Poggio al Tesoro Bolgheri Superiore Sondraia 2015
For a business dinner downtown, I dined at my usual dependable dinesite, Italian Village, Chicago. Its my regular routine site for business dinners for a number of reasons - its a short walk from the office, its in the center of Chicago's loop, its reliable and dependable, its got a broad variety with three restaurants under one roof, and I know the staff there as a 'regular' and I can depend on impeccable service. I also know the restaurant so well, that when I plan on dining there, I'll invariably specify which particular table I prefer, depending on the occasion, number of diners, and the desired mood for the event.
Tonight, I hosted two valued business partners visiting from Europe and India, so Italian dining was a safe and acceptable cuisine.
As usual I left the wine choice to Wine Director and wine buddy, Jared Gelband who often has a special wine to showcase or share. Often these wines are or are not on the winelist, perhaps because they are new, or on trial, or not available in sufficient quantity to make the list, or other reasons. Sometimes, he shares a taste of a special bottle that is being served for a very special occasion.
In any event, Jared knows my tastes, preferences, and budget and always has something to offer. Tonight was no exception. I don't know if this wine is on the wine list, but it was extraordinary and worthy of checking out, and going out and buying some if you can find it.
Poggio al Tesoro Bolgheri Superiore Sondraia 2015
This is a Bordeaux Blend. I would've failed identifying this as an Italian wine opting for a
California Cabernet with its rich full bodied rich ripe sweet fruit. It
presented a residual sweetness almost extreme for a Bordeaux blend but
much to my liking. Complex, full bodied, elegant, balanced with nicely integrated fruit, notes of mocha and cinnamon spice, it has a long lingering finish of silky smooth gripping tannins.
This profile would probably be too much for most, especially Bordeaux enthusiasts, but I found it wonderfully delicious and perfectly matched to the brown sauce of my Veal Marsala at Italian Village Chicago.
RM 93 points.
Records show we also tasted this label back in February. A rather new label, be on the look out for this and be prepared for it to be in short supply, or for the price point to increase as it becomes popular.
The blend is 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, and 10% Cabernet Franc.
From Tuscany, it is known as a 'Super Tuscan'. This is from the Italian producer Allegrini who are primarily known for Amarone's.
The Allegrini family acquired the 170 acre Bolgheri property with the Poggio al Tesoro vineyard in 2002. It was the first vineyard bought by the Allegrinis.
The Le Sondraie site sits next door to the legendary Ornellaia vineyard, It was previously rented before the acquisition. The 125 acres vineyard is planted in Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and a small amount of Vermentino.
The winemakers are Nicola Biasi and Lorenzo Fortini.
Most of the Cabernet Sauvignon fruit for this blend was sourced from the seven acre Via Bolgherese vineyard which lies 56 metres above sea level. The terroir consists of well drained coarse red sand and gravel, and a layer of clay at a depth of 120cm. The Merlot, Cabernet Franc and the remaining Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend are sourced from the 30 acre Le Sondraie vineyard situated 35 metres above sea level. The well draining soil is a mixture of clay and sandy silt, with high levels of magnesium and iron.
https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3114160
https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2019/02/italian-village-lunch-with-perfect-wine.html
https://italianvillage-chicago.com/
@italianvlg
@jzgwine
For a business dinner downtown, I dined at my usual dependable dinesite, Italian Village, Chicago. Its my regular routine site for business dinners for a number of reasons - its a short walk from the office, its in the center of Chicago's loop, its reliable and dependable, its got a broad variety with three restaurants under one roof, and I know the staff there as a 'regular' and I can depend on impeccable service. I also know the restaurant so well, that when I plan on dining there, I'll invariably specify which particular table I prefer, depending on the occasion, number of diners, and the desired mood for the event.
Tonight, I hosted two valued business partners visiting from Europe and India, so Italian dining was a safe and acceptable cuisine.
As usual I left the wine choice to Wine Director and wine buddy, Jared Gelband who often has a special wine to showcase or share. Often these wines are or are not on the winelist, perhaps because they are new, or on trial, or not available in sufficient quantity to make the list, or other reasons. Sometimes, he shares a taste of a special bottle that is being served for a very special occasion.
In any event, Jared knows my tastes, preferences, and budget and always has something to offer. Tonight was no exception. I don't know if this wine is on the wine list, but it was extraordinary and worthy of checking out, and going out and buying some if you can find it.
Poggio al Tesoro Bolgheri Superiore Sondraia 2015
This profile would probably be too much for most, especially Bordeaux enthusiasts, but I found it wonderfully delicious and perfectly matched to the brown sauce of my Veal Marsala at Italian Village Chicago.
RM 93 points.
Records show we also tasted this label back in February. A rather new label, be on the look out for this and be prepared for it to be in short supply, or for the price point to increase as it becomes popular.
The blend is 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, and 10% Cabernet Franc.
From Tuscany, it is known as a 'Super Tuscan'. This is from the Italian producer Allegrini who are primarily known for Amarone's.
The Allegrini family acquired the 170 acre Bolgheri property with the Poggio al Tesoro vineyard in 2002. It was the first vineyard bought by the Allegrinis.
The Le Sondraie site sits next door to the legendary Ornellaia vineyard, It was previously rented before the acquisition. The 125 acres vineyard is planted in Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and a small amount of Vermentino.
The winemakers are Nicola Biasi and Lorenzo Fortini.
Most of the Cabernet Sauvignon fruit for this blend was sourced from the seven acre Via Bolgherese vineyard which lies 56 metres above sea level. The terroir consists of well drained coarse red sand and gravel, and a layer of clay at a depth of 120cm. The Merlot, Cabernet Franc and the remaining Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend are sourced from the 30 acre Le Sondraie vineyard situated 35 metres above sea level. The well draining soil is a mixture of clay and sandy silt, with high levels of magnesium and iron.
https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3114160
https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2019/02/italian-village-lunch-with-perfect-wine.html
https://italianvillage-chicago.com/
@italianvlg
@jzgwine
