Caparzo Brunello di Montalcino Riserva at Tuscany Bistro Destin

Caparzo Brunello di Montalcino Riserva at Tuscany Bistro Restaurant Destin/Sandestin

Visiting our favorite vacation destination The Cove, Destin, Florida vacation rental home, we're working through the long list of restaurant options in the Destin, Florida area. Tonight, we dined at Tuscany Bistro in Miramar Beach, Destin/Sandestin.

Chef and owner, Guglielmo Ianni, has been preparing authentic Northern Italian cuisine there since 1976, starting out in Chicago and Wisconsin before moving to the Emerald coast in 1991.

Guglielmo specializes in seafood and pasta dishes with one of his signature entrees the whole fish of the day; locally caught fresh red snapper.

Guglielmo Ianni says, “My mother, Adalgisa, gave me the inspiration to pursue culinary talents, which led me to study in Italy and compile Mama’s recipes. Now, I am passing my talents on to the third generation, my daughter Theresa, continuing the Ianni family traditions of preparing authentic Italian cuisine for you to enjoy. For all of our dishes, we only use the freshest ingredients, choice meats, fresh seafood, and garden vegetables. We are fine dining at its best, but we consider the restaurant to be casual, yet comfortable, with a quaint touch of Italy. We want you to feel like part of our family.”

 

From their classic Italian Menu supplemented by local seafood offerings, Linda ordered one of the house specialties, Lasagna Al Forno - Bolognese, ricotta, parmesan, and mozzarella cheese. It was delicious. 

 

I ordered the Vitello Parmesan, a benchmark dish that serves as a basis for comparison from one Italian eatery to the next. Guglielmo's preparation is better than average for this favorite offering.

 

From the somewhat limited but carefully selected winelist, I ordered a Sangiovese based Brunello di Montalcino, one of our favorite varietals for pairing with zesty Italian pasta cuisine. It proved to be a perfect complement accentuating the enjoyment of both the wine and the food for a delightful dining experience.

 

 https://tuscanybistrodestin.com/

Tenuta Caparzo Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Sangiovese 2016

This is from Tenuta Caparzo wine estate/producer in Tuscany in the Montalcino region known for its signature Brunello di Montalcino ‘Vigna La Casa’. 

The name Carpazo is taken from the Latin ‘Caput Arsum’, meaning ‘a place touched by sun’, and Caparzo, derived from “Ca’ Pazzo” as shown on some ancient maps of the area. 

Tenuta Caparzo was founded in the late 1960’s by a group of friends who bought an old ruin with vineyards in Montalcino and subsequently renovated and modernized the farm estate and replanted new vineyards. 

The recent history of Caparzo dates back to the dawning of Brunello di Montalcino at the end of the 1960s, when a group of friends with a fondness for Tuscany purchased an old ruin with vineyards at Montalcino. They set upon renovating and modernising the facilities and planted new vineyards and, not long after, Caparzo began to make a name for itself producing estate wines.

In 1998, Elisabetta Gnudi Angelini, owner of the notable neighbor Altesino estate and brand purchased Tenuta Carpazo and integrated the property and operations with the help of her son Igino and daughter Alessandra elevating the estate to another level. Combining tradition with innovation, the Angelini family produce high-quality wines year on year, always with an emphasis on selecting the best fruit from the best plots.

Caparzo covers an overall surface area of nearly 500 acres with 220 covered by vineyards, distributed over different hillsides around the borough of Montalcino. The vineyards are at a heights ranging from 720 to 985 feet above sea level. The soils ranges between sandy-clay, shale-clay (marl), shale-renaceous rich in skeleton, and sandy-stony. The exposure of the vineyards, the nature of the lands and the microclimates of the areas give fullness, age-ability and character to the Caparzo wines.

Located southwest of Chianti, Montalcino came into its own in the late 1880s when local producer,Biondi-Santi, discovered a Sangiovese clone in his vineyard that was darker in colour than the rest. Its colour, however, was not its only attribute. It produced a wine with notable body, structure and length. He named it ‘brunello' meaning 'little dark one'. 

This grape's genetic properties along with Montalcino's relatively temperate climate combine to create a wine stylistically different to that of more northerly Chianti. They are usually released approximately 5 years after the vintage following 2 to 4 years ageing in wood. The designation of Riserva indicates a wine usually produced with more concentrated grapes than the traditional cuvée and requires a minimum of one additional year of ageing. Today, Montalcino wines have become one of the most sought after appellations in the Tuscan region. 

Caparzo's Brunello di Montalcino Riserva is only produced in the finest vintages and from grapes selected personally by winemaker Massimo Bracalente. It is a certified DOCG wine. It was first produced in 1980 and has shown to have the capacity to age for up to 40 years. 

This Caparzo Riservarelease was constructed combining fruit from the estate’s original vineyard in the far north of Montalcino, with La Casa on the Montosoli hill, as well as Il Cassero and La Caduta which are in the south to southwest of the denomination.

Winemaker Notes - Ruby, tending towards garnet with age. Penetrating on the nose with ample and very complex nose with echoes of wild berry fruit. Dry, warm, solid, harmonious, combining delicacy and austerity, and persistent. 

This label release was awarded 95 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, Decanter and Wine Spectator, 93 points by Vinous, and 92 points by Wine Enthusiast.

