Chianti Classico!...NOT to be confused with
the "straw flask 'pizza'
Chianti" the Mama/Papa Mia restaurants use for drippy
candleholders! There is no argument Chianti from the Classico zone is
the best source of all the Chianti produced. Chianti Classico is a
DOCG ("controlled and guaranteed place name") zone so there
are protected legal restrictions regarding grape source, varietal,
yields and aging to assure quality
and pedigree. Chianti Classico is an area of approximately 100 square
miles situated between the cities of Florence and Siena. Just as
Bordeaux has distinctive appellations, and our Napa Valley has lobbied
and been assigned definitive growing regions by our government, the
Chianti Classico zone encompasses four communes in their entirety and
portions of five others. It may be a while, but eventually Greve,
Radda, Gaiole and Castellina should be as identifiable to the educated
wine consumer as Pauillac or Rutherford.
The 16th edition of the Gambero Rosso guide
to Italian wines, Vini d' Italy 2003 has just been published and
released. This is the premiere guide to all Italian wine. After
months of blind tasting by 15 panelists only 250 wines were awarded the
coveted "Tre Bicchieri" (3 Glasses)....25,000 wines were sampled, and
from them 13,336 wines merited consideration in the guide. No
commercialism, no influence peddling, no hype, no points! I urge you
to purchase a copy. Email to gamberousa@aol.com
or telephone (212) 253-5653 to order.
Yes, I have obtained three very
distinctive 1999 Chianti Classico that each received the Tre
Bicchieri award in the 2003 edition. Eleven Chianti in all received
the Tre Bicchieri award and all were from the Classico region. At the
very least, purchase a bottle of each and be dazzled by wines that most
Americans have simply stereotyped and do not understand.
1999 Castello
di Ama (Gaiole) - This wine is so impressive that its
winemaker Marco Pallanti received Gambero Rosso's 2003 "Winemaker of
the Year". With 21 harvests behind him, he has made Castello di Ama a
leader in the Classico.
The wine is a blend of two recently
replanted vineyards that used to be vinified separately. Composed of
93% Sangiovese and 7% Pinot Nero the wine is intense, but not
concentrated, with aromas and textures of fine French Burgundy. TWC $37.95
1999 Castello
di Brolio from Barone Ricasoli (Gaiole) - According to
Gambero Rosso, "The 99 vintage of the Chianti Classico Castello di
Brolio may well be the best ever!" I did not believe Chianti could
have such depth and expression, but with a sublime elegance and
harmony! Wine lovers need to only taste this true masterpiece to
be convinced of the broad sweeping charms of Chianti Classico! Did
Heidi Barrett Peterson make this wine? TWC
$44.95
1999
Fonterutoli (Castellina) - First, I love the dark
color of this wine and the nose of licorice and black fruits that jump
from the glass. It is difficult to believe this wine in not made from
Cabernet Sauvignon. To quote Gambero Rosso tasting notes, "...we could
not help thinking, after making the necessary mental adjustments, of
certain thrilling Pauillacs, such as Lynch Bages and Latour". This
wine makes me crave for spit roasted lamb! TWC $49.95
THESE WINES WILL BE
AVAILABLE TO SAMPLE AT THE TASTING BAR (#438-5406) THIS WEEK THROUGH
SATURDAY, APRIL 18TH.
ORDER NOW by reply email or
telephone to purchase any quantities.
One 3 Bottle Sampler Set
(one of each wine) discounts an additional 5% off the list price.
Any 6 bottle purchase
discounts an additional 10% off the list price.
Any 12+ bottle purchase
discounts an additional 15% off the list price.
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You may have read in the BEE or SF
Chronicle about Randall Grahm's (Bonny Doon) latest spoof "The National
Vinquirer"!
He pokes fun at everybody! We laughed so
hard when we read this 24 page April Fools Editon that tears
were streaming down our cheeks. I requested 200 copies from the winery
and they just arrived by UPS. Please pickup a free copy when you
visit The Wine Consultant.
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Neyers 2001 Chardonnay from Thieriot
Vineyards in Sonoma just received 94 points
from the Wine Spectator's On Line Weekly (to be published in a future
issue) - "While restrained in aroma, the flavors are rich and exciting
with layers of fig, tangerine, honeysuckle, appricot, and melon.
Deeply concentrated, it is remarkably complex, with a silky, minerally
after taste and sense of finesse." 456 cases produced. LIMITED BUT AVAILABLE NOW! Should be $47.95
> > NOW at $44.95 a bottle.
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THE STUMP JUMP RED 2001 FROM d' Arenberg in
McLaren Vale, Australia is back in stock! This store favorite is
composed of Grenache, Shiraz and Mourvedre and is one of the great red
wine values in the world! SIMPLY DELCIOUS! $9.95
($8.46)
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Passionately about wine,
Eric Stumpf
The Wine Consultant
8039 Greenback Lane
Citrus Heights, CA 95610
(916) 721-9463 (WINE)
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