A bird in the hand is worth....
September 19, 2006
Last Tuesday we were in San Francisco at Fort
Mason down in the Marina District to attend an import tasting from one of our
favorite importer/distributors. We spent the better part of 2
& 1/2 hours swirling, sniffing and spitting our way through about
250 imported wines from Austria, Italy, France, Australia.... and even
California producers the likes of Alban, Saxum, Villa Creek to name drop a
few. First we did sparkling wines which are great to cleanse the
palate. Then we worked our way around the room to sample all of
the white wines of interest and then the reds. Intermittently, we
took breaks to nibble on some cheeses and breads and flush our palates
with sparkling water to keep our senses alive. It really is more difficult
than you can imagine when you are trying to assess wines...especially
the ones that impress you on the first go around. You hope your
your palate can hold up to critically retaste on the second
pass.
One particular Italian red wine was visited
for a third and fourth time.....not because we needed convincing. On the
contrary, the 2003 Uccelliera*** "Repace" from
Montalcino in southern Tuscany beckoned us with
its explosive and expressive nose of tanned dark
suede, balsamic spiciness, cedar cigar box, and ripe cherry
fruit. This wine is mouthfilling, rich and powerful
enough to jumpstart a palate on the brink of fatigue. The
finish is dynamic and lingers gracefully.
So what do we have here? Primarily, 70%
Sangiovese (Brunello) fruit has been carefully selected from the
winery's 15 acres of Brunello di Montalcino
vineyards in Castelnuovo dell'Abate on well exposed hillslopes (500 to
1000 ft elevation) just southeast of Montalcino. Then, 20% Merlot and
10% Cabernet Sauvignon are blended to enhance the middle body of the
wine, without sacrificing structure. The wine is
then matured in small French oak barrels for a minimum of 18 months
before bottling, and held another six months before release. Only a
couple of hundred cases are made annually if quality permits. Obviously,
very little of the "Repace" is exported.
If you are a fan of fine vintage Brunello di
Montalcino or the Super Tuscan wines from Chianti or Bolgheri, then you
know a quality "Tuscano Rosso" can easily reach $$$. The
final endearing feature of the "Repace" is its price tag.
$35.95 is an absolute bargain for a wine that offers
this kind of immediate gratification, but also has the excellent potential for
extended aging. I highly recommended this charming wine for savory spiced
braised lamb, beef and veal dishes. Don't forget the
gremolata!
Last Saturday the "Repace" all but sold out
at the tasting bar (Monsignore M. Zari bestowed it with his
blessing!!!). More is on the way for this Friday. We will
feature it again this Saturday at the tasting bar if you missed your
opportunity to sample.
Regular price is $35.95 a
bottle! Through September 26th - $34.50 a
bottle > BONUS! IF YOU PURCHASE AT LEAST SIX BOTTLES OF
"REPACE" - ONLY $31.75 A
BOTTLE!
Catch some before it flies the
coop!
*** means
"birdhouse" - you may now refer to Uccelliera as the
"birdhouse wine"......."Repace" - like the little bird that paces back and forth
on the perch in its cage!
2004 CAYMUS Cabernet Sauvignon
- Napa Valley - Should be $72.95 - NOW $69.95 a bottle!
ORDER SIX PLUS BOTTLES -
SPECIAL PRICE OF $63.95 - LIMITED
ALLOCATION!
When it's gone.....it's
gone!
Eric Stumpf
The Wine Consultant
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