Sopranos Pinot Grigio and Pinot Grigio Friuli

I’ve been slacking on the new posts for the past week, as I’ve been regrouping after the Wine Blogger’s Conference.  But finally, yesterday I pulled together some wines I had in the tasting queue and did a blind tasting with a number of Pinot Grigio wines.  Over the next few posts, I’ll share those reviews and a summary to give you a quick reference for a few Pinot Grigios.

The first wine that was in my tasting is the first one I’m posting a review about, and actually I’ll do a couple wines in this review since two in my tasting were related.  First up is The Sopranos Pinot Grigio, an Italian PG that is produced via a partnership between Visuvio Wine Import Company (named after a restaurant in the series), licensing with HBO and winemakers in Italy.  There are two different Pinot Grigios available under the Sopranos label and both of them were part of my tasting.

The Sopranos Pinot Grigio

The entry-level Pinot Grigio under The Sopranos label comes from Provincia di Pavia, a region in central northern Italy that produces mostly white wines and Pinot Noir. This Pinot Grigio has an extremely light color, not uncommon for the variety.  The aromas are light, but the most pronounced aromas a a soft honeysuckle, and a slight nutty aroma.  There’s also a hint of white peach and apple.  The palate has medium acidity with lemon and apple flavors up front, but lacks concentration.  In general, I don’t expect much concentration from an Italian Pinot Grigio, but this was a little less than I expect.  The finish brings a hazelnut flavor along with honeysuckle.

Wine: The Sopranos
Variety: Pinot Grigio
Vintage: 2007
Alcohol: 12%
Rating: 84
Price: $10.99

Find Sopranos Pinot Grigio with Snooth

The Sopranos Pinot Grigio Friuli

The other Pinot Grigio under The Sopranos label comes from Friuli, one of the prized white wine regions in the northeastern corner of Italy.  While Friuli is known for it’s exceptional white wines, this particular wine doesn’t come from the best part of Friuli.  The grapes in this wine are from the Grave region, where the wines are typically lighter and less elegant than those from the best parts of Friuli.  Nonetheless, this Pinot Grigio is a clear step up from the entry-level Sopranos Pinot Grigio.

It’s almost watery color, similar to its counterpart from Provincia di Pavia.  This wine has great intensity relative to other Pinot Grigios.  A powerful floral perfume dominates the nose, along with pear, straw and mineral.  The acidity is perfect in this wine.  Pear and lemon dominate the palate.  Honey and a subtle nutty characteristic come in on the finish, although the finish is somewhat quick.

I’m not a big fan of Pinot Grigio, but I found this wine to be enjoyable.

Wine: The Sopranos Pinot Grigio Friuli
Variety: Pinot Grigio
Vintage: 2008
Alcohol: 12%
Rating: 88
Price: $13.50