Italy’s Recent Treasures

Bunch of Nebbiolo grapes ripe and ready to go

A string of recent excellent vintages makes an Italian offering essential. With increasing focus on quality and a rise to prominence of a number of Italian wine makers whose fame has now spread to Bordeaux and beyond, an opportunity exists to diversify one's portfolio, not simply by the addition of a country perhaps less explored than France, but also with a range of styles so broad as to boggle nose, palate and mind.

Italy is a big country. I am not talking geographically (although its longitudinal extension gives rise to interesting climatic variation), rather I refer to its complexity in a wine sense. True to its identity (that of being a (relatively) recently unified entity), Italy offers an almost incomparable multiplicity of aromas, tastes and vinous forms.

Bowes Wine Italian offers are not designed to be exhaustive. I see no need to send out speciality offers of Barolo vintages, or mailings that include the details of numerous Chianti Classicos. What we attempt to do is find outstanding examples that will showcase the brilliance of which this extraordinary country and its vineyards are capable and bring those wines to our clients in a reasonably succinct format.

The Producers and Wines

Azienda Agricola Morella

Australian oenologist Lisa Gilbee and her husband Gaetano Morella run this estate in Manduria, Puglia: the "heel" of Italy. Some years ago, Lisa (who trained at the famous Roseworthy College in South Australia) became fascinated by the undervalued but very old vineyards in the south of Italy and, shortly thereafter, found a 5 hectare block of Primitivo, the vines of which were between 35 and 70 years old.

The plants themselves are bush vines, planted on terra rossa soils supported on a limestone bedrock. We're just a couple of kilometres from the sea here, so the heat of the south is tempered to some extent by the maritime breezes.

Primitivo is a story unto itself. A few years ago, some bright spark decided to explore the history behind that classic Californian variety, Zinfandel and, more specifically, whether it had any existing relations in Europe. Soon thereafter someone pointed out that it was, to all intents and purposes, the same as Primitivo and the Americans became rather upset when the Italians started labelling their Primitivo wine as Zinfandel, something now allowed under EU law.

Then Carol Meredith got involved. Meredith was a scientist at Davis College who developed an interest in genetically fingerprinting grapes to find out something of their origins. Her findings were that both Zinfandel and Primitivo are genetically identical to a variety called Crljenak Kastelanski that is native to Croatia, from where both had migrated. Please do not telephone requesting a guide to the pronunciation of Crljenak Kastelanski.

Quote: "The wines this Australian oenologist makes from primitivo are so deeply rooted in the territory and reflect it so profoundly - despite being conceived and made in a very modern mould - that we can only stand and wonder." Gambero Rosso

Vintage	Wine	Drink dates	Case size	Price In Bond
2006	Old Vines Primitivo, Azienda Agricola Morella, Puglia, Italy Notes: In the glass, this is an almost opaque mulberry red   A delicious sweetness of fruit meets the taster's nose. Black cherry and tangy plum skins are wrapped around by dark and milk chocolate aromas and a dark spice. There's another aroma I can only describe as smoky ash!   This is rich in the mouth, almost licorous and really smoky. There's lots going on here. Tangy, crunchy, fresh fruit of black cherry and plum. This is full of grip and an almost metallic minerality. Very, very long with a fabulous finish. Zinfandel never tasted so good!	2010-2013	6x75cl	£150.00
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Azienda Agricola Galardi

We're in northern Campania here, not far from the border with Lazio and inland.

The reputation of the Galardi family is substantial and well earned. They make but one wine on their 10 hectare estate, commercialising 10,000 bottles of Terra di Lavoro every year.

The wine is a blend of Aglianico and Piedirosso, two grapes indigenous to southern Italy, both of high quality.

Terra di Lavoro has been awarded Tre Bicchieri - the top award - from the Gambero Rosso, the Italian wine guide, for the last 6 vintages, including the 2006.

