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[10/23/2008, 06:00]

Syrah Standouts, Part I (Wine Spectator)

24 top Côte-Rôtie producers who are making some of the Northern Rhône's best Syrah ever


[01/13/2006, 19:28]

Wine Blogging Wednesday 17 Results

Although I missed the boat on this one completely, the results are in for the latest Wine Blogging Wednesday over at CorkDork. This month’s objective was to try new red wines from New Zealand. 31 bloggers participated this time! Check it out!

[11/11/2008, 04:51]

WINES & SPIRITS MAGAZINE PICKS FOXRUN AMONG TOP 100 WINERIES IN NOV 2008 ISSUE

fotos de melina pitra

Wine & Spirits Magazine recently announced its Top 100 wineries in the world, and that included the first New York state winery to ever make this prestigious list ? a list that has an amazing 22-year history.

Fox Run Vineyards on Seneca Lake will be featured with the others on the list in the November issue of Wine & Spirits.

fotos de melina pitra

Congratulations to Scott Osborn at the entrie crew over at Fox Run on this monumental achievment!
[08/11/2006, 05:59]

Hook and Ladder - The Tillerman White

The best kinds of cheap wines are the kinds that have a rich story behind them. Well, The Tillerman White wine brought to you by the Hook & Ladder Winery certainly fits the bill. At first glance this wine label made no sense to me… Hook & Ladder? The Tillerman? After doing some research, I feel enlightened knowing the origins of this fine cheap wine, so I’ll share:

The owner of the family-run Hook & Ladder, Cecil De Loach used to be a firefighter! “Hook and Ladder” is just another name for a firetruck. And The Tillerman is guy who drives the back end of a firetruck. A firefighter and a wine-maker! What a life!

fotos de melina pitra

I sampled several bottles of The Tillerman White, and I am glad I did. Not being a fan of white blends with a lot of oak, I enjoyed everything about this wine. The peach/apricot aroma was the most prominent feature of this wine as it approached my nose. The wine was very dry, tasty, had an awesome finish. Just a perfect all-around table wine. For about 16 bucks or less, this Sonoma County wine is a steal. If you see it in your supermarket, snatch it up! I look forward to trying some of their many other varietals. This same vineyard, the Russian River Valley produces Chardonay, Gewurztraminer, White Zin, Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, and the “Third Alarm” Reserve Chardonnay. Oh, how I would love to visit the vineyard one day.

Rating: 9/10 - Excellent!
The only reason I’m not giving it 10 is because I promised my readers “cheap wines less than 15 dollars” and this wine retails for 16. Look around though, I’m sure you can find a good deal! Even if you can’t, it is worth the extra dollar.

Extra Info: Hook & Ladder - Founded in 2004
2027 Olivet Road
Santa Rosa, CA 95401
phone: 707-546-5712

pH: 3.3
Acidity: .73
Alcohol: 13.8%
Winemaker: Cecil De Loach
Cases Produced: 2,400

[10/20/2008, 09:14]

Benito vs. the Cigar: Camacho Tasting

fotos de melina pitraI attended a Camacho cigar tasting at Cigar Depot out at Poplar and Forest Hill Irene. A cigar tasting is somewhat different from a wine tasting. I can generally try about 25 wines before my palate shuts down, but what on earth are you supposed to do for a cigar tasting? Pass around a few stogies to let everyone try various blends?

It's a lot simpler and a lot more relaxed than that. A representative from the cigar company shows up with a sampler box and hands out cigars to whomever is in the shop. I got a free Camacho SLR Natural Corona that I enjoyed in store, hanging out with a couple of guys and watching the ups and downs of the market on CNBC. I spoke to the rep a few times, and purchased a Camacho Corojo 10th Anniversary cigar on the way out. It's a 6"/60 ring gauge monster made out of fine Honduran tobacco. Despite the huge size (and box press shape, which flattens it into a sort of rectangle cross section), it was a smooth and cool smoke with cherry and black tea notes to it. I enjoyed it on a lovely crisp Saturday evening with a glass of Penfolds Club Port.

