Press

tengreenbottles

“New kid on the block, Tengreenbottles, specialises in Italy and boasts a short but fascinating range, including an exceptional Chianti from San Giusto a Rentenanno. This 100 per cent falanghina from Campania is a delight: fresh, honeyed, creamy, lemony and pineappley, with a long dry finish. It would be perfect with a seafood risotto or salt and pepper squid.”

Johnny Ray, Daily Telegraph, 05/09/09

In the UK, the Kerner is available online from Ten Green Bottles, a small and relatively new company specialising in interesting, small-production Italian wines (and they sell it to UK restaurants such as Locanda Locatelli, The Fat Duck and The Greenhouse).

Jancis Robinson, www.jancisrobinson.com, 20/10/09

“A year and a half ago, friends Simon Broad and Sam Devaney had the idea of cobbling together £20,000 of their savings and started a business selling Italian wines.

‘You must be mad, trying to sell wine when we could be heading into a recession,’ was the response they got from those in the know.

But after beginning trading a year ago, tengreenbottles has made the leap from a fledgling mad-cap idea to having a turnover which has trebled in the last six months.”

Harpers Wine and Spirit Magazine, August 2009

Our producers

Candialle

“This time, the best wine was the sangiovese-only Pli ‘04. Fragrances that range from forest floor to fruit introduce a full-bodied but well-balanced palate, good length and delicious savouriness. The Chianti Classico ‘05 is another winner, its fascinating aromatic herb and forest fruits nose complementing balanced structure and soft tannins.”

Gambero Rosso 2008

Manni Nossing

“Those of us who work for the guide never risk boredom with Manni Nossing. This year, considering the great success of his wines with press and public, Manni decided not to send us any for tasting. But we are patient and stubborn, and above all we feel we must provide a service for our readers, and so we bought and tasted the Hoandlhof wines. They are fantastic. In fact we can say that with the 2007 vintage, wines by Nossing, now collaborating with Sicilian oenologist Nicola Centonze, have lost some of their more baroque qualities. Now they are drier and more stylized, having acquired complexity and purity. Shining proof of this is the Veltliner ‘07, a wine perhaps not that close to Manni’s heart but one we liked so much we gave it Three Glasses. Sorry Manni. It has intense aromas of citrus and damsen. The palate marries savouriness with minerality and almost cutting acidity that is tamed by black berry fruit. The other two winery classics are also great. We just preferred the Sylvaner to the Kerner.”

Gambero Rosso 2009

Ronco del Gelso

“This time round, Giorgio Badin didn’t quite manage Three Glasses, despite presenting us with a range that lived up to the cellar’s well deserved reputation, and despite sending four wines to our final tastings. No one doubts Giorgio’s outstanding wine making ability. His products are elegant, clean, superbly drinkable and balanced yet true to their variety and terroir. Top of the range again are the wines that mad Ronco del Gelso famous. We liked the yellow plum and lavender Malvasia - and to think that the wines are very young - as well as the excellent Pinot Bianco, a classic with moderate but never wobbly structure, plenty of ripe fruit and bracing acidity. The Friuliano is as impressive as ever, albeit a tad more rustic than its predecessors, as was to be expected. Pinot Grigio Sot lis Rivis also performed magnificently by virtue of its remarkable persistence and a special mention goes to the Merlot, which came within an ace of going to the national finals. All other wines on the very long list are quite excellent.”

Gambero Rosso 2009

San Giusto a Rentennano

“Voilà, or rather Ecco! This particular bottle of Chianti Classico is what Italian red should be all about: extremely appetising, a completely authentic expression of the place and the vintage made by one of Tuscany’s most respected winemaking families, the Martini di Cigala brothers (who also have holiday apartments apparently - but then who in Italian wine doesn’t do agriturismo?). Their most famous wine is Percarlo, but in a way what I treasure most from Tuscany is not the Supertuscans but the more everyday wines that just ooze digestibility. This example is still very deep coloured and has no shortage of tannins, but they are miraculously ripe tannins (I would guess yields were pretty low) and add just that savoury kick of bitterness that Italian reds uniquely offer to the full, fleshy, frontal fruit with a certain earthy, tobacco character to keep it interesting to the bottom of the bottle.”

Jancis Robinson, www.jancisrobinson.com

“One of the best Chianti Classico producers (***). Delicious but very rare Vin Santo. Superb SANGIOVESE IGT Percarlo (****)”

Hugh Johnson’s Pocket Wine Book 2009

Fattoria San Giusto a Rentennano Chianti Classico Riserva Le Baroncole 2004
91 points
“Pale to medium garnet colour. Intense aromas of warm raspberry, lifted cherry and violets. Some oak is still jutting out of the palate balanced by plenty of fleshy red berry fruit. Medium+ level of very fine tannins and crisp acidity. Long finish. Drink now to 2019. Tasted April 2009.”

Robert Parker

Stroblhof

Andreas Nicolussi-Leck has been close to Three Glasses for a few years now. It was a toss up between his Pinot Bianco Strahler and one of his Pinot Neros for the privilege. For years Andreas’s Pinot Neros have been among the best with a taut, spirited style that recalls the proprietor, who uses the consultancy of emerging wine maker Hans Terzer. All the wines show this minerality and acidity-forward style: the Gewurztraminer declares more than six grams per litre. There are no secrets to this success. A visit to the vineyards reveals dark, volcanic soil, completely different from the norm in the zone. Surprisingly the winner is the Pinot Nero Riserva ‘05, despite our panels deep distrust of wine of this type outside of Burgundy, making it an even greater honour. This red has fruity, floral aromas as well as a touch of liquorice. The supple palate gives smooth yet gutsy tannins and above all great thrust in its progression. The Pinot Bianco Strahler ‘07 cuts like a knife with its minerality and vibrant acid grip while for the time being the Pinot Nero ‘06 is a step behind the Riserva. The Gewurztraminer Pigeno ‘07 shows surprising freshness and a gutsy palate.

Gambero Rosso 2009