September 2011

2001 Allegrini Recioto Giovanni  $79.99*bot."Very intense wine from a high density vineyard planted to Cabernet, Merlot, and Syrah. Alluvial soils with limestone composition at a lower 400ft. elevation which is benefited by a perfect southeastern exposure." Very limited 500 case production from this lovely working hotel/cooking school estate. 

2001 Barbera BRAIDA Bricco dell Uccellone $69.99*bot.  Gambero Rosso 3 Glass Award &  Parker 91pts. "seductive nose of spicy, grilled bread, infused with expresso, roasted meats, black cherries, and raspberries. Dense, full-bodied, luxurious texture, super intense, plush, to enjoy over next 8 yrs."

1999 Barolo Brunate  Vietti - $62.50*bot. Parker 92-95pts. "It shows the balsamic nose typical of this great vineyard, along with toasted oak, smoke, mineral and tar aromas with excellent concentration in its sweet dark fruit, as well as notable expansiveness and depth of expression. This bottling often appears out of balance when young as the new oak requires a few years to integrate fully into the wine, but patience will be amply rewarded. It should drink well to age 20. 92/drink after 2007, An enveloping, seamless wine, it perfectly captures the sepia-toned nuances of the Brunate vineyard. Smoke, tar, licorice, plums, prunes, and chocolate emerge from this powerful, weighty Barolo. Balsamic overtones develop in the glass, adding further complexity and elegance as this sweet, perfumed wine continues to open. It is another gorgeous offering from Vietti."

1999 Brunello Valdicava $140.00*bot. Parker 93pts. "those looking for the finest... might want to consider this wine, the best yet."  also Wine Spectator 94pts. Dark-colored, with intense aromas of ripe fruit, coffee and toasted oak. Full-bodied, with a depth of ripe fruit and delicious black licorice flavors and silky tannins. Beauty. This equals the quality of the excellent 1994. Best after 2006. 1,600 cases made. -JS

2001 Flaccianello Fontodi Super Tuscan 3 liter - $595.00 each - Gambero Rosso 3 Glass Award - Wine Spectator 97pts.

2005 Flaccianello Fontodi Super Tuscan - SALE $750.00 cs/12. Parker 93pts. (Galloni) "Manetti's 2004 Flaccianello della Pieve (100% Sangiovese aged in 100% new oak) is simply stunning. Fresh and vibrant, it offers compelling aromatics and endless layers of fruit that develop in the glass, with superb length on the palate and gorgeous overall balance. Although it is still holding back much today, make no mistake about it, Flaccianello is one of Italy?s blue-chip wines and the 2004 is a profound vintage for this wine. In order to enjoy its full range of expression readers will have to wait at least another five years after which it will provide memorable drinking to age 25, perhaps longer. A recent bottle of the 1982 was still full of life when tasted a few months ago. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2029." (Galloni tasted 371 wines, only 5 earned 96pts., 1 earned 97pts., but at 3x the price of Flaccianello)

2004 Flaccianello Fontodi 3 liters - $550.00 each NET

2002 Nino Negre Valtellina Sfursat 5 Star - $399.99 cs/6(66.67) - Gambero Rosso 3 glass award and red Wine of the Year "rare elegance, intense garnet color, aromas of plums preserved in alcohol and dense notes of blackberries and black cherries. On the palate it is beefy, continuous and pervasive with ..." Sfursat, or Sforzato, is made from a selection of the best grapes of the Valtellina. It owes its name to the classic practice of Forzatura - already noted in Roman times - which consists of drying the bunches to concentrate the juice of the grapes and to increase the sugar content. The resulting wine is particularly robust but it is produced only in the best years in limited quantities. The bunches, sorted from the healthiest and ripest available in only the best years, are picked by hand into small boxes of six kilos each and are then left to dry naturally for three months so that the grape sugar is concentrated through dehydration. The dried grapes are pressed in January and vinified by the traditional red wine method; the must, very rich in sugar, ferments slowly and produces an exceptionally powerful wine (1,5 kilos of grapes are needed to render 750 cl bottle of Sfursat). The wine is aged one year in vats of Slavonian oak; the wine then rests another threes months in the bottle. Intense garnet colour, with brick red hues and a heady, very distinctive, complex bouquet, with strong spicy notes (cloves, cinnamon, pepper) and hints of plum preserve, raisins and tar. Dry, warm, savoury flavours have produced a balanced and firm wine with an elegant lingering aftertaste of toasted hazelnuts and liquorice.

2006 Poggio al Tesoro Sondraia - $250.00 cs/6 - Parker 90pts."Bordeaux Super Tuscan blend with ripe dark fruit, chocolate, mint, eucalyptus , and toasty oak."

2003 Serpico Fuide San Grigorio - $425.00 cs/6(70.84) - Parker 98pts Impenetrable inky, staggeringly rich in aroma and flavor, offers ultra-ripe perfectly fresh berry fruit, cloves, cinnamon, chocolate. Mouth-coating, deep-pile tactile sensations which combine iron power enveloping, voluptuous texture, infinitely deep and long. I would be amazed if this wine DID NOT last 30yrs." I QUESS HE REALLY LIKES IT !

