October 19, 2007
Biodynamic Bravura & Indigenous Wonder
In This Issue
A Note from Sergio
Italy's white wines have often gotten a bad rap,
stereotyped as either irrelevant, tasteless
liquids, or
passed over on the hunt for Barolo or
Brunello. But the
idea that Italy has no worthwhile whites is
outdated.
The beautiful, pale golden wines of Italy can
be found
from coast to coast—fresh, interesting,
and
replete with
terroir. Today's offering includes three
producers that
should prove any skeptic wrong: They each make
sophisticated, deeply flavored wines that
accurately
express the true characteristics of their
respective
regional grapes.
Sartarelli is the king of
Verdicchio—or, perhaps
more
accurately, its defining creator. The white
varietal
existed
before,
but nobody outside of Italy knew much about it.
Ignorance may actually have been preferable,
as Verdicchio was considered pretty
tacky—a
mediocre,
sloppily crafted juice in a kitschy
fish-shaped glass
bottle. But then came the Sartarelli family.
They went
from owning a communal cantina—in which
all
the farmers would press their grapes
together—to building
an empire that singlehandedly reinvented
Verdicchio
with three unique interpretations.
In so doing, they raised
the bar and created a market. What was once a
watery,
acidic drink is now a crisp, herbal wine. The
straightforward Classico is simple,
clear, and perfect with fresh seafood. When
I'm in the
area, I refuse to drink anything else.
For Gavi di Gavi, the native white Cortese of
the
Monferrato Hills, there's Villa Sparina. It's
a place run
by Stefano Moccagatta, a human being who is
quite
literally larger-than-life. Stefano is
Pavarotti's
doppelganger—merely one of his many feats.
He's also a brilliant winemaker who has,
with
passion and diligence, brought his indigenous
varietal
into the public eye. He's taken a fruit once
considered
bland and made a rich, intensely extracted wine,
beautiful with regional dishes—soft
cheeses,
homemade pasta, roasted vegetables,and white
fish.
And then there is Movia, an estate that has
changed
winemaking as a whole. Its owner, Ales
Kristancic, is
a wild genius—and I'm not exaggerating. He
takes biodynamic production to a new level,
incorporating philosophy and ancient science
into his
farming; bottling by the lunar cycle; and
treating
fermentation with yeast on an
advanced level. He was born to make wine,
born with
an innate understanding of the medium's
mysteries.
The clarity he brings to his craft can be
perceived on a
sensory level in his work. When I hear the word
biodynamic, I
see Ales in his cellar, working like a wizard
to make
the
world's freshest, most thrilling white wines.
So when someone says Italy's whites are
"water with
lemon," I don't get mad. I invite them over
and pour
them glasses of Sartarelli, Villa Sparina,
and Movia.
From the very first sip, I can see their
minds changing.
Because when done right, Italy's whites are
wines of
wonder.
My Best,
Sergio
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Verdicchio at its Best
Le Marche is now renowned for its Verdicchio, a
native varietal whose cultivation
in this region has been traced back to the
14th
century. Its name derives from
the word verde, a reference to its
slight green
hue, and it is often
classified as the ultimate wine for fish,
due to its
crisp, delicate nature.
Modern versions both attest to and enhance the
grape’s innate identity,
realizing a significant stylistic breadth.
Verdicchio is a
late-ripening, productive
grape, and shows best when yields are
controlled
and it is allowed to experience
a long-ripening season. Cru
bottlings and selected cuvées
display its virtues to particular
effect.
Sartarelli Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi
Balciana
You could say that Sartarelli had a
varietal calling.
This estate is quite
rare among producers, as it is dedicated
exclusively
to one grape and one
grape alone—Verdicchio. Sartarelli
brings
Verdicchio to new heights
with three bottlings from Castelli
di Jesi, and its devotion
has translated into Le Marche’s
premier
version of Verdicchio—Balciana,
the portfolio's flagship. Sourced from
low-yielding,
late-harvest grapes,
the Balciana receives an extended period
of aging
prior to release. Having well established
itself as the
most opulent and concentrated expression of
Verdicchio in all of Italy, Balciana is a sheer
exhibitionist in the heat of the '03 vintage,
delivering a
weighty and
intense expression that surpasses its normale
state. This concentration receives an added
flourish in the subtle, yet distinctive
revelation of the
wine's oak influences.
Sartarelli 2003 Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Balciana $44.50
Sartarelli Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Tralivio
Sartarelli's Tralivio is selectively
sourced from some
of the estate’s
oldest vines, which are aggressively pruned
in order
to obtain low yields.
