5/27/2010

New wine by the glass
Bibi Graetz- 100% Ansonica- Artwork on label is his, artist turned producer.
Made from 100% Ansonica grapes grown on the Island of Giglio (a.k.a. Inzolia in Sicily). As a child, Bibi used to spend summers on Giglio Island, a small sparsely inhabited island in the Tuscan Archipelago that comes to life in the summer, reachable only by boat, surrounded by crystal-clear waters. Giglio is about 6 square miles.
Tasting notes- Not much on the nose, warm lemon, yeast, salty, acidic and dry

Damiano Cesanese- M+ (bit lighter than last), Cherry, Rose, Iron, Rusty, Herbal, Pepper and Acidic

New by the Bottle
Gattinara, Nebbiolo
Tasting notes- Red fruit, blackberry, plum, liquorice, hint of vanilla, cream and leather- full and slight acidic.

DESSERT WINES

Traversa, Brachetto, Piemonte
--Frizzante, pink, strawberry and rhubarb paired with Gelato, nice with pie
Luciano Landi, Lacrima di Morro d’Alba Passito, Le Marche---100% Lacrima di Morro d’Alba,inky, rose petal, lavender, violet, blueberry, pomegranate, and cinnamon, ripe dark berries and wild flowers. Paired with Baci
Planeta, Moscato di Noto, Sicilia
---Dried fruit, mango, dates, orange peel, and spicy notes of tea and ginger,vanilla cream,dense and thick, lively acidity. Paired with panna cotta
Gianni Doglia, Moscato d’Asti, Piemonte
----Wild flowers and apricot, bitter marmalade, dried apples, and spices. Not very sweet, balanced acidity and a medium body. Long and elegant finish, orange zest and flowers. Paired with Pie
Librandi 'Le Passule' Mantonico Passito, Calabria
---100% Mantonico, an ancient local grape, dried and aged in wood. Poached pear, floral, bright and lighter. Paired with Bavarese
D’Ancona, ‘Cimillýa’, Passito di Pantelleria, Moscato di Alessandria, Sicilia 2004
---Harvested by hand-balanced,elegant, honey, apricot, dates, nuts, hops. Paired with Crespelle
Pieropan, ‘Le Colombare’, Recioto di Soave, Veneto 2004
-Apricot jam and honey, nutmeg and flowers. Paired with Torta
Cornarea, ‘Tarasco’, Roero Arneis Passito, Piemonte, 2005
-Quince Jam, toasted hazelnuts, honey. Paired with cheeses
Cantine del Castello Conti, Elixir,Piemonte NV-Herbal & medicinal Paired with Biscotti

5/19/10 updates

Gurrida, 'Victory', 100% Grenache, Sicilia 2002
-M+,beautiful brick color, raisin, stewed fruit, prune, cherry, raspberry, slightly oxidized.
Grenache main grape in Rhone blends and most Cotes du Rhone and Chateaunuef-du-pape. Yields soft, lightly colored yet full wines endowed with deep notes of strawberry and raspberry. It is particularly common in Spain as Garnacha, and Sardinia, as Canonnau,
The Gurrida estate, above the town of Randazzo at an altitude of 850 meters, comprises 36 hectares that are under water from late October to mid March, when the River Flascio breaks its banks.
Viticulturalists who have never actually seen the gnarled, unpruned vines protruding from the mirror of water refuse to believe their survival is possible.
Early 1800s planted with Grenache, the French variety, at the behest of Lord Nelson. When Lord Nelson's Sicilian property was divided up and sold in the late 1960s, the Cesarò family of nearby Giarre purchased the Gurrida estate.
A lawyer turned agriculturalist, Angelo Cesarò set to work on the abandoned vineyard in 1990, and he now produces a velvety red table wine that he has called Victory, in memory of Nelson's flagship at the battle of Trafalgar in 1805, when the British Navy destroyed Napoleon's fleet.

Terre del Principe, 'Castello delle Femmine', Terre del Volturno, Campania 2008- 50% Pallagrello Nero & 50% Casavecchia
Terre del Principe =The Prince’s Land
M+, Raspberry,candied cherry, baking spice, fresh black pepper, wood tannins, tart, smokey, bitter almond finish

Castello delle Femmine (Women's castle) named after an castle where young women went be trained in “ars amandi” or the art of love. The vintage made by hand during the last 20 days of october.

Poggio di Bortolone, Cerasuolo di Vittoria Classico, Sicilia 2006- Nero d' Avola and Frappato
-----Classic IT. Red, Med, bright red fruit, blackberry, cranberry, dried rose, acidic, hot earth with little spice.
Not New but a bit more info-
Terre del Principe, 'Fontanavigna',100% Pallagrello Bianco, Terre del Volturno, Campania 2008
-Named after old fountain in area- Hand picked in first few weeks of September.
Fresh fruit, apple, pineapple, melon, balanced with finish of dried apricots

Tre Bicchieri Awards from Gambero Rosso at SPQR

Gambero Rosso is a publishing organization (founded 20 years ago) that focuses on Italian food, wine, and culture. They publish and promote high quality products (food and wine) from Italy through multimedia whether it be guides, iphone apps, tv, online. Their goal is to promote Italian culture and all the wonderful products that come with it. They have a rating guide for wines and each year they come out with the ‘Tre Bicchieri’ awards- the wines they consider best of the year. Tre Bicchieri means ‘3 Glasses’ which is the highest award- there are ‘2 glasses’ or Due Bicchieri also indicating runners up. Think of it as the oscars of italian wines.

