HOUSTON RESTAURANT WEEK IS GOING FULL SPEED

Toscana Maremma IGT - Tommasi Rompicollo
Bottle 36, Glass 9
This Supertuscan is 60% Sangiovese and 40% Cabernet Sauvignon. It opens very nicely with extremely fruity aromas and flavors of ripe cherries, pepper, oak and licorice. The perfumed palate is youthful yet shows some complexity with good depth of ripe fruit and length. Pairs very well with Italian pasta with red meat sauce, white meats, fresh cheeses.

Rosso di Toscana IGT - Santa Martina
Bottle 36 - Glass 9
The Sangiovese in this wine comes from the Chianti Classico property while the Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Syrah are from the Vigne a Porrona estate in Maremma. This is a bold potent wine with plenty of dark cherry fruit and toasty oak along with hints of dark chocolate. It is hard to believe that this a $36 wine! Absolutely outstanding.

FEATURE WINES AT CAPRICCIO

Tempranillo - Tinto Tamiz (Ribera del Duero, Spain)
Bottle 36 - Glass 9
A super saturated wine, the Tamiz Ribera del Duero Tinto recalls in appearance the "black wines" of Cahors from southwest France, but appearances are deceiving. Indeed, the Tamiz is as dark and foreboding in color as any red wine, but here the comparison to Cahors and other deep, brooding tannic monsters abruptly ends. The scents of fresh black cherry, cola, and plum seep from the nose of the Tamiz. And in the mouth, the Tamiz displays no hard dry tannins, only fleshy fruit and ripe round flavors. This is a beautiful example of a well-made Ribera del Duero Tinto. A product of a very ripe vintage that is aged eight months in American oak, it embodies supreme balance, charm, and freshness to accompany its long lush flavor profile.

Tempranillo - Vivir, Vivir (Ribera del Duero, Spain)
Bottle 28 - Glass 7.50

90 points from Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "The Vivir, Vivir is 100% Tempranillo sourced from 20- to 60-year-old vines in La Horra. It was aged for ten months in tank prior to bottling. Dark ruby-colored, it features racy aromatics of mineral, spice box, black cherry and blackberry. Silky on the palate with no hard edges. This is a sensational values from Ribera del Duero." All of the structure and character in this wine took me completely by surprise. While young or "joven" style Ribera is often times simple and fruity, the "Vivir Vivir" is truly gutsy, flavorful wine. Dark cherries, pickled plums, salted licorice and mineral all combine for a much more intriguing bottle than the modest price tag would suggest.