Rivera Preludio N. 1 (2011) Puglia

A stunner from Azienda Vinicola Rivera, one of Puglia's top estates.  Family owned since the early 1900's, the 95 hectare estate pumps out over one million bottles of southern Italian wines a year.  The estate is located in the Castel del Monte D.O.C which covers all the areas of the Alta Murgia that slope down towards the Adriatic, including two that share the same Mediterranean climate but are quite different in soil types and landscape.  The D.O.C. is dominated by the Castel del Monte, an octagonal shaped castle built in 1240 by emperor Frederik II of Swabia (and where canned peas were thought to have originated).  In addition to growing traditional Puglian varietals, in the 1980's the founders grandson, Carlo de Corato,  introduced Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay into the estates vineyards.  De Corato believed that Chardonnay planted in a Mediterranean climate demonstrates warm, nuanced characteristics that enrich those traditional to the French variety.  The Chardonnay grapes for Preludio N. 1 are picked between the first and second week of August.  The wine matures on the fine lees for 3-4 months to develop complexity and aromatic richness.  The wine is released in the spring following harvest.  Deep straw yellow; rich, complex nose, with crisp, fruity aromas of pear and peach blossom; clean and refreshing on the palate, with a rich finish.

Pojere e Sandri Vigna Palai (2010) Trentino

A delicious Italian white from Pojere e Sandri, a small winery/distillery located in the alpine village of Faedo that was founded in 1975 by Fiorentino Sandri and his winemaker friend Mario Pojer. The wine is 100% Müller Thurga, a variety found throughout Italy that is thought to be a sub-variety of the Riesling grape. In order to preserve the delicate aromatic characteristic of the grape, they are worked in iperriduction (no oxygen); a proprietary technique using methodologies developed by Pojer & Sandri. Pale straw/yellow with greenish tint. Intensely aromatic nose with hints of peach and citrus. All of the labels on their wines feature the work of German-born, Renaissance-era painter and engraver Albrecht Dürer.

Proprieta Sperino Rosa del Rosa (2011) Piemonte

A summer fling from Proprieta Sperino, a winery located northeast of Turin in Lessona.  The estate was inherited by the De Marchi family in the middle of the 19th century that produced wine until 1952.  In the late 1990's Paolo De Marchi and his son Luca, began reclaiming the 25 acres of hillside vineyards by reclaiming the old Nebbiolo, and the ingigenous Vespolina and Croatina.  The 2011 Rosa del Rosa is made entirely in stainless from 85% Nebbiolo and 15% Vespolina.  A terrific rose wine with bright red berry fruit on the nose and palate.  Delicious.  Old-school looking label.

Cecilia Beretta Brognoligo (2010) Veneto

A delicious summer white from Cecilia Beretta, a family owned post-war winery that began to step up its wine making in the early 1980's.  The name originates from the splendid Beretta Villa, built in the seventh century by the count Giuseppe Beretta, former mayor of the city of Verona, agronomist and rural poet(?).  The Pasqua family produce about 200,000 bottle of wine a year on 220 acres of vineyards (134 acres are owned by the Pasqua family, and 86 acres that belong to growers under cooperative contracts) that are located in the Valpolicella area surrounding Soave.  The 2010 Soave Classico is 85% Garganega and 15% Chardonnay.  Fermented and aged in stainless.  Sparkling, straw yellow in color with just a tinge of green. Floral nose of apple and apricot.

Cascina degli Ulivi Semplicemente Bianco (2010) Tuscany

A semplicemente Italian white wine from Cascina degli Ulivi, a twenty hectare family owned biodynamic winery.  The estate has been in the Bellotti family since the 1930's and is now run by Stefano Bellotti and his wife Zita.  The Semplicemente wines are the newest of Cascina degli Ulivi's wines.  In a 2011 interview, Stefano stated that his Semplicemente red and whites, "Are just wine, you don't need to worry about the region, the varietal, the nose, or whatever."  Stefano said that when you do this, "You are intellectualizing wine, and wine doesn't give a shit about being intellectual; you bring wine to the table and you don't think about it, you just drink it - that's it."  100% Cortese.  Half fermented in eleven ton oak vats and half fermented in stainless.  Aged 3-6 months in oak vats.  Clear bottle.

