The 2018 Bianco, a blend of Vermentino, Trebbianoand Malvasia Bianca, is superb. Lemon confit, white flowers, mint and orchard fruit are all nicely delineated. Beautifully textured and polished, the Bianco is truly delicious. Best of all, it is a terrific value.
Aromas of dried pineapple and sliced green pears follow through to a medium to full body with cooked apples, honey and melon. Subtle yet flavorful. Delicious. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink or hold.
The 2017 Rosso Il Ghizzano is another tasty entry-level offering from Ghizzano. Sweet tobacco, menthol, licorice, crushed flowers and dried cherry all grace this open-knit, pliant Sangiovese-based red.
Dry, fungal and earthy aromas with plum and cranberry fruit with some red currant and mineral salinity. Tart and refreshing with drying tannins and expressive fruit, raspberry and red currant notes, light cherry and a touch of spice, this is clean and light - a good complement to food with good minerality and acidity without overpowering. Very lovely, easy drinking blend.
Fresh raspberry, citrus and strawberry character with some forest floor. Medium body, medium-chewy tannins and a redfruit-laden finish. Drink now.
Nambrot offers enticing aromas of violet and anise, its flavors of blackberry and plum showing a ripeness characteristic of this estate’s sun-drenched slopes near the Tuscan coast. Predominantly merlot with 20 percent each of cabernet franc and petit verdot, the wine aged for 18 months in French oak barriques, where it picked up notes of baking spices as the tannins mellowed. It feels balanced and pliant, finishing on a pleasant smoky note.
A firm and silky red with blackberry and dark chocolate notes. Medium to full body, velvety tannins and a savory finish. Drink now.
Ghizzano's 2013 Nambrot is another gorgeous wine from Ghizzano. Black cherry, blackberry, menthol, licorice, lavender and cloves are some of the many notes that develop. There is lovely succulence to the fruit, yet the 2013 remains mid-weight, gracious and highly expressive. The blend is 60% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Petit Verdot.
Dark cherries, mulberry compote, soaked blueberries, dark plums and a touch of herbal liqueur. Full body, juicy tannins and acidity and a chewy, spicy finish. Shows such fruitiness and minerality at the same time. Drink in 2020. Made from organically grown grapes.
Notes of nutmeg and spice nod to the 18 months this wine spent in a mix of new and used barriques, but the wood influence is subtle: You can feel the presence of merlot (60 percent) in the wine’s supple tannins and vibrant flavors of plum and raspberry; cabernet franc and petit verdot complete the blend in equal parts, firming up the structure and adding delicate violet scents.
