Italian Village Lunch with Perfect Wine Pairing

Italian Village Lunch with Perfect Wine Pairing

We dined at Italian Village for lunch to tour the facility towards planning future events there. To pair with our lunch selections, Wine Director Jared Gelband selected this Italian Bolgheri Superiore Bordeaux Blend.

Poggio al Tesoro Bolgheri Superiore Sondraia 2015

Jared knows I favor Bordeaux varietals and big full bodied fruit forward complex blends. Wow! He pegged it with this selection. Who would think you would find this style in an Italian wine?

From the Allegrini brand known for Amarone comes this classic Bordeaux blend from the Bolgheri region - Cabernet Sauvignon (65%), Merlot (25%) and Cabernet Franc (10%).

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. 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.

Winemaker's notes: "Intense ruby red in colour, the nose opens with nuances of cherry and plum and deep notes of black berries, followed by aromatic herbs and a pleasant spiciness. It is elegant and seductive on the palate, revealing considerable body, great structure and balance, and silky tannins."

I give this 93 points, primarily due to my preference to this style and profile. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3114160

 While we were there, Jared unveiled the new, soon to be released Italian Village Private Labeling of this classic Italian Chianti Monrosso a Sangiovese blend from Castello di Monsanto.

 
This is the first such venture for Italian Village and was selected from one of the prime producers for American restaurants such as Italian Village during Jared's visit to the Estate last year. This special private labeling is a tribute in memoriam to second generation owner and patriarch to the legendary Chicago landmark restaurant, Franklin D. Capitanini 1932-2018.

https://italianvillage-chicago.com/








 

Italian Village Vivere Wine Dinner Features Masseto Cellar Selection

Italian Village Vivere Wine Dinner Features Masseto Cellar Selection

A gathering of the 'Pour Boys' for a wine dinner at Chicago's classic Italian Village Vivere Restaurant included a tour of the legendary wine cellar and some premier cellar selections.

Following a recent visit to meet Jared Gelband in his role as the new Wine Director of the extraordinary cellar that supports Italian Village's three restaurants, we returned with our wine group for a dinner featuring a selection of classic wines.


Readers of this column know I have a very sparse collection of Italian wines in our cellar but I pulled and brought from home BYOB a vintage Sangiovese Pertimali (Livio Sassetti) Brunello di Montalcino Riserva from 1997. Jared matched that from his extensive winelist with a 2007 for a mini-horizontal comparison tasting.

    The Italian Village wine cellar boasts over 30,000 bottles from over 1200 different labels as Jared is working to restore it to its historical Spectator Grand Award eminence. Currently they hold a 2 glass Wine Spectator Best of Award for their collection,

Dan and Ernie then dipped into the wine list to select a Château Smith Haut Lafitte Pessac-Léognan Bordeaux 1996 that we know well, in a large format magnum. Clearly the highlight of the evening was a bottle of ultra-premium Tenuta dell'Ornellaia Masseto Toscana IGT Merlot 2001.

We closed the evening with an Le Ragose Amarone della Valpolicella 2006 to complement the dessert  course.

Prior to dinner we were served an antipasta course. Our dinner selections included seared prime Rib-eye steak with asparagus and red potatoes, baby New Zealand rack of Lamb, and Risotto with jumbo Lump Crab with charred white sweet corn and pesto.

Tenuta dell'Ornellaia Masseto Toscana IGT Merlot 2001 

A classic label from this legendary producer, a uncustomary rare Bordeaux single varietal Merlot from Northern Italy. This is one of the most sophisticated and expressive Merlot's I've ever had and its hard to believe it is from Italy.

Dark garnet colored, medium to full bodied, this was focused, polished, a well-balanced symphony of plush concentrated black and red berry fruit flavors accented by subtle tones of mocha and truffle and hints of expresso and cassis turning to a elegant mouth gripping but silky smooth layer of acid and tannins.

RM 94 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=33153



Château Smith Haut Lafitte Pessac-Léognan Bordeaux 1996 

Tasted from large format magnum.

Dark garnet colored, medium bodied, black berry fruits with earthy tones of cigar box, cedar, and  leather.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4338











Pertimali (Livio Sassetti) Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Sangiovese 1997 and 2007

An interesting exposition of terroir in this vintage comparison of this ten and twenty year old. The common terroir profile and character were apparent with vintage specificities being the distinguishable differences between these two wines.

The younger '07 was brighter and more expressive than the older '97. It was also less balanced and polished and a bit bolder but more obtuse. Both exhibited concentrated bright black and red berry fruits with the '97 coming across as more layered in earthy leather, tobacco leaf and tones of creosote and cassis. Initially a bit closed it opened up quite a bit over the next 2 hours. While the '07 was brighter and more forward with its more lively acidity, the older vintage came across as slightly more subdued, polished, with greater balance and complexity, turning to a long polished finish.

Pertimali (Livio Sassetti) Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Sangiovese 1997 
RM 91 points.
https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=35653

Pertimali (Livio Sassetti) Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Sangiovese 2007

RM 90 points.
https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1616447


Le Ragose Amarone della Valpolicella 2006

Served with the dessert course that included a selection of flourless chocolate lava cake, tiramisu, creme brulee, a chocolate banana bread cake and selection of fresh fruits and gelato.

