Muddy Boots

Starting the Year Off Right

Just a quick note to alert you to a terrific blog post by Cincinnati-area retailer,our amico Kevin Keith of DEPS Fine Wines in Covington, KY. 

Entitled "Starting the Year Off Right", the piece does a nice job of describing the qualities of several of Domenico Selections' newer wine offerings:

* Casale Pozzuolo's Rosso della Porticcia, an unoaked, 100% organic Sangiovese in purezza from southern Tuscany (Montecucco zone).

* Three unoaked, organic white from Aquila del Torre in Friuli - a Sauvignon Blanc, a Friulano and, yes, a Riesling. Kevin awards all of these "Outstanding," one with a + accompanying it. You have to go to the post to find out which one it is.

* The much-loved Freisa from Cascina Gilli, "Vigna del Forno" - unoaked, gorgeous fruit, sapid. Which is the opposite of insipid, just in case you didn't know.

Check out Kevin's blog Under the Grape Tree for a trove of wine reviews and aperçus and cranky opinions that would do Ron Paul proud. 

 

 

93 Points to Cascina Roccalini Barbaresco 2007

Cascina Roccalini has been awarded another 93 points by Bruce Sanderson in the Wine Spectator (31 December 2011). Link here to review. 

To those of you who don't know this already, Cascina Roccalini's wines are made by the young and very talented Paolo Veglio with the close collaboration of Dante Scaglione, the one and again enologo of Bruno Giacosa.

This time the 93 was given to the Barbaresco 2007, which some have tasted and declared it was "infanticide" to drink so soon. Sanderson does say the wine will be best between 2014 and 2025.  (Pictured label is for the 2005, to which Sanderson gave a 92. Consistency at this level is a fine thing.)

Yes, the wine is still youthful and bursting the young vitality. It hasn't yet knitted together as well as it should be within a couple of years.

Our advice: Stock and store. 

Or drink now. It's interesting to taste a fine wine in its obsteperous youth, no less than to drink it with appreciation of its development over a number of years. It's too delicious to pass up at any time.

Ode to Falanghina

Yesterday Franco Ziliani, well-known Italian wine critic and blogger (vinoalvino.org), published what I can only call an ode to Falanghina -- namely the Falanghina produced by the Mustilli family in the province of Avellino. (Link to article in Italian here.)

In the piece, Franco, pictured here, explores the various suggested etymologies of the word Falanghina, and then provides a bit of history of the grape, with its "modern era" starting with the research and advocacy of Leonardo Mustilli. (Blessed be he.)

I won't go into the etymological side of it, since the evidence that Franco presents -- like many others' before him -- strikes one as equivocal. To me it's Category We Really Don't Know. But that makes no difference to one's appreciation and enjoyment of one of the great white wine grapes of southern Italy. (Maybe one should just say Italy, no qualifiers.)

Anyway, allow me to translate Franco's enthusiastic review of the Mustilli Falanghina, with all my difficiencies as translator on display (spiacente!).

Cascina Roccalini. Again! Bis

Just a link to a rave review of the beautiful and still very young Cascina Roccalini Barbaresco 2007: link here.

Sorry to have been so lax about posting, but at this time of year it's run run run. 

Ciao a tutti!

Freisa in the news!

When we held our portfolio tasting in late September we had little idea that Cascina Gilli's Freisa "Vigna del Forno" would be the standout review hit of the day. 

But then that's not accounting for the informative charm of Chiara Martinotti, who represented Cascina Gilli at the event, and whose passionate advocacy of Freisa is undeniable.

In the past two days her "Vigna del Forno" 2008 has won rave reviews from Bill Tish of New York Wine Salon and Elin McCoy, who contributes wine articles to a range of print and online publications, including Bloomberg News and Zester Daily.

In his review (click here), Tish waxes rhapsodic about the wine:

"This is a wine that could enthrall connoisseurs and neophytes alike. A worthy fill-in for its Piedmontese compatriots Barbera and Dolcetto. Might be my Thanksgiving red...."

McCoy concludes her information-rich piece (click here):

"The 'Vigna del Forno' bottling isn't aged in wood, so the fruit flavors are bright, intense, and immensely appetizing. Now a firm Freisa fan, I urge you to give it a try."

For Cascina Gilli and for Domenico Selections these are reviews that help validate the advocacy we've done on behalf of this lovely wine. Mom couldn't have written better ones. 

