VOS Italian Portfolio Tasting

I just attended the VOS Italian Portfolio Tasting and here are my notes.

I started with an entire table of what seemed liked the full gamut of Italian whites. The Beato Bartolomeo Pinot Grigio had a lot more flavor than I am accustomed to tasting with Pinot Grigio. I enjoyed the Poggio Argentiera Vermentino, although I have difficulty discerning a flavor profile of that grape in general. As always, the Janare Falanghina from Calabria is a nice alternative to New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. The Fazio Grillo had a nice saline quality to it. The Tola Catarratto was a bit oxidized, but I enjoyed it.

Then we moved on to some sparkling. The star here was the Rocchi Vernaccia di Serrapetrona Spumante Dolce. Unlike Lambrusco, which often tastes like sparkling, moderately alcoholic red grape juice, this wine had an unmistakably identifiable nose of still red wine. The attack was fruity, but there was a lovely, intense mid-palate of darker fruit, and it lingered on the finish. In my opinion, an absolutely incredible bottle.

Next stop: Sicily. The Tola Ner D'Avola was unremarkable except for the typical pruny finish. I was underwhelmed by Fazio's lineup of Nero, Nerello, and the whites (Grillo and Catarratto). Tenuta Gatti offered two reds that were Nocera based, my first foray into this obscure Sicilian red varietal. I enjoyed the wines to some extent, but my palate detected acetone, which turned me off. The winner for Sicily (by a landslide) was the 2007 Muglia Castello Solicchiata, the winery's interpration of a Bodeaux blend: 70% Cabernet Franc, 20% Merlot, and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. This wine has a nose that made me not want to drink it, it was so beautiful. Overwhelming notes of pomegranate. A truly rarified perfume. On the palate, bright red fruit with a darker, perhaps even balsamic vinegar quality. This wine is exceptionally balanced and drinking very, very well.

I was disappointed by the lineup of Calabrese wines, especially the Aglianicos. I am a huge Aglianico supporter, and recommend it to people who are looking for Barolo or Nebbiolo at a more modest price point. Janare and Carbone did not impress me. To be honest, I would have never imagined that these wines were Aglianico. The Giovanni Zullo Primitivo had nice notes of prose petals but a bitter finish. At $8 a bottle at cose, I would entertain the idea of bringing it on as an entry-level Primitivo (is there anything but an entry-level Primitivo?), but my mind is not made up. I enjoyed trying Petrilli's lineup of Pugliese reds, including their Nero di Troia and their Nero di Troia blend (including Sangiovese, Montepucliano, and Bombino...what is Bombino??), but it wasn't good enough to include it on my list of things to buy. Also, I wasn't pleased with the Scala Gaglioppo. I'll stick with Statti.

Omero Moretti offered a nice lineup of Umbrian Sagrantino-based reds. The 2008 Sagrantino di Montefalco was a gorgeous bottle, offering tannic structure that would put Barolo to shame. In my opinion, these wines are still too young. I'd give them another 4-5 years before partaking.

I was grateful to re-introduce myself to Marco Zanichelli, winemaker of Badia di Morrona in Tuscany. I very much enjoyed his more high-end red blands. The 2009 Taneto is Syrah-based, which I love already simply because it's difficult to find a bottle of Italian red that is based on Syrah. It has nice creamy notes to it. I feel Syrah fares much better than Cabernet and Merlot in Tuscan soils, but I know that there are those who disagree with me on that point.

The wines of Fattoria di Petroio were nice, if not textbook. Unfortunately (or forunately?!), the winemakers, Diana Lenzi, was also playing chef for the day, and offered a delicious spread of Italian classics, from risotto to polenta to faro with basil pesto to foccaccia. I cannot complain. Her Chianti are softer and less tannic than I expected.

Poggio Argentiera. Morellino has a reputation of being softer than Chianti or, say, Bolgheri or Maremma, and this stereotype holds true of these wines. I guess it's common to blend Ciliegiolo with the Sangiovese here. They bottle a 100% Cigliegolo, which offers bright notes. I wanted to enjoy this wine, given the fact that I love obscure Italian varietals, but I can see why they rarely use this grape by itself. It functions better as a complement to Sangiovese.

The Mate Rosso and Brunelo di Montalcino were fine. Presumably these vineyards sit right next to those of Gaja. Alright, fine. Did I get the complexity of, say, Camigliano? No.

Next we move on to the Vallee D'Aoste. La Juiva offers a red made postly of Nebbiolo, which the locals call Picatendro.

2105 Vias Imports Grand Portfolio Tasting

I just attended the Vias Grand Portfolio Tasting. Here are my notes.

