Hello, Feastlings.
There are people we like. There are wines we like. Once in a while, there’s an overlap- someone we enjoy brings in wines that we consistently admire for their level of quality and value. Dario Soldan is one of those people, a smart, knowledgeable character who brings us wines that we’ve not seen elsewhere, whose quality is exceptional, and that you should most certainly be tasting. This Sunday, August 28th, Dario will trot down from Phoenix with six wines in tow, each delicious in its own right, from easy-drinking patio quaffers to downright collectible wines to staff for two to twenty years. We all make poor decisions from time to time, but I suggest not making the foolish decision of missing this tasting. It’s here at Feast at 3:30 pm on the 28th, it costs $35 plus tax and tip, and it includes food pairings that I daresay will complement the wines. If you’d like to join us, please recollect that web and email reservations don’t hold you a place at our tastings, so you’ll want to call us at 326-9363. It promises to be delicious fun.
Italian wines from Classico with Dario Soldan
2014 Ernesto Picollo Gavi “Rughe” (Cortese) $14.00
Straw-yellow color with notes of fresh green apple, grapefruit and fresh flowers. The wine has a fresh, dry flavor with fruity and citrus tones, well-balanced acidity and harmonious aftertaste.
2014 Vigna della Forche Cembra Cantina di Montagna Müller Thurgau, Trento DOC $21.00
All hand-picked fruit, this 100% Müller Thurgau is of a pale yellow color with emerald hues. Al naso si apre con eleganti sentori minerali di carruba e pietra focaia. The nose opens with elegant mineral hints of carob and flint. Al palato risulta piacevolmente fresco. The palate is pleasantly cool. The wine matures on the lees for 7-8 months before being bottled.
2012 Toraccia Nebbiolo “Ramale,” Piemonte $21.00
Here is a playful interpretation of Nebbiolo with the wild berry and spice aromas you usually associate with the variety without its usual austerity and somberness. The wine closes with a firm, drying feel and a sour blast of berry-like fruit. Known as a “Junior Barolo.”
2011 Inama “Bradisismo” (Cabernet Sauvignon/Carmenere,) Veneto $36.00
Deep red color. The nose displays an intense bouquet of red and black fruit, dried cherries, cocoa and vanilla. It is soft and round on the palate with generous and balanced tannins and acidity. This persistent red is oak-aged for 15 months and is rich and supple.
2010 Fanti Brunello di Montalcino (Sangiovese) $59.00
Aged partly in French oak barriques and partly in medium capacity casks for a minimum of 24 months, then bottle-aged for a minimum of 12 months, Tenuta San Filippo’s “Fanti” Brunello di Montalcino boasts aromatics of Boysenberry, blueberry jam, and mountain sage. Blackberry, mint jam, and dark cherry confirm aromatics on the palate framed by a cedar spice box. Balanced but firm tannins leave a soft and earthy finish.
2011 San Felice “Vigorello” (Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot/Petit Verdot,) Toscana IGT $65.00
Made for the first time in 1968, Vigorello is the earliest example of a ‘SuperTuscan’. Born of a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, with a small addition of Petit Verdot, it is a modern wine of considerable character and concentration, which retains a distinctly Tuscan accent. Dense ruby color with hints of garnet. Bouquet comprising blackcurrant conserve, spiced notes and forest fruit. Warm, complex, tannic palate with mild notes of vanilla.