Wines (48 View)

Crafted from 100% Montepulciano. Vibrant Cerasuolo cherry-like color. Watermelon rind, lemon zest, and bright juicy cherry with intensity and verve. A tremendous value!

Today’s wine was a surprise at our 2023 Vintage Rosé Taste Off. It narrowly fell out of our top five wines of the day even though it was the least expensive wine in the tasting! That's right, not only did it contend with wines twice its price but was actually reviewed higher than most of them! The wine…. Cora Cerasuolo d' Abruzzo 2023.

Cerasuolo d’ Abruzzo is the rosé wine of Abruzzo – the region east of Rome on the Adriatic coast – and is made from the red Montepulciano grape. Cerasuolo translates as ‘pale cherry red’, a distinctive deep hue from a short maceration of 24 hours or less. This is in contrast to the fashionable lighter style of rosé, which is typically made by running the juice off from the skins immediately after pressing. Cerasuolo d’ Abruzzo is for wine lovers who are bored of the endless Provence-style rosés or for those who enjoy lighter reds.

Cora is fresh, fun, uncomplicated, overdeliver, and satisfying. Cora comes from a single winery in Abruzzo. They use 100% estate-grown fruit, including some older vines, and are certified sustainable farming. No herbicides, pesticides, or irrigation is used in the vineyards. Certified carbon neutral--all electricity used at the winery comes from 100% solar and wind power. Certified Vegan--no animal-derived products are used in winemaking.

From Negroamaro grapes, with minor additions of Malvasia Nera and Montepulciano. Ruby red wine with garnet effects, intense, full, rich and ethereal scent with hints of blackberry, plum, Mediterranean vegetation, ripe fruit and leather; warm, rich and generous taste, with advanced and complex tones and flavors of almond and blackcurrant.

In the Apulian plain, in the center of the Salento peninsula, between the Ionian and the Adriatic sea, extends the territory of Copertino. On this red soil, vineyards and olive trees harmoniously alternate: century-old twisted trunks of olive trees often introduces the characteristic Apulian shrub-vines that produces this strong and generous wine.

In 1935, thirty-six vine growers founded the Cantina Sociale of Copertino, with the aim of improving the cooperation and the production of their own vineyards and the trade of their wine. Today the cooperative numbers 300 proud members who confer their own harvest. The vine cultivated area extends to around 300 hectares, and all wines are meticulously treated with wisdom, result of tradition and innovation, obtaining excellent wines, able to arouse enthusiasm.

Organic / Natural

25% Malavasia di Candia Aromatica, 25% Marsanne, 25% Ortugo, 25% yet-unknown varietal.
A blend from 28-year old vines, this wine comes only from those at the bottom of the slope. Grapes are hand-picked and destemmed before fermenting naturally for more than one to two weeks on the skins. There are seven to eight pump-overs in the first few days, and the wine is both fermented and aged in stainless steel; the wine spends a total of four months on the skins. A minimal amount of sulfur is added at bottling.

This is Giulio Armani, the winemaker at La Stoppa, Emilia Romagna project.

Made from 100% Sangiovese grown in the Ramitello and Martarosa vineyards and handharvested
in October, this wine is aged in stainless steel and large oak barrels for six months
to achieve greater smoothness and softness while preserving the supple fruit-forward
characteristics of Sangiovese.

Bright red in color, aromas of violets and red berries complement undertones of leather and
anise. On the palate, this wine is dry and mellow with smooth tannins that make for a crowdpleasing,
easy-to-drink red wine.

Organic

A pure expression of Aglianico as there is no oak used in making this lush, medium-bodied Italian red. Impressive at this pricepoint!

