2004 Pietroso Brunello di Montalcino

Just a simple dinner with a pasta and a salad. I grabbed a bottle of red from the wine fridge and woh, where did I buy this wine? It was a ripper of a red, ‘2004 Brunello di Montalcino’ by Pietroso (about 100 km south of Florence in Tuscany).

Aged for 36 months in oak barrels, this 100% Sangiovese wine is just a wonderful drop. Intense forest fruit flavours, great structure, good mid-palate weight and a long finish, round and silky. It took us by surprise.

A delicious pasta

We had just a simple pasta for an ordinary dinner during the week. When I went back to the supermarket the next day to look for this wine, I could not find it any more. I know why: it’s marvelous. Look out for this Brunello di Montalcino. It’s worth it. Azienda Agricola Pietroso produced 2004 about 13,000 bottles of this Brunello. I think it was one of the best wines we had had recently.

Way back when, in the late 19th century, did the “Iron Baron” Bettino Ricasoli know that Sangiovese would make for such a great Thanksgiving wine?

Uncle Tim’s brined and roasted turkey. Brining is the secret to keeping the breast and dark meat moist and flavorful when roasted. Aunt Ida Jean and Uncle Tim hosted all 31 of us!

Uncle Tim’s cornbread dressing, including chopped hard-boiled eggs.

Aunt Gladys’s homemade biscuits.

Aunt Ida Jean’s sweet potato pie (I was surprised at how well the Chianti Rufina paired with this dish).

Mrs. B’s eight layer salad. (For those of ya’ll who don’t know what an eight layer salad is, have a look at this Wikipedia entry.)

Tracie B’s green beans sautéed with onion and garlic and seasoned with nutmeg.

Thank you, Family B, for making me and Mama Judy part of your Thanksgiving celebration!

In lieu of airport delays, Cinnabons, and watery margaritas, Carey and I were strongly urged by a U.S. Airways customer service agent to avoid taking our original 6:08 pm flight to Philadelphia and hold off for a more convenient 5:40 am flight tomorrow morning. (Um…) So, what does this really mean?

Well, another night with Eli, of course—and a little food and wine too.

We successfully revisited and revised the C+C original Rosemary and grape flatbread recipe. Paired with a Rosso Di Montalcino and a Woodstock documentary, we came as close as possible to replacing the fun we were supposed to have been having with family in Virginia.

I pulled this 2002 Rosso Di Montalcino off the rack at Purdy’s. No shelf talker on this one—but the ‘02 vintage intrigued me, and well—Carey loves the Italians (for their wines, of course).

An arrangement of brick and brandy-like colors nicely reflect this wine’s advancing years—especially the copper-toned rim. I was happy to note that the flavor profile was not quite as far along in maturity as the appearance would have suggested. There is a surprising sweetness of cherries that builds on the mid palate.

Nothing dominates this wine; there is nothing in excess. A bit of leather and fruit in the mouth, a touch of suppleness from the oak, hints of ginger and brandy on the nose,  well-natured tannins, and an easy acidity.

Modified flatbread recipe: We eliminated the whole yeast/flour/rise component by purchasing a fresh pizza dough from the grocery store ($1.29). Fresh rosemary was rolled in with the dough, brushed with olive oil, and sprinkled with sea salt. Top with sliced grapes, blue cheese crumbles, drizzled honey, and chopped fresh chives. Bake for about 20 minutes at 400 degrees, or until it looks… ahh, cooked. Cut and serve.

Prosegue il sodalizio tra la storica azienda Di Filippo e l’Enoteca Regionale Umbra. Dopo il successo riscosso durante l’evento estivo “Chef alla Ribalta” i titolari Roberto di Filippo e la sorella Emma intendono accogliere l’invito degli orvietani a farsi conoscere attraverso i vini ma anche attraverso l’anima del vignaiolo che sta dietro ad ogni bottiglia.

Per questo, in collaborazione con la Soc.Itinera e la Fisar di Orvieto e la Condotta Slow food , hanno organizzato una serata di degustazione, in programma per mercoledì 25 novembre alle ore 16.00 nella sede dell’Enoteca al Palazzo del Gusto di Orvieto per scoprire insieme agli appassionati una selezione della loro produzione con una degustazione guidata a cura dello stesso Roberto DI FIlippo.’

L’azienda Di Filippo, 30 ettari di vigneti nel territorio di Cannara, a metà strada fra Torgiano e Montefalco, è una realtà storica nel panorama vinicolo umbro, frutto di generazioni di viticoltori che hanno dedicato alla loro terra tutta la loro passione, che si coniuga con una visione della coltura che guarda al biologico (sono certificati) ed alla biodinamica non come una moda, ma come filosofia di vita che sia alla base di una produzione che estragga dai suoli la vera “anima” della terra umbra.

«La nostra filosofia parte nel vigneto – spiega Roberto Di Filippo, al quale la definizione di produttore sta stretta, perché lo si può definire vignaiolo -. Solo lavorando con attenzione ai principi della natura e passione sulle nostre piante e con la nostra terra è possibile ottenere uva di qualità, senza la quale ogni vino perderebbe di significato. Per questo abbiamo sposato il biologico: un prodotto naturale come il vino,  lavorato con prodotti naturali. Insieme a questo anche la convinzione che una bassa resa; una corretta gestione delle risorse della terra e del suolo; una vendemmia alla corretta maturazione aiutino il terroir ad esprimersi al meglio».

I VINI IN DEGUSTAZIONE

Grechetto Colli Martani Doc 2008

Sassi d’Arenaria Grechetto Colli Martani Doc 2008

Montefalco Rosso Doc 2007

Properzio Sangiovese Colli Martani Doc Riserva 2006

Montefalco Sagrantino Docg  2005 – Eccellenza Guida Espresso 2010-

Vernaccia di Cannara  Vino Passito 2008

One of the great advantages of living in the Portland area is the availability of great wines.  Not only do we have a more wine-educated populace due in part because of the expanding local wine industry, but our population density is so massively lower than the East Coast or California that stocks of wines sell slower and are available long after the Metropolises sell out. 

