54 Responses

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1. March 16, 2009

   Kim

   Okay – so how bad is this – I’m going way back in time to some seriously old episodes. You probably don’t care anymore but favorite Italian wine…hmmm….I’m thinking it’s gotta be Uccelliera Brunello – 1999 or maybe 1997 Dei Montepulciano Nobile 1997. Shoot, then there was Negroamaro from Jaddico that didn’t stink either.

   BTW – huge Jets fan here. My jersey is so old, it has #88 on it (no name) and it was for Al Toon.

2. June 18, 2008

   Chris

   QOTD: My favorite Italian wines are white wines from the Campania region in Southwest Italy. Greco di Tufo and Falanghina are my favs.

3. March 17, 2008

   Kristen

   QOTD: I had a good one, the 2006 Caldora Trebiano recently. And I had a really good Valipocella, but I can’t remember the name of it.

4. February 17, 2008

   Mike Z in SD

   QOTD: Best Italian wine? Toss up between the 1999 Argiano Solengo and the 2001 Mocali Brunello Vigne del Raunate… both were full of flavor, class, and complexity.

5. February 10, 2008

   The Fanjestic

   Actually – I would say the Altesino that you recommend later on, however that’s the only one that comes to mind right now, and I put it at 87-88 points. Sorry GV – but my palate isn’t there yet for Italian wines – but I’m trying more thanks to WLTV.

6. August 31, 2007

   WA Ambassador

   I love Italian wine. Any idea of where I can go in Italy if I was to visit a winery? I’m planning on taking a trip at some point and would like to see a winery while I’m there. I’m sure I stumble across a lot of them no matter where I go.

7. August 29, 2007

   DAVIDRM

   I LOVE ITALIAN WINES THE FRENCH MAY MAKE GOOD WINES BUT ARE WAY TO SNOBBY ABOUT IT. MY FAVORATE ITALIAN WINES? PROBABLY A 1985 CESARI AMARONE THAT I HAD MANY YEARS AGO MAY NOT BE AS GOOD AS THE 1999 BUNELLOS AND BOROLOS THAT I HAVE AGING IN MY CELLAR BUT THE MEMORYS OF MY FIRST GOOD ITALIAN (NON CIANTI) CANT BE BEAT!

8. June 28, 2007

   David Canada

   These are my faves!
   QOTD – 1988 Sassicaia has got to be it….I know I was probably influenced by the hype, but it was rad!.

9. June 3, 2007

   Nathan

   Three wines come to mind when I think of “best Italian wines,” and I can’t decide. 1. Collina Serragrilli Barbaresco “Serragrilli” 2001, 2. Casisano Colombaio Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 1999, and 3. Materia Prima Montepulciano d’Abruzzo (although this last one was not near as complex, so I think I can rule it out). The Collina Serragrilli Barolo “La Tur” 2001 was phenomenal as well, and there’s many more. That’s just reds too. Piemonte’s Gavi wines are amazing. I have an oaked Gavi di Gavi 2001 that continues to improve every time I open a bottle (Castellari Bergaglio). Hard to choose a favorite, as many wines leave an impression on me. I rated the Collina Barbaresco the highest thus far.

10. March 19, 2007

    daniel blå

    Hi,

    My best italian wine experience is the 2000 Bricco Roche Brunate. I´d read an article on the Barolo 2000 hype and an blind tasting of them. The BR Brunate killed the competion. Had it with scrambled eggs and truffles from Sweden, and another time with Porchini pasta.

    Nebiolo (the grapes of Barlo) means fog in Italian, and it´s the fog that comes down from the Alp´s, rolls over the Lange hills, that cools the grapes and slowes the ripening.

11. February 28, 2007

    cyrock1

    Still catching up on videos.
    Best Italian wine…
    Terre Del Grico Monstyronum 1997. As you would say, Spectator totally missed the mark on this one. Primativo and Negromaro based blend aged forever in small French barriques. Also the best wine I’ve had over $100 retail.
    Favorite movie … from a few episodes back… currently is Pixar Cars. The wife and I can watch the whole thing with our little guy and none of us have become tired of it yet. Best movie to take my mind off things … Dumb and Dumber.
    Keep up the awesome work.

12. February 6, 2007

    Anthony

    Hi – just found your site for the first time. Interesting segment – I think you have to decant those Brunellos and give them more time, they have a lot of time in oak and they really change when opened up. Your tastings are very entertaining but you have to work on your Italian pronunciations! My favorite bottle of Italian wine ever was a 1996 Gaja Sperss – if you can get one of these it is worth it, it will blow you away!

13. January 23, 2007

    ThomasS

    Ow, Gary, this is a extremely though QOTD for me. Italian wines, it’s just all over my place here. So it’s extremely hard to choose. But anyway, mmm, 1) exceptional and not for everyone: Montevertine Rosso 2001, beyond doubt the most exceptional wine I ever drank. I’m still figuring out what that was … . Beyond ANY comparison. 2) Maybe also because of the occasion (celebrating our first year with the Orbis): Lungarotti, Rubesco, Vigna Monticchio Reserva 2000. Only for lovers of elegancy and subtlety. So complete, of lush character and refined at the same time. 3) Nino Negri Valtellina Superiore Sfursat Cinque Stelle 2003: also 100% Nebbiolo (called Chiavenasca in Lombardy). Just because this is one of the most underestimated reds of Italy, and an absolute steal at € 35.
    Btw: Barolo is exclusively Nebbiolo (three clonal varieties: Michet, Lampia and Rosé), as Barbaresco and Valtellina are (there are even some other Nebbiolo reds in Italy).

