BYOB Brunello Italian Wine and Dine at Angeli’s Italian Naperville

BYOB Brunello Italian Wine and Dine at Angeli’s Italian Naperville 

We dined with neighbors/friends Richard and Adessa at Angeli’s Italian, our favorite neighborhood trattoria. I took from our cellar this middle-aged Brunello Di Montalcino, a Sangiovese that be become one of our favorite varietals, especially with tangy Italian faire. 

I ordered their signature comfort dish, Pasta and Peas - Ground Italian sausage simmered with sweet peas in a vodka cream sauce and tossed with rigatoni pasta. The ample portion provided a left over dinner the following night at which time this was even better! 

Linda order her favorite standby dish, Angeli’s Eggplant Parmigiana - Layers of lightly floured eggplant stuffed with ricotta and mozzarella cheeses, baked in the oven, and topped with homemade marinara sauce (pictured below).

To accompany our meal, we brought BYOB from our home cellar this middle-aged Brunello di Montalcino. 

Altesino Brunello di Montalcino Sangiovese 2017  

I’ve written often in these pages about Brunello and what makes it so special. They are sourced from the Italian appellation of Brunello di Montalcino, regarded as one of Italy’s best appellations. 

Located in south central Tuscany below Chianti, the wines of Brunello di Montalcino DOCG are made of a Sangiovese clone called “brunello,” which means “little dark one,” a reference to the brown tones in the skin of the grape. Unlike some Tuscan appellations that allow other grapes to be blended with Sangiovese, Brunello di Montalcino appellation rules require 100% Sangiovese.

Brunello di Montalcino DOCG has to be made 100% with Sangiovese grapes alone, and made only within the Montalcino municipality area. It can only be sold in the market from January 1 of its fifth year after harvest. Prior to that, the wine cannot legally be called Brunello di Montalcino (not even in the cellar): it is simply "red wine to become Brunello di Montalcino DOCG".

Montalcino is a picturesque, hill-top town that was not especially well known for wine production until the mid-19th century, when a local vineyard owner isolated the brunello clone and planted it. Other growers followed suit. Nevertheless it wasn’t until the 1970s that wine enthusiasts started paying attention to Brunello di Montalcino, which by then was becoming an outstanding wine.

Today there are 120 estates in the DOCG, up from about 25 estates in 1975. Brunellos in general are bigger, darker, more tannic and more powerful wines than Chiantis or most other Sangioveses. By law they must be aged for four years, and two of those years must be in wooden barrels.

Altesino is located In the heart of southern Tuscany, forty kilometers south of the City of Siena amongst the north eastern hills of Montalcino. The 15th century Palazzo Altesi overlooks the estate. Built by the Tuscan family Tricerchi in 2002, Altesino has been owned by the Gnudi Angelini family with technical collaboration of Paolo Caciorgna, the company have involved the Brunello di Montalcino for forty years. 

They were a forerunner with the introduction of the “Cru” concept (Brunello di Montalcino Montosoli) concept in 1975, Altesino was the first winery to use barriques in 1979. In 1977, the first Grappa di Fattoria was created and produced by Altesino with the help of the master distiller Gioacchino Nannoni.

The Altesino estate covers 250 acres, half of which are planted vineyards consisting of six plots, each of which are distinguished and represented with single vineyard designated wines in their own right.

The six vineyards consisting of one parcel in the north – Altesino, one in the north east Macina, two in the north west - Cerbaia and Montosoli (first Cru in the history of Brunello di Montalcino and always famous for the production of wines of extreme elegance), one in the area of Sant’Angelo in colle – Pianezzine, and finally, one in Castelnuovo dell’Abate – Velona.

In addition to Sangiovese, which constitutes the majority of the plants (used for the production of Brunello, Rosso di Montalcino and Palazzo Altesi), Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are cultivated (which in blend with Sangiovese give the Alte d’Altesi and the Rosso di Toscana), the Trebbiano and the Malvasia (for Vin Santo), the Vermentino, the Chardonnay and the Viognier destined for the production of Bianco di Altesino.

This release was awarded 95 points by James Suckling, 94 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 92 points by Wine Spectator and 90 points by Wine Enthusiast.

Winemaker’s Notes - “Brunello di Montalcino is the ambassador of top quality Italian wines around the world, the first wine to receive the DOCG appellation. Brunello is a brilliant ruby red colour, tending towards garnet red with age. Its bouquet is intense, pure, pleasant and refined, reminiscent of sweet violet, tobacco, chocolate and pleasant hints of wild berries and vanilla. Its flavour fully confirms the above in a well-balanced, full-bodied wine with good tannins and a solid structure.’

For the 2017 vintage release - “Brilliant ruby-red color, this classic Rosso offers sumptuous aromas of ripened blackberries and dark cherries. On the palate, the wine is generously well-rounded and rich with fruit-forward notes complimented by hints of leather and mesquite.”

Tonight’s tasting of this label release was consistent with my earlier tasting note pasted last winter when I wrote: “Tasted from wine list at Italian Village Chicago for a fabulous, perfect food and wine pairing. Dark Ruby colored, medium-to full-bodied, full round balanced blackberry, black cherry and black currant fruits with savory baking and clove spices with hints of licorice, tobacco and leather with smooth silky tannins on the lingering finish.”

