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Our Italian Icon Tasting this past Saturday at Jim & Sandy’s
was more fun than a gondola ride in Venice, Italy. And
speaking of Italy that is precisely where you feel when you
arrive at the Stigliano residence. Jim and Sandy might get the
award for the most out of the way hosts we have ever had, but it
was oh so worth it. The house is flanked to the side with honest
to goodness grapevines featuring real Italian grape varietals.
Once inside the home, you are treated to a warm and open
Tuscan Villa. Simply…awesome!
It was Jim’s Birthday and to celebrate, he slaved away in the
kitchen preparing a full blown Tuscan feast. An Italian deli
from downtown Dallas hooked him up with the most
unbelievable cold cuts and cheeses. To complete the buffet, Jim
prepared Italian meatballs, stuffed pasta shells, a sausage and
bell pepper dish, pesto’s, olive oils, breads and balsamic
vinegar, you name it! Ann brought a lovely tomato, basil &
mozzarella appetizer to go along with all the rest of the food.
With all of that going on, the wines had better be good and since
I was responsible for them, fortunately for me, they were
indeed! We featured wines from three different regions in
Italy. First we covered the Valpolicella region with a Veronese
wine, an Amarone and a Valpolicella Classico Ripassa. For
many, it was the first time ever to try an Amarone, which is a
very unique wine indeed. Most people really, really, loved it.
There were one or two that were not fans.
From there we moved on to Piedmonte featuring a Nebbiolo d’
Alba and a Barolo, the King of Italian Wines. Don’t let the light
orangish hue fool you, these are no wimpy light sipping wines,
they are all business on the tannin side of things. Barolo’s are
some of Italy’s longest living wines on par with many great
Bordeaux’s. I would be fibbing if I didn’t confess that Barolo’s
are some of my absolute favorite Italian wines, however, on this
evening, they were outshined by the last category of our tasting.
So…when in Tuscany, (i.e. Jim & Sandy’s place) do as the
Tuscans do, right? With that said our last region of the evening
featured four wines from the very large Tuscan region of Italy.
First up was a Vino di Montepulciano, followed by two Super
Tuscans, one predominately Merlot based and the other a
combination of Sangiovese, Cabernet & Syrah. Then with our
last wine of the evening, we sent this tasting off in style with a
brawny brute of a wine from Brunello di Montalcino. It did not
disappoint either!
I would like to thank our hosts Jim & Sandy for such a
wonderful job and for opening up there lovely home on this
evening! Thank you!
Since this tasting was meant to be both educational as well as
fun, I covered a few facts about the wine styles and where they
come from. For those that missed the tasting, here are some
interesting nuggets that you missed:
Valpolicella Wine Region
Amarone della Valpolicella, or Amarone for short, is created in
the Venetian region of Italy. These wines are made with the
Corvina Veronese, Rondinella and Molinara grapes. Two sub-
groups emerged, though - recioto, which is a sweet dessert wine,
and amarone, which is a dry red wine with great body.
Both recioto and amarone are made with grapes that have been
dried on racks, bringing out their flavors. Amarone is the fourth
biggest seller in Italy, behind Chianti, Asti, and Soave. This fine
wine has flavors of licorice, tobacco and fig, and goes well with
game and ripe cheese.
Located in northeastern Italy, Valpolicella’s scenic vineyards
start in the fertile plains north of Verona and climb their way up
steep terraced hillsides, offering magnificent views over the
town of Verona.
Amarone is the modern version of the Veronese Recioto whose
origins are amongst the oldest in the long history of Italian wine.
In a letter written in the 4th century AD, Cassiodorus minister
to Theodoric, King of the Visigoths talks of a very special wine
made from partially dried grapes and produced in an area
known as “Valpolicella”, a name which according to some
historians derives from the Latin “Vallis pollis cellae”, literally
‘valley of many cellars’.
