Not only is this time of year the most wonderful in the Northwest for scenery (leaves changing, dustings of snow), but it is also my favorite wine time of the year. What is it you ask? It's new release time! This is the time of the year you see a majority of the European and American wineries releasing all of their newest wines for you to pour over (pun intended).
No matter what price range you taste and purchase your wine from, it can be the most fun and tasty time of the year. Whether your favorites come from Rex Goliath or the venerable Joseph Phelps you'll find something this season to make you smile.
A tip I find most people aren't aware of or forget about is joining your favorite winery's mailing list so you can stay up to date on current releases, special events and even purchasing wine from some of the more allocated wineries. Some wineries have multiple-year long waiting lists to be added to the allocation list, so be prepared for that if you are into high-end boutique or cult wineries. Otherwise, there is usually no wait and you can get some really good information about your favorites and stay in tune with what the winery/winemaker are doing this year. It's also a great way to stay on top of reviews and tasting notes, which can be a simple guide for shopping.
Either way, it's a great time to be a wine drinker of any persuasion. New releases abound and many new experiences await you at the popping of every cork. How can you not love the fall?
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
A Night With Montagliari
A few months ago, my wife and I were presented with an opportunity that rarely comes along. Through a friend in the wine business we received notice that there was a vertical of chiantis from Fattoria di Montagliari available for purchase. After tasting the 1971 Chianti at a small wine dinner, we immediately decided that we simply had to have one!
The vertical consisted of '62, '71, '77, '81, '82, and the '83 vintages. It was a steal at the price we paid for it.
A few weeks after we received the vertical, we invited some couples over to have dinner and to taste some of the wine. Over a wonderful home-made lasagna, we opened the '62 and the '71.
The color on the '62 was a deep garnet red-brown and you could see the sediment clinging to the bottle where it had been laid down for all these years. The wine, amazingly enough, still had some fruit to it with a bit of bright cherry on the first sip. Sitting behind the cherry, though, was some freshly tilled soil and a hint of leather on the finish. Amazing that the wine held up so well. We didn't expect to find any fruit left at all. Overall, this wine was nearing the corner and we're glad that we drank it when we did. No telling how long it had before it rounded said corner.
Shortly thereafter we opened the '71 and found the color not unlike the '62, albeit a bit brighter in tone. Much more fruit on the start which shows you how much there was to lose for the '62. I was impressed by the structure in this wine. I think it could have easily been laid down for another 5 years and still been fine for drinking then. It had a slight hint of sweet tobacco on the nose with underlying spice.
We still have the last four of the vertical and will be opening them up, hopefully, soon. I'll report back on those as soon as that happens. Try not to pass up opportunities that you come across, such as this, when you can. Well worth it!
The vertical consisted of '62, '71, '77, '81, '82, and the '83 vintages. It was a steal at the price we paid for it.
A few weeks after we received the vertical, we invited some couples over to have dinner and to taste some of the wine. Over a wonderful home-made lasagna, we opened the '62 and the '71.
The color on the '62 was a deep garnet red-brown and you could see the sediment clinging to the bottle where it had been laid down for all these years. The wine, amazingly enough, still had some fruit to it with a bit of bright cherry on the first sip. Sitting behind the cherry, though, was some freshly tilled soil and a hint of leather on the finish. Amazing that the wine held up so well. We didn't expect to find any fruit left at all. Overall, this wine was nearing the corner and we're glad that we drank it when we did. No telling how long it had before it rounded said corner.
Shortly thereafter we opened the '71 and found the color not unlike the '62, albeit a bit brighter in tone. Much more fruit on the start which shows you how much there was to lose for the '62. I was impressed by the structure in this wine. I think it could have easily been laid down for another 5 years and still been fine for drinking then. It had a slight hint of sweet tobacco on the nose with underlying spice.
We still have the last four of the vertical and will be opening them up, hopefully, soon. I'll report back on those as soon as that happens. Try not to pass up opportunities that you come across, such as this, when you can. Well worth it!
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