Franco Serra Langhe Nebbiolo, 2015

Franco Serra produces my favorite low-priced Barbera d'Alba, and the Langhe Nebbiolo costs only a few dollars more ($13 to $15) for a poor man's taste of Piedmont Barolo.

Medium ruby with orangeish tints characteristic of traditional Nebbiolo. After fermentation was aged four months in stainless steel, then six months in large oak barrels and three months in the bottle. Needs at least two hours of aeration to show its best. Classic Nebbiolo profile of dark cherries, black licorice, earth and pepper. Medium body with firm tannins and acidity to match. Complexity comes through with enough aeration.
 

Domaine Couturier Saint Veran La Coeur des Bois, 2021

Grapes for this lovely wine come from 70- to 80-year old Chardonnay vines in the southern Maconnais. La Coeur du Bois is a small plateau with alluvial soil and large stones--very acidic, sandy loam on a clay base that is also very acidic. The resulting wine is more like Chablis than white Burgundies fron the Cotes de Beaune.

Medium deep yellow. Elegance personified. Intense bouquet of flowers, pears, apples and white peaches. Lemon curd acidity. Not too sweet upfront but fresh and lively leading to a long, refined fruit-oriented finish. Exciting flavors that cling to the memory long after the final sip. A special wine.

Marcel Couturier's La Coeur des Bois retails for $40 to $50 a bottle--well out of my price range. But I have found it several times for $15 to $20 on WineBid.
 

Gigi Rosso Barolo Arione, 2001

I opened this wine two hours before dinner, but it still benefited from another hour or two of aeration. Not until then did the classic Nebbiolo bouquet begin to emerge.

Medium ruby. Violets, roses and cherries on the nose....after sufficient aeration. Dark cherries, black licorice on the tongue. Not as powerful or tannic as I expected from Barolo but plenty of sweet fruit flavors that get more complex as the meal progresses. 
 

Perticaia Montefalco Sagrantino, 2016

For me, this was the major attraction of the AWS Central Italy National Tasting Project. I was anxious to taste a good Sagrantino, and I was not disappointed.

Deep and dark, bright and clear. Garnet shading in from the rim. Bright scents and flavors of red and black fruits, violets, eucalyptus and black pepper. Fine grained tannins, some alcoholic warmth but doesn't detract. Silky texture. Long, sweet fruited finish. 

I gave this wine 18.0, a close second to the Nobile di Montepulciano, compared to 17.0 for the Selection Committee.

 

Salcheto Nobile di Montepulciano, 2021

This was my favorite wine of the AWS Tasting Project Part 2, earning a score of 19.0. The Selection Group was not as generous (15.5), but the 

Wine Enthusiast shared my enthusiasm (92) as did the Wine Spectator (92), Vinous (90) and James Suckling (91).

Deep violet ruby, bright and clear. Spicy, fresh, red berries, cherries, mint, thyme. Currants, red and black, emerge on the palate. Wow! Flavors that tease and please. Has the complexity of a mature wine. Perfectly balanced for pleasure. Long, delicious fruit-filled finish.

 

Palagetto Chianti Colli Senesi, 2022

Chianti Colli Senesi is Sangiovese wine grown in the hills (Colli) near Siena (Senesi). This is wine #3 from the AWS National Tasting Project, Part 2. 

Medium deep ruby. Clear but could be brighter. Fruit-packed aromas and flavors of dark cherry, raspberry, pepper. Medium acid, somewhat tough tannins. Not very intense. Seems to lack balance at present but that may change with a year or two of aging. I gave it 16.0 (Selection Committee 15.5).

Fabula Fortitudo Cerasuolo d'Abbruzzo, 2023

This wine, second wine served at the AWS National Tasting Project Part 2, is a rose Montepulciano. After 4 to 6 hours of skin contact, it was processed as a white wine. Not usually a fan of rose wines, I found this one particularly appealing and gave it an 18.0 score (16.0 for the Selection Group).

Deep copper red, darker than a typical rose. Enticing scents of red fruits, lime, tea. Medium bodied. Very dry but with refreshing acidity. Medium long, enjoyable after taste.