Dark blackish garnet colored, full bodied, intense, unctuous black berry raisin with a layer of alcohol and bitter dark chocolate notes with bright acidity on a thick tongue coating finish.

RM 88 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1057698

Jared with picture of Italian Village founder, Alfredo Capitanini who founded the restaurant in 1927.

http://italianvillage-chicago.com/

Italian Village Wine Duo with Dinner

Italian Village features Italian Wine Duo, Amarone and Sangiovese with Dinner

For the second Thursday night in a row I hosted a business dinner at Italian Village Chicago and wine director Jared Gelband (right) served up a duo of Italian varietal wines to showcase our dinner selections, a Amarone della Valpolicella followed by a Brunello di Montalcino Sangiovese.

Tonight, we dined in one of the private tables/rooms in the Village, one of the three restaurants on the premises, a perfect setting for an intimate or business dinner.

In my blogpost about our wine and dinners last week, I wrote about Italian Village, Chicago's oldest, longest running continously family operated Italian restaurant in Chicago.


ILatium Morini Campo Leon Amarone della Valpolicella Corvina Blend 2013

Jared served me a taste of this wine last week with my anti-pasta course at my dinner at IV's Vivere and it was delicious, so we ordered it tonight with the anti-pasta course leading into the entree course.

In 1992, the Morini family bought bought a historic farm house from the early 1900's, surrounded by vineyards in the heart of Val di Mezzane.

For over forty years, ILatium Morini have been growing grapes  which they initially delivered to the local Cantina Sociale (cooperative wine cellar), but, eventually for production of own label wines. Seven brothers and cousins inherited the business that they continue to run to this day.

The origins or our village name Ilatium is from the word Latii, "those from Lazio", referring back to the ancient Romans who came in searching for remote lands to conquer. They settled in the area where they found an ideal environment for the cultivation of grapes, olives and fruit trees. The locals called them the Latii, "those from Lazio" who at the time were considered "strangers" or foreigners.

Dark garnet colored, full bodied, complex concentrated sweet ripe dark cherry and black currant fruits with spicy dark mocha notes and hint of tobacco, moderate acids and soft tannins on the flavorful finish.

RM 92 points

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2928045

https://www.latiummorini.it/en/

Il Marroneto Brunello di Montalcino Sangiovese 2013

For our entree course we ordered Sangiovese and Jared served up this Brunello.

Il Marroneto was purchased in 1974 by Giuseppe Mori, father of  current owner and winemaker Alessandro Mori. The Mori family thus began to make wine in the first two small rooms of Il Marroneto  in a historical building that dates back to 1246. 

The first three thousand meters of Sangiovese vineyards of Il Marroneto 
were planted in 1975, then, as many again in 1979, and another 9000 in 1984. They are sited on the north slope of the hills about 350m elevation in the vicinity of the walls of Montalcino in Siena.

The vines of Il Marroneto are arranged so that each plant has 3.6 square meters, allowing the Sangiovese vines, which feed on the surface, to have optimal spacing for a good rooting. 

This 2013 vintage release was bright ruby colored, medium full bodied, vibrant expressive red fruits, tangy cinnamon spice, earth and floral notes with brisk acidity and tongue puckering tannins on the lingering finish.

RM 92 points.


https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2377072

http://www.ilmarroneto.com/en/

https://italianvillage-chicago.com/ 

03 and 13 Argiolas Turriga M Coz

Duo vintage comparison of  2003 and 2013 Argiolas Turriga - Old World vs New World 97 M Coz Meritage

For a special business dinner we dined at Italian Village in the City Centre Chicago for a classic Italian wine and dine experience. Wine Director Jared Gelband pulled from the IV extensive wine cellar two vintages of this unique Italian varietal label for a mini-comparison tasting - 2003 and 2013 Argiolas Turriga.

For an old world vs. new world comparison tasting Jared pulled a 1997 vintage Napa Valley Meritage Bordeaux Blend from Napa Valley, Consentino M. Coz.

Both labels were great complements to our varied selections of classic Italian cuisine.

The Argiolas brand consisting of ten different labels  is one of the most popular and widely distributed brands from the Island of Sardinia. Turriga is a blend of native Sardinian varietals - Cannonau, Malvasia Nera, Carignano, and Bovale Sardo, and is considered a benchmark red wine showcasing the best of Sardinia. It has been produced by the Argiolas Family and Giacomo Tachis since 1988.

The brand is named for the family patriarch Antonio Argiolas, who was born in 1906. He was the first to plant vine rows to join vineyards together, and strived for the highest possible quality in his winemaking in this label. His two sons, Franco and Giuseppe took over the business with their wives, Pina and Marianna, and then with their own children. Today, the Winery is run by the third Argiolas generation: Antonio’s grandchildren.

The impetus for this flagship label was to create a great Sardinian wine capable of long aging using only Sardinian varietals. It is aged two years in French barriques. It is named for The Venus or "Turriga" that graces the label that was found in the vineyards of Argiolas back in 1935.

