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| Written by Administrator | |
| Sunday, 17 August 2008 01:19 | |
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Got Value? Luca Botter does...
After happening on some of his wines in a liquidation a year ago (and you making them into a sensation and demolishing them in weeks), we met Luca Botter this year in Verona (and then he visited us here at the store a week later). He is young, really excited about wine and seems to like what we are doing so we decided to do it together. His company is a third generation family wine business with vineyards and multiple cantine, not just a big negotiant buy and bottling bulk wines. All of the labels are very well priced and designed to make a nice impression on the table (both flavor and package wise). Picco del Sole Cannonau di Sardegna 2007 $15.99 A solid introduction to Cannonau (the Sardo clone of Granache / Garnacha), this wine is medium bodied but packed with meaty flavors and ready for some Hungry Man food....stat!
Tenute Dettòri, Sènnori, Sardegna Young Alessandro Dettòri inherited a vineyard with ancient Cannonau and Franche di Piede vines and decided to just let the soil of his native Sardegna speak directly to you. No fancy scientific winemaking, he just let nature sort it out (and the result is that the cuvées are often wildly different from vintage to vintage not unlike Pepe’s killer Montepulcianos). These may well be more wine than you can handle: Dettori Chimbanta 2006, Sardegna $51.99 ORGANIC 100% Monica (a soft, smooth and fragrant grape native to Sardegna) fermented on the skins in concrete tanks then bottled with no filtration. Yummy, very limited. Dettòri Romangia Rosso Tuderi 2002, Sardegna $54.99 ORGANIC Dettòri Romangia Rosso Tuderi 2003, Sardegna $51.99 ORGANIC Intense, deeply structured Cannonau (Grenache) from vines over 60 years old. This is NOT a wine for vegetarian pasta...it wants roast MEAT (preferably game), grilled mushrooms (truffles would be nice) and then some gnarly cheese. Compares with major Chateauneuf du Pape but is a bit more rustic (that’s a good thing). Throw this in a decanter for an hour or so and it unwinds like an ancient fable. Dettòri Romangia Rosso Dettòri 2002, Sardegna $58.99 ORGANIC Dettòri Romangia Rosso Tenores 2001, Sardegna $59.99 ORGANIC Dettòri Romangia Rosso Tenores 2002, Sardegna $59.99 ORGANIC Intense, deeply structured Cannonau (Grenache) from vines over 100 years old, these have a lot to say. Give them some air and some big food and listen to their story....but here is another one... Signore Veronelli (the keeper of the flame re authentic wine styles in Italy) on Dettòri: “Young Alessandro Dettòri...I tasted his wines, each of them, as if it was a miracle. One of my first books was the Veronelli Guide of Italian Wines of Sardinia from 1969. In those years, walking in Sènnori on Sundays and holidays, you felt embraced in a really miraculous aura. Women and men used to wear costumes of extraordinary richness. You would admire and even feel part of their pride in their ancient traditions. I have such a feeling every time I taste the wines of Alessandro.” Indeed, this are as rich as those embroidered costumes and are well suited to game, hearty stews or a plate of seriously ripe and ready cheeses.
Giuseppe Gabbas, Nuoro, Sardegna Giuseppe Gabbas just lets his granite soiled vineyards speak for themselves: old vine fruit gets a 20 day maceration for extra oomph then is fermented in large old wooden casks to preserve that precious funk. Both are 100% Cannonau (the Sardo clone of Grenache) with the Dule coming from older vines and getting a longer maturation in wood (they used to put Merlot and Cab in it but they are feeling better now and have returned to their roots). This cantina has SERIOUSLY stepped up their game lately and these deserve at least a leg of lamb if not a whole roast pig....Mangia! Gabbas Cannonau di Sardegna Lillové 2007 $33.00
Gabbas Cannonau Sardegna Riserva Dule 2005 $45.00 Cantine Sociale di Dolianova, Dolianova, Sardegna This is a large cooperative winery where hundreds of small growers bring their grapes to be vinified and marketed by hired professionals. They make a huge range of wines at a quite high level of quality (and outrageous value for money!) and we will be bringing more of them to you soon. But we thought we would start with some good stuff from the Cheap & Cheerful File: Dolianova Monica di Sardegna Dolia 2005 Sold Out, New Vintage Soon! 100% Monica, an indigenous Sardegnan grape with deep red fruit, a touch of anise in the background, big structure on the palate and a super soft finish. Dolianova Cannonau di Sardegna Dolia 2006 $13.99 100% Cannonau (the Sardo clone of Grenache), this is really good: packed with bright, spicy red fruit, not too tannic and ready for almost any kind of food. |
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| Last Updated ( Sunday, 25 July 2010 17:19 ) |