RM 92 points.

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2024/01/pour-boys-wine-dinner-at-italian.html

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?4119676

http://www.altesino.it/en/altesino/

Angeli’s Eggplant Parmagana

Richard ordered another Angeli’s Signature dish, Shrimp Diavolo - Shrimp sautéed in a spicy red sauce with spinach and fresh tomatoes. 

Adessa had the Angeli’s Chicken Parmigiana -Breaded chicken breast smothered in marinara sauce, baked with mozzarella cheese, and served with pasta.

To accompany their shrimp and chicken entree’s, at my suggestion they ordered from the wine list this unique interesting Italian White Blend. This has become our go-to wine there, enjoyable, sophisticated great value, high QPR drinking - everyone loves it, as did Adessa and Richard. 

I’ve featured this wine many times in these pages, as excerpted below. 

Stemmari Dalila Sicilia Viognier Grillo DOC Blend 2020

This wine finds its way to the Angeli's winelist as a result of owner Tony Angeli having visited the Feudo Arancio Stemmari winery estate during his visit to the region a couple years ago.

This wine is from the historic Stemmari winery located in the town of Acate in the Ragusa province of Sicily located in south eastern Sicily. The winery has 1,700 acres in two estates along the south coast of Sicily, one in Sambuca di Sicilia in the Agrigento province and the other in Acate in the province of Ragusa.

The vast Stemmari brand has a broad portfolio of wines include single varietals like nero d’avola, chardonnay, pinot grigio, moscato, pinot noir, cabernet sauvignon and even a sparkling grillo. They offer a few blends including this Dalila wine.

This unique blend is comprised of the Sicilian varietal Grillo and the international Viognier, native to the French Rhone River valley. The local indigenous wine grape "Grillo" – which means "cricket" in Italian. This Sicilian white wine is composed of 80 percent Grillo and 20 percent Viognier.

The interesting branding of music as a metaphor for the harmonizing of the two elegant varietals in the Dalila blend with musical notes on the label and on the bottle foil. 

Tonight they were serving the 2020 vintage release label. This is the forth vintage they've served this wine. This continues to be a sensational and a very pleasant surprise discovery. Its available at a price point that provides great QPR - Quality Price Ratio. We enjoyed this discovery such that we went out and special ordered some from a local merchant to have in our cellar for enjoyable casual sipping.

This release was awarded 90 points by Wine Enthusiast.

Consistent with earlier releases and tastings. Golden straw colored, medium-full bodied, nicely balanced acidity and smooth mouthfeel with intense, bright vibrant, nicely integrated floral and tropical fruits with notes of pear and hints of peach, mango and citrus with hints of vanilla, floral and stone fruits with bight acidity on a character and profile of Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.

RM 91 points.

https://www.stemmari.it/en-us/products/selections/dalila

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3521489

https://www.feudoarancio.it

https://www.angeliscatering.com/

Caprili Brunello di Montalcino BYOB at Angeli’s Italian

 Caprili Brunello di Montalcino BYOB at Angeli’s Italian, Naperville

Dining out with son’s Alec and Sean and their families allowed the grandkids/cousins to get together. On a gorgeous evening of the waning days of autumn, we dined outside on the patio for a delightful dinner at Angeli’s Italian Restaurant, Naperville (IL), our favorite neighborhood trattoria. 

The grand-daughers/cousins had a great time being together, a special bonding opportunity.

And, eldest grandaughter was along to entertain and enjoy the girls.

As always, such gatherings are a wonderful time for grandma to spend time with the grand-babies. 

For the occasion, I took BYOB from our cellar this recent vintage Brunello di Montalcino for an ideal pairing with the Italian cuisine. 

Caprili Brunello di Montalcino 2019

We love Sangiovese and find it perhaps our favorite go to varietal for hearty pasta dishes, the designated signature grape ideally matched to the unique terroir of Montalcino, with notes of red fruit, spice, and earth. A perfect pairing for hearty Italian cuisine.

I’ve written often in these pages about Brunello and what makes it so special. They are sourced from the Italian appellation of Brunello di Montalcino, regarded as one of Italy’s best appellations. Located in south central Tuscany below Chianti, the wines of Brunello di Montalcino DOCG are made of a Sangiovese clone called “brunello,” which means “little dark one,” a reference to the brown tones in the skin of the grape. Unlike some Tuscan appellations that allow other grapes to be blended with Sangiovese, Brunello di Montalcino appellation rules require 100% Sangiovese.

Brunello di Montalcino DOCG has to be made 100% with Sangiovese grapes alone, and made only within the Montalcino municipality area. It can only be sold in the market from January 1 of its fifth year after harvest. Prior to that, the wine cannot legally be called Brunello di Montalcino (not even in the cellar): it is simply "red wine to become Brunello di Montalcino DOCG".

Montalcino is a picturesque, hill-top town that was not especially well known for wine production until the mid-19th century, when a local vineyard owner isolated the brunello clone and planted it. Other growers followed suit. Nevertheless it wasn’t until the 1970s that wine enthusiasts started paying attention to Brunello di Montalcino, which by then was becoming an outstanding wine.

