Vol. 5 No. 10
Standard Selection - (1) Red, (1) White
Vina Casa Silva Reserve Carmenere 2000 Chile
Ocone Taburno Greco 2001 Italy
Red Wines Only Featured Selections
Podere Il Palazzino Chianti Classico 1999 - Italy
White Wines Only Featured Selections
Vina Casa Silva Reserve Chardonnay 2000 Chile
Vina Casa Silva Reserve Carmenere 2000 Chile<
Casa Silva's story begins in the 19th century. After four centuries of wine production under Spain's autocratic and often capricious colonial masters, an independent Chile was looking towards France for its enological renaissance. At the same time, beginning with the odium epidemic around 1850, top Bordeaux growers and winemakers were searching for pristine vineyards and a more conducive climate, ecologically and politically, in which to plant and prosper. At this time Emilio Bouchon Poitvin left his native Bordeaux, France and took up residence on his Angostura estate near San Fernando in the now famous Colchagua Valley. On this plantation he cultivated the healthiest and most noble French varietals and began construction of the current centenary winery known today as Casa Silva.
Since Casa Silva's original founding, five generations of Poitvin descendents have worked and embellished the antique estate. Today Casa Silva boasts over 1600 acres in three Colchagua Valley locations, including the original 700 acres surrounding the winery. Moreover, each of the varietals grown at the estate is matched with the most appropriate terroir for optimum results. And like nearly all Chilean vines, Casa Silva's vines grow on their own rootstocks, a practice that has proven nearly impossible in Europe since the 19th century.
Casa Silva produces very fine red wine, as well as white. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and a very special Carmenere (Chile's own Bordeaux-style varietal) dominate this estate's red wine portfolio, while excellent Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc constitute the white wine offerings. Limited quantities of extraordinary Reserve offerings are also bottled of each varietal in good vintages.
Stylistically, tradition is artfully blended with the contemporary at Vina Casa Silva. All of this fine winery's grapes are still picked by hand, but each wine has its history registered from the very beginning of the production cycle of the grapes - right in the winery's own extensive ultramodern laboratory. Mario Pablo Silva and his three sons are responsible for the daily operation at Casa Silva, while Mario Geisse Garcia, the internationally acclaimed oenologist, oversees the lab. It is nice to know who is minding the store, and what capable hands these are!
Tasting Notes: From its tall slender bottle to its suave sophisticated finish, the 2000 Casa Silva Reserve Carmenere provides a delicious and unique tasting experience. Carmenere has been described as the Bordeaux grape most likely to charm the pants off beginners and connoisseurs alike. Indeed, if Carmenere were in school today, it would almost certainly be voted the most likely to succeed: it combines all the finest attributes of both Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, making it hard to resist. And the Casa Silva Reserve Carmenere is no exception. It exudes confidence, wearing a rich ruby robe with indigo highlights. A bit reticent at first, the wine's aroma opens tremendously after just a few minutes in the glass, revealing tailored scents of red and black fruits and suave spice tones. In the mouth, soft ripe fruit combines with subtle earth tones, gentle spice, and that certain je ne sais quoi, which makes Carmenere so charmingly seductive. Yet, there is neither flab nor flatulence in this Carmenere. Perhaps, one taster's comment sums it up best, this medium-bodied wine's allure is that it tastes like a first rate Merlot with abs. or a Cabernet with a feminine side. Take your pick as you like it. We suggest serving the Casa Silva Reserve Carmenere at just a little above cellar temperature.
Accompaniments: Like most Bordeaux and Cabernet or Merlot based wines, the 2000 Casa Silva Reserve Carmenere adds pure pleasure to an elegant dinner party. Whether the main course is a stuffed veal chop, beef or pork tenderloin, roast leg of lamb or even sashimi, the Casa Silva provides an added touch of elegance. Simple roasted meats and vegetables tend to highlight the subtle more feminine side of this Carmenere, while rich gravies and grilled meats accentuate the masculine side of this wine: full rich flavor allied to strength and power. So when the table is set to impress, the candles scutter and a romantic light glows on crystal glasses, it is time to serve the 2000 Casa Silva Reserve Carmenere. And who cares if the party is just the two of you; that will leave more Carmenere for each of you. Enjoy!