The estate is on the Island of Sardinia in the middle of the Western Mediterranean, facing south looking across to Africa. The total Serdiana estate has about 40 acres of vines in the Sibiola countryside, in the Municipality of Serdiana with another 90 acres of vineyards in the Parteolla area, on hilly land at an elevation of about 1000 feet above sea level.

The Turriga vineyard is comprised of 15 acres of wines sitting at an elevation of 750 feet overlooking the Mediterranean to the southeast towards Africa. It was first planted in 1970 and was used in the first release of this wine in 1988. Today 50,000 bottles are produced per year. 

Tonight we compared the 2003 and the 2013 vintages of Argiolas Turriga Isola dei Nuraghi IGT

Turriga is a blend of Sardinian grape varietals Cannonau, Malvasia Nera, Carignano, and Bovale Sardo. It is a powerful fruit forward red wine that requires time in bottle to show its full complexity. Upon release, Turriga is densely packed with powerful tannins and tightly wound fruit, thus decanting is recommended. With time in bottle, Turriga reveals multiple layers of Mediterranean herbs, roasted coffee, spices, and licorice with a generous core of black and red fruit.

Both were bright ruby colored, medium full bodied with bright, vibrant, bold and expressive forward sweet cherry and black currant fruits. The 2003 was a bit more subdued, more polished and balanced, more complex with the fruit less obtuse and more integrated with notes of earthy spice, herbs and leather, bright acidity but moderately smooth tannins.

RM 89 (2013) and 90 (2003) points.

http://www.argiolas.it/it/index.html

Cosentino Winery M. Coz Napa Valley Meritage Red 1997

For a comparison of old world vs new world, Jared presented this Cosentino Winery M. Coz Napa Valley Meritage Red from the classic 1997 vintage. Meritage (rhymes with heritage) is the name given to a US wine comprised of the Bordeaux varietals, hence a Bordeaux Blend. Meritage is a trademarked name and accordingly licensed from the Meritage Society.

The 1997 vintage of Napa Valley Cabernets was much heralded and expected to be long lived vintage of highest quality. Many of the '97's have been confounding being closed and subdued in revealing their true potential. Some believe its still aging gracefully, yet to emerge to reveal its true greatness. I'm holding off judgement, standing the belief that perhaps the vintage was over-hyped and may be just so. I've been wrong in such matters before and look forward to being proven so if my extensive collection of '97's start to awaken.

Tonight this '97 was showing well revealing bright, vibrant black berry and black current fruits. Dark garnet colored, medium full bodied, the fruit was accented with tones of cedar, tobacco leaf and hints of sweet oak and dark mocha, turning to a moderate, soft tanning finish.

RM 92 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/notes.asp?iWine=11807

http://www.cosentinowinery.com/

https://italianvillage-chicago.com/ 

Team Dinner and Go-to CasalFerro Wines at Italian Village Chicago

Team Dinner and Go-to CasalFerro Wines at Italian Village Chicago

With my tech leadership team in town for a week closing out the year, and final planning for the year ahead and the next chapter in our strategic plan, we dined at our usual go-to eatery and enjoyed some of our favored go-to wines with dinner. 

Tonight was a repeat of several earlier such team dinners we've had at Italian Village.  I last wrote about this wine in a blogpost, Team dinner at Italian Village Chicago in November last year.

Team working dinner at Italian Village Chicago features Super Tuscan and Bolgheri Chianti Classico

I wrote then about my 'SPO' - Strategy, Products and Operations leadership team continues their planning sessions in the Chicago home office and gathered for another working dinner at nearby  Italian Village, Chicago. 

 

I've written in previous blogposts about our wine and dinners, about Italian Village, Chicago's oldest, longest running continuously family operated Italian restaurant in Chicago. 

 

As is our custom, tonight, we dined in one of the private tables/rooms in the Village, one of the three restaurants on the premises, a perfect setting for an intimate or business dinner.
 

Part of this ritual is hooking up with friend and wine-buddy IV Wine Director and buddy Jared Gelband and Gerry Castillo, IV Vivere restaurant 'floor manager', who has become our 'designated' server when we come in, all shown together below. 

 

From producer dinner, wine buddy Dr Dan,
Gerry, me and Jared.

With dinner, tonight I selected these two wines from the winelist, from the same producer, Baron Ricasoli, composed of the same varietal and vineyard sources.
 
This is a label I know well and have collected over the years, one of the small selection of Italians in my cellar collection, which tends to be French and American.

When I picked these two wines from the extensive, vast Italian Village winelist, I didn't realize we've enjoyed each of them before, but never together in a mini-vertical comparison tasting. I don't think I had realized the 'vertical' aspects of the two labels, being the varietal from the common  estate sources.

Jared shared with us how he visited the Baron Ricasoli estate and staying in the magnificent Brolio Castle located within the town of Gaiole during his last wine country producer tour, He talked about meeting the proprietors who represented the 32nd generation of the family to manage the estate, and and explained how the similarity between the two labels and how they used to blend Merlot in this earlier release. 