The Drunk Dago pouring Sangiovese di Romagna
Bologna, August 2006

First off, let me start out by saying that this stuff, as they say in the biz, is my jam. Naïve as I was, I just couldn't believe that there were importers dedicated to bringing primarily Italian wines into the US market. I was like, They like this stuff too???

The winners of the tasting for me were a producer of Sangiovese di Romagna, a producer of Aglianico, and a producer of Nebbiolo.

First we begin with Fattoria Paradiso. Now I know my palate was coddled on Sangiovese di Romagna from my year in Bologna, so I will admit to being biased. But boy, this stuff is so gentle. It's a different clone of Sang than what they use in Tuscany, and the rolling hills outside Bologna make for a softer, more amicable expression of the grape. What I love about these wines is that they don't try to be any more than what they are. There has developed a benchmark style of Chianti, and it seems that all producers try to craft their products toward this style. But producers of Sangiovese di Romagna have no intention of producing Chianti. And at $11 a bottle wholesale, this stuff is a steal! They also bottle a 100% Barbarossa, and they claim to be the only label to do so. At first taste, I thought it was limited on the palate, but then I got nice notes of mint (or other sweet herbs?). Apparently they've been growing this grape since the 1950s.

Padova 2006

Onto Terredora di Paolo. I had purchased their entry-level Aglianico at a wine shop in Sonoma a few years back and enjoyed it. And all three of their versions of the grape were very lovely (only lovely) until we reached the 2008 Pago dei Fusi Taurasi. Holy Shitballs, this wine is amazing. They only release this label in the best vintages. The 2008 is on the market now, and they had not released this since 2005. A gorgeous dirty brown hue to it. Overall a savory experience, with tons of red meat. There is absolutely nothing that isn't integrated in this wine. All hints of grapy-ness have been eliminated. A sensuous finish. That grief-stricken moment after swallowing a sip made me covetous for more.

Finally, Il Chiosso. I don't gravitate toward Nebbiolo. Especially young Nebbiolo in the style of Barolo or Barbaresco. The tannins hurt my feelings. But I believe these wines are a beautiful expression of the grape and have been aged the proper time to allow the complexities to develop and the grape's inherent tannic/acidic character to mellow out. The winemaker poured three: A Ghemme, a Gattinara, and a Fara (Fara is a new DOC for me). In the glass, a gorgeous brick red that leans more toward the brown side of things. An inviting and generous attack, which I don't usually get from Neb. And, praise the Lord, it doesn't hit you with an Anschluss of tannin on the finish. I could drink these wines every day.

Other snarky notes:
Damilano: Italian for "tannin bomb". I could not distinguish amongst the 27 Barolos they were pouring (I'm exaggerating, but...)
Gouguenheim: I only care for the Torrontes. Use of oak to cover up mediocre fruit in the Malbec.
Lechtaler: I want to like these wines, but the alcohol is not integrated.
A slew of unmemorable Chiantis: Gagliole, Meleto, Rampolla

Still a big fan of Tenuta I Gelsi, who make the killer bargain wine, Gelso Rosso (100% Aglianico). Good juice!

A lovely Bonarda from Castello di Luzzano. I had already purchased their frizzante version (Manor House, NYC, $17), but the still version has more depth to it. Beware of the new labels! I mean, there's nothing to fear, but they are new.

I got into a discussion with two of the Italian pourers about Cabernet grown in Italy. I offered the idea that when Cabernet is blended with Sangiovese, it's like two kings battling over their turf. It just doesn't work. I feel that the tight, restrained dark cherry notes that often come from Cabernet grown in places like Bolgheri overshadow the bright strawberry notes of the indigenous Tuscan varietal. I believe Syrah and Merlot make better companions to Sangiovese because they more forgiving on the palate and don't require as much oak.

I thought I hit all the tables I wanted to, but flipping through the tasting guide afterward, I noticed there were a handful of producers I missed: Colpetrone (I've had their Sagrantino), Pecchenino (I've enjoyed their Dolcetto numerous times). I'm really bummed I missed Statti. I've had their Gaglioppo (I bought it at a wine store in Astoria for, like, $11). They make a blend of Gaglioppo, Greco Nero, and Nerello Cappuccio that I would have been very interested to try. Also a grape called Mantonico, that I know nothing about.

I noticed that I had already purchased a good number of the labels Vias represents on my own over the years. Some of my favorites from my blog I was pleasantly surprised to see in their portfolio: Terre di Paolo, Camigliano, Pecchenino, Colpetrone. Seems like I was attracted to these labels before I had any association with Vias.

