Comments on an Article on Chianti and the Italian Wine Laws

 Tom Maresca: Wine writer, author, friend, traveling companion etc – sent the following e-mail to fellow members of the Wine Media Guild.

 Dear WMG members:  Tomorrow (Tuesday, 19 Jan) I’ll be posting a piece about Italian wine law in general and Chianti Classico in particular on my blog (see signature), and I’m really interested in hearing your reactions to it, whether you choose do so on site or privately by email.  Thanks for any thoughts you care to pass on.

 Best, Tom

–blog: http://ubriaco.wordpress.com.

 My response was very long, so I decided to post it on my blog because I think Tom discusses important issues.

The article is in two parts. There are some comments by other Wine Media Guild members at the end of Tom’s article.

 Interesting article.

 I agree with you that there is great confusion when it comes to the Italian wine laws in general and Chianti in particular. It was the producers of Chianti that asked for changes in the law hoping to make their wines more international in style and therefore easier to sell. Producers that were not in the Chianti zone want to be included because if the word Chianti is on the label they could sell the wine for more money. I believe there are eight Chianti zones plus one to cover the producers in the “spaces” between the zones and a special one for Chianti superiore. The laws for Chianti have changed so many times over the last few years it is very difficult to know what grapes are in the Chianti you are drinking.

 Adding to the confusion is the love affair that the Chianti producers have with internationalgrapes. Is there really any difference between a Chianti riserva and a Super Tuscan, when a producer can put 20% of a foreign grape like Cabernet Sauvigion or Merlot in his Chiant? Then, they use whatever modern methods they can to get as much concentration and extraction from the grapes and then age it in new barriques. Many of these producers insist that they are traditionalists but make international style wine. In private many will also say that they do not drink these modern style wines but make them for the market. They do not drink these wines because they do not work with food. It seems to me that they are not making the best wine they know how but making the wine that will sell.

 Yes, I understand that they are in business to make money. What is a modern day producer going to say, my grandfather made better wine then me? The wine press gives these modern style wines very high points. By doing this they have let the consumer down and encouraged wine makers to make this style of wine. Why is it now unacceptable to drink simple Chianti? What could be more enjoyable! I long for the days when I would go to a restaurant in Tuscany and the waiter would say “vino bianco o vino rosso”. He would bring a wine that went better with my food then anything I could have ordered off any wine list.  I do love the taste of Sangiovese.

I believe that the old Baron had the right idea. There were many great Chanitis made going back to the 1920’s.  The 1925 Carmignano, for example, called simply Chianti, which I had with Conte Bonacossi in 1985 (I know there is a tradition of Cabernet Sauvignon in the area but none was used in this wine).  Also, the 1947 Ruffino gold label we drank together.  57 years old and everyone knows that wine made with white grapes and the governo method cannot age! The governo method is not good for the wine, the producers will say, it is not good because it is an expensive process. I drank and am still drinking-not often enough- Chianti Classico from the 1970’s. In fact I had a 1978 Badia a Coltiburno riserva at Keste last month.

There is more than a handful of producers that made great wine in the past:  Castell’ In Villa, Giovanni Cappelli “Fattoria Montagliari”, Monsanto ‘Il Poggio”, Ruffino Gold Label, Villa Antinori,  Villa Antinori Marchese, Villa Cafaggio, Brolio, Carobbio, Castello di Fonterutoli. Nozzole, Castello di Volpaia, Fontodi. Isole and Olena and Chianti Ruffina Villa Di Vetrice to name a few.  In fact most of them made better wine 35 years age than they do today.

Chianti Rufina Riserva 1995 Villa Vetrice-Old Style Chianti

 The changes over the years have led to confusion, not better wines. Better wines only if you think that the use of barriques, concentrated grape flavors, no feeling for the grape or for terroir improves the wine. Do most people want all wine to taste the same? Is the international style the only one the producer and wine writers want the consumer to buy? Give me a wine that tastes like wine!

 As for the scandals, I will quote a very learned friend. Every time something goes wrong when we are in Italy together he will turn to me and say “Siamo in Italia”.

  Recently a friend gave me a cartoon from a newspaper and said it reminded him of my attitude toward wine. The customer, me, after tasting the wine, says to the waiter “… this has hints of blackberry, chocolate, etc….. Could I have one that is just wine flavored?”

  End all the confusion, give me wine that tastes like wine.
–
Charles Scicolone
Wine and Food Consultant
Cell 212-731-9243

Wine and Food Editor www.i-italy.org
Co-Chair Wine Media Guild
http://www.i-italy.org/blog/wine-and-food
http://www.charlesscicolone.wordpress.com

Tasting Domaine de Chevalier and Chateau Haut-Bailly

Wine Media Guild Tasting and Lunch at Felidia Restaurant with Olivier Bernard, owner of Domaine de Chevalier and Cellar Master Gabriel Vialard and owner Robert Wilmers of Chateau Haut-Bailly

 I had just finished tasting all of the wine and was standing with a few other members of the Wine Media Guild when Olivier Bernard, the owner of Domaine de Chevalier stopped to join us. He is a very personable, charming man with a great sense of humor. We spoke about the differences in the wine and food when you move from one area of France to another and how the people in the area around Paris, the coast and the interior all have very different attitudes.

