Il Caberlot: Not just another Super Tuscan

It’s not often that the real thing lives up to the hype. However, this is not so with Il Caberlot. My immediate reaction after tasting this rare wine was, “I need to buy some.” Il Caberlot is a mono-varietal wine that comes from a grape described as a mix of Cabernet Franc and Merlot.

Winemaker Peter Schilling and
Owner Bettina Rogosky

It’s a truly unique wine, with a great deal of recycled information in regards to the winemakers and how it came to be. I won’t bore you with the same old rhetoric. What I will say is this; in a region like Tuscany, where everyone is looking for the next best thing, Carnasciale has already found it with Caberlot. It’s not international in style, nor is it just another Sangiovese. It’s a stunning wine with beautiful, haunting aromatics and a balanced performance on the palate that can be enjoyed young or after bottle age.  It's created with the upmost care, even down to the hand written bottle numbers.

However, this is a rare wine and only found in magnum, but I can assure you that it is worth the hunt. So if you think you know Tuscany and what it’s capable of, and if hunting down the same old overpriced Brunello or Super Tuscan has left you feeling unfulfilled; I suggest finding Caberlot. It doesn’t get much more exclusive and it is certainly worth the hype.

On to the notes:

2008 Podere Il Carnasciale Il Caberlot – The nose was rich and earthy, showing red and black fruits, with pepper, herbs and soil. On the palate, it was full and balanced with ripe mixed berries and spice. The finish lasted long with pleasant linger berry notes. (94 points)

2007 Podere Il Carnasciale Il Caberlot – The nose showed red berries, spice, pepper, herbs and candle wax. On the palate, it was rich and focused with wild berries and herbs. With time in the glass it widened and turned to riper fruit tones. The finish was long and enjoyable with a hint of this wine’s tannic structure. (93 points)

1999 Podere Il Carnasciale Il Caberlot – The nose showed moist fall leaves, pepper and dried strawberry. On the palate, it was soft as silk with dark red fruits and spice. The long finish was full of strawberry tones and herbal notes. This was a beautiful bottle after 13 years in the winery cellar. (93 points)

One place I know you can find these at is, The Rare Wine Company.  A California based retailer/importer that I have grown to trust over the years.

Give the gift of wine for Christmas

From $20 - $40 dollars, Ten bottles that make great gifts.

It's that time of year again. Christmas is bearing down on us quickly, and wouldn't it be great to give or receive a nice bottle of wine? However, the fact is that the wine you usually receive as a Christmas gift is typically horrible.  All the good intentions in the world won't protect you from making a poor purchasing decision based on a retailer’s marketing.  That stack of cases in the front of the store is not always the best place to pick a bottle to give away.  And what impression does that leave on you when the bottle is opened and it performs horribly?

It doesn't need to be this way.  An informed decision can make a world of difference; and so, I have gone through all of my notes of the last year to find some great bottles for gift giving.  Each wine listed below will deliver the goods in spades.  I've also included Wine-Searcher links to help you find a retailer that carries the bottle.  The first thing to realize is that the average "Wine and Liquor" store is not the place to buy your gifts.  Unless you have a trusted retailer that stores their back stock properly and is more concerned with your satisfaction (than their bottom line), then I urge you to expand your horizons and check out Wine-Searcher.  I've also provided a list of some of the trustworthiest retailers from my experiences.  In the end, you can't go wrong by picking a bottle from the list or giving a call to one of the retailers listed.

And so, on to the wines:

United States - This list below runs the gamut and is great for exploration. 

From the North Fork of Long Island, the Paumanok Merlot is a great gift to show a wine lover just what the North Fork is capable of producing.  It's a great bottle of wine with a price tag that's easy to swallow.  


2007 Paumanok Merlot (avg. $22)
Find it on Wine-Searcher!
Paumanok Website!

The Merryvale Cabernet is a crowd-pleaser, especially for those who think that good wine can only come from Napa, but think that it needs to cost an arm and a leg.  This rich yet balanced Napa Cabernet drinks better than most bottles that cost twice as much.  It's a wine that provided me with a pleasant surprise when I first tasted it, and I think you'll agree.

2006 Merryvale Cabernet Sauvignon Starmont (avg. $26)
Find it on Wine-Searcher!
Merryvale Website!

Lastly, if it's going to be Zinfandel (red, not white) then it's got to be Ridge.  The 2009 Ridge Lytton Springs Zinfandel is a great way to turn the head of any wine lover who hasn't yet explored the wonders of red Zinfandel.  Ridge continues to improve upon what was already an amazing array of wines, and in 2009 they really shined.

2009 Ridge Lytton Springs Zinfandel (avg. $30)
Find it on Wine-Searcher!
Ridge Vineyards Website!


Italy - My first love was Italy, and I've yet to find another region that can provide the enjoyment, value and diversity that can be found there.  The first bottle is for the true Italian wine lover.  We'd all love to give or receive a bottle of Barolo for Christmas, but it's not the easiest thing to afford. 

No worries; the Vietti Perbacco Nebbiolo is a serious overachiever that will please any Nebbiolo lover (Nebbiolo being the grape that makes Barolo and Barbaresco).  It's a wine that I buy in every vintage, sourced from fruit that could easily be made to make Barolo and made by a true master in the region.

2007 Vietti Langhe Nebbiolo Perbacco (avg. $25)
Find it on Wine-Searcher!
Vietti Website!

The Sartarelli Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Balciana is a white that drinks like nectar from the gods.  Verdicchio is often used to make easy-drinking white to pair with seafood, but this bottle takes it to all extremes.  It may not be typical of Verdicchio, but it's a wine that you will not soon forget. 

