by Frank Mangio
It’s 1990 in Rome Italy: Italian singer Luciano Pavarotti, and Spanish singers Placido Domingo and Jose Carreras, begin a concert and record career as the 3 Tenors. It was perfect harmony and musical excitement, crating a popular movement of the highest tradition of Italian operatic bliss.
Recently in La Costa, “Three tenors” of Italian wine were introduced at Kris Garrett’s La Costa Wine Company, generating similar excitement: a 2004 Barolo from Piedmont; a 2006 Amarone style Ripasso from Veneto and a 2005 Nero d’ Avola from Sicily.
Italy is one of the world’s largest producers of red wine with over 1,000 different varietals, and it’s the biggest exporter of wine into the U.S. Weather has a huge influence on the wines. Winemakers with a heritage of personal care, reach back to their roots when wine was carted to market in large kegs, carefully wrapped in heavy straw for protection from the elements. In Italy’s 20 districts, there are some 900,000 vineyards, from backyard Sicilian families to many thousands of acres such as Tuscany’s Banfi Vintners.
The following Three Italian “tenors” make music to a wine lover’s palate:
Renato Ratti 2004 Barolo Marcenasco. Comes from the Ratti family’s Piedmont hillside village of Marcenasco. Steep west-facing slopes provide the Nebbiolo grapes maximum ripening. 15th century abbey serves as the winery. This is a wine suitable for long aging. Smooth and balanced ($54.99).
Masi 2006 Campofiorin Rosso del Veronese. Deep, dark, ruby red and intense. Pleasing spiciness. Soft and well balanced tannins. A drink-now wine from Verona with a remarkable value price ($14.99).
Gulfi 2005 Nerosanlore Nero d’Avola. Spectacular Sicilian red. Beautiful aromatics meld into a taste of dark fruit and spices. 95 points from Robert Parker. To check on inventory of these wines, call La Costa Wine Company at 760-431-8455.
Pinot Noir Harvest Begins in Oregon
Two years ago, vineyards in Oregon knew they had something special. Nature was being very kind to the 2008 crop of Pinot Noir, and a recent multi-year celebration of Pinot was given new reasons to buy the ‘08’s: perfect balance and rich flavors. Wineries like Ponzi, Argyle, Domaine Serene, Erath, Sokol Blosser, Willamette Valley and Four Graces all did well with their releases.
Willamette Valley’s Signature Cuvee Pinot Noir is assessed as the best vintage in two decades with long graceful finishes preceded by bright red fruit and spice.
The summer was so cool in 2008 that there was worrying that the grapes would never ripen. But when October hit, temperatures shot up and the sun stayed out. “It was a nail-biter harvest. We picked all the way to November,” said Luisa Ponzi. “But it turned out to be a dynamite vintage across the board.”
Sokol Blosser, one of the originals in Oregon Wine Country, is starting to prep for the 2010 harvest by dropping fruit and reducing the number of clusters on each vine, for complexity and mature flavors. It understands that Pinot doesn’t allow for cutting corners or letting the details slide. They constantly taste to determine when to begin harvesting the grapes.
At Four Graces, a recently established 110 acre vineyard purchased in 2003 by Steve and Paula Black in Dundee, their goal is rich, complex, hand-made Pinot Noirs. The wines stay true to the region and the local soil found in the Willamette Valley, which is iron-rich, volcanic and well drained, with higher elevation than most other Oregon appellations. Let the harvest begin!
Wine Bytes
The Grand Del Mar’s Addison Restaurant has Wed. Tastings on the Terrace with Red Wine Blends Sept. 22 and Cabernets Sept. 29. Time is 6 to 7pm. Cost is $20. a person. Call 858-314-2000.
Belle Marie Winery in Escondido has an End of Summer Tasting Sat Sept. 18 from 12 to 6pm. Cost is $15. pp. Raffle drawings and a picnic. RSVP at 760-796-7557.
Vigilucci’s Seafood and Steakhouse in Carlsbad presents a Darioush Wine Tasting Thurs. Sept. 23 from 5 to 7pm. Darioush is a Napa Valley Bordeaux style winery. $35. ea. includes four wines and complimentary food. Call 760-434-2580.
La Costa Wine Company holds its 2nd annual Wine Expo, Sat. Sept. 25 with over 40 wines to taste and purchase like Cakebread, Newton, Rosenblum and much more. Just $25. RSVP only at 760-431-8455.
A full moon Gondola Wine Tasting is planned at Loews Coronado, 6:30 to 7:45pm on Fri. Sept. 24. $45. cost gets you 6 wine tastings and chocolate covered strawberries for dessert. For more call 619-429-6317.
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