Domaine de Chevalier and Oliver Bernard

Later when he was speaking about wine, he caught my attention when he said that he had great respect for the terroir. Wine must be an expression of the soil and the wine maker must always keep this in mind. He went on to say that concentration in wine making is natural but extraction is human interference. It is easy to make big wine but difficult to make fine wine.

 At the lunch that followed I was sitting next to Gabriel Vialard the Cellar Master for Ch. Haut-Bailly.  Mr. Vialard said that both properties are very close to each other but I could taste a difference in the wines. He said that part of the reason for this was the soil. At Domaine de Chevalier it is manily gravelly black sand, a subsoil of clay and gravel mixed with iron rich sandstone. At Haut-Bailly the makeup of the soil is different. There is a mosaic of soils, the best being a compact clay-based subsoil with gravel on top.

Chateau Haut- Bailly

 He also made it clear that they only make red wine. Of the vines planted 64% is cabernet sauvignon, 30% merlot and 6% Cabernet Franc.  What was unique was a 100 year old parcel of mixed vines: malbec, carmenere, and petit verdot and it represented 20% of the blend each year.

 We tasted three whites from Domaine de Chevalier: 2007, 2005 and 2001. They all had a very pleasant grass aroma and flavors with a mineral quality and, good acidity .The 2001 was still very fresh and also complex.

 Oliver Bernard said that his winery produced white wine made from 70% sauvignon blanc and 30% semillon. There is a very careful selection process in the vineyard, the juice is cold settled and fermented in oak barrels, 35 % of which are new. The wine spends 18 months in barrel, longer than any other dry white in Bordeaux.

 The reds are made from 64% cabernet sauvignon, 30% merlot, 3% cabernet franc and 3% petit verdot.

 We tasted the red wine side by side from 2007-2000.I asked Mr.Vialard about the vintages. He said that the 2001, 2004 and 2006 would last a long time. The 2005 is one of those great vintages that do not come along often. 2002 was a good value and 2003 lacked acidity; both were good buys but would not age well. 2000 was a wine with good tannin and 2007 was a light vintage and he put more cabernet sauvignon than usual in the blend. This wine would be bought by the restaurants in France because it will be ready to drink sooner.  He also believed that Americans made too much of the idea of “vintage”.

 With lunch we had the 1990 Domaine de Chevalier which was a perfect match with the main course. Some of the members of the Wine Media Guild were kind enough to bring older bottles of Domaine de Chevalier. I was able to taste the 1985 and the 1982 which proved to me the wines can age. The 1979 seemed a bit vegetative but I only had a small taste.

 The main difference in the wines was that the Domaine de Chevalier seemed more fruit forward with softer tannins. The Haut-Bailly seemed to be less forward, tighter and more tannic. When I mentioned this to Mr. Vialard he said he agreed, and then if I understood him correctly, he said that 15 years ago it would have been the reverse! 

 There was also a discussion by the speakers dealing with the Bordeaux market in this country. The biggest importer of Bordeaux in the United States has stopped bringing in the wine. They are trying to get rid of their inventory by “dumping” the wine (selling it for less). The speakers agreed that this was a problem but no one seemed to know if this would lower the price of Bordeaux  to the consumer.

The League of Gentle Men Drink and Dine at Restaurant Nizza

The League of Gentle Men Drink and Dine at Restaurant Nizza

 Our first meeting of the year was held at Nizza restaurant, one of our favorite places.   Chef Andy D’Amico prepared a tasting menu, matching the food with our wine. Each member brought a bottle of either champagne, white, red or dessert wine. The results were: one bottle of champagne, two bottles of white, four bottles of red and two dessert wines. This made it easier for the chef to pair the food and wine.

 The champagne was the  Krug 1996. I cannot say enough about how good this was. 1996 was a great year for champagne and this had all the best qualities that Krug has to offer.

The first white was the Trebbiano d’Abruzzo 2005 from Edoardo Valentini I decided the wine had to be decanted and that it needed to “warm up”.  It was a very cold night . This wine can age for 15 years or more and, like a great white burgundy; it should be served only slightly chilled to bring out all of its flavors and aromas. This is my favorite Italian white wine and in my opinion may be the best white wine produced in Italy.

Some of the Wine

  Bourgogne Blanc 1999 from Domaine Jean Francas  Coche and Dury- it is very difficult to find wine from this producer on the market. This is his least expensive white wine and it reminded me of a very good Meursault

 Cornas 2003 Domaine Clap 100% Syrah. We decanted this wine also. It was a big wine and could have used five or six years more before it would be ready to drink. 2003 was a very hot year in France but this wine had very good fruit flavors, but was not jammy.

 Chateauneuf du Pape 1995 Lucien Barrot et Fils.  This wine is so traditional that the grape bunches are not destemmed before crushing and is fermented in concrete vats.

Aging takes place in large barrles for about 1-3 years depending on when room is needed for the next vintage. Over the last 20 years there has been no fining or filtration. Here is a wine that gives new meaning to the term terroir and to the true flavor of the grapes. We also decanted it but it could have used a few more years of age. It was my kind of wine.

 Chateau Mouton-Rothschild (Pauillac) 1982. Mostly Cabernet Sauvignon with lesser amounts of Merlot, Cabernet Franc,and Petit Verdot. This is a great wine in a great year and it lived up to all our expectations

 Chateau Cheval Blanc 1978.(Saint Emilion) Made from Cabernet Franc and Merlot. The Mouton was a difficult act to follow but the Chevel Blanc was also right on the money.

