On February 1st, I attended the Jersey City Whiskey Festival. The event was open to the public.
The festival was one of a series of similar events that are held in the tri state area and are run by the same company. This one was held at the Harborside event space located at 210 Hudson Street, New Jersey. The venue is just steps from the Exchange Place PATH rail station which is the first stop into New Jersey from the World Trade Center rail hub. It’s along the New Jersey waterfront so you get an exceptional view of the Manhattan skyline.
They advertised over “100 styles of whiskey and spirits” with whiskies from the U.S., Canada, Ireland, Scotland, Japan and India. For the non purists, they did have vodka, rum, tequila and cordials on hand to sample.
Most of the producers bottled more than one type of whiskey with variations depending on the mash bill, aging, proof, type of barrels, etc. I’m partial to Rye whiskey and many of the producers had a Rye or high Rye whiskey to sample.
The event was open to the consumer. In the past they had two sessions, but at this time there was only one evening session which made for a crowded venue, especially at the popular whiskey producers, though the space was large enough to get away from the crowd.
The Union Grand Crus Bordeaux was founded in 1973 and currently has 132 Chateaux members covering 14 appellations. The Union promotes the Grand Cru wines of its members with over 80 worldwide events.
In the beginning of each year, the Union tours the United States to introduce the newly released vintage. On January 20th the tour stopped New York City with both a tasting for the trade in the afternoon and another tasting for consumers in the evening. As in years past, the event was held at the Cipriani event space located at 120 East 42nd Street in midtown Manhattan across from Grand Central Terminal.
Bordeaux is a huge wine producing region with over 6 times the vine area planted than Napa Valley. Everyone focuses on the top tier wines, but you can grab a nice bottle for everyday drinking especially in good vintages, without having to pay the sky-high prices that the top tier wines charge.
Bordeaux had a string of some excellent vintages in the late ’90’s and early 2000’s but the last few vintages have been challenging for them, and I didn’t know what to expect at the tasting. From what I understood, 2022 was a “weird” year. The weather for the year had all the hallmarks of turning into a lousy vintage, but the wines turned out much better than anyone anticipated.
Reading the reviews from wine writers, the word “fresh” popped up very often. I meant that to mean the juicy, bright red fruit and moderate tannins and acidity that I was getting from many of the wines that I sampled. I didn’t get the teeth chatting tannins from most of the wines that I’ve gotten in other years. Of course, there were wines with firm tannins and brisk acids and knowing that these wines are still very young and need some more time in the bottle to flesh out.
I thought the vintage came out somewhere in the middle in style, I was pleasantly surprised and think that many of the wines will be for early drinking,
Vintage 2022
Saint-Julien
Chateau Beychevelle: Opaque dark red, purple rim, dark chocolate and sweet fruit on the nose, juicy and chewy ending with moderate tannins and acidity.
Chateau Branaire-Ducru:Opaque medium red, brick rim, sweet tar and cigarette smoke on the nose, juicy, earthy fruit ending with moderate tannins and acidity.
Chateau Gloria: Opaque dark red, perfume of violets and white pepper, juicy dark fruit, moderate tannins with tart notes at the end.
Chateau Gruaud Larose: Clear medium red, purple rim, dusty black fruit on the nose, juicy, tight red fruit, tight finish.
Chateau Leoville Poyferre:Opaque dark red, purple rim, tar and crushed dark fruit on the nose, tight fruit with crushed rock notes, very firm finish.
Chateau Talbot: Clear medium red, crushed red fruit, green herbs and milk chocolate on the nose, juicy and dusty red fruit ending with moderate tannins.
Chateau Lagrange: Clear medium red, graphite on the nose, dusty fruit ending with crisp tannins.
Saint-Estephe
Chateau de Pez:Clear medium red, brick rim, tar and leather on the nose, juicy with leather notes, silky tannins and finish.
Chateau Phelan Segur: Clear medium red, black licorice and earth on the nose, chewy black fruit with dusty, silky moderate tannins.