Recipe for Red Wine:
Rolled Veal Roast
1-2 lbs. boneless veal breast
½ cup dry wine
1/8 lb. sliced prosciutto
1 cup beef broth
2 Tbl. parsley chopped
2 Tbl. olive oil
1 tsp. rosemary
1 clove garlic thinly sliced
1 tsp. sage
2 ounces dried porcini mushrooms
½ tsp. freshly ground pepper
2 Tbl. butter unsalted
Place porcini mushrooms in a large bowl and pour 2 cups of boiling water over them. Let them sit for 20 minutes and then strain them, reserving liquid. Chop them fine and set aside.
Pound veal a little to even it out and thin it, sprinkle with pepper. Place slices of prosciutto over veal and spread the chopped porcini on top of prosciutto. Sprinkle mushrooms with parsley, sage, rosemary and garlic. Roll veal from the short end and tie it.
In a large casserole dish, melt butter and oil and brown veal on all sides. Pour the wine over roast and let it simmer (without burning) about 5 minutes. Add the beef broth, cover and cook over medium-low heat for 1 ½ 2 hours; until cooked through. If needed, add a little beef broth during cooking to keep roast moist.
Ocone Taburno Greco 2001 Italy
Deep in the heart of the Campania, the breadbasket of Imperial Rome, lies the Sannio a rugged region known for the expert cultivation of ancient vines. Here in this very rocky, mountainous area, some 40 miles east of Naples, Domenico Ocone produces several of Italy's most original and compelling wines from heirloom varietals: Aglianico, Coda di Volpe, Falanghina, and Greco flourish in Ocone's biodynamically farmed vineyard outside of Benevento.
The Ocone estate is dedicated to biodynamic, total organic agriculture; the only fertilizer used is natural, and no pesticides or additives of any kind, including sulphur dioxide, are employed in the winemaking process. Such natural viticultural practices are common in this part of the Campania and are gaining favor throughout Europe, as more farmers embrace the idea of a return to a more natural way of living.
The Ocone family has been producing wines in the Sannio since 1910, but like most of the wine producers in the Sannio, the Ocone's initially sold their wine locally in demijohns, selling off the balance of their production in bulk. However, this all changed a number of years ago when Domenico Ocone took control of the estate. Through careful vineyard selections, restriction of vine yields, and the installation of modern equipment in the cellar, the quality of the wine at this family estate has soared.
Most of Ocone's ancient varietals are unknown to the general public, but each produces a rich, rewarding, and unique experience. Foremost among the estate's white varietals is Greco, a grape brought to southern Italy centuries before Christ by colonizing Greeks, as the name implies. Greco produces a full-bodied but harmonious white wine, golden in color, that enchants with its aroma of honey, bitter almond and exotic Levantine herbs. Dry and refreshing as well as flavorful, Greco is notably responsible for some of southern Italy's finest white wines; Ocone's Greco is no exception.
In keeping with tradition, Ocone also cultivates the noble Aglianico, southern Italy's greatest red varietal. Like Greco, Aglianico (its name is a corruption of the word Hellenic, meaning Greek) was brought to Magna Graccia (southern Italy) by the Greeks millenniums ago. Aglianico is full-bodied and often fierce when young, but it generally ages well, often maturing into a stately gentleman after a few years in bottle. Violet and truffle flavors married to a long rich center separate Aglianico from other good but somewhat course, red varietals from southern Italy. Ocone's Aglianico is a noteworthy example of this outstanding varietal.
Unquestionably, Ocone's ancient varietal wines deserve to be better known. Whether it is the Greco or Aglianico, or even one of the lesser known types like Falangina or Coda di Volpe, each offers expressive, generous flavors that glorify the regional table and bring dimension, freshness and excitement to international cuisine. In addition, each of Domenica Ocone's wines is pure and individual, and each speaks eloquently of its place of origin. What more could you want? About 100 cases you say.
Tasting Notes: Imbued with a sprite golden-hued robe, the 2001 Ocone Taburno Greco proffers all the purity of sunshine; it reflects the natural goodness of the earth, the air and the elements of the high hillside vineyard, which has borne it. Honey, fennel, narcissus, and the unique perfume of the noble Greco grape, grown at an altitude of over 1000 feet, permeate the bouquet of this refreshingly natural, biodynamically produced wine. Long, pure fruit flavors unfold on the palate, revealing an interesting array of ripe orchard fruits: apple, pear, apricot and white peach all married to a long refreshing finish. No wonder the ancients found the Greco grape so irresistible: it's like drinking the heady scents of a warm spring day, tempered by a cool breeze. Drink this rare organic white cool or moderately chilled, and enjoy!
