518892 Tue May 13 18:21:13 -0700 2008 18 34 Wine 0 3684532 I'm doing a tasting that highlights house style from Illuminati in Abruzzo and I'd like to do a comparison with a local version of Montepulciano. Does anyone know of any wineries in California that make a good Montepulciano? Tue May 13 18:21:15 -0700 2008 10403 StephP 1 3684959 None that I know of. That said, no Italian varietals produced in California are very good. Cal/Ital Sangiovese is horrible; some of the Barberas from Amador Co. are OK. Tue May 13 20:53:54 -0700 2008 3684532 15835 Husky 2 3697244 >>> . . . no Italian varietals produced in California are very good. <<< Sad -- but oh so true. Sat May 17 17:41:22 -0700 2008 3684959 28122 zin1953 3 3698054 And I much prefer the French varietals from France to the California versions. At equal price levels below $50, I have found no comparison. Sun May 18 07:23:09 -0700 2008 3697244 14128 BN1 3 3704668 I have not tried a lot of Cal Italian wines, but Palmina makes a nice Barbera and I like their Tocai Friulano also. Tue May 20 08:48:33 -0700 2008 3697244 78406 scrappydog 3 3713153 Zin, Do you have any thoughts on Unti? Thu May 22 16:24:37 -0700 2008 3697244 10403 StephP 4 3719958 I've known Mick a long time, and I really like his wines - particularly his Grenache . . . Sun May 25 16:49:03 -0700 2008 3713153 28122 zin1953 1 3685399 For the most part Montepulciano is made from Sangiovese, and like Husky said, CA does not produce much Sangiovese, and what they do produce tends to be fairly blah. I think your best bet would be something from Seghesio or Altamura. Wed May 14 05:48:00 -0700 2008 3684532 11814 dinwiddie 2 3686343 Italian Vino Nobile de Montepulciano is made from Sangiovese. Montepulciano d' Abruzzo is made from the Montepulciano grape. I do have a bottle of 2002 Monte Volpe, Montepulciano, Mendocino, which I haven't tried yet, but I liked it when I tasted it at the winery. Also, I like CA Sangiovese, which is different from Italian Sangiovese. The CA style is more fruit forward with much more oak. To date, I have tried Sangiovese from 28 different CA producers and there are some I have yet to taste. Altamura and Ramazzotti are my favorites, but Seghesio, Vino Noceto, Montevina Terra d'Oro, Macchia, Pietra Santa and others are reliably good. Some examples I bought had really good vintages but are not consistent. I generally drink wines from Italy including Borolo, Barbaresco, Brunello, Tuscan Blends, Nebbiolo, Barbera, Valpolicella, Vino Nobile, Dolcetto, Chianti, etc. in loose order of preference. However, I always look forward to a bottle of CA Sangiovese from any of the wineries I've listed. Wed May 14 10:28:33 -0700 2008 3685399 14128 BN1 3 3687136 You are correct, I overlooked the Abruzzo in the OP's post. I would be suprised if you could find a CA version. Personally, I much prefer Italian Sangiovese to California, but that is personal taste. Wed May 14 13:34:33 -0700 2008 3686343 11814 dinwiddie 4 3687708 Yes, I'm sure the Monte Volpe Montepulciano from Mendocino County, CA is nothing like d'Abruzzo. In fact on their website they state that their version is "bigger" than its Italian cousin, just like my Sangiovese comparison. http://www.grazianofamilyofwines.com/montevolpe.html Wed May 14 16:05:28 -0700 2008 3687136 14128 BN1 3 3689579 I agree with you that while California styles of Sangiovese and Barbera are generally different from Italian versions, I have found some that I really like. I particularly like a number of the Vino Noceto Sangioveses and Seghesio, so I will keep an eye out to taste others on your list. Thu May 15 08:14:48 -0700 2008 3686343 153308 souvenir 4 3692608 I strongly recommend Vino Noceto particularly their block designate sangioveses: Marmellata (use sangiovese grosso), Dos Oakies, and Reward Ranch. They can stand up to the best Italian sangioveses (did a blind tasting to prove it). Also, Il Gioiello winery in Amador has a Montepulciano varietal. I have not tried it yet. It is a small winery, but the wines I have tried from them have been pretty good. Thu May 15 23:48:52 -0700 2008 3689579 192682 bclevy 5 3693670 I also really like Vino Noceto's Marmellata. My favorite from their new releases this year is the Reward Ranch (2nd year they've made this one, IIRC). If people are close enough to check out the winery, for everyday drinking, I am also really happy with their their new release (2006) blend of sangio, barbera and ? called Nutz. I don't always love Nutz versions, but I think this one is drinking really nicely right now. And for $80/case at the winery, it's currently at the top of my list for best value everyday wines. Fri May 16 10:15:07 -0700 2008 3692608 153308 souvenir 6 3695791 And on the premium end, we opened a magnum of the 2001 Riserva tonight, and while it was good, I regretted opening it this soon. I'll wait at least a year, maybe two before opening the next one. Fri May 16 22:32:53 -0700 2008 3693670 153308 souvenir 1 3720499 I know I'm way too late to the game on this one. But Runquist makes a good Sangiovese for the price ($18, I think). It tastes NOTHING like an Italian Sangiovese. But it is very good, nonetheless. Sun May 25 22:45:28 -0700 2008 3684532 50041 whiner 2 3721482 That's the important difference . . . "nice wine"; not necessarily "nice Sangiovese." Mon May 26 12:21:26 -0700 2008 3720499 28122 zin1953 3 3721503 Yes, certainly. As you mention in another thread it is a good CA wine. But there is absolutely no way on Earth I would reccomend it to someone looking for a suitable replacement for an Italian Sangiovese except for educational purposes to show how differnt the same grape tastes from one region to another... but as I said, no one who didn't already know would be able to tell that there is any relationship whatsoever between Runquist's Sangiovese and an Italian version. Mon May 26 12:34:55 -0700 2008 3721482 50041 whiner 4 3722614 Hmmm, whiner. Your post intrigued me, so I opened a bottle of 2002 Pedroncelli, “Alto Vineyards”, Dry Creek Valley - Geyserville, CA ($8) and a bottle of 2003 Banfi, Chianti Classico - Montachino, IT ($10) to compare. I used Riedel Vinum Sangiovese glasses for both with some salami, salad and a pasta containing tomato sauce with Italian sausage. Both lacked much nose, but the Banfi was a slightly darker color. There were differences in the flavors with the food: the Pedroncelli had a hint of cherry flavor and the Banfi had just a hint of perhaps a chocolate note. Really, there were very few differences for two wines produced so far apart, probably in completely different soils. Only you, Zin and a few others with highly defined palates would be able to identify the Italian wine from its California counterpart. 99.9% of consumers would not know one was Italian and one was Californian. These are not fine Chiantis, Brunellos or Super Tuscans to be savored, but rather, these are “food wines“. Thanks to you guys, I now have three bottles of wine open, as I was working on a 2000 Marchesi de’Frescobaldi/Robert Mondavi, Lucente, which is really delicious now. Mon May 26 21:38:04 -0700 2008 3721503 14128 BN1