Until a century ago the only wine made in Valpolicella was the
sweet and velvety textured Recioto. Amarone comes from the
Italian word amaro ("bitter") as most examples were
characterized (and some still are) by a tartness or slightly
astringent edge. Amarone is harvested between the last week
of September and the first week of October. Great care is taken
to select only perfectly healthy, ripe grapes for the delicate
phase of drying which will follow. The Amarone blend is based
on Corvina, (between 40% and 80% of the total) complemented
by Rondinella (5%-30%) and Corvinone (50% max).
During the harvest great attention is given to the selection of
the grapes in the vineyard. These are then laid in single layers
on wooden trays or on bamboo mats, to allow the air to circulate
around the fruit. The grapes are left to dry in the lofts for three
to four months. By the end of this period evaporation will have
reduced the weight of the grapes by half, decreased the acidity
and increased the percentage sugar content by 25-30%. The
effect of the drying process also changes the balance of glucose
and fructose which facilitates the concentration of polyphenols
and a significant increase in glycerine and other natural
substances which make wines from partially dried fruit unique in
character.
Ripasso is an Italian red wine from Valpolicella. The first
Ripasso wine was produced in 1964 by the Masi Winery. The
wine is called Campofiorin. Masi was the first winery to apply
the technique of making a second fermentation of Valpolicella
grapes (Corvina, Molinara, and Rondinella) on the lees of the
Amarone transforming a young fresh wine into a rich full bodied
wine suitable for aging in barrel and bottle.
Wines we tasted from Valpolicella:
Allegrini 2001 Palazzo della Torre
Masi 2000 Amarone Costasera
Zenato 2001 Valpolicella Classico Ripassa
Piedmonte Wine Region
Barolo's history - which takes its name from the homonymous
town of Langhe - that is the dry wine as we know it today,
begins in the first years of 1800. Before those times, Barolo's
wine was characterized by a sweet taste caused by the presence
of residual sugars, which - because of the effect of low
temperature typical in those places - could not completely get
fermented. Temperature was not the only responsible factor for
this problem. Nebbiolo is a late ripening variety - usually at the
end of October – so by the time the grapes are ripe Langhe's
temperature begins to go down therefore inhibiting the work of
yeasts.
In 1843, count Camillo Benso of Cavour - at that time mayor of
Grinzane - called to his estates the French enologist count Louis
Oudart, assigning to him the job of making wines in Grinzane's
cellars. Thanks to the friendship with count Cavour, marquise
Falletti of Barolo asked the French enologist for advice on how
to improve the wines in her cellar, hoping to make them similar
to French wines. Louis Oudart realized low temperature was the
reason for the sweetness in Barolo, so he suggested the use of
specific yeasts: the great Barolo was about to be born. As a
consequence, marquise Falletti of Barolo decided to completely
change the production systems of her wines, adopting the ones
suggested by Oudart, introducing French enological
technologies, which transformed forever Barolo from a sweet
wine to a great dry wine, “the king of wines, the wine of kings”.
The history was changed and this time forever.
Barolo must age for at least 3 years, of which at least 2 in
chestnut or oak cask, starting from January 1st following the
harvesting of grapes. The minimum alcohol by volume for
Barolo is 13%, a useful characteristic for the balance of this
wine, as Nebbiolo is rich in polyphenols and makes wines with
an appreciable acidity. For this reason, it is pretty frequent to
find a Barolo with an alcohol by volumes higher than 14%.
Barolo, aged for a at least 5 years in cellar, can be classified as
riserva (reserve).
Wines we tasted:
Pio Cesare 2000 Nebbiolo d’Alba
Ceretto 1999 Barolo Zonchara
Tuscan Wine Region:
Montepulciano - The oldest document referring to the wine of
Montepulciano dates back to 789: the cleric Arnipert offered
the church of San Silvestro or San Salvatore in Lanciniano, on
Mt. Amiata, a portion of land with vineyards on it inside the
castle of Policiano.
King William the III of England’s preference for Tuscan wines
may well be the result of Redi’s writings which made them
famous and is demonstrated by the journey of an English
delegation in 1669 to the Grand Duchy of Tuscany to obtain
Moscadello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano
for the English court.