I like Cantele's lineup, but I want more from Pugliese wines. I think things are just getting started for Primitivo and Negroamaro. Yes, these are simple, drinkable wines at great prices, but can more be done?

 learned about two new red grapes from Campania. Terre del Principe bottles two indigenous varietals, both blended and separate. They are Casavecchia and Pallagrello Nero. I was surprised at how tight, focused, and "cool climate" these wines seemed to be, despite Campania's being considered a warm climate. A suitable comparison was not coming to me, but Patrick mentioned Mencia, and I can see that. Or Maybe Cabernet Franc from Long Island. Either way, nothing like Aglianico.

I guess there's a discrepancy between Alicante and Alicante Bouschet. The former, to my surprise, can be used in Chianti Classico. Ampeleia, a label Vias carries, makes what they call an Alicante Nero, which they claim is Grenache. I have a hard time believing that.

Thoughts on Valpolicella: Recently I've been getting either acetone or heat. Really looking for a well-balanced Val.

Ladies and Gentlemen, it's Grignolino Season!
2013 Fratelli Antonio & Raimondo Grignolino

Grignolino is really Piedmont's only red grape varietal, apart from Nebbiolo, Barbera, Dolcetto, Freisa, Ruche', Vespolina, Croatina, and Bonarda. As such, it's important that you know about this fun, easy, light, gulpable wine. If the Piemontesi drink Dolcetto while their Barolo ages for 4 years, then they drink Grignolino while their Dolcetto ages from the cellar to the storefronts. I could go swimming in this wine, it's so easy-to-drink. The classic Italian acidity is there, but it's balanced by the earthiness that, say, French and Oregon Pinot Noirs don't provide (to my palate). Tannin is low. The color in the bottle and glass is more reminiscent of a heavy rose, and in fact this could be drunk (gulped) chilled on a warm May afternoon. I am reminded of Gamay or Petit Rouge or Schiava. The only real tasting note of worth is fresh strawberries, although I did get a hint of Greek yogurt after the bottle had been open an hour or so. No real finish to speak of, but that's ok at this price point. Bottlenose Wine sells this for $9.99. This would make an excellent crossover wine for someone afraid to delve into the Italian repertoire, for its accessibility on the palate and its forgiving price point. In New York, this wine is distributed by Communal Brands (Thanks, Nick, for the free bottle) and comes to us from Fratelli Antonio and Raimondo, who also produce a Barolo. Props to them for working with a now antiquated native varietal. I believe this to be quite textbook. Up next, I'm itching to try Heitz Cellar's version of this grape. Old World versus New World, baby.

I love this little gem! (Or should I say, Ghemme?)

I found this book in a box of my father's old restaurant things. It was written and published in 1989 (ie, the Paleolithic Era in wine years), but most of the producers they mention are still making exceptional wine! It's fascinating to see how the world of Italian wine has evolved since then. This was just as the Super Tuscan explosion was starting, so DOCs such as Bolgheri and Maremma didn't exist (These appellations were elevated from IGT to DOC in 1994 and 2011, respectively). What I love about this book is that it's not commercialized, there's no marketing ulterior motive, and it's jam-packed with information. It has a list of the top producers and vintages for each varietal or style, and these producers aren't named "top" just because they advertise in Wine Spectator....amazing. The maps, although outdated, are in color and very specific. It's particularly useful for the smaller, more obscure regions, sub-regions, and varietals that are often overlooked. It hearkens back to a time when Italian wine, for those who knew it intimately, was more than just Barolo and Chianti. It was also Bardolino and Vespolina and Nero di Troia. I believe that the age for these wines to return to American appreciation is coming. Author David Gleave is a member of the Masters of Wines and founded Liberty Wines Ltd in 1997. He is one of the UK's leading experts on Italian wine. Consultant Editor Joanna Simon is a British wine journalist and author.

More Italian Wine!

I just returned from a couple days down in LA, and I stumbled upon some very interesting bottles that I'm very excited about reviewing: 


From Wine House in LA 
(Cotner and Pico just off the 405) 
2008 Colpetrone Sagrantino di Montefalco -- $24 
2006 Conti Sertoli Salis Rossi di Valtellina $18
2012 Santadi Monica di Sardegna "Antigua" -- $13 

From Mission Wines in South Pasadena
2012 Tommasi Valpolicella Classico Superiore "Rafael" -- $16 


From Total Wine in Thousand Oaks 
2009 Los Robles Hills Sangiovese 
2007 Viticcio Chianti Classico Riserva 

From San Vicente Cellars in Camarillo 
2010 San Vicente Sanjojovese Central Coast 

3 Cheap Chiantis you don't need to drink 
Friday, July 18, 2014 10:17am

I know what you're thinking: "But I see them everywhere; they must be worth a shot!" A shot, maybe. As in, 1 ounce. But certainly not a whole glass. And most assuredly not an entire bottle. I include Bolla and Gallo's Ecco Domani in this list. They all go for around $10 and you would be better off buying a 6-pack of Sam Adams. Thin, watery, highly acidic, and no redeemable fruit offerings. Yea, I said it. They're bad. With so many other, less-known $10 Sangioveses out there (many of which I've reviewed on this site!), why even bother? 

