Wine and 'za

After a long (reeeally long) week, what could be better than coming home and flopping on the couch with some homemade pizza and a big glass of red wine? I ask you. Pizza doesn't require anything fancy but, tonight we went a little uptown with this bottle of Isole e Olena 2005 Chianti Classico. As a side note, our friend and fellow blogger Richard, from A Passionate Foodie is a big fan of this wine, and also met the wine maker, Paolo De Marchi earlier this year.

Isole e Olena
Chianti Classico DOCG

Alcohol: 13.5%
Grape: Sangiovese (blended with less than 20% Syrah depending on the vintage)
Price: $19.99

Aromas: Sandalwood, cherry, tomato, violet
Flavors: Anise, allspice, pomegranate, cherry, tomato, sandalwood
Acidity: Tangy
Mouthfeel: Clean


This is an unusually light-bodied Sangiovese but, flush with floral aromas with deep woody bottom-notes. If I were a man, I'd splash this stuff on as aftershave. On the palate, bright red-fruit flavors are subdued by mouth-filling savory notes giving the wine a mellow tang--it definitely has the umami goin' on. It did fine with the pizza, but I think with the delicacy of flavors we have in this wine, it actually was better to drink it on it's own after the pizza had been devoured.

Tulip Hill Petite Sirah

On our recent trip to Palm Springs, CA, we decided to pay a visit to the only local tasting room we saw advertising in the area. Tulip Hill Winery is actually about 90 miles north of Napa, but they have a retail outlet in a suburban shopping center in Rancho Mirage. It was kind of a pain to find because we weren’t expecting it to be tucked between a Cineplex and an Italian chain restaurant but, no matter.



The fruit used at Tulip Hill ranges from Mt. Oso to Napa. Tulip Hill actually petitioned for the Tracy Hills AVA to cover their vineyard on Mt. Oso. They specialize in red varieties but, we did try their Pinot Grigio which was surprisingly dry and mineral with flavors of grapefruit and just a touch of melon.

Most of the reds tend to be slightly bitter (not in a bad way) with a couple of notable exceptions (which we’ll get to in a moment). The 2005 Tracy Hills Merlot was quite interesting with an elegant nose of rose, chocolate, cherry, and almond. The cherry carried through to the palate, with a little blueberry, umami, and a coffee bite which got more concentrated with each sip.

The 2005 Tracy Hills Merlot-Syrah Blend was marked by aromas of kitty nose, blackberry, pomegranate, and vanilla. It had a similar flavor profile to the Merlot but, with more pronounced meat and pepper flavors.

The 2004 Tracy Hills Syrah was a little tougher than what you would find in a Sonoma Syrah but still there were nice aromas of cherry, bramble, pepper, vanilla, prune and cassis. On the palate was cherry, more cassis, plenty of allspice, and just the faintest hint of band-aid. The 2005 Tracy Hills Cab-Syrah was much like the Syrah but with added richness from the Cab and bitter chocolate (cacao) notes.

Now for the fun stuff… The 2006 Tracy Hills “Sangiovignon” is a blend of 60% Sangiovese and 40% Cabernet Sauvignon. Fun because you can entertain yourself for hours pulling out the various characteristics of the two grapes. Missing, was the barnyard funk of a typical Super Tuscan. There was blackberry, cherry, plum and mesquite smoke on the nose. The flavor consisted of a cherry base. There was blueberry essence in the vapor coming off the tongue, and a strawberry finish.

Also huge fun, and most likely to win a gold metal at the county fair, the 2006 Napa Valley Petite Sirah was an epiphany. The color was very extracted deep purple. The flavors and aromas were a well balanced choreography of toffee, blackberry, cherry, almond, blueberry, licorice, allspice, and pansy.

Finally, the 2004 Napa Valley Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon was another winner, and a bargain in Napa Cab terms at $36 a bottle. I had one of those awesome olfactory flashbacks back to a life-changing mole from a little Mexican restaurant in Lake Tahoe…man, that was a good meal… Taster A noted marble dust on this one (he had his own flashback to Proctor, VT). It did indeed have that wet-saw smell, as well as, some juniper berry. This cab was rich, smooth, and mouth coating with layers of chocolate and a blueberry pie finish.

Leonetti Sangiovese, 2005.

Times are uncertain in this economy and we certainly have curtailed our wine purchases. Like many we talk to, we are spending time ferreting out good value wines. If you have not tapped into $10 Tuesday, then you should bookmark us and keep an eye out. However, we do have lots of moderately priced wines in the cellar, ranging from $20 to $50 that we bought before stuff hit the fan. It doesn't cost anything to open a bottle we already bought months ago. I had a good day at work and felt like pulling out something special.

This is the second Sangiovese that we have had from Leonetti in Washington state. An email from Eric of Salem Wine Imports last Fall saying that he had a case of this wine resulted in a hasty reply…“save me two bottles!”.

This was late September and getting into Salem, Massachusetts during Halloween Season is easy enough but parking isn’t. I had to wait until November before I could get close enough to Salem Wine Imports to pick up my bottles. I arrived unannounced. Much to our amusement, Eric looked at me and said, “I knew you would come today and I can’t find your wine!” We laughed and then he was able to locate it in the stocks.

Like the 2003 Leonetti Sangiovese, this was aged in French oak puncheons and large oval botti for 14 months, this wine has very mild European oak characteristics. The lot size is 871 cases. Syrah brings strength to the wine adding additional depth and body.

