Friday, August 29, 2003
A dear friend and I drove over to check out the opening of what I consider the best Italian restaurant in the San Diego region in her new, hot red SUV last night. I'm talking about Via Italia, which for years has operated a dynamite Italian spot in Clairmont Mesa. Finally, after a year of work Paolo has gotten the doors open in Encinitas and brought his fantastic Italian flair to North County. Without a doubt I Trulli and Vigalucci now have real competition, and this spot, only 3/4 full last night, will likely be the best spot in the area for lovers of Italian cooking before the year is out.
We were joined by Matt Andrew's and his wife, who are at best day's, maybe hours away from the birth of their daughter, Isabella Sophia, so a few toasts for the baby had to be in order. Matt, who only recently left Arterra as Director of Wine, now spends his days selling wine to restaurants for Young's Market. Already he's in the Rick Alles and Bill Gillespie class guy category as wine sales reps go here in the San Diego, and between the two wines I totted along from the cellar, and a batch of new Italian reds that Matt was pouring, it meant a quiet dinner for two, had became four, and four became six as Luca our fine server who I met at a charity tasting I served as guest speaker for on Sunday, and owner Paolo made it six before the night was over. And that my friends, is what WinePals is all about.
We started off with an absolutely stunning, 2000 Giuncheo Vermentino Rivera Ligure di Ponete which comes from the coastal region near Italy's border with France. Like the red wine from Dolceacqua which I love and hails from the same region, these Ligurian wines have a quality of freshness, minerality and purity. It must be the from the ice caps near Luca's home town of Val d'Aosta, where skiing, not surfing is the favorite board sport. This wine was so good, I'm calling to buy all I can find today. Offering up a delightful pear, apple and ginger flavor, this highly aromatic white wine, made from only Vermentino was a delight with the fresh salad of olives, green lettuce, tomatoes and buffalo mozzarella cheese. I found this wine on a recent trip and now kick myself for only buying one bottle as it is by far is one of the best white wines I have had this year, as it left everyone reaching for more from the green tinged bottle.
The 2000 Nozzole Chianti Classico Riserva is a steal. Priced at full retail for $18.00 or so, the classically made red wine has all the right elements of black cherry, tar, cedar and tobacco that one expects in a Chianti Classico. The balance and structure is most evident, and the smoky bouquet
We moved next to the 2000 Biondi Santi Sassoalloro which is made from the Brunello clone. It's rich, deep, dark in color, balanced and elegant already, but built to last for many years. The flavors of blackberry, chewy red cherries and a hint of elderberry were in the forward part of the wine, and like the Nozzole, a great pairing with the Procuitto antipasti plate. Matt then poured two stunners. The 1997 Cabreo Il Borgo Toscana and the 2000 Crognolo Toscana. We all were having so much fun talking, I confess I didn't take the best set of notes, but from what I remember the Cabreo was the kind of wine that you want to buy by the case and forget you have for another few years. Fortunately this bottle had been open a few hours and it was stupendous. The Crognolo was much younger, but well balanced and these wines were a far cry from some of the off vintages that have been making the rounds of late at bargain prices. Both of these wines were dead on the money, Super Tuscan or IGT wines that made me appreciate Tuscan wines again, all in one sitting. Here were wines that served so well as counterpoints to the rustic Polenta with mushrooms dish.
Our last red wine, the Guido Porro 1997 Vigna Lazzairasco Barolo, which I pulled from the cellar only a few minutes before heading over to Via Italia was intelligently decanted and left to breath from the moment we sat down by Luca. It was worth the wait. The almost three hours of aeration gave the wine a chance to open up, revealing a stunning cherry cola and black cherry wishniak nose(something only east coaster will appreciate) and a very vibrant purple color. To say the wine was stunning, would be a misnomer. It was beyond that, and it's still very young. The balance of fruit, tannin and acidity were all there, but it was the purity of the fruit, and the natural style of winemaking came through loud and clear. Black berries, cola nut, creme de cocoa, black cherries and ripe plum flavors all came through pairing up nicely with the Paparedelle and Maine Lobster dish.
