tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83571074162492044292024-03-05T08:46:22.594-08:00Wine Without NumbersOne man's comments on the wine he has experienced.Mark Scudieryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06102587984431792324noreply@blogger.comBlogger217125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8357107416249204429.post-39496688027333794022019-12-28T09:55:00.000-08:002019-12-30T07:48:05.189-08:00Christmas Wines 2019<b><span style="color: red;">Gentlemen’s Holiday Luncheon (Friday December 20)</span></b><br />
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After a one-year hiatus, a group of wine loving friends gathered once again on a Friday afternoon for a holiday lunch at<b> <a href="https://www.ilcapriccio.com/">Il Capriccio Ristorante</a></b> in Whippany, NJ. Recently renovated, we dined and imbibed in the restaurant's Wine Cellar private Dinning Room. This event was started by Tony Prioletti a number of years ago to the delight of all that attend. Each attendee brings one or two bottles of wine that conform to the wine theme set by Tony. The theme this year was French wines from the Northern Rhone, Southern Rhone and Burgundy regions of France. All three regions boast iconic producers of great wines, a number of which we drank today.<br />
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Once again the food prepared by Tony Grande and his son Natale was topflight as was the food and wine service under the direction of Maitre'd/Wine Director Salvatore Le Rose.<br />
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<b>2010 Vasart-Coquart & Fils Champagne (not pictured)</b>. I arrived too late and did not taste this wine.<br />
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<b>1989 J.L. Chave Hermitage</b>. I was also too late for this wine. 3 of the attendees had it as their WOTD.<br />
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<b>2007 J.L. Chave Hermitage Blanc.</b> My runner up for WOTD. The wine showed Incredible depth, balance and complexity with a lingering and delicious finish.<br />
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<b>2001 E. Guigal Côte Rôtie La Mouline</b>. A terrific Syrah but still on the young side. I think that had I opened this bottle a few hours before getting to the restaurant, the underlying pedigree of the wine would have blossomed.<br />
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<b>2008 Ponsot Morey St.-Denis Cuvée de Alouettes</b>. A very good bottle of wine with great pedigree and potential with more cellar time. <br />
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<b>1995 Ponsot Clos de la Roche Vieilles Vignes</b>. I found the fruit to be very much alive, but it lacked depth and finesse. I preferred the 2008 to this bottle.<br />
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<b>2007 Mommessin Clos de Tart</b>. We had two bottles of this from two different cellars. I found no appreciable difference between the bottles. The wine was still quite young but very enjoyable. Dark, ruby color with enticing bouquet.<br />
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<b>2006 Chȃteau Rayas Chateauneuf du Pape Réservé</b>. Clearly my WOTD, an opinion echoed by two others in the group. This was simply an awesome wine that was round and delicious and evolved with each sip. Truly a wine with soul!<br />
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<b>2006 Henri Bonneau Chateauneuf du Pape Réservé de Celestins</b>. Very similar to the Rayas, but with a shorter finish. In my opinion this will benefit from a few more years in the cellar. My second runner up to WOTD.<br />
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<b>2000 Vega-Sicilia Único</b>. I used to be a big fan of this producer when he made traditional wines. The 1970 Unico is one of the best wines I ever had. Unfortunately, the winery changed to a much more modern style a number of years ago and I stopped buying them. Today’s wine was exactly that, way too modern. It was like drinking liquid wood.<br />
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<b>2011 Chateau d’Yquem Sauternes 375ml</b>. Not my favorite dessert wine as I find the finish to be too medicinal. This bottle was also much too young to drink.<br />
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<b>25-Year-Old Glen Moray Speyside Single Malt Scotch</b>. Terrific single malt scotch with a wonderfully smooth palate.<br />
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<b><span style="color: red;">Christmas Eve</span></b><br />
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Christmas Eve began with Carol and I attending the Christmas Choir and Christmas Mass at Holy Family Church that our granddaughters, Mia and Isabella, participate in each year. I have never been able to attend this in the past as I had to stay home and organize the food preparation and service help for the evening meal. This year our usual hired help was unavailable, and my wife’s troublesome knee prompted us take the family out for dinner. This enabled me to attend the Mass and I was happy I did. The choir was magnificent and really set the mood for our Christmas celebration.<br />
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Before heading off to the restaurant we gathered after mass at our house for light pickings, Champagne and cocktails.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwQkwDYIUEQysKBxLvQNt-RZVHRwCF9uUd1N0hVwl4vk0rygo_AxCo13OIoQcNvWI0_gd_GqNX88BPXZQW-CRmVQpQkRBMHG0gpdIEtk3hBpeKQen6pUJ0nrwsZBPnKFWXAyePTLv5tabG/s1600/IMG_5512.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwQkwDYIUEQysKBxLvQNt-RZVHRwCF9uUd1N0hVwl4vk0rygo_AxCo13OIoQcNvWI0_gd_GqNX88BPXZQW-CRmVQpQkRBMHG0gpdIEtk3hBpeKQen6pUJ0nrwsZBPnKFWXAyePTLv5tabG/s320/IMG_5512.jpeg" width="175" /></a><b>2007 Kripta Agustí Torelló Mata Cava Kripta Brut Nature Gran Reserva.</b><br />
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Brought by my good friend Gino this amazing sparkler is a blend of Macabeo,Xarello and Parellada grapes. It is considered by many to be Spain’s greatest sparkling wine. A little research provided the following: "<i>1979 in the cellar of Can Rossell KIPTA is born. After 32 years of experience Agusti Torello Mata decides to realize his illusion. KRIPTA comes from the best old vineyards of Penedés, an exceptional blending of the best plots of Macabeo, Xarel·lo and Parellada. A long aging with a cork stopper of at least 5 years, they get a unique bouquet that consolidates it as one of the great wines of the world. The bottle, reminiscences of Roman amphora, and the label-work of the artist Rafael Bartolozzi- are the touch of final elegance of this great wine cellar".</i><br />
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This was a full-bodied Cava with wonderful depth and an underlying citric palate. It finished with with terrific length.<br />
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<b>2007 Philipponnat Brut Royale Reserve Non-Dosé Champagne (Disgorged September 2011).</b> <br />
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I purchased a few bottles of this amazing Champagne from The Rare Wine Company a number of years ago. I recored these comments, which I believe are from their web site. <i>"When a bottle of Champagne receives its final cork, a little sugar ("dosage") is usually added to the wine. Brut Champagnes can legally have up to 12 grams per liter added. But that much sugar typically means lower quality, as the producer may be hiding imperfections in the wine. In contrast, the dosage of an elite, flawless Champagne typically ranges from 4 to 7 grams. But few Champagnes are released into the world with no dosage at all; most producers like the rounding effect that sugar has on even the best Champagnes. To succeed with absolutely no dosage requires a Champagne of unusual richness and roundness on the palate.</i><br />
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<i>Philipponnat's Non-Dosé is such a Champagne. It was introduced in 2009 to great critical acclaim. And of all the reviewers who've praised it, we find the comments of Peter Liem (whose Champagneguide.net we highly recommend) particularly incisive:</i><br />
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<i>"In the absence of dosage, the pinot fruit is strongly emphasized ... and it's the dark, virile fruit tones of the black grapes that dominate here, whereas in (Philipponnat's flagship Brut Royale Réserve) the chardonnay somehow makes its presence more clearly felt. This is impressive, showing a harmonious balance from beginning to end ..."</i> <br />
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It is hard to believe that this only costs around $40. It's yeasty bouquet and palate brings a lingering smile to those that sip it.<br />
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I was able to secure the private wine cellar dining room at <b><a href="http://www.lunello.com/index.php">LuNello’s Ristorante</a></b> in Cedar grove for our dinner. Chef/owner Lou Segar and his staff did a magnificent job with the accommodations, service and food. <br />
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<b>1996 Giuseppe Mascarello Barolo Riserva Monprivato Ca’ d’Morisso, Magnum</b>. 3 hour slo-o. Awesome wine. Round and delicious with great balance, depth, finesse and a monster finish.<br />
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<b>2004 Soldera Case Basse Brunello di Montalcino Riserva.</b> Pnp. I first tasted this wine from barrel when I visited Soldera in 2008. The wine blew us away then and it did again tonight. A sensational bottle of wine that has aged to perfection. Elegance in the glass. The wine soared with each sip and finished with great length. It edged out the ‘96 Ca’d’Morisso as WOTN.<br />
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<b>2002 Domaine Castagnier Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru.</b> Pnp. Excellent Burgundy from a producer I was not familier with. Classic Burgundian nose and palate. On another night could have been in the running for WOTN, but not tonight.<br />
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<b>1995 Chateau d’Yquem Sauternes.</b> 3-hour slo-o. Gorgeous amber hue. Palate of pure nectar, if only the finish was not so medicinal.<br />
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<b><span style="color: red;">Christmas Day</span></b><br />
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We begin Christmas day with a terrific breakfast of scrambled eggs, pancakes, bacon and biscuits at our oldest daughter Gina's house, followed by opening presents with our adorable grandchildren. We completed our Christmas celebration at our youngest daughter's house for dinner at night. Lisa and Andy do a great job with a meal featuring steak and potatoes.<br />
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<b>1990 Paul Jaboulet Ainé Hermitage La Chapelle</b>. It has been a long time since I had a bottle of this legendary wine. The wine displayed amazing youth with beautiful balance and elegance on the palate. The wine evolved with each sip and finished with great length.<br />
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<b>2007 Armand Rousseau Chambertin Grand Cru</b>. 3 hour in decanter. Classic Burgundy. A pure and elegant wine with terrific complexity, finesse and a lengthy and elegant finish. At the beginning of what should be a long and enjoyable drinking window. My WOTN.<br />
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<b>2006 Rattalino Barbaresco Quarantatre 43</b>. Pnp. Fermented in stainless steel tanks, this is an under the radar producer of traditionally made Barolo and Barbaresco that is always a delight to drink. 2006 was a great vintage in Barbaresco as was clearly evident in this wine.<br />
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1<b>991 Quinta Do Noval Vintage Port.</b> A good, not great bottle of port that is approaching the end of its time. <br />
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It was another fabulous Christmas. Carol and I are truly blessed to have such a wonderful family and friends to celebrate the holiday with. We wish you and your families all the best for the holidays.<br />
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Saluté</div>
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Mark Scudieryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06102587984431792324noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8357107416249204429.post-17237786215435763242019-04-19T13:47:00.001-07:002019-04-20T11:45:18.196-07:00Campi di Fonterenza On the first of April I hosted my annual <b>Hemophilia Association of New Jersey Gourmet Wine Dinner </b>fundraiser. The event was once again held at <b><a href="http://www.iltulipano.com/">Il Tulipano Ristorante</a></b>, Cedar Grove, NJ. This year I featured the wines of <b>Campi di Fonterenza</b> from <b>Montalcino</b>, in the <b>Poggio San Polo</b> area in the southeastern part of Montalcino (Tuscany), Italy. Twin sisters <b>Francesca and Margherita Padovani</b> started the vineyard in 1997 and its reputation for making traditional Brunello di Montalcino continues to grow, a fact that is not surprising as <b>Gianfranco Soldera</b>, considered to be the greatest winemaker of Brunello in the region, mentored the sisters. One taste of their Brunello di Montalcino will demonstrate that they have learned very well from their mentor. I had the pleasure, along with my family and a couple of good friends to visit with the Padovani sisters last year at their estate. My good friend <b>Gino Urban</b> of <b>David Bowler Wines</b> (importer for Fonterenza wines), provided the wines and also arranged for Margherita to be in attendance to discuss their wines.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Margherita Padovani</b></td></tr>
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Once again we began with a magnificent cocktail hour before sitting down to dinner. Each of the wines we drank showed beautifully tonight. While the italicized comments are from the Padovani sisters, Margherita’s passion for making truly great wine was evident as she spoke about each wine. The attendees loved her and her wines. The comment, “this was the best Hemophilia dinner of all” was heard numerous times around the room.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisZUrxc43hOFRpNL4NSB9NiKwVRRt0wmHcUA7QhutTrhjm6S4K2E3zCQp-J5SJMm0ivh18C3EcVdtCuR4p46c7aW5S6IyYGAGqc6fMZtev6lQzJRMJ46ZlNWXEJvfhDUP9fm6_6Ub9IdO-/s1600/IMG_6223.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisZUrxc43hOFRpNL4NSB9NiKwVRRt0wmHcUA7QhutTrhjm6S4K2E3zCQp-J5SJMm0ivh18C3EcVdtCuR4p46c7aW5S6IyYGAGqc6fMZtev6lQzJRMJ46ZlNWXEJvfhDUP9fm6_6Ub9IdO-/s320/IMG_6223.jpg" width="216" /></a>During the cocktail hour we drank <b>Fonterenza 2017 Petit Rosso Vino Rosso </b><br />
<i>“The first vintage of this wine was 2011, replacing the production of our SANGIOVESE I.G.T. TOSCANA. The bottle shape already declares our intention to make a different kind of Sangiovese than what is most commonly associated with Montalcino. Inspired by our friendship with French vignerons and their culture of thirst-quenching wines, conceived to satisfy the needs of everyday drinking and convivial sharing, our idea was to make an Italian vin de soif. It is made from a selection of grapes from our vineyards in San Polo and some Sangiovese from the old vineyards on Monte Amiata. In some vintages we also use autochthonous grapes (ciliegoiolo, canaiolo, colorino, malvasia nera). We hope to plant a mountain vineyard specifically for the production of this wine in the near future.”</i><br />
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This is the estate’s entry-level red wine, medium-bodied wine with a translucent red hue, fruity palate and soft, but short finish. A terrific every day wine for under $25.00<br />
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Our first course was paired with the estate's two "Orange" wines served side by side.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMtZSYRD06JADvFPEaceYoEdpoySI3nlmohmLk7Gorma5qGyUfxEpPd_yN-yP9TgOaYgmNUuk-a1wn3jtX6EMhqQ7E6_GXbXWS89bjhLcIViDlgOeZyZzH_A9soQ17EcAGlDeEaGPvZk2R/s1600/IMG_6364.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMtZSYRD06JADvFPEaceYoEdpoySI3nlmohmLk7Gorma5qGyUfxEpPd_yN-yP9TgOaYgmNUuk-a1wn3jtX6EMhqQ7E6_GXbXWS89bjhLcIViDlgOeZyZzH_A9soQ17EcAGlDeEaGPvZk2R/s400/IMG_6364.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Goat Cheese Medallions over baby Greens with candied fruits and dried walnuts</b></td></tr>
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<b>2016 Biancospino Vino Bianco</b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlwrhA79HfXi2WxhHaIibZldxu-JXpQhaun5vF11OKDCv8t8AHJdXzGonsTxixF4mS0x8_J08J7Y3L_plm0ZDqHdxxMdaXFAIf0j3tZD5KENR82LumPy3HdHCgrYu-0ZDQefEIbcyCmFaH/s1600/C3B913C689544B76A2EAED61723F9A2A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlwrhA79HfXi2WxhHaIibZldxu-JXpQhaun5vF11OKDCv8t8AHJdXzGonsTxixF4mS0x8_J08J7Y3L_plm0ZDqHdxxMdaXFAIf0j3tZD5KENR82LumPy3HdHCgrYu-0ZDQefEIbcyCmFaH/s200/C3B913C689544B76A2EAED61723F9A2A.jpg" width="118" /></a><i>“This wine is inspired by our love of white wines and of Monte Amiata, a place that abounds with small old vineyards planted with unrenowned grapes. It is an old-style peasant blend of 70% Trebbiano 30% Malvasia made by macerating the varietals with their skins for one month. The wine is aged in barrel for 6 months. The first vintage produced was 2010. We have an ongoing project to replant a new mountain vineyard next to the Vigna Matta, an old vineyard in Montegiovi dating from 1920 that we currently rent for the production of this wine.”</i><br />
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The wine was delicious. A white wine, made like a red wine and drunk at red wine temperature, it has a slightly oxidized palate, with considerable depth. $30.00</div>
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<b>2017 La Ragazze Vino Bianco </b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6luPQLGU7cji5hJ44YJSuHSrH7MeKXkbBxG7S3LWD8Ni_MW6_Ze4d7YE-SkAktnnhHbJnc_bH_rT8tN349kYWkE3CUf7sKg35UTUXIJp5tIi4YXDbrJRcra7HaJ9FKl9ZSQPbGghrmR-p/s1600/D4F2F3687F6E4F94B75BF889BBF81F7D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6luPQLGU7cji5hJ44YJSuHSrH7MeKXkbBxG7S3LWD8Ni_MW6_Ze4d7YE-SkAktnnhHbJnc_bH_rT8tN349kYWkE3CUf7sKg35UTUXIJp5tIi4YXDbrJRcra7HaJ9FKl9ZSQPbGghrmR-p/s200/D4F2F3687F6E4F94B75BF889BBF81F7D.jpg" width="118" /></a><i>“Like the Biancospino it is an old-style peasant blend made by macerating indigenous varietals, in this case they are 50% Vermintino, with Trebbiano, Malvasia and Grechetto making up the rest. Skin contact is limited to one week. The wine is aged in barrel for 6 months. The first vintage produced was 2010. We have an ongoing project to replant a new mountain vineyard next to the Vigna Matta, an old vineyard in Montegiovi dating from 1920 that we currently rent for the production of this wine.”</i></div>
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This was even more delicious than the Biancospino and was clearly the favorite of the crowd. Gorgeous yellow hue, medium-bodied and a lengthy and elegant finish. $35.00</div>
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For the pasta course featured the estate's two Rosso di Montalcino poured side by side.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCK9BB4sjO8Z0mM3esHKJj1-X-0DKC1tP4LgK-4m5NS6iF4Y-kGmwRGlWXSOX6Ts4X_E_nkeVOM2SFKA5FZ_jf0nSdVUysEvDL9PDALxuW90YX4PtX63PWecyU3_lMvIojaBrFCNkgz2aI/s1600/IMG_6380.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCK9BB4sjO8Z0mM3esHKJj1-X-0DKC1tP4LgK-4m5NS6iF4Y-kGmwRGlWXSOX6Ts4X_E_nkeVOM2SFKA5FZ_jf0nSdVUysEvDL9PDALxuW90YX4PtX63PWecyU3_lMvIojaBrFCNkgz2aI/s400/IMG_6380.jpg" width="290" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Spinach Lasagna Classic Bolognese Style</b></td></tr>
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<b>2016 Rosso di Montalcino </b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBHuX8ETFGXfTuGvpqEzd_JwsgOua0DYDUvLjQ0L6JN1cXhU0VUKyChXFPNRa_ntK7ffznFg4BYsQq-KubZltUqt3lfWZG0pAybgBb2UUsBQkGx_98P5tWwDhZSM_ExuuVxJwvnJ0n8zf2/s1600/IMG_6226_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBHuX8ETFGXfTuGvpqEzd_JwsgOua0DYDUvLjQ0L6JN1cXhU0VUKyChXFPNRa_ntK7ffznFg4BYsQq-KubZltUqt3lfWZG0pAybgBb2UUsBQkGx_98P5tWwDhZSM_ExuuVxJwvnJ0n8zf2/s200/IMG_6226_1.jpg" width="133" /></a><i>“We do not consider this wine as a second tier wine or a lesser Brunello di Montalcino D.O.C.G. Our vineyards are all in an area historically renowned for the production of Brunello and are ideal for the production of structured wines. Our Rosso di Montalcino is merely a different interpretation of Sangiovese, characterized by a great potential for cellar evolution but aged for a shorter period in wood (22 months in oak barrels), preserving characteristics of rustic youth, fruity exuberance and a distinctive saline and earthy profile that is typical of all our Sangiovese. It is mostly from our three plots; Bosco, Alberello and Strada, vinified separately before a final blending. The first vintage produced was 2003.”</i></div>
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Young and like the whites, simply delicious. The wine showed great complexity and depth even at this early point in its life. This will add on depth and elegance over the next 3 to 5 years. As it sat in the glass throughout the dinner, it continued to evolve and display more fruit and elegance. $40.00</div>
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<b>2015 Rosso di Montalcino Alberello</b> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXJcuDA2gNu8Ly2utsw0EaFXFvzvjSvkqrFRc9LOViZulLEULpXwP5-DA9TCGC0zYkkRfQIpVXwBZgNFnR7ftraIpNr9d01bkmXmEvM14oKALo8cXMj1g9woojgNoV_bqEaMjHtzuMlh8h/s1600/IMG_6258+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXJcuDA2gNu8Ly2utsw0EaFXFvzvjSvkqrFRc9LOViZulLEULpXwP5-DA9TCGC0zYkkRfQIpVXwBZgNFnR7ftraIpNr9d01bkmXmEvM14oKALo8cXMj1g9woojgNoV_bqEaMjHtzuMlh8h/s320/IMG_6258+copy.jpg" width="80" /></a><i>“100% Sangiovese Grosso. 2015 is the first vintage in which the Padovanis bottled this single-parcel Rosso di Montalcino. Normally, it is part of the "regular" Rosso di Montalcino bottling. But since having grafted new Sangiovese vines in this particular plot in 2005 and trained them alberello style, the Fonterenza sisters have felt that it is a unique expression of Sangiovese from the same clay-limestone galestro soils and same northern exposure. Like the other Rosso plots, it is farmed organically and worked and harvested by hand; the fruit is fermented with native yeasts in steel tank with a 15-20-day maceration. Like the Rosso, the Alberello was aged for about 20 months in steel and Slavonian oak botti but spent a longer portion of its elevage in steel. It was bottled without filtration in September 2017. Only 4000 bottles made.” $45.00</i></div>
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This single vineyard Rosso showed more structure and complexity than it's counterpart. It was also a bit tighter, but as it evolved in the glass over the next 90 minutes the pedigree began to shine through. This, like the Rosso, will age gracefully for decade or more. $45.00</div>
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With our main course we enjoyed two vintages, once again side by side, of their flagship wine, Brunello di Montalcino. To say it was the coup de grâce to a magnificent tasting would be a bit of a understatement. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqmRCdFpv8w6-ZbARj2rwE4A1T4-uxbiqhqBXCdABPU-x-H94SZNwLold2PlxaD6X8DSc7_p8-ddHLt0UNWel49aMidir0LKwkncVyg8XgO-Ea2LnR5EtydfIrpsFddIOis3Dsjt0GsNrk/s1600/IMG_6381.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqmRCdFpv8w6-ZbARj2rwE4A1T4-uxbiqhqBXCdABPU-x-H94SZNwLold2PlxaD6X8DSc7_p8-ddHLt0UNWel49aMidir0LKwkncVyg8XgO-Ea2LnR5EtydfIrpsFddIOis3Dsjt0GsNrk/s400/IMG_6381.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Sliced Medallions of Filet; Mushroom Gravy; Potato Croquette</b></td></tr>
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<b>2010 & 2012 Brunello di Montalcino </b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpqEC1w8unBE2oLNprcmYqub3srIkSEJFf8DSBs0tHZPwiFc58G722s29u9jQIJtlSrAj0RI10EnKSaPVEEAS6mRYXz_JefytAVO-O0wLtG45eoZOArQ12bu_E8qk2yUNfAVFJElBAVqNd/s1600/IMG_5330.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpqEC1w8unBE2oLNprcmYqub3srIkSEJFf8DSBs0tHZPwiFc58G722s29u9jQIJtlSrAj0RI10EnKSaPVEEAS6mRYXz_JefytAVO-O0wLtG45eoZOArQ12bu_E8qk2yUNfAVFJElBAVqNd/s400/IMG_5330.jpg" width="265" /></a><i>“Ten long years passed between planting our vineyard and releasing the first bottles of this wine. We think of Brunello as a paean to Montalcino, a synthesis of everything that makes this part of the world so special; its unique combination of soils, sea breezes and woodlands. These elements find their expression in our Brunello; sun-baked saline notes, meaty aromas, heady Mediterranean herbs and fresh minerality. </i><br />
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<i>It is a wine that requires time and patience. We have learned to take care of it during its aging period, coaxing youthful characteristics to full maturity and nursing the potential for complexity. In present times, where everything is based on the concept of right here, right now, this is an old-fashioned wine. It is made exclusively from the estate Cru, Vigna del Bosco. Our first vintage of Brunello was 2004.”</i><br />
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Both wines were beautiful examples of how good Brunello di Montalcino can be. The 2010 ($125.00) was without question the WOTN, while the 2012 ($100.00) was on its own a stunning wine. 2010 was a magnificent year in Brunello, and as Margherita commented it was an “easy” wine to make, as Mother Nature gave them perfection in the vineyard, while the warm, dry growing season of 2012 gave winemakers more of a challenge. A challenge, in my opinion, that Fonterenza sisters met with great success.<br />
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Desserts are always special at Il Tulipano and are left up to the creation of the chef. They never disappoint as you can see below.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqgbPcpT7vFVn-7ibToWzrxEVGc3F1j6ye989aBYYkonsncCdiJy5I562cgwajscPc0sGmnAD9GhG8KwcUc7IuzTM-EGBiqRJcbqmiu6JCKmUbSwtJCC54QKe0KfO4gtYJTZFNonZ-TKiq/s1600/IMG_6382.1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqgbPcpT7vFVn-7ibToWzrxEVGc3F1j6ye989aBYYkonsncCdiJy5I562cgwajscPc0sGmnAD9GhG8KwcUc7IuzTM-EGBiqRJcbqmiu6JCKmUbSwtJCC54QKe0KfO4gtYJTZFNonZ-TKiq/s400/IMG_6382.1.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEwCqkNKVIo7VuM0ICmQFEoDcK2CX9V5dGa2qL1if5NB89NX1XsOPvu0Wx1shZaVafFcuZq4-Bi8p8R5vV2cei9H55t35GwRKtWieONMclQEhkkWv3AqpppA4ud_FxW67o0TWPD08iKxRt/s1600/IMG_6231.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEwCqkNKVIo7VuM0ICmQFEoDcK2CX9V5dGa2qL1if5NB89NX1XsOPvu0Wx1shZaVafFcuZq4-Bi8p8R5vV2cei9H55t35GwRKtWieONMclQEhkkWv3AqpppA4ud_FxW67o0TWPD08iKxRt/s200/IMG_6231.jpg" width="133" /></a>Fonterenza does not make any dessert wines, so I turned to the <b>La Stoppa</b> estate for their <b>2009 La Stoppa Vigna Della Volta Passito (Malvasia)</b>. The wine, a blend of 95% Malvasia di Candia Aromatica and 5% Moscato, is made from sun-dried grapes that are pressed in a vertical press, fermented naturally, and put into old French oak barrique for 10 months. After bottling, the wine is held for an additional two years before release. It was the perfect ending to a perfect evening.</div>
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La Stoppa is an historic estate in the province of Piacenza in the Emilia region of Italy. There are 32 hectares of vines, along with almost as much forest, plus the ruins of a medieval tower. The property was founded and planted first in the late 19th century by a lawyer named Giancarlo Ageno, whose main interest was Bordeaux varieties. In 1973, current owner Elena Pantaleoni's printer father, with no winegrowing experience, purchased the property; Elena joined him to work at the winery full-time in 1991. By 1996, a decision was made to let the non-native varietals like Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Tokay, Pinot Gris, Grechetto and Pinot Noir go, as they were not suited for the warm climate and clay soils of the area. They were replaced with local grapes Barbera, Bonarda and Malvasia (with Bordeaux varieties remaining until 2005, when those too were replaced).</div>
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The farming has been organic since the early 1990's; certification came in 2008. Elena Pantaleoni, a dedicated, intelligent and passionate grower, works closely with her enologist Giulio Armani to craft wines expressive of place and grape. Work in the cellar is minimal. Fermentation is entirely with native yeasts; maceration with skins is lengthy; little to no sulfur is used; wines are aged in a range of Slavonian oak botti and used French barriques; reds are not filtered before bottling; and bottle aging is extended. Elena eschews any DOC classifications, choosing the IGT path instead; she feels that the DOC regulations are too broad in terms of permitted varieties, geographical bounds and production techniques, and not conducive to thoughtul, artisanal winegrowing and winemaking, the priority at the La Stoppa estate.</div>
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I mentioned in the second paragraph above the comment, <i>“this was the best Hemophilia dinner of all” </i>was heard numerous times around the room. Having done 25 or more of these events over the years I have to concur with the comment, and that is saying a lot as many of the great wines of Italy and France have been featured at this dinner in the past. None however had the completeness and electricity of this tasting, beginning with the presence, charisma and passion of Margherita Padovani. A gifted and natural speaker, who simply lets her passions and wines speak for her and her sister. She wowed the crowd as much as her wines did. And speaking of the wines, each one showed beautifully from the first sip to the last. In fact experiencing the evolution of each wine in the glass really made the tasting special. </div>
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Fonternza wines are not in the well know...currently that is. But I think serious wine drinkers will be hearing about them and drinking them in the years to come.</div>
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Thank you so much Margherita and Francesca for the passion you bring to wine and thank you Margherita for making this fund raiser such a success. We raised $28,000+ from the event for the Hemophilia Association of NJ.</div>
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My thanks also to my dear friend Gino Urban of David Bowler wines who brought Margherita and her wines to the event. To my dear friend Gene Urban, owner of Impressive Impressions, who took all the photos in this blog, and to Gregorio Polimeni, Jr. and the staff at Il Tulipano for another outstanding job.</div>
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Saluté<br />
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Mark Scudieryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06102587984431792324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8357107416249204429.post-34511988091717803092019-02-03T12:36:00.000-08:002019-02-03T12:59:58.438-08:001999 Barolo DinnerTwo weeks ago our NY Vinous wine group met at <b><a href="http://www.degreziaristorante.com/">DeGrazia Ristorante</a></b> in NYC. The theme of this dinner was a 20-year Barolo retrospective, thus we all brought along bottles from the <b>1999 vintage</b>. 1999 was an epic vintage in Barolo, offering many amazing wines that are drinking beautifully now and will continue to do so for another couple of decades at least. The bad news is that while many of these wines are available the price to acquire them has soared. As is our custom Ken, the group’s most knowledgeable Nebbiolo member divided the wines into separate flights. All the wines were double decanted around noon and were served blind. It turned out to be another great tasting. The wines showed well, with one exception, and as you might expect from a group like this there were some differences of opinion, but overall, when finished we all wished we had lots more of the vintage in our respective cellars.<br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b>Food</b></span><br />
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Once again DeGrazia accommodated us with a private dinning room and served excellent food. I began with <i><b>Animelle ai Funghi; Calfs Sweetbreads pan seared with wild mushroom, marsala wine, granny smith apples, and fresh Thyme.</b></i> The sweetbreads were tender and perfectly sauced. One of the better versions of this dish that I have ever had.<br />
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<i><b>Spaghetti Alla Carbonara; Creamy egg yolk sauce with crispy pancetta, parmigiano cheese and black pepper.</b></i> DeGrazia makes the traditional Roman pasta dish to perfection, with perfectly cooked pasta and sauced with just the ingredients noted…no cream, which I find ruins the dish. <br />
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<b><i>Polletto al Mattone; Farm raised whole baby chicken marinated in a spicy white wine mixture, flattened and charred grilled, sautéed escarole and beans, mushroom polenta</i></b>, completed my meal. The chicken was moist and delicious with enough sauce to soak up with the polenta.<br />
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<b style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 0); color: red;"><span style="font-size: large;">Wine</span></b><br />
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<u><b>Flight 1</b></u><br />
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<b>1999 Giuseppe Mascarello Barolo Santo Stefano Di Perno</b>. Lovely bouquet of red fruit with a medium-bodied and nicely balanced palate. Considerable length to the finish.<br />
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<b>1999 Giuseppe Mascarello Barolo Villero</b>. The laggard of the flight in my opinion. I felt the wine had very little focus or depth and a rather weak finish.<br />
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<b>1999 Giuseppe Mascarello Barolo Monprivato</b>. I have stopped buying Monprivato as I find too much inconsistency from bottle to bottle and vintage to vintage. Fortunately that was not the case with this bottle, which drank with a lot of soul tonight. The wine evolved with each sip, danced on the palate and finished with a lovely velvet length.<br />
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<b>1999 Vietti Barolo Rocche</b>. A wow wine. Most thought it to be a Giacosa Riserva. Since I am not a fan of blind tastings (nor am I very good at it) I refrained from guessing what it was. In my opinion wines this good only need the simple description of "<i>round and delicious." </i>Each sip was better than the one before it. My WOTN…an opinion shared by most at the table. I wish I some of this in my cellar.<br />
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<u><b>Flight 2</b></u><br />
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<b>1999 Paolo Scavino Barolo Cannubi</b>. I must confess that I am not a fan of the very modern styled wines from Scavino and this did nothing to change that. When I drink them I don’t feel like I am drinking Barolo as was the case here.<br />
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<b>1999 Paolo Scavino Barolo Bric del Fiasc</b>. Decidedly better than the Cannubi. More of a Barolo nose and palate, but also a bit oaky.<br />
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<b>1999 Paolo Scavino Barolo Riserva Rocche dell’Annunizata</b>. Best of the flight, but still too modern for me.<br />
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<u><b>Flight 3</b></u><br />
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<b>1999 Massoliono Barolo La Vigna Rionda</b>. Fantastic bottle of wine. Great structure, purity and bouquet. Constantly evolves in the glass and then tantalizes the palate with great finesse. Finishes soft and lush. One of my WOTN.<br />
