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Travel & Tasting notes from our journeys across Italy Below you'll find Amy's travel and tasting notes from the recent diVino & Capannelle wine event in Tuscany
Please don't hesitate to contact Amy if you have any questions about her travels or the wines and foods listed.
Travel & tasting notes from diVino & Capannelle exclusive winter wine event February 29th - March 5th, 2008
Capannelle wine vault Capannelle gala dinner Amy’s notes: I wanted this trip to be an expression of everything that I love most about Tuscany and its wines, foods and people, so I selected my top gourmet experiences from the past 6 years for this tour. In a sense it was meant to be a celebration of everything I’ve strived to share with my travelers over the years. First of all I want to give a very special thanks to Manuele Verdelli of Capannelle winery for suggesting the brilliant idea for this Capannelle & diVino tour and for offering to host my clients and arrange so many spectacular experiences for us at the estate! A very big thank you also to Simone Monciatti for sharing so much with us about the wines and spirit of Capannelle and the whole staff for their wonderful hospitality! At the end of this trip we were enjoying a few final glasses of wine and chatting about the highlights of this tour. The trip was packed so it was hard to choose between: the Capannelle estate wine paired gala dinner served in the barrel cellars accompanied by the amazing tenor David Righesci, the wonderful tour and incredibly well paired wine lunch that Giacomo Fani arranged for us at Castello di Nipozzano, the precious morning we spent with Peter Schiling at Podere il Carnasciale which we will never forget, the 10 year vertical tasting of Pertimali Brunellos, Marusca’s Pinci served in the barrel cellars of Le Presi winery, Andrea and La Vinsantaia… How to choose between so many wonderful things! Summer Wolff, my “anima gemella” and wine consultant at Sokolin in Bridgehampton NY (www.sokolin.com) joined us on the trip and has donated her tasting notes for some of the many wines we tasted during the trip. The evening Summer arrived in Italy we started off by tasting this fabulous wine that we think is worth mention: San Giusto in Rentennano Percarlo 2003: Day 1 - Arrival & introduction to Tuscany
Bottle aging cellars, Capannelle Dinner wines After meeting in Rome we traveled to Capannelle and checked in to accommodations at the winery. After a little R&R we met Manuele, Capannelle’s marketing director, for a tour of the cellars and the awe inspiring wine vault on our way to enjoy a welcome cocktail in the bottle aging cellar (which is quite a site itself considering the fact that Capannelle ages its bottles in exclusive ballistic crystal structures). We then moved on to the lounge for an introduction to the wine regions of Tuscany followed by a dinner featuring 3.5 pound Fiorentina steaks paired to an array of Tuscan DOCG wines. Our total bottle count was 11 bottles + 1 vinsanto, a good way to get into shape for the week to come! Some of the wines we tasted include: Panizzi Vernaccia di San Gimignano Riserva 2001 Summer's notes: Nutty, oily texture, beautiful nose and body... definitely think there is some chard in this... but best Vernaccia I've ever had hands down!!! San Donato in Perano Chianti Classico 2004 Summer's notes: Floral nose, a little vegetal, smooth, light and easy to drink. Nice finish. Poliziano Vino Nobile di Montepulciano 2001 Summer's notes: Sage, Rosmary, very herbal. Rich, chocolate, menthol. Capezzana Villa di Capezzana Carmignano 1999 Summer's notes: Dirty, ready to drink... furry- soft, balanced, my WINE OF THE NIGHT. Poliziano Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Riserva Asinone 1998 Summer's notes: Young and tannic- needs 2-3 years, even from an older vintage. Very closed... A great Cru with great future potential. Day 2 - Capannelle winery tour & Vinsantaia cooking class with dinner
Capannelle vineyards Simone, barrel tasting
In the morning we met Simone Monciatti, Capannelle’s technical director and resident oenologist since 1983. It’s fair to say that Simone is not only Capannelle's oenologist but the “father” of its wines, from the vine to the bottle. We had the wonderful opportunity of touring both the vineyards and the cellars with Simone, where he gave us inside information on Capannelle’s terroir, cellars and philosophy. In the cellars we had a barrel tasting of the new born and already voluptuous 2007 Solare (80% Sangiovese, 20% Malvasia Nera) followed by the not yet released 2004.
