Description
Inama Piu Carmenere at first may seem like a strange wine to see in Italy, but the Carmenere grape has been in Colli Berici for over a century. Inama Piu smells of Savoury Italian cheese – Pecorini with the diamonds, smoke, mineral, dark fruits, black currants, creamy, with red fruits, and floral/violet. This wine reminds me of a delicate Pessac wine from Bordeaux. It has the stoney, savoury aroma and Cabernet breeding.
In the mouth, the Bordeaux-like exposure continues: Full, red fruits, prominent acid and grippy tannin. It offers a slightly sour finish enhanced by grey stones.
I love this wine. It is something unusual for my brain, but the quality is outstanding. If you love drinking Bordeaux, you will not get a better drink at this sub-$50 mark than the Inama Piu Carmenere.
Giuseppe Inama purchased his first parcel of old vine Garganega in 1965. In 1991 Giuseppe’s son Stefano joined the winery and helped to develop the style and range. In 1996, the focus widened to include the red wines of Colli Berici, for the production of elegant, savoury reds, Cabernet, Merlot and Carmenère.
Carmenere
Carmenere is a red grape originally from Bordeaux, but has almost been removed from the vineyards entirely. Luckily for the grape, it has found a home in Chile.
Deep colour, red fruits, spices, softer tannins than Cabernet and a medium body. It is often made into a rich wine, tasting of currants or raisins. This distinctive nose makes it perceptible in blends too.
Merlot
It gets a tough time in most of the places it is grown. But in Pomerol and Saint-Emilion, Merlot not only dominates but makes some of the best wines in the world. Perfume, silky and plush. Cabernets Franc and Sauvignon season the wines with structure and acid, but in some places, like Petrus, they are almost not needed.
Colli Berici
Although only being a few kilometres from Soave, these hills are so different that the focus shifts from whites to reds. Colli Berici experiences half the annual rainfall and higher average temperatures. Carmenere and other Bordeaux varieties have been in the ground here for over a century and have proven successful in making attractive Bordeaux-styled wines.
Italian Wine
There are 1000s and 1000s of grapes in Italy. There are sub-alpine cool-climate regions in the North and Sun-baked vineyards in the South. Add to that volcanoes and many cultures within one Country. You could struggle to find anything uniform about the wines. The best of the best include Tuscan reds from Sangiovese or Cabernet. Nebbiolo from Piedmont, especially Barolo and Barbaresco. The aromatic whites of NE Italy from Garganega, Pinot Grigio, and numerous crazy blends. The volcanic wines of Mt Etna in Sicily. And many more.
The only generalisation I will make is that a lot of Italian wine is undervalued when compared to a similar French style.