Chateau Cos Labory: Clear medium red, tarry roast meat and pencil shavings on the nose, juicy red fruit ending with lip smacking tannins.
Pauillac
Chateau d’Armailac: Clear medium red, dirty tar on the nose, chewy black fruit ending with very firm tannins.
Chateau Pichon Baron: Opaque medium red, brick rim, spicy dark chocolate on the nose, juicy dark fruit with chocolate notes, moderate tannins and acidity.
Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande:Clear medium red, dusty red fruit on the nose, juicy black licorice fruit, silky tannins, long finish.
Pomerol
Chateau Clinet:Clear medium brick, dusty stone and white pepper on the nose, juicy red fruit with silky tannins and moderate acids.
Chateau Gazin: Opaque dark red, purple rim, crushed red fruit and green herbs on the nose, very tight.
Chateau Rouget:Opaque dark purple, closed nose of dark fruit, sweet tar and cigarette smoke, juicy black licorice ending fruit with firm but silky tannins.
Saint-Emilion
Chateau Canon:Opaque dark purple, closed nose of sweet red fruit, juicy red fruit with moderate, crisp tannins.
Chateau Canon-La-Gaffeliere:Clear medium red, dusty, dirty nose, juicy red fruit with dark chocolate notes ending with moderate tannins and acid.
Clos Fourtet: Opaque medium purple, purple rim, crushed black fruit on the nose, juicy red fruit with silky tannins.
Chateau Franc Mayne:Clear medium red, dirty, stinky nose, chewy red fruit, silky, juicy tannins with some bitter almond notes on the finish, well balanced.
Haut-Medoc
Chateau de Camensac: Opaque dark red, purple rim, sweet tar and dirt on the nose, chewy, tarry fruit with silky tannins and moderate to low acidity.
Chateau Beaumont: Opaque dark red, purple rim, closed nose of sweet spice, chewy black fruit with barnyard notes, firm tannins.
Chateau Coufran: Clear medium to dark red, closed nose, chewy with bitter almond notes, tannic.
Pessac-Leognan
Domaine de Chevalier:Opaque dark red, roast nuts and violet on the nose, very tight and tannic at this point.
Chateau Haut-Bailly: Clear medium red, barnyard notes on the nose, juicy with lip smacking tannins.
Chateau Pape Clement: Opaque medium red, purple rim, spicy toast on the nose, juicy red fruit ending with crisp acids.
Margaux
Chateau Kirwan: Clear medium red, crushed red fruit on the nose, juicy with bitter cherry notes on the firm tannins.
Chateau Prieure-Lichine:Clear medium brick, tarry dirt on the nose, chewy red leather fruit with dark chocolate notes ending with moderate tannins and acids.
Sauternes & Barsac
From what I sampled, 2022 seems like a good year for the botrytis wines, most were nicely balanced.
On January 12-13, I attended the VinNatur wine tasting which was curated by the Natural Winemakers Association and was open to both the public and to members of the trade.
The Association, which was founded in 2006, has 300 members from 12 countries. Their mission statement is “respect the soil, the environment and the natural cycle of life” by elimination the use of invasive and toxic agents in the grape growing and wine making process.
This was the first time I was aware of this organization and have never attended a tasting from them. Their mission statement says that they represent 12 countries, but this tasting was an all-Italian event (they did manage to squeeze in one table from Spain).
The tasting was held at an event space at 29 Norman Avenue in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.
Natural/Biodynamic wines are a niche category that has been increasingly growing the past few years with all the major worldwide wine growing regions having their share of winemakers and growers adhering to the natural winemaking philosophy.
The tasting had a good representation in attendance from the various wine regions of Italy. I like to start a tasting with the sparkling wines and there were many Lambrusco to sample which is an underrated favorite of mine. There were also many Pet-Nat (petillant natural) wines on hand, and it looked like that every table had at least one version of it. It seems like that the ancient way of making fizzy, sparkling wine fits right in with the natural wine making ethos.
It was an interesting tasting with many of the winemakers on hand to passionately explain their wines. I was getting a lot of the barnyardy and cooked fruit notes that you often get on these low intervention wines.