The 2000 vintage release was classic Chianti Classico native Sangiovese accented with a bit of Merlot, which has since been dropped in later releases to focus on and showcase the estate Merlot, as in the other label below.

Barone Ricasoli Casalferro (Sangiovese) Toscana IGT 2000

We also had this label back in the early 2020 which I featured in a blogpost Ricasoli CasalFerro & Livio Fellugo Saso, at the time.  

 

This 2000 vintage release is a blend of 75% Sangiovese and 25% Merlot. It was aged in small french oak barrels for 18 months which along with the Merlot in the blend, softens the tannins. 

 

The grapes were sourced from estate vineyards set 350 – 400 meters above sea level, mainly from the vineyard of the same name with southwest exposure, with a predominance of calcareous sandstone and Alberese stone.

Today production of this label is 135,000 bottles in a prodigious vintage year.

Wine Spectator awarded this vintage release 90 points.

At twenty-one years, this was starting to show its age and is reaching the end of its drinking window. The fill level, foil and cork (shown left) were ideal for the age. 

While past its prime, this wine was an ideal pairing with our entree selections, my Butternut Squash with Fig puree and mushrooms, the Filet of Beef, and the Lamb Chops, a new Italian Village Chef Jose Specialty.

While this was initially a bit funky with some barnyard earthiness which burned off after decanting and aerating back and forth three times, it was better than our previous tasting, due likely to bottle variation over two decades of aging. 

This was dark garnet colored with a bit of browning on the rim, medium full bodied, powerful full and forward black fruits are starting to give way to notes of cedar, black tea, olive tapenade, leather and hints of creosote on the deep, full, lingering tannic finish.

RM 89 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=17527

https://www.ricasoli.com/en/product/casalferro-2000/ 

@ricasoli_1141

We lasted tasted this other wine during a similar team dinner back in the fall of last year when I wrote about Italian Village Wine & Dine Chicago.

Tonight, members of our group selected for our entrees the beefsteak, the lamb chops, and I chose the butternut squash with fig puree and mushrooms - all perfectly complemented by the combination of these two wines.  

Baron Ricasoli Cassalferro Castello di Brolio 2015

Ricasoli is the most representative wine producer in the Chianti Classico area Italian wine region. The estate covers the 1,200 hectares of property include almost 240 hectares of vineyards and 26 of olive groves covering rolling hills and picturesque valleys with thick woodlands of oaks and chestnuts.

Since taking over in 1993, Baron Francesco Ricasoli has been guiding this central Tuscan company according to the principles of his renowned ancestors, producing wines that showcase the distinctive terroir of the soil types, the climate and clonal selections of the Brolio Sangiovese. He has also totally renovated and completely mapped the vineyards.

This label, Casalferro,  was  first  produced  in  1993  when  Francesco  Ricasoli  became  president  of  the company. This is 100% Merlot produced only during the best years. Casalferro is sourced from the vineyard  of  the  same  name  located  at  400  meters  above  sea  level  and  facing  south.  

The  brown  clay  loam  soil  with  little  organic  content  contributes  to  the  exclusive  personality  of  this  great Chianti Merlot.

This release was awarded 95 points by James Suckling, 93 points by Wine Spectator, and 92 points by Robert Parker Wine Advocate.  

Bright Ruby colored, medium bodied, expressive black berry and black cherry fruits with tones of leather, anise licorice and dark cocoa and herbs, medium plus acidity and medium plus tannins on a long finish. I agree with one review that wrote that this tastes more like a Sangiovese than a Merlot from the New World, or the Right Bank.

RM 90 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2869770

https://www.ricasoli.com/en/product/casalferro-2015/

https://twitter.com/ricasoli_1141 

@ricasoli_1141

https://italianvillage-chicago.com/

https://twitter.com/italianvlg

@italianvlg

https://twitter.com/jzgwine

@jzgwine

Donna Olga Brunello For IV Dinner

Donna Olga Brunello For IV Dinner

Tenute Donna Olga Brunello Di Montalcino and Sondraia Super Tuscan for Italian Village Business Dinner

For a business partner dinner, we dined at my usual haunt,  Italian Village Chicago, for all the reasons I cited in recent blogposts - close to office, central location, three restaurants, three chefs/menus, extraordinary wine cellar, Chicago historic dining institution, great food and dependable, professional service. 

As usual, Jared Gelband, Wine Director there, knew I was coming and pre-selected a special bottle for our dinner. Often, these selections are off the winelist, being evaluated for inclusion but not yet acquired in sufficient quantity to support listing. Or, they're end of bin selections being dropped from the list, as it was in this case being the last remaining bottle in the cellar. 

Managing a wine list of over 1200 selections is a mighty chore requiring diligent care and attention. With dozens of lists in print, its a significant effort to update the production volumes. You want to avoid the chance of presenting a wine offering and not being able to fulfill it thereby disappointing or aggravating a patron. Hence you don't want to produce a new version of the list with only one or few remaining bottles and risk not having it available for diners once that last bottle has been consumed before the list can be updated and republished. Regular customers such as me provide that buffer to consume remaining stock that may have fallen off and is being dropped from the list. 

