January 2017 – Stellina Restaurant

On Thursday February 9 at 6:30 we sponsor a wine tasting featuring one of our all-time favorite wine-making families: the Antinoris of Tuscany. This tasting takes us to five different vineyards, including the most famous wines that Antinori has to offer. It also covers their more recent additions to their portfolio.

The Antinori family has been involved in the production of wine for over six centuries, ever since, in 1385, Giovanni di Piero Antinori entered as a member, the “Arte Fiorentina”, the Winemakers’ Guild of the city of Florence. Today the firm is run by Marquis Piero Antinori with the support of his three daugthers, Albiera, Allegra, and Alessia.

They are one of the biggest wine companies in Italy, and their innovations played a large part in the “Super-Tuscan“ revolution of the 1970s. Antinori is a member of the Primum Familiae Vini and the 10th oldest family owned company in the world.

“We have demonstrated, over the years, that in Tuscany and in Umbria there was the possibility of producing excellent wines, widely recognized at an international level, which showed both class and breed while maintaining their original character….A patrimony which includes tradition, culture, agriculture, art, and literature and which represent the identity of the Marchesi Antinori firm, ones of whose major strong points is the fact of being Tuscan or, if you prefer, our fundamentally Tuscan character”, says Piero Antinori.

One again our wine tasting will combine great wines with expert commentary from an industry representative, as well as selected antipasti. Cost for the tasting is $35 per person. Reservations are required.

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THE FOLLOWING ARE SELECTED NOTES DESCRIBING THE WINES BEING OFFERED AT THE TASTING.

This was the first Sangiovese to be aged in barriques, the first red wine to be blended with non-traditional varieties (like Cabernet) and one of the first Chianti reds not to use white grapes. Tignanello is a milestone. It is made from a selection of Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. The wine is aged in barriques for about 12 months and for a further 12 months in the bottles.

TASTING NOTES: An intense ruby red in color with purple highlights, the 2013 Tignanello shows a nose of great red fruit intensity along with highly pleasurable notes of vanilla, chocolate, and leather from the well balanced contribution and fusion of the aromas of the oak. The spicy and balsamic sensations which give additional complexity are also quite important. The wine is ample and enveloping on the palate with supple tannins and a savory freshness which fully respects the character and personality of the Sangiovese grape. The balance between acidity and tannins is excellent, and the finish and aftertaste are of a lovely length and persistence.

The Wine Advocate 93 POINTS!- “A relatively new addition to the Marchesi Antinori portfolio, this wine really begins to show its potential in this classic vintage. The 2013 Chianti Classico Riserva Tenuta Tignanello is mostly Sangiovese with 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. The addition of this French grape (harvested from the outstanding Tignanello property) makes all the difference. It catapults the wine into a whole new sphere of density and complexity. In fact, you will recognize that familiar touch of tannic crunchiness and those defined, but slightly austere blackberry aromas. The wine boasts beautiful ripeness and this is most evident in the mouthfeel, where the wine is structured

Wine Spectator 93 POINTS!- “This rich red evokes concentrated black cherry, black currant, spice, graphite and earth aromas and flavors. The oak is deftly integrated. Best from 2018 through 2028.”

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FATTORIA ALDOBRANDESCA, VIE CAVE MALBEC

The Fattoria Aldobrandeschi, property of the Antinori family, is located in Tuscany, in the internal part of the southern Maremma to be precise, at the center of an area known as “the Etruscan zone of tufa soil”. The wine is dedicated to the vie cave or “excavated roads”, Etruscan paths dug into the tufa which deeply line the territory around the town of Sovana, where the property is located, and reveal ancient ccommunication systems. The wine was created after careful research aimed at bringing out the full potential of a new grape on the Italian scene, Malbec, a French variety which has found in this part of the Maremma, of volcanic origin, a terroir to which it is particularly suited.

TASTING NOTES: The wine is an intense and deep ruby red in color. The aromas are complex with notes of ripe black berry fruit which then give way to nuances of liquorice and spicy oak notes as well. The wine is supple and enveloping on the palate and with good length. The finish and aftertaste, dominated by ripe black berry fruit, are accompanied by light notes of coffee and dark chocolate.

