WebWineMan

The Enchanting Grape

Richard Fadeley

The days are finally beginning to lengthen, but it's still winter here in the Northern Hemisphere. Richard Fadeley's go-to wine in the cold days is often a brooding and earthy syrah. He got his tasting panel together to taste a selection of syrahs (or "shiraz", as it's known "down-under'). Here are their ratings and notes.

Incanto

Incanto 2010 Chianti Classico Riserva ($10.99)

Clear dark ruby, with bright red-orange glints along the edge. Black cherries and a subtle touch of oak, far from woody but a distinct scent of earth and spice. Well balanced on the palate, black cherries and dried fruit, palate-cleansing acidity and rather astringent tannins. It will likely benefit from a few years' aging, up to five years or more assuming good cellar conditions. Meanwhile, the simple measure of an overnight stay at room temp in the recorked bottle worked wonders, softening the astringency and bringing up the fruit-to-oak balance

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Vino e Cucina d'Italia

Cantina Giardino - The Touch of Excellence

Neil Duarte

The best Aglianico wine from the Campania region of Italy? It may be the wines produced by a small six-person winery called Cantina Giardino, in the town of Ariano Irpino, says Neil Duarte. He recently paid them a visit. Here's his report.