Italian Winemaker Alessandro Cellai Visits Hi-Time

by Gary Faust
 
It was quite an honor to welcome Italian winemaker, Alessandro Cellai to Hi Time Wine Cellars. He is quite versatile and talented, producing wine from two estates with two very different terroirs.

From Sicily, the Feudi del Pisciotto estate showcases some of the island’s native varietals as well as some “international varietals.” Cellai believes three indigenous grapes from Sicily show the character of the island and what is possible in this unique micro-climate. The Grillo, Nero d'Avola and Frappato are excellent examples of wine with true Sicilian character.

Feudi del Pisciotto includes what is probably the greatest intact example of a gravity-fed winery. Incredibly, this was used by the ancient Romans and Greeks who knew a thing or two about making wine. Photos of the interior of this historic building are amazing. Today, many winemakers are building gravity-fed winemaking facilities, an acknowledgement that the process is still very relevant and results in gentle and efficient handling of their grapes and wine.

The bottles of Feudi del Pisciotto have labels featuring the artwork of prominent Italian designers including Versace and Valentino. The artists agreed to allow use of their art as a portion of the sales go toward the renovation and restoration of historic Sicilian art and culture. In tasting through the lineup, we found the wines were expressive, delicious and surprisingly affordable. The designer series wines are shown on the right side of the photo included in this blog (at the top of the page).

We also tasted the Rocca Di Frassinello wines from the appellation of Maremma in Tuscany. Rocca Di Frassinello is a unique joint venture of two incredible producers coming together to craft wine in the rolling hills of Tuscany. The parties involved are Castellare di Castellina from Chianti and the legendary Bordeaux producer Lafite-Rothschild. Their Rocca di Frassinello project couples Castellare’s experience in growing Sangiovese with Lafite’s experience growing classic French varietals including Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.

Rocca Di Frassinello showcases a stunning winery, most of which is built underground. The modern looking facility contains the largest barrel room in the world. The impressive structure is often host to recitals and performances.

The character of the wine is different than many other expressions of Tuscany such as Chianti Classico, Brunello di Montalcino, and Nobile Di Montepulciano. These Super Tuscans feature Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Sangiovese. They are rich, full-bodied wines which give great pleasure!

The Poggio alla Guardia is an over-achiever, which was our Wine of the Month 2 last July. The 2012 is even better than the 2011 so we will be bringing it into the store in a big way. All the wines from this winery were full-bodied with rich, ripe fruit and smooth tannins.

What a treat it was to spend time with such a talented winemaker. Alessandro was very generous with his time and knowledge. His wines from two very different regions share one common trait- they’re fantastic!

Hi-Time Wine Cellars presents...

Tuscany Under The Stars
A Night of Tuscan Wines with Producers

At

The Pelican Courtyard
124 Tustin Ave, Newport Beach, CA 92663

Wednesday, May 4th • 6:30 to 9 p.m.

Taste over 20 wines with six producers
Selvapiana • Badia a Coltibuono • Poliziano
Casanova di Neri • Aia Vecchia • Adami

Tray Passed Tuscan Bites
catered by Mark McDonald of Old Vine Café, Costa Mesa

Entertainment Provided by Haddy Music
$40 per person
Reservations Required By Phone (949.650.8463) or Online

For more info please go to hitimewine.net • Dress Code Business Casual

Super Tuscan Sale on a 92 Point Wine!

by Gary Faust

This is a smokin’ deal from Baracchi, the fantastic Tuscan producer we first brought into the store two years ago.  Baracchi makes wines that are just plain delicious and this wine definitely fits that bill.  Even better, the distributor is making room for the new vintage and was motivated to move this wine.  This wine is easily one of the best deals in the store right now and we are thrilled to offer it at a huge discount.  Ardito is one of Baracchi’s upscale bottlings and it really shows in this wine’s complexity.
 
This is a stunning blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon and 50% Syrah.  It comes together beautifully and tastes like a hypothetical marriage of California Cabernet and Syrah from the Northern Rhone.  Like any great marriage, the sum is greater than the parts.  The Ardito combines the generous fruit and structure Cabernet is known for with the meaty savoriness one often finds in Syrah.

 

Deep ruby with purple highlights and staining of the tears.  On the nose, violet florals are followed by notes of currants, blackberries, vanilla, earth and meat.  On the palate, the wine is dry and full-bodied with moderate, ripe tannins.  The flavors speak of the grapes themselves showcasing crème de cassis, black cherry, blackberry and anise from the Cabernet and that special meaty savoriness and slight spice that Syrah can bring.  This wine is bold, delicious and ready to drink.  It begs for a nice steak, but also drinks so very well on its own.

BARACCHI 2010 ARDITO SUPER TUSCAN

JAMES SUCKLING 92 POINTS -“Aromas of almonds, orange, and blackberries. Full body, with velvety tannins and a flavorful finish. A little chewy with slightly dried tannins but will soften with a year or two of bottle age. Delicious already. A blend of Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon. Try in 2015.”

SALE $29.95 Reg. Price $54.95 750ml [301763] Click HERE to purchase

Quick Sips: Gaja!

On Tuesday we were fortunate to taste the amazing wines of the renowned Italian producer, Gaja!  Although primarily known for his iconic Barbarescos, we enjoyed trying the Brunello and Tuscan wines as well.  They were tasty!  Playing the role of photo-bomber, the Il Poggione Brunello snuck in and is pictured third from left.