One of those sell-out items is the Fontodi 2006 Flaccianello Tuscan Sangiovese.  This wine recently appeared as #8 on the Top 100 Wines of the World list in Wine Spectator for 2009, with the highest score of any wine appearing this year!  Of course, many retailers and areas instantly sold out.  But this wine is still available here in the Northwest at local retailers, and can be obtained by calling Salut!

This special bottling, a pinnacle of Tuscan production from one of Italy’s most respected producers, is available today for $129.99.  Call 360-635-3614 to obtain one of these soon-to-be-gone wonders, or shop online by clicking here.  Delivery will not be charged to Portland/Vancouver customers.

The Wine Spectator 2009 Top 100 – #8

Shows excellent color and richness for a Sangiovese, with aromas of sultana, coffee, toasty oak and vanilla bean. Full-bodied, with masses of fruit and chewy tannins. The concentration and depth of fruit and layers of tannins leave me speechless. A blockbuster. Best after 2014.—J.S. Score: 99. —James Suckling, October 31, 2009.

Wine Advocate

The 2006 Flaccianello della Pieve (Sangiovese) is just as extraordinary as it was when I tasted it from barrel. This spectacularly ripe and concentrated wine reveals masses of dark cherries, plums, licorice, smoke, violets, French oak and minerals that coat the palate with extraordinary richness. The wine possesses plenty of structure, but the sheer density of the fruit provides stunning balance. The 2006 Flaccianello is one of the more primary wines of the vintage, and it will require considerable patience. Flaccianello continues to prove that Panzano’s Conca d’Oro is one of the most privileged spots for Sangiovese in Tuscany. Anticipated maturity: 2016-2026. Score: 96. —Antonio Galloni, January 2009.

For more information

• Visit the Fontodi website
• Buy this wine online at www.salutwineoutlet.com
• Read more about Tuscan wines and foods
• Shop for other items at Salut! Wine Co.
• Call us at 360-635-3614

Castello Banfi di Montacino

My infatuation with Italian wine continues. A is for Amarone. B is for Brunello di Montelcino, bodalicious, complex, tasty, lipsmackingly satisfying (ok,so I’m skipping around the alphabet and making up words) you get the point, I do love those Italians. Growing up with only the familiar wicker covered funnily shaped bottles of Chianti, that was my only exposure to Italian wine, that and the cheap dross I encountered when I first came to London as a student. The good old days. Why do they call them the good old days? I’d much rather be in the now and the fabulous wines I had the other day at lunch.

A typical wet, dreary London afternoon found me on Savile Row on my way to the smart Italian restaurant, Sartoria, for lunch with Bibendum and Cristina Mariani-May (the next generation and co-CEO of the company) and Dante Cecchini (regional manager) of Castello Banfi . Bibendum is now importing the Castello Banfi range into the UK so this was our opportunity to sample their wares. Castello Banfi orginally started out importing Italian wines to America early in the 20th century and built up a very successsful import business but in 1978 they decided to head back to their native land and founded the Castello Banfi Vineyard Estate. Once there they spent a considerable amount of time and money on research and are now one of the leaders of classifying sangiovese from Tuscany.  They’ve spent over 30 years on research and catalogued over 160 clones which they’ve narrowed that down to the 15 best clones for their wines. And Castello Banfi has generously shared their research with the world because they believe ..”all ships will rise when the tide comes in…” and their research can only benefit all of Montalcino. Castello Banfi were also one of the first to plant international varieties in Tuscany, creating the “super-Tuscans” and we got to sample one during lunch.

Nothing more civilized then a 5 course meal with matching wines for lunch, now is there?

smoked swordfish

The food was fantastic but the real stars of the show were the wines. The San Angelo 2008 pinot grigio was first out the gate and the sommelier, Michael Simms never let my glass less then half full, just the way I like it. I have to admit, pinot grigio is not my go-to wine for anything, usually a lemon water drink in my mind but the Banfi San Angelo had a bit of weight to it, fresh and zippy, not too much acidity which is often the hallmark of p.grigio,  colourful citrus aromas and flavours seeping through, washed down the zucchini frites and parmesan cheese down in one go.

My favourite chards are French Maconnais but Banfi may have managed to at least close the gap a bit. The aim of the Fontanell Chardonnnay 2007  was to produce an ‘Old World’ style, barrel fermented and aged white wine. Banfi want to show what the Italians can do with the chardonnay fruit of the Tuscan hills. Well integrated oak ( I so dislike over-oaked chards), ripe apples, slightly nutty, on the nose and palate, full and concentrated, a good complement to the fish, it wasn’t overpowered by the rather strong flavours of the smoked fish. The finish was delightful, a fruity beacon shining thru the haze of fishy smokiness. I was liking it but onto the real reason we were there, the reds. Those whites were just the warm-up act.

Belnero

The Rosso di Montalcino 2007 and the Belnero 2005 were both paired with a pasta, turnip top & anchovie dish. A rich, creamy, savoury dish that needed something with a bit of bite. Both the wines were juicy and fruity,  the Rosso had quite a minerally, flinty nose to it and was a much more austere companion to the pasta, still fresh and versatile but quite lean whereas the Belnero was much fleshier and full. These two were like the Laural and Hardy of  Banfi. The Belnero is new to the line and Banfi wanted to show the potential of their Super Tuscans. 80% Sangiovese, 17% cabernet sauv. and 3% merlot, a complex wine, notes of vanilla, tobacco and coffee, black cherries and plum jam, much less minerality but it didn’t suffer from that. The fruit was far more intense then the ‘07 and there was a spicy undercurrant to it all. Both wines were excellent companions to the pasta but the ‘05 was a better match, as Cristina said, …”if only we could have our partners young and our wines old, it’d be a perfect world!” I love those Italians….

hunk o burning love....

I had been trying to pace myself because I knew there was a big hunk of meat coming up but I wasn’t prepared for the mound of beef that was placed in front of me. Grilled Scottish Beef Rossini with foie gras and truffle shavings – so decadent and wrong but sooo good, the foie gras (look away now if you’re against it) had me swooning, melting away on my tongue in a flash but the flavours so intense. Banfi showcased their Brunello Poggio alle Mura 2004 and Poggio all’Oro 1999 to go with such intense meatiness.