Today there are 120 estates in the DOCG, up from about 25 estates in 1975. Brunellos in general are bigger, darker, more tannic and more powerful wines than Chiantis or most other Sangioveses. By law they must be aged for four years, and two of those years must be in wooden barrels.

Caprili was one of the earliest estates in Montalcino – founded when there were fewer than 20 estates (there are now well over 200). They are considered one of the old guard of Montalcino producers as they were established in 1965 when they split off from the famous Pieve Santa Restituta estate. The estate is extremely well located, next to Pieve Santa Restituta, immediately adjacent to Soldera, two of the iconic top producers of the region. It is located in the southwestern sector of the Montalcino appellation near the hamlet of Tavernelle, on hillside slopes along the Orcia and Ombrone Rivers, one of the warmer areas within the appellation.

The winery is run by the young and dynamic Giacomo Bartolommei, who still in his 20¹s ratcheted up the quality at this historic estate in recent years. He has been making the wine at his family’s property without an external consultant since 2016.  Given the wealth of vineyards that the family was able to purchase early on in Montalcino¹s young history, they are able to make on average about 35,000 bottles of Brunello and 4,000 bottles of the Brunello Riserva each year. Total production at the winery is about 60,000 which includes Brunello, and both Rosso and Moscadello di Montalcino, plus a few wines they make from a small Maremma property they purchased in 2003.

The Caprili estate, covers an area of 140 acres, planted with vines covering 60 acres, 55 of which are planted with Sangiovese Grosso, with the remainder planted to small amounts of Trebbiano Malvasia, Vermentino and a small section planted with Moscadello.

The vineyards mostly are adjacent to or surrounding the winery with an exposure to the south-southeast between 225-340 meters in elevation. The soil there has a bit more sand than in other parts of Montalcino giving the wines elegance and bright aromatics. It is also a sector that benefits from regular circulation of wind currents that come off the sea to the west. This air flow pattern greatly reduces disease pressure which in turn allows the winery to farm organically. It also provides a cooling effect in warmer years to help insure freshness and balance to the wines.

The heart of the winery is the Madre vineyard whose grapes make up the Brunello Riserva Ad Alberto (Alberto was the Great Grandfather of current generation winemaker, Giacomo Bartolommei). Those vines were planted in the 1960¹s, and their other vineyards which were planted subsequently all have used massale selection cuttings from the mother block. 

The 2019 Caprili Brunello was rated 96 Points by Kerin O’Keefe,www.kerinokeefe.com, and Wine Spectator, 95 Points by Eric Guido of Vinous and Wine Advocate, 94 points by Jeb Dunnuck, 93 by James Suckling, and 92 by Decanter. 

Readers of these pages note that I most often reference the reviewers of wines and their ratings. I pay attention to this not only as a benchmark and calibration of the wine, but importantly, over time, one may determine or establish and affinity for one reviewer over the others, for a particular wine. This helps determine which pundit may be the most suitable or best fit to one’s own tastes when selecting such a wine. 

Wine scores and ratings also provide a benchmark relative to the price of the wine, determine the QPR - Quality Price Ratio, for such a selection - identifying wines with the greatest value for the score at the price point.  

The Caprili 2019 Brunello di Montalcino has deep ruby/magenta color, medium bodied, concentrated and complex yet nicely balanced, smooth, elegant and polished with bright vibrant berry and cherry fruits accented by floral and lavender aromas, notes of cocoa, tobacco and truffle with fresh acidity, firm round but smooth and polished tannins on a silky-textured long finish. 55,000 bottles were made.

RM 93 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4832099

https://www.caprili.it/en/

https://angeliscatering.com/

Di Ghizzano Super Tuscan BYOB at Angeli’s Italian

Di Ghizzano Super Tuscan BYOB at Angeli’s Italian 

With sister Jan visiting from SoCal, we dined at Angeli’s Italian, our favorite neighborhood trattoria. We took BYOB from our cellar this Super Tuscan red Bordeaux Blend, a perfect complement to the hearty Ricotta Cheese Ravioli Pasta with Bolognese Sauce and Angeli’s Meatballs. 

This wine is from Tenuta di Ghizzano in Tuscany located in the village of Ghizzano, a small mediaeval hilltop village, close to the Tuscan coast, about 40 km from Livorno and 40 km south of Pisa. 

The area is called ‘Colline Pisane’ - hills of Pisa. The vineyards are located in Peccioli (Pisa), at about 200 meters above sea level with a south-westerly location, in an area referred to as “Terre Di Pisa” - The Pisan Countryside. The landscape is gentle, and the climate is mild, thanks to the sea breeze, without extreme temperatures or great risk of springtime frosts.

Wines from the area are classified I.G.T. Costa Toscana (Tuscan coast) to recognize the terroir of the Tuscan Coast, that part of Tuscany influenced by the Tyrrhenian Sea, and to differentiate from wines from the IGT Toscana classification. 

In 2011 the DOC Terre Di Pisa was established, to further sub-classify and differentiate and represent the highest quality Pisan wines from the municipalities of Fauglia, Crespina, Lari, Chianni, Capannoni, Palaia, Peccioli, Terricciola, Casciana Terme, Ponsacco, Pontedera, Montopoli V.A., San Miniato, Orciano Pisano, Lorenzana and Santa Luce.

