Hello! Welcome to As Drunk by Exotic Wine Travel, a weekly column where we feature interesting wines that we encourage you to seek out. The reviews featured in this series may be written by either one or the both of us. The featured wines can be from obscure or well-known wine regions. We hope that these wine recommendations will keep you gastronomically curious and your palate invigorated!

Vinarija Križ

Denis Bogoević Marušić holds the reins in Križ winery, but his father Mile is also involved in the operations. Križ is an eco-certified producer of Plavac Mali and Grk wines. Its two-hectare vineyard is farmed utilizing biodynamic practices.

Križ Grk 2016

The Križ Grk was inspired by the winemakers in Slovenia. Denis decided to bring the Grk variety to Pelješac and make an amber/ orange wine from it. Skin contact lasts for less than a week and fermentation happens in the barrels. No additional sulfur is used and the wine is unfiltered. This macerated Grk has a bittersweet bouquet that evokes citrus rind, peach, wood smoke, and nut. It’s buoyant on the palate with white-tea like astringency.

4.1/5

Križ Trica 2015

The Križ Trica is made from Plavac Mali. It’s medium in color and full of black cherry, plum, rose petal, and herbs. It has fantastic wood integration, just a rocking nose that smells like a modern Plavac Mali. Elegant for this grape which can be a rustic bruiser at times. It’s tannic but the tannins are ripe. Bright acidity lifts the palate up. It’s really like delicious cherry juice with a touch of Mediterranean herbs.

4.0/5

(You can find out more about our scoring system on the START HERE page.)

The finest selection of

Croatian wines available at:

Shipping is available EU-wide and to the UK.

Check out Croatian Wines Available in the USA.

************

    Do you want to try Croatian wines?    

If you want to savor the exquisite flavor of Croatian wines, look no further than wineandmore.com. With many options from different winemakers, it’s easy to find exactly what your palate desires. Not sure which bottle is best for you? Try out one of their curated wine cases and discover the perfect vintage for any occasion!

************

Want to learn more about wine?

Are you ready to discover the wonderful world of wines? Come join us at wineandmore.com, and let’s explore the incredible selection of delicious wines together! We can’t wait to share our passion for wine with you!

Please note that the opinions expressed in this article are unsolicited and have not been paid for in any way by governmental bodies, enterprises, or individuals. We do not sell editorial content as that would destroy the legitimacy of our reviews and the trust between Exotic Wine Travel and its readers. On occasion, we extend the option of purchasing the wines we review. Some of these product links are set up through affiliate programs, which means Exotic Wine Travel gets referral credits if you choose to purchase the items via the links we provide.

The post Križ Grk 2016 and Trica 2015 appeared first on Wine Travel.

“I’ll reach out to you if I have more questions,” I can type into the Facebook chat. “If I can answer ☺️… ” Pietro responds.

I like him immediately. Pietro Arditi is the owner of a humble winery known as Cantine Valpane. Located in Piedmont (Italy), it’s a small, 11 hectare (27 acre) estate in Monferrato focusing on Barbera and other local varieties. Cantine Valpane is an under-the-radar estate, but when Kermit Lynch is your importer in the USA, that’s a big fat stamp of approval.

His wines are not fruity and explosive but savory and sensual. Still, they are no means austere, all have that Piemontese flair that I love. The estate produces mostly Barbera but Pietro is passionate about all the local grapes.

“I don’t have any particular preference (variety). I like to work with our autochthonous vines, the ones my grandfather used to cultivate,” Pietro says. “Each vine has its own characteristics. I produce more Barbera because it is better known and has a bigger market. Grignolino and Freisa are known by very few people and it is difficult to sell them.”

Barbera, Freisa, & Grignolino

The Barbera’s are excellent but the Grignolino and Freisa impress me deeply. In fact, the latter opens my eyes. Both of these grapes can be surprisingly Nebbiolo-esque with bottle age. “Freisa and Nebbiolo have the same DNA, in fact maybe Freisa is one of the daddies of Nebbiolo,” Pietro says.

Both grapes are produced to make young wines that the locals consume. However, ever since visiting Monferrato a few years ago, I’ve become enchanted with the varieties. When made delicately and with care, they can achieve similar floral, perfume, and tarry notes that make Nebbiolo so haunting.