 Chateau d’Yquem 1991 Made mostly from Semillon with some Sauvignon Blanc. 1991 was not a great year for d’Yquem but it was a very good year. The wine was showing very well and still had many years left.

More of the Wine

 Tokaji  1993  Aszu Essencia Disznoko  It is made from the Aszu grape. The grapes are late harvested and some are “attacked” by botrytis. The wines of Hungary are becoming more and more popular as the quality has improved since the fall of communism.  Tokaji has always been a great dessert wine but suffered in those years. They are now back in top form. The Essencia is the rarest and the process in very complicated.

We drank the d’Yquem and the Tokji side by side and both were great but I gave the edge this night to the Essencia.

 We always dine well at Nizza and tonight was no exception. I especially enjoyed the mortadella, eggplant involtini, calamari fritti, the porchetta and the veal scallopine. Last time I was there with Michele we did not like the pizza but this time it was terrific and we tried a number of different ones!

The League of Gentle Men Drink French Wine

The League of Gentle Men had its last official wine dinner of the year at Gramercy Tavern.  We decided to do French wines: Champagne, Burgundy, and Bordeaux .Michael Anthony, the executive chef, matched each wine with a different course. There were six members at the dinner.

 We started as we always do with champagne. This time it was the Dom Perignon 1996 Rose’. 1996 was a great year for Champagne and this wine proved it. There were aromas of pink grapefruit and pomegranate and it was fresh and fruity. The second champagne was Krug 1982, also a great year for champagne.  

The Wines

One of our members always brings Krug. The 1982 was elegant with good fruit but still had that Krug structure and body. It was a great food wine. These were two of the best champagnes I had last year!

 White Wines

 Meursault Clos de la Barre 1994- Domaine des Comtes Lafon (Cote de Beaune)-This wine was a complete surprise for me. It is difficult to explain because to me it tasted so good that it would be very difficult to put it in words. I just sat back and enjoyed it.

 Puligny-Montrachet  Les Combettes 1986 – Robert Ampeau (Cote de Beaune). It was showing very well with great flavors and aromas.

Red Wines

 Bonnes Mares 1969- Leroy (Cote de Nuits)-This is the third time that I have been lucky enough to taste this wine in the last three months. It is everything a great Burgundy should be.

 Richebourg 1972- Domaine de la Romanee Conti (Cote de Nuits)–it was showing its age a bit but still a great wine in what some might say was not a great year.

 Ausone (magnum) 1988 (Saint Emilion) 50% Merlot and 50% Cabernet Franc–I believe that it is one of the few red wines that do not undergo malalactic fermentation. It could not have been better.

One of our members always brings a dessert wine but does not tell us in advance the name of the wine or the producer. He always waits until we are finished with all the other wines before he brings it out .I believed that I had copied down the name. The wine was a 76er(year) from Germany, but when I tried to look up the name on-line, I kept on getting the German phone book white pages. No one seems to remember the name, but it was very good and I will try to find the name of the producer. The wine was a 76er BA Weingut Gernot Gysher- next time I will write down the names of all the wines before I begin to drink

Wine Media Gulid Champagne Tasting and Lunch with Ed McCarthy

 

Ed talking about Champagne

When Ed McCarthy comes to my apartment for dinner he always brings champagne and it is always very good Champagne.  Ed has been doing this for almost 30 years.

 A few months ago after I poured the Champagne for all my guests, I overheard Ed saying something about the glasses to the person standing next to him. I asked him what he had said and with a smile answered “this is not the right glass for Champagne”.  The glass was a flute.  I said to Ed “next time you come, bring glasses, too,” and he replied “Ok”.  A few weeks later Ed arrived with champagne and eight tulip-shaped glasses.  He feels that this is a better glass for champagne.  He went on to say that he now prefers to drink champagne out of a white wine glass!

 Ed is a member of the Wine Media Guild and author of Champagne for Dummies. Every year in December he is the speaker for the Wine Media Guild’s champagne tasting and lunch at Felidia restaurant.

Fish in Salt at Felidia

 This year Ed asked for both Champagne glasses (tulip) and white wine glass to be at the tasting so the members could choose which they preferred for the Champagne. Most went with the white wine glass.

Following are the Champagnes Ed picked for the tasting and some of his remarks and comments by me.

 Vintage Champagne

 2000 Ayala Blanc de Blanc, 100% Grand Cru Chardonnay ($ 60-65). Light elegant style, dry.  Ed felt it would be great as an aperitif before dinner and a good buy. It had hints of apple and citrus with a touch of toast. I like it with food.

 1999 Delamont Blanc de Blancs, 100% Chardonnay Gran Cru ($75-80).  Ed said this was the inexpensive sister of Salone and this Champaghe house is a Blanc de Blancs specialist.  Ed felt it had more body and fruit than the Ayala. Delamont also makes a great Rose.

 1999 Pol Roger Blanc de Blancs, 100% Chardonnay from Grand Cru Vineyards in the Cete des Blancs  ($95-$105).  Ed believes that this is a great Blanc de Blancs. It was complex and full and one of his top 3 at the tasting and a good buy. I agreed. He also said he loved their Cuvee Winston Churchill.

