Tag: Red Wine

Bertani Amarone Vertical Tasting New York City

Published on by Bruno DonaggioLeave a comment

It’s always an education and a treat to be able to sample wines with some considerable bottle age when the opportunity presents itself.

It’s a myth that wine gets better the older it ages, it’s more like a Bell curve, on the left side of the curve is when the wine is released, it reaches its peak and then slides downward.

I had the opportunity to sample a few older bottles on September 29th when distributor Independence Wine & Spirits held their Luxury Italian Tasting.

It was a niche of their portfolio that included Barolo, Barbaresco, Brunello, Amarone and some Italian sparklers. The tasting was held at their offices at 298 5th Avenue in midtown Manhattan.

Some of the older bottles included the 1999 Col d’Orca Brunello di Montalcino, a 1982 Fontanafedda Barolo Riserva and a 1996 Fontanafredda Barolo Vigna La Villa to name a few.

I have to admit that some of the older bottles were on the downward side of the curve, but it was a unique experience. An older bottle than held up was the 1968 Bertani Amarone which was drinking nicely, and I was able to sample five vintages of that wine.

Valpolicella is a red wine produced in the Veneto region of Italy, north of the city of Verona. It’s a blended wine primarily made with the Corvina grape varietal. Amarone is one category of Valpolicella that includes Classico, Superior and Ripasso. What makes Amarone unique is that they let the grapes dry out and concentrate the sugars. Back in the day if you ran into a red wine with a 15+% alcohol level, it was either a California Zinfandel or an Amarone but that’s not the case now.

These are big and brawny wines, many almost port like, great for a Winter night with a hearty stew but not easy to pair with other food. A couple of years back I did a wine tour of Valpolicella and visited several wineries. The Amarone I sample at those wineries were more delicate, feminine and more structured than what I was used to, much more food friendly which is what the winemakers I spoke to said they strived to produce.

Bertani is one of the most recognizable producers of Amarone and they have been producing wine for over a century and a half.

Bertani Amarone

1968

Clear light brick, sweet plums on the nose, silky, red cherry fruit with a good grip and a long finish.

1990

Clear medium brick, crushed mint and dark chocolate on the nose, chewy dark chocolate fruit, nice grip with cocoa notes on the long finish.

2010

Clear medium brick, crushed red fruit, mint and graphite on the nose, chewy and plummy ending with crisp acidity.

2011

Clear medium brick, toasty dark fruit and white pepper on the nose, chewy and peppery ending with firm tannins.

2012

Clear medium brick, smokey plum on the nose, toasty chocolate fruit ending with tight tannins.

RNDC Spring Trade Show 2025

Published on by Bruno DonaggioLeave a comment

Twice every year, in the Autumn and in the Spring, the distributors of wine and spirits in the three-tier system that we have in New York State have their trade shows. This is where they showcase their products to the members of the hospitality industry.

Depending on the company, this may mean a small, intimate tasting or a tasting in a huge event space to accommodate the dozens, if no hundreds of wines and spirits they have in their portfolio.

On March 25th I attended the Spring trade show for Republic National Distributing Company.

The event was held at The Pool, a restaurant in the Seagram’s Building at 99 East 52th Street in Midtown Manhattan. It’s the site of the former Four Seasons restaurant and yes, there is a small pool in one of the dining rooms.

The distributor represents many wine and spirit companies that were on display this day. They particularly have a nice spirits portfolio with the highlight, in my opinion, was the vertical of vintage Armagnac from Bhakta Spirits that are for sale. They have single vintage Armagnac bottled from 1990 to 1946. It was an amazing experience to sample them.

Some of what I sampled:

2017 Forman Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley): Clear medium red, sweet tar on the nose, silky dark fruit with dark chocolate notes, great structure, long finish.

2018 St. Supery Vineyards Estate Elu Red Blend (Napa Valley): Opaque dark red, purple rim, sweet tar and roast meat on the nose, chewy, silky dark fruit with stone notes, great balance.

2018 Merryvale Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley): Opaque dark red, purple rim, sweet smoke and black cherry on the nose, concentrated fruit with black olive and white pepper notes, nice structure.

2018 Marquis de Caceres Gran Reserva (Rioja): Opaque black, brick rim, crushed red cherry on the nose, chewy black fruit ending with firm, silky tannins.

2019 Forman Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley): Clear dark red, sweet tar and red cherry on the nose, silky red fruit with green herb notes, great balance.

2021 Duckhorn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley): Opaque black, purple rim, closed nose of sweet black olives, chewy milk chocolate fruit with crushed stone notes, nice balance.

2021 Clos du Val Yettalil Red Stags Leap District (Napa Valley): Opaque black, purple rim, sweet tar on the nose, chewy black fruit with graphite notes, good balance, long finish.

2021 Black Stallion Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Sam Jasper (Napa Valley): Opaque dark purple, purple rim, nose of sweet crushed red fruit, concentrated black cherry fruit with slate notes, dusty finish, great balance.

2021 Hobbs Family Winery Pinot Noir Eola Amity (Willamette Valley): Clear medium purple, red tar on the nose, tight red fruit with green herb notes, firm tannins.

2022 Chateau Beaucastel Chateauneuf du Pape (Rhone): Opaque dark red, brick rim, closed nose of roasted nuts, chunky, tight dark fruit ending with dusty, crisp tannins.

2022 Clos du Val Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley): Opaque dark red, purple rim, tar and green olives on the nose, juicy red fruit with green herb notes, crisp finish.

2015 Beringer “Quantum” Red Blend

Published on by Bruno DonaggioLeave a comment

 

 

Beringer vineyards has been producing wine in the Napa Valley since 1876. Their tasting room is a Napa Valley landmark.

They produce a wide range of wines from budget bottlings to their flagship Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon along with several bottlings of hard to get single vineyard wines.

Their Quantum bottle is a red blend of the Bordeaux varietals of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot with some Petit Sirah.

 

2015 Beringer Quantum Red Blend:  Opaque dark red, violets, anise and crushed black fruit on the nose, juicy and jimmy with black licorice and slate on the moderate to long finish, good grip, some heat.