A16 has offered tre bicchieri wines by the glass the week of the event every year so we carry on the tradition here at SPQR. We have 4 tre bicchiere whites by the glass and 4 tre bicchiere reds:

Broglia , ‘La Meirana’, Gavi di Gavi, Piemonte 2008:
100% Cortese in the center of the historical commune of Gavi in Piemonte. Broglia has the La Meirana vineyard which is considered one of the oldest in the area- records date back to 971 AD that the Meirana vineyard grew vines and chestnuts. Broglia has been producing Gavi since the mid 70’s and has remained a benchmark for the appellation (Gavi became one of those over produced chicken water wines of Italy in the 80’s).

Light to medium bodied; super high acidity; brambly meadow flowers; lemon pith and zest; chalky minerality

Clelia Romano, Fiano di Avellino, Colli di Lapio, Campania 2008:
Gambero Rosso’s White wine of the year! A huge honor for southern Italy, Campania, and Fiano itself. Clelia Romano has fiano vineyards in the Colli di Lapio which is considered the best area for Fiano within Avellino. There are only 2 other fiano producers in Lapio (one of them Rocca del Principe). Her fiano has always been our favorite and we are excited that the rest of Italy recognizes it now too.

Medium bodied, super flinty minerality, soft stone fruit , elegant super long finish. Gorg!

Kante, Malvasia, Carso, Friuli Venezia Giulia 2006:
Edi Kante is one of the many wild eccentric wine makers in Friuli. He is located as far south east as you can go in an area called ‘Istriana’ that hits right up against Slovenia and Slovakia. Carso is an incredibly unique plateau that is made of complete limestone. To build his facility Kante just tunneled into the limestone hillside. His wines are well respected and he is considered the best of Carso- always really pure warm fruit from the maritime climate of the coast but screaming acidity and minerality. Uses large old French tonneau to age his wines and add structure without adding oak flavors.

Medium bodied; ripe even darker fruit; apricots and marmalade and mango; rich minerality with fruit all the way to the end.

Pra, ‘Montegrande’ Soave Classico, Veneto 2007:
Graziano Pra is one of the best Soave producers and one of our dearest friends. His single vineyard Montegrande is almost always Tre Bicchiere. He blends 10% Trebbiano di Soave into this wine (with 90% Garganega) to add a little richness. Montegrande vineyard sits on the top of Monforte d’Alpone (hill next to Soave hill) with most of the vineyards terraced.

Medium bodied; soft peachy fruit; little honey notes; luscious and elegant.

Biondi, ‘Outis’, Etna Rosso, Sicilia 2005:
The newest and most exciting producer in Etna in our market; Ciro Biondi’s winery is the south side of Mt Etna and has been in production (in some way or another) since 1635. Outis means ‘nessuno’ which means ‘ no one’ which refers to the tale of Ulysses and his journey – legend has it that when Ullysses was confronted by Cyclops Polyfemous at Mt. Etna he gave the name ‘Nessuno’ meaning ‘no one’ and was able to escape. Soil is complete volcanic sand which is particular to Mt. Etna. The Outis Rosso is aged in barrique for 1 year but oak is extremely well integrated. 80% Nerello Mascalese and 20% Nerello Cappuccio that are alberello (bush) trained).

Medium bodied; intense dusty sandy minerality; bright red fruit; burgundian elegance.

Elena Fucci, ‘Titolo’, Aglianico del Vulture, Basilicata 2004:
One of the leading Vulture producers this winery is led by young enologist Elena Fucci with her family’s support. They own some of the best vineyards on Mt. Vulture (now extinct volcano) which are located on a specific lava flow named ‘Titolo’. The soil is a particular type with many layers of volcanic ash which allows excellent drainage for the vines and extreme minerality. Fucci is a new winery but has won tre bicchieri acclaim for almost all of its vintages.

Full bodied; intense smokey dusty minerality; dark red dried fruit; lots of leathery earth and spiceness; elegant structure and strong tannins.

Ettore Germano, ‘Ceretta’, Barolo, Serralunga, Piemonte 2003:
A more modern Barolo producer- Sergio Germano took over his family winery in 1993 after 6 years in enology school and working at Fontanafredda nearby. His winery is slightly north of Serralunga which is in the southeast area of Barolo. Most Serralunga vineyards are clay based soils making them (usually) the fullest and most structured of all barolos. The Ceretta cru was planted in 1978 and is one of their 2 crus (other is Prapo which is an older vineyard only .7 hectares in size).

Full bodied; dark earthy tones; lots of tannin and structure; subtle dry fruit tones; tar; black tea.

Villa Medoro, ‘Adrano’, Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, Colline Teramane, Abruzzo 2004:
Run by two families (Della Loggia and Morricone) in Abruzzo their 50 hectare estate is mainly clay and limestone vineyards that face the Gran Sasso Massif mountain and national park in the Appennines.

Full bodied; dark intense black fruit; earthy and muscular tannins; dark coffee.

updated wine notes 2.10.10

Abbaxia di Novacella, 'Stiftskellerei Neustift', Sylvaner, Valle Isarco, Alto Adige 2007

- Nice light with aromatics, richer and larger body for a sylvaner.
-Canteloup, ripe, pretty, little minerality, lemon and lime zest.

Massone 'Vigneto Massera' Gavi, Piemonte 2008

-100% Cortese
-Meadow, dandilion,kiwi, citrus, steminess and pineapple.

Didier Gerbelle, Torrette, Vallee d' Aoste 2008
Petit Rouge, Cornalin, Premetta, Fumin

-70% Petit Rouge
-Austere, bright, raspberry, cherry, lilac, jammy, vanilla cupcake and violet

Li Veli, 'Pezzo Morgana', Negroamaro, Salice Salentino, Puglia 2005

-Biodynamic and organic
-90% Negramaro, 10% Malvasia
-Cranberry, earthy, fruit on front with nice earth finish.
-Meaty, barnyard, dirty and bit irony.

Bruna Grimaldi Barbera d’Alba ‘Scassa’

-Vineyard located in Diano which is the tallest hilltop town in Serralunga within Barolo.
-Dark berry fruit- blueberries, raspberries, cherries; soft and velvety; little fall leaves/earthiness; subtle tannins; medium plus bodied.

