2009 Ciacci Piccolomini d'Aragona "ATEO"

This little gem is what the famed Brunello producer Ciacci produces in the off vintages when the quality of the Brunello vineyards isn't up to standard. It's composed of Cabernet, Merlot, and Sangiovese and is aged for a total of 18 months in French and American barriques, and large Slovenian oak casks.

This darkly colored wine shows some really great aromatics of blackberry punch, concrete pavement, cedar, leather, and wet potting soil.

On the palate the wine shows some really nice initial bright mixed berry notes and then finishes very dry with some leathery, cedar, and soil notes. It's tart and fruity on the entry, but then gets serious with a nice wallup of tannin and earthy notes on the finish.

This is really the perfect paring for pasta with meaty red sauce. It has the fruitiness and fresh acidity to match up perfectly with the sweetness of the tomatoes and the salty savory character of the meats. 88 points


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2009 Pietro Rinaldi Langhe Arneis

Arneis is said to becoming a very popular white wine in Italy and I think it's only a matter of time before the varietal becomes more of a household name here in the United States as well. To me, it's far more interesting than most Italian Pinot Grigio and usually has more complexity and a stunning savory quality that lends itself beautifully for pairings with poultry and seafoods.

The 2009 Pietro Rinaldi Langhe Arneis shows some really nice aromas of lime peel, ocean breeze, mineral, and wet sea shell. The aromatics certainly speak of calcareous soils and the ocean.

On the palate the wine has a oily texture and displays flavors of savory lemon-lime, mineral, salty oysters, chalk, and seashell. This wine is rather plain in terms of fruit expression but is quite honestly taylor-made for shellfish of any kind. The savory and salty nature of the wine, combined with the citrus notes and acidity makes this wine a perfect seafood wine. I wouldn't however drink it without food, because it would appear rather uninteresting to the everyday wine drinker. 85 points


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2007 Renato Ratti Marcenasco Barolo

This wine is sourced from vineyards situated near the Annunziata Abbey (in the township of La Morra). It was aged in the tradition style in large Slovenian oak casks and old smaller barriques.

On the nose I get intoxicating aromas of stewed cherry, red currant, tea leaf, sandalwood, semi-sweet coco powder, and cedar spice.  It's an amazing bouquet that develops with time in the glass and even becomes floral and penetrates the room.

On the palate the wine is explosive and intense with it's firm and super-ripe tannins and sharp acidity. I get flavors reminiscent of cherry, red currant, cranberry, tobacco, coco, tea berry, leather, mineral, and just a faint hint of orange peel. The finish is long and dry and leaves the mouth watering with flavors of tea leaf and ripe plum.

To be completely honest it's hard to imagine a more superb effort coming from a young Barolo in this price category. The wine is ultra-classy and has complexity for days........93+ points


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2006 Da Vinci Brunello Di Montalcino

Cantine Leonardo da Vinci's vineyards are located in the breathtaking Val di Cava, one of Montalcino's most beautiful areas. The wine (as with all Brunello) is made with 100% Sangiovese, and was aged for a period of three years in both small barriques and large casks.

 On the nose I get incredible aromas of cherry, chocolate, earth, fresh black raspberry, and hints of leather, cedar, and spice. The nose is incredibly aromatic and has actually filled my whole office with it's beautiful bouquet. It's a very intoxicating and complex wine on the nose and well it's fully open and in full form, the bouquet is completely hedonistic.

On the palate the wine continues to display it's stunning fruit-purity and shows complex flavors of sour cherry, coco, ripe cranberry, and a touch of earth and leather. The finish is medium in length. 92 Points


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2006 Nozzole Chianti Classico Riserva

The Nozzole estate consists of just over 70 hectares of vineyards that date back to the 1300's. The estate is located within the Chianti Classico region at Passo dei Pecorai, Greve in Chianti at the very heart of the Classico zone; which lies in a ruggedly beautiful valley throughout which are numerous hillside microclimates supporting vineyards planted to the classic red Tuscan vines.

The 2006 Nozzole Chianti Classico Riserva is composed of 100% Sangiovese and was aged for 12 months in large Slavonian oak caks.

On the nose I get aromas of black cherry, cranberry, cinnamon, leather, oak, and spice. There are just secondary hints of earth and chocolate that develop when the wine opens up in the glass.

On the palate the wine expresses flavors of cranberry, black cherry, leather, and spice. It's a classic Chianti Classico that is rather simple in it's complexities, but shows great balance and is stylistically representative of the region. The perfect pasta wine indeed.....88+ points


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