Etna Rosso 2015 (Madaudo)

Wine Card


Here’s another champion of price vs quality, recently picked in a large-scale distribution in Milan, Italy. Even if I might be biased for my natural inclination about the Etna Rosso appellation, it goes fairly easy to consider this wine a smart choice indeed. Precisely regarding the vintage 2015, which was marked by a burning hot summer that made up the alcoholic strength noticeably high. Nevertheless the wine is still quite elegant and balanced, as it shows cleanliness next to fruitiness.

Wine Details
Name and appellation: Barone di Bernaj, Etna Rosso DOC
Vintage: 2015
Producer: Madaudo
Place of origin: Sicily (Italy)
Grape variety: Nerello Mascalese (90%), Nerello Cappuccio (10%)
Alcohol strength: 15% vol.


Appreciation Profile
Type: dry red
Style: racy (lively and expressive)
Varietal wine alike: Sangiovese (Toscana, Ita), Aglianico del Vulture (Basilicata, Ita)
Food pairings: roast beef, grilled pork meat
Aging potential: drink now
Best value (reviewed vintage): price range €5 – €6 (0,75 L)


Sensory Analysis
1) Appearance (visual evaluation)
Clarity: neat
Color: ruby red
Saturation: vivid
2) Smell (olfactory evaluation)
Purity: clean
Fragrance: noticeable
Aroma (nose): fruity (red berries)
3) Flavor (gustatory evaluation)
Balance: accurate
Sapidity: mild
Taste: dry
Aroma (mouth): fruity, sligthly mineral
Structure: supple
Texture: lean
4) Aftertaste (overall conclusion)
Mouthfeel: moist
Finish: lasting
Fruit: juicy
Alcohol: strong
Evolution: mature
Complexity: likeable

“Huberfeld” Merlot 2015 (St.Pauls)

Wine Card


There’s never been a better time to finally open my last bottle of Merlot “Huberfeld” 2015, that I left carefully aging to reach full maturity. I’ve tasted this vintage for the first time in the spring of 2018, during my usual wine selection tour in South Tyrol, northern Italy. Today, as then, I can appreciate its intriguing sensory profile, which pairs the featuring drinkability of merlot grape with the distinctive character of a wine that can really please even the most refined palates.

Wine Details
Name and appellation: “Huberfeld” Merlot Alto Adige DOC
Vintage: 2015
Producer: St. Pauls
Place of origin: Alto Adige (Italy)
Grape variety: Merlot
Alcohol strength: 13.5% vol.


Appreciation Profile
Type: dry red
Style: racy (lively and expressive)
Varietal wine alike: Corvina (Valpolicella, Ita), Montepulciano (Abruzzo, Ita)
Food pairings: roast beef, pasta with meat sauce
Aging potential: drink now
Best value (reviewed vintage): price range €13 – €15 (0,75 L)


Sensory Analysis
1) Appearance (visual evaluation)
Clarity: neat
Color: purplish red
Saturation: deep
2) Smell (olfactory evaluation)
Purity: definite
Fragrance: noticeable
Aroma (nose): fruity (cherry, soft fruits)
3) Flavor (gustatory evaluation)
Balance: accurate
Sapidity: mild
Taste: dry
Aroma (mouth): fruity (red and black berries), slightly oaky
Structure: supple
Texture: lean
4) Aftertaste (overall conclusion)
Mouthfeel: smooth
Finish: lasting
Fruit: mellow
Alcohol: brisk
Evolution: mature
Complexity: likeable

Sauvignon Friuli Colli Orientali 2017 (La Buse dal Lof)

Vivid lemony color with greenish hints perfectly binding to the fragrant aroma of citrus fruits and aromatic herbs. Taste is zesty with a slightly briny finish that lingers on surrounded by aromatic notes of lime, tomato stalk, sweet pepper, thyme and eucalyptus. Aging has softened the natural crisp acidity into a supple structure that easily flows on a smooth palate.

A perfectly balanced Sauvignon displaying the best of the typical styles of both Friuli and Loire wine regions.