2006 Tenuta di Trinoro $300.00*bot. (physically a Toscano, stylistically a Bordeaux) Andrea Franchetti remains deeply influenced by the wines of Bordeaux, and many of his cuttings come from some of that region's top estates, such as Vieux Chateaux Certan, which is the source of his Cabernet Franc. Tenuta di Trinoro wines are the only wines outside of France invited to be shown at Bordeaux's "en primeur" each year. "The is another profound wine from Andrea Franchetti. Purity, power and structure all come together as this stunning, youthful wine gradually opens in the glass. Jammy dark blueberries, menthol, spices and toasted oak are just some of the nuances to be found in this sweet, textured offering. Today it comes across as less intense than previous vintages. In 2006 the Tenuta is 40% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Franc, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6% Petit Verdot."   Wine Advocate, #188, June 2008 - 95+pts.  "Tenuta di Trinoro sits in viticultural isolation in a valley just west of the Florence-Rome autostrada near Sarteano where Tuscany meets Umbria and Lazio. Andrea Franchetti describes it as 'a godforsaken place on the east of the first limestone mountain north of Rome with an ex-volcano between it and the sea." Jancis Roberson.

2004 "W" Dedicato Poggio al Tesoro - $85.00*bot.  Parker 92pts. "a drop-dead gorgeous effort. A dark glossy ruby, it presents an exotic array of toasted oak, mint, spice, chocolate, coffee bean and sweet dark fruit notes. Plump and expressive on the palate, it offers superb length as well as exquisite overall balance and a resonating note of warmth on the finish. Ideally a few years of cellaring are warranted although this wine is drinking very well today. Made from a vineyard once leased by nearby Tenuta dell'Ornellaia and aged in 100% new oak for 18 months, it is one of the most exciting new wines I tasted. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2019. Poggio al Tesoro is a new winery in Bolgheri co-owned by importer Leonardo LoCascio and the Allegrini family. Winemaking is overseen by consulting oenologist Alberto Antonini and these are its first releases. The estate works with densely planted vineyards and low yields to produce deeply flavored wines. In particular, readers who enjoy Cabernet Franc will not want to miss the superb 2004 Dedicato. Poggio al Tesoro will be a fascinating property to watch as the wines acquire age"

Misc. Countries and Regions:

2003 Ernie Els Stellenbosch Cabernet - $90.00 - SALE $75.00*bot. Stephen Tanzer 89+pts."Bordeaux varieties blended with 20% shiraz. Good full ruby-red. High-toned aromas of raspberry, cassis, licorice, menthol, tobacco, eucalyptus and resin oak. Creamy-sweet and fine-grained, with rather cool flavors of licorice, menthol and violet pastille. From grapes harvested late, in a cool growing season. Finishes with firm, serious, building tannins and an emerging note of bitter chocolate. The Ernie Els property is located closer to the sea and at higher altitude than Rust en Verde, the vineyards are distinctly cooler and more exposed to wind."

2000 Ramos Late Bottled Vintage Port $19.99*bot. plus Ramos Tawny.

2005 Vega Sicilia Alion $90.00*bot. Parker 96pts. Bodegas Alion was started by the renowned estate of Vega Sicilia in 1991. Grapes are sourced from vineyards next to the winery and from Vega Sicilia’s own vineyards at Valbuena. Eighteen hectares of Tinto Fino (Tempranillo) form the actual Alion estate. The 2004 Alion is inky purple-colored with an alluring perfume of toasty oak, lavender, violets, mineral, blackberry, and blueberry compote. This is followed by a full-bodied, rich, opulent, wine with incipient complexity, and notes of licorice, mocha, and espresso emerging on the palate. The lengthy finish is pure and persistent. Give it 3-5 years in the cellar and drink it through 2025." and Tanzer 92pts.:"Saturated red. Fresh strawberry and raspberry aromas are complemented by subtle Indian spice and mineral qualities. Really shows its fruit on the palate today, offering vivid red berries, blackberry and candied. Tannins make a brief appearance on the finish but are subsumed by the energetic fruit. I've no doubt that this will repay cellaring but it wouldn't be infanticide to drink a bottle now." (Jul/Aug '08).

2005 Vega Sicilia Pintia $60.00*bot. Parker 95pts."Bodegas Pintia is owned by Vega Sicilia. Pintia is located further west along the Duero River inside the warmer D.O. of Toro. The estate owns 96 hectares of land. The first vintage released was the 2001. As for the 2005 Pintia, it is 100% Tinta de Toro aged for one year in new French and American oak. Opaque purple-colored, it offers a complex perfume of pain grille, pencil lead, spice box, black cherry, and blackberry. This leads to a full-bodied, ripe, layered wine with intense flavors, serious complexity, and exceptional length. It has enough structure to unfold for another 4-6 years and drink well through 2025."

* Deduct 5% on assorted 12 bottle purchases.

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