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Page 34 - Blog

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  • 2019 Brunello di Montalcino Vintage Report Blog
    FEATURED
    2019 Brunello di Montalcino Vintage Report: A Vintage You Don’t Want to Miss!

    2019 Brunello di Montalcino is “…the vintage we’ve all been waiting for,” so “Buckle your seatbelts,” and strap on your helmets because the newest vintage from Montalcino is “…an embarrassment of riches for collectors and fans of the appellation” (Eric Guido, Vinous Media). The hotly anticipated Brunellos have “…definitely lived up to [their] lofty reputation as an excellent vintage across Montalcino” (Kerin O’Keefe). It showcases the extraordinary qualities of Sangiovese, Tuscany’s most famous and beloved grape variety, and its ability to exploit the region’s phenomenal terroir. This “…magical year…” (Giacomo Neri of Casanova di Neri) of “radiance and appeal” (Eric Guido) will likely set a new benchmark for Brunello wines for years to come.

    According to Italian wine expert, Kerin O’Keefe, she has “…never tasted so many drop-dead-gorgeous young Brunellos from a single vintage.” She confesses that many of the best wines stopped her in her tracks, generating that “…magical moment

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  1. 2009 Waterstone Cabernet Has Arrived, & It's Awesome!

    2009 Waterstone Cabernet Has Arrived, & It's Awesome!

    2009 Waterstone has ArrivedThe seventh vintage of our highly coveted Waterstone Cabernet Sauvignon has arrived - and it is nothing short of remarkable!

    It's always exciting around the office when a new vintage releases. Everyone has something different to say in comparison to the previous vintages - yet this year, I think that we all agreed that the 2009, which was rated the top Waterstone in history by James Suckling, might be the best we've tasted thus far.

    I tasted the 2009 and 2007 back to back. In my opinion, the 2009 was presently more approachable than the 2007. The climate and weather conditions for the 2009 vintage may help to support my case! 

    Vintage
    The 2009 vintage proved to be an outstanding year for the majority of the winemaking world.

    In California, 2009 was hit with a cool, mild growing season without huge variations in temperature or damaging weather conditions. Also, a general lack of rain

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  2. A Must-Try Pinot Noir from Oregon

    A Must-Try Pinot Noir from Oregon

    Oregon Pinot NoirI love Pinot Noir! It's my grape of choice when looking for a red to pop, and even more so when it's a hot day during the summer. Pinots are light on their feet but have enough complexity to keep you interested. I'm always looking for new ones try and although I prefer Burgundy, my wallet says otherwise.

    Many of you know by now that the Oregon region is an excellent place to find great Pinots that won't break the bank. I also find that the terroir in Oregon produces wines closer to those of Burgundy, as opposed to say ones from California. We just checked some new releases into stock from Cristom, which is a producer that I've heard great things about, but haven't had a chance to try yet. It was purchased in 1992 by a Pittsburgh based engineer by the name of Paul Gerrie. He hired one of the top wine makers from California, Steve Doerner, to craft his wines. Steve previously spent 14 years at Calera winery in California, and before that studied under Jacques Seysses, owner and

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  3. Nebbiolo, Barbera and Time

    Nebbiolo, Barbera and Time

    Nebbiolo and BarberaThe Pelissero winery is located in Treiso, Piedmont, which lies within the Barbaresco winemaking zone.  Traditionally, Nebbiolo in the area would be bottled as Barbaresco, and Barbera would be bottled separately.  However, their wine labeled Long Now is an unusual equal blend of both varietals.

    The wine is named after the Long Now Foundation, an organization established "to creatively foster long-term thinking and responsibility in the framework of the next 10,000 years...to provide a counterpoint to today's accelerating culture." (longnow.org) People from music and the arts as well as science and technology banded together to form this group and a painting of their experimental Millennial Clock is featured on the label.

    The concept of time in relation to wine is something that intrigued the Pelisseros.  A well-made wine can age for years and how it tastes through those years is always changing. Long Now is a modern blend of Nebbiolo and Barbera

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  4. 2010 White Burgundies are Fabulous!

    2010 White Burgundies are Fabulous!

    2010 Grand Cru White Burgundy from Billaud SimonAs the days of summer are closing in on us, we're taking advantage of these last few weeks of sunshine and are using this time to prepare our last favorite summer dishes accompanied by our favorite white wines.

    Over the weekend, we opened a bottle of 2010 Grand Cru White Burgundy from Billaud Simon (the Les Clos), and it went above and beyond our expectations.  Pale yellow in color, this wine was very elegant but at the same time showed its power. We swirled and sipped this wine in the late evening before dinner while enjoying the sunset. We didn't pair this wine with food, so that we could get an objective opinion on how the wine was truly showing. On the palate it combined notes of citrus elements with butter, cream and biscotti and had one heck of a lingering finish! It was clean and fresh, and served at the perfect temperature, this wine goes down super smooth. It was a fabulous way to start off a great summer evening.

    This season, our favorite white

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  5. Grilled Pizza with Prosciutto, Figs and Baby Arugula

    Grilled Pizza with Prosciutto, Figs and Baby Arugula

    Grilled Pizza with ProsciuttoThis recipe for grilled pizza is one of the more popular dishes on the bar menu that we introduced this summer at the Plaza Cafe. We really like the combination of flavors here, and it's a great item for guests to share too.

