The 2020 Tre Bicchieri Awards were held in Hackney, London. As a passionate Italian winelover, I couldn’t miss it. Here are my top five producers (and their wines) from this event
Last week I attended the presentation of the 2020 Tre Bicchieri Awards in London. The exclusive wine tasting took place in Hackney Town Hall, the vibrant heart of East London. There I was able to sample a number of great Italian wines in a relaxed and engaging setting.
In this article, I will provide a summary of the most appealing wines I had the pleasure of tasting during the 2020 edition of the Tre Bicchieri Awards. Even though the event didn’t lack prestigious names by any stretch, I personally found it more interesting to focus on emerging producers and wine regions that are, at least in the UK market, undeservedly overlooked.
What does “Tre Bicchieri” mean?
Before delving into the succulent details of the wines that I loved at the Tre Bicchieri Awards, I’ll take a few words introducing the famous Italian event.
The organiser of the event is Gambero Rosso (meaning “red prawn”). They are one of the most authoritative food and wine magazines in Italy. Every year, Gambero Rosso release their wine guide called Vini d’Italia, where the most prominent Italian wines are blind tasted and rated on a scale of “glasses” (bicchieri). The scale works as follows:
- Good wines are awarded one glass in (“Un Bicchiere“)
- Very good wines are awarded two glasses (“Due Bicchieri”)
- Extraordinary wines are awarded three glasses (“Tre Bicchieri”) – the highest rank of the competition
In recent years, Gambero Rosso have also been responsible for organising a Vini d’Italia tour. They host tastings all around the world and showcase some of the best Italian wineries. If you are interested, you can find a list of upcoming events here.
Hidden gems
While I believe every winelover should assess a wine without being too influenced by critics and competitions, I found the Tre Bicchieri seal to be an exception. I’m rarely disappointed by the wines that receive a rating through the prestigious Tre Bicchieri Awards. Even a Due Bicchieri wine can be great stuff. The Gambero Rosso’s judges consistently pinpoint great wines from each of the numerous Italian terroir.
As I mentioned before, during this edition of the Tre Bicchieri Awards I focused on emerging producers and the less famous wine districts of Italy. I was impressed by the high quality of the wines available. Here’s a short list of my personal favourites. Drum roll, please!
Lugana wines by Ottella
Lugana has often been described as the “white wine secret” of North Italy and with good reason. This wine region lies on the Southern shores of the Lake Garda, encompassing the two adjacent regions of Veneto and Lombardia.
Lugana is often overshadowed by its more famous neighbours: Soave and Valpolicella. This fact may partially explain why we don’t see many Lugana wines outside Italy. Another factor might also be the ample stylistic liberty enjoyed by Lugana producers. Such freedom sometimes translates into generic tasting wines which lack a sense of “place”.
At the Tre Bicchieri Awards I soon realized that such a lack was not the case with Ottella’s wines. I tasted two different expressions of Lugana and found both deeply satisfying.
“Le Creete” is a Lugana DOC exhibiting aromas of juicy yellow apples and passion fruit, magnificently integrated with herbal and floral nuances. You can find my complete tasting notes below.
The second wine I tasted by Ottella is “Molceo”, a Lugana Riserva. This style (the Riserva envisages more ripeness and oak usage) calls for a rounder and fuller body. The fruit flavours verge towards baked apples and stone fruit. It also has heady floral aromas, which mingle with bready and buttery suggestions. Both wines are great, but if you ask me I prefer “Le Creete” in spite of the inferior rank awarded by Gambero Rosso: “Le Creete” has Due Bicchieri, whereas “Molceo” boasts Tre Bicchieri.
Ottella - Le Creete Lugana, 2018
Country: Italy
Region/appellation: Veneto - Lugana DOC
Wine style: Dry white - Green and Flinty
Grape(s): Trebbiano di Lugana (Verdicchio)
Average price: £20
Ottella was founded in 1880 by the Montresor family. The winery is located in the Veneto part of the Lugana appellation, and more precisely Peschiera del Garda, in the province of Verona. Today, Ottella is run by Lodovico, Francesco and Michele Montresor, who own 25 hectares planted with trebbiano di Lugana (also called “Turbiana” locally).
“Le Creete” is Ottella’s fresh and dynamic expression of Lugana. Its grapes come from a small parcel whose soil is rich in chalk and white clay. Fermentation takes place in steel and afterwords the wine is left on its lees for 6 to 8 months before being bottled.