Avignonesi Vino Nobile di Montepulciano

-From the famous house of the best vin santo in the world (no joke).
-85% Prugnolo (sangiovese grosso), 10% Canaiolo, 4% Mammolo.
-Full bodied, stewy rich dark cherry, leather, sweet tobacco, full earthy tannins.

New wines by the bottle:

New Chianti Classico- Il Borghetto ‘Bilaccio’ Chianti Classico Riserva

-Very unique chianti- bright red aromatic fruit, super floral, very pretty and femminine structure, elegant.

Dessert wines
New Brachetto – Ca’Rossa ‘Birbet’
-Our beloved fresh strawberry, frizzante, rosy brachetto.

Tasting Notes

Marisa Cuomo, Furore Bianco, Fiorduva, Costa d’Amalfi, 2006
Producer is a husband & wife team in the coastal village of Furore on the Amalfi Coast, Campania. “Furore” means gorge- the town is built into the gorge making it difficult to grow grapes here. The soil is rocky, chalky, volcanic.
-30% Fenile, 30% Ginestra, and 40% Ripolli, all lesser known varietals that are indigenous to the area
-This is a Riserva style, high end white wine fermented & aged in French barrique. The grapes are harvested slightly late, which gives the wine a warmth and subtle ripeness.
-Baked apple, bitter citrus, & marmelade
-Chalky, creamy mouthfeel. Medium plus body. An intense and multi-layered wine.

Lento, Dragone, Lamezia Rosso, Calabria, 2006
Lento is located on the west coast of Calabria (the ball of the foot). Soil has gravel, limestone & iron. Aged 6 months in barrique.
-Magliocco, Greco Nero, & Nerello Mascalese
-Warm dark fruit on nose. Heavy iron minerality, woody bushel berries. Medium body, tannins
-Pair with tomato dishes; sweetbreads

Boroli, Barolo, Castiglione Falletto, Piemonte, 2004
-Winery is new, established in 1997. Aged in oak for 2 years. This is a darker toned, brooding Barolo
-Stewed & dried fruit: plum, cherry. Iron, black tea, smoke, tar. Medium plus body
-This wine throws sediment so make sure to let the bottle settle before pouring
-Pair with sunchoke tortellini

Moretti Omero, Montefalco Rosso, Umbria, 2005
Biodynamic vineyards
50% Sangiovese, 30% sagrantino, 20% merlot
The prized & expensive Sagrantino grape is unique to the small town of Montefalco, and Montefalco Rosso blends it with several other varietals to make a more accessible wine.
-Stewed dark fruit: black cherry. Wet earth, forest floor, mushrooms, cured olive, funky
-Strong wood tannins, fuller body
-Pair with lamb, mushroom pasta

Poderi Foglia, “Concarosso Riserva”, Galluccio, Campania, 2006
Northern Campania
-Pallagrello Nero, Aglianico
-Black & purple fruit, cherry syrup, honeyed black coffee. Ripe, extracted
-Velvety, dusty, smoky, meaty

-Angela, SPQR Server

Red's by the glass 1.29.10

Daniela Rigamonti, “Canalegrande” Gutturnio, Emilia Romagna, 2006 Barbera and Bonarda

Gutturnio: In Emilia a cuvee of 55 to 70% barbera and 30 to 45% Bonarda is considered a Gutturnio. The wine derives this name from a silver cup (Gutturnium), which was used to serve wine during Roman times. This blend is the most ancient and most famous red wine produced in the hills of Piecenza (wineday.com)

Barbera: highly productive native of Piemonte known for its soft tannins. Second most planted grape in Italy, after Sangiovese. It is considered very ductile, characteristically, the grapes have high acidity and are used in the production of a wide variety of wine types (zigzagando.com)

Bonarda: Confusingly, this a synonym for Croatina used in the Oltrepo Pavese and in the Colli Piacentini in Emilia-Romagna. The real bondarda, bonarda piemontese, is said to be nearly extinct. Bonarda produces deeply colored wines, characterized by intense perfume with sometimes different aromatic notes. In addition, the wines are structurally balanced and age well. Though it is used mainly in blends, the grape can produce fairly good varietal wines (zigzagando.com) Tasting note: Ruby with a purple sheen. It is lightly aromatic. On the palate, the wine is soft, with an amalgam of cherry and berry fruit flavors (Patricia Guy).

Tasting: and elegant full bodied lush bark ruby colored, meaty gusty, top quality red. It has all the typical luscious cherry and berry fruit flavors one expects from this famous regional wine. Partners well with all red meats, meat filled ravioli, anti-pasti, game and aged cheeses (wineday.com) Concentrated earth up front. Dry earthy dark cherry with ash. Chewy. Medium body.

De Stefani, “Carmerosso” Carmeniere, Veneto, 2007

Carmenere: Northern Italy. This French vine once prominent in Bordeaux, is found in vineyards throughout Veneto and Friuli, where is often confused with Barernet Franc. It lends a savory, herbaceous character to a variety of DOC blends. It is especially prominent in the Vicenza area of the Veneto (Vino Italiano).

Notes from the Producer:

CARMEROSSO
Grapes: Carmenère.
The Carmenère grapes, confused since a few years ago with the
Cabernet franc, have assumed in the Piave area a native character
and there have found its ideal territory. Carmerosso has smooth
tannins with spicy notes. Ideal with game and red meat..

HISTORICAL NOTES: The Carmenère variety is an ancient variety which arrived in the North-East of Italy together with the Cabernet franc in the nineteen century and it was immediately confused with the latter. It has assumed in the Piave area a native character and there it has found its ideal territory giving its best qualitative results, thanks to the perfect marriage among the clay soil, the microclimate and this variety.

