Tag: Italian Wines

Chianti Classico Grand Tasting NYC 2025

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On April 28th the Consorzio Vino Chianti Classico held a tasting of the wines of Chianti Classico Black Rooster label. They brought over 39 wineries to pour current and older vintages of their wines and Vin Santo and local olive oils.

The tasting was held at Manhatta restaurant located at 39 Liberty Street in lower Manhattan.

Chianti is probably the most well know Italian wine and Chianti Classico with the Black Rooster label is the most well know of the eight Chianti regions. In addition to Classico, the rest of the regions are Montalbano, Rufina, Montespertoli, Colline Pisane, Colli Aretini and Colli Fiorentini.

Chianti Classico was born in 1716 when the borders of the production zone were delimited.

There are three tiers on the quality pyramid of Chianti. The first is Annata, the next tier up is Riserva and the top tier which is about 6% of Chianti Classico production is the Gran Selezione, a new category that was established in 2014. The requirements have 80%-90% minimum to 100% maximum of Sangiovese to be used with the rest indigenous or international red grapes.

At a large tasting I focus my efforts and today I sampled the Riserva wines from the various wineries.

2016 Tenuta Carobbio Chianti Classico Riserva “Carobbio:” Clear dark brick, woody dark chocolate on the nose, chewy fruit with forest floor notes ending with firm, silky tannin.

2017 Tenuta Carobbio Chianti Classico Riserva “Carobbio”: Clear medium brick, sweet tar and rosemary on the nose, sweet dusty fruit ending with bitter almond notes, nice grip.

2018 Quercia al Poggio Chianti Classico “Quercia al Poggio”: Clear medium brick, sweet dirty tar on the nose, tight with bitter cherry notes.

2019 Caparsa Chianti Classico Riserva “Pietraia”: Opaque dark red, sweet tar and white pepper on the nose, concentrated ripe fruit, firm tannin.

2020 Casina di Cornia Chianti Classico Riserva “Vigna la Casina”: Clear medium brick, forest floor and red fruit on the nose, dusty red fruit ending with silky, firm tannins.

2020 Borgo Scopeto Chianti Classico Riserva “Vigna Misciano”: Clear light red, closed nose of sweet stone, juicy red fruit with dusty tannin.

2020 Melini Vigneti La Selvanella Chianti Classico Riserva ” Vigneti La Selvanella”: Clear medium brick, smoky black cherry on the nose, concentrated dusty fruit firm tannin and acids at the finish.

2020 Castello Monterinaldi Chianti Classico Riserva “Castello Monterinaldi”: Clear medium brick, smoke and tar on the nose, tight red fruit, firm tannin.

2021 Castello di Monsanto Chianti Classico Riserva “Castello di Monsanto”: Clear medium purple, toasty smoke on the nose, tight and dusty fruit, firm tannin.

2021 Ormanni Chianti Classico Riserva “Borro del Diavolo”: Clear medium brick, tarry dirt on the nose, chewy dusty fruit, nice grip.

2022 Vallepicciola Chianti Classico Riserva “Vallepicciola”: Clear medium brick, sweet gun metal on the nose, tight and concentrated crushed black fruit with black pepper and bitter cherry notes at the finish.

2022 Marchesi Frescobaldi Chianti Classico Riserva “Tenuta Perano”: Opaque dark purple, sweet tar and leather on the nose, tight and dusty red fruit ending with citrus notes and firm tannin.

A Couple Of Italian Tastings In New York City 2025

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The month of March is when many of the wine and spirits distributors have their biannual portfolio tastings for members of the trade. To coincide with that many of the government sponsored trade associations have their world tour showcasing the wines they are promoting.

This year two of the biggest Italian trade events were held on back to back days. On March 3rd, Slow Wine USA held their tasting in New York City and on the next day March 4th, Gambero Rossso held their Tre Biccheri tasting.

The Slow Wine event was held in the afternoon for members of the trade at Eataly Downtown at 101 Liberty Street in Manhattan across from the World Trade Center. It was the New York City stop on their USA tour that took them to Boston, Denver, Los Angelas and D.C.

Slow Wine is an organization that in its manifesto advocates for “good, clean and fair wine”. They also run the first university “dedicated solely to Gastronomic Science”.

The event was walk around tasting of mostly Italian wines though they did have a handful of non-Italian wines represented. It seemed like they did have fewer California producers present this year than they did last year, I’m not sure if that’s because this tasting was held on the heels of the Vinous Icons tasting the previous week.