Sangiovese
Leonetti Cellars
Walla Walla Valley
Vintage: 2005

Blend Sangiovese 76%, Syrah 13%, Cabernet Sauvignon 11%
Alcohol: 14.1
Price: $35.00
Color: Rich garnet
Intensity: Dark
Aromas: Black cherry, cassis, allspice, burnt chocolate,
Flavors: blackberry, cherry, cassis, licorice, oak, allspice, cedar, tar
Body: Full
Acidity: Crisp
Sweetness: Dry
Tannins: Suede
Finish: Long

Summary: Lots of cassis, cherry, and blackberry to start. As the wine opened up, cedar notes began to emerge. I think the Sangiovese has been masked by the Cabernet Sauvignon making this more of a bold American style wine. Very fruit forward with woody almost bitter tannins mid-palate. Very drinkable, but for a Sangiovese lover, I would hesitate to call it "Sangiovese" in the Super Tuscan sense.

$12 Redemption

So, $10 Tuesday was a bit of a let down this week but we found sweet relief from our wine woes in the form of Morellino di Scansano produced by Erik Banti.

Erik Banti

DOC: Morellino di Scansano
Grapes: Sangiovese 85% / Cab & Merlot 15%
Alcohol: 12.5%
Price: $12
Aromas: Cherry, stewed prune, licorice, earth
Flavors: Cherry, bramble, meat, blueberry

Summary: We find a nice fruity nose on this wine with just a touch of Sangiovese barnyard and some nice dark notes of prune and black licorice. The firm tannins are balanced by bright cherry acidity. There is some nice Willa Wonka three-course-gumball action in the form of a savory note that lingers mid-palate and then eventually mellows to blueberry in the extended finish. In other words, good stuff.

I think this wine could easily stand with other super Tuscans we've had in the $35 range. That makes this a superb value at $12. It's not as heavy or funky as Sangiovese can get, so it paired quite nicely with butternut squash stuffed shells in marinara. If the bottle lasts the night, we'll probably finish it with veggie pizza.

Chianti Classico

On our last visit to Ceres Street Wine Merchants last fall, I asked David for his recommendation for a Chianti Classico. Knowing David’s reputation for carrying great wines, I knew I wouldn’t be disappointed.

The Castle of Verrazzano is located on a hilltop in the Chianti Classico region. The vineyards are farmed organically with mechanical weed control and hand cultivation. The vine production is kept low by culling inferior bunches of grapes through the growing season. Harvest is also done manually.

The grapes are fermented in smaller batches and aged in small and medium oak barrels. Bottles are cellared under the castle providing excellent temperature control.

Keep in mind that this is Chianti Classico, not Chianti. You will expect a much higher quality wine with Chianti Classico as we have previously discussed.

Chianti Classico DOCG
Castello di Verrazzano

Vintage: 2005
Alcohol: 13.5%
Price: $33.00

Color: Garnett
Intensity: Dark
Aromas: Cherry, hay, raspberry, cassis, earth, mild European oak.
Flavors: Cherry, elderberry, cassis, mineral, anise, licorice, black pepper, coffee, tobacco,
Body: Full
Acidity: Moderate
Sweetness: Dry
Tannins: Leather
Finish: Long

Summary: This is moderately complex wine as you would expect for a Chianti Classico. The aromas and flavors are bold and present. It stands up well with food. It has good tannin structure and should be enjoyed now and for the next three to five years.


We are having this tonight with B’s pizza. I’d have this with Mexican, grilled stake, salty foods, red pasta dishes, baby back ribs, eggplant parmesan, chocolate covered asiago, or Ciappino.

Pink and Meaty (Like Turkey!)

Oh boy, it's time for the agonizing over what wine to serve with turkey again! What is it about turkey that makes us sweat the wine pairing? Is it just the combination of white and dark meat on the same carcass? The hefty weight of tradition, perhaps? Or, maybe it's just the anticipation of impending scrutiny. Will you serve the old standby Beaujolais Nouveau? Or, something more trendy, like a Pinot Noir? I cannot advise you in such delicate matters. In some cases, lives may be at stake.

Speaking of white meat/dark meat, last month in Sonoma County I tried a dry Rosé of Sangiovese. It kind of made me think of turkey actually: It had the firm richness of a Sangiovese, and the juiciness of a Rosé. Okay, time to talk turkey:

Alexander Valley Vineyard

Vintage: 2007
AVA: Alexander Valley, Sonoma County
Alcohol: 13.8%
Price: $12
Aromas: Peach, vanilla, amaretto
Flavors: Grapefruit zest, peach, melon

Would have liked to spend more time with this wine than I did but, there were about 50 others to taste. It has nice aromas, flavors and mouthfeel and I would definitely buy a bottle or four of this Rosé for a relaxed family gathering over an ecclectic holiday spread.

Leonetti Sangiovese 2003

We have not had many Washington State wines. This is certainly the first Sangiovese that we have had from Washington. On a visit to see Eric of Salem Wine Imports, he was quick to point out this wine to us as being something different. This was a must for us to try.

Aged in French Puncheons and 30 hectoliter ovals for 14 months, this wine has bold European oak characteristics. The lot size was 719 cases. This wine is a good value when you want something special. The Syrah brings strength to the wine adding additional depth and body.

Sangiovese
Leonetti Cellars
Walla Walla Valley
Vintage: 2003
Blend 78% Sangiovese, 22% Syrah
Alcohol: 14.1
Price: $30.00

Color: Rich ruby red
Intensity: Medium
Aromas: Black cherry, cassis, allspice, toast, coffee, chocolate, rose
Flavors: Strawberry, blackberry, cherry, plum, cassis, black pepper, licorice, oak, cedar
Body: Full
Acidity: Crisp
Sweetness: Dry
Tannins: Leather
Finish: Long

Summary: Very wood and toast forward with plenty of cassis, cherry, strawberry to back it up. As the wine opened up, the cedar notes took the edge off of the fresh French oak. Buried in this oak is a wonderful rose that one would expect from a quality Sangiovese. This is not an Italian style Sangiovese, perhaps a hot Tuscany or Sicilian climate could product grapes this bold. Spicy long finish, good balance of acid, flavor and tannins. This is a bold American style wine.

