Italian Pick of The Week 1/21/08
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Cantina Cardeto “Rupestro”, 2005, IGT, Umbria
Sangiovese is the most Italian of grapes, planted in almost every region and showing up in scores of classified wines, either on its own or in highly coveted (and high priced!) blends. It would be hard to find lovers of Italian wines who haven’t sampled its rustic, food friendly pleasures.
Many people associate the varietal solely with Tuscany, or more exactly, with Chianti in all its manifestations. Grown elsewhere on the peninsula and depending on which of its hundreds of site specific variations are vinified, this adaptable grape produces a wide array of styles.
Cardeto’s Sangioivese is blended with Canaiolo, Ciliegiolo and Montepulciano. The result is a full bodied and dry wine with an aromatic, intense nose that is all Italy. Loads of dark fruit fill the mouth, smooth layers of savory berries, herbs and earth…all the things we’ve come to expect from a Tuscan Sangiovese but are surprised to encounter in one from the hills near Orvieto, more known for white wines made from Trebbiano.
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Italian Pick of The Week 1/14/08
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Enzo Mecella Verdicchio di Matelica “Pagliano”, 2006, Le Marche
Verdicchio is the sole white varietal of note in a region whose lush, well crafted red wines are slowly garnering adherants.
Of the two DOC zones producing Verdicchio, Castelli di Jesi hard by the Adriatic is the more recognized, having come full cycle from a decades long funk of mass produced plonk. The lesser known interior area around Matelica benefits from a continental climate that allows for a later harvest, with grapes that are more aromatic and concentrated.
Sampled in concert with a Verdicchio from Jesi, Mecella’s exhibits a striking intensity and definite structure. The varietal fingerprints of herbs, green fruit, and a mildly bitter nuttiness are evident, but with an edginess and texture that seem more “red”. Floral notes and the faint hint if citrus round out the profile.
This is another example of a distinctive white that gives off attitude and finesse, an antidote to the rivers of insipid wines rolling out of northern Italy.
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Herman Story 2005 Grenache, Larner Vineyard, Santa Ynez Valley
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I love this wine–let’s just put it out there and avoid all that wine-writing propriety and distance. And the funny thing is that it’s not in the style I typically gravitate towards, Old World guy that I am. But this inky, big-boned monster is so well constructed (and make no mistake about it: it’s an edifice of wine) that I couldn’t resist it.
At this point in its evolution, it’s still tight, and not giving much on the nose beyond its tea-like tannins and rich raspberry aromas. On the palate, it starts off like one of those German kirsch-filled chocolates, but once it breathes a bit it gains complex notes of superripe dark berries and a rich plums.
At 15.9% alcohol, it feels a bit heavy in the mouth, and the sweetness from all that alcohol is unavoidable, but this is no over-the-top fruit bomb: The tannins are still young and have some serious grip, and there’s enough acid here to lead me to believe that this wine will be even better in a few years.
If you have the patience, it will be rewarded. Personally, I’m glad I bought a bunch of bottles: Following their evolution should be a lot of fun.
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Italian Pick of The Week
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Bruno Giacosa Dolcetto d’Alba, 2001,DOC, Piemonte
Sometimes it’s good to start the new year with a bit of auld lang syne, going back to an old friend whom you’ve neglected for one reason or another. Such is the case with Piemonte’s “little sweet one”, a one time suitor for my vinous affections who too many times dashed my hopes with a disappointing bottle, be it from Alba, Dogliani… wherever.
As with Barbera, the other every day wine of the Langhe hills, Dolcetto can be frustratingly pedestrian, drinkably decent, or, in the skillful hands of a producer such as Giacosa, a renewal of faith in the grape’s potential.
Dusky, dry, and somewhat reserved fruits that begin on the nose follow through with what are at first surprisingly chalky tannins. Sip by sip, as the tannins pull back, a spectrum of concentrated, flavorful red fruits emerge led by raspberries that verge on the edge of sweetness, complemented by a pleasant level of acidity. The finish turns slightly “dark”, revealing a faint taste of bitterness that belies the varietal’s name.
An acquaintance worth renewing over a plate of hardy Piemontese fare. Tajarin with truffles, anyone?
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Old Wine at School, or Why I Love Bordeaux
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Though I’m a fool for wines from the Southern Rhone, the highlight of last night’s Vintage Factor class was, for me, the 1998 Canon-Moueix. Sure, those two bottles of 2004 Vacqueyras were lovely, but there is just nothing like a bottle of Bordeaux with some age to it.