If you’re a Northern Italian wine nut but the prices of Barolo and Barbaresco are getting you down, give these wines a try. All of them can be found around the world for around 20 USD (with the exception of the Cantina Valpane, Valpane). And if you see a bottle of Freisa with some bottle age, don’t hesitate on scooping it up.

Pietro closes our conversation with, “Many producers in my area plant Nebbiolo (actually, my grandfather also had some shoots) because it is a grape that has more of a market. Instead, I think that Freisa is ‘our’ Nebbiolo.”

• Cantine Valpane, Canone Iverso 2012

The Cantine Valpane, Canone Iverso is made from the grape Freisa. Usually, this grape is used in blends or made to be drunk young. This example is aged in stainless steel and bottle for several years. It has a very classic Piemontese nose with cherry, leather, hazelnuts, and dried strawberry. While the nose is very complex and has layers of savory notes and leather, the palate delivers a surprising jolt of red fruit. This is medium-bodied and has some big tannins but then again, it’s meant to be paired with braised meats. A complex take on an under-appreciated variety. Score: 90+/100

• Cantine Valpane, Euli 2017

The Cantine Valpane, Eurli is 100% Grignolino del Monferrato Caselese. It’s aged in stainless steel and concrete before being bottled. This is a variety that I’ve come to appreciate throughout the years. Light in color, there are flavors of raspberry, earth, white pepper, and a hint of dried strawberry. It’s not as floral as some examples I have come across. On the palate the forest red berries take over. It seems like an easy, juicy red but the tannins start to build with every sip. They are Nebbiolo-like. A very good example of this grape and it might blossom into something even greater. Score: 89/100

• Cantine Valpane, Euli 2015

Another vintage of this Grignolino. It’s aged in stainless steel and concrete before being bottled. This is starting to show some brilliant bottle age. Notes of raspberry, sour cherry, and a hint of forest mushrooms. Some might think it’s Pinot Noir thanks to the color. The palate is layered and delicate. It acts very much like a Pinot Noir at first until the tannins start to build. Lengthy finish, this may be the best example of the grape that I’ve tasted. Score: 91/100 

• Cantine Valpane, Rosso Pietro 2017

The Cantine Valpane, Rosso Pietro is a Barbera del Monferrato that is aged in stainless steel and concrete. It has that classic Barbera nose of cranberry, sour cherry, white pepper, and even a touch of mocha & meatiness. Very complex for a red that didn’t see wood. The palate is fruity and generous. There’s an intensity to the red fruit here. Chewy tannins and good length. At this price, this is a gorgeous red that should even elevate higher with food. Score: 90/100

• Cantine Valpane, Perlydia 2012

The Cantine Valapne, Perlydia is a Barbera del Monferrato Superiore that’s aged in a combination of stainless steel, wood, and concrete before being bottled. The wine is showing some bottle patina but the fruit still is the focus here. Notes of dried cranberry, dried cherry, baking spice, and mocha. It almost smells like an intense, freshly baked brownie with plenty of dried red fruits. On the palate, it’s more savory than the Perlydia. There’s a little more complexity and length here too. Casual drinkers may prefer the Rosso Pietro slightly more while those who want more savory reds will opt for this. Score: 91/100

• Cantine Valpane, Valpane 2009

The Cantine Valpane, Valpane is the flagship wine of the estate. It is a Barbera del Monferrato Superiore. It is mostly Barbera that was aged in large cask with a touch of Freisa that saw only stainless steel. This wine is held back in the cellar before being released. It smells surprisingly young for the bottle age. The fruit is denser here with notes of prune, plum, and dried cherry while notes of leather and a little violet peeks its head out. It gets more interesting with every swirl of the glass. The palate is rich and full-bodied. If this was given to me blind, I might not pick Barbera. Big chewy tannins and respectable length. This is for those who want bigger, richer reds. Score: 90/100

You can find out more about our scoring system on the WINE RATING page.

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Cantine Valpane provided tasting samples. The opinions expressed in this article are unsolicited and have not been paid for in any way by governmental bodies, enterprises, or individuals. We do not sell editorial content as that would destroy the legitimacy of our reviews and the trust between Exotic Wine Travel and its readers. On occasion, we extend the option of purchasing the wines we review or/and the products we spotlight. Some of these product links are set up through affiliate programs, which means Exotic Wine Travel gets referral credits if you choose to purchase these items via the links we provide.