Welcome to the 

DRUNK DAGO

the personal wine blog of 

ERIC PETRUCCI

Thanks for stopping by!

I started this wine blog as an expansion of a wine pamphlet intended to educate my friends who didn't know much about wine. In these following pages you'll find the information I've garnered by drinking a lot of wine. I don't purport to be an expert; I do not work in the industry and I have no professional affiliations. My goal for this blog, really, is to consume wine from a curious and critical perspective, to track the wines that I do consume, and to notice trends in what I like and dislike. I believe every avid wine drinker should do this in some form or another.

The wine industry is so much more than just a smattering of random bottles. It's important to get to the heart of it: the wineries themselves. I'm fortunate to live two hours away from two of California's most important wine-growing regions: Santa Barbara and Paso Robles. Every so often I feature articles about wineries in my area to expand their recognition. 

Anyone who has entered a wine shop with me knows to stand back. I'm always on the hunt for the right bottle at the right price. Finding a reliable, consistent purveyor is very important, so spend some time in the "Wine Shops" section. I'm familiar with wine shops in my home base of Ventura County, California, but also Los Angeles, New York, and Boston.

Feel free to send me an email with comments, ideas, or suggestions. You can reach me at ericmpetrucci@gmail.com. I also accept free wine to review! 

The Drunk Dago with friends Heather, Laura,
 and Marcum in an oh-so-candid
photo at Ty Caton in Sonoma. 

Why drink wine? First, wine is elusive. No two bottles of any wine are exactly the same, and winemakers have never guaranteed that they will be. Nothing drinkable is more dependent on storage, the air, and specific drinking conditions. You open up a bottle of Stoli vodka, pour yourself a drink, and put it away. The next day you’ll still have Stoli vodka, with almost no noticeable difference in taste. Put away a bottle of wine overnight and in the morning you will have an entirely different drinking experience. A particularly harsh wine when opened will soften in a matter of minutes. A wine of quality will exhibit different characteristics with very sip, sometimes even during the same sip. Sometimes you’re doomed to fail even before you pop the cork. For one, bacteria can grow in the bottle, essentially making the wine undrinkable. What’s more, the bottle may have been stored improperly by either the vineyard or the distributor, contributing to an “off” taste that’s otherwise uncaused by any inherent of its own. Finally, either you or the seller may have kept the bottle in an unfavorable location exposed to heat. Enumerating these flaws of the product may turn some off to it all, but I believe anyone who has enjoyed a wine drinking experience—the result of a series of intelligent and fortuitous events—will vouch for the intangible allure it offers.

Wine is exposed—vulnerable. You add nothing to it—do nothing to it—to drink it, and all its flaws and attributes are presented immediately without defense. While is customary to chill beer and add dilutions and ice to alcoholic drinks (in essence masking the flavor), we drink wine either room temperature of slightly chilled.

Wine is celebratory. Even from biblical times we have used wine to chaperone many of life’s rites of passage—weddings, graduations, promotions, and the like. Reserving a special bottle for an anticipated event can be memorable.

How I Began to Love Wine

It was one of my first nights in Bologna, Italy, as part of a year-long intensive full-immersion study abroad program. Designated as the “wine guy” by my peers, I was the favored winner of the competition to secure the most amount of wine for the cheapest price. It would be our fuel for late-night carousing.

I asked her to recommend me a bottle, in my broken knowledge of both wine and Italian. “Signora, un vino rosso, buono e robusto.” A good, robust red wine. She showed me the display of bottles I knew nothing about, at prices I couldn’t afford. I inquired into the gallon-sized jug at the bottom of the shelf, on sale for 4 Euro. “Insomma, e un vino per ogni giorno.” An everyday wine. I smiled, paid my 4 Euros, and returned to camp. Thus began my love affair with wine.

My Background

I was raised with an appreciation for fine dining with wine always present, my parents having owned a fine-dining Italian restaurant for ten years in my home town of Camarillo, CA. I began washing dishes at 10, bussing tables at 12, and was known for some killer dessert presentations. As time went on all the members of my immediate family helped in creating the vibe of the restaurant, and it was this commitment to family that earned its reputation as being warm, hospitable, and generous.

