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| Not Your Father's Valpolicella |
Wednesday April 3, 2002
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Speaker: Mary Ewing Mulligan, MW and Ed McCarthy, Co-Authors, Italian Wine For Dummies
Over the last decade or so, there has been a vinous revolution in the Veneto region of Italy. The wines from the Valpolicella region have become richer, denser, more concentrated, and worthy of consideration by serious wine drinkers. These wines have been referred to as the unsung member of the Italian pantheon of fine wines. The charm of Valpolicella is that their modesty does not overwhelm the palate, but sings a soft tune as background music to fine food. The Veneto, which is best known as the home of Romeo and Juliet and Amarone, will soon be recognized for world class wines simply labeled Valpolicella.
Wines are listed in the order of presentation. The 41 attendees were asked to vote for their favorite wine in each flight. Prices listed are retail, full mark-up, in New York City. Notes are a combination of the speakers' and Jonathan Levine's. The speakers are noted as MEM for Ms. Ewing-Mulligan and EMC for Mr. McCarthy.
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| Flight I: |
Votes |
Full Retail $ |
1999 Santi Solane
Light and fruity, with a tired nose. The color is on the brown side with an aroma of baked cherries. MEW: Aroma of tea leaves and oxidation. |
4 |
$7.49 |
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1998 Tedeschi
Notes of bitter almonds. The wine is holding well. MEW: The nose shows fermentation notes and there may be a bit of the Ripasso process used to produce the wine. EMC: Fresh and vibrant. A touch of oak? |
9 |
$10.00 |
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2000 Vignale
Light and fruity with cherry notes. EMC: A commercial wine with no flaws or highs. MEM: Notes of vanilla. |
4 |
$5.99 |
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1999 Zenato
Spicy with bright cherry fruit and a hint of oak. EMC: Richer than others in the flight. MEM: Very ripe fruit.
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22 |
$9.00 |
| Flight II: |
1999 Guerrieri-Rizzardi Poiega
Notes of cherries, almonds and plums. Lightest of the flight and probably should have been included in flight I. MEM: Notes of chocolate, lively, fresh and attractive. The producer is a specialist in Bardolino, so we are tasting Valpolicella through the eyes of a Bardolino producer. This is reflected in the style and personality of the wine. EMC: Ripe, fresh and lovely.
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8 |
$10.99 |
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2000 Allegrini
EMC: The Barry Bonds of Valpolicella. Allegrini is a great producer, who makes reliable and consistent wines. This one is brawny and rich. |
7 |
$12.49 |
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2000 Bolla Le Poiane
Oxidized and medicinal. EMC: Overripe and tired. MEM: The baked flavors one associates with wines from Southern Italy. Wine with no flaws or highs. |
14 |
$13.99 |
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1998 Tommasi Rafael
Rich, ripe and lovely. EMC: An unsung name in the U.S. and one of the best producers in all of Italy. MEM: Aromas of ripe tomatoes, red cherries with high tannins and firm acidity. Sweetness from the ripe fruit. EMC: My favorite wine of the event. |
16 |
$18.00 |
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1998 Masi Serego Alighieri
A direct descendant of Dante Alighieri. A bit tired, not oxidized but showing maturity. MEM: Baked fruit notes due to the ripeness of the grapes. Fresh and a lively finish.
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6 |
$13.99 |
| Flight III: |
1998 Le Ragose
Well extracted with earthy notes. EMC: A bit tired. MEM: A wine with personality that is light, fresh and shows some herbal character. |
7 |
$12.49 |
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1998 Bertani
Full bodied with notes of ripe plums and other red fruits. Rich and fresh with a nice finish and a depth of flavor. |
3 |
$12.49 |
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1997 M. Castellani "San Michele"
My favorite of the flight. Soft and sexy in a modern style. MEM: Notes of vanilla, new oak and a concentration of fresh fruit. A notch above medium, but not yet full, bodied. EMC: Tart fruit, but not the style I prefer. |
15 |
$14.99 |
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1999 Bertani Valpantana
MEM: Red fruits and notes of tomato paste. New oak, plums and prunes on the palate. Lively acid/tannic edge. EMC: A nice balance of ripeness and acidity.
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7 |
$14.99 |
| Flight IV: |
1997 Masi Campofiorin
A big lovely wine with ripe fruit and a depth not found in the previous wines. EMC: A true Valpolicella in style, but one that is racheted up a notch but still Valpolicella. MEM: Concentrated, true to the Valpolicella profile, with a medium plus body. |
11 |
$15.99 |
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1997 Arano
Lots of ripe fruit and big flavors. EMC: Vibrant fruit and oak. Modern style of wine making. MEM: Polished new oak. Well made. |
10 |
$25.99 |
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1997 Bertani Ognisanti
Big wine in a modern style. MEM: Volatile acidity on the palate and a wine struggling for an image. EMC: Rustic and charming. |
12 |
$29.00 |
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1998 Montresor Capitel della Crosara
Big, rich, with ripe fruit and oak. A plump wine with structure and depth.
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9 |
$10.00 |
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