WINE DOG DEALS!
“Ferdy the Wine Dog” sniffs out the good deals!

2007 VILLA ROSA “Poggio al Rovi” Toscano Rosso $11.99 (red)
We’re faced with many decisions when it comes to buying wine, some very basic; ” Does the wine taste good? Is it worth the money? Will people be happy with it? Will they come back for more? These are all issues that we consider with regard to our customers. Regarding the producer there are other questions to consider. Is the wine unique? Is it authentic or is it an approximation of the genuine article? Was the wine created to supply a vague world demand for a certain style? Or was it simply made, the way wine has always be made, for generations, for millennia, true and pure. A real wine. 

2007 VALLE REALE Trebbiano d’Abruzzo $12.99 (white) The Pozzoli family is proud of their vineyards located in the “green heart” of Abruzzo, on the hillsides above the hot coastal plains. Valle Reale vines benefit from a cooler microclimate with calcareous soil rich in fossil material, more extreme temperatures and longer maturation of the grapes. The trebbiano has a late-harvest quality, a little richer, ripe orchard fruit, supported by underlying minerality and salinity. A tremendously satisfying white for the money!

NEW ARRIVALS: TRADITIONAL PIEDMONT

2006 Albino Rocca ‘La Rocca’ $30 is made from 100% Cortese (the same grape as Gavi) and aged in French oak barrels. The 06 ‘La Rocca’ is a deep golden color, weighty and viscous with a beautifully complex and rich bouquet of apple pie ‘al la mode’ & buttered popcorn. Baked spiced apples, pie crust, carmel and vanilla cream, with notes of buttery, toasty oak. On the palate the wine has tremendous freshness, crisp apples, lively acidity, and powdery minerals, a hallmark of great wines made in Barbaresco. In short, a gorgeous, full-bodied white wine of great richness and complexity. HIGHLY recommended!

2005 Guido Porro ‘Vigneto “Santa Caterina” Barbera D’Alba $17.99 This traditional, gulp-able Barbera from Kermit Lynch is the real deal — Barbera as it should be, pure and fresh, not over-oaked or overwrought. Guido Porro, a small artisanal producer based in Serralunga, makes wines with a remarkable purity and clarity — qualities that have become quite rare. Jump on it!

“TRUE TUSCANY”
Wines that truly express the soul of Tuscany are off the beaten “Strada del Vino.” VINTAGES investigates.

“2007 MONTEVERTINE “Pian del Ciampolo” $27
Earlier this year I was able to visit Martino Manetti at his historic estate in Radda, to see first-hand what makes Montevertine such a singular estate in the heart of Chianti Classico. High altitude, cool micro-climate, stony mineral-laden, old-vine vineyards, and an unshakable commitment to their signature varietal, Sangiovese (modern name for ‘Sangioveto’). Montevertine was the first winery in Chianti to make 100% Sangiovese wine in 1977. Also, they were the first to use French barrique (although you would never know it from tasting the wine). “Pian Del Ciampolo” is the ‘house wine’ of Montevertine, consistently revealing the elegance, grace and finesse of the estate for a lot less $ than their benchmark wine, “Le Pergole Torte.” Pale ruby color, followed by beautiful aromas of delicate cherry fruit, powdery minerals, and notes of wild herbs. An exceedingly fine and elegant wine! A finesse favorite, featured in Saturday’s wine tasting in West Concord: “True Tuscany.”

sip & quip: “eat local, drink european”
Eric Asimov, NY Times wine columnist, takes on the contemporary dilemma of what to drink with the locally-sourced cuisine. Beyond issues of style — Italian wines with Italian food — is it hypocritical to prefer european wines with locally farmed foods? Is wine the same as a peach? What about the environmental/energy concerns?

  “At many restaurants in the Bay Area, the dedication to using local ingredients does not extend to the wine list. …A surprising number of Bay Area restaurants offer wine lists dominated by European bottles. …it’s a little hypocritical, but we also recognize there’s a certain style and authenticity that you can’t get anywhere else.”

“Not everybody sees wine in the same light as ingredients like produce or meat. Wine is different from a carrot or a peach. .. once the grapes are crushed, fermented, aged and bottled, the wine will not lose its freshness or succulence if carefully shipped.” Continue Reading »

WINE TASTING: New Arrivals from Spain & Italy
Sat. Oct. 17, 2-5pm Concord
featuring new Amarone from TOMMASO BUSSOLA

2003 TOMMASO BUSSOLA Amarone Classico $65
TOMMASO BUSSOLA is an exuberant, passionate man and his wines are characteristically robust and expressive. While the 2004 vintage of this Amarone Classico was released two years ago, only now did Tommaso decide that the 2003 version was ready for release. Eric’s tasting note from his visit to Italy: “A great Amarone! Roasted candied-cherry, infinitely complex and drinkable, approaching the quality of Tommaso’s Riserva. Tommaso believes this is the best Amarone Classico he has ever made.“