In 1309 pope Clement V transferred the papal residence from
Rome to Avignon, France. In 1377, when pope Gregory XI
moved the papal residence back to Rome, some noble families
of Avignon left France to follow him. It was at that time, in Italy,
that one of those families became known as Avignonesi -
probably to simplify an otherwise difficult, foreign name. Soon
the Avignonesi family separated into three branches which
settled in Rome, Siena and Montepulciano.
Super Tuscans - After World War II, the Chianti, being cheap
and gulpable, became known and was drunk world wide. Chianti
didn't imply snobbism or wealth, it was plainly easy to drink. But
with the years, the wine grew increasingly disappointing and
partly the problem was the Chianti formula itself (as described
on the Chianti Classico page, the addition of white grapes was
tradition and was allowed up until 2006).
In the 70's a handful of innovative and quality minded producers
began taking the first steps toward making wines that would
become the opposite of this "spaghetti Chianti". They were
definitely inspired by the Marquis Mario Incisa della Rocchetta
owner of the estate Tenuta San Guido in Bolgheri, an area on
the coast of Tuscany, who produced an artisan wine that broke
every rule, Sassicaia. The vineyards were planted in what was
then considered just about the worst possible location in
Tuscany The Cabernet Sauvignon vines were imported directly
from Bordeaux and the wine was aged in French barriques.
Every other wine in Tuscany was at the time aged (if aged at all)
in big Slovenian oak casks, or worst case: in casks made of
chestnut wood.
The first Sassicaias made in the 1940's were peculiar, even
coarse wines, but the Marquis' techniques were considerably
refined by the 60's and the wine turned out to be awesome. It
wasn't yet very well known, since the quantities produced were
minimal, but Piero Antinori who was related to the Incisa della
Rocchetta knew about it. Piero Antinori was the owner of a very
old winery in the Chianti Classico region. And thus the Sassicaia
became the model for Antinori's Tignanello, the first of its kind
in 1971. The Tignanello had no addition of white grapes and was
based almost entirely on the Sangiovese and was aged in
barriques (later on the Cabernet Sauvignon was added).
Brunello di Montalcino - Brunello (the little dark one) is a
Tuscan dialect name for a particularly fine strain of Sangiovese
grown in Montalcino, south of both Chianti and Siena. In this
dryer, hotter, and more Mediterranean climate of southern
Tuscany, the limestone and sand soil produce a muscular grape
capable of making a rich, dark, concentrated red (heavier and
more tannic than Chianti). Tongue-curling tannins and firm
acidity allow these wines to age, catching the eyes of wine
collectors, Popes, Presidents, Kings, and Queens.
It is the combination of this specific clone, the agreeable
climate, the low yield guidelines set by the Consorzio (the
regional governing body), and the long aging requirements (four
years, with at least two in oak barrels) that contribute to great
Brunello.
The ancient walled city of Montalcino, whose name means "the
mountain of the holm-oaks," has a rich history that includes
struggles against the Florentines and the Spanish empire.
While vineyards are believed to have graced the rolling hills of
Montalcino as early as the 10th century, the history of Brunello
di Montalcino is relatively short by Italian wine standards.
Many of the estates in the region trace their lineage back
several centuries, but Brunello is just 150 years old. Up until the
1500's the wine of the region was a sweet white from the
Muscat grape labeled Moscadello di Montalcino and was
followed by wines made from the traditional Tuscan varietals
Sangiovese, Canaiolo, Trebbiano, and Malvasia. The birth of
Brunello dates to the mid-1800's when Clemente Santi took an
isolated Sangiovese clone and planted the vines on what would
become the legendary family estate, Il Greppo.
In the Montalcino zone the soil will generally contain more sand
and limestone than soils farther north in the region of Chianti.
The climate is another decisive factor, as there is a significant
shift from the damper, cooler, continental climate of Chianti
Classico to a more dry, heat-infused Mediterranean
environment that is cooled by air currents formed by the
Montalcino hills and shelter provided by Tuscany's highest
peak, Mount Amiata.
