Osar 2006

The colour is very dark ruby, almost black. On the nose ripe blackberries and cola. In the mouth plenty of tannins. The slightly fruity and mainly drying aftertaste is pretty long.

Osar is made with 100% Oseleta grapes, an extremely rare red wine variety grown in the northwestern region of Veneto in Italy. The earliest documentation relating to Oseleta dates back only 150 years or so, but oral tradition in the region holds that the variety has been used there for many centuries. Continue reading “Osar 2006”

El Nido 2008

The colour is medium garnet. On the nose dark berries and prunes under spirit. In the mouth fresh, with well-integrated tannins. The aftertaste is tasty and very, very long.

The 2008 El Nido is a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Monastrell, aged for 24 months in new French and American oak. Continue reading “El Nido 2008”

Château Phélan Ségur 2009

The colour is deep ruby. Not showing any sign of ageing yet. On the nose dark cherries, plums, forest, and some chocolatey and smokey notes. In the mouth very elegant, with well-integrated tannins and a good acidity. The aftertaste is delicious and last for quite a while.

Château Phélan Ségur is located in the Saint-Estèphe region of Bordeaux. Continue reading “Château Phélan Ségur 2009”

Spain

Last month I organized a wine tasting focused on the main wine producing regions of Spain.

In the last few years, I travelled extensively to the different wine regions of Europe and I covered all the major denominations of Spain. Continue reading “Spain”

Edizione Cinque Autoctoni 2017

The colour is deep purple. On the nose dark cherries, blackberries, pepper, leather and some menthol. In the mouth very filling, with a drying finish. The aftertaste is fruity and very long.

This is a big and powerful wine, which doesn’t surprise given the provenience and the blend. Edizione is made with Montepulciano, Primitivo, Sangiovese, Negroamaro and Malvasia grapes from two regions of southern Italy: Puglia and Abruzzo.

This wine was inspired by Hugh Johnson, one of the most famous wine journalists in the world, and produced by Farnese Vini, a leading wine export company in the South of Italy, with a production of over 24 million bottles.

Edizione 2017 has been awarded 99 points by Luca Maroni, an Italian wine critic, who I never heard about before (unlike Robert Parker, James Suckling or Jancis Robinson).

For this bottle I paid 17.40 CHF at LIDL, 38% off the original price of CHF 28.50. I have the impression that this wine is on sale most of the time, meaning that the real price is closer to 18 CHF than 28 CHF. At 18 CHF I find it delivers a very good price/quality ratio for consumers that like fruit bombs. For my taste this wine is a bit “tiring”. A kind of wine of which I enjoy the first glass much more than the third.

Country: Italy
Region: Puglia, Abruzzo
Grapes: Montepulciano, Primitivo, Sangiovese, Negroamaro, Malvasia
Type: Red
Vintage: 2017
Producer: Farnese Vini
Price range: Medium (15-30 US$)
Pascal’s Enjoyment Index: 3/5

Le Difese 2018

The colour is deep ruby. Not much neither on the nose, where I barely detect some sour cherries, nor in the mouth, where I feel drying tannins and a bitter finish. The aftertaste is short.

Le Difese is made by Tenuta San Guido, the producer of the famous Sassicaia, first produced with the 1968 vintage. Le Difese is the third wine of the estate, first produced with the 2002 vintage. In between, the winery produces a second wine, labelled Guidalberto, first produced with the 2000 vintage. Continue reading “Le Difese 2018”

Plantscher 2016

The colour is medium gold. On the nose notes of apple, apricot, honey and chamomile. In the mouth very fresh. It stimulates salivation and overall gives a silky sensation. The aftertaste is very dry and not very tasty, but it last for a fairly long time.

This unique wine is produced by Chanton, a winery at the center of rare grape preservation in Valais. Continue reading “Plantscher 2016”

Chateau Haut-Lavignere 2016

The colour is deep ruby. On the nose charmingly fruity. Prunes, cherries and the ever-present blackberries come to mind. In the mouth not much of a body, with a unpleasantly bitter and drying finish. The aftertaste is medium long. When you start eating, the flaws in the mouth disappear and the appealing sensations on the nose make the overall experience with this wine very enjoyable. Continue reading “Chateau Haut-Lavignere 2016”

Charmes-Chambertin Joseph Drouhin 2011

The colour is pale ruby/garnet. On the nose mushrooms, eucalyptus and pepper. In the mouth elegant, with some strawberries flavour. The aftertaste is discreet, but medium long.

Charmes-Chambertin is an Appellation d’origine contrôlée (AOC) and one of the 24 Grand Cru vineyards of the Côte de Nuits subregion of Burgundy. It is made with Pinot Noir grapes. Continue reading “Charmes-Chambertin Joseph Drouhin 2011”