The history of the original proprietors Venerosi Pesciolini Family date back to the Carolingian period with the first recorded signs of the Venerosi in 803 A.D. It is believed that the family settled in Ghizzano towards the end of the 14th century. 

The family’s estate country house is a beautiful, typical classic late renaissance style Italian garden residential Villa surrounded by the estate vineyards.

The vineyards that surround the estate winery of Tenuta di Ghizzano are some of the oldest in the area. The estate is made up of 690 acres of rolling hills and some of the most stunning landscapes in the world. There are 45 acres of vineyards, 37 of olives, 250 acres of arable land and the remaining 370 of woodland and poplar groves where truffle hunters search for their perfumed golden treasures secretively.

The soil is a composite of sand and clay, a good example of calcareous clay sands formed from marine sediments from the "Astiana" geological era.

The wine estate has age-old history is considered one of the most innovative, famous for its terroir-driven wines, a high standard of quality highly acclaimed by wine critics. 

Tentative Di Ghizzano Nambrot Costa Tocana IGT 2016

This wine is named after the founder of the Venerosi family, Nambrot, who lived in 830. It is called a Supertuscan as it is made of Bordeaux varietal grapes.

The Nambrot label was first made in 1996 using Merlot grapes and has evolved over the years into a blend together with Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot in a style demonstrating the potency, warmth and character of the terroir. Nambrot is called the “Pomerol of Tuscany” as it is made from exactly the same grapes as a Bordeaux Right Bank Pomerol. 

The grapes were picked by hand and then, before the stalks, a further bunch selection was done on the sorting table. 

The grapes were traditionally pressed with the feet after which fermentation took place exclusively with natural yeasts in open wooden and/or concrete barrels.

The wine was aged 18 months in 225 liter oak barrels, 10% new, followed by 8 months aging in the bottle. 

Only 8,000 bottles of this wine were produced.

The 2016 Tenuta di Ghizzano Nambrot IGT Costa Toscana received 94/100 points from wine writer James Suckling, and the Highest rating, Gambero Rosso - 3 red glasses

Bright dark ruby red colored with purple violet sprites, medium to full bodied with full round expressive black berry and plum fruits with notes of anise, tar and dark mocha, hints of oak, black pepper and smoke with firm but approachable tannins on the long moderate finish. 

RM 91 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3291483

https://www.tenutadighizzano.com/en/

https://angeliscatering.com/

Cerbaia Brunello di Montalcino BYOB at Angeli’s Italian

Cerbaia Brunello di Montalcino BYOB at Angeli’s Italian 

We dined at  Angelis Italian, our favorite neighborhood Italian Trattoria and I took this Brunello di Montalcino BYOB for the occasion.

Readers of these pages know we don't do a lot of Italian wines but we do keep a selection in our cellar for Italian cuisine and dining at Angelis Italian which we do fairly frequently.

Tonight, we took this new arrival Limited Production Brunello di Montalcino which I just picked up at Binny's, our beverage super store at the suggestion of the wine advisor there, based on its stellar 98 point rating, and was eager to try. While I didn't give it such stellar ratings, we enjoyed it a lot and I went back to pick up a few more bottles. It was a perfect pairing with Linda's eggplant and my cheese ravioli with bolognese sauce and meatballs.

We love Sangiovese and most of our Italian cellar selections are that varietal, which we love paired with Italian cuisine. The Brunello di Montalcino label is tightly regulated and can only be made from 100% Sangiovese grapes grown in the Montalcino region of Tuscany, Italy. 

Appellation regulations also limit the quantity of wine produced each year and mandate a Long Aging Process which stipulate Brunello must be aged for a minimum of four years, with at least two years spent in oak barrels. This lengthy aging process that ties up resources and increases production costs contributes to the higher price point of the label.

The rigorous production regulations set by the Brunello di Montalcino Consortium ensure that only the highest quality wines bear the Brunello label. This commitment to quality often requires additional investment in vineyard management, winemaking techniques, and quality control.

Brunello has gained a reputation as one of Italy's finest wines, prized for its complexity, depth, and ability to age gracefully. Its prestigious status and limited availability contribute to high demand and, consequently, higher prices.

This is from Cerbaia, a boutique winery that produces wines from some of the finest vineyards in Montalcino that are a true expression of a unique and distinctive place. 

The Cerbaia property has belonged to the Pellegrini family since the 1950s, with the family beginning to make wine in the 1970’s. The estate covers of a total of 35 acres of land, 11 of which are under the Brunello appellation controls, located on the highly regarded Montosoli Hill, known as the Grand Cru of Montosoli — some of the most coveted land in Tuscany.

In 2014, Elena Pellegrini gave up a promising career in corporate finance to devote herself to her family estate, striving to craft elegant, balanced wines in the traditional Montalcino style as her father Fabio did, applying minimal intervention and sustainable practices. She is advised by notable consulting enologist G.Gorelli, Italy’s first Master of Wine.

Their 2019 release was awarded 98-points by James Suckling who declared it “one of the best I have had from here” in his  review. Kerin O`Keefe of www.kerinokeefe.com gave it 94 Points.

