Nativ Suadens Bianco 2020 (Campania) - Wine Review

Tonight's white wine review is a lovely blend crafted in a slightly sweet style from Campania that arrived at the LCBO over the weekend as part of the November 19 LCBO VINTAGES Release.

Vini Nativ was born in 2008 in the heart of Irpinia, in the comune Paternopoli, Campania, by Dr. Mario Ercolino, an internationally renowned oenologist, and Dr. Roberta Pirone, a specialist in food science, with the aim of producing wines of excellence. Together, they are dedicated to the production of typical wines of the territory using the native varieties of Fiano di Avellino, Greco di Tufo, Falanghina, Aglianico, and Aglianico of Taurasi. The vines are grown on 15 hectares between Paternopoli and Taurasion on the soils of the property known for its particular fertility thanks to its volcanic origin.

The name "Nativ" represents the origin of the viticulture of Irpina through autochthonous production and the concept of "original of place" with love and respect for the terroir. The wines are crafted using innovative winemaking methods while also respecting tradition, and always paying attention to keep the organoleptic structure of the grape unaltered. Nativ has a wide range of wines in their portfolio that can satisfy every palate, and this particular wine is from their IGT line that is an emblem of Campania.

This white wine is named Suadens to represent the suaveness of the wine. This wine is also a molecular project aimed at valorizing not only the autochthonous vines of Irpinia, but also the typical local fruits that aren't generally cultivated anywhere else in the world. This white wine is a unique blend of Fiano di Avellino, Greco di Tufo, and Falanghina Beneventana that was grown on medium soils with some calcareous-clay using the trellis vine-training system with guyot pruning. At the winery, whole clusters of grapes were lightly pressed and fermented with selected yeasts at controlled temperatures, then aged in stainless steel tanks with a brief passage through oak barrels.

Having enjoyed several wines from Nativ in the past, including tasting a previous vintage of this particular wine, let's see how this 2020 white wine from Campania is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

NATIV SUADENS BIANCO 2020 - IGT Campania, Italy (#577767) (M) - $27.95
This unique blend of Fiano di Avellino, Greco di Tufo and Falanghina Beneventana has rich, fragrant and perfumed aromas of yellow and white florals, lemon citrus, tropical fruit, and melon with herbal undertones. It is impressively concentrated on the creamy, full-bodied palate with juicy, well-balanced acidity and slightly sweet flavours of apricot, peach, honeysuckle, lemon citrus, yellow & white floral, and ripe apple. Subtly spicy on the mid-palate, giving way to a long, dry-ish, leesy and apricot flavoured finish. Highly recommended buy! Score: 91 pts

Other lovely wines by Nativ are available through their Agent - Don Ackerman's Wines & Spirits, as well as in limited quantities at the LCBO.

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Great Italian Wines - Understanding Indigenous Grape Varieties - Fiano di Avellino & Primitivo

On Thursday evening, I had the pleasure of attending the 4th masterclass in the series on "Great Italian Wines - Understanding Indigenous Grape Varieties". This class focused on the white wine Fiano di Avellino, and the red wine Primitivo, which you may also know as Zinfandel.

In this masterclass, we first travel to the southwestern Italy, to visit the wine growing region of Campania. Forming the "shin" of Italy’s boot, the region is surrounded by the wine regions Lazio, Molise, Puglia, and Basilicata, and on its western coast is the famous Amalfi coastline that borders that Tyrrhenian Sea. Campania is made up of 5 Provinces - Naples (Capital), Caserta, Benevento, Avellino, and Sorrento, and also has 3 islands - Capri, Ischia, and Procida.

Campania owes much of its winegrowing success to its varied climates and terroirs. It has an abundance of sunshine, dry and hot summers, mild winters, a long growing season and the volcanic soils from Mount Vesuvius, Campi Flegrei, and Mount Epomeo. The coastal Mediterranean breezes blow in from the Tyrrhenian Sea, tempering the heat and adding freshness and bright acidity to the fruit.

