Last weekend the elegant premisses of the Landmark Hotel in Marylebone were swarming with wine lovers from all over the world.
A young banker from South Korea indulging in the 20th glass of Bordeaux was not a rarity and a curious wine junkie from the Czech Republic (me) could not miss this magnificent event annually organised by the UK wine magazine Decanter.

From over 600 wines I managed to taste 40 and even left with three bottles as a gift from the lovely representatives of Chateau Peyrabon in Bordeaux. I tasted their wines right at the beginning of my long journey through wine regions of the world. Particularly Chateau Peyrabon 2003 resembling Chianti with its black currant and mature taste for such a young age surprised me.

There were many other Bordeaux such as Chateau Beychevelle, Faugéres, Chauvin or the star Chateau Palmer which reshaped my conviction, that Bordeaux younger than 10 years is almost undrinkable. Their 2003 and even 2005 releases were more than pleasant!

Another revelation was Napa Valley’s Heitz Cellars with stunning Cabernet Sauvignon, 2004 is perfect for your juicy steak. California really does not stay behind. You only need to search in the immense haystack of for me often boring wines and you discover such treasures like Seghesio’s Zinfandel from Home Ranch Alexander Valley which balanced body with light chocolate entangling your tongue was intriguing.

From the eight winemakers from South Africa I would elevate the Danie de Wet Cape Muscadet 2007 for its exotic li-chi and orange peel flavours are ideal to accompany a peach sorbet. The Decanter Gold medal winner Steytler Pinotage 2006 and Steytler Vision 2006 were fruity and quite sweet. Both are from the Kaapzicht Estate meaning “cap view” as it stems from the wonderful view over Cape Town and Table Mountain.

Finally a small revelation. Fashion designers have already made their steps into furniture, hotels, etc. But Roberto Cavalli triumphs over them all as he lets his brother Tommaso manage a vineyard on his Tuscan estate Tenuta degli Dei producing Igt wine since 2006. You could buy the classic bottle for £32 at the venue or get a special limited version bottle designed by Roberto himself.
This year’s Fine Wine Encounter was amusing and enriching for me as I have learned there a lot. Furthermore, I could not resist to the special subscription offer from the Decanter magazine and got one year for £29 with a gift in the form of an internationally praised wine guide the Wine Report 2009 by Tom Stevenson (£9.99 at www.dk.com ).

Throughout the event you could enter a draw and win a place at the WSET level 2 Intermediate Certificate in Wines & Spirits worth £355 from the largest global provider of qualifications in wines & spirits the Wine & Education Trust. What more to wish for Christmas as with their 40 years experience in the wine education your knowledge of wines can move to higher spheres. And this is not all! You could win cases of award-winning wines from Decanter and even a two-night luxury break at one of 17 historic country houses from Handpicked Hotels.

To grasp all the great producers at the Landmark Hotel is impossible just here, therefore I recommend you visiting the upcoming Decanter events in 2010. The hotel will host The Great Bordeaux Fine Wine Encounter on 20 February and Great Italian Fine Wine Encounter on 15 May. For bookings call +44(0)20 31484513 or go to www. decanter.com/events

(full report pending)

The wines we tasted were:

2006 Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference, Amarone della Valpolicella (Sainsbury’s, £14.69)

2004 Massimo Romeo, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano (Berry Bros. & Rudd, £15.70)

2006 Querciabella, Chianti Classico (Waitrose, £16.99)

2004 Argiano, Brunello di Montalcino (Negozio Classica, £38.99)

2004 Rocca di Montegrossi ‘Geremia’, Toscana IGT (Handford Wines, £31.95)

2006 Cantina del Pino, Barbaresco (Waitrose, £24.99)

2005 Paolo Conterno, Barolo (Negozio Classica, £39.99)

As you drive from the south towards the high plateau on which the hill town of Montalcino sits in Southern Tuscany, you can’t really miss the presence of Banfi.  In a mixed landscape of farming, woods, hunting land and of course vineyards, once you cross the River Orcia you see first an enormous factory of a winery – there is no other word – and then the romantic castle. 

The winery, down on the plain, is a bit of a blot on the landscape.  But then, we can be too snooty about this – it provides employment, wealth and a serious commitment to lifting the standards of everyday wine, which is its mainstay.  So Banfi is a big, big player.   

The firm’s everyday wines are good, modern bottles. They show lots of innovation with an unusually wide range of wines for Tuscany – a full range of international grape varieties and even a Pinot Grigio, all carried forward by expertise in vineyard and winery, and the power of the brand.

But brands don’t really get prestige unless they have quality wines.  And Banfi has to succeed with its Brunello as, after all, we are not far from the walls of Montalcino.  This variety is part of the large Sangiovese family, capricious, given to variation, difficult to grow and vinify well, prone to excess acid and astringency.  In short, as capable of the bad and the ugly as the good and the great. 

Historically, Brunello was a bit of a beast to be tamed.  The word is simply the local name for the type of Sangiovese grown here.  As it hints (brunello – brunette!), the grape produces wine that is darker than it relatives, with high tannins and acidity.  Back in the nineteenth century the Biondi-Santi family created a style for it: put simply, make wine, put in large barrel and wait for five years for the beast to calm down.  Hopefully what emerged was a wine of complex, aged fruit, scents of liquorice and tobacco, long lived.  But that takes time and so is an expensive proposition.  A tasting in London of the Banfi’s top wines showed how they at least are tackling this challenge. 

The tasting at Decanter’s Fine Wine Encounter, November 2009, was led by Cristina Mariani-May, part of the owner’s family.  She gave us the family philosophy, emphasising raising quality through investment and research. The wines themselves spoke clearly of how Banfi want to re-position Brunello as a more immediately attractive wine. 

Brunello Poggio alle Mura is only made in exceptional years. The 2004 is a complex wine, attractively ruby in colour, with fresh and dried fruit flavours and a luscious topping of French oak, vanilla especially.  In the mouth it is refined but with a great streak of acid. I had a double reaction to it. On taking the very first sniff, I wrote down ‘happiness’ for its excellent Sangiovese character and immediate appeal. And then I thought – but it’s very atypical for Brunello and, more importantly, what is going to happen when the veneer of French barrique wears off?  But we will only be able to tell that in another 5-10 years …

  You can clearly see the effect of even short-term ageing in the picture of the 2004 (on the left, with the brighter red) and the 2001 (on the right, developing some orange at the rim).  This second wine was more traditional, a nose of sour cherries, preserved fruit and plums, a wine that you have to go toward, rather than it leaping out of the glass at you.   That may answer the question in relation to the 2004 (and all may be well) but certainly, it is immediately appealing.  Banfi know about modern (American?) consumers and that they don’t want to wait to drink their wine. 

The older wines are more typical, all well-made, with no signs of oxidisation common in more average wines. 

