Tag: Manhatta

Decanter Fine Wine Encounter New York City 2025

Published on by Bruno DonaggioLeave a comment

On June 7th, I attended the fourth annual Decanter’s Fine Wine Encounter. Decanter is a British based wine magazine with news focusing on wine regions, wine makers and wine with the requisite wine reviews and buyers guide.

It was a consumer tasting event with several sit-down master classes, a walk around Grand Tasting and a separate room dedicated to wines from this years featured region of Rioja, Spain where over 30 wines from that region were available to sample. The Grand Tasting brought together more than 55 world wine producers to showcase their wines.

This event was a very nice consumer tasting. The event didn’t have the quantity of wines that the mega tastings of the Suckling, Icons or Spectator tastings had but they did have a tight, well curated list of global wines on hand.

I liked the fact that the Bordeaux and California wineries that were there all brought a bottle or two of an older vintage wine to sample along with the current release wine.

There was enough good wine with an amazing view from the 60th floor for an enjoyable afternoon.

Some of what I sampled:

New World

2022 La Jota W.S. Keyes Vineyard Chardonnay Howell Mtn. (Napa Valley): Medium gold with greenish tints, sweet white flowers on the nose, juicy peach and melon fruit, good structure.

2022 Cobb Doc’s Ranch JoAnn’s Block Chardonnay (Sonoma Coast): Medium gold, toasty white flowers on the nose, tight with good acidity.

1999 Clos du Val Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley): Opaque dark red, brick rim, pretty perfume of black olives, mint and dark chocolate, chewy fruit with chocolate and stone notes.

2013 Ponzi Vineyards Reserve Pinot Noir Chehalem Mts. (Oregon): Clear light brick, tree bark on the nose, dusty and minty fruit with firm structure.

2014 Quintessa Rutherford (Napa Valley): Magnum. Opaque black, brick rim, green olives and milk chocolate on the nose, chunky and chewy with black olive and dark chocolate notes, great structure.

2015 Cornerstone Oakville Station Merlot (Napa Valley): Opaque medium purple, warm crushed red fruit on the nose, chewy with licorice notes, good grip, long finish.

2015 La Jota Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mtn. (Napa Valley): Opaque black, dark purple rim, mint, tobacco and roast meat on the nose, chewy and concentrated with black licorice notes, firm structure, long finish.

2015 Delille Cellars Harrison Hills (Columbia Valley): Opaque dark red, crushed black fruit on the nose, tight with earth and tree bark notes, firm finish.

2015 Black Stallion Estate Transcendent (Napa Valley): 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Opaque dark red, purple rim, toasty barnyard on the nose, tight, silky red fruit with mint notes, firm, long finish.

2016 Outpost Wines True Vineyard Immigrant Howell Mtn. (Napa Valley): Opaque black, purple rim, crushed red fruit, bacon and dark chocolate on the nose, tight with slate notes, crisp acids.

2021 Clos du Val Yettalil Stags Leap District (Napa Valley): Opaque dark red to black, roast meat and crushed black fruit on the nose, concentrated and firm with slate notes and a long finish.

2021 Outpost Wines Howell Mtn. Grenache (Napa Valley): Clear medium red, crushed strawberry and tree bark on the nose, tight with ripe and chewy fruit, firm finish.

2022 Quintessa Rutherford (Napa Valley): Opaque dark red, crushed stone and red berries on the nose, chewy with bitter cherry and smoke notes, nice structure.

Old World

2010 Chateau Lascombes (Margaux): Opaque medium brick, mint and black olives on the nose, smoky and chewy with tobacco and slate notes, great balance.

2012 Chateau Clerc Milon (Pauillac): Magnum. Opaque medium red, mint, tar and black olives on the nose, chewy and smoky with slate notes, great balance, long finish.

2015 Domaine de Chevalier (Pessac Leognan): Opaque dark brick, closed nose of forest floor and dark plums, smoky and chewy with mint notes on the firm tannins.

2018 Jean Claude Boisset Chambolle Musigny (Burgundy): Clear medium brick, barnyard on the nose, silky red fruit with bitter cherry notes on the finish, good balance.