Tasting notes
(tasted on: 13-Feb-2020)
The wine is pale lemon in colour. On the nose, it opens up with focus and concentration of flavours. Yellow apple notes mingle with nectarine and passion fruit. The fruit component is magnificently integrated with a pungent herbal note and floral scents. Tarragon, elderflower, alpine flower and acacia blossom contribute to the aromatic profile.
On the palate, “Le Creete” is medium bodied, poignant and aromatic in the attack. The fruit notes found on the nose mingle with elderflower and gooseberry on the palate. High in acidity, the wine has a compelling tingling salinity. It’s sleek yet rich in character. Good intensity and finish.
Wine and other Stories rating: 8.9/10
Skin contact wines by Primosic
If you love white wine and Italy, Friuli-Venezia Giulia is unmissable. Tucked in the north east corner of Italy, Friuli is the region of aromatic varieties such as ribolla, sauvignon blanc and friulano. Even pinot grigio can be exciting in this neck of the woods!
The most interesting wine district in Friuli-Venezia Giulia is arguably Collio. It’s also where my second producer hails from. Primosic is based in Oslavia, just a couple of kilometres from the Slovenian border. At the Tre Bicchieri Awards, Primosic presented three skin-contact wines. They were: Friuliano Skin, Ribolla Gialla di Oslavia Riserva and Pinot Grigio Skin. I tried them all and struggled to decide my favourite.
Primosic’s Friulano Skin has two weeks of skin contact. It is aromatic with a pithy white cherry character, hints of ginger and orange flowers. Medium in body, it exhibits a lovely chalky texture.
Primosic’s Ribolla Gialla di Oslavia Riserva is intense and perfumed. The nose is rich in stone fruit and honeyed nuances. The body is full and juicy with tropical suggestions. A broad, concentrated wine that shows a touch of tannic presence in the finish.
The Pinot Grigio Skin is my favourite. It’s a succulent and aromatic wine, alive and vibrant. An explosion of flavours! See below my tasting notes for more details.
Primosic - Pinot Grigio Skin, 2016
Country: Italy
Region/appellation: Friuli-Venezia Giulia - Collio DOC
Wine style: Dry orange - Aromatic and Floral
Grape(s): Pinot grigio
Average price: £27
The Primosic family seems to have a long standing connection with wine. When the Collio Consortium was founded in 1967, Silvan Primosic was one of its founding members and helped shape the identity of the appellation’s identity.
Today, Silvan Primosic’s sons, Marko and Boris, run the family operation. They have been revisiting the traditional winemaking techniques of their ancestors, which include skin maceration wines. This Pinot Grigio Skin is one of them.
At the beginning of fermentation, the must is left in contact with the skin for 6 – 7 days without temperature control. Then the must, separated from the skin, continues fermentation in Slavonian oak barrels. The wine is matured for a few months in these vessels. It then spends 6 months in bottle before being released.
Tasting notes
(tasted on: 13-Feb-2020)
Thanks to skin maceration, the wine has an intense red amber / orange hue. On the nose, it’s intense, aromatic and perfumed. An explosion of flavours with a lively soul. Red cherry, wild raspberry and strawberry intertwine with oriental spices of incense, camphor and ashes. A touch of blood orange, red peach and zesty wild herbs.
On the palate, the wine is medium to full in body. The red fruit scents are so fleshy you almost have the impression of chewing into the pulp. Suggestions of ginger and pink grapefruit complete the rich aromatic profile. Good acidity to support the intense aromas. This pinot grigio has pronounced concentration and a satisfying finish.
Wine and other Stories rating: 9.0/10
Great rosé wines from Valtenesi
The most vinously-educated among you will know that one of the best rosé wines of Italy is Bardolino Chiaretto. There is indeed another Chiaretto that deserves equal fame: Valtenesi Chiaretto.
Valtenesi DOC lies on the western shores of the Garda Lake (whereas Bardolino is in the east, next to Valpolicella). The microclimate is peculiar here: it’s warm and Mediterranean. Groppello is the main grape variety for Valtenesi wines.
I was dazzled by two Valtenesi Chiaretto by Costaripa. “RosaMara” is crunchy and fresh, with wild red fruit aromas enriched by white flowers and zesty pink grapefruit notes. “Molmenti” is a different expression of Chiaretto. It is a serious and complex rosé, capable of ageing in bottle for several years. Tasting notes below for the most curious of you.
