July 14, 2011 Florida Jim Cowan?s 2011 Tasting Notes Archive-Part Two

The 2011 archive part 2 is presented by date the notes were compiled and submitted. Part 1 may be found here. Prior year’s tasting notes may be found here. July 14, 2011 2009 Dorado, Alvarinho: 13% alcohol from the Vinho Verde DOC in Portugal; despite its origin, nothing spritzy or innocuous about this wine; clean [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gangofpour/uncZ/~3/0axCLMWIxfU/jim-cowans-2011-tasting-notes-part-tw

Larissa Meek Laura Harring Laura Prepon Lauren Bush

Tasting Alert: Albino Rocca at Vintages Belmont, MA


Coming this Friday, June 10th to Vintages in Belmont, MA is a free tasting of wines from Albino Rocca. Angela Rocca himself along with his daughter Daniela will be on hand pouring and describing their wines. It's an event not to be missed. Click here for more information about the tasting.

I first discovered the wines of Albino Rocca at a blind tasting at Adam Japko's last fall arranged by Vintages owner Eric Broege. We tasted through the following 6 Barbareschi - the ones in bold stood out to me as particularly noteworthy:

  • 2004 MARCARINI Barolo "Brunate" (La Morra)
  • 2004 ALBINO ROCCA Barbaresco "Brich Ronchi" (Barbaresco)
  • 2005 ALESSANDRIA Barolo "Monvigliero" (Verduno)
  • 2005 CANTINA del PINO Barbaresco "Albesani" (Neive)
  • 2006 SOTTIMANO Barbaresco "Pajore" (Treiso)
  • 2006 Burlotto Barolo "Cannubi" (Barolo)
I'd rate the 2004 Albino Rocca Brich Ronchi 94 points - outstanding. Last Friday in anticipation of this tasting I cracked open a 2003 Brich Ronchi:

2003 Albino Rocca Brich Ronchi Barbaresco
$68 Release Price
1,500 cases produced
Purchased at Bin Ends Wine

A massive wine of surprising depth for the region. As soon as I opened it, the room was filled with aromas of rustic fruit. On the nose I get signature Nebbiolo minerality, deep rich red fruit and menthol. The mouth feel is rich and supple. The finish goes on for minutes. An outstanding wine from a fantastic Barbaresco producer.

85 Wine Spectator
94/100 WWP: Outstanding

The wines of Albino Rocca have consistently impressed me so I'm looking very forward to attending this tasting. Too often as I'm exploring a new wine category I make the mistake of "nibbling at the low end". What better way to see if you like the wines from a certain region than starting at the high end - for free! I hope to see you at the tasting Friday.

Subscribe to the Wellesley Wine Press and I'll let you know how it goes.

Question of the Day: Have you had Albino Rocca Barbaresco? What are some of your favorite producers in Barbaresco?


Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WellesleyWinePress/~3/1wltpSbLPRA/tasting-alert-albino-rocca-at-vintages.html

Marisa Miller Marisa Tomei Marla Sokoloff Marley Shelton

Helping NJ Work Through Its Issue With Wine

I'm a fairly busy guy. However, I'm never too busy to help out the good folks at the different state legislatures. So, allow me to take some time out from this fairly busy schedule of mine to put the New...

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/FermentationTheDailyWineBlog/~3/f0U58mqeThQ/helping-nj-work-through-its-issue-with-wine.html

Mía Maestro Michael Michele Michelle Behennah Michelle Branch

Robert Mondavi Day

Today marks what would have been Robert Mondavi’s 98th birthday, a day before Father’s Day, which is symbolic in its own right not only for the paternal leadership Mondavi provided to the wine industry, but also the lessons he imparted upon his children, the heirs to his legacy, faithfully carried on.

On a recent visit to Indianapolis, at an Italian restaurant that belies its location, tucked between a Junior Achievement and a Wal-Mart in a part of town in need of gentrification, I had lunch with Bob’s son Tim and his sister and partner in Continuum Estate, Marcia Mondavi Borger.

We would dine that day in early April at Capri Ristorante—the progeny of an Indianapolis institution, Amalfi, both opened by Arturo Dirosa who strives to bring the ‘Old Country’ to Indianapolis.  Amalfi was Robert Mondavi’s favorite Indianapolis restaurant.  He was simpatico with Arturo’s authentic Italian way.

It’s perhaps appropriate that even when they’re not trying, the younger Mondavi’s honor legacy and relationships.

image

I expected to join a large group of people, maybe a dozen I figured, some distributor hanger-on’ers, a retailer or two and a couple of writerly types.  Color me surprised (and a little bit nervous) when I found out I was their only guest.

I’m not much of a star-gazer.  Michael Jordan, Frank Sinatra, Lou Holtz and, well, the Mondavi’s are the only people, aside from my own parents, that I put on a pedestal worthy of exemplary admiration. 

As Tim held court with Marcia acting as the conversational re-direct when Tim strayed too far afield, as he’s wont to do, we had a delightful lunch that typified why Robert Mondavi, and by extension his family, are my wine touchstone.

Utterly free of any pretense, affable, focused on wine that exhibits where it’s grown, reaching for the pinnacle in quality, a part of the table, family-focused, and exhibiting a sensibility that is concerned with helping your neighbor and doing the right thing, there’s a lot to like about the Mondavi tradition as its carried on by Tim, Marcia and their brother, Michael, a fact that I’ll explore in greater depth in a future column.

While carrying on the family legacy is important, as they’re all involved in new projects, never far from thought though, I imagine, is the sheer impact that their father had on the industry they inherited.  By donating over 40 boxes of the elder Mondavi’s papers to UC Davis this week, in a small way, they ensure that Robert Mondavi’s thoughts and ideas, as captured in his ephemera, is accessible in the widest manner possible for the wine industry’s future.  I’ve appended a couple of examples below – some personal notes on business and a speech to the Wine Institute circa 1981.

To Robert Mondavi, let us raise a glass of wine in honor of him on this day, what is quickly becoming a national wine holiday.

Salute!

image

image

Source: http://goodgrape.com/index.php/site/robert_mondavi_day/

Lily Allen Lindsay Lohan Lindsay Price Lisa Marie