We plucked this wine out of the loft cellar because we are having spaghetti with meat sauce tonight. This wine will stand up to rich tomato based dishes such as cioppino, shrimp scampi, pizza and lasagna. I would also have this with steak fajitas, roast beef and red deer Wellington.

Things are up in the air, Post Script.

We took the Salem Ferry down to Boston this morning for a walk around the historical end of town. On the way back we stopped into the Salem Wine Imports and checked on the status of Solatione Chianti Classico. It is indeed gone and will not be coming back. The importer sold out and has elected not to import it again because of a cost increase which pushes it out of the value range.

I had an opportunity to try Tomaiolo Toscana, IGT 2005 at Salem Wine Imports. This Super Tuscan is a blend of Sangiovese, Cabernet and Merlot. It’s berry forward, full bodied, with good tannins and a pleasant finish. It is a comparable wine to the Solantione at a better price, and it's still available so give it a try. We grabbed a bottle and will do a full write-up at a later date.

We had a bottle of Tomaiolo Riserva 2003 Chianti DOCG Sangiovese in February that we thoroughly enjoyed.

Things are up in the air.

Taster B is making pizza. What do you have with pizza? Chianti Classico! And we found a nice Chianti Classico a few months ago at Salem Wine Imports. It was in short supply as it was sold out on the tasting night.

Solatione is located in the heart of Chianti Classico region. The winery gets its name from the great exposition of the sun. The Vineyard is thirteen hectares, family owned and operated since 1972. Until 1991 the wine was sold to other vintners but in 1992 Fabio and Francesca (brother and sister) decided to bottle their own wines. The Chianti Classico is aged in Slovenic oak barrels for 12/16 months. This wine was definitely very delicious, well structured and firm tannins and very Sangiovese.

The Slovenian barrels add a very smooth and distinctive structure to the wine. It will not impart oak and smoke to the wine, but give it nice aging and balance. This is great, because for my money, when I want Sangiovese, I want a nice berry wine with floral components. That is why I like this wine.


Chianti Classico D.O.C.G
Solatione

Vintage: 2004
Alcohol: 13.5
Price: $20.99

Color: Ruby Red
Intensity: Medium
Aromas: Strawberry, raspberry, cherry, olive, smoked meat, floral
Flavors: Strawberry, raspberry, blackberry, pomegranate, cassis, tar, stone, mineral, anise,
Body: medium
Acidity: crisp and tart
Sweetness: dry
Tannins: suede
Finish: moderately long

Summary: We’ve talked about the difference between Chianti and Chianti Classico. This is a very berry forward wine grown in a hot region. What stands this wine apart from other Sangiovese wines we have had is the mineral, the brightness and the tartness. I’m enjoying a one ounce pour prior to dinner while I write this post. Yes you should have food with wine, pizza wasn’t the best of pairings. The wine wasn’t full bodied enough. But so what??? It’s a good bottle and I’m glad we go it.

Tuscany wine bridges Old World and New World

Poggio alle Sughere Morellino de Scansano D.O.C. is a wine that we picked up at The Vineyard in North Andover earlier this year at their large Italian wine tasting. It is always fun to see what happens when you get a bottle home.

Scansano is in the Southern end of Tuscany and is a new region opened up in the last ten years. This region is being compared to California because of the explosion around this town. This wine has stepped in to be the quality wine to fill the void left by the quality Chianti wines when they shot up in price.

Our label is straight forward for Italian. The Poggio alle Sughere estate in Magliano, Toscana in the heart of the Maremma zone. This Morellino di Scansano is a blend of 90% Sangiovese and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. This warm environment with perfect rainfall means that Morellino di Scansano give this great fruit flavors, wonderful savory herb notes and just the right pizzazz.

Morellino di Scansano D.O.C. is Sangiovese (Morellino), 85% to 100%. Other red grapes may be used to a maximum of 15%. Aging is two years minimum for Rosso Riserva with a minimum of 1 year in wood. (Note that this is not a riserva wine.)


Morellino di Scansano
Poggio alle Sugghere
Maremma area of Tuscany
Vintage: 2003
Alcohol: 13.0%
Price: $16.99

Color: Brick
Intensity: Medium
Aromas: Cherry, jam, raisin, olive, earth, with a hint of vanilla
Flavors: Strawberry, black cherry, pomegranate, prune, cassis, olive, earth, tar, coffee, chocolate, rosemary, sage with slight spiciness of allspice and anise.
Body: Full
Acidity: Moderate
Sweetness: Dry
Tannins: Silk
Finish: Long

Summary: Think of this wine as a good bridge between the New World from the Old World. It shows the restrained use of wood aging with herbal notes and well developed fruit flavors. The dark red fruit flavors are tempered by the dried fruit flavors and earth, tar, chocolate and coffee. Nothing about this wine is overbearing.

We enjoyed this wine with a pizza topped with artichoke, roasted banana pepper, fresh mozzarella, and thin sliced fresh tomato. The wine stood up to the saltiness of the cheese and the acidity of the tomato.

The Poddio alla Sughere is a well crafted wine and quite a treat. We will enjoy this with another meal. We are just delighted that it bridges the styles of three of our favorite regions, Côtes du Rhône, Sonoma and Tuscany. The wine region was established without a long standing tradition of having a regional wine style. Therefore, when the D.O.C. was established in 1997, it was not restrained and could make Super Tuscan style wines. The result in this case is a wine with the character of Côtes du Rhône with the courage to be modern.