2008 Sartarelli Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Balciana (avg. $22)
Find it on Wine-Searcher!
Sartarelli Website!

The Avignonesi Vino Nobile di Montepulciano is for the Sangiovese (Chianti and Brunello) lover.  It's a racy wine with all the stuffing to stand up to big, hearty cuisine.  It's also a great alternative for the Chianti drinker who's looking for something a little different. 

2007 Avignonesi Vino Nobile di Montepulciano (avg. $28)
Find it on Wine-Searcher!
Avignonesi Website!

Lastly, the 2000 Castello di Monsanto Chianti Classico Riserva Il Poggio is a gorgeous wine that any Italian wine lover would enjoy.  Il Poggio is a barrel selection riserva from Monsanto.  It’s a bottling that's hard to come by and usually costs upward of $60 on release and much more with age.  Imagine how happy I was to find that Grapes the Wine Company had this killer bottle for $40.  It's a beautiful bottle of wine that's drinking well with 11 years of maturity under its belt.  If you know an Italian wine lover, and you're looking to impress, this is the way to go.

2000 Castello di Monsanto Chianti Classico Riserva Il Poggio
(Grapes The Wine Company $39.99)

France - I don't drink much French wine because I find that it's hard to find value from this region.  I know that many people would disagree, but I can only tell you what I taste.  However, when I do find value, it's usually in spades.  In 2009, the Southern Rhone turned out another excellent vintage.  What's more, the wines can be enjoyed now or put away for a few years to mature.  The 2009 Vignobles Mayard Châteauneuf-du-Pape Clos du Calvaire goes right to the point.  It's a big wine with a lot of sex appeal that pleases on many levels, yet refrains from becoming overly rich or flabby.  If you're going to gift French, you might as well do it with Châteauneuf-du-Pape, especially at this price point.

2009 Vignobles Mayard Châteauneuf-du-Pape Clos du Calvaire (avg. $30)
Find it on Wine-Searcher!
Vignobles Mayard Website!

Germany - One of my new-found loves in life is German Riesling.  For years I would taste these wines and ask myself why I didn't drink them more often.  This year I changed all of that and set out on a tasting spree of every German Riesling I could find.  In the end, I have a lot of favorites, but the 2009 A.J. Adam Dhroner Hofberger Riesling Kabinett took the cake for quality versus price.  It's an amazing elixir of a wine that pushes masses of citrus and mineral with a hint of sweetness and then turns the tables on you as its zesty acidity massages your taste buds and makes your mouth water.  It's amazing stuff.

2009 A.J. Adam Dhroner Hofberger Riesling Kabinett (avg. $22)
Find it on Wine-Searcher!
A.J. Adam Website!

Chile - For those of you looking for an alternative to the big three, Chile offers tremendous value for a large selection of styles and grape varieties.  One of my favorites this year was the 2009 TerraNoble Carménère Gran Reserva.  Carménère, which was nothing more than a blending grape in Borduexe has shown its true potential in Chile.  Some are light and easy-drinking, while others take it to the level of fine wine.  TerraNoble excels at the latter and does it very well.  It’s rich with a blend of intense fruit with savory, earthy notes, yet it’s balanced by excellent, focused acidity and a long finish.  I bought half a case for myself, and it’s now all gone; enough said.

2009 TerraNoble Carménère Gran Reserva (avg. $17)
Find it on Wine-Searcher!
TerraNoble Website!

The V.I.P. Table's list of my most Trusted Wine Retailers!

A Wolf in Sheeps Clothing: 2007 Larkmead Firebelle

While in Napa, there was only one mailing list that I signed up for without hesitation: Larkmead Vineyards. Nowhere else, was I so impressed across the board with each of the wines put in front of me. For the last six months I have eagerly awaited the arrival of my winter allocation and now the wait is over.

The 2007 Firebelle is a blend, made from 62% Merlot, 29% Cabernet and 9% Malbec. On my visit, in July of 2009, I had tasted the 2006 and was amazed by the balance of intensity and acidity, which resulted in a rich yet fresh and satisfying wine. It had all the stuffing of a California merlot blend, but with elegance and nuance that swept me off my feet. Before leaving I was treated to a sample of the 2007, from tank, and it was mind-blowing. All the qualities of the 2006 were present but with a vibrancy that seems to be a calling card of the 2007 vintage.

Now tasting this from bottle, over the course of three hours, I was in store for another treat. The aromatics of this wine are spellbinding. The intensity of fruit is up front and captivating but, as you continue to swirl and sniff, you find more and more within the glass that you hadn’t noticed before. It’s rare that I find myself limiting the amount of descriptions in a wine note but, with the 2007, that’s exactly what I had to do.

I don’t recall ever saying this about a California Merlot blend, but this bottle is worth the price of admission on the aromatics alone. To top this all off, the palate is balanced and refreshing. This is a wine that works with food but can also be sipped on its own without ever being tiring. The 2007 Firebelle is a hidden gem in Napa Valley and it's price, which is more than an everyday drinker, is a bargin in comparison to what's out there. A wolf in sheeps clothing, so to speak.


2007 Larkmead Vineyards Firebelle
My Notes: Deep purple color at its core, which fades to dark ruby red at the edges. The aromatics are intense and rich but, at the same time, fresh with aromas of dusty red fruit, wild berries and a floral nose that swings through violets, mint and lavender. All of this with a hint butterscotch that lingers with each sniff. On the palate you find a mouth coating yet utterly electric collection of flavors. Blueberries and black currants with herbs and earth are all supported by a perfect balance of tannin and acidity. The long, long finish shows mocha and dark fruits. Well done.

Larkmead Vineyards Website