Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Cecilia Beretta Brognoligo (2010) Veneto

A delicious summer white from Cecilia Beretta, a family owned post-war winery that began to step up its wine making in the early 1980's.  The name originates from the splendid Beretta Villa, built in the seventh century by the count Giuseppe Beretta, former mayor of the city of Verona, agronomist and rural poet(?).  The Pasqua family produce about 200,000 bottle of wine a year on 220 acres of vineyards (134 acres are owned by the Pasqua family, and 86 acres that belong to growers under cooperative contracts) that are located in the Valpolicella area surrounding Soave.  The 2010 Soave Classico is 85% Garganega and 15% Chardonnay.  Fermented and aged in stainless.  Sparkling, straw yellow in color with just a tinge of green. Floral nose of apple and apricot.

Friday, July 13, 2012

Cascina degli Ulivi Semplicemente Bianco (2010) Tuscany

A semplicemente Italian white wine from Cascina degli Ulivi, a twenty hectare family owned biodynamic winery.  The estate has been in the Bellotti family since the 1930's and is now run by Stefano Bellotti and his wife Zita.  The Semplicemente wines are the newest of Cascina degli Ulivi's wines.  In a 2011 interview, Stefano stated that his Semplicemente red and whites, "Are just wine, you don't need to worry about the region, the varietal, the nose, or whatever."  Stefano said that when you do this, "You are intellectualizing wine, and wine doesn't give a shit about being intellectual; you bring wine to the table and you don't think about it, you just drink it - that's it."  100% Cortese.  Half fermented in eleven ton oak vats and half fermented in stainless.  Aged 3-6 months in oak vats.  Clear bottle.