The post Cantine Valpane – A Piedmont Jewel appeared first on Wine Travel.

Hello! Welcome to As Drunk by Exotic Wine Travel, a weekly column where we feature interesting wines that we encourage you to seek out. The reviews featured in this series may be written by either one or the both of us. The featured wines can be from obscure or well-known wine regions. We hope that these wine recommendations will keep you gastronomically curious and your palate invigorated.

Monemvasia, Malvasia 2012

We first met the owners of Monemvasia, Elli & George Tsibidis, in Croatia. They were both visiting the annual Vinistra show. We had dinner with them and our friend Ivica Matošević. Elli & George impressed us immediately with their enthusiasm.

Just a few months later, we met Elli & George again at the 2019 Balkans International Competition & Festival. At the festival, we had the chance to taste the entire portfolio from Monemvasia. Many of the wines impressed us, but one stole our hearts.

Historically, Greece was known in the past for exceptional sweet wines. That tradition carries that day, especially the beautiful Samos wines and Vinsantos from the island of Santorini. The latter are considered to be among the world’s greatest sweet wines. Monemvasia Winery isn’t located on the island of Samos or Santorini, but it does produce a wine to rival both.

The Monemvasia, Malvasia 2012 is straw dried for 12 days and aged for 24 months. This is a rustic, old school style of sweet wine. There are notes of dried fig, dried citrus fruit, walnuts, apricots, and toffee. The nose is incredibly complex. It’s rich and luscious on the palate but not heavy like I would expect. The toffee notes stand out here. This doesn’t have very high acidity but there is enough to wipe the palate clean. Long and complex finish, this has a long life in the cellar.

Score: 93/100

You can find out more about our scoring system on the WINE RATING page.

Do you like our content?

If you like our articles and videos, we’d love for you to be a part of our community on Patreon. The support from Patreon helps keep the content coming and you access to behind the scenes content. It also gives us the chance to get to know you better. Check out the Exotic Wine Travel Patreon page by clicking the photo below.

Monemvasia provided tasting samples. Please note that the opinions expressed are our own and have not been paid for in any way. We do not sell editorial content as that would destroy the legitimacy of our reviews and the trust between Exotic Wine Travel and its readers. On occasion, we extend the option of purchasing the wines we review or/and the products we spotlight. Some of these product links are set up through affiliate programs, which means Exotic Wine Travel gets referral credits if you choose to purchase these items via the links we provide.

The post Monemvasia Malvasia 2012 appeared first on Wine Travel.

Hello! Welcome to As Drunk by Exotic Wine Travel, a weekly column where we feature interesting wines that we encourage you to seek out. The reviews featured in this series may be written by either one or the both of us. The featured wines can be from obscure or well-known wine regions. We hope that these wine recommendations will keep you gastronomically curious and your palate invigorated!

Quinta dos Carvalhais, Reserva Branco 2017

The Dão is known as the ‘Burgundy of Portugal’. It’s situated on a plateau about 400 meters above sea level and enclosed by mountains on three sides. The region has many exciting grapes like Afrocheiro, Sousao, and Touriga Nacional for reds. These grapes produce stunning wines but the region’s best grape may be the pale-skinned Encruzado.

One producer that is working well with the grape is Quinta dos Carvalhais, which is owned by the Portuguese company Sogrape. The winery owns just over 50 hectares of planted vineyards in the Dão. Quinta dos Carvalhais has red grapes such as Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Alfrocheiro, and Jaen.

Quinta dos Carvalhais also works with several white grapes including Gouveio, Bical, Malvasia Fina, and Encruzado. The winery produces several examples of Encruzado, from fresh & fruity to serious & structured. The Quinta dos Carvalhais Reserva Branco is the latter and shows off the real potential of the Dão.

The Quinta dos Carvalhais Reserva Branco is a blend of Encruzado and a touch of Gouveio aged for 16 months in oak. The wood is present but very well integrated. There are notes of honey, pear, acacia, white peach, and lemon. The wine is weighty on the palate but never feels sloppy thanks to the vibrant acidity. Tight and linear now, this is very enjoyable young but should really spread its wings with a few years of bottle age.

