Enjoying wine - perspectives on wine buying, collecting, tasting, a study in wine marketing & branding; observations, experiences and ruminations of a winegeek & frequent traveler. Sharing so others can 'unwindwine' for greater wine discovery, understanding and appreciation.
Antinori Il Bruciato Bolgheri Tenuta Guada Al Tasso 2016 with collection of artisan pizzas
The kids came over for Mother's Day eve dinner, Sean and Michelle brought pizzas from Fiamii's (Naperville) - a selection including Detroit style (so they say) and a Margarita style plus classic basic cheese for the grandkids. The pizza's left a bit to be desired and they shorted us the salads from the order.
Tenuta Guado al Tasso (Antinori) Bolgheri Il Bruciato 2016
This is what is known as a Super Tuscan, made famous in the 70s when wine critics noted the quality rivaled that of high-end Bordeaux. The Bolgheri area was known for producing IGT and VdT wines based on the typical
Bordeaux varietals. In 1994, the Bolgheri DOC appellation designation was created to recognize these quality
wines. These wines tend to offer great QPR - Quality Price Ratio values.
This 2016 Il Bruciato provides good QPR value for everyday sipping with pizza and pasta.
Amazingly, more than one
million bottles were produced at this quality level. Pick up a case for
great every day drinking wine that will also stand up to special
occasions and quality drinking.
This wine, “Il Bruciato,” which means “the burned” is the second wine of Antinori’s
Tenuta Guado al Tasso, second to the flagship wine, “Guado al
Tasso”, named after the large vineyard in Bolgheri in which the grapes
are grown.
This Il Bruciato, produced to be a more approachable and contemporary style of wine
than the more traditional estate wine, is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot,
and 15% Syrah.
This is ideal for this food combination.
Bright ruby colored, medium bodied, smooth, polished for casual easy
drinking with vibrant red and black fruit flavors accented by spice,
mocha and smoke with elegant soft tannins on a moderate lingering
finish.
RM 90 points. This is less than earlier rating from previous tastings, I think due to the wine pairing, which is even better suited for spicy pasta dishes.
Château de Sylvabelle Bandol 2009 ideal QPR 'Pizza Wine'
Midweek dinner, Linda doctored up a frozen pizza with tomatoes, olives, onions and other trimming that we oven baked on the grill for a very tasty enjoyable experience. I pulled from the cellar a suitable 'pizza wine' for applicable pleasant drinking, a Château de Sylvabelle from Bandol in the Provencal region of southern France.
Considering the sources, both the pizza and the accompanying wine exceeded expectations for a very pleasant and tasty dinner, amplified by a perfect spring alfresco evening on the deck. Château de Sylvabelle Bandol 2009
I believe we received this wine as a gift in a holiday gift box several years ago and have been sitting on it in our cellar waiting for a suitable occasion such as tonight to drink.
This wine is from the Bandol appellation, named after the so named commune in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.
The Bandol wine region is located along the coast east of the city of Marseille and Cassis, towards the city of Toulon. It is one of Provence's most recognized wine regions. The Bandol AOC covers the production of 8 communes.
The area is a popular tourist destination with idyllic climate and proximity to Côte d'Azur Mediteranean beaches. We drove through the area as we traversed the coastal region during a weekend visit to St, Tropez while we were visiting the region and staying in the city of Aix-en-Provence.
The terroir of the region consists of silicon &
limestone soils and a warm, coastal climate which are ideally
suited for the late ripening Mourvèdre grape, which is the major varietal of the region. Mourvèdre must account for at least 50% of a blended wine bearing the Appellation Controllee (AOC) designation. It is typically supplemented by Grenache, Cinsault, and perhaps a few other grapes.
Mourvedre is a late ripening, darkly colored, thick skinned berry that produces long, conical shaped bunches. The grape reaches its best level of ripeness in warm, sunny, dry and even hot climates.
The true home for Mourvedre is Spain, where more than 61,000 hectares
of vines are planted. After Spain, France is next country with the
largest amount of planted Mourvedre vines.
In the southwest of France, Mourvedre is the third most popular grape in the Chateauneuf du Pape appellation. But third is a long way from first as it occupies less than 5% of the plantings in the Southern Rhone Valley.
