Wölfer Estate Rosé 2009

The summer is almost over, time to drink some rose wines! Couple more weeks and they will seem just a little too wimpy... Anyhow, the Long Island Wölfer Rosé is a total crowd pleaser, to the point of being obscene. Passion fruit and peach all over the place, some white flowers in the nose, some citrus in the finish. Pale peach color, pretty much full body, very pronounced glycerin, dry, refreshingly tart. A coupage of Merlot, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Paired with a black pepper tuna stake and arugula ravioli held its own, double rainbow all the way!

13$ in retail, 80 points

"Trout Valley" Nelson Pinot Noir 2008

I love this wine. We went through 3 cases of it this summer and still cannot get enough... Bouquet of spice, leather, oak and strawberry. The mouth is dominated by crisp, energetic red currant, followed by sweeter fruit and sugar cane finish. Wonderful bright red, medium body, I had it slightly chilled. I'm even willing to accept the screw cap;) Today served with a pile of fresh tempura, but frankly this Pinot goes with most foods.

12$ retail @ Uva Wines, 82 points

D. Bosler Birdsnest Pinot Noir 2009

A young Pinot Noir from Casablanca Valley in Chile, enjoyed at Black Mountain Wine House along with their house panini. The bottle was a nice surprise: spicy nose and a fairly complex taste, going far beyond your standard pinot red fruit. Floral notes, caramel, blackberry, medium body.
Great value, particularly at retail price.

32$ @ Black Mountain, 10$ retail, 73 points

Cantalupo "Il Mimo" Rosato 2009

Rosé Nebbiolo from Piemonte Colline Novaresi: a girly man drink! Just kidding; this wine is quite substantial. Full body, saturated almost glowing crimson, beautiful legs. Watermelon and red fruit compote nose which slowly opens a distinctive note of eucalyptus. The mouth is no doubt fruity, but the fruit is well balanced by almondy bitterness, tannin and a good amount of acid. Mostly strawberry, cherry and apple. Very nice.

16$ at Blue Angel Wines, 79 points

TdB Barbera D'Alba, 2008

Another tasty barbera, another plate of pasta, over all a pretty satisfying dinner experience. The wine was fuller body than it should be considering the grape and the year... Purplish red, quite beautiful in a glass. A sweet cherry, clove and nutmeg nose, more cherry, tobacco and a sugar cane finish mouth. Solid, fun but not life changing. The bottle was purchased in a small liquor store in Ditmas Park, which should very seriously consider changing name... Or at least incorporate a zany advertising slogan, like: "S.T.D Wines&Liquors: Party Hard and See Your Doctor Later!"

$14 in retail, 73 points

Sylvain Pataille Burgundy, 2007

Seems like gnocchi is the official pasta of the summer 2010! This time prepared with baked prosciutto and fava beans, accompanied by a bottle of 2007 Sylvain Pataille Burgundy. I have nothing negative to say about this gentle, wild strawberry infused Pinot noir... Simple mature apple nose with a touch of eucalyptus.. Plum marmalade, strawberry, healthy amount of tannin to remind u this is no Gamay. The wine is at it's prime, no signs of yellowing, nicely developed glycerin.

23$ @ Union Square Wines, 83 points

Summer reds

Let me start by saying that I haven't posted for a long time but I am proud that this blog is a year old and the project has not been abandoned. I will also state for the record that I did not drink these four bottles by myself but rather with a group of friends while cooking and eating a meal. We ate potato gnocchi with shitake mushrooms, asparagus and fresh tomato.

Joseph Faireley Bourgogne Pinot Noir 2007

The Faireley family are in the business of buying plots of land in Burgundy that will produce optimal grapes. This wine comes from reserved plots located in the Côte de Nuits, Côte de Beaune and Côte Chalonnaise. Its a light ruby color with red fruit aromas and very well rounded taste. Its a perfect summer wine that can accompany any meal. It retails for around 20 dollars in the US.

Alba Rossa Salice Salentino Rosso 2008

This wine comes from Salento in the Puglia region located in the boot of Italy. It has a big flavor of fruits and at the same time it retains a very earthy background. This wine is 80% Negroamaro and 20% Malvasia Nera. The cost is around 12 dollars in the US.