These were their top wines. The Poggio alle Mura 04 was from a spectacular vintage year, 100% Sangiovese, the grapes used came from the best vineyards situated on the surrounding hillside below the 12th century castle. A powerful, silky wine, black cherries and spices with an intricate cedar box cum cigarbox nose, perfumed and intense. A palate of silky smooth tannins excellently balanced acidity and concentrated black cherry, dark chocolate and tobacco flavours. A delicious wine which just didn’t seem to want to go home even after I’d swallowed it down.

the sparkler

figgy dessert

But that was not all, one more Brunello to go, the Poggio all’Oro 1999. Again 100% sangiovese – 2 and a  half years in barrel and another 2 in bottle, this wine was soft, elegant and yet full of character, vanilla and butterscotch nose, dried raisins, plums and cherries, intense fruits and a long finish that carried on and on. Eventually, it seemed to evolve into cherry bonbons  and spice. Still looking youthful and full of life, I could have drunk this on its own or with a meaty mouthful, just a pure delight to savour.

Cristina Mariani-May and The Sleuth

We finished off with the Rosa Regale 2008 with a dessert of roast figs with honey and thyme ice-cream. A fun, fruity sparkling wine made from the indigenous varietal brochetto  ( I hope that’s how you spell it, my notes started to look a bit like chicken scratch by this point), loads of red fruits and off dry, a fun sparkler to end the afternoon. And so I rolled out of there, satisfied and sated, a great way to start the weekend.

end of the line

ps. I found out later the sparkler was made from Brachetto d’Aqcui

(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)

Today’s guest blogger is Pia Gardner, area manager in Perth.

Pia Gardner

My territory comprises the on-premise trade here – bars, hotels, restaurants, cafes, bistros, nightclubs, and function centres. I focus on the Perth CBD and the South Metro. Spending most of my time in this area is special, surrounded by the river, beach and lots great places to wine and dine.

To try and paint a picture for you … when I’m in a restaurant, before seeing a client, I find myself looking out the window. I can see kite surfers, small boats, big boats, fishermen, cyclists, or school groups at rowing training, not bad hey! We Perthites can sometimes forget how truly lucky we are to live here. “How good is this?” I think to myself … ah now back to work.

It is a competitive industry around here, especially being on the doorstep of “Margs”, Swan Valley, Great Southern and Pemberton. There are lots of wines around and people want to support their home turf.  It’s common to say a quick “hi” to another rep entering the restaurant you’ve just left. Sales will always be competitive, so you just have to get out there and enjoy what you do.

What makes my job most enjoyable for me are the wines I get to sell (OK, get to taste, too). People ask me, “What is your favourite wine?” I could go on for days, so I think, “What is good now”?

Yalumba Bush Vine Grenache

Well as of today, I am feeling summer knocking, and if I were on a boat on the Swan River this would be my perfect line up:

• Pour myself Jansz Premium Vintage – keep a close eye on who starts to hang around you because once they “sample” the 04 vintage, it could be gone before you say “Freo”.
• Throw the fresh lemon and cracked pepper marinated prawns on the portable barbie, give a couple of stubs to the skipper. Gotta keep them happy, and also to keep them away from your Jansz.
• Hmm … Riesling with the prawns – yep sounds good. But which one? Heggies 2009 drinking lovely, crisp, fresh pear and apple characters. Balanced with a clean, mineral finish.
• Can you go on a boat without another cold white? Yes you can. Get your hands on The Y Series Sangiovese Rose. This is bang for your buck. Funky new label too. You can afford more than one or two of these.
• Drink the Y Rose with a tandoori chicken salad. Fresh coriander thrown in is a must.
• Keep the chatter and the tunes going, no dancing unless your boat legs are in fine form. The sunsets here are really something special.  If the Freo doctor (read: sea breeze from Fremantle) is still around, it’s time for a red to warm you up on the 8 knot cruise back to shore. The choice for me is very difficult- it would have to be the Yalumba Bush Vine Grenache 2008. Put it in the glass and enjoy it while it keeps you warm.

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

Mission Codename: 1000 Years and Counting

Operative: Agent White

Objective: Visit Fattoria La Marcellina and acquire their Gran Cru Sasso Forato Chianti Classico DOCG

Mission Status: Accomplished!

Current Winery: Fattoria La Marcellina

Wine Subject: 2004 Sasso Forato Chianti Classico DOCG

Winemaker: Fabio Castellacci

Backgrounder:

Chianti Classico DOCG is produced in one of the eight sub-regions in the Chianti region. This one hales from the Panzano in Chianti commune, in the Chianti hills about halfway between Siena to the south and Florence to the north. The DOCG requires that these wines range from 75-100% Sangiovese grapes and often is blended with Caniolo Nero, Trebbiano, Colorino, Malvasia or Cabernet Sauvignon (regular Chianti is limited to no more than 90% Sangiovese). This region in Chianti is most populated by foreign owned wineries. The La Marcellina family has owned and worked the land and vines in this area for about 1000 years.

This Chianti Classico DOCG is 100% Sangiovese and has good cellar potential. The finest Chianti Classico, such as this one, can age gracefully for up to 20 years and are also among the funnest food wines from Italy.

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – Dark ruby red with violet and ruby reflections through its clear core. Along the edges the color remains deep only lightening on the very edge to a lighter shade of ruby-garnet. When swirled, this wine leaves behind fast fat legs that show hints of color as the descend to the wine below.

Smell – Medium in intensity but fully aromatic. Notes of spice and oak over sweet and ripe red cherry and hints of strawberry are layered over vanilla, floral violets and a subtle bramble-herbal component.

Feel – Smooth and rich, this full-boded wine has firm, but finely textured silky tannins and lively acidity that mellows as this wine opens up. Mouth-coating and lightly chewy with a touch of minerality that lingers into the finish.

Taste – Rich flavors of red and black cherry, toasted oak and vanilla and subtle spice and earthy notes. Zesty and juicy, but not overdone, impressively layered and harmoniously integrated. Hints of dark mocha and tar add complexity.

Finish – Lingering and clean with notes of this wine’s minerality and tannin texture leading the way and framing its bright and rich fruit.

Conclusion – The 2004 La Marcellina Sasso Forato Chianti Classico DOCG is a very pretty wine from an exceptional vintage in the region. As this wine opens up, its refined subtle and elegant aromas and flavors emerge making this wine a great accompaniment to bold and rich Italian food. Easy to drink and enjoy, this Chianti Classico will continue to improve for the next 10 or more years.

