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.