Assorted Central Italian Red Tasting Lot — Vaselli "Le Poggere" Lazio, La Carraia "Fobiano" & La Palazzola Merlot Umbria, Falesco Montiano, Grattamacco & I Greppi "Greppicante" Bolgheri Rosso

2000 Christine Vaselli "Le Poggere" Lazio

2003 La Carraia "Fobiano" Umbria

La Carraia was founded in 1988 as a partnership between the Gialletti and Cotarella families, combining long-established Orvieto growers with one of Italy’s most influential enologists. The estate farms roughly 190 hectares around Orvieto, with vineyards influenced by Lake Corbara’s cooling effect and rooted in volcanic and tufa soils. Production is fully estate-grown, centered on Grechetto and Procanico for Orvieto Classico, fermented entirely in stainless steel to preserve purity. Red-wine work includes Sangiovese, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon, with careful maceration and restrained oak. The winery modernized significantly in the 1980s and 1990s, shifting from bulk production to quality-focused estate bottlings while maintaining a family-run identity. This bottling is 60-70% Merlot and the remainder Cabernet Sauvignon.

2004 La Palazzola Merlot Umbria

La Palazzola began in the hills near Terni, where vineyards sit on southeast-facing slopes shaped by steady breezes that keep the fruit healthy. The estate farms with a focus on site expression and works with enologist Riccardo Cotarella, producing around 160,000 bottles annually. The cellar is known for Metodo Classico sparkling wines, including Brut, Rosé, and Riesling-based bottlings, along with Verdello aged in amphora and traditional Vin Santo. The property takes its name from a hill crowned by medieval ruins, and its approach centers on careful vineyard work and traditional production methods.

2004 Grattamacco Bolgheri Rosso

Ian D'Agata for Vinous: "(a blend of 50% cabernet sauvignon, 30% sangiovese and 20% merlot) Medium red. Pure strawberry, red cherry and stony minerality on the nose. Firm, juicy and very fruity, with harmonious acids giving the wine's floral and mineral flavors terrific lift. Smooth if not overly complex on the finish. I recommend serving this wine slightly chilled." (9/2006)

2004 Falesco Montiano

2006 I Greppi "Greppicante" Bolgheri Rosso

On the Tuscan coast near the Tyrrhenian Sea, Bolgheri built its reputation on Bordeaux varieties rather than Sangiovese. Greppicante is I Greppi's Bolgheri Rosso, fitting K&L's Super Tuscan grouping and centered on Cabernet Sauvignon and blending partners from Tuscany's coastal DOC.