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Post by Baz Faz on Nov 16, 2016 19:21:21 GMT 2
In Waitrose today I picked up a bottle of Nero d'Avola wine on special offer. It comes from the south-east of Sicily where we shall be in a couple of months so I wanted to try it (we'll have it on Sunday). I have just had a search on the internet and found that the black grape (Nero) from Avola is now being grown in Australia and California. The New York Times had an article where various New Yorkers showed off their superior knowledge about it and had a prolonged sneer. I shuddered as I read that the wine lacked focus and brightness and energy. It wasn't vibrant. It had impact but lacked finesse. I don't know what all this means except that I am a schmuck who lacks sophistication for buying such poor stuff and I slunk away.
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Post by Netsuke on Nov 17, 2016 15:21:29 GMT 2
Brown Brothers make a Nero d'Avola which sells for $20.90 from the cellar door. A 2015 vintage, it says, " In the glass the wine shows a vibrant purple hue". I cannot speak for the veracity of this.
They make a nice Dolcetto and like most wines. some years are better than others.
I do have a bottle of Witchmount 2004 Estate Shiraz which took out the 2008 Syrah Du Monde wine competition held in France. The price was $26.
I have a De Bortoli Black Noble (375 ml) - inspired by a wine made by Vittoria De Bortoli in the 1930s, (He came out from Italy to Australia in 1924)
And a bottle of Chateau Yaldara Rich Old Port 1985. I wanted to buy the 1965 bottle but it was $30 more. I should have spent the extra money but of course I didn't think of that then.
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Post by Scrubb on Nov 18, 2016 2:44:29 GMT 2
In Waitrose today I picked up a bottle of Nero d'Avola wine on special offer. It comes from the south-east of Sicily where we shall be in a couple of months so I wanted to try it (we'll have it on Sunday). I have just had a search on the internet and found that the black grape (Nero) from Avola is now being grown in Australia and California. The New York Times had an article where various New Yorkers showed off their superior knowledge about it and had a prolonged sneer. I shuddered as I read that the wine lacked focus and brightness and energy. It wasn't vibrant. It had impact but lacked finesse. I don't know what all this means except that I am a schmuck who lacks sophistication for buying such poor stuff and I slunk away. Please let us know if it's yummy! |
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Post by sophie on Nov 19, 2016 4:54:26 GMT 2
I too have bought a bottle of Nero D'Avola, 2014 vintage. Not bad. I think the second glass will taste better however. I think I prefer my usual Malbec and carmanere!
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Post by kuskiwi on Nov 20, 2016 15:46:42 GMT 2
Let them sneer away - you can be the judge. Hope you enjoy every drop, both at home and in Sicily.
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Post by Baz Faz on Nov 20, 2016 18:53:17 GMT 2
I got the bottle out this afternoon and studied the label. It is not just Nero d'Avola but blended with Frappato grapes. I consulted Mr Google and found that Frappato makes a lighter wine often used for blending. Apparently it is best when blended with the darker and more powerful Nero d'Avola. We shall see.
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Post by tzarine on Nov 21, 2016 8:00:52 GMT 2
new yorkers can be such sneering asses about food & art
enjoy your drink
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Post by Baz Faz on Nov 22, 2016 11:10:27 GMT 2
This is what it says on the label:
The deep inky Nero d'Avola blends perfectly with the lighter Frappato grapes to create a wine with amazing colour and depth. Bursting with flavours of damson, black cherries and raspberries, this is the perfect wine to drink with salami, pasta with ragu sauce or try it slightly chilled and serve it with seared tuna.
To be honest I tasted no cherries, raspberries or damsons though Mrs Faz (who has a more refined palate) detected some fruitiness. It tasted like wine though I have read that the frappato grape is unusual in making wine that tastes like grapes. We didn't drink it with salami and seared tuna but snails and boeuf bourguignon so maybe it was our fault. Wile it is on special offer I am going to try the Nero d'Avola blended with shiraz.
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Post by Baz Faz on Nov 28, 2016 0:33:21 GMT 2
We had the bottle of Nero d'Avolo blended with shiraz tonight. Mrs Faz was impressed from the first mouthful. I must see if there is any more on special tomorrow.
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Post by kuskiwi on Nov 28, 2016 5:37:36 GMT 2
I'd trust Mrs Faz when it comes to wine matters.
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Post by Baz Faz on Nov 28, 2016 10:51:12 GMT 2
I'd trust Mrs Faz when it comes to wine matters. Just don't leave her in the same room as an open bottle of champagne. |
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Post by Hedonista on Jan 15, 2017 23:19:19 GMT 2
Never tried Nero but would like to.
But on the subject of Champers Baz we had a real treat today. A happy client of Mrs. H's gave us a bottle of Bollinger Grande Anée 2004 for Christmas and we finally opened it today, was fantastic, to the last drop.
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Post by Baz Faz on Jan 16, 2017 0:07:22 GMT 2
Lucky you Hedon. I went into our local wine shop this morning and found that they stocked wine from Japan. I blinked at the price. Perhaps I should shrink our bank account to sample it.
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Post by Hedonista on Jan 17, 2017 0:08:38 GMT 2
Not sure i would bother that Baz, like their sake though. But as this is the winespeak thread, my thoughts at the moment are all about aged reds. I really have got bored with all the young red wine around at the moment. Not only here in Portugal but wherever I am. It seems that all cheap and mid range wine and even a lot of the posh stuff is hitting the shelves of supermarkets and restaurant wine lists far too young. And they get away with it by adding chemical flavourings, especially Gum Arabic. Over the last few weeks I have sourced and opened a few older bottles, the oldest being a fabulous 1985 from one of my favourite Portuguese producers. But I have opened a couple of 2000's, a great year here in Portugal and have been trying to find reds that I like that are at least 10 years old, and I have been rewarded with some very nice drinking.
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Post by Baz Faz on Jan 17, 2017 0:40:06 GMT 2
In France in particular they drink their wines too young. Mysteriously they seem to like the tannic taste. When we drove down to the Lot in May 2016 we called in to a supermarket in Beaumont. I was taken aback by a display of cases of a 2015 Bergerac chateau. If it was harvested in September the year before it can only have been in bottle for about 3 months. What stunned me was the offer: buy 2 cases, get 3 cases free. Yes, 3 free. Now it has had a few more months in bottle it is beginning to mellow.
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Post by auntieannie on Jan 17, 2017 23:02:24 GMT 2
it's like betting, Baz. You buy the wine at such an event, put it in a cellar and "forget" about it for a year or two. sample a bottle, and decide if you want to start drinking or leave to age further.
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Post by Netsuke on Jan 18, 2017 10:47:34 GMT 2
If you are still interested in Nero d'Avola Baz, there are seven Australian Nero D'Avolas you can try - 2013 Brash Higgins 'NDV' Nero d'Avola-Amphora / $42 2014 Amato Vino Nero d'Avola / $25 2014 Hither & Yon Nero d’Avola 2014 / $24 2013 Bassham Nero d’Avola Riverland 2013 / $24 2013 Geoff Hardy Hand Crafted Nero d’Avola 2013 / $30 2011 Chalmers Nero d’Avola / $29 2013 Bellwether Nero d’Avola Rosé 2013 / $25 And remember many a friend is found over a bottle of wine. The new black: Nero d'Avola |
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Post by Baz Faz on Jan 18, 2017 16:45:00 GMT 2
With luck we shall be drinking Nero d'Avola in its homeland next week. But it is out of our control.
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