2,000 cases were made, 500 cases imported. 

It showed dark inky purple color, medium full body with concentrated structured red currant and black berry fruits with notes of savory herbs and clove spice, ash, earth with hints of pepper with silky fine grained tannins on the tongue coated finish. 

RM 93 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4199997

http://www.caparzo.com/index-eng.html# 

https://tuscanybistrodestin.com/

Tuscan Brunello 2013 Horizontal at Italian Village

Team Dinner Features Mini Horizontal of 2013 Tucsan Brunello di Montalcino at Italian Village Chicago 

Due to pandemic concerns and restrictions we significantly downsized our global team meeting scheduled for this week in Chicago. For the dramatically reduced, remaining set of the attendees, who were not involved in other activities this evening, we held an extended team dinner at our usual go-to venue, Italian Village, Chicago.  

 

Besides the team-building, fellowship and business interaction, one of the fun and entertaining aspects of hosting a small group dinner is the ability to serve and taste a variety of wines for comparison tasting. This was part of a continuum of numerous dinners which I've featured in earlier blogposts about our wine and dinners at Italian Village, Chicago's oldest, longest running continuously family operated Italian restaurant.

 

Taking advantage of and exploiting the extraordinary, extensive wine list and wine cellar of Italian Village, curated and managed under the direction of dear friend Jared Gelband, Wine Director, I selected a flight of wines. I selected from the vast cellar winelist a horizontal flight (wines of the same vintage), four 2013 vintage Brunello di Montalcino labels. In the end, three of the four labels we selected were available in stock in the cellar which we consumed. (The other label selection that was not available was Molino di Sant'Antimo Brunello di Montalcino 2013.)

The vast Italian Village cellar and winelist several pages of Brunello di Montalcino labels across vintages spanning more two decades. 

Brunello di Montalcino is the DOCG specified Italian wine classification, the highest in the rank order of the four levels. The Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG) designation classification was established in 1980. It is one of Italy's best-known and most expensive wines.

Brunello is the local name for Sangiovese grape varietal based wines, used since 1865, when a producer in the village of Montalcino made Italy's first 100% Sangiovese wine.  

The name Brunello is derived from a grape varietal of the same name that over time became apparent it is the same grape as the popular varietal, Sangiovese. The Brunello di Montalcino DOCG is conferred on highest quality red wines produced in the vineyards surrounding the town of Montalcino, in the province of Siena. The region is located about 80 km south of Florence in the Tuscany wine region. 

There are about 250 wineries in the region, mostly smaller estates with vineyards of about 50 acres, with a combined total of about 8500 acres of vines. Most are located in the western part of the region, the area most influenced by the climatic effects of the nearby Mediterranean sea. Several of the top producers and a regional map are shown above.  

Brunellos based on the Sangiovese grape with its thicker-skinned berries tend to produce wines with exceptionally bold fruit flavors, high tannin, and high acidity that extend the life of the wine.  Hence, they tend to be rather long lived wines, reaching their peak perfection after a decade or more. Taking advantage of the deep and broad selection available on the Italian Village cellar winelist,  I selected a flight of nine year old Brunello di Montalcino DOCG classified wines to accompany our Italian cuisine, and to compare different labels from the same vintage. 

Fanti Brunello di Montalcino 2013

The Tenuta Fanti estate has belonged to the Fanti family since the beginning of the eighteen hundreds, managed under the direction of Filippo Fanti since the early 1970s, joined by his daughter Elisa in 2007. The winemaker is Fillipo Artini.

The Fanti Estate is located in the heart of Tuscany, in the valley of Castelnuovo dell’Abate which lies to the south of the village of Montalcino. The estate spans 750 acres of land with eighteen different vineyards spanning 135 acres, several surrounding the new wine cellar built in 2004.

When Filippo Fanti took over leadership of the company in the early 1970's, he focused on striving for the highest quality wines that would express the terroir of Castelnuovo dell' Abate. Starting with the soils, he sustainably replanted the vineyards and olive trees after a careful selection of the most suitable plots within the estate. In 2004, construction began on a new modernized spacious gravity flow cellar for winemaking, ageing, and refinement.  

The Fanti Estate vineyards are planted mostly to Sangiovese but also include the Tuscan Bordeaux varietals Cabernet Sauvignon and Merot, some Syrah and white wine grapes Viognier and lesser known grapes Trebbiano, Malvasia and San Colombano. There are also 150 acres of olive trees, 200 acres of seed crops and the remaining land in forest. 

Fanti produce a portfolio of nine different wines plus a grappa dessert wine, primarily Sangiovese based including this Brunello, as well as several Tuscans consisting of the Bordeaux varietals and the Syrah, and a couple white wines from estate grown Viognier

The first vintage of Fanti Brunello di Montalcino was released back in 1980, selected from twenty-five acres of Sangiovese grapes located on the different slopes of the Castelnuovo dell'Abate area.

This 2013 vintage release was awarded 93 points by James Suckling, 92 points by Vinous A. Galloni, and 90 points by Wine Advocate Robert Parker, Wine Spectator and Wine Enthusiast.

The producer's tasting notes for this release: "Color: bright ruby red, medium intensity. Nose: complex notes of cherry, red fruits and violet, alongside with pepper, licorice and cinnamon. Fresh balsamic note. Palate: tannins are dense and well integrated, great acidity, elegant, vertical and slightly sapid. Well balanced. The retro nasal recalls perfectly the nose."

