ITALY: South Whites, including Sicily & Sardinia

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Winner Details

2015: Gold 2 Silver 6 Bronze 2 Commended 6
2014: Gold 1 Silver 3 Bronze 4 Commended 7

There’s a real mixed bag of varieties here, from ‘internationals’ like Chardonnay and even Sauvignon Blanc, to the indigenous classics like Grillo, Fiano and Carricante. Our tasters enjoyed the combination of naturally ripe fruit and sea breeze-inspired acidity, and there were even signs that they felt that the more expensive wines were starting to deliver, too, which is a heartening development.

FOOTNOTE: Includes wines from Campania, Puglia, Basilicata, Calabria, Sicily & Sardinia.

From the Tasting Teams

‘Fiano, Insolia and Cattarato are wines with varietal character that deliver real affordability and pleasant, even interesting, drinking at the entry level, but are increasingly showing their mettle with some good quality wines.’ Martin Lam, team leader

‘While we don’t really deal with Italian wines I could definitely place these on the list, I am a big fan of Fiano and Greco and they make lovely food wines.’ William Sheard, Donostia Restaurants

‘I think southern Italian wines are definitely growing in popularity. Many people will like these. They have structure and acidity.’ Gareth Ferreira, Launceston Place

Award winners

Found 16 wines

Italy: South – White, including Sicily & Sardinia

San Marzano, Estella, Moscato Salento 2014, Puglia, Italy

With its perfumed, Muscatty nose, full of acacia and jasmine, coupled with medium acidity, juicy apple spice and perky finish, it's perhaps no wonder Estella was the one to conquer the Thai Green Curry Food Match challenge. Sandro Lyhs of Oxo Tower Bar found it ‘vibrant and very approachable’, with team leader Annette Scarfe MW expanding: ‘Sweet, floral honeysuckle notes, with a creamy textured mid-palate.’ Seafood, too, would be a top match.

£7.45 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

Rapitalà, Grand Cru, Chardonnay 2013, Sicily, Italy

'Singing,' said Roger Jones of The Harrow at Little Bedwyn of this Sicilian Gold winner, adding: 'Delicate, clean oak, toasty full wine. Lovely ripe stone fruit lingers on the palate, giving a luxury taste and good value. Some butterscotch notes too.'
'There's a great texture, with creamy bright fruit and lively minerality,' added team leader, Jade Koch.

'Great with spicy food, such as tandoori lobster,' added Jones.

£17.30 Matthew Clark

Mesa, Opale, Vermentino di Sardegna 2013, Sardinia, Italy

'Good style, honeyed, with some nice freshness and elegance,' said Yves Desmaris MS of Lutyens about Mesa's well-balanced version of Sardinia's white calling card, Vermentino. Team leader Martin Lam added: 'Nice ripe fruit, serious, evolved palate.'

£14.50 Liberty Wines

Zabù, Grillo 2014, Sicily, Italy

Roger Jones of The Harrow at Little Bedwyn found a range of fruit characteristics in this wine: 'Delicate pear aromas, then ripe pear in the mouth, with quince, apple and crab apple. Clean, refreshing and long, with good acidity and nice mouthfeel. Lingering.'

£6.20 Liberty Wines

San Marzano, Estella, Fiano Salento 2014, Puglia, Italy

Diego Muntoni of Oxo Tower Restaurant enjoyed this wine's 'orange blossom, fresh almond, stone fruit and juicy acidity', with team leader Natasha Hughes MW adding: 'Very aromatic, brisk and intense.'

£7.45 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

Tasca, Tascante, Buonora, Carricante 2013, Sicily, Italy

'Bright and fresh, nutty yet elegant and clean,' said Roger Jones of The Harrow at Little Bedwyn, adding: 'Precise, evolves on the palate, with juicy white peaches.'
'Honeyed nose with melon fruit and good concentration,' added team leader Martin Lam.

£13.50 Berkmann Wine Cellars

San Marzano, Il Pumo, Sauvignon/Malvasia Salento 2014, Puglia, Italy

Fresh fruit to the fore, with Sandro Lyhs of Oxo Tower Bar noting: ‘Aromatic, soft, ripe flavours of peach, ripe apple with good acidity and lychee.’ ‘Stone fruit, peach, apricot, floral and pear drop notes,’ confirmed William Sheard of Donostia Restaurants.

£7.01 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

Terrazze dell'Etna, Ciuri, Vino Bianco 2013, Sicily, Italy

With its enticing texture and well-focused acidity, team leader Martin Lam commented that this wine from Etna's slopes had a palate reminiscent of the Maconnais, while Yves Desmaris MS of Lutyens added: 'Good style, honeyed with some freshness and elegance.'

£13.00 Liberty Wines

Farnese, Vesevo, Greco di Tufo 2014, Campania, Italy

'Winter pear, quince jam, chalk-like mineral with lime-zest acidity,' began Diego Muntoni of Oxo Tower Restaurant, with Gareth Ferreira of Launceston Place adding: 'Complex palate with banana, pineapple and melon notes, with a tartness on the finish.'

£10.30 Liberty Wines

Feudi di San Gregorio, Cutizzi, Greco di Tufo 2013, Campania, Italy

‘Apricot and peach fruit with notes of mandarin and white flowers. Good intensity, with acidity adding structure,’ commented William Sheard of Donostia Restaurants, with team leader Annette Scarfe MW noting the wine’s ‘attractive, zesty lime and lemon’ character.

£12.96 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

Winner Details