Trinchero Barbera D'Asti Superiore 2003

The grapes for the production of this wine come from 20-year-old vineyards. The grapes are fermented in cement vat and then held in old wooden barrels for 12 months before being bottled. The taste is very fresh and fruity, and at the same time slightly sour. The cost of this wine is about 20 dollars.

Nibio Terre Rosse Monferrato Dolcetto 2006

This wine had a taste of mango which was a very cool surprise. It is a full bodied tannic wine with a fine bouquet and a velvety finish. It should be noted that its a biodynamic wine with no sulfites added. The makers say it is very well suited for aging. This particular variety has been grown in this region for more than 1000 years and it is referred to in the annals of the Republic of Genoa. The cost around 13 dollars in US, an excellent value wine.

Bodega Renacer- Enamore 2007

Bodega Renacer- Enamore 2007
Malbec
Mendoza, Argentina


Blending fruit from 3 different Mendoza regions this great malbec has hints of figs, chocolate, liquorice and coffee and packs a toasty finish.

Its a boutique wine and production is limited, if in the mood for a more adventerous malbec this would be a good place to start.

Price U$ 25

De Martino Alto de Piedras - Carmenere Single Vineyard 2007

De Martino
Alto de Piedras
Carmenere Single Vineyard 2007
Isla de Maipo- Chile

Soft and fresh with a taste of black fruits and a smokey fiinish. Very complex and a great value for its price.

La Gioia Riecine 2004 Tuscany, Italy

La Gioia Riecine 2004
Tuscany, Italy


A hard to get wine, nevertheless, a great smooth blend of 90% Sangiovese and 10% Merlot.

This limited production made in both french and italian oak is rich and ripe in flavour and recommend if one can get a hold of it.

Its a bit pricey so its one to be saved for a special night.

Price U$ 75

Girard 2008 Chardonnay

Girard- 2008 Chardonnay
Russian River, California

The French oak aging of this 2008 Russian River Chardonnay, offers up wonderful aromas of vanilla and crème brûlée; blending in with these warm aromas are bright scents of citrus fruits. Creamy texture and on the palate one can discover: lemon, peach and melon.

Its a great summer wine perfect for a hot summer day.

Price U$ 20

La Bettola Barbera d'Alba, 2007

A mention worthy bottle of organic barbera from Piemonte, tasted (and then purchased) at a La Bettola horizontal tasting at Wine Garage in Krakow. This was far from your typical "house wine" barbera: pretty full body, chewy, particulate and garnet red... Tar, gravel and a touch of boiled bean on the nose; cherry and surprisingly long prune flavors on the mouth, with a great tart-lemony accent. This bottle was quite unique and much better than Barolo and Dolcetto from the same producer.

73 PZL (23 $), 87 points

Wine & Food, Bologna 2010

Divinis is definitely my favorite enoteca style establishment in Bologna. Right in the historic center of the city, this gourmet restaurant offers the real experience of northern Italian and French wines, matched with amazing food prepared by Maurizio Landi. This is NOT a tourist trap, unlike some places I visited in Florence and Milan...

I started my lunch with a glass of white, sparkling pinot nero from Piemonte produced by Bruno Giacosa. This blanc des noirs is quite big, mineral, aromatic, with persistent flavors of molasses, almond and herbs. (89 points) I also had home made strigoli pasta with stinging nettle, frog fish and lime peel: simply great.

To finish off the meal I asked for an interesting red with a cheese pairing. The red was truly exceptional: 2009 Verduno Pelaverga by Burlotto (one of the big Barolo producers from Piemonte). (90 points) Verduno is an endemic, pretty rare grape from Piemonte: spicy, dry and drinks young. My bottle had a very unique over all presence of black pepper, it dominated both nose and mouth. The fruit was minimal but very satisfying, dark berry and apple, beautiful garnet red, light body with nice viscosity. The cheese pairing was fresh Chabot, which was creamy, tart and fizzy inside...

