VERDUNO, ITALY - OCTOBER 16: Bottles of Barolo and other wine in the cellars of Bel Colle during the ... [+]
Getty ImagesAnyone with a lot of time on their hands who might do a search of my wine columns will find the largest percentage, though by no means the majority, of wines I recommend are Italian. My reasons for this have little to do with my own Italian-American background, for in my house when I was growing up wine was a sometimes thing at the dinner table and it never went beyond a bottle of straw-covered Chianti.
But later, when I began traveling to Italy, I fell in love with the remarkable regionality of Italian wines, from Piedmont to Calabria, and, as more and better quality Italian wines came into the market, I came to believe that, overall, the best of them have the flavors typical of their terroir and varietal character at a time when so many other countries’ wineries are trying to create wines to meet some idea of what the global market would like.
By the same token, Italy’s white wines do not often rise above the likeable level, and very few are truly distinguished. And oceans of mediocre Prosecco have put that sparkling wine into a category as “good-for-mixing.”
That said, while you can happily drink Italian wines year-round, I think that autumn brings foods into play with Italian red wines that are superb matches in a way that, say, a massive California Zinfandel or one-dimensional Bordeaux Bourgeois Cru do not. Here are some examples of Italian reds that will be as wonderful with tomato- or mushrooms-based sauces as with game and white truffles.
Worth noting, the 2016 vintage is showing as stellar. With ideal growing conditions, it is shaping up to be one of the most highly regarded in recent memory. The wines are supple, rich and approachable, with extraordinary elegance, complexity and character.
Pio Cesare makes classic Piedmontese wines in a traditional style.
Pio CesarePio Cesare Barbaresco DOCG 2016 ($82)—This is from Pio Cesare’s well-regarded “Il Bricco” estate and, even more specifically, the favored hill of San Stefanetto, both located in Treiso. The vintage was a very good, very promising one, allowing for a knitting of all the elements that make Barbaresco the “Queen of Piedmont Wines.” The somewhat bolder Barolo ($82) from the same vintage shows an intensity that can take some age, but drinking it now with mushroom- or cheese-based dishes is more than acceptable.
Forte Masso Langhe 2018 ($30)—Forte Masso also makes excellent Barbarescos and Barolos, but for something a little lighter and less expensive, this 100% Nebbiolo from the Castelletto region is, at 13.5% alcohol, just right for easy drinking throughout a Piemontese meal that might begin with an egg-based agnolotti followed by a hearty bollito misto of simmered meats in their own broth.
"Magari" in Piedmontese dialect means "what if," referring to an experimental blending of grapes.
Terlato WinesCa’Marcanda Magari 2016 ($70)—Here’s another of Gaja’s Bordeaux blends, this time 60% Cabernet Franc, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Petit Verdot, emitting a flourishing bouquet and voluptuous body whose Cab Sauvignon is kept in good check by the dominating Franc. “Magari” is Piemontese slang for “what if,” meaning Angelo Gaja took a chance on this blend, which has turned out to be a best seller for the estate. The 2016, at 14% alcohol, is lighter than the 2017’s 14.5%. Both go well with braised meats and polenta.
Marchesi di Barolo Maraia Barbera del Monferrato 2018 ($14-$18)—“Maraia” is another Piemontese word meaning a group of “little rascals,” referring to the wine’s “liveliness.” The Barbera grape is lovable for just that reason, because it has good acid and is very easy to drink, especially when it comes from fruit from Monferrato. Very good with pizza or tomato sauces.
Frescobaldi Tenuta Perano Riserva 2016 Chianti Classico 2016 ($27)—The DOCG designation was once controversial for Chianti Classico, but the best producers have proven their quality year after year, as does Frescobaldi with this Riserva (24 months of aging), with formidable body. It’s a tad higher, at 14.5%, in alcohol than Chiantis have traditionally been, but the extra age softens the wine. Very good match-up with game dishes like venison or quail.
Quercia al Poggio Chianti Classico 2017 ($20, but available for less)—Very well priced for a Classico these days, and owners Michela and Vittorio Rossi are traditionalists, who blend Sangiovese with other Tuscan varietals to produce silky, complex wines that still have the kind of simple honesty one hopes for in a Chianti. Drink it with risotto with white truffles, especially since the price of the bottle will help blunt the price of the truffles.
September 04, 2020 at 08:46PM
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Best Italian Wines For Early Autumn - Forbes
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