The cellar at Tua Rita

Wine writers, due to the nature of the business and the desire to elevate not only the wine they are describing but themselves as well,  often use high impact words as descriptors to entice the  public into believing that a particular vintage or offering is  absolutely essential for their cellar or palate.  You hear words like “epic,” “mythical,” and “prodigious.” More often than not, I get annoyed with these efforts to canonize or deify a particular effort and only very rarely does a wine live up to this kind of effusive praise.

But sometimes it does happen.

Tua Rita's vineyards in spring

Call it luck, call it intuition, call it epic and mythical and prodigious all at once, but in 1984, the Virgilio family purchased a small vineyard in Suvereto as a place to spend their retirement and follow their passion, cultivating the land. The wines they made for their own family were so well loved that they decided to start marketing them, and Tua Rita was born. The estate’s medium textured, predominately clay soil that is especially rich in iron and zinc so well suits the international varietals of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon that Tua Rita almost instantly created some of Tuscany’s most revered cult wines. The specific minerality of the terrior at Tua Rita combined with the care and craft of this family-run estate helped it to produce truly top-notch wines almost from the estate’s inception. Giusto di Notri, Perlato del Bosco, and the  small production Redigaffi receive effusive praise from every corner of the wine world, and even I must agree with these beatific descriptors.

The beatified wines of Tua Rita

This week I was thrilled to see the 2008 vintages from Tua Rita arrive in our showroom cellar, and yesterday a most remarkable event occurred.  One of our senior Portfolio Managers had a client lunch scheduled in our Vintage Room.  Excited to share these tastes with his client, he opened both the Perlato del Bosco and Giusto di Notri about ninety minutes before the lunch. He discovered that the Perlato was spectacular, tight right out of the bottle but opening beautifully within the hour.  The Giusto remained completely shut down on the nose, taut and complex in the mouth, a contemplative experience that was not yet presenting its essence and potential. Not wanting his clients first taste of this beauty to mislead them, he made the executive decision not to serve it.

Two hours later, he walked into our newly renovated second floor sales office, decanter  in hand, and said, “Grab a glass.”  Needless to say we needed no second invitation.  It had softened into lush fruit, currant and dark berry, an aromatic beauty of mythic proportions.  Epic, my mind said to itself, and while I winced at the descriptor, I couldn’t disagree.

Grower Champagne, also known as “farmer fiz,” can be identified by the letters R.M on the back label (R.M = Récoltant-Manipulant) noting that these farmers grow and produce Champagne from grapes grown only on their own estate. Many of the most famed Champagne houses (Moët, Mumm, and Bollinger to name but a few) purchase the majority of their grapes from farmers throughout the region and do not express a specific sense of place within Champagne. Although the bubbly wines are what make these farmers famous, it is the still wines that I find to be the most intriguing and mysterious. These bottles can be rather difficult to find, so when you do stumble across a good bottle, you can bet your sweet bippy that it will be a special experience.

For me, the highlights of the evening were the 1996 Andre Beaufort Ambonnay Grand Cru and the 2008 Egly Ouriet Ambonnay Rouge “Cuvée des Grands Cotes” (yes, they do make red wine in Champagne). As expected, the 1996 Beaufort was marvelous, but it was the young red Grand Cru that especially sparked my interest. Located in the small village of Ambonnay, Francis Egly owns approximately a mere 8 hectares of vineyards, the majority of which are in Ambonnay.  All of the vineyards are classified as Grand Cru and have the reputation for producing some of the best Pinot Noir based Champagnes, and in this case incredible stand-alone Pinot!  Most of the vines average between 30-50 years of age, which gives the wines gorgeous concentration and depth. Tasted blind, this Champagne had a nose that would have taken me to Grand Cru Burgundy; aromas of wild strawberry, sweet smoke, black cherry and earth rose from the glass, teasing my senses. Without getting too mushy, I will just tell you that it was a beautiful wine that came close to out-shining fellow Champagne superstars.

The menu was creatively paired showcasing traditional Cantonese preparations and a handful of exotic ingredients. Chilled abalone and sea blubber (otherwise known as jellyfish) were paired with Chartogne Taillet’s Blanc de Noirs, deep fried prawn coated with salted egg yolk with Ulysse Collin Extra Brut NV (a Jacques Selosse disciple), roasted goose webs Chiu–Chow style with the 2008 Egly Ouriet Ambonnay Rouge and finally “shark’s fin crystal extravagance” with the 1996 Andre Beaufort Ambonnay for dessert. I cannot properly describe this dessert, so I will let the picture speak for itself.