When used as a blending grape, Mourvedre adds tannin and alcohol to
wines as well as red fruits, cassis, spice, olives, herbs, pepper,
sweetness, structure and depending on the producer, it could add
a gamey, pleasant barnyard or animalistic character to the
wine. Mourvedre is the perfect grape to blend with Grenache and Syrah.
Mourvedre is a late ripening, darkly colored, thick skinned berry that produces long, conical shaped bunches. The grape reaches its best level of ripeness in warm, sunny, dry and even hot climates.
The true home for Mourvedre is Spain, where more than 61,000 hectares
of vines are planted. After Spain, France is next country with the
largest amount of planted Mourvedre vines.
In the southwest of France, Mourvedre is the third most popular grape in the Chateauneuf du Pape appellation. But third is a long way from first as it occupies less than 5% of the plantings in the Southern Rhone Valley.
When used as a blending grape, Mourvedre adds tannin and alcohol to
wines as well as red fruits, cassis, spice, olives, herbs, pepper,
sweetness, structure and depending on the producer, it could add
a gamey, pleasant barnyard or animalistic character to the
wine. Mourvedre is the perfect grape to blend with Grenache and Syrah.
The Cellar Insider writes about Mourvedre, "Mourvedre is a late ripening, darkly colored, thick skinned berry that produces long, conical shaped bunches. The grape reaches its best level of ripeness in warm, sunny, dry and even hot climates.'
"The true home for Mourvedre is Spain, where more than 61,000 hectares of vines are planted. After Spain, France is next country with the largest amount of planted Mourvedre vines.'
"In the southwest of France, Mourvedre is the third most popular grape in the Chateauneuf du Pape appellation. But third is a long way from first as it occupies less than 5% of the plantings in the Southern Rhone Valley.'
"When used as a blending grape, Mourvedre adds tannin and alcohol to wines as well as red fruits, cassis, spice, olives, herbs, pepper, sweetness, structure and depending on the producer, it could add a gamey, pleasant barnyard or animalistic character to the wine. Mourvedre is the perfect grape to blend with Grenache and Syrah.'
This blend is popular in the Southern Rhone as well as Australia and is often referred to as a "G-S-M" for Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre.
The Wine Cellar Insider continues, "Mourvedre first gained popularity in Spain where it is known as Monastrell. At some point during the middle ages, vines were brought to the Rhone Valley. Prior to the attack of Phylloxera, it was the most popular grape in the region."
I believe we received this wine as a gift from our friends in the south of France whom we visited during our trip there to Aix-en-Provence, when we had a delightful authentic Provencal dinner with them at their home in Meyrargues. This wine-dine experience is chronicled in these pages in a blogpost from the trip, Four days in Provence - Aix - Meyrargues.
It is written about Bandol wines, they tend to be tough in their youth, a good Bandol
needs time, like a
Barolo or Bordeaux, a good 10 years of aging will soften the
brutishness, and allow the true charracter and profile to reveal itself. When I opened this at a dozen years of age, I worried about its condition due to its ageability. It was likely at the apex of its drinking window, showing no diminution from aging whatsoever.
Easy pleasant drinking, ruby colored, medium bodied with dark berry fruits accented by notes of licorice (nearby village Cassis), herbs, tobacco and earth.
Dr Vinny of Wine Spectator writes about herbs de Provence, "There are a bunch of bushy, fragrant plants that grow wild there, such as juniper, thyme, rosemary and lavender, and garrigue refers to the sum of them. Think herbes de Provence, or a mix of fresh minty-herbal notes with more pungent, floral fragrances."
Look for Bandol as a high QPR - quality to price ratio, modestly priced every day drinking wine to serve with hearty food, what I call a "pizza wine". Tonight it was an ideal selection.
Liked this so much, relatively speaking, researched and found Binny's has four bottles of one Bandol nearby. Went out and picked up some 2016 La Bastide Blanche Bandol Mourvèdre Blend.
Fellow Wine Buddy and Pour Boy Ernie S visited the Chateau during his tour of the Right Bank several years ago.
Château Clinet is one of our favorite
Right Bank Bordeaux selections that we hold in our cellar dating back two decades and more. I thought that Ronan wouldn't affix his name to a lackluster or
disappointing effort. Moreover, at a sub-twenty dollar price-point, its a
safe bet as a must try for every day sipping.