This was bright ruby colored, medium bodied, black cherry and red berry fruits with notes of floral, a bit of sweetnesss with spicy cinnamon, licorice and hints of white pepper with soft tannins on a crisp clean tangy finish.

RM 91 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2204555 

https://www.tenutafanti.it/en/home/

Castiglion del Bosco Brunello di Montalcino 2013

This renowned premium label is owned by the famous fashion designer Massimo Ferragamo, and Chiara Ferragamo, who purchased the historic property of nearly 5,000-acres, formerly a medieval village, in 2003. They set upon enhancing and modernizing the facilities, renovating the historic Borgo and villas, and updating the winery and cellars.

The history of Castiglion del Bosco dates back to the 1100's and great Sienese families who settled the area. The estate was farmed over the ensuing 800 years. 

The historic castle was erected in 1100 in classic medieval style. At the dawn of the thirteenth century, the Cacciaconti family of Trequanda had stone walls built around the stronghold that stands on the hilltop, still visible today with the stone tower.

In 1318, Sienese Ciampolo Gallerani declared himself lord of the fortress. He claimed that one of his descendants, Cecilia Gallerani, was the girl depicted by Leonardo da Vinci in his famous painting “Lady with an Ermine” (1488). On his death, in 1338, Castiglion del Bosco fell under the rule of the Piccolomini family, who initiated widespread renovation of the fortifications.

Castiglion del Bosco is one of Montalcino's most isolated vineyards with its 150 acres of vines surrounded by nearly 3000 acres of woodlands. The Castiglion del Bosco name is derived from the word bosco,(wood), surrounding the Castiglion (walled castle), 'fortress in the woods'. The estate retains the same historic boundaries with the famous Borgo, school, stables, and the crop fields, vineyards and olive groves. The rolling Val d'Orcia land has been the subject of landscape paintings for generations of Tuscan artists. 

Castiglion del Bosco was one of the founding members when Montalcino's wineries teamed up and created the region's official Consorzio del Brunello di Montalcino 1967. The Brunello di Montalcino Wine Consortium was one of the earliest Italian wine producing regions to earn Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC) and Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG) status. From the originial 25 founding members producing about 850,000 bottles annually, today’s production now exceeds 6,000,000 bottles from the consortium membership that has grown to 140 wineries.

In 2010, the Castiglion del Bosco Golf Club was developed, the only private golf club in Italy, a stunning 18-hole course designed by Tom Weiskopf is sited near the world-class winery and a five-star resort set on nearly 520 acres.

The vast parkland that surrounds the Castiglion del Bosco estate contains the Art, Nature and Culture Park of Val d’Orcia, established in 1967 as a Protected Natural Area. Castiglion del Bosco Val d’Orcia was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site, acknowledged as a place of outstanding universal value.

In 2021 the 2016 vintage Castiglion del Bosco Brunello di Montalcino was awarded 99 points by James Suckling and it came in second place in his Top 100 Wines of Italy 2020, listed along with the best wines of any Italian wine region and appellation.

The estate of Castiglion del Bosco grows primarily Sangiovese, and its line of wines is an expression of the two local denominations: three different interpretations of Brunello and the Rosso di Montalcino.  Prima Pietra, the second vineyard property of Massimo Ferragamo  lies in Riparbella, on the Tuscan coast, with 27 acres of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. 

This was garnet colored, medium bodied, expressive black cherry and black raspberry fruits, notes of toast, leather, tobacco, spice and hints of pepper with a nice balance of acidity and tannins on the long engaging finish. 

RM 91 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2297312

https://wine.castigliondelbosco.com/?lang=en

Castelgiocondo (Marchesi de' Frescobaldi) Brunello di Montalcino 2013

Another of the vast Marchesi de' Frescobaldi properties of Tuscany, one of seven estates they own and manage across the Northern Italian Tuscany Bolgheri region, some of which have been in the family dating back to the 1300's.  

This Brunello di Montalcino property lies in the historic Castelgiocondo village, the area dominated by an ancient castle, in a small medieval village south-west of Montalcino, the ancient stronghold built in 1100 to defend the road leading from the sea to Siena.

The village of Castelgiocondo overlooks the historic Frescobaldi estate. The property was one of the first to begin producing Brunello di Montalcino in 1800, its historic importance represented on the label of Castelgiocondo by the figure of a condottiere from a celebrated fresco of the Sienese artist Simone Martini.

The label features the artist’s depiction showing Guidoriccio da Fogliano, commander of the troops of Siena who in 1323 led the attack on the Montemassi castle; an historic moment that coincided with the initiation of the Frescobaldi family’s centuries-old adventure in the world of wine.

This label release was awarded 93 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate and by Wine Spectator.

The Castelgiocondo 2013 Brunello di Montalcino shows dark garnet color, medium body, nicely balanced, round full blackberry and black cherry fruits with earthy spice, tobacco and leather with bright acidity as firm but approachable tannins.

 

RM 92 points.

 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2916610 

https://www.frescobaldi.com/en/

https://www.frescobaldi.com/en/estates/tenuta-castelgiocondo

I was disappointed that one of the labels I was especially eager to try and compare with the others from this same region and vintage, Molino di Sant'Antimo, was no longer available in the cellar, so we opted for this perennial high value and dependable favorite Tuscan red blend.

