There I was at The Fine Wine Source in Livonia, Michigan for a wine tasting of Italian wines.  We had just tasted three wines that were chilled and now we were going to start on the red wines.

The first of the red wines was Tenuta Ronci Rosso di Ne Lazio IGT 2019.  The winery was founded by Arturo Improta in the Eighties looking for an uncontaminated nature that was near volcanic lakes, a few kilometers north of Rome.  He planted both native and international varieties on soil made of disintegrated “peperino” stone, a volcanic rock, rich in minerals that would create a distinct terroir to the wines made.  The estate is about thirty hectares on the gentle hills of the Ronci Valley.  The wine is a blend of sixty percent Merlot and forty percent Cabernet Sauvignon and the vineyards are about twenty-five years in age.  The wine is fermented and aged in Stainless-Steel tanks to maintain the freshness of the fruit.  The ruby red wine offered notes of cherry and raspberry and a mix of spices and herbs.  On the palate the red fruits and spices blended with velvety tannins in a well-balanced wine and a smooth finish featuring fruit and terroir.

The second red wine of the tasting was Azienda Agricola Tintero Langhe Nebbiolo 2021 in the Piedmont.  Elvio Tintero founded his estate in the steep hills of Mango in the province of Cuneo and it is now represented by the second and third generation.  The vineyards are planted in the optimal position of south and southwest on the hills.  Langhe Nebbiolo is considered as a “junior” version of Barolo and Barbaresco and does not have the same stringent requirements as those designations.  The wine is pure Nebbiolo and the maceration and fermentation occur in Stainless-Steel tanks and then is aged in Slavonian Oak for six months.  The deep garnet colored wine offered notes of dark cherry and plum, scented with violets and roses and a wisp of graphite.  On the palate this medium-bodied wine had tones of dark fruit blended with soft tannins, fresh acidity and a medium-count finish of fruit.

The third wine that we tasted was Perla Terra Barolo DOCG Piedmont 2019 from the Dalla Terra group.  Perla Terra is a partnership of several small growers primarily in the communes of La Morra, Novella, Monforte d’Alba, Grinzane Cavour and Verduno.  The wine is vinified and bottled for Dalla Terra using traditional methods at a local winery in the Barolo region. The cru vineyard selections are vinified separately, and this “negociant” style blend is selected by the co-owners, Brian Larky and Scott Ades.  The wine is from “sustainable” vineyards with an average age of twenty-years for the vines.  The Nebbiolo fruit is de-stemmed and crushed and produced according to the regulations of Barolo DOCG.  A total aging period of thirty-six months, with a minimum of eighteen months in assorted size barrels, with twenty-seven percent in new French Oak and six months in the bottles, before distribution.  A nice ruby color wine that offered notes of dark fruit, violets, roses and sous-bois, but not the classic “tar and roses” of Barolo.  On the palate, this medium bodied wine offered tones of cherry and blackberry, mellow tannins and a lean medium-count finish of fruit, pecans and a trace of bitters.