I
had never seen this label before and was intrigued, rightfully so by
the discovery - priced at close to $10. The anticipation was heightened by the branding and
packaging with the label being visually similar to the winemaker
produced Michel Rolland Napa Valley Cabernet that I recently discovered
and purchased. The MR Napa Cab, like the flagship Château Clinet, at a
$175 pricepoint, are at the opposite end of the price spectrum,
resulting in great relative QPR - (quality price ratio) for this label.
Recall, as I have written in these pages, for most of us who have any sense of economic management of their wine cellar and drinking selections; we have everyday wines, once a week wines, once a month wines, and special occasion or once a year, and even once in a lifetime wines - each with their corresponding price point. At closer to $10 than $20 'street' price, this is affordable for most anyone as an everyday sipper. The high end of that range depends on the consumer and their level of discrimination, and their budget - it might be $25, $50 or $100, or more. Of course, like the commercial says, your experience or results may vary.
One tragedy of developing a more discriminating pallet is that as one acquires or learns an appreciation for better quality, more expensive wines, one seeks and enjoys better wines and becomes less content with lower priced lesser sophisticated wines! Hence the budget management described above for most. One will find they will reach an equilibrium of affordability and preference.
This is also where a 'blind' tasting comes in. Taste a wine without the pretense of the price point and set your standards thusly, not influenced by price.
For the most part, prices rise with quality and visa versa - its the anomaly that exceeds the QPR - quality-price-ratio that is the mother lode of wine tasting and collections. Hence I often refer to the QPR of a given wine - but that may be at any of the aforementioned pricepoints.
When
I researched it further, I was surprised to learn this label been
around since being introduced in 2009, and has established itself as a
great-value Merlot, especially considering the pedigree of the legendary
world famous winemaker Michel Rolland, the 'Master of Merlot', and Château Client team.
Most importantly, wine appreciation is all in the eyes, or tastes, of the beholder. There is no right or wrong answer to one's preference for any given wine - you like what you like! All snobbery aside, at the end of the day, its all grape juice, with a wide range or nuances!
Château Clinet Ronan Bordeaux (Merlot) 2016
The
2016 label says it is 100% Merlot. Other releases have been noted to be
Merlot based with some amounts of Cabernet Franc. Wine pundit Jeb Dunnuck, who gave this 91 points in his review, writes that this Merlot-dominated 2016 by Clinet contains 5% Cabernet Franc.
One reviewer wrote, "From the same 100-point Pomerol powerhouse team behind the famed $150+
Château Clinet, the 2016 Ronan by Clinet was already one of the best
values in Bordeaux at its regular $30 price."
Upon initial opening
this was a bit flabby and obtuse but after an hour it settled and
actually took on an interesting profile.
This was dark garnet colored,
medium full bodied with black currant and plum fruits accented by an
intriguing, almost exotic floral layer with herbs, truffle and notes of
bittersweet dark chocolate with tongue puckering lingering tangy tannins
and aromatics on the finish. Great value in an everyday sipper!
Babylonstoren Simonsberg-Paarl South Africa Shiraz 2018
This South African Shiraz is a current special offering from local merchant Vin Chicago. We had to try it and are glad we did! It is from the Simonsberg-Paarlward or appellation, (what in the US would be called an AVA, or an AOC in France, DOC in Italy), the most granular South Africa wine area designation, within the Paarl District, within the Coastal Wine Region of South Africa, located in the southwestern tip of the nation.
South African Wine Regions are generally aligned with geographic units, regions and districts largely traced by political boundaries, the sub-unit appellations or wards are segmented and defined by their unique Terroir characteristics, as with other wine area classifications around the world.
Simonsberg, translated into English means Simon's Mountain, is part of the Cape Fold Belt Mountain Range in the Western Cape province of South Africa. It is located between the towns of Stellenbosch, Paarl and Franschhoek, where the prominent 1399 m high mountain is detached and freestanding from the other ranges in the winelands region.
I gained an appreciation for South African wines during my South African Wine Experience visit there two years ago when I had the chance to drink some popular and limited release wines.
