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Greetings!
On June 5th LCBO/Vintages presents the Gambero Rosso/Tre Bicchieri walk-around tasting event celebrating producers who have received the coveted "3 Glass" award from Italy's leading wine review, Gambero Rosso.
Three of our producers will be featured; Lis Neris from Friuli, Castello di Volpaia from Radda in Chianti; and Brigaldara from Valpolicella.
I thought this would be a great opportunity to tell you about the wines we have in stock from these producers as well as a number of other Italian beauties.
If you would like to order tickets, please visit Vintages Online. For more wines and more information about our producers, please visit us on the web. As always, prices here are per-bottle, taxes in, not including bottle deposit and we sell only by the unmixed case. Saluti,
Chris McLean
proudly half-Italian (on my mom's side).
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Lis Neris Pinot Grigio "Gris" 2010
$38.95 per bottle, twelve bottles per case
Gambero Rosso 2013 - 3 glass award winner The 2010 Gris is a single-vineyard Pinot Grigio from wind-swept vineyards near San Lorenzo in Friuli. It is barrel fermented and matured in the same barrel on the fine lees for almost one year with frequent battonage. One sip and your opinion of Pinot Grigio will be changed forever.
The 2010 has yet to be reviewed by Wine Advocate or International Wine Cellar, but the 2009 received 91 points from both and these words: ".....Despite its richness the Gris possesses terrific overall balance, although the style is decidedly big...."
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, Feb 2012
"...Each year, Gris can be ranked in the top five or six Pinot Grigios of Italy."
International Wine Cellar, Sept/Oct 2011
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Lis Neris Chardonnay "Jurosa" 2010
$38.95 per bottle, twelve bottles per case
arriving early July 2013
"Jurosa" is also a single-vineyard wine, made the same way as the Gris - barrel fermented and matured with lees contact and lots of stirring, but the Chardonnay has a real "far-Sonoma Coast" or "white Burgundy" feel to it. A stunning value!
The 2010 has yet to be reviewed, but the 2009 received 94 points!! from Antonio Galloni at The Wine Advocate: "....The wine literally bristles on the palate with energy focus and vitality. A poised, centered finish gives the wine its sense of proportion and balance. The 2009 Jurosa is quite simply one of the very finest wines I have ever tasted from Lis Neris, and I have been visiting here for over a decade...." (Feb 2012) |
Lis Neris "Lis" 2008
$54.95 per bottle, six bottles per case
"Lis" is the top-tier white, a blend of 40% Pinot Grigio, 30% Chardonnay and 30% Sauvignon Blanc. The fruit comes from the Gris and Jurosa vineyards. Again, fermentation in barrels, maturing on fine lees, lots of stirring, and then this wine is held in bottle for a year before release. It's a luxurious white unlike any other - hard to describe and harder to forget.
The 2008 has yet to be reviewed, but the 2007 received 93 points!! from Antonio Galloni: "......Layers of fruit flow effortlessly from this textured, dazzling white. The Lis is impeccable from start to finish. The wine continues to blossom on the palate, showing remarkable elegance and finesse....." (Feb 2012) |
Castello di Volpaia
Chianti Classico Riserva 2008
$38.70 per bottle, twelve bottles per case
Volpaia is located in Radda at the highest point of any Chianti Classico producer. Because of this their wines are not luscious and "oozing oodles of fruit", but rather they are elegant, balanced and refined. The Riserva here and Coltassala Riserva (below) are drinking very well now and will for another decade or so.
"The 2008 Chianti Classico Riserva (Sangiovese) is a beautiful, precise wine laced with sweet dark cherries, menthol, tobacco, minerals and spices. It shows gorgeous clarity and precision in a highly appealing, mid-weight style. The Riserva spent 24 months in oak, 80% cask and 20% new barriques, a much better balance for the fruit. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2023."
91 points, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, Aug 2011
"Ruby-red. Penetrating aromas of raspberry, blackcurrant, violet and flint. Lush on entry, then pure, vinous and deep, with wonderful balance to the pure red fruit and mineral flavours. Finishes with even tannins and outstanding persistence, with a faint note of fresh blackcurrant providing lift on the back."
91 points, International Wine Cellar, Sept 2012 |
 Castello di Volpaia Riserva "Coltassala" 2008
$61.00 per bottle, six bottles per case
"Coltassala" is a single-vineyard designate of Volpaia's Chianti Classico Riserva.
"The 2008 Chianti Classico Riserva Coltassala is made from the estate's best Sangiovese. It possesses gorgeous mid-palate juiciness and lovely overall harmony in a softer, slightly more approachable style than the Riserva. Sweet red cherries, spices, flowers and French oak are some of the notes that wrap around the sweet, polished finish. The Coltassala is 95% Sangiovese and 5% Mammolo that spent 18 months in new French oak. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2023."
91 points, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, Aug 2011
"This deep red is laced with tar, black cherry, violet and mineral flavours. Its tannins are dense, and overall this is vibrant and lingers with a cherry and iron aftertaste. Best from 2013 through 2022."
91 points, Wine Spectator, Oct 2011
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Brigaldara Valpolicella "Case Vecie" 2011
$17.95 per bottle, twelve bottles per case
Brigaldara's "Case Vecie" Amarone 2007 is the Tre Bicchieri award winner, I have the "Case Vecie" Valpolicella 2011 available to purchase.
"Case Vecie" is a single vineyard, planted in 1994, at 750 metres elevation and facing east. This cool micro-climate produces the best fruit for the estate and this Valpolicella displays a juicy, ripe and racy body, aromas of jam, tobacco and warm spices, followed by flavours of Morello cherries and bittersweet chocolate.
