Regarding the rinsing with water, last year during our annual tasting trip to Sonoma I visited a winery which poured us a Zin right after a strong Petite Sirah. The nose and flavor was a funky mixture of the two spicy wines.

After that pour I rinsed the glass– a little dilution beats a unintended blend. The pourer then came over and corrected my rinsing faux pas by stating in a patronizing voice “let me give you your FIRST wine tasting lesson: never rinse”

I resisted the temptation to give her her “first” wine pouring lesson–never insult.

Hi Gary,

Interesting comment on the nose of the Mauro Sabaste….I understand terrior and dirt, rocks, stones…BUT insects?! What kind of insects and how do they smell?? Have you been drug tested lately?…:)

I have several bottles of 2001 Stefano Farina Barolo and 2000 Elio Grasso Barolo in my cellar. I have not tried then yet and have never had a Barolo. (I know, hard to be wine geek if not had a Barolo or Brunello) Bought them after reading about them….My question is, how long should they be cellered before I drink? I have read 8-10 years from bottling date?

Gary,

Great Episode! I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that while I haven’t drank it yet, I am holding on to a 97 BDM, Fattoria Dei Barbi, and have high expectations. Please feel free to bring me back down to reality, if it’s nothing special. I found it a few years ago in Hoboken, in this little no name store. What are your thoughts on when it will peak and what to expect. Thanks.

This might be a little off subject, but I’ll be in NYC 8/27-30 and would like to hit a couple of nice restaurants w/ good wine lists. I’m sure the choices are endless, but if you know of any maybe lesser known places that would be great.

Gary I just went out a bought some Black current jam. Its not bad!!!

Thank you Gary for the Barolo/Brunello segment. A couple of people have raised the question about whether glass rinsing between wines is effective, or even appropriate, and I’d be very interested to hear your comment. On a similar front, this was one episode where I really wondered whether more would have showed for the wines if decanted (take some of your own advice Gary!). Of course, if Ciacci is lacking on the mid-palate a decant isn’t going to bring what ain’t there, but hey maybe it will open up something on the nose? Regarding your question, although not the biggest or best Italian wine I have had, one of my favorites was 1985 Marchesi Di Gresy Camp Gros Martinenga Barbaresco. Such a memorable harmony of dried cherries, saddle leather, and tobacco. Oh yeah!

A lot of folks who pour wine for a living seem to rinse the glass out with the next wine to be tasted. I think I’ve seen Gary do this from time to time. I think it comes down to a cost benefit analysis. Sure, you could have a clean glass everytime but that’s a pain and is expensive. Some people are pretty uptight about it. I know of one wine writer who says you should never store your wine glasses upside down in the cabinet because the rim of the glass will take on some taste from the cabinet. Different strokes for different folks…

Gary,

I can’t say which Italian wine is the best because I enjoyed quite a few; what I can say is that 1997 Italian red wines are by far the best vintage yet. There are so many great wines from that year. I’m a Jets fan too but I’m also a realist, like last year the Jets ain’t going anywhere. Sorry!

In recognition of the LTV Fan who lamented the over emphasis on the Super-Tuscans by the wine press, I am submitting an additional wine as one of the best I ever had, the 1989 Angelo Gaja Sperss. It’s a Barolo, made from the indigenous Nebbiolo grape and true to its “terroir.” Full bodied, chewy texture, rich ripe black fruit, long finish and just enough time in the bottle (about 8 years) for the tannins to mellow out; it was certainly a treat. I have some younger Barolos in my cellar that I’m waiting to come of age, but the Gaja certainly sets the bar pretty high. I probably will be happy with a near miss.

Best Italian wine – 1997 Val di Suga (Angelini) Brunello di Montalcino Vigna Spuntali. This wine rocked.

Gary:

You just keep getting better with every episode. Thank you for taking us “old world”. You made the Brunello seem so “lip-smacking” good!

The best Italian wine or the best Italian wine experience??? Different questions.

The best Italian wine I had was a couple of months ago: 2003 Ornellaia. Wow. A black licorice bomb. Licorice, tobacco, chocolate, black fruits. You have to taste this wine on WLTV. What a finish.

But the best Italian wine experience was drinking abottle of ’96 Pio Cesare Barbaresco Il Briccio with my wife. She loves nebbiolo. She just swooned over this wine and upon finishing it took me back to the bedroom and….well, it was a great wine experience.

Joe

Gary,

Where did you shoot this episode, with all the bird sounds in the background???

😉

Andre.

My best Italian wines were at a dinner (where I fortunately was not paying the bill). The first one was Quintarelli Amarone della Valpolicella Classico (i cannot remember the year). It was almost like drinking a port – it had tremendous body and color and incredibly complex. The other one was a 1998 Sassicaia that was truly remarkable. It also had incredible texture – deep ruby red color and like the Amarone, was amazingly complex.

I also just opened up my 1997 Ciacci Brunello last weekend (the first of 6 bottles) and while I loved it, I thought it wasn’t ready to drink. I also don’t think i let it open up enough – i drank it after less than 1 hour. So it goes.