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<b>1999 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Rocche</b>. Gorgeous and exotic bouquet with a beautifully balanced and round palate that showed considerable depth and finesse, while the finish was lengthy and elegant. Another of my WOTN.<br />
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<b>1999 Giacomo Conterno Barolo Cascina Francia</b>. Unfortunately this bottle was flawed.<br />
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<b>1999 Giacomo Conterno Barolo Monfortino Riserva</b>. The wine showed extremely well. Earthy bouquet, full-bodied, balanced and complex with impeccable purity and a very lengthy, elegant finish. The best is yet to come for this wine and should really blossom in a few more years and continue to drink well for a couple of decades at least.<br />
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Another great evening with a great group of guys.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRbhKr0Tf2q6TZsLAwB1wjVGkp5ikGpxpWkTyeJpRHGLnoyicqvdQal5KfDSxKky5X3BStSJGWkoactMmvIhk7clhmjCHi_oswq1ko6Q65wnsDYx0q1j1oanjctr7VWoKfaLmad1n2qo-O/s1600/1999+Barolo+Blind+Group+members+Shot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRbhKr0Tf2q6TZsLAwB1wjVGkp5ikGpxpWkTyeJpRHGLnoyicqvdQal5KfDSxKky5X3BStSJGWkoactMmvIhk7clhmjCHi_oswq1ko6Q65wnsDYx0q1j1oanjctr7VWoKfaLmad1n2qo-O/s400/1999+Barolo+Blind+Group+members+Shot.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">3 happy campers, Myself, Ken V. and Marc D.</td></tr>
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For a more in depth accounting of the wines, visit Eric Guido's Blog, <b><a href="https://morrellwinebar.com/the-high-water-mark-1999-barolo/">The Cellar Table</a></b>. <br />
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Wine photos courtesy of Eric Guido.<br />
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Saluté</div>
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Mark Scudieryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06102587984431792324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8357107416249204429.post-34823919106804171902018-11-26T12:39:00.000-08:002018-11-26T12:39:10.966-08:00Giuseppe Rinaldi Dinner<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikRaXRZtuFvcdOxGBT4NxYXKkMXnzBPSrs7zWf8aRfwYUQh9dAnHxfOFgyn6Wpb9FyyzsjWUi9rsW4LZTbRhFivvsQHpnaD7VbevPIvtwAM13mni3Y85JVnX1E2wKjOn9umYRayYRFWzRZ/s1600/IMG_5216.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="432" data-original-width="576" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikRaXRZtuFvcdOxGBT4NxYXKkMXnzBPSrs7zWf8aRfwYUQh9dAnHxfOFgyn6Wpb9FyyzsjWUi9rsW4LZTbRhFivvsQHpnaD7VbevPIvtwAM13mni3Y85JVnX1E2wKjOn9umYRayYRFWzRZ/s200/IMG_5216.jpg" width="200" /></a>At the beginning of the month our NY Vinous wine group met at <b><a href="https://www.restauranthearth.com/">Hearth Restaurant</a></b> in NYC for an evening of great food and many top vintages of the <b>Brunate Le Coste Barolo</b> wines of <b>Giuseppe Rinaldi</b>. Making this evening extra special was the attendance of Vinous members Alice and Rob who travelled all the way from Hong Kong to join us. Additionally group founder Tony, who recently moved to London, England, was in town and also joined us. It was great to meet Alice and Rob and to see Tony again.<br />
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The evening turned out to be fantastic with the help of group member <b>Marc</b> who did a fantastic job coordinating the evening with general manager and wine director <b>Christine Wright</b>. This was my third visit here and like the others the food and service were top notch.<br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b>Food</b></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjscqqSh9EgIFMLxL-28zs3nUOpa_3v9JXQpl3a4xfoxkBTYoJAyyCT5aJmfm6KCGK57i6wAjY2ljiTdmWC__QbbU4fzqBO9ncpyOAeLmYbzbTUhB7xyg0sV3D1kNB2oOeurzoEgvtT-FgV/s1600/IMG_5210.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjscqqSh9EgIFMLxL-28zs3nUOpa_3v9JXQpl3a4xfoxkBTYoJAyyCT5aJmfm6KCGK57i6wAjY2ljiTdmWC__QbbU4fzqBO9ncpyOAeLmYbzbTUhB7xyg0sV3D1kNB2oOeurzoEgvtT-FgV/s320/IMG_5210.jpg" width="296" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><b>Mediterranean Salad</b></i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMGq7Mfp55z7w0YWWdRaFgKdohMwVDmYni0LJpTC7JEXhyphenhyphenWbv-_ld1ZH1vnhM8bCnzd9ibXKhxa19_xWvfWBPb3l2t-02ss5nRPIxSg9q7cpTCprgx-thZOCgwUv1rbHDMbdmxHFSF0mXC/s1600/IMG_5212.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMGq7Mfp55z7w0YWWdRaFgKdohMwVDmYni0LJpTC7JEXhyphenhyphenWbv-_ld1ZH1vnhM8bCnzd9ibXKhxa19_xWvfWBPb3l2t-02ss5nRPIxSg9q7cpTCprgx-thZOCgwUv1rbHDMbdmxHFSF0mXC/s320/IMG_5212.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Grass-Fed Beef Tartare with Salsa Verde, Raw Cheddar and Potato Chip</i></b>s</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioGqeOJ6JSYD2Agd9h26QpzKjYk6j16RDpIp8AHKU4rIHTFVrFDu9hPh6LgRR2dmNdAsZ3qjAXBM2LhdwV7FRpSPqi-2Zz2NSIdTtZTn5LUEnPZE_S3gFZLvOIHXzcZnG-ZAtPiYKHhVAV/s1600/IMG_5214.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioGqeOJ6JSYD2Agd9h26QpzKjYk6j16RDpIp8AHKU4rIHTFVrFDu9hPh6LgRR2dmNdAsZ3qjAXBM2LhdwV7FRpSPqi-2Zz2NSIdTtZTn5LUEnPZE_S3gFZLvOIHXzcZnG-ZAtPiYKHhVAV/s320/IMG_5214.jpg" width="306" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Maccheroni with Pork Ragu and Ricotta</i></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxPsV3GeGEwtN4dzoqpjcx-USgy8_U2XPMs773PnSguqTs0JGxP232rcxhyphenhyphens_Qg9LZrUXHBiijm44GsA5D7m6-SurvFIxLoSFj4RCsMarYaEOUSklO9agoHnKH7eAkEwdU9PJ8jjBsHqIs/s1600/IMG_5215.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxPsV3GeGEwtN4dzoqpjcx-USgy8_U2XPMs773PnSguqTs0JGxP232rcxhyphenhyphens_Qg9LZrUXHBiijm44GsA5D7m6-SurvFIxLoSFj4RCsMarYaEOUSklO9agoHnKH7eAkEwdU9PJ8jjBsHqIs/s320/IMG_5215.jpg" width="306" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Braised Rabbit Leg with Mushrooms and Leek</i></b>s</td></tr>
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The final courses were a Roasted Ribeye with Creamed Greens and cheese plate. Sorry no photos.<br />
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<b style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 0); color: red;"><span style="font-size: large;">Wine</span></b><br />
<b style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 0); color: red;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
In my opinion this was our best tasting to date as all the wines, with one exception, displayed brilliant pedigree. What was very interesting, although not at all surprising, was that this very experienced and Nebbiolo knowledgeable group had some very different opinions regarding the wines.<br />
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"Beppe", as he was known, was an icon of traditionally made Barolo. It was Beppe’s belief, in the true traditional style, that the greatest heights to which Barolo could reach could only come through blending. Although this was not a popular belief during the ‘90s, as the modern movement swept through Piedmont, Beppe held fast and refused to change. His tope wines were blends from his estate's 4 vineyards. Perhaps his top wine was the <b>Brunate Le Coste </b>(10,000 bottles), a blend of the <b>Brunate</b> and <b>Le Coste</b> vineyards, followed by his <b>Cannubi San Lorenzo Ravera </b>(3,500 bottles), a blend of these two vineyards in <b>Novello</b>. Barolo wine laws changed in 2010 making it illegal to put the names of more than one vineyard on the label. Today, he makes <b>Barolo Brunate</b>, which contains 15% fruit from the Le Coste Vineyard and <b>Tre Tine</b>, which is a blend of the vineyards Ravera (50%), Cannubi (30%) and Le Coste (20%). The wines continue to be top expressions of traditionally made Barolo. <br />
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Sadly, Beppe passed away at age 70 in September of 2018, leaving the estate and winemaking in the hands of his very capable daughters Marta and Carlotta.<br />
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<i>All wines we drank tonight were double decanted around 1 pm before being brought to the restaurant. </i>For this tasting Ken arranged the wines into 4 flights from oldest to youngest.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBhW84gNAvcuyhJOIVX8WloAXqBCAy-XzCi-v9AY5Zu26E04O3m4ha8CvAuKNSAlZtjgs0rk47CpXD8SY3zbPY1KGA3lCx2RbFJe3uQ2v9TyNqHLN6TGdFZq7Sk6KGjDF8YCwvOg3BBYMR/s1600/0tcf6hy5s51x.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBhW84gNAvcuyhJOIVX8WloAXqBCAy-XzCi-v9AY5Zu26E04O3m4ha8CvAuKNSAlZtjgs0rk47CpXD8SY3zbPY1KGA3lCx2RbFJe3uQ2v9TyNqHLN6TGdFZq7Sk6KGjDF8YCwvOg3BBYMR/s200/0tcf6hy5s51x.jpg" width="200" /></a>Before we began the Rinaldi tasting we enjoyed a bottle of <b>2008 Pierre Peters Les Chetillons Champagne Cuvée Spéciale Blanc de Blancs Brut</b> brought along by Alice. The Pierre Péters estate, situated in the heart of the "Côte des Blancs" in the village of Le Mesnil sur Oger, has been a family house for six generations and has produced Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Champagnes since 1919. A Champagne grower-producer, the wines come exclusively from their own vineyards. They farm just over 19 hectares of Chardonnay, mainly located in the communes of Le Mesnil sur Oger, Oger, Avize and Cramant.<br />
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I was not familiar with this producer or his Champagne, but I was delighted with my first experience. It had an enticing yeasty bouquet with a slightly saline and yeast palate and superb lengthy finish. The bubbles provided an excellent start to the evening.<br />
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<div>
<b>Flight 1</b><br />
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<b>1985 Giuseppe Rinaldi Barolo Riserva Selezionata Brunate</b>. A wow wine. I was smitten with the first sip of this incredible wine. The wine possessed a gorgeous earthy and fruity bouquet with a round, delicious, harmonious palate and lengthy elegant finish. About as perfect a wine as you will find. This slightly nosed out the ’96 as my WOTN.<br />
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<b>1993 Giuseppe Rinaldi Barolo Brunate Le Coste</b>. This was a difficult vintage in Barolo, although probably the best vintage of the early 90s. It took a while to open up and when it did it lacked the depth and complexity of the other wines in the flight.<br />
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<b>1994 Giuseppe Rinaldi Barolo Brunate Le Coste</b>. Another difficult vintage that showed a bit better than the ’93. <br />
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<b>1995 Giuseppe Rinaldi Barolo Brunate Le Coste</b>. Another tough vintage, although this showed a little more depth than either the ’93 or ’94 but far behind the ’85.<br />
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<b>Flight 2</b><br />
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<b>1996 Giuseppe Rinaldi Barolo Brunate Le Coste</b>. A wine I have enjoyed on numerous occasions, and tonight was no exception. The wine evolved with each sip showing beautiful complexity and balance and a lengthy elegant finish. My runner-up to wine of the night.<br />
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<b>1997 Giuseppe Rinaldi Barolo Brunate Le Coste</b>. Originally thought to be a great vintage that quickly went south. I found this to be totally flat and over the hill.<br />
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<b>1998 Giuseppe Rinaldi Barolo Brunate Le Coste, Magnum</b>. I felt the wine was hitting on all cylinders and literally soared from the glass with complexity, balance and lengthy and elegant finish. One of the top wines of the evening in my opinion.<br />
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<b>Flight 3</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>1999 Giuseppe Rinaldi Barolo Brunate Le Coste</b>. Great potential here. Very good tonight, but give more time in the cellar this will be evolve into a classic wine.<br />
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<b>2001 Giuseppe Rinaldi Barolo Brunate Le Coste</b>. A beautiful bottle of wine that showed good complexity, depth and elegance. Many happy years of drinking are ahead for this wine.<br />
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<b>2004 Giuseppe Rinaldi Barolo Cannubi San Lorenzo Ravera, Magnum</b>. While young this was quite good with fantastic potential. Glad to have a stash in the cellar.<br />
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<b>Flight 4</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>2005 Giuseppe Rinaldi Barolo Brunate Le Coste</b>. Like the ’04 Lorenzo, this shows terrific potential. <br />
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<b>2006 Giuseppe Rinaldi Barolo Brunate Le Cost</b>e. Similar to the ’04 and “05 in this flight, young and delicious with great potential.<br />
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<b>2007 Giuseppe Rinaldi Barolo Brunate Le Coste</b>. This was superb! While young like the others in this flight I found more depth and finesses in the wine at this young age. Destined to be a prodigious wine.<br />
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Saluté </div>
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Mark Scudieryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06102587984431792324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8357107416249204429.post-46349853531492235672018-11-07T06:54:00.000-08:002018-11-07T07:08:15.350-08:00Bruno Giacosa BarbarescoIn July our NY Vinous group gathered at <b><a href="http://www.degreziaristorante.com/">DeGrezia Ristorante</a></b> in Manhattan for an evening dedicated to the Barbaresco wines of <b>Bruno Giacosa</b>. This group is comprised of Nebbiolo lovers, and thus our tastings are predominantly Barolo and/or Barbaresco from Piedmont. Group member <b>Ken Vastola</b> is one of the most knowledgeable individuals around when it comes to Nebbiolo that I have ever met. Ken also has a cellar that is very deep in Giacosa wines. His blog, <b><a href="http://www.finewinegeek.com/giacosa/">The Fine Wine Geek</a></b>, contains a wealth of information on Giacosa wines. If you are a Nebbiolo or Giacosa fan, check it out.<br />
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The Giacosa estate has long been considered one of the most respected producers of traditional Barolo and Barbaresco. Giacosa was not an oenologist. Those duties were handled by Dante Scaglione, a strict tradtionalist, from 1992 until he resigned in 2008. Many felt that his departure greatly affected the quality of the wines. He returned in 2011 as consulting oenologist and the wines have begun to show a marked improvement. The jury however is still out as to whether or not the estate will return to its peak when Bruno was alive and Dante was the winemaker. Bruno Giacosa passed away in January of this year. His daughter Bruna is in charge of the estate today.<br />
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In addition to serving excellent Northern Italian cuisine, the excellent service and private wine room fit the bill perfectly for our group.<br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b>Food</b></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Q4EdM-W2EthUWdedMM3s_pFicTKVCGfe36tI2wTkTgLEBMUl7a4xciGreJ0fo2G1u4Y0ry0Q1lZWCRKTyTMakzLvViKHlfsiYeXaBeGVoG4di4Nxzo_dx4pMYdLDEQsXgaJLxWtmbm36/s1600/app1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Q4EdM-W2EthUWdedMM3s_pFicTKVCGfe36tI2wTkTgLEBMUl7a4xciGreJ0fo2G1u4Y0ry0Q1lZWCRKTyTMakzLvViKHlfsiYeXaBeGVoG4di4Nxzo_dx4pMYdLDEQsXgaJLxWtmbm36/s400/app1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="text-align: start;">Fresh Burrata Cheese with Roasted Peppers and Tomatoes</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhySb1tYBbyh26HVhqQf7WkDtqjXIN4-MKSNP8EqDmO1fKssnE4knOhIxHC4P462kgAQlp0gB7RREkPFaxcZXQGcz_1N1ZFrqOLeN5DXZnqcAYQRmIpcGAgoZKly3PNgdmmhlBBjQie1oF8/s1600/app2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="367" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhySb1tYBbyh26HVhqQf7WkDtqjXIN4-MKSNP8EqDmO1fKssnE4knOhIxHC4P462kgAQlp0gB7RREkPFaxcZXQGcz_1N1ZFrqOLeN5DXZnqcAYQRmIpcGAgoZKly3PNgdmmhlBBjQie1oF8/s400/app2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>Polenta with Sausage and Porcini Mushroom Ragu</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUIT_V076fjVkMevyLT-1y2ZyuuSxbLqT5TWlsfsppTpDQfu-ID6DSW6W_azEY2I1LSdXqVOfAnUtLvKiwdhj46zU-TJYLcRpyX77f_uZ6NrOd15704ndOaFlXOg6WY-GcDR8_Lz9p8IqD/s1600/pasta.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="355" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUIT_V076fjVkMevyLT-1y2ZyuuSxbLqT5TWlsfsppTpDQfu-ID6DSW6W_azEY2I1LSdXqVOfAnUtLvKiwdhj46zU-TJYLcRpyX77f_uZ6NrOd15704ndOaFlXOg6WY-GcDR8_Lz9p8IqD/s400/pasta.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Pappardelle Sul Cinghiale</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipPLJL5X8G-AjsM528KuNZJO4PIIIu6K7p5mOjgM-Zd_GkHlXk5ezJW0yatnYVXtVThZsJTxk6bmYqjixxKVhbWmKAtbiivbjxo9nyeqHuKQgAqdgr6gLP5JZB-W56dUUjn0iZvtejG68B/s1600/main.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipPLJL5X8G-AjsM528KuNZJO4PIIIu6K7p5mOjgM-Zd_GkHlXk5ezJW0yatnYVXtVThZsJTxk6bmYqjixxKVhbWmKAtbiivbjxo9nyeqHuKQgAqdgr6gLP5JZB-W56dUUjn0iZvtejG68B/s400/main.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Sausage Stuffed Quail</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiANbMlSBMZmK8Plvt4KgcKZDhR-PPIJNxhi7ReW0nnCT1SOCBVMfMUeulQLUp14dyO5ITGUKn0vaMnFEirb7p3gzbwHNaMjRRdP1A3HQJc5hX5mI3TnBADXmwRxhqlFTsFkBOv1rMjXrHW/s1600/IMG_5077.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="355" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiANbMlSBMZmK8Plvt4KgcKZDhR-PPIJNxhi7ReW0nnCT1SOCBVMfMUeulQLUp14dyO5ITGUKn0vaMnFEirb7p3gzbwHNaMjRRdP1A3HQJc5hX5mI3TnBADXmwRxhqlFTsFkBOv1rMjXrHW/s400/IMG_5077.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="text-align: start;">Potato & Spinach Gnocchi Bolognese</i></td></tr>
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<b style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 0); color: red;"><span style="font-size: large;">Wine</span></b><br />
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For this tasting Ken arranged the wines into 5 flights with the first three comprised of wines from the <b>Asilli</b> vineyard and the final two from the <b>Santo Stefano</b> vineyard.All wines we drank tonight were double decanted around 1 pm before being brought to the restaurant.<br />
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<b>Flight 1</b><br />
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<b>1997 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Asili</b>. Aroma of cough syrup, murky color, flat palate. The 1997 vintage was originally hailed as one of the great vintages of Piedmont. Alas, the wines began to fall apart after about 10 years. This bottle certainly was well past its time, in my opinion.<br />
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<b>2001 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Asili</b>. A wine I have enjoyed on multiple occasions, but not so much tonight. Muted bouquet with a green mid-palate. <br />
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<b>2005 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Asili</b>. Best wine of the flight. This was classic Giacosa. Still very young, with great pedigree and aging potential.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHgPnuZwRribU-R79qO6DizFJeZgN3Up8mTXM4whw5R94werZR8yRnCd4pIrriB3q3vE6QR2Jsua89mKUdNla4y2L6MLAgrChHMhoJiqJfgd88mQRyCHc7qcO0GnjRbL1KzB_ON7ExnPwY/s1600/flight1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHgPnuZwRribU-R79qO6DizFJeZgN3Up8mTXM4whw5R94werZR8yRnCd4pIrriB3q3vE6QR2Jsua89mKUdNla4y2L6MLAgrChHMhoJiqJfgd88mQRyCHc7qcO0GnjRbL1KzB_ON7ExnPwY/s400/flight1.jpg" width="390" /></a></div>
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<b>Flight 2</b><br />
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<b>1990 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Asili Riserva.</b> An OMG wine. A classic Nebbiolo nose wafts from the glass setting up great expectations of what the palate will soon experience. There is no let down as the wine has exquisite balance, finesse and complexity with a 45+ second elegant finish. My <b>WOTN</b>.<br />
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<b>1996 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Asili Riserva</b>. Another outstanding bottle of this wine that I have been fortunate to have on a number of occasions. A round and delicious wine that never stops evolving as you sip it. Very close runner-up to the 1990 for WOTN.<br />
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<b>2000 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Asili Riserva.</b> This started out with no bouquet and a flat palate. After 30 minutes in the glass it blossomed displaying a fresh, fruity and velvet palate. While very good, it lacked the depth and elegance of the ’90 & ’96.<br />
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<b>Flight 3</b><br />
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<b>2004 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Asili Riserva.</b> This wine may very well surpass the ’90 and ’96 Riserva in a few more years. The wine soared from the glass with each sip. Fantastic pedigree here.<br />
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<b>2007 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Asili Riserva.</b> I found this to be a bit one dimensional for the first 20 minutes before it began to open and take on some depth. I think there is a lot of potential here.<br />
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<b>Flight 4</b><br />
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<b>1974 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Santo Stefano</b>. In my opinion this was an off bottle. Palate was dull and there was little finish. <br />
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<b>1985 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Santo Stefano Riserva.</b> A nice bottle, but it got lost among the stellar Asili Riservas..<br />
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<b>1988 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Santo Stefano Riserva.</b> This wine has seen its better days. <br />
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<b>Flight 5</b><br />
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<b>1993 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Santo Stefano.</b> Faded bottle that was well past its drinking window..<br />
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<b>1996 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Santo Stefano.</b> Very good bottle of wine but not in the same league as the 1996 Asili Riserva.<br />
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<b>2001 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Santo Stefano</b>. I enjoyed this a lot and in fact had it ahead of the 2001 Asili. Terrific depth and elegance here.<br />
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While we were all in agreement that the Asili wines outdistanced those from Santo Stefano, it was another great evening with a group of wonderful and knowledgeable Nebbiolo geeks.<br />
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All photos courtesy of Ken Vastola.<br />
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Saluté<br />
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Mark Scudieryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06102587984431792324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8357107416249204429.post-70838375449920187862018-10-27T08:05:00.000-07:002018-10-27T08:05:21.525-07:00Riesling DinnerOur local wine group met this past Monday for our monthly dinner/tasting. It was my turn to bring the wine and select the venue. I selected <b>Riesling</b> for the wine and <b><a href="http://www.arianekb.com/">Ariane Kitchen and Bar</a></b>, Verona, NJ as the venue. I have known chef/owner Ariane Duarte and her husband Michael for more than a decade and have always been captivated by her food. She is truly one of the top chefs in the area. We tossed around some ideas for a menu for the tasting and came up with a meal that pleased all and worked with all the wines. <br />
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<b><i>Cornmeal crusted oysters, horseradish cream</i></b>. </div>
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This is one of Ariane's signature dishes. Pristinely fresh oysters are fried to perfection and served on a bed of fresh horseradish cream. I’m not sure if the tears they bring to my eyes come from the heat of the horseradish or the party they hold in my mouth.</div>
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<b>Foie Gras, caramelized pears, hazelnuts, brioche toast</b>. </div>
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One word, SPECTACULAR!</div>
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With both of these courses we drank <b>2012 Albert Boxler Grand Cru Sommeberg Dudenstein Riesling</b> from the <b>Haut Rhine</b> area of the <b>Alsace</b> region in France. The wine drank beautifully, possessing a light yellow hue, slightly viscous palate marked by vibrant fruit and good acidity. The finish was lengthy and delicious. From 65 year old vines, the grapes are picked by hand and bottled without fining. It was a runner up to WOTN.</div>
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Boxler is a small vineyard in France that works traditionally using techniques and finesse passed down across multiple generations. Owner/wine maker Jean vinifies most of his wines parcel by parcel, not necessarily together. This technique preserves the most rigorous specificity of each region.</div>
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<b>Soft scrambled eggs with shaved white Italian truffles</b>. </div>
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This dish is my favorite way to enjoy white truffles. Ariane’s touch of perfectly salted homemade potato chips, which served as the platform for the truffles was a wonderful touch. This was my first truffle of the season and it was great. My understanding is that both quality and quantity are high this year.</div>
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<b>2008 Alfred Merkelbach Erdener Treppchen Riesling Kabinett #9 #10</b>. From the M<b>osel Saar Ruwer</b> region of Germany, this is one of my favorite Reisling wines. The wine was wonderfully balanced with a feminine elegance on the palate, and a superb finish. Each parcel is vinified separately. Because of their tiny cellar, their wines will never be a blend of any more than 2 parcels together, indicated by the numbers on the label’s AP code.</div>
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Importer Terry Theise says the Merkelbachs are one of the stars of his portfolio. <i>“The clearest imaginable look into pure Mosel. Vivid, toe-curling clarity of fruit and terroir make this my most beloved Mosel agency. These are just some of the keenest, spiciest, most helplessly beautiful wines you can ever drink. The iciest blade of electric, splashing acidity supports a fruit so clear, so sharply rendered that the entire experience is so vivid it makes your toenails laugh!”</i></div>
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<b>Porcini dusted pan roasted cod, forest mushrooms, potato zucchini pancake, mushroom syrup.</b></div>
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A culinary work of art combing textures and technique...and oh that pancake. </div>
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<b>1994 J.J. Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr Auslese Riesling</b>. Also from the Mosel Saar Ruwer region of Germany, Prum has a well-deserved reputation as one of the finest Riesling producers in Germany. Their wines age beautifully and should not be approached for at least 5 years. The 55 acre estate consists of about 90% ungrafted, old vines and are planted 100% Riesling. Average annual production is 15,000 cases. The harvest at J.J. Prüm is always extremely late allowing the grapes in the cool Middle Mosel climate to be picked at ideal ripening conditions, the basis to produce wines of superb quality. </div>
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WOTN for me, it possessed a gorgeous yellow hue with an zesty bouquet and lengthy, viscous palate that finished with great length. A wow of a wine!</div>
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<b>Stuffed chicken breast, Mediterranean fonio pinenut stuffing, spaghetti squash, chicken jus.</b></div>
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A superb, moist chicken dish that the under-the-skin stuffing kicks up a couple of notches. </div>
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I had selected a <b>1976 Weingut Josef Fries Honingberg Riesling Auslese</b> to pair with the dish. A prodigious wine that I have enjoyed on previous occasions that unfortunately was corked tonight.</div>
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Fortunately I had a <b>2008 Willi Schaefer Graacher Domprobst Riesling Spatlese #10 </b>as a back up.<b> </b> This small 4 hectares estate has an annual production of less than 3,000 cases and is considered by many to be the Ne Plus Ultra of Mosel wine, and as such they have attracted an almost religious following. While tonight’s wine performed well, displaying a light yellow hue with a crisp, soft and balanced palate and vibrant acidity, the fruit was hanging in the background.</div>
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We were on our own for dessert. For me it the <b>Warm apple butter cake with spiced apple compote and vanilla bean ice cream</b> filled the bill beautifully.</div>
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I went to the <b>Finger Lakes region</b> of New York State for a <b>2008 Wiemer Bunch Select Late Harvest Riesling</b> to enjoy with dessert. Hermann J. Wiemer is regarded as one of the pioneers of viticulture and winemaking in the Finger Lakes. As a native of Bernkastel, Germany who emigrated to the Finger Lakes in the 1960s, he was uniquely qualified to help establish and create a wine region now known for its Riesling identity.</div>
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The estate’s winemaking processes pays homage to the ancient winemaking tradition and winemaking history of Hermann’s ancestry while incorporating the best of modern practices. The wines are crafted in very small lots to focus on subtle differences between site blocks within vineyards and even clones within varieties. They utilize up to 25 different fermentation tanks within the winery to isolate vineyard sections and pickings dates to best showcase the varietal’s characteristics. The small lot production allows for more control of the final product and is extremely labor intensive.</div>
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Long fermentation on indigenous yeast is made possible by the ecologically balanced viticultural methods in the vineyards. The estate seeks lower and balanced yields per vine, ensuring healthy vines that reflect the character of the soils in which they are deeply rooted.</div>
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Tonight’s wine had a gorgeous translucent Amber hue with an intoxicating bouquet. It possessed a fantastic mouth feel of botrytis affected grapes, with a palate of tropical fruits and caramel. A fantastic wine and also a runner up to WOTN.</div>
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My thanks to Ariane and Michael for making the evening a great success.</div>
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Saluté </div>
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Mark Scudieryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06102587984431792324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8357107416249204429.post-86522937047777052842018-10-24T09:41:00.000-07:002018-10-24T09:41:16.102-07:00Lunch with Franco ConternoMy friend <b>Tony</b> befriended <b>Franco Conterno</b> of <b>Aldo Conterno</b> wines on a trip to Italy a few years back. They have become close friends and each year when Franco comes to the U.S. to show his wines at the NY Wine Experience, Tony invites him and a few of his friends over to his house for lunch on Saturday. Every one brings a bottle of wine with the stipulation that the wine cannot be Barolo as Franco prefers to drink Burgundy and other wines when travelling. Tony’s wife <b>Fran</b> and his mother, <b>Elisabetta</b>, prepared a spectacular meal for us to go along with a great selections of wines.<br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">Food</span><br />
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Assorted <b>antipasti</b> of homemade sausages, soppressata, roasted artichoke hearts, Italian cheeses and olives.<br />
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<b style="font-weight: bold;">Homemade Pasta Al Forno</b><b>. </b>A spectacular dish that mamma Elisabetta makes from scratch. It consists of handmade mini rigatoni-like pasta mixed with baby meatballs, artichoke hearts and cheese and baked in the oven. Of course there was also traditional gravy meats of sausage and meatballs served after the pasta. Fantstic!</div>
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The pasta course was followed by fork tender <b>Sliced Filet Mignon</b> served with <b>mashed potatoes, asparagus au gratin, string beans almandine and salad</b>. Of course there was a bevy of excellent desserts from lunch attendee Pasquale, owner of <b>Sorrento Bakery</b>.</div>
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We began the lunch with <b>2008 Vazart-Coquart Champagne Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Special Club Brut</b>. This grower Champagne is made from 100% Chardonnay. It possessed a terrific yeasty nose and palate, with amazing depth and finesse. Like all great champagnes, it got better as it warmed a bit in the glass. It was brought by Ben from importer <b>Massonais</b> who imports Conterno wines. Ben explained that the "Club"cuvée is a tribute to the "Club Trésor of Champagne," an association of independent wine growers who are constantly striving for excellence. Vazart-Coquart is a house of growers that has worked their vineyards in Chouilly since 1785.</div>
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<b>1985 Emidio Pepe Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, Magnum</b>. A wine that I have had on numerous occasions and continues to drink beautifully. Big earthy bouquet and impeccable balance and a long, delicious finish. </div>
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<b>1990 Dujac Clos Saint-Denis Grand Cru</b>. A prodigious Burgundy with the bouquet edging out the palate by a hair. The wine showed finesse and complexity on the palate, but I felt the finish was a bit short.</div>
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<b>2006 Eduardo Vaentini Montepulciano d’Abruzzo</b>. This wine is beginning to enter its drinking window. A tad tight, the underlying pedigree is apparent and this should blossom in a couple of more years.</div>
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<b>2008 Valdicava Brunello di Montalcino</b>. Not my kind of wine, ultra modern and not for me. The wine is overpowered by oak. I was in the minority on this as the rest loved it.</div>
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<b>1996 Clos de Tart Grand Cru</b>. This was my third bottle of this wine in the past 30 days and while the others was good, this one soared from the glass. The wine showed impeccable balance, complexity, depth and finesse. Consensus WOTN by the group.</div>
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<b>2007 Clos de Tart Grand Cru</b>. A couple of steps behind the 1996, but a beautiful glass of wine that has a bright future.</div>
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<b>1965 Bodegas Toro Albala Don PX Selección</b>. This dessert wine is made from 100% Pedro Ximénez grapes. Dark brown in color and viscous on the palate it is like drinking liquid figs. </div>
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<b>2001 Château Rieussec Sauternes</b>. From the great 2001 vintage, it displayed layers of tropical fruit. Like most Sauternes however, I found the finish to be medicinal.</div>
