For our April event, we were delighted to welcome Simon Evans of "The Naked Grape".
The Naked Grape is a small chain of shops in Alresford, Four Marks and
Hungerford and their web site can be found at
(http://www.thenakedgrape.co.uk/)

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Simon showed a selection of wines from Northern Italy, one wine from each of the eight regions. There were 3 white wines, four reds and one dessert wine in his presentation:-

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White Wines:

1. Cave Mont Blanc - Blanc de Morgex 2022                £22.50
Val d'Aosta region
From the foothills of Mont Blanc, the Morgex grape (very frost resistant variety) produces a 11.5% white wine. 
This is pale straw with aromatice, savoury and smokey nose which translate intot he palate balancing a fresh fruity notes.

2. Cnatine Lunae Vermentino 2023                        £23.50
Liguria region
A 12.5% Biodynamic wine Colli di Luni. This is a historic region, where the grapes are hand harvested to ensure that 
they are perfectly ripe. Pale straw colours, with a slight spice aroma on the nose. Fresh and rich flavours with a long finish. 
This will go well with shellfish dishes.

3. Kaltern Kerner "Carned" 2023                            £27.50
Trentino - Alto Adige region
From the Lake Kaltern area, produced by a co-operative this 14.5% wine has a light straw appearance, with spicy and fruity notes.
The palate gives fruit, herby creamy and nutty flavours with a long finish.
 

Red Wines:

4. Cantine del Garda Bardolino 2023                        £12.99
Veneto region
The Veneto produces about 25% of all Italian wines and this 12% pale red wine is a blend of Corvina Veronese, Molinara and Rondinella grapes. This has a destinct Morello cherry nose, which carries into the sweetish cherry flavours on the palate. 

5. Le Monde Cabernet Franc                                £19.99
Fruili-Venezia Giulia region
This wine benefits from a green harvest (to concentrate the vines on the best grapes), and produces a 13% deep red wine with a fresh fruit nose. On the palate, there are evident tannins, but it is well balanced with smmoth fruit and acidity. 
Another wine with a very long finish

6. Frecciarosso Giorgio Odero Pinot Noir 2012            £44.99
Lombardy region
This is an old vine Pinot Noir (the vines are around 60 years old) with a low production of only 555 cases per year. The 14% wine is matured in new French oak and is now a tawny red in the glass. There are spice and fruit notes on the nose and on the palate is very rich, reminicent of a tawny port.

7. Tenute Gacci    2016                                    £79.99
Emilia-Romagna region
This wine is intended as a competitor to the "Super Tuscan" wines like Tignanello, Sassicaia and Ornellaia. This blends 50% Sanggiovese, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot and 3% Altropese to produce a 14% very deep red wine which has been matured for 3 years in Croatian oak barrels. This is still very young, with dark fruits and big tannins on the palate. The wine will require a long time maturing in bottle.

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Dessert wine:

8. Vite Colte La Gatta Moscato 2023                        £15.99
Piedmont
This 5% petilant wine fermented purely from free run juice presents with a light colur and fresh grapy aromas on the nose. The palate shows honeyed sweetness with very fresh fruit. The wine presents as light and clean to match deserts.

 

We would also like to thank Anne Murrill, who provided the excellent finger buffet at half time.