Tasting the Gambero Rosso Tre Bicchieri : Vinography

As a wine author and critic, I’m ceaselessly requested to call my favourite wine. It’s an annoying query, like asking an artwork critic what’s their favourite portray, but it surely invariably comes from an harmless curiosity and enthusiasm, so I strive to not roll my eyes when requested. As an alternative, I demur, and say that whereas I can’t identify a single wine, my finest reply to the spirit of the query is that if I needed to drink the wines from only one nation for the remainder of my life, that nation would, with out query, be Italy.

I may present many causes for my attestation, together with sheer selection, value-for-money, and plenty of others, however why get particular? I like Italian wine and at all times have. It’s incredible stuff, from the highest of the boot to the underside.

All of which is why one in every of my favourite wine tastings yearly (bear in mind these?) was at all times the Gambero Rosso Tre Bicchieri tasting, which concerned a whole lot of Italian producers displaying up in San Francisco to indicate off their wines for members of the commerce and media.

Gambero Rosso is, in fact, the main wine information and supply of wine criticism in Italy, and annually, they bestow their One, Two, and Three Bicchieri (glasses) awards on these wines they imagine are the very best of their variety. Tre Bicchieri, in fact, being the highest of the highest, cream of the crop.

I don’t learn about you, however I pay much less consideration to scores as of late than I used to, having let my subscriptions to the Wine Advocate, Wine Spectator, and different such publications expire way back. However again after I was thumbing via them with some regularity, for any given set of scores, there have been fairly a couple of that I disagreed with. Which is to say, that tasting any random sampling of 10 or 20 highest-scoring wines, there can be fairly a couple of that I didn’t look after.

Not so, for Gambero Rosso’s Tre Bicchieri. Any wine that has truly been awarded this coveted three glasses, I can nearly assure that I’ll respect it, and more often than not I’ll actually get pleasure from it. Not less than that has been my anecdotal expertise having tasted the Tre Bicchieri choices with some regularity for the previous 10 or 12 years.

All of which is a really lengthy clarification for the truth that when the Gambero Rosso despatched a be aware asking if I’d be interested by receiving a couple of circumstances of Tre Bicchieri wines to style within the absence of the big public tasting, my reply was, in fact, “Hell sure!”

Right here’s what they despatched, and what I considered the wines. There are some completely gorgeous values on this checklist, not the least of which is presumably the primary $12 wine I’ve ever given a 9 to 9.5 ranking on my approximate 10-point scale.

The wines are largely from the 2017, 2018, and 2019 vintages with a couple of older vintages in there as regional growing old laws may dictate.

Whereas these aren’t absolutely the high Tre Bicchieri wines of Italy (i.e. no Ornellaia or Sassicaia or Massetto beneath –most of whom would by no means be bothered to ship an entire raft of samples to a bunch of US journalists as a part of such a scheme) these are all incredible examples of their type, and a number of other are amongst a few of my favourite Italian wines.

Notice that a number of the vintages I tasted should not but within the US. I discover that many Italian imports are likely to lag generally as a lot as a 12 months or two from their launch dates abroad. It simply depends upon the dimensions of the importer, which frequently pertains to the dimensions (and monetary energy) of the producer. The bigger and extra profitable the vineyard, the extra environment friendly their international distribution.

Get pleasure from.

Tasting Notes

2019 Bortolomiol “Brut Ius Naturae” Prosecco Superiore, Conegliano Valdobbiadene, Veneto, Italy
Close to colorless within the glass with only a trace of greenish-gold highlighting its very effective bubbles, this wine smells of white flowers and inexperienced apple and citrus. Within the mouth, a reasonably coarse mousse delivers crisp and clear flavors of inexperienced apple and white flowers with a touch of citrus pith. Ethereal and easy, with only a trace of salinity on the end so as to add complexity. 11.5% alcohol. Rating: between 9 and 9.5. Price: $21. click to buy.

2019 Biancavigna “Rive di Soligo Further Brut” Prosecco Superiore, Conegliano Valdobbiadene, Veneto, Italy
Close to colorless within the glass with a touch of inexperienced and really effective bubbles, this wine smells of white flowers and star fruit. Within the mouth, lime and inexperienced melon, moist slate and white flowers have a crisp, lean high quality to them. A reasonably silky mousse caresses the palate and leaves the mouth feeling refreshed as notes of lime zest and inexperienced apple linger within the end. 11.5% alcohol. Rating: round 9. Price: $ . click to buy.