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After lunch we adjourned to the outdoor porch where the group enjoyed <b>2008 Cohiba</b> cigars brought by George. I gave up smoking a while ago and thus passed on the cigars but did enjoy the conversation. It was a great day all around. Thanks Tony, Fran and mamma Elisabetta for including me.</div>
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Saluté </div>
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Mark Scudieryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06102587984431792324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8357107416249204429.post-35559442510332437792018-09-20T12:51:00.002-07:002018-09-20T12:51:53.956-07:00White NightOur local wine group met last week at <b><a href="http://wabisabinj.com/">Wabi Sabi</a></b> in Bloomfied, NJ for a dinner featuring <b>white wines from Italy and France</b> and the magnificent Sushi and cooked Japanese entrées from chef/owner Nelson Yip. Emil was in the queue and did great job with an eclectic selection white wines that complemented the food perfectly.<br />
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I have praised the food prepared by chef/owner <b>Nelson Yip</b> on previous occasions and for good reason…he is a class all to himself. He is fanatical about procuring only the freshest and highest quality ingredients available. To that end he receives 3 shipments of fresh fish from Japan weekly and is equally stern about the quality of all other ingredients he purchases locally. His wild mushroom soup is easily the finest and most flavorful version I have ever had. I used to order it on almost every visit, but that stopped about 6 months ago when he removed the soup from the menu due to the fact that his supplier was mixing poor quality mushrooms in with the case of the high quality varieties he expects. Rather than substitute inferior quality ingredients, he has removed the soup from the menu. The man is serious about the quality of what he serves. The food and wine service, under the direction of Alice and company is first glass. Highlights from our meal included.<br />
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<b><i>Clam Sake Soup</i></b>. Tender little nick clams swim in a jalapeño pepper based broth that is perfectly balanced between the brininess of the fish broth and heat of the jalapeños. An amazing dish.<br />
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<b><i>Hamachi Yuzu with Summer Truffle</i></b>. The freshness of the fish and subtlety of the flavors make this as addictive as any sashimi I have ever had.<br />
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"<b><i>Lollypop" Shrimp</i></b>. Large wild shrimp are fashioned into a circle, the center of which holds a bit of crab meat to the center before being coated with Panko bread crumbs, skewered and deep friedThe resulting "lollypop" is crunchy and greaseless and served with a lightly spiced dipping sauce made from chilis, tomatoes, onions and parsley. In combination, the sauce and shrimp throw a party in your mouth.<br />
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<b><i>Berkshire Pork Goyoza</i></b>. Nelson takes the pan-fried dumplings to new heights in this preparation. The incredibly light dumpling wrappers are made in house and stuffed with a minced pork stuffing made from wild boar procured from Berkshire Farms. Lightly pan-fried, they are delicious and a far cry from the thick and doughy versions found at most other spots. I never asked what he makes the dipping sauce with, but it is the perfect foil for these heavenly pillows of pleasure.<br />
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<b>Wabi Sabi Chicken</b>. Nelson’s version of General Tso Chicken will open your eyes as to how good this dish can be. He only uses white meat, which he soaks in ice water overnight before doing his magic in the Wok. The chicken is cooked to a moist and greaseless perfection that will have you applauding the dish with your chopsticks.<br />
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<b>Sushi and Sashimi Platter</b>. <br />
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Not pictured, but also enjoyed</div>
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<b><i>Truffle French Fries</i></b>. I am not a fan of truffle oil being added to any dish. Here Nelson takes fresh cut French Fries and lightly salts them with truffle salt. This I am a huge fan of. By the way his truffled edamame are addictive.</div>
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<b>Chicken Fried Rice</b>. Large pieces of fresh and deftly sautéed chicken are tossed in this classic Chinese dish.<br />
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<b>Fried Spicy Rock Shrimp</b>. These amazing crustaceans are lightly fried and served in a spice mayo-based sauce.<br />
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Emil started us with a 375 ml bottle of <b>2002 Domaine Huet Le Haut-Lieu Demi-Sec Vouvry</b>. Since 1928 Vouvray’s Domaine Huet has set the standard year after year for great age-worthy <b>Chenin Blanc</b>. The estate produces some of the world’s most compelling white wines in a remarkable range that spans sparkling, dry, semi-dry, and breathtaking dessert styles. The <b>Le Haut-Lieu</b> vineyard was Victor Huet’s first vineyard around which the domaine has grown, but in the 21st century. Initially just 3 hectares, the vineyard saw more planting, broadening out so that today it covers 9 hectares. The estate also acquired <b>Le Mont</b>, an 8 hectare vineyard in 1957, and the <b>Clos du Bourg</b>, a 6 hectare site was purchased not long afterwards, in 1963. These three vineyards are the core of the Huet domaine, each yielding rich fruit and an array of styles, from sec and demi-sec to moelleux and moelleux premier trie. <br />
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Since 1989, the estate has also produced this magical, botrytized dessert wine selected from one, two or all three vineyards. When made, the <b>Cuvée Constance</b> (named for Gaston’s mother) ranks among the world’s greatest dessert wines.<br />
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Tonight’s wine displayed a very expressive nose of white fruits and a full rich palate. It is a beautiful wine that is drinking very well at the present time and should continue to do so for at least another decade.<br />
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<b>2014 Quintarelli Secco Ca’ Del Merlo.</b> Quintarelli is known for his stunning Valpolicella, Amarone and Ricotto red wines. Less known, but as compelling as his reds, is this white wine blend of <b>Garganega, Trebbiano Toscano, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Saorin</b> grapes. The wine exhibited terrific depth and balance and finished with considerable length. </div>
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<b>2009 Emidio Pepe Trebbiano d’Abruzzo</b>. Made from 100% <b>Trebbiano</b> grapes, the wine shows brilliant complexity and balance. Crisp and full-bodied, the wine evolved with each sip taking on elegance and depth.</div>
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<b>2015 Maison Lucien Le Moine Chassagne Montrachet Les Caillerets Premier Cru</b>. Lucien Le Moine is one the most exciting Burgundy producers to come along in the last few years. Mounir Saouma and Rotem Brakin bottled the first wines of their negociant firm in 1999 and are already receiving rave reviews from the top critics. They do not grow any of their own grapes but have managed to earn the favor of excellent growers in the best Premiers and Grands Crus.<br />
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Both reds and whites are aged on 100% of their lees, with a gentle batonnage (stirring) three or four times a month. Their cellar is naturally cold and they are able to extend malolactic fermentation late into summer. They use CO2 whenever possible to minimize the use of SO2. After the malolactic fermentation is complete, they taste each barrel twice a month until it is ready to be bottled. The wine is then racked and bottled without either fining or filtration in order to preserve the character of the wine. <br />
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Tonight’s wine, the consensus WOTN of the group, was refined and classy with terrific acidity and minerality. The wine at this young age drinks beautifully and has the pedigree to age effortlessly for a couple of decades.<br />
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<b>2014 Bruno Colin Puligny Montrachet La Truffiere Premier Cru</b>. I found this to be very young with a fair amount of oak on the palate. At the moment several large steps behind the Le Moine. Perhaps with cellar time the oak will become better integrated.<br />
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Great job by Emil on his wine selection and Nelson on the food.<br />
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Saluté<br />
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<br />Mark Scudieryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06102587984431792324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8357107416249204429.post-43409418501428674712018-09-07T07:28:00.000-07:002018-09-07T07:53:44.427-07:002006 SangioveseLast month our local wine group met at <b><a href="https://viaggioristorante.com/">Viaggio Ristorante</a></b> in Wayne, NJ for a dinner featuring the <b>2006 vintage of Sangiovese</b> based wines from Tuscany. All the wines were provided by group member Jim. Viaggio is a farm to table restaurant with a Tuscan flare. The food is creative and well prepared, but a bit too rich for my palate. <br />
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I think the comments from the <b><a href="https://vinous.com/">Vinous</a></b> website on the 2006 vintage are well stated:<br />
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<b>Chianti</b><br />
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<i>“Consistently stunning, full-bodied wines loaded with super-ripe fruit, but with plenty of stuffing underneath. In many cases the wines were made in the last month or so of the growing season, particularly in Chianti Classico, where warm daytime temperatures alternated with cool evenings. These conditions extended the grapes’ hang time and allowed the fruit to reach full phenolic ripeness while achieving maximum development of aromatics, acidity and structure. Growers had the luxury and peace of mind to harvest without being rushed. In a few spots producers reported harvesting into October, particularly for the Sangioveses. The 2006s will be tempting to drink young for their opulent fruit, but the best wines have the potential to age gracefully for many years. Since their initial release, many of the higher-end 2006s have begun to close down, so readers will want to approach these wines with caution. If the vintage has a weak spot it is the dry tannins that show up in a few wines where the warm conditions did not allow growers to achieve the level of sweetness and ripeness in the tannins that was evident in 2004.”</i><br />
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<b>Brunello di Montalcino</b><br />
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<i>“The 2006 Brunellos are big, powerful wines with beautifully delineated aromatics, great concentration of fruit and plenty of structure. There are significant differences between the northern and southern parts of the zone, once again demonstrating that Montalcino really must be considered as a group of smaller appellations. The wines of the north are generally more linear, focused and aromatic, while the wines of the south tend to favor a riper, warmer expression of fruit. The summer was hot, but temperatures did not reach the extremes of years such as 2003. Spells of rain in late August and early September refreshed the grapes and slowed down their maturation cycle, always a positive for Montalcino. Growers picked under gorgeous fall weather. Once again, very few Riservas are worth the money. In fact, in most cases, the regular bottlings are aging more gracefully than the Riservas.”</i><br />
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Jim started us off with a white wine from Angelo Gaja, <b>2016 Gaja Ca’ Marcanda Vistamare Toscana IGT.</b> A blend of 60% Vermentino and 40% Viognier, fermented separately. The Vermentino is aged in stainless steel tanks while the Viognier is aged in oak (Barrique?) casks for 6 months. Typical of Gaja wines I found this on the modern side with a fair amount of oak on the palate. Not my cup of tea. </div>
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<b>2006 Felsina Chianti Classico Rancia Riserva</b>. 100% Sangiovese. After the quality-selected clusters are de-stemmed and pressed, the must is fermented and macerated in stainless steel for 16-20 days at 28°C and 30°C, with programmed punch downs and daily pumpovers. In March-April, the new wine goes into new French oak barrels; after 18-20 months of maturation, the final blend is assembled, bottled, and ages in glass a minimum of 6-8 months. Felsina wines, while aged in new oak barrels, integrates the oak very well and as a result it never dominates the palate. The wine was fantastic, with bright ripe fruit, great acidity and balance and a lengthy, delicious finish. This was my WOTN and pretty much the consensus WOTN of the group.</div>
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<b>2006 Valdicava Brunello di Montalcino</b>. 100% Sangiovese Grosso. Ultra modern wine with oak dominating the palate. A far cry from the Rancia. I have never been a fan of this producer.</div>
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<b>2006 Biondi Santi Brunello di Montalcino</b>. 100% Sangiovese Grosso that was fermented in cement and aged for three years in Slavonian oak casks. Runner up to the Rancia, in my opinion. Nice balance and complexity here with a lengthy and elegant finish.</div>
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<b>2006 Conti Constanti Brunello di Montalcino Riserva</b>. 100% Sangiovese Grosso. 48 months. 18 months in tonneaux, 18 months in Slavonian oak wooden barrels and 12 months in bottle. A nice wine that I felt was a bit tight and should benefit from an additional few years in the cellar.</div>
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Another wonderful evening with great guys. Thanks Jim for the wines and dinner.<br />
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Saluté</div>
Mark Scudieryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06102587984431792324noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8357107416249204429.post-16967762340489992032018-08-07T13:59:00.003-07:002018-08-08T11:29:50.965-07:00Tuscan Family VacationCarol and I recently returned from a spectacular family vacation in Italy. Spending time with family is always special, but when you get a chance to do it Italy, it is really special. In addition to my daughters, sons-in-law and grandchildren I invited our good friends Gino and Mary Jo to join us. We spent the first seven days at <b><a href="http://www.villasanluigi.com/">Villa San Luigi</a></b> in Buonconvento, Italy. Our final three days were spent at the Cavalieri Hotel in Rome.<br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b>The Villa</b></span><br />
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The Villa San Luigi is a spectacular 15th century designed farmhouse that was renovated by owners by Affie Hussein and his Joanna from 2010 to 2015. It is located about 15 miles south of Siena. It is equipped with every amenity you can imagine. Our hosts were most gracious and made our visit memorable. Affie welcomed us to the villa with a couple of bottles of chilled Prosecco, a welcomed quaff after the 3-hour transport from Rome. The kids had a fantastic time exploring the grounds and frolicking in the pool.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Isabell, Nicholas, Mia, AJ</td></tr>
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b>The Food & Wine</b></span></div>
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It is very difficult to find a bad meal in Italy and this trip was no exception whether we ate at the villa or in one of the many local restaurants, we always came away feeling happy, content and perhaps a bit stuffed.<br />
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One of the many services Villa San Luigi offers is in villa chef services for dinner. We opted for this service on our first night and last night at the villa. The menus for the meals were preselected by us prior to our trip and prepared by top local chefs.<br />
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On Saturday evening, chef <b>Alfonso</b> of the local Buonconvento <b><a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g635876-d1444092-Reviews-Ristorante_Da_Mario-Buonconvento_Tuscany.html">Ristorante Da Mario</a></b> prepared the meal. He was assisted in the kitchen by <b>Gabriella</b>, his wife and villa housekeeper, and owner Affie. We began the meal with tender <b>pan-fried calamari</b> topped with a sprinkle of breadcrumbs and <b>grilled eggplant with smoked mozzarella</b>.<br />
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We all love <b>spaghetti and meatballs</b>, especially the grandkids, and Alponso's preparation hit the nail on the head!<br />
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What else to you have in Tuscany for a main course but <b>Bistecca Fiorentina. </b>Tender and delicious with a salad of arugula and tomato, it was delicious.<br />
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My children selected Tiramisu for dessert. This is a dessert that I have never been overly fond of until this evening. It was simply magnificent. Moist and delicious, I had two pieces, as did most of the others.<br />
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With this meal we drank a <b>2016</b> <b>Tormaresco Chardonnay</b> from Puglia that I picked up when we stopped for lunch on the Auto Strada. While it will never challenge the great whites of the world, it was oak-free, crisp and delicious. Affie was kind enough to sell me two bottles of <b>2010 Baricci Brunello Di Montalcino Reserve Nello </b>from the villa's cellar. I was unfamiliar with this under the radar producer of Brunello Di Montalcino. Affie explained that the 2010 Reserve Nello (named after founder Nello Baricci) is the first Reserva made in the 60 year history of the winery. The wines is an old world masterpiece that displayed fantastic, depth and pedigree. Enjoyable now, it needs a good 10+ years in the cellar to appreciate how good this can be. I put the wine in the same category as Soldera.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYGnj3j0PQcjcx_LvzjK3dS_XD5T982EKyOJl-wxSfiriG3KK9j3qwxEeQ06bQ_BvV32xQ_hcLoAImc3DovIQBP2dAq1UXvhi21y8y87hWnX1c_xVhWIo55ezN0h2pYCcUjyoQFhMJ5MWz/s1600/IMG_0017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYGnj3j0PQcjcx_LvzjK3dS_XD5T982EKyOJl-wxSfiriG3KK9j3qwxEeQ06bQ_BvV32xQ_hcLoAImc3DovIQBP2dAq1UXvhi21y8y87hWnX1c_xVhWIo55ezN0h2pYCcUjyoQFhMJ5MWz/s320/IMG_0017.jpg" width="147" /></a>Nello Baricci is one of the 26 founding members of the Brunello di Montalcino Association, established in 1967. He was, for many years, the voice of the small producers who greatly contributed to increasing this prestigious appellation’s reputation. It is for this reason that Baricci today remains the only producer who can put a drawing of the town of Montalcino on its wine labels. The estate, now run by Nello’s son Pietro Buffi and grandson Federico Buffi, is located in Colombaio Montosli, an area considered one of Brunello’s best vineyards. The Baricci family never followed the trend towards an international, more extracted and woody style. Rather, their wines are made following the purest regional traditions, with precision and great elegance. Soil, sun exposure, serious farming without chemical herbicides or products, and a traditional winemaking process, are the main reasons for these Brunello wines’ authenticity and unpretentiousness. The Baricci family’s wines are simply fine, beautiful, and elegant. They beautifully illustrate the intrinsic properties of the Montalcino terroir.<br />
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Montosoli, a unique terroir north of Montalcino, is located between the mountains and the plains of Valdarbia. The five-hectare Colombaio de Montosoli vineyard, owned by the Baricci family, is located in a privileged area of the Brunello di Montalcino appellation. Here, the Montalcino hills protect the vineyard from the sirocco. The light north-eastern winds quickly dry the rain and help maintain optimum levels of acidity in the berries. The soil is a complex mixture of marl, shale, quartz, clay, and marine deposits dating from the Pliocene era. This soil composition ensures good drainage in rainy vintages.<br />
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The wine is aged 36 months in Slavonian oak barrels of 40 Hl, plus 6 months in the bottle before the release. Only 6,000 bottles were made and numbered.<br />
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After quickly disposing of two bottles of the Baricci, we opened a <b>2013 Prunotto Barolo</b> that I also picked up on the Auto Strada. While not in the same class as the Baricci this medium-bodied Nebbiolo had a nice fruity bouquet and a soft, if unexciting palate.<br />
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We relaxed by the pool on Sunday and Monday and ate in Buonconvento for dinner both nights.<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g635876-d1444092-Reviews-Ristorante_Da_Mario-Buonconvento_Tuscany.html">Ristorante Da Mario</a></b>. The restaurant is owned by chef Alfonso's family and he serves as the chef. We dined al fresco under pleasant Italian skies. <br />
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Highlights of the meal included:</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small; text-align: start;"><b>Tartare di Vitello</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzsaH7c1SWs4de1iMHnHeyGP6-BwfsLACtUkePAw07gUXZSK-mIT18h9zwdTIdrdfW7fI4Xhme3jcpLJh-pk6OSSjE2533yhEGWwTO5s6HwutaNoouH2BEyr4fdrLunK25BndL3C39jFet/s1600/IMG_0031.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzsaH7c1SWs4de1iMHnHeyGP6-BwfsLACtUkePAw07gUXZSK-mIT18h9zwdTIdrdfW7fI4Xhme3jcpLJh-pk6OSSjE2533yhEGWwTO5s6HwutaNoouH2BEyr4fdrLunK25BndL3C39jFet/s200/IMG_0031.jpg" width="191" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Homemade Pici w/ Calcio e Pepe</b></span></td></tr>
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One of the things I love about drinking wine in Italy is the abundance of local wine that never seems to make it into the states. We began the meal with two bottles <b>2015 Muzic Collio Sauvignon</b>. This was simply delicious and at 12 €, a fantastic bargain. Straw colored with a greenish tinge, the fruity bouquet was most inviting. The first sip reveals a beautifully structured wine with a clean palate of fresh fruit, a crisp mouth feel lengthy finish. The winery is at a crossroad between the road going from Gorizia to the summit of San Floriano del Collio and the one that goes down to the Preval. It is owned Ivan and Orieta Muzic and their children Elija and Fabijan.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqhrtI6C_pFq6ShsSriyU2xsChToN4oSCJGF0yVaFq7zIxbcChsiBQfOC_0rW3_9-X8zaf2RJhM1ipRh5HTnGjiMwtj_l9eB4aTwhzwoIt2vHNAnR3Dez7p-oT1ud-LzijjzETBHCPZQHr/s1600/IMG_4945.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqhrtI6C_pFq6ShsSriyU2xsChToN4oSCJGF0yVaFq7zIxbcChsiBQfOC_0rW3_9-X8zaf2RJhM1ipRh5HTnGjiMwtj_l9eB4aTwhzwoIt2vHNAnR3Dez7p-oT1ud-LzijjzETBHCPZQHr/s200/IMG_4945.jpg" width="82" /></a><br />
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For the red we were delighted with a couple of bottles of <b>2013 ForteMasso Barolo Castelletto</b>. Located in Castelletto, this was a medium-bodied Barolo that had plenty of character balance and complexity for a 35 € wine. After 30 minutes in the glass the wine began to take on more depth and the finish became more refined. All harvesting is done by hand, de-stemmed and fermented in stainless steel vats. The wine is aged in wood for an average of 30 months followed by a further 8 to 10 months in bottle before release.<br />
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<a href="http://www.leantichemuradaciro.it/?utm_source=tripadvisor&utm_medium=referral"><br /></a>
<b><a href="http://www.leantichemuradaciro.it/?utm_source=tripadvisor&utm_medium=referral">Ristorante Le Antiche Mura</a></b>. Acclaimed for their pizza, Antiche Mura is more than a pizzeria. In fact it is said that it is the best pizza in all of Tuscany. <b>Ciro</b>, who hails from Gragnano, a small village in the province of Naples, mans the ovens, while his wife <b>Carmella</b> is the chef. We tried several pizza selections, including a <b>Nutella pizza</b> that the kids really enjoyed. A salad of <b>Baccala and fennel</b>; <b>Pici Bolognese</b> and a superb <b>Fritto Misto of Calamari, Shrimp and Scallops</b> were the standouts of the evening from the kitchen.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib8v-kLcE5KDakEtlnxRt3XpLOPTypKzC6SQajbJ3UGYjsE1jpwss0CKZprTQmG8E0WhAkFT648jXnszu5rOCpV3MNdHKuS_uDuYssQBB0lLkcMYzjrlg0wlpl7tmc0U96SIyVz-48sdNg/s1600/IMG_4951.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib8v-kLcE5KDakEtlnxRt3XpLOPTypKzC6SQajbJ3UGYjsE1jpwss0CKZprTQmG8E0WhAkFT648jXnszu5rOCpV3MNdHKuS_uDuYssQBB0lLkcMYzjrlg0wlpl7tmc0U96SIyVz-48sdNg/s200/IMG_4951.jpg" width="118" /></a>We began the meal with <b>2015 Società Agricola Nativ Fiano di Avellino</b>. Made from 100% Fiano grapes, it was the WOTN. Pale yellow in color the wine was fruity, pleasant and light, nicely balanced with good acidity. The wine is made by light pressing of whole clusters, cold static clearing and fermentation with selected yeasts.<br />
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Founded in 2008, the company is dedicated to the production of typical wines of the territory, in particular, Fiano di Avellino, Greco di Tufo, Falanghina, Aglianico and Aglianico of Taurasi. The vines are grown on soils of property, that are well known for their particular fertility thanks to their volcanic origin. The vineyards spread for about 15 hectares, between Paternopoli and Taurasi.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5dZUDDzC85PnUbP0JGlu-uRyC5kcY4xETYUnpBLGBtsdNok5xbw74MYpumaIQs6iVl5h3rYKRc4NGRBB7SW4xG91saQlYHkpl8yQHa358DteTk6SldcLE59mBUvD_o2m5m7-nDlzH4Gv0/s1600/IMG_4952.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5dZUDDzC85PnUbP0JGlu-uRyC5kcY4xETYUnpBLGBtsdNok5xbw74MYpumaIQs6iVl5h3rYKRc4NGRBB7SW4xG91saQlYHkpl8yQHa358DteTk6SldcLE59mBUvD_o2m5m7-nDlzH4Gv0/s200/IMG_4952.jpg" width="176" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSMvsZ3PQcL3m5UkoYHvIQ8qktPFPnI4mYw7akgoywv3PmZD14yWehMQ8saLJPEiAfTKuPvtzMmhK9FrDEbrTUQYeLLCnYNzQZ6abCCwNbl6tHMefM7D6i6c1yOMYW595dUP1wfn_tbzyK/s1600/IMG_4951+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSMvsZ3PQcL3m5UkoYHvIQ8qktPFPnI4mYw7akgoywv3PmZD14yWehMQ8saLJPEiAfTKuPvtzMmhK9FrDEbrTUQYeLLCnYNzQZ6abCCwNbl6tHMefM7D6i6c1yOMYW595dUP1wfn_tbzyK/s200/IMG_4951+3.jpg" width="185" /></a><br />
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For red we started with <b>2016 Castello Banfi Rosso di Montalcino Poggio alle Mura</b>. 100% Sangiovese and aged in French Barrique for 12 months, the wine was very modern in style, with too much oak at this early stage of drinking. Made from vines that were planted in 1992 at an altitude: 210-220 meters above sea level. The wine is an attempt to isolate the optimal selection of clones from the hillside.<br />
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We then tried a bottle of <b>2013 Casanova di Neri Brunello Di Montalcino</b>. Nice transparent red hue and enticing bouquet, and considerably better than the Banfi but much to young and oaky.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Francesca Padovani</td></tr>
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Tuesday morning we paid a visit to <b>Campi di Fonterenza </b>in Montalcino. The wines are imported by Louis Dressner and some are distributed by David Bowler Wines. My friend Gino who is a rep for Bowler set up the appointment. Fonteranza is a young estate that was started by twin sisters Francesca and Margarita Padovani in 1997. A neighbor of the legendary Brunello producer Gianfranco Soldera, who has been a mentor to them, the first vines were planted in 1999, then again in 2002 and the last bit was planted in 2005. The estate is now at 4 hectares of high-altitude Sangiovese, surrounded by woods and olive groves. Of their vines, only 1 hectare is used for their Brunello di Montalcino; the rest goes into their Rosso di Montalcino and a younger-vine, stainless steel version called Pettirosso. The farming has been organic from the beginning, and the sisters, who do everything themselves, now work biodynamically. The cellar work is as minimal as possible. Fermentations are natural in large, mainly Slavonian oak casks; use of sulfur is minimal; aging takes place in a mix of botti, tonneaux and barriques. Production is very small for this under the radar producer of superb wines..<br />
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They currently make five red cuvées: a Sangiovese rosé (<b>Rosa</b>), a younger Sangiovese from Brunello and Santasimo classified grapes (<b>Pettitrosso Vino Rosso</b>), a Rosso de Montalcino, a single vineyard Rosso Di Montalcino (<b>Alberello</b>) as well as a <b>Brunello</b> (2004 was the first vintage) that is released after five years. They also make a white wine, <b>Biancospino</b>. The wine is inspired by the sister’s love of white wines and of Monte Amiata, a place that abounds with small old vineyards planted with unrenowned grapes. It is an old-style peasant blend made by macerating indigenous varietals such as Tr<b>ebbiano Toscano, Procanico, Malvasia and Ansonaca</b> with their skins. The first vintage produced was 2010. They have an ongoing project to replant a new mountain vineyard next to the Vigna Matta, an old vineyard in Montegiovi dating from 1920 that they currently rent for the production of this wine.<br />
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Since the first time I tasted the Rosso and Brunello about 5 years ago I have been captivated by their purity, balance, complexity and elegance. Today we tasted the 2015 and 2016 Rosso and the 2014 & 2015 Brunello. Each wine was a joy to drink with the Rossos, as one would expect, much more approachable today. The Brunellos showed great pedigree and are destined to be terrific in 8 to 10 years. At about $35 and $80 a bottle respectively, the wines are a must for lovers of traditionally made Brunello. Speaking of great QPR, the Rosé at $20 is simply amazing. </div>
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The <b>2015 Pettirosso Vino Rosso</b> is a blend of 80% Sangiovese/20% Ciliegiolo. Pettirosso is named for the "red-breasted" finches inhabiting the vineyard and was first bottled in 2011, as the Padovani sisters' version of a vin de soif. The fruit comes mainly from a rented vineyard of old vines and varieties in the wooded, hilly Monte Amiata zone of Tuscany, west of Montalcino (one of the main sources of white Biancospino fruit too). The vines are organically farmed and harvested by hand. The Sangiovese is destemmed, crushed and fermented in tank with native yeasts; the Ciliegiolo is whole-cluster-pressed and carbonically fermented. The wine is blended and aged in botti for 7-8 months before being bottled unfiltered. Pettirosso is classified simply as Vino Rosso (the vintage is found as a lot number in tiny print on bottom right of label). An interesting wine, but lacks the purity and depth of the other two.</div>
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The white <b>Biancospino</b> metioned above was not tasted at the winery, but we did buy a bottle later in the week. The burnt yellow hue and slight oxidation reminded me of an orange wine from Friuli. The wine had great balance and acidity and evolved nicely in the glass.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm07140Z74fy84Hq6CjRtgU-kM2e0mjs7vvmdCQoXDFSSZJnNaERmAsHWs2WG4QJhtIEA5_l_D74OwBfx_hDW3gKnEjfKoiiyMU_TQsIujE3Z8rMpxWu42iUlRuWYjq-jIhvCrJt5Hbpqw/s1600/Vermintino.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1008" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm07140Z74fy84Hq6CjRtgU-kM2e0mjs7vvmdCQoXDFSSZJnNaERmAsHWs2WG4QJhtIEA5_l_D74OwBfx_hDW3gKnEjfKoiiyMU_TQsIujE3Z8rMpxWu42iUlRuWYjq-jIhvCrJt5Hbpqw/s200/Vermintino.jpg" width="125" /></a>On the recommendation of Francesca, we ate lunch at <b><a href="http://www.illeccio.net/">Trattoria il Leccio</a></b> in Sant'Angelo, a small village a couple of miles from her estate. She also had the restaurant open a bottle of <b>2007 and 2010 Fonterenza Rosso Di Montalcino </b>as she wanted us to see how well her wines age. Both wines were beautiful examples of how good Rosso Di Montalcino can be. While the 2010 was lovely, it did not match the depth and complexity of the 2007. My guess is that given a couple more years, it will.</div>
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We began lunch with two bottles of <b>2017 Col D’Orcia Toscana Vermentino</b>. The wine exhibited a brilliant straw yellow hue, vibrant fruit, terrific acidity and a delicious finish. A beautiful Vermentino. Highlights of the lunch included delicious ricotta stuffed <b>Zucchini Flowers</b> in a deliciously sweet tomato sauce...</div>
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…homemade <b>Ricotta stuffed Ravioli</b> in tomato sauce that were almost as good as my grandmother's.</div>
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…Fried Chicken Cutlets with fresh local vegetables flawlessly fried in a tempura-like batter. I don’t think I have ever tasted chicken cutlets or fried veggies as good as this before. Simply off the chart!!!<br />
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… not pictured, but equally as delicious were the homemade <b>Pici with meat ragu</b>.</div>
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On the recommendation of our waiter at lunch we had dinner at <b><a href="https://foursquare.com/v/taverna-del-grappolo-blu/4c12191c7f7f2d7f3f9fdc68/photos">Taverna Del Grappolo Blu</a></b> in Montalcino. The restaurant is not very easy to find but is well worth finding if you are in Montalcino. This great little restaurant offers a range of delicious regional dishes such as <b>Soft Polenta with Eggplant and Mushroom Ragu</b>…<br />
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…and Sausage with beans</div>
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The restaurant has an exceptionally fine and reasonably priced wine list with many local specialties as well as many classics.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHtojvuz3tvdyOjOfnJgVv0b5eHtDXQGNjqEq69BSfPA4tMLmuYZCrD8MzOLgPxd5GmUGuvFoanLux_mJ6h1ki06zBxh5W2fZ9qfUDWyrh3TBafp8H-PzlpFmlrai9qyA75tzw7ZiKFvPz/s1600/Valentina-1-2-600x600.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHtojvuz3tvdyOjOfnJgVv0b5eHtDXQGNjqEq69BSfPA4tMLmuYZCrD8MzOLgPxd5GmUGuvFoanLux_mJ6h1ki06zBxh5W2fZ9qfUDWyrh3TBafp8H-PzlpFmlrai9qyA75tzw7ZiKFvPz/s200/Valentina-1-2-600x600.jpg" width="71" /></a><br />
We began the evening with <b>2017 Gualdo del Re Valentina Vermentino</b> which like the other local whites we drank was fresh, crisp and a delight to drink.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEH3E_-6pzEFKyRWxCt4P0sV9AZhNDL9SI3DUTe7e4YORnWjiY0T9VcnbB0YQEy2NxkP9F7NRsJ2-etMQK5fAOAe13IXNCS07fY8Yy9ot-hifhZ3-70_y30KfijPBC063PG_SGOLnbty0f/s1600/IMG_4973.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEH3E_-6pzEFKyRWxCt4P0sV9AZhNDL9SI3DUTe7e4YORnWjiY0T9VcnbB0YQEy2NxkP9F7NRsJ2-etMQK5fAOAe13IXNCS07fY8Yy9ot-hifhZ3-70_y30KfijPBC063PG_SGOLnbty0f/s200/IMG_4973.jpg" width="165" /></a><b>2013 Castello Banfi Brunello Di Montalcino</b>. The wine is still very young, and will never be a great wine, but at 30 € a bottle it was easy to drink.<br />