A final note: If you are in the North East Massachusetts area, get yourself on The Vineyard’s email list. They have quality tastings and a very good selection.

Ahhh Toscana

Taster B emailed me at work with instructions that when I got home I was to take the pizza dough out of the refrigerator. We’re having pizza tonight. She made a pizza sauce and topped the pizza with fresh mozzarella, tomato slices, red pepper and onion. It was up to me to pick a bottle and do a quick photo shoot.


There were several wines that I could have gone with, but I settled on a Toscana that we picked up back in January at The Vineyard in January. Wine can be a fickle friend. In January, we got notes of tobacco, rose and coffee. That was in the middle of tasting 23 wines. It goes to show how perceptions of wine can change with different foods and following other wines.

Nevertheless, this is a great wine for the price and worth looking for. We’ve talked a little about Toscana IGT wines before and if you are new to Italy, you can learn about the style and how to read the labels.

Toscana IGT
Santa Cristiana Antinori
Vintage: 2006
Blend: Sangiovese 90%, Merlot 10%
Alcohol: 13.0
Price: $11.99

Color: Ruby Red
Intensity: Medium
Aromas: Strawberry, cherry, smoked meat, tobacco
Flavors: Strawberry, raspberry, cherry, curry, mineral, anise, sage, licorice, vanilla
Body: Full
Sweetness: Off dry
Tannins: Silk
Finish: Moderately long

Summary: Nice berry wine, smooth tannins, with mineral dried berry/cherry finish. In the long finish, spicy licorice and anise notes develop. We really enjoyed this with our moderately-topped juicy veggie pizza. We were very glad we picked up this wine and would buy it again.

Most folks don't regard pizza as a great meal. Pizza is very commonplace and is usually only a phone call away. The Hut has slipped in quality over the past 30 years and most pizza tastes about the same as the box. One of the tricks is getting the crust right and today, pizza dough is available at many delis.

Well made pizza is always a hit. In my younger day, perhaps 10 pounds ago, I would have put a pound of mozzarella and another pound of cheddar on a pizza. Today, I’m just as happy with one third of a pound.

Having good wine to go with a good pizza is a must. Sangiovese is a great compliment. This wine also goes with lamb, duck, cold cuts, Cioppino and hard cheese.

Falesco Sangiovese Umbria IGT with Tomato Pasta

Sometimes I just want a pasta dish. Tonight, I didn’t want the typical canned spaghetti sauce. How about something a little more like what Grandmother would make?

I started with three Italian sausages. Cut the sausage into one inch chunks and toss into a large pot. While the sausage is browning, cut a large onion into a dozen or so wedges. Cut up a bell pepper in one inch chunks. I want this to be a chunky sauce.

I have some huge carrots. This one could have been a prop in a whodunit movie. Yeah, it was that big. Coarsely grate this so that you have about two cups or so. When the sausage is browned, throw the onions in and brown them until tender and slightly caramelized. Peel two cloves of garlic, slice and toss them in. Throw in the carrots and let them cook down a bit. The carrot and onion will add enough sugar to the sauce to make it sweet. Add a cup of red wine, whatever you have left over.

Spice up this with oregano, basil, marjoram, thyme, fresh bay leaf, and a little ground clove. Yes, a little ground clove. Grind up a teaspoon or two of fennel seed. You’re going to love it. Okay, all this goes into a big pot to simmer with a large can of crushed tomatoes. When you think you've got it ready, get your favorite pasta ready.

Why did I go through all of this fuss? Because I’ve got a bottle of Falesco Sangiovese Umbria IGT that we picked up at the Vineyard Italian tasting.

Umbria is in central Italy. It has been in the last 10 years that Sangiovese has become a varietal wine. With reduced yields, paying attention to terroir and subtle barrique-aging, Sangiovese is really becoming a well respected grape. These wines from Umbria and Tuscany can be quite rich, lush, dark purple, spicy and fruity. Add the complexity of barrique-aging and you have a tasty wine.

This wine scored 90 points Wine Spectator and 86 points from the Wine Advocate. “Holy inconsistent wine scores, Batman!” But the real question is, would you like it?

Sangiovese Umbria IGT
Falesco

Vintage: 2006
Alcohol: 13.0%
Price: $13.99

Color: Purple
Intensity: Dark
Aromas: Blackberry, cherry, slightly floral, earth, allspice
Flavors: Strawberry, cherry, elderberry, anise, allspice, clove, oak
Body: Full
Sweetness: Dry to off dry
Tannins: Leather
Finish: Long

Summary: The first thing we noticed about this wine is that it deep, dark purple. Absolutely beautiful. Fruit forward, complex, leathery tannins evolve into a long spicy finish of allspice. Very delicate oak notes here from the barrique-aging. Taster B exclaimed an approving “Oh My! This is good.” So if Taster B (generally antipathetic to my Italian wine infatuation) can get excited about this wine, well, it’s got to be good. We bought two bottles and I think that we can leave the second one for a year or so. It has the tannins and a technical cork.

Tomaiolo Riserva 2003 Chianti DOCG

I spotted this wine in a little wine shop in Somerville, MA. The label caught my eye because it had “Riserva” and it is a Chianti DOCG. So one would think this would be a sure bet, right? Well, it could be swill.

As a quick label tutorial, Tomaiolo is the Brand and Riserva is an designation of higher quality, mainly because of additional aging. The vintage is 2003 and Chianti DOCG, Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Guarantita is what's under the cork.

Now what I’m going to write isn’t expounded on in Vino Italiano, The Regional Wines of Italy. It is from Sotheby’s Wine Encyclopedia, 4th Edition. Tom Stevenson has allocated about eight column inches to this story. In a nutshell, alas, DOCG is supposed to be a higher standard, but when the Tuscany DOCs were being hammered out, DOCG status was given to all Chianti producers, not the cream-of-the-crop. Politically, the Chianti bulk producers had a good deal of clout, so quality lost to quantity. (Note that this discussion does not include the Chianti Classico DOCG which is a different wine and different DOCG.)