Mission Report:

Below is our original mission when Agent White first discovered the wines of La Marcellina, and specifically the Sassocupo Chianti Classico.

Word came in from OPS to head south from Florence and find Sassocupo… I had heard rumors of Sassocupo, but wasn’t sure what exactly what he or she, or it was. The rumors ranged from a Sasquatch type creature that wrecked havoc in the area to a small ground mole that raided vineyards in search of a tasty meal. I had no idea what to expect.

My local asset on the ground, Agent Baco Noir promoted the Sasquatch theory, I think in an effort to not only intimidate me but also, as I found out later, to as part of her ongoing game with me. Baco informed me that she had a lead and insisted that I be prepared for outdoor activities (think Man v. Wild), but I wasn’t worried, heck this was Tuscany, how wild would it get, not to mention, my local asset never wore anything less than 4 inch heels, regardless of the terrain.

We ventured forth on our Vespas through the winding hills of the Chianti region, and we approached a vineyard in the Panzano in Chianti commune. From here we went on foot, and walked into a carefully tended Sangiovese vineyard. Then things started to get strange, I started hearing grunts and other not-so-natural sounds. She took up a position behind me and pushed me forward. The noises continued and in the distance I could see a small worn-out barn.

”There, in the barn”, She pointed… “My contact said to check there…”

As I opened the creaky door, a thin ray of sunlight lit only a portion of the otherwise dark and dusty barn. I took a step in and the door slammed shut with a shudder, both from the barn and also up my spine. Just then, Baco, goosed me by grabbing me from behind and scared the, well, better discretion says I cannot describe….

As she laughed, the door opened, and the Castellacci family emerged with big smiles and said ”let’s go and meet Sassocupo”, as they presented me a bottle of their Chianti Classico Riserva, named Sassocupo.

Mystery solved, and a delicious mystery it was.

Wine Spies Vineyard Check:

The location of the Fattoria La Marcellina can be seen in this satellite photo.

There are a lot of little gems in Yountville — family operated wineries producing a few hundred cases a year that are a little off the beaten path — Chanticleer is one. Located on a sunny, east facing slope on the west side of our patch of the Valley, this boutique winery produces two premium wines incorporating the Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese grapes grown in the 8 acre Morningside Vineyard. Proprietors Caddy and George Grodahl and Chris Dearden, General Manager and winemaker for Benessere Vineyards began their partnership in 2000. Because case production is small and reasonably priced (under $60) each vintage sells out quickly.

The 2007 Chanticleer Sangiovese was recently released, and not much remains of the 400 cases produced, but if you’re quick you may still be able to snap it up. This wine is bursting with ripe blueberry and violet aromas and is youthful and full in the mouth with complementary fruit, oak and grainy tannins. George and Caddy feel that it’s the finest Sangiovese produced from Chanticleer to date. Sunset magazine described it as “A wonderful mix of spicy earth and berries – especially dusty strawberries and raspberries.”

Be sure to note the magnums available, and if you get a chance, ask George about how they named the winery — it’s a great story, and he does a fine job of the telling as well.

Wine bottles should be pretty. I understand that one should “never judge a book by its cover” but a wine bottle is going to sit on your table all night, I think that it should be pretty. It adds to the ambiance. The first thing that I am going to say about this wine is that the label and the bottle are striking, in a good way– black with a red riding knight on it. Very cool.

However, this wine is more than its label. It is a very luscious Chianti (here one would call this a Sangiovese, because Chianti– real Chianti– is 100% Sangiovese) that has dark blackberry, black cherry, plum, and a hint of blueberry. In the aroma there is a wonderful floral smell that balances some of the spiciness of the anise, pepper and spice. On this mouth this has firm tannins, medium body, with a nice finish. A definite joy to drink.

What is nice about this wine is that it is less expensive than many “riserva” Chianti’s and Wine.com has it listed for 19.99$ but I am sure that you can find it for less.

“My wines are like a person. They talk, they change, they tell you something different every sip. They taste different from one day to the next, from one hour to the next. That kind of complexity is what makes wine interesting.”

In 1970’s, San Francisco gallery owner Sean Thackrey left behind his career as a dealer of Nineteenth Century French photography and began making wine. His education did not come from UC Davis, nor from any traditional studies of oenology. Instead, Thackrey began to collect ancient and Medieval texts on the subject, opting for an approach that would yield wine that differed greatly from what was abundantly available.

In 1979 Thackrey bottled his first wine, a Bordelais blend of Cabernet and Merlot sourced from Napa Valley’s Fay Vineyard. While this first attempt was of sufficient quality to reaffirm his change in vocation, he nevertheless would shift direction, making the observation that Napa Valley style wines did not fascinate him. “They’re just too damn polite for me. Why drink a wine that you wouldn’t like if it were a person? It’s like sitting next to someone and everything they say has to be so proper.”

Thackrey turned to Mourvédre and Petit Sirah—two grapes which at that time, did not have the status and popularity they now enjoy. Both were generally used in blending cuvées, and were rarely bottled as stand alones. And while the American wine landscape became enamored of terroir —the sense of place imparted by a specific location—Thackrey dismissed its importance, favoring an alchemist’s approach. Pleiades, which comprises about 60% of his annual 5,000 case production, is based on a shifting blend of grapes such as Carignane, Barbera, Mourvedre, Syrah, Sangiovese, and Viognier. These are strange bedfellows to be sure, but then this perfumey gem tastes nothing like anything I’ve had before or since.

At the age of  67, Sean Thackrey produces five wines, all named for constellations. His fascination with the patterns we impose onto nature, draws an interesting parallel to the intellectual curiosity he exercises when blending grapes and making bits of heaven. Sean Thackrey is a Renaissance man—he speaks seven languages, is an expert on and a collector of 19^th Century photography, is a photographer himself. Today he maintains one of the World’s largest collections of ancient and Medieval texts on the subject of wine—the very same manuscripts from which he learned his craft.