Vintage	Wine	Drink dates	Case size	Price In Bond
2006	Terre di Lavoro, Fattoria Galardi, Campania, Italy Notes: This is a very deep bluish ruby in the glass   I found lots of dry spice on the nose: that brick dust smell of turmeric. There are meaty, smoky aromas and a hint of ink. There's something crisply high-toned here, floral even. Earthy black fruits: black plums, some of which are dried. One complex noseful!   Into the mouth and this is supple and instantly savoury. There are masses of very rich, very fine tannins, along with juicy grip. This is really insanely long in the mouth, the flavours lasting a full minute. Integrated minerals lead through to a fabulous, full finish. This is an earthy wine and one full of intent; structured and busy and altogether extremely serious.   "Once again I am at a loss to capture the sheer beauty of Terra di Lavoro...97/100." Robert Parker	2016-2030	6x75cl	£300.00
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Fattoria La Valentina and Azienda Agricola Inama

Stefano Inama is something of a god in the Veneto, where he makes some of the finest white wines of Italy in the form of a string of Soaves (now I write this, it does look a bit comical; true, nevertheless. We've offered them in the past, so it must be).

In the late 1990s, Stefano became interested in doing something further south and teamed up with one of the finest producers of Montepulciano (the grape, not to be confused with the town and wine in Tuscany) in the Abruzzo: La Valentina (not to be confused with Valentino, another top-notch producer in the Abruzzo. Baffling, ain't it?!).

Together, they purchased a 4.2 hectare vineyard at an auction in which they were the only bidder. No one else wanted this rather dilapidated site. Inama and Valentina, however, could see its salient qualities clearly enough: south facing and at 400 metres altitude, the vineyard was planted with the Africa clone of Montepulciano; "Africa" because the small-berried bunches resemble a map of that continent.

Now the vineyard is left to its own devices. There is little weeding, no feeding. Yields are low. The fruit concentration is self-evident in the end wine. Is this as good as Montepulciano gets?

Quote: "…very pure expressions of Montepulciano…" Robert Parker

Vintage	Wine	Drink dates	Case size	Price In Bond
2005	Binomio, Fattoria La Valentina and Azienda Agricola Inama, Abruzzo, Italy Notes: This is wholly opaque, with a very narrow band at the rim   On the nose, I found a dry inkiness about the 2005 Binomio, plus the blackest of black fruits. There are aromas of smoke and black cherry, pepper and dark chocolate.   The palate is cool and loaded with supple peppery fruit of plum and cherry, all black. Altogether a highly mineral, consistent and BIG wine in the mouth. It offers very rich, integrated, powerful grip and lovely freshness. Additional support comes from the very fine, paste-like, but sizeable tannins. Smoke wreaths itself about the finish.   "...an extreme yet varietally true expression of Montepulciano...92/100." Robert Parker	2012-2018	6x75cl	£144.00
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Renieri

The Castello di Bossi, home to Marco Bacci, owner of the Renieri estate in Montalcino

Marco Bacci's been busy. He has pushed his family estate, Castello di Bossi, to the forefront of high quality producers of Chianti. He has also planted and now started cropping vineyards in the Maremma on the west coast of Tuscany (and where I originally met him, on a hill surrounded by his nascent vinelings, with the sea away in the distance), where he produces wine under the label Terre di Talamo. And now he's exploiting a large (128 hectare) estate in Montalcino.

Marco made his own fortune manufacturing jeans for the company Diesel. We have offered his wines before.

