Stephen tanzer's international wine cellar

Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

ISSUE 10195, AUGUST 2014

Executive Wine Seminars: The Best of Bolgheri Howard Kaplan The wine landscape in Tuscany has changed in the past few decades as more and more spectacular wines are coming from the beautiful coastal wine region of Maremma. Many of the very best wines from this region are centered around the village of Bolgheri, which continues to gain in recognition and stature.

Some of the best-known wines of Bolgheri, like the "super Tuscans" Ornellaia and Sassicaia, have already taken their place among the world's greatest wines. Others have only recently been discovered. In addition to being well-suited for sangiovese, Tuscany's dominant grape, the Bolgheri region has proven to be ideal for native the French grapes cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc and merlot.

For this unique tasting, EWS gathered what we considered to be "The Best of Bolgheri." The idea was to bring together wines from Bolgheri and the surrounding area that, as a group, would provide attendees with tasty rewards for their palates. Additionally, we wanted the experience to be as educational and enlightening as it was hedonistic. We included an inexpensive (under$20) Bolgheri Rosso, a few "oldies" and several new releases, and began with a white wine, reputed to be the best made in Bolgheri. Every wine in the tasting had at least one great review from the wine press on its resumĂŠ.

Objectively speaking, the tasting was successful, although we did encounter two bad bottles and a few disappointments. Fortunately, the standout wines of the tasting were fabulous, and there were no complaints. Our concluding wine was the 2010 Masseto, which proved to be so spectacular that it almost obliterated everything that came before it. In the end, even with a few missteps, the reputation of Bolgheri was enhanced in the minds of attendees.

The following are consensus tasting notes, written to share commentary and descriptors, and to convey the overall impression participants had for each wine as it showed on the night of the tasting. Our ratings reflect the quality of each wine and the enthusiasm (or lack thereof) displayed by our group of 20 tasters during in-depth discussions. Ratings are more reflective of the "here and now" than of likely future development. A + after the rating indicates that the wine should improve with cellaring. This was NOT a blind tasting. Wines are listed in the order in which they were poured.

2011 Tenuta dell'Ornellaia Poggio alle Gazze Toscana IGT - 91 rating (sauvignon blanc): Bright yellow-green color. Open, rich, spicy, expansive bouquet shows attractive fruit complemented by the influence of oak. With aeration, the grapefruit-like sauvignon blanc character emerges. Very big on entry, with impressive complexity and concentration for this variety. The wine has nice viscosity. Critics in the room mention that the wine "lacks fluidity" and is "without charm," but that is a minority opinion. The finish is long and consistent. A very good showing but too pricey at $50 to $55.

2011 Michele Satta Bolgheri Rosso - 90 rating Saturated medium color. The nose is clean and open, with scents that recall black cherry, spice, licorice and oak. Fairly light-bodied on the palate, with freshness that's appealing. There isn't a lot of depth here, but we are impressed with the lively acidity and perfect overall balance. This unpretentious wine has a touch of elegance and is consistent from start to finish.

At under $20, it offers excellent value.

1997 Castello del Terriccio Lupicaia Toscana IGT - 89 rating Fairly deep color. Attractive nose reminds us of mature Bordeaux with rich cherry, leather, earth, smoke and spice dominating, but the aromatics are soft and muted. Light on the palate http://www.wineaccess.com/expert/tanzer/classic.html?content_id=148682

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although still good and nicely balanced. However, this bottle is at the tail end of its lifespan.

The acidity is taking control as the fruit begins to fade. After ten minutes in the glass, a priest is called. The rating reflects the wine at its apogee this evening.

2003 Ca' Marcanda Camarcanda Bolgheri (Gaja) - 88 rating Fairly deep color. Rich cherry, coffee, and tobacco scents are appealing, but this wine is displaying a lot of alcohol and hints of oxidation. Pleasant, yet "lacking edges" and rather generic in the mouth; no specificity or individuality. The acidity is in command, but the fruit holds up just enough to make the wine pleasurable. There's a long, acid-dominated finish. Overall good, but we were thirsty for something better.

2004 Michele Satta I Castagni Bolgheri Superiore - 94 rating Deep color suggests a wine younger than ten years old. Rustic nose is both rich and inviting, with dark berry scents mixing with smoke, leather, and chocolate. Even better on the palate; an immediately pleasurable wine. We admire the grip and structure exhibited by the mature 2004 I Castagni, which wins over everyone in the room. It's at peak right now, but still shows hints of tannin. The acidity is outstanding. We opine that this would be a great food wine, especially with game. A very long finish seals the deal.

