Luce della Vite 1999 – Frescobaldi-Mondavi

Luce della Vite is a relatively young blend. The first Luce della Vite Frescobaldi vintage was 1993. It was the first Merlot and Sangiovese mix produced in Montalcino. Interestingly Dallas was the place where I was introduced to Luce della Vite in 1998. One of my Roman partners was visiting. We had just moved to Dallas and our selection of wines was, let’s say, very limited. He wanted to prepare a Matriciana while Raffaella was seriously concentrated on Stracotto al Chianti. Both dishes have important personalities. None of the wines in house would have been appropriate. A quick trip to the local wine shop with our Roman guest and the problem could be solved.

Choosing a wine at a wine store may seem like a simple task however Texas favored French wines over Italian and the California wines would have been an unknown. We carefully inspected the Italian wines, and were leaning toward an Amarone when Fausto moved toward the end of the isle and pulled two bottles of wine from the rack. He movement was so decisive it caught my attention. At a distance I could see a golden sun on the label but did not know the wine.

“This is an excellent wine, you most likely have not had this but it is one of my favorites and we are selling out in the restaurant every time we get a shipment,” he explained.

Fausto chose a perfect wine for the dinner. Luce della Vite became one of our favorite wines both here in Dallas and while in Italy. Each year is a little different however it is always a marvelous choice to accompany red meats, wild game, stews and sauces with important flavors.

Last week Luce della Vite 1999 was the protagonist in a local wine tasting. Without a doubt the 1999 vintage is another winner, worthy of its predecessors. Unfortunately the bottle we tasted seemed a bit closed. I think it did not have sufficient time to breath before the tasting but the underlying complexity was all there. It is important to allow this wine to decant for at least one hour and two would be much better.

Luce della Vite is a blend of 50% Sangiovese and 50% Merlot. The 1999 harvest was favorable for all Tuscany wines. Luce della Vite benefits from the exceptional growing climate. Decanting the wine evidences an intense color of red rubies and the blackberries permeate the air. On the palate nuances of tobacco, leather, cinnamon and cloves transition smoothly from one taste to the other. The wine feels silky in the mouth with just enough acidity and tannins to cut the flavors of savory foods.

This is a great wine to have for special occasions. Among the high-end wines its price is very reasonable. It will age very well. I would think this is one of the wines that can grace your cellar for 15+ years before peaking. Do not open this wine if you are in a hurry. It needs to breath to balance the flavors and textures. Give yourself a couple of hours to truly appreciate this wine. If you intend to order Luce della Vite at your favorite restaurant, call ahead and ask them to decant it for you.

Grape: Sangiovese 50% - Merlot 50%.

Color: Intense Ruby Red.

Bouquet: Intense perfume of Mature Dark Fruits.

Flavor: Full flavored of Plums and Blackberries, transitioning to hints of Tobacco, Leather, Cinnamon, and Cloves.

Alcohol: 14.5%.

Serving Temperature: 16-18 c.

Glass: Balloon or wide rimmed red wine glass.

Aging: 15+ years.

Tags: Luce Red Wine Italian Wine Tuscany Sommelier Montalcino Food and Wine Travel Italy

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Poggio Antico – Not just a winery – Visit Montalcino

Vacationing in Montalcino. The great wines of Tuscany are not the only reason to visit this area. Many wineries not only make wine, but also produce Olive Oil and may have a small restaurant. I have found that while the wine may be really good the true attraction is one of the ancillary services they offer. Poggio Antico is one of these wineries. Located in Montalcino the restaurant is one of the best places to eat in the area. Considering this is in the heart of Tuscany that is saying something.

The Poggio Antico restaurant is owned by the winery but is run by the husband and wife team, Roberto e Patrizia Minnetti. The menu’ is constantly changing as the finest and freshest ingredients are employed to prepare traditional regional plates. The menu’ is also carefully choreographed to the elegant wines of the winery. Desserts are prepared in house and local cheeses are part of the attraction. The ambiance of the restaurant is that of a traditional Tuscan villa, elegant yet sober.

This restaurant is an opportunity to participate in a unique culinary experience, once part of even the simplest life but today rarely found. It is true balance at the dinner table. Foods prepared with local ingredients, Olive Oil for olives grown in the same ground as the grapes for the wines. Recipes perfected over the centuries to compliment the wines. Bruschetta made with the vineyard’s oil. Red wines, dessert wines and grappa all made from the same grapes grown in the same vineyard complete the experience.

An entire day could be planned around Poggio Antico. Visit the winery in the early afternoon followed by a tasting of this year’s production. A walk around the vineyards is the perfect way to stimulate the appetite before dinner at the Poggio Antico restaurant. The taxi ride back to the hotel should provide just enough time to digest the sumptuous meal before falling into a profound sleep for the night.

This is not a secret to the Italians so a bit of planning is appropriate. The company can be contacted by Tel/Fax 0577-849200 or email rist.poggio.antico@libero.it.

Tags: Italian Vacations Tuscany Montalcino Wine Tours Travel Italy

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Wine Train – Chugging along the tracks deep in the Tuscan hills.

