August
17, 2007
Signature
Blends & Bob Dylan
In This Issue
A Note from Sergio
Over my many years in this business, I've come up
with a theory: People who
love wine also love Bob Dylan.
The theory is, of
course, untested, and not
without exception (I, for example, only saw Dylan
once, and that's because
he was playing with Willie Nelson) but I've got a lot of
circumstantial support.
I've heard Dylan's legendary lyrics “I started
out on Burgundy but soon
hit the harder stuff,” coming from the
speakers on my employees' computers,
emanating from offices of several buyers, blasting in
a producer's cellar in
Toscana, on rotate in a client's car, or in the
background at a tasting party.
Recently, my VP Chris and I went to visit Maria
Theresa Mascarello in Piemonte.
We sat down in the office, which she had inherited
from her late father, the
great winemaker Bartolo Mascarello. Maria Theresa
has kept the office almost
exactly as her father had, filled with all of his beautiful
belongings, photographs,
drawings, and memorabilia. As we began to
discuss why the 84-points she received from
certain publication was better than 100, Chris stood
looking
in at a collection of valuable bottles on a shelf. I
noticed him peering
more closely with a sudden expression of approval.
"Sergio," he interrupted, "come look
at this."
In between a Chinato and a 2000 Barolo (baring the
Bartolo anthem No Barrique, No Berlusconi)
sat
a ticket:
Bob Dylan at the Forum
in Assago, Milan, November 12, 2005.
“How cool is this," Chris exclaimed, "I think I
like Mascarello even
more—if that’s
possible?”
I then
imagined the genial Maria Teresa rocking out to
Blood on the Tracks, and how
the elder Bartolo may have
regarded the work of this artist.
All of this to say: I suppose I looked upon it as destiny
when Le Marche's
celebrated hippie winemaker Antonio Terni decided
to make a wine in collaboration
with the legendary songmaker. Terni, with Dylan's
help, added a soft touch
of Merlot to his colossal Montepulciano, making this
often hard-edged wine
approachable. The final result is a performance that
does both artists proud.
Today, I'm offering the Terni-Dylan creation, Planet
Waves, as well
as a selection of other wines that are unique blends.
The signature cuvées
listed represent some of Italy's greatest values and
are all highly accessible.
I'll let you guess the sort of music you should have
playing on the stereo
as you pop open a bottle.
My best,
Sergio Esposito
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New Bob Dylan Release
Le Terrazze Planet Waves
Wine and music—it may be the best possible
pairing. Here the iconic, bohemian
folksinger and poet meets the eccentric winemaker
and groupie from Le Marche. Bob
Dylan's most recent release, Le Terrazze
2003
Planet Waves, is not made
of poetic verses placed on vinyl, but of powerful,
concentrated juice from
Italy's indigenous Montepulciano grape and the
noble Merlot. This time the
support does not come from rhythmic efforts of The
Band, but instead from
the passion of Antonio Terni, the veteran
winemaker behind Fattoria Le Terrazze.
Terni is Le Marche's most celebrated producer of
quality red wine,
most notably the classic Montepulciano-based
Rosso Conero, and the Super-Marchigiano
blend of Montepulciano, Merlot, and Syrah labeled
as 'Chaos' (an IWM favorite).
Consistently breaking new ground, Antonio looked to
create a spiritual wine
that paid homage to his childhood hero. In 1997,
Terni released the vintage
driven Rosso Conero "Visions of J.," titled
after the Bob Dylan song.
The wine went on to capture critical acclaim and the
palate of Bob Dylan himself.
The result is the joint venture release of "Planet
Waves." The maverick
winemaker does not compromise quality for celebrity
status; Terni creates the
wine and Dylan endorses it. The limited production of
high quality fruit yielded
just over 400 cases of this new wine, a testament to
Terni's commitment to
quality.
A true conversation piece, this is 75% Montepulciano
and 25% Merlot and wine represents the second
collaboration of Antonio Terni and Bob Dylan. The
vineyards
lie in the foothills of Monte Conero, about one KM
from the Adriatic coast that brilliantly
fans the late ripening Montepulciano. Terni describes
the wine as "a mysteriously
Dylan-esque encounter between the severity of
Montepulciano and the softness
of Merlot." Approachable now.
