Frankly, we're not a great fan of Sangiovese/Cabernet Sauvignon blends. There were many very good ones to choose from at this event. In spite of their luscious flavor, most were disproportionately expensive. We feel that the presence of Cabernet Sauvignon tends to dilute those characteristics we look for in Italian styled wines. And these blends almost always display the effects of oak, which is usually underplayed or absent from other Italian styled red wines. Further, it's difficult to perceive a sense of place in these Super Tuscan analogs. They appear more to be products of the winemaker's art than expressions of a particular soil and climate.
ITALIAN WHITES
Since Italian red varietals outnumber whites by at least 4:1, it wasn't surprising to find that only around 15% of the wines offered at this event were white; and of those, about 80% were Pinot Grigio - the most commercially successful Italian white varietal in California. Of the Pinot Grigios we tasted, Viansa's 2004 Pinot Grigio 'Vittoria' Carneros earned our highest praise, as expected. We believe that Viansa's Pinot Grigio 'Vittoria' represents the most delicious, complex, and varietally consistent Pinot Grigio offered by California wineries.
THE CUTTING EDGE
California wineries still struggle with Nebbiolo, although some very good ones are now available (see previous article). Only four examples were offered at the Cal-Italia tasting. One not reviewed in our article on California Nebbiolo we found particularly fine: Jacuzzi Family Vineyards 2002 Nebbiolo.
Spotty offerings of Charbono, Primitivo, and Grignolino were available. An excellent example of Aglianico was offered by Seghesio. This interesting and delicious wine is presently offered by only five California wineries. We thought Seghesio's Aglianico was one of the finest red wines at the tasting. But the wine we will remember most from this tasting was the fascinating and luscious 2003 Negro Amaro from Chiarito Vineyards in Mendocino County.
Chiarito is one of California's newest wineries. It's production is tiny. But it is the first California winery to introduce two staple varietals from southern Italy: Negro Amaro and Nero d'Avola. These varietals are widely used in Italian wines such as Rosso di Salento, Salice Salentino, and Taurino's much loved Notarpanaro. You won't confuse Chiarito's release with any of those former wines, however. The Chiarito Negro Amaro is a huge, mouth-filling wine with over 15% alcohol. Italy meets California, again. It's a spectacular first effort, but we hope Chiarito will add a scaled down, more Italianate version of this varietal to their lineup.
Go To Page: 1 2