So it was tonight, we consumed the last remaining bottle of a thirteen year old vintage label. Only restaurants with extensive or thoughtfully managed cellars and wine lists, or select ones that specifically acquire aged vintage releases, can offer aged vintage select labels to their diners.

Italian Village offers not only a broad and diverse selection but  also a vertical selection of numerous vintages of a label, as witnessed by their recent Wine Producer Dinner featuring Priscilla Incisa della Rocchetta from Tenuta San Guido when they served eight different vintages of flagship Sassicaia from the winelist dating back to 1998 with the dinner. 

Tenute Donna Olga Di Olga Pulusa Brunello Di Montalcino 2006

From the Italian region Montalcino near Siena, the appellation or Italian DOCG Brunello di Montalcino,  Donna Olga. Donna Olga is named for Olga Peluso Centolani, a passionate woman of wine and the producer. The estate consists of 11 hectares (24 acres), but only 4 of them are cultivated by Donna Olga with selected clones of Sangiovese Brunello for this label, with annual production of 20.000 bottles of this Brunello di Montalcino.

Dark garnet colored, medium full bodied, firm structured backbone, nicely balanced, whisper of spearmint and vanilla highlight complex black berry fruits, notes of earthy spice tobacco and leather with nice balance of acid firm gripping but silky smooth tannins on the lingering finish. Must be at its apex at a dozen plus one years. 

RM 92 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/notes.asp?iWine=1186945

We also drank this Super Tuscan. 

Poggio al Tesoro Bolgheri Superiore Sondraia 2015

As I wrote in an earlier blogpost about this wine, "Jared knows I favor Bordeaux varietals and big full bodied fruit forward complex blends. Wow! He pegged it with this selection. Who would think you would find this style in an Italian wine?'

"From the Allegrini brand known for Amarone comes this classic Bordeaux blend from the Bolgheri region - Cabernet Sauvignon (65%), Merlot (25%) and Cabernet Franc (10%).'

"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. 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."

Winemaker's notes: "Intense ruby red in colour, the nose opens with nuances of cherry and plum and deep notes of black berries, followed by aromatic herbs and a pleasant spiciness. It is elegant and seductive on the palate, revealing considerable body, great structure and balance, and silky tannins."

I give this 91 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3114160

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

Italian Village Dinner features Amarone and Brunllo di Montalcina

Team Dinner at Italian Village features Amarone and Brunello di Montalcina

With my management team in town for planning meetings we ended the day with dinner at my usual host site, Italian Village.

As is customary, we dined in our usual private room so we could have an intimate working dinner. And. as usual, friend and Wine Director Jared Gelband selected a couple of ideal wines to complement our authentic Italian dinners.

Several of the group had the trio of vitello with three different preparations. I had my favorite, Veal Marsala entree with the brown mushroom sauce which is a perfect complement to the Amarone Volpolicella red wine.

For our starters and salad course had a Sangiovese based Brunello Di Montalcino from Caprili. As we moved to the entree course we drank an Amarone della Valpolicella from Giuseppe Lonardi.

Caprili Brunello di Montalcino 2013

I asked for a Sangiovese varietal wine which calls for Brunello di Montalcino. Jared served this Caprilli which paired well with our salad and  Anitposto courses.

Brunello di Montalcino is from the area surrounding the town of Montalcino which is located south of Florence in the Tuscany wine region. Brunello is the designation for wine produced with 100% Sangiovese varietal grape.

Since 1980, Brunello di Montalcino has been designated DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita) status, which refers to quality controls and guaranteed designation of origin. This is akin to the American AVA with regards to to place of origin, and the French AOC - Appellation Origin Controlee system which regulates quality. DOCG labelled wines are analyzed and tasted by government–licensed personnel before being bottled. To prevent later manipulation, DOCG wine bottles are sealed with a numbered governmental seal across the cap or cork.


This was garnet colored, medium bodied, lighter than I expected, slightly astringent with bright acidity, bright red fruits accented by notes of spice, minerals, leather dusty earthiness and hints of smoke with fine tannins on the lingering finish.

RM 88 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2607727
 

Giuseppe Lonardi Amarone della Valpolicella

Corte Lonardi is a small winery located in Marano, in the heart of Valpolicella. The owner, Silvia Lonardi is the daughter of founder and namesake Giuseppe Lonardi whose life was immersed in wine and cuisine, growing up in the vineyards and the family owned tavern.

Silvia’s great-grandfather Giuseppe, was a restaurateur, as was her grandfather Aldo. Giuseppe began producing wine in the early 80s with his friend and winemaker Roberto Ferrarini.

Today Silvia produces high-quality wines which reveal the terroir of the Valpolicella region and the soil of the Marano hills 1000 feet above sea level above the Marano di Valpolicella valley. Valpolicella is in the province of Verona, within the large Veneto region near Venice in northeastern Italy.

Amarone della Valpolicella, also known as Amarone for short, is a red wine blended from the Corvina (45–95%, of which up to 50% could be substituted with Corvinone), Rondinella (5–30%) and other approved red grape varieties (up to 25%). 