Some of what I sample:
NV Casa Belfi (Veneto): Went through carbonic maceration, fizzy clear light purple, earthy red cherry nose, crisp light fruit with grippy tannins.
2018 Incontri Toscana Rosso (Tuscany): Opaque dark red, stinky, cooked fruit on the nose, chewy and smoky red fruit ending with firm, silky tannins.
2019 Gratavinum “Rocaforts” (Priorat): One of the few non Italian wines at the tasting, 100% Grenache, clear light brick, stone and red fruit on the nose, silky, moderate fruit with crushed stone notes on the finish.
2019 VNA Wine Pinot Nero Nº 6 (Lombardy): Clear medium brick, roasted nuts on the nose, chewy red licorice fruit with cooked fruit notes, nice balance on the finish.
2019 Terramante “Foglia Tonda” (Umbria): Clear light purple, grapey, stone notes on the nose, dusty red fruit ending with toasty tannis.
2020 Giovanni Sallemi “Russo”(Sicily): Clear medium purple, smoky tar on the nose, chewy black pepper fruit, tart finish.
2021 Timpe D’Arancio “Incocciato” (Sicily): Clear medium purple, sweet tar on the nose, tight and stinky with an earthy finish.
2021 Andrea Pilar Syrah (Umbria): Clear medium purple, tar on the nose with chewy, dusty fruit ending with earth notes on the silky tannins.
2021 Cantina de Malandrino “Malandrino” Rosso Volcano (Sicily): Clear light brick, tar and leather on the nose, cherry red tar fruit, silky tannins.
2021 Terramante “Pitch 15” (Umbria): Clear medium purple, tar and crushed red fruit on the nose, dusty red fruit ending with a mouthful of tannins.
2022 Torre alle Tolfe Cilegiolo (Tuscany): Made from the Cilegiolo grape variety, opaque dark red, closed nose of red leather and roast nuts, dusty fruit ending with firm tannins.
2022 Madonna dei Monti Barbera D’Asti (Piedmont): Opaque dark red, purple rim, roast meat and cigarette smoke on the nose, chewy, cooked fruit notes, firm tannins.
2023 Cantina del Frignano Rosato (Emilia Romagna): Fizzy clear light red, earthy red cherry nose with some earth notes on the fruit.
2023 Camillo Donati Lambrusco (Emilia Romagna): Fizzy light purple, crushed rocks on the nose, rosemary notes on the moderate finish, crisp and drinkable.
Last November 20th, Whisky Advocate magazine held their annual New York Whisky Fest which was held at the Marriott Marquis hotel located at 1535 Broadway in Times Square, Manhattan.
It was a night of over 280 whiskies from the United States, Canada, Ireland, Scotland, Japan and India with a couple of tables of tequila thrown in for good measure.
Simply put, whisky is a distilled alcoholic beverage made from fermented grain mash. Every country has its own regulations for how its whisky is labeled.
This was a huge event taking up a whole floor in the hotel. So as usual in these mega tastings, I focused my efforts. When I have a whiskey cocktail such as a Manhattan or an Old Fashioned, I prefer Rye whisky, so I prioritized sampling rye whisky at the start of the tasting.
I’m always on the lookout for a new product so I kept my eye out for any label that I wasn’t familiar with. Since the distillers had more than one than one version of their whiskey on hand to pour, even the usual mass market distillers showed something new or rare since they experimented with different alcohol levels, mash bills and with the type of barrels that the whiskies were aged in.
With a Glencairn in hand, these were some of the brands I sampled:
The 43rd annual Wine Spectator’s New York Wine Experience was held on last October 17-19. It was three days of wine seminars and a Critics Choice grand tasting. The proceeds were for benefit of The Wine Spectator Scholarship Foundation.
The Grand Tasting was held on two days and had over 250 international winemakers pouring their wines in a walk around tasting.
This event is probably, if not the best consumer wine tasting of the year with two floors of over 200 international wines rated 90+ points on the Wine Spectator ratings scale.