Antinori Tenuta Guado Al Tasso Il Bruciato 2019, Bolgheri DOC

This is from another famous prodigious Tuscan family, owners and producers of a broad portfolio of wines sourced from their vast estate holdings across the regions. 

As written in recent blogposts on this wine, this is from the Guado al Tasso estate, located in the small but prestigious Bolgheri DOC appellation on the coast of Upper Maremma, about one hundred kilometers southwest of Florence. This appellation has a relatively recent history as it was established in 1994, but has gained worldwide recognition as a new reference point in the international oenological scene. The estate covers an area of 2500 acres, of which about 790 acres are planted with vines. 

The Guado al Tasso estate is one of nine major well known brands of the vast Antinori family wine empire. Guado al Tasso’s vineyards are planted to Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Vermentino grapes; this last cultivated with both with white and red varieties. Adjacency to the nearby sea provides a mild climate with constant breezes mitigate summer heat and alleviate harsh winter weather, maintaining a clear sky and a high level of sunlight exposure. 

The Il Bruciato label was created in the year 2002 as the the second wine under the flagship Guado al Tasso. It is crafted to represent the unique terroir of Bolgheri and give it a greater visibility and recognition. The first blend to be used was that of Guado al Tasso only to see, in the years which followed, a modification of the varietal composition and the identification of a series of vineyard plots intended to be used exclusively for this wine. 

Il Bruciato is now regarded as a modern interpretation of Bolgheri’s unique terroir made from carefully selected Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah grapes from all around Guado al Tasso’s vineyards. Cabernet Sauvignon was blended with Merlot, Syrah and a small percentage of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot and the final blend was reintroduced into barriques where it was left to age before bottling.

A widely popular wine known for great value with exceptional QPR - quality-price-ration, this is one of the few Italian labels I regularly keep in our cellar for dependable everyday sipping, but also respectable for a fine dinner accompaniment. 

I served the 2016 release of this label at a team dinner reecntly, the last of my holdings from that vintage. I write more about this label in that blogpost. The 2018 release sold out very quickly making this 2019 even more anticipated. While this is a wine that has increased in price significantly over the past few years it remains a great value and is a real must-buy for regular Bolgheri enthusiasts. 

Bright ruby colored, medium bodied, bright vibrant expressive black cherry and black berry fruits with  spices, tobacco, milk chocolate, cedar and notes of graphite on the tangy acidic finish.

RM 91 points. 

Winemaker's Tasting Notes: Il Bruciato 2019 is intensely ruby red in color. Its nose expresses notes of small dark fruit, sweet spices and tobacco. Its well-structured palate is harmonious and very pleasant to drink. Fresh fruity notes dominate the finish.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2904858

https://www.antinori.it/en/vino/il-bruciato-en/ 

https://www.antinori.it/en/

 

https://italianvillage-chicago.com/wine-cellar/

 

https://twitter.com/italianvlg  

https://twitter.com/jzgwine

Donna Olga Brunello For IV Dinner

Donna Olga Brunello For IV Dinner

Tenute Donna Olga Brunello Di Montalcino and Sondraia Super Tuscan for Italian Village Business Dinner

For a business partner dinner, we dined at my usual haunt,  Italian Village Chicago, for all the reasons I cited in recent blogposts - close to office, central location, three restaurants, three chefs/menus, extraordinary wine cellar, Chicago historic dining institution, great food and dependable, professional service. 

As usual, Jared Gelband, Wine Director there, knew I was coming and pre-selected a special bottle for our dinner. Often, these selections are off the winelist, being evaluated for inclusion but not yet acquired in sufficient quantity to support listing. Or, they're end of bin selections being dropped from the list, as it was in this case being the last remaining bottle in the cellar. 

Managing a wine list of over 1200 selections is a mighty chore requiring diligent care and attention. With dozens of lists in print, its a significant effort to update the production volumes. You want to avoid the chance of presenting a wine offering and not being able to fulfill it thereby disappointing or aggravating a patron. Hence you don't want to produce a new version of the list with only one or few remaining bottles and risk not having it available for diners once that last bottle has been consumed before the list can be updated and republished. Regular customers such as me provide that buffer to consume remaining stock that may have fallen off and is being dropped from the list. 

So it was tonight, we consumed the last remaining bottle of a thirteen year old vintage label. Only restaurants with extensive or thoughtfully managed cellars and wine lists, or select ones that specifically acquire aged vintage releases, can offer aged vintage select labels to their diners.

Italian Village offers not only a broad and diverse selection but  also a vertical selection of numerous vintages of a label, as witnessed by their recent Wine Producer Dinner featuring Priscilla Incisa della Rocchetta from Tenuta San Guido when they served eight different vintages of flagship Sassicaia from the winelist dating back to 1998 with the dinner. 

Tenute Donna Olga Di Olga Pulusa Brunello Di Montalcino 2006

From the Italian region Montalcino near Siena, the appellation or Italian DOCG Brunello di Montalcino,  Donna Olga. Donna Olga is named for Olga Peluso Centolani, a passionate woman of wine and the producer. The estate consists of 11 hectares (24 acres), but only 4 of them are cultivated by Donna Olga with selected clones of Sangiovese Brunello for this label, with annual production of 20.000 bottles of this Brunello di Montalcino.

