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WINES By Chuck Hill
About Chuck
PREVIOUS COLUMNS Cabernets & Blends
Oysters & Mussels
Zinfandel... A Wine
Up & Coming Red Wines
Riesling & Crab
Pinot Noir &
Viognier & Friends
Versatile Chardonnay
Syrah & Petite Syrah
Italian Wines
A Spicy Gewürztraminer Swan Song?
Wines of the Week REVIEWS
BY VARIETAL
Chuck's Wine Reviews
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Wines of the Week
Italian Varietals – Ciao Paisano Part
Two! As wine lovers grow and learn and taste more wines, they find out that wines from certain European countries have distinctive aromas and flavors. Most experienced oenophiles can sniff a glass and identify whether the wine originated in France, Italy, Spain or the U.S. It is not just the variety or blend that makes this possible. It is a combination of terroir, winemaking and magic. Many American palates have been groomed to expect red wines to have a lot of extract and toasty oak. European palates seek nuances that are hidden when wines are made from overripe grapes or aged in predominantly new oak barrels. Washington Sangiovese wines are often made in this ripe style that appeals to Cabernet lovers. Chef Ted served delicate, deep-fried Calamari with the dry white wines and his Pappardelle Bolognese with the reds.
Columbia Crest This is a pleasant, balanced version of Pinot Gris in the Washington style, offering aromas and flavors of pear and apple with notes of citrus and mineral. It is a refreshing sip on its own or a suitable accompaniment to sea foods, salads and other light fare.
Maryhill Winery The webcam this morning shows beautiful clear skies looking out over the Columbia River Gorge; weather promises to hold for the weekend! Here is a wine you can serve with Sunday brunch to accompany light savory dishes, pastries or a dish of fresh fruit… delightful! Aromas and flavors of baking spice, elderflower, lychee and tangerine make this a favorite with light desserts also.
Whidbey Island Winery
Greg Osenbach crafts his Rosato from Sangiovese and Lemberger from
Washington’s Yakima Valley. This elegant dry rosé is kissed with a hint
of color from minimal skin contact and offers aromas and flavors of
strawberry, citrus and rose petal to accompany your afternoon snacking
or picnic.
Maryhill Winery Here’s another refreshing sipper from Northwest wine country! A little more assertive than the rosé above, look for aromas and flavors of strawberry, cranberry and mineral with notes of citrus on the finish. Bring this one along for your warm spring picnic in the Columbia Gorge.
Zerba Cellars Cecil and Marilyn Zerba started a nursery business in the early 1980s in Walla Walla and after 20-years of success switched to grape growing, founding Winesap Vineyards. They now have three vineyards in the Walla Walla AVA, taking advantage of the area’s unique soil types and elevations. This estate-grown Barbera offers aromas of earthy spice, dark fruits and toasty caramel. The palate shows flavors of candy cherry, cinnamon, spicy anise and finishes with notes of vanilla and dark chocolate.
Animale Winemaker Matt Gubitosa crafted his powerful Barbera from fruit grown at Gilbert 24K Vineyard in Mattawa. Blended with bits of Petite Sirah, Dolcetto, Syrah and Zinfandel, the wine confirms Matt’s dedication to ripe fruit and rich flavors. Deep and inky purple in color, look for aromas and flavors of fresh berry, dried plum, spicy raisins and cherry. Rich cheeses or meats from the grill make excellent accompaniments.
Zerba Cellars Winemaker Doug Nierman’s version of Italy’s “sweet little one” shows aromas of cran-cherry, toasty vanilla and floral perfume. The palate offers pasta-friendly flavors of cherry, toasty spice, citrus and creamy berry. Serve this complex wine with herbed chicken, pasta putanesca or your favorite version of Bolognese.
Animale Matt Gubitosa’s “sweet little one” is certainly not little, but offers a sweet side with oodles of blueberry and dark cherry fruit that lead to a finish that is soft and amenable to pairing with a variety of savory fare.
Whidbey Island Winery Primitivo is the clone of Zinfandel found in the Apulia region of Italy. This version was the favorite of a tasting session with aromas of smoky spice, dark brambleberry, vanilla and dried plum. One taster referred to the palate as “in your face” with ripe plum and blueberry, and notes of baking spice, licorice and vanilla.
As we leave the confines of varietal labeling, we enter the magic world of Super Tuscans. Blends of Sangiovese with Bordeaux varietals, these wines offer complexity and power not achievable with Sangiovese alone. Walla Walla Vintners Bello Rosso is a 50/50 blend of Sangiovese with Cabernet Sauvignon and offers appealing aromas of cassis, vanilla, earthy spice, citrus and floral perfume. Flavors of black currant, toasty oak and vanilla lead to a spicy finish that pairs well with richly sauced pasta.
Covington Cellars This version of a Super Tuscan blend from Covington Cellars includes 60% Sangiovese with 20% each Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. This combination is a winner with aromas of black cherry, sweet herbs, vanilla and smoky cedar. The toasty palate adds mint, dark chocolate and black peppery flavors to the fruity cherry and vanilla base.