In the Pink - The Jasmine Cocktail

A terrific summer cocktail created in the 1990's by master bartender Paul Harrington for Matt Jasmine, a regular customer of Emeryville, California's Townhouse Bar and Grill.  The drink was inspired by the classic Prohibition cocktail, the Pegu, the signature drink of Burma's Pegu Club.  Like the Pegu, Harrington used gin as the base spirit, but substituted lemon for the lime and Campari for the bitters.  Manly pink in color.  The lemon and Cointreau counter the bitterness of the Campari and balance the drink nicely.  The recipe for a Jasmine is as follows:  combine 1.5 oz. gin (I prefer Plymouth), .25 oz. Cointreau, .25 oz. Campari, and .75 oz. lemon juice.  Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon twist. Enjoy with abandon.

Giacomo Mori Chianti (2009) Tuscany

A absolutely delicious Chianti from Giacomo Mori, a small (10 hectares producing 40,000 bottles annually) family-owned owned estate that was established in 1790. The "Azienda Agricola Mori" was one of the first estates that started marketing wine in Europe and in the United States. After the second World War, Mori's wines were sold in bulk until 1998 when Giacomo Mori restructured the cellars and replanted the vineyards to produce the fine wines that are offered today.  Integrated/sustainable viticulture.  Fermented in stainless, the wine is matured for 10-12 months in large Slavonian and Allier casks, tonneaux and third use barriques.  The wine is then blended and finished en botti for another 3-6 months.  95% Sangiovese and 5% Canaiolo.  Beautiful purple color.  Black cherry nose.  Medium body; smooth, long, elegant finish.  Typographically stunning label.  Even the foil on the bottle looks great.   

La Scolca Gavi "White Label" (Piedmont) 2008

A refreshing Italian white from La Scolca, a 50 hectare, family-run Piemontese winery that was founded in 1919. Today, the Estate is run by Giorgio Soldati, the founder’s great-grandson, and his daughter, Chiara.  Although the Cortese grape (what Gavi is made from; the name is derived from Gavi, the town at the center of the wines production zone) had been planted in the region since the late 19th Century, the grape produced low-alcohol, thin wines that quickly oxidized.  It was the Soldati family, who after the Second World War saved the Cortese grape from oblivion by focusing entirely on the production of quality Cortese. They pioneered modern, controlled vinification in stainless-steel to preserve the subtle fruit of the Cortese grape, allowing for the creation of wines that retained crisp acidity, aroma, and structure.  All of La Scolca’s white wines follow the same vinification process: hand-harvested fruit is brought to the winery where it is sprayed with dry-ice, cryo-macerated and cold fermented using only natural yeasts.   The La Scolca Gavi di Gavi White Label is made from 20 to 30 year-old vines sourced within the Rovereto commune in the heart of Gavi.  Light straw in color with a typical "Gavi" nose that is fine and pleasantly fresh. Delicate and dry mouthfeel with crisp and refreshing acidity.

The Last Word

A superb gin-based cocktail created by vaudevillian Frank Fogarty in the early 1920's, where it was first served at the Detroit Athletic Club.  A recipe for the drink was first published in 1951 in Ted Saucier's (my middle name, btw) classic cocktail book "Bottoms Up!". The cocktail faded into obscurity until it was rediscovered in 2004 by Seattle's Zig Zag Cafe bartender Murray Stenson, when he came across Saucier's book.  As evidence to its renewed popularity, a recipe for the drink reappeared in the 2009 edition of the "Mr. Boston Official Bartender's Guide".  An equally superb variation to the drink is "The Final Ward", created by the New York bartender Phil Ward, who replaced the gin with rye whiskey and the lime juice by lemon juice.  The recipe is as follows: combine equal parts of gin (I prefer Plymouth), green Chartreuse, maraschino liqueur (I prefer Luxardo), and fresh lime juice.  Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.  Garnish with a lime twist.  Enjoy responsibly.