Brunello 1999 – musky, beautiful fruit, much better balance now between overall weight in the mouth and acidity

Brunello 1997 – mulberries and plums, earthy or mushroom notes beginning to develop, balsam, still refreshing

Brunello Riserva Poggio all’Oro 1995 – a star wine, powerful notes of fruit, liquorice, velvety, still good acid and a drying finish

Brunello Riserva Poggio all’Oro 1990 – a wine which split opinion, some found the nose vegetal and earthy , with fading fruit, others something closer to eucalyptus or menthol, rounded in the mouth, acidity now a side show.  On the way down or over?

Thanks to Decanter and to Banfi for this tasting – probably the best £10 we have spent for a long time!  Banfi’s Brunellos in their current style won’t please the traditionalists.  But they will keep Brunello, this great expression of Sangiovese, in the shop window of the world’s great red wines. 

(NM) Eine mehr als perfekte Lokation für unsere reguläre Montagsprobe zum Thema Toskana bot uns die Weinrebe im Herzen von Giessen. Gastgeber war diesmal der Besitzer der Weinrebe Marc Colavincenzo.

Die Probe gestalltete sich durch das recht “offene” Thema “Toskana” sehr spannend, denn jeder Verkoster schaute in seinen Keller und packte seine Interpretation zu diesem Thema ein. Also standen neben internationalen Blends auch einige Klassiker aus den bekannten Regionen der Toskana auf dem Tisch. Ein buntes Feld:

2005 Felsina I Sistri Chardonnay

100% Chardonnay

Ein “Barrique Chardonnay”, ohne überladen zu wirken, feines Holz, Vanille sehr fein, obwohl ein 2005er ist die Säure recht frisch, Hibiskus, karameliserte Ananas und Apfelstrudel, cremig, voll, gut eingebundes Holz

2003 Gattavecchi Vino Nobile di Montepulciano

90% Prugnolo Gentile (Sangiovese) – 10% Canaiolo Nero

Reife Frucht, schon etwas muffig in der Nase, Haselnußarome, erinnert an “billiges Snickers vom Aldi“, Lederaromen, trockene Gerbstoffe, Rumtopf, kräftige Säure, nicht so spannend

2004 Avignonesi Vino Nobile di Montepulciano

85% Prugnolo Gentile – 10% Canaiolo Nero – 5% Mammolino

Frisch, fruchtig, feine Kirsche, aristokratisch, runder Geschmack, leichte trinkbar, angenehm frische Säure, jetzt reif auf dem Punkt

2005 Villa Antinori Toskna IGT

55% Sangiovese – 25% Cabernet Sauvignon – 15% Merlot – 5% Syrah

Flach, langweilig, gefällig, etwas für die breite Masse, bittere Tannine, zu teuer.

2006 Brancaia TRE Rosso Toscana

80% Sangiovese – 10% Merlot – 10% Cabernet Sauvignon

Internationaller Stil, lebendig, gefällig, Feilchen, gute Holzintegration, elegant

2006 Castello Banfi „Cum Laude“

30% Cabernet Sauvignon – 30% Merlot – 25% Sangiovese – 15% Syrah

Unterholz, nasse Erde, Paprika, Schwarze Johannisbeere, Bitterschokolade, leicht herbes Finale, gefällig internationaler Stil. (danke an Berna Gruber von Vinexus für die Spende!)

2007 Le Macchiole Bolgheri Rosso

50% Merlot – 30% Cabernet Franc – 10% Sangiovese – 10% Syrah

“Step up” zu den vorherigen Weinen, lebendig, volle Frucht, gut eingebundene Säure, feinkörnige Gerbstoffe, Traubenzucker, gutes Potential

2004 Castagnoli Syrah Toscana IGT

hauptsächlich Syrah – bisschen Merlot

Blaubeere, Kirsche, rund, weich, perfekte Trinkreife, weiche Tanine, Schattenmorellen, unerwartet Reinsortig, “easydrinking” lecker!

2006 Spadaio Piecorto Chianti Classico

100% Sangiovese

Animierend, feine Säure, Sauerkirsche, mineralisch, elegant, aber ein wenig zu durchschnittlich

2004 Poggio Bonelli Chianti Classico

100% Sangiovese

Käse, überlagerter Rumtopf, unharmonisch, fehlerhafte Flasche?

2004 Capanna Brunello di Montalcino

100% Brunello (Sangiovese)

Feilchen, etwas Vanille, Marzipan, zugängliche Gerbstoffe, frisch, noch verschlossen, großes Potential

2006 Roccapesta Morellino di Scansano

96% Sangiovese – 4% Ciliegiolo

Echter Stinker, trozdem frisch und animalisch, Unterholz, explodierende Frucht, eukalyptisch, balsamig, liegen lassen, großes Potential!

nicht ganz Toskana aber sehr lecker:

2000 Tedeschi Capitel Monte Fontana Recioto della Valpolicella Classico DOC

30% Corvina – 30% Rondinella – 30% Corvinone – 10% Molinara, Rossignola, Oseleta, Negrara, Dindarella

„Heiliger Strohsack“ eingelegte Sauerkirsch, balsamisch, eukalyptisch, Zedernholz, Rumtopf, gekochte Früchte, Tannine, sehr kirschig, Abgang sehr überzeugend auf Grund der feinen Tanine und der bleibenden “Klebrigkeit”, langes Finish, erinnert ganz leicht an Zuckerrüben – mehr im Gaunen als in der Nase, sehr viskos.

Nach diesem Tasting war allen klar: die Toskana bietet wesentlich mehr als nur langweiligen Chianti und überteuerte “Super Tuscans”. Vielen Dank an dieser Stelle auch noch mal an Marc für die großartige Gastfreundschaft, die klasse Bewirtung (der Käse war super, aber die Oliven erst …!) und den genialen Abend!

Link: Die Weinrebe in Giessen

(italiatv.it)  ITALIA TV per il cenone di capodanno quest’anno consiglia un tuffo nelle valli più profumate della Toscana, a Montalcino. Il centenario del Futurismo ha ispirato il cenone di fine d’anno della Fattoria del Colle di Trequanda dove Donatella Cinelli Colombini ha un agriturismo con un ristorante affacciato sui vigneti. Una villa cinquecentesca immersa in una campagna armoniosa e incontaminata per una serata che sarà invece all’insegna della rottura delle tradizioni. Tutto ruoterà intorno alla bottiglia di Brunello 2004 “Casato Prime Donne” con l’etichetta che Alessandro Grazi ha disegnato ispirandosi alla pittura futurista. Addobbo della sala da banchetto, menù e persino gli abiti degli ospiti dovranno ispirarsi al primo Novecento con quel tanto di colorato, trasgressivo e veloce che caratterizza il Futurismo. La serata rievoca un episodio avvenuto a Siena all’Enoteca Italiana nel 1935 durante una cena in onore della “poesia bacchica” quando Filippo Tommaso Marinetti salì su un tavolo levando il calice e gridando “Il Brunello è benzina”. Da qui Alessandro Grazi si è ispirato per disegnare un etichetta bellissima che si avvolge alla bottiglia come un drappo mosso dal vento. I colori sono vivacissimi e il nome del vino “Brun brun Brunello” è un chiaro riferimento alla frase di Marinetti “Il Brunello è benzina” e al rumore del motore mosso dal carburante Brunello.