Vinification entails gentle pressing and
temperature-
controlled fermentation,
producing an utterly persuasive wine in its
distinctive
aromatics, which are particularly
demonstrative in
the '03 vintage, a year that also makes
itself apparent
in the Tralivio's full body.
Sartarelli 2003 Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Tralivio $18.56
Sartarelli Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico
The Classico is Sartarelli’s lightest
rendition
of Verdicchio,
delivering a pure, fresh expression of
varietal
character. Dry, crisp, and
tart on the palate, with ripe fruit flavors
of melon and
citrus, the wine ends
cleanly, with a distinctive touch of bitter
almond.
While the simplest in the portfolio, this
expression is
quintessentially Verdicchio—a wine that
was
made to be with seafood.
Sartarelli 2004 Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico $12.63
Gavi that Takes it Higher
Gavi is made from the indigenous white
Cortese,
a vigorous vine that
thrives in southeastern Piemonte’s
Monferrato
Hills, producing fresh wines
with a whisk of acidity and subtle flavors of
minerality,
apple, citrus, and
honeysuckle. Gavi earned
DOC status in 1974, and in 1998 became
Italy’s second DOCG white wine.
While it is among the region’s most
celebrated wines, it has realized its full
potential
through the bottlings of Villa Sparina—the
antitheses of
the bland expressions that have tended to
obscure the
wine's higher potential.
Villa Sparina Gavi di Gavi
IWM is rather passionate where Gavi is
concerned, nurturing a palate for
one Gavi and one Gavi alone—the production
of Villa Sparina, an estate
that satisfies our singular devotion—at
this
particular time—through three
expressions. While Cortese
is inherently rather reserved, Villa Sparina
is noted for
its ability to bring
out another side of this modest figure,
crafting atypical
versions that deliver
a tropical quality and full-bodied character.
In order to
realize this interpretation,
Villa Sparina delays harvest as long as
possible,
enabling the grapes to develop
significant concentration. This strategy,
however, does
not compromise Cortese’s
hallmark acidity, thereby enabling an
expression of
great complexity.
This wine exhibits atypical density in
concentrated
pear and citrus flavors.
Nevertheless, it expresses distinguished
composure, closing with a signature
almond finish.
Villa Sparina 2005 Gavi di Gavi $22.47
Villa Sparina Gavi di Gavi
‘Monterotondo’
The Monterotondo delivers a different kind of
Gavi—illustrating the wine's response
to oak
aging. Filigreed golden flecks glitter
throughout the
wine,
visually projecting Monterotondo’s
richness. Aromas of pear, spice, and citrus
entice the
nose, and the palate
satisfies with flavors of cream, honey, and
oak. While
full-bodied, the acidity
royally supports this weighty gem through an
extended finish.
Villa Sparina 2001 Gavi di Gavi ‘Monterotondo’ $34.99
Villa Sparina Montej Bianco
Distinguishing itself from all others on
the shelf
in its uniquely shaped
frosted bottle, the Montej also delivers
quite an
intriguing blend, both in
general and certainly with respect to the
region in
question. Comprised of
Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Müller-
Thurgau (a cross of the Riesling
and Sylvaner grapes), the profile offers a
spectrum of
flavors. While
opening with many of the acidic and green
qualities of
Sauvignon Blanc,
it loses all inhibitions from the midpalate
on,
delivering lush flavors
of pineapple to sweet almond.
Villa Sparina 2004 Montej Bianco $11.22
A True Biodynamic Producer
Movia is the leading producer of Slovenia,
yet holds a
special and deserved
place in IWM’s portfolio, as it
cultivates vines
that cross the border,
extending into the Collio region of
Fruili. Movia is
also recognized as the
leading biodynamic producer. The
influence of this
estate is such that students
and winemakers around the globe study Movia
winemaker Ales Kristancic’s
techniques, and many visit him to observe
and learn
firsthand. His vinification
and viticultural philosophy cannot be
construed as
either traditional or
even purely natural: Rather, it is a
reflection of a
collective wisdom acquired
and refined over two centuries of
winemaking at the
Movia estate. Terms that
have been rendered virtually meaningless
in the
wine world due to gratuitous
usage—green harvest, 100 percent new
French barrique, and low yields—are
not part of Movia’s viticultural
frame of
reference. Production is
informed by fine-tuned biodynamic
principles that
reflect a thorough understanding
of vines, root management, and lunar
cycles.
Movia Pinot Grigio
While many oenophiles may feel it
obligatory to
dismiss all Italian Pinot Grigio,
Friuli’s top producers consistently
demonstrate this varietal’s
eminent worth and range. Most regard it
as a fairly
light, quaffable wine,
but Movia’s version expresses the
wine’s broader dimensions in
a full-bodied version that delivers
generous tropical
fruits, acacia honey,
underlying minerality, and a creaminess
reminiscent of crème brûlée.