14. August 9, 2006

    Steve D

    Gary,

    I like the Italian Wines, but there’s no real question in my mind that the best VALUE in Italian wine right now is the Falesco Vitiano at ten bucks. It’s a terrific wine that gets better every month.

15. August 9, 2006

    Wino4Life

    Recently-

    1995 Conterno Fantino Barolo ‘Sori Ginestra’
    1995 Canalicchio di Sopra Brunello di Montalcino
    2000 Brigaldara Amarone ‘Case Vecie’
    1995 Felsina CC Riserva “Rancia”
    1998 Lisini ‘Ugolaia’

16. August 9, 2006

    Joe R

    I haven’t had the pleasure of sampling many of the upper end Barolos and Brunellos. But, perhaps the most satisfying Italian I have had recently was a Primitivo (which one I can’t recall…shame on me)at Lidia’s restaurant in NYC..Felidia. It is produced in Puglia (Apulia) where my ancestors came from and I am told it is the ancestor of Zinfandel. I think there are scientific studies underway on this point. It would be great if you could taste and compare a Primitivo with a Zin and tell us what you think.

17. August 8, 2006

    Mark

    My best Italian wines were at a dinner (where I fortunately was not paying the bill). The first one was Quintarelli Amarone della Valpolicella Classico (i cannot remember the year). It was almost like drinking a port – it had tremendous body and color and incredibly complex. The other one was a 1998 Sassicaia that was truly remarkable. It also had incredible texture – deep ruby red color and like the Amarone, was amazingly complex.

    I also just opened up my 1997 Ciacci Brunello last weekend (the first of 6 bottles) and while I loved it, I thought it wasn’t ready to drink. I also don’t think i let it open up enough – i drank it after less than 1 hour. So it goes.

18. August 8, 2006

    Andre

    Gary,

    Where did you shoot this episode, with all the bird sounds in the background???

    

    Andre.

19. August 8, 2006

    joe

    Gary:

    You just keep getting better with every episode. Thank you for taking us “old world”. You made the Brunello seem so “lip-smacking” good!

    The best Italian wine or the best Italian wine experience??? Different questions.

    The best Italian wine I had was a couple of months ago: 2003 Ornellaia. Wow. A black licorice bomb. Licorice, tobacco, chocolate, black fruits. You have to taste this wine on WLTV. What a finish.

    But the best Italian wine experience was drinking abottle of ‘96 Pio Cesare Barbaresco Il Briccio with my wife. She loves nebbiolo. She just swooned over this wine and upon finishing it took me back to the bedroom and….well, it was a great wine experience.

    Joe

20. August 8, 2006

    Chris

    Best Italian wine – 1997 Val di Suga (Angelini) Brunello di Montalcino Vigna Spuntali. This wine rocked.

21. August 8, 2006

    Julius

    In recognition of the LTV Fan who lamented the over emphasis on the Super-Tuscans by the wine press, I am submitting an additional wine as one of the best I ever had, the 1989 Angelo Gaja Sperss. It’s a Barolo, made from the indigenous Nebbiolo grape and true to its “terroir.” Full bodied, chewy texture, rich ripe black fruit, long finish and just enough time in the bottle (about 8 years) for the tannins to mellow out; it was certainly a treat. I have some younger Barolos in my cellar that I’m waiting to come of age, but the Gaja certainly sets the bar pretty high. I probably will be happy with a near miss.

22. August 8, 2006

    Henry

    Gary,

    I can’t say which Italian wine is the best because I enjoyed quite a few; what I can say is that 1997 Italian red wines are by far the best vintage yet. There are so many great wines from that year. I’m a Jets fan too but I’m also a realist, like last year the Jets ain’t going anywhere. Sorry!

23. August 8, 2006

    TimF

    A lot of folks who pour wine for a living seem to rinse the glass out with the next wine to be tasted. I think I’ve seen Gary do this from time to time. I think it comes down to a cost benefit analysis. Sure, you could have a clean glass everytime but that’s a pain and is expensive. Some people are pretty uptight about it. I know of one wine writer who says you should never store your wine glasses upside down in the cabinet because the rim of the glass will take on some taste from the cabinet. Different strokes for different folks…

24. August 8, 2006

    Craig K

    Thank you Gary for the Barolo/Brunello segment. A couple of people have raised the question about whether glass rinsing between wines is effective, or even appropriate, and I’d be very interested to hear your comment. On a similar front, this was one episode where I really wondered whether more would have showed for the wines if decanted (take some of your own advice Gary!). Of course, if Ciacci is lacking on the mid-palate a decant isn’t going to bring what ain’t there, but hey maybe it will open up something on the nose? Regarding your question, although not the biggest or best Italian wine I have had, one of my favorites was 1985 Marchesi Di Gresy Camp Gros Martinenga Barbaresco. Such a memorable harmony of dried cherries, saddle leather, and tobacco. Oh yeah!

25. August 8, 2006

    Rick McQ

    Gary I just went out a bought some Black current jam. Its not bad!!!

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