In review of the regular 2007 Valpolicella, Robert Parker called it "incredibly sexy juice" (Aug 2009).
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Brigaldara
Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2008
$52.95 per 750ml bottle, six bottles per case
$27.95 per 375ml bottle, twelve bottles per case
Brigaldara's Amarone is a blend of 50% Corvinone, 20% Corvina, 20% Rondinella and 10% a balance of indigenous reds. The grapes are hand-picked and then dried for 120 days before pressing. The wine spends one year in 225 litre barriques and then 2 years in 2500 litre casks.
It is fresh, packed with fruit flavour, wrapped in a dry framework. Some Amarones can pack so much power that they lack the ability to pair with anything but cheese, but Brigaldara's can be drank al fresco as well, it has finesse and acidity to match any number of dishes - usually braised foods, but try it with dry smoked barbecue, easy on the sauce. I bet you would be surprised at how well that works! Gambero Rosso 2013 - 2 Glass award winner
"Accessible and well-balanced, this spice-driven red offers flavours of dried cherry, smoked almond, prune and dried herb. A push of graphite-tinged minerality shows on the finish. Drink now through 2023. 9,000 cases made." 91 points, Wine Spectator, Oct 2013 |
Ponchione Roero Arneis "Monfrini" 2011
$21.95 per bottle, twelve bottles per case
The Arneis grape, grown in the Roero hills northwest of Alba in Piedmonte, is an interesting grape.
Arneis means "little rascal" in local dialect, because it has historically been difficult to grow well. It can lose acidity, become over ripe and is prone to powdery mildew while on the vine. However, when it's good, it's very good and the wines are fresh, with full body and pear and apricot flavours with balanced acidity and a subtle bitter-almond finish.
As an alternative to Pinot Grigio for the summer, consider the single-vineyard "Monfrini" Roero Arneis.
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Valdipiatta
Vino Nobile di Montepulciano 2009
$30.95 per 750ml bottle, six bottles per case
$17.95 per 375ml bottle, twelve bottles per case
This noble wine from Montepulciano is a traditional blend of 85% Sangiovese and 15% Canaiolo Nero, fermented in steel, then moved to French barriques for 6 months and then into Slavonian oak casks for an additional year. The intensity of Sangiovese is allowed to really shine here. A great wine for cheeses, grilled red meats, or roasted vegetables. The acidity is high for a full bodied red, but the richness of the wine provides balance.
Gambero Rosso 2013 - 2 glass award winner
"The 2009 Vino Nobile di Montepulciano is a powerful, authoritative wine. Dark cherries, new leather, licorice, mint and smoke emerge from an intense, rich frame. Long, pure and impeccably balanced, the 2009 impresses for its distinct personality and class. The Vino Nobile is 85% Sangiovese and 15% Canaiolo Nero aged in a combination of barrel and cask."
93 points, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, July 2012
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Altesino Brunello di Montalcino 2008
$64.95 per bottle, six bottles per case
Two factors in my mind contribute to the beauty, style and reputation of Altesino's Brunellos - vineyards at altitude and NO FRENCH OAK.
The former provides great acidity and development of thick skins which provide some tannin and the building blocks of flavours, aromas and colour; the latter allows the true character of Sangiovese Grosso (Brunello) to shine. The wines never see French oak, but are matured in neutral Slavonian oak casks which provide micro-oxygenation which "rounds out" the wine, and contributes no flavour compounds.
"Altesino, in my opinion (is) the greatest Brunello producer of them all."
James Suckling, Wine Spectator, Sept 2002
"This is distinctive, with an intense balsamic flavour backed by plum, cherry and spice notes. Sweet and ample for the vintage, covering the firm, underlying tannins. Everything is integrated and long. Best from 2015 through 2028."
92 points, Wine Spectator, March 2013
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Fontodi "Flaccianello della Pieve" IGT 2009
$104.95 per bottle, six bottles per case
If you know of a Tuscan wine that receives more consistently high scores and critical acclaim than Flaccianello, while staying below the $175 price point, I'd like to know what it is. Italian wine fans all know the "big names" - Ornellaia, Sassicaia, Solaia, etc... but I don't want to shell out $175 or more for Cabernet. If I'm drinking Tuscan wine, I want Sangiovese (or a blend) and I want bang for my buck.
Flaccianello is Fontodi's 100% Sangiovese Super-Tuscan, a best-barrel selection of the organic estate vineyards in Panzano. Flaccianello has made Wine Spectator's "Top 10 Wines of the Year" three times this past decade - an accomplishment no other winery can claim, #8 in 2010, #8 in 2009 and #10 in 2004, and now #25 in 2012. Tightly wound in its youth, Flaccianello starts to drink its best 6 to 8 years from the vintage and for more than 2 decades.
"The first impression of this red is purity and finesse, as black currant, raspberry and violet aromas and flavours stay focused and persistent. An earthy leather element and mineral notes chime in on the finish, backed by a vibrant structure. Sangiovese. Best from 2015 through 2032. 5,000 cases made."
96 points, #25 Wine of the Year, Wine Spectator, Oct 2012
"A structured red with polished tannins and subtle vanilla, chocolate and currant character on the nose and palate. Full body, with integrated tannins and a compacted palate. Builds on the palate. Muscular and intense. Needs until 2015 to soften. Try it then."
95 points, JamesSuckling.com, Aug 2012
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Chris McLean
416 961 2294 x 29
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