2006 DESCENDIENTES de JOSE PALACIOS “Corullon” 93 pts. $45 (Bierzo)
100% Mencia old-vine Mencia. “The purple-colored 2006 Villa de Corullon offers up a super-fragrant bouquet of lavender, incense, black cherry, and black raspberry. Elegant and multi-dimensional on the palate, it has gobs of ripe fruit, succulent flavors, and impeccable balance. It has several years of aging potential and should offer prime drinking from 2012 to 2021.93 pts.”–WA

2008 EGIA ENEA Txakoli de Bizkaia $19.99 (Txakolina) - white
Located in the northern Basque country, Egia Enea is run by owner/winemaker Alfredo Egia. Their Txakolina is made from the grape “Hondarrabi Zuri Zerratia.” “The 2008 Egia Enea Txakolina is sourced from a single vineyard within the sub-zone of Biskaia. It reveals an expressive nose of mineral, lime, melon, and petrol. Smooth textured, bracing, and racy on the palate… 90 pts.“

2007 PENAS DAS DONAS Godello “Almalarga” $19.99 (Ribeira Sacra) - white
This first vintage of the 2007 Almalarga Godello is named for the vineyard (70- to 100-year-old vines). “Aged on its lees for four months, it offers a superb aromatic array of mineral, crushed stone, lemon-lime, white peach, and melon. This is followed by a dry, elegant, ripe, concentrated wine with outstanding balance and length. Drink it over the next four years. 90 pts.” –WA

2008 PENAS DAS DONAS Mencia “Verdes Matas” $19.99 (Ribeira Sacra) -
“Bright ruby. Spicy red and dark berry aromas are complicated by cherry skin, licorice, dried violet and cracked pepper. Racy and sharply focused on entry, offering tangy redcurrant and bitter cherry flavors, then opens up to show deeper, sweeter dark berries. For a tangy wine this is surprisingly lush, almost creamy, with gentle tannins and good lingering sweetness. I really like this wine’s blend of vivacity and roundness. 90 pts.” –IWA
 

WINE TASTING: Sat. Oct. 17, 3-6pm Belmont
Chateauneuf du Pape & Alto Adige

An odd couple indeed — Rhone & Alto Adige. Yet, both of these regions strongly rely on aromatics to set the stage for what’s to come. From the pristine Alps to the rugged mountains surrounding the Rhone valley, these whites and reds deliver!

ABBAZIA di NOVACELLA (Photo: Celestino Lucin, 2009 Winemaker of the Year from Gambero Rosso)
“Abbazia di Novacella in Alto Adige is located in one of the most breathtakingly beautiful corners of Italy. In particular, the wines made from indigenous varieties are well worth seeking out. These wines beautifully express the unique qualities of their respective varieties and the unique Valle Isarco terroir.”–WA

2007 ABBAZIA dI NOVACELLA Pinot Grigio $22
“The 2007 Pinot Grigio is a delicate, perfumed white with well-articulated fruit and pretty aromatics.”–WA

2007 ABBAZIA dI NOVACELLA Sylvaner $22  Reveals lovely detail and nuance in a layered expression of fruit. Admirable length and complexity.

2007 ABBAZIA dI NOVACELLA Kerner $25  “It beautifully marries the detail that many of these wines have with a ripe, generous expression of fruit. Citrus peel, melon, spices and mint are just some of the notes that can be found in this beautiful, absolutely delicious white.” –WA

REDS- CHATEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE
2006 DOM. MONPERTUIS Chateauneuf du Pape $45
“Fresh red berries on the nose, with complicating notes of rose, lavender and smoky minerals. Gains power on the broad, penetrating finish while maintaining freshness and clarity.”–IWA

2006 LE VIEUX DONJON Chateauneuf du Pape $69
“Intensely perfumed aromas of Asian spices, garrigue, red berries, smoke and minerals. This elegant wine calls to mind pinot noir in its weight and texture. Sweet, palate-staining raspberry and cherry flavors are enlivened by juicy acidity. Very pure and seductive wine with no gamey qualities and a long, sweet finish.”–IWA

2005 CLOS du MONT OLIVET “La Cuvee du Papet” $68
“(95% grenache and 5% mourvedre) Inky ruby. Stunningly fragrant bouquet of fresh red berries, cherry, minerals, Asian spices and fresh flowers; with its combination of power and purity, this smells like a Musigny. Deeply concentrated raspberry and cherry flavors are complicated by anise, cinnamon and floral pastille, with big but interwoven tannins adding grip. Finishes with outstanding silky persistence and a strong red berry character. 94 pts.” -IWA

NEW ARRIVALS from BURGUNDY:  DOM. ROBERT CHEVILLON, Nuits-St.-Georges

2007 DOM. ROBERT CHEVILLON Bourgogne Passetoutgrains Special $19.99
A perennial favorite when we have it, Dom. Robert Chevillon’s Passetoutgrains, a traditional blend of gamay and pinot noir, is a distinctive pleasure on the lighter side. Chevillon produces outstanding Nuits-St.-Georges, and in their Passetoutgrains, hints of black cherry, licorice and spice are brightened by the fresh fruit of gamay. 

