January 2, 2009
Tenuta San Guido Sassica & Querciabella Camartina
In This Issue
A Note
from Sergio
As rambunctious as the world of Italian
wines tends to be, it’s pretty easy
to make the argument that the biggest wine
movement in the last fifty years
is the Super-Tuscan. The story goes,
briefly, like this: in the first half of
the twentieth century, a Tuscan winemaker
named Marchese Mario Incisa della
Rocchetta chose to flout tradition and DOC
rules and to make Cabernet-based
wines in the style of Bordeaux. A
revolution was born, and a new crop of highly
collectible, hotly desired, and incredibly
tasty wine was the serendipitous
result.
Sassicaia, created by Rochetta’s estate
Tenuta San Guido, quickly rose to the
top of Super-Tuscan heap. A long-aging wine
of great sophistication and grace,
Sassicaia soon became one of the most
sought-after wines in the world. Its prices
rose accordingly, and Sassicaia has the
reputation of consistently being a stellar
performer at auction. Everyone swoons over
Sassicaia, but then that swooning
is fairly expected.
From the same rebellious tradition comes
Querciabella’s Camartina. Like Sassicaia,
it’s a Super-Tuscan that is crafted
from mostly Cabernet. Unlike Sassicaia,
however, Camartina has waited quietly in
the shadows created by well-known Super-Tuscans
for its time in the sun. That time has come
in the form of the 1999 vintage,
a sleeper year in which Camartina blossomed
and fulfilled its full, tantalizing
promise. Let the swooning begin.
In 1999, Camartina went from being a lean,
stern and powerful wine to a graceful,
mature wine that brims with character.
Simply put, the 1999 vintage illustrates
how Camartina has grown up into an
interesting adult, one you want to keep around
for a long time in order to prolong your
conversation with it. Even better,
while Camartina has grown into its own
beauty, its price has stayed low. This
wine is simply an unbelievable value, and
the 1999, which we’re focusing on
this week, is a stand-out vintage.
This week, I’m happy to be offering
both Querciabella’s Camartina and Tenuta
San Guido’s Sassicaia, the latter an
established entity whose price reflects
its value, and the former a little-known
upstart whose value far exceeds its
price. Whichever Super-Tuscan you choose,
you’ll be getting a rebel’s wine
that revels in its power and longevity.
My Best,
Sergio
For more accounts of Italian wine, food, and life purchase
my new book:
Passion
on the Vine: A Memoir of Food, Wine, and Family in the Heart
of Italy.
Querciabella 1999 Camartina
Querciabella
While Querciabella’s story began with
its Chianti Classico—one of the
region’s
finest expressions and most consistent
performers with respect to both quality
and typicity—estate owner Giuseppe
Castiglioni wanted to join the Super-Tuscan
movement, the storied wine rebellion that
segued directly from an inchoate state
into an international furor. Castiglioni,
who initially planted vines as a hobby,
soon set about authoring a Super-Tuscan
success story in 1972—he restored an
ancient estate, outfitted it with
state-of-the-art equipment and, over time,
established an elite winemaking cadre,
including winemaker Guido de Santi and
famed consultant and Super-Tuscan
specialist Giacomo Tachis. The 26-hectare
estate is presently owned and directed by
Castiglioni’s son, Sebastiano Castiglioni.
Camartina—the flagship of
Querciabella—was
Castiglioni’s first contribution
to this dynamic and historic phenomenon.
Camartina continues to be a defining
example of the Super-Tuscan genre, a
position it has earned, in no small part,
due to Giacomo Tachis’
involvement.
Querciabella
1999 Camartina…$79.99
(Toscana— Cabernet Sauvignon,
Sangiovese, Merlot, Syrah)
Camartina is one of Super-Tuscan specialist
Giacomo Tachis’ numerous legends.