PRODUCTION AREA: Le Ronche estate, located in Fossalta di Piave. "Le Ronche" is the name of the place where this Cabernet vineyard is located. The name comes from the old local verb "roncare", which means to till and cultivate a field. Le Ronche were pieces of land with woods that, for the particular quality and structure of the soil, were cultivated mainly with vines.

SOIL: alluvial, rich in clay.

CLIMATE: mild, with very few rain showers and high summer temperature
with allows the grapes to ripen in the best conditions.

VINEYARD MANAGEMENT: to obtain a perfect ripening of the grapes,beyond the normal vineyard management, we carry out summer pruning and careful leaf thinning. Furthermore, the yield is kept very low in order to produce grapes rich in body and aroma.

HARVEST: end of September, picking up very ripe grapes, with a deep colour and a complete aromatic structure.

VINIFICATION: destemming and crushing of the grapes, maceration for 10- 15 days in special vessels at the temperature of 25-28°C, with frequent pumping over. After this period, the wine is taken out and ends its fermentation exclusively with wild yeasts at controlled temperature in stainless steel vats. After malo-lactic fermentation the wine matures for 8-12 months on its noble lees in barrique at a controlled temperature.

TASTING CHARACTERISTICS: intense ruby colour, ripe red fruit bouquet, with relevant spicy notes. Its complex structure and tannins enable the wine to age for a long lasting time.



6 Mura, Carignano, Isola dei Nuraghi, Sardegna 2005

Carignano: Spanish-French import grown in Southwestern Sardinia. Makes plump inky reds.

Isola dei Nurghi DOC: the entire island of Sardinia. The Carignano del Sulcis DOC zone encompasses the southwestern corner of the island, where the fierce scirocco breezes sweep though the rugged hills, prompting most vintners to retain the classic alberello (bush vine) training system, where the plants are trained very low to the ground. As noted in the oxford companion to wine, the Farignano grape is “high in everything- acidity, tannin, color, bitterness- except finesse and charm.” The Sardinians have their word, “Power Red” to compete with everything from super-Tuscans to California Cabernet. Planted in the sandy clays of the Sulcis region, the grape reaches brawny heights of concentration in wines (Vino Italiano).
The Sulcis area has been one of the first sites in which the Phoenicians settled, they started right away to produce wine to commercialize around the coasts of the mediterraneo, although it is uncertain if Carignano is a local species of vine. The study of the local dialect suggests that the variety comes from the center of Carifera in Aragona, where Carignano spread under different names: in France (Carignan) in Algeria and Tunisia. The Sulcis area, as well as Sant’ANtioco’s and San Pietro islands are the best areas for this strong variety that loves particular winds coming from the sea, rich in mineral salts. The wine is ample and robust, with high alcohol content. For this reason in the past it has been exported as a blending wine to complete the structure of light wines made in more famous areas. Most of the time the wine is kept in casks during which time it improves in quality; the intense ruby color, the fragrances of prunes and currents, the taste warm, intense, and mellow (zigzagando.com).

Tasting: Medium body. Near perfect balance between fruit and earth. Seaweed/ocean influence.

Marchesi di Gresy “Martinenga” Nebbiolo, Langhe, Piemonte 2008

Nebbiolo: Along with Sangiovese, this is Italy’s most noble red grape. Considered to be native to Piemonte, records of its cultivation date back to the 1300’s. Late ripening and sensitive adverse vintage conditions, it nevertheless produces Italy’s most uniquely perfumed and powerful reds. Called by different names in different sub regions with in Piemonte.
Nebbiolo is known first and foremost for being fiercely tannic, and yet those gripping tannins are extracted from very thin skins that don’t hold a lot of coloring pigments. Like Sangiovese in Tuscany and Aglianico in Campania and Basilicata, Nebbiolo is one of those grapes with fairly precise aromatic indicators. The fruit component is of dried cherries and other dried red fruits, with other scents ranging from wild roses to truffles to cinnamon, lending wine complexity. These aren’t fruity, Jammy wines. These are wines with a balance of sweet, savory, and spicy elements that tingle on the palate, their aromas like vapors that waft up into your brain and lodge themselves in your memory forever.
The variety is said to be derived from the word “Nebbia,” Italian for “fog,” presumable in reference to the dense blankets of the stuff that roll into the Langhe every fall, cooling the vines with their mists and allowing the grapes to hang on the vine that much longer to develop more complex aromas and flavors (Vino Italiano).

Langhe: Viticulture in the Langhe is all about subtle variations in altitude, exposure to the sun and soil composition (Vino Italiano).

Tasting: Soft, rose petals, steeped tea, and spicy, fresh tobacco, similar to Pinot Noir.

Roagna, Dolcetto d’Alba, Piemonte 2008

Dolcetto d’Alba DOC (1974): parts of the Langhe hills east of the Tamaro river extending to the southwest, northeast, and east of the city of Alba. 100% Dolcetto.

Dolcetto grape: The name means “little sweet one” in reference to its sweet taste when ripe. Deeply colored, with soft tannins, the variety ripens early and produces soft, fruity, accessible reds with plush black-fruit flavors. Considered native to Piemonte (Vino Italiano 41).
Like Barbera, Dolcetto is highly permeable. The earliest-ripening of the three main Piemonte reds. It distinguishes its self from the others with its deep purple-violet color, its low acidity (making it a good partner for both barbera and nebbiolo), and its full, yet sweet tannins. Dolcetto is the most gregarious, forwardly fruity wine of the bunch. Usually drunk young.
Believed to have been discovered in the commune of Dogliani, where references to the grape can be traced back to the 15th century.
With aromas of violets and black fruits, and usually a tinge of licorice and even coffee on the palate, dolcetto might be best described as part of a vinous color scheme. It is the juiciest and fruitiest of the Piemonte reds, the more full-bodied. Barrel-aged versions taste like blackberry jam on toast (Vino Italiano).