Babylonstoren is one of the oldest Cape Dutch farms, set at the foot of Simonsberg in the Franschhoek wine valley. They produce a wide portfolio of wines, crafted in a state-of-the-art winery to reflect the unique terroir soils and climate where its grapes are grown. The Babylonstoren estate also includes a contemporary Farm Hotel & Spa, and the Farm Shop and Restaurants.
They have 88 hectares (217 acres) under vine and produce 13 different grape varieties. The vineyards lie against the Simonsberg (Mt Simon) reaching altitudes of 600 meters above sea level. The highest vines are planted to Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
Some of the vines on the farm date back to original plantings by the farm’s previous owners, the Louw family, who lived there for four generations. The Louws were grape growers for the former Simondium Co-operative Winery and other large wineries in the area.
The branding of Babylonstoren wines are represented in the Babylonstoren logo, which consists of the pipe (representing the farmer), the flower (representing the garden) and the bird (representing nature).
Winemaker producer Charl Coetzee says, "This combination is the very essence of Babylonstoren – keeping things simple and as true to the earth as possible. It is this that we strive to achieve in our wine," says Charl Coetzee. "Truth to the area we are situated in on the slopes of Simonsberg, and simplicity by making elegant and balanced wines as natural as possible."
This label is 100% estate Shiraz. Fermentation takes place on the skins for about seven days, after which it gets an extended maceration period of about one week. The wine then gets pressed into a combination of 70% new and 30% second-fill 300 liter French oak barrels. After malolactic fermentation the wine gets racked and is then returned to the barrels for another 18 months before bottling.
This release was awarded 96 points by
Decanter World Wine Awards in 2020.
Winemaker: Charlenes Coetzee Tasting Notes: "Aromas of cassis, pencil
shavings, ripe fruit, a little dustiness and fragrant violets. Matured
in French oak, this delicious Shiraz has a fresh mid-palate with dark
cherry and soft prune flavours and a hint of spice. The mouth-feel is
rich and velvety and the finish long and pleasing. A firm favourite of
ours."
At slightly more than $20, this represents good value high QPR (Quality Price Ratio).
We drank this with Covid carry-out Italian pizza and pasta dinner from Angeli's Italian, our local neighborhood trattoria.
What you would hope for in a big full throttle Shiraz - dark inky purple colored, full bodied, slightly flabby, concentrated dense black berry and sweet black cherry brambly fruits with a layer of smokey menthol and black olive, spice, graphite and hints of cassis and white pepper with tongue coating acidity on the lingering finish. Lacks elegance or polish, a bit obtuse, but tasty and enjoyable.
"Wines of Substance 'CS"' Washington Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2018
For easy every day drinking I picked up this label that Lyle and Terry introduced us to during our Virtual OTBN 2021 wine gathering the other night. Being an astute buyer with discriminating tastes and an eye for value, I followed Lyle's lead in picking up this new release.
This is a high QPR overachieving Cabernet from producer Charles Smith who became known for his K Vintners portfolio of Washington State, Columbia Valley Syrahs. In 2017 he created
the Wines of Substance brand to market and promote his Bordeaux
varietal based wines, distinctive from the Syrah associated with K Vintners.
Charles Smith grew up outside of Sacramento, California, in the foothills of the
Sierra Nevada Mountains, During nine years touring Europe managing rock bands and concert tours, living on the road wining and dining every night, he developed a passion for wine.
Following his interest in wine, in 1999, he moved back to the US to the Pacific Northwest where he opened a wine shop on Bainbridge Island, just across Puget Sound from downtown Seattle. Traveling the Washington State wine country, he discovered the town of Walla Walla where he met a young Frenchman
and winemaker who convinced him to focus on producing his own wines. Charles moved to Walla Walla and founded the K Syrah brand producing his inaugural release of 330 cases in 2001.
Gaining a reputation for producing low priced good value wines, he sold the brand to Precept Brands in 2006 and pivoted to start his new namesake brand, Charles Smith Wines. He set out to produce varietal wines that represented their distinctive terroir but for drinking at early age upon release for instant gratification at good value.
In 2008, the self-taught winemaker, and his K Vintners was recognized by Wine & Spirits
magazine as one of the “Best New Wineries of the Last Ten Years, and as
“Winery of the Year in their annual buying guide. In 2009 Food &
Wine magazine awarded Charles “Winemaker of the Year and in 2010 Seattle
Magazine recognized Charles as their “Winemaker of the Year.