Score: 91+/100

You can find out more about our scoring system on the WINE RATING page.

Find or buy on Wine-Searcher.

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If you like our articles and videos, we’d love for you to be a part of our community on Patreon. The support from Patreon helps keep the content coming and you access to behind the scenes content. It also gives us the chance to get to know you better. Check out the Exotic Wine Travel Patreon page by clicking the photo below.

Please note that the opinions expressed are our own and have not been paid for in any way. We do not sell editorial content as that would destroy the legitimacy of our reviews and the trust between Exotic Wine Travel and its readers. On occasion, we extend the option of purchasing the wines we review or/and the products we spotlight. Some of these product links are set up through affiliate programs, which means Exotic Wine Travel gets referral credits if you choose to purchase these items via the links we provide.

The post Quinta dos Carvalhas Reserva 2017 appeared first on Wine Travel.

Hello! Welcome to As Drunk by Exotic Wine Travel, a weekly column where we feature interesting wines that we encourage you to seek out. The reviews featured in this series may be written by either one or the both of us. The featured wines can be from obscure or well-known wine regions. We hope that these wine recommendations will keep you gastronomically curious and your palate invigorated!

Fritz Haag, ‘Brauneberger Juffer Sonnenuhr’ Riesling Beerenauslese 2006

When it comes to classic estates in the Mosel, Fritz Haag needs no introduction. The estate has been owned and operated by the Haag family since 1605 in the village of Brauneberg. The estate owns parcels in the Brauneberger Juffer and Brauneberger Juffer Sonnenuhr, the later is considered to be one of the finest vineyards in the Mosel. Both vineyards consist of blue slate soils.

We spent an afternoon with the proprietor and winemaker Oliver Haag. He took full control over the estate in 2005. The entire portfolio of Fritz Haas is stellar. Recently the winery introduced an excellent Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc), which is the first non-Riesling wine that Fritz Haag has produced. We also highly recommend the Brauneberger Riesling Ortswein (Village Wine) for its high value for money.

After walking us through the current releases, Oliver went to the cellar and pulled out a couple of archive wines. We tasted both of the wines blind, Oliver wanted us to guess the sweetness level and vintages. Oliver revealed the two wines, both from the Juffer Sonnenuhr vineyard. They were the Fritz Haag Brauneberger Juffer Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese 2003 and the Fritz Haag Brauneberger Juffer Sonnenuhr Riesling Beerenauslese 2006. Both are excellent wines but we were blown away by the latter.

The Fritz Haag ‘Brauneberger Juffer Sonnenuhr Riesling Beerenauslese 2006 is a sweet Prädikat wine with 250 g/L of RS and 10 g/L of acidity. The wine clocks in at 6.5% abv. It has notes of dandelion, honey, dried apricot, and lemon. This wine is like pure nectar with a lingering finish. This is cloyingly sweet with dried fruit flavors with a touch of pepper. The acidity isn’t searingly high but it keeps the wine fresh.

It’s a wine that needs to be experienced, this is why Riesling is one of the world’s greatest grapes.

Score: 95/100 (You can find out more about our scoring system on the WINE RATING page.)

Find or buy on Wine-Searcher.

You might also enjoy:

Do you like our content?

If you like our articles and videos, we’d love for you to be a part of our community on Patreon. The support from Patreon helps keep the content coming and you access to behind the scenes content. It also gives us the chance to get to know you better. Check out the Exotic Wine Travel Patreon page by clicking the photo below.

Please note that the opinions expressed in this article are unsolicited and have not been paid for in any way by governmental bodies, enterprises, or individuals. We do not sell editorial content as that would destroy the legitimacy of our reviews and the trust between Exotic Wine Travel and its readers. On occasion, we extend the option of purchasing the wines we review or/and the products we spotlight. Some of these product links are set up through affiliate programs, which means Exotic Wine Travel gets referral credits if you choose to purchase these items via the links we provide.

The post Fritz Haag, ‘Brauneberger Juffer Sonnenuhr’ Riesling Beerenauslese 2006 appeared first on Wine Travel.

Hello! Welcome to As Drunk by Exotic Wine Travel, a weekly column where we feature interesting wines that we encourage you to seek out. The reviews featured in this series may be written by either one or the both of us. The featured wines can be from obscure or well-known wine regions. We hope that these wine recommendations will keep you gastronomically curious and your palate invigorated!

