The Tre Bicchieri wine tasting event in NYC

The NYC Gambero Rosso event was a true wine lover orgy: over 200 producers, barolos, amarones and brunellos poured generously, tables full of quality cheeses and fruit... A formidable vino extravaganza! Without a doubt a great strategy to educate New Yorkers about Italian wines... I tasted probably around 50 wines, mostly reds, obviously after first 10 my judging ability was seriously compromised:)

If I was to complain about anything, it would be the general, systemic overoaking of Italian reds... I guess this is the taste of the ruling class (chuckles), but i don't give a crap: if I wanna smell a wooden floor I stay home. And so I would like to mention a few memorable selections from ambitious, small and not so big producers that allow grapes be grapes.

My favorite red was a Sagrantino di Montefalco from an Umbrian micro producer Villa Mongalli: the 2006 and 2007 vintages, offered to distributors at $28, were the first (and last, to make sure it was really that good) wines I tasted... The real, deep dark chocolate and giant, gripping but fully under control tannis, along with cherry liquor, dark fruit, coffee, molasses and so much more, this traditionally produced wine is a gentle powerhouse. Ironically although aged in oak for 8 months, oakiness is just a minor background note in the palette... Equally interesting was Vigneto Fracia Valtellina Superiore red from Lombardian staple winemaker Nino Negri. Floral smelling, savoury tasting high-altitude nebiollo with fantastic, engaging dry fruit in the finish. So well done.

Amongst white selections I was totally seduced by this modest yet incredibly sophisticated/ complex Soave Il Casale 09' from Agostino Vicentini (Veneto). Mineral, vibrant with pear, apple and tropical fruit notes, drinking this wine is like watching a good movie... Finally the Colli de Luni Vermentino by Ligurian winemaker Lunae... a wonderful, energetic white with a floral nose and acacia honey, peach and almond mouth. Also delicious and full of rustic personality was their red blend Niccolo V.

I'd like to also mention two wines that perhaps I wouldn't drink daily but were great and stuck with me: a classic, austere and no nonsense Pio Cesare Barolo Ornato 2006, and cheesy/meaty/funky on the nose Codronchio Albana di Romagna 2008 by Fattoria Monticino Rosso, which was truly refreshing and striking in its balanced tartness.

It is also important to mention that the whole event was free after registration: right on!

Grolleau, Ruché and Mayolet...

These three seemingly unrelated varieties of red wine reflect a new trend I noticed in cooler NYC wine bars and stores: digging into local, less known grapes, which are traditionally produced in small quantities, fermented without oak and not meant to be aged. All these wines, which I had in the last 3 months share certain general taste characteristics: floral nose (leaning toward rose with Le Cousin Grolleau and Luca Ferraris Ruché), light to medium body, spicy mouth with strawberry sweetness, black pepper finish and rejuvenating tartness. They are compotey, slightly cloudy, Ruché being the darkest in the group.

Le Cousin Grolleau 2007
90 points

Grolleau is an acidic, low alcohol Loire variety known mostly for Rose d'Anjou... grolle means "crow" and it refers to the deep black grape berries.

Luca Ferraris Ruché 2009
87 points

A tiny Piemontese DOC region around Asti: "Ruché di Castagnole Monferrato" is most likely a product of an 18 century import from Burgundy... Ruché is known for it's peppery-bitter aftertaste.

"Vin Des Seigneurs" Coenfer Mayolet 208
89 points

Mayolet is a naturally occurring hybrid of Petit Rouge and Cornalin. It is rare and indigenous to Vallee d'Aosta, where it grows at high elevations (about 900 to 1,000 meters). High minerality, white pepper and sweet, red fruit flavors.

All simply great... and all $20 and under in NYC. I found the Grolleau ($20) and Coenfer "Vin Des Seigneurs" Mayolet ($16) in LES September Wines, which is becoming my favorite wine store in the city. I would also include into this group the Verduno di Pelaverga I had in Bologna last summer... energetic, young but complex, refreshing. These are fantastic lighter fare pasta wines, including fish and seafood... I had Les Cousin recommended with oysters at 10 Bells and it worked really good.

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

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

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...

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

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

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

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.

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

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

Galtarossa Colombara Valpolicella Ripasso Classico Superiore 2003

This wine turned out to be a great find in a cool restaurant in Newburgh, New York. On the nose it had hints of vanilla and honey without being too overpowering. On the taste it was very well balanced with an oak medium finish and a herbaceous and dried fruit aftertaste. This wine is a Ripasso which is an Italian red wine from Valpolicella made by fermenting young wine with the unpressed but drained skins and lees left over from making Amarone. These wines are typically lighter (and cheaper) than Amarone and more flexible when it comes to combining with food. All together this was a very pleasant wine to drink with an autumn type meal. While this wine retails at 24 USD we paid 42 USD in a restaurant which is a decent deal keeping in mind that restaurants in the US typically triple the retail cost of bottles.

Mazer Valtellina Superiore DOCG 2005

Valtellina Superiore is a less known nebbiolo variety wine from the very north of Lombardy.
Grown on the foothills of the Alps nebbiolo grapes (there called Chiavennasca) produce lean, medium body reds, which don't have much to do with Barolos or Barbarescos.

I drunk this "Mazer" by Nino Negri last April in Milan. It was a curious wine, which made me very intrigued by Alpine red wines. Garnet color, definitely structure over fruit, smelled of vanilla, violets and sweet spice... Dry, but with a persistent presence of mellow fruit, sweet cherry compote... This was a very elegant, confident wine with a lot of personality, not your typical Tuscan crowd pleaser... (45 Euro in a resturant, 16 in store retail).

With the wine we had a typical Valtellina pasta Pizoccherri, which is whole buckwheat tagliatelle served with potatoes and Swiss chard (you can see the last bite of it in the picture above:), and a very delicious serving of fresh buffalo mozzarella.