While Movia’s Pinot Grigio is grown
exclusively in Friuli, the vinification
facilities are situated across the border in
Slovenia.
Movia 2004 Pinot Grigio $25.25
Movia 2003 Sauvignon
Sauvignon Blanc is reinvented at Movia.
Grassy
gooseberry aromas are the
trademark of New Zealand’s take on this
international varietal. It exhibits
a softer, more subtle dimension in the
wines of
Bordeaux, where it figures
in blends with Sémillon. Movia,
however,
does not reference either of
these popular expressions in its
interpretation. This
unique Sauvignon is derived
from a clone of the grape found exclusively
in one
plot of the Movia estate.
A subtle version—i.e., less
“green” than
typical Sauvignon—this wine is laden
with floral
and tangerine notes.
While possessing a high level of acidity,
this element
is integrated into
the wine through aging in new oak on its
lees for 20
months, which fashions
a voluptuous character and supple finish.
Movia 2003 Sauvignon $26.40
Movia Ribolla
Although this aromatic, robust, and
late-ripening
varietal is obscured by both
Pinot Grigio and Tocai, the preferred
grapes of the
international and local
scenes, respectively, it enjoys flattering
representation in the work of Friuli’s
iconoclastic producers. Known as
Rebula in
Slovenia and Robola in Greece, Ribolla
wines are generally dry and buttery,
possessing
good acidity in their youth.
However, age moderates this grape’s
juvenile vivacity and many age well,
developing a mature richness.
Movia 2003 Ribolla $25.24
Note: During visits to the Movia
estate, Sergio
has tasted
Ribollas with Ales that
date back to the fifties and sixties.
Sergio has found
them to be miracles
of viticultural science—providing
firsthand
evidence that the whites
of the Collio have the ability to age
gracefully. This
wine delivers rich flavors
of fresh apples and damson, with a chalky
streak
right down the middle. It
offers vibrant acidity backed by buttery
oak and spicy
fruit.
Movia 2003 Veliko Bianco
In addition to the monovarietal bottlings
featured
above, Movia also crafts standout cuvées that
reflect
the rich style captured by their
solo-varietal relations.
Each vintage of Movia's "Great
White"—Veliko Belo in
Slovenian—constitutes a blend of varying
proportions
of Ribolla, Chardonnay, Sauvignon, and Pinot
Grigio
that is aged for a three-year period in oak.
Floral
suggestions on the nose are succeeded by a full
palate featuring persimmon, apricot, baked
apple, and
white flowers.
This elegant and age-worthy offering
represents a
superb value.
Movia 2003 Veliko Bianco $41.25
Assorted White Wonders
All of the featured producers craft very
distinctive
whites, many of which
redefine their respective grapes. Their
interpretations maximize the inherent
quality of the grapes concerned through
restricted
yields, rigorous processes
of selection, late harvesting, and
extended periods
of aging, establishing
the level of quality that uncompromising
viticultural
techniques may realize.
In Sartarelli’s one-varietal
vocation, Verdicchio
acquires intensity,
delivering an intense rendition that shows
quite a
different side of this quintessential seafood
wine. Villa
Sparina brings an ancient
grape—Cortese—into a new era,
preserving
its trademark acidity while eliciting a
rich character.
Movia operates in its own realm, pursuing a
unique
biodynamic regimen that
reinterprets the familiar and captures the
essence of
the esoteric, yet disarmingly familiar.
This 10-bottle collection delivers a focused
immersion study in some of the
foremost grapes and producers of Italy’s
indigenous white scene, set
against the backdrop of three distinct
regions.
Terroir, philosophy, technique….these
are whites to wonder upon….
White Wonders Assorted 10-Pack Includes:
Sartarelli 2003 Verdicchio dei Castelli di
Jesi
Balciana
Sartarelli 2003 Verdicchio dei Castelli di
Jesi
Tralivio
Sartarelli 2004 Verdicchio dei Castelli di
Jesi
Classico
Villa Sparina 2005 Gavi di Gavi
Villa Sparina 2001 Gavi di Gavi
‘Monterotondo’
Villa Sparina 2004 Montej Bianco
Movia 2004 Pinot Grigio
Movia 2003 Sauvignon
Movia 2003 Ribolla
Movia 2003 Veliko Bianco
White Wonders Assorted
Ten-Pack...$262.51*
*Free Delivery in Manhattan
Saturday Tasting Events
A Taste of Brunello di Montalcino
October 27, 1:00–3:00 pm, $50.00
Though Montalcino's winemaking origins date
back to
the 10th century, the greatness
of the region was secured in 1865, when Clemente
Biondi Santi bottled a red wine
labeled Brunello. Despite its
relatively short
history,
Brunello di Montalcino
has quickly become the most collected of
Italy’s wines. The beauty of Brunello
lies in its astounding diversity: Montalcino
has 24
distinct subzones and an
array of producer styles that are best
understood
when tasting through a selection
of the wines. Provide your palate with a
consummate
education in Brunello, as
you experience both classic and contemporary
interpretations, and refine your
ability to identify the signatures of
individual zones in
the region.