Wines we tasted:
Avignonesi 2002 Vino Nobile di Montepulciano
Ormani 2000 Julius
Villa Calcinaia 2001 Casarsa
Il Poggione 2000 Brunello di Montalcino
was more fun than a gondola ride in Venice, Italy. And
speaking of Italy that is precisely where you feel when you
arrive at the Stigliano residence. Jim and Sandy might get the
award for the most out of the way hosts we have ever had, but it
was oh so worth it. The house is flanked to the side with honest
to goodness grapevines featuring real Italian grape varietals.
Once inside the home, you are treated to a warm and open
Tuscan Villa. Simply…awesome!
It was Jim’s Birthday and to celebrate, he slaved away in the
kitchen preparing a full blown Tuscan feast. An Italian deli
from downtown Dallas hooked him up with the most
unbelievable cold cuts and cheeses. To complete the buffet, Jim
prepared Italian meatballs, stuffed pasta shells, a sausage and
bell pepper dish, pesto’s, olive oils, breads and balsamic
vinegar, you name it! Ann brought a lovely tomato, basil &
mozzarella appetizer to go along with all the rest of the food.
With all of that going on, the wines had better be good and since
I was responsible for them, fortunately for me, they were
indeed! We featured wines from three different regions in
Italy. First we covered the Valpolicella region with a Veronese
wine, an Amarone and a Valpolicella Classico Ripassa. For
many, it was the first time ever to try an Amarone, which is a
very unique wine indeed. Most people really, really, loved it.
There were one or two that were not fans.
From there we moved on to Piedmonte featuring a Nebbiolo d’
Alba and a Barolo, the King of Italian Wines. Don’t let the light
orangish hue fool you, these are no wimpy light sipping wines,
they are all business on the tannin side of things. Barolo’s are
some of Italy’s longest living wines on par with many great
Bordeaux’s. I would be fibbing if I didn’t confess that Barolo’s
are some of my absolute favorite Italian wines, however, on this
evening, they were outshined by the last category of our tasting.
So…when in Tuscany, (i.e. Jim & Sandy’s place) do as the
Tuscans do, right? With that said our last region of the evening
featured four wines from the very large Tuscan region of Italy.
First up was a Vino di Montepulciano, followed by two Super
Tuscans, one predominately Merlot based and the other a
combination of Sangiovese, Cabernet & Syrah. Then with our
last wine of the evening, we sent this tasting off in style with a
brawny brute of a wine from Brunello di Montalcino. It did not
disappoint either!
I would like to thank our hosts Jim & Sandy for such a
wonderful job and for opening up there lovely home on this
evening! Thank you!
Since this tasting was meant to be both educational as well as
fun, I covered a few facts about the wine styles and where they
come from. For those that missed the tasting, here are some
interesting nuggets that you missed:
Valpolicella Wine Region
Amarone della Valpolicella, or Amarone for short, is created in
the Venetian region of Italy. These wines are made with the
Corvina Veronese, Rondinella and Molinara grapes. Two sub-
groups emerged, though - recioto, which is a sweet dessert wine,
and amarone, which is a dry red wine with great body.
Both recioto and amarone are made with grapes that have been
dried on racks, bringing out their flavors. Amarone is the fourth
biggest seller in Italy, behind Chianti, Asti, and Soave. This fine
wine has flavors of licorice, tobacco and fig, and goes well with
game and ripe cheese.
Located in northeastern Italy, Valpolicella’s scenic vineyards
start in the fertile plains north of Verona and climb their way up
steep terraced hillsides, offering magnificent views over the
town of Verona.
Amarone is the modern version of the Veronese Recioto whose
origins are amongst the oldest in the long history of Italian wine.
In a letter written in the 4th century AD, Cassiodorus minister
to Theodoric, King of the Visigoths talks of a very special wine
made from partially dried grapes and produced in an area
known as “Valpolicella”, a name which according to some
historians derives from the Latin “Vallis pollis cellae”, literally
‘valley of many cellars’.
Until a century ago the only wine made in Valpolicella was the
sweet and velvety textured Recioto. Amarone comes from the
Italian word amaro ("bitter") as most examples were
characterized (and some still are) by a tartness or slightly
astringent edge. Amarone is harvested between the last week
of September and the first week of October. Great care is taken
to select only perfectly healthy, ripe grapes for the delicate
phase of drying which will follow. The Amarone blend is based
on Corvina, (between 40% and 80% of the total) complemented
by Rondinella (5%-30%) and Corvinone (50% max).