Charles Smith has grown his portfolio of wines across several brands and recently announced and launched 'House of Smith', as he has become the largest independent and winemaker-owned winery in Washington State. House of Smith includes the brands K Vintners, Substance, ViNO
CasaSmith, SIXTO, B.Leighton, POPUP, and Golden West, offering wines of nearly
every noble grape varietal.
Like the approach and strategy of Jess Jackson that I chronicled recently about his Kendall-Jackson Grand Reserve Chardonnay,
Charles Smith and his brands, starting with his K Vintners wines,
offer high volume yet terrific wines that more than over deliver at
their price point, bringing quality affordable wine to a wide audience.
Based in Walla Walla, House of Smith operates a tasting room downtown Walla Walla, one at K Vintners in a vintage farmhouse at the base of the Blue Mountains, and Jet City Winery, an expansive,
one-of-a-kind winery out of what was once a Dr. Pepper
bottling plant in the Georgetown neighborhood of Seattle.
This relatively new brand offers low cost but quality wine of value for every day drinking including this (Wines of) Substance Cabernet Sauvignon.
It was awarded 93 points by James Suckling, 91 points by Jeb Dunnuck and 90 points by Decanter. It is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon with fruit sourced from five different Columbia Valley vineyards.
Dark blackish garnet colored, medium full bodied, bold dark black berry and black currant fruits with notes of olive tapenade, cigar box, cedar, black tea and graphite pencil lead with hints of dark mocha chocolate.
For casual beginning of the week sipping with dinner of left-over meatloaf and grilled vegetables, I pulled from the cellar this modest Grand Vin de Bordeaux.
Château Picque Caillou is in the shadows of Bordeaux Merignac Airport, just 10 km on the route to the city of Bordeaux. It lies in the heart of
the Pessac-Léognan appellation in central Medoc region of Bordeaux, a semi-urban area within the perimeter circular route that surrounds the city. We passed within just a few km of the site during our visit to the region in 2019.
Pessac-Léognan was created in 1987 from the northern part of the left
bank Graves appellation. Before then it was simply part of Graves. Unlike many Bordeaux
appellations, Pessac-Léognan is known for both red and dry white wines,
although its reds are more predominant and famous.
The appellation includes ten communes
and the area’s most important châteaux, including Château Haut-Brion,
the only non-Médoc estate included in the 1855 Bordeaux classification.
There are 2,964 acres of vineyards in Pessac-Léognan with 16 classified
growth estates. The main red grapes grown are Cabernet Sauvignon and
Merlot, along with a small amount of Cabernet Franc. White grapes grown
are Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon, with a little Muscadelle.
Pessac-Léognan is considered to have the best terroir of the greater
Graves region.
Château Picque Caillou is not far from the prestigious Haut-Brion, La Mission Haut Brion and Pape Clément
châteaux that are also surrounded by the urban sprawl of the city.
Once the heart of the Bordeaux vineyard, the vines of the “Graves de Bordeaux”
surrounded the city. Today, Picque Caillou remains one of the last
remaining vineyard sites surrounded by the all-consuming urban development that belies the respected soils and history. The 21-hectare (fifty acre) Caillou estate is named for the pebbly soils that originated from sediments deposited by the nearby
Garonne River over thousands of years. Similarly, the prestigious second growth Château Ducru Beaucaillou is named for the beautiful tiny pebbles indicative of the gravelly soil further up the Gironde estuary.
In 2006, Paulin Calvet
took over the daily running of the vineyard. Coming from a long line of Bordeaux wine merchants, Paulin Calvet brought skills and experience he acquired in Libourne at the
Jean-Pierre Moueix merchant house where he worked in the company
of wine-growing experts Christian Moueix and Jean-Claude Berrouet. Paulin Calvet learned the subtleties of the best practices of
vine-growing methods and vinification techniques practised by these two
great Bordeaux wine professionals.
The wines of Picque Caillou quickly
acquired higher levels of quality and consistency, soon attracting the
attention of numerous wine professionals. Joining Paulin Calvet in 2007 were consultant œnologists Professor Denis Dubourdieu and Valérie Lavigne
who added further technical experience and skills to the winemaking team. This served to improve the quality of the wines further, producing wines that display balance and
delicacy, reflecting the style and character of the prestigious
Pessac-Léognan appellation.
