The next shipment of Domenico Selections wines departs Livorno next week and arrives here in mid-June. After customs clearance, trucking to warehouse and letting it settle for a while, we will be taking the new wines out soon after the July 4th holiday.
We'll be pleased to offer three new producers and their wines. I talked about them on a podcast, but for those of you who haven't the patience to listen to one (I never do, honestly -- too hard to skim), here's a brief rundown on them:
From Basilicata the Aglianicos of young Betty Musto-Carmelitano will add depth and variety to our representation of that noble variety: Serra del Prete, which touches no oak; and Pian del Moro, which is a bigger one that needs the oak to tame its ferocity. Powerhouse.
I've mentioned Mustilli, from Campania, in previous posts here and on mondosapore. The first wine we'll have from them is their top Falanghina, a cru, Vigna Segreta. This is some fine Falanghina, ladies and gentlemen. In the fall we'll have a couple more Mustilli wines on offer, including a favorite of mine, their Cesco di Nece. I think that will give us our 12th Aglianico -- not really, but what the heck. We'll have an Aglianico for every palate.
The third producer is Villa Monteleone, which I wrote about in the last post. The ripasso San Vito is coming in now, while we will have the Valpolicella Classico Santa Lena by the end of August.
Speaking of late August and new wines for the fall season, we will "debut" two additional producers.
From Abruzzo we will finally have two Montepulcianos from Antonio Costantini. We've needed a couple of reds to fit in the same price brackets as our popular, excellent-value I Stefanini Soaves, and these will do it.
From Cascina Gilli in Piemonte we will present a really high-class Freisa. Freisa is positioned as the country cousin of Nebbiolo and seems often to be produced as an afterthought or an homage to ye olde peasant ways. At Cascina Gilli it's the focus of their finest efforts, and as a consequence it's a varied and nuanced wine. For now we're taking their Vigna del Forno, but it's only one of several styles of Freisa they make.
Finally, in time for the last hot days of summer and for the holiday feasts, we will import something new from I Stefanini -- an amazingly good spumante made of Chardonnay, which will aim at the Prosecco market. Let's just call it the Prosecco-killer because it actually has flavor, character and a dry, clean finish, which is more than you can say about all but a couple of Proseccos.
Now the only problem I have: writing all the copy for the new regions, producers and wines on the Domenico Selections web site. A task I've been avoiding for weeks.
Hmmm-- will work for wine! If you want help editing copy I'll stop sighing & kvetching & come up to NYC for a couple weeks...
Posted by: David J | 06/09/2009 at 02:14 PM
Nice try, DJR. Sorry, we have to bootstrap this all the way.
Posted by: Strappo | 06/11/2009 at 05:37 PM