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 …

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 ...

Happy New Year: Contratto For England Pas Dosè 2007, Oltrepò Pavese

Happy New Year Everybody!!! With my last sip of this very serious, rather stern appearing and overall wounderfully uptight „For England“ fizz from Contratto south of Asti in Piemonte. Its name „For England“ was influenced by Contratto's main market back in the 1920s. Then most of Contratto's very dry appearing - at least in these days - wines were exported to the United Kingdom and its colonies. Today, the grapes for this sparkling wine were cultivated Oltrepò Pavese region in neighbouring Lombardia. This 2007 was composed from 80 % Pinot Noir and 20 % Chardonnay. It was aged for about four years on yeast in bottle and wasn't indulged with any sweetness at degorgement. Which proved to be the a fine choice. I suggest … let's have this last serious sip!

Happening Now Tasting 24: Ca' Di Frara Pinot Nero 2009, Oltrepo Pavese DOC

I am pretty thirsty! Thirsty for something new, something Pinot'y, something not too complicated and surely nothing sophisticated. Believe it or not, I haven't had wine or other booze for almost a fortnight. What a horrible thing to do, right!? Anyway, tonight I'd like to make a short trip to Lombardia in Central North of Italy. Besides the famously sparkling Franciacorta region, and a few other small and not so small viticulture areas, there is a DOC and DOCG (only for fizzy stuff) called Oltrepo Pavese in the Province of Pavia. The main varietals in this region are Barbera, Pinot Nero, Malvasia, Riesling, Cortese, Moscato and plenty of internationalists. And now comes the tough part of this introduction: I am honestly ashamed to admit ... tonight will be my very first Pinot Nero from there! Puhhh, I really did it! Well, let's cut the drama crap and keep it concise! This personal prime experience was produced by the well established Ca' di Frara winery. The grapes for their only still Pinot Nero from 2009 were cultivated on different calcareous and clayey vineyards throughout Oltrepo Pavese. Apparently this one is a stainless steel fermented and aged Pinot … well well well, anyway let's have a try!

Happening Now Tasting 15: Ca' del Bosco Sebino 1996, Lombardia

It's been a while since my last “Happening Now Tasting”. Soave and assorted World Cup Pinots enjoyed priority in the past weeks. Reason enough to celebrate my live tasting comeback with a risky, due to its age, vintage and provenance, and hopefully in the best case extraordinary Pinot Noir from Italy. Ca' del Bosco from Lombardia region is a melodiously name in the world of sparkling wine. No doubt about that! Their still wines however do not have the widespread reputation and more importantly the distribution as their sparklers from Franciacorta region have. Especially Ca' del Bosco' s Chardonnay and Pinot Nero, named Pinéro, belong to the best of their kind in Italy. Today's Pinot Nero is a rather special one with the name Sebino 1996. What is so special? Sebino is the name of the IGT in which the grapes for Ca' del Bosco's Pinéro are cultivated. So, Sebino 1996 is actually the Pinéro 1996. Again ... so – why then the change of names? For a better and more precise explanation I'd like to quote from the technical sheet on Ca' del Bosco's website:

“The 1996 vintage for Pinot Nero will be remembered for its abundant production of grapes. We practiced a drastic thinning out of the bunches, but remaining grapes when harvested showed a dishomogeneous phenolic maturation. The result of vinification and aging created an interesting wine with a peculiar aromatic profile. The structure still holds up in its depth for the best vintages. As in the past, for "Maurizio Zanella", Ca' del Bosco has decided to not use the name "Pinero", but solely identifying it by the denomination that in Franciacorta emulates it: Sebino".

Well then, let's see how this “ dishomogeneous phenolic maturation” might have affected the actual quality and longevity of good old Sebino ... 

Ca' del Bosco Curtefranca Bianco 2010, Lombardia

I haven't really planned to dignify ;-) this white blend with a post on my blog! But sometimes you really have to change your mind about premature plans. Of course, Ca' del Bosco is a really big name in Lombardia and in the world of sparkling wine, but to be honest I did not really expect such an appealing, absolutely not simple and definitely low priced wine from such a renowned and not so reasonable (in general) winery like them. In contrast to the well known and very high priced Chardonnay, the Curtefranca Bianco 2010 is a blend of 80% Chardonnay and 20% Pinot Bianco. In this case a very beneficial composition!