In Italian, the name Amarone literally means "the Great Bitter" which distinguished it from Recioto and Repasso wines produced in the same region, which tend to lighter and slightly sweeter in taste.

What distinguishes Amarone from other wines is that the grapes are partially dried for approximately  90 days before pressing, which results in higher degree of residual sweetness and lower acidity. The resulting wines allows long aging and have a distinctive flavor profile described as full, warm, velvety notes and notes of ripe fruit and woodland tones. Amarones are often consumed ten to fifteen years after harvest.

Volpolicella wines are designated DOCG status.

Giuseppe Lonardi Amarone della Valpolicella Classico DOCG 2011

This was bright deep garnet colored, full rich concentrated ripe sweet red fruits accented by notes of leather and tobacco leaf with hints of forest on the firm but polished finish.

RM 92 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2114460

http://www.lonardivini.it/wines/?lang=en

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

Parry Napa St Helena Cab featured at Italian Village Chicago

Parry Napa St Helena Cab featured at Italian Village Chicago 

Parry Cellars Napa Valley St Helena Cabernet Sauvignon 2013

Entertaining members of my new team from around the globe, I took them to legendary Chicago trattoria Italian Village for a special dinner. Wine Director Jared Gelband obtained a case of this limited production release, only 225 cases were produced, through personal connections to evaluate for the wine list.

Knowing this is a style of wine we love, being regular wine diners, he offered us a bottle for our special private dinner. We loved it and  then returned the next night for a team dinner and had several more of his limited few bottles.

Finally, we returned last night again for a private dinner and we had a bottle with our wine loving guests. Based on those tastings Jared is reaching back to source more, and introducing us to the producer to hopefully obtain some for our private cellar too.

Dark garnet inky purple colored, full bodied, rich concentrated by highly focused ripe black berry fruits are layered with sweet mocha chocolate and subtle hints of mint accented blue fruits on a silky tannin finish.

RM 92 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2621044

Parry Cellars is the dream project of owners Stephen and Sue Parry who acquired and 'retired' to the Estate. They report they are Napa Valley's smallest single vineyard winery. a family owned half-acre vineyard on the east side of the Silverado Trail, north of the town of St. Helena. The vineyard was planted with 1200 100% Cabernet Sauvignon vines by legendary Napa producer Dave Abreu in 1990, in rocky obsidian studded soil. Sustainably farmed and managed to produce about three tons of grapes each year provides about 200 cases of limited release production. The special bottling single vineyard production is available to wine club members and can be found at a number of select restaurants.

Parry's winemaker is Andy Schweiger. His tasting notes for the 2013 "... aromas of ripe plum with layers of blackberry, black cherry and hints of mint and eucalyptus. It has a velvet entry with a complex fruit profile leading to a well-balanced mid-palate of intense blueberry, cocoa, berry components and integrated tannins. It has a lingering finish balanced with elegant dark fruit and tannins."

The wine was aged for 19 months in 100% French oak barrels (44% new / 56% once-used).

http://parrycellars.com/

https://italianvillage-chicago.com/ 

Poggio al Tesoro Bolgheri Superiore Sondraia 2015

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 

Vérité La Joie Red Bordeaux Blend

Vérité La Joie Red Bordeaux Blend

Thanksgiving evening, Jared (Gelband) stopped over with a bottle of Vérité La Joie Red Bordeaux Blend. To accompany the wine we paired some Smoked Gouda and Swiss cheeses. 

Vérité La Joie Red Bordeaux Blend 1999 

The Verite opened firm and tight with a hard edge, then reverted to a layer of barnyard funk, but after two hours, it burst open with complex concentrated structured backbone of dark raspberry and black currant fruits accented by layers of  graphite, cigar box, tobacco leaf, spicy oak and floral notes with hints of vanilla, then silky textures of fine tannins on a long lingering tangy finish.

At seventeen years, this almost seems like it needs several more years to settle. Will be wonderful to taste this again in five and ten years if you can wait, and get access to some.

RM 94 points. Robert Parker gave this 95 points; Steve Tanzer 94,  Vinous 93 points and Wine Enthusiast 90 points. 

This is a blend of 59% Cabernet Sauvignon and 41% Merlot (89% from Sonoma and 11% from Napa).

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=6409

http://www.veritewines.com/ 

He also brought a Furmint based blend dessert wine, Château Pajzos Tokaji Aszú 5 Puttonyos 1999, so we pulled from the cellar to pair with a 2000 Royal Tokaji Wine Co. Tokaji Aszú 5 Puttonyos Birsalmás, and a 2002 Kracher Chardonnay TBA #2 Nouvelle Vague Chardonnay.

Château Pajzos Tokaji Aszú 5 Puttonyos 1999

Interest that this was similar to, almost indistinguishable from the 2000 as they're from different vintages and different producers. Slightly more pronounced perhaps but same profile and character.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=78287

Royal Tokaji Wine Co. Tokaji Aszú 5 Puttonyos Birsalmás 2000

My review of this wine from 2014 - "Burnt orange colored, medium full bodied, sweet apricot with tones of peach turning to pink grapefruit citrus on a tongue coating smoky almond finish."