The estate is planted to 35% Merlot; 60% Cabernet Sauvignon; and 5% Petit Verdot red varietals, and 80% Sauvignon Blanc, and 20% Sémillon white varietals. Château Picque Caillou Red makes up
around 60-70% of the total production, i.e. 65,000 to 80,000 bottles
delivered in wooden cases of 12 bottles.
At fourteen years, this may be at its apex, not likely to improve further with aging, but showing no signs of diminution either. As shown, the cork was in perfect condition and the fill level was ideal as well.
At the modest entry level price point for a Grand Vin Bordeaux, in good vintage years this can offer great QPR - Quality Price Ratio, as in such years, 'all boats rise with the tide', resulting in high quality wines at good values.
This was ruby colored, medium bodied with red and black fruits giving way to rustic, dusty herbs and spices, tobacco, floral notes and a bit of green pepper with tangy moderate tannins on the finish.
“A Night in Sicily”Covid Lock-in Virtual Wine Dinner Presented by Chicago's Italian Village Restaurants
Italian Village Restaurants in Chicago hosted “A Night in Sicily” presented by Jared Gelband, Italian Village Wine
Director and Chef Jose, and guest host Italian Wine Specialist, Daniele Sbordi, who lead a virtual journey to the
island of Sicily and a tasting of wines from producer Donnafugata
Winery.
A four course dinner was specially prepared for pick-up at the restaurant complete with preparation directions and a wine course selection of three bottles of Donnafugata Sicilian wines.
For the occasion, we were joined by son Sean and daughter-in-law Michelle in person in our dining room, and daughter Erin and son-in-law Johnny and their four children, who attended virtually via zoom from their home. We were joined via zoom with another dozen folks.
To facilitate and optimize the experience, we set up a large screen TV and our computer in the dining room for the occasion.
The dinner:
Antipasta Crostini con Caponata - Rustic Italian Bread / Caponata Topping
Primi Ravioli con Ricotta - Hand made Ravioli / Ricotta and Parmesan Cheese / Pistachio pesto sauce
Secondi Braciole alla Siciliana - Filet Mignon / Proscutto / Provolone / Green Onion / Salsa di Pomodoro
Dolce Italian Cannoli / Italian Biscotti
Vini - The Wine
Donnafugata "Sur Sur" Sicilia DOC Grillo 2019
Donnafugata "Floramundi" Cerasuelo di Vittoria DOCG 2018
Donnafugata "Sul Volcano" Etna Rosso DOC 2017
I wrote in these pages recently about the art and magic of pairing food and wine to magnify the overall experience. Tonight, the masterful pairing of the wines to the food courses by Wine Director Jared and Chef Jose amplified both the food and the wine. As a result, as I wrote Jared in a follow up note, "everything exceeded my expectations, the food, the wine, the pairing, the overall experience".
Donnafugata was established in Sicily in 1983 byGiacomo Rallo, the fourth
generation of a family with over 160 years of experience in quality
wine, along with his wife Gabriella, a pioneer of viticulture in Sicily. Giacomo passed away in 2016, so the company today is run by their children José and Antonio and a team of people focused on excellence.
The name Donnafugata comes from a novel by Tomasi di Lampedusa entitled Il Gattopardo (The Leopard). The name that means “donna in fuga”
(woman in flight) refers to the story of a queen who found refuge
in the part of Sicily where the company’s vineyards are located today.
The adventure tome also inspired the corporate logo, the image of a woman’s
head with windblown hair that dominates the brand and adorns every bottle. All Donnafugata wines' labels and names are inspired by Gabriella Rallo and designed by Stefano Vitale whose original artwork is featured each on the labels of each of the two dozen wines they produce. His works were featured in an exhibition "Art and Wine - Chasing Donnafugata”, presented by
FAI – Fondo Ambiente Italiano in Milan in 2018 in the
prestigious Villa Necchi Campiglio.
Donnafugata produce over forty estate wines meaning they are sourced from the producer owned vineyards that span almost six hundred acres of 45 different varieties of grapes indigenous to Sicily. Total production is near 5 million bottles annually.
