Year in Review: My top 4 wines of 2010

With 2010 now at a close, it’s time for me to look back on some of the best bottles I’ve enjoyed over the past 12 months. I’m really happy to say that my top value and top shelf wines of the year are still readily available at retail. What’s even better is that my top shelf bottle falls under $50. A truly defining revelation I had was when I realized that, out of 355 tasting notes written this year, each of my top wines were Italian. That’s not to say that I don’t enjoy the wines of other regions. However, it does show that my heart is still in Italy. In my opinion, no other region shows the mix of diversity, opulence, style, finesse and sheer drinkability of Italian wines.

On to the wines:

Value Wine of The Year
(Sub $25 bottle that’s still available at retail)

Tuscany gave us many great wines from the ’06 vintage and it doesn’t surprise me that my value wine of the year hails from this region. However, what was a bit of a surprise was that it was not from Chianti Classico or Montalcino, instead it came from Carmignano. This Sangiovese blend, made in a classy and seductive style, was an easy choice, and the best part, is that it’s still available at retail for around $22.

2006 Piaggia Carmignano Il Sasso - Amazing nose like a basket of ripe red fruits. First it was raspberry, then wild berries and then cherry cough drops followed up by cedar and saddle leather with a hint of toasty oak. The palate revealed sour cherries, crème fraiche and clove with a medium body and wonderfully brisk acidity, leading to a nice long red berry finish. (93 Points)

Find it on Wine-Searcher

Top shelf Wine of The Year
(Fancy dinner or need to make an impression, a great bottle in the $35 - $100 range)

In 2009, I tried the ‘03 L’Arco Pario and was immediately impressed by its concentration and Amarone like character with layers of aromatic detail. However, when I tasted the 2004, I was floored. It had all of the rich and detailed aromatics and flavors but was fortified by a level of finesse that brought it from good to great. This is a spellbinding wine from the Veneto region and it’s made by a producer who’s yet to be truly discovered by mainstream media.

2004 L'Arco Pario Veronese IGT - L'arco took it up a step with the Pario in 2004. What came across as residual sweetness in the '03 has been turned into a sweet and sour effect on the palate of the '04. The nose was intense with dark port-like fruits, Christmas spice and ginger bread. On the palate I found a fresh sweet and sour play with a burst of spiced sour cherry and a dark run raisin that led into the long finish. This wine was, all at once, rich yet finessed and truly stunning on the nose. (94 Points)

Find it on Wine-Searcher!

Vintage Wine of The Year
(For some of us, aged wine has no equal. My top bottle with at least 15 years of age.)

I knew the day I tasted this wine that it would end up as one of my top wines of the year. The ’89 vintage of Barolo has truly shown to be a legend in the making and the Conterno, Cascina Francia, has been the top bottle that I have yet to tasted to date. Amazing to think that this is the producer’s normale bottling and that there’s a Riserva that I’ve yet to taste. Also, something to look forward to in 2011, is a V.I.P. Table ’89 Barolo retrospective.

1989 Giacomo Conterno Barolo Cascina Francia - The nose showed dried red fruits, tar, mushroom broth, a bit of black strap molasses and a hint of barnyard. It also showed a gorgeous structure on the palate that gives the impression that this wine will last for the ages. Still a little tight with a tannic grip, but nonetheless giving with dark red fruit and a mineral core. The finish was long and fine, showing sour cranberry. (98 Points)

Trophy Wine of The Year
(Pulling no punches and the sky’s the limit on cost and rarity)

There was no competition for my top wine of the year. Quintarelli is a master and this bottle was truly magical. The best part about it was that I served this wine blind to a group that had no idea of the price or prestige that the producers name carried. It was thrilling and a bottle that any lover of Italian wine should taste before they die.

1995 Giuseppe Quintarelli Amarone della Valpolicella Riserva - The 1995 Giuseppe Quintarelli Amarone della Valpolicella Riserva was a dark mahogany color with rich and wild aromas rising from the glass. I found it difficult to take that first sip because the aromatics were so seductive that I simply didn’t want to take my nose from the glass. Black cherry sauce with saw dust, and then butterscotch and hazelnuts which then turned to spiced ginger cookies and plum reduction. So many layers could be pulled away to continue finding descriptors in this wine and I was only sad that we didn’t have the time to spend hours with it. On the palate I found a menagerie of red fruits as cherry, then raspberry and cranberry filled the palate. Vanilla and milk chocolate, butter cream and roasted nuts with spicy cedar. However, with all this concentration, the wine remains finessed and fresh on the palate. Its 16.5% alcohol is nearly invisible due to the impeccable balance of this wine. The finish lingered for 30 plus seconds with cherry dark chocolate. (99 Points)

Looking forward to more wine and friends in 2011.

