Lo Zoccolaio Dolcetto d'Alba 2012

Opaque with yellow rims. The nose is dominantly fruity, a hint of lingonberry followed by blueberry. In the mouth, the blueberry aroma continues together with blackcurrant. The full body is even more prominent with the robust tannins, followed by a slight astringency. The final is long with a satisfaction of deep dark flavors. The wine relaxes quite easily with decantation. Quite a good wine for its price-quality ratio. I think it is very young right now and I am going to buy few bottles to age for some couple of years and see how it develops. It might be good with heavy stews and butter fried fatty pieces of red meat like entrecote. 85/100 12,73€/75cl/February 2014

Reserve Naturelle Chardonnay 2012

Light straw yellow, first nose has a touch like gooseberry then it follows fresh grass and a hint of lime. Quite fresh in the mouth and velvety feeling with a touch of butteriness. It offers an easy drinking and a surprisingly balanced character for its price/quality ratio. The fresh final is short-moderate but fun with a touch of minerality. It can be a friend for a lot of dishes like salads as a main dish or seafood plates. With this price/quality ratio, this wine could be your daily white. It is also an organic product. 10,47€/75cl/Janaury 2014

Luigi Righetti Amarone Classico 2008

Light red at the rims and slightly brown in the midpoint. First nose has the hints of black pepper and quite fruity. Second nose has blackberry and blueberry and slightly woody. In the mouth, licorice and leather is accompanies by baked fruits like rose hip jam. It is not "the big Amarone" but still satisfying. The strong but integrated tannins are little bit astringent but no harm for the enjoyment. The nose reveals some vanillin in time. The final is moderate. It might be enjoyed alone or with cold cuts as well as spicy barbecues. 87.5/100 Not available in Finland yet.

Collina del Sole Amarone della Valpolicella 2009

Slightly transparent crimson. First nose earthy and has notes of licorice. Second nose dominated by licorice stronger and tar comes out in time. It is slightly fruity in the mouth, good high acidity, raspberry and blackberry aromas are accompanied by blueberry aroma. The leather sensed at the mid-palate is combining with spicy notes and tobacco insignificantly. Tannins are not that strong. This wine with moderate final should be decanted at least one hour before consumed. All in all it is still a nice wine to enjoy, even though you might not feel the expected iron fist in the velvet glove of an Amarone. It can match all kinds of red meat dishes, spicy casseroles and cold cuts. 87/100 Not available in Finland yet.

Masi Campofiorin 2009, Italy (Corvina, Rondinella, Molinara, Alch 13%)

Opaque, purple on the rims and dark ruby red in the mid. First nose: Cured meat, blackberry, fresh pepper, leather. The legs are thick and slow. Second nose is licorice, tobacco, slightly oregano and blackberry. This medium-bodied wine has strong tannins, rich and delicious as a bit out of usual. In the mouth, the licorice and red forest berry-aromas are strong while the notes of fresh green pepper, dried orange peels and slightly vanillin slowly get the stage. The moderate-long final is warm and under the alcohol effect.

This wine is like leaving a small gap for the cured meat, so it fits very well with the charcuterie products, "very light" cheese types, a nut cocktail made of almond, pistachio and walnuts, mushroom dishes cooked without cream, barbecued chicken and unspiced barbecued red meats without sauce. 88/100 Price: 14,99€/75cl/April 2013

Château Sénilhac 2009, France (CaS 55%, Merlot 40%, CaF 5%, Alcl 14%)

Purple in the rims through ruby in the mid. Transparent. First nose vanillin, milk; the fruity structure is upfront, sour cherry and blackberry are dominants. Still sour cherry in the mouth, also blueberry. Tannins are very strong but they do not disturb so much, integrated. It is a bit felt as diluted but still good balance is found. This medium bodied claret has a warm moderate-long final with an alcohol feeling. Elegant, velvety drinking while it is possible to get dried orange peels in time with little bit tomato touches and almond. Acidity is satisfying. Relatively good balanced, matching with light dishes, even matching with fatty fish dishes cooked with cream if it is a bit cooled. With fatty cheeses it would be fine too but heavy meat stews can crash it down. Party-picnic bottle as long as nice to drink at home too. Not a deep wine, not a very serious wine but still it has a character. Unfortunately a bit diluted. 86/100 Price: 14,76€/75cl/March 2013

Ugo Lequio Barbaresco Gallina 2008, Italy (Nebbiolo 100%, Alch 14%)

Light ruby transparent color and get a bit darker into the middle. The first nose has sour cherry, apple, blackberry and a bit vanillin. The nose is very strong, fruity, extroverted. After some time earthy smells and black pepper appear. In the mouth, the tannins are strong, maybe they a bit disturb like giving some burning feeling. Damson aroma dominates first and the high acidity is satisfying. It a a bit dilute. Soon a  bit orange peel and licorice with a touch of leather. The very long final is warm and pleasant. It is elegant like a good quality Pinot Noir but still the tannins are affecting the balance and it is a bit dilute. This medium-bodied wine would be nice to drink alone but also fits very well with light cheeses (not heavy-fatty cheeses as we generally talk about a red here). It can fit grilled beef and pork as well as chicken, cleaning the palate very well. 87/100 Price: 21.90€/75cl/March 2013

Montes Alpha Cabernet Sauvignon 2010, Chile ( CabS 90% Merlot 10%, Alchl 14.5%)

Color is homogenous claret. Leather is strong in the first nose, and then it gives out some citrus touches, that would sound untypical for a red. In time fresh greens like parsley and mint becomes intense as it is aged 12 months in new and used French barrels. The wine is medium bodied and I am very surprised how it is labeled as “Extra Full-Bodied” on Alko website. Then I realized a difference between what I bought and what is presented on the website (You will read down here very soon). Tannins create a certain dryness on the tongue. Animal touches are there and also it is a bit rustic wine. The tannins are likely abducting the fruit and harming the balance. It´s dry final has a moderate length. A good table wine it is which could be better in time with the softening of tannins.

The awards of the previous vintages and the reputation of the producer, as well as the price growing like a sweet fat baby on parallel to these issues, makes it interesting and you become expectant, then you buy it, then you see it is a good wine, it is a very good wine, but not as surprising as you expected. Quite much “not fitting” all those notes described on sites which are selling the wine.

So, about the website I told up there in the note; when u search the wine on Alko website right now in January 2013, you will realize that the info on the site belongs to 2009 recolte. Also, alcohol is specified as 14.5% on the bottle even though it is 14.3% on producer´s website.

Even it is called “Montes Alpha Cabernet Sauvignon” it also has a 10 percent of Merlot. But still a good wine to understand the tannic structure of CabS. It is better to decant minimum 15-20 minutes and I think it will fit well with casserole dishes or barbecued meats with fatty-spicy sauces. Harsh tannins would oppose cheese negatively, I think. As one of the mistakes in wine-food pairing, people drink strong tannic red wines with cheese types with their sourish-bitter mimics on their “getting-ugly” faces, with fake words “oohh, immh very nice ,oohh delicious” which first of all they do not believe. So this is not a wine to drink with cheese. Okay, this is a topic for another article so I stop to make more longer this overextended tasting note. Apologies. 84/100 Price: 17.89€/75cl/January 2013