A little less than a year ago, I made a New Year’s resolution to not only trying more Italian wines, but to also have more of an open mind when drinking them. For as long as I can remember, I have eschewed wines from Italy for a couple of reasons. First, most of the wines that I could actually afford tended to be over-stewed acidic train wrecks (the reds) or insipid, bland, and flabby (the whites). Second, I have spent most of my time in France trying to get a handle on the myriad French wine regions (and in doing so also picked up the inherent French disdain for Italian wines).
Since I have been writing this blog, I have come across scores of people who have challenged my opinion on Italian wines and called me off track, mis-guided, or worse. So I have made a concerted effort to try more Italian wines this year, and this is my latest foray. (Yes, it is now November, but it is never too late to keep a resolution, right?)
The first wine comes from the central Italian region of Montefalco, which is roughly equidistant from Rome and Florence. While the estate has existed since the 13th century, vines were not planted there until the end of the 19th century. The wine was sold off as bulk for close to a hundred years until 1979 when the company began bottling their own wines.
2011 Antonelli San Marco Montefalco Rosso: Retail $25. 70% Sangiovese, 15% Sagrantino, 15% Montepulciano. A medium ruby-red with some good red berry fruit on the nose–not overly complex by any means, but approachable. This follows through on the palate with some nice fruit upfront followed by some depth on the mid-palate. A nice, albeit brief, finish. This wine will not set your hair on fire, but it will have many fans around the table, where it belongs. Very Good. 87-89 Points.
The next three wines come from the Marchesi Fumanelli family, which has been making wine in the Veneto (northern Italy) on their Squarano estate since 1470. (That gets a Whoa.) the family operated business has 78 acres of exclusively estate grown fruit, making it one of the largest producers in Valpolicella.
2011 Marchesi Fumanelli Terso Veneto IGT: Retail $35. 50% Garganega, 50% Trebbiano Toscano. I have not hidden my disdain for Italian white wine on this blog–mainly due to a general lack of acidity and rather boring flavors. Well. I might just have to alter that stance after this wine. Lightly golden with apricot, granny smith apple, and just a hint of mint waft out of the glass, and flavors of white peach and maybe some fennel seed greet the palate. All those flavors, and yes, acidity, are really impressive–I even double checked the bottle to make sure that it was indeed Italian (yeah, my skepticism runs deep). All of this with a lingering finish? I’m all in. Outstanding. 91-93 Points.
2013 Marchesi Fumanelli Valpolicella Classico Superiore: Retail $30. 40% Corvina, 40% Corvinone, 20% Rondinella. A wine made from the same grapes used to make Amarone, but this wine is made in the traditional way, not by the appassimento process (where the grapes are first dried before pressed and fermented). Fairly dark with cassis, pine, and a bit of anise. On the palate, not surprisingly, there are many of the flavors and some of the richness of its more prestigious brethren: dark berry fruit with plenty of “oomph”. I went to an Amarone tasting in October and was very impressed. This wine, from the same region and the same grape varieties is no slouch either. Outstanding. 90-92 Points.
2008 Marchesi Fumanelli Amarone della Valpolicella: Retail $80. 40% Corvina, 40% Corvinone, 20% Rondinella. I was recently at a Amarone tasting at the Italian Embassy in Washington, D.C. where I learned a boatload about the appellation. This was not one of the dozens of wine I tried that day, but maybe it should have been. Fairly dark, with ripe red berry fruit, accentuated by fruit cake cherry (I am a fan of fruit cake, by the way). This wine needed air and time, but once it had both, Whoa. Rich and full on the palate in a fabulous way. It took a bit to get there, but this gets another Whoa. Outstanding. 92-94 Points.
The last wine (at least for now) comes from Umbria, the perhaps less well-known neighbor of Tuscany. The wines of Umbria tend to be a bit more rustic than those of Chianti, but pair exceedingly well with Umbrian cuisine (as one would imagine).
2011 Perticaia Montefalco Rosso: Retail $25. 70% Sangiovese, 15% Sagrantino, 15% Colorino. I drank this over a couple of days–the first day it was largely fruit driven with raspberry and blueberry fruit, but lacking a bit on depth. The following day, the fruit was still there, but there was a marked increase in depth and complexity. I thought I was not really going to be all that excited about this wine, but I did a near 180 in the last 24 hours. Very Good to Outstanding. 89-91 Points.