This year I was lucky enough to attend the event on both days. As is usual for me at these mega tastings, I focused my energies on one floor each night prioritizing Bordeaux and Napa Valley wines.
The event was held at the Marriott Marquis hotel at 1535 Broadway in the heart of Times Square, Manhattan.
Some of what I sampled:
New World
2004 Ridge Monte Bello (Santa Cruz Mtns.): Opaque black, tar, graphite and black leather on the nose, silky fruit with graphite notes ending with silky tannins.
2008 Pahlmeyer Merlot (Napa Valley): Opaque black fruit, brick rim, crushed raspberry and mint on the nose, juicy, smokey fruit and nicely balanced.
2014 Hall Cabernet Sauvignon Kathryn Hall (Napa Valley): Opaque black, purple rim, roast nuts and bacon on the nose, juicy black fruit with mint notes, firm tannins.
2015 Opus One (Napa Valley): Opaque black, brick rim, earthy crushed dark fruit with mint notes on the nose, concentrated, stoney black fruit ending with a great grip and balance with a long finish.
2016 Louis M. Martini Cabernet Sauvignon Lot No. 1 (Napa Valley): Opaque black, purple rim, crushed blueberry, wet stone and graphite on the nose, chunky, juicy dark chocolate fruit, great grip, long finish.
2019 To Kalon Vineyard Co. Cabernet Sauvignon H.W.C. (Oakville): Opaque black, purple rim, closed nose of crushed blueberries, juicy crushed fruit with firm acids.
2019 Bond St. Eden (Napa Valley): Clear medium red, purple rim, tarry nose, bright black fruit, firm tannins.
2021 Dominus Estate (Napa Valley): Opaque black, purple rim, graphite and black fruit on the nose, juicy and silky with silky tannins and a firm grip.
2021 Kamen Cabernet Sauvignon Moon Mt. District (Sonoma): Opaque black, purple rim, gritty dark chocolate on the nose, very concentrated black fruit with herb and mint note ending with firm crisp tannins.
2021 Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon To Kalon Vineyard The Reserve (Napa Valley): Opaque black, purple rim, crushed red fruit and stone on the nose, juicy black fruit ending with big tannins.
Old World
2012 Chateau Cos d’Estournel (St. Estephe): Opaque black, brick rim, nose of dirt and stinky dark chocolate, tight concentrated fruit ending with big tannins.
2015 Chateau Canon (St. Emilion): Opaque black, brick rim, big nose of barnyard, chunky dark chocolate fruit ending with lip smacking tannins.
2015Chateau Giscours (Margaux): Opaque black, brick rim, tar and dried leaf on the nose, concentrated black fruit with mint notes ending with firm but balanced tannins.
2016 Chateau Talbot (St. Julien): Opaque black, brick rim, toasted roast nuts on the nose, concentrated fruit with raspberry notes, silky and firm tannin.
2017 Chateau Pavie (St. Emilion): Opaque black, purple rim, crushed black stone on the nose, silky black fruit with graphite notes, great balance, long finish.
2018 Chateau Phelan Segur (St. Estephe): Opaque black, brick rim, crushed blueberries on the nose, concentrated, silky red fruit ending with a great grip.
2018 Chateau Pichon Longueville Lalande (Pauillac): Opaque black, purple rim, crushed stone on the nose, concentrated and silky black fruit with mint notes, silky tannins, great balance.
2019 Chateau Leoville Barton (St. Julien): Clear dark red, purple rim, crushed black fruit and dark chocolate on the nose, silky red fruit with tar notes, firm grip.
2019 Chateau Montrose (St. Estephe): Opaque black, purple rim, stone and crushed black fruit on the nose, juicy red fruit, firm tannins.
On October 28th, the Association de Grands Crus Classes de Saint Emilion held their USA trade & press tasting tour of Saint Emilion wines from the 2020 vintage. Most of the 25 Grand Cru Chateaux of the region were on hand at the tasting to pour their wines.