Costaripa - Valtenesi Chiaretto Molmenti, 2016
Country: Italy
Region/appellation: Lombardia - Valtenesi DOC
Wine style: Dry rosé - Crisp and Dry
Grape(s): 60% Groppello Gentile, 20% Marzemino, 10% Sangiovese, 10% Barbera
Average price: £26
Costaripa winery was founded in Moniga del Garda (on the western shores of Lake Garda, not far from Brescia) by Mattia Vezzola in 1936. Today, the wine business is run by Vezzola’s grandson and namesake Mattia Vezzola Jr.
Mattia Jr. studied wine in Burgundy and applies Burgundian techniques (lowering yields, cold macerations, barrique ageing) to his wines. Judging by the result, it has been a winning formula.
This “Molmenti” rosé is vinified using the “teardrop” technique, using only pure free-run juice obtained by static dripping. This ensures that the juice that continues fermentation is the best possible part of the must. Fermentation takes place in a 400 litre oak tonneaux for about 24 months. The wine then spends 2 additional years in bottle before release.
Tasting notes
(tasted on: 13-Feb-2020)
The wine presents a pale salmon hue on the glass. On the nose, it unveils an aromatic and complex profile. Red fruit notes (strawberry and red cherry) interlace with suggestions of pink grapefruit and blood orange. There are also whiffs of red geranium and sage. All these flavours are complemented by a pinch of bread crust and a subtle toastiness.
On the palate, this rosé is medium to full in body with a great concentration and texture. It’s peachy yet tangy, but always rich. Its perfect high acidity makes the wine lively. The fruity aromas mirror the nose, with hints of almond and a delicate toast towards the finish. This is a serious rosé that can be laid down and enjoyed in some years to come.
Wine and other Stories rating: 9.2/10
Fiamberti and their Oltrepò Pavese gems
When I taste wines from Oltrepò Pavese I always wonder why they don’t dominate the Italian market. Oltrepò Pavese is located in the south-west part of Lombardia, bordering the regions of Piemonte to the west and Emilia-Romagna to the south.
Starting from the 1960s, the appellation’s reputation was spoiled by several factors (overproduction, technological inertia, rivalries among winemakers and bad marketing choices by certain producers). Despite this, vignerons have been restoring Oltrepò Pavese’s prestige in the last two decades. Today, I think Oltrepò Pavese is one of the most exciting wine regions in Italy. However, I struggle to find anything from this wine district in the UK.
The Tre Bicchieri Awards was the first time that I tasted wines from Fiamberti. I soon realised that they might be one of the more interesting producers of Oltrepò. Their Pinot Nero Brut Metodo Classico is absolutely stunning. It is a sparkling made by 60 months on the lees, a time that ensures complexity and depth of flavours. Grapefruit and cherry notes mix with earthy accents and wild flower suggestions. Zesty and yeasty at the same, it exhibits great elegance and concentration.
The second Fiamberti’s wine I tried is a red called “Vigna Sacca del Prete” Buttafuoco dell’Oltrepò Pavese. As an autonomous appellation, the dramatically named Buttafuoco dell’Oltrepò Pavese DOC (Buttafuoco literally means “spitting fire”) is a recent addition to the wine denominations of Lombardia. Red wines from this appellation are a blend of croatina, barbera, uva rara and vespolina (also called Ughetta di Canneto). “Vigna Sacca del Prete” is Fiamberti’s best expression of Buttafuoco. Complete tasting notes follow.
Fiamberti - Buttafuoco dell'Oltrepò Pavese "Vigna Sacca del Prete", 2015
Country: Italy
Region/appellation: Lombardia - Buttafuoco dell'Oltrepo Pavese DOC
Wine style: Dry red - Rich and Intense
Grape(s): 60% Croatina, 30% Barbera, 5% Uva Rara, 5% Ughetta di Canneto
Average price: £24
Fiamberti is a historical name and one of the oldest winemakers in Oltrepò Pavese. The family traces their presence in the area back to the 15th century. In 1814, they founded their first winery in Canneto Pavese, the centre of the Oltrepò district. Today, the Fiamberti family owns 20 hectares of vineyards. Their land is mostly hilly and rather impervious, which makes grape growing challenging.