*    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *

I managed to get my hands on a couple bottles each of the 2006 Sean Thackrey Sirius Petite Sirah and the 2003 Sean Thackrey Aquila Sangiovese Eaglepoint Ranch Mendocino. Because the Petite Sirah is expected to cellar for 20-30 years (take that, first growth Bordeaux), I opted to open the Sangiovese. This red is stunning and full of the surreal and heady attributes that I enjoy in the Pleiades, but with additional complexity, depth and savoriness that make this far more food-friendly and sophisticated. This deep scarlet wine immediately offers a perfumey nose of eucalyptus, chocolate and malt. The body is glassy and Pinot-like, but with an extra viscosity that the glycerin note lends.  Raspberry, eucalyptus, cocoa, tart cherry and a hint of smoke continually trade off on the palate.  The structure is seamless and perfectly integrates fruit, tannins and acidity into a supple experience with a long, long finish. This is most unusual—I am absolutely blown away.

Date/time: 23 November, Monday, 7.45pm

Piemonte e Toscana – Nobili Vini d’Italia Leonardo da Vinci once wrote that “the discovery of a good wine is increasingly better for mankind than the discovery of a new star”. Hailing from Tuscany, he would surely know a thing or two about good wine. If Burgundy is one of the historic centres of white wine production, then Italy surely has a strong claim to being the home of old-world red wine. Indeed, wines from Tuscany and Piedmont in particular are some of the most sought-after in the world, matching even the historic châteaux of Bordeaux in quality (and of course, price). In November, we will be focusing exclusively on these two regions and learning why they are so globally popular. A hint: it has a lot to do with Nebbiolo and Sangiovese.

Cost: £10 per person

RSVP: glass (dot) half (dot) fulham (at) googlemail (dot) com by 13 November, Friday. Numbers are limited to 15 and will be allocated on a first-come-first-served basis.

Sono stata in Romagna, lo scorso weekend. Un weekend più lungo del solito, che mi ha permesso di assaporare quel clima particolare che c’è da noi. Quell’aria di convivialità che traspare da tanti dialoghi improvvisati e sorrisi liberamente elargiti.

Lo confesso, in certi periodi della mia vita ho in parte disconosciuto il luogo in cui sono venuta al mondo. Ma bisogna anche capire che vivere a Punta Marina Terme, ridente paesino di 2000 anime, può essere alquanto piacevole in estate ma diventa un supplizio durante la cattiva stagione.

Pensate alla nebbia e all’umidità: c’è persino la scelta fra quella del mare e quella della pianura. Non aiuta neppure la “skyline industriale” di Ravenna che, lasciatemelo dire, è quantomeno inquietante. E quel maledetto cielo arancione delle notti illuminate dalle luci antinebbia…

Insomma, la voglia di scappare m’è venuta abbastanza presto. E per allontanarmi da casa ho fatto più o meno tutto quello che era in mio potere. L’importante era non essere proprio lì. Preferivo la campagna, la collina, la città. Della collina, a dire il vero, mi sono proprio innamorata nel periodo che vi ho trascorso. Certe scene rimarranno sempre nel mio cuore. Come quando tornavo a casa di notte e la collina era completamente innevata e la luna enorme e piena, e allora ho spento i fari nella notte per vedere se poi è così difficile morire…no, per vedere quel paesaggio meraviglioso stagliarsi contro il blu del cielo. Anche ora a ripensarci mi vengono i brividi. Mi vengono anche se visualizzo il “bosco magico” che avevo sotto casa, i caprioli saltellanti, la meraviglia del risveglio della natura, a primavera. Poi ho vissuto anche in città, trovando le mie abitudini e miei spazi. Ma anche da quel contesto ho avuto voglia di andarmene.

E infatti, da più di un anno a questa parte, ho intrapreso vita nomadica. E da allora la “mia” Romagna la vedo solo negli sprazzi di vacanza o in saltuari weekend. Mi è mancata in Marocco, molto meno a Bruxelles, mi manca di nuovo ora che sono a Milano. Mi manca il poter prendere la macchina e andare dove voglio, mentre qui è immediata l’equazione auto=stress. Mi mancano le chiacchierate estemporanee con la gente sconosciuta, mio grande passatempo dei tempi andati. Qui mi sarà capitato forse due volte in otto mesi che ci vivo. Mi mancano le mitiche osterie in collina, dove con 10 euro esci pieno di piadina, cappelletti e buon vinello che ti scorre allegro nelle vene. Mi manca soprattutto la socialità, che pure anche da noi è parecchio decaduta negli ultimi anni.

Ma si sa, Milano è laboratorio di tante cose e probabilmente anche di questa. Magari anche in Romagna si inizierà a diffidare di tutti, a rinchiudersi in casa, a pensare la città come un luogo di lavoro e attività commerciale anziché come uno spazio pubblico da vivere. Anzi devo dire la verità, lo si sta già facendo.

Rimane il calore delle chiacchiere con la gente di collina, con gli sconosciuti al bar, rimangono i meravigliosi racconti di mia nonna su quella vita terribilmente diversa eppure così affascinante. La mischio alle immagini di 900 di Bertolucci. Quelle campagne, quel modo di stare assieme ed essere uniti, quelle modalità di svago così semplici. Ripenso a mio nonno che, seduto nel bassocomodo (che, se non lo sapete, è una specie di aggiunta alla casa, dove c’è il camino, si tiene la legna e spesso si cucina anche), faceva le sedie con le erbe di fiume essiccate. Sedie bellissime, una dopo l’altra. Quando si pranzava, il nonno andava nell’altra stanza e tornava con un’armonica. Intonava qualche nota e diceva una barzelletta. Ancora qualche nota, ancora qualche barzelletta, e poi si ritirava da dove era venuto, un vero e proprio artista del buonumore. Questa è la terra che voglio ricordare. Piena di tradizioni, gioia di vivere, semplicità e divertimento.

I have been wanting to go tasting at Deerfield for a very long time and this weekend was the perfect opportunity. Two of my favorite people, Fred and Cheryl, were visiting from CT/NY and on Sunday we all, my parents, “auntie” and “uncle”, myself and Emma (my dog), decided to go up to Sonoma for lunch and tasting. When we first got to Sonoma we went to eat at the least flavorful TexMex place I have ever eaten, La Casa. After lunch, my puppy, Cheryl, and my mom had some ice cream from the Ben and Jerry’s shop, by consensus much better than the lunch place.