During the harvest great attention is given to the selection of
the grapes in the vineyard. These are then laid in single layers
on wooden trays or on bamboo mats, to allow the air to circulate
around the fruit. The grapes are left to dry in the lofts for three
to four months. By the end of this period evaporation will have
reduced the weight of the grapes by half, decreased the acidity
and increased the percentage sugar content by 25-30%. The
effect of the drying process also changes the balance of glucose
and fructose which facilitates the concentration of polyphenols
and a significant increase in glycerine and other natural
substances which make wines from partially dried fruit unique in
character.
Ripasso is an Italian red wine from Valpolicella. The first
Ripasso wine was produced in 1964 by the Masi Winery. The
wine is called Campofiorin. Masi was the first winery to apply
the technique of making a second fermentation of Valpolicella
grapes (Corvina, Molinara, and Rondinella) on the lees of the
Amarone transforming a young fresh wine into a rich full bodied
wine suitable for aging in barrel and bottle.
Wines we tasted from Valpolicella:
Allegrini 2001 Palazzo della Torre
Masi 2000 Amarone Costasera
Zenato 2001 Valpolicella Classico Ripassa
Piedmonte Wine Region
Barolo's history - which takes its name from the homonymous
town of Langhe - that is the dry wine as we know it today,
begins in the first years of 1800. Before those times, Barolo's
wine was characterized by a sweet taste caused by the presence
of residual sugars, which - because of the effect of low
temperature typical in those places - could not completely get
fermented. Temperature was not the only responsible factor for
this problem. Nebbiolo is a late ripening variety - usually at the
end of October – so by the time the grapes are ripe Langhe's
temperature begins to go down therefore inhibiting the work of
yeasts.
In 1843, count Camillo Benso of Cavour - at that time mayor of
Grinzane - called to his estates the French enologist count Louis
Oudart, assigning to him the job of making wines in Grinzane's
cellars. Thanks to the friendship with count Cavour, marquise
Falletti of Barolo asked the French enologist for advice on how
to improve the wines in her cellar, hoping to make them similar
to French wines. Louis Oudart realized low temperature was the
reason for the sweetness in Barolo, so he suggested the use of
specific yeasts: the great Barolo was about to be born. As a
consequence, marquise Falletti of Barolo decided to completely
change the production systems of her wines, adopting the ones
suggested by Oudart, introducing French enological
technologies, which transformed forever Barolo from a sweet
wine to a great dry wine, “the king of wines, the wine of kings”.
The history was changed and this time forever.
Barolo must age for at least 3 years, of which at least 2 in
chestnut or oak cask, starting from January 1st following the
harvesting of grapes. The minimum alcohol by volume for
Barolo is 13%, a useful characteristic for the balance of this
wine, as Nebbiolo is rich in polyphenols and makes wines with
an appreciable acidity. For this reason, it is pretty frequent to
find a Barolo with an alcohol by volumes higher than 14%.
Barolo, aged for a at least 5 years in cellar, can be classified as
riserva (reserve).
Wines we tasted:
Pio Cesare 2000 Nebbiolo d’Alba
Ceretto 1999 Barolo Zonchara
Tuscan Wine Region:
Montepulciano - The oldest document referring to the wine of
Montepulciano dates back to 789: the cleric Arnipert offered
the church of San Silvestro or San Salvatore in Lanciniano, on
Mt. Amiata, a portion of land with vineyards on it inside the
castle of Policiano.
King William the III of England’s preference for Tuscan wines
may well be the result of Redi’s writings which made them
famous and is demonstrated by the journey of an English
delegation in 1669 to the Grand Duchy of Tuscany to obtain
Moscadello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano
for the English court.