2019 Borgoluce “Rive di Collalto Further Brut” Prosecco Superiore, Conegliano Valdobbiadene, Veneto, Italy
Primarily colorless within the glass, with very effective bubbles, this wine smells of JuicyFruit gum and salty lemon pith. Within the mouth, splendidly saline flavors of white flowers and seawater are borne on a voluminous, silky mousse. Delicate and really refined, this wine has a subtlety and faint floral high quality that’s fairly alluring. Saline notes of inexperienced apple linger within the end. 11.5% alcohol. Rating: round 9.5. Price: $32.

2018 I Campi “Campo Vulcano” Soave Classico, Veneto, Italy
Pale yellow-gold within the glass, this wine smells of honeysuckle, unripe apple, candle wax, and moist pavement. Within the mouth, gorgeously brisk flavors of lemon pith, unripe apple, moist chalkboard, and lemon cucumber flavors crackle with phenomenal acidity and go away a crystalline impression within the mouth. Consists of 15% Trebbiano. 12.5% alcohol. Rating: between 9 and 9.5. Price: $18. click to buy.

2018 Pieropan “Calvarino” Soave Classico, Veneto, Italy
Pale yellow-gold in colour, this wine smells of honeysuckle and moist pavement. Within the mouth, honeysuckle, chamomile, bee pollen, and deeply crystalline, quartz-like minerality shimmer and snap, because of incredible acidity. There’s a moist chalkboard high quality to the end. Incorporates 30% Trebbiano. Fermented and aged in cement. 12.5% alcohol. Rating: between 9 and 9.5. Price: $32. click to buy.

2018 Tenuta Luisa “I Ferretti” Friulano, Isonzo del Friuli, Friuli, Italy
Pale greenish gold within the glass, this wine smells of unripe peaches, citron, and white flowers. Within the mouth, fantastically shiny honeysuckle, unique citrus, and grapefruit flavors have an electrical sizzle because of incredible acidity and a deeply mineral wet-chalkboard end. Clear, crisp, and scrumptious. About half of this wine’s grapes are left to dry on the vine for 10 to 12 days following the recent harvest. 30% ages in oak, with lees stirring. 13.5% alcohol. 4000 bottles made. Rating: between 9 and 9.5. Price: $32. click to buy.

2019 Tenuta Stella Friulano, Collio, Friuli, Italy
Gentle yellow-gold within the glass, this wine smells of chamomile and celery, moist pavement, and inexperienced apple. Within the mouth, inexperienced apple, chamomile, and rainwater flavors have a shiny crystalline high quality that crackles with incredible acidity. 14% alcohol. Rating: round 9. Price: $30.

2018 Edi Keber “Okay” White Mix, Collio, Friuli, Italy
Pale yellow-gold in colour, this wine smells of chamomile, unique citrus, and melting snow. Within the mouth, attractive citrus pith, moist chalkboard, and yellow herbs have a brisk snappiness because of incredible acidity. Pomelo and pomelo pith linger within the end. A mix of Tocai Friulano, Malvasia Istriana, Ribolla Gialla fermented with indigenous yeasts and aged in cement. 13% alcohol. Rating: between 9 and 9.5. Price: $36. click to buy.

2019 Bosco Del Merlo “Turranio” Sauvignon, Friuli, Italy
Close to colorless within the glass with only a trace of greeny-gold, this wine smells of passionfruit and kiwi. Within the mouth, passionfruit, kiwi, and reduce grass flavors have a shiny crystalline high quality to them. Deeply mineral and shiny, with a stunning passionfruit taste lingering within the end. Clear and refreshing. 13% alcohol. Rating: between 9 and 9.5. Price: $23. click to buy.

2019 Tiare Sauvignon, Collio, Friuli, Italy
Palest greenish gold within the glass, practically colorless, this wine smells of inexperienced apples and gooseberries. Within the mouth, extremely shiny inexperienced apple and reduce grass flavors appear filtered via glacial ice. Extremely clear and shiny. 13.5% alcohol. Rating: round 9.5 . Price: $24. click to buy.

2019 Cantina Kurtastsch “Kofl” Sauvignon, Sudtirol Alto Adige, Italy
Pale greenish-gold in colour, this wine smells of lanolin, citrus oils, and moist chalkboard. Within the mouth, unique citrus, moist chalkboard, and a touch of musky animal funk combine with a crystalline high quality because of incredible acidity. There’s simply one thing apparently savory about this wine, like a touch of inexperienced olive or dashi. 14% alcohol. Rating: round 9. Price: $26. click to buy.