We ended the night with a treat from Paolo, an apple and peach flavored Moscato d'Asti, which was delightful with the rich, sweet and oh so tasty Cannoli de Sicily.
Everyone left filled, happy and very satiated.
Cheers...
We were joined by Matt Andrew's and his wife, who are at best day's, maybe hours away from the birth of their daughter, Isabella Sophia, so a few toasts for the baby had to be in order. Matt, who only recently left Arterra as Director of Wine, now spends his days selling wine to restaurants for Young's Market. Already he's in the Rick Alles and Bill Gillespie class guy category as wine sales reps go here in the San Diego, and between the two wines I totted along from the cellar, and a batch of new Italian reds that Matt was pouring, it meant a quiet dinner for two, had became four, and four became six as Luca our fine server who I met at a charity tasting I served as guest speaker for on Sunday, and owner Paolo made it six before the night was over. And that my friends, is what WinePals is all about.
We started off with an absolutely stunning, 2000 Giuncheo Vermentino Rivera Ligure di Ponete which comes from the coastal region near Italy's border with France. Like the red wine from Dolceacqua which I love and hails from the same region, these Ligurian wines have a quality of freshness, minerality and purity. It must be the from the ice caps near Luca's home town of Val d'Aosta, where skiing, not surfing is the favorite board sport. This wine was so good, I'm calling to buy all I can find today. Offering up a delightful pear, apple and ginger flavor, this highly aromatic white wine, made from only Vermentino was a delight with the fresh salad of olives, green lettuce, tomatoes and buffalo mozzarella cheese. I found this wine on a recent trip and now kick myself for only buying one bottle as it is by far is one of the best white wines I have had this year, as it left everyone reaching for more from the green tinged bottle.
The 2000 Nozzole Chianti Classico Riserva is a steal. Priced at full retail for $18.00 or so, the classically made red wine has all the right elements of black cherry, tar, cedar and tobacco that one expects in a Chianti Classico. The balance and structure is most evident, and the smoky bouquet
We moved next to the 2000 Biondi Santi Sassoalloro which is made from the Brunello clone. It's rich, deep, dark in color, balanced and elegant already, but built to last for many years. The flavors of blackberry, chewy red cherries and a hint of elderberry were in the forward part of the wine, and like the Nozzole, a great pairing with the Procuitto antipasti plate. Matt then poured two stunners. The 1997 Cabreo Il Borgo Toscana and the 2000 Crognolo Toscana. We all were having so much fun talking, I confess I didn't take the best set of notes, but from what I remember the Cabreo was the kind of wine that you want to buy by the case and forget you have for another few years. Fortunately this bottle had been open a few hours and it was stupendous. The Crognolo was much younger, but well balanced and these wines were a far cry from some of the off vintages that have been making the rounds of late at bargain prices. Both of these wines were dead on the money, Super Tuscan or IGT wines that made me appreciate Tuscan wines again, all in one sitting. Here were wines that served so well as counterpoints to the rustic Polenta with mushrooms dish.
Our last red wine, the Guido Porro 1997 Vigna Lazzairasco Barolo, which I pulled from the cellar only a few minutes before heading over to Via Italia was intelligently decanted and left to breath from the moment we sat down by Luca. It was worth the wait. The almost three hours of aeration gave the wine a chance to open up, revealing a stunning cherry cola and black cherry wishniak nose(something only east coaster will appreciate) and a very vibrant purple color. To say the wine was stunning, would be a misnomer. It was beyond that, and it's still very young. The balance of fruit, tannin and acidity were all there, but it was the purity of the fruit, and the natural style of winemaking came through loud and clear. Black berries, cola nut, creme de cocoa, black cherries and ripe plum flavors all came through pairing up nicely with the Paparedelle and Maine Lobster dish.
We ended the night with a treat from Paolo, an apple and peach flavored Moscato d'Asti, which was delightful with the rich, sweet and oh so tasty Cannoli de Sicily.
Everyone left filled, happy and very satiated.
Cheers...
Comments:
Post a Comment
