Italian goodies from Mondo Imports
I spotted Anthony from Mondo on the weekend, pouring a range of Italian wines to a few thirsty looking punters on a Saturday afternoon. Whilst I only tried one or two of the tipples he had on pour it did remind me that I’ve tasted a whole swag of Mondo Imports vino recently (and never quite got around to writing them up).
Rectifying that now with these highlights.
Lucarelli Terre di Sava Bianco Salento 2010 (Puglia, Italy) $14
Produced from a concoction of local white grapes including Malvasia Bianco, Verdica and Bombino Bianco, this shows the sort of value that – the quite maligned – Puglia region can produce.
What makes it good is the weight without fatness, with an initially quite broad, lemon/pineapple fruit expression before it gets lighter and crisper through the finish with an unmistakeable salty tang that had me thinking of McLaren Vale Fiano.
A wine for drinking, not serious appraisal, though with the sort of refreshment that you wish all $15 wines would have. Highly recommended indeed. 16.5/88
Pipoli Aglianico del Vulture 2009 (Basilicato, Italy) $15
Much has been written about this wine and I’m just going to echo the sentiments. A juicy, red cherry and earth style with cherry cough syrup flavours to the max. It’s just a little warm through the finish but that’s probably the only gripe with this sort of juicy, yet savoury red. Pizzalicious. 17/90
Roagna ‘Paje’ Barberesco 2004 (Piedmont, Italy)
Caveat – I’ve bought several bottles of this. It accompanied me to the NSW Wine Awards Judges Dinner and was very well received amongst the judges. Nebbiolo love all round.
A somewhat old school Barberesco this with a dusty, deepset cherry nose with plenty of VA, yet not enough to totally shade the truffles and slow cooked lamb shank meatiness. Underneath it’s a firm – if still medium weight – red with slightly oxidative, ferrous edges to what is a quite classically proportioned Nebbiolo.
A cracking wine, my only gripe is that it can be a little variable. Great stuff regardless. 18/93
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