Thank you all for making The V.I.P. Table a success!

Eric Guido

Producer Spotlight: L'Arco

Moving eastward from my beloved region of Piedmont and the wines of Barolo and Barbaresco, we find another region that is different in every way; the Veneto.

The Veneto features big showy wines, from the vibrant, plush Valpolicella to the big and brooding Amarone. These are wines that are made by the hand of man through processes like Recieto (Appassimento), where the harvested grapes are left to dry for months before being pressed, raising sugar (hence alcohol) levels and giving the wine a haunting level of depth, complexity and the ability to age. There is also Ripasso, which is a process where the newly fermented juice (usually Valpolicella) is passed back over the lees of an Amarone fermentation, which adds depth and complexity to an otherwise fresh and easy, drinking wine. Be warned, however, that in the hands of some producers these techniques are used to cover up an otherwise inferior wine; but in the hands of quality producers they can create works of art (think Quintarelli). What it comes down to is that the Veneto is the perfect place to look to for a lover of big, bold Italian wines when you're in the mood for decadence instead of austerity.

Looking back on producers who stand out in the region, I think of Quintarelli, Masi, Marion, Alighieri, Bussola, Dal Forno, Alegrini and… L'Arco.

There’s nothing I enjoy more than stumbling upon a producer making a superior product that has yet to be reviewed by the major publications. L’Arco is just that. In a sea of mediocrity, in the land of many cellars (Valpolicella), L’Arco is producing wines that are vibrant, exuberant and down right sexy. Luca Fedrigo is the winemaker behind L’Acro. After working as the vineyard foreman and assistant to Giuseppe Quintarelli, Luca set out with Quintarelli’s help to start L’Arco.

I’ve been following these wines now for over a year and have tasted their entire lineup. Each bottle, from their Valpolicella rosso up to the Rubeo IGT, is stunning and returns relative value for their cost. The only problem is finding them in the States. The e-mail based wine retail company, Garagiste, has been known to sell the utterly captivating Valpollicella Superiore, and I have also been lucky enough to find them at a local retailer: Varietal Wine & Spirits. I would start here, but I would also recommend asking your local supplier about L’Arco wines, because a producer like this deserves a little more of the spotlight. (Even if my first urge is to keep it a secret for myself.)

On to the notes: And keep in mind, I don't usually throw big scores around.

2004 L'Arco Pario Veronese IGT - Italy, Veneto, Veronese IGT
L'arco took it up a step with the Pario in 2004. What came across as residual sweetness in the '03 has been turned into a sweet and sour effect on the palate of the '04. The nose was intense with dark port-like fruits, christmas spice and ginger bread. On the palate, I found a fresh sweet and sour play with a burst of spiced sour cherry and a dark run raisin that led into the long finish. This wine was, all at once, rich yet finessed and truly stunning on the nose. (95 pts.)

2003 L'Arco Valpolicella Classico Superiore - Italy, Veneto, Valpolicella, Valpolicella Classico Superiore
The nose at first showed rich chocolate covered cherry, but upon second sniff, the details begin to come forward with crushed fall leaves, undergrowth and cinnamon. The palate was remarkably finessed and showing ripe cherries, dried cherries, tobacco and flower petals. As it flowed across the mid-palate, bitters and spice yet somehow with slight sweetness. The finish was long... long... long with cherries and christmas spice.

My only regret is that I didn't buy more. This was a beautiful wine for the price. I could convince someone that this cost more than twice its price. Stunning. (93 pts.)

2004 L'Arco Rosso Veronese IGT - Italy, Veneto, Veronese IGT
A gorgeous floral nose with violets, blueberry and undergrowth. The palate showed blackberry and allspice with a juicy, almost sweet cherry fruit that washed across the mid-palate. The finish lasts, with cherry that turns a bit dry yet highly enjoyable. I found myself updating my last score since this had gone from bruiser to beauty since my last tasting. (90 pts.)

2003 L'Arco Amarone della Valpolicella Classico - Italy, Veneto, Valpolicella, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico
The color was dark red to almost black in the glass, showing aromas of plum, confectioners sugar, floral fall leaves, coca, roasted chestnut and cinnamon. On the palate, I found cherry cough syrup, raisin, more cinnamon, clove and dark chocolate. It was full and soft on the palate but carried by a hidden layer of acidity that kept it fresh. Lastly, is showed a long, long cherry, chocolate finish. This was the wow wine of the night.

