Color: ruby. Gritty.
Nose: Black pepper or white/tri-color ground pepper. Tight acidity. Pomegranate. Blue ink. Blackberry cherry cola.
Palate: farmhouse kitchen stewed red cherry. Fresh red apple skins. Milk chocolate truffles, toffee, gravel. Fig. Very long finish. Oak comes, presents itself then goes. A little touch of celery.
Rhubarb Pie almost too ripe to harvest. Firm tannins. Medium weight.
I’m impressed, for a California Sangiovese it’s pretty old world. Not fat or muddled.
Sangiovese in a snapshot. Not flaccid or too damn fat and ripe.
Makes me think of a farmhouse. Driving though the countryside Car stops, turns right up a 2-track rd; the green grass stokes the bottom off the car. Man answers the door with salt and pepper hair and glasses. Daughter peeks over stage left shoulder, little sis 2 arms upon the waist. Sultry. The little kid runs inside, feet slapping.
Your eyes meet with the “get me out of here” pleading, lightly sad but ready.
She runs the tip of her finger up your chest without him seeing. Whispers in your ear. This reminds me of a Russ Meyer movie. Mudhoney.
The inside of the house smells like the early 60’s with photos of Sinatra, Prima, Tommy Lasorda, and some other Italian guy you cant name on the wall. A family picture of her father and the kids, her mother behind the kids’ center.
Drips with tobacco. Pomade of grape. Your dinner’s steak and corn.
When he goes to sleep, you wait for her as the runs out with a small suitcase, hopping in and slamming the door.
“Let’s go”.
You put the foot to the wheel. Wheat grass looking back on you. Thumbs up.
A kiss on the cheek and freedom.
Pelerin Sangiovese 2006, Arroyo Seco
92% Sangiovese, the rest -Syrah.
French oak.
26$
87 pts.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Aiello Grillo + Catarrato Blend 2008 Sicily
Nose: slate like or stone minerality, lime zest, hay, copper
Palate: banana, strawberry jam. Kumquat (whole), peach, lemon zest, orange flower water. Arugula. Sea salt. Clove (nutmeg?). Blini.
The nose lightly introduces itself, and the copper becomes more prevalent the longer the wine’s open. The peach and orange now freshly picked, fill the mid.
Might even be good with waffles and compote of peach, AND, Grand Marnier.
Sicily produces more white wines that people think. It’s always Nero 1st, then the rest playing catch up as a little younger brother or sister.
No malolactic on the Grillo preserves the beautiful acidity.
Catarrato is the 6th most planted vine in the world, 2nd in Sicily.
Catarrato and Grillo are/were both used in the production of one of my favorite wines Marsala. The high end, not the cooking crap.
Catarrato is a surplus grape generally, used for blending, and distilling. Full in this blend, syrupy, and at points. Planted on the west coast of the island, maritime influence and ripe. Both are pretty high in Sugars.
Not elitist grapes in general, but in this particular wine, they present a beautiful simple rustic wine, with the acidity and aromatics that really compliments seafood,
Affordable, for sure.
Fantastic for the $. Obscure, not stuck up, and your friend.
I like its simplicity and personality.
90.
Aiello
Grillo 70% Catarrato30%
2008
Palate: banana, strawberry jam. Kumquat (whole), peach, lemon zest, orange flower water. Arugula. Sea salt. Clove (nutmeg?). Blini.
The nose lightly introduces itself, and the copper becomes more prevalent the longer the wine’s open. The peach and orange now freshly picked, fill the mid.
Might even be good with waffles and compote of peach, AND, Grand Marnier.
Sicily produces more white wines that people think. It’s always Nero 1st, then the rest playing catch up as a little younger brother or sister.
No malolactic on the Grillo preserves the beautiful acidity.
Catarrato is the 6th most planted vine in the world, 2nd in Sicily.
Catarrato and Grillo are/were both used in the production of one of my favorite wines Marsala. The high end, not the cooking crap.
Catarrato is a surplus grape generally, used for blending, and distilling. Full in this blend, syrupy, and at points. Planted on the west coast of the island, maritime influence and ripe. Both are pretty high in Sugars.