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<b>1990 Cal D'Orcia Brunello Di Montalcino</b>. This was gorgeous, a beautifully mature wine with soft tannins and a magnificently balanced and elegant palate and equally elegant and lengthy finish. The wine soared from the glass with each sip. A wine with plenty of soul…and for the unheard of price of 70 €.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVhsFmJ8DcFbhxGzLxGMBOVO3hwkH0lQ-GiYOcpdAQajvGBxY34QDMSEwQrBUnKiGQMaGUO7PmV0IP-JcQybu9j4vNRn19xiSYpQA-edZGiORpr-fIt4aW70l-WoSX5-FPDHuzczzbYsi7/s1600/IMG_4976.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVhsFmJ8DcFbhxGzLxGMBOVO3hwkH0lQ-GiYOcpdAQajvGBxY34QDMSEwQrBUnKiGQMaGUO7PmV0IP-JcQybu9j4vNRn19xiSYpQA-edZGiORpr-fIt4aW70l-WoSX5-FPDHuzczzbYsi7/s200/IMG_4976.jpg" width="191" /></a>This was my first experience with this producer and I was very impressed. Col d'Orcia wines are estate produced and bottled, with grapes grown mostly on the estate and partly in surrounding farms whose vineyards are supervised by Col d’Orcia during the whole productive cycle. The high density of planting, the choice of the rootstock suitable for the characteristics of each piece of land, the use of highly selected clones and an overall attention to the characteristics of each single vineyard ensure a limited production per plant aimed at achieving high quality grapes, healthy, concentrated and rich in colour and tannins. Farming techniques include grass mulching, cluster thinning at the “veraison” and perfect ripening of the grapes on the plant.<br />
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Attention to detail characterizes the wine making process at Col d'Orcia , the same given to every other step of the production cycle. The harvest, carried out exclusively by hand, is regulated by precise analysis in order to ensure the optimal phenolic maturation of every bunch collected: a sorting table at the entrance of the cellar allows an even more detailed selection.<br />
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Fermentation is conducted in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks shaped so that the surface of contact between juice and skins ensures optimal delicate extraction of the high quality ingredients such as polyphenols and colouring matters. Ageing in wood takes place in Slavonian and selected French oaks. The size of the barrels and the time of ageing vary according to the characteristics of each batch. For some wines ageing in wood can take as long as 4 years. Finally the bottles are kept for further ageing on the estate until their refinement is completed.<br />
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The winemaking cellar, made out of the original premises of the farm, has steel tanks with controlled temperature and capacity of 8.400 hectolitres. The ageing cellar, built in the year 1990 and perfectly included in the surrounding Mediterranean environment, has Slavonian and Allier oak barrels whose capacity is 25,50,75,150 hectolitres for a total amount of 7000 hectolitres and no. 800 barriques for a total amount of 1.800 hectolitres.<br />
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On Wednesday we spent the day in Florence. We arrived at lunchtime and choose to eat at an outdoor table of <b><a href="http://www.bucasangiovanni.it/">Ristorante Buca San Giovani</a></b> in the Duomo Square. The service was courteous and professional and the food was delicious. We enjoyed, <b>Eggplant Strudel with Mozzarella di Buffalo, Risotto, Bisteca, Veal Milanese and Minestrone Soup</b>. As it was a hot day I decided on a couple of ice cold <b>Peroni Birras</b>. I don’t recall the white wine, but the girls loved it.<br />
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After lunch we met our tour guide and began our tour with a visit to the <b>Galleria dell’Accademia</b> to see <b>Michelangelo’s David</b>. The kids were mesmerized by the statue and asked our guide tons of questions. In fact they enjoyed every part of the tour which included the <b>Duomo</b>, the old section of town and of course the <b>Rialto Bridge</b>.<br />
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After the tour we headed for the <b>Florencetown Diadema Cooking School</b> where we participated in a pizza and gelato making class. The kids had a ball, and as you might expect, made the best pizzas.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLaiqg4jlr9H2obp3lMt4w6zN15zvGizpX7ke4Cw70whasTZZ1sidotuc2_XNTmiWwqBZNSSO7hqEhb1LeeF_zxZKEzFMkz-7_PLYs_rQKajIyXkCnvoOUEnVKh_vt_NoZJCcRD3lMoDzP/s1600/IMG_0170.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLaiqg4jlr9H2obp3lMt4w6zN15zvGizpX7ke4Cw70whasTZZ1sidotuc2_XNTmiWwqBZNSSO7hqEhb1LeeF_zxZKEzFMkz-7_PLYs_rQKajIyXkCnvoOUEnVKh_vt_NoZJCcRD3lMoDzP/s320/IMG_0170.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Isabella making pizza</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibdSJUYoSnhqCnDYiqZkl_7BJxxapfy8uF_fPaPnnxg9wbG2LR2GtLE5-881XMb9S3BG8ENtCKyhlGRKGDbnAnKMoMaTXdyHpXKv8rDq_r91brpId1T_SgSTcklFRdMIZBysnx8WYjayUy/s1600/IMG_4994.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibdSJUYoSnhqCnDYiqZkl_7BJxxapfy8uF_fPaPnnxg9wbG2LR2GtLE5-881XMb9S3BG8ENtCKyhlGRKGDbnAnKMoMaTXdyHpXKv8rDq_r91brpId1T_SgSTcklFRdMIZBysnx8WYjayUy/s320/IMG_4994.jpg" width="201" /></a>Thursday and Friday Carol and I relaxed by the pool all day before heading to <b><a href="https://fontegiusta.it/">Trattoria Fonte Giusta</a></b> in Siena. My good friend Mario, who owns Divina Ristorante in NJ, is a good friend with Fonte Giusta owner, <b>Pino</b>, who greeted us warmly and filled our bellies with too much food, some of it complimentary. We enjoyed <b>Bruschetta with Tomato, Bruschetta with Lardo, vegetables in an outrageous tomato sauce, Risotto with Aspargus, Chicken with vegetables, Pici al ragù di Cinghiale (wild boar); Sliced Steak and Rabbit.</b><br />
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The wine list was soft, but on their recommendation for a traditionally made Brunello we tried a <b>2013 Col di Lamo Brunello di Montalcino</b>. The wine exhibited good balance and acidity but was still a work in progress. I think this will be quite good in 5 to 10 yeas.<br />
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Friday, our last evening at the Villa, our meal was prepared by Chef <b>Hiro</b>, who as the name would suggest is from Japan. He has been cooking in Italy for the past 25 years and according to Villa owner Affie, he earned 1 Michelin star when he was chef at Poggio Antico Ristorante. Today he is a private chef. After our meal, we all felt that 1 Michelin star was 2 short of what he deserves. It was way, way over the top. Like the first night, we pre-selected the menu. We began with a <b>Polenta</b> duo topped with <b>Mozzarella and Pecorino</b> in as flavorful a <b>tomato sauce</b> as anyone of us has ever experienced. This simple dish was simply amazing with textures and flavors dancing on the palate in exquisite harmony.<br />
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As good as the polenta was, the <b>Risotto Primavera</b> that followed was ethereal. Risotto is about the rice, with the sauce playing a supportive and complimentary role. This preparation nailed it. Again the balance of texture and flavors elevated the perfectly cooked rice to sublime perfection.<br />
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The main course was <b>Chicken Cacciatore</b> for the adults and <b>chicken cutlets</b> for the kids. Like the other courses, the Cacciatore was fantastic. Juicy and full of flavor, we licked our plates clean.<br />
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Dessert was another home run. I forget what Hiro called it, but it was somewhere between a cheesecake and a tart and fantastic.</div>
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I have had many extraordinary meals in my time, and this one is right up there with the best of them. Thank you Hiro, you are definitely our hero!<br />
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With this meal we drank:<br />
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<b>2016 Col D’Orcia Vermentino</b>. Like the bottle of 2017 we drank at lunch a few days before, this was crisp, with fresh fruit and pleasing palate.<br />
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<b>2008 Fonterenza Rosso Di Montalcino</b>. Terrific RdM. Beautifully structured, with terrific balance and complexity. Better than many other producers Brunello.<br />
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<b>2015 Montevertine Le Pergole Torte & 2013 Poggio Di Sotto Brunello Di Montalcino</b>. Both of these remarkable wines are much too young to fully appreciate, but a superb wines in the making that should be classics in about 10 to 15 years.</div>
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Some of the other wines we enjoyed while lounging and snacking at the villa included:</div>
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<b>2015 Montevertine Rosso di Toscana.</b> Made with Sangioveto, Canaiolo and Colorino grapes, the wine is aged in Slavonian oak barrels for about 24 months. A beautifully made wine that is drinking beautifully.</div>
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<b>2012 Biondi Santi Rosé.</b> Gino found this in a local wine shop and it was wonderful. Crisp with considerable depth and complexity. Top notch!</div>
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<b>2016 Castellare Ginestre Bianco</b>. A blend of 40% Chardonnay and 60% Sauvignon Blanc. A simple and easy drinking white.</div>
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<b>2015 Querciabella Chianti Classico</b>. 100% Sangiovese from 3 different vineyards that emerges after about 30 minutes in the glass. Nice balance and finish.</div>
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<b>2008 Vignamaggio Chianti Classico Riserva Castello di Monna Lisa</b>. I did not care for this. I think the wine has seen its better days.</div>
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<b>2015 Barone Ricasoli Torricella Bianco</b>. A blend of 80% Chardonnay and 20% Sauvignon Blanc. Did not taste, but the girls loved it.</div>
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<b>2012 Castello Di Monsanto Chianti Classico Riserva il Poggio</b>. Excellent Chianti that is beginning to wake up. </div>
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We said good-bye to Villa San Luigi and headed to the <b><a href="http://waldorfastoria3.hilton.com/en/hotels/italy/rome-cavalieri-a-waldorf-astoria-resort-ROMHIWA/index.html?WT.mc_id=zELWAKN0EMEA1WA2DMH3LocalSearch4DGGenericx6ROMHIWA">Cavalieri Hotel</a></b> in Rome for a few days before returning home.</div>
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Gino, Mary Jo, Carol and I dined our first night at the three Michelin star restaurant <b><a href="http://waldorfastoria3.hilton.com/en/hotels/italy/rome-cavalieri-a-waldorf-astoria-resort-ROMHIWA/amenities/restaurants-la-pergola.html">La Pergola</a></b> that is located on the rooftop of the hotel. The restaurant is under the direction of chef <b>Heinz Beck</b> and boasts a 60,000-bottle wine cellar and innovative cuisine. This was our second time here and Carol and I both feel that while some dishes are excellent, others are average at best. </div>
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<b>Char-grill scented veal sweetbreads on celeriac and black cabbage</b> were tender but the char-grill distracted from the subtle flavor of the sweetbreads in my opinion.</div>
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<b>Duck foie gras with peach and mushroom</b>. A very different preparation than the classic in which the fois gras is pan seared. Tasty, but, in my opinion, lacked the texture of the classic. </div>
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<b>Deep-fried zucchini flower with caviar on shellfish and saffron consommé.</b> Not a fan of caviar, so I did not taste this in its entirety. I did however taste a Zucchini flower, which had very little flavor on its own. Gino, however liked it a lot.</div>
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<b>Risotto with olive oil and grana padano, vegetables and scampi “in pinzimonio”</b>. This was as good as it looks in the photo below. Perfectly al dente rice in a delicate sauce. </div>
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<b>Fagottelli “La Pergola”</b>. Small ravioli pockets stuffed with carbonara sauce in a sage butter sauce sprinkled with fried prosciutto. Great textures and flavors here. My favorite of the entire meal.</div>
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<b>Pigeon with peanut-crusted black salsify and port-scented snow</b>. Gino loved it. </div>
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<b>Fillet of sea bass with fennel, orange and olives</b>. Three of us ordered this and we all had the same reaction…it looked better than it tasted. We found the flavors to be very bland.</div>
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<b>Cream filled sponge cake with ice cream</b>, a incredible selection of <b>cheeses</b> and La Pergola’s famous (& complimentary) <b>Stainless Steel chest of drawers</b> containing various homemade chocolate delights completed the meal.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZpwsE_yHb5XD59B4NRs0pJR_jmlk0lQKxF6h7Pa00DQuNBuZcq20T0FDerK01TOMGOb9nhgsm_aMy2q6dsImP9WxewDUOwnnQYgjrxqU6h7clUYxJtbNLBrSyj0NsjbSM7vlkTWhovQSS/s1600/IMG_5022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZpwsE_yHb5XD59B4NRs0pJR_jmlk0lQKxF6h7Pa00DQuNBuZcq20T0FDerK01TOMGOb9nhgsm_aMy2q6dsImP9WxewDUOwnnQYgjrxqU6h7clUYxJtbNLBrSyj0NsjbSM7vlkTWhovQSS/s320/IMG_5022.jpg" width="265" /></a>The stars of the evening were the wines we selected. We began with <b>2013 Cantina Terlano Winkl Sauvignon</b> from Trentino, Italy. This is one of the greatest Sauvignon Blancs I have ever tasted. The wine exhibited a straw yellow hue, with an enticing citric aroma. On the palate the wine had impeccable balance and depth with terrific acidity. The finish was long, elegant and delicious. </div>
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Manual harvest and selection of the grapes; gentle whole cluster pressing and clarification of the must by natural sedimentation; slow fermentation at a controlled temperature in stainless steel tanks, aging on the lees in steel tanks for 5-7 months.</div>
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Located in Alto Adige’s Dolomite Mountains, in the foothills of the Alps, Terlano’s distinctive location and extraordinary terroir are the key to the development of these stunning wines. Situated in a sheltered hollow, Terlano benefits from an ideal south facing exposure.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbEXGz2C2delprTOeuUkYA0urXPEKhnqos5HQVmG3lFj9aGpCwkR-Yx6VIZdum-bqhT6Fp2CahfskguI1KVvY7vCyg3a7wjzl7alh2fF2Xl0U-0kI1Za1r6652rklwsjXLHdd3xsGI8maG/s1600/IMG_5032.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbEXGz2C2delprTOeuUkYA0urXPEKhnqos5HQVmG3lFj9aGpCwkR-Yx6VIZdum-bqhT6Fp2CahfskguI1KVvY7vCyg3a7wjzl7alh2fF2Xl0U-0kI1Za1r6652rklwsjXLHdd3xsGI8maG/s320/IMG_5032.jpg" width="281" /></a>For the red the sommelier recommended a <b>1998 Vietti Barbaresco Masseria</b> that drank beautifully. I am a big fan of Vietti’s Barolos. This was only the second time I have had the Barbaresco Masseria and like the first time it was glorious. The wine had a gorgeous translucent red hue with a big fruity and earthy bouquet. The palate was marked by depth, finesse and balance. The wine never stopped evolving in the glass. The finish was long an elegant. Link the Terlano, a wine with soul!</div>
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My notes indicate that the Masseria is vinified and aged like Vietti's single-vineyard Barolos, which is to say long fermentations, six months in Barrique and two-plus years in Slavonian cask. Priced at about half the level of Vietti's vineyard designate Barolos, the Masseria is a fabulous value relative to other wines of this pedigree.</div>
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While the rest of the group went on a walking tour of Rome on Sunday, Carol and I slept in and then lounged by the pool for the rest of the day before heading to <b><a href="http://www.emmapizzeria.com/">Emma Pizzeria</a></b> for dinner. The restaurant was recommended by a number of members of the Vinous website. It was a terrific recommendation as the pizza, food and wine were terrific, especially the <b>L’uovo di San Bartolomeo Bio</b>, a soft cooked egg on a potato cake with parmesan and asparagus. If you are a fan of eggs like I am, this will bring a big smile to your face.</div>
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For wine we had two more bottles of the <b>2013 Cantina Terlano Winkl Sauvignon </b>that we had at La Pergola the previous night. The wine was as good as previous, only, as you might expect, ⅓ the price. For the red we had a couple of bottles of 2012 Massolino Barolo Margheria. For the red we had a couple of bottles of <b>2012 Massolino Barolo Margheria</b>. What a gorgeous Barolo. This may well be the wine of the vintage. While it is still in its infancy the wine drank with finesse, depth and balance. In my opinion this was almost as good as the 2010 vintage.</div>
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Our last day in Italy began with a tour of the <b>Vatican</b> and <b>St. Peters Cathedral</b>. The crowds were unbelievably large, the lines long and slow, and as enjoyable as it was it was a very tiring 4 hours. We went back to the hotel and had a leisurely lunch of good old <b>American hamburgers</b>, which were delicious. We drank a few bottles <b>2017 Leone de Castris 1665 Five Roses 74 Anniversario Salento IGT</b>. This delicious Rosé is made from 100% Negroamoro grapes from vines that average 50 years of age. The wine had good structure and drank very easily. The Five Roses Anniversario was created for the first time with the vintage ’93, in the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Five Roses.<br />
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We concluded our trip with a spectacular evening tour of the <b>Coliseum</b> at night before getting a night’s sleep before returning home. It was quite a trip, and as I said in the first paragraph, doing with my family was very special. Carol and I are very lucky and blessed to have such a great family and friends to share our lives with. I did not think anything could make the trip better until my daughters, Gina and Lisa, presented me with a photo book they made of the vacation for my birthday this past Sunday. It was magnificent, and brought tears to my eyes. Love you guys!<br />
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Saluté</div>
Mark Scudieryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06102587984431792324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8357107416249204429.post-46815527032342903882018-05-20T08:32:00.000-07:002018-05-20T16:44:00.046-07:001976 & 1979 Red Burgundy<br />
Our local wine group met last week at <b><a href="http://settenj.com/">Sette Cucina Italiana</a> </b>in<b> </b>Bernardsville, NJ. I have lauded the food chef/owner Allan Russo sends forth from his kitchen many times before. He did another outstanding job, treating us to a trio of perfectly cooked and sauced pastas proceeded by appetizers of <b>Bruschetta</b> and <b>Antipasto</b>.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Orecchiette w/ Broccoli Rabe & Breadcrumbs</span></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Jeff, our Burgundy expert, was in the wine queue and he chose red Burgundies for the <b>1976</b> and <b>1979</b> vintages. I am unfamiliar with both of these vintages as well as most of the producers he brought that night. From what I have read, <i>"the prolonged hot weather of 1976 produced tannic, highly concentrated wines. The drought-like conditions of summer resulted in good ripening in the Pinots, but the quality of the Chardonnay suffered in comparison. </i></span><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Many of the vines were stressed by the drought and the tannins never fully ripened. This resulted in over-balanced wines with a structure that dominated the fruit, especially in the Côte de Nuits. The Côte de Beaunes are better. At the top levels there is still much enjoyment to be had.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">1979 produced a large crop of fast-maturing and fruity wines. A cold, damp winter, followed by a cool spring, which lasted well into May, resulted in a delayed but successful flowering. Although summer, on the whole, was temperate, hailstorms in the middle of July wreaked havoc with the crop in Nuits-Saint-Georges, Vosne-Romanée and Chambolle-Musigny. The rest of Burgundy escaped unscathed, and the end of September saw a successful harvest".</span></i><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">We began the evening with <b>2010 Hubert Lamy St. Aubin Clos de Meix Premier Cru</b>. Fresh fruit with nice acidity but a bit of oak distracted the finesse of the wine in my opinion. According to the notes Jeff provided, Olivier Lamy, who has been running the vineyard since 1996, has begun to reduce the amount of new oak and has introduced demi-muids (300-600 lt barrels) which has helped to improve the wines and resulted in a greater propensity for them to age.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>1976 Domaine Jaboulet-Vercherre Chambertin</b>. This wine has seen its better days.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>1976 Felix Ravinet Clos de la Roche.</b> A bit more life to this, but not much better than the previous wine.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>1976 Domaine Henri Richard Charmes Chambertin Grand Cru</b>. Much, much better than the previous two wines. Fruit was very much alive and the wine showed nice balance and a bit of complexity.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>1976 Maison Louis Latour Corton Bressandes Grand Cru</b>. Emil and I detected a slight cork to this bottle. The others did not.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>1979 Bouchard Pere & Fils Nuits St. Georges Les Perrieres Premier Cru</b>. While I felt this wine was in decline there was enough fruit and balance to give a sense of how good a wine it was a decade or so ago. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">The estate is one of my favorites in Burgundy. It was founded in 1731 in Beaune by Michel Bouchard, and it is one of the oldest wine estates in Burgundy, perpetuating tradition for over 280 years and 9 generations. Over time, by acquiring various terroirs with great care and patience, Bouchard Père & Fils has built up the biggest domaine in the Côte d’Or. Today the estate boasts 130 hectares of vines, of which 12 are classed Grand Cru and 74 classed as Premier Cru. Each parcel has its own specificities due to its situation on the slope, its exposure and the nature of the soil. At Bouchard Père & Fils, each of the Beaune "crus" deserve to be vinified separately in order to fully express its personnality: fleshy, elegant, powerful, racy, brisk...</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">After bottling, the ageing period commences. The Château’s cellars, also nearly 10 metres below ground, offer perfect conditions for ageing Bouchard Père & Fils’ wines.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">The final two wines of the night, from <b>Maison Leroy</b>, were clearly the top two wines of the evening. While I had never tasted her red wines, her reputation is well known for making fantastic wines. Importer <i><b>Martines Wines</b></i> says of Madame and the estate,</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><i>“No name enlivens and ignites a discussion of Burgundy as quickly as <b>Madame Lalou Bize-Leroy</b>. She is unrelenting in every way, from her personality to how she runs her business to the quality of the wine in the bottle. The Leroy family’s 50% ownership of Domaine Romanée- Conti gave Lalou ample ability to amass the deepest and most revered cellar in Burgundy during the past six decades. Speculation is rampant about its size and holdings; only one person knows for sure. Today, Lalou is the force behind three domaines: Maison Leroy, Domaine Leroy and Domaine d’Auvenay.</i></span><br />
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<i>The story of the Leroy family’s dominance in the wine world began more than a century ago, in 1868, when François Leroy founded Maison Leroy in Auxey-Duresses, a small village near Meursault. When Lalou’s father, Henri, joined the family business in 1919, the firm was already established as one of the greatest in Burgundy. Lalou joined her father in 1955, taking over the house in 1971.</i></span><br />
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<i>Maison Leroy is the heart of the Leroy empire, a négociant house through which Lalou purchases and distributes wines from most appellations in Burgundy. With her legendary palate and relentless standards, she unearths some of the most thrilling wines of each vintage, then ages or finishes the wines herself, only releasing them to the market when she knows they are at their peak. Lalou never fails to impress with her unparalleled depth and understanding of the most hidden corners of Burgundy’s terroir.”</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>1976 Maison Leroy Pommard Villages</b>. This was very much alive and after 20 minutes in the glass the funky bouquet vanished and was replaced with a rich Burgundian nose. The palate was soft and elegant and was echoed in the finish as well.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>1979 Maison Leroy Pommard Les Vignots Villages</b>. Easily the WOTN. This was the essence of Burgundy, elegant, round, delicious and a lengthy finish. Each sip was better than the previous one. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">A final note, her wines are not easy to come by and quite expensive.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Thanks Jeff for yet another excellent Burgundy lesson.</span><br />
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Saluté<br />
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Mark Scudieryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06102587984431792324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8357107416249204429.post-76422384799396618232018-04-29T10:18:00.000-07:002018-04-29T10:24:00.207-07:00Soldera TastingOur local wine group met this past Monday evening. It was my turn to bring the wine and select the venue. I chose <b><a href="http://www.rarestk.com/">Rare, The Steakhouse</a></b> in Little Falls, NJ as the venue. For the wine I decided on a Brunello di Montalcino tasting featuring the wines of <b>Gianfranco Soldera</b>. All wines were given a 3 hour slo-o at home before being transported to the restaurant.<br />
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In my humble opinion there is no better producer of<b> Brunello di Montalcino</b> than Gianfranco Soldera. His wine is the essence of traditionally made, unadulterated wine. I had the pleasure of meeting Soldera at his <b>Case Basse</b> estate in 2008 and was completely captivated by the man’s passion and convictions. He firmly believes that high quality production requires a complex ecosystem that constitutes an ideal habitat for natural cultivation. Thus the Case Basse estate pays attention to preserving the stonewalls where birds, small mammals and insects nest and reproduce. For the same purpose, he creates artificial sanctuaries to attract animals in the hope that they become permanent residents, and also establishes beehives. What does this have to do with wine? Well when you taste his wine you will know. It is pure, round and delicious, a pure product of the grape, soil and climate.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJcpBZgLyMYP00uQ70LR_RNQFJ69F6Fb3I6xucf8b-UWRc0gmoEBe5Jc5lemjABkakG4CyK66FO6aCmMbgfd_F3aDQs44QhmThiIHoTtLYqqlCz7rhwcIugE8W_DUGfBrwQez-eScFaIl-/s1600/IMG_0768.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJcpBZgLyMYP00uQ70LR_RNQFJ69F6Fb3I6xucf8b-UWRc0gmoEBe5Jc5lemjABkakG4CyK66FO6aCmMbgfd_F3aDQs44QhmThiIHoTtLYqqlCz7rhwcIugE8W_DUGfBrwQez-eScFaIl-/s200/IMG_0768.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wine Cellar</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIDQMmIaRJl053JIAfItWKxsN4SHrgaoeI_QtzWMZShBkrBsHPuRoUEqzR11OUcAQSA2xE8eXC3qPW48_UqPkGoZGl0blbDhKwcK40SEMXnJ6x7lC6Bm6-ErGSg4GWFC2m5JOU_thf5MCa/s1600/IMG_0772.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIDQMmIaRJl053JIAfItWKxsN4SHrgaoeI_QtzWMZShBkrBsHPuRoUEqzR11OUcAQSA2xE8eXC3qPW48_UqPkGoZGl0blbDhKwcK40SEMXnJ6x7lC6Bm6-ErGSg4GWFC2m5JOU_thf5MCa/s200/IMG_0772.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Loose stone walls</td></tr>
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The cellar itself is highly individual. He commissioned from architect <b>Stefano Lambardi</b> a cellar that was far more in keeping with his vision…a building that would be harmonious in its proportions, as natural as possible, and harmonious in its surroundings. Lambardi has described it as "a kind of grotto [made] using only natural materials, stone and iron." It was dug 46ft (14m) deep and given a stone floor. The walls are metal cages some 3ft (1m) deep, filled with loose stones, beyond which there is a 15.75in (40cm) space in which air can circulate and rise to the surface, then the soil. Soldera wanted to avoid concrete, which he believes has it own smell and does not "breathe" in the way that he wanted the whole building to breathe. The humidity is a fairly constant 85 percent, and the temperature 55.4°F (13°C).<br />
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Soldera, and his wife <b>Graziella</b>, an avid botanist who tends to 1500 varieties of roses at the estate, first discovered the then-abandoned Case Basse property in the early 1970s. They set about restoring the estate to full function, following a strict and intriguing philosophy of “enlightened agriculture” to create a singular Brunello of the utmost quality.<br />
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He limits his production to 15,000 bottles a year. The wines spend six years or more in large, very old, neutral oak casks with minimal rackings. Sodera’s wines, always expensive, have become even more so recently, the result of a former disgruntled employee who destroyed 60,000 liters of wine in 2012 from vintages 2007 through 2012.<br />
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At a Soldera dinner I attended last year, he spoke about how his bottling techniques and cork quality obviate the need to store his bottles on their side, as is usual for all wines that are aging. He says, “stand them up”. I have followed his advice. Who am I do challenge a master.<br />
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The food at Rare was a perfect complement to the wines. Selections that we enjoyed included <b>Lamb Chops; Sirloin Steak; Porterhouse Steak and Lobster Fra Diavolo.</b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Flight One</b></span></div>
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<b>1995 Soldera Case Basse Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Intistieti. </b> The wine is a stunning example of Sangiovese made by a master, displayiing impeccable balance and harmony on a complex and velvety palate. Spectacular and delicious, it is a wine with soul!. No doubt of sense of place with Soldera. A beautiful expression of what wine can be when the winemaker does not interfere with what the climate and vineyard has given him. There are few words to describe this wine except to steal some words from importer Terry Theise from his book <b>Reading between the Wines</b>, <i>“this is a wine in which…the spirit of celebration lives”. </i>My wine of the night.<br />
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More information on Intistieti and Casa Basse distinctions can be found here <a href="http://www.italianwinemerchantstore.com/investing/landmark_wines/soldera_brunello_intistieti.html">http://www.italianwinemerchantstore.com/investing/landmark_wines/soldera_brunello_intistieti.html</a><br />
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<b>2002 Soldera Case Basse Brunello di Montalcino Riserva</b>. 2002 was a very difficult vintage in Montalcino. In fact Gianfranco did not want to pick the grapes, but his wife insisted, so along with her sister, they selected the grapes. Only 6,000 bottles were made. The wine turned out to be Gianfranco’s son’s favorite vintage. The wine, while lighter than the other bottles we drank, had a beautifully freshness on the palate and silky finish. Proof once again that when a great winemaker chooses to make wine in an off vintage, the results are usually very good.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Flight Two</b></span></div>
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<b>2003 Soldera Case Basse Brunello di Montalcino Riserva. </b> A better year than 2002, but nothing to get excited about. Soldera, however, once again made a superb wine, showing impeccable balance, lush fruit, focus, finesse and a very long and elegant finish.<br />
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<b>2004 Soldera Case Basse Brunello di Montalcino Riserva</b>. 2004 was an exceptional vintage and Soldera made an exceptional wine. Antonio Galloni, founder of Vinous says of the wine, <i>“...might be the single most elegant wine ever made at the estate. Silky tannins, soaring aromatics and finely sculpted fruit elevate the 2004 into the realm of the truly sublime.”</i> I could not agree more with his comments. This was elegance in the glass. The wine soared with each sip and finished with great length. It was my runner up to the 1995 as the WOTN. <br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Flight Three</span></b><br />
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<b>2005 Soldera Case Basse Pegasos Toscana IGT</b>. The 2005 Pegasos is not a new wine, per se, but rather a barrel of 2005 Brunello-designated juice that Soldera thought was ready to bottle and drink sooner rather than later, but not up to the qualitative standards of his top Brunello labels. The wine displayed a gorgeous clear red hue reminiscent of a Pinot Noir from Burgundy. A light bodied wine with an extremely pure and balanced palate. In my opinion it is an amazing wine for a “declassified Brunello”, albeit a bit pricey. <br />
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<b>2005 Soldera Case Basse Brunello di Montalcino Riserva</b>. An average vintage, and again Soldera made a terrific wine that I have enjoyed 3 or 4 times before. Unfortunately, tonight’s bottle was not a good one.<br />
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My good friend Gino, who I invited as a guest to the dinner, brought a <b>2008 Marco de Bartoli Passito di Pantelleria "Bukkuram" </b>for dessert. Made at the de Bartoli property on the island of Pantelleria in the <b>Strait of Sicily</b>, it is fashioned from 100% <b>Zibbibo</b> grapes. Half of the grapes are dried in the sun for three weeks on special racks within an area delimited by black stone walls. The remaining grapes are left to mature and partially dry out on the plants. These are picked and vinified; when the fermentation is well advanced, the dried raisins are added to the wine and left to macerate for three months. The wine is aged for 30 months in 225l French oak barrels, then 6 months in steel vats. <br />
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The wine has a deep amber color with a palate of raisins and honey that was delicious and the perfect end to a perfect evening.<br />
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Saluté</div>
Mark Scudieryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06102587984431792324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8357107416249204429.post-82591686576726402762018-04-23T06:20:00.000-07:002018-04-23T06:31:37.973-07:00Polish Easter DinnerGood health, family and friends are the stuff of a good life. When you mix in good food and great wine, well you my friend are “living large”. Carol, her brother and I were invited to our best friends’ Gene and Maureen’s house for dinner last Sunday. Since they are of Polish descent, he decided to prepare a <b>Polish Easter</b> dinner. Their son Gino, who is in the wine business, was there with his girlfriend Mary Jo who joined in the festivities. As you can imagine there was plenty of great wine to be had.<br />