 

 

Jasci L'Atteso Pecorino (2007) Abruzzo

An awful Italian white from Jasci, a 90 acre winery founded in 1970 by Donatella Jasci. In 1975, Donatella began experimenting with organic and biodynamic farming when his mother became allergic to pesticides. Since 1980, Jasci wines have been certified organic by the Soil and Health Association, which guarantees the organic production of their grapes, as well as their winemaking processes. Jasci is also one of only a few wineries to hold organic certification in every country in the world that offers such certification. 100% Pecorino, a grape native to the area that was recently brought back from the brink of extinction. The origin of the name is that the grape variety was once a favorite snack of the sheep that were often driven through vineyard lands on their way to lower pastures. In Italian “Pecora” means sheep.  The wine is the color of your urine if you were dehydrated and had tuna salad for lunch.  Old and musty; none of the lemon/peach/floral you would expect.  Hoch bottle.

Cosimo Maria Masini Nicole (2007) Tuscany

A fantastic Italian red from Cosimo Maria Masini, a biodynamic winery located near Pisa in Tuscany. The estate, where the farming of grapes and olives dates back to the 1600's, was purchased by Cosimo Masini (an engineer by trade) in 1999. On his twenty-five acres of vineyards, Masini grows the traditional grapes of Tuscany along with Cabernet, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. Masini also produces high-quality artisanal olive oil from eleven acres of Frantoio, Leccino, and Moraiolo e Mignola Cerretanna (a rarely grown cultivar) trees. The 2007 Nicole (Masini names all of his wines after members of his family) is 100% Sangiovese. Pressed by the pedis, the wine is fermented in concrete vats using only airborne yeasts. Ruby-red. Beautiful fruit nose. Food friendly acidity. Un-oaked.

Colosi Nero d'Avola (2010) Sicily

Headquartered on Salina, a small island in the Eolian Archipelago near Sicily, Colosi produces terrific everyday reds as well as a sweet Malvasia delle Lipari. The 2010 Nero d'Avola is made from Colosi's best fruit that is vinified and aged (5 months) exclusively in stainless steel. Full-bodied with a sweet, dark cherry nose. Nice smooth, round finish, unlike some other southern Italians I've tangled with. Great value. Attractive label depicting the Black d'Avola vine and the Colosi flower.

Mario and Joe; A Couple of Real Douche-Bags

Mario Batali (who late last year criticized the financial industry for "toppling the way money is distributed" and compared Wall Street bankers to Hitler and Stalin) and business partner Joe Bastianich (who criticizes everything else) have agreed to pay $5.25 million to settle allegations that the duo cheated workers out of their tips. Workers sued the pair in July of 2010, accusing Batali and Bastianich of violating the Fair Labor Standards Act. According to the complaint (Capsolas v. Pasta Resources, Inc., 10-cv-05595, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York; Manhattan), Batali and Bastianich pocketed gratuities equal to as much as 5 percent of the nightly wine sales, didn't pay minimum wage and failed to pay overtime in order to supplement their own profits (sounds like toppling the way money is distributed). When the suit was first filed, Bastianich stated in an interview that he intended to "fight the lawsuit to every inch of the law, because we know we are right". RRRRRRRRRRight. Following a call by Wall Street executives to boycott their restaurants, Batali also apologized for his Hitler and Stalin comments.

Fattoria Bibbiani "Treggiaia" (2008) Tuscany

A super Super-Tuscan from Fattoria Bibbiani, a small (12,000 cases annually) hilltop estate located about 10 miles west of Florence. The estate, which has been in owner Luigi Donato's family for over 150 years, is also home to the famed botanical gardens of Bibbiani and one of Italy's three oldest private theatres. Bibbiani's Treggiaia is a blend of 90% Sangiovese, 5% Canaiolo, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine is fermented in stainless steel and is aged for 12-18 months in 2nd passage French oak barriques and 3 months in the bottle before release. Medium in body with a classic Tuscan color and nose. (I wanted to use a profile of Tony Bennett as the photo, but his ancestor's are from southern Italy) A terrific food-friendly red.

