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The Savory Grape Wine Shop Newsletter |
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Greetings!
On Tuesday of this week, we had the pleasure
of tasting numerous Italian and French
wines brought into the U.S. by the famed
importer and distributor Neal Rosenthal. If
you've never heard of Rosenthal, a once
practitioner of corporate and international
law, he and his New York based-company are
solely dedicated
to bringing the finest examples of wine in
their most truest and natural form to the US
market. Instead of conforming to the global
pressures of wine homogenization and big
brands, Rosenthal
and his team seek out those
vineyards and growers who resist this notion
and who
produce limited quantities of the finest
quality wines that have a beautiful balance of
finesse, power and sense of place (man,
culture, soil, grape and
climate), which inevitably results in
exceedingly age worthy wines. Continuing to
buck the trend, as he did when he first
entered into the wine business more than 25
years ago, Rosenthal is an inspiration to
most of us in the wine business. It is a true
pleasure for us to continue expanding our
Rosenthal repertoire in the shop. Just a few
weeks ago on a Saturday, we tasted a white
Bordeaux wine (Sauvignon Blanc), Chateau La
Rame, which was a huge hit and one of
Rosenthals. In any case, if your interest is
peaked and you are curious whether you have
purchased a Rosenthal wine or simply want to
delve into his wines at our shop, ask us or
turn the
bottle over - each back label dons the name
"Rosenthal Wine Merchant," a sure indicator
of quality and passion.
Cheers! Jessica and Nino Granatiero
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The Savory Grape Upcoming Events |
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The Savory Grape Fall Wine Festival.
Invitations to The Savory Grape Fall Wine
Festival, a first annual charity event on
Saturday, November 10,
will be sent out shortly. Please keep an eye
out in the coming week for your electronic
invitation. The event will be held from 6
PM-9 PM at the Greenwich Club in East
Greenwich. During this full, elegant
evening, you will be able to taste many fine
wines from prominent and small boutique
vineyards throughout the world. The highly
sought-after wines featured will be of
limited distribution and some of rare
vintage. Live music and an array foods,
donated by the Pinelli Marra Restaurant
Group, will be
provided. A silent auction of rare wines will
be held to cap off the evening. This will be
the perfect way to kick off the holiday
season with your friends and have an
opportunity to taste and purchase varied fine
wine selections. In an effort to help those
in need, all profits from evening will be
donated to the Rhode Island Community Food Bank.
September Wine Tasting. The
Savory Grape and Main Street Coffee once
again will hold their monthly, casual wine
tastings beginning in September. More
details will be forthcoming of the Monday,
September 24 event held at 7 PM at Main
Street Coffee.
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This Week's Savory Selections |
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2003 12 Linajes Crianza, Spain.
Vinedos y Bodegas Gormaz was among the 16
founding wineries of Ribera del Duero's
Denomination of Origin. From its 1,200-acre
vineyard, averaging 40 years of age, its
Master Winemaker has created a line of rich
luscious red wines known as 12 Linajes. This
Crianza, which is a governed term to
describe aging for at least one year in oak
casks, is made from 100% "Tinta del
Pais," better known as Tempranillo. Attending
to every detail, the grapes are hand-picked,
and the wine is then matured for one year in
French and
American oak barrels. It then rests for
another 6 months in bottle. Upon tasting
this wine, which is ruby red yet slightly
brownish on
the edges due to its aging, you immediately
know great care was taken in its production.
Its aromas on the nose are of delicate
blackberry jam notes with hints of coffee.
While on the palate, the flavors are of the
same but with added hints of cherry and
nutmeg. A superbly luscious, long finish,
this is a great wine for red meats, roasted
lamb and matured cheeses. ($24.99)
2000 12 Linajes Reserva, Spain.
