Wine Notes | Spring 2021 – Wine Club 2 Reds Only | Roscioli Italian Wine Club

Grapes: Sangiovese 100%
Region: Gaiole in Chianti (Siena) - Toscana
Pairings: Perfect for all kind of grilled meat, cured meats, pasta with meatballs ragout, aged cheese.
Drink By: Ready, but with aging potential (about 10 years).
Winemaking Notes: The grapes ferment in oak vats, macerating for 30 days, to then carry out the malolactic fermentation and refine first in barriques for 18 months, and then in glass for another 6 months
Tasting Notes: It is characterized by a pleasant harmony of floral and fruity sensations, embellished with sweet spices. At the palate it shows the traditional excellent body of Tuscany red wines, powerful, wide and rich, with a persistent finish.
Description: The Sderci family became owner of Il Palazzino in the middle of the 19th century. Then in the early 1970s, Alessandro and Andrea took over management of the farm: new specialized vineyards were planted and a new, completely underground cellar was built for the fermentation and aging of the wines. Il Palazzino farm, owned by Alessandro and Andrea Sderci, is located in Monti in Chianti, 20 km northeast of Siena, in the southern part of Chianti Classico Area. The estate has a total of about twenty hectares (fifty acres), great part of which dedicated to viculture and for a small part to olive grove. Given the small dimensions of the estate working procedures are strictly manual and the soil is cultivated using organic methods. The use of chemical substances which may be harmful to the soil, the farm workers and the environment in the last years has been first reduced and then eliminated. Vineyards are fertilized with compost and manure, but mostly the soil is managed with careful observation of the native weeds.Insect pests are reduced at a minimum through the increase of biodiversity in the vineyard: striving to protect the diversity of insect life means first and foremost eliminating the use of insecticides; Fungi and mildew diseases are kept under control by careful canopy management, and by improving the health of the soil. As regards winemaking, fermentation uses only naturally present yeasts and the good quality of the grapes at harvest time allows now reduced amounts of sulfites.

Grape: Cesanese d'Affile 100%
Region: Olevano Romano (Roma) - Lazio
Pairings: Try it with Amatriciana Pasta, cured meats, grilles Black Angus beef, game stew.
Drink by: Ready.
Winemaking Notes: "Lepanto" is a Cesanese del Piglio DOCG in the Superiore Riserva version, produced by Alberto Giacobbe starting from Cesanese di Affile grapes planted in 1952. The vineyard of origin, with white clay soil, is located about 400 meters above sea level and the grapes are harvested manually. In the cellar, the process involves fermentation on the skins in steel tanks at a controlled temperature of +26 ° C. It ages for at least 12 months in oak barrels, before refining in the bottle for approximately 18 months.
Tasting Notes: Beautiful garnet colour of medium intensity in the glass, the nose reveals sweet hints of ripe fruit, among which red fruits and plums stand out. Fruity palate, which convinces with its tannic texture and fullness of the sip.
Description: The Alberto Giacobbe farm was founded in 1939 by Jacob Leopoldo when he bought a small plot of land right on top of the San Giovenale hill, an ideal location for growing grapes. Subsequently, his son Alino continued the work begun by his father by extending the company to its current size. In 2006 the bottling activity began thanks to the push of his son Alberto who took over the entire company in 2008. Currently the company covers a total area of about 15 hectares located within the municipalities of Paliano, Piglio and Olevano Romano. The sunny hills that characterize this area, the many years of experience accumulated and the dedication of the whole family mean that high quality products are made, primarily the fine Cesanese wine and Passerina del Frusinate. In addition to the production of wines, which is the main activity, the Alberto Giacobbe Agricultural Company is committed to the creation of an excellent Extra Virgin Olive Oil, obtained mainly from olives harvested in the territories located in the municipality of Piglio.