Important to note that this wine was opened 12 hours before it was poured. (94 pts.)

2003 L'Arco Rùbeo Veronese IGT - Italy, Veneto, Veronese IGT
The color was a medium ruby red. The nose was seductive with candied cherry, brown sugar, tobacco, sage and hot chocolate powder. The palate was full with blackberries and plums followed by mushroom, clove and oak. Gorgeous! A long finish revealed cherry, cinnamon and flower petals. This was a great wine that really came to life after four hours in decanter. Made from a combination of cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, rondinella and molinara, which are air dried for 60 days before pressing.(96 pts.)

Check out the L'Acro website here: L'Arco

Food & Wine in The Dog Days of Summer

I’m sitting with a cup of coffee on a lazy Sunday morning and trying to catch up with things as my busy summer season comes to an end. I’ve enjoyed some wonderful wines this summer with more to come in the next few weeks. I’ve included notes on a few I wanted to share with everyone today.

Firstly, two weeks ago was the release of my most recent article on www.snooth.com, Bucatini all'Amatriciana. Where I ask the age-old question of “If it ain’t broke, why fix it?” This traditional Italian dish finds itself constantly downplayed in our society because of constant substitutions of its core ingredients and laziness during the preparation. In my most recent article, I show just how easy it is to make this stunning Italian classic that will blow you away. Your guests will never be able to eat this dish anywhere else, besides from your kitchen, after you show them just how delectable it can be.

Check it out on snooth: Bucatini all'Amatriciana

On to the wines; This has been a great summer for finding some moderately priced wines that deliver an amazing amount of pleasure. The three wines below are all fantastic and could easily stand tall against much more expensive bottles. They are all in the $30 - $45 range but would make for a great bottle to have at a special dinner.

2003 L'Arco Valpolicella Classico Superiore - Italy, Veneto, Valpolicella, Valpolicella Classico Superiore (8/21/2010)
Opened four hours prior to dinner.

The nose, at first, showed rich chocolate cover cherry, but upon a second sniff, the details began to come forward with crushed fall leaves, undergrowth and cinnamon. The palate was remarkably finessed and showing ripe cherries, dried cherries, tobacco and flower petals. As it flowed across the mid-palate, bitters and spice came forward, yet somehow a slightly sweet component shined through. The finish is long... long... long with cherries and christmas spice.

My only regret is that I didn't buy more of this great wine. This is beautiful for the price ($35). I could convince someone that this cost more than twice its price. Stunning. (93 pts.) Find it on Wine-Searcher

2007 Loring Wine Company Pinot Noir Shea Vineyard - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley (8/15/2010)
Upon opening, an intense showing of cherry liquor with a sour bitter component but with time (2 hours) ripe plum came forward with soil, chalk dust and a bit of vanilla. The palate comes across as a bit sticky and sweet, at first, but rounds out into a velvety expression of raspberry fruit with cola and clove. The finish is long, soft and refined with red fruit.

It's fruit forward but still shows a good amount of earth and pinot character. I see this as a real crowd pleaser and will buy more. (91 pts.) Find it on Wine-Searcher

2006 Trespass Zinfandel - USA, California, Napa Valley, St. Helena (7/27/2010)
Trespass manages to walk that tight rope between richness and finesse, and they walk it so well. This bottles showed dark blue fruit and vanilla with chalk dust and a hint of heat on the nose. The palate is rich, soft... lush, yet finessed with dark cherry and allspice. The finish is long and shows sour red fruits.

Trespass continues to be one of the best performers from my cellar. This Napa Valley winery, is well worth seeking out. Check out their website here: Trespass Vineyards (91 pts.)

Lastly, a friend and fellow wine collector, Ken Vastola, has put together a new website, The Fine Wine Geek. His new sight (really and old site with an update and new home) focuses on near encyclopedic data of producers such as Bruno Giacosa, Giacomo Conterno, Bartolo Mascarello and Sine Qua Non. This is a must see website for Barolo collectors and one that I’m sure I’ll use for regular reference. My favorite part are the Bartolo Mascarello pages that show his hand drawn labels, which are near impossible to find.

There's some really great stuff in the works for The V.I.P. Table in the coming weeks. Make sure to check back for weekly updates or set up a RSS Feed subscription. See you in another week.

Eric Guido