Most regions of Italy were represented by small, off the radar producers who many were looking for importers. As usual, Eataly provided some very tasty food to go with the wines.

On the next day, Gambero Rosso, who publish an annual guide to Italian wines (Vini d’Italia) held their walk around tasting for members of the trade showcasing Italian wines awarded one to three glasses in the Tre Biccheri (3 glasses) designation. The USA tour included stops in Las Vegas, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Miami and D.C.

This was a larger event than the Slow Wine tasting the previous day with many small producers pouring their award-winning wines. This event was held at the Metropolitan Pavillion at 125 West 18th Street in Manhattan.

Some of what I sampled:

2015 Bertani Amarone (Veneto): Clear medium brick, earthy red leather on the nose, dusty fruit ending with crisp acids.

2018 Zenato Amarone Riserva (Veneto): Opaque dark red, brick rim, crushed nuts on the nose, juicy black fruit with leather notes, prunny finish, good balance.

2020 Fontodi Chianti Classico Gran Selezione “Pastrolo” (Tuscany): Clear medium purple, tar and leather on the nose, tight light fruit with crisp acids.

2020 Collezione di Campaccio (Tuscany): A red blend, clear medium brick, tar and leather on the nose, chewy and firm.

2020 Boscarelli Vino Nobile di Montalcino “Sotto Casa” (Tuscany): Clear medium brick, sweet tar and graphite on the nose, dusty fruit with graphite notes, silky tannins.

2020 Campo San Giorgio Conero Riserva Umani Rochi (Marche): Opaque dark red, barnyard, slate and dark red fruit on the nose, dense with silky tannins, nice balance.

2021 San Felice Chianti Classico Gran Selezione “La Pieve” (Tuscany): Opaque dark brick, smoke, almonds and dark chocolate on the nose, chewy black fruit, good grip, long finish.

2021 Monte del Fra Valpolicella Ripasso (Veneto): Opaque medium red, closed nose of smoke notes, chewy red leather with silky tannins, great balance.

2021 Due Mani Cabernet Franc (Tuscany): Opaque black, smoke, white pepper and crushed stone on the nose, chewy black fruit with graphite notes, silky tannins, great balance and a long finish.

2022 Sono Montenidoli Chianti Colli Senesi (Tuscany): Clear light brick, dirty chocolate on the nose, juicy red fruit with dried herb notes, crisp acids.

2022 Borgogno “No Name” (Piedmont): Nebbiolo, clear light brick, toasty tar on the nose, moderate light fruit, silky, firm tannins, light finish.

Benvenuto Brunello NYC 2025

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On February 4th, I attended this year’s New York City edition of Benvenuto Brunello tasting tour which was hosted by the Consorzio del Vino Brunello di Montalcino. The tasting was held at the event space GH On the Park, located at 54 West 40 Street in midtown Manhattan.

The event had 34 producers showing their 2020 Brunello’s, their 2019 Riserva’s and their 2023 Rosso di Montalcino.

According to the DOCG laws, the regular Brunello has to be aged a minimum of 4 years before release the next January and 5 years for the Riserva’s so these wines are the current vintages to be put on the market. So this tasting was a good opportunity to see how the current vintages turned out.

The Brunello wine region is in Tuscany, Italy with the town of Montalcino anchoring the territory. It’s a cousin to its famous neighbor, Chianti though different rules apply. Other than the aging requirements, Brunello has to be made with 100% Sangiovese Grosso (the local Sangiovese clone) while Chianti is primarily made with Sangiovese, but with a certain percentage of other grapes permitted. Brunello also tends to be more expensive than Chianti.

2020 in Brunello was one of those rollercoaster vintages, I felt the 2019’s had an edge over the 2020’s in which most of the wines I sampled had crisp acidity. The wines are still young.

Some of what I sampled:

2020 Argiano Brunello di Montalcino “Vigna del Suolo”: Clear medium brick, prunes, tar and cigarette smoke on the nose, chewy dusty fruit ending with firm, chewy tannins.

2019 Belpoggio Brunello di Montalcino: Clear medium brick, tar and leather on the nose, chewy red fruit, firm, long finish.

2019 Caprilli Brunello di Montalcino Riserva “AdAlberto”: Clear medium brick, stinky, smoky nose, tight with crisp acids and roast meat notes on the finish.