At this point I was itching to get the winery, did I mention that I had been wanting to go here for TWO years, and so we drove up 12 into Kenwood, where Deerfield is located. It is a gorgeous setting. I find Sonoma so much more peaceful than Napa because it is less crowded, less built up, but with the same gorgeous natural scenery. The winery had just redone its facility in the last few years and had built a wine cave into the mountain. At the very end of the cave is the tasting room, and the walk down is cool and smells of pressed grapes, and the passage is lined with barrels of wine. The tasting room itself is beautiful with couches, leather chairs and long wooden tables. It is set up to allow you to take your time with the tasting.

We decided on the VIP tasting, as this was the only winery that we were visiting today, and I have to admit the prices for tasting are a little higher than other places. However, if you buy 3 bottles they waive the tasting fee and there are definitely 3 bottles you will want to buy (and the wines are quite reasonably priced). Let’s do the tasting rundown, shall we?

We started out with two Sauvignon Blancs in completely different styles. The 2006 was not at all grassy, had a buttery feel, a lot of grapefruit and pineapple, and a very long finish. It was not my favorite, very different from the Marlborough, New Zealand style, but F and C loved it! The 2007 was very different, as it was done in steel instead of oak. This wine was very bright with peach, some floral notes, smooth and crisp with a medium finish. I preferred this Sauvignon Blanc, but you cannot go wrong either way. This wine came in at 18.00 a bottle.

Next came the 2006 Pinot Noir from the Russian River Valley. This was a Pinot done in the old world style, heavier on the earth and spice, less heavy on the fruit. I loved this, however, my sentiment was not shared by other members of my tasting group who prefer fruit forward wines. There was a spice box that had definite notes of cinnamon and clove, strawberries, cedar, damp earth, damp wood, and cherries, with fine tannins. This was an incredibly balanced and delicious wine. 45$.

Next we were served the 2002 Super T-Rex, Deerfield’s Super Tuscan blend with Sangiovese, Cab Franc, Cab Sauv, and Dolcetto. This was by far my Dad’s favorite wine of the day, but he tends to be an Italian wine fan in general. This had notes of raspberries, chocolate, green pepper, anise, cedar, cherry, and blackberry. It was very balanced, smooth, and had a nice refreshing acidity to it. Very good. 45$.

Next came the Red Rex, the multipurpose blend, and it was just that. If you know anyone who does not like red wine, this is a really easy drink and a very friendly wine for them. Our resident white lover, red not-so-mucher, Cheryl, gave this the non-red drinker stamp of approval. Maybe I will have to actually get her a stamp that says “approved by Cheryl” but I could see how use of that could go overboard. This was fruit forward with blueberry, strawberry, blackberry, violet, eucalyptus, chocolate, cinnamon, anise, and herbs. It was very smooth and easy to drink. 28$ and a great party wine.

Now came 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon, by far my favorite of the evening, that just sung. It is from the North Coast and is made is a Bordeaux style with the enhancement of a bit of Merlot, Malbec, Cab Franc, and Petit Verdot. This wine has pepper, blueberry, cherry, plum, cedar, damp earth, and the Petit Verdot gives it a brightness on the finish that is utterly refreshing. This is Balanced with nice fine tannins. This is a great wine, though very light for a Cabernet and will appeal more to people who love a French Bordeaux more than people who love a big, bold Napa Cab. Here is the great part, this wine is only 30$.

At this point, Walker, the beautiful Vineyard Poodle came in and was fascinated by my dog who was bullied before I got her and kind of skittish around other dogs. It just makes her uneasy. Walker is the sweetest dog and an added benefit of the Deerfield Ranch Winery for any wine country visitor who loves dogs. So sweet!

Now, we had two tastings left and two 75+ lb dogs, I would guess Walker is about 75, Emma, tank that she is, hovers between 85 and 90 lbs, in a space with a lot of glassware. I gripped Emma tighter, not a shock– this was the epitome of a bull in a china shop. However, back to the wine, we were next served the 2004 Shiraz Cuvee, which was everyone’s least favorite wine of the day. It had blueberries, violets, cedar, black pepper, and spice, but it just fell flat and was not exciting. This is the only wine here I cannot recommend.

Lastly, we finished up with the flagship, a 1999 DRX in the Bordeaux style. This is their premium wine, and price reflects it, but it is delicious. Completely round and smooth, with ripe fruit flavors mellowed by earthiness followed by spice. This is a delicious and sophisticated wine. It is a slightly more refined version of the Cabernet. However, at 85$ a bottle would I pick this over the Cab? Heck no. The value on the Cab is through the roof.

And that concluded our tasting. We bought the Super-T (for my dad), the Red Rex (for the next time Cheryl visits), and the Cabernet (for me!) and concluded our spectacular visit.

I do have one last thing to note: this is a completely organic vineyard, so it is great for the environment at the same time as being great tasting. I definitely recommend a trip up here to taste.

Perfect wine doesn’t have a single definition.  There will never be a machine that can turn out ‘perfect’ wines.  There are too many variables and it is the uniqueness of each artful release that brings forth a worthy story rather than a homogenous, measurable string of proper qualities. 

That being said, it is possible to hedge bets toward fantastic releases.  It requires attention to a number of variables:

• Buy the best grapes available from the areas most skilled grape growers (a step that requires longstanding relationships as well)
• Buy the most technologically advanced equipment and finest traditional barrels
• Enlist the help of the finest and most experienced oenologists, practiced using the grapes found in your final release

This is the basis for Long Shadows Vintners. 

Founder Allen Shoup has earned an influential placement at the pinnacle of Washington’s wine industry.   He began with humble beginnings at Gallo in California and rose through vast achievement to CEO of Stimson Lane (owner of Chateau Ste. Michelle & Columbia Crest), Washington’s largest wine company.  With his broad assets of professional relationships, prime properties and ample finances, he’s been able to pair Washington’s best grapes with the world’s finest talent to create tremendously well-made expressions of our Northwest’s best.

Through these efforts come the 2006 rendition of Saggi, the Long Shadows “Super Tuscan” style blend of Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah.  Shoup has invited the talents of the Tuscan winemaking father and son team of Ambrogio and Giovanni Folonari to craft the wine using grapes grown in the Horse Heaven Hills and Alder Ridge vineyards.

