Vinous Table: Osteria Le Logge, Siena, Italy
Italy: Tuscany, Vinous Table
, Oct 2018
Tuscany is littered with dozens of exceptional and even world-class wine estates. When it comes to dining, though, things get much more dicey. It is not always easy to cut through the plethora of anonymous restaurants serving indifferent fare to the unsuspecting tourist crowd and find places that excel with both delicious, well-prepared food and a carefully thought out wine program. Located steps away from Siena’s Piazza del Campo, Osteria Le Logge is one of the bright spots in Tuscany’s food and wine scene.
Le Potazzine Brunello di Montalcino 2001 – 2013
Italy: Tuscany, featured, Verticals & Retrospectives
, Oct 2018
Despite its short history, Le Potazzine is universally regarded as one of Montalcino’s top dozen or so wineries. The estate is known for remarkably refined Brunellos that speak of vintage, place and grape variety with utmost precision.
Rocca di Montegrossi: Vigneto San Marcellino 1995–2013
Italy: Tuscany, featured, Verticals & Retrospectives
, Aug 2018
From his first vintage in 1995, Marco Ricasoli-Firidolfi has crafted powerful, yet elegant wines imbued with real character. This vertical tasting of the Chianti Classico Vigneto San Marcellino once again showed the pedigree Sangiovese is capable of in the hands of an inspired grower guided by a desire to make wines that express the essence of site and vintage.
Cellar Favorite: 1998 Fontodi Chianti Classico
Italy: Tuscany, cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites
, Aug 2018
Fontodi’s 1998 Chianti Classico reminds me of why I love these wines so much. At age twenty, the 1998 is simply glorious, with plenty of dried cherry, tobacco, saddle leather, licorice, dried cedar and smoke overtones wrapped into a classic, mid-weight frame.
Tuscany New Releases: Maremma, Montepulciano & More
Italy: Tuscany, featured
, Apr 2018
Readers will find much to admire in these current releases from Tuscany’s Maremma, Montepulciano and smaller neighboring appellations. As always, it is the extraordinary diversity of regions, microclimates and varieties that define Italy’s rich oenological landscape. Best of all, with few exceptions, pricing for so many wines remains quite modest in today’s world.
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Brunello di Montalcino: Sleek '13s, Surprising '12 Riservas
Italy: Tuscany, featured
, Apr 2018
The taut, refined 2013 Brunellos offer early appeal and considerable aging potential. A surprising number of producers I visited or spoke to told me they believed the 2013 vintage to be close in quality to the much more famous 2010. The other good news for wine lovers this year is just how good the 2012 Brunello Riservas are. In fact, off the top of my head I cannot remember when I so thoroughly enjoyed tasting one Brunello Riserva after another.
Chianti Classico: The Stellar 2015s and Surprising 2014s
Italy: Tuscany, featured
, Jan 2018
Chianti Classico is one of the world’s elite regions because of its proven ability to produce pedigreed, age-worthy wines that transmit the essence of site and that develop beautifully in bottle. Readers will find a bevy of compelling new releases in the market, ranging from the gorgeous, radiant 2015s to the more nervy, tense 2014s.
Castello di Ama L’Apparita Retrospective 1988-2013
Italy: Tuscany, featured, Verticals & Retrospectives
, Nov 2017
Over the last four decades, Castello di Ama’s Merlot L’Apparita has built an enviable track record that places it among the world’s most pedigreed wines. I was thrilled to host this charity event at Sotto Sotto as part of the Grand Cru Culinary Festival, which raised over C$3m for six research centers at Toronto General and Toronto Western Hospitals.
Cellar Favorite: 2007 Antinori Tignanello
Italy: Tuscany, cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites
, Nov 2017
The 2007 Tignanello is a big, ample wine that is just beginning now to open up.
Cellar Favorite: 1990 Col D’Orcia Brunello di Montalcino Riserva
Italy: Tuscany, Cellar Favorites
, Jun 2017
Col d’Orcia’s top Brunello, the Poggio al Vento, is much sought after by winelovers and collectors alike. Perhaps less known but at times almost as good is the estate’s Brunello di Montalcino Riserva, which was made up to and including the 1995 vintage (the estate has since ceased bottling the Riserva in order to avoid running the risk of affecting the quality of the classic Brunello that is made every year).