(italiatv.it)  Firenze. Brindisi d’Eccellenza con Carlo Conti e Franco Biondi Santi. Il presentatore fiorentino e il padre del Brunello di Montalcino riceveranno l’attestato di sommelier ad honorem domenica 13 dicembre nei saloni del Grand Hotel di Firenze in Piazza Ognissanti in occasione di Eccellenza di Toscana, presentazione al pubblico dei vini prodotti in Toscana, che hanno ottenuto 4 e 5 grappoli di gradimento nella guida DUEMILAVINI 2010 edita da Bibenda. La toscanità vitivinicola che Carlo Conti riserva alle nostre etichette, proponendosi così come ambasciatore per i nostri vini e il nostro territorio, è la motivazione principale che ha spinto l’Associazione Italiana Sommelier a conferire proprio a lui l’attestato di sommelier ad honorem. Il primo approccio del famoso presentatore con il vino lo racconta lui stesso: <<La prima volta che ho bevuto vino a Firenze era sicuramente un Chianti Classico, avevo 18-20 anni. C’era un vinaio sotto casa che travasava il vino dalle botti nei fiaschi di paglia e l’odore che proveniva dalla sua bottega mi affascinava molto. Oggi continuano a piacermi tutti i vini toscani, sono molto campanilista e anche a tavola, la prima cosa che cerco è la lista dei vini, in particolare quelli toscani>>.<<Un tributo alla storia “enologica” è la motivazione che riguarda Franco Biondi Santi, che da decenni rappresenta la storia del vino in Toscana, afferma il Presidente AIS toscana Osvaldo Baroncelli. È stata la sua famiglia, continua il Presidente, alla fine dell’ottocento a “inventare” il Brunello e ancora oggi si conferma fedele custode di una delle tradizioni enologiche più illustri del nostro paese. Alle eccezionali ed inimitabili caratteristiche organolettiche dei suoi vini – afferma Baroncelli  - si somma la forza evocativa del marchio, uno dei pochi brand che può ancora oggi competere con i miti dei vini francesi. La famiglia e l’azienda Biondi Santi continuano a rappresentare la storia del vino in Toscana, espressione genuina di un territorio simbolo del mondo vitivinicolo. La ricerca assoluta della qualità, sommata alla tipizzazione dei prodotti legati al territorio, rappresentano gli elementi portanti sui quali da sempre poggia l’azienda e la sommeliere toscana, conclude Baroncelli.  è orgogliosa di poter consegnare questo premio a Franco Biondi Santi>>. Le etichette del Granducato segnalate nell’edizione 2010 della guida sono quasi 800, a testimonianza della crescita qualitativa del prodotto “made in Tuscany”. Tra queste, quasi 300 hanno raggiunto le massime quotazioni di quattro e cinque grappoli: il massimo punteggio è stato raggiunto da 55 etichette, mentre i quattro grappoli sono stati attribuiti a ben 241 vini di Toscana. I quattro e cinque grappoli di Duemilavini 2010 saranno in degustazione dalle 10 alle 19.30, con ingresso gratuito per i soci AIS e di 15 € per i non soci al Grand Hotel, piazza Ognissanti 1, a Firenze.

(italiatv.it)  Sara’ un autunno internazionale quello che si apprestano a vivere le tre importanti Docg toscane, Brunello di Montalcino, Chianti Classico e Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. Queste prestigiose denominazioni uniscono infatti le forze in vista del loro primo impegno comune nell’ambito del progetto “The Three Tuscan Masters”. Il prossimo 16 novembre i tre grandi vini saranno protagonisti a Zurigo, presso il ristorante Lake Side, dove si svolgera’ una giornata di degustazione aperta agli operatori svizzeri.   Obiettivo dell’evento e’ proprio quello di rafforzare e sottolineare l’identita’ di tre vini che godono di un elevatissima considerazione sul mercato europeo e internazionale, dando rilievo alle peculiarita’ di ciascuna Docg e, contemporaneamente, al valore che le accomuna: l’elevata qualita’ del prodotto. Oltre 100 produttori in rappresentanza delle tre denominazioni toscane saranno al centro della degustazione aperta agli operatori del settore, alla stampa specializzata e al pubblico. I partecipanti avranno l’opportunita’ di assaggiare le ultime annate in commercio di Brunello di Montalcino, Chianti Classico e Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. Il programma dell’evento prevede inoltre dei seminari (uno per la stampa, uno per gli operatori e un terzo per i consumatori finali) guidati dal giornalista elvetico Christian Eder, nota firma della stampa internazionale di settore, durante i quali sara’ degustata e commentata una selezione di vini delle tre denominazioni. Eder illustrera’ le peculiarita’ e le differenze proprie di ciascun vino insieme alle caratteristiche delle tre zone toscane a vocazione vitivinicola e delle diverse annate in commercio. Sara’ questa una grande occasione anche per far aumentare la conoscenza dei tre vini nel mercato elvetico che ha da sempre rappresentato una piazza eccellente, soprattutto per la posizione strategica che la Svizzera ha nei confronti degli altri paesi dell’Europa continentale, Germania in testa. Nel 2008 proprio la Svizzera ha rappresentato una buona fetta dell’export di vino toscano. Le esportazioni restano un elemento di forza per le tre denominazioni che negli ultimi anni, nonostante la crisi che ha investito i diversi comparti dell’economia del nostro paese, hanno assistito ad un incremento delle vendite all’estero in particolare verso i paesi mitteleuropei, gli Stati Uniti e i “mercati emergenti” asiatici.agi

Una recentissima degustazione trasversale di Brunello di Montalcino ha decisamente rafforzato secondo me il grande coraggio con cui alcuni marchi storici ilcinesi stanno portando avanti ormai da tempo una progressiva modernizzazione del blasone toscano ma allo stesso tempo ha sottolineato quanto alcune altre aziende per modernizzazione hanno inteso esclusivamente “internazionalizzazione”; ben inteso la storica appartenenza al mercato mondiale di questo stupendo vino italiano, il Brunello ha sempre (quasi) avuto un anima ed un corpo inconfondibile che le recenti (più o meno)  modifiche al disciplinare hanno consentito di consolidare il mito nonostante un lungo, chiacchierato dibattito, adottando tra l’altro anche misure concrete a difesa del marchio sempre al centro di possibili contraffazioni in un mercato a volte non proprio sotto controllo. Alcune riflessioni però me le sono (ce le siamo) concesse lo stesso, al di là dei prezzi sempre meno accessibili legati soprattutto a costi ahimè legati a problematiche crude che l’economia Ilcinese non riesce a metabolizzare, con spirito costruttivo e volte anche a cercare un confronto su alcuni temi tipo: Il mito è sempre all’altezza? Quale etichetta per non sbagliare? E’ giusto aspettare tanto tempo prima di berlo? ecco cosa ne è venuto fuori.

