Against all Odds: Vie di Romans Sauvignon Blanc Vieris
Italy: North, Verticals & Retrospectives, featured
, Oct 2021
When we think of wines that will improve with age, challenging our palates and our intellects over decades of cellaring, it’s usually not a white that comes to mind, especially not a Sauvignon Blanc from Isonzo, Friuli. However, Gianfranco Gallo of Vie di Romans set out over forty years ago to prove us all wrong. Has he? With a fourteen-vintage vertical of the Sauvignon Blanc Vieris direct from the cellar, we’re about to find out.
Italy’s Ace in the Hole: Marche
Italy: Center & South, featured
, Oct 2021
Marche is a land of pleasures and values, bursting with wines packed with potential just waiting to be realized. The last three vintages offer readers a plentitude of exciting wines from the dueling regions within Verdicchio, but also some irresistible reds from Central Italy’s Adriatic coast. The question isn’t if these wines will be discovered, it’s when they’ll be discovered.
Cellar Favorite: 2001 Armando Parusso Barolo Bussia
Italy: Piedmont, cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites
, Sep 2021
I pulled the 2001 Barolo Bussia from the cellar while thinking back to a dinner with Marco Parusso at one of New York City’s long-lost, great establishments, La Pizza Fresca, back when I worked for a major retailer. That was the first time I was fully introduced to the Parusso style, and the first time I had the opportunity to taste the 2001 among a larger lineup of wines that were there for sale.
Umbria & Lazio: Italy’s Underdogs
Italy: Center & South, featured
, Aug 2021
It won’t be long before the word is out on the superb quality and tremendous value that both Umbria and Lazio offer. Looking beyond the obvious is the trick, and that’s exactly what I will share with you in this report.
Cellar Favorite: 2008 Tenuta delle Terre Nere Etna Rosso Feudo di Mezzo Il Quadro delle Rose
Italy: Center & South, cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites
, Aug 2021
Readers have many questions when it comes to the wines of Etna. How do they evolve in bottle? How long does it take for wines to peak? What should I expect?
Cellar Favorite: 2008 Galardi Terra di Lavoro Roccamonfina Rosso
Italy: Center & South, cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites
, Aug 2021
I purchased the 2008 Terra di Lavoro upon release for a price that seems amazing for what’s in the bottle today, and then buried it deep in my cellar. In 2018, I opened the first of my six-pack, and I decided that the wine still needed a little more time. Well, that time is now, as the 2008 is just entering its prime drinking window.
Treasures of Italy’s Southern Adriatic and Ionian Coasts
Italy: Center & South, featured
, Jul 2021
It’s no wonder that the Romans thought of the territory that comprises Calabria, Basilicata and Puglia as a Garden of Eden. These regions between the southern Adriatic and Ionian coasts and the mountains to the north are strongly influenced by both elevation and proximity to the sea. Whites and reds frequently overdeliver, making Calabria, Basilicata and Puglia treasure troves of value, while the top wines rival the best of Italy.
Sicily: The Island Nation
Italy: Center & South, featured
, Jun 2021
There was a time when I believed wine lovers were ready to give up on the idea that Sicily might ever shrug off its reputation for large cooperatives, bulk production and false starts to fine-wine glory. Luckily, that day never came. Quite simply, the wines of Sicily have never been better than they are right now. The combination of drastically diverse terroirs, a huge uptick in quality and a vast number of varieties has created an embarrassment of riches for the discerning wine lover.
Cellar Favorite: 2005 Vietti Barolo Castiglione
Italy: Piedmont, cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites
, May 2021
When I purchased the 2005 Vietti Castiglione for $34 a bottle, I did so knowing that the worst-case scenario is that it would be a great Barolo to check-in over the course of ten years; but what I only realized a few years back is that this bottle, which I thought might be in decline by now, was still maturing in a positive way.
Cellar Favorite: 2011 Cupano Brunello di Montalcino
Italy: Tuscany, cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites
, Apr 2021
After the tragic passing of proprietor Lionel Cousin, I found myself digging through my cellar for past vintages of his lovely creation, the Cupano Brunello di Montalcino.