The 10th Anniversary Camacho is pictured on my friend Paul's copy of The Undercover Economist by Tim Harford, a great companion work to Freakonomics if you enjoy that sort of unorthodox viewpoint of how money moves around the economy.
[01/10/2008, 00:52]

The "New " Cru

The Cru has a new home - you can visit it by clicking on the link below:

www.thecru.co.za

I hope you enjoy the new look and feel - cause that's all it is really - the ethos and style of The Cru commentary will remain the same!

So from now on I'll see you over at the new site - oh and one more thing - could I ask you to do the following once you get there:

  • Subscribe to the new Feed
  • Change all existing links to The Cru on your sites to www.thecru.co.za
  • Bookmark the new site!

Great stuff! Thanks and enjoy everyone - now let me go and find some champagne!!

Cru Master
[10/20/2008, 05:29]

Great beer

I usually don't write about beer but this on is great.
 Dog Fish Head:
 Theobroma:

This is a recreation of one of the oldest brews, 1100 B.C. it made of coco, ancho chili, honey, its not really hot with spice even though you can taste it, and the coco is mellow but the main flavor, its smooth and tasty, not going to be around long try it if yo can
[11/30/2006, 20:52]

New Languedoc, Old Carignan and Deep Purple It i...

fotos de melina pitra
New Languedoc, Old Carignan and Deep Purple

It is home to over one third of all vines planted in France. Yet, how the Languedoc adjusts to world glut in grapes will have a profound effect on its future. Once responsible for massive amounts of low quality grapes, growers in the France's south have had to make a choice as competition from other countries have made this a less viable business.

Faced with the option of simply pulling out vines, a new generation of winemakers have chosen to make higher quality wines. While lower yields have improved the wines, putting more emphasis on more marketable grapes like Syrah and Grenache have no doubt made them more attractive to today's varietal conscious consumer. However, this second decision has come at a price.

The Carignan grape, indigenous to the south, has suffered as many growers have switched to Syrah and Grenache. Carignan can do wonderful things if given the opportunity, adding color, structure, depth, as well as dark cooked fruits, licorice and earthy aromas. However, since it is often relegated to the more fertile plateaus where it over produces, it can become rather innocuous.

At a recent tasting of Languedoc wines, the bottles that had appreciable levels of well-grown carignan were the ones that stood out. If you place a value on the importance of regional ?distinctiveness,' look for those Languedoc wines with higher percentages of this grape.
fotos de melina pitra
Coteaux du Languedoc 2001, Mas Jullien
One of my favourite producers is Olivier Jullien. His estate, Mas Jullien, is spread out over 15 acres around the village of Jonquiers, just north of the Mediterrean coast and the city of Montpellier. I have already reviewed his Mas Jullien Blanc, a six grapes blend that includes Grenache Blanc, Viogner and Chenin Blanc, and to my taste is one of the most distinctive and interesting whites in France that requires years of cellaring to reach it's apogee.

His red, a blend of Carignan, Syrah and Mourvedre, is no less interesting. Like many carignan based wines, it requires a couple of years of cellaring to iron out some of the rougher edges, but it rewards patience like fefotos de melina pitraw wines from the region. This was my fourth bottle (I still have two left).

Drunk to the tune of a big juicy steak.

Deep purple in both color and style. Like Richie Blackmore's guitar playing, Jullien combines virtuosity with power, beauty without being very pretty. It smells and tastes of dark plums, marinated in licorice and sweet spices. Rich and concentrated, the tannins melted away to a dense, powerful and harmonious finish. This is not the new dulcimer Blackmore, but the Richie of Old.
[10/30/2008, 07:58]

Serious Sonoma Syrah

fotos de melina pitra Often when you think of Napa and Sonoma, the big corporate winery showcases come to mind. Palatial wineries costing tens of millions of dollars surrounded by gardens that compete with Versailles and gourmet kitchens better equipped than three star Michelin restaurants. Yet some of California’s most exciting wines are not being made in such wine palaces.

Working in leased space, crammed in with other small producers sharing space and equipment, some young winemakers are making a dramatic new generation of California wines. Some of the most compelling wines I tasted during a visit to Sonoma last weekend were some bottlings of syrah produced by some low tech, but high passion winemakers. I say this is a new generation because these are not the huge raspberry fruit bomb syrahs with little varietal character you fotos de melina pitra have come to expect from California. These are big wines, just as they should be, but layered in with all that fruit was real complexity as they exhibited that earthy, butcher shop character that defines the finest wines from this variety.