Philippe Le Hardi Santenay 1er Cru La Comme, 2005

This 1-er Cru Santenay was purchased in 2007 from the producer in Burgundy. It was really hard to keep my hands off it for 3 years, but finally the day has come! Pretty much everything about this wine was a surprise: full body, velvety brick red, after uncorking exploded with flavors of fresh red currant. That phantom bouquet disappeared after 10 minutes: the nose shifted toward Jeggermeister, green parsley, mint and lingering rubber notes. Equally volatile mouth settled on licorice and strawberry, with a bitter herbal finish. To match the wine I made duck breast in Pinot noir reduction sauce, with shimeji mushrooms and grilled squash. Everything worked out pretty amazing!

25 Euro from producer, 90 points

Tintilia Del Molise, Catabbo 2008

The only reason why I decided to write about this bottle is the fact that Tintilia is a super rare variety (15 hectare) grown only in Molise (south-east Italy). The wine itself seemed very refined and definitely tasty, but I wouldn't give it many points for originality... Medium-full body, brick red, silky and viscous. Simple bouquet of cherry/red fruit. Acidic red fruit on attack, sour cherry, red berries mid-palette; the finish abruptly shifts toward caramel, toffee and sweet molasses. Very solid and surely worth trying.

46$ @ D.O.C Bar Brooklyn, 77 points

Monfiorenza Monferrato Freisa 2008

Freisa: a less known casual red variety from Piemont.

An excellent spring choice: lighter body, purple-ish red, intense, acidic berry on the palette: gooseberry, red currant and a warm, sweeter raspberry finish. The nose is herbal, bit spicy. I would highly recommend this wine to pinot noir drinkers: it's got similar energy and sharpness. I imagine this variety must have a very hard time competing with nebbiolo, dolcetto and barbera... too bad, it's quite something. Organic, inexpensive and very tasty!

12$ retail, Uva Brooklyn, 78 points

Gruet Pinot Noir 2006

I took a big leap of faith and ordered a bottle of Pinot Noir from New Mexico a couple of nights ago (Huckleberry Bar, Williamsburg). Produced by a French winemaker Gilbert Gruet, this bottle tastes like a Burgundy. A classic black cherry/cassis mouth, fresh and energetic, medium body and a funky sauerkraut bouquet. Although the bottle claims oak barrel, I didn't taste or smell much of it (which is a good thing). Great wine, wish it was a bit cheaper.

$46 in a bar, $26 retail
81 points

Odoardi Savuto, 2005

A pretty unusual blend of Gaglioppo, Greco Nero, Nerello Capuccio and Magliocco Canino from Calabria. Very pungent bouquet of lavender and spices with a note of opium, medium body, deep brownish red. The mouth is equally funky with black fruit, tobacco, molasses, bitter herbs and some earthy, mineral aftertaste... nor schiste though. Perhaps the coolest thing about this wine is the many flavors I got to taste and smell for the first time...

40$ @ Bar Veloce NYC, 81 points

Monte Da Cal, Adega em Fronteira, 2006

This wine is an amazing value. Seriously. This is not a cheapo quaffing Chianti, we are talking respectable business... 40% Aragones (aka Tempranillo), 30% Alfrocheiro, 30% Alicante Bouschet, medium to full body, deep velvety purple color.
The nose opens with pepper, spice and some cedar wood notes, mouth is dry and centered around tart black currant and cherry. Short, but lively; energetic and very, very drinkable. I'll be checking them "vinhos regional Alentejanos"!

Uva Brooklyn, $10, 77 points

Bruno Clair Marsannay Rose, 2008

An honest, steel cask aged Burgundy rose Pinot Noir, picked up at a spring tasting event at Union Square Wines NYC. Flavors of strawberry and Champagne, dry, mineral, sharp with traces of watermelon and sour cherry. Served chilled, so the nose seemed pretty minimal, mostly red fruit... Great spring wine! We paired it with cherrystone clams and had a blast.
$25 in retail, 78 points

Antonelli Sagrantino di Monterfalco Secco, 2000

Dry cheese and white flower nose (acacia, lily of the valley). Pretty full body, deep red shifting toward tea brown. The mouth revealed some signs of maturity: yellow apple, very dry prune, seriously bitter spices, licorice and molasses. Followed by a sudden onset of mouth-puckering tannin, fading into cocoa and funky, lasting sugar cane. Paired with porcini papardelle and pork sausage appeared to be slightly overwhelming: this wine calls for wild game. The real stuff.

