Help please with Italian reds > Wine Forums - THE Wine Forum - On VinoCellar.com

The wines:

Brunello di Montalcino
1. 100% Sangiovese.
2. Good acidity, but usually quite balanced.
3. Usually medium-to-full bodied. "Richness" in a Cali Cab sense really depends more on modern-vs-traditional, use of barrique or botti, etc.
4. Usually in the 13-13.5% range.
5. Great aging potential in great years. Minimum 10 years from vintage for entering drinking window, has potential to go 20+, depending on producer.

Favourite producers: Fuligni, Costanti, Poggio Antico

Chianti
1. Minimum 75% Sangiovese. Allowed other varietals include: Canaiolo - up to 10%, Trebbiano Toscano or Malvasia del Chianti - up to 10%, other allowed varietals (i.e. Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot) - up to 10%.
2. Good acidity, can sometimes be out of balance if not handled properly. Has enough acidity to stand up to tomato based dishes.
3. Most Chianti can't really be described as "rich." Although there are some exceptions, Chianti is really a food wine that matches quite well to Tuscan cuisine.
4. 12.5-13.5%.
5. Most Chianti is meant to be consumed young, but certain producers in good vintages can make wines that will go 10 years easily. The best Chianti comes from the Chianti Classico region. Another personal favourite is Chianti Rufina.

Favourite producers: Fonterutoli, Felsina, Fontodi, Querceto.

Amarone
1. Usually consists of Corvina, Rondinella, and Molinara in the following ranges: 40-70%, 20-40%, and 5-25%, respectively.
2. Not overly acidic, often hidden behind the big structure and fruit. Enough to support the structure of the wine.
3. Quite rich, possibly one of the richest Italian wines that you'll find. This is due to the partial drying of the grapes on straw mats for 4-5 months after harvest before pressing. Fully fermented wines are Amarone della Valpolicella, whereas wines that have the fermentation halted during the process will be labeled as Recioto della Valpolicella. This sweet wine is similar is style to Amarone, but the sweetness comes from the residual sugar.
4. 14-16%, lower for Recioto (since not all the sugars are converted to alcohol).
5. Potential to age 20 years from great producers, the sweet spot for me in minimum 10 years from vintage from top labels in good vintages. I'm not a fan of Amarone with less than 6 years of age.

Favourite producers: Allegrini, Masi (Serego Alighieri label), Zenato, Michele Castellani (Campo Casalin in particular)

Barbera
1. 100% Barbera in Alba, 85-100% in Asti (up to 15% Fresia and/or Grignolino and/or Dolcetto).
2. Plenty of acidity; stands up well to tomato based dishes.
3. Generally not very rich, but some producers are producing excellent Barbera. Braida is considered one of the top producers of Barbera. They are based in Asti and make a few different labels, but I can't justify $65CAD for them.
4. 13-14%.
5. Most Barbera is meant to be consumed young, within 2-3 years from vintage, but some producers are putting together wines that will last 3-7 or more, as is the case with Braida.

Barbaresco
1. 100% Nebbiolo.
2. Good acidity, enough to support the fruit. Can be quite tannic at a young age, but is generally more approachable than Barolo.
3. Can range from an easy quaffing, simple wine to a quite rich, complex wine. Lots of different styles, ranging from fruit forward, barriqued wines to traditional, long-aging wines. There's everything in between too.
4. 13-14%.
5. Great aging potential. Can go 20+ years from a great vintage. Even in average vintages, wines can easily go 10-15 years. Minimum 10+ years for great wines from great producers.

Favourite producers: Produttori del Barbaresco (single vineyard Riservas, only made in good years. The 2001 normale is great too), Sottimano, Ceretto, Cantina del Pino (Ovello), Pio Cesare

Barolo
1. 100% Nebbiolo.
2. Good acidity, enough to support the fruit. Can be quite tannic at a young age, and needs time to settle down and show what Nebbiolo is all about.
3. Can range from an easy quaffing, simple wine to a quite rich, complex wine. Lots of different styles, ranging from fruit forward, barriqued wines to traditional, long-aging wines. There's everything in between too.
4. 13-14%.
5. Great aging potential. Can go 20, 30, 40+ years from a great vintage. Even in average vintages, wines can easily go 10-15 years. Minimum 10+ years for great wines from great producers, often longer.

Favourite producers: Ceretto, Aldo Conterno, Marchesi di Barolo, Pio Cesare, Borgogno, Poderi Colla.

Montepulciano
1. Not to be confused with Vino Nobile di Montepulciano (which is a Sangiovese-based wine), Montepulciano is really only grown in Abruzzo. It's minimum 85% Montepulciano, but other local varieties, sometimes Sangiovese, can be used up to 15%.
2. Great acidity, but can be overwhelmed if not handled appropriately with good vineyard management.
3. Not often very rich, but more medium-bodied and a pleasant drink. Some producers are taking this wine very seriously, such as Masciarelli and Valentini. Good luck finding their wines. Other good producers are Zaccagnini, Dino Illuminati (the Riparosso offers good value, with medium-body), and Terra d'Aligi (the Tatone is quite nice).
4. 12.5-14%
5. With the exception the big two (Masciarelli and Valentini), I wouldn't age many more than 5-7 years from vintage, with most meant to be drunk within 3-4 years.

Favourite producers: Illuminati, Terra d'Aligi. Citra Winery's 1999 Riserva Caroso was excellent.

Valpolicella
1. See section on Amarone.
2. Average acidity. Less than Chianti.
3. Often light in body, but some Ripasso wines (where the Valpolicella wine is passed over the must of Amarone to add complexity and body) can be excellent. The best example I know of is Zenato's Ripassa. Other top Valpolicella comes from Quintarelli and Dal Forno, whose wines put some other Amarone to shame. They cost a fortune though - between $80-100CAD.
4. 12.5-13.5%.
5. With the exception of Quintarelli and Dal Forno, I wouldn't age them all that long. They're meant to be drunk young. Ripasso wines can withstand some cellaring, but don't expect them to go 10 years.

Favourite producers: Mostly for Ripasso wines - Zenato, Castellani; Dal Forno is great if you want to pay for it.