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 Since I was stuck at home nursing a “boo boo” on my leg these past few days, friends stopped by with food and good cheer. In the movie “A Streetcar Named Desire”, Blanche DuBois said, “Whoever you are, I have always depended on the kindness of strangers.” I, on the other hand, have always depended on the kindness of my friends”.  The other evening, one of those kind friends brought over a very nice bottle of Spanish wine in addition to a killer meal that he prepared for me. We opened a 2010 El Escocés Volante '3000 Anos' from Bullas, Spain located in the southeast Mediterranean area. El Escocés Volante means “The Flying Scot”. Norrel Robertson came to Spain in 2003 with his family and released his first wine in 2004. The 3000 Anos is a blend of 50% Monastrell and 50% Syrah. The color was dark purple with aromas of dark berries, cranberries and leather. This full-bodied wine was filled with flavors of dark fruit, smoky oak, spices and herbs. The finish was long and velvety. http://www.escocesvolante.es The temperature is slowing dropping and autumn is upon us. It’s time to dust off the knitting needles that I have neglected for far too long and begin a project.
Happy Monday! Cheers! Penina  Bel Giorno! Yesterday I began my review of the Kobrand Tour d’Italia 2015 eight-city tour of Italy. We explored some wonderful vineyards and tasted interesting wines. I now have three more stops to make.  I made my way to Veneto, where Tony Apostolakos, the U.S. Director of Masi Agricola was waiting to guide me through a tasting of Amarone. It is interesting to note that Sandro Boscaini, the owner of Masi, is referred to as “ Mr. Amarone” due to the unique crafting of his wines. He uses the appassimento method to concentrate aromas and flavors in wine. The Appaxximento symbol can be found on his labels guaranteeing the authenticity and quality of Masi Wine. I’ll highlight a few of the wines I tasted. The 2011 Costasera Amarone was full-bodied with cherry, plum and spices. The 2008 Vaio Armaron Amarone, aged in cherry wood casks for four months, was amazing. The aroma and flavor of cherries, spices and fruit lingered on the palate. Before I departed I was treated to a taste of 1999 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico. It had a beautiful bouquet of fruit and earth, with dark fruit and spice on the palate. http://www.masi.it  The next stop was Piedmont to visit Michele Chiarlo, a family owned and run winery. Their grape varieties are Moscato, Barbera, Nebbiolo and Cortese. It is interesting to note that the wines are never blended. I tried a 2011 Reyna, Barbaresco, 100% Nebbiolo. It was flowing with dark fruit, spice and licorice. The 2007 Cannubi Barolo, also 100% Nebbiolo was full-bodied with notes of licorice, spice and firm tannins. Although I didn’t have a chance to taste the light sparkling wine Nivole, Moscato d’Asti, 100% Moscato, I was told the wine is so delicate that, Michele Chiarlo named it Nivole after the Piedmontese word for clouds. http://www.michelechiarlo.it/ My final destination was back in Tuscany with Ambrogio E Giovanni Folonari. The Folonari family began their wine making in the 1700’s and are considered among Tuscany’s top winemakers. Their portfolio is vast and with the array of bottles set before me, I knew that I didn’t have time to sample them all. So I asked Claudio Andreani to guide me through a few of the wines. We started with the 2010 Tenuta La Fuga Brunello di Montalcino. It was full-bodied and robust with dark berry and tobacco. The 2012 Tenute del Cabreo Il Borgo was smooth and earthy. Tannins were a bit chewy. Next was Tenuta di Nozzole Chianti Classico Riserva, 100% Sangiovese. Aged for 16 months in Slavonian oak vats, the wine was earthy with firm tannins. My last taste was a 1997 Tenuta Campo al Mare, Rosso, Bolgheri. This wonderful Bordeaux-style blend was rich in flavor. Dark fruit, licorice and a long smooth finish completed my day of tasting. http://tenutefolonari.com
Have a great Friday! Cheers! Penina  Tuesday was a beautiful day and what better way to spend it than touring Italy. Our kick off point was the trendy Bowery Hotel in NYC. This small boutique hotel located in the East Village was the perfect setting for the Kobrand Tour d’ Italia 2015 wine event.  