The 2019 is emerging as an all-time great year in Montalcino: Vinous called it “the vintage we’ve all been waiting for.” Kerin O’Keefe, who wrote THE book on Brunello, said “I’ve never tasted so many drop-dead-gorgeous young Brunellos from a single vintage.” Wine Advocate called the vintage “uniformly easy” for vintners.

The release was aged three years in large oak casks ensured that it would be polished and beautiful from day one.

Winemaker Notes - Intense ruby red in color, garnet with aging. Rich and intense bouquet of violets, undergrowth, red fruits, eucalyptus, and blackberry. Very long persistence, fresh, and elegant but complex.

Bright ruby garnet colored, medium full bodied, vibrant blackberry and black cherry fruits with notes of dusty rose, tobacco, dried herbs and leather with hints of truffle with bright acidity on a smooth polished tannin finish. 

RM 93 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4577891

Father’s Day Dinner at Angeli’s Italian

Father’s Day Dinner at Angeli’s Italian

Son Alec and D-in-law Vivianna and their girls took Linda and me to Angelis Italian in Naperville, our favorite neighborhood trattoria for an early Father’s Day dinner. 

I took from our cellar one of our favorite Italian varietal wines for the occasion, for an ideal food - wine pairing. 

For a starter I had their Angeli’s Special Salad and we ordered their delectable Baby Black Mussels sautéed in white wine sauce.

Alec ordered the daily special, Veal Margherita - veal with capers, lemon and parmigana cheese with  white wine sauce over angel hair pasta.

I ordered the Veal Joey from the menu, breaded veal with tomatoes, capers, mushrooms, and artichoke hearts topped with a white wine sauce and finished with shaved parmesan cheese. Served over a bed of arugula.

Linda ordered the Angeli's Salmon Salad - Fresh spring lettuce with caramelized walnuts, gorgonzola cheese, and sliced apples & pears, topped with fresh grilled salmon and finished with our sweet raspberry dressing.

And, Vivianna ordered the Shrimp salad over pasta. 

 

From our home cellar we brought this Piazza Del Dotto Napa Valley Sangiovese 2015. 

Del Dotto is a family favorite paying tribute to the close knit family there, and our family having 'grown up' with the brand over the years, and many of us having visited Del Dotto during our many visits to Napa Valley. Alec and Vivianna visited the Piazza estate during their wildfire smoke shortened honeymoon trip to Napa Valley back in 2020.  

We’ve written often in these pages about Del Dotto wines and the Piazza Del Dotto labels. We featured Del Dotto Piazza and this label in a more detailed blogpost excerpted below.

Del Dotto Sangiovese for Family Lasagna Dinner

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2018/11/del-dotto-sangiovese-for-family-lasagna.html

Del Dotto Piazza Napa Valley Sangiovese 2015

This was delicious and everyone loved it making me glad we were able to acquire more. I wrote back then that “I wish I had more than the single case we acquired last year. I'll be looking for more.”

We tasted and acquired this wine during our Del Dotto Estate Cave Tour and Tasting back in 2018. We featured this wine soon thereafter and in several posts to follow including this one when we took it took it BYOB to our favorite neighborhood Italian Trattoria, Angelis Italian. 

After we consumed all the bottles we acquired during that visit, we reordered more and finished that too. We tried to order more and it was no longer offered on the Del Dotto shopping site (s). Then, we received an email from Del Dotto clearing out numerous vintage labels and we acquired a mixed case of favorites including several vintages of this label. 

Tonight's tasting experience was consistent with my notes from earlier tastings except this bottle, acquired from the recent Del Dotto clearance sale, showed some signs of diminution with slight rust hue color on the edges and a slight burnt taste. Never-the-less, we love this wine and it was still delicious. We’ll plan to consume those bottles sooner than later in the event they’re on the backside of their drinking window. 

My notes from the initial tasting soon after receipt of our initial acquisition - "This was dark garnet colored ((with a slight grayish hue that signaled caution but the wine was fine, we'll monitor the next bottle (s) with interest to see if this is an early warning of trouble ahead) (as noted, there was a slight discoloration setting in tonight)); medium full bodied, this was delicious with sweet ripe raspberry fruits accented by notes of vanilla and almond with supple smooth silky tannins on the lingering finish.

RM 91 points, reduced by a point for this bottle relative to earlier tastings, attributed to bottle variation.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2579868

http://www.deldottovineyards.com/

https://x.com/DelDottoWine

https://x.com/unwindwine

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2018/08/del-dotto-piazza-sangiovese-at-angelis.html

Chappellet "Signature" Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Chappellet "Signature" Napa Valley Pritchard Hill Cabernet Sauvignon at Angeli's Italian 2006

Friday night dinner out, we dined at Angeli's Italian, our favorite neighborhood trattoria. I took BYOB this aged vintage Napa Cabernet for the occasion. It was a perfect complement pairing with my basic Spaghetti and Meatballs with Bolognase Sauce entree, and Linda's Salmon.

Our exploration of Napa Valley Pritchard Hill Cabernet Sauvignons continues. Over the past two weeks we tasted two other Pritchard Hill labels, Cloud View Vineyards, and the week before we had David Arthur Cabernets at a separate dinner. 

