Producer: Le Fracce
Wine: Villa Rajna Pinot Nero (Pinot Noir)
Vintage: 2011
Origin: Italia, Pavia (Lombardia)
Price range: 12-15€ (Finland, Alko)
Available at Alko: Yes (10/13), 473457
Le Fracce is a winery from Lombardia and is located in the vicinity of Pavia. They hold a medium sized production estate (200 000 bottles a year). Villa Rajna is the name of their Pinot Noir (Pinot Nero in Italian).
This Pinot Nero Villa Rajna is one of the first Pinot Noir I taste from Italy. Until then, none of the experience has proved successful and somehow, I find sad to resort to producing Pinot Noir in a country that hold such a treasure in local quality wine grapes (that are all the time prefectly suited for their location, try Fiano or Aglianico from Campania, Primitivo from Puglia or Frapatto from Sicily…). Anyhow, it is always interesting to try! Recently enough I have been blown away by Pinot Noir from Austria!
Villa Rajna Pinot Nero 2011
To conduct the tasting I have used my usual Schott-Zwiesel Fortissimo 404ml glass and then the Riedel Vinum Pinot Noir. The wine behaved slightly better in the Pinot Noir glass. By the way it is the occasion to stress on the particularity of Pinot Noir, that almost always require its specifically shaped glass… thing that is not common with other kind of grape.
The first impression in the nose is… where is the smell ? Looking for it I find a hint of strawberry. Then upon shaking I get more strawberry but still very faint and slowly a hint of cacao. Finally I feel a bit of alcohol coming… this is not a good start.
The mouth is fluid and light. No impression of alcohol left. Tannins are a bit harsh (strange for a Pinot Noir) and dry. Probably the remains of a poor oak. No pleasure at all. But no real displeasure… this wine is completely plain.
This could be whatever red grape with low tannins : gamay, (very) light grenache… it is useless to drink. And at that price point, this is a true disappointment. It falls undoubtedly into the category « be avoided »!
Wineops’ rating: 55/100 ; 0 0