Bordeaux has 57 appellations on the right and left bank of the Gironde Estuary with the Entre Deux Mers in between. St. Emilion is on the right bank and the wines are dominated by Merlot with many of the Chateaux at this tasting bottling wines made with 100% Merlot.
Newly released Bordeaux tend to be a bit hard edged and need some time in the bottle to round out, the wines at this tasting for the most part were no exception with many having firm tannins. Each producer did bring a wine from an older vintage, and I always welcome the opportunity to sample Bordeaux with some bottle age to it.
The tasting was held at the Metropolitan Pavilion located at 123 West 18th Street in Manhattan.
Some of what I sampled:
2012 Chateau Bellevue:Opaque medium brick, graphite, tar, chocolate and dirt on the nose, chewy, dried leaf fruit, long finish.
2015 Chateau Chauvin: Opaque black with a brick rim, black tar on the nose, chewy and chunky fruit with mint and graphite notes, firm tannins.
2015 Clos Des Jacobins:Opaque dark red with a brick rim, violets, mint and dark chocolate on the nose, chewy with slate notes, silky tannins ending with firm but manageable tannins.
2016 Chateau Badette:Opaque black with a purple rim, crushed red fruit and mint notes on the nose, chewy, minty red fruit, very firm tannins.
2016 Chateau Grand Corbin-Despagne: Opaque dark red with a brick rim, perfume of mint, graphite and barnyard, chewy red fruit, silky tannins, good grip with a long finish.
2016 Chateau Fombrauge:Opaque dark red with a brick rim, perfume of tar and barnyard, concentrated black fruit ending with firm, silky tannins.
2016 Chateau De L’Oratoire:Opaque black with a brick rim, black earth on the nose, chewy black fruit with graphite and mint notes, good grip.
2016 Chateau Badette: Opaque black with a purple rim, crushed red fruit and mint on the nose, chewy minty red fruit ending with very firm tannins.
2016 Chateau Grand Corbin:Opaque black with a purple rim, crushed red fruit, graphite and milk chocolate on the nose, chewy, black fruit ending with silky but firm tannins.
2019 Chateau Franc Mayne: Opaque dark red with a brick rim, crushed red fruit and white pepper on the nose, silky, chewy red fruit ending with silky firm tannins.
2020 Chateau La Croizille: Opaque black with a purple rim, violets and tar on the nose, tight and concentrated with crushed rock notes, moderate tannins.
2020 Chateau Fonplegade:Opaque dark purple with a purple rim, nose of crushed red fruit and barnyard, juicy red fruit with leather notes, moderate tannins.
2020 Chateau Badette: Opaque black with a purple rim, sweet tar on the nose, chewy black fruit, silky tannins, good fruit and balance.
2020 Chateau La Tour Figeac: Opaque dark red with a purple rim, white pepper and tar on the nose, juicy fruit with steel notes, moderate tannins.
2020 Chateau Bellevue:Opaque purple, purple rim, closed nose of roast meat and nuts, tight, silky fruit, firm tannins.
2020 Chateau De L’Oratoire:Opaque dark red, purple rim, minty dark chocolate on the nose, chewy red fruit, moderate silky tannins with some bitter almond notes.
2020 Chateau Croix De Labrie: Opaque black, purple rim, violets, roast meat and slate on the nose, silky red fruit, very firm tannins.
2020 Chateau Fonplegade: Opaque purple, purple rim, crushed red fruit and barnyard on the nose, juicy red fruit with leather notes, moderate tannins.
On November 3rd I attended the Mujeres del Mezcal mezcal spirit tasting which was held at Mamazul Mexican Grill located at 1155 Broadway in Manhattan.
The “Women of Mezcal” tasting was promoted by Panorama Mezcal as a way to showcase women in the mezcal spirit industry. There were over 60 mezcal producers on hand with a handful of tequila producers as well. The event was open to the consumer.
Mezcal is a spirit produced in Mexico similar to tequila and all tequilas are mezcal but not all mezcals are tequila.
