Thanks to the kindness of friends, since the beginning of the New Year I have been able to drink a number of older Italian wines and one French wine paired with excellent food.
Barolo 1979 Marcarini made from 100% Nebbiolo. This wine was made when legendary Elvio Cogno was the winemaker. Some of the best classic traditional wines that it has been my pleasure to drink were produced by Cogno. When I visited the Marcarini winery in 1985, I spoke with him and he said he made a better Barolo in 1979 than in 1978! This is a classic Barolo with flavors and aromas of faded roses, licorice, tar, tobacco, a hint of cherry and a slight touch of white truffles.
We had it with Braised Black Lentils with Cotechino. This is a classic dish to celebrate the New Year in Italy. Cotechino is a delicately spiced pork sausage encased in pork skin which gives it a rich flavor and creamy texture unlike other sausages.
Montepulciano d’Abruzzo 1985 Emidio Pepe 100% Montepulciano D’Abruzzo. The winery is organic and Bio-Dynamic. They belong to the Triple “A” Agriculture Artisans Artists. Both the tendone method and the cordon spur method are used for training the vines. In vintages when the weather is very hot the tendone method is better because the leaves form a canopy to protect the grapes from the sun. When the weather is not too hot, the cordon spur is better because it allows more sun and air to reach the grapes. One hectare of tendone has 900 vines and produces 90 quintals of grapes. That means that each vine produces from 6 to 9 kilos of grapes. In one hectare of cordon spur trained grapes there are 3,300 vines and each vine produces 5 to 6 kilos of grapes. The grapes are crushed by hand and the juice placed in glass-lined cement tanks of 20/25 liters. Only natural yeasts are used, there is no filtration or fining. The wine is transferred to the bottle by hand and the corks are placed in the bottles by hand. This is a a great wine with deep red fruit aromas and flavors with hints of cherry, spice, leather a touch of tobacco and a trace of smoke. We drank it with 
Bucatini all’ Amatriciana. A classic from Rome and Abruzzo, thick strands of bucatini pasta are sauced with rich tomato sauce made with guanciale, sharp pecorino cheese and a hint of chile.
Burgundy 2002 Meursault-Charmes 1er Cru (On the Cote de Beaune) Robert Ampeau & Fils made from 100% Chardonnay. 2002 was a great vintage in Burgundy. This is old style Burgundy. The wine are aged for years in the cellars before release. This not only gives them incredible complexity but makes them ready to drink on release. There is natural ground cover in the vineyard. In the winery there is a minimal use of new oak. The fermenters are concrete which gives the wine a certain depth and purity. This is a complex rich wine with hints of white peach, pineapple, baked apple, creme brûlée, honey. citrus and a touch of almonds. A very impressive white wine.
I had it with grilled jumbo shrimp served on a bed of spinach and white beans flavored with garlic. Simple and delicious.
Barolo Antico 1996 Giacomo Borgogno This Barolo in made with Nebbiolo grapes from the vineyard identified in the local land registry as parcel number 81 of the ninth sheet of the Commune of Barolo. This vineyard, part of the Liste area, was the first one acquired by the house of Borgogno whose origin dates back to 1761. It is a particular sunny site and thanks to its own special microclimate the fruit is the last to be picked every year. This selection is made only in truly great vintages is produced in strictly limited quantities (around 4,00 bottles). For this presentation the winery went back to the historic label which was in used during the second half of the 17th century. This bottle is #3,320. Classic Barolo with hints of of dark fruit, cherry, licorice and touch a spice and a note of roses.
We had it with roasted pork loin, green beans, red cabbage and roast potatoes.
Barbaresco “Ovello” 1996 Produttori del Barbaresco made from 100% Nebbiolo. The Ovello vineyard covers an area of 16.25 acres at 290 meters with a south/southeastern exposure. The 1996 Ovello Riserva, has on the label the name of the single vineyard, the number of bottles produced (18,145) and the names of the vineyard owners: Cravanzola, Gonella, Maffei, Vacca, Varaldo. The wine was aged in large barrels of Slavonic oak for four years. It has hints of black raspberries, cherries, leather, tea and a touch of spice. It was showing very well and will age for a number of years. .Produttori del Barbaresco is a wine cooperative, arguably the best in Italy. This is traditional classic Barbaresco at its best.