80 points

Pauline Vigneron Beaune 1er Cru, 2005

Picked up at a random liquor store in Chelsea, the price seemed a bit too good to be true... Turned out to be very good, but definitely not a typical cotes de Beaune... Leather, spice and pepper bouquet, musty and a bit gamey. The mouth was thick and chewy, schistey, chalky, mineral, lots of cocoa, cherry and a tiny bit of lemon in a strange, muddy finish. Medium body, healthy ruby red, yet with my eyes closed I would never guess it's a Pinot noir... I'd think a Languedoc rustic red of sorts. Yummy, but unusual... which probably explains the price tag of $25.

80 points

Henri Proudhon Chassagne-Montrachet Les Chambres, 2006

The spring is around a corner: break out these Pinot Noirs! This scrumptious bottle was found at Fanny's in Brooklyn, and accompanied a meal of seared scallops with broccoli sauce. Medium light body, red shifting toward brick, transparent and oily. Herbal nose, some notes of cinnamon and other spices. Mostly strawberry compote and molasses in the palette, seems like this wine was produced with plenty of sun. Not a knockout, but generally a very pleasant, gentle burgundy.

54$ in a restaurant, 78 points

Louis Latour, Santenay 2005

The driest, most austere, minimal Burgundy ever... Yet somehow you wanna keep drinking... A vegetal, spicy nose followed by some sharp, almost brutal, tartaric acidity and tannin driven mouth. Some vague attempts of red currant and apple, some lingering aftertaste of lime. Medium body and a dictionary burgundy color. I am guessing the bottle will be getting only better for the next 20 years. This wine makes you wanna put on your altar boy outfit. And the legitimate hardcoreness demands respect. 26$ in retail

73 points

Tenuta Sant´Antonio- Cabernet Franc 2007 Venezia, Italy

Tenuta Sant´Antonio- Cabernet Franc 2007 Venezia, Italy

Price 8 Euros

This was a gift from an Italian friend who wanted me to try a wine from his region.
Cabernet Francs can be very complex and this one did not disappoint, it had the rich body most Italian wines have and a very smooth finish which one tends to find in French Bordeaux.

Paired this with a steak bbq and it did the trick.

Don Pascual Petit Verdot 2008 & Don Pascual Tannat 2007- Bodega Juanico, Uruguay

Don Pascual Petit Verdot 2008- Bodega Juanico, Uruguay

Price U$ 10





Don Pascual Tannat 2007- Bodega Juanico, Uruguay

Price U$ 15


Uruguayan wines are very underrated and here are just two great examples of why this happens.

The Petit Verdot is one of the grapes used in Bordeaux and is used in some blends, but it is rare to find a good 100% petit verdot. This Don Pascual is smooth with a very nice finish similar to a merlot in softness.


The Tannat is a french grape that is Uruguay´s signature wine. The climate and terrain conditions allow it to develop very well and reach its full of potential in this small South American country.

This Tannat is aged in french oak and has hints of grapefruit, melon and vanilla. Great with BBQ and pasta.

Belle Vallée Pinot Noir - 2007 Willamette Valley, Oregon

Belle Vallée Pinot Noir - 2007 Willamette Valley, Oregon

Price U$ 25


Light ruby colour, oaky in flavour.
This is the perfect pinot to partner with a light meal, low in alcohol content with hints of black cherry and plum.
Good to open one and save another for a couple more years.

You can pick it up at Astor Wines in NY:

Mulderbosch 2008 Sauvignon Blanc South Africa, Stellenbosch Western Cape

Mulderbosch 2008 Sauvignon Blanc
South Africa, Stellenbosch Western Cape

U$ 18

Excellent lime green colour with hints of citrus fruits and figs.
Loved this South African white, great for hot summer days.
Has a tarty taste that goes well with fish and spicy foods.
Had this one picked up at Astor Wines in NY.
Highly recommend.

Pierre Matrot Meursault 2007

Unoaked Chardonnay from an old-school Côte de Beaune producer Pierre Matrot. Basic, refreshing, mineral and a perfect match for oysters. A floral bouquet (violets, acacia) with a simple but elegant lemon and honey mouth, very mineral and dry. Accents of tea and grapefruit peel. Enjoyed over a birthday dinner at Pearl Oyster Bar in the West Village (which is more than recommended).