Accompaniments: Cioppino, the savory tomato based fish soup, which is closer to a thick stew in Campania, provides the perfect accompaniment to the 2001 Ocone Taburno Greco. The fresh, fragrant aspects of both the Greco and the Cioppino play off one another, framing a scrumptious, gustatory feast. Steamed clams, mussels marinara or even a Baccala salad provide other fine choices with the Ocone. Grilled chicken on a bed of tomatoes, spinach, and fresh mozzarella, with a light Caesar dressing provides another fine pairing. In fact, most seafood and light meats will offer enjoyable complements to the 2001 Ocone Greco. Yet, a glass of this delicious Greco goes down quite easily all by itself, without any food trappings, so don't be afraid to invite a friend over for a glass to spend a very pleasant evening. Salut!
Recipe for White Wine
Cioppino
1 lb. clams (chowder or steamer type)
¾ cup chicken stock
1 lb. mussels
4-6 Tbl chopped parsley
1 lb. shrimp peeled
½ stick butter
2 Tbl. olive oil
1 lb. cod fillets in 1 pieces
½ cup wine
1/3 cup clam juice
3 cloves of garlic peeled & minced
Freshly ground pepper
2 cups crushed tomatoes with Italian seasonings
Rinse and drain clams and mussels, cover with cold water and let stand for 1 hour. Drain and clean outer shells.
In a large pot, sauté ½ of the garlic in 1 Tbl, olive oil until light brown. Add the clams and the ¼ cup of wine, cover and simmer for 7-10 minutes until the clams begin to open. Drain clams and reserve liquid. In the same pot, steam the mussels the same way, drain and reserve liquid.
In the same pot, add reserved liquids, chicken stock, butter, parsley, crushed tomatoes and clam juice. Simmer for 5 minutes, uncovered. Add the cod fillets and simmer 2 more minutes, add the shrimp and simmer 3-5 minutes more. Add the clams and mussels in their shells and cook for an additional few minutes. Add fresh ground pepper.
Podere Il Palazzino Chianti Classico 1999 - Italy
In the hills south of Gaiole, the young but very knowledgeable husband and wife team of Andrea and Allessandro Sderci produce some of the most seductive wines in all of Chianti Classico. Working vineyard plots in excess of 1300 feet, this remarkable couple has created a model estate where the flawless excellence of its wines is unsurpassed, even by the oldest, more famous estates. The Sdercis are passionately committed to their work and are always looking for ways to push the envelope and improve their already superb offerings.
Back in 1984, when the archaic and highly idiosyncratic laws proscribing both white and red grapes for Chianti Classico were changed, Il Palazzino eliminated the Trebbiano and Malvasia (white grapes) from its blend. By totally eliminating the old canonical blend of white varietals from their Chianti Classico, Il Palazzino has avoided the all too common danger of precocious oxidation, achieving a remarkably appealing rich ruby robe and a supreme elegance in their wine attributes which remain unique among Chianti. Only the finest clones of Sangiovese and Canaiolo, Tuscany's two best red varieties, find their way into the Chianti at Il Palazzino. The estate's two outstanding single vineyards are La Pieve and Argenina.
At harvest time the grape selection at Il Palazzino is brutal, with only the finest, unblemished clusters being retained. The same persnickety selection prevails at assemblage, when only the top barrels are used for the estate-bottled wines. These practices heighten to an almost exasperated degree the archetypal qualities that have distinguished the Chianti Classico wines of Gaiole from the rest: finesse, warmth, richness, and a bouquet of exceptional wealth.
Tasting Notes: A gorgeous deep ruby robe sets the table for the majesty of the 1999 Podere Il Palazzino Chianti Classico. Better yet, within a few minutes of pulling the cork, entrancing, profound aromas emerge from this lush hedonistic Chianti. Scents of deep down fruit and lush woodlands, resplendent with wild strawberry, iris, and violet, spring from the glass. However, the best is yet to come. On the palate, the Il Palazzino is pure pleasure, exhibiting a rich, textured feel that can be best described as of the finest silk and satin. It is indeed this tactile quality that sets this great Chianti apart from the pack of good, but somewhat angular, wines that normally flow from Chianti. Furthermore, with a little additional breathing time, the Il Palazzino becomes one seamless garment. From its heavenly bouquet to its structured, long finish, this estate's Chianti explodes with flavor, vitality, and most of all pleasure. Drink this Il Palazzino at cool room temperature (about 65? F), and as often as possible.