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Gene greeted us with an array of delicious Spanish and French cheeses along with the famous Spanish Ham, <b>Patanegra (Black Hoof) Jamon from Joselito</b>. Aged a minimum 2-1/2 years this ham is only produced from 100% purebred Ibérico pigs that are fed a daily diet of acorns. Gino, who visits Spain annually, always manages to find a way to sneak some out of the country as it is not available in the United States.<br />
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We enjoyed an excellent bottle of <b>2001 Emidio Pepe Trebbiano d’Abruzzo</b> with the appetizers. This was a beautiful white wine that is drinking at its peak. The wine begins with an enticing bouquet of fruit and flowers and exhibits a beautiful golden hue in the glass. On the palate the fruit, acidity and minerality are in perfect harmony. The finish is clean and lengthy.<br />
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Emidio Pepe is a great believer that Mother Nature is the best care-giver for the vines, thus the grapes are grown organically, hand-harvested, hand destemmed, naturally fermented and aged 18-24 months in glass-lined tanks. The wines are bottled unfined and unfiltered, without added SO2, and aged in their cellar, in bottle (usually for about 10 years) for continued development. Before release, the wines are decanted by hand into new bottles, and then labeled. An extensive stock of older vintages is kept at the cellar.<br />
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Dinner began with homemade <b>cabbage soup</b> in which in which gnocchi like potato dumplings floated. As a cabbage lover, this was fabulous and I readily devoured every delicious drop. <br />
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The soup was followed by family style servings of <b>Pirogi, Kielbasa and Stuffed Cabbage</b>. The Pirogi, stuffed with potato and cheese, were purchased locally and served in a sauce of butter, onions and crumbled bacon. Gene cooked them perfectly and the sauce was a beautiful complement to the delicious dumplings. I don’t eat a lot of Pirogi, but I can easily say that these were the best I have ever eaten.</div>
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Gene purchases his Kielbasa from an authentic German butcher, <b><a href="https://www.schwinds.com/">Schwind’s</a></b>, in Rockaway. Since it is already smoked, he simply boiled it to bring it up to temperature before slicing and serving. Tender, perfectly spiced, it was simply delicious.</div>
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Maureen not only gets credit for the stuffed cabbage, but high acclaim as well. Tender cabbage with a moist meat stuffing in a savory tomato sauce. One word…outstanding!</div>
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I brought along a <b>1976 Lopez de Heredia Vina Bosconia Gran Reserva</b>, which we pared, with a <b>1988 Gaja Sperss Barolo</b> from Gino’s cellar. I am not a fan of the more modern style of Gaja wines today, but his traditionally made wines of the past are superb, as was this. In 1988, Gaja acquired a vineyard in one of Serralunga’s best areas and named it “Sperss” – Piedmontese for nostalgia. This was the first year he made Sperss and the wine contained no Barbera (today’s vintages do). It was round and delicious with a silky, elegant palate and lengthy finish.</div>
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The LdH was incredible, and edged out the Gaja in my opinion. The wine exhibited a gorgeous translucent red hue (no browning at all), enticing earthy bouquet with impeccable balance and a monster finish. The wine evolved with each sip. A wine with soul.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSOvBETavNaF6FxtPP3htQ8-GqluAoRBdgNRWYZoidraMw_yQcy9TD_m-TaZ9KMQbeL1_3yfM8Mpis6Pgq57WgSelp-6VOjJF_OFIruBwWwSblMAdMlyZte4cnxlSx333Ti20Og1qp9IZx/s1600/IMG_4869.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSOvBETavNaF6FxtPP3htQ8-GqluAoRBdgNRWYZoidraMw_yQcy9TD_m-TaZ9KMQbeL1_3yfM8Mpis6Pgq57WgSelp-6VOjJF_OFIruBwWwSblMAdMlyZte4cnxlSx333Ti20Og1qp9IZx/s320/IMG_4869.jpg" width="240" /></a>Next Gino opened a <b>2000 Giuseppe Rinaldi Barolo Brunate Le Coste</b>. My last bottle of this amazing wine was 5+ years ago. My notes then apply today. <i>“Extraordinary bottle of wine than drank beautifully upon opening and as you might expect after 45 minutes in a decanter the wine soared from the glass. Classic earthy bouquet of Piedmont. The wine had great depth with multiple layers of complexity as it evolved with great length. Round and delicious. A wine with soul.”</i></div>
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We didn’t notice it until the bottle was opened, but it had been signed by Giuseppe Rinaldi at the lower left side of the front label. While that didn’t change the wine, it most likely would have added to its value.</div>
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Since we ran out of wine, Gino went to the cellar and brought out a bottle of <b>2001 Luciano Sandrone Barolo Le Vigne</b>. Sandrone’s largest production Barolo, made from a blend of fruit from four vineyards, Vignane (Barolo), Merli (Novello), Conterni & Ceretta (Monforte d’Alba). This started off great, with vibrant fruit and terrific depth and that signature Sandrone elegance. After being open thirty minutes however, the wine went completely flat and never seemed to recover.</div>
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With coffee and desert, Gino opened a half bottle of <b>2001 Chateau d’Yquem Sauternes</b>. This was an exceptional vintage for d’Yquem and this wine is aging beautifully. Apricots, peaches and vanilla on the nose with a lovely tropical fruit palate. </div>
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We capped the evening with a snifter of <b>Carlos 1 Spanish brandy</b>. A perfect ending to a perfect meal. </div>
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Thanks Gene and Maureen for a great meal and Gino for some amazing wines.</div>
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Saluté</div>
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Mark Scudieryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06102587984431792324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8357107416249204429.post-91271513633016828922018-04-12T11:45:00.000-07:002018-04-12T12:18:48.788-07:001998 Barolo & Barbaresco RetrospectiveOur NY Vinous Nebbiolo group met a couple of weeks ago at <b><a href="http://aifiorinyc.com/">Ai Fiori Ristorante</a></b> in Manhattan to do a 20-year retrospective of Barolo and Barbaresco from the 1998 vintage. For this dinner we invited Vinous wine writer Ian D’Agata to join us. Ian is a respected wine writer and his book <i>“Native Wine Grapes of Italy”</i> was named 2015 Louis Roederer International Wine Awards Book of the Year. All welcomed his presence and comments.<br />
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This was my first visit to Ai Fiori, but not my first experience with restaurants owned by noted chef <b>Michael White</b>. The food, like my experiences at <b>Marea, Osteria Morini</b> and <b>Ristorante Morini</b> was terrific. We were given a private room and given two choices for each course. I selected:<br />
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<b>Polipo - octpus allapiastra, sepia, tomato ragu toasted bread, basil<i>.</i></b><i> </i>Fork tender Octopus in a harmonious sauce of tomato and sepia.<br />
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<b>Tortelli</b> <b>– ricotta & mascarpone ravioli, sottocenere cheese, red wine glaze. </b>These handmade and perfectly cooked pasta pillows threw a party in my mouth. Another dish in perfect balance.<br />
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<b>Vitello – amish vial chop “au four”, root vegetable, blanquette.</b> Simply magnificent. These dishes complemented the wine beautifully, making this one hell of a dinner.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDecomoHeielNNnApI5d6KPCZvDy1p6J9_rG_K3q-J4kTzbzzrp_v0NKNMWwxZxqedKZqlhdT4OnX6Fj6arUtiSGS0bN0y2wQGs2HQPBlSLxITM-HXwSKbrb12UytfbPiKeTEf9cDSlOBS/s1600/721790.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDecomoHeielNNnApI5d6KPCZvDy1p6J9_rG_K3q-J4kTzbzzrp_v0NKNMWwxZxqedKZqlhdT4OnX6Fj6arUtiSGS0bN0y2wQGs2HQPBlSLxITM-HXwSKbrb12UytfbPiKeTEf9cDSlOBS/s200/721790.jpg" width="150" /></a>Before getting to the Barolo & Barbaresco, we started the evening with a bottle of <b>2010 Larmandier-Bernier Champagne Grand Cru Les Chemins d’Avize</b>. Chemins d'Avize is a blend of fruit from the Chemin de Plivot and Chemin de Flavigny lieux-dits. Disgorged in June 2016. The wine was vinified and aged in oak barrels of various sizes and bottled with 2 grams of dosage (some form of sweetness (sugar, or wine and sugar) added to a Champagne to balance it out). Winemaker Pierre Larmandier uses only indigenous yeasts for alcoholic fermentations, producing the most natural and terroir-specific wine possible. Each cru is vinified separately. This was terrific beginning to the evening. I loved the yeasty bouquet and full, round and yeasty palate.<br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b>Flight 1</b></span><br />
<b><i>Barbaresco & Nieve</i></b>. The 4 wines that made up this flight were simply awesome. It was without question the best flight of wines I have ever had the pleasure of tasting.<br />
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<b>1998 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Asili</b>. Gorgeous Piedmont bouquet filled my nose in anticipation of what I was about to taste. I was not let down. This is classic Giacosa. Round and delicious with an elegant and lengthy finish.<br />
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<b>1998 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Rabajà</b>. A bit bigger and earthier than the Asili, but round and delicious as well. Like the Asili it kept evolving in the glass and had finished with great length.<br />
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Ken, who knows more about Giacosa and Nebbiolo than anyone I know, provided some interesting information on these two wines. He explained that while Giacosa labeled one Asili and the other Rabaja, when the vineyard boundaries were made official, both parcels were classified as Asili. Thus we tasted two wines from different plots in the same vineyard, made by the same great winemaker, in the same way. Check out Ken’s blog <b><a href="http://www.finewinegeek.com/giacosa/">The Fine Wine Geek</a></b> for an in depth look at Giacosa and his wines.<br />
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<b>1998 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Santo Stefano Riserva</b> and <b>1998 Roagna Barbaresco Crichet Paje</b> were my wines of the night. They were simply magnificent. Impeccable balance, complexity and depth with an soft, elegant palate and finished with the same elegance.<br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b>Flight 2</b></span><br />
<b><i>Barolo & La Morra</i></b>. This was an interesting flight of 3 wines with varying degrees of modern wine making.<br />
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<b>1998 Vietti Barolo Brunate</b>. This drank beautifully. The wine had a soft, elegant palate with a lengthy finish. I was surprised to learn (from Eric’s notes) that wine maker Luca Curado did a bit of experimentation with the vintage and that the wine is considered to be modern-styled. You could have fooled me. <br />
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<b>1998 Luciano Sandrone Barolo Cannubi Boschis</b>. Sandrone is considered a more modern styled wine maker, but it would be unfair to characterize him as a modernist. His wines are always gorgeous, exhibiting depth, balance, complexity and finesse. Unfortunately these characteristics fell short in tonight's wine. It drank ok, but was outdistanced by the Vietti. </div>
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<b>1998 Paolo Scavino Rocche dell’Annunziata Riserva</b>. My least favorite in this flight. Oak was well integrated, but present. His wines are just too modern for me.</div>
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b>Flight 3</b></span><br />
<b><i>Monforte</i></b>. I did not like this flight at all.<br />
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<b>1998 Aldo Conterno Barolo Granbussia</b>. While I have enjoyed this wine on many occasions, tonight was not one of them. The bottle was off. I was particularly disappointed in that I sold the bottle from my cellar to Michael Z and it was pretty much a disaster.<br />
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<b>1998 Domenico Clerico Ciabot Mentin Ginestra</b>. Much too modern for me. Oak was dominant. <br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b>Flight 4</b></span><br />
<b><i>Serralunga</i></b>. Another good flight, with the Falletto starring.<br />
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<b>1998 Giacomo Conterno Barolo Cascina Francia. </b>Terrific bottle of wine. Silky palate and elegant finish.<br />
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<b>1998 Vieti Barolo Lazzarito</b>. Like the Granbussia, this was an off bottle. <br />
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<b>1998 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Falletto</b>. Classic Giacosa. Simply gorgeous, and one of the top wines of the evening. Great mouth feel and lengthy and elegant finish.<br />
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<b>1998 Massolino Barolo Vigna Rionda Riserva</b>. Fantastic potential here. It drank very well, but is still very much a baby and needs more cellar time, in my opinion.<br />
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The bottom line is that 1998 is an excellent vintage and will drink well for quite some time. The only downside is that the price of these wines has escalated in the past decade, so finding them at a reasonable price will be a challenge. I only wish I had bought more of them years back.<br />
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We finished the evening with a cheese course of <b>Caprotto - Chiriboga Blue – housemade crackers, quince paste. </b>I brought along a bottle of <b>1998 Quintarelli Amarone</b> to drink pair with the cheese. Unfortunately the magic of Quintarelli was not to be found in this bottle. The palate was dull and the finish nonexistent.<br />
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Please check out Eric Guido's blog on the evening at <b><a href="http://morrellwinebar.com/the-vintage-that-keeps-on-giving/">The Cellar Table</a>. </b><br />
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All in all it was a magical evening.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR4gDiCUUEI1fCidiRfhDvrmuZCBpoLKzIIftwBb4a3DhUvnM4Bntub_aR7gNcGlZFK3EpqtAg9Rh_qLqeVT5HO2fAAXmSdw3gEYV2rApF6WzmPAFegX7_7sjjt_UgcOXvWprqHSC8MP9_/s1600/29354633_10101559515290658_8707421537833746679_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR4gDiCUUEI1fCidiRfhDvrmuZCBpoLKzIIftwBb4a3DhUvnM4Bntub_aR7gNcGlZFK3EpqtAg9Rh_qLqeVT5HO2fAAXmSdw3gEYV2rApF6WzmPAFegX7_7sjjt_UgcOXvWprqHSC8MP9_/s400/29354633_10101559515290658_8707421537833746679_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of Eric Guido</td></tr>
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Saluté<br />
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<br />Mark Scudieryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06102587984431792324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8357107416249204429.post-46041067314219486752018-03-25T07:54:00.001-07:002018-03-25T07:54:30.697-07:001996 Louis Jadot Red Burgundy<b><a href="https://www.atouteheure.com/">A Toute Heure</a></b> was the venue for our local wine group’s most recent dinner. Located in Cranford, NJ this farm to table restaurant recently changed ownership. Thankfully the food is still very skillfully prepared. Some of the dishes we enjoyed included:<br />
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<i>A salad of roasted baby candy cane beets, goat cheese, candied pecans, baby greens, balsamic drizzle </i><br />
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<i>Tuna Tartare, honey soy drizzle, candy cane beets, black radish, spiced panko crumbs</i><br />
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<i>Txistorra: sautéed chorizo & shrimp, fingerling potatoes, mushrooms, jalapeno garlic-herb pan jus</i><br />
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<i>Charred Iberian octopus, garlic oil, broccoli rabe, beet chips, toasted pumpkin seeds, smoked paprika</i><br />
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<i>Adobo marinated half amish chicken, baby beets, beet tops, turnips, red bliss potato, parsnip jus</i><br />
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<i>Five hour braised (Nieman ranch) short rib, roasted seasonal vegetable potato gratin, braising liquid</i><br />
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<i>The Florio Mussel Pot - crushed tomato, torn basil, garlic confit, white wine</i><br />
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<i>The ATH Mussel Pot- spicy chorizo sausage, saffron cream sauce</i><br />
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<i>Copious amounts of house made French Fries</i><br />
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Howard was in the wine queue and he selected <b>1996 red burgundies</b> (Cote de Nuits) from <b>Louis Jadot</b>. Says wine critic Antonio Galloni of the vintage, <i>“This vintage featured a rare combination of healthy grape sugars, high acidity and sound, ripe skins, thanks in large part to a very even flowering, well-timed late August rain and a very dry and sunny but cool September. While '96s made from copious yields can be lean and unsatisfying, even tart, the best examples are evolving at a snail's pace and benefit from decanting.”</i> With the exception of one corked bottle, the wines we drank tonight showed well.<br />
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Louis Jadot is one of Burgundy's most important négociants, both qualitatively and quantitatively, with a portfolio that covers everything from inexpensive Bourgogne and Beaujolais wines to several grand cru wines, from the Côte de Beaune to Chablis. Unsurprisingly, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay feature heavily in the portfolio.<br />
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The estate was founded in Beaune in 1859 by Louis Jadot. The headquarters remains in Beaune, although vineyard holdings have increased exponentially. Louis Jadot owns land in some of Burgundy's most famous vineyards, including Le Musigny, Échezeaux, Chapelle-Chambertin and in the famously fragmented Clos de Vougeot vineyard. Louis Jadot wines are also made in Chambertin, Montrachet, Corton and Romanée-Saint-Vivant.<br />
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As well as the sizeable portfolio of wines made under the Louis Jadot label itself, the house also makes wines for Domaine du Duc de Magenta, and for Domaine Gagey. Andre Gagey took over as general manager for Louis Jadot in 1968 and, along with winemaker Jacques Lardiere, is often held responsible for Louis Jadot's high reputation.<br />
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Maison Louis Jadot created its own cooperage, Cadus, in 1995. Cadus aims to work only with oak from the very best forests in France, and the wood is seasoned outside for 30 months before it is used to create Burgundian Barrels (which each contain 228 litres of wine). The amount of time the wine spends in barrel depends on a number of variables, there is no recipe: it may be a year, fifteen months or even eighteen. They don't like to rush things.<br />
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All harvesting is done by hand to ensure that only the best grapes are used in the wines. By and large, complete destemming is practiced. They favor long macerations in oak or stainless steel, and the use of wild yeasts for alcoholic fermentation. Malo-lactic fermentation takes place slowly, towards the end of winter, in oak barrels.<br />
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In order to achieve the best possible quality for the past 20 years Jadot has banished all use of synthetic products (fertilizers, herbicides, etc.) in their vineyards have taken up traditional practices instead. All work is done either by tractor or, for the most inaccessible vineyards, by horse.<br />
All the wines made under the Maison Louis Jadot label are Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée wines from across the region. Maison Louis Jadot controls today 210 hectares scattered across Burgundy, from the Côte d'Or to the Mâconnais and down into Beaujolais.<br />
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<b>1996 Louis Jadot Vosne-Romanée Les Suchots 1er Cru</b>. Translucent red hue with a bit of bricking at the edges. Lovely bouquet of cherries. Medium bodied palate and short finish.<br />
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<b>1996 Louis Jadot Gevrey-Chambertin Clos Saint-Jaques 1er Cru.</b> Corked<br />
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<b>1995 Louis Jadot Jadot Beaune 1er Cru Boucherottes Domaine des Héritiers 1er Cru</b>. Since the previous wine was corked, Jeff grabbed this bottle from his car to replace it. Earthy bouquet and soft palate but not a very exciting wine.<br />
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<b>1996 Louis Jadot Clos Vougeot Grand Cru</b>. This was very good and drank very nicely. Soft and round palate with a lengthy finish.<br />
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<b>1996 Louis Jadot Echezeaux Grand Cru</b>. This was also very good. Most structured wine of the evening with good acidity and a long and pleasant finish.<br />
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<b>1996 Louis Jadot Grands Echezeaux Grand Cru</b>. Consensus wine of the evening. The wine was full-bodied with terrific structure, balance, complexity and a lasting finish. What is interesting is that according to wine critic John Gilman it was not made by the domaine, but was mad with purchased wine.<br />
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Thanks Howard for an excellent selection of wines and food. Very happy to be part of this wonderful group.</div>
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Saluté</div>
Mark Scudieryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06102587984431792324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8357107416249204429.post-18594579252225164432018-03-22T12:27:00.000-07:002018-03-22T12:27:48.436-07:002008 Barolo Dinner<br />
On the last Tuesday evening of February our NY Vinous Nebbiolo lovers group met to do a 10-year retrospective of <b>2008 Baolo</b>. Like all tastings with this group it was a spectacular night with some really good wines, and a couple that were less so. Danny Meyer’s <b><a href="https://www.northendgrillnyc.com/">North End Grill</a></b> provided us with a private room for the evening. The food was excellent and the service was top notch. <b>Crispy Pork Belly, Wood Grilled Duck Breast</b> and <b>Steak Frittes</b> were the popular choices for most of the group. The Pork Belly & Duck were lauded, the Steak Frittes was not. I went a different route and was very happy with my selections.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTEDJXMYbByJz37b_SC6aj2f1tG7lh-F4YIh7TPnpzyOkwGJ9z8B7WfXX_iil6YmO2rnM7bxYwKvHC-8fNbl6FeVhNkMkewj66lNMHUD_mhozDIRStegkrc3xfiD034dS92wGLsruFXc3t/s1600/IMG_4820.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTEDJXMYbByJz37b_SC6aj2f1tG7lh-F4YIh7TPnpzyOkwGJ9z8B7WfXX_iil6YmO2rnM7bxYwKvHC-8fNbl6FeVhNkMkewj66lNMHUD_mhozDIRStegkrc3xfiD034dS92wGLsruFXc3t/s320/IMG_4820.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Steamed Mussels</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spinach Ravioli, Parmesan Broth & Hedgehog Mushrooms</td></tr>
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2008 was an exceptional vintage in Barolo. Antonio Galloni of Vinous stated “<i>…The late harvest yielded a set of beautifully perfumed, sensual wines that are all about finesse.”</i> For more detailed information about the vintage check out Eric Guido’s blog <b><a href="http://morrellwinebar.com/cool-toned-racy-to-the-core/">The Cellar Table</a></b>.<br />
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All wines were double decanted in the morning and left to slow-o throughout the day before being transported to the restaurant. Wines were served blind, with the exception of the second flight. I am not a proponent of blind tasting. I fail to see its value. Some claim that blind tasting removes the prejudice one may have about the wine if they know what it is. I don’t buy that at all. If I know the wine and the producer, then I have a reference point and an expectation level about the wine. I can evaluate where the vintage is relative to other vintages of the wine. For me wine is about enjoying what you are drinking not guessing what the wine is, who made it or the year. Just my opinion.<br />
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My top three were Bartolo Mascarello, Sandrone and Cascina Francia. I must admit, I was also smitten by the Gaja.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Flight 1 </b>(La Morra)</span><br />
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<b>2008 Angelo Gaja Langhe Nebbiolo Conteisa</b>. Contesia is Piedmontese for "quarrel." This wine was named for the historic dispute between the communes of La Morra and Barolo for possession of the Cerequio land. Since Gaja adds Barbera (approximately 5 to 8%), Italian Barolo and Barbaresco laws do not allow him to call it Barolo (or Barbaresco) since it is not 100% Nebbiolo. I must admit to being pleasantly surprised when this wine was revealed, as Gaja’s more modern style is usually not to my liking. This drank very well however. The palate was soft and balanced and finished nicely. Because of the Gaja name the wine commands a high price (not worth it in my opinion). $215<br />
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<b>2008 G.D. Vajra Bricco delle Viole Barolo</b>. One of the top wines of the evening. This was firing on all cylinders, round and delicious palate, elegant finish and has the stuff to age for a few decades. In my opinion it is clearly one of the wines of the vintage. At $90 it is one of the most reasonably priced wines around.<br />
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<b>2008 Accomasso Rochette Barolo</b>. This bottle was flawed.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Flight 2</b> (Barolo).</span> <br />
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Most, if not all of us, thought this was the flight of the evening. It was also the only flight that was not served blind.<br />
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<b>2008 Giuseppe Rinaldi Cannubi San Lorenzo Ravera Barolo</b>. What a beautiful wine that is entering its drinking window with silk and elegance. Terrific texture, balance and complexity with a lasting finish. This will drink well for a couple of decades at least. $175.<br />
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<b>2008 Sandrone Cannubi Boschis Barolo</b>. Although Sandrone makes his wines in a more modern style, the result is always fabulous as this bottle was tonight. The wine began with an intoxicating earthy bouquet and coated the palate in beautiful fresh fruit and finished with length and elegance. I am sorry that I have none my cellar, something I hope to rectify soon. $150.<br />
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<b>2008 Bartolo Mascarello Barolo</b>. The wine of the night, in my opinion, in fact it may well be the wine of the vintage. Round, delicious, elegant, balanced, etc, etc, etc. Built to last for decades, but who can wait. This wine was $100 upon release and has soared to $320 a bottle currently.<br />
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<b>2008 Giuseppe Rinaldi Brunate Le Coste Barolo</b>. The tightest wine in the flight but the underlying pedigree is apparent. I would hold this for a couple more years before drinking. Also another example of the soaring prices of great Barolo. I paid $107/btl upon release. Today it will set you back $500/btl.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Flight 3</b> (Castiglione Falletto)</span><br />
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<b>2008 Cavallotto Riserva Vignolo Barolo</b>. Cavallotto is a rock-solid producer of traditionally made Barolo. Tonight’s wine drank very well, but was not as awake as the top wines. Cellar time will be kind to the wine. $120.<br />
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<b>2008 Brovia Rocche Barolo</b>. Unfortunately this was a flawed bottle. $95.<br />
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<b>2008 Vietti Rocche Barolo</b>. There seemed to be not a lot going on here. I expected more depth and balance, but the wine just seemed to be happy sitting in the glass. $190.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Flight 4</b> </span><br />
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We had two bottles of the Cascina Francia, as I mistakenly pulled one from my cellar by mistake. It turned out to be a bit of a blessing as the other bottle turned out to be flawed.<br />
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<b>2008 Giacomo Conterno Cascina Francia Barolo</b>. Cascina Francia has always been one of my favorite Barolo’s and tonight’s wine was singing. It started with an enticing earthy bouquet on the nose, with a beautifully structured palate marked by soft tannins. It got better with each sip and finished with length and elegance. One of my wines of the night. $180<br />
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<b>2008 Giacomo Conterno Cascina Francia Barolo</b>. Flawed bottle.<br />
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<b>2008 Elio Grasso Casa Matè Barolo</b>. Classic old world Barolo. Earthy bouquet, medium bodied with a soft elegant finish. This is aging nice nicely. A lot more depth than the bottle I had 3 years ago. $85.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Courtesy of Eric Guido</td></tr>
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Additional notes on the tasting can be found by following the link to Eric Guido’s blog The Cellar Table mentioned in the second paragraph above.<br />
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Bottom line, I am lucky to be a member of this illustrious Barolo group. Another great night.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKWsodsP7AZViGse-LWY4XeY-yroi38puOiAeNPahIlNFiHy06k7F8SDkHX88XhoGdDKfYppF5HsFzSt4F3rMFhftLY24ze7jV1qFuYlFUDJibCNi2KEpdVpi7IgcCaZTzJ95IOXvFmp8W/s1600/Nebbiolo+Group-1sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKWsodsP7AZViGse-LWY4XeY-yroi38puOiAeNPahIlNFiHy06k7F8SDkHX88XhoGdDKfYppF5HsFzSt4F3rMFhftLY24ze7jV1qFuYlFUDJibCNi2KEpdVpi7IgcCaZTzJ95IOXvFmp8W/s400/Nebbiolo+Group-1sm.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Michael, Jonathan, Anthony, Marc, Iggy, Mark, Ken, Michael, Ben, Jamie<br />Photo Courtesy of Eric Guido</td></tr>
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Saluté<br />
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<br />Mark Scudieryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06102587984431792324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8357107416249204429.post-51046174635948475172018-03-03T12:10:00.001-08:002018-03-03T12:25:38.732-08:00The Glories of White BurgundyOur local wine group met recently at <b><a href="http://wabisabinj.com/">Wabi Sabi</a></b> in Bloomfield, NJ. I have praised the Japanese food and Sushi prepared by chef/owner <b>Nelson Yip</b> on previous occasions and for good reason…he never disappoints. Emil, who’s turn it was to bring the wine and choose the venue decided he wanted to do an evening of white Burgundy and thought that Nelson’s food would be a perfect complement…and it was. Emil did a masterful job with his selections, and we were most fortunate that there was not a hint of premature oxidation in any of the wines we drank. <br />
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<b><span style="color: red;">Food</span></b><br />
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While the other group members had not been to Wabi Sabi before, they applauded each and every dish. Marc, a frequenter of NYC restaurants commented to the effect <i>“I’m getting flavors very reminiscent of Nobu”.</i><br />
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Nelson Yip is the finest Asian/French fusion chef I have ever encountered. The secrets to his success are quite simple; great mentors in both French and Asian cuisine, a fanaticism for fresh ingredients and an unbridled passion for transforming ingredients into simple and at the same time spectacular dishes. He is so fanatical about the quality of his sushi, that he receives 3 shipments of fresh fish from Japan weekly. There simply is no comparison to the quality and freshness of his sushi and sashimi to most other Japanese restaurants in the area...at least in my opinion. I would be remiss if I did not mention that the service here is equal to the food. Some of the dishes we enjoyed were:<br />
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<i><b>Seared Salmon w/ Yuzu Soya</b>. This is as addictive a dish as any I have ever encountered. Pristinely fresh salmon is pan seared for a few seconds and then lightly dressed with a high quality light soy sauce to which Yuzu (yellowish citrus fruit with fragrant, acidic juice) has been added.</i></div>
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<i><b>Hamachi Yuzu with Summer Truffle</b>. Yuzu makes another appearance as it delicately coats mouth-watering fresh Yellowtail. Watercress and summer truffles complete the dish. The freshness of the fish and subtlety of the flavors make this as addictive as the Seared Salmon.</i></div>
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<b><i>"Lollypop" Shrimp</i></b>. <i>Here Nelson fashions a large wild shrimp into a circle, adds a bit of crab meat to the center and then encrusts it with Panko bread crumbs, skewers each one with a stick and then fries them. The resulting "lollypop" is crunchy and greaseless and served with a lightly spiced dipping sauce made from chilis, tomatoes, onions and parsley. In combination, the sauce and shrimp throw a party in your mouth.</i></div>
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<i><b>Berkshire Pork Goyoza</b>. Nelson takes the pan-fried dumplings to new heights in this preparation. The incredibly light dumpling wrappers are made in house and stuffed with a minced pork stuffing made from wild boar. Lightly pan-fried, they are delicious and a far cry from the thick and doughy versions found at most other spots. I never asked what he makes the dipping sauce with, but it is the perfect foil for these heavenly pillows of pleasure.</i></div>
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<i><b>Fluke Sashimi</b>. This is without question my all time favorite when it comes to raw fish. Unfortunately it is a too infrequent special at Wabi Sabi. It is one of the fishes he gets directly from Japan. Preparation is the essence of simplicity. The Fluke is sliced transparently thin and served with a bit of equally thinly sliced Daikon radish. A bit of soy with a hint of wasabi added will bring tears of joy to your eyes with each piece you eat.</i></div>
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<i><b>Wabi Sabi Chicken</b>. Nelson’s version of General Tso Chicken will open your eyes as to how good this dish can be. He only uses white meat which he soaks in ice water overnight before doing his magic in the Wok. The chicken is cooked to a moist and greaseless perfection that will have you applauding the dish with your chopsticks.</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlCGMw7u9NY4GvNyvRhrPCHXUoq6DMsrwBnKAkF30sJj0WW0dvz0oFaBepQZXCJMh9rTBwqzmpbd7700S4GlLQoWjvt8ImBitGR00H_L5-BLFfOTcoKM6goepAjm4AmAk0APhlq5nUToxD/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-02-28+at+6.03.22+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="744" data-original-width="1086" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlCGMw7u9NY4GvNyvRhrPCHXUoq6DMsrwBnKAkF30sJj0WW0dvz0oFaBepQZXCJMh9rTBwqzmpbd7700S4GlLQoWjvt8ImBitGR00H_L5-BLFfOTcoKM6goepAjm4AmAk0APhlq5nUToxD/s320/Screen+Shot+2018-02-28+at+6.03.22+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i><b>Hot Stone Angus Steak</b>. Premium Aged Angus beef is slightly seared in the kitchen and served tableside with a hot lava stone that allows you to cook the beef to your perfection. It is served with another of his incredible dipping sauces.</i></div>
