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| Written by Administrator | |
| Thursday, 14 August 2008 17:04 | |
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Gotto d’Oro, Marino, Lazio
This is a large cooperative winery in the heart of Lazio that produces a very broad range of wines in all styles and price ranges (you may have seen some of their giant demijohns with handles in super markets in Italy). But, like many such cantine, they also make some flagship wines from their best vineyards and, due to the economies of scale they command, they are STILL great values. Here is one that even a starving actor can drink with abandon: Gotto d’Oro Frascati Gusto Secco 2007, Lazio Sold Out, New Vintage Soon! One of our favorite value hunting strategies: Find a zone whose name has been absolutely destroyed by some large industrial producer who has managed to convince Americans that their wine is the standard by which others are judged (think Soave, Valpolicella or Lambrusco) then find a high quality producer in that zone (usually unknown here due to small production) and buy their BEST wine which will be fighting an unfair but nonetheless very real price ceiling imposed by the perception of the market. Which brings us to this wine: Delicious and bone dry with crisp white fruit, this Frascati is a blend of Malvasia di Candia, Malvasia del Lazio, Trebbiano Toscano and Greco will liven up any meal, comes in the handy liter size and is sealed with a fast action screwcap for your convenience and protection. Paola di Mauro Colle Picchioni, Marino, Lazio This is a very important estate owned by one of the most famous chefs and cookbook authors in Italy, Paola di Mauro (known here in Los Angeles as Piero Selvaggio of Valentino’s adopted second mother and culinary muse). This year we made it a priority on our buying trip to visit with Paola and her son Valerio and make them an offer they could not refuse... Colle Picchioni Marino Bianco Donna Paola 2006, Lazio $26.99 60% Malvasia (for aromatics) with Trebbiano and Semillon (for body and acidity), this is lush and rich but never oaky, a wonderful alternative to Sauvignon Blanc or Viognier and the perfect compliment to any seafood or fish preparation.
Agricola Allessia di Paolo e Noemia d’Amico, Vaiano, Castiglione in Teverina, Umbria As anyone who has ever visited knows, Umbria is an enchanted place full of hillside towns, delicious wines, black truffles, sunny afternoons and general agrarian bliss. This is what attracted Paolo d’Amico, a shipbuilder from Naples, and his bride Noemia, a beautiful and charming Brasileira (who was a top model for Christian Dior for fifteen years, and now brings that sense of elegance to the world of wine) to claim their little corner of paradise and found a vineyard, winery and agriturismo. We were hipped to them when one of our favorite customers (grazie, Michael!) kept coming back from summering near the estate and raving about them and their wines. So, this year we went, we tasted, we ordered...
Paolo e Noemia d’Amico Bianco Seiano 2008, Lazio $18.99 Fans of our beloved Situla Bianco will immediately be all over this: an aromatic and smooth blend of Procanico, Verdello, Grechetto, Malvasia, Drupeggio, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay, all hand harvested at peak ripeness and fermented in stainless steel then immediately bottled to retain its freashness. Seiano is round and smooth enough to please the resident Chard-o-phile (but has no twigs to get in your teeth) yet is still just 12% ABV so it won’t weigh you down. Azienda Agricola Marcella Giuliani, Anagni, Lazio Nestled deep in the hills east of Rome, surrounded by her vineyards and olive groves, you will find the serenely gracious Sra. Giulani overseeing this estate while insisting that her credo of “richiamo delle proprie radici” (“remember your roots!”) is adhered to at all times even as she brings her family’s 120 year old cantina into some rapport with the modern wine world. As a result, the main line of wines are based on the local grapes, Cesanese del Piglio for the reds and Passerina for the white, varieties that even most Italophiles may have never tasted. The vines are planted with full southeastern exposure where they can get plenty of sun as well a stay dry thanks to the steady winds coming down from the central mountains of the boot. We have been looking to bring you some quality wines from Lazio for a while now so we are very excited to finally present these for your approval: Marcella Giuliani Passerina del Frusinate Alagna 2007, Lazio $17.99 This is one of the most interesting whites we have offered in a while, will definitely get some attention at the table and, being 100% Passerina, is sure to win a fun round of Stump the Wine Geek as well...a win / win / win proposition. It is very full flavored (apple, pineapple, spices) and phat in the mouth (even a bit oilyand we mean that in a good way) but then finishes VERY dry. We suggest that fans of the sensational Monticino Rosso Albana Codronchio try this right away! |
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| Last Updated ( Sunday, 30 May 2010 18:07 ) |