I haven’t had the pleasure of sampling many of the upper end Barolos and Brunellos. But, perhaps the most satisfying Italian I have had recently was a Primitivo (which one I can’t recall…shame on me)at Lidia’s restaurant in NYC..Felidia. It is produced in Puglia (Apulia) where my ancestors came from and I am told it is the ancestor of Zinfandel. I think there are scientific studies underway on this point. It would be great if you could taste and compare a Primitivo with a Zin and tell us what you think.

Recently-

1995 Conterno Fantino Barolo ‘Sori Ginestra’
1995 Canalicchio di Sopra Brunello di Montalcino
2000 Brigaldara Amarone ‘Case Vecie’
1995 Felsina CC Riserva “Rancia”
1998 Lisini ‘Ugolaia’

Gary,

I like the Italian Wines, but there’s no real question in my mind that the best VALUE in Italian wine right now is the Falesco Vitiano at ten bucks. It’s a terrific wine that gets better every month.

Ow, Gary, this is a extremely though QOTD for me. Italian wines, it’s just all over my place here. So it’s extremely hard to choose. But anyway, mmm, 1) exceptional and not for everyone: Montevertine Rosso 2001, beyond doubt the most exceptional wine I ever drank. I’m still figuring out what that was … . Beyond ANY comparison. 2) Maybe also because of the occasion (celebrating our first year with the Orbis): Lungarotti, Rubesco, Vigna Monticchio Reserva 2000. Only for lovers of elegancy and subtlety. So complete, of lush character and refined at the same time. 3) Nino Negri Valtellina Superiore Sfursat Cinque Stelle 2003: also 100% Nebbiolo (called Chiavenasca in Lombardy). Just because this is one of the most underestimated reds of Italy, and an absolute steal at â?¬ 35.
Btw: Barolo is exclusively Nebbiolo (three clonal varieties: Michet, Lampia and Rosé), as Barbaresco and Valtellina are (there are even some other Nebbiolo reds in Italy).

Hi – just found your site for the first time. Interesting segment – I think you have to decant those Brunellos and give them more time, they have a lot of time in oak and they really change when opened up. Your tastings are very entertaining but you have to work on your Italian pronunciations! My favorite bottle of Italian wine ever was a 1996 Gaja Sperss – if you can get one of these it is worth it, it will blow you away!

Still catching up on videos.
Best Italian wine…
Terre Del Grico Monstyronum 1997. As you would say, Spectator totally missed the mark on this one. Primativo and Negromaro based blend aged forever in small French barriques. Also the best wine I’ve had over $100 retail.
Favorite movie … from a few episodes back… currently is Pixar Cars. The wife and I can watch the whole thing with our little guy and none of us have become tired of it yet. Best movie to take my mind off things … Dumb and Dumber.
Keep up the awesome work.

Hi,

My best italian wine experience is the 2000 Bricco Roche Brunate. I´d read an article on the Barolo 2000 hype and an blind tasting of them. The BR Brunate killed the competion. Had it with scrambled eggs and truffles from Sweden, and another time with Porchini pasta.

Nebiolo (the grapes of Barlo) means fog in Italian, and it´s the fog that comes down from the Alp´s, rolls over the Lange hills, that cools the grapes and slowes the ripening.

Three wines come to mind when I think of “best Italian wines,” and I can’t decide. 1. Collina Serragrilli Barbaresco “Serragrilli” 2001, 2. Casisano Colombaio Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 1999, and 3. Materia Prima Montepulciano d’Abruzzo (although this last one was not near as complex, so I think I can rule it out). The Collina Serragrilli Barolo “La Tur” 2001 was phenomenal as well, and there’s many more. That’s just reds too. Piemonte’s Gavi wines are amazing. I have an oaked Gavi di Gavi 2001 that continues to improve every time I open a bottle (Castellari Bergaglio). Hard to choose a favorite, as many wines leave an impression on me. I rated the Collina Barbaresco the highest thus far.

These are my faves!
QOTD – 1988 Sassicaia has got to be it….I know I was probably influenced by the hype, but it was rad!.

I LOVE ITALIAN WINES THE FRENCH MAY MAKE GOOD WINES BUT ARE WAY TO SNOBBY ABOUT IT. MY FAVORATE ITALIAN WINES? PROBABLY A 1985 CESARI AMARONE THAT I HAD MANY YEARS AGO MAY NOT BE AS GOOD AS THE 1999 BUNELLOS AND BOROLOS THAT I HAVE AGING IN MY CELLAR BUT THE MEMORYS OF MY FIRST GOOD ITALIAN (NON CIANTI) CANT BE BEAT!

I love Italian wine. Any idea of where I can go in Italy if I was to visit a winery? I’m planning on taking a trip at some point and would like to see a winery while I’m there. I’m sure I stumble across a lot of them no matter where I go.

Actually – I would say the Altesino that you recommend later on, however that’s the only one that comes to mind right now, and I put it at 87-88 points. Sorry GV – but my palate isn’t there yet for Italian wines – but I’m trying more thanks to WLTV.