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| Written by Administrator | |
| Sunday, 17 August 2008 18:54 | |
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Azienda Agricola Coffele, Soave, Veneto The love that Alberto Coffele has for his perfectly situated vineyards nearly explodes out of the bottles of his wines. These are NOT trying to be Chardonnay or even White Burgs, they are unabashedly, gloriously Soave: carefully ripened and vinified Garganega just loaded with white fruit, almond, citrus, spices and more on the nose and very rich and flavorful on the palate without being overbearing. They are also prime cellar candidates and we have tasted ten year old bottlings that were just coming into their prime. Coffele Recioto di Soave Le Sponde 2005, Veneto $49.99 / 500ml Made from a selection of the ripest grapes that are then air dried for several months (minutely controlled by a custom computerized temperature and humidity system that Alberto designed himself), Le Sponde blasts a fabulous bouquet of spices, ripe apricot and roasted nuts out of the glass and follows through in triplicate on the palate. Rich but not cloying, serve it with dried fruit (figs, apricots), roasted nuts and ripe cheeses. It must be Jelly ‘cause Jam don’t shake like that or If Edward Teller (father of the H-Bomb) had been a winemaker... Truly insanely concentrated answers to the magical question “Just how many bottles worth of grapes CAN you squeeze into a half bottle if you take most of the water out?”. Some sort of fusion at the molecular level must be going on here as the wines approach vinous singularity: the flavors are not just more concentrated, there are MORE flavors and aromas then seem possible. They are the final expression of the chain that leads from Valpolicella through Ripasso to Amarone and beyond: Take enough old vine Corvina grapes to make a case of normal Valpolicella, air dry them till the juice is so thick that the valiant little yeasties give their lives for your pleasure at 15+% alcohol leaving just enough sweetness to make this the most comforting thing you've put in your mouth since Grandma's homemade hot cocoa with a dash of rum. Serve in place of Porto and enjoy it with (or drink from the navel of) someone you love paired with dried fruit, veined cheeses, roasted or smoked nuts or just light a fire, pick up a good book and meditate...Worth every penny. Accordini Recioto della Valpolicella Classico Acinatico 2001, Veneto $45.00 / 500ml
Venturini Recioto della Valpolicella Classico Le Brugnine 2000, Veneto $45.00 / 500ml
Baltieri Recioto della Valpolicella Classico Pensiero 2001, Veneto $59.99 / 500ml
Baltieri Recioto della Valpolicella Classico Dolce di Regina 1996, Veneto $149.99 / 375ml
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| Last Updated ( Saturday, 02 January 2010 00:38 ) |