La premessa è che per trasversale abbiamo inteso l’assaggio in contemporanea di diversi Brunello di Montalcino di aziende differenti ed annate diverse ma vicine come qualità.

Qui Il rosso ha acquisito una tonalità verso l’aranciato con una bellissima trasparenza, segno del tempo che ha svolto per bene il suo lavoro anche in relazione che la consistenza nel bicchiere non ha perso corpo. Al naso il vino è soprattutto terziario, cioè ricco di profumi dovuti proprio all’invecchiamento con spezie,tabacco,pelliccia su tutto, dopotutto l’azienda è restìa a mettere in commercio questo vino prima dei 36-40 mesi di affinamento in botte, alla vecchia maniera. In bocca è deciso, persistente con un tannino ancora sul nerbo ma ben equilibrato. Mi ha ridato fiducia su un assaggio precedente non proprio esaltante. sui 75 €uro

E’ sicuramente stato un riferimento importante per tutta l’enologia italiana ed altrettando lo è oggi, e la continua ricerca di confronto col presente è un valore aggiunto per una azienda che non si è mai posata sugli allori. Villa Poggio Salvi è ormai un marchio che vive di luce propria, questo Brunello può risultare (è risultato) abbastanza semplice nella sua totalità ma di certo non si può imputargli una correttezza di prezzo notevolissima. Di colore rubino netto, concentrato e poco trasparente nel bicchiere, al naso ripercorre una linearità rassicurante con profumi di frutti maturi, confettura di marasca, caffè. in bocca è secco, asciutto con un tannino presente ma non incalzante, decisamente “rotondo”. €uro 30,00

Brunello di Montalcino ‘99 

Ecco un taglio decisamente più moderno del Brunello di Montalcino, proposta da una azienda che seppur non proprio giovanissima ha virato decisamente verso un Brunello che sia più “morbido” rispetto alla tradizione Ilcinese. Di colore rubino, si percepisce subito che la qualità della materia prima è altissima, concentrato con lievi nuances tendenti al granato. I profumi ricordano inizialmente il passaggio in legno, botti di media capacità di rovere francese che esalta la sua freschezza gustativa nonostante la lunga sosta tra legno e bottiglia poi tendono anche qui a sentori di frutta cotta, liquerizia e fini spezie. in bocca è caldo con un tannino ben domato, mi lascia perplesso solo nell’equilibrio, per il bellissimo colore, i concitati profumi ma una complessità non avallata da lunga persistenza. €uro 30,00

Brunello di Montalcino ‘00 

A gran fatica alla fine è venuto fuori un gran bel vino. Quando si dice che per godere di un vino si ha la necessità di aspettarlo per certi versi sembra essere un eccesso di sacralità, ma necessaria. Il vino è rimasto aperto per almeno tre ore e mezza prima di manifestare “vagiti” squillanti. Il colore è apparso subito bello, concentrato, al naso dopo “l’attesa” si è concesso generoso su frutti maturi come prugna e ciliegia in confettura e sottospirito accompagnati da una nota fine ed elegante di erbe aromatiche infine di tabacco. In bocca asciutto, di buona concentrazione anche di tannino ben presente ma non devastante come spesso accade a vini di questo estratto. Una nota a margine, l’azienda Mastrojanni propone una vinificazione estremamente tradizionale per i suoi Brunello in vasche di cemento prima dell’affinamento in botti d’allier. sui 32,00 €uro

Brunello di Montalcino Castelgiocondo ‘00

Un marchio con oltre settecento anni di esperienza è difficile che smentisca le attese, ma quando si inizia a legare la qualità alla quantità qualche passo falso può accadere (o no?) . Produrre 250,000 bottiglie di brunello non è da molti, soprattutto se è il Brunello di punta dell’azienda che solo nelle migliori annate viene affiancato dalla riserva. La forgia non è male per intendersi, il colore è di buona concentrazione, il naso offre una franchezza immediata su note di ciliegia, di prugna in confettura, di cassis ed in bocca il vino rileva un buon corpo ed un tannino non invadente. E’ un vino però che manca di personalità, manca di quella mascolinità che al Brunello serve per non disperdersi negli anni, in una parola un vino certamente corretto anche nel prezzo ma senza armonia, e credo in una fase già discendente della sua parabola. €uro 29,00

Brunello di Montalcino Greppone Mazzi ‘00

Se il diavolo veste Prada Il Greppone Mazzi potrebbe tranquillamente vestire Missoni. Questo passaggio per raccontarvi di un vino che davvero riconcilia col terroir di Montalcino. E’ pur vero che l’azienda è malinconicamente orbitante nella sfera anglo-australiana dopo la cessione a Constelletions brand (multinazionale del dink e non) ma se i risultati sono questi, tanto di cappello. Il vino è concentrato, polposo ed invitante già all’esame visivo, i profumi sono dapprima austeri, l’alcol inizialmente è sovrastante ma dopo un pò questo brunello sembra scoprire una verve eccezionale: sentori di confettura di frutta, di miritllo, di cassis, penetranti ed avvolgenti le sensazioni di cardamomo e tabacco. In bocca è potente, 14 gradi a tutto tondo per un vino caldo, di corpo ma asciutto e perfettamente bilanciato nelle sue componebti di durezza e morbidezza. Sicuramente con un paio d’anni ancora alle spalle ci darà nuovamente soddisfazioni. €  32,00

Brunello di Montalcino ’01

Un paio di numeri per capirci. Castello Banfi è un colosso da 11.000.000 di bottiglie, circa 900 ettari di proprietà e tra le 22 referenze presenti in carta di questo Brunello se ne producono qualcosa come 660.000 bottiglie. La dimensione non proprio artigianale non vuole essere un pretesto per sparare a zero su questo vino, ma certamente dopo la degustazione non rimane nella memoria come per esempio Il Poggio Alloro riserva ‘99 di recente assaggio o per esempio il crù Poggio alle Mura ‘99 altrettanto eccezionale.Colore profondo, profumi molto evoluti, quasi pompati da una polposità che promette al naso ma in bocca rimane evanescente lasciandosi una scia di alcol che seppur non eccessivo non è supportato da un corredo acido-tannico all’altezza. rimandato, alla prossima annata. €uro 28,00

Brunello di Montalcino  Castelgiocondo ’01

Di ritorno sul marchio settecentenario siamo passati al 2001 del benemerito non certamente consapevoli della poco felice interpretazionbe del 2000. Qui ci siamo divertiti a dirne tanto su come sia fantastico il mondo del vino e dei suoi protagonisti, non prima di aver apprezzato come in un balzo di una sola annata abbiamo assaggiato due etichette che possono essere sintetizzate proprio come croce (la ‘00) e delizia (la corrente ‘01). Colore rosso rubino con lievi accenni aranciati ma ben corredati da una veste brillante. Al naso ci mette un pò per esprimersi al meglio ma sembra eseguire alla perfezione “il mandato” con sensazioni che girano dalla frutta cotta, al balsamico, al goudron fino a note di tostato e di caffè in particolare.In bocca è gradevolmente tannico, di buon corpo e con un frutto delizioso ed avvolgente, sà di Brunello!!Insomma un vino estremamente corretto, senza particolari picchi di entusiasmo ma alla lunga piacevole. €uro 33,00

