Like the not so overly concise headline sufficiently implies: in the past year I laid my vinophile concentration on the lands the ancient Greeks use to swirl around. The voyages of my tongue stretched from Sicily in the West to the Levant in the East, Macedonia and Albania in the North and unfortunately not to Egypt in the South. I tried to get a wine from the outskirts of Alexandria, but well … you know I think my tongue wasn't ready enough for a 15 year old Syrah straight our of the Nile delta. One of those sweet ancient classics from the Sinai or a Cru des Ptolémées would have been nice! Anyway, I digress … like so many times. Speaking of lengthy proliferations: No worries, I've decided not to introduce each wine with an overboarding and tiring introduction about soils, production methods, origins or even worse mostly useless analytical values. I've done my homework before tastings. So can you, if you wish to have a little bit of input about one or the other wine. Plain tasting notes! That's what the stuff that follows is all about. At least I hope so! So just shut up and give it a go ...
13.5.25
20.12.24
Cà Del Bosco Pinero 1990, Sebino Lombardia
Haven’t had a Sebino in quite a while
… and never with such age! I've been observing this very bottle in
the depths of a climatic chamber for quite some time … or more.
Besides its impressively long - as well as challenging - cork it
seems to be in a well seasoned shape - not euphemistically put at
all. Plenty of iron, blood, dry brown earth, sediments of gauntish
red currants, some thyme, and a substantially vivid acid combined
with some rugged farmyard structure give me somehow certain Morey
vibes … not sure this is legit in our dimension. Anyway ... not a
charmer at all, quite serious actually … at least a serious travel
back in time when a certain and on my behalf not so beloved and certainly unnerving Lothar
scored a dirty goal in San Siro about 50 miles west from these
grapes! Quite inspirational stuff I guess …
29.12.22
"Confrontational Therapy" Protocol 2022
Throughout the past year I confronted my palate with grape varieties I usually do not enjoy all too much. Diplomatically put! Yes, I very much “enjoy” to confront myself with personal prejudice or other not all too pleasurable matters. In case of fermented grape juice, it might be a rather easy undertaking. In case other engagements, objects, affairs etc it is most certainly much more challenging. Anyway, I digress ... as always! For my palatal confrontation 2022 I've tried to select wines very carefully. Most of them have been consumed fully and over several days. A few were limitedly consumed over at least two days and subsequently these ones continue their rest-existence elsewhere. For instance the existence in a not all too shabby sauce or just venturing out into world of the discharge pipes and beyond. Furthermore I do not wish to bore the engaged reader longer than absolutely necessary – hence this time I will try to keep my tasting notes as concise as possible. Sometimes probably insufficiently short. I suppose a correlation between enthusiasm towards a specific wine and the length of the corresponding tasting note might be rather evident. Enough! Let's get it over with ...
31.10.21
Happy Halloween Happening Right Now Tasting - Cà dei Frati I Frati Lugana 2018
My Halloween “Happening Now Tasting“
tradition is back (at least this year). I guess an introduction for "this" is not really necessary!
It is certainly highly famous. And the photo says more than enough … Let's get the job done ...
17.2.20
Poderi Colla Campo Romano Pinot Nero 2005, Langhe
8.6.19
Und ein weiterer wilder Mix von "Pinots weit ... naja, oder auch nicht ganz so weit ... weg"
Cortes de Cima Pinot Noir 2014, Alentejano
Tenuta Mazzolino Pinot Nero 2013, Oltrepò Pavese
Bodegas Chacra Sin Azufre Pinot Noir 2016, Patagonia
Winderlea Vineyards and Winery Dundee Hills Vineyard Pinot Noir 2014, Dundee Hills
Domaine Henri Ruppert Pinot Noir Barrique 2015, Coteaux de Schengen
6.9.17
Cascina Baricchi Vino Rosso P-N 2010, Piemonte
30.5.17
Podere Monastero La Pineta Pinot Nero 2012, Toscana
25.9.16
Montepulciano d'Abruzzo auf Budi's Foodblog Teil 2: Besuch bei Emidio Pepe in Torano Nuovo
Hier geht's lang!
8.8.16
Montepulciano d'Abruzzo auf Budi's Foodblog Teil 1: Anteprima Montepulciano d'Abruzzo 2016 in Chieti
Hier geht's lang!
22.2.16
Nero di Troia ... for a change
1.1.16
Happy New Year: Contratto For England Pas Dosè 2007, Oltrepò Pavese
12.12.15
Happening Now Tasting 33: La Crotta Di Vegneron Pinot Noir 2013, Vallée d'Aoste
25.9.15
Azienda Agricola Elisabetta Dalzocchio Pinot Nero 2009, Trentino
23.7.15
Cusumano Pinot Nero 2008, Sicilia
6.6.15
Happening Now Tasting 27: Vini Contini Nieddera 2011, Valle del Tirso
9.3.15
Happening Now Tasting 24: Ca' Di Frara Pinot Nero 2009, Oltrepo Pavese DOC
19.1.15
Happening Now Tasting 22: Azienda Agricola Roberto Voerzio Barolo Brunate 1994, Barolo
24.12.14
Merry Christmas Everybody!
17.11.14
Checkin' Out Collio
![]() |
View from Monte Quarin near Cormòns and Beate Vergine del Soccorso Church |
![]() |
Ribolla Gialla vines |
The late budding and rather demanding, in sense of sensitivity and harvest, Friuliano (or outdated: Tocai Friuliano; or on international level: Sauvignon Vert), the lushly colourful as well as even later budding Ribolla Gialla and Malvasia Istriana (the regional offspring from the Malvasia family) are the autochthonous players on Collio's vineyards. Besides these traditional varieties international players like Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc and blues like Merlot and Cabernet Franc enjoy rathter great popularity. However most Collio Biancos are blended. Like the ones I'd like to intruduce to you a bit later on.
The predominant soil in Collio region is called Ponca (or flysch) - a diversified mixture of sandstone as well as stratified marlstone. These appropriately poor soils are characterized by large parts of marine sediments like fossils, minerals and especially profound footprints of salinity. Concerning vinification and maturation there are no general statements possible. In Collio you will come across the whole range from stainless all the way to eggs and amphorae as well as from pragmatic "traditionalists" to inspired biodynamic'ists. Enough knowledge for today! Now the time is ripe for the crucial part ...