Antonio Sanguineti Chianti (2009) Tuscany

A delicious everyday Italian red from "Maestro" Antonio Sanguineti, a land-less winemaker who produces about 12,ooo bottles a year from grapes sourced throughout Tuscany. Made from 75% Sangiovese, 10% Canaiolo, 10% Ciliegiolo, and 5% Colorino. Deep, dark red color. Strawberry/dark cherry nose. The Sangiovese is vinified in stainless for 20 days while the other grapes are vinified for 10 days in open wood vats. The grapes are then blended, bottled and moved along. Solid. A wine to drink without pants (the way the "Maestro" likes it).

The Boulevardier Cocktail

An urbane, classic cocktail that was the signature drink of Erskine Gwynne, the socialite grand-nephew of railroad tycoon Cornelius Vanderbilt, who, in the late 1920's edited a monthly magazine in Paris (think The New Yorker) called The Boulevardier. A recipe for the drink first appeared in mixologist Harry McElhone's 1927 bar guide Barflies and Cocktails (Harry relocated from the Plaza Hotel in New York City to Paris because of prohibition). The elixir is similar to both a Negroni and the Old Pal except Bourbon replaces the Gin in a Negroni and Sweet Vermouth replaces the Dry in an Old Pal. To make a Boulevardier, combine 2 oz. Bourbon, 1 oz. Campari, and 1 oz. Sweet Vermouth in a tall mixing glass filled with ice. Stir until cold and strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with an orange peel or cherry. Repeat as necessary.

Alberto Longo “Capoposto" (2008) Puglia

A silky Puglian delight from Alberto Longo, a historic 35 hectare estate located in Lucera, in the north of Puglia, in the north of Puglia, in the north of Puglia...... (I like the way that sounds) The wine is 100% Negroamaro that tastes very polished and rich. Deep ruby red color with purple highlights. Full nose of spice and brambled fruit. Fermented and aged in stainless for six months and another three in the bottle before its release to the undeserving masses (not the kind Mitt Romney does not care about, but the general wine drinking public).

Tenuta Guado al Tasso Vermentino (2009) Tuscany

A varietally perfect Vermentino from Tenuta Guado al Tasso, a 1,000 hectare (300 under vine) estate that has been owned by the Antinori's (you've heard of them) since the 1930's. The wine is 100% Vermentino (a variety native to the coastal area of Liguria and northern Tuscany, which has also flourished in Corsica and Sardinia) that is fermented and aged (for a short time) in stainless. Vibrant straw-yellow in color. Wonderfully aromatic nose of peaches and apricots. Delicious acidity. Former Congressman Larry Craig-like (wide stance) Burgundy bottle.

Old Money

A powerful craft cocktail created by Chicago mixologist Benjamin Schiller. The drink walks the fine line between subtly and sledgehammer. Fun to source the ingredients. In a cocktail shaker, combine 2 oz. of rye whiskey, 1/2 oz. Aperol, 3/8 oz.Nux Alpina, and 10 drops of bitters. Add ice to fill. Stir until cold. Strain into rocks glass filled with ice. Add 3 drops of Allspice Dram and garnish with the orange peel. Enjoy responsibly.

Cosimo Maria Masini Annick (2010) Tuscany

A beautiful Italian white from Cosimo Maria Masini, a biodynamic winery located near Pisa in Tuscany. The estate, where the farming of grapes and olives dates back to the 1600's, was purchased by Cosimo Masini (an engineer by trade) in 1999. On his twenty-five acres of vineyards, Masini grows the traditional grapes of Tuscany along with Cabernet, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. Masini also produces high-quality artisanal olive oil from eleven acres of Frantoio, Leccino, and Moraiolo e Mignola Cerretanna (a rarely grown cultivar) trees. The 2010 Annick (Masini names all of his wines after members of his family) is a blend of 60% Chardonnay and 40% Sauvignon Blanc. Pressed by the pedis, the wine is fermented in concrete vats. Dark, pale yellow color. Strong nose of apples and floral. Fresh tasting, yet full in body. Food friendly acidity. Un-oaked.