Italian Wine Report is now published!

I am pleased to announce that I have now started a new Italian wine publication. Titled Italian Wine Report, this publication features reviews of new releases exclusively from Italy.

The first issue is 70 pages in length, and features reviews of:

100 Barolo from the 2016 vintage

50 plus Brunello di Montalcino from the 2015 vintage

along with reviews of new releases from Alto Adige, Campania, Sicily and Chianti Classico.

Here is a brief excerpt (text ©Tom Hyland)

Cavallotto Barolo Bricco Boschis 2016

Beautiful young garnet; classic aromas of morel cherry, cedar, orange peel and tar. Medium-full with very good to excellent concentration. Very good acidity, elegant tannnins, subdued wood notes, delicate brown spice notes (cumin, star anise) in the finish. Excellent persistence, lovely texture and impeccable balance. Typical outstanding harmony from this iconic, traditional prodcuer. So impressive now, but time will reveal many more subtle complexities. Peak drinking in 12-20 years. (96)

Massolino Barolo Margheria 2016

Delicate young garnet; aromas of morel cherry, orange peel, and hints of strawberry and red poppy. Medium-full, this has beautifully ripe fruit, notable concentration, elegant tannins of medium-weight, very good acidity and excelllent persistence. This is a Serralunga Barolo with inner weight, but an round, charming exterior. Beautiful harmony, impeccable varietal purity and lovely charm and finesse. All the elements are here and are peeking out a bit, and with another 3-5 years, all of the beauty of this wine will be evident, with peak drinking in 12-15 years, perhaps longer. (97)

Fratelli Alessandria Barolo Monvigliero 2016

Beautiful young garnet; aromas of morel and marascino cherry, rosemary and strawberry preserves. Medium-full with very good to excellent concentration. Beautifully defined and elegant mid-palate, velvety tannins, excellent persistence, subtle wood notes and very good acidity. Outstanding harmony and finesse. Enjoyable now for its charms, with notable structure and backbone. Peak in 20 years plus. (97)

———————————————————–

After writing about Italian wines for various publications for 20 years, I have decided to start my own. I have visited Italy 77 times in that time frame and have met with producers in almost every region. Given the number of indigenous varieties in the country, there is a seemingly endless range of Italian wine types; combine that with various winemaking practices, and there are always new and fascinating discoveries in the Italian wine world – I’ll do my best to stay current with this topic.

I will publish Italian Wine Report on a quarterly basis; this initial issue is Autumn 2020, with the next issue, Winter 2020, to be published in December. This is a subscription newsletter with a price of $60 per year. There are various ways to pay (depending on whether you live in the United States or not), so please leave me a message (comment) and I can give you payment instructions.

While the basis of Italian Wine Report will feature my analysis of Italian wines, I will from time to time write brief essays about particular producers and also include some of my photos. Earlier in 2020, I was named Wine Photographer of the Year (Category – Places) at the annual Pink Lady Food Photographer of the Year award.

Vineyards at Verduno in the Barolo zone (Photo ©Tom Hyland)

If you love Italian Wines and want to stay current on what’s happening in the Italian wine industry, you will want to subscribe to Italian Wine Report for honest, objective analysis.

Salute!