Vinsantaia Tuscan cooking class After our tour we moved south for a light lunch and a visit to the gardens of Brolio castle before meeting Andrea and Marinella at the Enoteca/Ristorante La Vinsantaia for our cooking class. The menu included home made pappardelle with a meat ragù made from precious Chianina and Cinta Senese meats, Stracotto al Chianti and Marinella’s family recipe for the classic dessert Zuppa Inglese. A tasting of 3 Tuscan olive oils followed before we sat down to enjoy everything we’d prepared, paired to world class wines from the Chianti Classico region. Total bottle count 10 + grappa. Some of the wines we tasted include: Pacina Chianti Colli Senesi 2004 Summer's notes: Rustic, light, terroir-driven, good acidity and tannins, Fontodi Flaccianello 2003 Summer's notes: Rich, chocolate, cherry, concentrated, balanced and long finish... San Felice Chianti Classico Poggio Rosso Riserva 2001 Summer's notes: Cigar box, beautiful- old world, GREAT acidity. Incredibly long Day 3 - Brunello tour - Le Presi winery tour & lunch, Siena by night
Brunello lunch in the cellars Abbey of Sant'Antimo I can think of no better way to start a visit to Montalcino than with Federico in his vineyards at Le Presi, a small family run winery in Castelnuovo dell’Abate. Le Presi was started in the 1970’s by Bruno Fabbri and is now run by his son Gianni with the help of the sparkling and brilliant marketing wizard (and long time family friend) Federico. To be fair though, the best part about spending the day at Le Presi was the wonderful home made family lunch that Gianni’s mom Marusca prepared and served in the aging cellars located in the heart of the medieval village. Marusca’s Pinci in meat ragù have no rival and her stewed wild boar (compliments of Bruno and his wild boar hunting team) paired perfectly to the winery's seamless Brunellos.
Sassetti Brunello vertical tasting After lunch we moved on to Siena where we walked off a bit of our lunch and made room for the very special dinner that awaited us in a private hall overlooking the Piazza del Campo paired to a vertical tasting of Brunellos from Livio Sassetti’s historic Pertimali estate. Our menu included a wonderful ribollita (bread soup) and a classic recipe called Tonno del Chianti, which is delightful salad of boiled Cinta Senese pork served with warm Zolfino beans and delicious Tuscan olive oil. At the end of the dinner our dear friend Lorenzo Sassetti (Livio’s son and Pertimali oenologist) surprised us by stopping in to say hello which gave us the opportunity to talk with him about the wonderful vertical he arranged. Some of the wines we tasted include:
Pertimali Brunello 1993 Le Presi Rosso di Montalcino 2005 Amy's notes: one of my favorite Rossos, this comes from vineyards all qualified for producing Brunello. Bright fruit and nice acidity pair great with food. Ready to enjoy. Summer rates 93 Le Presi Brunello di Montalcino 2003 Amy's notes: this brand new vintage is still a baby but shows great potential. A classic Brunello from the Castelnuovo dell'Abate area. Summer rates 91 Le Presi Brunello di Montalcino 1999 Amy's notes: Rich and spicy, intriguing, sexy Brunello. Merits an evening all to itself. Summer rates 95 Pertimali Brunello di Montalcino 2003 Summer's tasting notes: Very young... but in comparison to other 2003's elegant and balanced. Blueberry, great acidity, a nice medium body. High acidity. Needs more time to come together... Amy’s vintage notes: 2003 was a hot year and difficult for many wineries in Montalcino. The original vineyards at the Pertimali estate are located on the northern side of Montalcino and the combination of a protected hillside and clay rich soils (which retain water and keep grapes from over ripening) made for a very favorable vintage at Pertimali. A careful selection of grapes (only the perfectly ripe grapes protected in the shade of the vines) was carried out in this early harvest, which started on September 10th. After vinification the wine spent 4 full years in Slavonian oak casks to age and soften the tannin rich vintage. Pertimali did not produce a Riserva in this vintage. Pertimali Brunello di Montalcino 2000 Summer's tasting notes: Huge nose, rich, open, elegant and austere.. medium to light body, great acidity ... a quiet Brunello. Amy’s vintage notes: This was an easier vintage than 2003 with a very favorable climate all the way through the spring and summer. Things got a little rough just before harvest with a drop in temps and late August/early September rain, which disrupted the ripening process of the grapes. Harvest was carried out at the end of September and Pertimali selected lots of grapes from the newer, rockier and hotter vineyards in Castelnuovo dell’Abate, while the Pertimali vineyards were penalized by the late rain. The results were still favorable, while not being a Riserva worthy vintage. Pertimali Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 1999 Summer's tasting notes: Deep color, still some beautiful fruit, but then quickly turns to leather. Soft and easy, balanced, again that gorgeous velvet texture. The acidity wonderfully incorporated. Amy’s vintage notes: This 5 star vintage came out of a textbook year with a climate that offered everything a winemaker dreams of. Just enough rain in the spring and just enough sun in August and September led to the perfect ripening of grapes and the decision to make the Riserva. The choice to go for a Riserva is made prior to harvest at Pertimali, where they make a first selection of the very best grapes from the various plots, which are then vinified and aged separately. This Riserva spent 4 years in Slavonian oak casks and 2 years in the bottle before release. Pertimali Brunello di Montalcino 1993 Amy’s vintage notes: A rainy spring moved into a hot summer and a very hot and dry fall, warranting a 4 star tating for this year. The 1993 was a lesson in the evolution of a Pertimali Brunello over a 10 year span (as compared to the 2003) and it was a fascinating experience. Some of the grapes in the 1993 came from old vines that have since been replanted and harvest took place in the beginning of October, giving us something to think about when we compare it to the September 10th harvest of 2003 and the climate changes that wineries have experienced over just a short span of years.