I wrote in detail about the history and unique terroir of Pritchard Hill at the time and mentioned the broad number of ultra-premium labels produced there by legendary top tier producers. 

No discussion of Pritchard Hill is complete without mention Donn Chappellet and his history as one of the first modern era producers to settle that and his presence today as the largest vineyard holdings in the area. 

Hence it was only fitting to include Chappellet "Signature" Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon in any discussion and review of Pritchard Hill wines. For more than 30 years, the "Signature" Cabernet Sauvignon label has been Chappellet's flagship wine.

This is the oldest of a half dozen vintages we hold of this label in our cellar. It calls for going out and buying the latest release to replace it to keep the collection going. 

We visited the Chappellett estate vineyards (shown at bottom) and winery up on Pritchard Hill during our Napa Wine Experience back in 2009.

At seventeen years of age, this was consistent with, but better than my previous tasting of this wine back in 2011 as the wine has developed in the bottle aging for another decade. 

This release was awarded 94 points and a 'Cellar Selection' by Wine Enthusiast, and one of the Top 100 Wines of 2009 and Highly Recommended, 94 points by Wine Spectator. Wine Advocate gave it 93 points and said it was "one of the most impressive 2006s I tasted".James Suckling gave it 92 points and Jancis Robinson 18/20 points.

This is actually a Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvignon 76%, Merlot 18%, Malbec 4%, and Petit Verdot 2%.

Tonight's tasting was consistent with what I wrote back in 2011, "Dark inky purple color - medium-full bodied, complex and concentrated blackberry and black raspberry fruits in a tightly wound core accented by spicy oak on a balanced structured tannin finish." 

It's complexity featured highlights of currant fruits and anise with notes of tobacco, dark mocha chocolate, and hints of cedar on the long finish. 

Tonight I rated this 93 points, vs the 92 points from my earlier review. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3490696

https://chappellet.com/

https://twitter.com/Chappellet_wine 

@Chappellet_wine

 

 

Del Dotto Cave Blend at Angeli's Italian

Del Dotto Cave Blend and Dalila at Angeli's Italian

With D-in-law out of state for a special sister's bachelorette event, son Alec was bach'ing at home so we met for dinner at Angeli's Italian, our favorite neighborhood trattoria, joined by son Sean, Michelle and g-daughter Lavender. 

I took BYOB from our cellar this Del Dotto Cave Blend to accompany my side dish of Angeli's meatballs, and Angeli's Special Salad. 

Tonight's special dish was Sea Bass with asparagus, tomatoes, basil garlic and prosciutto, with mashed potatoes. 

To accompany the seafood entree dish, we ordered from the winelist the Dalila, a perennial favorite high QPR selection. 

Del Dotto Cave Blend Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2015

This Bordeaux Blend from Napa Valley producer Del Dotto is one of our standard selections for such dinners. Readers of these pages know we have been collecting Del Dotto dating back to their inaugural vintage release in 1993 and still hold decades of vintage release of more than a dozen labels - one of the largest producer holdings in our cellar collection.

We tasted and acquired this vintage release during our Del Dotto Winery Caves Tour during our Napa Valley Wine Experience in 2017.

This Del Dotto Caves Blend label is a blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, and 3% Petit Verdot.

At seven years of age, this has improved with some aging and is more integrated and balanced than in its youth and appears to be approaching the apex of its drinking window and profile. Tonight's tasting was the best showing of this wine to date, halfway through a case that we acquired upon release seeming to be more elegant and polished than when younger.

Dark purple garnet colored, medium-full bodied, bright vibrant, nicely integrated and balanced black berry and black raspberry fruits with tangy notes of clove spice and hints of bitter dark chocolate turning to cloying tannins on an lingering finish.

RM 92 points.

Winemakers' notes for this release: "Dark garnet color with a bright bouquet of sweet blueberries, wet rock and fresh cut violets & flowers. Earthy flavors with hints of clove and all spice. This wine has a long, balanced finish with a kiss of oak."

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2017/08/del-dotto-napa-valley-cave-tour-barrel_12.html

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2381300

http://www.deldottovineyards.com/

@DelDottoWine 

Previous tasting notes:

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2020/07/del-dotto-napa-valley-cave-blend-2015.html

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2381300

6/2021 - I like this wine: 92 Points 

Even better than earlier tastings, more vibrant and expressive than I remember. Dark purple garnet colored, medium-full bodied, bright vibrant, nicely integrated and balanced black berry and black raspberry fruits with tangy notes of clove spice with a layer of sweet oak and mocha chocolate turning to cloying tannins on an lingering finish.

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2020/07/del-dotto-napa-valley-cave-blend-2015.html

7/24/2020 - I like this wine: 91 Points 

At five years of age, this has improved with some aging and is more integrated and balanced than in its youth. Dark purple garnet colored, medium-full bodied, bright vibrant, nicely integrated and balanced black berry and black raspberry fruits with tangy notes of clove spice and hints of bitter dark chocolate turning to cloying tannins on an lingering finish. 

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2020/07/del-dotto-napa-valley-cave-blend-2015.html

With the Sea Bass we ordered this Dalila white blend. 