We were so impressed with the 12 Linajes we
also selected its Reserva, which differs from
the Crianza by the aging process. This
Tempranillo rests for two years in American
and French oak, and continues evolving in
character and splendor by maturing yet for
another year in bottle. This selection has
the same silky mouthfeel as its younger
sibling the Crianza but it has more powerful
flavors, body and structure. It immediately
screams out flavors of red berries
accompanied by elegant notes of vanilla and
spices from its oak aging. On the palate the
wine is fat and silky with
mature tannins and a warm lengthy finish. One
of great stature. ($38.99)
2005 Picket Fence Russian River Pinot
Noir, California. Picket Fence wines grew
out of a long friendship and a shared desire
to create handcrafted wines that reflect the
awe-inspiring appeal of Sonoma County's
Russian River Valley. If you've ever been
there, then you know this spectacular
region is a place of unparalleled beauty with
unique growing conditions and vineyards.
Its 2005 Russian River Pinot
Noir is a harmonious wine made from several
vineyards in the Valley. The
Pinot Noir grapes are hand harvested at
night, a labor intensive process that helps
retain freshness and acidity so crucial
to a well-balanced Pinot Noir. In the end, this
wine has an elegant, fruit forward style,
with lots of mouthwatering Bing cherry and
raspberry flavors, but it has a luxurious
density in the mouth. Its fruit, coupled
with the velvety texture, makes this a
superlative example of Russian River Pinot.
($26.99)
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Weekend Wine Tastings |
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Friday, August 24 (5 pm to 8 pm)
Tuscan Reds
2003 Piocaia Di San Fabiano, Italy.
The San Fabiano family is entirely
focused on quality from the beginning of
harvesting the grapes to the final bottling.
Its Piocaia , a superb blend of
Sangiovese,
Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot,
manages to be both powerful
and velvety, yet is wholly seductive.
A full ruby purple color, it provides a
pleasant scent of peppery herbal spice box
aromas. Dense sweet red and black fruit on
the nose is paralleled on the palate
with accompanying notes of smoky cedar and
licorice. The finish is silky and long with an
exceptional mouth feel. ($27.99)
2004 Poliziano Vino Nobile di
Montepulciano, Italy. Vino Nobile,
literally translated as noble wine, is the
highest incarnation of Sangiovese Prugnolo.
A blend of 85% Sangiovese Prugnolo, Colorino,
Canaiolo, and Merlot, Poliziano's offering
shows intense (but not exaggerated) perfumes
with both floral and fruit nuances and a well
structured palate of full-tannins and solid
oak on the lingering finish. This is truly
representative of the varietal's deep Tuscan
roots. Come out and taste a noble wine with
us and the big brother of Rosso di Montepulciano.
($29.99)
Saturday, August 25 (3 pm to 7 pm)
Spain Regional Distinctions
2003 Cellar de Capcanes Mas Donis,
Montsant. From Montsant, a region next
to the famed area of Priorat, is the
beautiful, bright purply-ruby Mas Donis, a
silky smooth blend of Garnacha and Syrah. The
nose is full of aromas of black cherry and
orange rind, along with
cassis and spices. The mouthfeel is juicy and
full of sweet dark cherry and citrus flavors
along with some subtle peppery notes. Its
finish is pleasantly dry, and is a great
choice for meaty tapas. ($16.99)
2003 Marques de Riscal Rioja Reserva,
Spain. Moving to a different region,
this is a wonderful red from Rioja.
Initially, it reveals a
pleasant floral and red berry bouquet on the
nose that then evolves throughout a few
stages of blackberry, currant and cherry. You
move to taste dark
berry fruit flavors that lead into sweet
vanilla from its American oak aging, and
then into a slightly spicy and toasty, warm
finish. The wine totally, yet pleasantly,
consumes the mouth. Consisting of 90%
Tempranillo and 10% Graciano and Mazuelo,
this Reserva is made from grapes from vines
more than 15-years old, but Marques de Riscal is
a leading producer that dates back as far
as 1858. This is a wine that is well worth
its recent price increases. ($26.99)
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