Irresistibly accessible upon release, the
Camartina also promises even greater
rewards if cellared and experienced over
time. Debuting on the market in 1981,
right behind Solaia (1979) and Sammarco
(1980), Camartina is one of the original
Super-Tuscans, and it has become a staple
in the Super-Tuscan genre. Ironically,
it often gets lost in the crowd for no
other reason than the tremendous value
that it offers. But that’s
Querciabella for you; this renowned Chianti
Classico
estate proudly defies the
Super-Tuscan’s seemingly inherited
right to flash
and command a high price tag. No other wine
of such class and pedigree enables
you to encounter the past and present in
tandem at such a modest, unassuming
cost. This wine is maturing and is ready to
drink now through 2012.
Also
Available:
Querciabella
1999 Camartina Six-Bottle
Sampler…$419.94** ($69.99 per
bottle)
** Free Delivery in Manhattan
Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia: 2004 and 2005 Vintages
Tenuta San Guido
Forever changing the course of wine
production in Toscana, Mario Incisa della
Rocchetta blazed a trail by breaking the
rules and establishing a new territorial
expression. In short, Rocchetta redefined
Toscana’s viticultural landscape
and pioneered the Super-Tuscan movement.
Upon settling with his wife in Bolgheri at
the Tenuta San Guido estate, Rochetta
noticed that the soil on his property was
similar to that of the Graves appellation
in Bordeaux—rocky in nature, as the name
Graves, or "gravel" in French,
suggests. In 1944, with the help of
traveling consultant Tancredi Biondi-Santi,
Rochetta planted cuttings of Cabernet
Sauvignon from Bordeaux’s Château
Lafite and began making the wine he later
christened Sassicaia, or "stony
ground" in the Tuscan dialect.
In 1968, after a quarter century of
experimentation that was notably marked
by the enological assistance of Piero
Antinori’s winemaker, Giacomo Tachis
(Solaia & Tignanello), Tenuta San Guido
released the first vintage of Sassicaia.
Not only was a new vernacular born, but so
was a storied wine. Sassicaia was
met by the fervent praise of critics and
consumers; and today—Sassicaia—a
legendary wine single-handedly responsible
for launching the Super-Tuscan
movement—may
be the most coveted Cabernet
Sauvignon-Cabernet Franc blend ever produced.
The
regard for this wine is so great that it
was accorded its own DOC status by
the same classification system that shunned
its initial efforts—a first
for Italian wine.
Rocchetta has remained faithful to his
mission and formula, and here we highlight
the ’04 and ’05 vintages. These
wines are best after 2012 and will
ultimately benefit from a longer tenure in
the cellar. The 2005 Sassicaia can
retail more than $300 a bottle with the
classically defined 2004 commanding
even more, and retailing from $182 to $469
per bottle. Our current offers are
extraordinary for a wine of such historic
quality and consistent track record
whose every vintage since 1995 (except
2002) has received high ratings.
Tenuta
San Guido 2004
Sassicaia…$178.00**
(Toscana—Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet
Franc)
The 1968 Sassicaia—the wine that
launched a thousand Super-Tuscans—is a
masterful
cuvée of the best Cabernet Sauvignon
and Cabernet Franc grapes from the
vineyards of Castiglioncello, Doccino,
Quercione, San Martino, Mandrioli, Sassicaia,
and Aianova. It rocked the wine world when
it challenged the First Growths in
the 1985 vintage, when it surpassed its
legendary premiere by attaining the
pinnacle of its expression. Though
Sassicaia doesn’t want for attention no
matter
the vintage concerned, few are as deserving
of that attention as the ’04. This
vintage truly distinguishes itself in
Sassicaia’s storied career, an unbroken
performance streak that has delivered
amazing stylistic breadth while retaining
both the wine’s individual character
(the "signature smell of Sassicaia")
and its Italian heritage. Moreover, Tenuta
San Guido maintains Sassicaia’s integrity
by exercising a restrained use of modern
technology so that the wine never comes
across as over-extracted. Is the 2004
another ’85? While not quite on par with
that monumental homage to Super-Tuscans, it
is the most structured Sassicaia
to be released in decades and surpasses the
highly lauded 2001. As it matures
over the next two decades, it will steadily
be erecting its own monument to
this genre of wine. This wine is young can
be cellared for maturing from 2010-2022.