Day 4 - Carnasicale & Capannelle gala dinner
Carnasciale vineyards Caberlot labels The big day and our biggest bottle count of all at 20 bottles… This day started with the rare experience of meeting Peter Schiling, oenologist at Podere Il Carnasciale. Carnasciale is a winery that is as world famous as it is tiny, with a total production of 2000 magnums a year of the cult wine Caberlot. Collectors in the US wait up to 4 years to get their hands on a single bottle of this rare wine made from a grape variety grown only at Carnasicale, which is a cross between Cabernet and Merlot. Basically a day at Carnasciale with Peter is a dream come true for every wine lover or collector! Summer and I begged leave to come work for free to learn from Peter and have the chance to prolong the experience and get our hands dirty in the vineyards and cellar. Lunch at Papposileno was wonderful and I couldn’t have been happier when Francesco brought out a selection of precious cheeses to pair with the 2004 Caberlot Peter brought to lunch. I knew we were overdoing it, considering we were still at the table at 5pm and our big gala dinner was just a few hours away… but some things are too wonderful to rush.
Capannelle gala in the barrel cellars After a quick shower and a gallon of water (this is a clear tasteless liquid that we must force ourselves to drink in between feasts) we were ready for more and started with a toast of Altemasi Brut Riserva Graal before heading down to the barrel cellars for our Capannelle estate wine-paired gala dinner. The wines were simply spectacular and David Righeschi’s incredible tenor voice paired perfectly to the wines, making the evening simply unforgettable and bringing tears to many eyes. The pairing of O Sole Mio with the Solare and Nessun Dorma with the 50&50 go into my book as two of the best wine/music pairings of all time. Our hosts
Simone Monciatti with 50&50 Manuele Verdelli Some of the wines we tasted include: Podere il Carnasciale, Carnasciale 2005 (100% Caberlot grapes) Carnasciale is the baby brother of Caberlot, but in reality it's the same wine in a slightly younger version. Harvest (including an incredibly labor intensive single berry selection) and vinification follow the same process and the selection is made from barrel tastings made by Peter and Bettina. The second selection wines are aged a little less than the first choice and bottled in .75 liter bottles. Podere il Carnasciale Caberlot 2004 (100% Caberlot grapes) Tasting Caberlot is one of those rare experiences every wine lover dreams of... It's such a personal experience that it feels wrong to attempt to put words and points to the emotions one feels. Let's just say that for me Caberlot is a refined gentleman. He radiates pure elegance and sheer brilliance of spirit. He wears a bright smile that shines with purity and he makes you feel like you have much to learn and that you would like to spend many years in his company just listening. Capannelle Chardonnay 2005 This tiny production of Chardonnay was quite a fascinating surprise. It starts with loads of mineral notes that make you think of Chardonnays from another world, only to melt into rich aromas of butter and vanilla. 70% is aged in new French oak barriques and 30% in stainless steel followed by 10 months of bottle refining. Capannelle Chianti Classico Riserva 2002 Capannelle's Chianti Classico Riserva is a beautiful expression of a classic style Chianti Classico. Sangiovese + small percentages of Canaiolo and Colorino make up the blend. Aged 18 months in large French and Austrian casks. Ripe red fruits, tobacco and spice. Capannelle Solare 2000 A blend of 80% Sangiovese and 20% color rich Malvasia Nera. Fermented in large Austrian oak casks and aged in French barriques. Solare is my favorite wine from Capannelle (besides the rare and no longer in production Capannelle Tavola...). Intense black pepper nose with ripe dark fruits and hints of vanilla. Thick and velvety tannins a big wine that remains true to its terroir. Capannelle Tavola 1999 Ah yes, the rare and no longer in production Capannelle Tavola... a cult wine which we rarely have the opportunity to taste. My wine of the night... Capannelle 50&50 2000 A joint venture with Avignonesi in Montepulciano, 50&50 is a blend of 50% Sangiovese from Capannelle and 50% Merlot from Avignonesi. A powerful wine with international flair. Very intense nose with coffee and spice that evolves into sweet Merlot aromas. Voluptuous on the palate. A perfect pairing with Puccini's Nessun Dorma.