-Gary Faust

Piaggia Wines • Carmignano, Tuscany

by Gary Faust

It was an unexpected pleasure when Silvia Vannucci of Piaggia Wines dropped by the store. We were thrilled to meet her as she is the winemaker of this great Carmignano estate, which her father established in the 1970s.

Carmignano is a wine-producing region in Tuscany, just north of the beautiful town of Florence with a long and fascinating history. The wines are not as well known in the United States as their neighbors in Chianti, but they are held in high regard and are noteworthy wines of distinction.

This beautiful land has long been favored by nobility including the Medici family. The ultimate power family of Tuscany became even more so when Catherin de Medici married the King of France in the 16th century, becoming the Queen. As a wedding gift, the King gave cuttings of Cabernet Franc vines from Bordeaux to the family and thus began the tradition of blending Cabernet Franc into the bottlings of Carmignano. In return, the Medici family’s wedding gift was silverware. Up to that point, the royal court of France ate its food without utensils!

The wine was held in such high esteem that in 1716, the duke Cosimo III ruled the area should have special legal protected status, thus creating one of the world’s first wine appellations. As a point of comparison, the French AOC system was not established until the 1930s.

Carmignano is not a large appellation, with only 11 producers farming 500 hectares. As in Chianti, the majority of the grapes used in the red wine are Sangiovese, but the appellation of Carmignano mandates that the wine contain 10-20% Cabernet Franc. For anyone who has enjoyed Tuscan expressions of Cabernet Franc, you know it is not an herbal or spicy style common to some other areas where it is grown. Instead, it brings lush, ripe fruit with fine grained tannins. One could almost argue Carmignano is home to the original SuperTuscan wines with its inclusion of the international variety, Cabernet Franc. The wines are Bordeaux-like, which is not surprising given the maritime influence of the nearby coast and its clay soil.

The original three-hectare plot of land purchased by Vannucci’s father is ideally situated in a southwest facing amphitheater, which serves to uniformly ripen the grapes. Silvia’s father was originally in the textile business and made a little wine on the side for his family. He began giving wine as a thank you to some of his customers who immediately recognized the quality. Initially her father didn’t know much about winemaking, but the excellent terroir revealed itself in the high quality of the wine. The family began formally selling their wine in 1990 and immediately received praise from critics.

The family has been slowly adding land, but their vineyard holdings total only 15 hectares as they strive to maintain quality. The wines of Piaggia come only from their estate grown grapes, which are hand-picked with a focus on ensuring a high degree of phenolic ripeness. At the sorting table, strict sorting results in only the best grapes making the cut. The wines are then aged in French barriques before bottling.

Very little of the wine is made with even less making it to California. Only 300 bottles of the Carmignano Riserva are brought into California, while approximately 200 bottles of the Poggio de’Colli Cabernet Franc make it here. This is low-production, high quality stuff. The wines display amazing richness and purity of fruit and are a treat to behold. We decided to highlight three of our favorite wines that we are fortunate enough to have in our cellar.

Il Sasso Carmignano 2011 $35.98 [301580]

Deep, intense ruby red. Complex on the nose, reminiscent of Maraschino cherries, sweet spices, thyme and cocoa. Full and enveloping on the palate with an excellent balance of fruit, acid and tannins, and a persistent finish. This wine pairs well with mature cheeses, red meat and game. 

Carmignano Riserva 2011 $49.95 [303984]

The Carmignano Riserva is the flagship wine of Piaggia, showcasing a modern interpretation of Carmignano's Sangiovese base blended with Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot. This a selection of the best hand-picked grapes and subsequently the best barrels produced at the winery. This is regarded as perhaps the best wine produced in the appellation.

Stephen Tanzer 92 Points: “Deep, penetrating aromas of ripe black cherry and cassis complicated by cedar and graphite. Big, deep and rich, but with lively harmonious acidity framing and lifting the ripe red and dark fruit flavors. Finishes smooth and very concentrated, but with an element of gracefulness and refinement that is lacking in the Il Sasso vineyard. Owner Mauro Vannucci believes in harvesting the ripest fruit possible and Piaggia often starts picking its merlot grapes when others have finished harvesting their cabernets! Most of the grapes used for this wine come from the Piaggia vineyard that Vannucci bought in the 1970s from the nearby Capezzana estate. It's a fascinating old vineyard (the vines average roughly 35 years of age), where it's easy to recognize many old vines of cabernet (these are at least 50 years old) co-planted haphazardly among the rows of mainly sangiovese.”  

Poggio de’Colli Toscana IGT $64.95 [303894] 

This 100% Cabernet Franc based wine was recently chosen to receive a coveted Tre Bicchieri award for quality Italian wines by Gambero Rosso (Italy's most influential media group). Tre Bicchieri (“Three Glasses”) wines are deemed to be the best in Italy. The 2014 Tre Bicchieri award winners were selected from 25,000 wines produced by 2000 wineries. This Cabernet Franc is world class, displaying a soft, supple wine which is quite capable of aging.

Deep and intense ruby red with purple highlights. Complex aromas reveal violets, currants, mocha and licorice. On the palate, the wine is mouth-filling and full-bodied with well-integrated tannins, red and dark fruit, exotic spices and a pleasant earthiness culminating in a long finish. This is a delight to enjoy on its own or with a nice steak.