Tenutae Lageder Krafuss Pinot Noir 2007 Alto Adige, Italy 27.99
100% Pinot Noir from the Krafuss estate near the village of Appiano Montagna at an altitude of 430 - 450m facing southeast. Vines are on loamy, chalky soil with glacial deposits and cool microclimate. Planted 1991 with selected clones at high density in a wire-trellis system, the vineyard is in conversion to Demeter Biodynamic. Extended fermentation/maceration lasting 18 days in stainless steel tanks. Then matured for 12 months in barriques (a mixture of oak from Nevers, Alliers and Vosges, with one-third of the barrels new). Winemaker Luis von Dellemann. Suitable for vegetarians and vegans. Alc 13.0%, pH 3.6, RS 1.6g/l. Available from Waitrose Wine Direct and 4 branches.

Very, very pale, like very old vintage port. Peppery and exciting nose. Elegant and gentle. A wine to sit down and savour. Big glasses, warm dining room, good friend. Wonderfully juicy acidity. Stunning.

Il Bello Barbera 2011 Piedmont, Italy 5.99
100% Barbera from south-west facing vineyards in the Monferrato hills to the south of the province of Asti. Vines are planted at altitudes of 250 - 400m and the fertile soil is a combination of clay and limestone. Planting density is 4,000 - 4,500vines/ha and the Piemonte low Guyot trellis system is used. The grapes were hand-harvested and fermented in stainless steel tanks at 25 - 30°C using BDX yeast. Pressed when dry and transferred to stainless steel tanks for malolactic. A small proportion was aged in oak barrels for 3 months before being blended back prior to bottling. Winemaker Claudio Manera. Alc 13.0%, TA 6.1g/l, pH 3.4. IWC Bronze Medal Winner. Available from Waitrose Wine Direct and 269 branches.

Very little aroma. Bright, juicy acidity. Mouth watering and light of body. Pleasant and a good price.

Vigneti Massa Sentieri Barbera 2010 Colli Tortonesi, Piedmont, Italy 11.99
100% Barbera sourced from 8 hectares of the estate’s own vineyards planted within the natural amphitheatre of Monleale. Soil is predominantly limestone, density is 5,000vines/ha with an average age of 30 years planted at 300m altitude. Vines are trained on single Guyot and were harvested by hand from Sept 15th. Fermentation took place with natural yeasts and no temperature control, with 12 days on the skins, and pumping over twice a day. After alcoholic fermentation the wine was racked twice before a spontaneous malolactic. Cold stabilised and filtered. Winemaker Walter Massa. Available from Waitrose Wine Direct and 5 branches.

Very little nose. Sweet, spicy fruit. Nice and rustic. Easy drinking, great with food. Mmm

Araldica Corsini 2009 Barbaresco, Piedmont, Italy 10.99
100% Nebbiolo. Araldica have 9 member growers with vineyards in Barbaresco, covering 8 hectares in the communes of Treiso and Neive.
Soil is clay and chalk and the vines are low Guyot trellis trained, planted at a density of 4,000vines/ha. Grapes were hand-harvested in early-Oct with a yield of 6 -7 tonnes/ha. The fruit was destemmed and then crushed to 4 small fermenters, for 12 days, with daily pumping-over. The wine was drained off at dryness and the skins transferred to a small press. After pressing, the wine was settled for 2 days, and then racked to oak casks where it was aged for 2 years, followed by a further 6 months bottle maturation before release. Winemaker Claudio Manera. Alc 14%, TA 5.0g/l, pH. Available from Waitrose Wine Direct and 140 branches.

Very pale colour and textbook brick. Beautifully aromatic. The most aromatic wine so far. The taste is light and elegant. Think Barolo in terms of acidity and chalky tannin, but just slightly lacking the depth of flavour.

Waitrose Chianti 2011 Tuscany, Italy 5.99
90% Sangiovese with 10% Canaiolo and Colorino grown on alkaline soils 270m above sea level at a density of 5,000vines/ha. Grapes were harvested with a combination of machine and hand-picking in late-Sept. Fruit was fermented in stainless steel tanks at 25 - 28°C. Gently pressed, full malolactic and then stored in tank till bottling. Winemaker Andrea Cecchi. Suitable for vegetarians and vegans. Alc 13.0%, TA 5.3g/l, pH 3.4, RS 1.7g/l. Available from Waitrose Wine Direct and 271 branches.

Not a great deal on the nose. Young, cherry flavoured and with bright acidity.

Waitrose Chianti Classico, Barone Ricasoli 2010 Tuscany, Italy 11.99
80% Sangiovese, 10% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon from the 240ha estate in Chianti Classico. In 2010 as usual, the last grapes to be harvested were the Sangiovese, which thanks to the considerable differences of temperatures between day and night during September developed exceptional aroma and colour. 70% of the wine was aged in barriques and larger oak casks to soften the oak influence whilst the remaining 30% was kept in stainless steel tanks to maintain the intense fruit character. Alc 13.5%, TA 5.58g/l, RS 2.7g/l. IWSC Bronze Medal Winner. Available from Waitrose Wine Direct and 285 branches.

Nicely oaky nose. Light body. Touch of oak. Not a £12 wine.

Torre del Falco Nero di Troia 2010 Puglia, Italy 7.99
100% Nero di Troia. The vines are planted on calcareous, clay soils with medium texture, as vertically trellised spurred cordon. They were machine-harvested between the last week of October and the first of November. Macerated in stainless steel tanks for 20 days, for maximum extraction of aroma and colour compounds. Carefully-calculated pumpovers and micro-oxygenation softened the impressively complex tannins. No oak ageing. Winemaker Massimo di Bari. Alc 13.0%, pH 3.7, RS 3.5g/l. Available from Waitrose Wine Direct and 249 branches.

Extraordinary nose. Like dark red roses. It is essence of rose, perhaps violet. It carries on on the palate. Extremely sweet and perfumed wine. Like nothing else. I’d put this with pudding, or cheese. A tentative .

Inycon Growers’ Selection Nero d’Avola/Frappato 2011 Sicily, Italy 6.99
55% Nero d’Avola and 45% Frappato from vineyards in and around Menfi at 400m above sea level. Vines are planted at a density of 3,800 - 4,200 vines/ha, guyot or spur-pruned and grapes were manually harvested in an early harvest. Fermented for 8 days at 22 - 25°C with selected yeast. Stored in stainless steel tanks until bottling. Winemaker Domenico de Gregorio with consultant Owen Bird. Alc 13%, TA 6.0g/l, pH 3.4, RS 4.0g/l. Available from Waitrose Wine Direct and 269 branches.

Dark fruits on the nose. Fruity and yet dark flavours. Pleasant.

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