2019 Pasqua Amarone Famiglia Pasqua (Veneto): Clear light red, bacon fat on the nose, chewy red fruit with leather and crushed berry notes, balanced with a good grip.

Wines of Abruzzo Master Class

Published on by Bruno DonaggioLeave a comment

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.

Decanter Fine Wine Encounter NYC 2024

Published on by Bruno DonaggioLeave a comment

Decanter is a British based wine magazine that covers news of the wine and spirits world. As with other wine-based magazines, they rate wines as well.

On June 8th, for the third consecutive year, they held the Fine Wine Encounter wine event in New York City. The event was held on the 60th floor at Manhatta restaurant located at 28 Liberty Street in lower Manhattan. Similar events by Decanter will be held later this year in Singapore and London.

The event featured a Grand Tasting which was a walk around event featuring award-winning wines from 50 producers with various masterclasses throughout the afternoon. In addition to the wines in the main room, they had a separate room that featured about 30 bottles of their Platinum, Gold and Best in Show rated wines to sample.

As in the past, it was an excellent tasting with a nice selection of top end wines of the world. I have to say, not in my top three but still an excellent tasting with the outstanding view in the venue as an added plus.

As is usual in the case of these big tastings, I focused on Bordeaux and Napa Valley Cabernet for the most part while sampling a few others. One good thing about this particular tasting is that many of the Bordeaux producers brought bottles of older vintage wines to sample and it’s always nice to try a Bordeaux with some age to it.

Some of what I sampled:

Old World

2003 Chateau Lagrange Magnum (St-Julien): Opaque dark red with a brick rim, pretty nose of crushed rocks and crushed black fruit, silky with slate notes on the firm finish.

2004 Speri Amarone “Sant’ Urbano” (Veneto): Clear medium brick with roasted nuts on the nose, leather notes on the balanced fruit with a good grip.

2010 Chateau Talbot (St-Julien): Opaque dark red with a brick rim, earth and mint on the nose, chunky with tight tannins.

2016 Chateau La Dominique (St-Emilion): Opaque dark red with a brick rim, perfume of crushed black, cooked fruit with silky red fruit, firm tannins and a long finish.

2016 E. Guigal Chateau de Nalys Chateauneuf du Pape Jeroboam (Rhone): Opaque medium red, perfume of tar, smoke, spice and mint on the nose, silky and juicy with stone notes on the fruit with great balance and finish.

2018 Chateau Giscours “La Sirene de Giscours” (Margaux): Opaque dark red to black, oak and crushed black fruit on the nose with chewy dark fruit ending with a nice grip.

2019 E. Guigal Chateau d’Ampuis Cote-Rotie (Rhone): Opaque medium red with roasted red fruit on the nose, chewy, sweet red fruit ending with a long finish.

New World

2004 Catena Zapata, Nicolas Catena Zapata Cabernet Sauvignon (Mendoza): Opaque black with a brick rim, toasty and chewy with ripe, cooked fruit notes.

2006 Joseph Phelps Cabernet Sauvignon “Insignia” Magnum (Napa Valley): Opaque black with a brick rim, sweet tar and earth on the nose, silky, chewy fruit with silky tannins and dark chocolate mint on the finish.

2012 Santa Rita Casa Real Reserva Especial Cabernet Sauvignon (Maipo Valley): Opaque black with a purple rim, warm roasted meat on the nose, chunky with tight tannins.

2013 Quintessa Red Blend (Napa Valley): Opaque black with a purple rim, cooked black fruit, dark chocolate and roast nuts on the nose, silky red fruit with gun metal notes, good grip, long finish.

2014 Stonestreet Cabernet Sauvignon “Christopher’s Vineyard” (Alexander Valley): Opaque black with a purple rim, black tar and vanilla on the nose, fruit starts out silky and ends with big tannins,

2019 Joseph Phelps Cabernet Sauvignon “Insignia” (Napa Valley): Opaque black, roast meat on the nose, tight and dense black fruit with a firm and balanced finish.

2019 Domaine Anderson Pinot Noir “Dach” (Anderson Valley): Clear light red, barnyard on the nose, dusty fruit with roasted nut notes.