What I Drink

I drink primarily red wine. I don't harbor resentful feelings towards white wine, and some really well-made Chardonnays and sweet dessert wines will at times peak my interest, but for the most part I just don't find much to talk about.

I drink mostly Italian wine, for a variety of reasons. My year spent in Italy gave me an opportunity to drink good local wine at a very reasonable price. I never had to worry about shipping costs and only the most sought-after collectible Italian wines are overpriced, so I rarely had to worry about getting ripped off. Whether it's in my blood to love Italian wine or whether this was the first wine I came to know intimately I'll never be able to say. What's more, due to my background in Italian cooking, that's basically most of what I cook, especially when I'm entertaining. I feel most comfortable preparing a bowl of pasta with homemade bolognese or risotto with mushrooms than I do anything else. What's a barbeque? I think nothing starts a meal off quite like the smell of onions and garlic sauteed in olive oil. And almost any Italian wine, be it Brunello or Dolcetto or Negroamaro, will go great with traditional Italian fare. Finally, I've noticed in my tasting, conversing, and researching that many wine drinkers don't drink Italian wine even though it's underpriced and versatile. Either they're intimidated by Italian labels which provide almost no useful information (This is, in fact, a problem) or they're stuck in the mid-1990s mentality that the only wine out of Italy is cheap Chianti to go with delivery pizza. I've found it my personal mission to educate others about Italian wine and in some way to represent my people, no matter how far removed historically or geographically I am from them.

Without sounding noncommital, I gravitate toward medium-bodied wines with moderate tannin, acid, and alcohol levels. Certain varietals such as Pinot Noir and Gamay, for example, sometimes lack the brightness that acid offers or the structure that tannins provide, leaving my palate unsatisfied. On the contrary, big burly wines such as Syrah or Zinfandel tend to overwhelm many meal selections and their high alcohol contents leave me feeling full after one glass. Not to mention unintentionally boozy. This "middle of the road" style is embodied in wines from the Sangiovese grape and from the Rioja region of Spain above all others, in my opinion. This is why I flock toward these wines.

I'm always on the lookout for something new and different, and I will rarely go back to something unless it truly changed my life. There are so many different varietals and styles from so many countries that I find it a crime to do what most wine drinkers do, which is to find one wine they like and to never deviate from drinking it. Yes, when you experiment with new things, you will make mistakes and lose some money in the process, but you will learn so much more about what you like and how different wines can taste. If I come across a varietal I've never heard about, I make it a point to research it and to buy it the next time I'm in a wine shop.

Unless by a strong recommendation from a friend, I rarely seek wines from the New World. It's my personal opinion that New World winemakers lack the knowledge of the terroir-driven concepts of soil and climate that are paramount to creating sound wine. I applaud them for their energy, entrepreneurship, and eagerness, but I also fear that some of them may be part of a grand scheme to capitalize financially on a growing market and interest, especially in countries like the US that have the economies to support such speculation. I suspect that these winemakers ignore warnings that only certain grapes can be grown in certain climates or that years, if not generations, of winemaking are required to produce that "perfect" bottle. Rather, they take shortcuts in the vineyard and the cellar and produce wine with flaws that would make any Old World producer blush with embarrassment. It's been the tradition of New World winemakers to inundate drinkers' palates with alcohol and sugar--two of the most addictive substances known to man--so that no other traits of the wine come through. Compare this to the paradigm of the Old World producer--a farmer, intimately connected to his land, whose main goal is to enjoy the wine he creates and to improve it year after year--and there seems to be no reason to even drink New World. Of course, this is all opinion, and I try not to judge those whose tastes differ from mine.

There are some types of wines that get me very excited. As you will soon discover from reading my reviews, I am a devotee of the Sangiovese grape, in all its iterations. I love the fruit, the acid, and the crispness of it. It can be very good when blended with traditional French grapes such a Merlot and Cabernet. Wines from the Rioja Region of Spain or wines made in that style I do also greatly enjoy. I find the blend of Tempranillo and Grenache to be brilliant. I am a big supporter of any counter-cultural California winery that dares to plant and bottle varietals and styles not traditionally associated with the area, such as the Rhone Ranger movement and any Cal-Italian winery.

I don't subscribe to anything trendy. That is to say, I don't force myself to like a wine simply because there is big hype about it or because large publications such as Wine Spectator tell me to like it. Nowadays everyone's crazy about Malbec from Argentina. I can't stand Malbec, so why would I recommend it? Why would I buy it?