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A Wine Lover's Weekly Review Of $10 Wines - An Italian Vino Novello, 2011

By Levi Reiss

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Published: 06Dec2011
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It is new wine time. This Italian Vino Novello was grapes on the vine only a few short weeks ago. You may remember when new wines, especially Beaujolais Nouveau, were a hot, hot marketing phenomenon. Times have changed. This year I had to keep my eyes really open to find the display in my wine store. Have consumers finally caught on? Cantina Tollo was founded in 1960. They do about a dozen reds, about a dozen whites, several rosés, and a dessert wine. In 2010 The German international wine academy MUNDUSVini designated them the Best Wine Producer in Europe. Cantina is located in the small Abruzzi town of Tollo on the Adriatic Sea. Check out their web site for local sites to see including an ancient convent, a spa, and a nature reserve. Interestingly enough, their web site did not reference this particular wine. The companion wine is a Beaujolais-Villages Nouveau from Georges Duboeuf, the king of Beaujolais.

OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY All wines that we taste and review are purchased at the full retail price.

Wine Reviewed Tollo Novello Rosso Terre di Chieti Indicazione Geografica Protetta 2011, 12.5% alcohol about $9.

There were no marketing materials so let's start by quoting the back label. "A wine that celebrates each year's harvest and made with 75% Montepulciano and 25% Merlot. GIOCALE is young and fresh wine with a strawberry aroma. The taste is reminiscent of black cherry with a hint of ripe watermelon and a soft, sweet fruit finish. Do not age." And now for my review.

At the first sips these fermented grapes were sweet and harsh. I tasted some plums. The initial meal featured slow cooked beef. The new liquid offered expressive but not excessive acidity and not a lot of fruit. When paired with the accompanying potatoes our Abruzzi friend's acidity soured, dominating everything. The other side dish was leeks sautéed in olive oil. In response this wine mellowed and I got a burnt taste in the background. Then I doused the meat with Louisiana hot sauce. But the wine remained raw.

My next meal started with a so-called pizza appetizer consisting of cabbage, carrots, and tomato paste in puff pastry. Now the Vino was round with balanced acidity and a touch of dark fruit. Then came boxed Eggplant Rolatini that included Ricotta and Mozzarella cheese, tomato paste, and fresh tomatoes. I added lots of ground Parmesan cheese. This not a tasty as it may sound mixture muted the wine. Not much came through except the sourness.

My final meal centered on chicken meatballs. In response the libation was thin but not harsh. I did get some dark cherries. The accompanying Basmati rice cooked with brown lentils had the effect of strengthening and souring this drink. When paired with the other side dish of okra, garlic, onions, and crushed tomatoes the wine was long. But the taste of bubble gum lurked in the background.

Final verdict. This was one of the better new wines. Will I buy it again? Do you have to ask? Maybe one day someone will do new wine right. Don't hold your breath.

Levi Reiss authored or co-authored ten computer and Internet books, but prefers drinking fine wine. He teaches computers at an Ontario French-language community college. His global wine website www.theworldwidewine.com features a weekly review of $10 wines and a whole lot more. Visit his Italian travel website www.travelitalytravel.com.

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