We had it with sweet and hot Italian sausages roasted with peppers, potatoes and onions,
Barolo 1967 Oddero made from 100% Nebbiolo. This wine was drinking very well and despite its age, it seemed like a much younger wine. It had hints of red fruit, cherry, a note of spice and a touch or tobacco.
We had this with Chinese food including Stir fried chicken with cashew nuts and green peppers
Two days later we opened another bottle of the 1967 and it was not drinkable.
Barolo “ Marcenasco” 1970 Ratti. Antica Cantina Della Abbazia dell’ Annunziata. Marcenasco is a historic sub-zone in La Morra. The wine was aged in large oak casks of 2,500 liters to 5,000 liters, It has hints of spice, licorice, tobacco and dried herbs. It was drinkable but really showing its age.
We had it with cheese. On the left is a wedge of 4 year old Red Cow Parmigiano-Reggiano, the center piece is a 2-year old Brown Cow Parmigiano-Reggiano and the wedge on the right is a young pecorino Toscano.
Barolo 1964 Calissano Riserva Speciale the wine had hints of mushrooms, tea, sage, and herbs. Unfortunately the winery no longer exists.
We had it with our starter of fried pork dumplings at a Chinese restaurant and it went very well.
Chinese fried pork dumplings
Marsala Vergine Secco Riserva “Terre Arse” 1998 Florio made from 100% Grillo. The soil is arid, scarcely fertile of siliceous-calcareous origin. Vineyards facing the sea near the beach with typical Marsala bush-trained vines with density of at least 5,000 plants per hectare. Harvest is by hand, advanced ripening, during the last week of September. Pressing of the grapes with a high sugar content to pass the precious substances found in the skins to the must. Fermentation at controlled temperature and blend of the resulting wine with wine distillate according to the Marsala Vergine tradition (Fortified Wine). The wine is aged for at least 10 years in ancient oak barrels and at least two years in bottle before release. This is a dry balanced wine with hints of bitter almonds, burnt honey, a touch of caramel and a hint of licorice. This is a very impressive wine with a finish that goes on and on.
We had it with panettone and it was the perfect combination.
Tony only carries Italian wines and he has only artisanal producers who only use native grapes. All of the wines listed below have a production of under 10,000 bottles and one is under 1,000. It was amazing that Tony was able to find such good producers that most people have never heard of — including me.
Castellucci Miano “PerricOne” 2020 made from 100% Perricone on the slopes of the Madonie mountains at 700/900 meters.The vineyard is 4 hectares with a southeast/southwest exposure and there are 4,000 vines per hectare. The soil is sandy, clayey, of medium texture, with alkaline reaction due to the presence of active limestone. The training system is espalier, the pruning is guyot and spur. The average age of the vines is 30 years. In the vineyard there is no weeding or the use of fertilizers and pesticides. Harvest takes place in September. Traditional winemaking with pumping over during fermentation. Selected yeasts from the vine yard are used. Malolactic fermentation is completed. The wine is aged in stainless steel tanks for 3 months and in small French oak barrels for 10 months and in bottle for another 6 months before release. The wine has hints of cherry, blackberry, juniper a note of spice and good acidity $26. *They were the first producer in Sicily to make a monovarietal from the Perricone grape.
Terre Antiche “Rubino” Cesanese del Piglio 2021 made from 100% Cesanese del Piglio from 25/30 year old vines. The training system is espalier and guyot and the soil is limestone, calcareous. Harvest is at the end of September.
Atha Ruja “Terra Sorella” Cannonau di Sardegna DOC 2020 Made from 100% Cannonau. After fermentation on the skins for a period of 15 to 20 days, the grapes mature in steel tanks for at least 10 months and a small part is aged in French oak tonneaux for a period of less than a year. The wine remains in bottle 2 to 3 months before release. The wine has hints of myrtle, raspberry, strawberry, and rosemary, with touch of spice. The grapes are grown without the use of pesticides are and the vines are managed according to biodynamic principles. $22
Antico Borgo “Campi Taurasini” 2017 made from 100% Aglianico The soil is clay and chalky and the training system is espalier. Manual harvest takes place in October. There is a soft pressing of the grapes and fermentation takes places at a controlled temperature. Aging is for 1 year in a combination of French barriques and large American oak casks and the wine remains in the bottle for 2 years before release. The wine has hints of raspberry, violets, cherry, a touch of plum and a note of leather. $25 The current vintage is 2017 *Irpinia Campi Taurasini is a sub region of the Irpinia DOC of central Campania.