Simply, the differences between the two are that tequila must be made from the Blue Agave while mezcal can be made from any of the dozens of varieties of agave. The piña for tequila is steamed while the piña for mezcal is roasted in pits which gives it a smoky flavor. Tequila has to come from specific areas of Mexico while mezcal can come from any part the country.
While tequila can be a more consistent product, you can sit down for a tasting of a dozen mezcal from the same producer and have twelve different spirits made from different agaves and villages.
I’m more of a brown spirits drinker so most of the labels at this tasting were unfamiliar to me, especially the mezcals since most tend to come from small producers. Since all the producers poured more than one spirit, I stopped at each table to try at least one version of what they were pouring.
On October 24th, I attended a Wine Enthusiast Master Class; An Exploration of Wines from Romagna, presented and curated by Jeff Porter.
Emilia-Romagna is one of the 20 regions in Italy located in the north central part of the country with the eastern half bordering the Adriatic Sea.
The largest city in the region is Bologna where the oldest university in Europe, the University of Bologna is located. This region is also home of some of the most famous food products in the world. Those would include Parmesan cheese, Prosciutto di Parma ham, Mortadella, Balsamic vinegar, Tortellini and the pasta dish, Ragu Bolognese to name few.
This tasting focused on the eastern half of the region, specifically Romagna. Even though the food products are world famous, the wines from this region are not with the exception of Lambrusco, a fizzy red wine in both sweet and dry styles that pair well with the various cold cuts of the area. The still wines definitely don’t have the recognition of the wines from the regions directly to the north such as Piedmont, Tuscany and the Veneto.
The master class poured 10 red wines from some of the 16 subareas of Romagna. The majority of the wines were produced using organic methods and fermented in stainless steel or concrete.
The tasting for members of the trade was held at the Arlo Soho Hotel located at 231 Hudson Street in Manhattan.
Master Class
2019 Monografia/4 Riserva (Marenzo): Clear medium red with a brick rim, sweet tar on the nose, tight with some roasted nut notes, bitter almonds on the finish with firm tannins.
2021 Cadisopra (Marzeno): Opaque medium brick with a brick rim, sweet tar on the nose, tight red fruit with slate notes, firm tannins.
2021 Condé (Predappio): Opaque dark red with a purple rim, tar and graphite on the nose, juicy red fruit ending with firm tannins with slate and graphite notes on the finish
2021 Notturno (Predappio): Opaque black with a purple rim, dusty crushed black fruit on the nose, juicy black fruit with spice and slate notes on the finish, some heat.
2021 Ombroso Riserva (Bertinoro): Clear dark red with a purple rim, dirty tar and graphite on the nose, tight black fruit with slate notes, big tannins.
2021 Vigna Baruccia (Mercato Saraceno): Opaque black with a purple rim, violets, tar and dark chocolate on the nose, chewy and dusty black fruit ending with firm, silky tannins.
2022 Godenza (Predappio): Opaque dark red with a purple rim, sweet dirt and dark chocolate on the nose, tight with graphite notes and firm tannins.
2022 Classe 33 (Serra): Opaque dark purple with a purple rim, dusty slate and graphite n the nose, juicy red fruit with graphite notes, silky tannins, nice balance.
2022 Il Colombarone (Bertinoro): Opaque dark red with a purple rim, closed nose of plummy violets and slate, juicy and silky bright red fruit ending with firm tannins.
2023 Papasse (Modigliana): Clear medium purple, dusty crushed raspberry and slate on the nose, juicy red fruit with firm, dusty tannins.
On October 10-31, Bordeaux Wines held their 5th edition of their Big Bottle global wine campaign targeted to restaurants and retail shops in the New York City area.
It was to introduce new and current consumers to “discover the modernity and diversity of Bordeaux”.
They would do that by pouring white, red and rosé wines from 3-liter bottles which is a double magnum also called a Jeroboam. Those bottles hold four standard (750ml) bottles of wine.
The kickoff event was held on October 9th at OCabanon restaurant located at 245 West 29th Street in Manhattan with a trade tasting in the afternoon and a consumer tasting later that evening. I attended the trade tasting.