Now, we're ready to write your order.

   

Aquila del Torre: Good vibrations on Tanzer's site

If you follow Steven Tanzer's reviews at all, you quickly realize that he and his reviewers are not ones to indulge in grade inflation. Wines that others may deem a 92, Tanzer & Co. seem to mark 3-4 points lower. They do not subscribe to the Lake Wobegon philosophy of "illusory superiority."  

So it's with pride and pleasure that I inform you of some excellent scores and reviews by Ian d'Agata, Tanzer's man in Italy, frequent contributor to Decanter and Director of the International Wine Academy of Roma.

Aquila del Torre in late February. All organically farmed,

vineyards are set within a nature preserve

Recently, on Tanzer's wineaccess.com site, reviews of three of Aquila del Torre's wines were published. We applaud this, to us, new and very impressive producer from the Colli Orientali district of Friuli.

Here are the reviews, along with links to wineaccess.com. 

Friulano 2010 -- 88 points

<http://www.wineaccess.com/expert/tanzer/ecommerce/product.html?product_id=11281000>

Green-tinged straw-gold. Rich nose of fig, lime blossom and almond. Fat, thick and sweet, with an almost syrupy texture to its apple and almond flavors. An impressively rich and big Friulano, but compared to the sauvignon it comes across as slightly blurry, in need of a little more acidity (or less alcohol) for better definition. Finishes long and rich, with hints of lime oil and cut grass.

Sauvignon Blanc 2010 - 89 points

<http://www.wineaccess.com/expert/tanzer/ecommerce/product.html?product_id=11280999>

Pale, straw-gold color. Fresh nose verges on the exotic, offering pineapple, grapefruit, green fig and lime skin notes. Solidly built, but with lovely delicacy to the pineapple and grapefruit flavors. Has the flesh to support its very good acidity. Nicely done: Aquila del Torre, long known for an excellent picolit (the Savorgnano subzone is an absolute grand cru for the variety), actually makes one of Friuli's more interesting sauvignons as well.

Picolit 2008 - 90 points

<http://www.wineaccess.com/expert/tanzer/ecommerce/product.html?product_id=11281072>

Bright yellow-gold. Pure aromas of lime oil, mango and ripe yellow peach complicated by dried apricot. Bright and sweet, with lime and honey flavors on entry, then rather gently styled in the middle. Could use a bit more length, but it's so pure and varietally accurate that it rates an outstanding score.

We have in stock the Friulano and the Sauvignon Blanc, as well as the relatively unsung Riesling, but the Picolit wasn't available when we placed our initial order in the summer. That luscious nectar, bright with enough acidity to make you want another glass, then another, will be here early in 2012.

Grapes that depress

Do you experience some grapes, or, should we say, the wine made from certain grapes, in a negative, even depressing way? Where the wine leaves you with a low, crappy feeling after you've drunk even a small amount?

Like Semillon, for example? 

Like Primitivo?

And why, exactly?

Those are two of my top picks in this category.

Just thinking out loud...

The Producer responds: Sweetness of American food

I thought I'd share further eludication on the topic of the sweetness of American food from the lady who instigated the whole thread, Chiara Martinotti of Cascina Gilli. My few comments after her para.

...To be honest it took me a few days to realize how sweet the food was there in US. At the beginning I simply felt I was really enjoying eating out, then I realized that the big cheese plate was loaded with frosted peanuts, the apparently healthy salad had caramelised strawberries on top, while the steamed salmon was topped with cherries. No wonder eating was becoming such a fun experience (yeah...I have a sweet tooth). The point is: this kind of food is anesthetizing your palate, it makes you lose in complexity and shades. They are pushing you towards an immediate, short and childish taste. Adult tastes are savour, saltiness, acidity, adult tastes often require time as well. I think quite a few Italian wines also require an "adult palate" to be fully appreciated.

OK, first off, Chiara -- you ordered a salad with what on top? Salmon with what on top? No wonder you have this viewpoint!

Granted, too many salads and salad dressings here are loaded up with sugar in addition to gloppy with greasiness thanks to excessive amounts of what purports to be cheese. But you can always bypass (key word!) that my requesting oil and vinegar, or lemon.

As to the fish, what can I say? It sounds like the wrong thing to dump on salmon. I don't care if it was farm-raised. 

