and history of Brunello di Montalcino. We will provide an overview of the Brunello di Montalcino appellation. We will discuss the impact that various generations of the Biondi-Santi family have had on the region. We will explain the legacy and lasting impact of the late Franco Biondi-Santi, the winemaker from 1970 to 2012, on the wines.

🍷 We will taste the recently released 2012 Biondi-Santi Brunello di Montalcino Riserva, the last vintage of Franco Biondi-Santi. We will discuss how the Riserva is made and how it is different from the Rosso and Annata. Please join the Instagram Live session and participate in the conversation. Don't forget to click the reminder in the stories.

 Biondi-Santi Instagram Live Interview and Virtual Tasting

𝑳𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒉𝒆 𝑵𝒆𝒃𝒃𝒊𝒐𝒍𝒐 “𝑫𝒊𝒔𝒂𝒏𝒇𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒔𝒄𝒐”, 2017

📍La Morra, Barolo, Piemonte, Italy🇮🇹

Roberto established the winery in 1986, and today he rules over parcels on some of the best and most prestigious vineyards of La Morra.

He is an exceptional farmer and winemaker and his methods in the vines are extremely careful: He fertilize each plant (not the whole vineyard and no chemicals), and he thins out the vines at least twice before harvest - in July to make sure only 5 clusters are on each plant, and in August where he almost cuts away 30% of each cluster.

In the cellar, Roberto is considered somewhere between a modernist and a traditionalist due to his mix of small and big barrels (some new, some old), but still with a long maceration.

- Total production: Around 45.000 bottles

• Hand-harvested from the vineyards of Vigneti S. Francesco and Fontanazza in La Morra

• Spontaneous fermentation in steel tanks

• Aged 12 months in tonneaux and barrels of 25 hl each (30% new) followed by 8 months in steel tanks

Very expressive on the nose right from the start. For a Langhe, it’s very dark offering dark cherry, blackberry, strawberry wine gum, chocolate, Bassett’s brown liquorice, cloves, rose petals and violets, fresh asphalt and watermelon rind.

The palate is medium-bodied, a bit fat in structure, with fine small tannins and medium acidity. Elderberry, fresh dark cherry, sweet blueberry, black liquorice, coconut, black truffle, vanilla. Long finish with a graphite-like minerality.

Greater depth than most Langhe Nebbiolos!

 ⭐️92/100⭐️ 𝑳𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒉𝒆 𝑵𝒆𝒃𝒃𝒊𝒐𝒍𝒐 “𝑫𝒊𝒔𝒂𝒏𝒇𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒔𝒄𝒐”, 2017 📍La Morra

With a PhD in Philosophy, Marta Sierota is inspired to craft single varietal wines that express the distinctive land, soil and air from which they are grown.

Located in the hills outside of Pisa, she adheres to biodynamic principles following the lunar cycle.

Vines are in sandy-loamy soils. Hand-harvested, spontaneous fermentation with wild yeasts in cement without temperature control, unfined, unfiltered.

Grippy tannins and tangy acidity flank black cherry, pomegranate, red apple, red currant, violet and grilled herbs. Hazelnut and cherry linger on the earthy finish.

Podere Anima Mundi ‘Gavagai’ Toscana Rosso IGT 2019

 With a PhD in Philosophy, Marta Sierota is inspired to

Located in the middle of the Tortona Hills, Enio Ferretti is dedicated to the native grapes of Piemonte.

Dark garnet in colour, with aromas of raspberry, strawberry, rose hip tea, roasted chestnut, licorice, trace of peppery spice.

Grippy tannins and tangy acidity flank black cherry, raspberry, strawberry, pomegranate.

Hazelnut, black pepper, red currant infuse the smoky earth mineral finish.

 Located in the middle of the Tortona Hills, Enio Ferretti

The Pira family has been tending to their 12 hectares of vineyards in Serralunga d’Alba, the eastern part of Barolo, since the 1950s

Vines are 30+ years in age, in a 2 hectare, organically farmed vineyard with northwestern exposure, limestone and clay soils, at 330 meters in elevation. Aged in stainless steel 8-9 months.

Plush layers of blackberry, red current, plum, rhubarb, herbs glide atop fine grain tannins.

Dark chocolate and pomegranate infuse the distinctive bitter finish.

Well balanced, well structured, always a fantastic value.

 The Pira family has been tending to their 12 hectares of

Wife and husband team Julie and Toby Bainbridge focus on crafting fresh, bright wines in Anjou.

Their 4 hectares of old vines are farmed organically, biodynamically and with minimal intervention.

Vines are 85 years in age in black schist soils. Spontaneous fermentation with wild yeasts and carbonic maceration in stainless steel. Bottled with “a bit of leftover CO2 to further protect the wine”, unfined and unfiltered.