2018 La Roncaia “Eclisse” White Mix, Venezia Giulia, Italy
Pale greenish gold within the glass, this wine smells of star fruit and struck match with a touch of citrus pith. Within the mouth, star fruit, lemon cucumber, and winter melon have a faint floral high quality that wafts above a deeply mineral core. Incredible acidity leaves the mouth feeling prefer it’s simply been washed in a mountain stream and wiped dry with a buddha’s hand citrus. A mix of Sauvignon Blanc and Picolit. 13.5% alcohol. Rating: between 9 and 9.5. Price: $35. click to buy.

2019 Cusumano “Alta Mora” Etna Bianco, Etna, Sicily, Italy
Gentle greenish-gold within the glass, this wine smells of moist pavement, yellow flowers, and unique citrus. Within the mouth, the wine is deeply stony, however brimming with shiny neon lemon zinginess because of incredible acidity. Flavors of chamomile, bee pollen—however above all Meyer lemon—merely make the mouth water. Deeply satisfying. 12% alcohol. Rating: round 9.5. Price: $27. click to buy.

2019 Pala “Stellato” Vermentino di Sardegna, Sardinia, Italy
Pale yellow gold within the glass, this wine smells of pears and inexperienced melon and white flowers. Within the mouth, juicy pear and inexperienced melon flavors combine with thyme and a touch of different inexperienced herbs. Glorious acidity retains the mouth watering, however there’s positively some alcoholic warmth on this wine. 14% alcohol. Rating: between 8.5 and 9. Price: $24. click to buy.

2019 Surrau “Sciala” Vermentino di Gallura Superiore, Sardinia, Italy
Gentle yellow-gold within the glass, this wine smells of moist chalkboard, citrus pith, and pears. Within the mouth, juicy pear and grapefruit pith flavors have a shiny zing to them because of wonderful acidity. Nice crystalline depth and a clear floral end with hints of yellow herbs. 14% alcohol. Rating: round 9. Price: $26. click to buy.

2019 Feudo Antico Pecorino, Tullum, Abruzzo, Italy
Gentle yellow-gold within the glass, this wine smells of lanolin, lemon zest, and dried herbs. Within the mouth, grapefruit and lemon brightness is filtered via a dried natural high quality, as hints of dried sage and cumin combine with a stony minerality. Fairly savory, with wonderful acidity, and a really lengthy citrus-tinged end. 13.5% alcohol. Rating: between 9 and 9.5. Price: $12. click to buy.

2018 Ottella “Molceo Riserva” Lugana, Lombardy, Italy
Palest greenish-gold in colour, this wine smells of poached pears, honey, and apples. Within the mouth, silky and juicy flavors of apples and chamomile, pears and a touch of kumquat have a pleasant brightness because of good acidity. Fairly fairly and drinkable with that good steadiness that Lugana can have between richness and zip. 13.5% alcohol. Rating: round 9. Price: $45. click to buy.

2017 Perla del Garda “Madonna della Scoperta” Lugana Superiore, Lombardy, Italy
Pale greenish gold within the glass, this wine smells of inexperienced apples, apricots, and pink grapefruit. Within the mouth, very silky flavors of pink grapefruit, inexperienced apple, and Asian pear are shot via with a touch of unique citrus pith. Good acidity and a marmalade end. 13% alcohol. Rating: between 8.5 and 9. Price: $ . click to buy.

2019 Tenuta Terraviva “Giusi” Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo, Abruzzo, Italy
Gentle ruby within the glass, this wine smells of struck match and river mud. Within the mouth, tangy bitter cherry and redcurrant flavors have a shiny depth because of wonderful acidity. The wine’s vibrance appears to construct on the palate, leaving the mouthwatering as saline flavors of citrus, unripe strawberry, and a few herbs linger within the end. Faint, faint tannins. This wine qualifies as barely funky, however in an excellent method. 13% alcohol. Rating: round 9. Price: $22.

2015 Valle Reale “Vigneto Di Popoli” Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, Abruzzo, Italy
Medium garnet in colour, this wine smells of black cherry and boysenberry. Within the mouth, shiny boysenberry fruit is wrapped in a light-weight, fleecy blanket of tannins as hints of orange peel and dried herbs linger in a protracted end. Glorious acidity and beautiful texture. 13.5% alcohol. 27530 bottles made. Rating: round 9. Price: $26. click to buy.

2017 Poggio le Volpi “Edizione Limitata” Purple Mix, Roma, Latium, Italy
Medium to darkish garnet in colour, this wine smells of richly oiled leather-based, cassis, and maraschino cherry with a touch of roasted nuts. Within the mouth, darkish cherry, cedar, and leather-based flavors are shiny with wonderful acidity, which leaves an orange peel citrus be aware on the end, together with river mud and leather-based flavors. Supple, suede-like tannins solely emerge with a while on the palate. A mix of Cesanese, Montepulciano and Syrah. 14% alcohol. 22,600 egregiously heavy bottles made. Rating: between 8.5 and 9. Price: $100.