Vinitaly opened its doors with grand gala in Verona today. Part of the festivities was the unveiling of a special train, the Montalcino Express, that will take wine lovers into the home of top wine Brunello di Montalcino, leaving Siena and Rome for Montalcino every weekend starting later this summer. Beginning June 16, 2007 the wine train will leave the station in Siena to wind through the Tuscan countryside arriving at the restructured Station in Montalcino. After a day in Montalcino the train then returns to Siena at 7:00 pm. This is an exclusive trip.

An antique locomotive carries up to 150 passengers through the rolling hills into wine country. There are 3 different itineraries available: the green card includes visits to the historical sites of Montalcino, the yellow card offers a trip to the local hot spring spa and the red card permits a visit to one of the local wineries for a tour of the facilities and a tasting. Not that the trip itself is limited just to seeing the beautiful scenery. The tour intends to present less known Tuscan wines for the discerning traveler.

I believe that Tuscany receives too much attention on the worldwide markets. This to the detriment of other great Italian wine producing areas, but I must say this is a great idea. It is an opportunity to see, smell and live Tuscan culture. It is highly recommended that you make reservations well in advance. If this initiative is as successful as the Milan Tram Restaurant then there will be a several month waiting list.
Tags: Italian Vacations Tuscany Montalcino Wine Tours Travel Italy

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Ruffino Modus 2000 – Designer wine from Tuscany

Ruffino Modus 2000 is a designer wine of good quality. The wine is produced with 50% Sangiovese, 25% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Sauvignon. In the constant attempt to maintain the quality of our cellar and to find new and unique wines, we are tasting, ok actually drinking the whole bottle, various products from the same producer. Once we have tried numerous products in their line we then moving on to the next company. Our current adventures are with Ruffino. Ruffino has long been a quality producer across several price ranges. In 1997 the company produced its first designer wine, Modus by Tenimenti Ruffino.

We found the choice of grapes to be very interesting for this blend. The Sangiovese produces the dominant flavor of Bing Cherries releasing into red berries, the Merlot adds a velvety sensation encompassing the palate with earthy aromas while the Cabernet Sauvignon adds structure with a bit of a bite and a finish of sweet herbs. Modus Ruffino is smooth and full of flavors, a great initial impact without the heavy tannins resulting in a wine that can be consumed as a before or after dinner drink as well as accompanying food.

The wine accompanied our Bucatini alla Matriciana and it was a very good fit. We wanted to see how the progression to another wine would be so after dinner we passed on to a purebred Chianti, Il Ducale by Ruffino. This was an error. We had noticed with other designer wines that following a designer with a traditional wine, the traditional wine just was not right. Immediately we closed the Chianti and set it aside for another occasion. I do not see this as a limitation but something to remember when serving designer wines. Always have a couple of bottles of the same wine on hand when serving with dinner.

This is another great addition to our cellar. The price is very reasonable, in the 25$ range, can accompany most meats and sauces. I would not go as far as to serve with wild game or an aged or spicy cheese but Modus 2000 can accompany most first plates and entrées. It will also be a good match for before dinner appetizers such as Bruschetta or Crostini.

Grape: Sangiovese 50%, Merlot 25%, Cabernet Sauvignon 25%.

Color: Ruby red and garnet color.

Bouquet: Vanilla, liquorices, white pepper and cinnamon.

Flavor: Cherry jam, raspberries, blackberries, and a finish of blueberries and vanilla.

Alcohol Content: 13.5 %

Serving Temperature: 18-20 c.

Decanting: ½ hour.

Pouring: No special conditions.

Glass: use a clear, stemmed glass.

Tags: Ruffino Montalcino Red Wine Italian Wine Tuscany Sommelier Food and Wine Travel Italy

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Brunello di Montalcino – Manachiara Silvo Nardi 1997 DOCG

Brunello di Montalcino Manachiara from the vineyards of Silvio Nardi, Montalcino, Italy.

Recently a good friend came to dinner and brought a bottle of wine. He travels often in Italy and has learned our taste in wine over the years. During a recent trip he found this wine from Montalcino in Tuscany, Italy and thought we would enjoy it. He was right on. Although we had tried various Silvio Nardi wines we had not had the opportunity to try this Brunello.

This is not unusual, there are hundreds of Brunello produced by various producers and the top companies will create a wine for each vineyard exalting the natural characteristics of the terrain and the amount of sun the grape receives during the season. Nardi did a great job with this wine. It was smooth with very subdued tannins, a full body and complex structure.

When I pulled the cork it had a pleasant scent of mature fruit. I was amazed that I did not perceive any tannins, usually a Brunello will have a rather marked scent of tannins upon opening, they then dissipate as the wine breathes. The flavor is encompassing, filling the entire mouth, with just a bit of a bite at the very end without drying the palette. In fact I would drink this wine both before and during dinner. It could also accompany a rich dessert such as a chocolate mousse. I would not choose this wine for wild game or spicy foods. I think it lacks the tannins to appropriately clean the palette. I would accompany any meat dish, both with red and white sauces, mushrooms, and for those who do not drink white this could also accompany some of the more savory fish. I was very impressed by this wine, it will be a great bottle to keep around. It may not be the first choice but will always be a great second choice. The expert and the novice will both appreciate this Brunello.

