Barone Ricasoli 2010 “Brolio” Chianti Classico

Posted by Keith Wallace on Dec 17, 2012 in Wine Reviews | 0 comments

The Castello di Brolio (the castle of Brolio) has been in the Ricasoli family since the 12th Century. Two of the family’s top wines (they produce a  total of 11) are labeled as Brolio. The top luxury bottling is named “Castello di Brolio” which is their premier Chianti Classico, and this second bottle, named “Brolio”.  The primary difference between the two is the amount of time left in oak (9 months versus 20 months).

This bottling is memorable in it’s own right, in a very modern and international style. The fruit is right up front, playing down the typical rusticity of  a Sienna vineyard. New oak flavors of sweet vanilla and cinnamon are evident on both the nose and palate. Other notes include black tea and anise on the nose, with just a touch of new car smell. On the palate, flavors of cherry and plum are the clear winners, and a finish that rides out in style. Rich and voluptuous  this wine is luxurious in composition.  A highly pleasurable bottle of red.

Michele Satta 2005 Cavaliere (Super Tuscan)

Posted by Keith Wallace on Dec 5, 2012 in Wine Reviews | 0 comments

A voluptuous Sangiovese with a slight salinity that veers to black olive but pulls back into a beautiful layered expression of chocolate. A glass-staining beauty with plump blackberry and kirsch notes, and just a whiff of Cuban tobacco in the mid palate. One of the best Super Tuscans of the vintage.

Michele Satta’s vineyards are located in Castagneto,  just south of  the Tuscan town of Montepulciano.   The wines are fermented in open oak  barrels. Maceration of the fruit continues in the barrels for another twenty days, with the cap of the wine pushed down by hand several times a day. The end result is worth the effort. Robert Parker of the Wine Advocate gave this 92. Our original rating was a 91-93, but this wine has surpassed our expectations: it has aged wonderfully. We are increasing our rating to 94-95 (which translates to 5 stars at Epikur).

Available at Bacchus Selections.

About SUPER-TUSCANS

This term was coined in Italy in the 1980s for the Cabernet-boosted vini da tavola blends that were infinitely better and far more expensive than Tuscany’s traditional Sangiovese based wines.

Luce Luce Luce!

Posted by Keith Wallace on Jan 4, 2011 in Wine Reviews | 0 comments

Yes, they’re back, just in time for the holiday season. (Or at least just in time for the lusciouser red-drinking season.) 2001, 2003, and 2004 are all bouncing around the system, and you’d have a hard time going wrong with any of them. They are, as always, well-made, eminently drinkable, and a heck of a lot of fun to follow as they evolve in the glass.

The Top Ten Truths of Tuscan Tourism

Posted by Keith Wallace on Dec 29, 2010 in Wine Reviews | 0 comments

The Wine School of Philadelphia took our show on the road the first week of June, converting the Villa Giusterna in Chianti into the our Tuscan campus. Instead of boring everyone with details of our “viaggio di vino”, and with apologies to the everyone, here’s my Top Ten List of observations on life in Italy……

10. Capuccino is available all day…but most people don’t order it after 11AM.

9. Italians generally like Americans but don’t understand our government.

8. If you pull into a wine estate and see tour buses make a U-turn…after all, this ain’t Napa.

7. There are a half dozen ways to get from town to town, none of them direct.

6. As a sport, parking is second only to soccer.

5. Bargain priced local wine is usually no bargain…but house wine is.

4. The topless women standing along the road are not crossing guards.

3. “Regular hours” is a discretionary term.

2. The hand “signals” Italian drivers use have nothing to do with making turns.

1. Tuscany is every bit as beautiful as all the pictures you see.