Le Terrazze 2003 Planet Waves $49.95
Value in Sassicaia's 2nd
Tenuta San Guido Guidalberto
Unfortunately, we cannot all uncork a bottle of
Sassicaia at will or on a daily
basis. But there are ways to more readily experience
the terroir that is the
foundation of Italy's most emblematic wine.
Guidalberto is the second wine
of Sassicaia's pioneering estate Tenuta San
Guido—in this case, the mysticism
surrounding the wine has often overshadowed the
estate name. Whether you are
a collector or an aspiring enthusiast, Tenuta San
Guido's Guidalberto has a
place in your collection. It offers approachability in
value and drinkability,
and invites wine drinkers to capture the essence of
Bolgheri and why this is
home to Italy's greatest blends.
The 2000 vintage saw the debut of Guidalberto, a wine
created by the mastermind
of Sassicaia, Nicolò Incisa della Rocchetta,
and his stepson, Sebastiano
Rosa, a former manager of Argiano, who worked on
the creation of Argiano's
Super-Tuscan Solengo. The grapes for Guidalberto
are grown in a site adjacent
to the Sassicaia vineyards that is owned by Conti
Zileri, cousin to the Incisa
della Rocchetta. Each of the three
varietals—Cabernet
Sauvignon (45%), Merlot
(45%), and Sangiovese (10%)—is vinified
separately.
The oak aging regimen transpires
over a 12-month period in 225-liter French and
American oak barrels. As in
Sassicaia, the signature bouquet of Tenuta San
Guido is apparent. The wine
displays the finesse of Sassicaia on the front of the
palate and culminates
in a rich, lasting finish.
Many winemakers in Bolgheri regard '02 as a
"winemaker's vintage," signifying
the opportunity that it represented for winemakers to
truly showcase their
merit. The '02 Guidalberto testifies not only to
Bolgheri's distinct experience
in '02, but to the remarkable qualitative consistency
realized by the Tenuta
San Guido estate. The wine provides the Bolgheri
charm and reveals soft fruit
and herbaceous qualities that is instantly gratifying.
Tenuta San Guido 2002 Guidalberto $42.95
We are also including a limited offering of the serious
2000 bottling, which
showcases a deep concentration in fruit from the ripe
vintage. This is a collector's
bottling that can be enjoyed today.
Tenuta San Guido 2000 Guidalberto $73.00
Taste a Piemonte First
Rocche dei Manzoni Bricco Manzoni
This 1996 Bricco Manzoni is perhaps the value of the
month. In many ways, it is the equivalent of receiving a
ripe, robust Barolo for under $35. Also
of significance is the little piece of history that is in
the glass. The blend
is often recognized as the first Super-Piemonte
(1976)—a category that has
grown to include the likes of Clerico's Arte and Aldo
Conterno's Quartetto. IWM does not endorse the term
"Super," as too many American
critics have taken liberties with the classification.
However, we
do endorse the efforts
of a few selected Barolo producers that look to
create approachable blends
(both in value and price) to enjoy while waiting for
vintage Barolo to evolve—this is
often the case when the lean, austere Nebbiolo is
matched with the more acidic and fruit-driven Barbera.
Situated in the Manzoni Soprani area of Monforte
d'Alba, Rocche dei Manzoni
was originally established in the 1700s,
commencing its modern era in 1974,
when Valentino Migliorini and his wife, Jolanda,
purchased the old winery and
its prized vineyards. Hailing from Emilia-Romagna,
neither spoke the local
dialect and were initially regarded as outsiders.
Valentino's viticultural accomplishments,
however, eventually earned him rare positioning in
Barolo's patriarchy. While
Valentino's Barolos are decidedly modern in
character, their level of extraction
and significant barrique influence do not preclude the
wines from exhibiting
elegance and expressing the genuine character of
the Nebbiolo grape.
Bricco Manzoni appeared in 1976 and is often
recognized as the first significant
Langhe Rosso (the preferred term used at IWM)
made with
Nebbiolo and Barbera. From the classically
structured vintage of 1996, the small dosage of
Barbera (20%) sends a bolt
of fresh acidity and fruit through the firm, round palate
that distinctly says
Nebbiolo (80%). Well balanced, with moderate
tannins—this is a powerful wine
and a perfect introduction to Barolo that is capable of
aging another five years.