(italiatv.it)  Negli ultimi dieci anni, il commercio internazionale di vino è raddoppiato, passando dai 10 miliardi del 1995 agli oltre 28 miliardi di dollari nel 2007. A crescere è stata la quota dei paesi dell’Emisfero Sud (Australia, Cile, Sud Africa, Nuova Zelanda) e degli Usa, che è passata dall’11% al 22% e, in termini di quantità esportate, dall’8% al 30%; contestualmente i primi cinque paesi Ue (Francia, Italia, Spagna, Portogallo e Germania) sono scesi dal 76% al 61%.  I dati, resi noti da Nomisma nel corso dell’Assemblea del settore vitivinicolo di Fedagri a Trento, dimostrano come la dimensione di impresa, sostenuta da una maggiore flessibilità a soddisfare le esigenze di mercato, sia un reale vantaggio competitivo: non è un caso se ai vertici della viticoltura internazionale ci siano aziende come l’australiana Foster’s Group che, pur non avendo nel comparto vitivinicolo il suo core business, ricava  dall’export di vino il 37% del proprio fatturato. La dimensione strutturale economica e l’orientamento ai mercati internazionali sono fattori strategici anche per le imprese cooperative di Fedagri-Confcooperative. (sommelier.it)

A nice view of Montalcino

One of the best parts about the wine school I go to in Florence are the field trips that we go on to see different wineries and producers. Here is the website if anyone is interested. Seeing and speaking with the producers has taught me so much about wine, that you can not find in text books.

Corte Pavone is an Estate owned by Austrian born Rainer Loacker.  He also owns estates in Sudtirol(Alto-Adige) and in Maremma in Tuscany.  Here, at Corte Pavone, he utilizes biodynamic principales to grow his grapes for Brunello di Montalino, Rosso di Montalcino, and an IGT wine.

Mr. Loaker is a great man and I would never discredit him.  His Brunellos and Rossos are fantastic wines, but I do however find his philosophy contradictory.  I’ve explained in a previous post how I feel about biodynamic wines.  To me, if you believe in astrology and horoscopes than you can make biodynamic wines.  He believes is certain “types” of days. For instance, there are fruit days, pruning days, green days, harvesting days etc. He also believes that there are little gnomes who live in the woods and somehow they have an effect on the production of wine.  I was quite fascinated, but at the same had a hard time believing in gnomes.   Producers like him look to the moon and starts to determine when to prune, harvest and bottle.  He only uses yeasts naturally present on the grape for fermentation, he wants to be as natural as possible.

Mr. Loacker  uses an interesting way of cleaning his cellar.  He floods the cellar a tiny bit with water loaded with specific microorganisms that disinfect the floor.  This process eliminates the use of chemical cleaning agents that he believes would contaminate the wine.

Here is where the irony comes into play.  After his philosophical speech, we went down into the cellar. So now I’m thinking this place is going to be “hippie-like”.  It seemed as though he was against the use of technology in his speech, but I was totally wrong.  This cellar looked like a NASA laboratory.  The pumps and vats were brand new and state of the art.  The fermentation tanks had an electronically timed cap mixer that punched the cap down every 3-4 hours.The cap is the “head” that forms during fermentation that contains the skins and pulp.  There was also a micro-oxygenator that he uses to sustain the wine and life of the yeasts.  Here’s a description of what this thing does:

“The aim in micro-oxygenation is to bleed oxygen in at just the right rate–which may vary from 0.25 to 100 milliliters per-liter per month–without overexposing the wine to it. Costs, according to Smith, run about two thousand dollars per wine tank. The purpose is to bring about desirable changes in wine texture and aroma that cannot be obtained by traditional aging techniques. The goals of micro-oxygenation include the restructuring of tannins and mouthfeel, color stability, aroma integration, decreased sulfide and reductive aromas, and increased longevity potential. What it does not do is promote early release or premature aging of wine.”

You can the micro-oxygenator in te back left. Its that blue thing that looks like an oxygen tank. You can also see the the stainless steel poled on top of the vats. These are the cap breakers.

It just seems a little weird to me that a person can believe in gnomes and look to the stars for advice, yet he uses equipment that is found in a  NASA laboratory(of course I am speaking sarcastically)…I will quote something that my friend said to me after the trip,”I believe in terroir, not religion.”  I mean, that sums it right there for me. What are some of your thoughts and feelings on this?

Ever see a bottling truck in action?  Check back tomorrow for the video!

It’s seems like it was just yesterday that I was posting a sigh of relief that the U.S. Alcohol, Tobacco, Tax, and Trade Bureau (TTB) was lifting its requirement of Italian government certification for Brunello di Montalcino imported to this country. Nearly every Italian news agency and feed (ANSA, Yahoo.it, etc.) had reposted agricultural minister Luca Zaia’s press release in which he announced — with cocksure nonchalance, I may add — that the requirement had been lifted following his successful meeting in Washington with TTB bureau head John Manfreda. Even Brunello producers association director Patrizio Cencioni issued a release praising minister Zaia and thanking him for a job well done. (You can read all of the press releases here.)

But it seems that minister Zaia was a little too quick to sing his own praises.

Late yesterday afternoon, another post hit the feed as the Italians were already sleeping: the TTB issued a press release in which stated plainly and clearly that the agricultural minister had falsely represented the agreement negotiated in the minister’s meeting with Manfreda last week. Despite claims otherwise, states the document, Italian government certification is still required. And it will continue to be required, according to the document, until the Italian government presents the Siena prosecutor’s final report on the investigation (the so-called “Operation Mixed Wine” inquiry into the suspected adulteration of Brunello and other Tuscan wines).

I spoke this morning to Brunello producer Fabrizio Bindocci of Il Poggione in Sant’Angelo in Colle and he told me that he and Il Poggione’s owner Leopoldo Franceschi were left dumbstruck when they read the news of the TTB’s clarification. “Maybe Zaia met with the doorman, not the TTB administrator,” Fabrizio wondered out loud with classic Tuscan wit. (Fabrizio’s son Alessandro has posted the entire series of press releases at his blog Montalcino Report.) “We feel that certification should be required and it should continue to be required,” said Fabrizio, whose wine has been certified by an independent Norwegian risk management firm since 2003, long before the controversy began.

In his post this morning, Franco published an image of Walt Disney’s Pinocchio and asked: “Just for the sake of clarity, can somebody — in Montalcino, Rome, or Treviso — help us to understand what’s going on?” (Minister Zaia hails from Treviso.) And making reference to Zaia’s bid to become governor of the Veneto (his home region), Franco asks rhetorically, “is it so hard to understand that it’s not possible and it makes no sense to run an electoral campaign in the Veneto using the supposed great success obtained in the [minister's] campaign in Montalcino?”

