WINE LIST 2015 Ceci Paolo Limited 21 High Street, Ledbury Herefordshire HR8 1DS Tel: 01531 632976 Fax: 01531 631011 e‐mail: [email protected] www.cecipaolo.com RED WINES ITALY from north to south / VALPOLICELLA, ALLEGRINI, 2010/2012 With the 2007 vintage, Franco Allegrini took the brave step of declassifying his wine to Valpolicella so that 2012 he could use a screwcap closure to preserve the purity and vibrancy of the fruit. This proved to be a huge £11.99 success. The wine, made primarily from Corvina and Rondinella, is a triumph. To produce this sort of Stelvin quality consistently through difficult as well as good vintages, and at such a reasonable price, is a remarkable feat. Deep ruby in colour with a youthful rim, the Valpolicella has brilliant cherry perfumes. 2010 The palate shows perfectly balanced fresh and baked cherry fruit characters, and slightly higher acidity than the previous vintage lis the ripe fruit and gives a fresh finish. If you ever had a prejudice against £6.99 Valpolicella, this is the wine to convert you to what can be a most exuberant wine. Abv 13% AMARONE CLASSICO, ALLEGRINI, 2004 This vintage (made solely from Corvina) marks another step forward in Franco Allegrini’s style revoluon. This is modern winemaking at its best; a wonderful fusion of concentrated fruit and fine, toasty oak that enhances a tradional style of wine. The volality and aldehydes that tradionally characterised Amarone have been banished forever from this wine. Franco has now achieved his long‐expressed goal of £26.49 combining purity with balance and the tradional power and intensity of Amarone. The success of Amarone in general has put grape prices under pressure so later vintages have seen significant price increases. Buy while we sll have this earlier vintage. Abv 15% ‘A’ AMARONE, ALPHA ZETA, 2009 This Amarone is impressively rich and modern, with an aracve freshness of perfume. Ma Thomson £28.99 felt that 2009 was “probably the best harvest that I've seen here since I started making wine in the region in 1999. The wines are full and ripe with excellent aromac qualies.” Abv 15% ‘V’ VALPOLICELLA, ALPHA ZETA, 2013 £9.99 A lively, youthful ruby wine with fresh cherry aromas that develop into a rich cherry pie character in the mouth. Body comes from soft, supple tannins that match the concentrated fruit through to the Stelvin characterful finish. Abv 12.5% ‘C’ CORVINA, ALPHA ZETA, 2014 Winemaker Ma Thomson provides a super example of innovave winemaking turning the potenal £7.99 inherent in Veronese viniculture into a reality. Winemaker Ma Thomson provides a super example of innovave winemaking turning the potenal inherent in Veronese viniculture into a reality. 2014 was one of the trickiest vintages seen since 1984. Nevertheless, wines from around Verona look Stelvin good and are more aromac than last year and lighter in body than previous vintages. A youthful bright ruby wine with fresh, vibrant aromas of ripe cherries and red berries. The palate is balanced and juicy with a supple structure, bright plum and cinnamon flavours and a lively finish. Abv 12.5% ‘R’ VALPOLICELLA SUPERIORE RIPASSO, ALPHA ZETA, 2013 Made by re‐fermenng the young wine on the skins of grapes that were laid down to dry (like those for Amarone but for a shorter period). The blend of modern and tradional winemaking produces a wine with £13.99 a combinaon of freshness, structure and depth. Ruby red in colour, with a concentrated perfume of red and black cherries, with the ripasso adding a dried cherry intensity. Full‐bodied on the palate, with a lovely balance between opulent cherry‐pie character and supple structure. Good length with a mouthwatering bier‐cherry twist on the finish. Abv 13.5% DOLCETTO D’ALBA, GD VAJRA, 2013 Great depth of colour with the lovely herbal berry notes characterisc of good Dolceo. Red, black and blueberries with a touch of dried summer herbs such as marjoram and thyme follow through to the palate £17.99 where the solid tannic structure of this variety gives structure and weight to the berry fruit character. Black cherry notes carry through to the finish. A lively drinkability that few other examples of this variety can match but this is to be expected from this top Barolo producer. Abv 12.5% 2 RED WINES ITALY from north to south / LANGHE NEBBIOLO, GD VAJRA, 2008 Nebbiolo is Piemonte’s supreme grape variety and the source of some of Italy’s finest wines. Its perfume, complexity and austerity make it a great food wine. The 2008 Nebbiolo has a lovely floral perfume on the nose, with spring flower aromas that are both delicate and intense and underpinned by red fruit and £19.99 mineral notes. On the