60$ (restaurant price)
80 points

Castello Monaci Liente, Salice Salentino 2007

80% Negroamaro, 20% Malvasia Nera: a very, very fine specimen of Puglian red. Full body, thick deep crimson hue, a mixed red fruit nose, quite persistent. Cherry syrup on attack; cassis, citrus peel mid palete, and a long, opulent finish of bitter quinine, herbal spices and grapefruit. Negroamaro is my favorite southern Italian variety... indeed very dark and bitter:)

18$ @ De Wine Spot in Brooklyn
75 points

Cum Laude Banfi 2006

I imagine lots of people would love this wine: a dark fruit forward, velvety full body, soft tannin quaffer... For me there is not enough specificity to this wine, as it often happens with Tuscan reds: it is an upper shelf generic product. Cab Sav, Merlot, Sangiovese and Syrah cuvee; Parker gave it 90 points, but I don't care...this wine is not more than an overpriced fun pizza wine.

50$ (restaurant in Brooklyn)
73 points

Famille Peillot Bugey, 2008

Bugey is an appellation from Savoie in France, just a bit east of Beaujolais. This is my first time to try Pinot Fin, which apparently is a parent of Pinot Noir. A very strange, real and charming wine, which tasted like a mineral chardonnay with a shot of Cabernet Savignon. Very light body, not much tannin, but quite a bit of sharp acidity. Purple-ish red, very transparent, surprisingly well developed glycerin legs. Taste ways grassy, some mild, sweet cherry and other red fruit. Not much of a nose, but we served it chilled. Definite points for originality.
We drank it with some hunter's stew and fingerling potatoes: a perfect match.
20$ @ Blue Angel Wines, Brooklyn
78 points

Gigondas Les Pallieroudas 2006

80% Grenache, 20% Mourvedre, organic, 80 year old vines from Cotes du Rhone. Very rare coffee and spices nose on this wine, followed by a mouth of coffee syrup, molasses, bitter herbs, caramel and plum compote. Dark and sticky, quite opaque. I liked how this wine is balanced with almost no acid... its the play of milky sweetness against the bitter aftertaste. It successfully accompanied barley with mushrooms and leeks in bacon.

$25 @ Blue Angel Wines, Brooklyn
80 points

Less known Italian varieties...

Motta Giove Ciliegiolo 2008

Very seldom Ciliegiolo appears as a varietal wine. It's a Tuscan/Umbrian grape which was traditionally added to Chianti. This bottle comes from a small producer located on the south-east corner of Tuscany.
Young, medium body, fruity with a unique bitterness which makes the whole thing attractive. The nose is a puny sweet cherry... but the taste is pretty awesome: red currant, black sour cherry, cherry pit and a bit of tobacco in the finish. Nice vibrant red color with shades of purple. Gave me a minor headache in the morning, but it was worth it:)

$20 @ Union Square Wines NYC
79 points







Zongola Montefalco Sangrantino 2003

Not exactly rare if you are into Italian wines... but Sagrantino from Umbria is local and quite fantastic. I believe in a few years it will make it to the pantheon of great Italian wines along with Amarone, Brunello and Barolo. Thick, full bodied, very tannic, ripe dark fruit, dry and chalky, big chocolate and cinnamon finish. A perfect winter treat.

$32 @ Union Square Wines NYC
75 points









Agricola Punica Montessu Isola dei Nuraghi, 2007

This Sardinian cuvee was really tasty, mainly Carignano (60%) and the rest Cabernet, Merlot and Syrah. Powerful, deep fruit, mainly plum and some anonymous berries, licorice, pretty long tannic finish. This wine scores over 90 points. The bottle was good, but for the price I would hope for a little more personality. A bit too generic...

34$ @ Italian Wine Merchants NYC
79 points

Some decent Italians

Antano Montefalco Rosso, 2007

This was probably the most successful of the three bottles...
A hearty, organic Sagrantino/Sangiovese/Merlot cuvee from Umbria. Rustic, chunky, charming... cherry/plum and gentle, buttery oak bottle, nothing extraordinary, but very pleasant and solid. It will age well, I'd like to try it in a couple of years.