2016 Donnachiara Aglianico, Taurasi, Campania, Italy
Darkish garnet in colour, this wine smells of blackberry and leather-based, dried herbs, and earth. Within the mouth, wealthy flavors of black cherry and blackberry are held in a muscular fist of tannins. Vivid acidity makes the mouth water and the end of blueberries and herbs soar for a lot of minutes as darker dusty flavors rumble within the bass clef. 13.5% alcohol. Rating: between 8.5 and 9. Price: $38. click to buy.

2017 Accademia dei Racemi “Zinfandel Sinfarosa Terra Nerra” Primitivo do Manduria, Puglia, Italy
Medium to darkish garnet within the glass, this wine smells of blackberries and earth. Within the mouth, blackberry and black pepper flavors combine with potting soil and a contact of dried oregano. Powdery tannins coat the mouth as brambly, citrusy flavors linger within the end. 15% alcohol. Rating: round 8.5. Price: $22. click to buy.

2017 Coppi “Senatore” Primitivo, Gioia del Colle, Puglia, Italy
Medium to darkish garnet in colour, this wine smells of blackberry and cassis. Within the mouth, juicy blackberry, cassis, and licorice flavors have an exquisite taut tannic skein to them, with hints of citrus, black pepper, and dried inexperienced herbs. Notes of dried flowers linger within the end. Fairly fairly. 13.5% alcohol. Rating: between 8.5 and 9. Price: $30. click to buy.

2017 Pietradolce “Archineri” Etna Rosso, Etna, Sicily, Italy
Gentle to medium ruby in colour, this wine smells of dried flowers, rock mud, and forest berries. Within the mouth, extremely shiny flavors of strawberry, mulberry, and redcurrant are electric-bright because of racy acidity. Beautiful notes of citrus rind and dried flowers linger in a really lengthy end as powdery tannins go away the mouth with a deeply mineral impression. Unimaginable texture and size, and solely a tiny bit of warmth hinting on the substantial 15% alcohol. Produced from vines between 80 and 90 years previous grown at 850 meters of elevation. Rating: between 9 and 9.5. Price: $40. click to buy.

2016 Cottanera “Feudo di Mezzo” Etna Rosso, Etna, Sicily, Italy
Medium garnet within the glass, this wine smells of forest berries, moist pavement, and dried flowers. Within the mouth, intense flavors of dried flowers, strawberries, and mulberries are deeply stony, because the powdery tannins coat the mouth and go away the sensation of getting inhaled a mouthful of chalk mud. Lengthy and chronic and exquisite. Style the volcano. 14.5% alcohol. Rating: between 9 and 9.5. Price: $50.

2016 Tacchino Albarola Barbera del Monferrato, Monferrato, Piedmont, Italy
Very darkish garnet in colour, this wine smells of earth, blackberries, and black cherries. Within the mouth, darkish and wealthy black cherry flavors are shot via with dried herbs, earth, and leather-based, as notes of citrus peel and pink peppercorns linger within the end. Gorgeously wispy tannins are barely perceptible on the fringe of the palate. There’s a contact of wooden taste beneath this fruit, however it’s refined and well-integrated. Glorious acidity and regardless of the depth of taste, a drinkability that’s charming. 13% alcohol. Rating: round 8.5. Price: $36.

2018 Badia a Coltibuono Chianti Classico, Tuscany, Italy
Gentle to medium ruby within the glass this wine smells of strawberries and cherry and moist potting soil. Within the mouth, splendidly shiny cherry and strawberry fruit is shot via with dusty, dry herbs and enclosed in a gauzy haze of supple tannins. Incredible acidity and exquisite depth. 13.5% alcohol. Rating: between 9 and 9.5. Price: $24. click to buy.

2017 Barone Ricasoli “Gran Selezione Colledilà” Chianti Classico, Tuscany, Italy
Medium ruby in colour, this wine smells of cherry and new oak. Within the mouth, shiny cherry fruit is shot via with the nutty toastiness of latest oak and cocoa powder. Glorious acidity retains the fruit shiny, and notes of dried herbs additionally seem because the wine finishes, however the dominant “spice” right here is oak, which is an excessive amount of for my style. A disgrace, actually, as this is able to have been a very distinctive wine with out it. As it’s, the wine is merely very, excellent. 14% alcohol. Rating: round 9. Price: $72. click to buy.