palate, it has the characterisc tannins of Nebbiolo but a ripe, rich dark fruit character balances the tannin, giving the wine immediate appeal. This Nebbiolo from this top Barolo producer is a tremendous wine and great value and a good introducon to this Pinot‐like grape. Technically this is Barolo without the barrel ageing. Abv 13.5% BAROLO 'LE ALBE', GD VAJRA, 2010 Brilliant and finely sculpted on the palate, the 2010 dazzles from the very first taste. Expressive, floral £36.99 notes give way to bright red fruit, mint and crushed berries in a vibrant, striking Barolo. In most vintages, Le Albe is juicy and fruit‐driven, but in 2010 it is above all the wine‘s minerality that shines through. Abv 14.5% BAROLO BRICCO DELLE VIOLE, GD VAJRA, 2003 I’d been searching for some me for the “right” Barolo to include in the Wine List. When I tasted this one, I thought—this is it. Obviously the judges of 2008 Internaonal Wine Challenge agreed with me, £42.99 awarding it a Gold Medal. Aldo Vajra is a master of Nebbiolo, as exemplified in this Barolo. It is aromac with perfumes of violets, roses and raspberries. It has the characteriscs of a top Barolo with GOLD ‐ IWC beaufully balanced and crunchy tannins that carry the lovely rose petal flavours through the palate— 2008 Perfecon! It is drinking well now. Please note that the prices of later vintages have soared so this price represents good value for such a top wine. Abv 14.5% CHIANTI CLASSICO, FONTODI, 2011 £21.99 One of our very best wines, capable of ageing for quite some me. The wine is beguilingly elegant and is as a result a superb drink. Its combinaon of accessibility, depth of flavour and a velvety texture make it difficult to resist. The wine is made solely from Sangiovese, for the quality of fruit obtained from Fontodi’s vineyards obviates the need for any other variees as a remedial blender. Abv 14% CHIANTI, DA VINCI, 2012 The Da Vinci label is the premium range of wines from Canne Leonardo and Canne di Montalcino. The winemakers work with the viculturists to ensure a style of wine that is fresh and vibrant yet rich and £9.99 supple. Bright ruby red in colour with a darker core and youthful rim. This wine is ripe and plummy, with perfumes of spiced cherry, black pepper and fresh red fruit. It is well‐structured, with rounded, supple tannins, prominent blackberry and cherry fruit flavours and a long, spicy finish. Abv 13% CHIANTI, CANTINE LEONARDO, 2013 Winemaker, Alberto Antonini, is a star in Italy, and also proving his worth in Argentina, California and Chile. This is Chianti as you’ve never tasted before and better than most Chianti Classicos sold at twice the £9.99 price. A bright, youthful ruby red in colour. Attractive red fruit aromas lead to a palate full of juicy, ripe berry fruit and hints of smoke and spice. A lifted fresh wine ensured by early bottling that finishes on a perfumed, blackberry note. Abv 13% ROSSO DI MONTALCINO ‘PALAZZO COMUNALE’, CANTINA DI MONTALCINO, 2010 Offers superb value and excellent quality. On the nose the wine has intense aromas of blackberries, £15.99 blackcurrants, cherries and spice; while, on the palate, it had good depth and richness, aracve fruit and well‐balanced acidity. Abv 13% 3 RED WINES ITALY from north to south / BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO, DA VINCI, 2008 The Da Vinci label is the premium range of wines from Canne Leonardo and Canne di Montalcino. The winemakers work with the viculturists to ensure a style of wine that is fresh and vibrant yet rich and £39.99 supple. The Brunello is clear, purple red in colour. The nose is filled with intense blackberry, blackcurrant and cherry perfumes. Rich and full‐bodied, the wine has so fruity nuances on the palate, complex spice characters and a well balanced, fresh acidity characterisc of Sangiovese. Abv 13.5% PRIMITIVO DI PUGLIA, A MANO, 2009/2012 Mark Shannon is the Californian winemaker who fell in love with Puglia after a short consultancy in the 2009 region. He and his partner, Elvezia Sbalchiero, decided to create their own label “to make one wine under the A·Mano label, the single best wine from the region. As a result, we settled on Primitivo from 70 to 100 year old vines”. £8.99 By paying high prices for the best grapes from these vines and focussing solely on quality and a modern 2012 style, they are now getting access to some of Salento’s best grapes and have revolutionised the style and quality of Primitivo, making it one of Italy's most talked about grape varieties. Deeply coloured and £9.99 exuberant on the nose, with perfumes of ripe, red fruit, especially raspberries and a spicy, smoky edge from the oak ageing.