2008 Tenuta di Biserno Biserno Bibbona Toscana IGT - 91+ rating Deep color. Aroma of muted cherry, with smoke in the background. Aromatically, there really isn't much here. More impressive in the mouth; a very young wine with an A+ rating for palate presence and structure. There's a lot of tannin and wonderful texture. It's juicy and very well extracted, without any hard edges. There's a complaint that it's "more international than Italian," a fair criticism, but a long, consistent finish makes us forget any issues with terroir.

There's a bright future here.

2009 Grattamacco Bolgheri Superiore - 91 rating Saturated medium color. Open, sweet, "California" nose is quite pleasant. Less forthcoming on the palate yet quite tasty, with a sense of elegance and finesse. The 2009 Grattamacco has well-extracted fruit with a noticeable amount of firm tannins. But there's excellent overall balance and lively acidity. The wine contains only 15% sangiovese, yet you can taste it.

Perhaps it is somewhat blunt right now and has an unusual aftertaste, but most people really liked this wine.

2009 Antinori Guado al Tasso Bolgheri Superiore - 95+ rating Fairly deep color. Soft, pleasing, somewhat muted nose features black cherry, blackberry, leather, chocolate and spice. Noticeably more compelling on the palate; a youthful, modern wine that has a lot going for it. The texture and mouth feel are wonderful, with a lot of tannin and minerals on display. The 2009 Guado al Tasso is perfectly balanced and gets very high marks for complexity. The fruit is a little shy right now, and the oak needs to integrate more into the total flavor profile, but time in the cellar will address these issues. Very long finish showcases the wine's deliciousness. Everyone loves it.

2009 Le Macchiole Paleo Bolgheri Rosso Superiore - 95+ rating (cabernet franc): Saturated medium color. The nose is pleasant but rather youthfully unevolved; we only get hints of red berry fruit, chocolate, earth and alcohol. Much better on the palate: well made and true to the grape. We give it high marks for complexity and richness. There's noticeable tannin here and this young cabernet franc will no doubt improve with cellaring. It's perfectly balanced and delicious already, "like the porridge that's just right."

Long, penetrating finish turns a bit tart at the end.

2009 Tenuta dell'Ornellaia Ornellaia Bolgheri Superiore - 96+ rating Fairly deep color. Attractive bouquet features ripe red berries, mocha, leather, spices, herbs and a hint of iodine. Even better in the mouth: a profound, powerful, masculine wine. We are mesmerized by the richness, density, complexity and sheer structure displayed by the 2009 Ornellaia. There's a lot of tannins here, but they are soft. The acidity is excellent, giving the wine lift and vibrancy. The fruit is lovely, sweet and seductive. Long, consistent finish. A superb wine that will only get better.

2010 Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia Bolgheri - 92+ rating 2/3

Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

Fairly deep color. Tight, rather brooding nose never opens fully. We do pick up faint scents of cherry, herbs, spices and chocolate, and the influence of oak. Aromatically it becomes more attractive with aeration. Rich, balanced and elegant upon entry, with bright acidity serving as a welcoming committee. This wine is very young and somewhat unyielding right now, offering more intellectual stimulation than hedonistic pleasure. But there is an encouraging future waiting.

1998 Le Macchiole Messorio Toscana IGT - no rating (merlot): Fairly deep color. There's some nice sweet fruit in the nose, but it's overwhelmed by cork taint. In the mouth, you could tell that this bottle was once very good, but not tonight.

2007 Tua Rita Redigaffi Toscana IGT - 92+ rating Deep color. Black cherry and licorice are the dominant scents in the bouquet. Upon entry, we taste a delicious wine, albeit not quite at peak drinking. The fruit extract is impressive and there's excellent overall balance. This is a big, dense wine with outstanding structure. The tannins are noticeable but soft, while the 2007 Redigaffi shows good acidity and nice minerality.

A long, consistent finish puts a smile on our faces. This bottle would have benefited from another five years in the cellar.

2008 Petra Quercegobbe da Uve Merlot Toscana IGT - no rating Deep color. Unfortunately, this bottle shows even more cork taint than the 1998 Messorio. It's rich and chewy underneath, but enjoying this wine through the bad cork is impossible.

2010 Tenuta dell'Ornellaia Masseto Toscana IGT - 98+ rating Fairly deep color. Gorgeous, deep, aristocratic nose features rich dark berry fruit, chocolate and smoke. Simply profound on the palate, a wine of bottomless dark fruit flavor. This is a youthful, huge, dense wine that is only showing glimpses of great things to come. That said, there's enough on display right now to excite us. It's superbly balanced and focused. The wine's texture is sensational and the acidity carries everything through an extra-long finish. What a great way to end the tasting, as this super-expensive wine ($600) is the finest Masseto we've ever tasted!

Howard@EWSwine.com Executive Wine Seminars, Inc. Website: www.EWSwine.com E-Mail: tastings@EWSwine.com

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