Grapes: Primitivo 100%
Region: Gioia del Colle (Bari) - Puglia
Pairings: Great with red meats both grilled or stewed: a nice beef stew with potatoes and mushrooms would be perfect. 
Drink By: Now or by 2028.
Winemaking Notes: Vineyards consist in Apulian trees on a soil full of limestone, 330 m above sea level. The aging process is carried out for 24 months in steel tanks.
Tasting Notes: Deep red color with violet hues, the bouquet is Intense and clear, with hints of red fruits, blueberries and plums. Taste warm, voluminous but taut and fresh, with exuberant tannins.
Description: A story that began in 1826, Tenute Chiaromonte, which from a small peasant reality can now count on an area of over thirty hectares, of which about 27 are planted with vines. We are in Puglia, in the area of Acquaviva delle Fonti, in the province of Bari: it is here that on calcareous soils rich in minerals, clays and red soils, old sapling-trained vines grow, with plants that can even exceed the century. Among the rows, the methods adopted comply with the rules of organic cultivation - with some biodynamic incursions - and respect for the environment and attention to every detail are elements constantly present. Between dry stone walls and large olive groves, it is the primitivo grapes that dominate the vineyards of the Chiaromonte estates.

Grapes: Grenache, Syrah, Carignan, Malvasia Nera
Region: Blera (Viterbo) - Lazio
Pairings: Try it on a Cacio & Pepe or Carbonara pasta. Great with grilled duck or your favourite homemade beef hamburger. Charcuterie and aged cheese are always welcome. 
Drink by: Ready, can be aged for 10 years.
Winemaking Notes: Sapling vines on clayey soil at 300-400 meters above sea level, with southern exposure, managed with biological agriculture. Destemming and fermentation with indigenous yeasts in steel for 15 days. It refines for 20 months in exhausted and selected barriques and at least 6 months in bottle.
Tasting Notes: In the glass you can find an extremely dark and impenetrable ruby red color. It has a very wide nose, on which a particularly fit taster could linger for hours: cocoa, tobacco, plum, cinnamon, black pepper. The taste is not far behind, and it is a true work of art. Power, richness and concentration, in an admirable balance between the extractive part and freshness. The finish is very long, for what is an almost meditation liquid, or to drink during important occasions.
Description: San Giovenale rises in the beautiful region of Tuscia, made enchanting by the ancient and wonderful landscapes where you can still breathe the strong Etruscan culture from which it takes its name. Blera, a small and characteristic village surrounded by remote countryside, welcomes this winery almost incorporating it in its green embrace. The north of Lazio, with its poetic panoramas ranging from the waves of the Tyrrhenian Sea, to the hills planted with vines to the mountains, strongly inspires the winemaker Marco Casolanetti who, after the experience of the Oasi degli Angeli in the Marche region, decides to apply his production philosophy to the lands of the province of Viterbo. The union between beauty and feeling is the invigorating engine that inspires this winery with a strongly biological inclination, which sets itself the firm goal of safeguarding the territory and its vineyards. Only 400 bottles have been created in collaboration between Emanuele Pangrazi and Alessandro Pepe, from la Rimessa.

Grape: Nebbiolo 100%
Region: Barolo (Langhe) - Piemonte
Pairings: Great match with beef tartare with capers, light mustard and cherry, dried, sweet tomatoes. If you can, try it with a truffle or mushrooms risotto or with Parmigiano cheese.
Drink by: Ready, can be aged for over 15 years.
Winemaking Notes: The manual harvest usually takes place around mid-October. Alcoholic fermentation takes place with indigenous yeasts, daily pumping over and very long maceration (even 50 days). Aging takes 30 months in large 25 hl oak barrels and up to 36 months in the bottle.
Tasting Notes: In the glass it has a beautiful light ruby red colour with light garnet reflections. Elegant and refined, on the nose it seduces with floral aromas of violet and dried rose petals, raspberry, red currant, cherry, slight spicy sensations, liquorice root, hints of officinal and balsamic herbs. On the palate it is deep and structured, with a fine tannic texture and a notable aromatic complexity. The finish is very persistent, characterized by a sapid and mineral trail, which results in a pleasantly refreshing finish.
Description: Passion and talent: these are the best qualities of Federico Scarzello, who for some years has been leading the small but important Barolo winery with his mother and father. Founded in the post-war period and always attentive to quality production, in the last decade the company has managed to give a new step of growth and improvement always oriented to their artisan production philosophy. Today 25,000 bottles are produced, obtained from 5.5 hectares of vineyards in organic viticulture and divided into only 4 labels; fine and elegant wines, typical of the municipality of Barolo, precise and with attention to detail. His hand is precise and follows the dictates of the most classic Albese tradition, the result of scrupulous work in the vineyard, vinification with long maceration and the use of large barrels. Success is there for all to see, and it does not arise by chance, but is the result of experience, sensitivity and respect for the territory. Wines of great finesse, true expression of a unique territory.