Wine in large bottles tend to age slower than wine in regular bottles, but I have to say, drinking a glass of wine poured out one of those huge bottles always taste special.
Some of what I sampled:
2015 Chateau Thieuley (Bordeaux): Opaque black with graphite and roast meat on the nose, chunky and tight with crisp acids.
2017 Chateau Blaignon (Medoc): Clear dark red with a purple rim, crushed ripe red fruit on the nose, chewy and dusty.
2018 Les Haut de Smith (Pessac-Leognan): Opaque dark red with a purple rim, perfume of ripe, earthy fruit, silky red fruit with dusty, crushed stone notes, moderate tannins and acids.
2019 Chateau Paloumey (Haut Medoc): Opaque dark red with a purple rim, crushed red graphite on the nose, chunky with firm and dusty tannins, crisp acids.
2019 Chateau Puyanche (Francs Cote de Bordeaux): Clear medium brick in color, dusty ripe fruit on the nose with chewy, dusty fruit.
2019 Chateau Clos du Roy (Lalande-de-Pomerol): Opaque black with a purple rim, nose of black ripe fruit, thick, chunky and dusty fruit, firm tannins with nice balance.
2020 Chateau Haut Selve (Graves): Opaque dark red, earth, tar and dark fruit on the nose, juicy and silky with good structure.
2020 Mouton Cadet (Bordeaux): Opaque dark red with a purple rim, closed nose of ripe red fruit, chunky and dusty ending with tight, firm tannins.
2021 Chateau Robin (Castillon): Opaque black with a purple rim, crushed stone and blueberry on the nose, concentrated fruit ending with big tannins.
2022 Chateau Pascaud (Bordeaux Superieur): Clear medium purple with a brick rim, bell pepper, white pepper and roasted nuts on the nose, chewy with minty firm tannins.
Avignonesi is a winery in Tuscany, Italy with vineyards surrounding the town of Montalcino. They specialize in Vin Nobile di Montalcino. Vin Nobile is a D.O.C.G (Denominazione D’Origine Controllata e Garantitta) and not surprisingly in this part of Italy where the Sangiovese grape is King, their DOCG wines are made primarily from the Sangiovese grape, specifically the Prugnolo Gentile Sangiovese clone.
They also produce wines outside the DOCG classification with international grape varieties such as Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Those wines that are outside of the DOCG and are classified as I.G.T. (Indicazione Geografica Protetta).
Avignonesi’s stated mission is “working every day to become a good ancestor, nourishing the land and people, creating a better world for those to come”. They focus on organic and biodynamic wine practices.
On October 3rd the winery held a wine tasting in collaboration with artist Amrita Marino who created artwork for the event. The tasting was held at a Chelsea art gallery located a 541 West 25th Street in Manhattan.
They served one white and seven red wines from their portfolio.
2022 Da-Di Rosso: A field blend of various red grape varietals, clear light purple, tar, rocks and crushed red fruit on the nose, dusty leather fruit with a firm finish.
2014 Vino Nobile di Montalcino Vintage Release: 100% Sangiovese.Clear brick in color, perfume of tar and mint with tarry, silky red fruit, medium bodied.
2020 Vino Noblie di Montalcino: 100%Sangiovese. Clear light red with a brick rim, graphite on the nose, dusty, licorice fruit with firm, dusty tannins.
2020 Vino Noble di Montalcino “Poggetto di Sopra”: 100% Sangiovese. Clear dark brick, closed nose of tar ending very tight and tannic.
2021 Grifi:Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon. Opaque dark red with a purple rim, tar, graphite and crushed black fruit on the nose, chewy and dusty fruit with silky tannins.
2020 Desiderio: 100% Merlot. Opaque dark red with a brick rim, big perfume of sweet crushed black fruit and dark chocolate, chewy with stone and mint notes on the fruit, great balance.
2019 50 & 50: A collaboration of two wineries, 50% Sangiovese and 50% Merlot. Clear medium brick with dusty graphite on the nose, firm with tight dark fruit.
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