Italian wines for spooky season

Spooky season is here, and I love it. October is one of my favorite times of the year – the cool nights, changing leaves, planning out the Halloween festivities with friends and family. I spent Saturday hiking, climbing, and checking out the fall foliage in Shenandoah National Park. On Sunday, I got some pumpkins, trick-or-treater candy, and braised a pork shoulder.

To fit with the autumnal vibes, I’ve had the pleasure of tasting through some warm, savory, fall-friendly wines from Italy. The wines of Amarone really hit the spot with cooler weather, braised meats, and gatherings of family and friends, and I have a few this week that would be perfect for such occasions. These Veneto blends of Corvina, Corvinone, and Rondinella grapes are some of my favorites for colder weather sipping. I recently took a deep dive into the wines of a producer that is new to me, Brigaldara. The Cesari family has owned this winery since 1928, and (from what I can tell) they make energetic, exciting expressions of their terroir. One of the things I love about this region is the variety of wines and appellations, allowing a producer to put out inexpensive, entry-level bottles for early consumption (Valpolicella DOC) all the way up to the age-worthy big boys.

With the holidays coming up soon, it’s also a great time to stock up on sparkling wines. Champagne is my go-to, but my radar is always searching for classic method sparkling wines that offer value, personality, and speak to their terroir. And in this category, Trentodoc wines excel. Made from high-elevation vineyards at the foot of the Dolomites in northern Italy, these wines provide precision, mineral intensity, crunchy fruits, and lots of pleasure for pretty much any sparkling wine drinker.

And I have a delightful Chianti from Tenuta Perano to round things out. These wines were received as samples the Brigaldara wines were tasted single blind while the others were tasted sighted.

2019 Tenuta Perano Chianti Classico Riserva - Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico DOCG
$33
Light purple color. Juicy and ripe on the nose with rich black cherries and plum sauce, laced with menthol, cinnamon, gingerbread, with black tea, tobacco, and sage – deep and inviting. Smooth tannins frame the wine well, with medium acidity, and a juicy, dark stage of black cherries, plum sauce, and raspberries. The fruit blends well with tones of dark chocolate, coffee grounds, magic marker, anise, black pepper, black tea. Lovely stuff that needs some air, braised meat, and a cold night to show its best. Should age really nicely, too, but delicious young. Sangiovese and Merlot aged two years in oak. (90 points) 

2022 Brigaldara Valpolicella - Italy, Veneto, Valpolicella
$18
Medium ruby color. Aromas pop with mulled cherries and strawberries, along with clay, black pepper, some sweet coffee, charcoal, along with roses and violets, all sorts of herbs. The palate is fresh and fun with medium-tannins and vibrant acidity. The fruit exemplifies in the form of mulled plums, spiced cranberry relish, with sour cherries. Notes of anise, black pepper, sweet coffee, graphite, some inky, stony vibes. A delightful introduction to this region and this producer, and this is a serious value. (88 points)

2021 Brigaldara Valpolicella Superiore Case Vecie - Italy, Veneto, Valpolicella, Valpolicella Superiore
$34

Bright ruby color. Spicy aromatic display with tart cranberry relish, crushed raspberry, strawberry jam, mixed with smoky, earthy, peppery, saucy vibes – but it still feels fresh and lively. The palate is full and suave with fresh acidity and smooth tannins, and flavors of red currant and cherry jams, saucy strawberries. The fruit mixes with spices of pepper, tobacco, floral potpourri, paprika, savory broth, balsamic, and coffee grounds. Yet despite these deep, saucy flavors, it’s so fresh and vibrant. (89 points)