I'd have to say that the excessive sweetness in a lot of American food is, in part, a matter of habit as well as the desire of the restaurateurs and food-product manages to make the customer back for more. It's the path of least resistance for everyone.

Looking at this issue diachronically -- look it up! Google makes it easy to expand your vocabulary! -- I can remember back to about 60 years ago. As a little kid, I of course went crazy for anything sweet. We had things like "tonic" (soda in American) and ice cream as treats fairly seldom. Sure, we binged candy and Halloween and baked goods at Christmas. But holidays were a completely separate category regarding food, which was a major part of why we eagerly awaited them. Now that holiday/ordinary day dichotomy is blurred to the point of insignificance. We have the national obesity epidemic to prove it.

What has this to do with wine? Nothing and everything. Even among those who drink wine frequently, there is a common theme of "I don't like sweet wines." Yet ask them what they prefer, and it's something high in sugar and well as alcohol -- California Zinfandel or Cab, Amarone, some jammy monster from Australia. Chiara commented on this, and Jeff and I, observing this preference at tastings for civilians, laugh about it all the time. We laugh but we're crying on the inside.

Well, look, I have no intention of making a lot of profound observations on the topic, nor do I wish to devote my days to researching it. It's an interesting point, which I hadn't thought much about before Chiara brought it up. And it does shed some light, if obliquely, on the ingrained American preference for sweet drinks of all sorts, wine often included. That's all.

  

 

Terra di Vento in Vini d'Italia Guide for first time

We've always been big fans of the organic wines of Terra di Vento, which is located near the sea in southern Campania. Under Roberto Nicodemo, the winery has gone from strength to strength the past few years. The 100% Aglianico "Petrale" and the 100% Fiano "Faiano" have great fruit and balance, and they really sing their terroir. For the quality of the wines, they are an exceptional bargain.*

Imagine my delight this morning when I found an email from Roberto with the newest "results" of the 2012 Vini d'Italia, which is one of the better ones in the country, published by the magazine L'Espresso.

Below is a picture of the guide's review of Terra di Vento and the wines that it reviewed.

Enjoy! And brush up on your Italian...

"A brilliant debut in this Guide for this winery at the foot of the Picentine Mountains..."

*Note that the Italian prices to the consumer in euros are very similar to shelf prices here in dollars. We're lookin' out for ya.

The sweetness of American food

On her return to Italy, Chiara Martinotti, la Regina della Freisa, sent an email from Cascina Gilli. Most of the contents were business details about her recent trip to the States, but she stopped me short with a comment about the sweetness of American food.

"I found very sweet, almost childish flavors, especially in Ohio [take that, Buckeyes!]. I don't like this, but I do begin to understand the American preference for sweet drinks, including wine."

I hadn't thought about the sweetness of American food even though I've been in Italy dozens of times. It's very different here, granted, but I also don't glop up my food as so many people in America do -- you know, the sour cream on the baked potato, melty cheesoid product on everything from popcorn to noodles, heavily sugared prepared spaghetti sauce, etc. I also avoid chains like Olive Garden. But don't most aware food and wine geeks avoid that kind of thing anyway?

That observation doesn't address the larger issue of sweetness in the drinks we, as a people, prefer. After all, we oldsters have lived through many crazes having to do with sweet, unstructured alcoholic products: Mateus, cold duck (the nadir, IMO), hedonistic fruit bombs and, currently, those too-sweet fruit beers. There hasn't been one major marketing barrage pushing steely Muscadet or broad-shouldered Aglianico to the masses. Never happened, never will.

As I tiresomely point out to people, our national fondness for sweet drinks was firmly established in Colonial times. Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum. That rum, made from molasses, was aged in toasty oak barrels and combined with all sorts of sugars and spices to ease the weariness of the working man. Toddies and shandies and all sorts of concoctions that sound like a recipe for instant diabetes. (The rich had their Madeira and Port.) Bourbon -- treated in a pretty similar way. (Look at America's classic cocktails -- heavy on the sugars, whether via fruit or the cane variety.)

But I'd like to pose a question to all five of you who read this blog [people still write blogs? how cute!].

Do you find the food here all that sweet? That much sweeter than, say, in Italy or France? 

And are your food choices determined, in part, by the necessity of pairing them with the wines that you favor?