Giacosa's 1996 Falletto. (PHOTO: Bruno Giacosa)

“When this vintage came out, everyone shied away from it,” said Perry Porricelli, president, Italian Wine Merchants. “People thought it was backwards, lean and impenetrable. You needed a certain palate to taste it.”

No one knew what to do with this wine, according to Perry,  but he and Sergio instantly picked up on the projected fruit and longevity of this Piemonte gem that most didn’t recognize.

It turns out that the wine is now one of the most sought after Barolo vintages in history. It also helped put Italian Wine Merchants on the map. “Sergio and I really staked our reputations on this one,” he added.

Some great Barolos were born in 1996. The vintage yielded a Barolo of classic structure. An idyllic growing season offered weather conditions that produced deeply colored fruits, producing wines of great complexity, intense perfume and a firm Barolo structure giving it the ability to mature over a long period of time. The wines have a generous level of alcohol, acid and tannin. A perfect year for the Nebbiolo; harvest went on without a hitch.

“The 1996 vintage in Piemonte was without a doubt— regardless of what scores more “ready” vintages earned—the greatest of its decade,” said Sergio. “The wines I’ve chosen today are well-kept bottles of some of these gloriously-structured wines—among them the Giacosa Asili Riserva, a wine that I consider to be simply as good as it gets.”

“When Sergio and I tasted these, we said wow,” said Perry. “We looked at each other, and Sergio said ‘what do you think?’ and I said I’m going to make sure all of my clients have it.”

The year was an exceptional year for great producers like Conterno, Domenico Clerico, Bartolo Mascarello, Bruno Giacosa, Ceretto and more. More than 14 years after the vintage, IWM brings you our very special selection of 1996 Barolos as well as two outstanding Barbarescos from  Gaja and Roagna.

Don Giovanni calls out for his Marzemino.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart liked the Marzemino grape much that in the opera Don Giovanni, Don Giovanni calls out “Versa il vino! Eccellente Marzemino!” (Pour the wine! Excellent Marzemino!) before his exile into hell. Primarily grown in Isera, south of Trentino, the grape produces a drinkable red wine.

Of course, you can find Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Negro and Merlot in Trentino, but of the three reds, Marzemino is the only indigenous grape to the region. It was difficult to find any clear orgins of the variety, but it likely hails from Marzemin, a village in Carinthia. Currently Marzemino is cultivated in particular on the right bank of the river Adige and in the foothills of Nomi, Po-marolo, Isera and Mori.

Still grown today, Marzemino is briefly fermented on the skins with further malolactic fermentation and refining in stainless steel vats before six months of aging in bottle.

Medium-bodied, the wine is a ruby red color with a very intense fruit and flowers and an almond aftertaste.

If you’ve had the Cabs, the Merlots or Neros of Trentino, pick up a Marzemino–an excellent Marzemino!

Contrary to popular belief, Lorem Ipsum is not simply random text. It has roots in a piece of classical Latin literature from 45 BC, making it over 2000 years old. Richard McClintock, a Latin professor at Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia, looked up one of the more obscure Latin words, consectetur, from a Lorem Ipsum passage, and going through the cites of the word in classical literature, discovered the undoubtable source. Lorem Ipsum comes from sections 1.10.32 and 1.10.33 of “de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum” (The Extremes of Good and Evil) by Cicero, written in 45 BC. This book is a treatise on the theory of ethics, very popular during the Renaissance. The first line of Lorem Ipsum, “Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet..”, comes from a line in section 1.10.32.

Antipasti

The Wine & Food of Toscana

Ask a room full of people what their favorite region of Italy is, and the unanimous answer might very easily be Toscana. But ask them why, and you’ll likely receive a multitude of answers: picturesque rolling hills, ancient walled villages, signature dishes of Bistecca alla Fiorentina and Coniglio al Vino Bianco, the duomos and plethora of priceless art….And someone is certain to mention the wine: probably Chianti or Brunello di Montalcino— or possibly the darlings of Toscana’s modern persona, the Super-Tuscans. Though each one of these celebrated categories is unique, they all bear a substantive relationship to Sangiovese. In 1990, nearly 10% of all Italian vineyard land (more than 247,000 acres) was planted to some form of Sangiovese (it offers many clonal variations and names to match: Brunello, Prugnolo Gentile, and Morellino, to name but the most familiar). Sangiovese constitutes the principal variety of Toscana’s finest reds, the sole grape permitted in Brunello di Montalcino, and the basis of Chianti and the vast majority of Super-Tuscans. In order to begin to understand the nature and significance of its many manifestations, however, one must undergo a brief immersion study in the region’s history, the evolution of its wines, and the producers who have championed both.

Traces of vinous DNA material found in proximity to today’s Chianti Classico zone attest to the likelihood that wild vines predated humanity in central Italy. The Etruscans discovered and cultivated these vines as early as the 9th century, and Sangiovese is one of the grapes that featured in their viticultural efforts.

