Evolution Willamette Valley Pinot Noir, 2024

Sokol Blosser is a long-time producer of top line Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays from the Willamette Valley of Oregon. I have tasted a few of their single vineyard wines and can attest that they are well worth the premium price tags. At $22 a bottle, Evolution is their introductory level wine, probably made from grapes from younger vines on the estate or from purchased grapes from elsewhere in the Valley.

Medium light ruby, bright and clear. Looks like a Pinot. Powerful scents of violets, cranberries, red raspberries. Smells like a Pinot. Flavors that mirror the smells. Silky texture. Tastes like a Pinot. Delightful spicy finish. Based on this wine, I have high expectations for Willamette Valley wines from the 2024 vintage.

 

Bocale Montefalco Sagrantino Passito (Umbria), 2019

 

I have never had a Sagrantno wine, and I was looking forward to this NTP tasting for a good introduction. Apparently, the dry Sagrantino is to come next month at Tasting #2, but this Passito offers a very enjoyable glimpse of what this noble grape has to offer.  Passito is, of course, a sweet wine made from dried grapes, similar to Amarone.

Very dark, velvety. Very ripe fruit, doesn't smell or taste too alcoholic...even at 15.0% ABV. Rich, ripe fruits--plums, blackberries, dark cherries, pomegranates--wow! Also some floral notes. No hard edges, delicious fruit but not overly sweet for a dessert wine. Spicy finish, long and complex. I gave this 17.0 points. At $45 a half bottle, though, I think I would put my money on a good Sauternes or Vintage Port.

I Luoghi Bolgheri Superiore, 2020

As a Super Tuscan, this wine does not use the traditional Sangiovese blend of Tuscany but rather is 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc and 10% Merlot and Syrah. It is indeed super and I scored it 19.5, although I still preferred the Rosso di Montalcino that preceded it at the NTP tasting. At $45, it is nearly twice as expensive and not within my wine budget.

Deep and dark, a bit moreso than the Rosso. Ripe plums, red and black berries, more red fruit than I would expect from a Cabernet blend. I didn't get the herbal Cab Franc tones but other tasters  did. Abundant tannins but has the acidity to keep it lively and approachable today. Medium long finish. Good wine but I'll still take two bottles of the Rosso and go away happy.
 

Scopone Rosso di Montalcino, 2021

Produced from Sangiovese Grosso grapes grown in Tuscany, this "baby Brunello" was my favorite wine of the NTP tasting, although I scored it slightly lower  (19.0) than the Super Tuscan that followed (19.5). At $28, it is not cheap, but still less expensive (and more approachable) than most Brunellos.

Deep but not as dark and purplish as the Montepulciano. The oak is not as lavish and that is a plus for me. Mostly red fruits--berries, Montmorency cherries plus a touch of black licorice. Flavors match the smells, ripe and lovely. Great acid, medium alcohol, medium body. Flavors dance. Long, complex finish. I love this wine.
 

Bove Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Marso, 2021

For many tasters, this wine--rated high by nearly everyone--was the biggest surprise of the NTP tasting. Since there are many inexpensive Montepulcianos on the market, we did not expect this level of quality. At $25, though, it is hardly inexpensive.

Very deep, dark, purplish. Plums, dark cherries, black berries and currants. Great smells and ripe flavors that open beautifully. Very young, lavish oak but has the balance to show its best...now or later. Hard to resist. I gave it 18.0 but one taster at our table gave it 20.0. Not over-priced at $25.
 

Ciu Ciu Marche Pecorino

Next up on the NTP agenda is this Pecorino from the Marche area of Italy. It was my introduction to Pecorino, and I liked it enough to give it a 17.0 score.

Deeper color than the Trebbiano Spoletino, bright and clear. Subtle aromas of flowers and stone fruit, clean but not particularly intense. Forward fruit on the palate, medium acid, good balance.. The long, complex finish really turned me on, I would like to try more from this grape and this estate.
 

Bocale Umbria Trebbiano Spoletino, 2024

This was the first of six wines we tasted yesterday as part of the American Wine Society National Tasting Project, focusing on wines of central Italy. It is 100% Trebbiano Spoletino from Umbria that is distinct from the common Trebbiano grape grown in Tuscany.

Medium yellow/straw, bright and clear. Clean, straightforward aromas, medium intensity. Pear, peach, melon. Full on mid-palate, medium intensity, medium plus acid. I found the finish a bit dull and rated the wine only 15.0 on a 20 point scale. The wine seems ageworthy, though, and I would likely give it a higher score with a few more years in the bottle.