Morgon Peterson at Bedrock Wine Company is crafting some of the most fascinating American wines I’ve tasted in some time. He’s making a tremendous range of single vineyard syrahs and a dramatic sauvignon blanc/semillon blend. Neighbor Phillip Staehle is making some compelling wines under the Enkidu label. His Odyssey Russian River Syrah is proof positive that the best syrah is made in cooler climates than conventional wisdom has called for in the past.

In the picture above, Peterson presses wines using a muscle powered basket press. Yes, he really makes wine that way. There’s a growing group of young winemakers in California who are well educated not only on winemaking science, but on the traditions that made European wines the standard for greatness in the past. They are on the cutting edge of California winemaking not because of their use of the latest technologies, but by their return to the methods of the past. They are making textured, complex wines that don’t bury the characteristics of the variety under excess and manipulations, but that proudly and clearly show their California personality. For me, these wines were nothing short of exciting. As you might expect, very little wine is produced at wineries such as these. I’d suggest you get on the mailing list now.

Technorati Tags: ,,
WorldWine Tags: wine, California, syrah,
[06/21/2008, 22:09]

04 Lillian, California Syrah

[12/11/2007, 00:14]

Food Poisoning

I have been suffering from food poisoning.

The up side is that I have lost 7kg's in five days!

The downside is that I will never eat paella again.

At the moment I have no appetite for wine at all - so as soon as it returns I'll be back!

Cru Master
[09/03/2007, 21:57]

Pour Some Sugar on Me (or not) by Tod Stewart

Over two million Canadians have diabetes. For thirty-two years I?ve been a card-carrying member of the no-sugar-tonight club. The thing that always surprises people when they find out I?m diabetic is the significant part that food and wine play in...
[10/29/2008, 01:06]

françois et denis clair, 2006 santenay

2006 F et D Clair, Santenay Medium cherry-red colour. A very nice width of high-toned fruit on the nose, slowly it takes on a clear red berry complexion. Good depth and a furry texture on the palate. The acidity is nicely balanced and the medium-weight flavours last very well. A six-pack [...]
[09/12/2008, 00:37]

Amazon To Sell Wine Online

yAs reported by the Wall Street Journal and Reuters, Amazon.com will begin to sell wine in a just few weeks here in the U.S. The announcement came from The Napa Valley Vintners association and not directly from Amazon. Also reported was that New Vine Logisitics will be Amazon’s shipping partner when they go live.

Rumors have been circulating for some time that Amazon would enter the market but most observers thought they would concentrate on high volume brands. But the Amazon head wine buyer was on the floor checking out wines at the recent Family Winemakers of California and I have spoken with several smaller wineries who have been in discussions with them.

As I posted back in March, I think his is the most signifiant development in wine distribution since the repeal of Prohibition in 1933. And Amazon’s actions in the past 6 months have validated my hypothesis that medium to small wineries are their target. Their decision to work with regional wine associations is a good one from an industry relations, recruitment and PR point of view. I don’t think it was an accident the announcement came from the Napa Valley Vintners and think we’ll see announcements from other winery associations before Amazon formally launches their wine business later this month or in early October.

This is a great development for both wineries looking for online distribution and for consumers looking for small production, artisan wines. I expect the shipping fees to be reasonable like Amazon does for all their other products but their Prime service will be a must for serious wine lovers. For $79 a year, you get free shipping on all purchases with second day delivery. No word on if that speed will be honored for wine but if it’s just free ground shipping for wine, that will be huge for sales. With increasing fuel costs, shipping is becoming a real problem for wineries as it adds significantly to their customer price. If this is a non-issue, then wineries stand to benefit greatly from what Amazon if offering.

This is not good news for other online wine retailers who do not have the deep pockets to cover the significant shipping costs or the economies of scale that Amazon has. But I still think there will be a place for niche e-tailers like domaine547 and wine marketing sites like woot and The Wine Spies.

I think this is the biggest wine story of the year and will be blogging about what this means for wine marketing over at my company blog.

