Italian Portfolio Tasting in London by Winetraders

A mix and match of Italian wines by Wintraders UK, with some gems to be noted at the end of the afternoon. Here they are.

Corte Sant'Alda

Amarone della Valpolicella 2016.

A balanced wine with good minerality for an Amarone.

RRP £57. Score 92.

Recioto della Valpolicella, 2019

Balanced and long.

RRP £32. Score 92.

Inama

Soave Classico 2021

Zesty, fresh. RRP £37. Score 90

La Vedetta

Barbaresco 2020

Balanced and complex, long, potential for evolution.

RRP £ 34. Score 93.

Barbaresco Cà Grossa 2019

Great structure, will reach its apex in a few years.

RRP £45. Score 94

Cabutto

Barolo Riserva del Fondatore, 2016

Superb structure, balance and length. Give it a few more years.

RRP £61. Score 93

Walter Massa

Colli tortonesi Barbera Bigolla 2010

Round, balanced and long, a mature wine, perhaps the best today. RRP £ 52. Score 95

Montefili

Toscana IGT Anfiteatro 2016

Complex, long still a bit abrupt, and will benefit from time in the bottle.

RRP £67. Score 90

Vike Vike

Cannonau Ghirlanda Fittiloghe 2020

20yo vines, still fresh, structured, long. A little patience required.

RRP £ 28. Score 89

Cannonau di Sardegna Ghirada Gurguruò 2020

30yo vines, an imposing wine, balanced and long.

RRP £43 Score 94

Barbagia rosso Ghirlanda Istevene 2020

100yo vines (!) a harmonious wine that lacks nothing.

RRP £ 57. Score 95

Soddu

Cannonau Brulleri Ghirada Bruncu Boeli Ris 2020

Round complex and long

RRP £31. Score 95

Sardinian wines carried the day!

Wines of the Loire Valley

Another informative trade tasting on the Loire valley organized in London by Charles Sydney Wines, a specialist on this region who is based in London.

Here are my notes from my favorite wines of the day. 

Alphonse Mellot

Generation XIX, Sancerre blanc 2020
The name indicates that this is a product of the 19th generation of wine producers in the Mellot family. Perfectly balanced oak-fermented sauvignon, mod long and complex. RRP £40. Score 93.

Edmond, Sancerre Blanc, 2020

A full bodied oak-fermented sauvignon,  very complex and long. A harmonious wine. RRP £45. Score 95.

Jean Philippe Blot, Domaine de la Taille aux Loups

Triple Zero (no sugar, no bottle fermentation, no dosage) pétillant naturel

Smooth and mod long, good value. RRP £13, Score 89

Remus Montlouis 2022

Blend of different plots, very smooth and long chenin blanc. RRP £15. Score 90

Clos Michel Montlouis 2022

Better balance than predecessor. RRP 16, Score 92

Clos de Husseau, 2022

Minerality emerges from this single plot wine. RRP 17, score 92

I also tasted several sweet wines, but to be honest I was not overly impressed, a bit too sweet and sticky. Here they are.

Château Pierre Bise Coteaux du Layon Rochefort 2022, RRP £11, Score 86

Château Pierre Bise Quarts des Chaue Grand Cru 2022, RRP £ 22.40, Score 85.

Domaine des Forges, Quart de Chaume Grand Cru 2021, RRP £19.70, Score 84