2017 Brigaldara Amarone della Valpolicella Case Vecie - Italy, Veneto, Valpolicella, Amarone della Valpolicella
$100
Deep ruby color. The nose is excitingly spicy with red currants, raspberries, tangy strawberries, tossed expertly with tones of leather, smoky earth, tobacco, sage, some sauteed mushrooms. The palate has a dusty structure with fresh acidity and a deep but lively appeal, with flavors of mulled cherries, saucy plums, and raspberry jam. The fruit mixes with elements of tar, earth, black pepper, and a sautee of mushrooms and bell pepper, add in some leather and clove. This should age nicely! A blend of 39% Corvina, 30% Corvinone, and 31% Rondinella. From a high elevation single vineyard, this is a special, delicious Amarone. (92 points)

2018 Brigaldara Amarone della Valpolicella Cavolo - Italy, Veneto, Valpolicella, Amarone della Valpolicella
$65
Juicy light purple color. I love the smoky and meaty tones on the nose, interwoven with savory broth and spicy herbal tones and earth, along with black cherries and red currant compote. The palate is deep and full, zesty acidity, grippy but fine-edged tannins, and the balance is on point. Tangy red and black cherries abound, accented by charcoal, anise, tar, earth, green herbs, black pepper, some leathery tones. A lot going on here, and this will age really well. Warm, inviting, delicious. 59% Corvina, 21% Corvinone 21%, 17% Rondinella, 3% other varieties, aged two years and small oak and an additional year in larger oak barrels. (90 points) 

2020 Brigaldara Ripasso della Valpolicella Superiore - Italy, Veneto, Valpolicella, Ripasso della Valpolicella Superiore
$34
Deep ruby color. The nose shows a warm, vibrant, spicy appeal, with black cherries and cranberry relish, plum sauce, with tones of tobacco, clove, cedar, fallen leaves, and dried flower petals. The palate has a rich, suave appeal with a full body and lively acidity. The saucy plums and tangy blackberry fruit is mixed with so many nuances of spice, tobacco, black pepper, menthol, dill. Really cool and nuanced with a tart, vibrant, lively but long-aging appeal. (91 points)

2013 Cantina di Brigaldara Amarone della Valpolicella San Floriano Riserva - Italy, Veneto, Valpolicella, Amarone della Valpolicella
$200
Deep ruby color. A saucy mix of spiced cranberry sauce, red and black plums and currants, along with tones of tobacco, pine resin, menthol, sage, lots of rose and violet petals and sage. Smooth, deep, vibrant and balanced on the palate with dusty-structured tannins and flavors of cranberry and raspberry jams, red and black currants, along with a complex host of savory, earthy, spicy, herbal tones. The freshness and nuance offer a lot to parse through, and this will continue to age well for a long time. (93 points)

N.V. Cesarini Sforza Trentodoc Brut Rosé Tridentum - Italy, Trentino-Alto Adige, Trentino, Trento
$26

Pretty pink color. The nose exudes chalk dust and crushed limestone, along with lemon, quince, red apple peel, along with watermelon, daisies, dandelion, and honeysuckle. The palate is ripe and juicy with a pleasantly creamy depth and brisk acidity, infused with limestone and saline, lots of minerals. Balanced well, light and zippy but plenty of depth, with flavors of yellow apples, lemon, tangerine, backed up with light toast, biscuits, honey, and almond skin. Intriguing and delicious. Chardonnay with 15% Pinot Noir, grown in vineyards up to 2,100 feet, aged 24 months on the lees. (90 points)

2018 Endrizzi Trentodoc Riserva Brut Pian Castello - Italy, Trentino-Alto Adige, Trentino, Trentodoc
$28
Light salmon color. Bright and chalky on the palate with tangy red apples, strawberries, crunchy white cherries, mixed with flinty, chalky, salty vibes, along with honeysuckle, floral perfume, slight mint. Crisp acidity and fine bubbles, this sparkler has a brisk and salty appeal with balanced sugar and flavors of yellow and red apples, raspberries. The notes of minerals, oyster shells, daisies, basil, and oregano add complexity. A focused, crunchy, brisk sparkling wine that punches about its weight. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir aged 60 months on the lees. (91 points)