Some Tastings Of Italian, Spanish And California Wines

By TOM MARQUARDT And PATRICK DARR

Italy is a vast region when it comes to wine. You don’t have enough time left on earth to taste all of the wines it produces from more than 300 grape varieties in 20 different regions.  While much of it is table wine, there are standouts in each of the regions.

One of them is Masciarelli from the Abruzzo region. Located in central Italy along the Adriatic Sea, it is influenced by sea and mountains.  Much of the wine is produced by cooperatives or sold in bulk to negociants.  Gianni Masciarelli, however, has raised the bar – but not the prices. After his death in 2008, his wife Marina Cvetic was joined by daughter Miriam Lee Masciarelli to carry on the business. It is the only producer in Abruzzo with vineyards in all four provinces.  All wines are estate grown.

The dominant red grape is montepulciano and the white is trebbiano d’Abruzzo.

We were impressed with the quality-price ratio of these wines.

Villa Gemma Bianco Colline Teatine IGT 2022 ($24). A blend of trebbiano, pecorino and cococciola grapes, this delicious and fruit-forward wine has white peach and assertive lime notes with a dash of dried herbs.

Villa Gemma Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Riserva 2018 ($98).  The flagship of this producer, this bottle-aged reserve wine has won a lot of awards.  With grapes coming from 30-year-old vines and stainless-steel fermented, it has a lot of character from its French-oak aging. Produced in only the best vintages, it has dense, concentrated  black fruit flavors, fine tannins and intense aromas.

Marina Cvetic Trebbiano d’Abruzzo Riserva DOC ($60). The top wine for Masciarelli, this riserva is entirely trebbiano from two special vineyards. Aged 12 months in new French barriques, it spends another 12 months in bottle before it is released.  In this time the wine comes together in a beautiful expression of trebbiano.

Marina Cvetic Montepulciano DOC Riserva 2019 ($38). Made entirely from montepulciano grapes, this wine has raspberry and red fruit notes with a dash of spice and a brambly personality.

Grandes Pagos de Espana

Spanish winemakers are making a genuine effort to separate top producers from average

producers. Although the Spanish government created the Vin de Pago classification in 2003, it was focused more on soil composition. However, a few years earlier winemakers in Castilla-La Mancha and Castilla y Leon set additional criteria the includes a track record of quality.  That organization morphed into today’s Grandes Pagos de Espana.

Thirty-five wineries in eight regions of Spain make up the new organization. To be admitted, a producer has to have an exceptional and single-vineyard estate, subject themselves to inspections and blind tasting and be accepted by a unanimous vote of current members.  It is primarily focused on terroir.

We recently tasted a couple of wines from GPE producers.

We enjoyed the 2017 Alonso del Yerro ($30) from the Ribera del Duero region. It is a full-bodied tempranillo with forward red fruit character and fine tannins.

We also enjoyed the Fillaboa Albarino ($25) from Rias Biaxas region of northern Spain.

J. Lohr

The first time we met Jerry Lohr it was at dinner in as local restaurant sometime in the mid-1990s. Jerry had just completed a marathon of sales calls on wine shops and restaurants in the Baltimore /Washington metro area and was happy to finally be off his feet. Sitting in front of Jerry was a frosty martini that he gingerly sipped.

When the up-and-coming winery owner was asked about his choice of libation, he explained that he had been tasting and talking about wine all day and needed a change of pace. Made sense to us. After all we had heard that the most common beverage in many wineries during the hectic days of harvest is most commonly beer.

Growth has been tremendous since 1976 when the then Turgeon and Lohr wine company produced 10,000 cases. Today the J. Lohr winery (Turgeon retired in 1984 and Jerry Lohr bought his shares) is a top 25 U.S. producer with sales of 1.8 million cases.

J. Lohr produces wine from estate vineyards in Napa Valley, Monterey County and Paso Robles from over a dozen varietals, although they are mainly known for the production of cabernet sauvignon, pinot noir and chardonnay. Well over two dozen individual wines are produced by J. Lohr and they enjoy a well-earned reputation for delivering widely available, full flavored, great value wines at reasonable prices.

We recently tasted a selection of J. Lohr current releases and were reminded why we have held J. Lohr wines in high esteem over the years and recommend them to our readers. Following are our impressions:

Lohr Arroyo Vista Chardonnay Arroyo Seco Monterey 2021 ($25). Balanced oak with baked apples and lemon curd flavors. Smooth and rich.

Lohr Seven Oaks Cabernet Sauvignon Paso Robles 2021 ($17). You can find this wine pretty much anywhere from grocery stores to fine wine shops. Black cherry and cassis nose and flavors. Deep rich and bold with mild tannins. A lot of wine for a great price.

Lohr Fogs Reach Pinot Noir Arroyo Seco Monterey 2022 ($35). This is a classic expression of California pinot noir with deep, dense, ripe black cherry/berry notes. This will never be confused with a French Burgundy, but who cares?

Lohr Hilltop Cabernet Sauvignon Paso Robles 2019 ($35). A beautifully styled cabernet sauvignon from one of our favorite growing areas, Paso Robles. Bright fruit which is typical of the area folds into a big impressive red wine. Bold black cherry notes with a hint of tobacco. Pair this with a big juicy steak.

Wine picks

The Hilt Estate Pinot Noir 2021 ($45).  This is a medium-bodied yet elegant pinot noir from Sta. Rita Hills. Red cherry, clove and cranberry aromas give way to layered plum, cherry and black pepper flavors.

Bouchaine Estate Pinot Noir 2021 ($40).  With pinot prices regularly $70 or more, this can be considered a bargain.  It has all the elements of a much more expensive pinot noir: complexity, depth and opulent fruit. Raspberry and dark cherry notes.

Alois Lageder Schiara 2022 ($15).  A grape native to Alto Adige region in Italy, schiara produces a light-bodied and simple wine with fresh violet aromas and juicy red fruit flavors.

Yalumba Y Series Unwooded Chardonnay 2021 ($15).  We were shocked at the quality of this inexpensive chardonnay from southern Australia. Unexposed to oak barrels, it has a pure expression of ripe peach and citrus flavors with a dash of clove and almonds.