“A dark, inky red, this features a smooth texture backing the blackberry, boysenberry, iron and meaty flavors. Concentrated and powerful, yet polished, with well-integrated tannins and a lingering finish. Malbec.” – 92 points, Wine Spectator, October 2016

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GUADO AL TASSO CONT’UGO, BOLGHERI

The Guado al Tasso estate is located approximately 50 miles (80 kilometers) to the southwest of Florence near the medieval hamlet of Bolgheri. The property, approximately 2500 acres (1000 hectares) in size, extends from the coast of the Tyrrhenian Sea to the inland hills and includes, in addition to 750 acres (300 hectares) of vineyards, wheat, barley, and oat fields and olive groves in addition to woods which are utilized to raise Cinta Senese pigs, a prized local breed.

This wine is an interpretation of the Bolgheri territory made with only Merlot grapes; production started with the 2011 vintage. It matures for 12 to 14 months in oak barriques before being bottled where it ages for at least 10 months. The fragrance and young, fruity exuberance are its primary characteristics. It is a deep, complex and very pleasant wine.

TASTING NOTES: The nose of the wine shows notes of plums and blueberries along with sweet spices and underbrush. On the palate, it is vibrant, long, and balanced. The harmony and the fullness of fruit on the finish and aftertaste are the characterizing traits of the wine.

WINE SPECTATOR 93 POINTS!

WINE ENTHUSIAST: “Made entirely with Merlot, this wine offers aromas of ripe plum, dark berry and cooking spice. The firm palate delivers a core of black cherry alongside notes of black pepper, clove and anise. It’s elegantly balanced with fine-grained tannins.”

ANTONIO GALLONI, 92 POINTS!: “The 2012 Cont’Ugo, 100% Merlot from the Antinori family’s Guado al Tasso property in Bolgheri, is shaping up to be another beauty. Mocha, black cherries, menthol, licorice and spices are all woven together gracefully. The rich, resonant finish is classic Bolgheri.”

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TENUTA LA BRACCESCA, BRAMASOLE CORTONA SYRAH

The La Braccesca estate extends over some 1270 acres of land and consists of two separate vineyard blocks: the first, the historical nucleus of the property, is located in the Montepulciano area and owns close to 260 acres of vineyards in the finest sub-zones for the production of Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. The second block, planted to Syrah, is composed of close to 570 acres of vineyards at the foot of the hills which surround the city of Cortona. It is in this last sector, well exposed towards the sun, that the grapes for Bramasole are cultivated.

TASTING NOTES: The wine is very expressive on the nose with sweet notes of white fruit together with aromas of spice and tobacco. The palate is potent and ripe, the fruit fused with the tobacco, the spices, and the black pepper, leaving space at the end for hints of liquorice. The finish and aftertaste are long and supple.

JAMES SUCKLING 94 POINTS!

WINE ENTHUSIAST 91 POINTS!

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VIN SANTO, MARCHESE ANTINORI

VIN SANTO is to Chianti what Sauternes is to Bordeaux: a superlative sweet dessert wine of exceptional quality that reflects the character of the region. Along with the aforementioned Sauternes, along with Hungary’s Tokay and Germany’s trockenbeerenauslese, it represents the pinnacle of European after-dinner wines.

Vinsanto production in Tuscany, and in the Chianti Classico area, dates back to Medieval times and perhaps earlier. According to tradi- tion and the strict produc- tion regulations, Vin Santo Tenute Marchesi Antinori is made from selected Treb- biano and Malvasia grapes. These are raisined according to natural procedures, re- quiring time and patience, to make an intensely enjoyable wine with generous aromas and a soft palate.

TASTING NOTES: A deep amber in color with golden highlights, the wine, on the nose, shows notes of dried fruit, hazelnuts, chestnuts, and honey along with citrus fruit. The palate is full with a return of the honeyed notes invigorated by a bracing and vibrant acidity.

THURSDAY FEBRUARY 9: WINE TASTING: THE WINES OF ANTINORI

SUNDAY FEBRUARY 26: SUNDAY NIGHT AT THE OPERA “A MASKED BALL!”

SUNDAY JANUARY 29: SUNDAY NIGHT AT THE OPERA “FESTIVAL IN ABRUZZI!”

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THURSDAY FEBRUARY 9: WINE TASTING: THE WINES OF ANTINORI