Donnafugatta "Sur Sur" is produced from Grillo, an ancient Sicilian grape varietal. The grape name grillo means cricket, for the crickets that are common in the region and said to bring good luck. The name comes from the classical Arabic language
which was once also spoken in Sicily. The label features Stefano Vitale artwork of Gabriella (founder
of Donnafugata, with her husband Giacomo) as a girl in flight, running
barefoot through the flowers and fresh grass.
This is 100% Grillo classified grapes from the Sicilian DOC, according to Italy’s 'denominazione di origine controllata' (DOC) classification system, akin to France's well-known Appellation d’origine controlee (AOC) and America's AVA systems. DOC, means designation of 'controlled origin', it is the second highest quality classification of the Italian system.
There are 329 different DOCs in Italy, across a wide range of red and
white wines across the country, from Prosecco sparkling wines to the Vin Santo dessert wines of Tuscany. Each DOC has its own rules about
permitted grape varieties, maximum harvest yields, alcohol levels, and aging
requirements including use of barrels.
The grapes are from the western tip of Sicily, the Contessa Entellina estate and neighboring areas and in the hilly hinterland between Marsala and Salemi in the Baiata, Alfaraggio, Pioppo district. The region has a distinctive terrior, hilly with altitudes from 200 to 600 meters, loamy sub-alkaline limestone soils, arid with little rainfall, with substantial variance in warm daytime to cool nightime temperatures with Meditteranean breezes, that is ideal for the growing and ripening of Grillo grapes.
Donnafugatta have five hundred acres in eight different sites in the region where they grow both white and red grape varietals.
This label has been produced since 2013 with 4000 cases annual production. It was awarded 91 points, #86 of the Top 100 Wines of 2019 by Wine Enthusiast.
This was a wonderful pairing with the antipasta courses. We cheated and added a starter course of Linda's wonderful lobster tails on a ramukan of buttered croutons. Following was the Italian Village Crostini con Caponata - Rustic Italian Bread / Caponata Topping. Linda improvised with this course and chopped the Caponata into a wonderful tapenade. Both were wonderfully complemented by this wine.
Winemaker notes: "Brilliant straw yellow, on the nose SurSur offers a fresh bouquet with
notes of white fleshed fruit (peach and cantaloupe melon) combined with
scents of wildflowers and mint. A soft palate, the fruity notes return
combined with pleasant freshness."
This was straw colored, light bodied, aromatic with sprites of citrus, tropical fruit, floral, melon and hints of peach, dry with crisp clean acidity. Good QPR in this label.
Donnafugata "Floramundi" Cerasuelo di Vittoria DOCG 2018
This is a blend of grape varietals: Nero D’Avola, King of the Sicilian red grapes, and Frappato,
one of the most ancient native varieties of Sicily, sourced from 88 acres of eight Donnafugatta estate vineyards from the prestigious denomination: Cerasuolo di Vittoria DOCG, in the territory of Acate on the western side of the southern tip of Sicily.
The terroir is gently sloping terrain from 120 to 150 meters with sandy medium tectured limestone soils with warm temperate Mediterranean climate of warm temperate days moderated by sea breezes, and cool nights.
This label is classified DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita), the highest quality classification designation for Italian wines. , while the Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC), has less strict guidelines. The rules
for DOCG are stricter than DOC, yields must be lower and the wines
must be aged in barrels longer. Also, DOCG requires the wines be submitted for technical analysis and tasted for approval
by a government committee before they can be sold as DOCG wines. Interesting too, DOCG wines even have a numbered, government seal across the neck of the
bottle to prevent counterfeiting.
Floramundi, a refined red, the dialogue between two souls: the one of
Nero D’Avola, King of the Sicilian red grapes, and the one of Frappato,
one of the most ancient native varieties of Sicily.
Like all Donnafuggati labels, Floramundi features distinctive colorful artwork by Stefano Vitale artwork, sponsored by proprietor Gabriella Rallo. This label features the stylistic figure of a woman in a rainbow of symbols, of the tradition of the historic Pupi Siciliani (Sicilian
Puppets).
This is the third vintage release of this label; it was awarded 92 points by James Suckling, and 90 points by Wine Enthusiast.