Cheers to Amazon and welcome to the wine business.

y
y y y y y
[04/14/2008, 06:52]

Recent dinner wines

1982 Moet et Chandon Brut Imperial Rose
A fine stream of bubbles. Strawberry jam is the dominant aroma with earth, smoke and cherry supporting. Medium intensity of flavour on the palate with good acid support. With a persistent finish, this was very tasty.
90/100

1979 Leo Buring Eden Valley Eden Valley Show Reserve Riesling DWI16
Golden coloured. Shy nose with some honey, hay and citrus. The palate is showing signs of tiredness with the acid and fruit barely holding on. Drinkable, but not nearly as good as I have heard great bottles of this can be.
85/100

2007 Kay Brothers Amery McLaren Vale Moscato
Shy nose, just some grape aromas. A touch of spritz and some soft sweetness to the palate, there is no depth to it though.
85/100

1992 Cantina Terlano Alto Adige Sauvignon
Minerals, grapefruit and floral notes. The palate is fresh and lifting, but there is a richness and complexity to it that is amazing. Aside from the complexity, there was little to indicate the amount of age that this had. Interesting and quite unique.
90/100

1995 Domaine Santa Duc Gigondas Prestige des Hautes Garrigues
Meaty, graphite, blackberry and brambly aromas. The palate shows strong tannins but is otherwise quite restrained. If the intense tannins subside with time then this will take a step up to be great.
87/100

1993 Dunn Howell Mountain Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
Barnyard aromas at the fore, with some raspberry, tobacco and eucalypt coming through as well. The palate didn’t show any sign of the brett to me, it was medium bodied with excellent balance and length.
89/100

1999 Wild Duck Creek Estate Alan?s Cabernets Vat 1
Dense, deeply coloured. Tobacco, bramble, cinnamon and sappy aromas. Sweet fruit flavour to the medium bodied palate. Lacking a bit in structure to me.
87/100

1999 Jasper Hill Georgia?s Paddock Heathcote Shiraz
A big, ripe nose of charcoal, chocolate, eucalypt and cherry. Tannins stick and there is a touch of bitterness on the finish. The alcohol stands out as well with a glycerol like element to the palate.
85/100

2000 Tenimenti Fontanafredda Barolo Vigna La Rosa
Apricot, violets, coffee, tar and kirsch aromas. The palate is powerful, but also balanced and structured. Long and utterly delicious. Superb wine, easily the best of the night.
93/100

[11/13/2007, 02:33]

Make Benefit Glorious Zinfandel

"Consumer Learnings for Make Benefit Glorious Zinfandel Future" Christian Miller, owner of Full Glass Research--a wine industry research firm--chose this title for an opinion study on Zinfandel as a joking reference to the movie Borat. (See the movie's wine episode here.) And it?s pretty appropriate, because depending on who you talk to, zinfandel means different things to different people. There?s an almost Babel-like confusion involved in the language of zinfandel.
[11/22/2006, 07:48]

Using Bargain Wines to Your Advantage

Using bargain wines is often preferable for occasions when it would be unwise to to invest a large amount of money in expensive wine.

Do you really want to use top-notch red wine for making sangria or for serving up at parties, when friends have already had enough to drink? No, I didn't think so!


Drinking Bargain Wines

Blended wine is usually cheaper and a reasonable bet in terms of drinkability. As a general rule, Chilean blends are the cheapest option, although it's often worth paying that little bit extra for Australian blends. In fact, a number of Australian producers market two excellent blends at the lower end of the price spectrum, one white and one red. The red is a blend of cabernet sauvignon and shiraz and the white consists of semillon and chardonnay. Keep an eye out for these grape combinations, if you're after a bargain!

Another winner at the cheaper end of the market is Spanish Rioja (both red and white). As Rioja is usually less fruity than the previously mentioned blends it is generally better for serving with food, rather than drinking on its own.


Other Uses of Bargain Wines

Sangria

If you're making sangria, you need red quaffing wine - and lots of it. As sangria is made from red wine, sugar, fruit juice and spirits, the quality of the red wine becomes largely secondary. This is where boxed wines come into their own. Buy large boxes that are relatively cheap - no one will notice! Be sure to purchase reasonable quality fruit juice and don't go for the absolute cheapest wine as you may live to regret it, the following morning!