Rocche dei Manzoni 1996 Bricco Manzoni $34.00
Bricco Manzoni’s approachability make it a
consistently quick seller—this
wine flies off the shelf about as fast as it comes in!
Due to its exceptional
value, many clients opt to purchase this Piemonte
trendsetter by the case.
While we don’t typically spotlight single wine
cases, we felt it apropos
to make an exception for such a stellar wine value.
Rocche dei Manzoni 1996 Bricco Manzoni 12 Bottle Case...$375.36*
*case discount applied
Novel Introduction
Clerico Arte
Here's an introduction to Piemonte's modern school
of winemaking and the wines of Domenico Clerico.
Like the pioneering Sassicaia, there were successors
in Solaia and Ornellaia. For Valentino's Bricco
Manzoni, it was Clerico's Arte (1983) and Conterno-
Fantino's Monprà (1985). These wines are
significant because at the time in which they were first
produced they broke from the established rules of the
region, opening the door for change in Piemonte
winemaking.
The small but pioneering
estate of Domenico Clerico is located in Monforte
d'Alba, right in the heart of Barolo. Here Domenico
began in the 1980s and has since established
himself as one of the leading producers of the region.
He is a fervent advocate of quality winemaking, as well
as one of the leading proponents of the Barolo's
modernist movement creating rounder, denser, fruit
driven wines. His single-vineyard Barolos
(Pajana, Percristina, Ginestra) capture the attention of
collectors with each release. Domenico took his
philosophy a step further with the
creation of Arte in 1983.
He believed that additional grapes (Barbera and
Cabernet) can soften or add
fruit to the more angular Nebbiolo.
The barrique-aged Arte consists of 90% Nebbiolo and
10% Barbera. Unabashedly
modern, the maceration on the skins is in steel rotary
fermentors and the wine
is then aged in new French barriques. The 2002
bottling provides a simple introduction
to Clerico's winemaking. Here a multitude of spices
and herbs adorn black fruit
and vegetables as oak peeks through on a relatively
medium-bodied palate.
Clerico 2002 Arte $39.95
Tuscan Teroldego?
Fubbiano I Pampini
What is the obscure northern red grape of Trentino
doing in Toscana? This
is an even rarer find in the land of Sangiovese. The
Fubbiano estate believes
a small dosage of the thin-skinned Teroldego
provides the acidic-backbone of
Sangiovese with rich fruit, spice, and tannins. I
Pampini debuted in 1995
with just under 200 cases making it to the
US, thus adding to the rarity of this
value-oriented wine.
The Fattoria di Fubbiano estate serves as a rural
sanctuary for those seeking
a quiet vacation spot, as well as the source of a wine
portfolio capturing
the bottlings most characteristic of Toscana's Lucca
hills. The estate's principal
villa dates back to the 18th century and was restored
in accordance with the
original's character, as Fubbiano is committed to
evoking the essence of time
past. It also pursues very specific viticultural ideals,
adhering to an orientation
that precludes the use of all nonorganic products.
Fubbiano's portfolio also
includes a highly regarded extra-virgin olive oil which
boasts a litany of awards.
I Pampini is predominantly Sangiovese (90%), with
the remaining minor contribution
made by Teroldego. With the exceptional 2000 I
Pampini, the Teroldego contributes
to the intensity of the wine's character, providing
spice, black wild berries
and mature tannins. The wine is further
enhanced through a regimen of
both fermentation and aging in French oak
barrique. Please note, limited
availability of this vintage remains.
Fubbiano 2000 I Pampini $33.00
Wine Worth Repeating
Argiano Solengo
We just offered a historic Argiano
Solengo sampler
last week and, as expected, it was one of the fastest
selling efforts at IWM. There
is something magical
about this Montalcino blend. Today we offer the 2003
bottling to conclude this stellar line-up of signature
blends.
The wine represents Giacomo
Tachis final efforts in the cellar with his cult-like
Solengo making it another
great wine story worth revisiting.
