Tastings March 2020

Surani Pietrariccia Fiano 2018

Masseria Surani is an estate dating back to the early 1900's, and is located just 6km from the Ionian coast in Apuglia, Italy's 'heel'. The Fiano grape is found almost exclusively in southern Italy and Sicily, and is thought to have it origins in ancient Greece.

A bright lemon colour with a golden tinge.

The nose offers an inviting mixture of citrus and tropical fruit with floral hints.

Crisp acidity and good palate texture make for a refreshing, satisfying feel. This is a perfect dinner party wine.

Drink with a salad, generously dressed with olive oil, anchovies and pine kernels or simply enjoy on its own. 

Nutty, textured and floral, Fiano is the Italian juice that rewards the adventurous white-wine fan. 

TYPE White

GRAPE Fiano

STYLE Fruity White

CLOSURE Natural Cork

ABV 13%

UNITS 9.8

COUNTRY Italy

Purchased from Majestic Wines.

Passimento Bianco 2018 Pasqua

Pasqua was founded in Verona in 1925 by four brothers and is one of the few Italian wineries still entirely family-owned. This rare white appassimento is made from Garganega, and is stuffed full of dried apricot, honey flavours and a gorgeous buttery texture that’s just crying out for food.

Fondly termed as ‘Romeo and Juliet’s Wall’, look closely at the bottle and you’ll see why. The label is tribute to Verona and the 3,000 love messages left daily in the courtyard overlooking Juliet’s famous balcony. 

Description

The grapes are selected and picked in advance and left to dry for a brief period in crates in the drying loft losing 20%-30% of their weight, thus obtaining a greater concentration of aromas and sugars. After the pressing of the grapes, they are macerated on the skins for 12 hours to increase the complexity and structure of the wine.

Vinification takes place in stainless steel tanks at a controlled temperature. Once fermentation is completed, part of the wine is aged in French oak barrels. The wine is then assembled and bottled.

This proves that the brilliance of the 'appassimento' method isn't exclusive to red wines. Made from sun-dried, concentrated grapes in Valpolicella, it's a rich, smooth white with intense hints of tropical fruits that are backed by buttery slathers of vanilla.

 Pair with anything from the cheeseboard to the roast chicken. 

TYPE White

GRAPE Garganega

STYLE Fruity White

CLOSURE Natural Cork

ABV 13%

UNITS 9.8

COUNTRY Italy

Purchased from Majestic Wines.

Domodo Negroamaro IGP 2018 Puglia

San Marzano is a co-operative of over 1000 small growers who specialise in the local Primitivo grape as well as a selection of other varietals. San Marzano wine is generally regarded as amongst the finest in the region. Established in 1962 a small selection of local farmers who adored wine got together to establish Cantine San Marzano - since then this remarkable cooperative has grown to well over 1200 vine growers. Each of these vine growers are small holdings and the consultant winemakers assist the farmers to produce the finest fruit they can in each and every vintage.

Negroamaro is a red wine grape variety native to southern Italy. It is grown almost exclusively in Apulia and particularly in Salento, the peninsula which can be visualised as the "heel" of Italy. The grape can produce wines very deep in colour. Wines made from Negroamaro tend to be very rustic in character, combining perfume with an earthy bitterness. The grape produces some of the best red wines of Apulia, particularly when blended with the highly scented Malvasia Nera, as in the case of Salice Salentino.

Negroamaro means literally 'black, bitter' and that more or less describes the grape. The pleasure of Italy for the winelover is discovering its several hundred native grapes and this is a typical and individual example. It's a regional speciality, but one that is gaining international fame. That's partly because it is simply such great value.

Main characteristics

Colour: red; dark garnet

Body: medium bodied

Tastes: an intense palate of blackcurrant and wild bramble fruit, elevated by charming hints of thyme and sweet spice. 

Spotter's guide: this is a Southern Italian speciality from Puglia.

Try it with

• Sizzled sausage pasta
• Rigatoni sausage bake
• Mild chilli & bean pasta bake

TYPE Red

GRAPE Negroamaro

STYLE Big Red

ABV 12%

UNITS 9.0

COUNTRY Italy

Purchased from Majestic Wines.

Montepulciano d'Abruzzo 2017 Masciarelli

Founded by Abruzzo native Gianni Masciarelli in 1981, Masciarelli and its wines have become the standard-bearer for the Abruzzo region, and an inspiration to all emerging Italian wine regions. After a summer in Champagne in his youth, Gianni Masciarelli returned home convinced that world-class wines could be produced in Abruzzo. Through tremendous vision and endless innovation, Masciarelli became one of the most admired wineries in Italy. Gianni firstly brought a strong focus on vineyard sites and management, not a typical point of focus at the time. Reducing yields, working sustainably, and bringing vineyard planting and management techniques new to the region, he greatly increased fruit quality. 

The innovation that Gianni and his wife, Marina brought to the vineyards and the winery has been rewarded with 29 Tre Bicchieri, the prestigious award of the most renowned wine guide in Italy, and recognition as a groundbreaking and iconic winery in Italy. Above all, Gianni Masciarelli brought attention to the extraordinary region of Abruzzo, where 30 miles separate snow-capped mountains from the sea. 

The winery headquarters are in San Martino in the province of Chieti, in the house that Gianni took over from his grandfather, and the cellar below where he vinified his first vintages. Though Gianni Masciarelli began with just five acres in Chieti, over the years the estate has grown to nearly 900 acres, though split into over 60 parcels that do not adjoin one another. The Masciarelli approach was to buy only top vineyards, regardless of location in Abruzzo. They are today the only producer in Abruzzo to own land in all 4 provinces of Abruzzo (Chieti, Pescara, Teramo and l'Aquila), and their production of wines is 100% estate.

Abruzzo has seriously strict rules. And you can really taste the quality in this. It's a step up from other Montepulciano, boasting notes of ripe cherries, sweet spices and an alluring hint of smoke. It's comfort food in a bottle.

TYPE Red

GRAPE Montepulciano

STYLE Big Red

CLOSURE Natural Cork

ABV 13.5%

UNITS 9.8

Best served with tomato based pasta dishes.

Purchased from Majestc Wines.