 1999 Perrier- Jouet “Fleur de Champagne” Brut, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir ($115-$130, this is one of the best Chardonnay champagne houses). Ed liked it a lot and it was one of his top 3.  So did I

 2004 Deutz Brut Classic, a third Chardonnay, a third Pinot Meunier and a third Pinot Noir ($65).  This producer is not very well known in the United States but Ed likes it and feels it is a good buy.

 2002 Taittinger “Millesime” Brut, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir ($70).  It was very dry, needs more time and I think it will be a great wine. It is only made in very good years.

 2003 Louis Roederer Brut, 65%, Pinot Noir and 35% Chardonnay. Ed said that 2003 was not a good year in Champagne but Roederer was one of the few that made a good wine.

 1999 Laurent- Perrier Brut Vintage ,52% Chardonnay and 48% Pinot Noir ($60) I found it to be ripe and round with hints of preserved fruits.

 

1999 Pommery  Brut , 50% Chardonnay and 50% Pinot Noir ($70)

Floral and elegant.

 2000 Charles Heidsieck, one third Pinot Noir, one third Chardonnay and one third Pinot Meunier. (($70) This was one of Ed’s top three and also one of mine. It is also underrated champagne.  It was rich and elegant at the same time with very good fruit.

 1999 Gosset “Millesime” Brut ($80). Mostly Chardonnay.  Ed liked this one but said it needed more time–it was still too young. This is a very good small house and not very well known. It does not undergo malalactic fermentation and goes very well with food.

 1998 G. H. Mumm “Cuvee Rene Lalou” Brut Prestige Cuvee, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir ($150) This was the most expensive wine and the only one Ed believed was ready to drink now and would not get any better.

 1998 Nicolas Feuillatte “Pames d’Or” Brut Cuvee  ($120).  needed more time. 50% Chardonnay and 50% Pinot Noir. Mineral character

 1999 Bolinger La Grande Anee Brut 63% Pinot Noir and 37% Chardonnay ($125) this was one of my top wines but Ed did not like it as much as I did. Both of us felt that it would age very well.

 1995 Henriot “Cuvee des Enchanteleurs” Brut Prestige Cuvee.   Mostly Chardonnay ($135) this is a big champagne, with hints of toast and a great finish and after taste.

The Champagne

 Ed and I had the same three top wines but when he was asked for a fourth he picked the Delamotte and mine was the Bollinger.

 He said that there are still a few champagne houses that do not make a blanc de blanc.

  On Vintages

 Ed believed the 1996 was the best vintage of the last 20 years. 1988 was excellent and 1995 was very good. 1999 and2000 were good years. 2002 was an excellent year.  2003 was a very warm year and few producers made a good wine and 2004 was a very good year. 1998 was not that good of a year but some producers made very good wine. He said that 2002 was the vintage to buy now.

 Two weeks later I attended a NY Wine Press tasting and lunch of Prestige Cuvee Champagnes and once again Ed was the speaker.

There were 13 champagnes.  According to Ed, “Cristal 02, Pol Roger Sir Winston Churchill 98 and Ayala Cuvee Perle d’ Ayala Brute Natural were standouts”.  I agree with Ed but other standouts for me were:  the Henriot ‘Cuvee Des Enchanteteus” 1995 which was showing better than it was two weeks ago, Veuve Clicquot “La Grande Dame 1998,  Gosset “Celebris“ 1998 and the Taittinger ‘Comte De Champagne’ Blanc De Blances Brut 1998.

 We all drank from tulip champagne glasses except for Ed who made them change his to white wine glasses!

Ed with His Book "Champagne for Dummies"

 Xavier Flouret of Cognac One, the importers of Ayala, was sitting at my table during lunch.  I asked him what type of glass they use in Champagne.   He said at dinner they would use a champagne glass but when they taste the wine in the cellar they use a white wine glass!

 Happy New Year and may you toast the New Year with Champagne

Prosecco: A Wine for all Seasons

I’ve been thinking about and enjoying Prosecco a lot lately.  Over the last few months I have had the chance to meet several producers of Prosecco and taste their wines.  First there was a lunch with the marketing director of Mionetto, Enore Ceola.  A few weeks later I enjoyed lunch with Primo Franco of Nino Franco.  Then the region of the Veneto hired me to act as sommelier for a wine tasting in Grand Central Station, and Matteo Bisol was pouring his Bisol prosecco for visitors at the booth next to mine.  After these enc ounters, I wrote about the new DOC/DOCG laws for Prosecco on this blog.  Then Michele and I taught a wine and food class at De Gustibus at Macy’s – the first wine of the evening was Prosecco.  Most recently, I have just returned from the Veneto were I visited a few producers whose wine I had never tasted before.  It dawned on me that I drink a lot of Prosecco both here and in Italy.  Especially during the holiday season,  Michele serves dates stuffed with Grana Padano as an appetizer and we serve it with Prosecco. It seems to put everyone in a festive mood.  

 Prosecco is the largest selling sparkling (spumante) wine in Italy.  Italians drink it as an aperitif (no self- respecting Roman or Venetian goes out to dinner without having a glass of Prosecco first), with food, and to celebrate. When I am in Rome the first meal I have is at Da Giggetto in the Jewish Quarter. I always order the same dish, fried zucchini flowers stuffed with anchovies and mozzarella with a bottle of Prosecco. I think it goes great with any type of fried food and shellfish. 