Transparent red-violet in colour, with aromas of black cherry, garrique, peppermint, summer woods.

Raspberry, black cherry, pomegranate, black pepper, grilled herbs, fresh acidity meld with black tea tannins.

Cranberry and strawberry infuse the spicy finish.

Julie et Toby Bainbridge ‘Cuvée 50:50’ Vin de France 2020

 Wife and husband team Julie and Toby Bainbridge focus on

The Valdisole project began in 2015 with Giuseppe Amato and Kyriaki Kalimeri behind it. Since Giuseppe doesn’t originate from a family of winemakers, he decided to buy a vineyard, and so, it happened that the first vineyard, half a hectare of abandoned Nebbiolo, was bought on a website specialized in used second-hand things (yes!).

Kyriaki, originally from Greece, is an electronic and computer engineer who entered the wine world simply out of curiosity. She met Giuseppe during sommelier classes, and shortly after, the Valdisole became reality.

“Amos” (“Άμμος”, in Greek) means sand, referring to the terroir of this vineyard, bringing elegance and finesse to the young vines (20 years old).

Hand-harvested, spontaneously fermented in steel tanks and oak tonneau, followed by two years in old barrique and 6 months in the bottle.

Only 20 mg/L sulphur are added during bottling.

An intense in-your-face-bouquet; slightly reductive to a start, followed by a heavy scent of sweet cherry wine gums, sweet Finnish liquorice, extremely floral/perfumed notes (violets , lavender and rose petals), tar, white mushrooms and a touch of fresh forest floor. After an hour, more oxidative notes came through like brown leaves, truffle and clay pot. Still very fruity.

Medium(+)-bodied with high acidity and soft tannins. It’s very direct and fruit driven - well balanced between freshness and fruit sweetness with notes of ripe strawberry, hard raspberry candy, raw liquorice root and herbs. A bit salty finish.

 ⭐️90/100⭐️ Valdisole Amos, 2017 📍Roero, Piemonte, Italy🇮🇹 🍇

Aldo Conterno is one of the most famous houses of the Barolo region, located in the northern part of Monforte d’Alba (3 km east from Barolo village), starting its adventures in 1969.

The estate, which vinifies exclusively its own organically grown grapes, consists of 25 hectares of vineyards - all Barolos are from exclusive parcels inside the vineyard of Bussia.

The yields per hectare are extremely low to secure great complexity and intensity, and the total production is about 80.000 bottles a year.

Since Aldo passed away in 2012, his three sons, Franco, Giacomo and Stefano, have run the winery.

The grapes are manually harvested from “Cicala” (meaning “balm-cricket”), a small, steep and very sunlight exposed parcel inside the Bussia vineyard, with +50 year old vines.

The wine is fermented in steel vats with 30 days maceration and spends three months in steel before multiple rackings and aging in 25 hectoliter Slavonian oak barrels for 29 months before bottling.

This is a stunning Barolo, but very young and a bit tight.

The bouquet is dark, concentrated and dusty with cherry, raspberry, plums, perfumed rose petals, fresh truffle, dry leaves, red clay bricks and rusty iron.

The palate offered strawberry and cranberry followed by rooibos tea, raw liquorice, bay leaves and cooling menthol.

It’s got a nice balance between creaminess, grippy fine-grained tannins and acidity, but will definitely be better with more age and increase the beauty and the balance. Lots of potential!

 ⭐️92+/100⭐️ Poderi Aldo Conterno Barolo Bussia Cicala, 2014

Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru “Les Amoureses”, 2016

📍Chambolle-Musigny, Bourgogne, France🇫🇷

This small but high quality domaine has holdings in the top vineyards in Chambolle such as the Grand Cru “Bonnes-Mares”, 1er Cru “Les Amoureuses” and “Les Charmes”, with vines that are around 45 years old. Bertheau has been in the business since 1984, and took over the management of the winery in 2004 carrying the philosophy of as much hand-off winemaking as possible. The domaine is certified as biodynamic with no intervention in the cellar - only indigonous yeasts, little remontage and pigeage and mainly use of 2-3 year old barrels to let the wine express itself as pure and typical for the terroir as possible.

“Les Amoureses” might be the most hailed 1er Cru vineyard in Bourgogne. There’s a general agreement in the fact, that it outshines some of the Grand Crus (and should be counted as one).

What a sensual and beautiful young wine! The bouquet needs some time to show off, but wow, the fruit and floral scents were magnificent, pure and intense with notes of blueberry, amarena cherry, violet and rose petals (with a green touch of stem), chocolate, hibiscus, warm baking spices and mild toasted oak.

The palate is soft and bold with a refined, balancing acidity.  The taste is very youthful offering fresh raspberry, cranberry juice, candied orange peel, black tea, white pepper and a dark touch of sweet cranberry sauce - a fine, medium long mineral finish.