The Ten Bells, NYC $49
73 points











Cantina Rotaliana Teroldego, 2006

An easy drinking item from Alto Adige: medium body, ruby red, ambiguous red fruit and green apple acidity. I didn't like the Rioja style sweaty/lactic nose which took away from the experience. Over all, teroldego is an ancient and interesting Alpine variety worth checking out.

D.O.C Wine Bar, Brooklyn 39$
69 points











Taurasi Dei Feudi Di San Gregorio, 2005

I picked up this bottle in a supermarket in Rome (25 Euro) and was quite excited about trying Taurasi from Campania for the first time. What a disappointment: the perfectly fine Aglianico grape was totally overwhelmed by harsh, abrasive French(?) oak tannin. Some prune and fig managed to break through after a while. This wine is a victim of the global oak-till-you-drop trend:(
60 points

Cascina Fontana Barolo, 2004

Relished this amazing bottle with Mr. Pensao in Brooklyn on a cold January night. The plan was to open the wine and let it breathe while we arrange some food... Well, we never got to the food part because after tasting this poppy we just couldn't stop... kinda left as speechless and euphoric:)

Finally figured out what the Barolo fuss was all about... Sadly, you will have to spend some money to get a good one, but when you do it's really worth it! This bottle was surely amongst 5 best I've had... Very thick in consistency and oily, wouldn't call it full body though... Complex and concentrated, with red fruit, sour cherry, oak and cocoa. The wine kept developing in the glass, incredibly long and noble. The nebbiolo tannin was perfectly mature and balanced, the barrel kicked in after 10 minutes... There was plenty enough malic acidity to keep the wine energetic. Awesome.

55$ in retail (De Paulo's NYC)
95 points

Christmas in Krakow: some memorable bottles

Comte Dornfelder Barrique, 2007 (Poland)

This wine was a nice surprise: a solid, medium to full body red produced in southern Poland. Dornfelder is a German hybrid which is capable of surviving tough winters; reminded me of Petit Verdot in color and taste. Nice local oak, firm acidity/structure, blackberries... purple and velvety.
40 PZL (13$) from the producer.

Blason Timberlay Bordeaux, 2005 (France)
Tannic and full bodied: figs, raisins, some chocolate and tobacco finish... A surprisingly alive and pretty inexpensive wine from Bordeaux. Half bottle.

32 PZL (11$) at Vinoteka La Bodega













Sophenia Sythesis , Mendoza 2007 (Argentina)

Truly good. A balanced cuvee of Malbec, Cabernet Sav. and Merlot. The mouth seemed to be endless... Mostly mature fruit and oak. Opulent, supertoscan style nose. Definitely an aging wine. Parker gave it some crazy points.

160 PZL (55$) at Klimaty Poludnia (special tasting of Finca Sophenia products)











Antonelli Montefalco Rosso, 2003 (Italy)
Rarely do I get to drink a wine which makes me genuinely happy. This was one of them. Medium body, high viscosity, ruby red and full of wild strawberries, both nose and mouth. This Umbrian staple contains Sangiovese and Sagrantino, although doesn't really taste like either... Was absolutely perfect with home cooked venison.
10 Euro, from the producer










Pisano Tannat RPF, 2005 (Urugway)
The best of those world fashionable Uruguayan tannats I had so far. Ridiculously tannic, full body, gritty and almost too much to handle. This wine is bad ass. Perfect for cold winter drinking, would go great with game... but I can drink it solo.
120 PZL ($35) at Sala Wina












Paolo Bea: Rosso de VEO, 2002 (Italy)
A table wine from the legendary Umbrian producer Paolo Bea. Wild yeast, home made quality, a crazy volatile collection of tastes dominated by chocolate and mature apples. This should be tried at least once to know how wines tasted like in the middle ages:)
25 Euro, from the producer











Miolo Cuvee Giusepe, 2004 (Brazil)

Cabernet Sav. and Merlot done beautifully: thick dried fruit, silky mouth, oak tannin almost completely transformed into cocoa... Why aren't there more Brazilian wines in NYC?

100 PZL ($30) at Klimaty Poludnia