Prosciutto di San Daniele

 In the Conegliano Valdobbiadene area of the Veneto we visited producers Bellenda and Le Vigne di Alice and drank Prosecco with Prosciutto di San Daniele, locally made salame, and Grana Padano cheese. It was a perfect combination and all you need is some bread for a great lunch!  

Cinzia Canzian of Vigna di Alice

 Both the Prosecco Spumante Brut from Bellenda and the Vigna di Alice Extra Dry are made from 100% Prosecco grapes (with the new laws Prosecco becomes a type of wine).   I had long conversations with Signor Cosmo of Bellenda  and Signora Cinzia Canzian of Vigna di Alice and enjoyed their wines.  We also visited the Bortolotti winery where Signor Bortolotti told us about their plans for expanding the winery and increasing their production.  He poured us a selection of his Prosecco, which I enjoyed very much. 

Many changes are taking place under Prosecco’s new DOC/DOCG designation which includes  a numbered label system. There will be a salmon-colored numbered label on the top of every bottle of prosecco DOCG. This seal has an identification number which makes each bottle traceable so that every phase of the production of a specific bottle is known. The producers I met also clarified for me the Rive. Rive are very special and defined hillside areas used in the production of specific wines. Each Rive carries the name of its local area and is subject to even more stringent production regulations.  The highest quality prosecco still comes from the very limited Cartizze area. 

Hillside Vineyard in Valdobbiadene

  It is interesting to note that all the producers I spoke to both here and in Conegliano-Valdobbiadene felt the same about the new DOC/DOCG regulations. They all agreed that it was very good and that they would protect Prosecco and improve the quality. 

 For more information on Prosecco and  the new DOC/DOCG laws see the following two articles. 

 Prosecco DOC/DOCG with Primo Franco and Matteo Bisol. 

www.charlesscicolone.wordpress.com 

 New DOC/DOCG Designation for Prosecco 

www.i-italy.org/blog/wine-and-food 

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Part II Sagrantino di Montefalco:Tasting the Wine

After the conference there was a tasting of Montefalco Rosso DOC, Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG and Passito.  47 producers are members of the Consortium (a few producers are not members) and about half of them were present at the tasting.

.I was impressed with the Sagrantino 2003 from Cantina Colle Ciocco. The wine was aged in 25hl French oak barrels. It was complex and very intense with aromas of blackberry and black cherry and a great finish and aftertaste. I also like their passito which is aged in 5hl barrels for five months. It was very well balanced and could be drunk with certain foods such as lamb.

 The Sagrantino 2005 from Cesarini Satori Signae had hints of blackberry, pepper with a touch of balsamic. Their passito Semel had hints of dried fruit and balsamic overtones with a great finish and aftertaste. It was a true dessert wine.

The Passito 2006 of Colle Del Saraceno- Az. Agraria di Francesco Botti was a big rich wine with flavors and aromas of blackberry, cinnamon and dried fruit– it was almost like liquor.

 I had visited the Perticaia Az. Agraria di Guido Guardigli last year and was very impressed with his wine. I felt the same way after tasting his wines this year; both the Sagrantino and the Passito were impressive.

 Colpetrone I also visited last year.  They make a more international style Sagrantino.

 Tenuta Alzatura is owned by the Cecchi family from Tuscany. The Sagrantino 2005 is aged in barriques for 16 months. There were undertones of blackberry plum and coffee; the wine had a nice finish and aftertaste.

 It was very interesting to me that most of the wines showed very well and that you can get a balanced wine from grapes that contain so much tannin. The passito is the most tannic dessert wine that I have ever tasted but it works.

When I saw the tasting sheet at Antonelli San Marco (Montefalco) I could not believe my eyes — Montelalco di Sagrantino 2001, 1998, 1995 and 1985 and the passito vintage 1985. The owner Filippo Antonelli said that he wanted to show us older vintages and that all of the wines were made by the former winemaker who had just retired.

 

Sagrantino di Montefalco – 100% Sagrantino is aged in 500 liter barrels for six months and 25 hl barrels for 12 months. The 1998 was aged in botti (large oak barrels) and the 1995 & 1985 were aged in cement containers. The barriques and the stainless steel came later. The wines all showed the same blackberry and plum aromas with a hint of mushroom. This was the first time I was able to taste Sagrantino this old.  It is one of the most tannic of wines but there was more than enough fruit to carry it. This tasting proved that Sagrantino is a wine that can age.

The 1985 Passito

The 1985 Passito was made from the grapes that receive the most sun. They are placed in crates and dried naturally on cane trellises for 75-90 days. The wine is unfiltered and aged 15 months in 25 hl barrels. It is a big tannic dessert wine with blackberry and raspberry jam aromas and flavors.  They also make a single vineyard Sagrantino di Montefalco called “Palone”  It was a very impressive tasting.

The Azienda Agricola Adanti on a Beautiful Fall Day

The next winery was Azienda Agricola Adanti (Bevagna) Here we had a tasting of Sagrantino 2005, 2004, 2001, 2000, 1999 1998, 1995, 1994 and 1993.  The wine is aged in large oak barrels and they also have a few 500 liter oak barrels. These wines were big and dark with flavors and aromas of blackberry, coffee, tar, smoke and a hint of almonds in the aftertaste. It is a family run operation and the son makes the same style of wine as his father did. These are very long lasting wines.