Tero Estates
Mike Tembreull and Doug Roskelley purchased the historic Windrow Vineyard near Milton-Freewater, Oregon in 2007. The Tero Estates Winery (Tero formed from the first two letters of each partner’s last name) was created in 2009 and winemaker Ashley Trout came aboard in 2010. Their palate-pleasing Super Tuscan is 51% Sangiovese and 49% Cabernet Sauvignon. Look for aromas and flavors of candy cherry, earthy herbs, cran-cherry, citrus, berry and spice. The wine needs aeration to open up and an accompanying meal of meat from the grill.
Walla Walla Vintners With each highly-anticipated vintage, the wines from Walla Walla Vintners become more complex and sophisticated. This Sangiovese impressed our tasting panel and earned high marks. Aromas and flavors of cassis, dusty herbs, vanilla, citrus and floral perfume made a great pairing with richly-sauced pasta.
Leonetti Cellar I have been tasting wines from Leonetti Cellar for well over 30 years, and the wines continue to improve and reflect the character of each vintage. This wine has received rave reviews from esteemed critics, retailers and consumers. It is a rich and toasty version of Sangiovese with layers of ripe fruit showing dried cherry, floral notes, hints of citrus mingling with spice box, caramel and vanilla. An elegant bottling to be savored.
Amelia Wynn Paul Bianchi has been making wine on Bainbridge Island for more than 10 years, though his first commercial release was from the 2008 vintage. The winery name celebrates the names of his grandchildren, fraternal twins represented by the winery’s logo of two interlocking squares. His tasty 2009 Sangiovese offers aromas of sweet cherry, caramel and vanilla with the palate adding black cherry and citrus notes to make a very food friendly and approachable wine.
Zerba Cellars This Sangiovese was co-fermented with Syrah and Viognier to create a medium-bodied red wine of rich character. Aromas and flavors of dark cherry, smoky herbs, tobacco and caramel make for a tasty sip with pasta and meat sauce.
Novelty Hill Mike Januik has been making wine in Washington State for almost 30 years and has crafted many stellar bottlings that have received rave reviews from around the world. He is winemaker for Novelty Hill and his own Januik Winery. His 2009 Novelty Hill Sangiovese is rich and toasty with cherry and vanilla flavors wrapped in spicy oak and finishing with notes of cherry cream and herbs.
Stomani Cellars Alex Manoni makes wine in the South Lake Union area of Seattle in the Italian tradition of friends and family. A variety of red and white wines are made, inclusing several red blends in the Super Tuscan style. His Sangiovese offers earthy/toasty character with strawberry and cherry fruit – great with pasta. Wines from other areas
Castello di Gabbiano
This is the fresh, crisp Pinot Grigio that one expects from Italy, bright with acidity, redolent of pears, citrus and mineral. One can take a moment to marvel at the history, beginning in the 12th century and spanning through the renaissance and into today’s era. If you are so inclined, you can book a room at the Castle near Florence to complete the connection to the past. In the meantime, enjoy the classic Pinot Grigio.
Bella Sera This Pinot Grigio offers a little more body and rich flavor than many Italian versions and was favored by many tasters for this quality. It is now being touted in radio commercials featuring your favorite Food Network darling, Giada De Laurentiis. Visit www.bellaserawine.com to download recipes and Giada’s entertaining guide. Bella Sera = Beautiful Evening.
Domino From Delicato Family Vineyards, Domino wines are crafted to be approachable, enjoyable and affordable. Accolades for quality and value have already been heaped upon the brand so I will just add that this Italian-style Pinot Grigio offers refreshing aromas and flavors of nectarine and pear with notes of lime blossom, mineral and light floral perfume.
Castello di Gabbiano Someday, American wineries will be able to tell stories of the history of their AVAs going back a half-dozen centuries. Until then, savor the richness of wines born of tradition that date back to the times of local craftsmen like Michelangelo and intellectuals like Leonardo. Did they sip wine from the Castle di Gabbiano? It is not outside the realm of possibility. Top rated in our tasting, the wine offers rich aromas of dark fruits, anise, spice, earthy vanilla and floral perfume. The palate is multifaceted and complex echoing the aromas with the addition of mineral and smoky notes.
Antinori – Peppoli Antinori purchased the Peppoli Estate in Tuscany in 1985, the year that marked the firm’s 600th anniversary of the family’s winemaking business. The history of the estate goes back to the middle ages when the monks at the Peppoli Monastery tended the vines and made wine under the jurisdiction of the Badia a Passignano. With such history it is no wonder that the wine was a favorite of our tasters. Complex aromas and flavors of strawberry, cherry, earthy chestnut and spice exude the Italian character that is hard to define but easy to recognize.
Santa Cristina The Chianti Superiore DOCG classification was established in 1996 to impose a higher quality standard on wines made in the Chianti zone of Tuscany. This bottling is 95% Sangiovese and 5% Merlot – allowed under this later classification. The wine is medium bodied with aromas and flavors of red currant, cherry, vanilla and earthy herbs and spice – an authentic sip with pasta or pizza. # # #
One-year Archive of previous Wines of the Week reviews
Copyright
© 2012 Chuck Hill
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Walla
Walla Vintners 
