Pinot Noir: Monte Degli Angeli Monferrato, 2009

Not long a ago our good friend Alden brought us a bottle of Italian Pinot Noir.  I've only had one Italian Pinot Noir previouly and had little recollection of what that wine offered.  This recent choice was a Monte Degli Angeli (Mount of Angels) Monferrato, 2009 from the Piedmont region in Northwestern Italy.  Monferrato is relatively undiscovered in the US.  The estate is owned and manged by Antonio and Paolo Sperone.

I opened it at the first opportunity. My taste in Pinot usually settles in the Oregon and Washington State regions so I was a tad anxious about this Italian version.

An intriguing feature of the Monferrato is that it is not  pure Pinot Noir.  It is blended with a little Nebbiolo.  It's this blend that lends the wine its distinctive character.  Its nose is aromatic, full and with strong red berries.  The color is a beautiful ruby red.  Upon tasting, I noticed much more structure and a fuller body than the usual Pinot Noir.  The finish is long, elegant and silky, very pleasing. I would guess it is the Nebbiolo that gives it greater structure and depth.  The tannins were very modest and pleasing.  I had this wine with breaded and baked catfish with broccoli and cauliflower.  The next day I had it with, believe it or not, a bowl of Kale soup that Mary had prepared. The pairing was fine.  I'm sure you can have this wine with pasta dishes, pork, and roast chicken, as well.  The more robust nature of the wine gives it pairing possibilities with stronger red meats such as lamb. I may give that a try very soon.

The cost of this wine is unbelievably modest at around $10.00 a bottle.  It may not be the most splendid Pinot Noir every produced but it is very interesting, great to drink and a real buy at such a low cost.

Cru Beaujolais: Excellent Wine at a Modest Price

You may be saying to yourself: "Bob has finally walked the plank.  How can he be recommending Beaujolais, that stuff is like water." Ok. Admittedly, there is a lot of Beaujolais out there that is distinctly inferior.  But not all Beaujolais is bad and worthy of scorn. Duboeuf Morgon Jean Descombes 2009 is one of those wines that is enjoyable, simple, yet substantial, and very reasonably priced.  Let me explain a little about Beaujolais before letting you know about a recent example of how Beaujolais can be enjoyable and add much to a meal. 

AOC Beaujolais: This is a young, inexpensive fruity wine which contains the dreaded Beaujolais Nouveau released only weeks after being harvested.  It is undistinguished and newly born.  These wines don't merit attention.  Some people do find them refreshing and fruity and, importantly, easy on the wallet.

AOC Beaujolais-Villages: This appellation accounts for up to a quarter of all the Beaujolais produced.  It tends to be of a higher quality than the regular or Beaujolais Nouveau.  The wines are more complex and fuller bodied.  There are many good wines to choose from in this category.  Louis Jadot is a good representative of this type.

AOC Cru du Beaujolais: These are the wines grown in the top ten zones in the area and can possess very high qualities.  Cru Beaujolais is a top tier wine that is worthy of attention and enjoyment.  The wine has been overlooked due to the poor reputation gained by the Beaujolais Nouveau that floods the country every fall.  

2009 Georges Duboeuf Morgon Jean Descombes: We were lucky enough to share this wine with the Molloys and the Browns at a belated St. Patrick's Day Party.  I was obsessing about which wine to bring knowing that Florence was making a traditional corned beef and cabbage dinner.  This hearty food is notoriously difficult to pair.  Our good friend and wine expert, Kim Caldwell, warned against the pairing but thought it might be worth a try.  Lo and behold, it worked wonderfully.  The wine was juicy with good body. It was deep in color with a spice running through it that was invigorating.  It had notes of berries, a smokiness and a firm, enjoyable finish.  Most importantly, it complemented the dinner perfectly.  Our good friend Alden gave the thumbs up nod.  

Some other good Cru Beaujolais wines are:

2009 Marcel Lapierre Morgon 

2008 Charly Thevenet Regnie Grain & Granit

The Beaujolais Cru wines are inexpensive and of very high quality.  Many can be purchased for under $20.00.  