Hong Kong is full of constant surprises that make eating and drinking in this city always thrilling. It is inspiring how the community in Hong Kong embraces the celebration of wine and food no matter the form or flavor. It is an exciting time to be a part of the wine movement in Hong Kong, and I look forward to seeing further progression and expansion in the wine market. Grower Champagne wines have only recently made their entrance in Hong Kong and I am excited to see that will be next.

This past week I picked up a bottle from our store—Domenico Clerico Dolcetto Visadi. The producer is one of the best Barolo makers alive, and the wine derives from the deliciously food friendly Dolcetto grape.  I decided that this would be the centerpiece to meal I was putting together that evening, and for under $20 how could I refuse?

Surprisingly, the Domenico Clerico 2008 Dolcetto Vsadii was far more than a structure of sweet fruit and supple acidity. I found there was a particularly noticeable tannic structure that complemented my meal of tomato basil over Fusilli pasta and seasoned beef. The blending of high notes from red fresh cherries, rose, pomegranate, and plum blended incredibly with my sautéed mushrooms, olive oil, and garlic. Although my Montreal seasoning wasn’t traditionally Italian, I found Clerico’s Dolcetto production held with this slight twist. The tannic structure provided greater complexity and range to what is typical with a less full-bodied Dolcetto. Without a doubt, the acidity of this wine ultimately made the meal. I would recommend putting this bottling in your arsenal of solid beats for nights in. The meal reinforced that the Dolcetto, or “little sweet one,” is a rewardingly approachable food friendly wine.

When you want build a meal around Italian flavors but need a wine that can handle a few alternative deviations, understand that Domenico Clerico’s slightly modernist Dolcetto wine will allow you to take more international flavor risks without forcing your meal off of the Italian boot. And the pride of announcing that it’s under $20 a bottle only adds to the sweetness.

I thought to myself, well, yes, of course!

The wines we tasted yesterday afternoon were three wines featured in our Cellar Selections from Waters Winery.  Before the tasting, I was given information on each wine’s flavor profiles, the producer, and varietal distribution.  As I was reading, I noticed a small group of co-workers forming behind my desk.  The tasting had begun!

Each of our tastings happens in a similar manner.  First, our Wine Acquisitions Director, Christy Canterbury, sends an email naming the wines that will be opened and kindly reminds us to BOG (Bring Your Own Glass).  Then we gather and we each pour small tastes of the wine, give our own perceptions of the wine, and confirm certain details of production.  It’s a very casual but collaborative effort that enables me to understand the different ways people can experience the same wine.  It also provides me with the ability to relate to the wine, understand it, and use my experience to better inform my clients of what to expect when they open a bottle.

Wine is so much about personal experience and personal flavor profiles.  It is impossible to describe a wine in its entirety having never experienced its taste or smell.   For Portfolio Managers at IWM, drinking wine is essential to helping our clients in the best way possible. And for me personally, it’s also a great, big, delicious perk.

Perhaps, this is why I am looking forward to October 30^th when I’ll host an event that will bring people face-to-face, or perhaps mask-to-mask (what with the Halloween weekend), in a tasting of dessert wines and distillates. The event will be called “After Ate,” and it marks both my first Halloween in NYC and my first tasting with Italian Wine Merchants.

Although I won’t be adorned in a costume, I’m dishing out plenty of treats, and only humorous tricks. For example, I’m looking forward to giving a combination of chocolate cake, a sweet biscotti and a taste of lush, fruity Brachetto d’Acqui. I’ve found that often aperitifs and dessert wines don’t get their just desserts—and that’s just a tragedy. Some of my most seductive wine and food experiences have come from the sensual combinations of creams, fruits, and sweet liquor.

It being Halloween, I’ve also got a couple tricks up my sleeve: a premium citrus and a barrique aged Grappa to keep you from feeling too delicate. Polio Grappa, again, underappreciated, is always a humorous experience for me. Its overblown pungency reminds me of late night laughter and good humor. Appreciated best in moderation, I believe we should take a second look at both these grand-finales and reacquaint ourselves with the pleasures of what is to follow “after ate.”

On Saturday, wine was clearly the competition at hand. However, because it wouldn’t be fair to designate a winner from such a small selection of wine, what we experienced on Saturday was less a contest than it was a study. We paired up a French wine with an Italian wine for a total of four pairs, or eight wines. I then helped our guests compare each French and Italian wine to each other. What follows are my notes from last Saturday’s tasting.

Fantinel NV Prosecco Brut Extra Dry vs. Bereche NV Brut Reserve

Although the Bereche is a lovely NV Champagne with good acidity, the genteel simplicity of the Fantinel took the lead (by a single vote) as an ideal wine for aperitivo and desserts. However, I have to be honest here and acknowledge that I’ve had many exceptional Italian sparklers, and the world of sparkling wines unquestionably belongs to the French.