Also
Available:
Tenuta
San Guido Sassicaia 2004
(1.5L)…$389.99**
Tenuta
San Guido 2005
Sassicaia…$168.00
(Toscana—Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet
Franc)
Coming off a vintage like ’04 was
particularly challenging for Sassicaia. In
the opinion of San Guido’s managing
director, Sebastiano Rosa, the 2005 operates
well within the realm of Sassicaia’s
most revered vintages. However, it occupies
this space on its own, though in no less
compelling terms. At its core, the
’05 is not the intensely structured
interpretation of ’01, ’04, or
the upcoming
’06. Even at this early stage, 2005
offers a Sassicaia that privileges proportion
over an opaque, palpable restraint and it
displays a finely wrought elegance
that complements its vivacious, forward
temperament. While these components
will work together in a dynamic dialogue as
the ’05’s matures, the more
disciplined
vintages of 2004 and 2006 will likely take
a linear-driven course, gradually
opening as their tightly wrought structures
relent. Go between the two for the
2005 Sassicaia—the one to approach
now. This wine is young can be cellared for
maturing from 2012-2025.
Also
Available:
Tenuta
San Guido Sassicaia 2005
(375ml)…$89.99
Tenuta
San Guido Sassicaia 2005
(1.5L)…$359.99**
** Free Delivery in Manhattan
IWM Restaurant Series
AQUAVIT
AND IWM WINE DINNER
Italy's Cult Wines Meet Scandinavian
Cuisine
Thursday, January 22, 2009, 7:00pm,
$395.00
This special event marks the debut of Italian
Wine Merchants’ Restaurant Series. IWM
is taking its rare and esoteric finds on the
road to the country’s top restaurants
for an exploratory, and sometimes,
revolutionary wine and food experience.
Join Aquavit New York and Italian Wine
Merchants for a pioneering effort that
combines the culinary genius of Chef Marcus
Samuelsson with the esoteric brilliance of
Italy’s rarest wines.The dinner will
present five courses—artfully composed
by the Aquavit Culinary Team for this unique
event. Intended for the wine enthusiast, this
line-up brings together Italy’s cult and
limited production wines. The event begins
with the debut appearance of Italy’s
rarest white, Fiorano Bianco, and moves on to
include the following rarities:
Gravner Ribolla Anfora, the 5,000 year old
wine; Monfortino and Granbussia, the
two monuments of Barolo face off; Tua Rita
Redigaffi, Toscana’s answer to Petrus;
Quintarelli Amarone Riserva, the
quintessential artisanal wine; and 1959 Solaria
Jonica, Italy’s rarest and most
unlikely desert wine. Join us for an evening of
unique, exceptional and exciting food and
wine.
Winter Tasting Events
Amarone to Teroldego:
Exploration of Italy's Alpine Regions
Saturday, January 10, 2009 1:00-3:00
PM
Tradition Turned Trend: Vino e Salumi
Saturday, January 17, 2009 1:00-3:00
PM, $95.00
To learn more about IWM’s Studio Regionale
Saturday Tasting Series, or to make
a reservation over the phone, contact Maryellen
Philipps at 212.473.2323, x129.
News from Italy
For Italian wine followers wanting to stay in
the know, we’ve launched a Daily
Wine News section that dials you into the
latest news, trends, innovations, and
often bold new projects of our producer
friends in Italy. It’s a window into the
past, present, and future of all things
Italian wine. Written from a local perspective,
these articles offer a daily dose of snippets
from the world of Italian food and
wine that we think you will enjoy.
2008 Seasonal Catalog
We’re not returning to the same holiday terroir that you’re accustomed to. Rather, we’re going to show you the finest of IWM–our classic wine offerings featuring significant producers and programs that have redefined the wine-tasting genre. Our working philosophy at IWM continues to evolve even as it retains Sergio’s pre-eminent challenge to present to our clients "Italian wines as they’ve never been presented before." With our robust on-line wine shop, interactive Cellar Management and exclusive events suite, we’re working to surprise you, our IWM clients, with the very best wines–better, faster, and more easily than ever before.
Seasonal
Catalogue/Downloadable PDF
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