Large Parties and Receptions

When serving wine to a large party, cost is obviously important. As a rule, boxed whites are generally more palatable than boxed reds, so if want to trim costs, anywhere, buying cheaper white wine may be a safer option.

A great way to improve boxed red wine is to add a reasonable quality bottle of red wine. Provided that you choose the correct bottle of red, this can make an impressive difference to the taste. Of course, you do need some suitable decanters or serving carafes and a little patience to pull this one off, successfully.

Finally, choose your nibbles wisely. Plain potato chips will do little to help you disguise a poor wine. Instead opt for a selection of cheeses, as they will enhance the flavor of even the cheapest of wines.


About the author:
Since Neil Best first pondered the question, Who made the first wine anyway? he's been recording his findings at http://www.goodglug.comFind about your favorite wine regions, wine recipes, and speciality wines along with how it's made and how best to store it for maximum enjoyment
[10/07/2008, 05:01]

Meerea Park ?The Aunts? Shiraz 2006

yMeerea Park have been through a (pardon the pun) purple patch recently, especially with their red wines. The 2003, 2004 and 2005 vintages were very good to exceptional and the 2006 vintage of “The Aunts” Shiraz is no exception. There is one big difference this year, your favorite Aunts now come dressed in a bright red frock.

A clean and modern hunter nose of cherry, dusty earth, aniseed and hints of clove and nutmeg. Medium bodied with a solid backbone of fine tannin, blackberry fruit, balancing acidity and a goodly dollop of spicy oak. Good length, needs time.

I suspect the score will increase somewhat as the wine ages, this particular bottle was enjoyed very soon after the wine was released a couple of months ago, however I was very slack in writing up the tasting note. As a little side note, we now have more bottles of The Aunts Shiraz in the cellar from various vintages than any other label.

Score: 91/100
Price: $26
Closure: Screwcap
Alcohol: 13.5%
Other Opinions: Meerea Park
Would I buy this wine again?
Yes, quickly becoming a mainstay in our cellar.

y y
y
[09/03/2008, 19:27]

Pairing Sangiovese with Food

Fall is just around the corner and few wines are more enjoyable when the weather turns cool than Italy's Sangiovese wines. In the video below, Iron Chef Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich discuss how best to pair Sangiovese with food. Take a look:


See full article.

Related Entries:

Wine and Hamburgers - 29 May 2006

The Wine Diet - 29 November 2006

What's New In Cookbooks - 13 June 2008

Wine Varietals: Sangiovese - 26 July 2008




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[03/24/2008, 08:53]

March 24, 2008. New Zealand Wineries Part 3 - Woollaston

yThis one is not exactly a small winery and definitely a bit more flashy than many others. Woollaston Estates was formed in 2000 - with some creative passion. You can see that in the design of the winery building itself as well as the myriad pieces of art and sculptures around. This one is worth going to just to check out the architecture. While I cannot say that I was impressed with most of their offerings - one did stand out to me and that was their Pinot Noir. Vines are still young but there is a balance here which I find lacking in many others. This is one of the better Pinot if not the best I tried on this trip.

Looking at a design of their winery it seems to be designed around letting gravity lead the flow through the winemaking process . This can only mean it was designed around the careful handling of Pinot Noir. To me, you can taste a big difference in quality between the Pinot and their other wines. It was as if the other wines were intended for bulk sale in order to finance the winery and perfecting the Pinot.

2007 Nelson Pinot Noir. Black cherries, some depth might be due to clay soil with "good/smooth" tannins and a decent finish. 89 points


Winery schematic : http://www.woollaston.co.nz/winery/interactive-map

[11/10/2008, 15:13]

Pride of New York Harvest Fest 2008 @ Desmond

y

y

The Pride of New York Harvest Festival at the Desomond Hotel in Albany, New York was a wonderufl success. Many celebs of the New York wine world were seen walking the floor, including Hunt Country's Art Hunt, Fox Run's Scott Osborn, Matt Spacarelli of Benmarl, Chris Reno of Lafayette Reaneau, and many other winery owners and winemakers, as well as scurrying sales staffs.