Participants Receive:
Tasting Booklet that includes IWM’s
proprietary notes
Sampling of regional foods prepared
by IWM
chefs paired with each wine tasted
***********************************************************
IWM Featured Event: Tasting Wine for the Cellar
Saturday, November 3, 1:00–3:00 pm,
$125.00
You are cordially invited to join us for a
special tasting
dedicated to the fine art of creating and
maintaining a
balanced wine collection. Whether you are an
experienced collector or an aspiring
enthusiast, this
seminar will introduce you to Wine Collecting
Solutions. While you taste Italy's legendary
wines—
such as Sassicaia and Granbussia—learn
how an IWM
Portfolio
Manager can help you establish short- and
long-term
goals for collecting and cellaring based on
your palate
and budget; how to track, research, and chart
your
purchases and consumption through our
proprietary
online wine tracking tool; and how a
dedicated Cellar
Master will help supervise and maintain your
online
Cellar Account. Attendees will also receive a
complimentary one-month Online Cellar Account.
This tasting will showcase a selection of
collectible
wines intended for aging, labels suited to
entertaining, and bottlings that are ideal
for everyday
consumption.
Cellar Wines (wines that need to age):
Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia
Aldo Conterno Barolo Granbussia
Tenuta La Fuga Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Le
Due Sorrelle
Il Macchione Vino Nobile di Montepulciano
Riserva
Entertainment Wines (wines that
impress):
Aldo Conterno Il Favot
Quintarelli Valpolicella Superiore
Castello di Monsanto Il Nemo
Everyday Wines (wine for food and
home):
Featured Spumante
Bruno Giacosa Barbera d'Alba Superiore
*Attendees will receive a complimentary Cellar
Account
(your own virtual cellar) for one month,
along with
tasting notes, maps, and more.
For more information on our Saturday tasting
event or
to make a reservation, please contact Michann
Thompson at 212-473-2323, x106.
Two Special Events
Autism Speaks to Wall Street: A Celebrity Chef Gala
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
This inaugural event pairs Wall Street's
investment
community with world-renowned
chefs for a magical evening of fine food,
wine and
goodwill at the Capitale Ballroom
in New York's Chinatown. Guests will enjoy the
comedic talents of host Darrell
Hammond and the music of singer/songwriter Lisa
Loeb. The evening begins with
a cocktail reception followed by a sit-down
four-course
dinner, which will be prepared
by celebrity chefs tableside. The
gala includes such culinary
luminaries as Franklin Becker, Andrew
Carmellini,
Wylie Dufresne, Eric Ripert,
David Waltuck, Geoffrey Zakarian, and more.
The event concludes with an auction featuring
unique
wine packages,
offerings which IWM is proud to be a part of.
While this event is sold out, you can still be
involved or contribute to
this tremendous cause. Email Cindy Brown to
learn more about this event and the cause.
Le Città del Tartufo-The Truffle Towns of
Italy
Thursday, November 8, 2007, 5:30 to 11:00
pm
This rare truffle event for the James Beard
Foundation
is another occasion IWM is proud to be
involved in.
Just in time to mark the start of white
truffle season,
the
Foundation is importing over 25 pounds of
truffles and welcoming three great truffle
chefs from
Italy's principal truffle towns for the
annual holiday
auction. A
spectacular live auction will feature
one-of-a-kind
culinary and gourmet travel packages,
including private dinners prepared by the
world's
greatest chefs, the Italian truffle trip of a
lifetime,
and a truffle hunt. Other
unique and rare gourmet gifts will be
available in
a large silent auction. Proceeds from the
dinner and
auctions will support the mission and
programs of the
James Beard Foundation. Look for IWM at the
event.
Reservations:
IWM Clients $1,000*
General Public $1,250
*Note: IWM clients can receive this special
rate by
mentioning the code IWM when they call to
RSVP by
phone at 212-627-2308 or (800) 36-BEARD. For
more
information on the event, please click here.
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