Aldo Conterno 2006 Chardonnay Bussiador vs Domaine Latour Giraud 2006 Mersault Les Narvaux

Aldo’s Chardonnay is a wonderful representation of the grape, and our guests chose it for its elegant oak, notes of vanilla and soft minerality, but the preferred wine here was the smooth Meursault by Giraud, an outstanding white burgundy with a delicate bouquet and a lighter body than the Bussiador.

Canalicchio-Franco Pacenti 2004 Brunello di Montalcino vs. Chateau Haut Bages 2004

Liberal

This was a tough choice for many because the wines were not identical. However, our guests had fun comparing the legendary Bordeaux to the legendary Brunello. This particular Brunello happens to have a slightly lighter body than most, yet it still maintains its rich flavors. The Haut Bages, a 5^th growth Bordeaux, was a smooth and easy drinking wine that’s ideal for everyday. There was some debate, but the Brunello was the preferred wine here. We should keep in mind that we’re talking about a 5^th growth Bordeaux and not let the victory go to our head.

Giacomo Conterno 2005 Barolo Cascina Francia vs. Domaine de Montille 2005 Volnay Le Mitans 1er Cru

The Gran Finale! There was no instant decision on these two incredible wines. Given that both wines could use a few more years, I was sure to give enough the air so that we could enjoy the fruit, silkiness and elegance of both of these wines. Being a huge Conterno fan, I hoped that the group would lean toward that, but it was an even split. Both of these beauties were superb!

Ultimately, it was an even game, which makes sense because the real winners of the tasting were the tasters themselves. When the wine—and the company—are good, there are no losers, only a big pile of win.

Conversation is equally disorienting. This isn’t so much because Kristancic’s native language is Slovenian (he is also fluent in both Italian and English), but because his actual native language is Ales. To wit, cigarette in hand: “I need critics! I don’t need this wow-brow shiki-miki zak-zak!” Roughly translated, that means, “Hey, I need actual critics, not a bunch of useless hipster yes-men.”

I got the picture of a man who says, does and gets what he wants, and if it doesn’t exist, he will create it—including his own language. Ales’ unbounded need to create his own universe is especially evident for me in his choice to design his own crystal glassware collection made by Rogaska, Slovenia’s leading crystal producer. Hand-blown from one piece of crystal, these glasses are so time-consuming that one specialized artisan can make only ten glasses in a day. Ales doesn’t just have a glass for his red wine and for his white; he has several for each style. For example, he has a Champagne glass, but also a glass specifically for his sparkling wine called Puro. He also has a special decanter made for his Lunar—a wine named for the moon and crafted from 100% Ribolla Gialla.

If Ales puts this much care, dedication and precision into crafting the perfect vessel, I can only begin to imagine the intensity with which he creates his wines. Whether in his glassware or not, you really should try some of his wonderful wines, because while I’ve not met the man, I have drunk his wines, and they are amazing. And if you are interested in meeting him, we’re hosting a special winemaker dinner and tasting with Ales. (I’m pretty excited about the night.) We’ll be featuring a wide selection of Movia wines, some dating back to 1983, as well as the U.S. debut of the Chardonnay Lunar 2008.

As Ales himself might say, “Zak-Zak!”

“Where was this heading?” I asked myself. There was no denying that this light-bodied wine packed a powerful strawberry wallop in the initial moments in the glass. I wondered, “Would this wine reveal more or would it end soon, having shown its all?”  It seemed too much to ask from a sixteen-year-old wine for its performance to remain at this intense level.  Eventually, I regretfully observed, the Radikon’s delightful dried fruit flavors dissipated, leaving behind the bitter notes of the seeds. I wondered what more this wine could have expressed had it been opened earlier.

And yet, wine evolves. Two hours later a new aroma began emanating from my glass. “What was this?” I thought, “Surely the wine had gone past its way.” I tasted again and found a wine that was coming into itself. The flavors and the acids had become integrated and expressive of cherries, in a tangy, savory, umami way; the bitter tannins were now non-existent. The green quality had also dissipated and was replaced by a musky quality. It was a delicious revelation.

Wine evolves, as the truism goes, and this bottle of Radikon proves the veracity of that idea. Indeed, I’m reminded that getting to know a wine means having more than just one bottle of it. A bottle holds only a small portion of the entire vintage. Each bottle upon opening tells the story of where it came from, and where it may go. To truly know the wine and the vintage you’d have to possess several bottles from the vintage and experience them over the course of time.