When a Countess (Noemi Marone
Cinzano) calls upon the winemaking
services of the likes of Giacomo
Tachis (Sassicaia, Tignanello, Vigna d'Alceo) and
Sebastiano Rosa (the nephew
of Sassicaia's Marchese Incisa della Rocchetta), you
know something royal is
in the works. And so it happened that in the year
1992, the Argiano estate
entered wine's nobility, as the revered Tachis and
Rosa collaborated to produce
wines that satisfied the Countess' pleasure and
desire
to command universal appeal through the Argiano
label.
While they began Argiano's eminent reign with
Montalcino's traditional core
pair (Brunello di Montalcino and Rosso di
Montalcino), Tachis, the eternal
king of Super-Tuscans, crafted a wine that took
Argiano into another kingdom
entirely-Solengo. Shortly after its 1995 debut,
Solengo—which aptly enough means to go it
alone—became known as
"Montalcino's Super-Tuscan."
Each varietal component was fermented individually
and the final blend—comprised
of equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and
Syrah—was aged for 15 months
in French barrique. While there is a 14% alcohol level
in
this ripe vintage, it is
enveloped by a massive rush of intense
flavors—cassis, blackberry, licorice,
and succulent spices—achieving seamless
integration with the wine's structural
components. The extended finish allows you to
remain in this zone of heady
proportions for an overly indulgent 45-second
interval.
Argiano 2003 Solengo $69.95
Solengo Wine Samplers
Solengo Six-Pack Wine Sampler...$499.70*
Solengo Twelve-Pack Wine Case...$999.40*
*Free delivery in Manhattan
Signature Blends Sampler
The wines featured in this Signature Blends Sampler
are among Italy's best
varietal blends. Each of these bottlings
offers an opportunity
to taste wine that reaches beyond its established
regional realm and realizes
its inherent varietal potential in a complementary
cuvée.
Le Terrazze’s
Planet Waves expounds on Le Marche’s
Montepulciano with the stirring
subtlety of Merlot. Argiano’s Solengo has
proven to be wildly popular
having garnered the title of
“Montalcino’s Super-Tuscan.”
Tenuta
San Guido’s Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and
Sangiovese
blend—Guidalberto—serves
as a rare opportunity to experience a wine crafted by
Super-Tuscan masterminds
at a fraction of the price. Fattoria di Fubbiano incites
fascination with I
Pampini—an unexpected wine that blends
Toscana’s token Sangiovese
with Teroldego, an obscure varietal from Trentino.
The Piemonte region cultivates
its own brand of varietal magic with blends that
balance the exacting nature
of Nebbiolo with Barbera's breezy acidity. Rocche
dei Manzoni set the benchmark
with Bricco Manzoni, and Clerico furthered the trend
with the innovative Arte.
While adulation is too often bestowed solely upon
the “Super” blends
of the region, each bottling offered in this Signature
Blends Wine Sampler reaches beyond the
hype to deliver distinct varietal
expressions that rouse
the senses to new levels realization.
Wine Sampler Includes:
Le Terrazze 2003 Planet Waves
Tenuta San Guido 2002 Guidalberto
Domenico Clerico 2002 Arte
Rocche dei Manzoni 1996 Bricco Manzoni
Fubbiano 2000 I Pampini
Argiano 2003 Solengo
Signature Blends Wine Sampler…$269.80*
*Free delivery in Manhattan
IWM Tasting Events
A Taste of Italy's Super-Tuscans
August 18, 1:00–3:00 pm, $50.00
The term "Super-Tuscan" conjures words like
creativity, freedom, spirit and defiance.
What started as a viticultural experiment carried out by
some of Toscana's most
prominent producers in defiance of DOC and DOCG
regulations in the early 70s
resulted in a movement that became a model for
expressing the qualitative potential
of terroir. Learn how Mario Incisa della Rochetta and
Giacomo Tachis changed
enological history with the Super-Tuscan movement,
creating a new IGT standard
that shaped modern winemaking practices in
Toscana.
A Study of Barolo's Vintage Streak
August 25, 1:00–3:00 pm, $75.00
Produced in the Langhe Hills of Piemonte, Barolo is
Italy's "King of
Wines." This powerful, full-bodied wine can
display elegance, depth and
bold aromatics. Made from Nebbiolo, a thin-skinned,
late-ripener requiring
high altitude, exceptional exposure, a unique soil
composition, and a cool
climate, it is rarely perfected outside of Piemonte. At
the close of the millennium
(1995-2001), Mother Nature blessed the Barolo
region with some exceptional
weather, yielding fruit that produced some more-than-
perfect wines. Taste this
outstanding vintage streak with IWM.
