October 2010 Wine Club Selections

The Unique Varietals of Italy You've got to love Italy's dedication. As the world around them adopts the most globally popular varietals as their own (Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot and Pinot Noir topping the lists), year after year Italy sticks to its guns. They like their regionally developed grapes. Tuscany likes their Sangiovese because it goes so well with their tomato-based pastas and ribollita. So why would they want Pinot? Same goes for Asti and their Barbera, Castello di Jesi and their Vermentino, Trentino and their Muller Thurgau, and we know Piedmont isn't pulling up their precious Nebbiolo anytime soon. (A relief, to say the least.) That's not to say that Italian winemakers don't experiment with a little Cabernet Sauvignon here and there, add a little oomph to their SuperTuscan blends or a little Chardonnay to fatten up their northern white wines. But it took a long time to develop a marriage between regional wine and regional cuisine that many consider the best in the world. The pairing of gnocchi with wild boar and Chianti didn't happen overnight! So it serves us well that Italy keeps with these traditions a little longer. Let everyone else grow Chardonnay. Italy's got a pretty good thing going here.

2008 Brunori San Le Gemme Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Grape variety: Verdicchio Region: Castello di Jesi, Marche, Italy Food pairing: Brodetto (fish stew) The Marche region of Italy is home to lush green hilltops overlooking the Adriatic sea, to fishing villages and sweeping vistas. And for the last few decades, its been home to a growing number of vintners looking to participate in the resurgence of a local grape called Verdicchio. But the Brunori family has been at it with Verdicchio for three generations, and today their white wine is among some of the more interesting in the now-established Castello di Jesi designation. Grown in vineyards approximately 200-250 meters above sea level, their le Gemme Verdicchio is stunningly aromatic, and on the palate matches crisp clean white fruit flavors with stony minerality (no doubt attributed to their limestone soils.) In the fishing villages of la Marche, Verdicchio would accompany a steaming bowl of brodetto, or fish stew. We suggest you try the same. More info: http://www.garyswine.com/fine_wine/italy/73751.html 2009 Roberto Ferraris Barbera d'Asti Grape variety: Barbera Region: Asti, Italy Food pairing: Pizza Margherita There are only two places in Italy, (and arguably in the world) where the Barbera grape is at its best: Alba and Asti. Both are in the northwest of Italy, and both have just the right amount of sun exposure and limestone-clay soils to balance the grape's fruit and acidity. Now the only problem with Alba is that there, Barbara has competition for hillside space from Nebbiolo. The Nebbiolo grape thrives in the same climate, same south-facing hillsides as Barbera, but tends to fetch a higher price, and so in Alba, Barbera often loses out. But in Asti, Barbera is king, and here it's given the prime real estate that it deserves. This special Barbera is grown on a 12-hectare estate, carefully tended without chemicals and crafted entirely in tank to retain the fresh fruit nuances. Deep in color, boldly fruited and yet never heavy in the mouth, this wine carries bright red fruit and cassis aromas and a smooth, clean finish. More info: http://www.garyswine.com/fine_wine/italy/10527.html

2007 Pojer e Sandri Palai Muller Thurgau delle Dolomiti Grape variety: Muller Thurgau Region: Dolomites (Trentino), Italy Food pairing: Prosciutto-wrapped white asparagus When oenophiles think of the great white wines of Italy, and ok, of the world, I doubt that Muller Thurgau is often at the top of many lists. As a matter of fact, until recently, it was the opinion of some that the hybrid created by Swiss Doctor Hermann Muller was an inferior cross of Sylvaner and Riesling, lacking the complexity and aromatics of either parent grape. But in the Dolomite mountains of Trentino in Northern Italy, Pojer e Sandri still gives Muller Thurgau some well-deserved attention with their Palai bottling. Nearly anyone with a little care and experience can produce a white wine that's fresh, fruity, easy-drinking right upon release. But it's the underlying minerality and backbone of acidity that allows a wine like this to age and develop well, and to show such a clean, stony, waxy character three full years after the grapes were pulled from the vines. More info: http://www.garyswine.com/fine_wine/italy/14821.html 2007 Bruna Grimaldi Nebbiolo Bricciola Grape Variety: Nebbiolo Region: Alba, Italy Food pairing: Pasta with wild mushrooms I'd venture to say that many a couple has fallen in love over wine, but Bruna Grimaldi and her husband Franco Fiorino did so quite literally, as they met in enology school. Today, they work together to produce a real labor of love, wines from both Barbera and Nebbiolo grapes in the Alba region of Piedmont. Their approach to Nebbiolo is rather "old world traditional" in style, allowing the earthier nuances of the grape to show through just under a core of red fruit, and the quality of their Briccola bottling is surprising if only because Nebbiolo wines of any quality, particularly of this quality and crafted in this small quantity and with this level of care and attention, aren't found in this price range very often. So here's to finding a gem we can still afford, and to falling in love over wine. Looks like it pays off for everyone. More info: http://www.garyswine.com/fine_wine/italy/14974.html