Chianti (other than Classico) must contain between 75% and 80% Sangiovese plus the possibility of 5% to 10% Canaiolo Nero, 5% to 10% Trebbiano or Malvasia and up to a maximum of 10% of Cabernet or any other specified black grape varieties.

So how is this wine? I’m please to present to you my tasting notes for Tomaiolo 2003 Chianti Riserva.

Chianti DOCG 2003
Tomaiolo
Tuscany
Price: $9.99
Alcohol: 12.5%
Color: Garnet
Body: Full
Tannins: Silk
Finish: Moderately long

This Chianti was aged in Slavonian oak for two years. The nose has hints of strawberry, blackberry, cherry, elderberry, plum, jam and raisin. Earth, hay and mushroom components are very prevalent in a sweet-smoky aroma mix. The taste is berry-cherry, smooth finish with flavorful and nice mid palate feel. The taste is slightly smoky. The Slavonian oak makes for mild oak and toast aromas that are so complimentary that I only mention them here as a technical point.

This would go good with fresh tomato pasta, white sauce pizza, minestrone, Portobello mushroom and Gouda cheese.

It is worth noting that Taster B (not a big Sangiovese fan) enjoyed this wine. I’m pleased to say that this wine was quite a find, and gets a "Ya, I'd buy this one again."

New Wine Shop, Adonna Imports and New Friends Tasting Italian Wines

There is a new wine shop in Salem, Massachusetts that our Passionate Foodie friend from the North Shore turned us on to. On the fifth of February, Eric of the Salem Wine Imports hosted an Italian wine tasting featuring seven of the wines from Adonna Imports. We even got to meet fellow North Shore Blogger Richard, ring leader of The North Shore Winers.

This was our first visit to the new wine shop located on 32 Church Street in Salem, Massachusetts. The store is beautifully set up with a stunning offering of wines. Eric felt that Salem was right for a niche wine shop. There are lots of packies in the area, but having a wine shop where patrons can come in on a Tuesday night, have a tasting, socialize and procure some mighty fine wines is what Eric wanted. Salem Wine Imports has a great selection of Italian, French, Californian, Spanish wines as well as a wonderful selection of wines from Oregon and Washington.

If you are looking for the unusual, the unknown, the hard-to-find; but most importantly high-quality wines at a good price, scamper on over, that’s exactly what you will find. Now, I’m a bit hard boiled when it comes to value. I saw some very good wines for the less than $20.00. How unusual? How about a Swiss Gamay? When was the last time you saw one of those? I'm not a Gamay fan, but this one had me taking another look. He also has wines in the $50.00 price point and above for those special occasions.

The Tasting
Eric invited Eileen Wright of Adonna Imports to present a flight of six Italian wines from the Adonna portfolio.

Conte Vistarino 2004 Pinot Nero
Conte Visterino also from Lombardy has a long history of working with Pinot Nero dating back to the 1800's. The vineyards are located on The Count's vast Estate (mid 1500's) in the Oltrepo Pavese on the banks of the Po river. The winery is now run by his daughter Ottavia. Her objectives remain the same as her ancestors; create elegant, authentic wines that express their terroir. The Conte Vistario 2004 Pinot Nero is a lightly smoky, tannic little extra acid that one would expect from the region.

La Piane 2004 La Maggiorina
Le Piane is located in the Boca region of Italy in the lower Alps of the Piedmont.
The La Maggiorina is a Colline Novarsi DOC, district of Novara. The wine has a mixture of Croatina, Uva Rara, Vespolina and Nebbiolo. The name of the wine comes from the traditional Maggiorina system, where four vines are arranged in the four cardinal points, forming a cup. This is a newer DOC (1994) that also has a white wine made exclusively of Erbaluce grapes. The Maggiorina is a pleasant drinking wine with fruity and spicy aromas. The alcohol level is at 12% which I find to be typical of the Piedmont region. The wine maker Christoph Kunzli bought the property in 1988 from Antonio Cerri one of the last local wine growers of this almost forgotten region. The label states “dry red wine” which leads me to believe that it is the Rosso which would be Nebbiolo 30% min, Uva Rara max 40%, Vaspolina and/or Crotina max 30%. Yup, we brought one of these puppies home.

Martilde 2006 Bianco IGT "Gelo"
Italic Riesling grapes producing a still dry white wine with a simple profile is what's under the cork. The low yield and the advanced age of the vineyard guarantee the right level of ripeness (with grapes tinged with gold), resulting in a good structure and very mild acidity, which make it pleasantly full. Color a warm bright yellow, ample and compound nose, faintly citrusy. You can have it for the whole meal, with starters, first courses, or main courses of fish, poultry or white meats. (I’m thinking lobster.) On the label, is their male sheepdog "Gelo" in one of his favorite postures.

Martilde 2005 BonardaMartilde 2005 Bonarda is made entirely from Croatina grapes. A genuine, straightforward wine, ruby colored and with a simple clean nose, pleasantly reminding of small red fruit. This wine is not barrel fermented and will do well for enjoying now up to three years. It pairs well with soups, roasted meats, vegetables and light grillades.

Solatione 2004 Chianti Classico
Solatione is located in the heart of Chianti Classico region. The winery gets its name from the great exposition of the sun. The Vineyard is thirteen hectares, family owned and operated since 1972. Until 1991 the wine was sold to other vintners but in 1992 Fabio and Francesca (brother and sister) decided to bottle their own wines. The Chianti Classico is aged in Slovenic oak barrels for 12/16 months. This wine was definitely very delicious, well structured and firm tannins and very Sangiovese. Other Chianti Classico lovers were ooooing and aw-ing over this one. Taster B was also pleased with this offering with the only disappointment that it was sold out by the time we were ready to leave. (This is the one that got away!)

