The Italian Job

The theme of the evening, given by the title above, gives more than a small hint about the nature of the wines presented to the Freeland Wine Club during our March meeting.

The evening was hosted by wine club member David Lloyd who introduced Matthew Pratt, a wine expert from Moreton Wine Merchants in Moreton-in-Marsh.

Matthew Pratt (right) and David Lloyd

Matt developed an interest in wine after volunteering to help with a wine tasting in a supermarket at which he was working while a student. He was able to sample some of the wine during the tasting and had one of those life changing moments. If wine could taste this good, he needed to know more about them. The rest, as they say, is history.

Matt’s interest and passion for the subject was obvious as he took us on an exploration of the length and breadth of Italy, from Veneto in the north to Sicily in the south. We were able to savour the oenological delights the country has to offer as we joined him on the journey.

The welcome wine was a sparkling white of the Durello grape grown on volcanic hillsides of the Veneto wine region near Verona. The name of the grape refers to the small, firm, late-maturing berries. The Durello grape's natural high acidity and the cool, hillside vineyards produce complex, long lived wines to rival Italy's finest sparklers. Production of Durello Spumante is mostly in the hands of a few small growers, producing traditionally bottle fermented wine with up to 6 years on lees.

The wine offers citrus and gent floral aromas and a fresh palate with crisp green apple and lightly honeyed characters. Serve with antipasti of cold meats, mature cheese and Veneto-style risotto.

The first wine was Gavi Tenuta Santa Seraffa accompanied by a plain French goats cheese roulade.

The Santa Seraffa estate is situated in the Gavi del Comune di Gavi zone which surrounds the town of Gavi. The vines are, on average, 45yrs old and are planted on south-facing slopes of chalky-clay soils with excellent drainage. The name of the estate comes from the hermitage of Santa Seraffa - a destination for pilgrims in the thirteenth century, who were also attracted by the wines produced by the Cistercian monks.

The wine has aromas of flora, citrus and green apple combined with hints of frangipane. The palate has apple and lemon characters and an appealing weight and minerality. The finish is textural and long. Serve with seafood and shellfish.

Wine two was a Caruso and Minini Organic Grillo accompanied by Reblochon

Caruso & Minini are a part of new revival in Sicilian wine. Small wineries have sprung up in the past decade with a strong interest in the potential of the native grapes from Sicily. The estate’s grapes are grown in vineyards in a hilly area east of Marsala at an altitude of 400 meters above sea level.

Pale straw in colour with golden tinges and aromas of lemon, gooseberry, nectarine peel and sage. Bright and crisp on the palate then rounder and more mellow, with a persistent hint of lime and white flowers.

Terrazze della Luna Pinot Grigio Rosato was the third wine and was accompanied by Mozzarella.

The wine is a traditional ramato style of Pinot Grigio rosé that is subjected to a short exposure to the press extract to release the natural dusky bronze colour of ripe Pinot Grigio grapes, giving a pale, coral wine and an elegant and dry rosé. The grapes are sourced from the Vallagarina Valley in Trentino, a zone noted for its fine, crisp Pinot Grigio.

The first red was a Fattoria Le Pupille Morellino di Scansano 2020 accompanied by Grana Pandano, a hard, mature Italian cheese.

Fattoria Le Pupille Morellino di Scansano is a young, soft and fruity red wine dominated by Sangiovese (85%) with Alicante (10%) and Ciliegiolo (5%). It is red with ruby reflections. The aromas have scents of red fruit, blueberries and cherry. On the palate the wine is fresh with a light aromatic persistence and balanced tannins.

Neprica Primitivo was the second red. It is a blend based on Primitivo with Negroamaro and was served
with Pecorino Romana, another hard Italian cheese.

The producer, Tormaresca, consists of two estates in different areas of Puglia, in the heel of Italy.

The wine presents red fruits, black cherry and blackcurrant on the nose. On the palate, the spice of the Negroamaro is complemented by the plum jam flavours of Primitivo, resulting in a soft and well-balanced wine.

The final wine was a Castelforte Amarone della Valpolicella that was served with Gorgonzola.

Castelforte Amarone is made from dried Corvina and Rondinella grapes. A long, slow fermentation and minimum 18 month aging in large oak give this dry, full-bodied red wine a deep garnet red colour, a complex bouquet of cinnamon, cherry jam and walnut and a palate of ripe black cherry fruit with notes of vanilla and coffee on the finish.