2020 Col D’orcia Brunello di Montalcino: Opaque dark red, brick rim, crushed black fruit and mint on the nose, juicy red fruit ending with firm tannins and crisp acids.

2019 Il Poggione Brunello di Montalcino Riserva “Vigna Paganelli”: Clear light brick, closed nose of warm fruit, tight with firm tannins.

2020 La Magia Brunello di Montalcino “Ciliegio”: Opaque medium brick, crushed black fruit and green stems on the nose, tight red fruit with silky, mouth coating tannins with bitter almond notes on the finish.

2020 San Polo Brunello di Montalcino: Clear medium brick, smoke, sweet tar and dirt notes on the nose, juicy red cherry fruit, nice acidity and tannins.

2020 Tenute Silvio Nardi Brunello di Montalcino “Vigneto Poggio Doria”: Clear medium brick, crushed black fruit and smoke on the nose, tight with mouth coating tannins.

VinNatur Natural Wine Tasting NYC 2025

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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.

Wines from Romagna Master Class

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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.

Vino Noble & Art

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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.

Wines of Abruzzo Master Class

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Abruzzo is one of twenty regions in Italy. It’s located in the central part of the country on the east with a coastline along the Adriatic Sea.

The region is mountainous with three different national parks and is considered the “greenest” region of Italy. It’s pretty much off the tourist trail.

Not surprisingly, they make wine. The notable red variety grown in the region is Montepulciano and for white wines that would be Trebbiano.

On September 30th, Vinous, an online wine magazine, hosted a master class of the wines of Abruzzo presented by Eric Guido.

The event was held on the 60th floor at Manhatta Restaurant located at 28 Liberty Street in lower Manhattan.

At the master class they served four whites, all made with 100% Trebbiano Abruzzese and nine reds all made with 100% Montepulciano.

It was an interesting tasting, most of the wine made in this region is red and when young the reds are very dark in color and full bodied.

Wines of Abruzzo

2021 Ciavolich Trebbiano d’Abruzzo Fosso Cancelli: Medium to dark gold, peaches and green herbs on the nose, tight, firm, with lime notes on the finish.

2022 Amorotti Trebbiano d’Abruzzo: Slightly cloudy light gold, sweet earthy nose, moderate fruit with ripe and earth notes on the fruit, good grip.

2021 Tiberio Trebbiano d’Abruzzo Fonte Canale: Clear dark gold, sweet kiwi, tropical fruit and slate on the nose, firm with tart lime notes.

2021 Francesco Cirelli Trebbiano d’Abruzzo Anfora: Clear dark gold, sweet candy and asparagus on the nose, full fruit with cooked vegetable notes, firm finish.

2020 Cantina Tollo Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Riserva Mo: Opaque dark red with a purple rim, slate and dark chocolate on the nose, chewy dark chocolate fruit with good structure.

2020 Marina Cvetic Montepulcino d’Abruzzo Riserva San Martino Rosso: Opaque black with a purple rim, sweet violet and barnyard on the nose, chewy fruit with slate notes ending with mouth filling tannins and crisp acids.

2021 La Valentina Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Docheio: Opaque dark red with a purple rim, stinky, cooked vegetables and crushed rocks on the nose, chewy and chunky with good structure with bitter almond notes on the long finish.

2021 Torre Dei Beati Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Riserva Cocciapazza: Opaque black with a purple rim, dark chocolate and cooked fruit on the nose, tight and concentrated with crushed rock notes, tight tannins.

2020 Castorani Montelpuciano d’Abruzzo Riserva Podere Castorani: Opaque black with a purple rim, perfume of tar and slate on the nose, chunky with big tannins.

2020 Emidio Pepe Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Vecchie Vigne Branella: Dark purple with barnyard on the nose, bright black fruit with firm tannins and crisp acids.

2020 Tenuta Terraviva Colline Teramane Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Lui: Opaque black with a purple rim, crushed peppercorn and barnyard on the nose, chunky bright red fruit with tight acids.

2021 Fattoria Nicodemi Colline Teramane Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Cocciopesto: Opaque black with a purple rim, slate and crushed black fruit on the nose, chunky with green herb notes ending with very firm tannins.

2019 Illuminati Colline Teramane Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Riserva Pieluno: Opaque medium red with a brick rim, perfume of tar, leather and violets, silky red fruit with crushed rock notes ending with firm tannins.