Redondel 2005 Teroldego
This winery is located in the Trentino owned and operated by a young winemaker Paolo Zanini He has a long family history in his vineyards. The vineyards are full of naturally maintained older vines with low yields and a small production. The wine comes from the Mezzolombardo in the Rotaliano plain.

A little about Adonna Imports
The company was started 3 years ago by Jeannie Rogers and Eileen Wright. Jeannie also owns Il Capriccio restaurant in Waltham, Massachusetts. Their portfolio consists of small winemakers who work well in the vineyards as well as the winery. Most of their producers are either 100% organic or working towards that goal. Jeannie has known most of the producers they work with for over 20 years. Jeannie also travels back to Italy frequently to source new winemakers. (I want that job!) Their portfolio 95% Italian but they do work with a few Austrian and one California winemaker.

Talking with Eileen, she tells us that they are having great success filling a niche market, catering to smaller wine shops and restaurants. The wines the get are from small producers and many (including some of the wines we tasted) are exclusive Adonna imports. Working with small lot producers and quality wines gives them the feeling of personal customer service and allows them to work closely with their clients.

Because their producers are small, many of their selections come in by the tens of cases, which is much too small of a quantity to be of interest to the large chain discount houses. Eileen tells us that she enjoys her work and particularly likes the idea of promoting the smaller, high quality producers.

As someone looking from the outside in, I get excited when I do business with folks like Eileen and Eric. Personalized service, quality products and I walk away with a feeling that we made some great friendships.

I also want to shout out to the Passionate Foodie for turning us to this. As a reward for getting through this posting, here is a tip. Eric is planning on having tastings most Tuesday nights. Check out his blog for details. The tip??? Salem Wine Imports encourages you bring your favorite tasting glass!

Italian Wine Tasting at The Vineyard

The Vineyard is a wine and cheese shop located north west of Boston, MA. On January 27th, The Vineyard held a tasting of 22 Italian wines presented by Bob McVickers representing the Boston Wine Company, Elizabeth Tamasino representing The Vineyard and Gary Burrell representing Rolivia, Inc.

We’ve attended a few store tasting before. They generally give a small pour into a thimble sized plastic glass which is impossible to evaluate color or aroma. When we arrived after the 50 minute drive through light blowing snow, we were greeted outside the door in the 30 degree weather by Bill Dwyer, the store proprietor. Much to our relief, he had a table set up outside with 50 small, what I consider to be the Italian restaurant burgundy glasses, chilled by the New England weather to a nice temperature for evaluating the white wines.

The Vineyard was named "New England's Best Wine Store" by WHDH-TV (Channel 7) and "Best of North Shore" in the wine/spirits category by Northshore Magazine.

Bill welcomed us to the shop, made us feel at home and invited us in. The wine shop was small, but very well stocked. We found many of the familiar wines from major appellations, Old and New World. There were three tables set up with flights from all regions of Italy.

For us, this wine store offers a different variety than we have seen in the area. One of our finds was a David Coffaro Escuro Californa Red Wine blend which caught our eye because of Dr. Deb’s posting. We will be reviewing this in the future.

Taking tasting notes was a little difficult due to the number of people and lack of horizontal space. But we did get the highlights of the wines we tasted. Water, cheese and bread sticks were available to keep the palate cleansed.

The wines we will be reviewing in the future will be the Falesco 2006 Sangiovese (Umbria), the Santa Cristina Sangiovese (Toscana) with its tobacco, rose, coffee, cherry and silky tannins. Poggio Alle Sughere 2003 Morellino di Scansanso (Toscana) and the Villa Fulvia 2002 Amarone della Valpolicella (Veneto) with its cherry, leather, elderberry, smoky vanilla and cedar notes.

Another wine we felt was quite delicious was La Pieve 2002 Bolero (Piemonte) which had fragrant pine, cherry-blackberry characters.

We are grateful for Mr. Dwyer for putting on this fun and educational event. If you live in the striking distance of North Andover, get onto the emailing list. On Saturday, February 9th, there will be another tasting featuring 52 wines.


Table 1: Bob McVickers, Boston Wine
1. Tramin 2006 Pinot Grigio (Trentino-Alto Adige) $14.99
2. Zenato 2006 Lugano (San Benedetto Lugana) $14.99
3. Falesco 2006 Sangiovese (Umbria) $13.99
4. Taurino 2003 Salice Salentino Reserva (Apulia) $11.99
5. Morgante Nero D'Avola 2005 (Sicily) $14.99
6. Corte Giara 2004 Ripasso (Veneto) $19.99
7. Maculan Dinderello (Veneto) $23.99

Table 2: Elizabeth Tomasino, The Vineyard
1. Val D'Oca NV Prosecco Il Blu (Veneto) $14.99
2. La Caplana Gavi (Piemonte) $12.99
3. Tormaresca 2006 Chardonnay (Puglia) $11.99
4. Santa Cristina Sangiovese (Toscana) $11.99
5. Cantina Zacagnini Montepulciano D'Abruzzo (Abruzzi) $17.99
6. Poggio Alle Sughere 2003 Morellino di Scansanso (Toscana) $16.99
7. Tormaresca 2006 "Neprica" (Puglia) $11.99
8. La Caplana Dolcetto D'Ovada (Piemonte) $12.99

Table 3: Gary Burrell, Rolivia Inc.
1. Villa Cornaro "Select" 2006 Pinot Grigio (Veneto) $13.99
2. Sensi 2006 Montepulciano D'Abruzzo (Abruzzo) $10.99
3. Sensi 2003 Chianti Classico Reserva (Chianti) $17.99
4. La Pieve 2002 Barolo (Piemonte) $37.99
5. Sensi "Testardo" 2004 Sangiovese/Cabernet (Toscana) $24.99
6. Villa Fulvia 2002 Amarone della Valpolicella (Veneto) $29.99
7. Petrone Limoncello (Please Save this your for last taste) $19.99

Monte Antico Toscana IGT, 2004

This Super Tuscan caught my eye because I’m trying to learn what the Super Tuscan hubbub is all about. The tag said it was a rated as a best value by one of the magazines, which I promptly forgot as soon a I got half way home. I thought it would be a good one to try and see how Taster B would like it.