Grape: Primitivo di Gioia del Colle, Aglianico
Region: Gioia del Colle (Bari)- Puglia
Pairings: Excellent in combination with important first courses. Try it on Sunday with a homemade Bolognese lasagna. Great with grilled pork ribs or beef. A nice charcuterie board with aged cheese is always a great match.
Drink by: Ready or by 2025.
Winemaking Notes: Manual harvest, fermentation takes place at a controlled temperature for 10-15 days in a rotary winemaker. Maceration on the skins 3-4 days. Refinement takes place for 12 months in stainless steel for 50% and in 300-liter tonneaxes of second passage for the remaining 50%, then at least 10 months in the bottle, unfiltered. For this vintage, 3,000 bottles were produced.
Tasting Notes: The colour is intense and deep ruby red, notes of spices and red fruits capture the sense of smell, but it is to the taste that Ossimoro reveals its double soul: strong and decisive, but at the same time soft and velvety, it captivates the senses with persuasive simplicity.
Description: The love for theirs land, the passion for wine, the desire to rediscover the noble Primitivo grape of Gioia del Colle, are the ingredients from which Agricole Pietraventosa comes to life. At about 380 meters above sea level, in the rocky countryside west of Gioia del Colle, we find the 4.4 hectares of espalier vineyard in the spurred cordon variant, not far from the 'alberello' vineyard, just under a hectare, but extremely precious. The name of the wine Oxymoron come from the Greek acute OXIS and obtuse MOROS, is a game of contrasts, it is everything and nothing, it is a set of sensations that cannot be explained in reality but only in the intimate world of perceptions. Like a precious jewel, Oxymoron is an unfiltered wine, of limited production, obtained from the balanced combination of Primitivo di Gioia del Colle and Aglianico grapes.

Grape: Merlot 100%
Region: Montefalco (Perugia) - Toscana
Pairings: Grilled lamb, pasta with beef meatballs and porcini mushrooms or black truffle, aged cheese.
Drink by: Ready or by 2026.
Winemaking Notes: Biodynamic agriculture, spontaneous fermentations with indigenous yeast, low sulfite, no filtration, no clarification.
Tasting Notes: In our opinion this is one of the most approachable Merlot ever produced. It still has strong tannins but everything is leveled by fruity notes.
Description: Calcabrina is a family-run farm located near Montefalco, active in the field of viticulture and the production of goat cheeses. Diego Calcabrina, born in 1980, is the essence of this small farm together with his father Angelo. The business changed from "farm" to Farm in the early 2000s and since 2005 to organic and biodynamic management. The animals were included in the project precisely to have natural fertilizers with which the Sagrantino vineyards feed. Natural winemaking, manual harvest, spontaneous fermentations, no sulfur dioxide addition, in short: a genuine wine that is a child of respect for nature and the territory. Tannin and structure to sell but with an extraordinary freshness, a real discharge of energy.

Grape: Frappato 40%, Nero d'Avola 60%
Region: Vittoria (Ragusa) - Sicilia
Pairings: Amatriciana pasta, aged spanish Patanegra ham, but also on a grilled tuna staek with tomatoes, olives, capers and lemon zest.
Drink by: Ready or before 2023.
Winemaking Notes: "Pithos" matures in 400 lt terracotta amphorae. for 6/7 months, in contact with the peels and indigenous yeasts, then it makes another refinement in concrete tanks and remains at least another 3 months in the bottle.
Tasting Notes: Characterized by the classic light red colour (typical of Frappato), at the nose you can feel them oxidative style, with notes of cherry and violet at the beginning, light hints of anchovy and a surprising herbaceous finish and a rather persistent finish despite the low alcohol content.
Description: The winery led by Giusto Occhipinti and Titta Cilia (which are in the acronym of the name) since the 1980s represents today a real point of reference for the wines of the Ragusa area. Weare located in the productive heart of Cerasuolo, between Acate and Vittoria, between layers of clay and tuff, with vines mostly at an altitude of 250 meters. Their wines for many years produced in Biodynamics and in particular this refined in Amphora, are the result of how much the territory can give expressive originality in all respects: respect for nature and strong identification with the territory are the watchwords here. The vinification takes place almost all in vitrified concrete tanks or, as in this case, in underground amphorae, giving magic to the wines with the revival of ancient techniques that date back to the Phoenicians.