Not elitist grapes in general, but in this particular wine, they present a beautiful simple rustic wine, with the acidity and aromatics that really compliments seafood,
Affordable, for sure.
Fantastic for the $. Obscure, not stuck up, and your friend.
I like its simplicity and personality.
90.
Aiello
Grillo 70% Catarrato30%
2008
CHATEAU de PIBARNON 2005, Bandol.
Nose: poppy field. Rose petal. Smoke. Fig.farmhousecigar wrapper, stony cliff. Hot summer day.
Palate: quick attack, Blueberry bun, dunked in coffee, the tasted with a spoonful of plum compote. Currant
Minute long finish with dried cranberry that persists. Date. Mushroom. Swirling dark fruit, (black plum jam, Blueberry) closed by recurrence of Blueberry. Coca cola.
Parmesan.
Framed by balanced tannins showing vanillin forward new oak and cranberry as last notes/bay leaf.
SPECIAL DELIVERY: incredibly balanced for a 5 yr old wine. Tastes much older with a vibrant attitude, and nicely round pear shaped blue jean ass. See the bar ref. later. That’s post lunch, evening.
Step out cab, rain.NYC sidewalk.
You walk past the neon shops occasionally framed with the giant slice pizza places that ooze red sauce. Finally you get to the neighborhood off Broadway and find the street turning right. Taking in the trees. Walking down to central park. This is a wine Lennon would drink right after a joint.
You sleep on your back in the sun, right near the shade in the trees, it covers you in the mid afternoon, and you wake up hungry. Strangely for Chinese food.
You meet a girl at the wine bar later, she’s got a dress on that fits just right. I want to say purple, but that’s too stereotypical, so lets call it maroon blueberry. Eyes lock at the bar.
You take her back to your place after the bar for a nite cap, all steel, brick and glass. You can afford it.
Bread, cheese, and a foreign film. Let’s settle for run Lola run.
You walk her downstairs to catch a cab, it’s still raining. You’ve got her number. It’s an actual real number.
You go upstairs, turn off the kitchen light; think- wow. You’ll see her next week.
It’s an actual anti-club date. Classy. Lush. Sexy.
It’d be awesome within 5 yrs, as she gets older and becomes more senior in the law firm.
I give this wine a 95,
40$
Palate: quick attack, Blueberry bun, dunked in coffee, the tasted with a spoonful of plum compote. Currant
Minute long finish with dried cranberry that persists. Date. Mushroom. Swirling dark fruit, (black plum jam, Blueberry) closed by recurrence of Blueberry. Coca cola.
Parmesan.
Framed by balanced tannins showing vanillin forward new oak and cranberry as last notes/bay leaf.
SPECIAL DELIVERY: incredibly balanced for a 5 yr old wine. Tastes much older with a vibrant attitude, and nicely round pear shaped blue jean ass. See the bar ref. later. That’s post lunch, evening.
Step out cab, rain.NYC sidewalk.
You walk past the neon shops occasionally framed with the giant slice pizza places that ooze red sauce. Finally you get to the neighborhood off Broadway and find the street turning right. Taking in the trees. Walking down to central park. This is a wine Lennon would drink right after a joint.
You sleep on your back in the sun, right near the shade in the trees, it covers you in the mid afternoon, and you wake up hungry. Strangely for Chinese food.
You meet a girl at the wine bar later, she’s got a dress on that fits just right. I want to say purple, but that’s too stereotypical, so lets call it maroon blueberry. Eyes lock at the bar.
You take her back to your place after the bar for a nite cap, all steel, brick and glass. You can afford it.
Bread, cheese, and a foreign film. Let’s settle for run Lola run.
You walk her downstairs to catch a cab, it’s still raining. You’ve got her number. It’s an actual real number.
You go upstairs, turn off the kitchen light; think- wow. You’ll see her next week.
It’s an actual anti-club date. Classy. Lush. Sexy.
It’d be awesome within 5 yrs, as she gets older and becomes more senior in the law firm.
I give this wine a 95,
40$
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