The added bonus of this wine is an additional year of age in the bottle.  The 2007 has been released, but the silky smoothness of the 2006 is showing through with increasing balance and contemplative layers.

Dark cherry aromas and flavors combine with a hint of nutmeg in this Super Tuscan style blend. An elegant entry in the front of the mouth reveals refined tannins with focused concentration, enhanced by the wine’s silky mouth feel and lengthy finish.

This wine is regularly sold for $36.99, but is available to wine club members for only $31.99!

• Visit the Long Shadows Vintners website
• Read a few more specifics about Super Tuscan wines
• Check out a clickable map of the castles of Tuscany
• Learn about Horse Heaven Hills, one of Washington’s newest appellations

• Take your pick of Pasta Recipes from the Italian Chef.com
• Here’s a video on how to make Moroccan Chicken Casserole
• Jamie Oliver can help with fantastic Pizza Recipes

Have you tasted this wine? When you’ve had a chance to enjoy this wine, please return to this blog and leave your comments! Others will appreciate your input, unique viewpoint, and recommendations.

The 2005 Seghesio Sangiovese begins and ends in two totally different places, and the destination is good. I have been eyeballing a cluster of these particular bottles at a musty little wine shop that smells like wet carpet. Last week, I noted that the stock this Sangio was down to two bottles, so I made my move—with Carey in mind.

She loves Tuscan wines and Italian varietals, so what better a way than to justify the purchase of a wine that is a bit more than I usually like to spend on a whim than to know how happy it will make her—and so far it is working just fine. Gym… what gym?

This wine opens up hot. Big alcohol with fruit that does not have the grip to roll over the top of it like a Zinfandel. But the burn is only temporary, and even so, Carey was sold from sip one:

This isn’t a wine that asks you to dissect it for flavors; it commands your attention on a different level that is not hidden or cerebral—it’s all charisma.

Pretty intuitive, especially now that I’ve had two hours to see how this wine has opened up.

This Sangiovese has a lot of alcohol, acidity, a bit of bite, and strong, ripe fruit expressing its rugged soul. This is a terrain wine, not a terroir wine—that sounds far too weak for an American Badlands version of sun-scorched Tuscan hillsides. That’s what I picture when I close my eyes, sip, and process the dusty flavors. Plum and cherry, cracked pepper and tar, tanned leather and dusty rose, an amazingly fatty flesh that lingers on the finish and a tight heat that settles in the chest.

This is the bottle I would carry in my saddle bag.

Enjoy.

-Rob

Mission Codename: Roman Holiday Redux

Operative: Agent White

Objective: Follow Up on Agent Baco’s Italian Escapades

Mission Status: Accomplished!

Current Winery: Tenuta della Luia

Wine Subject: 2003 Rosso di Toscana – Super Tuscan

Winemaker: Fabrizio Moltard

Backgrounder:

In just the last decade, Super Tuscans became the latest rage in Italian wine in the United States, however, their story goes back to the late 1940s when the famed Sassicaia wine was reportedly made by Incisa della Rochetta using Cabernet Sauvignon vines from Chateau Lafite-Rothschild, or so the legend goes. Now Super Tuscans are the ‘Bordeaux’ of West-Central Italy, expertly blended with Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and often Merlot, Colorino and other local grape varietals.

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – Deep and dark garnet purple with ruby red reflections through its dark but clear core. Along the edges the color lightens slightly to ruby and then pink. When swirled, widely spaced thin legs streak down the glass followed by slower fatter legs that hang showing hints of this wine’s color.

Smell – Medium in intensity with aromas of dark black and red fruit including black cherry and black berry. Complex notes of exotic spice, herbal bramble black peppercorn and oak are interlaced with subtle hints of fennel and vanilla caramel.

Feel – This full-bodied wine is warm, smooth and dry with bright but balanced acidity and finely grained mouth gripping and textured masculine tannins. (Do let this wine open up prior to service as it shows tightly initially.)

Taste – Rich and intense red and black fruit including Italian cherry, black cherry and other bramble berries with herbal and earthy notes. Exotic spice, licorice and black pepper layered over subtle toasted oak and hints of vanilla and zesty tar adds to the overall appeal of this wine.

Finish – Long and clean with rich red fruit and spice framed by this wine’s distinct Italian textured feel that continues to show its warmth and invite another sip.

Conclusion – Quite simply, this is one of the most delicious Super Tuscans we have tasted this year. It shows all of the varietal characteristics of the component grapes as well as the synergy of the blend. It is warm, rich, smooth, well balanced and integrated in flavor, texture and finish. If you are fan of Italian wine, this is one to get as Tenuta della Luia will soon be the highlight of many a wine-list in the top restaurants.

Mission Report:

Here is a recap of the mission report presented when we first discovered Tenuta della Luia.

The last time I was in Italy, it was to check up on Agent Baco. HQ had thought she had been compromised. How could it that Baco could consistently find us great wine after great wine. She had to be on the take. She had been on paid administrative leave ever since.

While the investigation is still pending, word has it that she will be reinstated shortly. I wanted to deliver the news personally, so while passing through Rome, I took the short train trip to Florence where I new I could find her. She was known to frequent the Acquo ai Due on the Piazza San Firenze in the old city.

As expected, she was there, not sipping an espresso but with a bottle of wine on the table. (May I say, it was nearly empty – but I am glad to have arrived when I did so I could taste the last glass). The wine happened to be the 2003 Tenuta della Luia Rosso di Toscana. After taking my first sip, I knew why Baco had that sly smile on her face.

“I was wondering when you would show up,” she said, passing a piece of paper with some notes scribbled on it, “I almost polished this off without you.” “How did you know?” I asked. “Agent Blush told me you had some news for me, and I know you well enough that you like to personally deliver messages.” So much for keeping covert cover. “You’d better go soon, Alessandro (Alessandro Gori, the owner of Tenuta della Luia) is waiting for you. I figured you’d like to meet him.”

With that, Baco got up, fixed her sunglasses and skirt and walked off towards the Palazzo…

Wine Spies Vineyard Check:

The location of the Tenita della Luia Winery can be seen in this satellite photo.

