Mama Mia!
March 02, 2009
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Dear Wine Friend,
Even though I taste countless wines weekly,
sometimes the very best discoveries
are serendipitous. I am reminded of these
happen chances again, because we are in San Francisco
for the annual Italian Gambero
Rosso tasting at Fort Mason (the store will be
closed this Tuesday and Wednesday). While skimming
through the new 2009 editon of Gambero Rosso's 800
page guide that awards the most coveted rating for
Italian wines, the "Tre Bicchiere" award (aka "Three
Glass"), I just noticed Fattoria di Felsina has been awarded the
"Winery of the Year" honor. Not a
recognition to be taken lightly when 2300 producers are
reviewed in this guide.
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FLASH BACK!!
Just last week we received emails from
customers asking us for San Francisco dining
recommendations. Italian seems the most popular,
and we have a very favorite place for the best house
made pasta courses. So good, as a matter of fact,
our last visit to Ducca in October found us
abbreviating our grazing time after 3 or
4 courses at a new fish restaurant we wanted
to try (Anchor and Hope), and walking a few dimly
lit, cold blocks over to the new Westin
Hotel at 3rd. and Market for more of Ducca's signature
pastas! Crazy, cause rarely do
we repeat restaurant visits with any frequency, and
this was our fourth time back, and second within two
weeks. But the pastas are THAT GOOD! On
this occasion we had already attended an afternoon trade
tasting, and paired different wines with each of our
courses at the fish restaurant, so a nice half bottle
would be the perfect amount to accompany our "so
difficult to decide" pasta selections..... On
the list was a half bottle of the 2005 Felsina Chianti Classico.
However, we were surprised when the waiter brought us
the 06 vintage. It just
seemed so young at the time, and too soon to have
been released. 06? However, we felt
daring, and so glad we did. The wine
was amazing! Fabulous nose of heady
floral scents....purple violets and exotic
spices. Assertive and vividly
intense wild berry flavors. And an
underlying edgy acidity and youthful tannic
grip that lengthened the finish to
refresh the palate from the comforting richness
of the dishes. A marvelous
wine that keeps you muttering to yourself "but
I am not a glutton"! And then, because the bottle
was already empty, "Waiter, we need another bottle
please!"
So, the last couple of hours I have been inspired
to do a little research.....check availability with
my distributor. See if pricing meets our new
creed, that is, let's try to keep things under $20 a
bottle. Guilt free wine that does not cost more
than a bag of groceries, but the quality is still
there. The kind of wine that adds to the
comaraderie when served for casual Sunday
dinner gatherings at home with family and
friends. Just waiting to hear back from the
distributor rep on availability and
pricing.
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THE RATINGS!
Can't believe it!! Last week I introduced you
to the 04 LAN Reserva Rioja that happened to
be Wine Spectator's #52 - 2008 Top 100 Wines
of the Year. Just found out the 2006 Fattoria di Felsina Chianti
Classico was ranked #51 in Wine Spectator's 2008
Top 100 - and also received 90
points.
"Lavender and blackberry
aromas follow through to a medium-to-full body, with a
solid core of fruit and a tangy aftertaste of citrus
fruit and dried cherry. Best after
2009." - 90
points, Wine Spectator
And it is always reassuring
to see the critics agree! Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
scores the Felsina at 89
points.
"The 2006 Chianti Classico is
a beautiful, plump wine loaded with vibrant, sweet, ripe
fruit. It offers lovely depth in an engaging style that
is sure to find many admirers. This is a terrific effort
from one of Italy's most consistently outstanding
producers. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2016." -
89 points, Wine Advocate
"Felsina is a
reference-point estate for everything that represents
the finest of Chianti Classico. Proprietor Giuseppe
Mazzocolin and long-time consulting oenologist Franco
Bernabei make some of the most expressive wines in
Italy....Even better, the wines remain very fairly
priced. I was amused when another producer complained to
me recently about Felsina's prices. They were far too
low, he insisted" - Wine
Advocate |
VALUE
PRICING!
OK! JUST HEARD
BACK ON PRICING! HERE IS WHAT WE CAN DO!
2006 Fattoria
di Felsina Chianti Classico Berardenga
750 ML -
$21.95 (SHOULD BE
$24.75)
ORDER THREE BOTTLES - $19.95 each ORDER SIX
OR MORE BOTTLES - $18.50
each
375 ML - $11.95 (SHOULD
BE $13.95)
ORDER THREE BOTTLES - $11.25
each ORDER SIX OR
MORE BOTTLES - $10.50 each
Half bottles are
limited!!
PLEASE ORDER BY REPLYING DIRECTLY
TO THIS EMAIL
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Why hasn't California been able to
produce quality Sangiovese wines?...The likes from
Chianti, Brunello di Montalcino, Vino Nobile di
Montepulciano, and Morellino di Scansano?
ANSWER!!
For the very same reasons Sangiovese is not
grown, nor successfully produced in
neighboring France or Spain!!....OR anywhere else for
that matter!! IT IS ALL ABOUT
PLACE!
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OUR FAVORITE ITALIAN RESTAURANTS IN SAN
FRANCISCO -
In no
particular order:
For special celebration and fine
dining -
For casual and
gustatory!
For the shortcut directly
to Ducca's menu go
to www.duccasf.com/menus.html
Be
certain to check out the mouthwatering pastas under
"Primi".
Also, check out Renee's "Spaghetti
& Meatballs" from her recipe archives (Feb-2003)
at
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ONE MORE
THING!!
YES! THE 2006 FATTORIA DI FELSINA CHIANTI
CLASSICO BERARDENGA WILL BE JUST ONE OF
THE WINES AVAILABLE TO SAMPLE AT THIS SATURDAY'S
TASTING BAR. THE COMPLETE LINEUP IS POSTED
EVERY FRIDAY AFTERNOON AT > www.thewineconsultant.com/tastingbar
.....rumor
afloat that MAMA KIM will have
"treats"! 
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The Wine
Consultant- est 1990
Eric
Stumpf
Renee
Kroeger
8039 Greenback Lane
Citrus Heights,
CA 95610
(916) 721-WINE
(9463)
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The Wine Consultant | 8039
Greenback Lane | Citrus Heights | CA |
95610 |
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