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<i><b>Duck Confit with Mushroom Risotto</b>. I am not a fan of duck, so I have not tried this French classic. Everyone who has ever ordered it ususally reorders it on subsequent visits. I can however attest to the creamy and al dente risotto that accompanies the duck.</i></div>
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<i>And of course there is a wide selection of the freshest <b>Sushi and Sashimi</b> one can find this side of Japan or New York City.</i></div>
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<i>Not pictured (they were devoured as soon as they made an appearance) is the <b>Fried Spicy Rock Shrimp </b>appetizer. Nelson actually doesn’t use Rock Shrimp, but medium sized shrimp that he appears to flash fry and then coat with a spicy mayonnaise based sauce. It is one of the best shrimp dishes I have ever had, and I have had it as a main course </i><i>on occasion</i><i>.</i></div>
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<b><span style="color: red;">Wine</span></b><br />
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I mentioned earlier that Emil did a masterful job with his selections and that was probably and understatement as the wines were simply glorious. When white Burgundy is on, it is very hard to beat, especially from winemakers like Emil chose.<br />
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<b><i>2012 Domaine Comtes Lafon Meursault Clos de la Barre Villages</i></b>. A legendary estate that produces legendary wines that are not easy to come by and expensive when you can find them. Dominique Lafon took over from his father in 1984. The domaine earned organic certification in 1995 and biodynamic certification in 1998. The team at Domaine des Comtes Lafon limits yields by de-budding vines in the spring. The harvest is all done by hand, and the grapes are sorted twice—once in the vineyards and again at the winery. Their vines average 32 years of age.<br />
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Traditional, natural fermentations are the hallmark of the domaine. Native yeasts, slow fermentations and long élévages allow the wines to express the complexity and nuance of each terroir. The Chardonnays are pressed gently and undergo a cool settling of the must for 24 hours before the juice is racked into both new and lightly-used oak barrels. Alcoholic fermentations last for three months, kept at a cool 22 to 24°C in their underground cellars. The whites are generally stirred on their lees, depending on the cuvee, and then undergo malolactic fermentation, which ends in May following the harvest. The whites are bottled unfiltered 18 to 22 months after the harvest. Sublimely silky and complex, the wines of Domaine des Comtes Lafon are a marvelous glimpse into the diversity of Burgundy’s terroirs.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
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2012 was an exceptional Vintage for white Burgunday. It is also the very first vintage that the <b>Clos de la Baronne</b> has been bottled as a single parcel. This debut bottling is sourced from the 2.7ha Clos de la Baronne, a monopole that includes 40-year-old vines. Oh what a wine, especially when one realizes this is a Villages level wine and not a premier cru or grand cru. It is simply stunning, displaying exceptional balance, finesse, complexity and a lengthy and magnificent finish. I sipped it slowly throughout the dinner an each sip seemed to add depth and elegance to the wine. It is a wine that will last for decades to come.<br />
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<b>2012 Dauvissat Chablis Vaillons 1er Cru</b>. Dauvissat is one of Chablis' great traditionalists, making Chablis reminiscent of Raveneau. Owner/winemaker Vincent Dauvissat prefers natural farming, using vine treatments sparingly, if at all. The fruit is harvested by hand and not destemmed; fermentation is part in enameled steel vats and part in wood, and all aging is in 6-to-8-year-old barrels. Vincent says, <i>"Oak is very important to Chablis. The synergy of air and wood adds character and also helps soften the wine. Without oak, Chablis is too hard, too austere."</i><br />
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Tonight’s wine was classy, but definitely at the beginning of its drinking window. Give the oak a couple of years to become better integrated and this promises to be awesome wine.<br />
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<b>2008 Raveneau Chablis Montée de Tonnerre Premier Cru</b>. Domaine Raveneau, along with Domaine Dauvissat, is one of the two leading stars in Chablis. They continue to craft beautiful, and highly sought after wines seemingly almost every vintage. They are hard to come by and prices have soared in recent years. Brothers Bernard and Jean-Marie Raveneau are now in charge of 7.5 ha, where the philosophy in the vineyards is one of lutte raisonné (the practice of reactive, rather than proactive vine treatments, and largely natural farming). The harvest is 100% manual, after which the fruit is immediately pressed and given a 12 hour débourbage (settling) and the fermentation is initiated in large fermenters with or without selected yeasts, depending on the vintage. The malos are allowed to occur naturally and the élevage occurs in older casks (mostly small feuillettes or half barrels, which in Chablis equals 132 liters) and lasts for 12 months. There is no deliberate cold stabilization as the winter cold is all that is used. After approximately 18 months, the wines are usually fined, filtered and bottled.<br />
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François Raveneau established the domaine in 1948 by combining vineyards that he had purchased with vineyards owned by the family of his wife, who was part of the Dauvissat wine family. François was the first member of his family to bottle his own wine; previously the grapes had been sold to other estates to use. No new oak barrels are used to make the wines. The wines are fermented in stainless steel and then aged in barrels with an average age of seven to eight years, for twelve to eighteen months.<br />
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Raveneau owns sections of three Chablis Grand cru vineyards. These holdings are 0.54 hectares in Les Clos, 0.60 hectares in Blanchots and 0.75 hectares in Valmur. They also own land within six Chablis Premier cru vineyards. The largest holding is Montée de Tonnerre, with 3.20 hectares, followed by Butteaux with 1.50 hectares. The other four are Foret with 0.60 hectares, Vaillons with 0.50 hectares, Montsmains with 0.35 hectares and Chapelot with 0.30 hectares. There is also a newly acquired 0.95 hectare parcel of village classified Chablis, on the opposite side of the Vaillons slope. The first vintage from this plot was harvested in 2007.<br />
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2008 was another outstanding vintage. Tonight’s wine was elegance and finesse in a glass. It was beautifully balanced on the palate with a lengthy and soft finish. Like the wines of Dauvissat, they will age gracefully.<br />
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<b>2007 Dauvissat Chablis Les Clos Grand Cru</b>. From a very good vintage, this is a superb Chablis. Each sip displayed beautiful acidity on a stoney palate with lots of depth and a lengthy finish. Allen Meadows of Burghound calls it <i>“One of the wines of the vintage.” </i><br />
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<b>2002 Raveneau Chablis Grand Cru Blanchot</b>. One of the greatest white wines I have ever had. This was the first Raveneau I ever tasted (Sept. 2009). It mesmerized me then and it did so again tonight. 2002 was an outstanding vintage, and this surely is one of the wines of the vintage. I will reiterate my notes of 9 years ago when I tasted the wine. The wine displays an amazing purity. It sparkles like a fine gem in the glass. Incredible balance of minerality and acidity. Silky on the palate with a lengthy and pure finish. The wine has the stuff to last for quite some time. Along with the Lafon, this was my wine of the night.</div>
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<b>2013 Château de Puligny-Montrachet Meursault 1er Cru Les Porusots</b>. This was Emil’s back-up wine in the event of a flawed bottle. Fortunately none were flawed. Since we finished all the wines, Emil popped it so that we could have a glass with Nelson, who like the rest of us is a lover of fine wine. The wine is owned by the de Montille family. The wine is quite young, but showed great potential given a few years of cellar time.</div>
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As you can imagine it was an “over the top” evening of great wine and great food. It will be a hard tasting to top. Thanks Emil for your generosity and great selections. And thank you Nelson for the incredible food. Until next time.</div>
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Saluté<br />
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Mark Scudieryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06102587984431792324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8357107416249204429.post-51230520197433008382018-02-27T10:37:00.000-08:002018-02-28T10:10:18.375-08:00La Festa Del Barolo 2018Earlier this month a joined a few Vinous members at the <b>La Festa del Barolo</b> dinner held in NYC. For the second straight year it was held at <a href="http://delposto.com/"><b>Del Posto Ristorante</b>.</a> This annual event, orchestrated by Vinous founder <b>Antonio Galloni</b> and his <b><a href="http://www.vinous.com/">Vinous</a></b> team, is without question the highlight wine event of the year and it is done with remarkable class. 53 of NYC’s top sommeliers are on hand to open and pour the wines. The format of the dinner calls for all dinner attendees to bring bottles of great Barolo (other wines also are allowed) to share with the others at their table. This sharing of great wines is the highlight of the evening, and the remarkable generosity exhibited by attendees to share great wines with others is very special. One of the winemakers who will be participating in the 2013 Barolo tasting to be held on the following morning is seated at each table. They also bring wine, usually back vintages, from their cellar. The opportunity to speak with these gracious folks and share their wine is worth the price of admission alone.<br />
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Our table was comprised of Vinous members Marc D. and his Jennifer; Iggy M.and his wife Carolyn; Michael Z; Emil S.; Eric G. and myself. We were delighted to have Franco Massolino, from the Massolino winery in Serralunga d’Alba at our table. Many other Vinous members stopped by to share wine with us.<br />
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Del Posto is the flagship restaurant of the Batali/Bastianch empire. It is a spacious and upscale restaurant serving excellent Italian cuisine that is complimented by highly professional service and a world class Italian wine list. The restaurant was closed all day to prepare for the event and then reserved for the event itself, which began with passed Assagi (little bites). Four Champagnes were served with the Assagi. Each Champagne was very good, but for me the Cedric Bouchard was head and shoulders above the rest.<br />
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<b>2010 Cedric Bouchard Roses de Jeanne Blanc de Noirs Cote de Bechalin Champagne</b>. Disgorged (the disgorging or removal of sediment from bottles that results from secondary fermentation in the production of sparkling wines and Champagne) in April of 2017. This is a Spectacular Champagne. Creamy and rich with lush fruit. It continues to evolve in the glass. Absolutely gorgeous finish.<br />
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<b>NV Agrapart & Fils Brut Les 7 Crus Champagne</b>. A nice champagne, but lacks the depth of the Bouchard. Disgorged June 2017<br />
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<b>NV Jacquesson Cuvée No. 740 Champagne</b>. Disgorged July 2016. Based on the 2012 vintage this was my runner up to the Bouchard. Delicious creamy texture and a lasting finish. <br />
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<b>2013 Savart Le Mont des Chrétiens Champagne (Magnum)</b>. 95% Pinot Noir and 5% Chasrdonnay. Disgorged February 2017. Did not taste.<br />
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<b>Food</b><br />
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<i>Panzanella Invernale, Roasted Squash & Puntarelle</i><br />
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<i>Swiss Chard Agnolotti with Black Truffle Butter</i><br />
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<i>Fennel Pork Sausage & Groccoli Rabe</i><br />
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<i>Braised Beef Short Rib, Anson Mills Polenta & Root Vegetables</i><br />
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<i>Fontina, La Tur, Parmigiano; Drizzled Honey & Grilled Bread</i><br />
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<i>Biscotti</i><br />
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<b>Wines</b><br />
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<b>1998 Luciano Sandrone Cannubi Boschis (magnum). </b>1998 is an often overlooked vintage. I, however, find the wines to be drinking beautifully now, and have found them to be very consistent across the board. They have fared much better than the heralded 1997 vintage.<br />
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Located in Barolo, Luciano Sandrone is one of Barolo’s leading producers. Although he makes wines in a more modern style than the traditionalists, he makes fantastic wines. I have enjoyed them for years. Sandrone respects tradition and only incorporates aspects of modern technology and technique to showcase the utmost potential of his estate's grapes. His wines see nearly 10 percent new oak during vinification, and he opts for shorter macerations and aging periods. Rather than rely on the smaller, 250-liter barrique for style, he prefers larger, 500-liter French oak barrels instead. All these steps make Sandrone's wines distinctive. Sandrone began in 1978 and now has a production level that runs to some 8000 cases annually from his 22 hectares of vineyards. I had the pleasure to visit the estate in 2008 and it remains one of my fondest memories today.<br />
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Tonight’s wine was beautiful. The fruit was fresh and vibrant and danced on the tongue with impeccable balance and finesse. One of the wines of the night, in my opinion.<br />
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<b>1964 Borgogno Barolo Riserva (original release)</b>. I have not had a Borgogno Barolo in quite some time. This was in very good shape and drank well. A bit of bricking at the edges, but overall a very nice bottle of wine.</div>
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<b>1990 Massolino Vigna Rionda Riserva "Speziale.”</b><b> </b>This was a very special bottle of wine and brought a huge smile to the face of Franco Massolino. He commented that it was a special bottling that was only made for a good customer of the winery. The wine was shipped to the customer without a label, which the customer created for the bottle. It was the first time Franco tasted the wine, and he was delighted at how well it drank. 1990 was an exceptional vintage marked by vibrant fruit, elegance, complexity, balance and a long elegant finish. Tonight’s bottle, while it took a while to open, was a perfect example of the vintage and drank beautifully.</div>
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<b>1971 Produttori Del Barbaresco Barbaresco</b>. 1971 Produttori Del Barbaresco Barbaresco. This cooperative was founded in 1958 by the priest of the village of Barbaresco, who recognized that the only way small properties could survive was by joining their efforts together. Thus he gathered together nineteen small growers and founded the Produttori del Barbaresco. From its humble beginnings making the first three vintages in the church basement, Produttori del Barbaresco has grown to a 56 member co-operative with 250 acres of Nebbiolo vineyards in the Barbaresco appellation and an annual production of over 500,000 bottles. Its vineyards amount to almost 1/6 of the vineyards of the area. Each member is in full control of their land, growing Nebbiolo grapes with the skill and dedication they have honed over generations. In a good vintage they are divided among Barbaresco (40%), single vineyard Barbarescos (40%) and Nebbiolo Langhe (20%).<br />
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Playing a key role in elevating the quality level of Barbaresco over the years, Produttori del Barbaresco produces a simpler Nebbiolo Langhe, a Barbaresco blend and nine single vineyard wines produced in premier vineyards: Asili, Rabajà, Pora, Montestefano, Ovello, Pajè, Montefico, Muncagota and Rio Sordo.<br />
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The wines represent the best value for Italian Nebbiolo in all of Italy. The wine is then barrel aged for one to two years and rests in bottles for six months before release. This is the non-riserva bottling and it is glorious. The wine showed a beautiful translucent red hue with vibrant fruit and an elegant and balanced palate that was echoed in the finish. A wine with soul!<br />
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<b>1996 Giacosa Barbaresco Santo Stefano</b>. From a classic vintage, this was sublime. A classic Barolo that is still a very young wine it is oh so round and delicious on the palate. A bouquet of dark berries fills the nose in anticipation of the first sip which does not let you down. Many years ahead for this Giacosa classic. One of my WOTN.<br />
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<b>1971 Francesco Rinaldi Barolo</b>. 1971 was one of the truly legendary vintages for Barolo. Heavy rain in the spring and early summer resulted in a poor flowering and lowered yields dramatically. Once the sun arrived it never let up and the small crop ripened quickly. The wine possessed a brickish red hue but very vibrant fruit. With its elegant finish, it shows no signs of shutting down.<br />
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<b>2006 Giuseppe Mascarello Monprivato (Magnum)</b>. My wine, so I opened it at 1 pm and let it slow-0 for 4 hours. At bit tight at first, but with some time in the glass the pedigree began to shine through.<br />
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<b>1971 Gaja Barbaresco (3.78 Liter)</b>. While I am not a fan of the Gaja wines made today, those made by his father in the 70’s and 80’s are very special. This bottle was firing on all cylinders. Great balance, complexity and a monster finish.</div>
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<b>2004 Massolino Parafada and 2004 Massolino Vigna Rionda </b>were both brought from the Massolino cellar by Franco. Both wines were superb, with the Parafada displaying a softer palate and less depth than the Vigna Rhonda, perhaps due to the fact that the Parafada was made partly in French Oak. While the Parafada is drinking beautifully at the moment, the Vigna Rionda, the estates’s top wine is just beginning to approach its drinking window.<br />
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<b>1978 Aldo Conterno Barolo Cicala</b>. From the Cicala vineyard in Bussia (Monforte d’Alba). Harvest is by hand. This drank surprisingly well for its age.<br />
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<b>2000 Giacosa Barbaresco Asili Riserva</b>. One of the wines of the night brought to our table by Vinous member Manuel Buergi. A wow wine. Perhaps my wine of the night. Simply round and delicious.<br />
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It was a great evening as usual, however, I could not get up early the next morning to attend the 2013 tasting. Probably better off that I missed it.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Michael Z; Mark S; Emil S; Franco Massolino, Iggy M; Marc D; Manuel B.</td></tr>
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For notes on the 2013 Barolo tasting held the next day please follow the the links to Ken Vastola's blog, <b><a href="http://www.finewinegeek.com/tn/2018-02-03_AG_LaFesta_Barolo2013/">The Fine Wine Geek</a></b> and Eric Guido's <b><a href="http://morrellwinebar.com/trials-tribulations-of-2013-barolo/">Morrell Wine Bar Blog</a></b>.<br />
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Saluté</div>
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Mark Scudieryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06102587984431792324noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8357107416249204429.post-1334701314797823842018-01-31T13:24:00.001-08:002018-01-31T13:50:50.012-08:00Wines of RayasOur local wine group met last Wednesday at <b><a href="https://turtleandthewolf.com/">Turtle + The Wolf</a></b> restaurant in Montclair. Chef/owner <b>Lauren Hirschberg</b> learned his craft at Craft in Manhattan working under Tom Colicchio. He learned it so well that he became culinary director for all the Colicchio restaurants before heading out on his own. The BYOB restaurant serves locally sourced seasonal foods that are expertly prepared<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Steak tartare, black garlic aioli, crispy potato, egg yolk, crostini</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Burrata + spaghetti squash crepe, baby kale, marinated apples, cured egg yolk, saba</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Roasted Cauliflower</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Short Ribs of Beef</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Ricotta raviolo + smoked pork ragout, egg yolk, pickled onion, gremolata, parmigiano-reggiano</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Potato gnocchi "caccio e pepe", parmigiano-reggiano, butter, black pepper</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Pan seared Bronzino fall vegetables, sunflower romesco + aged balsamic vinegar</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Duck pot pie, braised leg, foie gras, duck heart gravy, bacon, root vegetables</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Zeppole</i></td></tr>
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<i>Not pictured</i> <i>Chicken liver mousse, rhubarb puree, pickled red onion, mustard seeds, toasted brioche</i></div>
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The wines, brought and selected by Jim, were from the three <b>Chateau Rayas</b> properties; <b>Chateau des Tours, Chateau De Fonsalette and Chateau Rayas</b>. These estates are all located in the Southern Rhone Region of France. The estates today are in the very capable hands of <b>Emmanuel Reynaud</b>, who took over Chateau Rayas and Chateau De Fonsalette when his uncle Jacques Reynaud died suddenly in 1997. At the time Emmanuel was making wines at his father’s Chateau des Tours. Jacques Reynard is often referred to as the godfather of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. In my opinion Rayas and Henri Bonneu are the standards when it comes to traditionally made Chateauneuf du Pape and Cotes du Rhone.<br />
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Emmanuel is somewhat reclusive, and can be found working his vineyards at most any time of day, every day. Emmanuel does not revel in the fame and notoriety that come with making such sought-after and acclaimed wines, but he continues to carry the mantle of his famous forebears, producing hauntingly aromatic wines at all three estates. He is, at heart, a farmer, and here he grows food for his family, in addition to grapes. Like all Reynaud vineyards, these are tended with the same organic methods, manually plowed, harvested much later than other producers and centered around a reverence for old-vine Grenache.<br />
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<b>Chateau des Tours</b><br />
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Situated in an old house flanked on both sides by tall towers (hence “des Tours”), Château des Tours is Emmanuel’s own family estate, which he took over from his father, Bernard, in 1989. The estate is located in Sarrians, Côtes-du-Rhône, just outside Châteauneuf-du-Pape. A 40-hectare property of vines which grows Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah, Merlot and Counoise for red wine; Grenache and Clairette for white wine. Weighty, complex and savory, the wines produced here are among the most well regarded, sought-after bottles of the appellation<br />
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<b>Château de Fonsalette</b><br />
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Just outside Châteauneuf-du-Pape, near the village of Lagarde-Paréol in the Côtes-du-Rhône appellation, Château de Fonsalette was purchased by Emmanuel’s grandfather, Louis Reynaud, in 1945. It holds 300 acres, 30 of which are planted with Grenache, Cinsault and Syrah for reds, and Grenache Blanc, Clairette and Marsanne for whites. The estate also produces wonderful olive oil. Quite simply, the three wines of Fonsalette — a blanc, made from Grenache, Clairette and Marsanne; a rouge made from Grenache (50%), Cinsault (35%) & Syrah (15%) and a 100% Syrah, which is rare for the region — defy their appellation: They are among the best and most in-demand wines from Côtes-du-Rhône. The grapes are vinified and sold at Rayas.<br />
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<b>Château Rayas</b><br />
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Rayas is a small ten-hectare vineyard composed of three separate vineyards — Le Couchant, Le Levant and Le Coeur — Château Rayas occupies one of the most unique sites in the world. The estate is surrounded by towering pine trees (pignan in French) that monitor the airflow into the vineyards, and the vines are planted in very fine sand that regulates their temperature and maintains humidity around the roots. This seemingly magical sand creates its very own microclimate — and exceptionally elegant wines.<br />
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While 13 varietals are permitted in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Emmanuel uses only one for Rayas’ red wines: Grenache. For the whites, he uses Grenache Blanc and Clairette. Grapes come from the three vineyards, are vinified and aged separately in old barrels, then are blended to achieve Emmanuel’s vision for the vintage, always adhering to Château Rayas’ signature style. With a Pinot Noir–like flavor profile — kirsch, cherry, peat moss — coupled with a peppery Mediterranean flair that is distinctively “Southern France,” there is simply nothing like a bottle of Château Rayas. The vines are planted in the heart of the woods, in very poor, sandy soil producing wines with great finesse. He makes two reds at this estate, Rayas Chateauneuf du Pape Reserve red and white and Pignan Chateauneuf du Pape Reserve, red only.<br />
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The wines we drank were all outstanding and complimented the food beautifully.<br />
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<b>2013 Chateau des Tours Cotes du Rhone Blanc</b>. Côtes du Rhône White made from 100% Grenache blanc. Pale yellow hue with a bouquet of white fruit. A full bodied wine with great balance and mouth feel. A terrific bargain at $39. <b><a href="https://www.wine-searcher.com/find/tours+cotes+rhone+blanc/2013">Wine-Searcher</a>.</b><br />
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<b>2013 Domaine des Tours Vin de Pays de Vaucluse</b>. This delicious red is a blend of Grenache, Counoise, Syrah, Cinsault, Merlot. A nose and palate of bright cherries, this was delicious and represents substantial value at $24. <b><a href="https://www.wine-searcher.com/find/tours+vaucluse/2013/usa?Xlist_format=&Xbottle_size=all&Xprice_set=CUR&Xprice_min=&Xprice_max=&Xshow_favourite=">Wine-Searcher</a></b>.<br />
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<b>2010 Chateau des Tours Vacqueyras</b>. Blended from 80% Grenache and 20% Syrah, the wine displayed a spicy bouquet and a superbly balance peppery palate. The wine finished with length and elegance. $60. <b><a href="https://www.wine-searcher.com/find/tours+vacqueyras/2010/usa?Xlist_format=&Xbottle_size=all&Xprice_set=CUR&Xprice_min=&Xprice_max=&Xshow_favourite=">Wine-Searcher</a>.</b><br />
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<b>2006 Chateau Rayas Cotes du Rhone Chateau de Fonsalette</b>. From a classic vintage, this was sublime, displaying a peppery and complex palate with a monster finish. This wine sets the bar for Cotes du Rhone wines. $135. <b><a href="https://www.wine-searcher.com/find/rayas+cotes+rhone+fonsalette+reserve/2006/usa?Xlist_format=&Xbottle_size=all&Xprice_set=CUR&Xprice_min=&Xprice_max=&Xshow_favourite=">Wine-Searcher</a></b>.<br />
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<b>2006 Chateau Rayas Chateauneuf-du-Pape Pignan Reserve</b>. Pignan is the second wine of Chateau Rayas. However, because much of Pignan comes from their more northern vines, it can also be looked at as a unique brand. In some years, like 1990, Pignan is an amazing wine that while not at the level of Rayas, it’s still outstanding. In total, close to 20% of harvest goes into producing Pignan. In most years Pignan is produced from almost 100% old vine Grenache and also uses grapes from their young vines. Pignan is aged for 16 months in demi-muids and foudres. Only 650 cases are produced of Pignan each year.<br />
<br />
It is miles better than most other CdPs on the market. The wine showed brilliantlytonight. Bouquet of pepper and spice was echoed on a superbly balanced palate that had fantastic depth. The wine never stopped evolving in the glass and finished with fantastic length. Truly a wine with soul! As one would expect, this wine commands a much higher tariff, $225. <b><a href="https://www.wine-searcher.com/find/rayas+chateauneuf+pape+pignan+reserve/2006/usa?Xlist_format=&Xbottle_size=all&Xprice_set=CUR&Xprice_min=&Xprice_max=&Xshow_favourite=">Wine-Searcher</a></b>.<br />
<br />
A truly remarkable evening of wine from a master. Thanks Jim for sharing it with us.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpvKhtcpo7wE3r5XLZLuFBmliCyAc6bgYhYm7pb0S6Fyiu10jcsA8ximim8QrR6pyYerOYO9nMq6QvFhlTOL3y_UH2jPfx3Y08BLYkz5P613CQbrTSv4gHfibXVe-MJuBjxxis37bcfwfv/s1600/IMG_9511.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpvKhtcpo7wE3r5XLZLuFBmliCyAc6bgYhYm7pb0S6Fyiu10jcsA8ximim8QrR6pyYerOYO9nMq6QvFhlTOL3y_UH2jPfx3Y08BLYkz5P613CQbrTSv4gHfibXVe-MJuBjxxis37bcfwfv/s400/IMG_9511.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Saluté</div>
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Mark Scudieryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06102587984431792324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8357107416249204429.post-11480015760257354382018-01-02T14:44:00.000-08:002018-01-02T14:44:16.577-08:00Gentlemen's Holiday Lunch 2017Two days before Christmas 10 wine loving buddies got together at <b><a href="http://www.ilcapriccio.com/">Il Capriccio Ristorante</a></b> in Whippany, NJ for our annual holiday lunch. This tradition was started about 6 or 7 years ago by Tony. Tony set two criteria for the luncheon:<br />
<br />
1.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Robert Parker rating of 95 points or higher<br />
2.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Wine-Searcher price of at least $250<br />
<br />
<b>1959 Huet Le Haut Lieu Vouvray Moelleux (Jack)</b>. As always Huet wines never disappoint and they seem to live for ever. Made from 100% Chenin Blanc, the Moelleux is sweeter than the Clos du Bourg, but less so than the Moelleux Premier Trie, which is specifically a desert wine. <br />
The wine soared from the glass. It possessed a gorgeous translucent yellow hue. It was pristine and pure on the palate with a long elegant finish. At 57 years of age, this wine has many years in front of it.<br />
<br />
<b>NV Cedric Bouchard Roses de Jeanne Côte de Béchalin Blanc de Noir Pinot Noir Champagne</b> <b>(Ian)</b>. Cédric Bouchard has become one of the fastest rising stars in Champagne. He began producing his own wines in 2000 under the label <b>Rose de Jeanne</b>. In 2008 he was awarded the title as Champagne’s finest wine maker by Gault Millau. His philosophy borders on the revolutionary in Champagne, as he insists on bottling single vineyard, single varietal (Pinot Noir or Chardonnay), and single vintage cuveés rather than blending different sources to make a single cuvée. This is a highly unique concept in Champagne, where so many of the Grandes Marques have made their reputations for many centuries on the high art created in blending various wines and various vintages to make a consistently excellent bottle of bubbly year in and year out. Today’s bottle is a non-vintage made exclusively from 2009 grapes and disgorged in 2016. The fruit comes from a 1.5 hectare vineyard in the lieu-dit Cotes de Bachelin, consisting of 100% Pinot Noir. Cédric gives the grapes from this site the longest aging regimen of all his wines. This wine is unfined, unfiltered, and aged for 80 months. It is an amazing Champagne that must be sipped from a large wine glass to appreciate the incredible depth and focus of the wine. Decanting his wines is always a good idea as they really open with air and time as this one did. I did not enjoy the first sip, but within thirty minutes I was smitten by the complexity, balance and finish of the wine. Truly a wine with soul!<br />
<br />
<b>2000 J.L. Chave Hermitage from magnum (Jack)</b>. Some experts feel that the greatest maker of Hermitage (100% Syrah) is Jean-Louis Chave (you will get no argument from me). The Chave family has been growing grapes at Hermitage since 1481. They have a reputation for making good wine in poor years, and excellent wine in good ones. They use low yielding vines (average age 60 years) and a late harvest to produce the ripest fruit, and there is virtually no intervention in the winemaking and bottling with no filtration. There are a dozen or so named vineyards in Hermitage, and Chave owns vines in most of them. They vinify each separately, which allows them to blend for greater complexity before bottling.<br />
<br />
My last bottle of this was 6 years ago, and the wine was simply too young at the time. Cellar time has been good to the wine. The wine has entered the beginning of a drinking window that should last for a couple of decades. Gorgeous terroir laden bouquet with terrific balance and focus on a palate of ripe black fruit. Destined to be a monster in another 3 or 4 years.<br />
<br />
<b>2012 Santuvario Lozio Vino Rosso (Gino)</b>. The wine is made by Ivano Barbaglia in Boca, a region of Northern Piedmont. The wine is a blend 85% Nebbiolo/15% Vespolina. The farming is organic and the harvest is by hand. The fruit is destemmed and fermented with native yeasts in stainless steel tanks with a month-long maceration. The wine is aged in a single 300-liter oak barrel for three years, followed by a year in bottle. Production is but 100 cases in years that Ivano fells the grapes merit the wine. It is one of the finest wines I have tasted this year (today was my second experience). It possessed a gorgeous bouquet of red berries, with a seductive palate of white pepper that displayed terrific balance, complexity and a long and velvety finish. The wine has the acidity to age for a couple of decades.<br />
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<b>2014 Mondavi Reserve to Kalon Vineyard (Tony)</b>. Served blind. I had no idea what it was. No one guessed California. As for the wine, it was a good example why I do not buy or drink California wines, especially Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine was completely one-dimensional with an insipid palate and zero finish.<br />