2004 Collelceto Brunello di Montalcino Grape Variety: Sangiovese Region: Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy Food pairing: Tagliatelle with brown butter and sage Until just a few years ago, Collelceto was a traditionally run farm operation. But once proprietor Elia Palazzesi and winemaker Lorenzo Landi teamed up to revamp the operation, Collelceto quickly became one of the more respected and reliable quality producers of Brunello di Montalcino. When we first tasted 2004 Brunellos to narrow down which ones we'd buy, Collelceto stood out as a sleeper of the vintage, and one of our top value picks for the balance of fruit and tannins that displayed the best qualities of the vintage. When the scores came out, our intuition served us well. The Wine Advocate awarded it 93 points, calling it possibly Palazzesi's finest wine yet, and noting "superior clarity and delineation in its black cherries, violets, licorice, spices and new leather in a style that artfully balances a very ripe expression of fruit with firm structure." The rare Brunello that drinks well not long after release, this one can be enjoyed now but should also evolve well for ten years to come. More info: http://www.garyswine.com/fine_wine/italy/10029.html 2005 Il Borghetto Chianti Classico Monte de Sassi Grape variety: Sangiovese Region: Chianti, Tuscany, Italy Food pairing: Gnocchi with Wild Boar Ragu We opted to give you two Sangiovese wines this month, and hopefully you'll support that decision when you taste for yourself and realize just how wonderfully different these two wines from two entirely different appellations and producers are. We really like the story behind this gem. British oenologist Tim Manning formerly made wine at Dujac in Burgundy and Cristom in Oregon. Eventually he found his way to Tuscany, and decided to take a crack at making a Chianti every bit as balanced and harmonious as his Pinot Noirs. Wine Advocate reviewer Antonio Galloni said of this Chianti, "At their finest, (Manning's) wines recall great Pinot in their weightlessness and effortless grace. Simply put, I can't recommend these wines highly enough." With brilliantly expressive red fruit, nuance and richness, nor can we. Personally, I've been hard-pressed to find a Chianti producer I enjoy more . I'll let you know when I do. More info: http://www.garyswine.com/fine_wine/italy/14004.html

2005 Elio Grasso Gavarini Chiniera Barolo Grape variety: Nebbiolo Region: Piedmont, Italy Food pairing: Risotto with Porcini Mushrooms The 2005 vintage was a difficult and hard-working one for producers in Barolo. A cool wet summer was followed by rains during the harvest season, so winemakers had some work to do to make good wine. And in the shadow of a touted 2004 vintage, it was tough to measure up. But as is always the case, a great producer could still do great things with the vintage, and it was no surprise that Elio Grasso, one of Barolo's tried and true, was up to the challenge. Elio Grasso of Monforte d'Alba, a sub-appellation of Barolo, made this terrific 2005 wine with a hefty dose of traditionalism, despite the fact that he's now handing the reigns over to the next generation, his son Gianluca Grasso. Gianluca still follows in the footsteps of Elio, whose wines tend toward the old-school style of Barolo, carrying more tobacco-laden tannins and leather notes than hedonistic fruit that's popular today. "We have a philosophy of our relatives who worked in the vineyards before us," Elio once stated to a reviewer. "We need to respect that. We need to be honest with ourselves. If I was going to change, I would have changed 30 or 40 years ago. I'm 60 years old...why would I change now?" Fair enough. And with a 2005 Gavarini Chiniera bottling like this, why would they want or need to? Antonio Galloni of the Wine Advocate gave this wine from a so-called "difficult vintage" 92 points, noting "a gorgeous balance and beautifully integrated tannins. This is a relatively soft, floral Chiniera with high-toned aromatics and fresh red fruits." Toast traditionalism and hard work by enjoying now through 2020. http://www.garyswine.com/fine_wine/italy/11930.html 2007 Sette Ponti Oreno Grape Variety: Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot Region: Tuscany, Italy Food pairing: Escarole-stuffed Veal Chop With its blend of 50% Sangiovese, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon and 25% Merlot, Oreno isn't the most traditional wine to come out of Tuscany. But then, Tenuta Sette Ponti isn't your most traditional producer, and rebellion against tradition seems to be working out quite well for them. Scores on Oreno are often quite high for an under-$100 wine, and in the successful 2007 vintage, The Wine Spectator gave it a noteworthy 95 points, calling it "subtle and classy on the nose, with flowers, blueberry, dried cherry and currant. Full-bodied and very polished, with refined tannins, pretty fruit, and a light vanilla and coffee aftertaste." Non-traditional and rebellious yet classy and refined? Sounds like a successful feat to me. We recently featured this wine at an Italian wine dinner and heard rave reviews from the crowd. Though it's surprisingly approachable now given its youth (give it at least half an hour or so to breathe first), a few years of bottle age should balance out the acidity and tannins even more to reveal an even classier wine. More info: http://www.garyswine.com/fine_wine/italy/10666.html