Grape: Aglianico 100%
Region: Castelfranci (Avellino) - Campania
Pairings: a Riserva needs strong flavours: aged cheese, game meat, truffle if you can. Or nothing: just sip it at the end of the day...
Drink by: Ready or before 2028.
Winemaking Notes: The vines are very old and rise on sandy, clayey and calcareous soils at an altitude of about 500 meters. The management in the vineyard follows the dictates of organic. The wine is obtained from the spontaneous fermentation of grapes in steel and wood vats. The vinification is by parcels. The wine will then rest for 20 months in barriques and large barrels, without forgetting the fundamental rest inside the bottle.
Tasting Notes: At a first sight is ruby red tending to garnet, the nose is complex and articulated, revealing sensations that refer to ripe fruit and undergrowth, with balsamic and spicy puffs. On the palate it is dense, rich, material and incredibly fresh and mineral. The drink is also characterized by a very balanced tannin and sapid nuances and a long persistence of the aromas.
Description: Michele Perillo's vineyard extends over 5 hectares between the territories of Castelfranci and Montemarano at an altitude of 600 meters and enjoys good exposure and an important temperature range. The vines are planted on tufaceous soils, rich in clay and silica, and are grown in starzeta and espalier, the yields are very low: they never exceed 50 quintals per hectare. Michele Perillo's agriculture is conventional, but not invasive. The ripening of the grapes is slow, due to the cold climate. And this praise of slowness can also be found in the vinification in the cellar. The grapes are fermented on indigenous yeasts in steel and then aged for a long time in barrique and Slavonian oak. Like a craftsman, Michele lets the wine mature in his time, without haste: after bottling and before being marketed, Michele's wines are left to rest in the cellar for 8 years. And, you know, the wait pays off. The Michele Perillo winery is an example of love for tradition and for the territory and represents a reality of reference for Taurasi lovers. His are great wines, without ifs and buts, and they require time and patience to be fully understood and appreciated, they are real treasures to be discovered.

Grape: Pascale, Cannonau, Monica, Muristellu, Carignano, Cagnulari, Cinsault, Nieddumannu, Nieddusaludu
Region: Neoneli (Oristano) - Sardegna
Pairings: Grilled swordfish steak, roasted pork belly with plums, ages cheese and cured meats.
Drink by: Ready or before 2025.
Winemaking Notes: Old small sapling vines that on average do not exceed half a hectare at an altitude of 450 to 550 meters above sea level. In each of their vineyards, there are about 10 different kind of red grape varieties. This unfiltered wine ages for 14 months in wooden barrels and then it rests for 6 months in the bottle.
Tasting Notes: This intense wine has a ripe-grape or black cherry aroma, accented by a pronounced spiciness that suggests cinnamon, or mint. On the palate you can find ripe tomato, mushroom, and wild sensations. 
Description: The 2017 vintage was characterized by a first half - autumn and winter - with well-distributed rainfall, and by a second half almost completely free of rain with extremely high temperatures. This winery, managed by Samuel and Salvatore, works twenty vineyards spread over an area of six hectares. Numerous cultivars take root on the granite crumbling of the Neonelese hills, many of which are found in Canales (Monica, Cannonau, Pascale, Muristellu, Carignano).

Grape: Prugnolo Gentile 80%, Canaiolo Nero 10%, Colorino 10%
Region: Montepulciano (Siena) – Toscana
Pairings: Grilled beef, pappardelle pasta with beef ragout, bruschetta with tuscan liver pate and artisanal italian charcuterie if you can get it.
Drink by: Patience rewarded - drink through 2036.
Winemaking Notes: After the harvest in the first days of October, the vinification happens while mixing together all the 3 different grape varieties, Prugnolo Gentile, Canaiolo e Mammolo, since the beginning, otherwise the must could have rejections. They follow a fermentation with a long maceration, for at least 20 days. This Nobile is marketed after the second year of aging both in French and Slavonian barrels.
Tasting Notes: Aromatic nose, with hints of roses, wild herbs, red berries and tobacco. Fragrant and elegantly structured wine; the palate offers an aftertaste of red fruits and sweet spices together with a backbone of taut but refined tannins and fresh acidity
Description: The origin of this winery is extremely ancient, indeed they are trying to follow the wine techniques of the Etrurian. The soils are mainly of Pliocene origin. The oldest sources would trace the origins around the year 1000 AD. What is certain is that already in the mid-fourteenth century the Contucci were among the most prominent families in the city of Montepulciano. Their cellar is very old with natural thick walls, allowing them to keep the temperature steady. The vineyards of this winery are located in one of the best production areas, the altitude varies between 280 and 450 meters.  Even if we don't care about points, it should be mentioned they earned 96 points with Wine Enthusiast for this wine.  