Dark garnet colored, medium full bodied, firm structured backbone, nicely balanced, whisper of spearmint and vanilla highlight complex black berry fruits, notes of earthy spice tobacco and leather with nice balance of acid firm gripping but silky smooth tannins on the lingering finish. Must be at its apex at a dozen plus one years. 

RM 92 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/notes.asp?iWine=1186945

We also drank this Super Tuscan. 

Poggio al Tesoro Bolgheri Superiore Sondraia 2015

As I wrote in an earlier blogpost about this wine, "Jared knows I favor Bordeaux varietals and big full bodied fruit forward complex blends. Wow! He pegged it with this selection. Who would think you would find this style in an Italian wine?'

"From the Allegrini brand known for Amarone comes this classic Bordeaux blend from the Bolgheri region - Cabernet Sauvignon (65%), Merlot (25%) and Cabernet Franc (10%).'

"I would've failed identifying this as an Italian wine opting for a California Cabernet with its rich full bodied rich ripe sweet fruit. It presented a residual sweetness almost extreme for a Bordeaux blend but much to my liking. This profile would probably be too much for most, especially Bordeaux enthusiasts,  but I found it wonderfully delicious and perfectly matched to the brown sauce of my Veal Marsala."

Winemaker's notes: "Intense ruby red in colour, the nose opens with nuances of cherry and plum and deep notes of black berries, followed by aromatic herbs and a pleasant spiciness. It is elegant and seductive on the palate, revealing considerable body, great structure and balance, and silky tannins."

I give this 91 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3114160

http://www.italianvillage-chicago.com/

Italian Village Wine Duo with Dinner

Italian Village features Italian Wine Duo, Amarone and Sangiovese with Dinner

For the second Thursday night in a row I hosted a business dinner at Italian Village Chicago and wine director Jared Gelband (right) served up a duo of Italian varietal wines to showcase our dinner selections, a Amarone della Valpolicella followed by a Brunello di Montalcino Sangiovese.

Tonight, we dined in one of the private tables/rooms in the Village, one of the three restaurants on the premises, a perfect setting for an intimate or business dinner.

In my blogpost about our wine and dinners last week, I wrote about Italian Village, Chicago's oldest, longest running continously family operated Italian restaurant in Chicago.


ILatium Morini Campo Leon Amarone della Valpolicella Corvina Blend 2013

Jared served me a taste of this wine last week with my anti-pasta course at my dinner at IV's Vivere and it was delicious, so we ordered it tonight with the anti-pasta course leading into the entree course.

In 1992, the Morini family bought bought a historic farm house from the early 1900's, surrounded by vineyards in the heart of Val di Mezzane.

For over forty years, ILatium Morini have been growing grapes  which they initially delivered to the local Cantina Sociale (cooperative wine cellar), but, eventually for production of own label wines. Seven brothers and cousins inherited the business that they continue to run to this day.

The origins or our village name Ilatium is from the word Latii, "those from Lazio", referring back to the ancient Romans who came in searching for remote lands to conquer. They settled in the area where they found an ideal environment for the cultivation of grapes, olives and fruit trees. The locals called them the Latii, "those from Lazio" who at the time were considered "strangers" or foreigners.

Dark garnet colored, full bodied, complex concentrated sweet ripe dark cherry and black currant fruits with spicy dark mocha notes and hint of tobacco, moderate acids and soft tannins on the flavorful finish.

RM 92 points

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2928045

https://www.latiummorini.it/en/

Il Marroneto Brunello di Montalcino Sangiovese 2013

For our entree course we ordered Sangiovese and Jared served up this Brunello.

Il Marroneto was purchased in 1974 by Giuseppe Mori, father of  current owner and winemaker Alessandro Mori. The Mori family thus began to make wine in the first two small rooms of Il Marroneto  in a historical building that dates back to 1246. 

The first three thousand meters of Sangiovese vineyards of Il Marroneto 
were planted in 1975, then, as many again in 1979, and another 9000 in 1984. They are sited on the north slope of the hills about 350m elevation in the vicinity of the walls of Montalcino in Siena.

The vines of Il Marroneto are arranged so that each plant has 3.6 square meters, allowing the Sangiovese vines, which feed on the surface, to have optimal spacing for a good rooting. 

This 2013 vintage release was bright ruby colored, medium full bodied, vibrant expressive red fruits, tangy cinnamon spice, earth and floral notes with brisk acidity and tongue puckering tannins on the lingering finish.

RM 92 points.


https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2377072

http://www.ilmarroneto.com/en/

https://italianvillage-chicago.com/ 

Italian Village Wine and Dine features Barolo trio

Italian Village (Chicago) Wine and Dine features WBTG and Barolo trio 

For a midweek dinner respite from hosting my global sales team, I stole away to perennial favorite, Italian Village - Chicago for a relaxing dinner before hosting the group for a team dinner the next evening.

Wine Director and wine buddy Jared (Gelband) (right) served up several wines from the WBTG (Wine By The Glass)  list and Jared's special "Jared's pour of the week" list served in the upscale Vivere Restaurant.