@Mr. Zaia you are no James Stewart: if you need an interpreter the next time you head to Washington, feel free to give me a call!

On Friday, Franco and I posted the news that the U.S. Alcohol, Tobacco, Tax, and Trade Bureau (TTB) has lifted the requirement of Italian government certification for Brunello di Montalcino imported to the U.S. The lift was agreed after Italian agricultural minister Luca Zaia met with bureau administrator John Manfreda last week.

I am happy to observe that despite the hail of the controversy (like the early-fall hail of 2008, that damaged but did not destroy the harvest; see above), Brunello and its producers — large and small — have emerged intact and healthy.

Looking back at the Brunello affair, in the glow of the Montalcino sunset, I am convinced of two things: that the controversy was a healthy wake-up call for producers (and that, ironically, it helped to raise positive awareness of the appellation abroad); and that, in many ways, it shed light on the importance and strength of the Italian appellation system.

At the same time, I believe the TTB’s response to the controversy was a trans-Atlantic misunderstanding: as the dearly departed Teobaldo Cappellano pointed out in the Brunello debate a year ago, the DOC/G system was created to protect the producers and the territory, not the consumer. And as much as I loath the thought of a Brunello producer “cutting” his Sangiovese with another grape variety, the transgression is a victimless crime as it relates to the consumer. If the consumer likes the wine and is satisfied with the perceived price-quality ratio, s/he is not molested by this misdeed.

The real victims were those producers who remained and continue to remain true to the territory and the territory itself. If unscrupulous enologists and calculating landowners did indeed adulterate their wines, and in doing so, co-opted and misappropriated an appellation tied to the land and the people who created it, therein lies the injury inflicted on their compatriots.

The saddest legacy of the Brunello controversy is the ill will it has created in the microcosm of Italian wine. On the same day that the Italian agricultural ministry issued a statement announcing the requirement for certification had been lifted, Franco (above, right; mentor, friend, and my partner in VinoWire) posted about a “cease and desist” letter he received from a lawyer representing a commercial winery. (For the record, Franco expunged any reference to the winery and wine in his post and I am merely speculating that the winery in question produces Brunello.) But the letter did not refer to something Franco had written: it referred to comments made by his readers! In one of the comments in question, a reader had made a remark about the unusual dark color of the wine by said winery. Has it really come to this? Do behemoth, commercial producers of Brunello really feel so threatened by a comment thread on a blog? Has it really come to this? Must a blogger feel threatened for merely allowing his readers to express their opinions in the comment thread of a blog?

Today, few who reside beyond Montalcino remember that Montalcino and its environs were one of the Germans’s last battlegrounds as they retreated in the face of the Allied advance in the last year of the Second World War. Even before the war, Montalcino and Tuscany were centers of the “red” resistance to fascist rule. Looking back on the whole Brunello affair, I was reminded of a little red book given to me by the mother of three brothers in Montalcino, whom I’ve known well since 1989. The locally published tome is by political activist, later partisan, and then local politician Carlo Sorbellini (above): Le mie memorie (My Memories). His descriptions of the years leading up to the war and the sacrifices made by him and his compatriot partisans during the German occupation are among the most humbly written and most moving narratives I have ever read. Many people shed their blood and gave their lives to protect this unique place: the same mountainous geography that made it a German stronghold also made it a great place to make fine wine after the war. And this Unesco-protected valley is among the most beautiful places in the world.

One thing I know to be true: I heart Brunello and I heart the people that lived, loved, and died to make it what it is today.

(italiatv.it)  Gli USA hanno dato il via libera definitivo alle importazioni di Brunello di Montalcino, dopo le minacce di blocco dell’import in seguito all’inchiesta della procura di Siena su alcune cantine accusate di aver ottenuto il vino da vitigni non conformi alla disciplina di produzione. La notizia arriva il giorno dopo l’incontro a Washington fra il ministro e l’amministratore dell’Agenzia federale Usa per l’alcol e il tabacco, John Manfreda. Gli Stati Uniti sono il mercato in cui finisce un quarto della produzione totale del Brunello, il cui giro d’affari complessivo è stimato in 120 milioni di euro l’anno. Il 18 luglio scorso un’indagine della Guardia di Finanza sotto la direzione della procura di Siena aveva condotto al declassamento a Igt di oltre 1,3 milioni di litri di Brunello di Montalcino. Le indagini, che avevano coinvolto sette cantine, erano iniziate nel settembre 2007 e avevano interessato i più importanti produttori di Brunello di Montalcino Docg e Rosso di Montalcino Doc. Dei 6,7 milioni di litri di Brunello sequestrati, il 20% – oltre 1,3 milioni – è stato declassato a Igt Toscana Rosso. Su un quantitativo di 1,7 milioni di litri di altri vini a denominazione sequestrati (fra cui Rosso di Montalcino Doc, Chianti Classico Docg e Igt Toscana Rosso), oltre il 40% è stato declassato, e 100.000 litri sono stati inviati direttamente alla distillazione. Inoltre erano stati “sequestrati 400 ettari di vigneti sui quali erano coltivati vitigni non riconosciuti dal disciplinare di produzione”. “In estrema sintesi, si può dire che ingenti quantitativi di vino relativo alle annate dal 2003 al 2007 sono stati ‘tagliati o ammorbiditi’ con uve e vini differenti dal sangiovese, unico vitigno ammesso dal disciplinare del Brunello e Rosso di Montalcino”, spiegava una nota delle Fiamme Gialle. Nell’ambito dell’inchiesta sono state denunciate alla procura di Siena 17 persone: otto hanno richiesto il patteggiamento, mentre le altre nove hanno ricevuto l’avviso di conclusione delle indagini per i reati di frode in commercio e falso in atti, in alcuni casi commessi in associazione. Una è stata inoltre denunciata per false informazioni al pm. Soddisfazione per lo slocco in USA è stata espressa dal Presidente del Consorzio Patrizio Cencioni in una nota dal sito ufficiale. (itv-reuters)

(NM) Nach nun fast 3 Jahren in meinem Keller (Gedult zahl sich manchmal ja sogar aus), entschloss ich mich dazu, dieses so hochgelobte Schätzchen anläßlich eines Koch-Abends mit Freunden zu Roastbeef mit Steinpilz-Sahne-Jus & Mangold mit auf den Tisch zu stellen. Welch eine gute Entscheidung!