What I like about this wine is that it has the nice Italian Sangiovese floral characteristics with the support of the Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. It has fruit, acid, structure, mouth feel and for a wine in this price point, it is a great introducer to wines of this style in a higher price.

Researching this wine, I learned that the fermentation was at approx. 77° F, followed by maceration for 15-20 days followed by Malolactic Fermentation in stainless steel vats for 7 days. The wine was aged 1 year in oak (80% in Slavonian barrels, 20% in barrique) and at least 6 months in the bottle.

The label on this wine is fairly straight forward, produced for the English market, so not much to learn here, Monte Antico meaning Ancient Mountain, Toscana IGT and the blend.

Tasting Notes:
Toscono IGT
Monte Antico
Tuscany
Vintage: 2004
Blend: 85% Sangiovese, 10% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon.
Alcohol: 12.5%
Price: $8.99
Source: Discount Wine Store

Color: Ruby Red
Intensity: Moderate
Aromas: Cherry, prune, rose, lavender, anise, vanilla, oak, smoky, tobacco, chocolate
Flavors: Raspberry, blackberry, cherry, rose, olive, mint, anise, allspice, cedar
Body: Full
Acidity: Crisp
Sweetness: Dry
Tannins: Suede
Finish: Long

Summary: This was uncorked and poured, fruit forward, slightly astringent. Nice floral notes, good tannin structure. Slight olive, mint, spice, cedar like mouth feel. The Sangiovese is the dominant contributor with the Cabernet Sauvignon adding some extra structure and complexity. The dominate floral notes are pleasing. The oak is interesting, but makes me think that they are targeting the Americans. This wine goes for $11.00, I paid $8.99 at a larger discount liquor store. This is a very good value and a nice drinking wine. Yup, I’d buy another bottle!

We enjoyed this with spinach and cheese ravioli with a vegetarian red sauce.

And how did Taster B like it? She did! I think I'm about ready to bring her into to the Chianti Classico fold. Saturday she highly encouraged me to buy a $33 bottle of 2003 Barbaresco DOCG at a high-end wine shop. (She’s a keeper!)

Castello Di Salle Montepulciano d’Abruzzo

We frequent a packie just 20 miles south of us. It’s a bit out of the way, but they have a good selection and have bottles priced by case prices (meaning you get the case price if you by one bottle or twelve). While Taster B was looking for a Pinot Grigio, I put my grandpappy glasses on and snuck over to the Italian section to see what could be found.

I’m interested in operating out of my comfy zone and dabbling into some wine that I never tasted. I had good luck with the Dogajolo so I thought I’d try another Super Tuscan or three. What I found wasn't a Super Tuscan but something from the east central coast.

Okay, I really don’t know Italian wine from Adam’s off ox, so I was relying on the information tags. I found three wines that had great reviews. (I like to rely on my own judgment but in this case, I was happy to get help from Robert Parker, Jr. and Wine Spectator. Taster B says that our tastes agree with Robert Parker, Jr. I know better than to argue with her.)

Let’s take a look at this label. The first thing I notice is that the label is for an American market, it’s in Italianglish. Castello Di Salle is the brand. The bottler is Sallis Castrum and I’d like to provide you with a link but I’m not having much joy. I’ve had two sites refer me to the Ciccio Zaccagnini winery website, however I’m unable to find Castello Di Salle or Sallis Castrum there.

Let’s continue. Riserva is Italian for reserve and we have a red wine. Montepulciano d’Abruzzo is what we have in the bottle. Montepulciano is also a type of wine grape. Montepulciano d’Abruzzo is a type of red wine made from grapes of the same name in the Abruzzo region of east-central Italy. (Okay, I got that sorted. Cool, this is my first Montepulciano d'Abruzzo!)

Denominazione di Origine Controllata, Denomination of Controlled Origin, an upper level Italian wine classification. This defines a given wine's geographical origin, grapes, and production methods but is no guarantee of quality. Now I’m informed that Riserva is a DOC term and indicates a higher valued wine. Here in the states, Reserve has become a bit trite. A comment is welcome on the subject of DOC and riserva. Can we count on this to lead to a higher quality Italian wine?

I did find a useful review of our wine at http://www.linerandelsen.com/newsletter0307.html. I was uncertain about buying a 2001 without knowing if the wine has good bones, but according to this reference, one could lay this bad boy down for 5 more years for continued development. (Yah, we're popping this one open as soon as I can find “old reliable”.)

http://www.villaitaliawines.com/cantina/Wine.asp?idWine=28 also imports this wine and has information posted.

I'm rather happy to present my tasting notes for Montepulciano d’Abruzzo. It was a real pleasure to try something new.

Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Riserva
Castello Di Salle
Variety: 100% Montepulciano d’ Abruzzo
Appellation: Montepulciano d’ Abruzzo D.O.C.
Vintage: 2001
Alcohol: 13.0%
Price: $11.99

Color: Ruby Red
Intensity: Deep
Aromas: Strawberry, blackberry, plum, violet, rose, earth, oak
Flavors: Blackberry, plum, herbal, allspice, white pepper, vanilla, sandlewood.
Body: Medium
Acidity: Moderate
Sweetness: off-dry
Tannins: Silk
Finish: Moderately long.

