TN: Italian values

This is very belated, as I realized I never posted these notes here. I was asked to do an end of the year wine tasting for our honors program students. I chose Italians, because we have a campus in Florence where students can spend a semester, which is very popular with the honors program students. I wanted these to be wines that represent the range of Italy, are easily found in stores and restaurants, and that would actually be affordable for students. It was a huge success, and even before the tasting was over the students were asking what we will do next year (the answer is France, stay tuned).

Carpene Malvolti, 1868 Extra Dry, Prosecco Superiore, Conegliano-Valdobbiadene NV
$14. Pear, lemon curd, land lots of mineral. Full bodied, with a wonderful, creamy texture. 3.5 Stars [5/5/18]

Bollini, Pinot Grigio, Trentino 2015
$11. Pear, lemon, honey, mineral, and a touch of hint of sweet grass. Full bodied, with a wonderful, honeyed texture. 3 Stars [5/5/18]

Masciarelli, Montepulciano d’Abruzzo 2015
$9. Black cherry, plum, cola, mineral, and a bit of white pepper. Full bodied, with a wonderful, succulent texture. A lot more structure than one expects from a modestly priced Montepulciano; perhaps the best Montepulciano I’ve had, and a smashing value. 3 Stars [5/5/18]

Pico Maccario, Lavignone, Barbera d’Asti 2016
$11. Black cherry, black berry, and raspberry, with black pepper, and mineral. Full bodied with spicy texture, and lots of tannin. Fairly serious structure and acid tone. Impressive, especially for the relatively modest price. Should age nicely for another 5 years or so. 3 Stars [5/5/18]

San Felice, Chianti Classico 2015
$13. Black cherry, blackberry, plum, orange rind, tabacco leaf, earthy herbs, and black pepper, all with notes of violets. Medium-full bodied, with excellent succulent/savory texture. 2.5 Stars [5/5/18]

Castello Monaci, Piluna, Primitivo, Salento 2016
$11. Blackberry reduction, raspberry, meaty currants, a hint of sweet raisin, orange rind, a touch of tobacco leaf, and mineral. Full bodied, with very nice sweet/succulent texture. 3 Stars [5/5/18]

Santi, Solane, Ripasso, Valpolicella Classico Superiore 2015
$12. Blackberry, a hint of blueberry, currant, tarry mineral, chocolate, and a hint of raisin. Intense body with succulent texture and great acid tone. 3.5 Stars [5/5/18]

Scagliola, Primo Bacio, Moscato d’Asti 2016
$12. Candied pear and honey, with some good mineral depth. Medium bodied, sweet and frothy. Not as good as Moscato d’Asti can be, but delightfully frivolous in that way that only Moscato d’Asti is. 2 Stars. [5/5/18]

Masciarelli, Montepulciano d’Abruzzo 2015
$9. Black cherry, plum, cola, mineral, and a bit of white pepper. Full bodied, with a wonderful, succulent texture. A lot more structure than one expects from a modestly priced Montepulciano; perhaps the best Montepulciano I’ve had, and a smashing value. 3 Stars

When my non-geek friends ask for a rec at under $10, this is my go to. Consistent and good.

Fantastic and very useful notes. So often we see threads looking for inexpensive but quality wine for parties and other events; I hope this comes up in searches. So many values in Italy. I’m personally unaware of anything like it elsewhere.

Ryan,

Thank you. This is a very refreshing post, and a great thing to do for your soon to be traveling students.

Cheers

Italy is great for values.

Masciarelli Marina Cvetic Montepulciano is a step up in price and quality.

Very nice list thanks for including notes. One of my favorite $15 and under red wines is the Alessandro Rivetto Langhe Rosso. It’s a very solid Neb, Barbara, and Merlot blend from a third generation wine making family.

Thanks for the great set of notes Ryan. Some good ideas for my next selections.

+1 on Marina Cvetic Montepulciano D’Abruzzo.

Great wine.

Thank you all for the enthusiastic response!