Vini Corsari 2018 | Castello di Barolo

The cultural association Giulia Falletti of Barolo, with the collaboration of Giuseppe Rinaldi winery, Les amis de la cugnette and Os Goliardos, organizes the annual wine tasting (6th edition), with possibility of purchase, on Sunday 2nd and Monday 3rd Dicember, from 11 am to 6 pm, with the wines of 30 European winegrowers, which will be held in the Barolo Municipal Castle.

A lot of Italian and French winegrowers, with some presence from Spain, Portugal, Germany, Austria, Czech Republic and Greece.
 

For any info, see the web site as well as their fb and twitter pages.

Le Grand Tasting 2018 13th edition | Paris

Friday 30th November and Saturday 1st December, in Paris, at the Carrousel du Louvre, will be held the thirteenth edition of “Le Grand Tasting”, the annual wine tasting, organized by the journalists Michel Bettane and Thierry Desseauve, founders of the same wine guide.

 

A fundamental and unforgettable opportunity to discover and taste the French wine excellence, selected personally by Mr. Bettane & Mr. Dessauve. 

 

Focus, it goes without saying, on the oenological gems of France, starting with the beloved Champagnes - over 70 Maisons - but not only because all the French wine regions are superbly represented, with other wine companies coming from the most important countries. You have just to browse the list of exhibitors to find out what you will going to taste.

 

Last but not least, exclusive Ateliers Gourmets, Master Class and Master Class Prestige, which will allow, upon reservation, to participate in special tastings, illustrated by experts and producers.

 

Real-time updates, by following the official site, as well as their social pages.

 

 

 www.grandtasting.com

 

 

Legras & Haas Champagne Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Brut n.v.

Not deceive you the maison was founded only in 1991, the Legras’ are winemakers since seven generations. We are in Chouilly, one of the five Grand Cru villages of the Côte des Blancs, where the company cultivates 15 hectares of the 35 available (the others are in Vavray, Bassu and Les Riceys). 

 

Last year, while I chatted and drank with François Legras, owner (with his wife and three children) and Chef de cave, we agreed on many issues, not least how this bdb represents the style maison. 

 

It stimulates the nostrils with chalk, followed by crisp citrus tones - lemon and citron - but also plum and pear, rosemary and thyme, with a hazelnut enchanting me. 

 

The palate is fresh and round. The taste confirms the richness of the olfactory sequence, with valuable and lively mix between minerality and a significant fruity presence. Elegant creaminess and uncontrollable drink, closing fast, with references of anise and chalk. 

 

Excellent sips as an aperitif.

Henriot Champagne Rose Noire Brut n.v.

It’s a cuvee "not for sale", reserved for the customers of the Maison Henriot.

Despite the name, which suggests, perhaps, the black grapes, this is a pure Chardonnay, whose grapes come, in large part, from the Grand Cru villages of the Côte des Blancs.

A bright gold effervescence, very fine, for a nose, sweet and quite mature. Lots of fruit, white and yellow - peach and pear, apple, melon and citrus - with a strong minerality, which also limits, the other olfactory actors, really weak or hidden.

The taste is smooth and shows itself less "mature", with high freshness and good acidic verve. A lot of fruit is mixed with chalk, for a fat sip, but a soft wire, due to a more than perceptible dosage.

Bottle “combed” and obedient to the goût maison - could not be otherwise - loving expressive sweetness. 

Vini di Vignaioli Vins de Vignerons 2017 | Fornovo di Taro (Parma)

 

Sunday 4th and Monday 5th November, back the classic appointment, in Fornovo di Taro village, near Parma (North Italy), with the unmissable event of Vini di Vignaioli, Vins de Vignerons 2017 (winegrowers wines), this year celebrating the seventeenth edition.

 

Not only tasting, but also knowing directly the winegrowers and tune into their modus, to understand their working philosophy.

 

This edition will present more than 130 winemakers, with the possibility, as usual, to purchase the wines in tasting, and there will be also a large group of high quality food, and publishing companies. 

 

As usual, you can find the list of winegrowers, and other useful information, by consulting their website and the fb page.

 

 

 vini di vignaioli

 

 

Arianna Occhipinti SP 68 Bianco Terre Siciliane 2013

This is a blend, slightly macerated, of Albanello and Zibibbo grapes.

 

It envelops the nostrils with freshness and straightness, absolutely devoid of sweetness. Dominating the olfactory spectrum is, at first, the plant connotation that is realized with hay and other herbs, bay leaf, thyme and an exuberant chamomile.

 

Later it was the turn of fruity and marine scents, with hints of citrus and peach, thwarted by seaweed, oyster and strong mineral filler.

 

The taste, giving almost complete consonance with the nose, once again, even more notably, the plant component - here the fruit pays duty - that is adequately supported by delicate mineral texture, as well as balanced acidity.

 

The sip, very wide and of medium complexity, remains dry and closes on persistent iodine notes and citrus returns.

 

High and dangerous drinkability.

 

Massa Vecchia Berace 2010

 

Not even six thousand bottles for this blend consisting of Merlot 40%, Sangiovese 40%, and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon.

 

The glass has a beautiful ruby red. The nose is assaulted by red berry fruits - strawberry and blueberry, blackberry and cherry – with a pleasant hints of plant and tobacco.

 

On the mouth it is lively and reproduces, quite consistently, the smell expressions, with regard to the fruity appearance.

 

Good acidity, a balanced slender body, these are the hallmarks of this bottle, which has shown remarkable drink agility.

 

It closes with good persistence, with fruity and sapidity flavors.