Takler, Szenta-hegyi Cabernet Franc & Kékfrankos 2016

Takler is located in Szekszárd and is one of the leading producers of red Hungarian wine. Takler produces high-quality red wines at all price points. Charine and I visited the Takler estate a few years ago and have been strong supporters of their wines ever since.

Szekszárd is one of the three most famous regions in Hungary for red wines (Egér and Villány are the other two). The rolling hills and hot air from the Great Plains of Hungary provide a perfect microclimate for all types of red varieties. In recent years, Szekszárd is working hard towards creating a vineyard classification system.

One potential Grand Cru is the 100-hectare Szenta-hegyi (Holy Mountain). It’s a site that is coveted and farmed by several producers. Takler owns 12 hectares in Szenta-Hegyi, their plots are planted with Kékfrankos, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, and Merlot.

• Takler, ‘Szenta-hegyi’ Kékfrankos 2016

The Takler ‘Szenta-hegyi’ Kékfrankos wine won a gold medal in the recent Hungarian National Competition. This is a darker and more robust example of Kékfrankos (Blaufränkisch). There are notes of black raspberry, black cherry, tobacco, and black pepper. It’s full-bodied and mouth-filling with round tannins. This is a crowd-pleasing Hungarian red that just screams for meat.

Score: 90/100

Find or buy on Wine-Searcher.

• Takler, ‘Szenta-hegyi’ Cabernet Franc 2016

The Takler ‘Szenta-hegyi’ Cabernet Franc shows how well this grape does in Southern Hungary. It’s dark in color with notes of black olive, capsicum, black cherry, and mocha. It smells dark and dense but the palate surprises you with its medium weight. It has a good mix of fruit and the leafy greens that I want with Cabernet Franc. Tangy acidity and soft tannins make this wholly enjoyable.

Score: 91/100

You can find out more about our scoring system on the WINE RATING page.

You might also enjoy:

Exotic Wine Travel in Szekszárd & Somló (VIDEO)

Hungarian Wine: Spicy Red Wines From Szekszárd (VIDEO)

Thanks to Takler for providing these samples. Please note that the opinions expressed in this article are unsolicited and have not been paid for in any way by governmental bodies, enterprises, or individuals. We do not sell editorial content as that would destroy the legitimacy of our reviews and the trust between Exotic Wine Travel and its readers. On occasion, we extend the option of purchasing the wines we review or/and the products we spotlight. Some of these product links are set up through affiliate programs, which means Exotic Wine Travel gets referral credits if you choose to purchase these items via the links we provide.

The post Takler, Szenta-hegyi 2016 appeared first on Wine Travel.

Hello! Welcome to As Drunk by Exotic Wine Travel, a weekly column where we feature interesting wines that we encourage you to seek out. The reviews featured in this series may be written by either one or the both of us. The featured wines can be from obscure or well-known wine regions. We hope that these wine recommendations will keep you gastronomically curious and your palate invigorated!

Stina, Plavac Mali Majstor 2016

Stina is one of our favorite Croatian wine producers. Located in Southern Dalmatia, the winery occupies the abandoned cooperative on the island of Brač. Stina works with indigenous grapes – Vugava and Pošip for the white wines and Plavac Mali for the reds.

The Stina 2016 Plavac Mali Majstor is the first vintage that contains fruit from their new, jaw-dropping vineyard. That vineyard graces the cover of our book Cracking Croatian Wine: A Visitor-Friendly Guide. You can take a look at the terraces and impossibly steep slopes in the video above (9:32).

The Stina Plavac Mali Majstor is made of fruit from the virgin harvest of this vineyard. Marketing director Emil Mehedin told us the 2016 vintage is “the greatest Plavac Mali Majstor we’ve ever produced”. After tasting the wine, it’s hard to disagree.

The Stina Plavac Mali Majstor 2016 is the flagship wine in the estate’s portfolio. Majstor translates to ‘master’ in English. It is significantly darker than their standard Plavac Mali, the Stina Plavac Mali Barrique. On the nose, there is oak present but it is well integrated. The oak is a compliment instead of a hindrance to the wine.