Italian Village, is Chicago's oldest continuously operating Italian Restaurant in the city, operating since 1927.

In its 92nd year, IV actually consists of three restaurants each with its own kitchens, chef and menu's. The three restaurants are on the three levels of the site on Monroe Street between Clark and Dearborn Streets. They share one wine cellar and one wine-list from the main cellar,  with the exception that Jared prepares a premium reserve wine-by-the-glass selection for the upscale Vivere Restaurant on the ground floor. I sampled the offerings from the standard as well as that special list.

Prior to dinner I tasted the house Verdicchio, a pleasant light and refreshing starter. I feature that wine in a separate follow on blogpost where I explain the grape varietal and the complexities of parsing the complex Italian wine label - Barone Pizzini Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Riserva San Paolo Pievalta DOC 2013.

With caprese salad of heirloom tomatos and mozzarella, I tasted the current 'house' Brunello di Montalcino offered from the WBTG (Wines By The Glass) list.

Tenute Silvio Nardi Brunello di Montacino Sangiovesi 2012

This paired nicely with my pasta course and begs for a robust cheese or bolognese meat sauce.

Ruby colored, medium bodied, bright tangy red fruits with floral and leather notes turning to an acidic moderate tannin finish. 100% Sangiovese varietal.

RM 89 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2636622

Bergadano Pier Carlo Barolo 2012 

Slightly opaque ruby colored, medium bodied, tangy black cherry and black berry fruits with notes of tar and tobacco leaf with a layer of acidic tannins on the lingering finish.

RM 88 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3122818

Barolo is a DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita) wine produced in the northern Italian region of Piedmont. It is made from the Nebbiolo grape and is one of Italy's greatest wines. Barolo wines are produced in the communes of Barolo, Castiglione Falletto, Serralunga d'Alba and parts of the communes of Cherasco, Diano d'Alba, Grinzane Cavour, La Morra, Monforte d'Alba, Novello, Roddi, Verduno, all in the province of Cuneo, south-west of Alba.

Barolo production codes stipulate that vineyards must be located on hillsides, however a recent revision of the production code released in 2010 goes further to specifically exclude valley floors, humid and flat areas, areas without sufficient sunlight, and areas with full-on northern exposures.

Barolo wines are noted for their ability to age and need to be aged for at least 38 months after the harvest before release, of which at least 18 months must be in wood.

Fontanafredda Lazzarito Barolo Vigna la Delizia DOCG 1996

This is a single vineyard designated bottling of 100% Nebbiolo from the legendary producer. This was a very special offering to be able to sample BTG - By-the-Glass, it was offered as "Jared's pour of the week" on the Vivere Restaurant special offer wine-list.

RM 92

Wine buddy Dr Dan and I tasted this same label last year BYOB from his cellar at a dining outing together.  Dan served the '99 vintage of this at his Big Italian wine dinner last year. At our wine dinner outing, my tasting notes stated. "This '96 showed medium bodied, dark garnet colored, vibrant bright black cherry fruits, tones of acidity, tar, smoke and leather on a moderate tannin lingering finish."

RM 88 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=622731

Later Jared served up a special Amarone by the glass as well.

The next evening for my team dinner, Jared served another Barolo from the same producer, instead of this single vineyard designated label, according to the 25th anniversary label, this is the first 'single-village' bottling from Serralunga D'Alba, served in magnum as well as several standard size bottles.

Fontanafredda Serralunga D'Alba Barolo DOCG 25th Anniversary Special Edition Bottling Nebbiolo 2013

Medium garnet in colour with a slight rust colored orange hue at the edges, medium-full bodied with nicely balanced complex integrated bright tangy red berry fruits with notes of earth, leather and mushrooms with medium tannins and acidity.

RM 88 points 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2687746

http://www.fontanafredda.it/site/en/home_en/ 

https://italianvillage-chicago.com/

Spectacular Wine Flight highlights Etta Restaurant Dinner

Spectacular Wine Flight highlights Etta Restaurant Dinner

Our hosts Mike and son Matt

Friend Mike D flew in from NYC to host a special wine dinner and brought a spectacular wine flight for the occasion. He generously featured a few of his favorites as well as some extraordinary premier labels representing the best of the best of their varietal or appellations and vintages.

This dinner follows an earlier gathering of this group when colleague Matt hosted a dinner with Chef Zubair Mohajir who prepared a Wazwan Supper Club dinner.

Tonight's dinner was held at Etta neighborhood restaurant in trendy Bucktown Wicker Park on the near northwest side of Chicago, one of the hottest new venues in the City.

Etta is the latest sensation of Danny Grant who earned two Michelin stars for RIA Restaurant and who also overseas popular Maple & Ash steakhouse on Chicago's Gold Coast.

“For the Table”

Etta is rustic, bright and lively with large windows and an open patio deck upstairs. The main ground floor dining room is centered around a wood-fired hearth serving wood-fired pizzas, six different house-made pastas, and salads all featuring farm fresh ingredients from locavores across the region, served in their “For the Table” family style.

For the dinner, Mike selected a special menu to accompany and complement the spectacular wine flight featuring a selection of the finest labels from some of the best vintages from a range of old world and new world regions, that he brought from his cellar for the occasion.

The Etta staff provided superb attentive, professional wine service of the BYOB wine
flight.