It might sound like any other good Pinot Noir from the tasting notes, but this one is extremely well made with great elegance, power and structure. What a wine!

 ⭐️93/100⭐️ Domaine Francois Bertheau Chambolle-Musigny 1er

📍Castiglione Falletto, Barolo, Piemonte, Italy🇮🇹

Grapes are mostly harvested from the Barolo area, but the recent vintages contain Nebbiolo from the area of Barbaresco as well.

Malolactic fermentation is done in both barrique and big Slavonian oak - 2 years of oak maturation follow.

First of all, the wine was pretty much closed. Maybe it’s a bit too young, but it didn’t really express a lot - a little disappointing since I really love Vietti’s wine.

Aromas are in the lighter end of the scale. A bit of spices, menthol, candied raspberry, violet and pepper.

Light and fresh palate of strawberry and raspberry, a bit of leather, raisins, liquorice and a nice balsamic finish.

Looking forward to try this vintage again another year...

 ⭐️86/100⭐️ Vietti “Perbacco” Langhe Nebbiolo, 2017

- La Morra, Barolo, Piemonte, Italy🇮🇹

Leather, dried rose, ground coffee beans, dried cranberry and raw liquorice.

 Aurelio Settimo Barolo “Rocche”, 2001 - La Morra, Barolo

📍Calce, Côtes Catalanes, Rousillon, France🇫🇷

Another one from one of my favorite natural wine producers.

And what a funky and funny, and yet elegant and delicious, wine from Tom Lubbe.

The old vines are harvested from a more than 110 year-old small parcel (0,5 hectares) with very low yield.

The grapes undergo 1 month of maceration in 1000 liter amphoras - afterwards matured 8 months in the same amphoras.

The wine looks, smells and tastes like Matassa. Seriously, look at that color!

It’s just the full Matassa power experience. It’s simply amazing!

Watermelon (juice and skin), rhubarb, nectarine, cranberry and wild strawberry, all followed by black pepper, bergamot and the almost “classic” complex Matassa funkiness.  It’s a nose to die for!

The palate is medium-bodied with a fine touch of chewy tannins balanced with a medium sharp volatile acidity. It’s got a crazy structure which, since my last try half a year ago, has integrated a lot more. It offers cranberry, fresh apricot, blood orange peel, peach and basil on the tongue with a white balsamic note. It’s super juicy and has a tiny sweet touch to it (a bit strawberry winegum-like and maybe some Fanta Exotic as well).

It still might benefit from a longer aging, but it’s already drinking superbly. ——

 ⭐️88/100⭐️ Matassa El Carner Rouge, 2018 📍Calce, Côtes

This is a really nice example to convince doubters in a positive way.

Pianora (1986) is located in the hills of Montorfano just at the border of Franciacorta, characterized by the steeply sloping terraced vineyards.

Erborista is based on organically grown grapes, then enriched with slow infusions of carefully selected local herbs and spices.

There are no added alcohol, chemical additives, artificial colorings or burnt sugar to manipulate this vermouth.

The nose is very expressive with backberry, sweet flag, elderflower, star anise, tonka bean,  orange peel and a brunch of herbs.

The palate is very full-bodied. Soft and round, but surprisingly with a little touch of tannins.

Elderberry, blackberry, cinchona bark, bergamot, liquorice and bitter orange.

The bottle had been open for a few days when I tried it. It seemed a bit oxidated (don’t know if it always does), but it kinda integrated well with the sweetness anyways.

 ⭐️88/100⭐️ Azienda Agricola Pianora Wermut Erborista, 2018

📍Calce, Côtes Catalanes, Roussillon, France🇫🇷

🍇 70% Grenache Noir / 20% Grenache Gris / 10% Macabeu & Syrah

Another refreshing natural wine from Tom Lubbe’s Matassa.

After tasting the whole 2019-portfolio from Domaine Matassa, there’s no doubt, that it’s one of his greatest vintages so far.

As I thought, his bigger wines couldn’t get any better, he easily proved me wrong.

Even his less expensive wines (all his wines are fair priced, btw), Coume de l’Olla Blanc & Noir are showing better results.

The grapes for “l’Olla Rouge” are harvested from 60-80 years old vines - all organic and biodynamic.

The three varieties of grapes ferments naturally together with all skins and whole clusters for 10-14 days with only indigonous yeasts. Élevage lasts 6-8 months in concrete tanks before being bottled unfined, unfiltered and with no additional SO2.

A wine balancing between fun (funkiness) and the seriousness.

The bouquet is offering dark, jammy cherry and blackberry, orange peel and hot spices (reminds me of the “orange & cloves pomanders” from Christmas), followed by some tiny, funky horse stable and lots of herbs.