Tasting Sagrantino at Fattoria Colsanto

 Fattoria Colsanto  I first met Valneo Livon in Friuli really liked his white wine. He opened a winery in Bevagna to make Sagrantino. It is a very modern winery and it is only in the past few years that he is using his own grapes to make the wine. His Sagrantino is a touch more modern in style than some of the others but will age very well.  Malolatic fermentation takes place partially in barriques 70% and in steel 30% and then the wine is aged 15 months in oak barrels.  There are hints of red fruit and spices and undertones of tobacco.

Eating Coppa at Fattoria Colsanto

We had a great lunch here.  The highlight was the lamb prepared by Valneo’s wife that was the perfect combination with the Sagrantino.  It is traditional in the Montefalco area to eat lamb with passito at Easter time. This tradition started many years ago before Sagrantino became a dry wine and many still follow it today.

The large oak barrles-Botti- at Azienda Agricola Dionigi

The fourth winery of the day was Azienda Agricola Doinigi (Bevagna) and it was very cold in the cellar as we tasted the wine .We tasted Sagrantino from 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and from barrel 2008. These were very big wines that will last a long time and are aged in a combination of large and smaller oak barrels (used). The skins are in contact with the juice for 20 days. The 2006 tasted very different from the others. When I asked why they explained that some changes had been made in the vineyard and in the cellar.  They changed over to botti–large oak barrels and the wood was new!  I was very impressed with the 2001 Sagrantino and believe it will last a very long time. The passito 2005 was a true dessert wine aged in botti.

The last winery of the day was Di Filippo (Cannara). The vineyards of the winery are organically certified by the rules of the European Community – vini Umbri da agricoltura biologica. When I asked the owner Roberto Di Filippo about this he said that it was only for the vineyards and that the European Community did not have any rules once the grapes were in the winery. This is a family run winery and it was like tasting wine in someone’s home. The Sagrantino was a little on the modern side and not as big as some of the others but the oak really did not interfere with the taste.  The wine is aged for two years in oak casks and has red berry flavors and aromas. Like all the wines I have written about, it will age very well.

This was the first time in Montefalco that I was able to taste so many wines from so many producers and from so many different vintages going back to 1985.  I was very impressed with the wines. The Sagrantino di Montefalco will last a very long time because it is the most tannic of wines. It also has a enough fruit to go along with the tannin. The passito was very interesting; some of them being true dessert wines while others could go with food. I can only hope that these wines get the recognition they deserve.

 I also visited the Lungarotti winey in Montefalco and spent the morning and afternoon in the delightful company of Chiara Lungarotti but this is an article in itself.

Sagrantino Inspired by Bordeaux to Show Off Its Qualities

The headline of the press release read, “Sagrantino inspired by Bordeaux to show off its qualities.”  Since it was the 30th anniversary of Montefalco Sagrantino receiving its DOC designation, this was a good time to make the announcement.  The wine also has been awarded the DOCG, so the consortium was looking for a way to bring more attention to the wine and the area.  What better way to do this than to imitate the French!

The Consorzio Tutela Montefalco, with the approval of The Ministry of Forests, Food and Agriculture, established a commission (the makeup has not been decided) to divide the wines into several quality classes, inspired by the model adopted by the Saint-Emilion area in Bordeaux in the mid-nineteen fifties. It will be known as: La Classification del Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG.

A conference on the Experimental Classification of Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG was organized for November 19 and 20 in Montefalco primarily to discuss the pros and cons of the proposed classification.  I was part of a group of journalists both international and Italian who were invited to the conference.   

Professor Dobourdieu, Professor Zampi and Daniele Cernilli speaking at the conference

A panel discussion moderated by Daniele Cernilli, Gambero Rosso magazine’s editor, included the distinguished Professor Vincent Zampi (Economics Professor of the Florence University). He explained the proposal and elaborated on it.

The other speakers were: Denis Dubourdieu (Oenology Professor at Bordeaux University), Attilio Scienza (Oenology Professor at Milan Univeristy), and French journalist Thierry Desseauve. Riccardo Ricci Curbastro (FederDOC president) and Stefano Raimondi (CE wine and food drink manger) also spoke. It was an interesting discussion and there were very good points made for and against the proposal. We will have to wait until next year to see what happens.

One of the questions that crossed my mind was why Montefalco Sagrantino was chosen as the first wine for this type of classification. The Consortium’s answer was that Sagrantino di Montefalco can be considered a unique laboratory for creating and perfecting a classification system. Of course the Consortium feels that the pros outweigh the cons.  They went on to say that the wine is neither well known, nor has it achieved the prestige that it deserves and that the classification may help to achieve these ends.  When I asked some of the producers how they felt about the proposed classification, there were mixed reviews. 

 To understand why the Consortium considers the wine unique and to understand it a little better, here is some information that I learned from my visits to Montefalco.

Sagrantino grapes

There are many different explanations on how the Sagrantino grape came to Umbria.  Pliny the Elder (d.79 A.D) in his Naturalis Historia writes that a grape called Itrola was cultivated there in Roman times. Some sources state that it might have been brought to Umbria by followers of St. Francis returning from Asia Minor in the 14^th and 15th centuries.  Others think that it is native to Spain and may have been brought to Umbria by the Saracens.

Recent studies show that the Sagrantino variety does not have any similarity to any other grape variety cultivated in Central Italy, nor is it related to Sangiovese as some believed. The grape is only found around five hill towns, Montefalco being the best known. It is therefore a very local grape variety.

