Monday, September 24, 2007

S. Tyrol Confections and Friulian Wine Tasting Notes




Strap on your seatbelts, readers, because Loacker Quadratini bite size chocolate wafers are prodigious! Crisp textured and full of cocoa goodness, not only are they a tour de force in confectionery, but they belong in any wafer fan's collection. Buy them by the case!

Alright, enough of the WA inspired madness (though I have quite enjoyed these wafers today). Some quick tasting notes on a few recently tasted Friulian wines:

2005 Marco Felluga Molamatta - This is a blend of tocai friulano, ribolla, and pinot bianco. Rich, fleshy, appley scents lead to a surprisingly pretty and floral palate, that is also unsurprisingly rich and viscous. So it's a balancing act, well executed.

2003 Foradori Teroldego Rotaliano - Another balanced wine. Classic pomegranate and cranberry fruit, decent tannin structure and surprising freshness.

2002 Foradori Granato - Surprise of all surprises: the barrique aged 'bigger brother' is not as fun and tasty. In all fairness though, this bottle did seem kind of closed. I had this wine about a year and nine months ago at a trade tasting and it was a lot more expressive. Sorta big, intensely fruited and Priorat-ish, but expressive and not without interest.

In other barrique aged disappointments of late, the 2005 Vietti Barbera 'Scarrone' is just too much for me, much too much. Am I crazy here? Other folks who tasted the wine alongside me seemed to love it. Much better: 2003 Aldo Conterno Barbera d'Alba Conca Tre Pile. Brighter, more focused fruit and building inner mouth florality add up to tastier wine, IMHO.