April Wines

May 27, 2018

Richard Moore

Wine of the Month

We traveled to the Puglia region of Italy (heel of the boot) for two weeks and I was on a mission to try as many Primitivos as possible. The Torcicoda Primitivo was the winner for me. This is the one I keep thinking of in my memories of the trip. I was torn between this and the Opolo Montagna Mare for wine of the month but chose the Torcicoda as a memory of our wonderful trip.

Torcicoda 2015 Primitivo (18-20 Euro different wine shops)

Beautiful color with an aroma that is jammy, fruity and oaky. This is a very serious, spicy, and substantial Primitivo. There is a long hearty dry finish but the wine is not overly tannin. Your tongue is enveloped with spice and then chalkiness. There a medium level of jam with dark fruits (blackberry?) and dark chocolate. A spiciness comes on strong and then there is a very long finish in which the jam and fruit return. My traveling companions, including Julie, liked this wine but they preferred some others that I felt were lighter and fruiter. I will get some bottles for my cellar and the good news is that there are multiple sources for this wine on the Internet.

Josh 2016 Chardonnay (10.99 Cub Liquor Store)

Fruit and butterscotch aroma. Buttery to start then gets bright and with a bit of spice. Almost a bit harsh, then settles down with a creme brulee buttery finish. It is a light wine, a bit washed out for me. Not a repeat buy for us. Wine notes: “Balanced with aromas of tropical fruits and citrus married with subtle oak notes. The palate is bright and fresh, with lingering flavors of juicy yellow peaches, lemon oil and crème brulee. The wine shows great, soft texture and finishes long.” Guess they were drinking a different wine than we tired.

Opolo 2015 Montagna Mare (23.80 Opolo Wine Club)

We loved the 2014 vintage and the love continues with the 2015. This is a nice Italian blend (Barbera and Sangiovese) that has jam and fruit to start then develops into a long dry finish that includes the spice you would expect from an italian wine. Wine notes; "Bold fruit driven flavors are complemented by careful aging on French and American oak that lead to a spicy finish" yes, yes, yes. A wine that drinks above its price point and I will buy more of.

Chateau Tour Puyplanquet 2015 Saint-Emilion (Complimentary Air France lounge at JFK)

Our traveling companions on our trip to Italy had access to the Delta sky club and partner airline lounges, and we spent some time at JFK in the Air France lounge. As expected they had nice wine and wonderful food. This Bordeaux was a very nice treat and I will need to seek it out. It is a velvety, smooth, and hearty wine. There is a nice fruitiness coupled with tannins that provide a long finish. Sweet and fruity on the nose. Not sweet in the mouth, raspberry and cherry fruit. Vivino reviews seems very positive and many others enjoyed it in an Air France airport lounge. Tasting notes: “Medium-bodied and light in color, this wine is more interesting on the nose. A floral, black raspberry and licorice fragrance on a light, bright, red berry palate.” Seems I am in agreement with the notes.

Nobile Latino 2016 Primitivo (16 Euros at Casa D'Amore restaurant)

We enjoyed this bottle during a wonderful and fun meal in a Trulli at the Casa D'Amore restaurant in Alberobello. I picked this bottle since it was a Primitivo from the Alberobello area. For me it was a bit watery and flowery for a Primitivo. The other three persons at the meal really enjoyed it and one said later it was the wine of the trip for them. My notes from the evening: “Not a lot of jam and felt fairly light up front. Very nice smooth nose with a jammy smell. Almost feels watery in the mouth, some black fruit and jam develops with a medium level of spiciness. Not my favorite Primitivo. Personally I would not seek this wine out to buy.

Primaio 2016 Primitivo (30 Euros Masseria Torre Maizza)

I ended up drinking 3 bottles of this Primitivo during our stay at this wonderful Masseria. It is a delightful lighter Primitivo. Flowers and fruit on the nose. Starts light and smooth in the mouth and develops a nice level of spice and jam in the mouth with a medium dry finish that is long. A great drinker by itself or with food. I would pick up some bottles if I can.

Giancola 2016 Malvasia Blanca (30 Euros Masseria Torre Maizza)

Malvasia is a new favorite white wine for Julie and myself. Very fruity (apricot?) and flowery on the nose. Fruit continues into the mouth with a tartness and a mineral base. This is a crisp wine that coats your mouth with a lot of flavor. This bottle was good, but Julie had a glass of Malvasia Blanca at our first hotel in Matera that was better. Unfortunately, I did not get a picture of that bottle. I will be on the lookout for Malvasia Blanca and see if I can find a source locally.

Contrade 2016 Primitivo (6 Euros Gas Mart)

Okay, I bought this at a gas station for 6 Euros therefor I was not expecting much. Very fruity and light on the nose. A very light wine in the mouth, grape and plum fruit with a fair amount of spice that develops as it sits in your mouth. The finish is long and dry. Not much oak or tannin backbone to this wine. It opened up nicely with air and was a nice wine to enjoy after a long bike ride. There is a little bit of jam but not what I am expecting from a Primitivo. Better than I expected but not a wine I would seek out.

Quota 29 2013 Primitivo (13 Euros offsale from a restaurant)

As we were riding on Sunday I asked the guides if wine stores would be open and they said not on a Sunday. They suggested going back to the restaurant we had just had lunch at and see if I could get a bottle offsale. It took a while but they went back into their cellar and got me this bottle at a pretty good price. A very nice Primitivo. Very smooth with fruity jam. A short but explosive spice on the tongue. Finish is medium dry and long with a bit of dark chocolate and leather. Nose has some sting to it and was hard to characterize. Fruit is a dark fruit mixture almost a bit on the date side. Another nice wine to enjoy back at our hotel, especially since the hotel only had a single red blend that I did not really care for.

Ratings:

Wow, knock my socks off good. A wine to stock up on.

A very good wine, also a wine to stock up on.

A good average wine that is very drinkable, one that I might buy

again.

An okay wine, one I can drink but would not run out to buy any of.

Not worth really drinking, most likely poured out.

keywords: Wine,Wine Tasting, Wine Reviews

description: New wines tasting notes for April of 2018