Tastings May 2023

Castelveder Brut, Franciacorta DOCG

Franciacorta is Italy's answer to Champagne.  To achieve the same high quality, sparkling wines here are produced using the traditional second fermentation method applied to the prestigious French region.  Much like Champagne, winemaker Chiara Ziliani ensures only the best Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes are carefully harvested by hand for her blend.  Luxurious and complex, it's aged in contact with the residual yeast sediment known as 'lees', giving it a delicious creamy texture.  Expect aromas of white peach, apple and pear and rich bread and biscuit flavours.  It's a perfect match for seafood risotto.

Available from Majestic.

TYPE White

GRAPE Pinot Noir/Chardonnay

ABV 12.5%

UNITS 9.4

COUNTRY Loire Valley, France

Nero Oro Rose Sicily

Stefano Chioccioli is the man behind Nero Oro. He has made wine in almost all of Italy’s regions and his skill is obvious – Robert Parker has scored several of his wines at 100 points.  It is made from Nerello Mascalese – a grape native to Sicily. It’s not often made as a single variety wine, making this a pretty unique bottle. Discover pretty notes of rose, violet and wild summer berries. A streak of minerality makes it really fresh and elegant, so it’s a perfect choice for light summer salads topped with grapes, strawberries or watermelon.

Available from Majestic.

TYPE Rose

GRAPE Nerello Mascalese

ABV 12.5%

UNITS 9.4

COUNTRY Sicily, Italy

Vernaccia di San Gimignano

Vernaccia is one of the great white wines of Tuscany and hails from the stunningly beautiful and famous medieval hilltop of San Gimignano.  Here the grapes are grown in volcanic soil and gently warmed by the Tuscan sun to give them character and flavour.  It's a crisp and resh white and has a delicately aromatic nose, flavours of stone fruit and citrus and an underlying mineral acidity.  The wine's citrus notes make it a natural match for fish and seafood.

Available from Sainsburys

TYPE White

GRAPE Vernaccia

ABV 12.5%

UNITS 9.4

COUNTRY Tuscany, Italy

Corallo Nero D'Avola Organic

With its sun-drenched landscapes and moderate rainfall, the Mediterranean island of Sicily is a prime place for organic grape-farming.  And the young winemaker behind this bottle, Marco Lachemet, knows how to make the most of it.  Set between 200 and 450 metres above sea level, high organic vineyards have shown to be the perfect place for growing fruity Nero D'Avola, Sicily's trademark red grape.  This is bright and packed with red-berry aromas.  It's smooth, fresh and incredibly drinkable.  You'll love it with meat dishes, such as ox-cheek ragu.

Available from Majestic Wines.

TYPE Red

GRAPE Nero D'Avola

ABV 13.5%

UNITS 10.1

COUNTRY Sicily, Italy

Marzemino Trentino

This fruity and fragrant red is produced by Cantina Viticoltori Trentino, located in the picturesque Dolomite mountains in the north east of Italy.  The grape is native to the region and is famed for producing distinctive and refreshing reds with juicy cherry flavours.  Scent of violets is followed by aromas of red berries.  On the palate, notes of ripe cherries lead to a fragrant perfume on the finish.  Delicious with mushroom recipes or rich pasta dishes.

Available from Sainsburys.

TYPE Red

GRAPE Marzemino

ABV 12.5%

UNITS 9.4

COUNTRY Dolomites, Italy