Organic / Natural / Orange Wine

90% Malvasia/10% Ortrugo & Trebbiano Toscano. The different grapes are co-planted and the vines average 30 years in age. The fruit is picked together, destemmed and macerated with the skins for approximately a month (less time in warmer vintages, more in cooler ones); a cap of skins and seeds forms and is not broken but is kept moistened with the fermenting wine. Fermentation is with native yeasts only in steel tank; malolactic fermentation occurs naturally as well. The wine is aged for a year, half in stainlesss steel and half in used French oak, followed by two years in bottle before release. The name "Ageno" is in homage to the original owner of the estate, Giancarlo Ageno (a lawyer and wine enthusiast who brought French vine cuttings to Emilia in the 19th century)

Organic / Natural

Winemaker Notes:
60% Barbera/40% Bonarda (aka Croatina, not the same Bonarda found in Argentina). Trebbiolo is made from the youngest, most productive vines, aged 5-20 years and grown on the estate's gentle slopes and heavy clay soils. The fruit is organically farmed and harvested by hand. It is destemmed and fermented with native yeasts in stainless steel with a 20-day skin maceration; the wine is aged in stainless steel. No sulfur at any point in the process. The name "Trebbiolo" is derived from the name of nearby river and valley Trebbia; if La Stoppa opted into the Italian appellation system, Trebbiolo would be their version of a Gutturnio Fermo DOC wine.

90 pts Vinous
Masses of crushed raspberries mix with wild herbs, dried roses and hints of underbrush as the 2019 Vino Rosso Trebbiolo opens up in the glass. It’s soft and round in feel yet bristling with energy as vibrant acids enliven its crisp red and blue fruits. Sweet spices, zests of citrus and hints of mint form toward the close as this tapers off nicely refreshing with medium length. You’d be hard-pressed to stop at just one glass. The Trebbiolo is a juicy and no-frills blend of 60% Barbera and 40% Bonarda.

For those who like their reds on the sweet side, this fruit-filled treat is just the thing. Lots of juicy red berries that are hard to resist. You could go ahead and put a chill on this and enjoy it out in the sun, or take it along to your next barbecue. Heck, take it anywhere. This is definitely party wine; no thinking required, just lots of luscious sweet grapes. - PJ

Off Dry sparkling red.
Fabio Lini's artisanal approach to sparkling wine production, their bright red fruit and berry
flavors are balanced by juicy minerality. Their clean but lingering finish makes them an ideal
pairing for a wide variety of cuisines.

Organic

100% Negroamaro

Pale lemon-green. Aromas of ripe pineapple, citrus fruits, and white flowers. Notes of honeysuckle and toasted almond on the palate are lifted by lively acidity.

Harvested from the southeastern-facing Apice estate in Sannio DOC, on volcanic, mineral-rich, sandy-loam soils. Espalier-trained vines are Guyot pruned and sit at 350m a.s.l. Vines are planted at a density of 3,000 vines / hectare, producing an average yield of 8,500 kg/ha (7,580 lbs/acres) and 2.8 kg/vine (6 lbs/vine). Average age of the vines are 15 years. Hand harvested the last week of September. This unaged white is fermented in stainless steel to preserve its fresh fruit flavors. Refinement in bottle for at least one month.

91 points Wine Spectator
This sleek, minerally white offers hints of grilled macadamia nut, which underscore and enrich a finely meshed flavor profile of tangerine, persimmon and chamomile. Racy finish. Drink now through 2027. 6,000 cases made, 250 cases imported.

The Montefusco vineyard is dedicated solely to the production of Nova Serra Greco di Tufo. It has a south-east exposure, with clay-calcareous soil and traces of volcanic ash along the profile. Positioned 550m a.s.l., the vines are Cordon spur-pruned and Espalier-trained, with a planting density of 4,000 vines/ha and a yield of about 6,000 kg/ha (1.5kg/vine). The vines have an average age of 15 years. Manual harvest takes place at the end of October. Fermentation in stainless steel tanks at a controlled temperature. Refinement in bottle for three to four months before release.

94 points Wine Enthusiast
On the nose, aromas of pear, lemon and orange peel mingle with that telltale nutty-grassiness of Fiano. The pear and orange elements sweeten and intensify on the palate, but that toasted nuttiness lingers as a bracing acidity combats the overall richness.

91 points Vinous
An enticing blend of musky lime, mint and green melon wafts up from the 2022 Fiano di Avellino Radici. This washes across the palate with saline-tinged orchard fruits, complicated by flint stone as pretty inner florals form toward the close. The 2022 tapers off long and staining yet remarkably fresh, leaving a cooling chlorophyll resonance that slowly fades. The mineral intensity within is quite spellbinding.