In 1309 pope Clement V transferred the papal residence from
Rome to Avignon, France. In 1377, when pope Gregory XI
moved the papal residence back to Rome, some noble families
of Avignon left France to follow him. It was at that time, in Italy,
that one of those families became known as Avignonesi -
probably to simplify an otherwise difficult, foreign name. Soon
the Avignonesi family separated into three branches which
settled in Rome, Siena and Montepulciano.
Super Tuscans - After World War II, the Chianti, being cheap
and gulpable, became known and was drunk world wide. Chianti
didn't imply snobbism or wealth, it was plainly easy to drink. But
with the years, the wine grew increasingly disappointing and
partly the problem was the Chianti formula itself (as described
on the Chianti Classico page, the addition of white grapes was
tradition and was allowed up until 2006).
In the 70's a handful of innovative and quality minded producers
began taking the first steps toward making wines that would
become the opposite of this "spaghetti Chianti". They were
definitely inspired by the Marquis Mario Incisa della Rocchetta
owner of the estate Tenuta San Guido in Bolgheri, an area on
the coast of Tuscany, who produced an artisan wine that broke
every rule, Sassicaia. The vineyards were planted in what was
then considered just about the worst possible location in
Tuscany The Cabernet Sauvignon vines were imported directly
from Bordeaux and the wine was aged in French barriques.
Every other wine in Tuscany was at the time aged (if aged at all)
in big Slovenian oak casks, or worst case: in casks made of
chestnut wood.
The first Sassicaias made in the 1940's were peculiar, even
coarse wines, but the Marquis' techniques were considerably
refined by the 60's and the wine turned out to be awesome. It
wasn't yet very well known, since the quantities produced were
minimal, but Piero Antinori who was related to the Incisa della
Rocchetta knew about it. Piero Antinori was the owner of a very
old winery in the Chianti Classico region. And thus the Sassicaia
became the model for Antinori's Tignanello, the first of its kind
in 1971. The Tignanello had no addition of white grapes and was
based almost entirely on the Sangiovese and was aged in
barriques (later on the Cabernet Sauvignon was added).
Brunello di Montalcino - Brunello (the little dark one) is a
Tuscan dialect name for a particularly fine strain of Sangiovese
grown in Montalcino, south of both Chianti and Siena. In this
dryer, hotter, and more Mediterranean climate of southern
Tuscany, the limestone and sand soil produce a muscular grape
capable of making a rich, dark, concentrated red (heavier and
more tannic than Chianti). Tongue-curling tannins and firm
acidity allow these wines to age, catching the eyes of wine
collectors, Popes, Presidents, Kings, and Queens.
It is the combination of this specific clone, the agreeable
climate, the low yield guidelines set by the Consorzio (the
regional governing body), and the long aging requirements (four
years, with at least two in oak barrels) that contribute to great
Brunello.
The ancient walled city of Montalcino, whose name means "the
mountain of the holm-oaks," has a rich history that includes
struggles against the Florentines and the Spanish empire.
While vineyards are believed to have graced the rolling hills of
Montalcino as early as the 10th century, the history of Brunello
di Montalcino is relatively short by Italian wine standards.
Many of the estates in the region trace their lineage back
several centuries, but Brunello is just 150 years old. Up until the
1500's the wine of the region was a sweet white from the
Muscat grape labeled Moscadello di Montalcino and was
followed by wines made from the traditional Tuscan varietals
Sangiovese, Canaiolo, Trebbiano, and Malvasia. The birth of
Brunello dates to the mid-1800's when Clemente Santi took an
isolated Sangiovese clone and planted the vines on what would
become the legendary family estate, Il Greppo.
In the Montalcino zone the soil will generally contain more sand
and limestone than soils farther north in the region of Chianti.
The climate is another decisive factor, as there is a significant
shift from the damper, cooler, continental climate of Chianti
Classico to a more dry, heat-infused Mediterranean
environment that is cooled by air currents formed by the
Montalcino hills and shelter provided by Tuscany's highest
peak, Mount Amiata.
Wines we tasted:
Avignonesi 2002 Vino Nobile di Montepulciano
Ormani 2000 Julius
Villa Calcinaia 2001 Casarsa
Il Poggione 2000 Brunello di Montalcino