2017 Teunta Arceno “Riserva” Chianti Classico, Tuscany, Italy
Medium ruby within the glass with a contact of garnet in it, this wine smells of shiny cherry fruit. Within the mouth, intense cherry fruit has an unbelievable purity to it and a stony backdrop towards which hints of dried flowers and dried herbs emerge. Principally, nevertheless, it is a ringing crystalline chime singing the flavour “cherry” extra intensely than you’ll be able to think about is feasible. Excellent. Beautiful acidity, good poise. There may be wooden right here, however it’s so properly built-in into the wine, it’s however a whisper of the leathery tannins and a whiff of toasted espresso. Pierre Seillan strikes once more. 14.5% alcohol. Rating: round 9.5. Price: $40. click to buy.

2016 Tenuta Monteti “Monteti” Purple Mix, Tuscany, Italy
Medium to darkish garnet within the glass, this wine smells of black cherry and blackberries. Within the mouth, smoky notes of black cherry, toasted oak, espresso, and cocoa powder are shiny with juicy acidity and clasped in a muscular fist of fine-grained tannins. Darkish and highly effective, however with some elevate because of the superb acidity. Notes of oak and licorice linger within the end. A mix of Petit Verdot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc. Matures in 70% new French oak for 18 months adopted by 2 years of bottle growing old. 14.5% alcohol. Rating: between 8.5 and 9. Price: $34. click to buy.

2017 Piaggia “Riserva” Purple Mix, Carmignano, Tuscany, Italy
Darkish garnet in colour, this wine smells of cherry, roasted figs, and black olives. Within the mouth, flavors of black cherry, niçoise olives, licorice root, and a touch of bitter wooden are deeply savory. There’s first rate acidity right here, however I’d love some extra. As it’s this wine offers a really brooding character, and will merely want a while within the cellar to open up. A mix of 70% Sangiovese, 10% Merlot, and the steadiness a mixture of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Ages in 10% new French oak barriques 14.5% alcohol. Rating: between 8.5 and 9. Price: $43. click to buy.

2016 Caiarossa “Aria di Caiarossa” Purple Mix, Tuscany, Italy
Medium to darkish garnet in colour, this wine smells of cherry and tobacco leaf and pencil shavings. Within the mouth, attractive darkish cherry, cedar, and pipe tobacco flavors combine with brighter notes of orange peel and dried sage. Suede-like tannins caress the perimeters of the palate and settle in with some weight because the wine finishes fantastically floral and lengthy. Glorious acidity, it is a wine that’s constructed for the lengthy haul. Give it 10 years and be careful! A mix of Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon with a dollop of Syrah and Petit Verdot. 14% alcohol. Rating: round 9.5. Price: $54. click to buy.

2015 Tenuta di Sesta Brunello di Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy
Medium ruby within the glass, with hints of orange on the rim, this wine smells of strawberries, cherries, and cedar. Within the mouth, cherry and sandalwood flavors are matched with dried orange peel and an exquisite freshness like chopped inexperienced herbs. Beautiful acidity and unbelievable poise, this wine is extremely drinkable, with solely the barest grip of tannins on the fringe of the palate at this level. Extremely elegant 14.5% alcohol. Rating: round 9.5. Price: $45. click to buy.

2016 Speri “Sant’Urbano” Amarone della Valpolicella Classico, Valpolicella, Veneto, Italy
Darkish garnet in colour, this wine smells of chocolate-covered raisins and black cherries. Within the mouth, wealthy flavors of black cherry, chocolate, raisins, roasted figs, and licorice all stay fairly juicy because of wonderful acidity. A traditional be aware of incense lingers within the end together with dried cherries. Very drinkable. A mix of 70% Corvina, 25% Rondinella, and 5% Molinara dried within the conventional method to 60% of their former weight earlier than urgent. 15% alcohol. Rating: between 9 and 9.5. Price: $75. click to buy.

2016 Tenuta Sant’Antonio “Campo dei Gigli” Amarone della Valpolicella, Valpolicella, Veneto, Italy
Darkish garnet within the glass, this wine smells of dried cherries, prunes, and sawdust. Within the mouth, sturdy notes of incense and dried herbs combine with raisins, chocolate, licorice, and black cherry fruit. There’s a spicy peppery high quality that lingers within the end. The tannins drape like a weighted blanket over all the things, however the wonderful acidity retains the saliva flowing. This can be a breed of Amarone that’s only a bit an excessive amount of for me. A mix of 70% Corvina and Corvinon, 20% Rondinella, 5% Croatina, and 5% Oseleta. 16% alcohol in a very heavy bottle. Rating: round 8.5. Price: $70. click to buy.