Mike D's wine flight for the occasion

 The menu and wine pairing selections:

First Course  

Marinated hamachi crudo with sesame, citron-chile vinaigrette and cilantro

Bubbling shrimp with ginger, chiltepin chile, smoked tomato and mint

Bubbling Shrimp

Pol Roger Sir Winston Churchill Champagne 2006

 

 

Second Course

Etta chopped with hearth smoked salmon, oak leaf, green goddess,
stracciatella, everything bagel spice, avocado, grains & seeds

Jean-Louis Chavy Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Perrières 2015  

Third Course

Spicy meatballs with "Sunday sauce", pecorino on a bed of hearth bread

Rigatoni with lamb ragout, olives, calabrian chili and pecorino

Bucatini cacio e pepe

Giuseppe Quintarelli Rosso del Bepi
Veneto IGT Corvina Blend 2002

Soldera (Az. Agr. Case Basse)
Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Sangiovese 2004

Fourth Course 

Hearth glazed lamb, fall spices, pickled turnips, mustard greens, yogurt

Grilled dry-aged ribeye, roasted caulilini, confit garlic, chimichurri, jus

Château Mouton Rothschild
Pauillac Bordeaux 2000

Bryant Family Vineyards
Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2009

 Penfolds Grange (Hermitage)
Shiraz/Syrah Blend 2005 

Glazed Lamb and Big Reds flight

Dessert Course

Aya's chocolate sabayon tart with vanilla bean ice cream

Château d'Yquem
Sauterne Sémillon-Sauvignon Blanc Blend 1990 

Tom R and buddy, Owner/proprietor
checking out special menu and wine flight

The Etta proprietor/owner checked in on us and our special menu selection and joined us for a taste of some of our premier labels.

The flight shown below featured a selection of the finest labels from some of the best vintages from a range of old world and new world regions.

Rick Wine Note and Comments:

Pol Roger "Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill" Brut Champagne 2006 

This is a classic special labeling, made only in the very best vintages, from this legendary Champagne house. This label is a blend that is predominantly Pinot Noir, as preferred by the label namesake, Sir Winston Churchill, the exact blend is a closely guarded family secret.

This vintage release got 98 points from Wine Enthusiast, 95 points from Wine Spectator's James Suckling and Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 

Readers of these pages know, while I love Champagne, I do not represent to have a discriminating palette for such, hence I defer to the pundits on such tastings. Robert Parker wrote about this label, "Very clear, precise, ripe and complex bouquet with fruity and refreshingly chalky, nutty and brioche notes. Full-bodied and complex on the palate, the 2006 is supple, round and rich but also fine, elegant, fresh and well structured. It has a harmonious yet tight, persistent and very promising finish that puts this silky textured,  with rich and expressive flavors of peach tart, raspberry sorbet, candied ginger and orange peel, and sleek acidity that leaves a mouthwatering impression on the satiny finish."
 
92 points from Wine & Spirit - "A classical style of grande marque Champagne, Pol Roger’s tête de cuvée has seamless elegance and clarity of fresh citrus flavor. Rather than minerality and ripe fruit, it’s more about airy fragrance and spicy lemon zest, firm and cool."


Jean-Louis Chavy Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Perrières 2015  

Giuseppe Quintarelli Rosso del Bepi Veneto IGT Corvina Blend 2002 

Rosso del Bepi is named after Valpolicella founding father Giuseppe Quintarelli. The 2002 Rosso del Bepi was a declassified release of their legendary Amarone yet showed the Quintarelli signatures, according to Vinous Anthony Gallous.

This was imported by the legendary Kermit Lynch who brought Loire Valley and many other French wines to America. This is the first non-French label I've seen from them.

Dark garnet color, medium full bodied, more approachable than a fully classified vintage Amarone, never-the-less big, bold, deep and complex yet nicely integrated and balanced black cherry fuits with notes of prune, earth, spice, tobacco leaf, hints of cigar box and vanilla.

RM 90 points.

Soldera (Az. Agr. Case Basse) Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Sangiovese 2004

 

Mike cited this as his absolute favorite or one of this favorite wines. Anthony Gallon of Vinous gave this 97 points and wrote in his review of this wine, "Soldera’s 2004 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva is just as beautiful as it has always been. Super-refined and finessed, the 2004 is one of the most aristocratic, nuanced wines Soldera has made over the last four decades. I imagine the 2004 will reward readers with several decades of exceptional drinking. It is of course quite young today, but all the elements are so balanced, the wine is pretty much impossible to resist." (AG) 1/2015.

I love Sangiovese, especially with zesty Italian pasta dishes with cheese and bolognese sauces. Unfortunately, this was served with the Spicy meatballs with "Sunday sauce" that was very bold and aggressive and overpowered my pallet and this wine. Thankfully, I begged off finishing the course to save my discernment for the rest of the wine flight. I may tolerate big over the top bold assertive wines, but I'm a wimp when it comes of pepper spices.

Cellartracker consensus score for this wine is 95.2 - high praise, indeed.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=939979

Château Mouton Rothschild Pauillac Bordeaux 2000 

A classic First Growth Bordeaux from a classic vintage. Mouton Rothschild of course are known for their artist labels, each vintage release adorning a customized label featuring art from a renowned artist - even the empty bottles are collectors items!  I have a Mouton  Rothschild Artist Series Label Library page devoted to the subject. The 2000 vintage release replaced the painted label with an enamelled illustration of the gold-encrusted Augsburg Ram from the Chateau’s own Museum of Wine in Art. 

