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+--- Thread: Sangiovese tasting in Arlington, VA (/thread-7954.html)
- wondersofwine - 07-12-2005
At a private home about a dozen of us gathered to taste Sangiovese-based wines.
We had some excellent food including several cheeses with crackers, rice and risotto dishes, a Turkish eggplant and tomato dish called "The Imam Fainted" (very tasty)and pie and datenut cake.
Most of the wines were in flights of two.
We had a Prosecco to begin.
Then two non-Italian Sangiovese wines
GAMLA SANGIOVESE from the Golan Heights (Israel)
A pleasant aroma in which ripe prune mixed with cherries. 14% alcohol. Very pleasant but not indicative of the usual chianti wine.
Lighter taste than the California wine that shared the flight.
2001 FOPPIANO SANGIOVESE, (Sonoma, CA--Dry Creek Valley, I believe)
14.5% alcohol; exhibits a little more body than the Israeli wine; rather nice.
Next up:
2001 FATTORIA DE CORTI "DON TOMMASO" CHIANTI CLASSICO. This was denser and darker than its flight companion the Vino Nobile. It tasted of dark cherries and some wood--a fairly typical Chianti. I liked it about equal to the Vino Nobile.
2001 AVIGNONESI VINO NOBILE DE MONTEPULCIANO.
This was leggy and exhibited a bit of funk or leather on the nose. Didn't really taste funky.
I failed to take notes on the 1997 CASTELLO DI AMA CHIANTI CLASSICO other than to note the 12.5% alcohol. It was paired with
1988 FELSINA CHIANTI CLASSICO RISERVA RANCIA which was decanted briefly. I prefered the Rancia to the Castello di Ama Chianti Classico. It was still quite alive (at 17 years) and somewhat tannic but very drinkable.
The next flight was as one attendee expressed it "two different takes on Super Tuscans." I contributed the
2001 CIACCI PICCOLOMINI D'ARAGONA "ATEO" (SANT' ANTIMO, TUSCANY, ITALY) called "Ateo" or "Atheist" because it is not made from traditional grapes of Tuscany. It blends Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot with Sangiovese. I've tried about three different vintages of Ateo now and I've loved them all. Nontraditional but a well-made wine registering 14.5% alcohol. One attendee found that the C.S. and Merlot overpower and hide the Sangioese. I paid around $24 or $25 but have seen it on the Internet for closer to $30 or $32.50. One participant said it can sometimes be found for about $20.
The "Ateo" was in a flight with
1995 FELSINO FONTALLARO which at the time it was bottled broke the Chianti rules by being 100% from Sangiovese grapes (usually Chianti is a blend with at least 75% Sangiovese). Now the 100% Sangiovese wines can be called Chianti but those that are established under proprietary names will probably not label them as Chiantis. 13% alcohol. Retails in the $30-$40 range. This was a favorite with me and several others. Ten years after harvest it is mellow but still probably has some years to hold on its plateau.
I didn't take notes on the
2001 FANTI "TENUTA SAN FILIPPO" ROSSO DI MONTALCINO. I was probably stuffing my face about then as we migrated from appetizers to main course about this time.
Next a flight of two 1997 Brunello di Montalcino
1997 SIRO PACENTI BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO at 13.5% alcohol. I prefered this to the
1997 CASTELLO BANFI BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO POGGIO ALLE MURA (also 13.5% alcohol). To be fair, one of the more knowledgeable wine collectors said the Poggia alle Mura appeared to be in an awkward, closed-down stage and would probably reward two or three years of cellaring.
I also brought a
1997 BOLSIGNANO BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO (13.5% alcohol) which was somewhat disappointing. It was viscous in texture but seemed light bodied and thin in comparison to the other Brunellos.
For a slightly older Brunello we tasted
1995 COLLE AL MATRICHESE (COSTANTI) BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO (we didn't open the 1990 Banfi Brunello di Montalcino which was a backup bottle to another contribution). The Costanti was very nice. Peter remarked that the 1995 vintage had lots of structure. It was drinking well now but according to the more experienced Brunello drinkers was still short of maturity.
A mystery bottle (label hidden) of older wine turned out to be
1977 BIONDI-SANTI CANTINA DELLA FATTORIA "IL CREPPO". Biondi-Santi is said to be "so traditional that it's never ready until it's dead." 12.5% alcohol Not dead. Is it ready? I would say so but I'm no expert.
With dessert we had a red sparkling wine the Banfi Brachetto d'Acqui Rosa Regale. This raspberry-flavored sparkler goes nicely with chocolate dessert but we didn't have chocolate. It can be found for around $14 for a half-bottle or $20-$30 for a regular bottle. It is about 80% from the Brachetto varietal and up to 20% of Aleatica and Muscato Nero.
I thought the Felsina wines showed particularly well and also the Siro Pacenti Brunello was very nice.
[This message has been edited by wondersofwine (edited 07-12-2005).]
- dananne - 07-12-2005
Sounds like a fun evening! Thanks for the notes!
- TheEngineer - 07-12-2005
Thanks for the notes! Sounded like a nice evening.
BTW, I love the names of foods like that ("the Imam Fainted"). The Chinese have a similar one called "Buddha jumped over the wall"....the implications that the dish was so good, that even Buddha jumped over the wall.
- Kcwhippet - 07-12-2005
JC,
I get down to Arlington a few times a year. My home office is at 1100 Wilson Blvd. and I usually stay at the Hyatt up the street, or the Key Bridge Marriott or the Pentagon City Ritz. Anyway, maybe you can come up sometime when I come down. At the moment it appears I should be down there the week of 22 August, or maybe 29 August, or maybe even 15 August. As of now the week of 22 looks most plausible (at least from my group's point of view). Anyway, that looks like a good way to try a few wines together.
- wondersofwine - 07-13-2005
I probably won't be up that way again until the weekend of 9-11 Sep. My friend Sallie's church group in the past has bought group tickets to an Orioles game but this year are going to a Nationals game on 9 Sep. It would be nice if we could share some drinks together sometime.