A few more tastings like this, and I will be well on my way to a new-found appreciation of Italian wines. Who knows? I might even opt for them over the French (not all the time, just once in a while…).
the drunken cyclist 
there can’t be many people who’s new year’s resolution is to drink More wine! Wine tasting in Tuscany is where my hubby decided he enjoyed drinking red wine and he hasn’t looked back since 🙂
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For years, I had the somewhat standard French approach toward Italian wine: Meh. But that is gradually changing!
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Good to see you trying these Italians, nice choices and some great wine.
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There is so much good wine in the regions that I know fairly well, it was easier to largely ignore the Boot. But you are right, there are just too many good wines there!
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Thanks for sharing. Look forward to future Italian posts.
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A few more on the way before the end of the year, that’s for sure!
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I am taking an online wine class via the San Francisco Wine School, and this week we are studying Italy. Perfect timing! I may share your link.
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Oh great! Please do!
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I did share. I hope the other students enjoyed the post as I did.
I did my class tasting on two Italian wines. The first a Barolo, I loved, but I knew this would happen. It is a favorite grape and region of mine. The Taurasi, not so much. It may have been the first aglianico wine I have had. It was a powerful red, but had a very strong Band-Aid aroma and flavor. Brett? Have you had any experiences with Taurasi or aglianico? I’m anxious to hear if my tasting was a rare one or a common example. (The Taurasi produce was Colli di Lapio.)
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Certainly sounds like Brett! Brett is a curious thing–most new world producers see it as a fault and go to great lengths to eliminate it. Old world wines often seem to embrace it as older wineries are “infested” with it. I can handle it, even enjoy it in moderation (many Burgundies would not be the same without it, e.g.). Certainly many of the Taurasis that I have tried have had Brett to some degree. As I said, I don’t mind it in moderation, but when it is overpowering, I certainly see it as a fault.
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A couple of great regions for Italian wines. I love wines from Valpolicella & Montefalco! You have a wonderful selection. If you can find and afford a 2010 Brunello Riserva you’ll be 100% sold. I simply love Italian wines!! Salute!
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I am going to hit Tuscany with the next few wines that I just got in!
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Having just returned from Spain, we are now on a similar exploration of verdejos and albarinos. It is so much fun exploring new territories…both on the ground and in the glass. Hope you enjoy the journey as mush as we enjoy hearing about it!
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It seems as though the Spanish varieties are becomming more and more popular as plantings in the US–I would say even more so than the Italians….
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Glad to see you coming around, my friend. Keep it up.
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If you twist my arm….
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…ooohhh…now we are good friend!!!
(-;
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I just bought three different wines from Italy last weekend. While I don’t have anything against Italian wines, we usually purchase French and Spanish wines. We got two from Montefalco and another from Sicily. Looking forward to trying them. (On a juice fast this week…no wine. Silly I know.)
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Juice fast? I am pretty sure I could never do that, but I would have to try it first. And I KNOW i will never do that….
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I am glad to see that you are finally keeping your promise! I happen to like Italian wines and like everywhere else there are good, bad and so-so offerings. I think you can find plenty to like there and after all that’s an easy promise to keep because it’s not like you lost a bet and had to drink New Jersey wines! 🙂
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Ha! I will actually be sampling a few New Jersey wines next week–wish me luck!
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Glad to know you are expanding into Italy. A wine person once told me that not only does Italy have many wonderful wines, they also have a lot of bad wine … yes … the importance of awareness and knowledge.
Love to hear your opinion on Allegrini Palazzo della Torre … here’s the label https://www.thepartysource.com/express/item.php?id=5342
I remember the first Amarone I had with dinner … thinking NO WAY it would go with steak … glad I was wrong. Cheers to Barolo & Brunnelo
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I will have to try and find that wine–looks like it is a blend of the tradtional Amarone varieties…. Great to hear from you Frank! I hope all is well in the Buckeye State!
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Let me know if you review it … My gut is that it will be easy to find. Meanwhile, another interesting style is a Ripasso – quite of a mini Amarone.
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I used to find Italian whites too acidic rather than too flabby – but usually lacking in flavour. They are much better now than ten years ago. The great thing about Italian wine is that every part of the country makes wine, often from indigenous grapes that aren’t found elsewhere.
And I’m with you on Amarone – probably my favourite Italian wine of all!
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Yeah, Italian whites are a real mixed bag for me, but I have hope: I have tasted some really nice Italian whites this year. I am a big fan of Anselmi from Soave (although they do not use the appellation).
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