Wine Talk and Tasting by Liberty Wines
For over 20 years, Alberto Antonini has been overseeing a project that involves a number of growers that farm vineyards in the area surrounding his home town of Cerreto Guidi. Alberto oversees and consults on vineyard management and harvest timing, selecting only the best fruit that is then vinified in a shared winery a couple of miles away from his Poggiotondo estate. Named Buontalenti after the famous 16th century Florentine architect who designed the Villa Medicea in Cerreto Guidi, this Chianti shows beautiful depth, ripe aromatics and a long finish
The vineyards of this property in south-western Sicily caught the eye and winemaking talents of Valentino Sciotti. Valentino (of Gran Sasso and Vesevo) saw that they had great vineyards and a good winery, but were missing the necessary expertise to make wines that the market required. Valentino and his team of young winemakers took the already high-quality raw materials and transformed them into attractive, drinkable wines.
The new Grillo is fermented at low temperatures in stainless steel, resulting in a wine with fresh aromatics and lovely balance. The best organic grapes were selected for the production of the ‘Il Passo Verde’ Organic Nero d’Avola. 50% of the wine was aged in barriques and the other 50% in concrete tanks for about six months. The ‘Il Passo’ Nerello Mascalese is the star of the show here. It is beautifully packaged, the wine in the bottle exceeds expectations. It is freshly scented and is full, rich and supple on the palate
Tasting Notes
Both wines are low intervention organic wines
Vignetti Zabu ‘Il Passo’: Nero D’Avola (Italy, 2016)
This Nero d’Avola is deep ruby red in colour with a bouquet of red and dark fruits, hints of spice and a balsamic, eucalyptus quality. This is a fullbodied wine with well-balanced acidity and lingering spicy black fruit on the finish.
Bountalenti Chianti: Sangiovese (Italy, 2016)
Bright cherry fruit aromas are combined with hints of chocolate and balsamic vinegar. On the palate, the fruit is supported by fine-grained tannins and a gently savoury herb and mineral finish.