Summary: This is a smooth drinking, subtle wine. Pleasant fruit, easy tannins. The wine is like tasting the lazy days of summer when the living is easy. Black fruits of blackberry and plum. This is not a big red cab, no it is a gentle breeze on a lazy day. Everything is balanced, nothing dominates, total harmony.

Pairings:
Drink this by itself, with leg of lamb, Moroccan, rabbit, pheasant, grilled veggies, and with Italian red sauces.

Commenting on Commenting:
We’ve been trying to get commenting to work for a few weeks and I spent Sunday trying to debug the template only to fine that the constants that control the commenting are stored out of the editable part of our skins and templates. If you have spotted an error in this posting, want to leave some friendly Italian wine advice or offer suggestions, please click on the title of this posting and the commenting should become available.

7 Jan 08
Dear Diary,

I bumped into an engineer friend in the hall today. He said that he and his new girlfriend has shared a special Bordeaux together. We struck up a conversation. He said that his favorite Italian wine was a red wine that no one has ever heard of. “Its Mono, no Monton no, that’s not righ...” I said inquisitively, “Do you mean Montepulciano d'Abruzzo?” “Yes!!! That’s it!!!” I told him where he could get it locally. How cool is that?

Dogajolo, an introduction Super Tuscan wine.

Introduction to Italian Wine
When I was young and without a care, Chianti came in the ubiquitous fiasco or basket covered bottle. It was inexpensive and great with spaghetti, pizza and lasagna. On a graduate student stipend, it was a great treat to have something different than Carlo Rossi. Today, I can afford a good bottle of wine. But the FUD factor (fear, uncertainty and doubt) would kick in and I’d avoid the modern Chianti wines because they had gone from being inexpensive wines to wines above my $6.00 price point. (I’m looking at the early ‘90s when I stopped buying Chianti operating on the datum that Chianti is cheap Italian red table wine and not worth the asking price.) But I have Sangiovese in my blood! Spurred on by our experience with the Piemontese Blend, I’ve decided to start wrapping my wits around some Italian wine.

At the wine shop, Taster B was over by the Pino Noir, I wandered off to the Tuscany section and browsed around. What are these wines like? Let's find out!

Italy
In order to understand the significance of Super Tuscan wines, we have to take a look at some history. Italy is a huge producer of wine. Wine in Italy is food. You drink it with breakfast, lunch and dinner. It is the culture. I mean this warmly and with admiration. There is a wine making tradition that goes back thousands of years.

There are 20 regions and 96 provinces. The main regions are Piedmont, Tuscany and Veneto. The Denominazione di Origine Controllata (D.O.C.) controls the production and labeling of wine. The D.O.C. laws went into effect in 1963.

These law regulate:

• The geographical limits of each region


• The grape varieties that can be used


• The percentage of each grape used


• The maximum amount of wine that can be produce per acre


• The minimum alcohol content of the wine


• The aging requirements

In 1980, the Italian board took quality control one step further and added a G for Garantita, D.O.C.G. This states that the wine meets standards through tasting control boards and they absolutely guarantee the stylistic authenticity of a wine.*

What is a Super Tuscan wine?
Wine makers wanted experiment with other grape varieties as they did in California. Super Tuscan wines are Sangiovese blends with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. These wines were outside the laws of the D.O.C. so they had to be labeled as Vino da Tavola (Table Wine, an official designation). Today, Vino da Tavola can be inexpensive table wine or wines that are outside of the current style and variety laws. Thus a high quality wine may carry this designation.

Dogajolo
We found a Super Tuscan that we think you will enjoy. This label is in English and serves as a good introduction to reading Italian wine labels.

Let's take a look at this label.
Carpineto, the producer, is a partnership between winemakers Giovanni C. Sacchet and Antonio M. Zaccheo. Their original mission was to produce a world-class red wine from the Chianti Classico appellation. This was a radical departure from the marketplace of the times when most Chianti was still produced in the traditional winemaking style.

In the center of the label, we have the name chosen for the wine and a pronunciation key. We see that it is classified as a table wine. On the Italian label, it has Vino da Tavola.


In the bottom right corner, we see the vintage, the winery, the growing region, and the volume. Now that we understand the label, let's review our tasting notes.

Dogajolo
Carpineto
Tuscany
Vintage: 2005
Alcohol: 13.0%
Price: $11.33

Color: Ruby Red
Intensity: Dark
Aromas: Current, violet, rose, earth
Flavors: Strawberry, raspberry, cherry, olive, earth, struck flint, anise, coffee
Body: Medium
Acidity: Moderate
Sweetness: Dry
Finish: Moderate to long

Summary: This is a very delicate wine. When first poured, not much happened. With a little persuasion, the wine opened up with the smell of roses. Very delicate berry, earth, smooth, silky tannins. The floral of the Sangiovese and the spice of the Cabernet Sauvignon makes a delightful wine.

Pairings: From http://www.carpineto.com/products/super_tuscans/dogajolo_eng.htm, “Given its fruitiness, Dogajolo can be paired with first courses and white meats, but shows at its best with full-flavored dishes such as roasts, grilled meats, cold cuts and Tuscan regional specialty.”


We will be posting notes on other Super Tuscan and Italian Wines. You may click on these labels below to select these postings.

*16 Feb 08 Editor's note: As with all rules, there is the exception...the Chianti D.O.C.G. is covered in a later post. Also, there is a Chianti Classico D.O.C.G. which produces some of the finest wines from Italy.