Two Wines from the Middle of Italy

This post features two wines which were fun to taste.  The Garofoli was the more elegant of the two.  It started off as a solid drink but then took a turn to show what was in store.  I would cellar this for another year.  The Il Sogno & La Pietra has a dense, chewy, tannic personality which I very much enjoy.  It could stand a few years for the fruit to expand and the tannins integrate but it works great if you drink it by a fire.  These wines were purchased at MacArthur Beverages.

2007 Garofoli, Piancarda, Rosso Conero – $16
Imported by Grappoli Imports.   This wine is 100% Montepulciano which underwent malolactic fermentation then was aged for one year in oak casks.  Alcohol 14%.  The light nose revealed plum and blue fruits.  In the mouth the flavors were a little ripe with some focus to the cool blue fruits, and spice.  Blue and black fruit mixed with good spicy, drying tannins that coated the inside of the lips.  There was red fruit acidity and moderate weight.  The wine dramatically opened up after one hour to show youthful, fresh flavors with pencil lead and wood tannins.  **(*) 2013-2019.

2009 Il Sogno & La Pietra, La Pietra, Paestum – $22
Imported by Capital Wines.  This wine is a blend of 50% Barbera, 40% Aglianico, and 10% Primitivo sourced from clay and limestone soils.  It was fermented in stainless steel where it also underwent malolactic fermentation followed by aging for seven months.  Alcohol 14.5%.  The nose had some lift to the citrus blue fruits.  In the mouth there was a core of ripe blue fruit which has enjoyable density.  There were ripe tannins from the start with some plum and strawberry flavors.  The texture is smooth in the middle becoming more grapey in the finish with rough, drying tannins.  It  was a bit chewy in the aftertaste.  Somewhat Rhone-like with nice concentration.  *** Now-2019.