Terreno Petite Verdot & from Chianti!

Terreno Petite Verdot & from Chianti!

Even as I read the title of this blog post I am taken aback. Petit Verdot from Chianti? 100% AND barrel aged? What, what??? Interestingly enough I discovered this Petit Verdot at the Chianti Classico Collection 2014 event in Florence. Terreno was there with their Chianti wines and just happened to be pouring tastes of their unique Petit Verdot. It was downright startling after tasting all of the different Chianti but then after my next sip I...

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Talenti Brunello di Montalcino!

Talenti Brunello di Montalcino!

I had the pleasure of meeting Riccardo Talenti and tasting his newly released Brunellos at Benvenuto Brunello 2013. Besides being very charming and approachable (I’m talking about Riccardo!), I was very impressed with the new Talenti Brunello releases. Here’s the skinny: Talenti Brunello 2008 – Not a lot on the nose, but it was the beginning of the day and the bottle had just been opened.  In the mouth there was red fruits,...

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Soffocone di Vincigliata IGT 2007

Soffocone di Vincigliata IGT 2007

When art makes wine.  With a little sex thrown in. Soffocone di Vincigliata comes from Azienda Agricola Testamatta in the hills of Fiesole, just above Florence.  The owner, Bibi Graetz, of Italian/Norwegian descent, is an artist who only started making wine in the late 90’s with the help of winemaker Alberto Antonini who worked with him for four years using Graetz’s family land.  Antonini has worked with Antinori, Frescobaldi, E...

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Casanova di Neri Brunello di Montalcino Cerretalto

Casanova di Neri Brunello di Montalcino Cerretalto

I had the absolute pleasure to attend THE Benvenuto Brunello 2013 event this past Monday in Montalcino and taste many of the newly released Brunellos.  WAY too many to talk about in one post but I promise to report all my findings soon. As the icing on the cake we stopped in at Casanova di Neri on our way back to Cortona, where I literally was RUINED for all other Riserva Brunellos 2007.  And trust me, I tried some really good ones. All of the...

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La Cerbaiola 2009 Rosso di Montalcino

La Cerbaiola 2009 Rosso di Montalcino

Thank goodness I’m a wine blogger. Otherwise I don’t know what excuses I have for all the crazy great wine I imbibe. Take Friday night, for instance.  Mutual friend comes into town.  Dinner plans are made, small group of friends gather including our Cortona wine shop owner, Marco Molesini. Which in itself is great because Marco is fun. But Marco also likes wine.  Good wine.  And he has a wine shop.  And if you own a wine shop why...

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Biserno wine tasting dinner at Osteria del Teatro

Biserno wine tasting dinner at Osteria del Teatro

Could the last wine tasting dinner of the season have been any more fabulous? I don’t think so. Hosted by Molesini Wine Shop and Del Brenna Jewelry, the free wine tasting in the piazza was already teetering on over the top.  As we arrived late to the party as usual, they were lighting a couple of lanterns at the tasting, creating quite the spectacle, but in a-very-amazing-ambiance-at-dusk kind of way! There was a lovely line up.  Biserno,...

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