With vine growing and winemaking dating back to the 12th century, Campania is among the oldest wine regions in Italy. They cultivate a wide variety of indigenous grapes, most of which are grown on hilly and mountainous terrain. 60% of the wines produced are red and rosé wines, while 40% are white wines. In my view, Campania makes some of the most interesting white wines in Italy using the varieties Fiano, Greco, and Falanghina.

Fiano is one of Italy's oldest grape varieties and was cultivated during Roman Times. The Romans called this grape "Vitis Apiana", which was Latin for "vine of the bees" as the bees were very attracted to the sweet pulp of this grape. Fiano is mostly grown in Southern Italy, primarily in Campania in the hills surrounding Avellino, and thrives in this warm, dry climate, while also preferring high altitudes and volcanic soils.

The Fiano grape is straw yellow in colour and offers intense aromas and flavours of tropical fruits like pineapple, peach, golden apple, pear, citrus, floral, nutty hazelnut, spice and honey notes with balanced acidity, good weight and texture on the palate, and has good ageing potential. The wine we tasted in this masterclass is from the Summonte sub-zone withing the Fiano di Avellino DOCG appellation, an appellation known for producing some of Italy's most distinguished white wines. This DOCG specifies that 85% of the wine must be Fiano, with varieties Greco, Coda di Volpe, and Trebbiano Toscano permitted to make up the final blend.

For the second topic of this masterclass, we travel east to the winegrowing region of Puglia, the heel of Italy's boot, which is surrounded by the Adriatic Sea to the east, and the Ionian Sea to the south. Puglia is a land of agriculture and a leader in wine and olive production. Although Puglia produces the second most volume of wine in Italy (behind Veneto), a new era has emerged in recent times with a focus on quality over quantity. Approximately two-thirds of the wine produced in Puglia is red, while the remainder is white wine. The landscape is mostly flat, with some hilly terrain, while the climate is sunny, hot, and dry, with Mediterranean winds blowing in from the seas.

Primitivo's origin's are unknown at this time, but it is thought to have existed since the 8th century B.C., before Greek colonization. The name Primitivo translates to "early one" as this varietal is early ripening. Today, Primitivo's home is in Puglia and is the region's most famous variety. With over 12,000 hectares of vines cultivated, Primitivo is among Italy's top 10 most planted red varieties. It is worth mentioning that Zinfandel - commonly found in California - is genetically the same as Primitivo.

Primitivo is a dark blue skinned grape with high pigmentation, but can be fussy to cultivate and cellar. It grows best in dry and hot climates and accumulates a lot of sugar - hence, the perceived sweetness in many Primitivo wines. The aromas and flavours commonly found in Primitivo wines are fruit forward with black cherry, blueberry, blackberry, plum, prune, marmalade, violet, spice, and earthiness, and acquire additional complexities when aged in wood. The wines tend to be high in alcohol with good tannins, full bodied, rich, and smooth.

The tasting kit for this masterclass included an antipasto platter with authentically Italian Grana Padano DOP cheese, Fior di Latte from Campania, Olive Verdi di Cerignola from Puglia, and a traditionally Puglian Focaccia Barese that was made in-house by Head Baker Luca Rotatori at Spaccio, Terroni's central kitchen.

Previous masterclasses explored Montepulciano & Aglianico, Sangiovese & Vernaccia di San Gimignano, and Nebbiolo & Valpolicella. These classes are quite informative and the wines are fantastic! I am very much looking forward to the final masterclass in the series that takes place in September, where we will explore the volcanic wines of Mount Etna in Sicily. Anyone can register for the free online masterclass via the Italian Chamber of Commerce of Ontario Canada, as well as purchase the wines by the bottle through the Agent - Cavinona - so you can taste along. For a limited time, use special discount code ICCOJUNE for 10% off any case purchase on Cavinona.com.

