Fine Wine Friday Online - Italy

Italy remains for many wine lovers a land of mystery with its 300 plus indigenous grape varieties and 400 DOC/DOCGs.

This course is aimed at exploring the very best wines of Italy and this course fully lives up to its’ billing of “fine wines”.

Over three weeks we visit some of the most famous of Italian wine regions and some of their finest producers.

Week 1: Friday 16th July

We start our journey in Veneto with a delightful Soave Classico, made from the Gargenega grape variety.  An intense and inviting white with aromas of apple, pear, citrus fruits, passion fruit and mint. The wine is dry, with an acidity that sneaks up on you, beautifully fresh, fruity and tangy, leaving your palate clean after the long, mouth filling finish.

We move on to one of Italy’s superstar DOCG – Brunello, with a stunning example.  Powerfully structured, this is an austere, warm, amply flavoured wine with a deep ruby to brick-red colour and a richly complex, dry, full and soft palate. A muscular, full-bodied wine with great richness.

• Ca Visco Soave Classico DOC 2019 – Retail Price £16.85
• Fattoria dei Barbi Brunello Di Montalcino DOCG 2015 – Retail Price £49.99

Week 2: Friday 23rd July

Back to Veneto for two wonderful wines using the Appassimento (air-dried grapes) technique to concentrate sugar levels, flavours, colours and tannins.  Amarone is of course well-known, but it’s sweet cousin, Recioto less so.

Our Amarone is deep and intense on the nose with aromas of dried cherries and blueberries and notes of spiced autumn fruit compote. On the palate, it is powerful, with a lovely balance of ripe tannins and spiced, concentrated savoury cherry fruit character. A touch of woodsmoke completes the long finish.

Onto our wonderful Recioto. This sweet red wine has a deep ruby ­colour. The wine has a spicy bouquet of dried plums, figs, spice cake, and mocha. Full and velvety on the palate with a vibrant acidity.   Recioto is a highly concentrated, rich wine to sip and meditate with after a meal. Great with chocolate and caramel. 

• A Alpha Zeta Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG 2017 – Retail Price £32.50
• “Le Arele” Recioto Della Valpolicella DOCG 2017 (50cl) – Retail Price £27.15

Week 3: Friday 30th July

Finally, we travel to Piedmont to sample TWO wines from Italy’s finest grape variety: Nebbiolo.  We are delighted to be able to present two wines from one of piedmont’s top producers: Pio Cesare.

We start with a Langhe DOC wine, 100% Nebbiolo aged for 24 months in French oak.  Intense and ripe berry fruit along with mild and almost sweet tannins give this wine structure, fragrance and longevity. The wine is rich, full-bodied, with a hint of gentle toasting. From a vintage of extraordinary quality.

Then onto “The Queen of Italian wines”: Barbaresco DOCG, again from the master winemaker Pio Cesare, aged for 3 years in French oak.  This vintage has extraordinary elegance, complexity and character. Silky and intense bouquet. Full body, great structure, right tannins, incredible ageing potential, precise and classic Nebbiolo style. The wine has sweet and very elegant tannins. From an outstanding vintage.

• Pio Cesare, Langhe DOC Nebbiolo 2016 – Retail £32.50
• Pio Cesare Barbaresco DOCG 2016 – Retail £63.99

For this wine tasting, the wines will be supplied by Frazier’s wine merchants of Solihull at a discounted price of £195 They can be ordered by following this link.

Please allow 7 days for delivery