From Roagna.com:

Dolcetto d'Alba
Denominazione di Origine Controllata

Philosophy:
fresh and fragrant wine, strictly connected to the territory; it matches the elegance and the grape to an interesting structure. It is usually considered a young wine, but it gives interesting results even after some years.

Grapes:
100% Dolcetto
Average age of vines: 35 years
Mass selection of vines.

Production area:
the grapes assigned to the production of this wine come from selections of vineyards with a Southern, South-Western exposure of Pajè cru in Barbaresco area.

Training System:
low Guyot on hills with good slope.

Harvest Time:
September.

Vinification:
grapes are hand-picked; soft pressing with destemming. Fermentation in wood casks. Maceration for 20-30 days, so that the autochthonous aromas of this vine are extracted.

Tasting Notes:
intense ruby color with violet shades. Full, fresh and fruity nose with a clear aroma of red fruits, especially cherries. Dry taste, pleasantly round, with a good structure consistent with the olfactory sensations.



Masciarelli, “Marina Cvetic”, Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, Abruzzo 2005

Montepulciano: one of the most planted red grapes in Italy, it is characterized by a very deep, purplish color. It’s tannins are sweet, its flavors jammy and soft. The variety reaches its greatest heights in the Montepulciano d’Abruzzo and Rosso Conero DOC’s (vino italiano 396).

Monetpulciano d’Abruzzo DOC (1968): Spreading across all four of Abruzzo’s provinces, from the southern border with Molise to the northern border with Marche and inland toward the Apennines. Montepulciano min. 85%. Rosso Riserva min. 2years (min. 6 months in wood) (vino italiano 403).

Tasting “Marina Cvetic”: Always soft and generous, with a heaping helping of blackberry fruit, montepulciano grows into a more brooding, coffee-scented powerhouse when it is grown and vinified with a more exacting eye. This wine may be described as “jammy,” with a juicy sweetness of fruit flavor that makes it immediately pleasurable. But underneath is a whiff of earthiness, a touch of funk that places then with hearty Abruzzese foods such as sausages or lamb stew. Under all that generous fruit extract is a solid structure that will allow the winds to age well for years (vino italiano 287).


Ornellaia, “Le Serre Nuove”, Bolgheri, Toscana 2007
40%Merlot, 40%Cabernet Sauvignon, 15%Cabernet Franc, 5%Petite Verdot

Ornellaia: Founded by Marchese Lodovico Antinori in the early 1980’s, this is one of the great super-Tuscan estates. On a plot not far from the famed Sasicaia estate, Lodovico planted Cabernet Sauvignon, merlot, and later sauvignon, believing the maritime hills of Bolgheri were similar to those of Bordeaux. Ornellaia debuted with the great 1985 vintage and has become an auction house staple. In 2000, California’s Mondavi winery bought an interest in this landmark estate (vino italiano 494).



from Ornellaia.com:
Climate and Harvest

2007 began with a very mild winter, with less rainfall than usual. As a result bud break occurred about 10 days early. The spring was mild, with rainfall at the right moments, which allowed excellent vegetative growth and led the vines to blossom early. June rains, which occurred throughout Tuscany, accompanied the development of the grapes. Summer finally started with a July, which was hot and dry, followed by an August which was cooler, with classic mid-month thunderstorms that slowed the ripening of the grapes, bringing the projected harvest date back to normal. A perfect September with brilliant sun, mild temperatures, and little rain permitted a perfectly slow, steady ripening of the grapes, which concentrated the aromatic & polyphenolic content, with no traces of over- ripening.

Vinification and Ageing

The grapes were handpicked into 15 kg baskets; the bunches were graded and selected by hand on a double sorting table, before and after destemming, and finally soft-pressed. Each varietal and single vineyard block was vinified separately. The primary fermentation, in stainless steel tanks at temperatures between 26 and 30° C for a week, was followed by 10-15 days of maceration on the skins. The malolactic fermentation, which began in the steel tanks, finished after the wine was racked into barriques (25% new and 75% a year old). The wine remained in barriques in Ornellaia's temperature-controlled cellars for about 15 months. After the first 12 months the wine was assembled, and then returned to the barriques for an additional three months of aging. After bottling, the wine aged a further 6 months prior to release. Le Serre Nuove is the ‘second vin’ of Ornellaia. Its composition is decided upon at the moment of the final blending of Ornellaia by choosing the barriques, which combine characteristics of youthfulness and suppleness with the structure, balance and intensity typical of the Estate’s great terroir. Fruit from the younger vineyards on the Estate usually make up the majority of the blend. Quantities are governed by the vintage and final blending decisions, and can therefore vary from year to year.

Winemaker’s Notes

2007 was a sunny vintage, and in spite of the relatively low temperatures, the grapes ripened perfectly, preserving their complexity and aromatic freshness. Intense in colour, Le Serre Nuove dell'Ornellaia 2007 presents a complex nose, with intense red berry fruit, sweet spices, and balsamic mint and eucalyptus accents. Ample and silky on the palate, it displays an elegant, vibrant tannic structure, and fresh sweet fruit with intense minty accents.

Terenzi, “Colle Forma”. Cesanese del Piglio, Lazio 2005

From terenzivini.com
Cesanese del Piglio D.O.C. It's the noblest autochthonous wine of Lazio. It's been produced since the ancient time of Romans, who had built a residence for the Emperor Nerva in Piglio. It was tasted by Popes from Anagni, such as Bonifacio VIII, Innocenzo III, and by the Emperor Frederick of Sveva and all of them chose it with proud for their prestigious banquets. On August 1973 it obtained the denomination of controlled origin (D.O.C.) with a decree under Leone, the then President of the Republic.