Hier erstmal ein paar Fakts über Valdicava: Valdicava selbst produziert jährlich etwa nur 5000 Kisten Brunello und Rosso di Montalcino, dies sind etwa 1% der Jährlichen Brunello Produktion. In ausergewöhlichen Jahren kommen maximal 800 Kisten des Einzellagen Brunellos “Madonna del Piano” hinzu. Mit dem Valdicava Brunello hat sich das Weingut zum Ziel gesetzt, mit Hilfe von traditionellen Werten einen Brunello mit etwas mehr Frucht, Balance, Eleganz und Harmonie zu erzeugen. Dies ist ihnen mit der 2001er Version bestens gelungen:

Schon der Wine Spectator schickte dieses Tröpfchen mit 98/100 Punkten nahezu in den Olymp. Die nur 2500 Kisten von diesem Wein waren dementsprechend schnell ausverkauft. Nach ca. 4 Stunden im Dekanter dann die Wahrheit: Welch ein geiler Wein! Die Nase ließ schon Großes erahnen. Reife dunke Beeren (Bromm/Heidel/Cassis), dunkle Schokolade, erdnahe Töne und Ausläufer von Feilchen und Flieder. Irgendwie Brunello, aber mit einem gewissem Extra-Kick Frucht. Am Gaumen dann ein Feuerwerk von Früchten, reifen Tanninen, toller Struktur, Schokolade, wieder diese erdigen Töne – ein Sangiovese mit Turbo Boost. Von allem etwas mehr, trozdem genau richtig, und wunderbar harmonisch im Gesamtbild. Von dem langen Finale und der großartigen Essens-Combo brauch ich gar nicht mehr erzählen. Ein Weinerlebnis. Leider war diese meine letzte/einzige Flasche. 95+ Punkte!

PS: Noch dazu ein wunderbares Label, oder?

www.valdicava.it

Above: Ale posted photos of grapes (Trebbiano and Malvasia) being laid out to dry on reed mats for the Vin Santo that he and his father are making this year.

Scanning my Google Reader feed this morning, I came across these posts by my friend Ale in Sant’Angelo in Colle. He and his father grow Sangiovese and make Brunello di Montalcino for one of the oldest — and one of my favorite — producers in the appellation, Il Poggione.

Above: The mats are then hung in the vinsantaia, an attic used especially for the drying of the grapes. Windows on either side of the space allow for ventilation that helps to limit humidity during drying.

Reading his descriptions of harvesting and drying grapes for the production of Vin Santo, it occurred to me that Vin Santo is an “orange” wine. There is no canonical definition of “orange wine,” even though a new “orange wine” movement has clearly emerged among European winemakers, mainstream wine writers, fringe wine bloggers (like me), enthusiasts, and lovers. Vin Santo is generally not made using skin contact during fermentation (one of the fundamental techniques employed in the production of orange wine). But there is no denying that Vin Santo is orange in color.

The rich orange color of Vin Santo is created by the drying of the grapes and by intentional oxidation of the wine.

Above: Specially sized caratelli (literally, “small casks”) are used for aging. Many believe that the size of the barrels is one of the keys to the unique flavors and aromas of Vin Santo.

The earliest documented printed reference to Vin Santo is found in Giovanni Cosimo Villifranchi’s Oenologia Toscana (1773). In 1605, Sir Robert Dallington mentions a wine called Zibibbo, which was “dried for Lent” and could possibly be a reference to Vin Santo (see his entire description of grape growing and winemaking in Tuscany here).

Many claim that the name Vin Santo (literally, “holy wine”) was coined in the 15th century when Greek humanist Basilios Bessarion tasted the wine and compared it to the wines of Xantos (see also this entry on Bessarion in the New Advent Catholic Encyclopedia). Supporters of the theory maintain that he liked it so much, he exclaimed “Xantos!” and those present understood him to say “Santo!” But I doubt this is the case.

I’ve heard some say that the name is inspired by the fact that Vin Santo can go through a second fermentation in the spring when temperatures rise in the vinsantaia. Like Christ, the wine “rises again.” I doubt this is the case but Dallington’s reference to Lent leads me to believe that dried grape wines were associated directly or indirectly with Easter in his time.

In 1773, Villifranchi writes: “The name that is given by us today to this ‘Vino di Santo’ is believed by some to be owed to Ancoret saints* and the Monks of Soria [Spain] who originally made wine in this manner.” He adds that “others believe that this name derives from the fact that the grapes are typically pressed during the period of the Christmas holidays.”

Whether you call Vin Santo an orange wine or not, it would seem to pass muster with the natural wine dogmatists. Using a “mother” yeast to start fermentation is a sine qua non of Vin Santo production: after pressing, sediment is scraped from a cask from a previous vintage and then added to the newly pressed juice to initiate fermentation. That’s how they’ve been making Vin Santo for centuries (or at least since Villifranchi first described methods of vinification employed in his day).

The only difference is that in Italy, they don’t call it “natural wine.” They just call it wine.

Look for more on Sir Robert in upcoming posts and check out this cool video posted by Ale on his blog today:

* “The recluses of the East in the early Christian centuries” (OED).

Thanks to friend of mine today I had the opportunity to drink not only a wine, but simply a myth. Biondi Santi is the company that is considered the mother herself of Brunello, which needs no introduction. The wine shows a grainy color discharge but at the same time with intense aromas to the nose reminiscent of licorice. The taste was soft and enveloping, and here the surprise: despite the 28 years of age, the wine is still full-bodied flavor and enveloping almost as if the years had not passed, I will not say young, but just the right age to drink. Footnote taste vaguely reminiscent of tar, but certainly without being disagreeable, and the flint. You would know that this very special wine is subject to the operation of "Ricolmatura" of these precious bottles, according to a notice and a regulation, which include the presence of witnesses. In practice, the wine, which is eaten bottled slightly due to age, is added the same wine of the same vintage. This particular bottle had been subjected to this treatment in 2000. The price? I have not idea, but I can imagine very expensive, but it is one of those follies that must be done once in a life. Trust me

Rate 5/5

See ya

The Wine Insider

Inizia sotto i migliori auspici la vendemmia del Brunello di Montalcino dell’annata 2009. Le operazioni di raccolta delle uve sono iniziate oggi e dal Consorzio di tutela arrivano parole di ottimismo sia sul fronte della qualità, sia su quello dei volumi, attesi su livelli solo di poco inferiori al 2008. ”In questo momento di grande impegno – afferma il presidente del Consorzio Patrizio Cencioni – registriamo con soddisfazione le previsioni per un’ottima vendemmia 2009, che potra’ permetterci di mantenere la nostra forza sui mercati per continuare a proporre Montalcino, nel panorama internazionale, come un ‘classico assoluto’ dell’enologia toscana e italiana”. Grande ottimismo, quindi, per la vendemmia 2009, anno durante il quale la zona di Montalcino ha dovuto superare la situazione di crisi economica mondiale che ha colpito anche l’export del brunello. Indicazione confortante la da il numero delle “fascette rosa”: al 31 agosto e’ stata registrata la cessione di 5.800.000 fascette per il Brunello di Montalcino, contro le 5.500.000 dello stesso periodo del 2008, per un aumento del 5%. – CLICCA QUI PER L’INTERVISTA DI DARIO PETTINELLI A PATRIZIO CENCIONI, PRESIDENTE DEL CONSORZIO DEL VINO BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO.