Despite its extensive winemaking history, this land has not been insulated from the difficulties in establishing a definitive identity. The Romans cherished the wines for their gentile, often elegant qualities. Much later, as Italy was developing as a nation, the great Barone Ricasoli, author of the first official “recipe” for Chianti in the late-19th century, identified two conceptions-a light, young wine blended with a good portion of white grapes, and a serious wine comprised primarily of red grapes crafted with the cellar in mind.

However, by the late sixties, Chianti bore little resemblance to the powerful and structured wines of its past. Toscana’s period of economic recovery following WWII precipitated a marked shift in focus. Cash-strapped Tuscans set off to merchandise their wine to the world, leaving quality pretty much behind them in the interest of quantity. The traditional formula conceived by Ricasoli was severely compromised through wrongful interpretation and the allowance of a disturbing proportion (up to 30%) of white grapes. Chianti was no longer a wine of longevity, but rather, synonymous with the ubiquitous straw-covered fiaschi. Chianti and Tuscan winemaking had reached an all-time low, and the governing classification system was doing little to amend the state of this vino nation.

Oddly enough, it was a fellow regional expression that came to the rescue of the down-and-out Chianti, a wine that would revolutionize the zone. The phenomenon in question-the Super-Tuscan-was both a movement and a wine style, as opposed to a new formula that rewrote an inferior conception. Commencing as a radical reaction to the state of Chianti and the quaffable wines of the region, it acquired the moniker Super-Tuscan, as the wines concerned defied regulations regarding viticultural and vinification practices. In another sense, however, the term also signified the unprecedented quality winemakers realized while paying homage to the wines’ region of origin. The movement not only produced a new breed of exceptional wines but also precipitated a renaissance for all Tuscan wines.

The Wine & Food of Piemonte

Although it is difficult to represent any wine region in a condensed form, Piemonte presents particular difficulties, given the complexity of its wines and the historical and philosophical nuances that inform their crafting. In fact, its eternal King and Queen, Barolo and Barbaresco, provide material for lifelong study—given the infinite and subtle distinctions that mark various producers’ interpretations of single vineyards. Moreover, while Piemonte may possess a relatively modest varietal lineup in comparison to other regions, producers number in excess of 800, with several possessing very minuscule portions of land. It can be a little overwhelming, but many, if not all Italian wine experts, believe that knowledge of Piemonte is integral to realizing a genuine appreciation and understanding of Italian wine.

Although the reverence accorded Piemonte is essentially the provenance of its reds, the other primary wine classifications boast a fair degree of attention themselves. In fact, you likely got your start in Piemonte—before you knew what you were getting into—with the popular mainstays of its sparkling category, Asti Spumante and Moscato d’Asti, which represent, respectively, sparkling and semisparkling versions of the Moscato grape. Piemonte’s Langhe hills also feature some notable metodo classico sparklers, with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay serving as the principal varietal bases of the region’s dry sparkling wines. Outside of its sparkling role, Chardonnay enjoys a fairly prominent position in Piemonte’s still white category, and it represents the sole international variety recognized under the Langhe DOC. Productions derived from this area exhibit notable acidity and a mineral presence. On the native scene, the main varietal constituents are Arneis, Erbaluce, and Cortese di Gavi.

Things get more complicated when you enter the red zone; although the grapes concerned may not be numerous, they are represented by a multitude of DOC zones, each of which, theoretically, delivers a particular rendition of the grape concerned. Nebbiolo is the source of Piemonte’s most complex, distinguished, and famous wines, Barolo and Barbaresco. Nebbiolo possesses almost exclusive affinity with Piemonte, as its performance outside this heralded zone is serviceable at best. Despite its marked rapport with Piemonte, Nebbiolo still proves to be a difficult partner, a fact directly implied by its provision of less than 3% of the area’s production. A demanding one, it requires significant exposure to the summer sun and ripens very late in the season.

While Barbaresco is considered to be softer than Barolo, given the appellation’s primary soil type (calcareous), many examples defy this convenient point of difference. In general, however, it tends to be slightly finer, less tannic, and more elegant than Barolo, and typically offers greater approachability.

A significant dimension of a wine’s character is influenced by the medium selected for aging as well as the represented site. In traditional practice, Barolos and Barbarescos are fermented in large wooden botti and the maceration process may extend over a two-month period. In modern methodology, which began to evolve in the 1960s, both maceration and fermentation periods were reduced. A hallmark of the movement was the introduction of new French oak barrels, which is widely attributed to Angelo Gaja.

In early production, the vineyard was rendered somewhat subordinate to the grape, as winemakers blended grapes from various vineyard sites, believing that the “perfect Barolo” derived from multiple sources. Yet, the beneficent vintage of 1961 inaugurated a significant shift in value, as vintners sought to privilege the distinctive elements characterizing specific sites. Barolo’s vineyards have been the subject of rigorous, extensive study, entailing the delineation of nuances in altitude, exposure, and soil composition, although its vineyards do not operate within a qualitative construct. In the early ’80s, famed oenologist and winemaker Renato Ratti developed a map delineating all of the historic Barolo and Barbaresco crus; this comprehensive presentation continues to exercise influence in contemporary Piemonte studies.