@trueitaliantaste #ExtraordinaryItalianTaste #TrueItalianTaste #iffoodcouldtalk

Tasting Notes:

GUIDO MARSELLA FIANO DI AVELLINO 2018 - DOCG, Campania, Italy (XD) - $43.93
100% Fiano from Summonte that was organically grown at 650 metres elevation on clay and rocky soils. Aged on fine lees in stainless steel tanks for 12 months. Clean, fragrant, and elegant aromas of ripe tropical fruit, peach, golden apple, and citrus with subtle nutty notes. It’s medium+ bodied with very good fruit concentration and slightly oily texture on the structured palate with ripe golden apple, pear, and citrus with leesy mineral and saline adding savoury notes to the flavour profile. It has fresh, bright acidity, while the leesy mineral flavours linger on the long, structured finish. Score: 92 pts

CARVINEA PRIMITIVO 2017 - IGT Salento, Puglia, Italy (D) - $28.11
Grown on tufaceous and calcareous soils, this 100% Primitivo was aged in French oak for 9 months. The fresh, medium-high intensity aromas offer sweet spice, dark berry and cherry notes with touches of plum and raisin. Pretty floral aromas appear with time in the glass. On the medium+ bodied palate, it has juicy acidity and refined, textured tannins. It is slightly off-dry (i.e. a touch sweet) and jammy on the flavour profile with more sweet spices, dark berry, and licorice flavours that tapers to savoury, minerally and slightly spicy with very good length on the persistent finish. Score: 90+ pts

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Wine Picks LCBO VINTAGES Release July 20, 2019: Under $20 + Italian Whites

The upcoming July 20, 2019 LCBO VINTAGES Release features 20 Wines Under $20 as the main theme, while the mini-theme looks at fresh Italian white wines. All of these wines, plus those as part of the Main Release will be on VINTAGES shelves across Ontario by this Saturday.

We'll begin with the main theme that lists 20 wines under $20, of which only 3 are include among my top wine picks. The first wine from this group is a dry $19 Prosecco that is made with the Glera grape varietal. The lone white is a $15 Chenin Blanc from South Africa, while the red is a lovely $17 Ventoux from the southern Rhône Valley that consists of 50% Syrah, 30% Grenache, and 20% Mourvèdre.

From the mini-theme on fresh Italian white wines, five of the seven wines featured are included among my top wine recommendations. The idea behind this theme to get everyone to try some of the other fine white grape varietals from Italy and look beyond Pinot Grigio. First up is a Fiano, an ancient grape from at least the 13th century. Pecorino (not the cheese) is fresh, floral and vibrant and often comes from Abruzzo. Falanghina is my favourite Italian white wine varietal and often comes from the hilly, volcanic soils of Campania. The Greco varietal is also common in Campania and offers a distinct smoky minerality. Lastly, there is a premium, barrel-fermented and aged Trebbiano di Lugana (aka Verdicchio) from Piedmont.

Among my red wine picks from the rest of the Release, the red wine from New Zealand is a blend of 82% Merlot and 18% Malbec. From Rhône, the Rasteau is a blend of 70% Grenache, 20% Syrah and 10% Mourvèdre, while the Côtes du Rhône is equal parts Syrah and Grenache, plus some Mourvèdre. The blend from Roussillon consists of 50% Syrah, 40% Mourvèdre, and 10% Grenache, and 2015 Bordeaux consists of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Sauvignon. Lastly, from Spain, the Reserva is a blend of 90% Tempranillo and 10% Graciano, while the Crianza consists of 85% Tempranillo, 10% Garnacha, and 5% Graciano.

From my white wine picks, all are single varietal wines. One of the stand outs is the always excellent Assyrtiko from Greece. If you prefer sweet wines, look for the Riesling Kabinett from Mosel.

Enjoy my wine recommendations from this Release! Cheers!