Stemmari Dalila Sicilia Viognier Grillo DOC Blend 2020

This wine finds its way to the Angeli's winelist as a result of owner Tony Angeli having visited the Feudo Arancio Stemmari winery estate during his visit to the region a couple years ago.

This wine is from the historic Stemmari winery located in the town of Acate in the Ragusa province of Sicily located in south eastern Sicily. The winery has 1,700 acres in two estates along the south coast of Sicily, one in Sambuca di Sicilia in the Agrigento province and the other in Acate in the province of Ragusa.

 

The vast Stemmari brand has a broad portfolio of wines include single varietals like nero d’avola, chardonnay, pinot grigio, moscato, pinot noir, cabernet sauvignon and even a sparkling grillo. They offer a few blends including this Dalila wine.

 

This unique blend is comprised of the Sicilian varietal Grillo and the international Viognier, native to the French Rhone River valley. The local indigenous wine grape "grillo" – which means "cricket" in Italian. This Sicilian white wine is composed of 80 percent Grillo and 20 percent Viognier.  

 

The interesting branding of music as a metaphor for the harmonizing of the two elegant varietals in the Dalila blend with musical notes on the label and on the bottle foil.

Tonight they were serving the 2020 vintage release label. This is the forth vintage they've served this wine. This continues to be a sensational and a very pleasant surprise discovery. Its available at a price point that provides great QPR - Quality Price Ratio.  We enjoyed this discovery such that we went out and special ordered some from a local merchant to have in our cellar for enjoyable casual sipping.

 

This release was awarded 90 points by Wine Enthusiast. 

Consistent with earlier releases and tastings. Golden straw colored, medium-full bodied, nicely balanced acidity and smooth mouthfeel with intense, bright vibrant, nicely integrated floral and tropical fruits with notes of pear and hints of peach, mango and citrus with hints of vanilla, floral and stone fruits with bight acidity on a character and profile of Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.

RM 91 points.

https://www.stemmari.it/en-us/products/selections/dalila

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3521489

https://www.feudoarancio.it

Andretti Montona Super Tuscan BYOB at Angeli's Italian

Andretti Montona Super Tuscan Napa Valley Reserve BYOB at Angeli's Italian

Saturday night dinner out with neighbor friends Mark and Shirley, we dined at Angeli's Restorante Italian, our favorite neighborhood Italian trattoria. 

I took a special Reserve bottle BYOB from our cellar for the occasion. This was a perfect selection for the evening and was a highlight of our dinner out - a tribute to Mark's career in the auto business from producer legendary race car driver Mario Andretti, a Super Tuscan Italian Blend, tribute to Shirley's Italian heritage, and a fabulous wine pairing for our Italian cuisine dinner.

Andretti Montona Super Tuscan Napa Valley Reserve Red Wine 2016

We discovered this wine and the Montona portfolio/brand when we visited the Andretti Winery and Estate in southeast Napa Valley during our Napa Wine Experience in 2018.  I wrote about that visit in a more detailed blogpost earlier, and about the Montona brand and this particular label in another previous blopost.

This label is from the Montona Reserve brand, the high end premium line of the Andretti portfolio. The line is named for the village of Montona, the hometown of the Andretti family and birthplace of the legend racer turned wine producer.

Actually, the village where Andretti was born is in Croatia, home to another famous Napa ‘vintner producer’ Mike Grgich.

Andretti Winery was established in 1996 by the famed race car driver, Mario Andretti in a joint venture project with Joe Antonini, former CEO of Kmart, who was one of Mario’s sponsors during his racing days.

The property is actually owned by the Laird Family, prominent growers and producers. Andretti leases the winery on site as well as the tasting room. 

Andretti also leases about 42 acres of vineyards surrounding the winery, planted to Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Sauvignon Blanc. 

They also purchase grapes from other growers from select vineyards around Napa Valley which must include the Sangiovese which is a key foundation varietal in this blend.

The Andretti Winery features a small faux Italian/Tuscan building and courtyard with picturesque fountains and landscaping. There is a small cottage, patios and lawns that are available for small private tastings and picturesque grounds which would be ideal for an private event or special outing.

Andretti Montona Reserve Napa Valley Super Tuscan 2016

As noted above, this label is not Estate bottled, meaning the grapes for the juice in the bottles are not necessarily grown on the property, but rather, may have been purchased from contract growers. As such, the (rear) label cites the wine is merely "Bottled by Andretti Winery". 

Hence, with all due respect to the legendary Indy Racecar driver, Mario Anrdretti, and his benefactor investor partner in the winery venture, former CEO of K-Mart Joe Antonini, they are tenant wine producers, not landowners or winery estate owners. 

As a wine collector and eonphile, I would prefer to support family owned farmer/grower winemakers who produce wines from grapes produced on their properties. This provides a consistent source of fruit year after year and thereby allows for the focus on terroir and its impact on the wine from vintage to vintage, as a basis for comparison over the years, and as a comparison against other similarly situated terroir focused wines. 

In any event, this wine was delicious and I'd like to obtain more, especially in light of the fact we've run out of one of our favorite labels, the same grape varietal from the same vintage, that we drank this week as  I featured in the previous blogpost.