Although the height of Nebbiolo’s expression is realized in Barolo and Barbaresco, these DOCGs do not have exclusive rights over the interpretation of Nebbiolo. In northern Piemonte, Nebbiolo is commonly referred to as Spanna, and the region of Gattinara is considered to produce its most commanding expressions. While regulations permit the addition of ten percent Vespolina and Bonarda, most Gattinara is pure Nebbiolo. The nearby DOCG of Ghemme allows the inclusion of up to 25 percent Vespolina and Uva Rara. In general, these wines are lighter in style and body than the more esteemed duo, although some Gattinaras may rival the aging potential of Barolo. In Piemonte proper, Nebbiolo is offered under both the Nebbiolo d’Alba and Langhe DOC classifications. As aging requirements are less exacting, they afford the opportunity to experience a less complex Nebbiolo, which is frequently enhanced by the addition of other grapes.

Outside Nebbiolo, Piemonte’s repertoire offers two grapes that broaden its scope. Barbera, the most extensively planted of Piemonte’s main varieties, offers the greatest stylistic range. Though traditionally a light and rustic wine, today’s Barbera is decidedly more expressive than its former persona. Dolcetto is the perfect varietal foil to Nebbiolo given its low acidity and innately fruity character, which may be maximized or tempered through site selection and vinification techniques. Although oak aging enables it to mature, Dolcetto is primarily considered to be an early drinking wine.

This is always an exciting time of year in the wine world as it marks the release of the current vintages of Brunello and Brunello Riserva. The 2004 Riserva are lauded for their exceptional balance and purity of fruit. The vintage exemplifies the marriage between the traditional, reserved style of this fabled wine and the more modern, fruit-driven styles of wine.

The 2005 “normale” are decidedly more delicate due to that vintage’s cooler weather, yet they still display typicity in their perfumed fruit and gripping tannins. Today, we bring you Brunellos from one of the most consistently top performing estates in Toscana, Valdicava, and to make the deal sweeter, we offer a new parcel of Biondi-Santi 2004 Riserva.

Vincenzo Abruzzese has garnered Valdicava a place among the elite producers of Brunello di Montalcino. With just 10 hectares in the coldest part of the Brunello zone, he is probably the most exacting grower in the area. He manages vegetation so that each grape will enjoy the perfect amount of sun and mercilessly expunges tightly packed grapes to avoid rot and diseases. His tireless commitment to producing exceptional wine is evident year after year and his 2005 normale and 2004 Riserva are no exception.

Biondi-Santi is synonymous with Brunello. Ferruccio Biondi-Santi is credited for championing the Sangiovese clone (Sangiovese Grosso) known today as Brunello. Ferruccio’s son, Tancredi, made the wine famous, officially classifying it as Brunello and helping pen the laws that define the Brunello di Montalcino DOC (now DOCG). Less than 700 cases of the Biondi-Santi Brunello di Montalcino Riserva are made in choice years, with only a small portion making it to the States. We hope you will enjoy stocking your cellars with these truly virtuous offerings.

White wine sales have recently been outpaced by reds in the US. And, for a long time, red wines have been revered by many as the most complex, the longest living and the noblest wines. This is especially true among collectible wines. However, there are white wines that debunk this myth in an instant, from Italy as well as vineyards beyond. Whether they are dry, like a majestic Le Montrachet, or sweet, like a Mosel Trockenbeerenauslese, the highest quality whites hold their own against reds.

Perhaps you read my story of the The Prince and His Magical Cellar–the Prince’s wines are the most unusual whites I have encountered. The wines of this dedicated, forward-thinking winemaker show us that white wine can live up to the complexity, the age-worthiness and the rich suppleness of red. The Prince’s wines challenged what I thought I knew about white wine, humbled me and ultimately changed my mind.

Today I’m presenting some of the best of Italy’s whites in a myriad of styles, from Querciabella’s current release of Batàr to a range of older Fiorano Bianco. Some come from names you may only know by their red wines, names like Gaja and Quintarelli. These wines can be appreciated now or later. These are whites with meaning–wines that raise the eyebrow and let the mind drift. They are not for every palate; rather, they are for those wine drinkers who are looking for balance and depth over fruit and oak. I invite you to experience something different in white win

The Fantinel family operates a multi tiered wine brand, a restaurant (as well as a restaurant-hotel), and an extensive wine bar collection, the first of which opened in San Daniele del Friuli in 1998—undertaken by the estate’s proprietor, Mario and his three sons, Luciano, Gianfranco, and Loris.

When researching Alberico Boncompagni Ludovisi and his superlative white wines, Fiorano, I found it a bit ironic that there was a touch of Alice in Wonderland to the history.

First and foremost, Malvasia emanates from Greece and possibly Turkey as well.  And although commonly found in blended white wines from Northern Italy; Malvasia Bianco would not typically be regarded in such sterling company with some of the of the finest white wines in the world.  Yet, Fiorano is the prize of many cellar and when one can obtain such a bottle, she is coveted like a winning lottery ticket.

Alberico Boncompagni Ludovisi planted Malvasia with a variety of red grapes around his Roman estate.