94 points Wine Spectator
A dry and aromatic red, with accents of cured tobacco and pencil shavings to the flavors of baked raspberry, licorice snap and tarry smoke. Well-knit and balanced, this is full-bodied, with dense tannins firming the finish. Give this some time in the cellar to shine. Best from 2020 through 2031.

94 points Wine & Spirits Magazine
The Montemarano vineyard rises to 2,000 feet above sea level, where cool evening breezes tempered the heat at the end of the 2011 growing season to produce this intense riserva. The blackberry and plum fruit is loaded with notes of fennel and anise, the whole encased in rigid tannins and dark mineral tones, as well as vanilla notes picked up from 30 months in French oak barriques and Slavonian casks. Give this at least five years in the cellar before pouring with an aged strip steak.

94 points James Suckling
A beautiful red with blackberry, spice, oyster shell and hints of black pepper. Medium to full body, chewy tannins and a polished and pretty finish. Gorgeous. Made from aglianico. One of the best wines in years from here.

Mastroberardino, founded in 1878, is a protagonist in the story of fine wine from Campania in Southern Italy and of the region’s signature red, Taurasi, based on the Aglianico grape. Tenth-generation vintner Piero Mastroberardino helms the estate, working with winemaker Massimo di Renzo. Starting 20 years ago, the duo pursued a more robust style for their Taurasi, shifting gears again with the 2016 Radici Riserva to “the winemaking of my father,” says Mastroberardino. The focus here is on less extraction, with a relatively short, cool maceration of eight or nine days, followed by extended aging, including 30 months in large casks or used barriques and an additional three or more years in bottle.

90 points Wine Spectator
Fresh and stylish, with abundant cured tobacco, ground anise and white pepper accenting ripe black plum and currant fruit flavors. The finish shows a hint of tarry smoke alongside light, fine tannins. Drink now through 2025.

The name Redimore, or "king of blackberries," recalls the youthful aromas of its single varietal composition. 100% Aglianico grapes vinified with long maceration on the skins at a controlled temperature in stainless steel tanks. Aged in French oak barriques for 12 months.

Organic

This dry Italian white is a great example of what Pecorino can achieve. A straw-yellow color with a subtle toasty element and lovely minerality on the back end. This has an elegantly floral bouquet with a touch of jasmine that is quite inviting. The racy acidity holds throughout keeping it fresh and bright. Hard to beat at this price!

This family-run estate is situated in Castel di Lama in the Ascoli Piceno region, in southernmost Marche, with vineyard holdings (45 ha) straddling the Abruzzo line. The main vineyard, in Offida, is hilly (280m-350m), with eastern exposure and a loose clay soil. First planted in the 1950s, the winery is managed today by proprietor/winemaker Quinto Fausti and his son Alighiero. The Offida DOC is Pecorino's key appellation – it is the only DOC-level appellation that allows varietal wines from the grape.

Tenuta De Angelis is one of a handful of Italian wineries that have gone through the laborsome process of getting their Organic certification. All wines are fermented with native yeasts and sulfur is at a minimum.

94 points Vinous
Spicy to the core, the 2022 Montepulciano d'Abruzzo wafts up with a blend of crushed cherries and wild berries, dusty violets, lavender, and traces of incense. This is elegant in feel with silken textures and rich red and blue fruits. A crisp mineral sensation forms toward the close. The 2022 leaves the palate drenched in primary concentration, finishing with edgy tannins offset by a spike of residual acidity. Frankly, it is incredibly that this is Tiberio's entry-level red, as the 2022 displays impressive depth and complexity. It's also a tremendous value. This is the total package.

Organic

Classic Primitivo at a great price! This rich, round, spicy red was aged entirely in tank...its spicy and freshly fruity profile makes it a perfect match for pasta, pizza, burgers, or anything off the grill! Primitivo is said be related to the Zinfandel grape which many old Italian immigrants planted in Northern California in the late 19th and early 20th century. The Tratturi label was inspired by the designs of Italy of this era. The background of the label is made up of Trulli houses, which dot the countryside in Puglia. Tratturi is the word for the ancient drovers trails in the countryside of Puglia that shepherds used in the old days to bring their flocks of sheep and other animals down from the mountains in autumn. This countryside of Puglia, specifically the subzone of Salento, is the source of this bold, spicy, and delicious Primitivo. - Distributor