Its been a good year for many wineries, and this event was a great mixture of New York gourmet foods and New York wine.

y
Scott Osborn

y
Art Hunt

y
Matt Spacarelli

y
Chris Reno

Lots of good reviews to follow!
[10/16/2008, 22:45]

The Coca-Cola Company Reports Third Quarter and Year-to-Date 2008 Results

The Coca-Cola Company today reported third quarter earnings per share of $0.81, an increase of 14 percent versus the prior year quarter on a reported basis. After considering items impacting comparability, yearnings per share in the quarter were $0.83, an increase of 17 percent. Earnings per share for the quarter included a net charge of $0.02 per share for restructuring charges and costs related to global productivity initiatives partially offset by a gain on the sale of a portion of the Company?s investment in the Pakistan bottler. Earnings per share for the third quarter of 2007 were $0.71 and included a charge of $0.03 per share, primarily related to restructuring charges, which was offset by a $0.03 per share gain primarily related to the sale of a portion of the Company?s investment in Coca-Cola Amatil Limited.

[08/26/2007, 22:42]

2003 Embriux Priorat de Vall Llach

2003 Embriux Priorat de Vall Llach $35 Wine label said: Wrong language! The bottle is no help! Vineyard66 says: This another of my series of Spanish wines, as we will be there next year and I’m doing my homework. The web tells me that Embruix means “betwiching” in Spanish, but also that it is primarily Cabernet and Grenache blend [...]
[02/07/2008, 11:16]

Ponderings on Points, Amarones, and Arias

I have been traveling back and forth across the country for the last two weeks and have been working long days for months. In between flights and endless delays in yairport waiting lounges, I try to make study time for my WSET exam coming up all too soon in a few days. After a grueling, four-city tour, tonight I feel justified in picking something special to celebrate a clean desk and being home.  A bottle of Amarone is definitely appropriate. The bottle I decide on is an Amarone Negar 1961. Yes the vintage is right, 1961.

It was a great year for Italian wine in 1961 ? rain and sun in perfect balance. John Kennedy was president of the USA. The Berlin Wall was under construction. Maria Callas was 38 and at the height of her career. Sophia Loren was starring in El Cid, and I was all of nine years old.

The label is a little worn and torn. The fill level looks promising ? still mid neck ? although there is a little sediment. The cork seems to be okay ? solid and removes easily without crumbling. Should I decant and risk adding too much air?  I pour a glass to see what has happened to this 40-something wine.

The color is amazing ? dark red, with a little orange and brick red on the rim. The nose is equally remarkable ? still lots of fruit left on the nose, black cherry with truffle, and a little sherry oxidization odors in the background. A few swirls of the glass and the oxidative aromas disappear.

The taste and finish on this wine is surprising, still full of black cherry, ytruffles, and forest floor with a finish that lasts for minutes. The tannins are like silk, and there are not enough descriptors to describe the mouth feel and full body.  The acidity must be holding this wine together.

Now, there is a caveat to this story. We both love Amarone, so there is a built in basis here. But points and ratings have no relevance to this wine. It is, quite simply, a great wine. It is like the Callas aria playing on the stereo ? powerful yet filled with grace and finesse.  It is an Amarone at its heights.  Yes, 1961 was a good vintage year for Italian wines. I am going to lay down some bottles for the future.

Susan?s Note:

This Amarone is a perfect example of why Frank and I both hate the point system. Is this a 98 or only a 97 point wine? After all, how do you define the difference of a single point? Or has this venerable liquid actually achieved the enviable position of 100 points despite its initial hint of oxidation? It is only two additional points after all.

And if we were to rate it as a 98, would that make it comparable to the 2004 Cabernet Blend IX Estate from Colgin Cellars that received a 98 point nod from Robert Parker? Hmmm, let?s see. A three-year old blend of 59% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc, and 6% Petit Verdot from Napa Valley versus an Italian Amarone with almost half a century of love, care, and passion in its provenance. Somehow, the comparison just doesn?t work ? although I suppose one day, some scientist, somewhere in the world, will come up with a formula that proves you can actually make a meaningful comparison between apples and snow peas.

(Photo of Maria Callas dated 1960, only a year before this wine was produced.)

[10/14/2008, 03:58]