Participants Receive:
Tasting Booklet that includes IWM’s
proprietary notes
Sampling of regional foods prepared by IWM
chefs paired with each wine tasted
To learn more about IWM's Studio Regionale
Saturday
Tasting Series, or to
make a reservation over the phone, contact
Michann
Thompson at 212.473.2323, x106.
Newport Mansions Event
Newport Mansions Wine & Food
Festival
If you are in the Rhode Island area, we invite you to
join us at the 2007
Newport Mansions Wine & Food Festival in
Newport. IWM will be participating
in several events from September 27-29.
VIP Wine Dinner: Toscana vs. Piemonte
Thursday, September 27, 6:30 PM
Rosecliff Dining Room
Limited to 10 guests, $250 per person
Join Sergio Esposito for an intimate six-course dinner
featuring a variety
of vintage wines from Toscana and Piemonte. The
selected wines have been paired
with a special menu from Fine Catering by Russell
Morin. Sergio will
discuss the fine art of matching wines with food to
create the perfect meal.
Wine Collector Seminar with Sergio Esposito: The
Reclusive Masters of the
Boot
Friday, September 28, 12:00 PM – 1:00
PM
Rosecliff Dining Room
Limited to 25 guests, $125 per person
Gravner, Mascarello, Salvioni, Manetti, Quintarelli,
Bea—these are a few
the iconoclastic names in Italian winemaking. Each
has produced a wine that
allows the individuality of the artist to show through,
leaving a difficult
comparison to any another wine. They disregard the
status quo and market demand,
paradoxically joining the avant-garde by reverting to
time-honored methods
or to Nature's own auspices. Their guidelines often
include low yields, choice
grape selection, open vat fermentation, extended
maceration, long maturation,
and respect for tradition, releasing wines when they
themselves deem it appropriate,
not when the media or consorzio does. IWM is
pleased to showcase some of these
avant garde and most difficult-to-obtain handcrafted
wines of Italy. Each wine
demonstrates the unique style of the producer, from
the powerful and complex
whites of the reclusive Josko Gravner to the
signature sediment trademark of
Paolo Bea.
Grand Tasting
Saturday, September 29, 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Marble House Lawn
$55 for Preservation Society Members, $65 for Non-
members
IWM will be on-site at The Grand Tasting pouring
wines such as vintage Barolo, limited production
Brunello, an esoteric
Friulian white, and more.
Vintage Babbo
 For
most of Babbo’s clients, the fact
that the years 1996 to 2001
constituted an unprecedented series of excellent
vintages is rather old hat.
Of these six years, three (1996, 1999, and 2001) are
considered “classics.” As
cool nights prefaced the approach of the harvest, the
acid levels attained
aptly balanced Barolo’s firm tannins. In the
other three vintages (1997,
1998, and 2000), warmer weather prevailed towards
harvest—a condition
that usually causes the sugar development of the
grapes to outpace the tannin
maturation of the grapes’ skins. This
condition results in wines with
more astringent tannins, albeit in the context of a
richer palate.
While many in the wine media incited much hype over
the 1997 and 2000 vintages,
we at Babbo have been blown away of late by
the emerging quality of
the 1998s. We were particularly struck during the last
Vintage Babbo event,
which profiled a string of vintages from Bartolo
Mascarello. Of those tasted,
1998 is clearly the one to drink now, while the 1997s
and 2000s resolve their
tannins and the tightly wound fruit of the classic years
opens up.
On Monday, August 20, we invite you to join us for a
close-up look at this
relative sleeper of a vintage through some of the
consummate Barolo reference points, including
Giacomo Conterno Monfortino, Ceretto Bricco Rocche,
Aldo Conterno Granbussia, Bruno Giacosa Falletto,
Pio Cesare Ornato, Giuseppe Rinaldi
Brunate–Le Coste, and the very rare Paolo
Scavino Rocche dell’Annunziata.
The cost of the dinner is $395, inclusive of wine,
dinner, tax, and gratuity. To book for this event, please
email us at babbovino@hotmail.com, or call 917.715.3599.
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