This particular one, from the great-on-the-Right-Bank 98 vintage, took a while to open up–it seemed a bit over-the-hill when first poured. But by the end of class, it had blossomed and become subtly rich with aromas of dried flowers, underbrush, and a hint of cigar tobacco. So while it took 10 years and nearly two hours to get where it always needed to go, it was well worth the wait. Not bad for a rainy Saturday night.
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Pio Cesare 2006 Piodilei
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‘Piodilei’ literally translates to ‘Pio for the ladies.’ It is so named because the women of the family found this wine particularly appealing–though there’s nothing here that will keep the men from falling in love with it, too. Because it is, in fact, a supremely–and perhaps dangerously–drinkable wine. The oak here is used more as a seasoning than as a focal point, which should be a relief for everyone who’s burned out on overblown California-style chardonnays (though even those are getting more elegant these days). As a result, there is a superb balance between the wine’s tropical fruit character and its richer, more robust notes of vanilla and cream. The finish is long and elegant with a lovely hint of butter–more Burgundian than you’d perhaps expect from Piemonte. But there it is: An Italian white–and a chardonnay to boot!–worth buying in bulk.
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Pio Cesare 2004 Barbaresco
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With truffles, roses, and perhaps violets on the nose, this wine has a sense of perfumed levity that’s just irresistible. There’s a freshness here, though the fruit is far from the focus as the wine is rich with notes of cinnamon, cocoa, and Southeast Asian spices, especially on the finish. The tannins, while well-integrated, have some serious grip, and I expect this wine will continue to improve for a decade or more. And like all the best 2004 Barbarescos I’ve tasted, the restrained elegance of the vintage shines through beautifully here.
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Pommery Brut Rose Champagne
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The sound of a champagne’s “pop” is music to my ears and while this tune is often only heard during special occasions or holiday celebrations I recommend playing it more often. In fact, celebrating life itself is a good enough excuse to open a bottle of the beautiful Pommery Brut Rosé Champagne!
This rose-gold coloured beauty of a brut made with 1/3 Chardonnay, 2/3 Pinot noir and Pinot Meunier grapes is full of surprises. The fragrant nose is redolent of cantaloupe and wild strawberries with a dash of sweet cinnamon. The firm mousse decorates the top of the glass with its creamy white foam. This is a full-bodied Rosé and although aged for three years, has a liveliness that comes from the long-lasting tiny bubbles that tickle the tongue with a dance of excitement.
Flavor profiles are reminiscent of a lightly toasted millet muffin topped with sliced, fresh, but still tart strawberries. Wonderful paired with food or enjoyed on its own, it has the musical notes sounding out as the components of dryness, tart acidity, and crisp, focused flavors that come together in perfect harmony to create the well structured verses of this romantic Champagne melody!
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Italian Pick of The Week 11/12/07
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Sylla Sebaste Barolo “Bussia”, 2001, Piemonte
For the past few years there has been an ongoing debate regarding what exactly constitutes a “true” Barolo…or makes a Barolo truly great. On one side of the aisle are the Traditionalists, on the other the Modernists, the line dividing them shifting and blurring as the controversy meanders on its unresolvable way. It’s a microcosm of the old vs. the new in Italian winemaking, of the forces promoting change in all manners viticultural and those who understand the need for some alterations, but not at the expense of authenticity or singularity.
In that sense, Sebaste’s Barolo would definately belong in the Modernist camp. Only six years removed from the spectacular vendemmia of 2001, it is already drinking well, unlike the tannic brutes of the recent past that required at least ten years in bottle before you’d consider opening them. That’s not to say the tannins aren’t tangible, just that this comes across more like a mature Barbera or a well crafted and subtle Barbaresco. The characteristic “profumo di Langhe” that distinguishes Barolo is still developing, the notes of roses and leather in their early stages. The flavors are more red than the evolved darker berries that should appear with age.
The point is that this can be enjoyed now, it is not an intellectual wine that needs to be “underestood”, or worthy of deliberation… those are descriptors commonly used when assessing so-called Traditional Barolos. My advice…drink it for what it is and leave the philosophical wrangling to people who wander around banging into trees while ignoring the beauty of the forest.
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Grgich Hills 2004 Zinfandel
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The aroma of spicy, peppery raisins soaked in Dr. Pepper, but in a good way. This is classic, peppery California zinfandel, yet the blue fruits of the 7% petit sirah add an even greater sense of richness. The mid-palate isn’t nearly as sweet as the nose suggests, likely the result of substantial tannins that need some time to mellow out. You don’t have to wait, though: An hour in the decanter will work just fine.
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