The palate is a bit simple but with a great and delicious strawberry-rhubarb taste. Chewy whole-cluster-tannins and a bit of acidity to bring some vibrance to the wine.

The wine is refreshing and delicious with a fine depth, but lacks of the elegance and finesse from Tom’s bigger wines.

 ⭐️87/100⭐️ Matassa “Coume de l’Olla Rouge”, 2019 📍Calce

🍇 Corvina / Rondinalle / Corvinone / Oseleta

The winery was founded in the early 1980’s by Graziano Prà and his brothers, Sergio and Flavio, who are all deeply related to generations of winemaking.

The winemaking approach is shaped by sustainability and a naturally healthy philosophy to nature and the environment. They are organically certified, but only use of natural methods during harvest and vinification are allowed.

The winery is located in the village of Monteforte d’Alpone in the Soave-area in the region of Veneto. It’s the whites from Soave, that created Prà’s international reputation in the beginning, but it’s definitely worth having a look at their reds in Valpolicella as well.

The Morandina is made from grapes harvested at 450 metres altitude.

⭐️93+/100⭐️ 𝑨𝒍𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒃𝒂𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓𝒈𝒆𝒓 𝑹𝒐𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒃𝒆𝒓𝒈 𝑹𝒊𝒆𝒔𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑲𝒂𝒃𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒕𝒕, 1983

⭐️88/100⭐️ “𝑷𝒖𝒍𝒊𝒏” 𝑪𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒆 𝑺𝒂𝒗𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒊 𝑹𝒐𝒔𝒔𝒐, 2015 📍Ranzo Borgo

⭐️90/100⭐️ “𝑰𝒍 𝑭𝒂𝒗𝒐𝒕” 𝑳𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒉𝒆 𝑵𝒆𝒃𝒃𝒊𝒐𝒍𝒐, 2005 📍Monforte d’Alba

4th generation winemaker, Professor of Viticulture

Produttori del Barbaresco is renowned for their

⭐️90/100⭐️ Tenuta Il Poggione Brunello di Montalcino, 2012

⭐️88/100⭐️ 𝑳𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒉𝒆 𝑵𝒆𝒃𝒃𝒊𝒐𝒍𝒐, 2006 📍Barbaresco, Piemonte

2016 Fratelli Alessandria - Barolo (92 pts)

2018 COS - Pithos Rosso @aziendaagricolacos ℹ️ This wine is

🇮🇹🍷A few months back, Flatiron Wines @flatironwines offered

Biondi-Santi Instagram Live Interview and Virtual Tasting

⭐️92/100⭐️ 𝑳𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒉𝒆 𝑵𝒆𝒃𝒃𝒊𝒐𝒍𝒐 “𝑫𝒊𝒔𝒂𝒏𝒇𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒔𝒄𝒐”, 2017 📍La Morra

With a PhD in Philosophy, Marta Sierota is inspired to

Located in the middle of the Tortona Hills, Enio Ferretti

The Pira family has been tending to their 12 hectares of

Wife and husband team Julie and Toby Bainbridge focus on

⭐️90/100⭐️ Valdisole Amos, 2017 📍Roero, Piemonte, Italy🇮🇹 🍇

⭐️92+/100⭐️ Poderi Aldo Conterno Barolo Bussia Cicala, 2014

⭐️93/100⭐️ Domaine Francois Bertheau Chambolle-Musigny 1er

⭐️86/100⭐️ Vietti “Perbacco” Langhe Nebbiolo, 2017

Aurelio Settimo Barolo “Rocche”, 2001 - La Morra, Barolo

⭐️88/100⭐️ Matassa El Carner Rouge, 2018 📍Calce, Côtes

⭐️88/100⭐️ Azienda Agricola Pianora Wermut Erborista, 2018

⭐️87/100⭐️ Matassa “Coume de l’Olla Rouge”, 2019 📍Calce

⭐️88/100⭐️ Graziano Prà Valpolicella “Morandina”, 2018

⭐️91+/100⭐️ Cantina Bartolo Mascarello Barbera d’Alba, 2017

⭐️97/100⭐️ 𝑹𝒊𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒈 𝑮𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑪𝒓𝒖, 2017 📍Vosne-Romanée

⭐️81/100⭐️ Domaine Prieur-Brunet (Chateau Perruchot) Beaune

⭐️88+/100⭐️ 𝑩𝒖𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒂 𝑩𝒂𝒓𝒃𝒆𝒓𝒂 𝒅’𝑨𝒍𝒃𝒂, 1992 📍Castiglione

⭐️91+/100⭐️ Giulia Negri Barolo “Marassio”, 2016 📍La Morra

⭐️87/100⭐️ Ktima Foundi Xinomavro, 2015 📍Noussa, Macadonia

⭐️93+/100⭐️ Poggio di Sotto Brunello di Montalcino Riserva