Bring on the Amalfi Reds....Città del Gusto Wine Lab, February 4, 2010

A previous blog focused on the whites of the Amalfi coast region.  This is my take on the second part of the evening.

I was introduced to a sampling of  the reds of Amalfi when I attended Tintore Day (here) last November.  So as I opened the door to Città del Gusto Thursday evening, it was a pleasure to be greeted by Gaetano Bove, one of the wine producers from Tramonti.  We shook hands, a bit of small talk, and then I made my way to the front.  I came to taste the reds.  Not only those of Tramonti, the strong robust wines made from the tintore grape, but to also see how my aglianico tastes when grown on the Costa d’Amalfi.  To observe the differences when it is blended with a piedirosso from Furore or Ravello.  Let’s begin.

Like the first part of the evening, six glasses were set aside for our red wine.  Wine flowed, food served, notes taken.  The wines up for tasting were:

Getis Rosato 2008-Reale

                A blend of piedirosso and tintore. Aged in steel vats, though a small part matures in oak.

Tramonti Rosso Quattrospine Riserva 2006-Tenuta San Francesco

                Tintore (60-65%), aglianico and piedirosso.  Aged in barriques for 12-14 months.

Borge di Gete Tintore 2006-Reale

                100% Tintore.  Aged in French oak barrels for 18 months.

Tramonti Rosso ‘A Scippata Riserva 2005-Apicella

                Blend of grapes from Giuseppe Apicella’s great grandfather’s vineyard that was planted back in the ‘20s.  70% tintore, 30% piedirosso.  Aged in French oak.

Ravello Rosso Selva Monache Riserva 2004-Ettore Sammarco

                70% aglianico, 30% piedirosso.  Aged in barriques.

Furore Rosso Riserva 2004-Marisa Cuomo

                An even blend of piedirosso and aglianico.  Aged in barriques for 12-18 months.

I enjoyed the blend of tintore with aglianico and Piedirosso in Tenuta San Francsco’s  Tramonti Rosso Quattrospine Riserva 2006.  Dark ruby red coloring, strong aromas of red fruits and peppe rosso as Antonio Del Franco, president Ais Campania, pointed out.  In this wine, you could taste the tannins as well as note its time spent in the barrique.  For me, piacevole.

Another one that I appreciated was Ravello Rosso Selva Monache Riserva 2004 from Ettore Sammarco.  I was attracted to its slow evolution in the glass.   I could pick out aromas such as red fruits, cherries. Its dark ruby color.  The right level of tannins. 

Host Paolo De Cristofaro mentioned that these wines are table wines.  Not in the sense that their quality is low.  On the contrary,  these wines are wines meant to be on the table.  Served with flavorful Campanian dishes made the slow food way.  On Ettore Sammarco’s site, they mentioned that their red would be perfect with typical Neapolitan dishes such as lasagna, braciole di punta di costata, and parmagiana di melanzane.  I could see that. 

A good friend, Fabrizio Erbaggio, once told me that a good wine tasting is one in which you walk away with something, an amount of information that stays with you.  Knowledge that you can pull up the next time you try that particular wine or one similar.  I believe Città del Gusto was successful in this aspect. When Luigi Reale was asked to express his concluding thoughts, he enthusiastically exclaimed ‘Vieni a trovare la diversità’   Translation:  come and see how diverse the region is.  I think I’ll have to take him up on that…