Wine Enthusiast Sip of Italy

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On September 10, Wine Enthusiast magazine held another in their “Sip” series of wine tastings. The last one was Sip of South America and this time around it was Sip of Italy.

The event was an opportunity to sample Italian wines from 50 wineries from all the geographic Italian wine regions.

Coming on the heels of Suckling’s great wines of Italy tasting the previous week, the start of the month of September was full of Italian wines. I attended the trade tasting in the afternoon and there was a tasting open to the public that evening.

The event was held at City Winery located at 25 11th Avenue on the west side Manhattan.

I wanted to sample as many Amarone as possible before moving on to the other regions.

Some of what I sampled:

2021 La Collina dei Ciliegi “Prea” (Veneto): Clear medium gold, spicy cinnamon on the nose, full juicy fruit with floral notes, good balance.

2022 Bozen Sauvignon Blanc “Mock” (Alto Adige): Clear light gold, peachy grass on the nose, moderate fruit with good acidity and balance.

2015 Pasqua Amarone “Mai Dire Mai” (Veneto): Medium opaque brick, tar and mint on the nose, juicy red fruit, firm finish.

2017 Santi Amarone (Veneto): Clear light brick with a tarry nose, chewy and tarry, ripe fruit, long finish.

2018 La Collina dei Ciliegi Amarone “Ciliego” (Veneto): Opaque dark brick, smoke, tar and ripe prunes on the nose, firm, chewy leather fruit with a smokey grip at the end.

2018 Zenato Amarone (Veneto): Opaque medium brick, crushed black fruit on the nose, chewy ripe fruit with a good grip and nice balance.

2018 Bolla Amarone (Veneto): Clear light brick, smokey black cherry on the nose, dusty, chunky black fruit ending with silky tannins.

2018 Covalli Amarone (Veneto): Clear light red, closed nose of woody tar, bright red fruit with bitter almonds on the finish.

2018 Santi Amarone (Veneto): Clear light brick, roasted nuts on the nose, juicy bright red fruit, nice balance.

2019 Cesari Amarone (Veneto): Clear medium red, smokey tar on the nose, big fruit with leather notes and good structure.

2019 Sartori Amarone “Reius” (Veneto): Clear light brick, sweet spices and roasted nuts on the nose, juicy, silky with slate notes, firm tannins.

2019 Ruffino “Modus Primo” (Tuscany): Opaque medium red with a brick rim, toasty pickle juice on the nose, chewy black leather fruit with firm, silky tannins.

2022 Gaddo Bolgheri Rosso (Tuscany): Clear medium brick, smoky black cherry on the nose, chewy, dusty black cherry fruit, good grip.

2022 Cascina Gilli Freisa “Il Forno” (Piedmont): An obscure grape varietal, clear medium brick, raspberry and red leather on the nose, bright red fruit, firm finish.

Suckling Great Wines Italy NYC 2024

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Wine writer and wine critic James Suckling, presented and hosted another one in his series of wine tastings.

The Great Wines Italy wine event was held in New York City on September 4 & 5 at the Altman Building, an event space at 135 West 18th Street in Manhattan.

The two-day event featured 380 wines from 163 Italian wineries that rated 92+ points on Sucklings rating scale, .

Most of the Italian regions were on hand but the region with the most representation on the Wednesday I attended was definitely Tuscany. That’s not surprising considering the popularity of the wines of Chianti and Brunello di Montalcino.

There was a nice selection of the Brunello and Chianti but not very many Super Tuscans. To begin with, I focused my energy on the selection of Amarone and worked my way to the Brunello’s.

Some of what I sampled:

2018 Ripa della Volta Amarone2019 Tinazzi Amarone Aureum Acinum
2018 Masi Amarone Costasera2015 Farina Amarone Mezzadro alla Fontana Riserva
2010 Tenuta St Antonio Amarone Lilium Est Riserva2016 Sergio Alighieri Amarone Vaio Armaron
2018 Paradiso di Cacuci Brunello di Montalcino Riserva2019 Picini Brunello di Montalcino
2019 Altesino Brunello di Montalcino Montosoli2019 Altesino Brunello di Montalcino
2019 Carparzo Brunello di Montalcino2019 Carparzo Brunello di Montalcino Vigna La Casa
2017 Castelli Martinozzi Brunello di Montalcino Riserva2018 Ruppiano Famiglia Berselli Brunello di Montalcino
2019 Castello Banfi Brunello di Montalcino2016 Castello Banfi Brunello di Montalcino Poggio alle Mura Riserva
2019 San Polo Brunello di Montalcino2019 San Polo Brunello di Montalcino Podernovi
2019 Valdicava Brunello di Montalcino2019 Valdicava Brunello di Montalcino Vigna Montosoli
2019 Uccelliera Brunello di Montalcino 2019 Voliero Brunello di Montalcino
2017 Villa Matilde Taurasi Petrafusa2020 Inama Cabernet Colli Berici Bradisimo
2017 Perla del Garda Merlot Garda Leonatus2019 Nino Negri Valtellina Valgella Vigna Fracia
2019 Giusti Montello Tenuta Abazia Umberto2020 Marco Bonfante Barbaresco
2019 Casteani Maremma Terra di Casteani

Zachys Escape to Tuscany Italian Tasting 2024

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Zachys has been a family-owned seller of fine wines and spirits since 1944. As with most wine shops they will host tastings for consumers at their store. On occasion they will hold a more intensive tasting that you need to buy a ticket to attend.

I’ve been to a few of those ticketed events, and they have been worth the cost of admission and the hour train ride to Port Chester as they can be counted on to pour quality juice for whatever theme they are pouring for that day.

They held one of those ticked tastings on Father’s Day weekend last June. The “Escape to Tuscany” was a tasting of 50+ Italian wines from the (mostly) 2021 vintage.

In addition to the wines, they had a handful of premium spirts on hand to sample. That included single malt Scotch from Dalmore, Laphroaig and Port Askaig, Tequila from Hiatus and Italian malt whiskey from PUNI.

Some of what I sampled:

2021 Vallepicciola Bianco (Tuscany): 100% Chardonnay. Medium gold with a floral nose, tight with nice acidity with lime notes.

2021 Fattoria le Pupille Piemme Bianco (Tuscany): Clear yellow with a floral nose, moderate fruit with a touch of sweetness in the back end, good balance.

2019 Vallepicciola Migliore (Tuscany): Bordeaux Blend. Opaque dark red with tar, dark cherry and cigarette smoke on the nose, silky, smoky fruit with silky tannins and a good grip at the end.

2021 Tenuta Luce Luce (Tuscany): Opaque medium purple, closed nose of tarry meat, tight red fruit ending with big tannins.

2021 Le Serre Nuove Ornellaia (Tuscany): Clear dark red, earthy, black cherry nose, crushed dark fruit with oak notes, gritty tannins.

2021 Poggio Valente Le Pupille (Tuscany): Clear light brick, red cherry tar on the nose, juicy red fruit, good grip. long finish.

2021 Greppicaia I Greppi (Tuscany): Opaque medium red with a brick rim, tar, smoke and graphite on the nose, silky, violet and tarry fruit with a red cherry finish. good grip.

2021 Tenuta di Biserno Il Pino (Tuscany): Clear medium red, closed nose of tar and barnyard, chunky dark chocolate fruit ending with firm, gritty tannins.

2021 Tenuta di Beserno Berseno (Tuscany): Clear medium red, crushed red cherry on the nose, red cherry fruit, moderate acids, long bitter cherry finish.

2021 Voliero Rosso di Montalcino (Tuscany): Clear light brick, spicy tar on the nose, silky red fruit with moderate acidity and firm tannins.

2021 Antinori Guado Al Tasso (Tuscany): Clear medium red, black cherry and barnyard on the nose, cherry dark chocolate and dark black fruit, great balance and a long finish.

2021 Torre Alle Comete Campo Alle Comete (Tuscany): Clear medium red, perfume of earth and smoke, chewy, silky fruit ending with firm, silky tannins and a long finish.

2021 Montepeloso Nardo (Tuscany): Clear medium red, earthy tar on the nose, silky fruit, silky tannins with a good grip on the great finish.

2021 Montepeloso Eneo (Tuscany): Clear light brick, earthy, smoky dark chocolate on the nose, silky and smoky fruit with smoke notes on the balanced finish.

2021 Castello dei Rampolla Chianti Classico (Tuscany): Clear medium reds, earth, tar and leather on the nose, tight silky red fruit ending with dusty and firm tannins.

2020 Felsina Fontalloro (Tuscany): Clear light brick, earth and tar on the nose, chewy red leather fruit with firm acidity.