RM 91 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=381819


Alois Kracher Chardonnay TBA #2 Nouvelle Vague Chardonnay 2002

I last reviewed this wine back in 2011 when I wrote, "Honey color - full bodied, thick, chewy apricot, hints of grapefruit citrus, touch of pineapple and smoke."

An interesting comparison against the Tokaji's ... this Austrian Chardonnay based dessert came across as smoother, more elegant and approachable, a bit lighter, with more finesse.

RM 92 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=50493

http://www.kracher.at/en/

More to come ...

Rick, Jared, and Johnny ...

 

Italian Village Wine & Dine Chicago

 Italian Village Wine & Dine Chicago

With members of my leadership team gathered in Chicago at headquarters for some important meetings, I hosted a team business dinner at Italian Village Chicago. 

IV Wine Director Jared Gelband (right) served up a duo of Italian varietal wines to showcase our dinner selections.

As is our custom, we dined in one of the private tables/rooms in the Village, one of the three restaurants on the premises, a perfect setting for an intimate or business dinner.

In an earlier blogpost about earlier wine and dinners, I wrote about Italian Village, Chicago's oldest, longest running continuously family operated Italian restaurant in Chicago. 

Tonight, several of our group selected the beefsteak entrees so Jared served a couple Bordeaux varietal wines from the extensive Italian Village wine cellar and wine list, as ideal complement pairings with our dinners. 

Baron Ricasoli Cassalferro Chianti Classico

Ricasoli is the most representative wine producer in the Chianti Classico area Italian wine region. The estate covers the 1,200 hectares of property include almost 240 hectares of vineyards and 26 of olive groves covering rolling hills and picturesque valleys with thick woodlands of oaks and chestnuts.

The estate and its Brolio Castle are located within the town limits of Gaiole in Chianti. 

 

Since taking over in 1993, Baron Francesco Ricasoli has been guiding this central Tuscan company according to the principles of his renowned ancestors, producing wines that showcase the distinctive terroir of the soil types, the climate and clonal selections of the Brolio Sangiovese. He has also totally renovated and completely mapped the vineyards.

The history of the estate and the Brolio Castle has been linked to the Ricasoli family and wine back to 1141. In the family tree is reproduced a print from 1584, one of the first images of the Chianti area as a wine producing region.

 

Estate documents report exports to Amsterdam and England back as early as the late 1600s. Since the early 1900s, the wines from Brolio have gained recognition and appreciation as they have been  exported the world over, from China to Saudi Arabia, from South Africa to the Americas. 

In 1872 Baron Bettino Ricasoli (1809 – 1880), visionary wine entrepreneur, originated the formula for Chianti wine, now called Chianti Classico and the family has worked to refine and expand the brand ever since.

Today, Ricasoli produce a portfolio of a dozen labels  of premium wines, some only in prime years, several labels of Grappa, and a line of Olive Oils, sourced and crafted from the the Broglio Chianti Classico estate. 

Barone Ricasoli Casalferro 2015 from Tuscany, Italy

This label, Casalferro,  was  first  produced  in  1993  when  Francesco  Ricasoli  became  president  of  the company. This is 100% Merlot produced only during the best years. Casalferro is sourced from the
vineyard  of  the  same  name  located  at  400  meters  above  sea  level  and  facing  south.  The  
brown  clay  loam  soil  with  little  organic  content  contributes  to  the  exclusive  personality  of  this  
great Chianti Merlot.

This release was awarded 95 points by James Suckling, 93 points by Wine Spectator, and 92 points by Robert Parker Wine Advocate.  

Bright Ruby colored, medium bodied, black berry and black cherry fruits with tones of leather, anise licorice and dark cocoa and herbs, medium plus acidity and medium plus tannins on a long finish. One review wrote that this tastes more like a Sangiovese than a Merlot from the New World, or the Right Bank.

RM 91 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2869770

https://www.ricasoli.com/en/product/casalferro-2015/

https://twitter.com/ricasoli_1141 

@ricasoli_1141

 

 Gaja Ca'Marcanda 2003

This is from the legendary Italian producer, Angelo Gaja, whom are most notably known for their Barbaresco wines and some Bordeaux varietals under the ultra-premium Gaja brand. 

I had the privilege of meeting the patriarch Angelo Gaja and tasting the complete line-up of flagship labels at a tasting in Chicago hosted by Binny's and Paterno Imports back in 2004. This also included a horizontal flight of the flagship Gaja Barbaresco - 1978, 1989, 1999, and 2000 vintages.

This premium label is from their other branding in their broad portfolio.

At eighteen years, this is likely at the apex of its drinking profile and not likely to improve further with more aging. 

 This release was awarded 92 points by Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar: 

This is a blend of 50% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Ssauvignon and 10% Cabernet Franc.

Dark garnet colored, medium bodied, complex but elegant and nicely integrated black berry, black cherry and plum fruits with notes of exotic spices and soy, hints of mocha, leather and tobacco leaf with plush tannins and nicely balanced tannins on the long lingering finish. 