Day 5 - Castello di Nipozzano, private tour and lunch
Castello di Nipozzano. Terry, Georgia & Marco Frescobaldi wine paired lunch
11 bottle day. In the morning we woke to snow in Gaiole in Chianti but the day turned out to be bright and crisp with vivid colors and spectacular views over the Chianti Rufina countryside. When we arrived at Nipozzano we met Giacomo, our dear friend and public relations director at this Frescobaldi estate. Giacomo treated us to a wonderful tour of the Nipozzano cellars and castle before welcoming us into the villa where we began with a special wine tasting in the formal dining room, tasting side by side versions of Frescobaldi Sangioveses with the 1998 Castelgiocondo Brunello and the 1999 Nipozzano Chianti Rùfina Cru Montesodi.
Then, settling into the pace of a noble family in the Tuscan countryside, we retired to the lounge and sampled Frescobaldi’s Brut sparkler paired to an aged Parmigiano Reggiano and some wonerful crostini Toscani (a chicken liver patè made with anchovies and capers). I knew right away that Giacomo had some unique food/wine pairings in store for us and was getting excited about our lunch! I wasn’t disappointed by the butternut squash lasagna with a dash of pesto paired to the Montesodi 2004, which I thought was quite daring but really did work. Our secondo was a quail breast stuffed with chestnuts and served on a bed of potato and spinach puree which was spectacular with the Luce 2001! And then of course there was the flan, a creamy cross between a creme brulee and a panna cotta served with the late harvest Pomino... delightful! Back to the living room for coffee and grappa and we were ready to head home. On our last night at Capannelle we ate lightly and played with a blind tasting of Tuscan wines. Some of the wines we tasted included: Marchesi dè Frescobaldi Castelgiocondo Brunello di Montalcino 1998 As a special side by side tasting Giacomo chose two versions of 100% Sangiovese wines from different areas in Tuscany. The Brunello 1998 was a classic, perfect example of a Castelgiocondo Brunello. Seamless and sweetly spicy with sensual notes. Marchesi dè Frescobaldi Castello di Nipozzano Montesodi 1999 This 100% Sangiovese from the Cru vineyard in the Chianti Rùfina region was an absolute bomb of fruit and power. It was simply amazing to taste the two different versions of Sangiovese side by side and experience how different two great wines can be from two entirely different terroirs. Marchesi dè Frescobaldi Brut Millesimato 2003 (Chardonnay & Pinot Nero) This Champenoise-method sparkler produced in the northern region of Trentino (Trento DOC) was lovely paired with aged Parmigiano Reggiano and crostini toscani made with liver patè. The perfect way to get ready for a wonderful lunch. Attems (Frescobaldi) Sauvignon 2006 Delightful! This Sauvignon, produced in the Friuli Venezia-Giulia region jumps right out of the glass and hits you with loads of wonderful crisp, fruity and herbaceous Sauvignon aromas. It reminds you of spring and everything wonderful. A wonderful white from a great vintage. Marchesi dè Frescobaldi Montesodi 2004 After the Sauvignon we moved back to the Montesodi Cru in a more recent vintage. This younger version was packed with all the fruit we found in the 1999, but was decisively younger. Aging 18 months in new French oak Barriques brings loads of vanilla and a deep, rich color to this wine. Marchesi dè Frescobaldi Luce 2001 (50% Sangiovese, 50% Merlot) This elegant 2001 Luce della vite (former joint venture with Mondavi and one of the most famous Super Tuscans) was a real treat. Fragrances of ripe fruit, cherries, and forest berries mingle with notes of chocolate. Luscious on the palate with soft tannins. I'd like to taste this again in a few years! Marchesi dè Frescobaldi Pomino Vendemmia Tardiva 2006 (70% Chardonnay, 10% Gewurztraminer, 10% Pinot Bianco, 10% Pinot Grigio) Harvest takes place end of October, beginning of November when grapes are over ripe on the vine. Fermentation in new French oak barriques follows. The wine has a rich amber color with notes of honey, citrus and dried friuts. Nice acidity balances the sweet nose. More photos... A few more special memories from our trip Amy, she loves it here... Capannelle & diVino group Team diVino Marco Amy & Summer Our group Safe in the wine vault In Montalcino Serious cooking discussions Karl, cooking is hard work Another small feast - Papposileno The ladies with our tenor David Views
From Capannelle From Brolio castle In Chianti Rùfina A snowy day From Castello di Nipozzano Well, once again all good things must come to an end and this wraps up our wonderful diVino & Capannelle winter wine event! Salute! Amy |