Antico Borgo “Taurasi Riserva”
Battaglio Barbaresco 2019 Made from 100% Nebbiolo from the Serragilli cru. The exposure is southwest and there are 5,000 plants per hectare. Soil is limestone, calcareous and vine training is espalier with guyot pruning. The fertilizer is manure with a minimal use of sulfur and copper depending on the weather. Weeding is done by machines. The grapes are hand harvested. Fermentation takes place with selected yeasts from the Langhe. There is up to 30 days of maceration with frequent pumping over at 30-33 degrees Celsius in steel vats. Aging is for 24 months in 20% Slavonian oak and 80% in French barriques. Only 980 bottles were produced. The wine has hints of berries, black cherry, clove, licorice and a note of tobacco. $95
Tenute Ugolini
Ciro Beligni
Ciro just received this prestigious award for the wine list Le Volpi e l’Uva from Milano Wine Week.
Ciro suggested we try Franciacorta DOCG Satèn Brut “1701”
Etna Bianco
Anchovies, lemon and butter on a brioche roll was a fantastic little bite to enjoy with the wine.
Italian Cheese plate with several interesting condiments
Barbaresco 2018 DOCG
Finocchiona, a typical fennel flavored salame and mascarpone on toasted Tuscan bread.
Barolo 2013 DOCG Scarzello made from 100% Nebbiolo from five different plots of Vigna Merenda in the Sarmassa cru at 300 meters on clayey and calcareous soil. Fermentation is in temperature controlled steel vats with long maceration on the skins. The wine ages for 30 months in oak barrels of 25 and 36 hl for 30 months. This wine will last for a number of years. 2013 was an excellent vintage. It has hints of red fruit, tar, licorice, leather and balsamic notes.
Dessert was a chocolate topped crostata with almonds and pastry cream.
Torcolato Riserva 2017 San Bortolo made from 100% Vespaiola from a 1.5 hectare vineyard planted in 2006 with a north/south exposure. The soil is medium textured alluvial and clay. The training system is single and double curtain overturned guyot with 8 to 10 buds. There are 4,400 vines per hectare. Harvest is in mid September. Carefully selected grape bunches are hand harvested and then naturally dried in an airy granary.The grape pressing is in February with a yield of 25 to 30%. First fermentation on the lees in French oak barriques for almost one year. The wine remains for 24 months in new barriques. It has hints of citrus, apricot jam, and hazelnuts with a note of honey and an aftertaste of dried fruit and almonds.
On our last night in Florence, Ciro let me taste a wine that he produces Sangiovese Toscana IGT 2019 “Altreviti” made from 100% Sangiovese. Ciro Beligni. The grapes are from an old vineyard at 450 meters. Harvest is by hand. Spontaneous fermentation takes place. The wine is aged in cement tanks and tonneau for 15 months before it is bottled. Only 2,542 bottles and 44 magnums were produced. If you go to the wine bar ask Ciro for a glass or a bottle. It is a very impressive wine.
We spent the day with friends in New Jersey, enjoying the great weather in the beautiful garden.
Champagne Brut Grand Cru Millésime Brut 2005 Egly-Ouriet made from 80% Pinot Noir and 20% Chardonnay
The menu was eclectic. With the Champagne we had Michele’s
Marinara
A Margarita topped with prosciutto, arugula, and flakes of Parmigano-Reggiano was next.
A second Margarita with sausages
Our final pizza was topped with mozzarella, sausages and peppers.
A big bowl of sauteed broccoli rabe with garlic and anchovies accompanied our main course.
With the Barolo we had roasted sweet and hot pork sausages and chicken sausages with peppers, onions and potatoes.
For dessert, Michele made a mixed berry crisp which we ate with vanilla ice cream.
Brut Methode Traditional 2018 made from 100% Gringet, an endemic grape variety of Savoie France Domaine Belluard. The vineyard is at 450 meters and the exposure is south. The soil is chalky of the Chablais Mountains with little stones. Glacier sediments: yellow marls. Hand-operated harvest. There is a very soft pressing of the grapes. Traditional vinification with alcoholic and malolactic fermentation with native bacteria and yeast takes place. 60% of the vinification is carried out in an egg-shaped concrete vat. Rough filtration on egg whites. The wine has floral notes, pleasant fruity aromas and flavors, a hint of apple, and touch of minerality. The winery is located in the heart of the valley of the Arve between Geneva and Chamonix Mont-Blanc.
