My girlfriend & I are always looking for fun, new restaurants in NYC to try. A couple weekends ago, it was a rainy, cold Friday night, & we were in the mood for Italian food. My normal search of Google & Yelp wasn't turning up much so I looked to NY Magazine's Critic's Pick section and narrowed our search to the Upper East Side. One restaurant in particular sounded perfect, Nica Trattoria, a quaint Italian restaurant on 84th St. that offered homemade Italian food & whose menu boasted such items as gnocchi & lamb chops. The icing on the cake was that corkage was only $20, so I instantly had a bottle (2006 Montevertine IGT Montevertine) in mind to bring for dinner. I've had the bottle in my wine cooler since December of last year, which it's amazing it lasted that long, but it seemed like a good evening to finally pull the cork.

The main reason I purchased this wine had to do with a Galloni review I read. He used a lot of adjectives that I would normally associate with a Pinot Noir, so I knew I'd be a fan. 2006 Montevertine IGT Montevertine comes from a small winery in Tuscany that used to be a Chianti estate, but the proprietor, Sergio Manetti, found the laws of DOC Chianti too restrictive. He decided to instead produce a premium Tuscan wine that he hoped would convey the terroir of his site, particularly with Sangiovese.  They also produce the Pergole Torte, which is their flagship wine, & some may consider it the first ever Super Tuscan.

Upon arriving to the restaurant, we were greeted by the engaging and funny proprietor, Giuseppe, who welcomes you and makes you feel as if you are part of the family. The dining room only seats about 20 people, and the room is filled with aromas of basil, tomato, garlic & all the wonderful Italian flavors. Our waitress immediately grabbed the bottle and popped the cork so the wine could breathe. I poured a little in my glass just to see what the initial flavors were. The nose consisted of sweet red fruit, cinnamon, & a little licorice. Galloni was right on, and I would guess this bottle was a Pinot Noir if I was blind tested on it. Upon my first sip, the wine was still closed, but the potential was there. I set the wine aside for a bit & focused on the menu.

For starters, we had the stuffed artichoke & beef carpaccio with arugula and shaved parmesan. For the main course, we went with two of their signature dishes - the lamb chops & gnocchi.  As soon as the appetizers arrived, I was excited to see how the Montevertine was doing with time in the glass & also how it would pair with the food. It still had a nose of sweet red fruit, spice box, cinnamon, & on the palate, was a beautiful mid-weight wine with firm tannins & a nice acidity that followed through to a long & persistent finish. It paired well with everything we ordered that night, but I'd say it went best with the earthiness of the artichokes & the crust & gaminess of the lamb chops. If you own this wine, I'd say hold it for another couple of years, & if you don't have any in your cellar, then I'd highly recommended picking some up! It's a great wine to have around for the fall!