Red Wine:

• MARQUÉS DE CÁCERES CRIANZA 2014 - DOCa Rioja, Spain (#638775) (D) - $16.95  88 pts  wine review
• XAVIER VIGNON VENTOUX 2017 - AP, Rhône, France (#413211) (XD) - $16.95  89 pts  wine review
• ORTAS TRADITION RASTEAU 2017 - AC, Rhône, France (#998716) (XD) - $17.95  88 pts  wine review
• XAVIER VIGNON CÔTES DU RHÔNE 2017 - AP, Rhône, France (#297317) (XD) - $17.95  89 pts  wine review
• BELLINGHAM HOMESTEAD SHIRAZ 2017 - WO Paarl, South Africa (#698290) (XD) - $18.95  89 pts  wine review
• GÉRARD BERTRAND GRAND TERROIR LES ASPRES SYRAH / MOURVÈDRE / GRENACHE 2016 - AP Côtes du Roussillon, France (#413245) (XD) - $19.95  88+ pts  wine review
• KA TAHI MERLOT/MALBEC 2015 - Hawke’s Bay, North Island, New Zealand (#645192) (XD) - $23.95  90 pts  wine review
• CHÂTEAU HAUT SELVE 2015 - AC Graves, Bordeaux, France (#738120) (XD) - $24.95
• VIVANCO RESERVA 2012 - Selección de Familia, DOCa Rioja, Spain (#293431) (XD) - $29.95
• YANGARRA SHIRAZ 2016 - McLaren Vale, South Australia (#911974) (XD) - $34.95  FE

White Wine:

• RUSTENBERG STELLENBOSCH CHENIN BLANC 2018 - WO Stellenbosch, South Africa (#698274) (XD) - $14.95  89 pts  wine review
• WAKEFIELD CLARE VALLEY ESTATE CHARDONNAY 2017 - Clare Valley, South Australia (#711556) (XD) - $16.95  88+ pts  wine review
• JANARE FIANO 2017 - DOP Sannio, Campania, Italy (#528786) (D) - $16.95  89 pts  wine review
• CITRA FERZO ABRUZZO PECORINO SUPERIORE 2017 - DOP, Abruzzo, Italy (#573683) (D) $17.95  88 pts  wine review
• TERRE STREGATE SVELATO FALANGHINA DEL SANNIO 2016 - DOP, Campania, Italy (#486076) (XD) - $18.95  89 pts  wine review
• LAVA GRECO DI TUFO 2017 - DOCG, Campania, Italy (#631739) (XD) - $19.95  88 pts  wine review
• PENINSULA RIDGE WISMER VINEYARD SAUVIGNON BLANC 2017 - VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#155580) (D) - $19.95  88 pts  wine review
• MAX FERD. RICHTER ELISENBERGER RIESLING KABINETT 2016 - Prädikatswein, Mosel, Germany (#665984) (S) - $24.95  90+ pts  wine review
• ARGYROS ASSYRTIKO 2017 - PDO Santorini, Greece (#387365) (XD) - $29.95  90+ pts  wine review
• SERGIO ZENATO RISERVA LUGANA 2016 - DOC, Veneto, Italy (#928218) (D) - $39.95  91 pts  wine review
• FLOWERS CHARDONNAY 2017 - Sonoma Coast, Sonoma County, California, USA (#215210) (XD) - $59.95  FE

Rosé Wine:

• HACIENDA LOPEZ DE HARO ROSADO 2018 - DOCa Rioja, Spain (#450775) (XD) - $13.95  88 pts  wine review
• PLANETA ROSÉ 2018 - DOC Sicilia, Italy (#111856) (XD) - $17.95  89 pts  wine review
• LA CADIÉRENNE CUVÉE GRANDE TRADITION BANDOL ROSÉ 2018 - AC, Provence, France (#119453) (XD) - $22.95  91 pts  wine review

Sparkling Wine:

• LE MONDE BRUT PROSECCO - DOC Friuli Grave, Italy (#634121) (XD) - $18.95  88 pts  wine review

Dessert Wine:

• CAVINO MUSCAT - PDO Samos, Greece (#113092) (S) (500 mL) - $12.95  88 pts  wine review

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