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE WINE:

COLOUR: ruby red with purple reflexes.

AROMA: intense with a light smell of violets.

TASTE: very rich velvety flavour..

THE WINE MAKING, starts with the light maceration for 20 day at controlled
temperature below 30° C. Then is pressed and separated and fermented slowly for a further 20 days. Matured in steel barrels and refined in bottles.


Macarico, “Macari”, Aglianico del Vulture. Basilicata 2006

Aglianico del Vulture DOC (1971): a broad territory north of Potenza, encompassing area around Monte Vulture to northwest and stretching toward Pulian border. Mostly Volcanic soils near Rionero and Barile, more clay in the high plains near Venosa. 100% Aglianico (vino italiano 4).
Mount Vulture seems to inject a brooding power into the grapes grown on it. A glass of young aglianico is dark and feral, like the wolves that still roam the hills, greeting you with a low, tannic growl. The deeply colored aglianico grape is a tannic variety, thanks to its small berries and thick skin but becomes supercharged in Monte Vulture’s soil and climate. A long growing season allows for more concentration and complexity of flavor to develop in the grapes, and it shows in the wines. At it’s best, Aglianico del Vulture is not only dense and powerful hut exotically aromatic, much in the same way that Piemonte’s Barolo melds power with perfume.
There is strong evidence that humble old Basilicata was aglianico’s original breeding ground, but regardless of which theory you believe, one thing about aglianico is certain: aside from nebbiolo and sangiovese. There’s no native Italian grape more capable of making powerful, interesting red wines (vino italiano 326-27).

MACARI' 2005
The "second wine", the little brother of Macarico, the chief Aglianico of our estate. It is characterized by the freshness of its fruit, a freshness that gives it an immediacy of pleasure despite its complexity and length.
Its grapes come from the same vineyards as its older brother, but are picked slightly earlier, at the end of October.

Appellation
Aglianico del Vulture DOC


Viticulture
The vineyard is located in the Macarico district of the township of Barile at 1650 feet above sea level; its exposure varies from south-southeast to south-southwest. It is planted with close to 10,00 vines per hectare (4000 vines per acre) and is cultivated with a low, Guyot-pruned training system. Cultivation techniques are traditional, without herbicides and chemical fertilizer and the use of solely natural products against vine diseases.

Harvest
Entirely by hand, with the grapes picked into low packing cases towards the end of October; yields are seven tons per hectare (2 and 1/3 ton per acre).

Fermentation
a soft de-stemming with a manual selection of the destemmed grapes, spontaneous fermentation without the utilization of selected yeasts and a twelve day maceration on the skins in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks. Malolactic fermentation in stainless steel tanks.

Aging
70% in 60 gallon oak barrels (previously used either once or twice) for 12 months, 30% in stainless steel tanks. The wine is then assembled before bottling.

Tasting notes Ivy ruby red, brilliant and with purple highlights. Persistent and intriguing aromas of red berry fruit with light notes of liquorice. Fresh and balanced on the palate, well sustained and lovely to drink.

Marisa Cuomo, “Furore”, Costa d’Amalfi, Campania 2007
Aglianico and Piedirosso

Here’s where you turn when you want a taste of the Amalfi coast. Marisa Cuomo’s fresh and fragrant Costa d’Amalfi DOC wines are proof that light wines can be deeply flavorful (vino Italiano 469).

Aglianico: Grown in Campania fro more than three thousand years, this deep red, thick-skinned grape never had to fear extinction. It did, however, suffer in quality and was produced primarily for local consumption through most of the twentieth century. Today, it flourishes throughout the region in vineyards planted in both volcanic soil and in coastal vineyards (A16 23).
Conventional wisdom is that this deeply colored, thick-skinned variety was brought to the Italian peninsula by the Greeks; there is also a theory that it was a native wild vine that was later domesticated by the Greeks. Campania lays claim to it, but it’s safe to call it native to Basilicata as well (Vino Italiano 392).

Piedirosso: The base of the native piedirosso vine has a rusty hue and forms a distinct L shape, which resembles the foot of another native of the Campi Flegrei region: the rock pigeon. (piedirosso literally means “red foot.”) After Aglianico, Piedirosso is the second most planted red grape in Campania. It thrives on the seaside cliffs and coastal mountains of the region and plays a significant role in the legend of Lacryma Christi. As the tale goes, when Lucifer fell from heaven, he landed on Mount Vesuvius, which provoked Christ to cry, thus watering the slopes of the volcano with heavenly tears. Soon after, Piedirosso vines sprung from the earth. Some locals still say the way to tell the piedirosso grape is ripe is when it sheds a tear in remembrance.
Piedirosso-based wines (which frequently include aglianico in the blend) tend to be light-to medium- bodied with a spicy, strawberry character (A16 27).

Tasting Furore: Much sun, cool ocean breeze spicy and fruity. Nose: root beer, yeast.

Odoardi, Savuto. Calabria 2005
Gaglioppo, Greco Nero, Nerello Cappuccio, Magliocco, Sangiovese

In Savuto, the best known producer is the Odoardi winery, headquartered in the heights of nocera Terinese on Calabria’s Mediterranean coast. There, brothers Giovanni and Gregorio Odoardi help gaglioppo along with doses of nerello cappuccio, Greco nero, and sangiovese (along with a year’s aging in French oak barriques) (vino italiano 338).