Typical Plavac Mali notes like dried strawberry, red cherry, rose petal, and a little pepper emerges from the glass. Many Plavac Malis suffer from hard, seed tannins. It’s not the case here, this is a big wine with lots of texture and sweet, chewy tannins.

This wine should cellar gracefully but it’s so darn delicious now, I don’t know how many bottles will make the long haul.

Score: 92+/100 (You can find out more about our scoring system on the WINE RATING page.)

The finest selection of

Stina wines available at:

Shipping is available EU-wide and to the UK.

Check out Croatian Wines Available in the USA.

************

    Do you want to try Croatian wines?    

If you’re looking to savor the exquisite flavor of Croatian wines, look no further than wineandmore.com. With an abundance of options from different winemakers, it’s easy to find exactly what your palate desires. Not sure which bottle is best for you? Try out one of their curated wine cases and discover the perfect vintage for any occasion!

************

Want to learn more about wine?

Are you ready to discover the wonderful world of wines? Come join us at wineandmore.com and let’s explore the incredible selection of delicious wines together! We can’t wait to share our passion for wine with you!

Please note that the opinions expressed in this article are unsolicited and have not been paid for in any way by governmental bodies, enterprises, or individuals. We do not sell editorial content as that would destroy the legitimacy of our reviews and the trust between Exotic Wine Travel and its readers. On occasion, we extend the option of purchasing the wines we review or/and the products we spotlight. Some of these product links are set up through affiliate programs, which means Exotic Wine Travel gets referral credits if you choose to purchase these items via the links we provide.

The post Stina, Plavac Mali Majstor 2016 appeared first on Wine Travel.

Hello! Welcome to As Drunk by Exotic Wine Travel, a weekly column where we feature interesting wines that we encourage you to seek out. The reviews featured in this series may be written by either one or the both of us. The featured wines can be from obscure or well-known wine regions. We hope that these wine recommendations will keep you gastronomically curious and your palate invigorated!

Carl Loewen, ‘Maximin Herrenberg’ Riesling 2018

The first time we tasted the wines from Carl Loewen was in Serbia. Our friends from Wine Elite were kind enough to let us try several of the wines several years ago. We were instantly impressed back then and even more so after visiting the estate in July 2019.

Carl Loewen is a traditional estate in the Mosel, their popularity has taken dramatic leaps over the last few years. The wines are made with native yeasts and are fermented in a combination of oak and stainless steel. The estate focuses solely on Riesling and even has plots of vines on their original rootstock.

All of the wines at Carl Loewen are superb. They are everything you want in dry Rieslings, crystalline fruit flavors combined with floral notes bound together by tack sharp acidity. We highly recommend everything from the entry-level Carl Loewen Riesling Quant all the way up to the reserve wine, the Carl Loewen 1896 Riesling.

The Carl Loewen ‘Maximin Herrenberg’ Riesling 2018 is a Grosses Gewächs (Grand Cru). It is a wine that will be universally appreciated by many palates. The fruit for this wine comes from the steepest part of the Maxmin Herrenberg vineyard, which is full of iron-rich slate. It is a different parcel than their Maximin Herrenberg 1896 Riesling – which is also excellent. The wine is fermented in 1000 liter oak barrels.

The wine has intense flavors of baked apple, slate, white pepper, and white flower. The aromas jump out of the glass and then burst in the mouth with volume and vibrancy. This wine has subtle power that builds on the palate and leaves a long, satisfying finish. For a young Riesling, it’s very enjoyable to drink now.

Score: 93/100

You can find out more about our scoring system on the WINE RATING page.

Find or buy on Wine-Searcher.

Please note that the opinions expressed in this article are unsolicited and have not been paid for in any way by governmental bodies, enterprises, or individuals. We do not sell editorial content as that would destroy the legitimacy of our reviews and the trust between Exotic Wine Travel and its readers. On occasion, we extend the option of purchasing the wines we review or/and the products we spotlight. Some of these product links are set up through affiliate programs, which means Exotic Wine Travel gets referral credits if you choose to purchase these items via the links we provide.

The post Carl Loewen, ‘Maximin Herrenberg’ Riesling 2018 appeared first on Wine Travel.

Hello! Welcome to As Drunk by Exotic Wine Travel, a weekly column where we feature interesting wines that we encourage you to seek out. The reviews featured in this series may be written by either one or the both of us. The featured wines can be from obscure or well-known wine regions. We hope that these wine recommendations will keep you gastronomically curious and your palate invigorated!