“Vigna Sacca del Prete” Buttafuoco is a single vineyard wine, whose grapes come from Fiamberti’s best terroir. The wine is matured in oak barrels for 36 months after which it spends another 12 months in bottle before being released.
Tasting notes
(tasted on: 13-Feb-2020)
The wine has a dark ruby hue in the glass, with deep intensity. On the nose, its flavours are pronounced and dense. The black fruit aromas are ripe (but not baked), focussed and precise. Scents of black cherry, blackberry and blueberry alternate with cloves, medicinal herbs and an almost feral earthiness.
On the palate, the black fruit notes mark the mouth-watering attack. Suggestions of blackcurrant leaves and liquorice emerge, followed by violet and a slate minerality. The tannins (medium to high in level) are rather chewy but still juicy and ripe. Full in body with a comforting warmth that is never in excess. The deep fruitiness, interspersed with a pleasant spiciness, persist till the aromatic finish.
Wine and other Stories rating: 9.0/10
Approachable Sagrantino wines from Fratelli Pardi
Even though Sagrantino di Montefalco can’t be considered a “hidden” gem by any stretch of imagination, I will close my Tre Bicchieri Awards report with this wine. It’s not the first time I have talked about sagrantino here on Wine and Other Stories (I reviewed a great wine by Paolo Bea here). As such, my blog stands as testament to my love of this grape. Sagrantino is the signature variety of Umbria, the green core of Central Italy. The main appellation is Sagrantino di Montefalco DOCG, founded in 1992 which centres around the medieval town of Montefalco.
At the Tre Bicchieri Awards I tasted two wines (both Sagrantino di Montefalco DOCG) by the Pardi family. They are typical sagrantinos yet different from the dominant style. Pardi’s sagrantinos are very approachable in their youth, while retaining power and structure. There’s a freshness and agility that mark the palate, without detracting from its concentration or vigour.
Between the two wines I tried, Pardi’s Sagrantino di Montefalco is the most easy-going. The black fruit dominates, supported by an appealing slate minerality. “Sacrantino” is denser, more concentrated and complex. You can read my complete tasting notes below.
Fratelli Pardi - Sagrantino di Montefalco Sacrantino, 2015
Country: Italy
Region/appellation: Umbria - Sagrantino di Montefalco DOCG
Wine style: Dry red - Bold and Structured
Grape(s): Sagrantino
Average price: £34
The Pardi’s winery was originally established in 1919 by brothers Alfredo, Francesco and Alberto Pardi. At that time, their wines were sold to a number of important clients, including the Vatican. When Alberto died in 1943, the family decided to close the winery and concentrate on other businesses, most notably textiles.
It was only in 2002 that Francesco, Gianluca Rio and Alberto Mario Pardi resolved to embrace winemaking again, opening a new winery. Today the Pardi brothers own 11 hectares around Montefalco.
“Sacrantino” is Pardi’s best expression of sagrantino. The grapes are entirely sourced from the Pietrauta vineyard, a parcel with an optimal south-east exposure near Montefalco. After fermentation, the wine is matured for 18 months in oak barriques, 9-12 months in stainless steel tanks and then finally left in the bottle for 18 months. Therefore “Sacrantino” is released to the general public 4 years after harvest.
Tasting notes
(tasted on: 13-Feb-2020)
The wine has a deep ruby shade with an inky density. On the nose, it’s intensely concentrated, deep and focussed. Notes of blackberry, bramble and cassis alternate with prunes and macerated black fruit. There are hints of juniper, earth, leather, black tea and a ripe stalkiness. A black slate minerality wraps the profound aromatic profile.
On the palate, this red is full in body, with a massive structure that doesn’t detract from the wine’s agility. The ripe and deep fruitiness is embellished by notes of myrtle, old bark, cloves and black minerality. Tannins are high in level, but extraordinarily polished and refined. The intensity of flavours is remarkable, somehow still preserving freshness and liveliness. The long finish charms the taster into calling for another sip.
Wine and other Stories rating: 9.2/10
Afterthoughts
As you can imagine from reading my article, I had a great time during the Tre Bicchieri Awards this year. I’m really glad I concentrated my attention on emerging producers as it would have been a true shame to have missed out on their wine. Furthermore, these winemakers’ energy and enthusiasm were wonderfully invigorating.
I hope in the future to find more of these wine regions’ and producer’s wines on the shelves of UK shops. It would certainly widen the Italian offering. More options for wine means a richer and more interesting wine scene for everybody!