Anyone have a fave Italian dessert wine?

[Scott_Brunson]

ready to drink and available to order in the US per favore

[Ramon_C]

I don’t drink dessert wines often, but have had a few Vin Santo during recent travels. Unfortunately, the one that I liked the most, from Tenuta di Valgiano in the Lucchesi does not show up locally via winesearcher. But, have also tried mid 90’s from Castello di Monsanto winery a couple of months ago that were very nice and appear to be available in the US as per winesearcher.

For something that’s different, there’s the Sagrantino Passito from Paolo Bea. I found it more heartier and chunkier than Vin Santo. It’s OK, but I prefer the VS.

Ciao.

[Robert_Sand]

Sure: Tira-mi-su (Tiramisu) with Vin Santo.

[paul_clark]

We had a Vin San Giusto a Rentennano about 2 years ago that I remember being a superb paring with a chocolate based dessert. I looked on wine searcher and you can find it in the US at about $75 per 375mL bottle. Similar to Banyuls. Interesting to drink a red dessert wine.

[dave_cuneo]

Maculan makes three fabulous dessert wines, the “Torcolato”, the “Dindarello” and the “Acininobile”.
Anselmi makes a white Recioto called “I Capitelli” that is beautiful.

Red Recioto is expensive but still my favorite dessert wine, you may be able to find a Tommaso Bussola, a Masi, a Tommasi, a Dal Forno (big bucks), or a less well known house that will still be delicious and reasonably priced.

Moscato d’ Asti is easy to find and still a winner with most people that try it.

[RS_Beck]

Felsina makes a really nice Vin Santo.

I also really enjoy Passito from Sicily.

[Z_Hu]

Limoncello is sorta kinda like a wine?

[harry_spithoven]

Picolit!
Rather rare to find, but can be a extremly subtile wine

[Scott_Brunson]

Thanks to all so far.
This is for our fourth annual “Bring Your Own (damn) Steak” dinner in December at my place. I have set the theme to be Italian and have assigned one of the guests to find dessert wine (a Panettone Bread Pudding). My first thought was Torcolato; I’m not sure she will spring for Acininobili (I have it in my cellar though).
By the way, homemade Meyer Limoncello will make an appearance if I can stay out of it until the dinner
Please keep the ideas coming so I can point her to a solution.

[chaad_thomas]

Although I’ve never had a panettone bread pudding, I can imagine the caramelly, butterscotchy flavors of a verduzzo would do very nicely, e.g. from Merk, Ronchi di Cialla, La Tunella or Russiz Superiore, all of which are exported to USA.

The Merk, I (among others) import, so naturally it is the best.

[Gus_Johnson]

Donnafugata Ben Rye

[AAgrawal]

@Scott Brunson

Thanks to all so far.
This is for our fourth annual “Bring Your Own (damn) Steak” dinner in December at my place. I have set the theme to be Italian and have assigned one of the guests to find dessert wine (a Panettone Bread Pudding). My first thought was Torcolato; I’m not sure she will spring for Acininobili (I have it in my cellar though).
By the way, homemade Meyer Limoncello will make an appearance if I can stay out of it until the dinner
Please keep the ideas coming so I can point her to a solution.

I’ve only had the acininobili once, but I thought it was amazing and was at a similar level to Yquem.

[dave_cuneo]

@Gus Johnson

Donnafugata Ben Rye

+1000.

Gave a case to my niece for her wedding.

[dave_cuneo]

@AAgrawal

@Scott Brunson

Thanks to all so far.
This is for our fourth annual “Bring Your Own (damn) Steak” dinner in December at my place. I have set the theme to be Italian and have assigned one of the guests to find dessert wine (a Panettone Bread Pudding). My first thought was Torcolato; I’m not sure she will spring for Acininobili (I have it in my cellar though).
By the way, homemade Meyer Limoncello will make an appearance if I can stay out of it until the dinner
Please keep the ideas coming so I can point her to a solution.

I’ve only had the acininobili once, but I thought it was amazing and was at a similar level to Yquem.

+1000, I thought the same.

[Nathan_Smyth]

@Ramon Cabrera

chunkier

Closely related to [u]blockier[/u]?

[Patrick_Friel]

+1 for Felsina’s Vin Santo. It is very tasty and a good deal. The 2001 is a good vintage without much of an alcohol note. It would probably pair well with panattone.

+1 for Donnafugata Ben Rye. It will be sweeter and more carmelized. Lots of nuts and burnt/bitter orange notes. I wouldn’t pair this with anything. It stands well on its own.

My favorite Passito di Pantelleria for pairing is D’Ancona’s Cimillya. It is not as sweet as Ben Rye and has more pronounced but still pleasant bitter notes to offset the sweetness in a dessert. We drink it with cannoli.

[Ramon_C]

@Nathan Smyth

@Ramon Cabrera

chunkier

Closely related to [u]blockier[/u]?

Could be related … but in a chunkily sort of way.

[TomHill]

Most any Italian passito I’ve had, I’ve liked quite a lot. Almost all from white grapes. The Passito de Pantelleria is quite good…
from Muscat grapes.
Probably my favorite is the Vignalta Alpinae, a passito made from OrangeMuscat by LucioGomieri in the ColliEuganie. He’s
a very interesting guy. Known as the “King of Radicchio” and supposedly grows 80% of the world’s supply…right out in the
SalinasVlly of Calif. He also makes a herbed salt that’s terrific.
A lot of other passitios I also like, especially from Chambave and Erbaluce di Caluso.
I find the VinSantos a bit of a mixed bag. Varying degrees of oxidation, varying degrees of sweetness. Hard to predict.
TraderJoe’s (if you have one nearby) currently has an Ipsus Passito from Muscat. About $9/500ml. Killer dessert wine for
that price. Nothing profound…but quite good.
And TablasCreek makes a couple of passitos from Mourvedre and Roussanne that are very/very good…though a bit expensive.
Passito is a genre that I wish they’d pursue a lot more in Calif.
Tom

[b_castner]

@Gus Johnson

Donnafugata Ben Rye

yep