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<b>2006 Soldera Case Basse Brunello di Montalcino (Jeff)</b>. Superb! In my opinion Gianfranco Soldera is the master of thes 100% Sangiovese wines, and this wine solidly supported my feelings. I had the wine 3 years ago at a Soldera tasting and found it to be tight and a bit green but with great potential. Today’s bottle, while still young, as matured quite a bit in the past three years. The palate had marvelous balance, complexity and elegance. The finish is still a bit short, but in a few more years this will be a magnificent wine…in my opinion.<br />
<br />
<b>1999 Beaucastel Hommage a Jacques Perrin (me)</b> and 2<b>001 Beaucastel Hommage a Jacques Perrin (Ian)</b> were poured side by side. Beaucastel is one of the few wineries that blends all 13 permitted grape varietals in Chateauneuf-du-Pape. The “Hommage” bottling is made only in exceptional vintages, and that means only when the Mourvedre grape reaches sufficient ripeness to merit a special bottling and thus the Hommage contains a higher proportion of Mourvedre. I felt that both wines drank ok with the 1999 having a softer and slightly more elegant palate than the more fruit laden 2001. The group was pretty much divided on their preference.<br />
<br />
<b>1996 Chateau Latour (Tony)</b> was poured alongside a <b>1996 Chateau Lafite‐Rothschild (George)</b>. Two first growth Bordeaux that for me underscore the comments of wine importer Kermit Lynch regarding these first growths. He writes in <b>“Adventures on the Wine Route”</b>, <i>“As a Bordeaux proprietor, you do not even need a good winemaker…you need only have been included in the classification of 1855. Most of the Bordeaux wine trade is quite happy keeping everybody’s eyes on labels instead of wine.”</i> My limited experience with Bordeaux, especially first growths, leaves me with the “I don’t get it” feeling. These two did that again. Some thought the Lafite was corked. I didn’t. I simply thought it was not a good wine. I had similar feelings about the Latour. These were very, very expensive wines that receive high critic scores and will continue to do so as long as the people who buy them keep their eyes on the labels.<br />
<br />
<b>1994 Dal Forno Amarone della Valpolicella (Emil)</b>. Dal Forno’s wines are usually over the top for me. I find they lack the balance and complexity of Quintarelli. This drank better than most I have had however. It displayed more balance and elegance that usually.<br />
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<b>2001 Chateau Climens (Gino)</b>. This was superb. Beautiful golden hue, palate of tropical fruit with good balance and complexity. <br />
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<b>1975 Chateau d’Yquem (Joe)</b>. I felt this bottle was off, which was a shame as this is a great year for Sauternes. It lacked the depth, balance and complexity of the Climens. Hopefully just an off bottle.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmdAVizlVqsYP11keNCtaYxfbzG5i9jmiJhGH72RTacEVDuTCelIF8AQRWPX29JF-Gwzj0xCeh9Xb7gYcRuMvlPfskCG724Upww-CjVt57qWLlpYtlVn6tdkE21WzsYd_7iNU10fjbsqsL/s1600/IMG_7754.jpeg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmdAVizlVqsYP11keNCtaYxfbzG5i9jmiJhGH72RTacEVDuTCelIF8AQRWPX29JF-Gwzj0xCeh9Xb7gYcRuMvlPfskCG724Upww-CjVt57qWLlpYtlVn6tdkE21WzsYd_7iNU10fjbsqsL/s400/IMG_7754.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
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As my readers know I do not subscribe to the points rating system for wine. For the curious my top wines were in order:<br />
<br />
2006 Soldera Case Basse Brunello di Montalcino – 95+, $600<br />
1959 Huet Le Haut Lieu Vouvray Moelleux – 98, $350<br />
2000 J.L. Chave Hermitage – 96; $650 (Magnum)<br />
NV Cedric Bouchard Roses de Jeanne Côte de Béchalin Blanc de Noir Pinot Noir – 94, $120<br />
2012 Santuvario Lozio Vino Rosso – not rated, $70.<br />
<br />
My bottom wines:<br />
<br />
2014 Mondavi Reserve to Kalon Vineyard – 95, $125<br />
1996 Chateau Latour – 95, $800<br />
1996 Chateau Lafite Rothschild – 98, $1,100<br />
1975 Chateau d’Yquem – 98, $1,100<br />
<br />
Fortunately, the wines were really secondary. The company and lively conversation along with the excellent food made for a great afternoon. You just can’t put a number or price tag on friendship.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<br />
Thanks Tony for putting it together.<br />
<br />
Saluté<br />
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<br /></div>
Mark Scudieryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06102587984431792324noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8357107416249204429.post-86123646325977930582017-12-27T08:07:00.000-08:002017-12-27T08:26:01.835-08:00Old Nebbiolo<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial";">Our local wine group met a couple of
weeks ago at <b><a href="https://www.100stepsrawbar.com/">100 Steps Supper Club & Raw Bar</a></b> in Cranford, NJ. Eclectic farm
to table cuisine is served at this attractive spot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiETT1v3Y7LlzjkbWEIapFOx3SNfKQwMun7RLmaNz3bmwMVN0axtNyMCm7J3hyNfUwPzyrtrcAByf93fX3YrCR6le1X0YYHeSRqwht41vi1yI2xJ0ToqehcZFbxhEmip2lq1xESynrxsIaH/s1600/IMG_4736.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiETT1v3Y7LlzjkbWEIapFOx3SNfKQwMun7RLmaNz3bmwMVN0axtNyMCm7J3hyNfUwPzyrtrcAByf93fX3YrCR6le1X0YYHeSRqwht41vi1yI2xJ0ToqehcZFbxhEmip2lq1xESynrxsIaH/s320/IMG_4736.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Broccoli and Goat Cheese Soup</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMv7IONwqQJaX9i9jnPe_lSS7UA7L5XJ-zahsbQdHX8uF22xlffji1ljWM77HsMzi0cL0dcX8UKPHrRPjeSkFYVti0bkCZREmibQV9qOpXmZ8Kj74GzbSod2wC2MYKyVWL9ALHPvVQizMb/s1600/IMG_4737.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMv7IONwqQJaX9i9jnPe_lSS7UA7L5XJ-zahsbQdHX8uF22xlffji1ljWM77HsMzi0cL0dcX8UKPHrRPjeSkFYVti0bkCZREmibQV9qOpXmZ8Kj74GzbSod2wC2MYKyVWL9ALHPvVQizMb/s320/IMG_4737.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Cerviche of the Day</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiddFme2dUjs9kxJvxUmlkT2ErVe1bZSaApf1Tq6BDgCBatSW5VMeiEwNgDTHaxKivMasMIXLZdcKI-ALs5PE_eH5TOoHEPn0KxJt-UYOkGbR0S_YIeMvBMj11I8lODqV6UE78rWU6mKkHm/s1600/IMG_4739.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiddFme2dUjs9kxJvxUmlkT2ErVe1bZSaApf1Tq6BDgCBatSW5VMeiEwNgDTHaxKivMasMIXLZdcKI-ALs5PE_eH5TOoHEPn0KxJt-UYOkGbR0S_YIeMvBMj11I8lODqV6UE78rWU6mKkHm/s320/IMG_4739.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Fried Calamari Salad</b><br />
<i>Radish, Jalapeno, Pickled Ginger Aioli</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYXdsYCDYLB3SemGWjBbnr4UgDfBNs-oRpAKLD8wSbM6FJ8Vd5E9iaukr4I-5X7TdBwgCHvqO3HoOkYRhyuo7yxqct-qKEXIEoy24P2rUxUVQII1fg_8Gny7kIntmsiBE3zh36eLDCNuf1/s1600/IMG_4740.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYXdsYCDYLB3SemGWjBbnr4UgDfBNs-oRpAKLD8wSbM6FJ8Vd5E9iaukr4I-5X7TdBwgCHvqO3HoOkYRhyuo7yxqct-qKEXIEoy24P2rUxUVQII1fg_8Gny7kIntmsiBE3zh36eLDCNuf1/s320/IMG_4740.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Puttanesca Clam Pot</b><br />
<i>Eggplant, Bread Crumbs, Puttanesca Sauce, Grilled Sour Dough</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7rpdzfaWsWHR5lgxHv3Av5kcRTx-5dfMm7Uw6ExakqOC1CpG3JR_NYfvmQwjhjr1bJQLN14JrT5Nb9UIms5k9rjRGNWBGrC5AQpjne0Owr07TaX8bz4O3GtXJK0gODywK0Hf79R2MOmvj/s1600/IMG_4741.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7rpdzfaWsWHR5lgxHv3Av5kcRTx-5dfMm7Uw6ExakqOC1CpG3JR_NYfvmQwjhjr1bJQLN14JrT5Nb9UIms5k9rjRGNWBGrC5AQpjne0Owr07TaX8bz4O3GtXJK0gODywK0Hf79R2MOmvj/s320/IMG_4741.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Veal Flank Steak</b><br />
<i>Crispy potatoes, Cippollini Onions, Swiss Chard, Black Garlic</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi56DP_CFhXskPq5LOExTI0zGPlehezAkXyDE7eNVDtYWd9pvjer1DbRa5RL_33A-xwMMdCy94_zvfIpUwOnzuDlkE_H1B82GD5F0nrRHWFNd29muuXi9Bi5MhNZjXnwddmMGzlRZsxMCER/s1600/IMG_4738.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi56DP_CFhXskPq5LOExTI0zGPlehezAkXyDE7eNVDtYWd9pvjer1DbRa5RL_33A-xwMMdCy94_zvfIpUwOnzuDlkE_H1B82GD5F0nrRHWFNd29muuXi9Bi5MhNZjXnwddmMGzlRZsxMCER/s320/IMG_4738.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Braised Lamb Shank</b><i>Pickled Apple, Brussel Sprouts, Hazelnuts, Celery Root Romesco</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Duck Liver Mousse</b><i>Grilled Sweet Potatoes, Cippolini Onions, Pomegranate Seeds, Grilled Sour Dough</i></td></tr>
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Marc was in the queue to select and bring the wine. He treated us to an evening of <b>old Nebbiolo</b> from both Alto Piemonte and Piedmont. All the bottles were in great shape and made for a terrific evening.</div>
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We began the evening with <b>1964 Nervi Gattinara</b>. Nervi is the oldest winery in the Gattinara DOCG area. It was founded by Luigi Nervi in 1906 and covers 24 hectares of Nebbiolo vines in the Casacce, Garavoglie, Molsino and Valferana vineyards. The Molsino vineyard is one of Piedmont's finest South facing amphitheatres. The Valferana vineyard can be traced back to 1242 as Valferane in Gattinara's municipal deeds. At the foothills of Monterosa, Europe's second highest mountain protects from northerly winds, ensures sufficient precipitation and provides a steady termic breeze through the vines. With plenty of volcanic gravel and high clay content in the soil, Nervi's vineyards are unique in an Italian oenological context.</div>
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Harvesting is by hand and large oak casks are used for both fermentation and aging. Chief oenologist <b>Enrico Fileppo</b> ensures adherence to traditional wine making. The ownership of Nervi moved from Italian to Norwegian hands in 2011. The Astrup family acquired a majority of the estate, with the Moestue, Wicklund and Skjelbred families as partners. </div>
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Tonight the wine had a brickish red hue, with a slightly maderized palate but remarkably lively fruit for a wine this old. Like all great wines, it evolved beautifully in the glass with each sip adding more depth and complexity.</div>
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<b>1967 G.B. Burlotto Barolo</b>. I discovered the wines of Burlotto a few years back and have been smitten by them since, especially his Monvigliero bottlings. This is old world Barolo at its best. This bottle I believe is a blend of Monvigliero and Cannubi fruit. The estate, located in Verduno, and the winemaking today is in the hands of Giovan Battista Burlotto’s great-great-grandson <b>Fabio Alessandria.</b> Like his ancestors, Fabio approaches Monvigliero in a way that is both classical and idiosyncratic-to extract the vineyard's essential greatness. At the core of this technique is a gentle crushing of all the grapes by foot, an incredible 60-day maceration on the skins and, of course, long aging in large wood botte. It's an approach virtually unheard of today, yet its brilliance is revealed in every glass of this unique Barolo.</div>
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Tonight’s wine was certainly proof of that. Upon opening it displayed an oxidized bouquet that blew off quickly. It possessed a beautiful transparency, with a soft mid palate that had terrific balance and focus.</div>
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<b>1967 Cavallotto Barolo</b>. The Cavallotto family claims sole ownership of the beautiful Bricco Boschis cru in the Castiglione Falletto district (also home to Azelia), where they have been growing Nebbiolo since 1929 and bottling their own wine since 1948. These richly structured wines place emphasis on elegance and longevity, attributable to excellent vineyards in the Bricco Boschis and Vignolo crus and traditional long maturation periods in large Slovenian-oak casks.</div>
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Steadfast devotion to tradition combined with a high regard and respect for modern viticultural and winemaking techniques result in complex and elegant Baroli that are released for sale only when they have acquired perfect maturity. The estate produces three Baroli: two riservas and their anything but “regular” Bricco Boschis. The Vignolo cru, sloping 60-80 meters lower in altitude than the adjacent Bricco Boschis holding, shows a “creamy” flesh. </div>
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The estate’s selection of the finest vineyard within the Bricco Boschis cru is San Giuseppe, the epitome of Castiglione Falletto: a powerful, majestic wine of absolute authority whose sweetness comes with time.</div>
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<b>Alfio, Giuseppe and Laura Cavallotto</b> successfully continue the family tradition started five generations ago, expertly transforming the grapes grown exclusively from their holdings into the most classic expressions of Castiglione Falletto!</div>
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Tonights’s wine was fantastic. Dark translucent red, it had a beautiful old Nebbiolo bouquet with in tact fruit and wonderful balance and depth.</div>
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<b>1971 Ceretto Barolo Grignore</b>. The estate’s wine production covers seven separate estates, while an eighth (I Vignaioli di Santo Stefano) is co-owned along with two other growers. The first estate to be established was the Azienda Bricco Asili. These 8.5 hectares lie in the Barbaresco communes of Bricco Asili, Bernardot, and Faset, and a cru Barbaresco is produced from each of these three sites. The other principal estate is the Azienda Bricco Rocche, located in the heart of Barolo and comprising 11 hectares in La Morra, Serralunga, and Castiglione Falletto. Only Barolo is made here: Brunate and Prapò are made in most vintages (the vintners pass grapes from difficult vintages to the central estate, where the Zonchera is made) and exceptional harvests brew the Bricco Rocche. </div>
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Tonight’s bottling was their "cru" from the "Grignore" supposedly is sold only to ristorantes in Italy. Their website does not list the vineyard any more, so I don’t know if it still exists, which is a shame as this was the <b>WOTN</b> for me. The wine was simply gorgeous. A round and delicious wine with great balance and a lengthy and elegant finish.</div>
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<b>1971 Renato Ratti Barolo Rocche Dell’Annunziata</b>. Located in the town of La Morra, Ratti consistently produces several top Barolos, including single-vineyard wines that have received acclaim from many wine critics. Founded by the late Renato Ratti in 1965, it’s now run by his son Pietro. LUX Wines, a Gallo luxury wine group, began importing the wines and distributing Ratti’s Barolo Marcenasco, Barolo Conca, Barolo Rocche dell’Annunziata, Langhe Nebbiolo and Barbera d’Asti in 2016.</div>
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This was a close runner up to the Ceretto. It too possessed lively fruit, impeccable balance and a seductive mid palate. It finished with considerable length and elegance.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx8grj4b95ySn8Q8tVZesrWrTHcH8ybSyLIEgndIfef0ULRy685vt1T9d5dmhD3aqOzoHB2ZflHliAFLYdWWuAUplwv4EUdrtvpiuYoCtu5YegXRVTNXHASJD8EXrjCZ3-YN4JykYGQlsl/s1600/IMG_9277.jpeg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx8grj4b95ySn8Q8tVZesrWrTHcH8ybSyLIEgndIfef0ULRy685vt1T9d5dmhD3aqOzoHB2ZflHliAFLYdWWuAUplwv4EUdrtvpiuYoCtu5YegXRVTNXHASJD8EXrjCZ3-YN4JykYGQlsl/s400/IMG_9277.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
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In sum a great evening, with 5 very good wines, especially the two 1971s. Thank you Marc.</div>
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Saluté</div>
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Mark Scudieryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06102587984431792324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8357107416249204429.post-46921143477759202922017-12-05T07:23:00.001-08:002017-12-05T09:04:42.090-08:001999 BurgundyOur local wine group met last week at <b><a href="http://settenj.com/">Sette Cucina Italiana</a></b> in Bernardsville, NJ. Jeff, our resident Burgundy expert, was in the queue to select and bring the wine. His knowledge and immense cellar of Burgandy always makes for a fantastic evening. He selected the <b>1999 vintage</b>, a superb vintage throughout Europe, especially in Burgundy and Piedmont. His knowledge is not limited to the various appellations of Burgundy, but extends to knowledge of under the radar producers who produce traditionally styled magnificent wines. Once again he wowed us.<br />
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Like the Barolos of Piedmont, these gorgeous Burgundies are just beginning to enter their drinking window. Enjoyable now, they will age gracefully for decades to come. Both the Cote de Nuits and Côte de Beaune produced excellent wines in 1999.<br />
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Chef/owner <b>Allan Philip Russo</b> prepared a pasta tasting menu that paired beautifully with the wines. The meal began with Allan’s version of <b>Bruschetta</b>. This version is similar to my mom’s, where freshly sliced tomato placed atop slices of French bread, seasoned with oil, vinegar, oregano, Parmigianino Reggiano and Basil before being placed under the broiler for a few minutes. It is the essence of Italian peasant food.<br />
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After an antipasto of Prosciutto, Mozzarella di Bufalo, Asparagus and Reggiano chunks (no photo) we enjoyed the following:</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Butternut Squash Risotto</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Orichette with Pignoli</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Sirloin Ravioli in butter and white wine sauce</span></b></td></tr>
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<b>1999 Leroy Montagny Premier Cru</b>. 100% Chardonnay, this got the evening started in grand style. The wine exhibited an enticing bouquet and a bit of oxidation on the palate. As the wine warmed in the glass the underlying fruit began to emerge. A lovely wine.</div>
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The story of the Leroy family’s dominance in the wine world began more than a century ago, in 1868, when François Leroy founded Maison Leroy in Auxey-Duresses, a small village near Meursault. When Lalou’s father, Henri, joined the family business in 1919, the firm was already established as one of the greatest in Burgundy. Lalou joined her father in 1955, taking over the house in 1971.</div>
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Madame Lalou Bize-Leroy is unrelenting in every way, from her personality to how she runs her business to the quality of the wine in the bottle. The Leroy family’s 50% ownership of Domaine Romanée- Conti gave Lalou ample ability to amass the deepest and most revered cellar in Burgundy during the past six decades. Speculation is rampant about its size and holdings; only one person knows for sure. Today, Lalou is the force behind three domaines: Maison Leroy, Domaine Leroy and Domaine d’Auvenay.</div>
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Maison Leroy is the heart of the Leroy empire, a négociant house through which Lalou purchases and distributes wines from most appellations in Burgundy. With her legendary palate and relentless standards, she unearths some of the most thrilling wines of each vintage, then ages or finishes the wines herself, only releasing them to the market when she knows they are at their peak. Lalou never fails to impress with her unparalleled depth and understanding of the most hidden corners of Burgundy’s terroir.</div>
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<b>1999 Nicolas Rossignol Pernand Vergelesses Les Fichots </b><b>Premier Cru</b><b>.</b> This had a wonderful elegant Burgundian nose with a nicely balanced palate with emerging, ripe fruit. Approachable now, this can be great in a few more years.<br />
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Nicolas Rossignol is one of the best examples of a new generation of Burgundy wine makers whose great wines lie in the future rather than the past, entering the fray in 1994. Born in 1974, he represents the 5th generation of vine growers on the soils of Volnay. After completing his technical formation at enology school in Beaune, Nicolas put his knowledge into practice, staging at Domaine Joseph Voillot in Volnay, Domaine Louis Latour in Ardeche and Domaine Vieux Telegraphe in Chateauneuf-du-Pape. Anxious to learn other farming and winemaking techniques, he went to work in South Africa at Domaine Boschendal Stellenbosch in 1995, followed by Château Cardonne, owned by Château Lafite-Rothchild in Bordeaux. Upon his return home to his family’s Domaine (Rossignol-Jeanniard) Nicolas began vinifying in 1994. However, it was not long before he started his own Estate. In 1997, he acquired approximately 7.5 acres spread over the communes of Volnay, Pommard, Beaune, Aloxe-Corton and Pernand- Vergelesses. In 1998, he increased his vineyard holdings by about 3.5 acres. The Domaine is located in Volnay, between Meursault and Pommard. Today, Nicolas makes wine from his own 17 acre estate, as well as from his father’s vineyards. Nicolas is now buying all the fruit from his family’s Domaine, thus everything is bottled under the name Nicolas Rossignol (either with or without the word Domaine.) Since all the vineyards under his sole control throughout the year, it really does not make any difference which is which.<br />
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<b>1999 Nicolas Potel Volnay Pitures </b><b>Premier Cru.</b><b> </b> This was the tightest wine of the night and difficult to evaluate as the fruit was muted. The wine probably would have benefited from a few hours in a decanter. <br />
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In a relatively short space of time Nicolas Potel has established himself as one of the leading red wine negociants in Burgundy. He’s young-ish, personable and is apparently very well connected, with a good supply of growers who are in possession of some excellent vineyard sites.</div>
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Potel owns no vineyards, buys in from some 40 growers, and for three estates he is in full control of viticulture. The son of Gérard Potel of the Domaine de la Pousse d’Or, as well as his considerable experience in Burgundy Nicolas has worked in California and Australia. He told me that he’s very keen on biodynamics, and of the growers he works with many work organically. His vinification depends on the year, and he says that his decisions are made when the grapes are on the sorting table in front of him. Nicolas asserts that the key to quality is time in the vineyard. The natural approach extends to the winemaking: ‘I’m against every oenological product’, says Potel, although for the moment he has been unable to replace sulphur dioxide, used almost universally in winemaking to help prevent oxidation and any untoward microbial growth. However, he uses much lower SO2 levels than many.</div>
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<b>1999 Annick Parent Pommard Rugiens </b><b>Premier Cru</b><b>.</b> I really liked this wine. While still quite young, it was oh so good. The wine began with a complex and lovely nose of ripe red fruit. The palate shows excellent balance and elegance. This could be a blockbuster in a few years.<br />
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Annick Parent's small size (5 hectares) winery is in Monthelie. She made her first harvest in 1987. The Domaine is a woman's story since her mother took the reins here in the 1960’s. She has witnessed herself considerable cultural change in the way people work around here, she remembers everything was so different even 10 or 20 years ago. She still works a very traditional way.</div>
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She has no fixed philosophy on the winemaking process. She looks first to have nice healthy grapes. They are sorted on the vines and parts of the clusters are taken off if necessary. She adds a rigorous check over the de-stemming machine for another selection there. The goal is to make a wine resulting from the grapes, with the possible irregularities brought by the weather into the wine every year. She looks much more for elegance and complexity in the wine than extraction and tannins. Local people do harvest by hand. No herbicides at all in her vineyard, where she occasionally plows between the rows.</div>
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<b>1999 S.C. Guillard Gevrey Chambertin Les Corbeaux Premier Cru</b>. The consensus <b>WOTN</b>. Simply gorgeous nose and beautifully balanced and complex palate with a lengthy and elegant finish. A wine with soul with a long and delicious future ahead. I love finding small producers like this who quitely do their own thing in magnificent style.<br />
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Domaine Guillard is definitely under the radar. The owner, Michel does not own a computer. He does not have a cellar door and rarely opens his door, that is if you manage to find his winery. He has a fax machine but admits with a grin that he often does not put paper in it.</div>
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The domaine was created by Michel's Grand-mother, Jeanne Lyonnet Born in 1882, she lived and worked in Gevrey as a maid. She married in 1909 but soon after her wedding, her new husband Auguste had to go to war. She worked hard and saved enough money to buy her first few vines in 1913. When Auguste nicknamed Henri IV came back from the war, he worked as a laborer for some big Gevrey Domaines. In 1937 after much sacrifice, they bought their first piece of premier cru; Les Corbeaux.</div>
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In 1958 their only daughter and her husband André Guillard took over the Domaine adding to the few vineyards already purchased. However, they still had to maintain a second job as laborers to sustain the family business. Michel and his sister Odette took over leadership of the estate upon the retirement of their parents took in 1979.</div>
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Both generations added slowly to the estate, but Michel speaks with great admiration and devotion about his dedicated grandmother who has been able, by pure hard work and determination to be a landowner, in what would of been an unusual occurrence in those days, a house cleaner buying a vineyard in one of the most sought after village of Burgundy!</div>
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<b>1999 Jean Grivot Vosne Roanee Les Beaux Monts Premier Cru</b>. The bouquet here was the best part of this wine. While the palate was soft, the fruit remained in the background. I would like to try this again in 5 years.<br />
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Domaine Jean Grivot is among the great names in Burgundian wine. Étienne Grivot and his wife Marielle (Patrick Bize's sister) took over from Étienne’s father Jean Grivot in 1987. The cellar is in Vosne-Romanée where most of their vineyards are located. The domaine has been assembled over several generations to its current size of 15.5 hectares and includes holdings in three grand crus: Clos de Vougeot, Echézeaux, and Richebourg. Étienne’s approach is to constantly improve the quality of the wines and he has been willing to experiment and evolve his work in the vineyard and cellar over the years. Today, the vineyards are densely planted and farmed organically “sans certification,” while the aim in the cellar is for balance and clear expression of terroir.</div>
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Vosne-Romanée is the home of many great domaines and lays claim to six of the Côte de Nuits’ 24 grand crus. The commune and its vineyards sit between Vougeot to its north and Nuits-Saint-Georges to its south, with the grand crus at mid-slope directly behind the village. Domaine Jean Grivot’s 15.5 hectares spread across 22 appellations with vineyards in the communes of Vosne-Romanée, Vougeot, Chambolle-Musigny, and Nuits-Saint-Georges. Besides the three grand crus, there are 8 premier crus including the much lauded Les Beaux Monts and Suchots in Vosne-Romanée. Étienne believes in farming with minimal impact to the environment and eschews the use of chemicals in the vineyard. He’s also hired a horse, Pirate, to plough his holdings in Richebourg, Echézeaux, Beau Monts, and Suchots to minimize the impact on the soil. </div>
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Since taking over in 1987, Étienne has evolved his winemaking style, at first wanting to get more concentration into the wines, and later to achieve greater balance and clarity of site. Today, the grapes are entirely destemmed and maceration à froid usually lasts just a day or two. The fermentation starts naturally, with a little punching down before this fermentation begins. There is no more pigeage after fermentation begins, “I don’t like to mix the physical (punching down) with the spiritual (fermentation),” said Étienne. After fermentation, the wines are pumped over once a day before going to barrel. Depending on the vintage, the proportion of new oak is around 25% for the villages appellations, 30-60% for the premier crus and 40-70% percent for the grands crus.</div>
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Thanks Jeff for sharing these wines as well as the information about the estates with us.</div>
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Saluté</div>
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Mark Scudieryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06102587984431792324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8357107416249204429.post-42387485231338264792017-11-17T08:49:00.001-08:002017-11-17T11:58:48.351-08:002004 BaroloLast week our local wine group convened at <b><a href="http://divinaristorante.com/">Divina Ristorante</a></b> in Caldwell, NJ for our monthly dinner. It was my turn to bring the wine, so chef/owner Mario Carlino and I discussed a menu that would complement the theme I choose, 2004 Barolo. Unfortunately I did not take any photos of the food, but suffice it to say we cleaned each and every plate he served us:<br />
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<i>Bruschetta and Homemade Mozzarella</i></div>
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<i>Calamari Fritti</i></div>
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<i>Tre Mare</i></div>
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<i>Risotto with Sausage and Asparagus</i></div>
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<i>Veal Valdostana</i></div>
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<i>Zuppa Inglese</i></div>
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I began the tasting with a bottle of <b>1992 Fiorano Bianco Botte 26</b>. Fiorano was the wine estate of the late <b>Alberico Boncompagni Ludovisi</b>, the <b>prince of Venosa</b>. The estate is located in the region of Latium of Lazio. The rare and highly regarded wines come from the international varietals of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot for the Rosso and Malvasia di Candia and Semillon for the Bianco. The wines are the product of a dedicated and passionate prince whose avant garde approach was way ahead of its time. His whites took on a phenomenon for their ability to age, but became a true rarity as the prince was elusive and did not care to put the wines in the wrong hands.<br />
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The aging prince continued to make his wines until 1995, although he had stopped selling the bottles. After the '95 harvest he pulled out all the vines in his vineyard, except for a small plot of cabernet and merlot. He offered no explanation, and at the time none was asked.<br />
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The prince had one daughter, Francesca, who married Piero Antinori, the eminent Tuscan winemaker, at the Fiorano estate in 1966. Mr. Antinori suggests today that the prince was unable to bear the thought of anybody else making his wines when he could no longer do it. His daughter has resurrected the estate in the past few years. I have had both the Malvasia and the Semillon and always found the Malvasia to be the better wine.<br />
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<b>1992 Fiorano Bianco Botte 26.</b> <b>100% Malvasia di Candia</b>. The wine was superb tonight with a beautiful golden hue and a nutty bouquet and palate. As the wine warmed in the glass it improved considerably. One of the better bottles of Fiorano I have had.<br />
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The 2004 Barolo vintage is lauded by wine critics and collectors alike. It is an exceptional vintage. Famed wine critic Antonio Galloni says"<i>…These are wines of extraordinary elegance, balance and finesse." </i> He further commented <i>“the 2004 Barolos combines the sweetness of 2000 with the classicism, perfume and freshness of 2001.”</i><br />
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I have been drinking quite a bit of the vintage over the past 6 months and I am in complete agreement with Mr. Galloni. <br />
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I gave each of the Barolo a 3 hour slo-o at home before bringing to the restaurant.<br />
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<b>2004 Massolino Barolo Vigna Rionda Riserva</b>. Lead off wine in our group's 2004 Barolo tasting and it set the stage beautifully. The wine is aged in <b>Rovere botte</b> (Italian oak) for 36-42 months followed by 18-24 months in bottle before being released. It is the estate's flagship wine. While the tannins were a bit tight, the balance and finesse of the vintage were evident. Destined to a long and enjoyable life.<br />
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The Cappellano estate in Seralunga is among the best of the best for traditionally mad Barolo. The estate was under the direction of Teobaldo (Baldo) Cappellano until his passing in early 2009. Today it is under the capeable direction of his son Augusto and continues to make one of Italy's most sought after Barolo's. While Baldo allowed wine critics to visit, taste and write about his wines, he was adament they the do not score the wines. Cappellano makes fewer than 800 cases of Barolo per year, all vinified traditionally: a fermentation of 14 to 21 days with indigenous yeasts and aging in well-seasoned botti for at least three years.<br />
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<b>2004 Teobaldo Cappellano Barolo Pie Rupestris</b>. Superb Barolo. Great wine that is a small step behind the Pie Franco from the same vintage.<br />
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<b>2004 Teobaldo Cappellano Barolo Pie Franco.</b> What a wine. A wine with lots of soul. One of the best wines from an exceptional vintage. Glorious all around, bouquet, depth, balance, elegance, etc., etc., etc. “Piè Franco,” is from a parcel planted on its own roots with Nebbiolo’s “Michet” clone in 1989. The ethereal delicacy of this great wine makes Cappellano wonder if it tells us what Barolo tasted like before Phylloxera. <br />
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<b>2004 Bartolo Mascarello Barolo</b>. Another of Italy's most sought after traditionally made Barolo. The estate does not make any single vineyard wines, preferring to blend the fruit from its ancient hilltop vines in <b>Cannubi, San Lorenzo, Rue and Rocche</b>. The resulting wines, like tonight's are simply gorgeous, round and delicious with a complex and elegant palate and lengthy finish. The 2004 is one of the wines of the vintage. Bartolo passed away in 2005, but the estate continues under the direction of his daughter, Maria Teresa. Many feel, myself included, that she is taking the wines to new heights.<br />