Accompaniments: Fire up the grill and bring on the meat for the 1999 Il Palazzino Chianti Classico, but no pedestrian cuts need apply. Even with its great depth of flavor, the Il Palazzino remains an elegant medium bodied wine. Filet Mignon, pork tenderloin, tender cuts of veal and roasted game birds top our list of companions. In fact a stuffed, slowly grilled veal chop wins the supreme honor. The Il Palazzino is too pure and delicately complex to be buried beneath strong spicy flavors or heavy sauces. Enjoy!
Vina Casa Silva Reserve Chardonnay 2000 Chile
Casa Silva's story begins in the 19th century. After four centuries of wine production under Spain's autocratic and often capricious colonial masters, an independent Chile looked towards France for its oenological renaissance. At the same time, top Bordeaux growers and winemakers were looking for pristine vineyards and a more conducive climate, ecologically and politically, in which to plant and prosper. At this time Emilio Bouchon Poitvin left his native Bordeaux, France and took up residence on his Angostura estate near San Fernando in the now famous Colchagua Valley. On this plantation he cultivated the healthiest and most noble French varietals and began construction of the current centenary winery known today as Casa Silva.
Since Casa Silva's original founding, five generations of Poitvin descendents have worked and embellished the antique estate. Today Casa Silva boasts over 1600 acres in three Colchagua Valley locations, including the original 700 acres surrounding the winery. Moreover, like nearly all Chilean vines, Casa Silva's vines grow on their own rootstocks, a practice that has proven nearly impossible in Europe since the 19th century.
Casa Silva produces very fine red wine, as well as white. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and a very special Carmenere dominate this estate's red wine portfolio, while excellent Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc constitute the white wine offerings. Limited quantities of extraordinary Reserve offerings are also bottled of each varietal in good vintages.
Tasting Notes: From its tall slender, masculine bottle to its long lingering, beguiling finish the 2000 Casa Silva Reserve Chardonnay cuts a handsome figure. Vibrant in color and confident in all respects, this Chilean Chardonnay can give many more expensive white Burgundies and Napa Valley Chardonnays a run for their money. The wine's aroma is enchanting: ripe fresh fruit scents, dripping with butter, protrude through a layer of vanilla and spice from new toasted barrels, reminding the taster of what it's like to come home after a long absence. In the mouth, layered, textured fruit, hazelnut and vanilla coat the palate and linger like old friends, whose presence remains long after their departure. Full-bodied and persistent, the 2000 Casa Silva Reserve Chardonnay puts to rest the old adage that supposes ‘white wine is lighter than red wine.' We suggest serving the Casa Silva Reserve Chardonnay chilled, but allow the wine to breathe and open in the glass like a fine red.
Accompaniments: Given the body and extroverted nature of the 2000 Casa Silva Reserve Chardonnay, this lovely wine need not be relegated to standard white wine fare. Certainly poultry and most full-flavored fish dishes provide excellent accompaniments, but so do more traditional red wine foods. Tuna steak, lean meats, especially pork tenderloin or veal in a savory marinade, make splendid accompaniments to the Casa Silva. We have even paired this full throttle Chardonnay with strips of rare roast beef, much to our delight. True blue Chardonnay freaks will probably forbid any accompaniment to this gutsy wine, insisting upon enjoying the experience neat, but food is truly enhanced by the Casa Silva Reserve Chardonnay and in turn an extra dimension emerges in the wine when it is paired with complex food. Enjoy!
Ask the Panel
Question: So many wine articles and commentators mention the word terroir. What exactly is terroir?
Answer: Terroir is a French word, which literally means soil or ground. When used in connection to wine or viticulture, terroir refers to the specific and often unique soil in which individual vines grow, but that's not all. Terroir also encompasses the climate, altitude and position of vines in a vineyard. In essence, terroir includes the entire environment of a vineyard or individual plot within a vineyard as terroir can vary considerably from one part of a vineyard to the next. Since English, and other languages as well, lack a word that conveys as much meaning as terroir, the term has become widely used internationally. Hence, in the spirit of global cooperation, we will forgive and even congratulate the French for their contribution to global linguistic Terroirism.
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