RM 92 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=270115

 

 

Masciarelli Montepulciano d'Abruzzo

Vintage Masciarelli Montepulciano d'Abruzzo and Carpineto Poggio Sant' Enrico Toscana at Italian Village Business Dinner

We had a mid-week business dinner with my team and a key partner visiting from overseas. We dined at our regular dinner meeting site Italian Village Chicago, as I wrote in a recent blogpost.

While my staff pokes fun at me for being such a creature of habit, our guests don't know any better and are well served by the experience. Wine Director Jared Gelband took good care of us as usual with a couple exemplary wines suited to the occasion and to our dinner selections.

The depth of the Italian Village cellar, with over ten thousand bottles, allows them to hold and serve a wine that is going on ten or beyond twenty years of age, at or near its prime drinking window, as opposed to turning their inventory and serving wines early and young.

Normally, as I did at another business dinner the next evening, I would take the opportunity to taste several wines, ordering a different wine with each bottle. Tonight, contrary to my usual practice, this was so good, we drank three bottles of the same label.

Gianni Masciarelli Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Riserva Villa Gemma 2011 

Montepulciano d'Abruzzo is made from the Montepulciano wine varietal grape in the Abruzzo region of east-central Italy, not to be confused with Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, the Tuscan wine made from Sangiovese  grapes. Montepulciano d'Abruzzo was classified as Denominazione di origine controllata (DOC) in 1968. Montepulciano d'Abruzzo is one of the most widely exported DOC wines in Italy.

Founded in 1981, Masciarelli and its wines have become a standard-bearer for Abruzzo. Since the age of 22, producer  Gianni Masciarelli has dedicated his life to his home of Abruzzo and its native grape varieties to produce world-class wines. He focused on intense rigorous vineyard management, reducing yields, working organically, thereby greatly increasing fruit quality.

In the winery, he adopted new conventions of gently and precisely handling fruit, and introducing French barriques to add depth and complexity to his wines, resulting in better integration of tannin. The work of Gianni and his wife Marina Cvetic in the vineyards and the winery has been rewarded with 29 Tre Bicchieri and they are today recognized as a groundbreaking and iconic winery in Italy.

Started in Gianni Masciarelli's grandfather's basement, Villa Gemma highlights the best of Abruzzo, showcasing the terroir of the region and the Montepulciano grapes of Abruzzo.

Villa Gemma Montepulciano d'Abruzzo produces powerful, intense wine of character and complexity, with deep fruit and complex earthy and spicy secondary characteristics that represent the highest achievement of the potential from the Montepulciano grape in Abruzzo.

This wine is produced from a single designated site in Montepulciano, from the Colle Cave vineyard in Chieti, the vineyard directly behind the house of Gianni's grandfather, and where his grandfather first started making wine in 1930. This terroir of the steep-sloped site consists of limestone, clay and gravel, and the historic traditional pergola vine training has been replaced by the modern day French Guyot training system.

This is the winery’s flagship label, produced from 100% Montepulciano d’Abruzzo. It embodies all the style and taste of the winemaker Gianni Masciarelli in an austere and complex Montepulciano D’Abruzzo Villa Gemma that represents a perfect interpretation of Abruzzo’s most noble grape, now fairly acknowledged in the world map of viticulture that counts.

Dark blackish garnet colored, full bodied, intensely structured, rich, complex, powerful yet graceful at the same time, ripe black and red fruits with hints of anise and toasted nut and oak, the tannins are restrained and silky smooth on the polished and elegant finish. 

RM 93 points.  

James Suckling rated this wine 94 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2321957

@MasciarelliVini 

Our second wine of the evening was this Toscano IGT Sangiovese. 

Carpineto Poggio Sant' Enrico Toscana IGT Sangiovese 1999

As I write this, I reached back to Jared to make sure I had the correct label. Even though I saved the cork for reference, it mentioned the producer and Appodiati which is their name for their Single Vineyard Collection. 

Carpineto Single-Vineyard-Collection wines are only produced in great vintage years. The vineyards are selected based on the vintage results showing exceptional characteristics, which fully exemplify and glorify the terroir - the microclimatic characteristics of each area. The wines are crafted for very long ageing and are bottled without undergoing any kind of treatment. They are released only after a minimum of 5 years of bottle ageing.

This is 100% Sangiovese sourced from the Poggio Sant’Enrico Piccolo vineyard that was planted in 1978.

Ironically, as I researched this further, I noted that we drank the exact same label a year ago, almost to the date, with my same leadership team.

Tonight's experience was consistent with my tasting notes of a year ago when I wrote: 

"At nineteen (now twenty) years of age, this is at the apex of its drinking window but not likely to improve with further cellaring, rather more likely to start to diminish from here forward. '

"Dark, deep, blackish-ruby colored, full bodied with firm backbone of bold, intense black berry and ripe plum fruits, notes of black pepper, hints of smoke, leather and subtle vanilla with a long lingering supple tannin finish."

RM 90 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=101164
 
https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2018/08/italian-village-chicago-for-reliable.html

www.carpineto.com