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<b>2004 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Falletto</b>. Perhaps my biggest lament as a wine collector is that I did not learn of Giacosa wines early enough. His wines, traditional to the core, are magnificent. Tonight's bottle may have been the wine of the evening, with a gorgeous earthy nose and palate and lengthy and elegant finish.<br />
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It was another great evening with a great bunch of wine loving friends.<br />
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Saluté<br />
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Mark Scudieryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06102587984431792324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8357107416249204429.post-80038971955736315532017-10-25T07:42:00.000-07:002017-10-25T11:49:06.746-07:001990 Nebbiolo<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH5fHou8UEx3gyyjStailBR8e7OxOyc7VrAOcoqgNcg985AUNgAJCKfB4BF4S_ui6r7ZAd-2tEmCDBH8h72KBeIfX3U1v6_DVQQ40Y9augO9mga-0L4mthtR5Oz12n0EUYSBmx6eqz9FQ2/s1600/IMG_4677.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH5fHou8UEx3gyyjStailBR8e7OxOyc7VrAOcoqgNcg985AUNgAJCKfB4BF4S_ui6r7ZAd-2tEmCDBH8h72KBeIfX3U1v6_DVQQ40Y9augO9mga-0L4mthtR5Oz12n0EUYSBmx6eqz9FQ2/s200/IMG_4677.JPG" width="150" /></a>Our NY Vinous wine group met recently at the <b><a href="https://www.northendgrillnyc.com/">North End Grill</a></b> in lower Manhattan. Our theme for this dinner/tasting was the 1990 vintage of Barolo and Barbaresco. The North End Grill is a Danny Meyer restaurant that showcases Chef <b><i>Eric Korsh's</i></b> rustic, French inspired cuisine. The menu is not extensive but the food, as one would expect, was excellent. I began with a delicious <b>Country Pate, Confit Onion, House Mustard, Grilled Miche</b>. Served with toasted rustic bread to spread the pate on, I enjoyed each bite. I have always heard that Danny Meyer restaurants do great justice to the Hamburger, so I ordered the <b>Short Rib Beef Burger, Grilled Onions, Spicy Mayo on a Brioche Bun</b>. This was served up with a side of <b>Duck Fat Fries</b>. While the burger was good, it did not make it into my top ten.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh827JSzsGfDVPYddFzuo7XK8xXTDjJFszcm4JLxcO3UloTW4i7iH6ZWjoS4DUxZyGgP9cR4uOPn2mVLupCs36o89apjc2cWR7gTB8P3oSJRWHpoY4xh1jLP-YrTnwCrPkqTN2Kghhq-VtN/s1600/IMG_3357.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh827JSzsGfDVPYddFzuo7XK8xXTDjJFszcm4JLxcO3UloTW4i7iH6ZWjoS4DUxZyGgP9cR4uOPn2mVLupCs36o89apjc2cWR7gTB8P3oSJRWHpoY4xh1jLP-YrTnwCrPkqTN2Kghhq-VtN/s320/IMG_3357.JPG" width="240" /></a>We kicked off the tasting with a bottle of <b>2014 Domaine Didier Dagueneau Blanc Fumé De Pouilly</b>. Lauded by many as the world’s best producer (and probably the most expensive also) of Sauvignon Blanc wines, this cuvée had a crisp, fresh palate, but was a bit tight. Great pedigree here, but could use a year of two in the cellar. Using the techniques favored by the old-timers of the village, the yields are kept low at 45 hl/ha, only 75% of that of his neighbors. They employ twice the number of workers than a conventional winery to give extra attention to the vineyards, and they use a horse to plow certain parcels where they feel that the compacting of the soil by the tractor’s wheels would hurt the vines. Weather posts are placed strategically throughout the vineyards to help determine the best treatments and minimize the usage of copper sulfate, ideally less than is permitted in both organic and biodynamic farming. All the grapes are picked manually and completely de-stemmed.<br />
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Along with the 1989 vintage, the 1990 Nebbiolo vintage is an extraordinary vintage in both Barolo and Barbaresco. The hot weather yielded rich, sometimes-opulent wines. Flowering and crop set were much more even than in 1989, and consequently yields were quite a bit higher. While my experience with the vintage is limited, I have liked what I have tasted. <b>Antonio Galloni</b> wrote a terrific article on the vintages in 2010. If you are a member of his Vinous web site you can access the report here <b><a href="http://vinous.com/articles/piedmonts-glorious-1989-and-1990-vintages-revisited">1989/1990 Piedmont</a>. </b>The eleven wines for the evening were organized into four flights<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Flight One</b></span><br />
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<b>1990 Paolo Scavino Barolo Bric del Fiasc</b>. I am not a buyer of Scavino wines as I find them very oaky and modern. While the oak was in check in this bottle, to me the wine lacked freshness.<br />
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<b>1990 Paolo Scavino Rocche Annunziata Barolo Riserva</b>. I found the fruit to be fresher and the palate softer than in the BdF, but other than that not a style that excites me.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of Eric Guido</td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Flight Two</span></b></div>
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<b>1990 Azienda Bricco Rocche (Ceretto) Barolo Brunate</b>. While the bouquet was glorious on the nose, the palate was dead. In my opinion this wine has past its prime.</div>
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<b>1990 Elio Altare Barolo Vigneto Arborina</b>. A more modern styled Barolo, this showed very well. The wine started with a lovely nose of cherries that were echoed on a soft palate. I liked this more than I thought I would.</div>
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<b>1990 Luciano Sandrone Barolo Cannubi Boschis</b>. I love Sandrone wines. They lie somewhere between traditional and modern, but they are magnificent expressions of Nebbiolo. This was one of the wines of the night in my opinion. It was firing on all cylinders. Earthy bouquet, complex, balanced and elegant palate with a monster finish.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of Eric Guido</td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Flight Three</span></b></div>
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<b>1990 Gaja Sperss Barolo. </b>While I am not a Gaja fan, this was very good indeed, starting with a tantalizing earthy Piedmont bouquet and a soft beautifully balanced palate and lengthy finish,. For a few in the group it was the WOTN.<br />
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<b>1990 Giacomo Conterno Barolo Cascina Francia. </b>There was something amiss with this bottle. It wasn’t anything like previous bottles I have had.<br />
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<b>1990 Poderi Aldo Conterno Barolo Riserva Granbussia. </b>A wine I have had on two previous occasions and once again it did not disappoint. Another terrific showing for this wine. Silky palate with terrific balance and a lengthy and elegant finish.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of Eric Guido</td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Flight Four</span></b></div>
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<b>1990 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Gallina di Neive. </b>What a superb Barbaresco. Silky palate with beautiful fruit, balance and elegance and a lengthy and spectacular finish. One of the wines of the night.<br />
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<b>1990 Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco Riserva Pora. </b>Another one of my wines of the night. Simply spectacular showing. Terrific structure and balance and a long and elegant finish.<br />
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<b>1990 Gaja Barbaresco Costa Russi. </b>While this drank nicely it was completely out classed by the Giacosa and the Produttori. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of Eric Guido</td></tr>
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As you can see it was a terrific evening. Sharing great wines with this very generous group of knowledgeable guys is one of the highlights of my wine drinking experience.</div>
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Thanks so much to Eric Guido for organizing the flights and the dinner. Please be sure to check out his notes on the wines in his report <b><a href="http://morrellwinebar.com/prelude-to-the-modern-vintage/">Prelude to the Modern Vintage</a></b>.</div>
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Saluté</div>
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Mark Scudieryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06102587984431792324noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8357107416249204429.post-91982304859270502422017-10-06T13:02:00.000-07:002017-10-20T08:05:30.452-07:00Cru Beaujolais<br />
A couple of weeks ago I hosted my annual (I think this was #25) <b>Hemophilia Association of New Jersey</b> Gourmet Wine Dinner fundraiser. Thanks to the support of the attendees and sponsors we raised $40,000 for the association. The theme this year was “<b>The Other Red Wine of Burgundy: Cru Beaujolais”</b>. The venue was <b><a href="http://www.iltulipano.com/">Il Tulipano Ristorante</a></b>, Cedar Grove, NJ. <br />
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Beaujolais is a wine region of eastern France, famous for its vibrant, fruity red wines made from <b>Gamay</b> grapes. It is the most southerly region of Burgundy, rather confusingly in the Rhône department, and this micro-region is just to the north of Lyon. The climate has some warming influence from the Mediterranean, but also has some continental influence with cold winters and hot summers. This is an area of rolling hills with vineyards facing mainly south or east. Soils vary from north to south. To the north of Villefranche, the characteristic granite or schist so beloved of the Gamay grape is found on the upper slopes, with stony clay soils lower down. Further south, the soils become heavier clay and limestone (known in this area as ‘Pierres Dorées’ - golden stones), sometimes with sandstone producing lighter wines. Although best known for its red wines, the region also produces white Beaujolais Blanc, from Chardonnay and Aligote. Since these wines get very little attention from wine critics prices remain very low. In my opinion they represent some of the most affordable and delicious wines on the planet.<br />
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With the help of <b>Gino Urban</b> of <b>David Bowler Wines</b>, we selected Cru Beaujolais from 4 of the top vintages of the past decade, including the remarkable 2015 vintage that is being hailed as the greatest vintage since 1947. The region's highest-quality wines are those of the ten Beaujolais 'crus' – ten vineyard areas long recognized as the finest in the area.<b> Each of these ten (Brouilly, Chenas, Chiroubles, Cote de Brouilly, Fleurie, Julienas, Morgon, Moulin-a-Vent, Regnie and Saint-Amour) has its own appellation title.</b><br />
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<b>Josh Reynolds</b> (Vinous Media) says of the 2015 vintage of these Crus. <i>“The last three vintages for Beaujolais have been a string of home runs, but 2015 is likely to be the one that delivers the greatest impact and pleasure for most wine lovers. Two thousand fifteen has plenty of candidates for wine of the year; wines that deliver concentration and energy, with opulent fruit character and the classic core of acidity that gives Beaujolais its trademark vivacity. These wines are also built to age but at the same time display an exuberance that makes many of them pretty irresistible now.”</i><br />
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<b>Antonio Galloni</b> (Vinous Media) says of the 2009 vintage of these Crus. <i>“Big, broad, weighty and age worthy wines that demand patience. Not youth typical Beaujolais because of the wines' power and heft but there's no lack of energy either. To cellar and savor.”</i> He also lauds the 2013 and 2014 vintages as “outstanding” and “excellent” respectively.<br />
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The food and service were simply magnificent. Il Tulipano is known for their incredible cocktail hour buffet. This year they completely outdid themselves. The room was a buzz with comments like “did you taste the …” throughout the hour. Below are but 3 of the more than 25 selections on display. Another dozen or more hors d'oeuvre were passed by the wait staff. Each item seemed better than the previous one.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXFpyaQ41PsT3JWC5YMZSvbNNLBeKRlV9YdnbSKt6x2kZoHopjYmVh4DW9qemQTAFLujH0-TCSScTRHxIQhtNtbxc4LbVVBhGyx1HtQxpndxv3zT2RL44Z5SoHFpSMsACBcElGjT6BjqtX/s1600/0028-IMG_9002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXFpyaQ41PsT3JWC5YMZSvbNNLBeKRlV9YdnbSKt6x2kZoHopjYmVh4DW9qemQTAFLujH0-TCSScTRHxIQhtNtbxc4LbVVBhGyx1HtQxpndxv3zT2RL44Z5SoHFpSMsACBcElGjT6BjqtX/s320/0028-IMG_9002.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Homemade Soppressata</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1FxE_zA8cchZsLEOX5m2uJNlyMrY4c_l8ivLd2dNAzA3dZuPxm_1Yvv_n5MTwcrQ92G5PXb7W2QVSD0bOpdDNs73gOHOCaL3lySU15TcabubuWkfU3qBZwc2eArkauxZmvLJaMena4qSW/s1600/0030-IMG_9004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1FxE_zA8cchZsLEOX5m2uJNlyMrY4c_l8ivLd2dNAzA3dZuPxm_1Yvv_n5MTwcrQ92G5PXb7W2QVSD0bOpdDNs73gOHOCaL3lySU15TcabubuWkfU3qBZwc2eArkauxZmvLJaMena4qSW/s320/0030-IMG_9004.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Octopus Salad</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG-ryTBf_x-4IPfOQAhq0-FYyfLD9akcMRpOCiYMeOL_mw0Xj_GRrOHhNiM5dDoo-ueZlfUoYJW7rdUoskzQ7pU0ksCABmFASji7OyrJH6j2oe1alm6YMURipOnJA2BQLClEvwxhQ1pquH/s1600/0045-IMG_9054.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="567" data-original-width="850" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG-ryTBf_x-4IPfOQAhq0-FYyfLD9akcMRpOCiYMeOL_mw0Xj_GRrOHhNiM5dDoo-ueZlfUoYJW7rdUoskzQ7pU0ksCABmFASji7OyrJH6j2oe1alm6YMURipOnJA2BQLClEvwxhQ1pquH/s320/0045-IMG_9054.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pizza Assortment</td></tr>
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The cocktail hour wines were all from <b>Domaine Terres Dorées</b>, A 40-acre estate owned and run by <b>Jean-Paul Brun</b>. The estate is located in the Southern Beaujolais just north of Lyons in a beautiful area known as the "Region of the Golden Stones". Brun has attracted the attention of the French and American press for the wonderfully fruity and delicate wines he produces; he wants to make "old-style" Beaujolais. Brun's wines are made to be pleasurable- light, fruity and delicious- not artificially inflated wines that shine at tasting competitions.<br />
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He believes that the charm of the Gamay's fruit is best expressed by the grapes' indigenous yeast, rather than by adding industrial yeast. Brun's view is that Beaujolais drinks best at a lower degree of alcohol, and so there is no need to systematically add sugar to the must (chaptalize) to reach alcohol levels of 12 to 13 degrees. With that in mind, he chaptalizes minimally or, depending on the vintage and the cuvée, not at all. The reds are a traditional Burgundy vinification and the grapes de-stemmed– no carbonic maceration here. All of Jean-Paul Brun's red wines use open cement tanks for pigeage (grape crushing), and all natural yeasts are used, with only a minimum amount of SO2 used at bottling in order to keep the wine fresh and "headache-free." Filtration is also minimal so that the wine keeps its original fruit and aromas. For the white wines, fermentation starts spontaneously.<br />
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Brun's wines are not "blockbusters" in the sense of being "big." The emphasis is not on weight, but on fruit; this is Beaujolais as it once was, and as it should be. Brun's methods– to make Beaujolais from natural yeasts, to not chaptalize, and to work at low yields- are all part of his effort to restore the Gamay of the Beaujolais as a light, delicate and silky drink. This attitude separates him from most other winemakers of the area.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitfg_UpCnAtcOAkagHjw0eoTasxs7Qj2SnZdImnbLM9uPcc_ximincRk4RAPsY2lTWrT9MYErtHWlsvhxwaqLDKdKWGDdPlghy4osMUycxzUM76cVOxBykooZrVIphd5xPdxL6hdKuPakw/s1600/NV+Terres+Dore%25CC%2581es+%2528Jean-Paul+Brun%2529+FRV+Rose%25CC%2581+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitfg_UpCnAtcOAkagHjw0eoTasxs7Qj2SnZdImnbLM9uPcc_ximincRk4RAPsY2lTWrT9MYErtHWlsvhxwaqLDKdKWGDdPlghy4osMUycxzUM76cVOxBykooZrVIphd5xPdxL6hdKuPakw/s320/NV+Terres+Dore%25CC%2581es+%2528Jean-Paul+Brun%2529+FRV+Rose%25CC%2581+.jpg" width="213" /></a><b><u>(2015) NV Terres Dorées (Jean-Paul Brun) FRV Rosé</u></b>. <br />
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The name FRV100 is a play on the word “effervescent” (which becomes more apparent when you sound/spell it out letter by letter by number in French) and is indicative of the playfulness of the sweet sparkling rosé in the bottle. It is made from Gamay vinified with the méthode ancestrale (like the classic example of this style of rosé, the Cerdon de Bugey of the Savoie region). The grapes are chilled down and fermented in vat until the alcohol reaches about 6%. After a light filtration, the still-fermenting wine is bottled and continues along naturally with the remaining yeasts until they wind down at 7.5-8%. The result is a light-bodied, gently sparkling, refreshingly red-berried and sweet quaffer. The vintage will never appear on the label, as there is no allowance for sparkling Gamay in Beaujolais, though the wine is always single-vintage. Light pink in color, wine was easy drinking and delicious and drew oos and ahs from the crowd. $18. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7SclpastvSfCZl7-P9H3M9fcYIrAyZNGEjIqGYyzzBVdZHiFN4inWYHV2DzNIehUqkJCsCztUaQqaTaxvoLo_EL8Y8oB51fFUFLkAn2v-uQ6SEQlrsDqnGRLlQhVuv-EJFlns5hmS8XMI/s1600/2015+Terres+Dore%25CC%2581es+Beaujolais+Blanc+Chardonnay.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7SclpastvSfCZl7-P9H3M9fcYIrAyZNGEjIqGYyzzBVdZHiFN4inWYHV2DzNIehUqkJCsCztUaQqaTaxvoLo_EL8Y8oB51fFUFLkAn2v-uQ6SEQlrsDqnGRLlQhVuv-EJFlns5hmS8XMI/s320/2015+Terres+Dore%25CC%2581es+Beaujolais+Blanc+Chardonnay.jpg" width="212" /></a><b></b><br />
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<b><u>2015 Terres Dorées Beaujolais Blanc Chardonnay.</u></b> <br />
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In the early 1990's, Jean-Paul Brun planted several hectares of Chardonnay on limestone soil. As demand increased, he expanded his holdings and began contracting for grapes with other local vignerons with limestone soils (which is perfect for Chardonnay, especially in warmer climates.) The warm climate allows Jean-Paul to produce a rich wine with lots of character, while the soils preserve a fresh, mineral component. Fermented in stainless steel tanks that are laid on their side for more lees contact. The wine is bottled without any oak, and sports a fresh and fruity bouquet, a rich full palate and a lengthy mineral finish. I am told that the wine ages bequfiully and becomes more honeyed as it matures. This wine was considered by many as the WOTN. My first Beaujolais Blanc, I was very impressed by how well this drank. $17.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoxGoBRSYQDRHPD-hblkcL34POPkPzK4T5EizSj7fiTkoBMWZyaAp-6J9NepA_rTsNz_ZbXf90trAKUqgw5ljb6q0ED94nE0x1C_hACGNyRwagxtn8-rVk5GlPhaOOq7X299dmjw6SFXBU/s1600/2015+Terres+Dore%25CC%2581es+L%25E2%2580%2599Ancien+Vieilles+Vignes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoxGoBRSYQDRHPD-hblkcL34POPkPzK4T5EizSj7fiTkoBMWZyaAp-6J9NepA_rTsNz_ZbXf90trAKUqgw5ljb6q0ED94nE0x1C_hACGNyRwagxtn8-rVk5GlPhaOOq7X299dmjw6SFXBU/s320/2015+Terres+Dore%25CC%2581es+L%25E2%2580%2599Ancien+Vieilles+Vignes.jpg" width="153" /></a></div>
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<b><u>2015 Terres Dorées L’Ancien Vieilles Vignes</u></b><br />
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Made from Jean-Paul's oldest vines, which grow in tighter bunches with fewer and smaller, thicker-skinned berries, yielding more concentrated flavor. The grapes are harvested late with a naturally high sugar level. The wine is vinified using traditional Burgundy techniques. Deeply colored with rich red-fruit aroma and flavor and soft tannins. This is a gorgeous entry level Cru Beaujolais. While not fully open yet, the underlying pedigree is apparent. Give this a couple of years in the cellar. At $16 a bottle, this represents great value in an everyday drinking wine. According to Josh Raynolds, Vinousmedia, <i>“This wine is consistently among the best values from Beaujolais."</i></div>
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b>The Dinner & The Wines</b></span></div>
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We began with a salad of <b>Medaglioni di Caprino Su Letto di Insalatina Tenera con Frutta Candida e Noce Secche (Goat Cheese Medallions over baby Greens with candied fruits and dried walnuts)</b>. A nice, refreshing compliment to the appetizers. The wines served with this course were the aforementioned 2015 Terres Dorées Beaujolais Blanc Chardonnay and…</div>
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<b><u>2015 Domaine du Pavillon de Chavannes Cote de Brouilly Cuvee Les Ambassades</u></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv5PQr4zQq0jKWXPI3dciI-E9JugVofXo6bLIeF-4VcY8uiJZ-AiDTQB5rNsgXzlfxoAK2BG_Hp3JpGSsU58UZ_JKW_FWwDptdPMh6eLK4qoLC07__cNu47_T2wGk7V4QUb5VbChrvQ6xX/s1600/2015+Domaine+du+Pavillon+de+Chavannes+Cote+de+Brouilly+Cuvee+Les+Ambassades.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv5PQr4zQq0jKWXPI3dciI-E9JugVofXo6bLIeF-4VcY8uiJZ-AiDTQB5rNsgXzlfxoAK2BG_Hp3JpGSsU58UZ_JKW_FWwDptdPMh6eLK4qoLC07__cNu47_T2wGk7V4QUb5VbChrvQ6xX/s320/2015+Domaine+du+Pavillon+de+Chavannes+Cote+de+Brouilly+Cuvee+Les+Ambassades.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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Cote de Brouilly has a special terroir: “blue” granite is laced with volcanic porphyry, or crystallized mineral deposits. This mixture, combined with the elevation (AOC Côte de Brouilly is confined to the upper vineyards; AOC Brouilly is lower, and far larger), largely accounts for Côte de Brouilly’s highly scented and finely concentrated wines. Winemaking at Chavannes is traditional and simple, with little extraction in the modern sense (Pavillon’s wine could well be labeled the antithesis of modern extracted power). The alcoholic fermentation is done in cement vats, after which the wine goes into foudre for aging.</div>
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Tonights wine, Ambassades, comes from 12 acres of estates best parcels, and is purchased by the Quai d’Orsay for use in French embassies around the world. It is the last to be bottled and it is the most age-worthy. The wine showed a light red hue, with a bouquet of fresh red berries and a hint of pepper and spice. It showed great depth and evolution in the glass and finished with elegance and length. One of my favorites of the evening. $20.</div>
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For the pasta course there was <b>Lasagna Verde Pasticciata Alla Bolognese (Spinach Lasagna Classic Bolognese Style)</b>. Delicious, but hard to eat more than one or two bites after all the appetizers and the main course still to come. Sorry, no photo was taken of the lasagna.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLwTD5nVQPrshcydhnnJ97jVqVcAQd8dNPxpo4sMtdAUC5-KCHRSyfeAvW-AifjuzCplP07H_-S-2_5Pql3EI8XufFaZZTafETWqvYiNCiU1NkaSIavfLBnJw89_PIH5kp3u2eOXie69Yf/s1600/2013+Moulin-a%25CC%2580-Vent+Vieilles+Vignes+%2528Barbet%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLwTD5nVQPrshcydhnnJ97jVqVcAQd8dNPxpo4sMtdAUC5-KCHRSyfeAvW-AifjuzCplP07H_-S-2_5Pql3EI8XufFaZZTafETWqvYiNCiU1NkaSIavfLBnJw89_PIH5kp3u2eOXie69Yf/s320/2013+Moulin-a%25CC%2580-Vent+Vieilles+Vignes+%2528Barbet%2529.jpg" width="213" /></a><b>Domaine Grand Moulin</b> comes from a four-hectares spread over several parcels - Champs de Cour, La Roche, le Moulin, le Clos, Perreins and Brouilleres. The grapes are mostly destemmed and fermentation happens in large conical-shaped (tronconique) wooden fermenters and some are placed in cement tronconique tanks. The tronconique shape gives more skin contact for a long and slow extraction. Fermentation lasts 7-10 days and is followed by a maceration totalling four weeks. Next the wines go by gravity into barrels and demi-muids, new to eight years old for aging. Moulin a Vent is considered to be the richest Cru in Beaujolais and the longest lived.</div>
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<b><u>2013 Grand Moulin Moulin-à-Vent Vieilles Vignes (Xavier et Nicolas Barbet)</u></b></div>
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Known locally as the ‘King of Beaujolais’ for its power, structure and longevity, Moulin-à-Vent is actually atypical of the Beaujolais Crus; its style is the antithesis of what most people think of when they think of Beaujolais wines, and when fully mature (often at 10 years old or more) it resembles more a fine Burgundy, or even a Rhône, than Beaujolais. Named after the local windmill (which translates as moulin-à-vent in French,) Moulin-à-Vent is a real vindication of the principle of ‘terroir’. I found this to be a deep, full-bodied wine that is just entering it's drinking window, which should last 10 to 20 years. $16.</div>
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<b><u>2009 Domaine Des Billards Saint-Amour Réserve</u></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOwPjq3_VT441nsby6Qhqh8NV-j0DZviXYajEOkUcv9SLQ84ctmNIZF5KlSNy2GArmfENnJXIWb7fAiH1nMfNRzfiarQQuNP6GXLO0wdq-_P8pX8Z72i3Nh27x2M9bYCuxZpZ-s9K1HRxw/s1600/2009+Domaine+Des+Billarts+Barbet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOwPjq3_VT441nsby6Qhqh8NV-j0DZviXYajEOkUcv9SLQ84ctmNIZF5KlSNy2GArmfENnJXIWb7fAiH1nMfNRzfiarQQuNP6GXLO0wdq-_P8pX8Z72i3Nh27x2M9bYCuxZpZ-s9K1HRxw/s320/2009+Domaine+Des+Billarts+Barbet.jpg" width="213" /></a>Situated at the mid-point of the sloping vineyards of Saint Amour, the <b>Domaine des Billards</b> belongs to the <b>Barbet</b> and <b>Teissier</b> families. This domaine has a long and storied history: an ancient parchment order book still in the family’s possession shows a number of prestigious customers in Paris in the 18th Century, among them a sale, in 1774, of 10 barrels to Marquis Turgot, Louis XVI’s Finance Minister. Today, they produce around 6,000 cases annually from their 5.26 hectares.</div>
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The soil is composed of sandstone pebbles underlying granite outcroppings at a depth of 50cm to 1 meter and beneath that, layers of clay. Farming is very traditional and natural, with no use of herbicides. The soil is regularly ploughed to develop the biodiversity: the Domaine des Billards is today a paradise for worms and beetles!</div>
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The traditional vinification lasts between 12 to 15 days; they use a weighted grill to keep the “crust” submerged in the fermenting juices leads to a more effective extraction of tannins. Aged an additional 5 years before release. This was my WOTN. Gorgeous red translucent hue, with lots of structure, depth and finesse. Round and delicious wine with elegance and soul! $32.</div>
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Our entrée consisted of <b>Costate di Bue Brasate con Puea di Patate Profumate All’Aglio Fresco </b><b>(Braised Prime Beef Short Ribs with Garlic Mashed Potatoes). </b>Tender and delicious and a great compliment to the final two red wines.</div>
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<b><u>2014 Louis-Claude Desvignes Morgon Javerniéres les Impenitents</u></b></div>
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The Desvignes family has been making Morgon for generations. The vineyards are on the Montagne de Py in the center of Morgon, the fruit of which is of far superior quality to that produced in the outlying areas of the appellation. If there were a classification of vineyards in Morgon, Côte-de-Py would be a premier cru and Javernières a grand cru. They are located on the best exposition of the hill, with soil of decomposed schist, and Javernières is a plot within the Côte-de-Py with a little more clay. The wine is vinified by the traditional cru Beaujolais method with a grille to keep the cap submerged. Recently, the fermentation has been longer and more controlled than in the past in order to extract the color and material that are the most obvious virtues of this wine.</div>
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Morgon is, along with Moulin-à-Vent, the most age worthy of the Cru Beaujolais and Desvignes wines are fine examples. The wines age terrifically well and take on the character of Pinot Noir, or pinotize (the term used in Beaujolais). When young, the character is of dark cherry, raspberry and blackcurrant. With age, the wines become more earthy, velvety with cocoa and coffee tones. At the request of the importer, Louis/Dressner, the wines are bottled unfiltered some years or at most lightly fined.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlQa5eaViVWPAlEnH94rmIYw-Xn-ih8WdvQqdwpnYxIc7C8BwDd7fjHaVRveH7e81GYbURVJw82kK7kcUVQRipEKnATWoLoqH3GUGivuwFcVd-EmWROe9s202qW8Y3xtREJ86WSsHiYSu8/s1600/2014+Louis-Claude+Desvignes+Morgon+Javernie%25CC%2581res+les+Impenitents+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlQa5eaViVWPAlEnH94rmIYw-Xn-ih8WdvQqdwpnYxIc7C8BwDd7fjHaVRveH7e81GYbURVJw82kK7kcUVQRipEKnATWoLoqH3GUGivuwFcVd-EmWROe9s202qW8Y3xtREJ86WSsHiYSu8/s400/2014+Louis-Claude+Desvignes+Morgon+Javernie%25CC%2581res+les+Impenitents+.jpg" width="266" /></a>Tonight's wine, the Javernieres les Impenitents, comes from a remarkable old vineyard, planted between 1912 and 1914. Located midway up the Cote de Py. The parcel is only one hectare and consists of sand anc clay. There are only <b>1000</b> bottles produced in a good year. The Impenitents is typically lower in alchol than the Côte du Py bottling from Desvignes. Impenitents means unrepentant. This is typically the most structured and deepest colored of all the Desvignes bottling but not, paradoxically, the highest in alcohol. The 2014 cuvee is 12.5% alc.</div>
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No barrels and no foudre are used here. Only concrete and a little bit of steel just before bottling. The wine is made using a pneumatic horizontal press. Best with fine lees. Open at bottom. Allows for some oxidation. Natural yeast fermentation. </div>
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This wine had a deep ruby color with a big nose of cherries and blueberries. Tannins were supple and the palate was pure and complex. The wine drank very much like a Burgundy. This will age beautifully. My second WOTN. $45.</div>
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<b><u>2015 Chateau de Fleurie Fleurie</u></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQwHi01fkV9hGJyXsYBVysa1sxR-6zxK-9VS_jVj5ah642AkWGHU-jPwLnywApjMN_UTJfh6jIYf6H8edmET-W5MTEFrxqLgs0N4Bb1lrPqe0VxVfwM9c8-TNEziAAzMYAAMbv1quMGj7C/s1600/2015+Chateau+de+Fleurie+Fleurie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="567" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQwHi01fkV9hGJyXsYBVysa1sxR-6zxK-9VS_jVj5ah642AkWGHU-jPwLnywApjMN_UTJfh6jIYf6H8edmET-W5MTEFrxqLgs0N4Bb1lrPqe0VxVfwM9c8-TNEziAAzMYAAMbv1quMGj7C/s320/2015+Chateau+de+Fleurie+Fleurie.jpg" width="213" /></a>Built in the 18th century, the <b>Château de Fleurie</b> dominates a beautiful vineyard situated in the heart of the village itself, with views of Mont Blanc in the east. The current owners- the <b>Boisen and the Barbet families</b>- are direct descendants of the original owner. The property covers 4.5 hectares stretching over the best sites in Fleurie- les Grands Fers, la Madone and le Point du Jour- on the middle slopes facing southeast. The soil is of a very pure granite, ideal for a good drainage, with a pink color called “le gore”. Farming is very traditional and free of pesticides and herbicides. The winemaking process is traditional "Burgundian" method with extended fermentation of 12-15 days, in vats covered by a weighted grill, to extract color and flavor. Under the winery a vaulted cellar holds an impressive store of old, traditional large oak barrels which are still in use. Fleurie is locally known as the "Queen of the Beaujolais" for its elegant style of Gamay.</div>
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Tonight's wine is aged for six months in cask and can age up to 10 to 15 years in good vintages. It sports a bright magenta hue with a fresh bouquet of red fruits and asian spice. The palate had good balance with excellent acidity. The wine finished with great length. $17.</div>
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No great dinner and tasting would be complete without dessert. I forgot what the chef called this, but to the Chocolate lovers (I am not one), it was sublime decadence.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLMGXvVHjLECYwkZsryTx9gpEM-HBgme_3av2ON1Ryeqg-QyXLqs8M7n-jChtEbKw5uk8C_x_7WW4gIxxCgtN7bXiuy2THF4CK5FVFUfkAJtNKidyZJvTYYy28VGJ7EW4SiskO32yt6WnQ/s1600/Dessert.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="567" data-original-width="850" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLMGXvVHjLECYwkZsryTx9gpEM-HBgme_3av2ON1Ryeqg-QyXLqs8M7n-jChtEbKw5uk8C_x_7WW4gIxxCgtN7bXiuy2THF4CK5FVFUfkAJtNKidyZJvTYYy28VGJ7EW4SiskO32yt6WnQ/s400/Dessert.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Since I am not aware of any dessert wines made in Beaujolais I travelled to the France's Loire Valley and the estate of <b>Francois Pinon</b>. The wines of François Pinon are considered among the finest of Vouvray. François, a former child psychologist, took over the estate from his father in 1987, and has steadily made a name for the estate since then. He is a serious winemaker whose main focus is "to keep the typicity of both the appellation and the vintage" in all his wines.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRnicaIKv24ReAV34LR_85Cxu77rWfFXVS29YXMMV3hC2wSRSiiNiVCODhahCh61duJYbcMhojT_ASPRkFVkwzzbGx7umUivEMFBEzBygAysG2g04jymZfCyJ1_rh8Lfd85CFgePf0PMEL/s1600/Pinon+Cold.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="567" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRnicaIKv24ReAV34LR_85Cxu77rWfFXVS29YXMMV3hC2wSRSiiNiVCODhahCh61duJYbcMhojT_ASPRkFVkwzzbGx7umUivEMFBEzBygAysG2g04jymZfCyJ1_rh8Lfd85CFgePf0PMEL/s320/Pinon+Cold.jpg" width="213" /></a><b><u>2005 Pinon Vouvray Cuvée Botrytis Limited Release</u></b></div>
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100% Chenin Blanc. This cuvée comes from vines averaging 45 years old in several Pinon sites (Déronnières, Fosses Rouges, Terné and Mortier) on soils of clay and black flint over tuffeau (the classic Loire limestone). The fermentation lasted between 3 and 4 months and involved only indigenous yeasts. The wine was aged on its lees in old barrel for 5 months and gently filtered before bottling. The yield in 2005 was 8 hl/ha. 11.6% alcohol with 103 g/l residual sugar and 4 g/l acidity.</div>
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Tonight's wine offered up plenty noble rot (Botrytis) in its aromatic blend of on a palate of tropical fruits and honey. The wine is deep, full-bodied and still quite young. It displayed a great core, bright acidy and outstanding focus and balance on the long, complex and zesty and non-medicinal finish. While superb now, this will be a great, great wine in another 20+ years. If you can find it expect to pay about $60 for 500ml.</div>
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It was a great evening that I felt really demonstrated that there are great wines available for less than $30. If you have not yet discovered Cru Beaujolais, you owe it to yourself to check it.<br />
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All photos are compliments of my great friend Gene, owner of <b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/impressive.impressions.photo/">Impressive Impressions Photography</a></b>.<br />
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Saluté<br />
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Mark Scudieryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06102587984431792324noreply@blogger.com1