La Cala Vermentino di Sardegna 2008: A Sardinian Delight

Sella & Mosca La Cala Vermentino di Sardegna is made from 100% vermentino grapes from the island of Sardinia.  It has a pleasing yellow color with a nice bouquet of floral notes and apples.  There is a balanced acidity and an elegance to this wine that makes it very pleasing to drink.  The finish is long but not dominating.  It's refreshing and uplifting.  On first taste I found a slight bitter tang to it.  As the wine opened up the acidity and apple flavors balanced out and showed very well.  I don't think you can go wrong with this 2008, it is a wine of character.  You can serve it with seafood, salads, even grilled vegetables.  Because it is nicely balanced with gentle acidity, I would try it with white meat, as well.

La Cala is produced at the Sella & Mosca winery in the northwest side of the island of Sardinia near the port of Alghero.  It is one of the largest wine estates in Europe.  The winery is run by Mario Consorte and is considered "A model of contemporary viniculure" by Hugh Johnson.

La Cala is not expensive and certainly worth the price of around $14.00.

I'm looking forward to having this wine during a long, hot summer afternoon.

Amarone: A Pillar of Italian Wine

Last year my son and daughter-in-law presented me with a bottle of Amarone 2005 Cantina di Negrar for my birthday.  I decided last Sunday to open it up and give it a shot.  Amarone can age for many years so I thought there was a good chance it would be ready in 2011.  I decanted it for a few hours before dinner to give it time to settle down and balance out.  Before I let you know how things went a few words about Amarone are in order.

Amarone della Valpolicella Classico, or as it is commonly known as, Amarone, is one of the four pillars of Italian wine; the others being Brunello, Barolo and Barbaresco.  It comes from the hills north of the city of Veneto in the Valpolicella wine region.  Amarone is made from the partially dried grapes of Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara.  The grapes are place in a well-ventilated room for three to four months where the flavors become very concentrated.  It was awarded DOC status in 1990 and DOCG in 2009 (that's a good thing).

Amarone Della Valpolicella Classico DOC Cantina di Negrar 2005 was a pleasure to drink.  This was the first Amarone we have imbibed.  The bouquet was strong and consistent with a fruitiness and hints of cherries, chocolate and prunes.  The flavor was full-bodied and rich, well structured and exquisitely balanced, smooth and opulent. The tannins were soft with a gentle and enjoyable finish. After Mary, Angela and I took our first sips, we knew we were in the presence of a very, very fine wine.  Amarone goes beyond drinking a good wine.  Amarone gives true pleasure and is a delight.

 You can serve Amarone after decanting for two hours.  Serve it below room temperature because of the high  alcohol content.  Cost wise, Amarone can be rather steep.  Expect to spend over $30.00 easily.  However, I  believe it's worth the cost just to experience a fabulous wine.

Aglianico del Vulture: A Hidden Italian Treasure

Aglianico del Vulture is a wonderful wine.  It comes from Basilicata in Southern Italy and is made solely from the Aglianico grape.  It is grown in the very rich volcanic soil  that surrounds Mount Vulture.  It was awarded its DOC classification in 1971.  Many consider it the Barolo of the South.

The basic Aglianico must be aged at least one year before being released.  Aged Aglianico requires three years with a minimum of two years in oak.  The Riserva requires five years!

The wine itself shows fabulous balance, deep cherry and chocolate notes and a refreshing spiciness to the finish.  When young the wines are high in tannins and acidity. As the wine ages it takes on more earthy tones with deep, dark fruit.  Aglianico can become very full-bodied.

I find the wine very approachable.  Its cherry/chocolate notes are fabulously balanced.  The spice hits just as the  the other notes are fading leading to a long and enjoyable experience.  I find the wine very expressive and memorable.  It goes well with food, as well.  Mary made a fine Pasta Fagioli the other night which we served with the Aglianico.  The pairing was perfect.  Southern Italian wine with Southern Italian food, nothing can be better!

You can read more about Aglianico at Wine Review Online.com.

Enjoy!