At this year’s VinItaly, I had a chance to spend some time with Francesco Leanza, after 20 minutes of talking about some his past vintages that I’ve enjoyed, I also had some time to taste his newly released wines. My experience with the Podere Salicutti wines prior to meeting him prepared me, if just a…
Author: Tim Heaton
Passionate student.
2015 Casa Emma Chianti Classico – yes, please!
I’m just getting started processing the 3000+ tasting notes during my recent (March-June) trip to Italy’s wine regions; it’s going to take a while. This was a trip that spanned from Aosta to Apulia, and back again. There were multiple (including #VinItaly) wine fairs, etc. I tasted a lot of wines. Most of them were…
2010 Il Palazzone Brunello di Montalcino Riserva – sheer joy
If you’re lucky enough to be one of the few people on the planet that owns this wine, congratulations, you’ve hit pay dirt, as they say. The air is rather thin here, not so many have risen so high. From the very first smell, and right through to the final sip, you’re patently aware of…
2007 Az. Agr. Montevetrano IGT
It was only two months ago that I spent a perfect spring afternoon with Silvia Imparato, the vision and force behind the wines of Montevetrano. My time with her, roughly three hours, fills my heart and mind to this day, to this minute. Silvia is an astonishing woman, larger-than-life, a blend of education, wit, ambition,…
2011 Tenuta di Biserno Biserno, superb
The Alta Maremma, or Upper Maremma is probably not an area that too many are familiar with; this wine gives them very good reason to become not just familiar, but very good friends. It so happened that I tasted this wine not too long after tasting some sparkling wines and a few white wines while…
2009 Selvapiana Vigneto Bucerchiale
Bucerchiale (boo-chair-key-al-ay), a name you need to know, even if you can’t pronounce it. The same goes for the tiny sub-region of Rufina, and the tiny area of Selvapiana within that tiny sub-region. The maps below should give you an idea of this sub-region, one of Chianti’s smallest, just east of Firenze (Florence), far in…
G.B. Burlotto – 2013 Barolo wines, and more
I’d contacted Fabio Alessandria, winemaker at G.B. Burlotto, several months in advance of my trip to Langhe – I know how busy he is, not only in the vineyards/cellar, but also marketing the wines in London, New York City, etc. And even though I saw Fabio on 2 April, at the Grandi Langhe 2017 event that morning…
2011 La Prevostura Lessona, classy, young
Still young, just getting started. Another very classy showing. This blend of 95% Nebbiolo and 5% Vespolina presents a lovely, bright garnet>garnet+ hue, it’s clear and fades ever so to the rim. The nose is soil driven for the first 2/3 of the bottle – which is just fine with me. Paired with braised rabbit…
San Giusto a Rentennano, Part III
Bettina leads us to the tasting room, which is to say we’re exiting the (former Monastery) and headed a few steps away to the detached tasting room. When wine geeks think of a perfect place to have a wine dinner or have a private tasting, this is what they think about. Great space, which would…
San Giusto a Rentennano, Part II
Bettina walks me through the various rooms (barrel storage/ageing, etc.), and explains the history of the building as well. Since I was a fan and student of history well before I discovered wine, and since I’ve seen pretty much every type of barrel/ageing room there is, I really just focused on her description of the…
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