Vintage	Wine	Drink dates	Case size	Price In Bond
2004	Brunello di Montalcino, Renieri, Toscana, Italy Notes: A medium-deep garnet colour in the glass, with a broad mahogany band at the rim   A creamy nose of milk chocolate wood and red cherry and blueberry fruit, a touch spicy. There are hints of tar and smoke, too.   This is very cool in the mouth and very mineral. The oak is present, but more integrated than the nose would suggest. A crisp wine. The medium tannins are slightly grainy, albeit integrated. There's excellent austerity at the finish that suggests this embryonic wine will last and last. Very long and very juicy.   "Mint leaf, cherry, violet perfume, pure liquorice, leather, smoke, iodine. Medium drying tannin, soft fruit body, emerging development and plenty of core fruit to develop further. 17.5+/20." jancisrobinson.com	2012-2019	6x75cl	£216.00
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Argiano

The Argiano estate and vineyards in summer

This is the first vintage at Argiano to be made by Hans Vinding-Diers. Hans's family own the Graves Châteaux Rahoul and Landiras in Bordeaux and, to further his wine making nous, Hans has worked all over the world, making wine at estates as diverse as Tyrells in New South Wales, Rustenberg and Finlayson in South Africa, The Royal Tokaji Wine Company in Hungary and Canale in Argentina. So he knows one end of a destemmer from the other. To cap it all, Hans's cousin is Peter Sisseck, owner of Pingus in the Ribera del Duero, a wine that is now the most expensive in all Spain.

Among the changes Hans has implemented here is to lower fermentation temperatures, the result of which is an emphasising and lifting of the wine's aromatics.

Vintage	Wine	Drink dates	Case size	Price In Bond
2004	Brunello di Montalcino, Argiano, Toscana, Italy Notes: The colour here is deep garnet ruby, fading to a mahogany rim.   The nose is a rich and warm one, giving up lovely aromas of pure black and red cherry fruit. I also found hints of cassis and spice, as well as some dried herb scents. There is quite a pronounced smokiness overlying the aromas and a twist of earthy liquorice root.   On entry into the mouth, the wine is supple fruited. Quickly it firms up into a very mineral and structured mouthful showing great life and drive. It powers through to a sinewy, mineral finish. Mostly about cherries, a couple of which are dried. Juicy, structured, very long wine.   "...This is the best Brunello ever from here...94/100." The Wine Spectator	2012-2018	6x75cl	£132.00
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Mascarello, Giuseppe e Figlio

The Monprivato vineyard and the villages of Castiglione Falleto and Seralunga d’Alba

That Nebbiolo is one of the great red grape varieties of the world is an undisputed fact. At one time linked to Pinot Noir, now simply compared to it, residing, as it does, in a similarly lofty stratum of the vinous firmament, Nebbiolo is one of those rare varieties that can succeed as a mono-varietal i.e. unblended with the juice of another grape. Like Pinot Noir, it has the uncanny ability of sucking up terroir through its root system and passing it through into its fruit, giving wines that are very indicative of place.

The Mascarello family have had their own estate in Barolo since the late 1800s, previously running the estate of the Marchesa di Barolo.

The family owns the Monprivato vineyard - one of the top 10 sites of Barolo - in its entirety.

Quote: "Today's younger generation of high-end producers speak with great reverence about Mascarello…Twenty years ago, Mascarello's signature Barolo Monprivato was one of the most expensive Barolos on the market. Then the new-age style became dominant during the 1990s and the estate languished in perception, but not quality…Monprivato is one of the handful of Italian wines than can hold its own with the best being made anywhere in the world." Robert Parker

Vintage	Wine	Drink dates	Case size	Price In Bond
2004	Barolo Monprivato, Mascarello, Giuseppe e Figlio, Piemonte, Italy Notes: A medium-deep cherry ruby in the glass with a rosy/brick rim.   A thoroughly lovely nose: floral aromas intertwine with hints of smoke and dried fruit of red cherry. There's a high-toned aroma like blood orange. Red and classic and crisp and focussed. Nut.   This is very fresh, very mineral, with great vim and drive. There are masses of medium, integrated, very grippy tannins and a green orange, crisp acidity. Parallel shape to this beauty and there's good, subtle tension. Salted red cherry fruit. A fabulous finish. This is elegant and rather beautiful.   "...the 2004 is another classic in the making. I was blown away by this wine’s sheer balance and harmony...96/100." Robert Parker	2015-2023	6x75cl	£339.00
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 Another shot of the celebrated Monprivato hillside (best miximised for full effect!)