Day 3 Vinitaly - 4th April - Highlights

The biggest highlight, for me, on day three was sitting, trying A Mano wines. The wines were nice, but the real reason it was a big deal was that across from me on the Donelli stand was Gilles Villeneuve's 1979 Formula One Ferrari. This car helped the Canadian come second in the world championship, winning three races along the way, which was his highest position in the championship before his death in 1982. Anyway, there were also some great wines on the day. They are these...


2006 Cortegiara Recioto
Sweet, rich nose. Fruit pudding, palate is balanced but not too sweet. Very, very balanced with lovely dried fruit. Gorgeous. 9/10

2007 Poggio al Tesoro Solosole Vermentino
Soft, gentle, very nice simple wine with good spice, a bit of booze and clean under ripe nectarine and pear. 8/10

2005 Poggio al Tesoro Sondraia
Gentle, voluptuous and yet firm. A stern, but caring boarding school matron! Good cassis, a touch of green pepper and a little dried cherry. Good. 9/10

2005 Poggio al Tesoro ‘W’ Dedicato a Walter
Nice, vegetal aromas, a lovely toffee and cherry aroma. Nice, ripe, spicy, fruit. A dark, stalky bramble with liquorice and leather finish. 8.5/10

2007 Giustiniana Gavi Lugarara
Pear, spice, very clean, good lemon pith. A little chunkiness but it all gets cleaned up and is a very nice wine. 8/10

2007 Specogna Friulano – Sample
Turkish delight, a lovely fresh nose. Palate is good, rosewater with gentle perfumey spice. I like this. 8/10

2007 Specognia Sauvignon - Sample
Fresh, gentle with subtle mineral aromas and veggies. Clean, fresh, a touch of cut grass. Not bad. 7.5/10

2007 Specogna Cabernet Franc – Sample
Veggies. Stoney with a little raspberry. Quite green. I want to try this later. 8/10

2005 Specogna Pignolo
Perfumy, raspberries on the nose. More on the palate, a warm spice, quite tannic… no, very tannic. Black pepper and veggies on the finish. Good. 8/10

2006 Specogna Refosco
Rich fruit on the nose, bramble and a bit of dried fruit. Earthy hints and a long dry finish. 8/10

2006 Toblar Cabernet Franc
Gentle vegetal aromas, with nice stone fruit. Lean and dry with lots of cranberry and cabbage and a bit of smoke on the finish. 8/10

2006 Selvapiana Chianti Rufina
So balanced. A stonking chianti. Earthy, herby and gorgeous. 8.5/10

2006 Selvapiana Fattoria Petrognano Pomino
Soft, sour herry, herbs. It is a big, thick mo fo. Gutsy, dry and leathery. 7.5/10
2004 Selvapiana Chianti Rufina Bucerchiale Reserva
Soft, perfumy with nice dried fruit. A lot of tobacco and leather. Dry fruit. Nice stuff. 8/10

1985 Selvapiana Chianti Rufina Reserva (the artist now known as Bucerchiale)
Lovely stewed raisins, a little earthyness. Palate is great, dry with restrained milk chocolate and a touch of rosemary. Good dry fruit. 9/10

2001 Selvapiana Chianti Rufina Vin Santo
Clean almonds, a honey and orange peel flavour. Dry and then a lovely honey sweetness comes through. Acidity cleans everything up. 9/10

2006 A Mano Primitivo
Wild raspberries and cranberries. Palate is good, dry, a touch of bitter pencil and a little confected raspberries. Still good. 8/10

2007 A Mano Negroamaro
Perfumey with a rustic, peasanty aroma. A little dark chocolate, cherry and peppery spice. Very nice. 8/10

2006 A Mano Pima Mano Primitivo
Dark, got good concentrated fruit. A long, cherry finish. 7.5/10

2007 A Mano Aleatico Passito
Brambles. Lots of brambles. A lovely sweet aroma, balanced palate, dark chocolate, super rich fruit. A stonking wine. 9/10