©2006, The Birmingham Post
There are few, if any, people in the UK, who know more about Italian wine than Michael Palij, MW. A Canadian by birth, he is one of around 250 Masters of Wine worldwide, a qualification only achieved by the most rigorous tasting and examination.
During the course of each year, Michael travels extensively throughout Italy and, through his company, Winetraders, now represents around 30 leading Italian wine estates in the UK. Recently invited by Connollys to present a selection of his portfolio, the event proved to be an Italian Masterclass.
Lacking New World predictability, Italian wine has a concept of terroir developed over 2000 years of winemaking tradition. The perception that Italy produces vast quantities of eminently forgettable wine, for the most part, is probably true. Yet amidst an ocean of plonk, there are some real gems to be unearthed.
The problem is the extraordinary level of domestic consumption, which means that most of the wine is drunk by Italians themselves and, in particular, the best stuff. The finest wines, though, are generally made by "Azienda Agricolas", essentially grower-producers and, in his quest for the best wines, Michael applies the acronym BLIC, standing for Balance, Length, Interest and Complexity.
Lacryma Christi, "The Tears of Christ" is almost synonymous with everything that's worst about Italian wine. Grown on volcanic soils, on the slopes of Mount Vesuvius, where vines have been planted since before Pompeii, it has become popular with tourists, and is served in all the trattorias in nearby Naples.
As demand has grown, so has the vineyard area, and vines have been planted on unsuitable sites to profit from the name. From what was originally a dry white wine, nowadays the styles have proliferated, into sweet white, rosé, red and even sparkling.
The Terredora Lacryma is an exception to the rule and the relatively high price (£9.49) reflects the fact that it's made from low-yields and hand-harvested. The grape, Coda di Volpe (foxtail) has a mineral character and flavours of tangerine citrus and apple. It's a wine made for grilled fish.
Once sold in ubiquitous amphora-shaped bottles, Verdicchio is one of Italy's greatest white varieties but, like other regions, devalued and diluted by high yields. From the Marche region, the best-known zone is Castelli di Jesi, close to the Adriatic.
The more prized wines, though, emanate from Matelica, an isolated lake-bed in the foothills of the Apennines, which enjoys a more continental climate, and more pronounced day-to-night temperature variations. This enables the grapes to achieve better ripeness, but maintain greater acidity and complexity.
La Monacesca 2004 (£8.49) has herbal mineral fruit, with a flinty edge, opening out to a rich, spicy peppery texture. It's made by a typical artisan winemaker, who is first and foremost a farmer, with a poor line in marketing. When, in 2003, his entire crop was devastated by a hailstorm. Michael enquired "what are you going to do?" The reply was simple, "not make any wine".
To take advantage of the enormous popularity of Soave, the vines migrated from the hills out to more fertile plains, where the soils were more suited to rice or grain. Volumes were produced on an industrial scale, and the quality was simply dire.
In stark contrast, Stefano Inama is the largest private vineyard owner in the Classico region, the true heartland, with just 35 hectares located in volcanic hills north of Verona. His luxury cuvée, Vigneti di Foscarino 2004 (£12.95) is made with a selection of the best parcels of Garganega, barrel-fermented and matured in old oak. With a potential to age over 5 or 6 years, it is akin to fine White Burgundy, with flavours of citrus, a touch of smoke and a hazelnut finish.
The second wine from Terredora is an Aglianico IGT 2004 (£9.00) from Campania. The name is a corruption of Hellenic, as it is thought to have been introduced by the Ancient Greeks, and is a grape that can age for 20 years or more. It tastes of fresh mulberry fruit, with firm grip and tannins.
La Pieve Chianti (£7.45) has joyous black-cherry fruit, with zip and backbone. From outside, the Classico zone, the vineyards are close to an old fortified town, with an altitude of 500 metres. Again, the height provides the interplay of hot days and cool nights, enabling the wine to retain freshness. Enjoy it with steak.
Described as a "desert island wine", Corbaia is a Super-Tuscan by Castello di Bossi, from 65% Sangiovese and 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, aged in new and old oak barrels. Old wines and low yields have combined to produce perfect balance, with red fruit, complexity and length. The 2001 is a classic vintage, and retails at £28.75.
The Monprivato Barolo 1999 by Mascarello (£39.95) is from a Grand Cru site, made using traditional methods. It spends some 4 years in old oak vats, as the producers believe that Nebbiolo does not take too kindly to new casks. The result is a classically smooth melange of plums, leather and roses, with a ruffled edge.
Recioto della Valpolicella is a naturally-sweet red wine, and the version by Corte Sant'Alda 2003 (£23.95) scales new heights. The winemaker manually harvests the grapes and discards any that show signs of rot, to prevent it spreading. The grapes are then placed in crates and air-dried in sheds over the winter, until they lose about 60% of their water content, creating an alcohol potential of 19o.
Fermentation is arrested naturally between 14o and 15o, leaving a sweet wine, which is then cask-aged for 12 months. It takes around 2 kilos of grapes to produce a half-litre of wine, and the result is Port-like, but with 5 degrees less alcohol. There is sweet cherry fruit, with intense complexity and length of flavour, and is recommended with blue cheese or chocolate.
Winetraders 01993.848777, or click on: www.winetraders.org.uk
Connollys Wines, Arch 13, 220 Livery Street, Birmingham, telephone: 0121 236.9269, or www.connollyswine.co.uk