The name can be traced to the Latin “Sacer”, meaning sacred and related to the sacraments, since the grape was cultivated by monks to produce a raisin wine used for religious rites.  Sagrantino is first mentioned in a document dated 1549 when a Jewish trader named Guglielmo and his wife Stella placed an order for this grape.

Montefalco Sagrantino D.O.C.G. must be produced from 100% Sagrantino grapes.  In the beginning it was only made into a passito (dried grape) wine. It is an ideal grape for this process because it can dry for as long as four months and can conserve its sugar components intact.  By law, this version has to be aged for 30 months and have at least 14% alcohol. The dry version (secco) must also be aged for 30 months (as of this year 36 months) but 12 of the months must be in wooden barrels. The alcohol content must be at least 13%.  It was not until the early 1970’s that a dry version was produced.

Sagrantino Vintage 1985

The Sagrantino grape is very high in polyphenols (substances extracted from the skins of grapes that provide the coloring and texture for the wine) and also tannin which helps red wine to age.  We were told by Signore Mattivi from the Instituto Agrario Di San Michele all’Adige that of the 25 most popular grapes tested, Sagrantino was the highest in polyphenols and tannin. I also learned that the structure of tannin is different in the pits and the skins. Even though the Sagrantino grape is so high in tannins because of the nature of the grape, it is possible to have a balanced wine.   Phenolics (polyphenols)  have powerful antioxidant properties, but I will not go into this discussion!

Sagrantino is a wine with unique characteristics and a number of producers make exellent wines. They deserve to be better known and I wish them luck with their classification!

After the conference there was a tasting of Montefalco Rosso DOC, Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG and Passito.  There are 47 producers that are members of the Consortium (a few producers are not members) and about half of them were present at the tasting.

***Next time my impressions on the tasting and my visits to Antonelli San Marco.where I tasted – 1985 Sagrantino and an 85 Passito., Adanti where I tasted wines from 2005- 1994. Di Filippi, an organic winery, Lungarotti  where I was given the grand tour by Chiara Lungarotti, Scacciadiavoli,. Fattoria Colsanto where I met my friend Valneo Livon and had a great lamb dish that worked perfectly with his wine. and Azienda Agricola Dionigi for a vertical tasting of Sagrantino

If anyone is interested I can e-mail the remarks on the classification made by Professor Vincenzo Zamoi which is in English.

Prosecco DOC/DOCG with Primo Franco and Matteo Bisol

Now that Prosecco has become DOC/DOCG, I wanted to find out what the producers thought about the new laws for Italy’s largest selling sparkling wine.  As luck would have it, within the space of two weeks, I was able to meet two top producers of prosecco and ask them all my questions and then compare their answers.

 Primo Franco, owner and wine maker for Nino Franco, one of the oldest and most respected Prosecco firms, and Tony Di Dio of Tony Di Dio Selections invited me to lunch to taste Primo’s wines.  I have known Primo for almost 20 years and have always found him very interesting and knowledgeable on the subject of prosecco.

Then, the region of the Veneto asked me to act as their sommelier at the Veneto exhibit in the Vanderbilt Hall at Grand Central Station.  Working at the stand next to mine was Matteo Bisol of the famous prosecco family. When we were not pouring wine we talked about prosecco in general and Bisol prosecco in particular.

It was fascinating to me that while Matteo Bisol is in his early twenties and Primo Franco who has been making prosecco for many years and come from different generations, their ideas on prosecco and the new laws were almost the same. They both had the same passion when they spoke about prosecco. 

Matteo Bisol

Bisol makes a range of prosecco but my favorite is the “Cru Crede”.  I asked Matteo what made his prosecco special. He said that the average vineyard holding in the prosecco area is very small, about one hectare. Because of this many of the large producers purchase most of their grapes. Bisol owns 50 hectares of DOCG vineyards including three hectares in the Cartizze zone with the highest and most expensive vineyards. Owning their own vineyards he felt gave them quality control over the whole wine making process and therefore a better prosecco.

Bisol Prosecco

             I asked Primo Franco to explain the new DOC/DOCG laws. He said that the Conegliano/Valdobbiadene zone, the historical area around these two towns, would now become DOCG. The zones that were IGT would now become DOC, and the rest IGT. This DOC would include the 9 provinces of Treviso: Vicenza, Padova, Belluno, Venezia, Pordenone, Udine, Gorizia and Trieste.   Only the producers in the DOC and DOCG zones will be allowed to call their wine Prosecco, while those in the IGT zone will have to call it Glera. The term Prosecco will be used to identify the region that the wine comes from and the grape will be Glera. This would all take place with the 2009 harvest.

Diego Cusumano and Primo Franco after lunch

Bringing more production zones under the DOC/DOCG regulations should make the quality of Prosecco improve.  Many producers in the IGT zones have not followed traditional methods leading to an inferior product that confused the consumer. The new laws will protect the producers who have worked honestly and respectfully following the traditions of the terroir, and the winemaking heritage that comes from this wine area.