The technical information on this wine is:

Grape: 100% Sangiovese.

Color: Intense, bright Ruby Red, with aging will become garnet red with orange highlights

Bouquet: Mature fruit, garden flowers with a hint of coffee and chocolate.

Flavor: A good balance of flavors, smooth and soft from the onset. The finish is ever so slightly acidic.

Alcohol: 13,5%

Serving Temperature: 18 degrees c.

Decanting: Not necessary but ½ hour before drinking never hurts.

Glass: Wide mouthed and wide bodied. A balloon glass would be perfect

Aging: I think you can keep this wine well into the 15 year range.

Tags: Brunello di Montalcino Tuscany Silvio Nardi Montalcino Red Wine Food and Wine Travel Italy

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Brunello di Montalcino Coldisole 2000

Yesterday had been a difficult day. Raffaella and I wanted to treat ourselves to something special with dinner. Dinner was to be chicken breasts with sage rolled in pancetta and braised in butter and a bit of lemon. This limited our selection a bit. We needed something luxurious but not overpowering. We had started before dinner drinks with a Prosecco with onion focaccia.

A quick look at our cooler evidenced a bottle of Brunello di Montalcino 2000 produced by Coldisole. It was a bit young but the other Coldisole products were very drinkable as soon as they appeared in the stores so we decided to take a chance. I popped the cork and immediately picked up a hint of chocolate. This bouquet is very similar to another wine produced by Lionello Marchesi. Brunello wines need at least a half hour to breathe before drinking and we set this one to decant while Raffaella prepared dinner.

We sat down to dinner, a toast to each other and the first sip of the wine. Our concern about the age was not justified; it was very drinkable. Most likely allowing the wine to age another couple of years would have been beneficial but this Brunello had matured sufficiently. The chocolate had completely disappeared while a very smooth taste of berries and cinnamon. The flavor was full and rounded, for me this means it filled all portions of my mouth without peaks or valleys in flavor. Tannins were present but ever so slightly. The wine was encompassing, as if you could chew it. A structured and complex wine, the finish had a hint of sweet tobacco.

Normally we would not drink a Brunello with chicken but the pancetta would add flavor and structure to the chicken. This Brunello was a perfect compliment. As we finished dinner we continued our bottle of wine as we chatted about our day. It was almost addictive. Smooth, flavorful, not overbearing, only slight tannins and the combination of berries and cinnamon were too much to resist.

Brunello di Montalcino Coldisole also has a great price quality ratio. At about 40$ it is not an everyday table wine but certainly in the same quality range of some of the 50-60 $ Tuscany wines. This would also be an appropriate wine to serve with aged cheeses as an after dinner wine or with cream or chocolate desserts should your guest not appreciate white wines.

The technical information on this wine is:

Grape: 100% Sangiovese.

Alcohol: 14%

Serving Temperature: 18 degrees c.

Decanting: 1 hour before drinking.

Glass: Wide mouthed and wide bodied. A balloon glass would be perfect

Tags: Brunello di Montalcino Red Wine Montalcino Tuscany Food and Wine Travel Italy

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Gaja Sori Tildin 1997 – Red Wine from Piemonte

Gaja is one of the two best producers in Piemonte. Their wines can be consumed immediately upon commercialization. This is unusual and demands a premium in price as most high level red wines are better with age.

Sori Tildin is a 95% Nebbiolo and 5% Barbera mix. We chose this wine to accompany the Cipolline alla Senape Arancione. The 5% Barbera grape would increase the fruitiness of the wine and be a good mix with the sweetness of the onions. We thought it would also be a great precursor to Barbaresco planned with the cannelloni. This wine is rated as one of the most exclusive in the world by many rating associations.

The Gaja Winery was founded by Giovanni Gaja in 1859 and has been owned and operated by four generations of the Gaja family. Giovanni Gaja was the great-grandfather of Angelo Gaja, the Winery's current owner. In 1994 Gaja acquired its first wine estate in Tuscany, Pieve Santa Restituta in Montalcino. The property's forty acres of vineyards produce two Brunello di Montalcino wines called Sugarille and Rennina.

The word "Sorì" means a hilltop with a southern exposure. "Tildìn" was the nickname of Angelo Gaja's grandmother, Clothilde Rey. She was a visionary who was instrumental in acquiring some of the choicest parcels for the Gaja Estate, as well as being the inspiration behind Angelo's continuous quest to innovate.

Color: Deep purple.

Aroma: Complex aromas of toast, minerals, sour cherries, cedar and spices.

Taste: Displays the roundest tasting profile of all Gaja single-vineyard wines. The rich body, subtle texture and fine, ripe tannins are typical for this wine of great finesse, the quintessential expression of the land and the Nebbiolo grape. This wine has extraordinary aging potential--more than forty years in outstanding vintages.

Aging: 12 months in barrels followed by 12 months in large oak casks

Personally, I found the wine to be too young. The fruitiness was dominant while I expected it to be complimentary. Considering it was an 8 year old I would probably not try this again for at least another 4 years.

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