This ’94 Merlot’s performance indicates it could have been cellared longer. However, I have no regrets about opening it. Rather, having experienced this Radikon, I regret not having more of it—and being able to taste more of it over time. Wine evolves, and remarkable wine evolves remarkably. Unquestionably, this ’94 Radikon is a remarkable wine.

The fulfillment and enjoyment of drinking wine doesn’t come from being able to smell cherries, tobacco, vanilla, and other obscure scents. It doesn’t come from being able to name the varietal, estate and year in a single swirl and sip. It doesn’t come from shelling out big clumps of cash—though all of those things are nice. No, the enjoyment of wine comes from the moment, the surroundings, the context, and the company when you drink it.

Sure, for some people the ability to distinguish a wine by varietal, age, and vineyard is a cherished skill, but not being a professional doesn’t preclude your ability to enjoy wine. You can enjoy listening to music, playing soccer, looking at a painting, or watching opera without being a musician, center forward, artist or tenor—the same is true with drinking wine.  It’s not the skill of the drinker; rather, it’s the people, the culture and the events that make wine special. Without these elements, wine is only alcoholic grape juice.  The history behind the wine and the stories shared while drinking it are what bring it to life.

The greatness of my favorite and most memorable wines didn’t come because I was able to smell mushroom and taste tar; these memorable wines were great because the company was great. The memory of those people with whom I shared in the event that made the wine truly “special.”   What I am trying to say is that it doesn’t matter how good your nose is or how expensive a bottle of wine is: what’s important are the experiences and the conversations that the wine inspires. To really broaden your wine education, it’s important to try different wines, find your favorite styles, and experiment.

But it’s most important to enjoy the wine with fantastic food, family, and friends. These components make the memories that will last a lifetime.

“How it’s a living thing…. I like to think about what was going on the year the grapes were growing; how the sun was shining; if it rained. I like to think about all the people who tended and picked the grapes. And if it’s an old wine, how many of them have passed on by now. I like how wine continues to evolve, like if I opened a bottle of wine today it would taste different than if I’d opened it on any other day, because a bottle of wine is actually alive. And it’s constantly evolving and gaining complexity. That is, until it peaks, like your ’61. And then it begins its steady, inevitable decline … And it tastes so f***ing good.” –Maya, played by Virginia Madsen, in Sideways

I was in my senior year of college when Sideways came out, and I was religiously studying wine. I was obsessed with wine, and this was one of those quotes that solidified my decision to pursue a career in wine. When I first saw and heard this quote in the film Sideways, I felt the hair on the back of my neck jump, as if a beautiful woman was brushing the nape of my neck with her hand. Virginia Madsen’s character Maya’s quote uses just a few short lines to capture all the important aspects of wine: the harvest, the evolution in the bottle, and the end result. I wanted to jump into the screen and kiss Maya. This scene is one of the most beautiful moments for wine in any film ever made.

Later that year Madsen was on the cover of Wine Enthusiast Magazine. I framed that issue because of this quote. Or mostly because of that quote, anyway.

“Let’s be honest: there’s only one activity more satisfying than drinking good wine with good food; and if you’re drinking wine in the right company, the one pleasure, more often than not, will lead to the other!” –Jay McInerney, Hedonist in the Cellar: Adventures in Wine

Jay hits the nail on the head, and because of his exactitude, his is my very favorite wine quote. It’s so spot on that I’m very surprised many wine people don’t mention this quote more often. I can remember reading this and saying to myself, “This guy gets it.” Wine is one of those few things that make you feel so warm and cozy inside. It gets the blood flowing. This quote makes me think of two people sitting on a couch next to the fire sipping a glass of their favorite red, each gazing deeply and passionately into one another’s eyes, each savoring the moment and yet looking forward to even more pleasurable moments to come. Kudos to Jay McInerney for giving voice to the sensual aspects of wine and how enjoying it can lead to more than just a hangover.

“Wine to me is passion.  It’s family and friends. It’s warmth of heart and generosity of spirit. Wine is art. It’s culture. It’s the essence of civilization and the art of living.” Robert Mondavi, Harvests Of Joy

The anchor to this quote for me is “family and friends.” There is nothing more gratifying to me than sitting around a table with my family and my friends, enjoying great food and wine. It’s one of the most meaningful, nurturing and special experiences in life. But what makes raises this quote and makes it spectacular is how Mondavi doesn’t just reference family, but the whole of human civilization. He seems to suggest that the art of wine is so important because same type of vine grown in two separate areas of the world, handled by different winemaking techniques can produce significantly different results. And these different results shape the culture that made them. Embedded in these two short lines is the rich history of wine, the way wine affected cultures throughout the history of the world, and how the world’s peoples were touched by wine. Mondavi understood that wine was more than just a beverage—wine brings people together in a wonderful, joyous, historical way!