2007 DOM. ROBERT CHEVILLON Bourgogne Rouge $30 “A pretty, even elegant, red pinot fruit nose trimmed in a bit of warm earth leads to supple, round and attractively complex middle weight flavors that are really quite forward yet impeccably well balanced. Top value!” - Burghound

2007 DOM. ROBERT CHEVILLON Nuits-St.-Georges “Les Saint Georges” 94 pts. $110 Quantity discounts apply!
“A completely different nose that is more red fruit driven and less overtly spicy yet every bit as complex as the aromas merge seamlessly into the rich, full and classy flavors that are marvelously pure, elegant and taut before culminating in a delicious, serious, dense and powerful finish that really stains the palate with extract. A stunningly good Les St. Georges and absolutely recommended. 94 pts.” - Burghound

“Sweeter and fatter than the Cailles today, with superb intensity and the refined texture of a grand cru. The vibrant, rising whiplash of a finish features a bitter cherry flavor sharpened by building minerality. Really an essence of this seductive vintage. 94 pts.“-IWA

WINE TASTING: New Arrivals from Spain: Ribeira Sacra, Txakolina, Madrid   Sat. Oct. 10, 3-6pm Belmont

Spain is continuing to up the ante with distinctive, even unexpected, combinations of flavors and textures. Old vines thrive in these rugged, dry climates to offer wines that are both ripe and fresh, with aromatic complexity as a bonus. Just in, these remarkable wines are also excellent values!

2008 BERNABELEVA Camino de Navaherreros $15.99 (Madrid) - red
100% Garnacha. Located outside of Madrid in rugged mountainous terrain, this estate makes wine from 80-year-old Garnacha vines, farmed organically. Named for the “bear’s forest,” Bernabeleva uses its high-altitude location and micro-climate to great advantage, creating rich, ripe wines with unexpected freshness and complexity.
 
2008 EGIA ENEA Txakoli de Bizkaia $19.99 (Txakolina) - white
Located in the northern Basque country, Egia Enea is run by owner/winemaker Alfredo Egia. Their Txakolina is made from the grape “Hondarrabi Zuri Zerratia” (yes, it’s a mouthful). “The 2008 Egia Enea Txakolina is sourced from a single vineyard within the sub-zone of Biskaia. It reveals an expressive nose of mineral, lime, melon, and petrol. Smooth textured, bracing, and racy on the palate… 90 pts.“

Introducing PENAS das DONAS Almalarga & Verdes Matas from Ribeira Sacra
“Pena das Donas is a new estate in the high risk, high reward DO of Ribeira Sacra in Galicia (western Spain) where the steepness of the vineyards makes Sonoma’s Jackass Hill Vineyard look like a pool table.”( I’ve never seen Jackass Hill but I get the idea.)

2008 PENAS DAS DONAS Mencia “Verdes Matas” $19.99 (Ribeira Sacra) -
“Bright ruby. Spicy red and dark berry aromas are complicated by cherry skin, licorice, dried violet and cracked pepper. Racy and sharply focused on entry, offering tangy redcurrant and bitter cherry flavors, then opens up to show deeper, sweeter dark berries. For a tangy wine this is surprisingly lush, almost creamy, with gentle tannins and good lingering sweetness. I really like this wine’s blend of vivacity and roundness. 90 pts.” –IWA
 
2007 PENAS DAS DONAS Godello “Almalarga” $19.99 (Ribeira Sacra) - white
This first vintage of the 2007 Almalarga Godello is named for the vineyard (70- to 100-year-old vines). “Aged on its lees for four months, it offers a superb aromatic array of mineral, crushed stone, lemon-lime, white peach, and melon. This is followed by a dry, elegant, ripe, concentrated wine with outstanding balance and length. Drink it over the next four years. 90 pts.” –WA

WINE TASTING: Waiting for Columbus
Sat. Oct. 10, 2-5pm CONCORD

Eric will be “flying solo” this weekend and will have a few bottles open for an informal tasting. (If it’s busy, your patience is requested.) What’s on the agenda? A selection of new ABBAZIA di NOVACELLA white wines and 2003 Brunellos from Poggio Antico & Valdicava.
See you there!

2004 BRUNELLO di MONTALCINO SEMINAR
Friday, October 16, 7-8pm
VINTAGES Belmont $25
Don’t miss this opportunity to evaluate these selected 2004 Brunellos. Four 2004 Brunellos and one 2007 Rosso di Montalcino from VIAS Imports. Presented by Mike Petrizzo from VIAS and Eric Broege, VINTAGES. Special pricing offered to seminar participants. Call 617-484-4560 or email info@vintagesonline.com for more information or to reserve.

2004 ARGIANO Brunello di Montalcino $70
“beautiful Brunello that is more about elegance than sheer power alone. 92 pts.” -WA

2007 FOSSACOLLE Rosso di Montalcino $36
“a sensual expression of fruit… caressing, generous Rosso 90 pts.” -WA