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La mia passione per il vino

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La mia passione per il vino

Category Archives: Veneto

A beautiful Italian red to celebrate Mother’s day

07 Thursday May 2020

Posted by productionslevin in Italy, Veneto

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valpolicella

Mother’s day is around the corner and there is some time left to get something small for your mama.

My mom Ana always tells me in Spanish: El que no quiere a su madre, no quiere a nadie. It translates to if you can’t love your mother, you are not able to love nobody else.

Give your mamma, a nice Italian bottle so she can have on her own or with you guys this coming Sunday. Wine is the gift that keeps on giving. It brings people together and it is a social cohesive.

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The Sartori Ripasso Valpolicella 2016 ( SAQ #10669242, $17.45) is what you want to bring this coming sunday. Vintage tasted 2015. A sultry Venetian red that will complement the sunday roast or lasagna. It has a very attractive nose that brings to mind raspberry jam with touches of pitted cherries. On the palate, it has a silky texture with fine tannins. Slight sweet, it has complex retronasal aromas that brings coffe beans and dark chocolate. A long finale.

Even though, I can’t be with my mamma this coming Sunday, I will do a virtual cheers with her.

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Serious Amarones

08 Thursday Sep 2016

Posted by productionslevin in Italy, Tasting Notes, Veneto

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Amarone, CorteScaletto, Italy

As we approach the fall season, I cannot stop thinking of an all time  Italian favorite wine for this fresh and cool time of the year, Amarone.

Amarone  della Valpolicella is made to be guzzled  down with gusto sitting by the fire with a piece of hard cheese such as Parmigiano Reggiano or Gorgonzola. It also is great with dark chocolate. Made by the Appasimento method, a technique used in the Veneto to concentrate flavors and aromas in wine. Amarone has a long history dating back to ancient roman times and was created by accident. It was a variation of Recioto, a sweet red wine of the region.

This big boy from Veneto is made mainly by local varieties that include Corvina, Rondinella, Molinara. It can also include other indigenous varieties such as Croatina, Negrara and Oseletta. The end result is a percentage mix of the varieties. The production techniques as mentioned by the Consorzio Tutela Vini Valpolicella are as follows:

Corvina (from 45 to 95%), nevertheless the presence of Corvinone is allowed to the extent of 50% in substitution of the same percentage of Corvina and Rondinella from 5 to 30%.

Non aromatic red-berried varieties recommended and allowed to be cultivated in the province of Verona can contribute to the blend to the extent of 15% of a Doc. A maximum of 25% in total in the winemaking can be represented by grapes coming from the following grapevines:

non aromatic, red-berried varieties allowed to the cultivation in the province of Verona to a maximum extent of 15%, with a maximum limit of 10% for every single variety used

red-berried Italian varieties which have been classified as native according to the provisions of law nr..82/06, art. 2, and are allowed to be cultivated in the Province of Verona, for the remaining total amount of 10%”.

This early summer, the Consorzio Tutela Vini Valpolicella stopped in Montreal  to present some its member wine. A few of them striked my attention. Although, there was more Valpolicella Ripasso than Amarone.

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A new producer brainchild of Giulia and Riccardo Cavedini. They are located in Marcellise, a satellite of the town San Martino Buon Albergo, situated east of Verona. They make an Valpolicella Superiore, the Amarone and a Cabernet Sauvignon.  The estate comprises 10 ha of vineyards in the hills of Marcellise. Ricardo runs the domain and take care of the vineyards while Giulia, her daughter takes care of the commercial part.

Azienda Agricola Corte Scaletta Amarone Della Valpolicella DOCG 2011

( Corvina 40%, Corvinone 30%, Rondinella)

On the nose, a remarkable palette of nuances: leather, paprika with smoke and dry black fruits. On the mouth, rich and opulent with outstanding finesse and elegance. Complex retronasal flavors that bring to mind chinese ink , cocoa and cofee. Round tannins complement the long and classy finale. Fabolous. An amazing wine with many years ahead of evolution. 95\100

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I also tasted the wines of Cantina Tinazzi, part of the group Tinazzi. They produce both wine in the Veneto and Puglia. A Venetian family wine business with operations in Puglia as well.

Amarone della Valpolicella Selezione di Famiglia 2012.

Corvina 70%, Corvinone 20%, Rondinella 10%

On the nose, jammy black fruits with lots of black peppercorn character. Full body, austere and powerful with fine but sharp tannins. Lots of flavors on the palate that brings to mind dry brown earth, cocoa with indian spices. Very long in the mouth. Will keep for two or three decades easily. 92/100
La Bastia Amarone della Valpolicella 2012.

Corvina 60%, Corvinone 20%, Rondinella 15%, Molinara 5%
Black fruit jam on the nose with hints of balsamic condimento, raspberry liquor and dark chocolate. Polished and generous on the palate, with suave but thick tannins. Modern and sensual. 90/100

Unlucky for me, I cannot get this wines in the province of Quebec, so it was a real treat to taste them. But whenever you are, if you have a chance, grab them for your fall stash. 

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Wine of the day: La Biancara di Angiolino Maule

21 Thursday Apr 2016

Posted by productionslevin in Italy, Veneto

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Glou, La Belle Bouteille, La Biancara, Masieri

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Today, it is a very important day in the Quebec wine industry. La Biancara di Angiolino Maule is listed on the SAQ. La Biancara is part of the new arrivals of SAQ Cellier, Natural wines. The new arrivals represent a beginning of an important change in the wine culture of the SAQ. More and more, natural wines are gaining momentum at the SAQ. There are other important producers in the new arrivals including Pacalet and Sebastien Brunet

Angiolino Maule is one of the founding fathers of the Italian Natural Movement. Their estate is situated in the hills of Gambellara between Verona and Vicenza where they have roughly 9 hectares of vines on South facing slopes of volcanic soil located about 150m to 250m above sea level.

La Biancara is a strictly artisanal family estate. Farming is very naturale with no additives added. Their philosophy is to create a microclimate where diverse microorganism can live together. A minimal amount of sulphur is added just at bottling. Soils are volcanic, in which the Garganega grapes shines.

Masieri, the entry level wine of la Biancara has a fascinating nose of white peppers, musk and apricots with lots of mineral depth. On the mouth, it is super fresh and delicious to drink. Elegant, the wine displays aromas of citrus fruits with a touch of almonds and hay.

I have tried both this wine in 750 ml and magnum. My experience is that i have encountered some bottle variation with the standard bottles. Some of them have slight levels of oxydation, something quite normal for natural wines. The bottles in magnum tasted much better. However, they are difficult to find and are private imports in the Quebec market. Masieri pairs very nice with seafood pastas or risotto with asparagus.

They are represented in Quebec by La Belle Bouteille and distributed by Glou. Congratulations for this victory. Salute Amici!!!

Act fast if you want to get some bottles, because they are very limited.

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Marco Giovanetti

Wine expert and lover of life's nicest pleasures

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