Gaglioppo: the noblest grape of Calabria, cultivated in the region for more than four thousand years. It is also the most planted variety. Yet only in recent years, with the help of modern practices, have we started to see its charming side. The light- to medium- bodied wines made from gaglioppo exhibit fresher fruit than they have in the past, while still retaining their characteristic earthy undertones (A16 51).
Soft and berryish, prone to oxidation if not treated with care, this is the principal red grape of Calabria and the base of its best-known DOC wine, Ciro (Vino Italiano 341)
Magliocco: Thick skinned and muscular, magliocco is one of Calabria’s most promising indigenous varieties. Wines made from it show characteristics of dark plum and blackberry, with notes of clove, juniper berry, and white pepper. With their deep color and dark-berry depths, the wines are reminiscent of nero d’Avola from Sicily. Magliocco is most commonly used as a blending grape in the Lamezia and Savuto DOCs (A16 51)
A reputedly ancient vine sometimes confused with gaglioppo. Also soft, with plush berry-scented fruit but a little deeper and darker than gaglioppo (vino italiano 341).

Tasting notes: Nose: old leather, frankincense, pencil shavings, marshy. Mouth: spice juicy blue fruit mid. Slightly dry finish.




Palari, “Rosso del Soprano”, Sicilia 2005
Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio
Sicily’s Faro DOC is named for a lighthouse that overlooks the Straits of Messina. There’s lots of wine history in this area, but by the mid-1980’s Faro was nearly extinct as a source of commercial wine—until local architect Salvatore Geraci revived production in his grandfather’s vineyards in Santo Stefano Briga. These gnarled old vines produce obscure local varieties such as nerello mascalese and cappuccio, which Geraci and consultant Donato Lanati make into earthy, spicy, complex wines that have invited comparisons to Chateauneuf-du-pape and even burgundy. Palari’s concept is simple: a first (Faro DOC) and second wine (“rosso del Soprano”), produced from different selections of the same grapes (vino italiano 494).

Nerello Mascalese: In a matter of a few years, Nerello Mascalese has become one of the most prized grapes of Sicily. The volcanic soil of mount Etna is particularly suited to the grape, giving it admirable structure lifted by an aromatic bouquet. The grape is also the main variety in the small Faro DOC (A 16 57)

Nerello Cappuccio: A natural hood of leaves grows over the clusters of Nerello Cappuccio, and for this reason, some believe the grape was named after the traditionally hooded Capuchin monks. Although not as widely planted as Nerello Mascalese, Nerello cappuccio is a significant blending grape, particularly for red wines in the Etna DOC, where it is used to round out the body of Nerello Mascalese (A 16 58).

Tasting: Rusty red fruit. Volcanic soil, soft velvet. Nose: Delicate, dusty, warm.

Torrevento, “Vigna Pedale”, Uva di Troia Riserva, Castel del Monte, Puglia 2005

Uva di Troia: native grape of northern Puglia, hear Foggia. Thought to have been brought by the ancient Greeks, thus the name Troia (Troy). Aromatic and interesting, but on the wane. Used most notably in Castel del Monte reds (vino italiano 401).
A well made nero di Troia is supple and full, with a nose evocative of violets. Taming the grape is not easy. Nero di Troia demands careful attention in the vineyards, or it can become unforgivably tannic. Yet these tannins, when handled properly, give the wines the structure needed to evolve over years in the cellar (A 16 40).

Castel Del Monte DOC (1971): Occasionally high slopes surrounding the commune of Castel del Monte west of Bari, reaching toward the border with Basilicata. Soils: Ferrous red soils over limestone (vino italiano 423).

From torrevento.it

Wine's name: VIGNA PEDALE CASTEL DEL MONTE
Denominazione di Origine Controllata
RED Vintage 2002 - RISERVA

Soil: calcareous-clayey soil, at an altitude of 400 metres above sea-level.

Grape varieties: Nero di Troia (100%)

Vintage time: mid october

Vinification: after having inspected the soundness and ripeness of the berries, the grapes are picked, crushed and stemmed. The must ferments along with the skins for a period of 6-7 days at a controlled temperature. Then the must is decandet and aged in steel tanks.


Organoleptic characteristics: this ruby red wine with hints of garnet has an intense bouquet fragranced with raspberries, blackberries and blackcurrants. A full tasting wine with a light herbaceous flavour, it is sold after a bottled perfectioning period.


Beltrame, Tazzelenghe, Aquilea, Friuli – Venezia Giulia, 2005

Indigenous friulian varietal meaning “tongue cutter” referring to its high acidity. It can be Bordeaux like with darker cherry fruit and fuller body with lots of peppery notes. Tazzelenghe reflects pine cone/ cedar flavored dark cherry fruit. Similar to a cabernet franc tough more delicate and subtle.

Aquiliea: Friuli’s Adriatic basin, centered on ancient roman town of Aquiliea. Plains running from the Grado lagoon up toward Udine,. Soils: sandy clays mixed with gravel and limestone.

From Italiawineimports.com
Tazzelenghe Riserva i.g.t

Its color is amaranth, with a purple ting, while having a bouquet reminiscent of licorice, walnut and non-
roasted coffee. This wine’s flavor is a very good balance between wine and oak. In the mouth there is a good fusion between the taste of hazelnuts and ripe fruit jam.

Varietal: Tazzelenghe Amaranth 100% (Specially selected Autocthonous grapes of Tazzelenghe.)
Region: Fruili Venezia Giulia
Vintage time: Last week of September
Harvest: The grapes are picked by hand, laid in small-perforated boxes and brought to the adjacent cellar.
Winemaking: Soaking of the skins for 15 days and fermentation at temperature between 25-30C. Ageing in barriques and tonneaux for 18 months and refining in bottle for 4 months.

Foradori, Teroldego Rotaliano, Trento – Trentino, 2006

From elisabettaforadori.com

Campo Rotaliano is a well-demarcated geographical area, a sort of recess of the
Adige Valley tucked between the mountains. Its history and origin are closely attached to the Noce River, which, over the centuries, has deposited huge quantities of limestone, granite and porphyry debris. This small plain, depending on the soil composition, distinguishes itself for its various micro zones bearing various names given by the local vintners. The blending of the different wines of these micro zones, with their various features, gives our “Foradori” wine.
Name: Foradori - Teroldego Rotaliano D.O.C.