The first stop on this eight-city tour was Risano and Spessa di Capriva in the Friuli Grave and Collio Goriziano D.O.C. zones. I met with Roberto Pighin, the owner of Fernando Pighin & Figli. He has been part of the family winery since he was a child. He is passionate about his wine and took great pride in discussing the production of the Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc. The Pinot Grigio Friuli Grave was sweet with fruit and quite lively, as compared to the Pinot Grigio Collio that was more intense with citrus and less fruit. The Sauvignon Blanc Friuli Grave was grassy, mild and very pleasant. http://www.pighin.com  My next stop was the estate of Tenuta San Guido located in the D.O.C. Bolgheri in Tuscany. Colleen McKettrick, the Brand Ambassador, greeted me. It is no secret that Sassicaia is a favorite of mine. And, it is also the first Super Tuscan to be released in 1968. So it was with great pleasure that I tasted some excellent wines. The 2012 Sassicaia was rich with dark fruit, spices and was quite robust. Colleen poured me a special taste of the 2004 Guidalberto and 2006 Sassicaia that were pure velvet! The 2013 Guidalberto Toscana IGT is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. It was well-balanced with dark fruit and a velvet texture. The 2013 Le Difese Toscana IGT is a mini Super Tuscan made with Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese, sharing a pedigree with Sassicaia. The fruit is picked from younger vines and is easy to drink. http://www.tenutasanguido.com Agricola Punica, founded in 2002, is located in Sardinia, a large island in the Mediterranean Sea. Sebastiano Rosa (Principle) and his son led me on a guided tour of their wines. We started with the Samas, made with Vermentino and Chardonnay grapes. It was quite refreshing and light with lots of citrus. I also tried Montessu, 2013 and Barrua, 2012, both made with the Carignano grape which is one of three main grapes planted in Sardinia. The Montessu was layered with fruit & spices and called “Super Sardinian” The Barrua was more robust and full-bodied. I’ll have to come back to this island! http://www.agripunica.it/ I found myself back in Tuscany again tasting wines from Tenuta Sette Ponti owned by Giovanna Moretti and her brother Antonio Moretti who also own Feudo Maccari in Sicily. Their Tuscan wines are eclectic and there were many to sample. The newest wine is Vigna del Impero made with 100% Sangiovese. Planted in 1935, Imperno is one of Tuscany’s oldest vineyards. The wine was rich with fruit, spice and medium tannins. I made a quick stop in Sicily to taste Grillo, Sicilia IGP 2014. Aged in steel tanks, this full-bodied wine was floral scented, with citrus and stone fruit on the palate. Did you know that the Grillo grape is most famous for its role in making Marsala wines? http://www.tenutasetteponti.it Tenute Silvio Nardi, located in Tuscany is owned and operated by Emilia Nardi. They are one of the founding families of the Brunello Consortium. The wines are made with 100% Sangiovese. I tasted the 2005 and 2010 Brunello. The 2005 Brunello was high in tannins and more “chewy”. I preferred the 2010 Brunello having softer tannins that allowed the fruit, licorice and spices to dominate. I then tried the 2006 and 2010 Manachiara Brunello. Although the 2006 was bright and robust, the 2010 was smoother and more complex. http://www.tenutenardi.com So, this is where the first leg of my trip ends. Tomorrow I will continue on to Veneto, Piedmont and then back to Tuscany. Until then…  Saluti!
Penina  The days are flying by and I can’t believe that we are already approaching mid September. I am not ready to give up summer!  I must admit though that I am looking forward to making soups and breads to enjoy on those crisp autumn nights. In fact, I’m planning on making a large vat of soup this week to store in the freezer. I’ve saved up small freezer friendly containers so that I can heat up a few servings at a time.  Over this past weekend, I attended a small dinner party with a “fall” menu, including a very good 2009 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Mercer Estates, Columbia Valley, WA. The blend was 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 2% Malbec, 1% Petit Verdot and 1% Syrah. It was aged in French and American oak barrels for 28 months. The wine was full bodied with aromas of blackberry, cherry, pepper and clove. The palate was layered with dark fruit, blueberry, cherry, pepper, anise and spices that led to a long velvety finish. http://mercerwine.com. I may not be ready to give up summer yet, but I am ready to embrace some hearty red wines! Have a peaceful Sunday. And, if you’re celebrating the Jewish New Year, then “L ‘Shana Tova”.
Cheers! Penny  The skies have finally opened up and rain is pouring down onto the parched earth. The trees and plants are smiling with relief! And I am happy that my rain dance worked!  For the last few days, my time has been divided between appointments and socializing sweet Mabel, the little puppy from Puppies Behind Bars program. www.puppiesbehindbars.com. As busy as my schedule has been, I did manage to take a little “me” time to taste a lovely wine with a friend the other evening. It was an extremely hot and humid night, so we were both craving a cold and crisp wine.  We chose 2014 Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough, New Zealand. It was light and crisp, but impressive. It had intense aromas of grapefruit, lemon, tropical fruit and fennel. The palate offered ripe citrus, herbs, stone fruit and a wonderful chalky minerality. It was a very refreshing wine with a long finish. http://www.cloudybay.co.nz Much to do before the day ends.
