Tag Archives: italy

Wine of the Day: Paolo Bea Pagliaro Secco, Sagrantino di Montefalco DOCG 2008 4-19-16

Paolo Bea Pagliaro Secco, Sagrantino di Montefalco DOCG 2008 750ML ($89.95) Buy Now: $79 special

Sagrantino di Montefalco is a brawny, tannic wine. Bea’s interpretation of the grape entails careful winemaking with an aim to limit intervention. There’s so much structure here, with a musical balance of muscle and grace – the smoke and spice conjure thoughts of campfire and fragrant cigar boxes, while a coquettish blend of cranberry, dark chocolate, granite-tinged minerals, and freshly-tilled earth dances across the tongue.

The surest bet is to decant the wine, taking little sips as you revisit over the course of two to three days, perhaps more for the uber-curious. Keep it in the fridge in the interim, but allow plenty of time for it to reacquaint with room temperature before you pour those ensuing glasses. Listen close to the wine and it ought to disclose some fun, surprising secrets. With patience and some great, simple food, this may very well knock your socks off. – Tyler

Importer note “The fabled local grape of Montefalco is the Sagrantino and the Pagliaro vineyard, situated at 1300 feet in altitude, is dedicated in large part to this grape variety. The harvest of Sagrantino normally occurs during the second half of October. The cuvaison extends for forty to fifty days. The wines is then aged for one year in stainless steel, another two years in large Slavonian oak barrels and, finally, spends one more year in bottle (the wine, like all Paolo Bea wines, is unfiltered) before release. Annual production from the Pagliaro vineyard is 15,000 to 20,000 bottles.”

Giuseppe Mascarello Monprivato Barolo DOCG 2008 – April 2016

Giuseppe Mascarello e Figlio Monprivato, Barolo DOCG 2008 750ML ($179.95) Buy Now: $149 special

Wine Spectator 95 points –#6 Wine of the Year in 2013 – “Detailed and fragrant, offering floral, strawberry, cherry, licorice and spice flavors, this is elegant and underlined by a strong mineral streak. Well-proportioned, picking up intensity and complexity on the long, savory finish. Extremely fresh and classy”

Antonio Galloni – Vinous 95+ points “Mauro Mascarello’s 2008 Barolo Monprivato is a much more lifted and translucent wine than the 2006 Le Vigne. A wine that needs considerable air, the 2008 only starts to blossom with a few hours in the glass. Monprivato is often quirky, but the 2008 is a real moving target. Just this week alone I have tasted six bottles of the 2008 and found the wine a bit all over the place, especially compared to other wines from the same year. Still, with patience, the 2008 really sings. Ideally, readers should plan on cellaring the 2008 for at least another few years.”

Stephen Tanzer – Vinous 95+ points “Mauro Mascarello’s 2008 Barolo Monprivato is a much more lifted and translucent wine than the 2006 Le Vigne. A wine that needs considerable air, the 2008 only starts to blossom with a few hours in the glass. Monprivato is often quirky, but the 2008 is a real moving target. Just this week alone I have tasted six bottles of the 2008 and found the wine a bit all over the place, especially compared to other wines from the same year. Still, with patience, the 2008 really sings. Ideally, readers should plan on cellaring the 2008 for at least another few years.”

Wine of the Day: San Fereolo ‘Dolcetto di Dogliani’ Superiore ’01/’05/’07 4-4-16

San Fereolo Dolcetto di Dogliani Superiore DOCG, Piedmont 2001 750ML ($59.95) Buy Now: $49 special
San Fereolo Dolcetto di Dogliani Superiore DOCG, Piedmont 2005 750ML ($39.95) Buy Now: $33 special
San Fereolo Dolcetto di Dogliani Superiore DOCG, Piedmont 2007 750ML ($34.95) Buy Now: $28 special

How often can you witness the stages of a wine’s development in this manner? The ’01 was such a treat a few weeks ago, and the others sing in such nice harmony with it. This stuff is Dolcetto like you’ve never seen it. Piedmont which you’d never expected. Try them – I dare you! We don’t have much left, so I wanted to make sure it got into the right hands. – Tyler

Importer note: “The most important wine of the estate. The Dolcetto for the top wine is sourced from parcels found in prime positions as well as the oldest vines of the estate. The seven-year wait from harvest to release reflects the important of the San Fereolo to Nicoletta, who carefully tends the wine through its three years in large barrel before a 3-4 year hibernation in the bottle cellar. Our tasting of each vintage from 2001 to 2008 revealed a consistent vein of dense, warm fruit, which spoke of the Langhe source. Fresh mineral notes, mint, licorice and savory elements permeated each expression, while a lively freshness was alive in every wine, including the 14-year old 2001 vintage. As with the Austri, the 2007 is the current release, and we are pleased to be able to source multiple back vintages.”

Wine of the Day: San Maurizio Saro Djablo 3-26-16

Feudo di San Maurizio Saro Djablo Valle d’Aosta, Italy 2010 750ML ($34.95) Buy Now: $28 special

I cannot get enough wine from Valle d’Aosta, and this wine is no exception. Fragrant and layered, it’s technically a multi-vintage blend of co-fermented varietals. The blend is surprisingly harmonious, considering it consists of Barbera, Freisa, Ciliegiolo, Dolcetto, Gamay, Petit Rouge, Fumin, and Premetta.

The vines sit 3,000 feet above sea level in that northwestern corner of Italy I’ve long wanted to visit. In the glass, the wine is a bit of a feat. Sure, it’s neither the most precise nor wholly elegant. It’s terribly fun to drink, however, with lovely swirls of spice, berry fruit, and earth. Throw a log on the fire, pop the cork, and have fun with it – chill it, decant it, have some with a cool new recipe. Wine can be fun, don’t forget… Cheers! -Tyler

Wine of the Day: Nino Franco Prosecco DOCG 3-23-16

Nino Franco Rustico, Prosecco di Conegliano-Valdobbiadene Superiore DOCG, Italy NV 750ML ($17.95) Buy Now: $14 special
Case-12 Nino Franco Rustico, Prosecco di Conegliano-Valdobbiadene Superiore DOCG, Italy NV 750ML ($179.95) Buy Now: $149 special (that’s only $12.42/bottle!)
This sparkler hails from the most revered region for Prosecco: the Conegliano-Valdobbiadene. The DOCG distinction is reserved for the highest quality of Prosecco wines made near the town of Valdobbiandene. The winery was founded in 1919 by Antonio Franco and is today run by the third generation of the family, Primo Franco, and fourth generation, Silvia Franco. Primo was the driving force behind exporting his Prosecco to the US – and the winery was one of the first to do so. The Rustico is dry and has classic aromas of white flowers and citrus zest with soft, persistent bubbles. It makes an excellent pairing with light appetizers, cheeses or cured meats. It is 100% Glera grapes grown along the foot of the Prealps on medium to high altitude hillside vineyards.