What better time to start writing about wine then when you’ve just finished tasting roughly 18 wines a day over 6 glorious days?

Having recently completed Level 3 of the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET) with James Cluer at Fine Vintage, I have to give my props to some of the wine in this ‘Random Top 20(ish) Wines’ we were fortunate enough to taste while “studying”… listed in no particular order, according to my personal preference, with price point estimates (BC, Canada) and a few scribbles between the drooling, Ooo-ing and Ahhh-ing. Most of these, let it be known, I simply could not merely ‘taste’; a few slipped right down. A lot of these are wines you may want to break the bank on when the occasion presents itself, like, for instance, a quiet Tuesday evening at home. Why not?

WHITES:

1. Domaine Weinbach, Riesling Schlossberg, Alsace Grand Cru 2005 $70 – crisp and beautiful – spend the dough on this one, it will not disappoint.
2. Vinvent Girardin, Puligny Montrachet 1er Cru Les Referts Burgundy 2006 $99 – oh-so-much-goodness. Melts in your mouth. Drink now.
3. Charles Heidsieck Cuvée 1995 $200 – Heavenly way to start the morning.
4. Zilliken Riesling Auslese Mosel (‘Auslese’ = German Late Harvest = sweet = FAB) 1995 $58
5. Muenchberg Grand Cru Alsace Riesling 2004 $104
6. Nicolas Joly Savennières Les Clos Sacrés (Les Vieux Clos) 2006 $47 – Bio-Dynamic
7. Château de Fesles Bonnezeaux 2003 $65 for the HALF L.
8. Château Dereszla Tokaji 2003 $30
9. Domaine Zind-Humbrecht Gewürztraminer Alsace 2004 $58
10. Kinheimer Rosenberg Riesling Kabinett 1999 $26 – What value!
(Bonus Number 11: blanc de blancs Champagne 1999 $85)

REDS:

1. Alentejo Incognito 2003 $67
2.Torres Salmos Priorat 2005 $35
3. Pio Cesare Barbaresco 2004 $114
4. Smith Woodhouse Tawny Port 1986 $65
5. Louis Jadot Gevrey-Chambertin 2002 $110
6. Château Beauséjour 1er Cru Saint Emilion 1998 $70
7. Château Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2001 $125 (All 13 grapes!)
8. Guigal Saint Joseph 2004 $110 (If I had to pick just one, god forbid, I can still taste this one…)
9. Felton Road Pinot Noir $110
10. Luce, IGT Super Tuscan, Montalcino 2005 $100

I’d be happy to expand on the what’s?/huh’s?/who’s-a? on any of the above if you’s like to know more.

Scary. Looking at my calendar I realize that the next IVSA event is scheduled for November 9th! So, before I get a glut of new wine notes to comment here, I will go back to those I had in the September event. And since I already posted notes on the whites I enjoyed, let’s now visit the tintos I found memorable. You may notice that mostly I am covering Italian wines but given the size of the IVSA event and the number of products (and the number of people you stop by to say hi and chat) there was little room for anything else.

• Let’s start with one of my favorites of that busy evening. Enoteca Bacco brings a truly delicious Negroamaro varietal, the 2006 Verve IGT from Salento. Pure expression of fruit, direct and ample, with dark overtones and really fun to drink. Not surprisingly, a previous incarnation of this wine, the Verve 2004, collected gold medals left, right and center. Battle the incoming November blues with Verve matching grilled blue fish like mackerel, sardines or spicy dishes (click on links for recipes). Just under 30 dollars, this listed product is available at LDB stores.

• Tempus Malbec 2007. Under 18 dollars, I fully enjoyed this uncomplicated, fruity, filling Malbec brought to us by MKR Importers. A no brainer for roasted beef, grilled meats, sausage in a bun with friends, etc. Just make sure you don’t eat your friends. Ha ha.

• When I had the Anghelos IGT 2006 I did understand the reason for the name: Angelic. I recommend this wine with absolutely NO reservations to those who enjoy a balsamic nose followed by a meaty, fleshy chunk of fruity acidity and elegant tannins that do not let go. Cabernet Sauvignon, Montepulciano and Sangiovese are blended in this superb broth hailing from the Marche region. Soft enough to accompany a Pasta Fagioli (pasta and beans in tomato sauce) but will stand up to an Osso Bucco. Wine Quest importers hit it right on the nose with this vino tinto. Under 40 dollars, this is the kind of wine you want to kick off the cool part of the year in full form.

• Fontanabianca means “white fountain”, which is the name of the winery that makes the Sori Burdin 2004 Barbaresco. This broth is potenza (potence) in the full meaning of the term. Nebbiolo grapes in grand style, with a tremendous aromatic profile and an equally tremendous body and tannic structure. Robert Parker, in his flowery-paralegal style calls this wine “authoritative”. I don’t know how a wine can be authoritative but I surely like the adjective here. Close to 90 dollars, granted not a wine for everyday consumption, but make sure you have a bottle around for that special occasion. And give me a shout when you do; I’d love to have this tinto again.

•Di Majo Norante is a producer that always delivers quality at affordable prices, without compromising the quality and more importantly, the sense of terroir. Their Sangiovese and Ramitello are good examples of this, but here I want to mention the Prugnolo del Molise IGT 2004. A delicious, easygoing yet flavorful Sangiovese. Light and playful but balanced and structured enough to be taken seriously. This product, brought by Style Wines retails for less than 22 dollars.

•The last two wines are both represented by Liquid Art Fine Wines. The Tenuta Sette Ponti ‘Crognolo’ IGT 2006 is a Sangiovese Merlot blend from Toscana. At around 40 dollars a bottle, it merited a 92 pt score by Wine Spectator (08/31/08). Full bodied, concentrated, tannic, warm, with cherry and earthy aromas and flavors, this is a delicious, powerful wine.

I closed the night with the Domaine de Cristia Chateauneuf-du-Pape AC, 2006. I knew it would be my last tasting of the night. The lights had already flickered off a couple of times and the Liquid Art reps were already putting their gear away. I could not but ask for a second pouring, being late and feeling like I deserved a break. I savored every drop of the Cristia. Elated and in awe, I only jotted down

depth suavidad elegance long red fruit rocks beautiful alcohol integration A

Enough said.

Hasta la proxima.