    Yield: 1 pie

    Onions, sliced, caramelized - 1 ea.
    Fontina, shredded - 6-8 ounces
    Baby arugula - hand full
    Balsamic vinaigrette - 2 ozs.
    Prosciutto, sliced thin - 3 ozs.
    Figs, quartered    - 4 ea.
    Balsamic glaze - as needed

    1. Roll out pizza dough
    2. Brush with oil and place on grill
    3. Once marked, turn over
    4. Top with onions and then fontina
    5. Once fontina is melted, remove from grill
    6. Dress baby arugula with balsamic vinaigrette
    7. Portion baby arugula over fontina
    8. Drape with prosciutto, and then top with figs
    9. Drizzle with balsamic glaze

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  6. A Perfect Brunello for the Fall Season

    A Perfect Brunello for the Fall Season

    Brunello for the Fall SeasonThe summer is unofficially now over after the Labor Day holiday. I'm ready to start thinking about the fall holidays, cooler weather and yes, red wine!

    Last week I made a delicious batch of spaghetti and meatballs for my family. Classic mixture of veal, pork and beef, fresh herbs and seasonings, etc. YUM! I also decided to check out the 2007 Fanti Brunello di Montalcino, which I thought would pair nicely with this dish. Well, needless to say, not only did this make a perfect pairing, but there were no leftovers of anything when we were ready to leave the table. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the meal, and especially this beautiful wine from the amazing 2007 Tuscan vintage!

    Brunello di Montalcino produced two excellent back-to-back vintages in 2006 and 2007, and they are both vintages you should experience. The Wine Advocate had this to about the 2007s: "...My impression is that most of the wines will not shut down in bottle and that 2007 will be a great vintage to

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  7. Sicily's Best Kept Secret

    Sicily's Best Kept Secret

    Sicilys Best Kept Secret I chose this wine to taste, review and share with you for two very simple reasons: the bold, yet modest bottle design caught my eye, and my own personal intrigue for Sicilian wines. What I found out proved that the 2006 Feudo Maccari Maharis is one of the best hidden gems in our entire Italian portfolio.

    IGT
    Sicily has gained much popularity in recent years thanks to several producers, including Maccari, who've marketed this area as a prime climatic region for successful viticulture. Despite the heat, several unique grape varietals thrive in this region. 

    This specific Maharis vineyard, located in Noto, shares its ground with the famed Etna Volcano. Volcanic soil has proven to be exceptionally great for grapes that grow in high sunlight regions. Noto is also within walking distance of Avola, which is where this region's #1 grape gets its name: Nero d'Avola.

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  8. Wine in Song - A Playlist

    Wine in Song - A Playlist

    Wine in SongFor something a bit different this time around, the focus here is the song influenced by or at least name checking wine.  Some are originals and some are covers (let's keep it fresh!).  Grab a bottle of your favorite wine and your favorite person!

    "Lilac Wine"
    Written by James Shelton
    Performed by Jeff Buckley
    Because the late Jeff Buckley has one of the greatest voices ever recorded.  Listen now!

    "My Hat Went Drinking"
    Written and performed by Gregory Page
    If ever there were an artist perfect for accompanying a bottle of wine, it's Mr. Page.  Prolific.

    "Strawberry Wine"
    Written and performed by Ryan Adams
    Part of a concept record (29) with each song documenting a year in the songwriter's 20s, this song reminds the listener to avoid falling into life's trappings.

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  9. Argentina - Is It the New Spain?

    Argentina - Is It the New Spain?

    Argentina is the New SpainI ask if Argentina is the New Spain because I remember four or five years ago when Spanish wines were very popular and becoming everyone's go-to wines that offered exceptional quality for their modest price tags. In today's wine world, Spain has kind of taken a backseat, and it seems I get asked more and more about wines from Argentina. In particular, it's the Malbecs from this great region that have become the new go-to wines for value seekers.

    One wine in particular that recently caught my eye comes from one of the top producers in Argentina, Achaval Ferrer. Achaval has been producing world-class wines since 1998 and is owned by a group of Argentinian and Italian friends. It has attracted the attention of Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, which had this to say: "...Achaval-Ferrer is already established as one of Argentina's benchmark wineries?"

    It's located in the foothills of the Andes, in the province of Mendoza. The region's desert climate is ideal for the development

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  10. 1998 Montelena Estate Cabernet Sauvignon: Providing Sumptuous Sunday Sipping

    1998 Montelena Estate Cabernet Sauvignon: Providing Sumptuous Sunday Sipping

    Sumptuous Sunday SippingChateau Montelena is a Napa Valley winery established in 1882 located just north of Calistoga at the base of Mount Saint Helena, its name actually a contraction of Mount Saint Helena. The Estate vineyard is comprised of sedimentary, alluvial and volcanic soils on various hillsides and flats which help in creating complex flavors and aromas in their wines. In 1976 at what is now called The Judgment of Paris, Chateau Montelena helped to bring California to the forefront of the world wine stage by scoring the highest placement amongst ten White Burgundies and California Chardonnays. However, it is probably their iconic Montelena Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, first released in 1978, that most people have collected over the years. As Robert Parker has mentioned: "Buying Montelena's Estate Cabernet Sauvignons is equivalent to buying blue-chip stock. The home vineyard is so consistent that even in difficult vintages such as 1989 and 1998, this wine is far better than its competition."

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