Gatinois Champagne Brut Rosé Grand Cru n.v.

Since 1696, 12 generations of winemakers, seven hectares of vineyards - 6 Pinot Noir, 1 Chardonnay - from Aÿ, Grand Cru village of the valley of the Marne, for a production about 50 thousand bottles. These, shortly, the numbers of the proprietaire récoltant Gâtinois.

I visited the company last year, obtaining good impression, so many confirmations, tasting the whole range (some of which I knew) and coming away with a considerable purchase.

This is rosé d'assemblage - 85 units of Pinot Noir, 15 Chardonnay, 24 months on the lees - which salmon dark vision, anticipates, clearly and unambiguously, the weight of the black grapes.

I find the freshness of crisp spicy hiting and sculpting the nostrils, followed by the inevitable red fruits - orange and pomegranate, bitter orange and lychee - with a strong component of mineral salt that, step by step, assumes more and more personality.

The taste preserves, with clarity, the olfactory lexicon, telling wealth of material, adorned by fruitiness and good balance between power and aromatic repertoire. Very convincing the merger between fruity, spices and minerality.

Elegant and vertical sip, structured, with medium persistence.

Rizzi Barbaresco Riserva 2001

"Reserve" means an extra year aging, a lot more for me, having acquired, in 2005, directly from Dellapiana’s family cellar. Over the years - certainly the most effective and fruitful for him - gave me a bottle in great shape, starting from the nose.

After three hours from the opening, the olfactory perceptions are fresh and very clean and not too advanced.

It smells earthy, undergrowth and roots - china and rhubarb - with withered flowers - rose and violet - a slightly fruit syrupy, but still fleshy and appetizing - cherry, plum and raspberry - a fine mineral contour, with notes of cinnamon.

The mouth is warm, elegant and decided, confirming the symmetry with the nose gear. Subtly evolved flavors and lively acidity, tannins caressing the palate and a centered balance alcohol, seal a sip rich, energetic and in harmonic progression.

Very persistent, with intense references of licorice and goudron, leather and tobacco pipe.

Great satisfaction with roast lamb.

William Fevre Chablis Premier Cru Vaillons 2007

William Fevre is a reference domaine for the Chablis.

In the glass a pale yellow.

The olfactory framework consists of fresh flowers, citrus and lemon peel, peach, almond and jasmine. Refined and fresh mineral vein, with wonderful and intense iodine notes.

The taste is really consistent and full-bodied. Great minerality with mouth tasting like oysters. All this is supported by great freshness and acidity, with an agile structure. Sip that recalls sip and closes long and persistent.

Bottle that is clear expression of its terroir.

Bonnaire Champagne Blanc de Blancs Ver Sacrum Brut n.v.

Bonnaire equal Cremant, Cramant equal Côte des Blancs.

100% Chardonnay for this which is the spearhead of the house production.

In fact, despite being a non vintage, it has the best care, from the selection of grapes - source Cramant and Bergeres-les-Vertus - to get to vieillissement lasting at least six years, with cork - sous bouchon liège - which ensures greater maturity, development, wealth and breadth of flavors.

My bottle comes directly from the cellar of Jean-Louis and has over a year of disgorgement.

The perlage, light gold, with green reflections, is really fine and dense.

The nose has freshness and purity, typical of the Chardonnay, with precision of white fruit - peach and pear, lime and Granny apple - and clarity of flowers - wisteria and hawthorn - with a powerful, concentrated dose of that chalk coming from Cramant that only those saw, trampled and palpated, can understand.

It gives the best tasting, defending and consolidating, with cleaning and rigor, all the elegance and the aromatic richness. The 72 months sur lattes and the cork, were not in vain and really have carved the sip, conferring power, depth and complexity.

Refined final, large and persistent, with fresh references of citrus and chalk.

Take note.

Pietracupa Greco di Tufo 2012

For a long time I did not drink a Greco di Tufo; one of those serious then, I was missing a lot. This one I sought, found and bought - on line - out of curiosity, after reading excellent feedbacks on the wine guides: "... among the excellence", "the best Italian Greco di Tufo" ...

It is bright straw with green hues, for a fragrant nose of fruit from "club tropicana" - mango and papaya, yellow melon, yellow peach - but also citrus, some herbaceous note and a stingy minerality.

The palate, soft, sweet, but quite fresh, remains very attached, anchored to the tropical fruity expressions, and the mineral aspect that does not want to come out. 

What check, then it is the warmth alcohol - the 2012, if someone had forgotten, was a hot year - which ends up weakening voltage sour and slenderness of sip, up to that point appreciated.

It finishes hot, with notes of peach, pear and almond.

Not bad, but 18/20 for someone, 89/100, 90/100, 91/100, for others are important scores. I do not vote.

No doubt I, disciple, and them, the Masters, we drank otherwise bottles.
At least. 

Cos Cerasuolo di Vittoria 2010

You already know my weaknesses for Sicilian grapes and Cos is one of my strong and compelling points. This is 60 parts of Nero d'Avola, aged in oak barrels, and 40 parts Frappato, which makes vitrified cement, for an aging ranging from 18 to 24 months.

Beautiful ruby, a long and pleasantly nose, overwhelmed by a lot of black pepper, which will mark, constantly, the olfactory and gustatory development. This strong spiced presence, however, does not brake the rise of the other performers, that fit with harmony, and contribute to enrich the aromatic kit.

Very clean and noticeable the fruity sensations - pomegranate, grapefruit and red orange - blending with violet, oregano and impetuous gusts of minerality sea.

The taste, balanced and complex, is brilliantly in line with the olfactory performance. The black pepper is confirmed protagonist with the fruity tones - a fleshy cherry adds to citrus. The freshness is always in vogue, for an irresistible drinkability.

Excellent persistence, it shuts down, leaving a marine mouth, savory, licorice and especially greedy gulps, unfortunately extinct indeed too fast.

A drink of lustful and carnal sicilianity.