Grape: Nebbiolo 100%
Region: Barolo (Langhe) - Piemonte
Pairings:  Raw beef tartare, truffle omelette, Cacio & Pepe pasta, aged cheese. Great with no food: just sip it at the end of the day . 
Drink by: Ready or drink by 2028.
Winemaking Notes: Organic agricolture. Alcoholic fermentation lasts about 7-8 days with temperatures that never exceed 26 ° C. Indigenous yeasts are used, maceration for 20 days. Barolo Sarmassa ages for at least two years in thirty-hectolitre barrels, and at least another 2 years in the bottle.
Tasting Notes: Ruby red with garnet highlights. It offers an olfactory range composed of floral notes of violet, fruity memories of cherry and plum jam, tertiary references of mint and licorice. The taste is elegant and structured, full, fragrant and vibrant, with tannins that are still energetic but in the process of being integrated. Long and balsamic persistence.
Description: The Brezza Farm, owner of vineyards in Barolo since 1885, took its name from Giacomo Brezza who, together with his father Antonio, firstly put the wine in the bottle around 1910. Currently the company is run in certified organic farming by the fourth generation. The company philosophy consists in producing single-variety wines taking care of the vineyard in the best possible way with appropriate pruning and careful thinning. The use of green manure and composting is practiced which enhance the vitality of the soil and light machinery is used that reduce compaction and fuel consumption. This meticulous care for the vines, with appropriate pruning, has kept them in excellent health so that some strains have reached the venerable age of 70 years. In the cellar they work with a light hand, temperature control and spontaneous fermentations. Aging for the wines that need it is traditional, in large Slavonian oak barrels, with the staves bent on fire but not toasted. Wines that are aged in wood are neither filtered or clarified. Ten years ago, the company decided to use an innovative glass stopper for the closure of a large quantity of their bottles which, in their opinion, provides greater guarantees in respect of the typical characteristics of their wines.

Olive: Frantoio, Carboncella, Leccino
Region: Montelibretti (Roma) - Lazio
Pairing:Pairs great with game meat, winter salads and grilled red meat. Stunning is drizzled over a warm and tasty legumes and cereal soups.
Notes: About 1,000 native olive trees on 7 hectares of olive groves on the hills of the Roman Sabina, at about 300 meters above sea level. Harvest happens when the olives ripen between October and November. Milling occours within a few hours of harvesting (maximum 6) in a modern mill with continuous cycle.
A blend from different cultivar, carefully mixed in order to obtain a well balanced EVO oil, characterized by an imperceptible bitterness and a ligth spiciness.
Description: Overlooking the hills of the Roman Sabina, Azienda Agricola Cappelli has been growing olive trees and producing EVO oil for three generations. Today, the young Giulia took turns to its founders, Maria and Nestore, who chose the path of professional training to continue the family agricultural tradition, bringing the enthusiasm, passion and competence of those who are not satisfied without uncompromising quality. This is a young, fresh and lively oil awarded last year with the highest recognition, "3 Foglie" (2 Leaves), from the Gambero Rosso 2020 guide to Italian Oils, plus many mentions by Slow Food guides.

Olive: 100% Caninese 
Region: Farnese (Viterbo) - Lazio
Pairing: Drizzle over bread, grilled vegetables or grilled and roasted meats as well as on mature cheeses and vegetable soups.
Notes: Mechanical harvest, only between October and the very fist days of November, when the olives are starting their ripening process. After only 12/16 hours from the harvest, they start to cold extract the oil. Filtered using only fully biodegradable paper filters.
The color of the freshly squeezed oil is emerald green, then becomes golden over time, the oil is bitter and spicy in a rather decisive way, the taste is persistent. The fruity is fresh herbaceous, with very green and artichoke notes. It is an oil with a strong character, with a strong taste, able to add personality to any dish, especially raw.
Description: Only 2000 olive plants in their property, between 40 and 100 years old. Since 1994 the olive grooves are dedicated to the biological principles, trying to respect the natural ecosystem balance. Constantly testing new techniques, minimizing the human impact. They use specific and natural traps for the olive's fly, constantly trying to enhance biodiversity between the plants.