This release was awarded 97 points by Wine Enthusiast, 96 points by  Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 95 points by Vinous and Wine & Spirits, 94 points by Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar, 93 points James Suckling and Wine Spectator.


Dark blackish ruby garnet colored, medium full bodied, complex but balanced and polished with black fruits accented by smoky cedar, violet, kirsch, coffee and notes of mocha, floral, spice and oak with elegant silky tannins on the lingering finish. 
 .
This is a blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon and 14% Merlot and while balanced, polished and elegant has firm full tannins that should provide graceful aging for fifty years. 

RM 94 points.

Bryant Family Vineyards Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 

Another classic label, from Napa Valley, Bryant Family Vineyards from Pritchard Hill, in the neighborhood of exclusive legendary cult-producers Harlan, Screaming Eagle and Colgin, and more earthly yet respectable premium labels David Arthur and Del Dotto's newest ultra-premium brand and label from their new property Villa Del Lago.

This 2009 Bryant Family release got 97-98 points from Wine Spectator's James Suckling, 97 points from Vinous, and
96 points from Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, Wine Enthusiast and Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar, and 95 points from Wine Spectator. (I share these metrics because many of us find our preferences align with certain reviews and it provides a good basis of comparison). 

Robert Parker cited this is a candidate for 'wine of the vintage'. Wine Spectator cited it a "Cellar Selection" as a notable Collectable.

Dark garnet colored, full bodied, rich concentrated and powerful yet elegant and polished with nicely balanced and integrated bright vibrant blackberry, plum and black currant fruits with tones of spice, oak, mocha, expresso and hints of cassis and cedar turning to a firm but silky smooth long lingering finish. 

RM 96 points.  

For all the pomp and fist pumping through the flight, while some of the other wines were more complex, or richer or more concentrated fruit, this had the best balance of complexity and pure enjoyment of bold vibrant flavors, my favorite of the evening! Not surprising perhaps that California Napa Cabernets represent the largest holding in our cellar.

Penfolds Grange (Hermitage) Shiraz/Syrah Blend 2005  

It is always a treat and special pleasure to taste Penfolds Grange. In the photo above of flight of the Big Reds above, this one is on the right, based on tasting order of lightest to heaviest, most concentrated wines. I suggested that tasting order and it proved to be correct, being the biggest and most concentrated, complex of the Big Red portion of the tasting flight. This is a style we love and hold much of in our cellar. Its a bit over the top for some, but a style we favor.

Penfolds Grange is the 'First Growth' wine of Australia if there was such as designation. Penfolds Grange has been Australia's classic premium label going back to the 1950s, it is highly sought after by collectors. It has been listed as a "Heritage Icon of South Australia."

 One of my prized holdings in my wine cellar is a OWC (Original Wood Case) of this label from the 1990 vintage, designated Wine of the Year by Wine Spectator, and birthyear of son Alec. I still remember picking that case up at Berry Brothers & Rudd wineshop in London and carrying it back on the plane! So it was back in the day!

Another fond memory of this wine was tasting it with Penfolds Grange Global Ambassador, DLynn Proctor. What fun to meet DLynn in person having enjoyed watching his pursuit of his Master Sommelier Certification in the entertaining documentary movie SOMM which is a feature on Netflix. What irony that I read recently that DLynn is now Wine Director for Fantesca Winery in Napa, one of our favorite collectables.

Folks that have followed this wine over the decades still refer to it as "Hermitage", a moniker if carried from the early years till it was dropped in the early nineties.

This release was awarded 97 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate and Wine Spectator, and 96 points by James Halliday.  

This vintage release is a blend of 4% Cabernet Sauvignon highlighting the Syrah, aka Shiraz fruit, 85% of which is from the Barossa region of South Central Australia with the remaining proportions coming from McLaren Vale and Coonawarra.

Dark inky garnet colored, rich concentrated, full bodied, Wine Spectator describes the nose as "a bit animal with some smoked game, mincemeat and bacon notes'. The fruit is ripe blackberry and black currant with a hint of blueberry with notes of tar, coffee, earth, black truffles, anise and hints of pepper and spice on the long finish of fine grain nicelly integrated tannins and crisp acidity.

RM 95 points.

Château d'Yquem Sauterne Sémillon-Sauvignon Blanc Blend 1990  

This Classic First Growth Bordeaux dessert wine is pure nector in a glass. From the historic 1990 'vintage of the century' that was provided no less than three Wine Spectator 'Wines of the Year' (1992,93,94).

This vintage release was awarded 99 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 96 pointsby Wine Advocate's Neal Martin, and 95 points by Wine Spectator and 94 points by Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar.

Parker wrote that this "is one of the richest Yquems I have ever tasted, with 50-100 years of potential longevity. An awesome Yquem! Anticipated maturity: 2003-2050+"

Medium gold honey colored, full bodied, unctuous, concentrated and layered but superbly balanced and elegant, spice, honey and dried orange peel aromas. flavors of caramel, toffee, honey with smokey notes. extraordinary sweetness cut by harmonious acidity on the long finish that lingers for a minute or more.

RM 94 points.