Tracie B snapped the above pic of me using my Blackberry the other night, when she came home with an open bottle of Banfi 2004 Brunello di Montalcino in her wine bag (when not otherwise occupied being knock-out gorgeous, Tracie B works as a sale representative for a behemoth mid-west and southeastern U.S. wine and spirits distributor).

The moment of truth had arrived: it was time for me to taste the wine with my dinner of Central Market rotisserie chicken, salad, and potatoes that Tracie B had roasted in her grandmother’s iron skillet.

The wine was clear and bright in the glass and had bright acidity and honest fruit flavor. The tannin, while present, was not out of balance and the wine had a slightly herbaceous note in the finish that might not please lovers of modern-style wines but that I enjoy. If ever there were a wine made with 100% Sangiovese grapes, I would say this were one — tasted covertly or overtly.

According to WineSearcher.com, the average retail price for this wine in the U.S. is $65. I can’t honestly say that I recommend the wine: it’s not a wine that I personally look for at that price point. I did not find this to be a great or original or terroir-driven wine but I will say that it is an honest expression of Sangiovese from Montalcino.

Anyone who reads my blog (or follows news from the world of Italian wine), knows that Banfi has been the subject of much controversy over the last year and a half. But fair is fair and rules are rules and I cannot conceal that I enjoyed the 04 Brunello by Banfi. (Btw, Italian Wine Guy, who is Glazer’s Italian Wine Director, recently posted on 04 Brunello, including a YouTube of Banfi media director Lars Leight speaking on the winery’s current releases at a wine dinner in Dallas.)

Above: Facing south from Il Poggione’s vineyards below Sant’Angelo in Colle, looking toward Mt. Amiata.

Despite the will of some marketers to make us think otherwise, 2004 was not an across-the-board great vintage in Montalcino. In my experience with the wines so far, only those with the best growing sites were able to make great wines in the classic style of Montalcino and wines that really taste like Montalcino.

Btw, in all fairness, it’s important to note that the Banfi vineyards lie — to my knowledge — primarily in the southwest subzone of the appellation, one of the historic growing areas for great Sangiovese. When you drive south from Sant’Angelo in Colle, you see signs for the Banfi vineyards on the right. Earlier this year, my friend Ale over at Montalcino Report posted this excellent series on understanding the terroir of Montalcino using Google Earth. It’s one of the best illustrations of why the wines from that part of the appellation are always among the best, even in difficult years. (Ale’s killer Il Poggione 04 Brunello, which I tasted for the first time at Vinitaly in April, received such glowing praise from one of the world’s greatest wine writers that it caused near pandemonium in the market, prompting wine sales guru Jon Rimmerman to write that it “may be the most offered/reacted to wine I’ve ever witnessed post-Wine Advocate review.”)

Above: Facing north in Il Poggione’s vineyards, looking at the village of Sant’Angelo in Colle (literally, Sant’Angelo “on the hill”).

Franco recently tasted 93 bottlings of 04 Brunello at the offices of The World of Fine Wine in London and wrote of his disappointment with the wines delivered by even some of the top producers. Here are Franco’s top picks and straight-from-the-hip notes, posted at VinoWire.

In other news…

One of the greatest moments of personal fulfillment in my life was when my band NN+’s debut album reached #6 in the college radio charts so I guess that stranger things have happened: a colleague in Italy emailed me last week to let me know that my blog Do Bianchi was ranked #9 in the official (?) list of “top wine blogs.” Who knew?

Thanks, everyone, for taking the time to read Do Bianchi. The blog has been such a rewarding experience for me and it means so much to me that there are people out there who enjoy it.

Bestowing a personality to a wine is key in not only remembering its “style”, but also a good way to spark up some interesting and creative conversation.

Some friends and I were drinking a Brunello the other night and we each described how the wine made us feel, but not in terms of aromas and tastes but in away that gave life to the wine.  This type of tasting note no only stimulates the mind a little more but it also empowers the wine with a personality and paints a picture for everyone to see.

This tasting note was conceived by a girl, so the note is a little biased.

2003  Brunello di Montalcino

Put yourself on an old farm. Then imagine a young, attractive well strapped fellow with dirt under his fingers, palms like sandpaper, and a nicely styled hair cut.  Sexy and intriguing, but rustic and rough around the edges at the same time.  You know that in 10 years he will be everything you ever wanted.

I thought it was interesting the way she put it together and in a weird way I could see where she was coming from and so could the others at the table.

I like this way of explaining wine  because it is much more conversational and fun. This type of “tasting” note can be applied to both specific wines and styles of wines.   If any of you out there have tried this I would like to hear some your notes.  If you haven’t then pop a bottle and conjure something up!

Sonst waren ich ja immer ganz zufrieden im Brunello (Stormarnplatz 8, beim S-Bahnhof Poppenbüttel). Aber diesmal gibt es von mir eine glatte Sechs. Ich bestelle das Balsamico-Risotto mit Jakobsmuscheln und eine große Apfelschorle. Die kommt im Hefeweizen-Glas daher. OK, darüber sehe ich hinweg. Ich finde, das Risotto sieht aus, wie schon einmal gegessen und schmeckt auch so: total sauer, wie Kotze! Außerdem ist es viel zu flüssig. Da ist dem Koch wohl die Essigflasche aus der Hand gerutscht. Auf der Pampe liegen zwei halbierte Jakobsmuscheln – sieht so nach mehr aus, wie vier Stück. Ich picke die Muscheln von der unappetitlichen Masse, versuche es noch mit ein paar Gabeln Risotto und lasse es dann stehen. Beim Abräumen fragt der Kellner, ob ich nicht zufrieden war. Ich antworte freundlich aber ehrlich. Der Mann verschwindet ohne ein Wort des Bedauerns und bringt die Rechnung. Das war`s. Geht gar nicht!

Betreiber des Brunello ist übrigens Dirk Block, Sohn des grooooßen “Steak-House-Königs” Eugen Block, der uns in Hamburg seit 40 Jahren Ami-Küche serviert. Und der sucht auf der Homepage des Brunello gerade einen neuen Geschäftsführer. Wird auch Zeit, dass da mal jemand für Qualität und besseren Service sorgt.

Luce is the first Supertuscan produced in the area of Montalcino, much more famous for the Brunello. The wine it’s composed usually by a 50% of Sangiovese grapes and 50% of Merlot, although the blend at times vary depending upon the season The wine has an intense ruby color with light garnet hues, perhaps due to 10 years of age. The flavor is robust and full bodied but at the same time is able to give a feeling of a certain degree of complexity. The link between the two Sangiovese and Merlot, is certainly well-managed .Surely this wine is a good interpreter of the territory of Montalcino. What a few years ago could have been a whim, creating a Montalicno, the undisputed home of Brunello, a Supertuscan, today is a beautiful reality, imitated and followed by many. For this reason I give my congratulations to Frescobaldi, to which must be recognized on this.

Rate 4/5

The Wine Insider