Giacomo Bologna Braida, Bricco dell’Uccellone 2012

Nebbiolo may be the noble grape in Piedmont, Italy but it’s Dolcetto and Barbera that most often sit on the local dinner table. In the past, Barbera was a grape that was so acidic that it could be borderline undrinkable. Times have changed with better vineyard management and cellar technology.  Charine and I are big fans of Barbera and try to taste as many examples as we can.

Giacomo Bologna Braida was one of (if not the) pioneer when it comes to high-quality Barbera. He was one of the first producers in Piedmont to drastically lower the vineyard yields and age his Barbera in new French oak. His top Barbera is the Giacomo Bologna Braida, Bricco dell’Uccellone.

This is an iconic wine with a reputation that supracedes itself. So does it live up to the hype? We bought a bottle to drink through and see for ourselves.

The Giacomo Bologna Braida, Bricco dell’ Uccellone 2012 is stunning right from the first sniff. Cranberry, sour cherry, hazelnut, and mocha notes explode from the glass. For a wine that is medium bodied, this has big time palate presence and subtle power. This wine possesses all of Barbera’s crazy acidity but harnesses it in a controlled way. Because of this, the wine doesn’t have a lot of aged notes on it yet. The body is round and the finish is crazy long.

Impeccably balanced, the Bricco dell’Uccellone is a wine to be experienced, not just tasted.

Score: 93/100

You can find out more about our scoring system on the WINE RATING page.

Find or buy on Wine-Searcher.

Please note that the opinions expressed are our own and have not been paid for in any way. We do not sell editorial content as that would destroy the legitimacy of our reviews and the trust between Exotic Wine Travel and its readers. On occasion, we extend the option of purchasing the wines we review or/and the products we spotlight. Some of these product links are set up through affiliate programs, which means Exotic Wine Travel gets referral credits if you choose to purchase these items via the links we provide.

The post Giacomo Bologna Braida Bricco dell’Uccellone 2012 appeared first on Wine Travel.

Hello! Welcome to As Drunk by Exotic Wine Travel, a weekly column where we feature interesting wines that we encourage you to seek out. The reviews featured in this series may be written by either one or the both of us. The featured wines can be from obscure or well-known wine regions. We hope that these wine recommendations will keep you gastronomically curious and your palate invigorated!

Petaluma, ‘Evan’s Vineyard’ Coonawarra 2013

One positive of coming back to Asia (in addition to the fabulous food) is the selection of Australian wines that are hard to come by in the USA and especially in Europe. The cooler climate regions like Yarra Valley, Adelaide Hills, Pemberton, Margaret River, and Coonawarra are poorly represented worldwide. That’s a shame because Australia is much more than Shiraz jam juice.

Coonawarra is one of Australia’s premier regions for Cabernet Sauvignon in addition to Margaret River – although the former is currently less fashionable than the later. Coonawarra is actually a semi-cool Maritime climate region. There is actually a threat of Spring frost and the region benefits from the cool breezes coming off the southern portions of the Indian Ocean and the Great Australian Bight. In other words, it’s not the stereotypical hot Australian wine region.

The region was brought to fame by the Wynn family. There are a number of big players in the region that source grapes from their including Jacob’s Creek, Penfolds, Wolf Blass, and Hardy’s.  Coonawarra is also home to a number of smaller, quality-driven estates like Petaluma.

The Petaluma ‘Evan’s Vineyard’ Coonawarra 2013 is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. It is starting to pick up some maroon coloring on the edges, making it seem older than it actually is. This may be due to the poor storage in Singapore (which unfortunately happens frequently). The nose is all leather, rubber, eucalyptus, dust, and even a touch of poopiness. However, the palate explodes with black cherry, cassis, orange peel, and a kiss of oak. Fantastic intensity on the mid-palate and a long finish. The tannins are small and firm, almost feel Nebbiolo-like.

This is a versatile wine that can please many palates. It’s got enough fruit intensity to satisfy people who want easy drinkability. On the flip side, there are enough Old World nuances and savory notes that can please more sophisticated drinkers.

Score: 91/100 (You can find out more about our scoring system on the WINE RATING page.)

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