Under the new law, a producer cannot make a “Rose Prosecco” (which I always saw as a contradiction in terms) nor have the words Prosecco Blend on the label. Prosecco is now produced all over the world, even in Brazil. Both Primo and Matteo hoped that the new laws would preserve Prosecco’s identify and integrity and that the new regulations will help people to understand that true Prosecco only comes from the DOC/DOCG zone

They both believed that the best Prosecco is produced in the Conegliano/Valdobbiadene zone.  However, they feel that there is a difference in the Prosecco produced in Valdobbiadene and Conegliano. Valdobbiadene produces lighter, more elegant wines with a mineral character. It gets more sun as it faces southwest and the soil is chalk and limestone so the wines must go deeper to get water. This area makes the best spumante.   In Conegliano, the soil is clay and much heavier which gives the wine more body and makes it more rustic. It is closer to the Dolomites in the north and makes better frizzante wines. Both own vineyards in Valdobbiadene.  I tend to agree with them.

.           It is interesting to note that 2009 has seen a dramatic fall in the price of grapes in Italy. Prices have decreased between 10% and 50%. The only variety that has not dropped in price is the prosecco grape from the new DOCG, Conegliand/Valdobbiadene! Even with the price of grapes remaining high and the lower yields from the new laws they did not think the price of prosecco would go up. They also did not feel that the lower yields would have an effect on the type of prosecco produced. Both felt that prosecco would keep its traditional character.

I also noted that both served their prosecco in a white wine glass and not in a flute. A flute is used for champagne not for prosecco!

Speaking with Joel Peterson Founding Winemaker at Ravenswood about Zinfandel

.

Recently, I was invited to meet Joel Peterson, founding winemaker of Ravenswood Winery in Sonoma. I knew Mr. Peterson by reputation and was looking forward to speaking with him and of course tasting his wines which are primarily zinfandels.  I had lost interest in Zinfandel over the past few years. I found them to be too high in alcohol with too much extraction and so concentrated that I could not drink them. Most of the top rated Zinfandels seemed over the top.

Joel Peterson and a Vine

We spoke about a number of different topics including: Phylloxera- problems past and present, St. George rootstock, UC Davis, how zinfandel came to California, zinfandel’s relationship to primitivo, experimental primitive plantings in California today, and how his winery got its name.

  I asked him what style of zinfandel he made. His reply was an interesting one. He said that he had a European sensibility when it came to making wine and he felt that his wine fell somewhere between Chianti and Barolo. He uses Old World winemaking techniques such as native yeasts, open-top fermenters, punching down by hand, and French oak aging. Mr. Peterson feels that each one of his vineyards is unique.  The elevation of the vineyards is anywhere from sea level to 700 feet.  The terroir varies so much that he trains the vines in different ways. For example, one vineyard might call for the Guyot, while another for Bush vines. Since most of his zinfandel vineyards are old they all have St. George root stock.  All this from a winemaker who has been making zinfandel at the same winery in California for over 30 years.

 All the wines we tasted were labeled “Single Vineyard Designate” and I asked what made them special. He said that the vineyard must be in a precise location and ideally suited for the variety planted there. It must have its own flavor characteristics and profile and the wines must be old with very low yields. The vineyard must be farmed by meticulous and experienced growers.

 All of his zinfandels spend 20 months in 100% French with a slight difference between new and one year old barrels. Mr Peterson did a very good job of integrating the wood with the wine. All of them were very well balanced and are very good food wines. His zinfandels were closer in style to European wines then to most California wines.

Ravenswood Zinfandel

The first wine we tasted was the Dickerson, Zinfandel 2007.  The grapes come from vines grown in St Helena in the Napa Valley that date back to 1930.  Made from 100% zinfandel grapes grown at sea level.  ($35)

  Big River Zinfandel 2007 -from the Alexander Valley from 100% zinfandel grown at 500 feet  ($35)

 Belloni Zinfandel 2007 – Made from 78% zinfandel and 22% blend of carignane, alicante bouschet, and petite sirah.  Some of the vines are over 90 years old Russian River grapes grown at sea level. ($35)

 Barricia Zinfandel 2007 -  The vineyard was first planted in 1892, Sonoma Valley. Made from 76% zinfandel and 24% petite sirah grown at sea level ($35) This was one of my favorites: very well balanced, with hints of blackberries and raspberries, this is a wine to be drunk with food.

 Teldeschi  Zinfandel 2007 Zinfandel 2007. Old mixed vineyard.  The wine is made from 76% zinfandel, 22% petite sirah, and 2% carignane. Dry Creek. grown at sea level.

Vineyard dates from 1913-197 This was my other favorite:  It tasted like an Old World Wine with cherry aromas and flavors and undertones of black pepper, tar and smoke it is a great food wine ($35)

 Old Hill Zinfandel 2007 –The grapes for this wine come from the oldest vineyard which dates back to 1880- Sonoma Valley. The grape varieties are separated in blocks–zinfandel, petite sirah and carignane and grown at 300ft. ($60).

   Peterson also makes the Icon Mixed Blacks 2007 36% carignane, 27% petite sirah, 25% zinfandel and 12% mixed blacks (some alicante bouschet) ( $75 )

 And the Pickberry 2006. Made from 74% merlot and 26% cabernet sauvignon.grown at 700ft.  ($50)

 If anyone could make me change my mind about zinfandel, it would be Joel Peterson of Ravenswood.

 Michele and I will be teaching a class on Italian food and wine for the holiday season at De Gustibus at Macy’s on Thursday Dec 3 2009.Information & tickets 212-239-1652 or www.degustibus.com