Have a great Thursday! Cheers! Penina  Labor Day is over, kids are back in school and the “fashionistas” are already promoting winter wear. However, I am optimistically looking forward to an Indian summer. I still have many wines to taste while enjoying the sunsets from my deck.  The other evening the temperature had dropped into the low 60’s and my friend was in the mood for red wine. We opened a 2005 Kuleto Estate Zinfandel from Napa Valley. The color was dark ruby with a tinge of purple. It had dark berry, cedar and plum on the nose. The palate offered blackberry, anise, pepper and spice. Tannins were a bit chewy with a medium finish of jam flavors. Alcohol 15.2% The wine paired well with the mussel and shrimp stew. http://www.kuletoestate.com Wishing you a blissful Tuesday!
Cheers! Penina  The summer seems to have come and gone very quickly. And, due to circumstances beyond my control, I didn’t travel very far from home nor have any of the adventures I was planning on. Sometimes that’s just the way the dice rolls!  So, it was a sweet surprise when a friend of mine decided to whisk me off on Friday, if only for a short time to a destination that allowed me to fantasize that I might be somewhere very far away. The joy of burying my feet in the sand, walking along the beach and watching a magical sunset was the soul food that I needed! We might travel far and wide, share that exceptional bottle of wine, and stockpile many incredible memories and adventures to share with the world. But what remains with me when all is said and done, are the thoughtful and little gestures that a person can bestow on another to make them smile, laugh and feel special! That’s the “pearl”.
Have a Happy Labor Day weekend. I will return on Tuesday! Cheers! Penina  It’s already Thursday and I’m still trying to catch up with everything. It’s a juggling act at best!  On “Day 80”, September 6th, 2014, I posted a quick review of 1988 Chateau Coufran Haut – Médoc. I remember how impressed we were that it had held up so well throughout the years considering it was not stored under the most ideal conditions. When my friend came over for dinner on Tuesday evening, he asked if we might open my last bottle of 1988 Chateau Coufran Haut - Médoc. And so, a year later, as we swirled and sipped, we were again awed as to how well this wine stood the test of time! It was better than the first bottle.  The cork was solid and came out with ease. It was decanted, with no visible sediment, which is unusual for a wine of this age. The color was dark brick red with aromas of cherry and dark berries. The wine was soft and uncomplicated with gentle flavors of cherry, pomegranate, a hint of spice and licorice. As the wine continued to open up over the course of the evening, the fruit became a bit bolder on the palate. The finish was medium. It was an exceptional wine for its age. http://www.chateau-coufran.com The 76 hectare vineyard is situated on the Left Bank close to St. Estephe. The vineyard, which dates back to the mid 1700’s, was originally planted with Cabernet Sauvignon. The Miaihe family purchased the property in 1924 and in the early 1930’s they ended up ripping out most of the Cabernet vines and planting 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet grapes in the vineyards. This is quite unique for the Haut - Médoc. I would love to taste their more recent vintages as a comparison to the 1988 bottle. Have a great Thursday!
Cheers! Penina  The past few days have been extremely busy and quite productive. So, I was grateful to spend a few low-key evenings relaxing with friends. I need to get caught up, so let me back track a few days.  An early evening swim on Sunday was followed by dinner with a friend. The “supermoon” was still full and magnificent as we dined al fresco on lobster salad and a bottle of 2010 Brokenwood Semillon from Hunter Valley, Australia. When one thinks of Semillon, we usually associate it with France because it is the major white grape in the Bordeaux region and the 3rd most planted grape in France. However, it has taken a stronghold in many other parts of the world including Australia. Semillon has been compared to Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay, depending on where it is grown.  The Brokenwood Semillon we tasted was an interesting color of pale straw with a green hue. It had wonderful aromas of citrus, green apple and honeydew. On the palate there was an initial sweetness that segued into green apples, lime and a hint of pear. The wine was full of character with a long crisp finish and reminiscent of Sauvignon Blanc. http://www.brokenwood.com.au When I have more time, I’ll discuss the major role that Semillon plays in the world of Sauternes, especially my favorite Château d'Yquem!
Tomorrow’s post will be about an incredible 1988 vintage wine I had last night. Happy Wednesday! Cheers! Penina |
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