Having just written the comments above about this wine, and all the reasons why we may not continue buying and collecting such, I now admit, this may be the highest performing Montona Reserve label we have tried from Andretti. As with earlier tastings, this wine tonight exceeded our expectations for this producer and label release. At a super premium release list price of $110, one would hope and expect it to be a top performer.

The name "Super Tuscan" is a reference to the style and composition of this red wine blend - attached to wines from the Tuscany wine region in Northern Italy where the native and designated wine grape is Sangiovese. Producers there started growing French Bordeaux grape varietals and blending them with Sangiovese to craft what became known as Super Tuscan wines. 

 

As such, this is a blend of Italian varietal Sangiovese (50%), and Bordeaux Napa varietals Cabernet Sauvignon (46%), and Merlot (4%). Some vintages of this label also contain slight amounts of the Bordeaux varietal Petit Verdot - which is commonly and customarily added for dark color and structure.

The Winemakers' notes on this wine: "The Montona Reserve Super Tuscan is an intense and complex wine achieved by blending our finest barrels of Sangiovese with our favorite Bordeaux varietals. Deep ruby red in color the 2016 Super Tuscan is bursting with aromas of rosewood and violet, followed by candied cherries and dark plum. On the palate the fruitiness explodes in your mouth with bright flavors of cherry, raspberry and plum layered with toasty vanilla and silky smooth tannins. Enjoy this wine with grilled meats, braised short ribs, or your favorite aged cheeses."

This was aged 20 months is 50% new French Oak.

 

Consistent with, but better than previous tastings, at six years this is hitting its stride, likely at the apex of its drinking profile - dark garnet colored, medium full bodied, elegant, polished and complex, yet wonderfully integrated, full round bright vibrant black currant, black raspberry and dark plum fruits accented by burnt caramel, vanilla, almond, black tea and sweet toasty oak with smooth polished tannins on a lasting silky finish.

RM 93 points.  

 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3159348

http://andrettiwinery.com/

https://twitter.com/AndrettiWine 

@Andrettiwine  

Ornellaia Le Serre Nuove BYOB at Angeli's Italian

Ornellaia "Le Serre Nuove" Bolgheri 2017 BYOB at Angeli's Italian Naperville. 

Sunday night dinner, we dined at Angeli's Italian, our favorite neighborhood Italian Trattoria, here in our hometown, Naperville, (IL), with Son Alec and Vivianna and grand-baby. I took BYOB from our cellar this Italian Super Tuscan red Bordeaux-blend, which was a perfect accompaniment to our dinner.

I first discovered this wine dining at Italian Village in the city (Chicago) for a team business dinner, selected from the vast Italian Village extraordinary wine cellar list.

 

I wrote about this label in an earlier blogpost in these pages. 

Marchese Lodovico Antinori and their super premium Ornellaia have become somewhat legendary, one of the first to produce great Bordeaux varietal and style wines in Tuscany in Northern Italy, that have come to become known as “super-Tuscans”. The first Bordeuaux varietal vineyards were planted in 1981 and today have expanded to almost 250 acres. 

Ornellaia "Le Serre Nuove" is the 'Second' wine of the Antinori broad portfolio under their super premium label Ornellaia. It was first released in 1997 to broaden the selection of wines crafted during the assembly of the base wines of Ornellaia, this release is the twentieth anniversary of the label. It is produced mainly from younger vines, but crafted to match the profile of freshness, accessibility and flexibility with structure, balance and intensity typical of the great terroirs of the company properties.

Today, the winery is owned by the Frescobaldi family, one of seven estates they own and manage across the Northern Italian Tuscany Bolgheri region, some of which have been in the family dating back to the 1300's. 

Ornellaia "Le Serre Nuove" Bolgheri 2017

This label was awarded 93 points by James Suckling, Wine Spectator and Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, and 92 points by Vinous. 

This is a Bordeaux Blend of 54% Merlot, 26% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Cabernet Franc and 6% Petit Verdot. It was aged for 15 months s in oak. The significant production was 250,000 bottles released in September 2019.

The year 2107 vintage was hot and dry which contributed to the richness and concentration of the fruit.

Winemaker's Notes: “Le Serre Nuove dell’Ornellaia 2017 expresses itself with outstanding elegance, combining great ageing potential with immediate enjoyability. A deep ruby red colour with purple highlights, a beautifully complex nose characterised by scents of small red berries and balsamic notes reminiscent of Mediterranean scrub vegetation. The quality of the tannins on the palate is particularly striking, smooth and silky. The mouthfeel ends with a lingering finish and unexpected freshness.”, Olga Fusari – Winemaker – May 2019.

Bright ruby colored, medium full bodied, seductive floral aromas sprouted from the glass, vibrant, expressive round balanced and nicely integrated full black berry and ripe plum fruits are accented by  leather, spice and pipe tobacco, notes of cedar and hints of  licorice and mint with silky full fine-grained tannins on the long full finish. 

RM 93 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3377327

https://www.ornellaia.com/en

http://www.italianvillage-chicago.com/

https://italianvillage-chicago.com/wine-cellar/  

https://twitter.com/italianvlg

https://twitter.com/Ornellaia