Grape: Teroldego 100%
Soil: stony alluvial soils with pebbles and gravel
Fermentation: in stainless steel tanks
Aging: 15/18 months in wood (oak)

In the sandy, gravelly, limestone-rich soils of the Noce river basin, teroldego plumps up in the intense heat and, despite its think skins, produces a deeply colored red with a distinctly tarry, savory, crushed-berry flavor. “It has beautiful color and rich fruit, but sometimes the tannins can be a little drying,” says Elisabetta Foradori, whose family estate in Mezolombardo is considered the leading producer of teroldego. “You need to hold on to it for a while or pair it with gamey foods, but the flavor is unique. And you can’t find it anywhere else in the world but here.”
Foradori’s barrique-aged teroldego, and their longer-aged, teroldego-based blend called “granato” show off the grape at its most dense and fragrant: Deep purple in color, with scents and flavors of crushed blackberries and savory notes of coffee and bitter chocolate. Teroldego has a unique push-pull of sweet and savory flavors with a distinctive tarriness on the finish. (This is much more appealing than it sounds.) (Vino Italiano 85)

Burlotto, Pelaverga, Verduno, Piemonte 2008

Verduno: Overlapping the northern limit of the Barolo DOCG, centered on the commune of Verduno. Includes parts of La Morra and Roddi d’Alba.

From burlotto.com
Village of Production: Verduno
Type of Grape: Pelaverga piccolo
First Vintage Produced: 1800
Number of Bottles Produced Annually: 10,000 based on the vintage;
Type of Terrain: Medium mixture of calcareous limestone with a slimy/muddy tendency.
Pruning Method & Density of Planting System: Guyot, 4,500 - 4,700 vines per hectare.
Period of Year and Method of Grape Harvesting: By hand, during the first half of October.
Vinification: Vinification requires a maceration-fermentation of almost 7 days in vats of French oak, with pumping over, remixing and re-submerging the wine on a daily basis, as well as temperature control, which should not exceed 27 - 28 degrees. By achieving the malolactic fermentation in stainless steel vats, the wine matures in 3 months in Slavonian and Allier oak casks holding 35-50 hectoliters, and another 2 months in stainless steel casks.
Bottling: After bottling, normally done the following spring after the wine harvest, the wine ages in the bottle for another 2 months at least, before release.

Tasting: Raspberry fruit. Rustic, aromatic, high acidity. Spicy white pepper. Similar to Grancache.

Principe di Butera, “Deliella” Nero d’Avola, Sicilia 2005

Nero d’Avola: Sicily’s most prominent native. The wines are deep and rich in black-fruit flavors, with a hint of exotic spice. Many winemakers compare its character to that of syrah, with which it is often combined in blends (Vino Italiano 362)
By all accounts, nero d’avola is thin-skinned and susceptible to rot, as well as a late-ripener. Many vintners assert that only in Sicily can nero d’avola and other late-ripening varieties – such as cabernet sauvignon – reach proper maturity (vino italiano 355)

3 Glasses Gambero Rosso! According to the Wine Spectator: "There's ripe currant and a hint of vanilla on the nose and palate. Full-bodied, with unobtrusive, fruit-coated tannins and a dense, balanced and lingering finish. Shows depth. Delicious. Drink now. 500 cases made." 89 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "The 2005 Nero d’Avola Deliella from Principi di Buttera is a plump, juicy wine packed with varietal red fruits, mint, sweet toasted oak and flowers. This plump, juicy wine reveals tons of length in a polished, contemporary style, with sweet notes of tobacco and autumn leaves that linger on the long finish. A lot of nero flavors are found in this juicy, delicious, pure, clean, plump effort. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2012." (04/09) (klwines.com)

tasting: full body velvet, rich. Well integrated fruit, not juicy. Like pie!

Albino Armani, ‘foja tonda’ cassetta, Vallagarina, Trento-Trentino, 2005

From albinoarmani.it
The Casetta variety - called Foja Tonda in dialect - is a grape variety
which is indigenous of Vallagarina, and cultivated since antiquity in the area of Dolcè, Ala and Avio. After having been abandoned, since the market favored other - sometimes more prolific – grape varieties, Foja Tonda was destined to extinction, until Albino Armani rediscovered it. In 2002 it was reinserted among the varieties admitted for cultivation, and at present there are only 12 hectares remained. These old grapevines, sometimes with their original roots, seem to tell the story of the age-old passion for wine shared by the inhabitants of our valley. Since 2007 it is recognized as D.O.C. Terra dei Forti.
Sensory profile: Wine with distinct personality, recognisable for its dried prune and marasca scent, cinnamon, tobacco and mainly musk that underscores its “wild” origins. In the mouth the sharp acidity is softened with complete malolactic fermentation. It evolves splendidly with tertiary aromas after a few years of proper conservation: to the sniff acquires complexity.
Grape varieties: 100% Casetta or Foja Tonda, an old indigenous variety always cultivated in Vallagarina.
Soil composition: Morainic and alluvial, warm, of medium fertility.
Vineyard - Growing systems and principal training forms: “Pergola trentina” and Guyot. Rigorous winter pruning, and intervention on the vegetation for leaf control apparatus and production. Protection against parasites and soil management respecting the environment.
Harvest: Manual, around mid September.
Vinification: After many years we have succeeded in finding the most suitable method working this generous grape: picking and pressing with the immediate reduction of the grape’s temperature. Then begins the phase of cold maceration, which proceeds for seven days without reassembly; then a slow fermentation is begun that continues while controlling temperature peaks and extracting the excess grape seeds from the bottom of the tanks; treading without reassembly in order not to damage the skins. Only the dry wine is drawn and pressed.

Tasting: Nose: jam/pie cherry. Violet, rhubarb, black earth, spicy.
-Nick