Melissa's Guide to the Best Italian Wines Pt 2: Hidden Gems - Whole Bunch Wines Wine Tasting
We have a real live Italiano here at Whole Bunch Wines, so let's talk to HER about the wines of home! We all know and love Chianti and Prosecco, but Italy boasts a huge amount of indigenous grape varieties and we want to shine a spotlight on the grapes and styles of wines which can sometimes be overlooked.
This tasting shone a light on these hidden gems of Italian wine. It was a smash success and you'll definitely be seeing some of these on our shelves in the future. We were really happy to discover some new and undervalued wines. Italy produces exquisite wines in every corner of the country and we encourage you to go out there and try as many different examples of Italian wine as you can manage, (responsibly of course).
Bellavista Franciacorta Vintage 2018
Bellavista is an iconic producer of Franciacorta. This style of wine hails from Lombardy and is a traditional method sparkling wine primarily made from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. It is Italy's answer to Champagne and we highly recommend you keep a couple of bottles in rotation - starting with this one!
Bellavista operates over 200 hectares of vineyards, planted in the western portion of the Franciacorta region of Lombardy. The soil is full of stones and provides an idyllic growing environment for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes. Founder Vittorio Moretti has been proven to create wines with unmatched finesse and elegance.
For this wine, individual parcels were specially selected for this blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. It is then fermented and matured for at least seven months in small oak barrels with the remainder staying in stainless-steel tanks. The wine then matures on lees for an additional four years, which imparts notes of biscuit and brioche as well as a rich texture.
Finally, the taste. The vibrant gold liquid exudes notes of sweet orchard fruit, candied citrus, hawthorn, elderberry, white almonds and that kick of pastry and biscuit.
Giovanni Almondo Arnies 'Bricco delle Ciliege'
We are now moving into Piedmont. This was the outright winner of Melissa's Guide to the Best Italian Wines Pt 2: Hidden Gems - Whole Bunch Wines Wine Tasting.
Piedmont is primarily associated with big and bold red wines from the Nebbiolo grape variety. However, it also produces some excellent white wines. Gavi often holds the focus here, but we are shining a light on Arneis. Arneis translates to little rascal, perhaps for the uncompromising racy acidity that the wines display.
This example comes from the family-owned Almondo estate in the Roero hills to the north of Alba. The family has lived on the estate for over 600 years, but the first vines were only tended to in the early 1980s. This was done by Domenico Almondo who began supplying asparagus and Arneis to some of Piedmont's finest restaurants. As time has gone on, wine has very much stole the focus from the asparagus.
Bricco delle Ciliege is simply made. Pressed, then fermented in stainless steel where it matures for 6 months. The wine shows real depth and complexity which both develop further over time. Powerful notes of lemon, lime, apple, stone, liquorice, mint and wild herbs will all jump out at you, from this deeply mineral wine.
Franz Haas Pinot Nero
Pinot Noir is grown across the globe and the cooler portions of northern Italy are responsible for some really high quality examples of this grape variety. The Haas family have grown grapes in Montagna for generations. However, it was Franz Haas, (who sadly passed in 2022), that began to really hone in on quality wines.
The Franz Haas Pinot Nero was fermented in open top, stainless-steel tanks with long macerations. This allows for a lot of colour extraction which is evident by this deeply ruby red Pinot Nero. It is also aged in small oak barriques which instil a spiced quality to the wine.
Look out for notes of black cherry, raspberry, marzipan, plum jam, clove and cinnamon. Fresh, lively and thoroughly delicious.
Antonella Corda Cannonau di Sardegna
Next up, is one of the stars of Sardinia - Cannonau. This is known as Grenache in the UK. In this wine, it is blended with Syrah to create a wine which wouldn't feel out of place in the Rhône Valley. Antonella Corda founded her own vineyard in 2010 and she is the grand-daughter of the famed viticulturist Antonio Argiolas.
The grapes for the Antonella Corda Cannonau di Sardegna are transported to the winery and destemmed. Then, after sometime on the skins, they're gently pressed before undergoing fermentation in stainless steel. The bulk of the wine is then aged in stainless steel, with the remaining 10-15% being aged in barriques.
Antonella Corda Cannonau di Sardegna is a typical fruit bomb packed full of cherry, raspberry and blackberry. It also has more subtle notes of rose and white pepper, with the spiced white pepper particularly coming through on the finish.
Mandrarossa 'Serapias' Passito di Pantellaria
We rounded out the Italian Hidden Gems Whole Bunch Wines Wine Tasting with an unctuous and rich sweet wine from the Zibibbo grape variety. This grape is known elsewhere as Muscat of Alexandria, but it is a real Sicilian speciality that produces dry white wines and the syrupy-sweet concoctions of which we will focus on here.
Mandrarossa began in 1999 and since then, they've looked to innovate. They look at ways to innovate, as a means of preserving the ancient treasures of Sicily. Through their work, they can harness the terroir in a way which allows the grapes to reach their full potential.
The Serapias comes from the island of Pantelleria, partially dried Zibibbo grapes are added to the fermenting juice which adds sugar, body and rich notes of dried fruits, toffee and caramel. However, you'll still note these fresh fruit flavours of citrus and stone fruits. A unique and delectable wine.
Don't Miss Out!
Make sure to check out our wine tastings and monthly wine club, if you want to try great wines like the ones mentioned in this blog post. Links below:
- Manchester Wine Tastings & Events
- Sauce Subscription (Monthly Wine Club)