Italian Wine Report – Winter 2020/2021 – Reviews of Nizza, Amarone, Barolo, Campania, Montefalco and More

The second issue (Winter 2020/2021) of my Italian Wine Report has just been published, and at 90 pages, it covers a lot of Italian wines from several regions. Featured regions include Campania, Abruzzo and Marche, while I have also written reviews of wines from Chianti Classico, Montefalco, Nizza and Amarone.

Regarding Amarone, while I have included reviews of current releases, I have focused on older releases; I thought as Amarone is rarely a wine that is approachable upon release, it made more sense to mention wines that have had several years of aging; these include older examples of Amarone from Masi, Tedeschi (as far back as 1999) and ten vintages of Amarone from Novaia, going back to 1995.

I’ve also written about numerous sparking wines from Italy, including Franciacorta, Trento DOC, Alta Langa and Prosecco.

Here are some excerpts from this new issue:

Ca’ del Bosco “Cuvée Prestige” – A blend of 84% Chardonnay, 14% Pinot Nero and 2% Pinot Bianco. Aromas of tropical fruit, Anjou pear and yellow flowers. Medium-full with very good concentration, lively acidity, excellent persistence and complexity, and a very dry and elegantly styled finish. Each release of this is so well balanced and offers wonderful typicity. Enjoy over the next 2-4 years. (93)

Bellavista Vittorio Moretti 2013 – 62% Chardonnay, 38% Pinot Noir. Light yellow/effervescent mousse with fine bubbles. Medium-full with excellent concentration. Beautiful yellow pear and melon aromas with a hint of lemon custard. Lengthy finish of great complexity with delicate yellow spice notes. Lovely harmony, excellent drinking pleasure now. Peak in 5-8 years, perhaps longer. (94)

Donnachiara Greco di Tufo 2019 – Light yellow; lovely perfumes of green tea, lemon zest, chamomile and lily. Medium-full with very good to excellent concentration. Beautiful texture, very good acidity that is quite precise. Excellent persistence; long finish with delicate notes of minerality that will emerge more with another few years in the bottle. Outstanding varietal purity. Lovely wine with a great deal of charm and finesse. Enjoy over the next 5-7 years. (94)

La Giribaldina Nizza Riserva “Cala delle Madrie” 2016 – Bright ruby red/hint of purple; aromas of black plum, black raspberry, dark chocolate and a hint of vanilla. Medium-full with beautifully ripe fruit, moderate tannins, very good acidity, very good persistence and excellent varietal character. Very fine complexity and lovely balance. Enjoy over the next 3-5 years. (94)

I’ve also included my list of the Top Italian Wines of 2020, which includes several examples of sparkling wine, 2016 Barolo and 2013 Barolo riserva, and one 100-point wine, that is neither white or red.

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