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.

Nero My Heart to Thee

Sedàra

Grape Variety: Nero d'Avola
IGT Sicilia
Alcohol: 14%
Price: $35
Aromas: blackberry, bramble, floral, smoked meat
Flavors: cherry, blackberry, fig, blueberry, tomato

Summary: This is a fun wine. There are lots of yummy layers of fruit and spice on the nose along with a floral component that reminds me of Bounce dryer sheets. The flavor is really savory like tomato but also has lush fruit components, and just the right balance of tannins (I'm so burned out on tough wines right now). The finish is long and playful, with pure blueberry aftertaste. I love this wine. This wine makes me happy. You can't put a price tag on that.

Bianco Aldo Barbaresco

Had a little guilty indulgence with a 2004 Barbaresco last weekend. I wouldn't call it infanticide (it is drinking well already)...maybe more like watching a preteen beauty pageant. It would be okay let this one collect a nice layer of cellar dust before breaking it out again.

Bianco Aldo Barbaresco

Vintage/Vendemmia: 2004
Varietal: Organic Nebbiolo
Price: $39.99
Aromas: Smoked meat, sarsaparilla, marzipan, Turkish delight
Flavors: Strawberry, cherry, cola, licorice


Summary: Just a little bit of Eau du County Fair comes off the nose to kick off the parade of aromas. From there it runs the gamut from savory to sweet. Just as many flavors take turns jumping into the spotlight starting with the berry, and mild livestock, smoked meat, and spice. Nicely balanced acidity and tannins--and plenty of it. The Piedmont wine equivalent of a fluid stroll through a vivid street bazaar.

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.

An Everyday Wine for Under $10.00

We had great success with the Castello Di Salle Montepulciano d’Abruzzo. I was so inspired that I grabbed another Montepulciano d’Abruzzo at a packie in just outside of Boston. This Montepulciano d’Abruzzo has appeared at all of our favorite wine shops for under $10.


The label is set up for the American market so our readers will find this easy to understand. Masciarelli is the wine producer, Montepulciano d’Abruzzo in the wine made under the control of that D.O.C. We have a great write up for Montepluciano d’Abruzzo and is a quick read if you are not familiar with this wine.

Montepulciano d’Abruzzo D.O.C.
Masciarelli

Vintage: 2004
Alcohol: 13%
Price: $8.99

Color: Ruby Red
Intensity: Medium
Aromas: Cherry, plum, currant, bell pepper, earth, rosemary, sage, smoky
Flavors: Strawberry, cherry, pomegranate, cranberry, pencil lead, anise, cedar, leather
Body: Full
Sweetness: Dry
Tannins: Leather
Finish: Long

Summary: Kaboom! This explodes in your mouth, good balance between fruit, tannins and acidity. A real rustic/austere wine. Goes spicy on the long finish. This is a good wine for less than $10.

This wine is just good stuff for an “everyday wine”. By everyday, I mean it is not expensive and you can have this any day you want. I’ve seen this in at least four wine shops and they all say the same thing. It is a great value. I enjoyed this wine, it is surprisingly complex for the price point. It is a young wine and therefore can be very bold. One would think that the four years since harvest would tame this wine, but no. If you’re into young wines and want to try something different, this is a good candidate.

Horizontally tasting Montepulciano d’Abruzzo D.O.C. wines.
Masciarelli is less expensive than the Castello di Salle and a little more impetuous. If you want something less explosive, spend the extra bucks for the Castello di Salle. If you want something young and flirtatious with some wowie-zowie, the Masciarelli will be great. Montepulciano D’ Abruzzo can also be a high end wine too, and I suggest you do a horizontal tasting that includes wines from three price points so you can see for yourself. Cantina Zacagnini Montepulciano D'Abruzzo ($17.99) is another good suggestion for a special occasion wine.