This was a wonderful complement to the Italian Village Primi Course; Ravioli con Ricotta - Hand made Ravioli / Ricotta and Parmesan Cheese / Pistachio pesto sauce. Linda was the favorite wine, food and pairing of the rest of our group. I preferred the Secondi course and pairing.
Winemaker notes for this release: "Intense ruby color with bright purple reflections; Floramundi offers
intense fruity aromas, among which the notes of black cherry and berries
(blueberry) stand out; the bouquet opens with delicate balsamic nuances
of laurel and characteristic spicy notes of black pepper. The tasting
is supported by freshness and softness that make it juicy and very
pleasant to drink. The tannin is fine and well integrated. Floramundi
2018 expresses the harmonious balance that Cerasuolo di Vittoria can
reach."
Bright Ruby colored, light-medium bodied, bright vibrant cherry and cranberry fruit flavors accented by tangy acidity, dusty rose floral tones and hints of white pepper.
For the main Secondi course, Chef Jose prepared this imaginative Braciole alla Siciliana - Filet Mignon with Proscutto, Provolone and Green Onion in a robust tangy Salsa di Pomodoro. The Chef's directions called for this to be mixed with the accompanying Italian Village signature rosemary potatos.
Linda called an option and served the potatos on the side which was a great move - they were akin to a whole additional course in of themselve and provided another complete wonderful tasting pairing experience.
The Donnafugata Sul Vulcano label is from the Etna Rosso Denomination. It is a Etna Rosso DOC classified wine. It is a blend of Nerello Mascalese, the main red grape variety from the prestigious Etna appellation, with a small percentage of Nerello Cappuccio grape varietal.
The fruit for this label is sourced from Donnafugata 45 acres of estate vineyards in Eastern Sicily, on the north side of the historic volcano of Mt Etna, Europe’s highest active volcano from which it derives its name, between Randazza and Castiglione di Sicilia.
The terroir there is a higher altitude of 750 meters with deep mineral rich volcanic soil, cooler sub-climate with the Sicilian dramatic variations of warm days and cool nights.
This was more my style of wine, darker, more dense concentrated and complex, more like a Nebbiolo or a Bordeaux varietal. Naturally, this style was ideally paired with the hearty beefsteak, cheeses and tangy pomodoro sauce. As noted above, it also paired superbly with the rosemary potatoes.
The art series stylistic label features a goddess-volcano with intense colors, red,
yellows, and iridescent blacks, another design of artist Stefano Vitale.
This is the second vintage release of this label, first released in 2016.
James Suckling and Wine Critics.com both gave this 93 points.
Winemaker notes: "Pale ruby red, Sul Vulcano offers an elegant bouquet with notes of red
fruits (raspberry and cherry) and flowery scents (violet), along with
delicate spicy nuances of cinnamon and nutmeg."
Garnet colored, medium bodied, robust flavors of black raspberry and black cherry with notes of tobacco, hints of graphite, floral violets, hints of cinnamon and nutmeg spices with moderate tannins on the finish.
We supplemented Jared's Italian Village Donnafugata wine flight with a dessert wine from our cellar for the Dolce Course of Italian Cannoli and Italian Biscotti. Linda also served her Pots-au-de-Creme Chocolat dessert.
Château Suduiraut 1er Cru Classe Sauterne 2002 We enjoy sweet unctuous desert
wines with salads, cheese or deserts. This was a nice finisher, a
perfect complement to the final Dolce course.
This is a classic Sauterne, a blend of Semillon (94 %) and Sauvignon Blanc (6 %). Château Suduiraut is considered to be one of the finest Sauternes.
The
history of Château Suduiraut, dates back to the 1600’s. It was
classified as a Premier Cru during the official 1855 wine classification
programme. The French conglomerate AXA Millésimes acquired Suduiraut
in 1992. Golden honey, dark amber colored,
full bodied yet delicate, nicely balanced fruit and floral aromas,
complex roasted and candied notes of apple, vanilla and honey, medium
sweetness and a long smooth silky finish. Not as sweet and unctuous as
some vintages, the fruit is more subdued lacking the apricot nectar and
honey of some vintages. This showed plenty of botrytis, with predominate
notes of smoke, marzipan, almond, ripe apple, and hints of vanilla on
the tongue cloying finish. RM 91 Robert Parker's Wine Advocate rated this wine 90-93 points, Wine Spectator, 90 points.
