2006 Falesco Sangiovese

As I had mentioned in my previous post, I had brought along a very nice Sangiovese when out to dinner one night with family. The wine was the 2006 Falesco Sangiovese (Paid $11.95), which came recommended from my local wine purveyor.

I did a bit of research after I got it home and found that Wine Spectator gave it a 90 and several other professional tasters rated it between 87-89. It almost seemed to good to be true - an almost-90-point wine priced reasonably? Almost unheard of these days. Much to my surprise, it lived up to the hype. Great mouth feel with a full body, not the typical weak, acidic Sangiovese's you find a lot of these days. Wonderful berry taste that screams pure Sangiovese. Also, I was surprised at what was missing - the hard-core earthiness that almost permeates the Chainti's of today. Neither of us care for it, and it has really pushed us away from all but the top Chaintis anymore (except Ruffino which has a barnyard taste in seemingly every bottle these days. This Sangiovese has definitely won a couple followers and we'll be buying a few cases of it for the cellar.

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Side note..
I completely understand how the same wine can taste different to different people, but seriously, how can someone who 'claims' to be a top-notch taster rate this wine a 77 when some of the most renowned tasters in the world put it around 90? Perhaps he got a bad bottle? Is that to unrealistic to consider? Perhaps he's so accustomed to drinking $150 bottles that he forgets there are some wines that are made to drink today.. like with a nice tomato pie? I guess this just proves the point that you really have to taste for yourself. Tasting notes are great for guidance, but always make your decision after YOU taste it.

1997 Regusci Merlot

Well.. Talk about a bitter-sweet experience.

This past weekend, we went out to dinner with my in laws to once again celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary. To be honest, we had a surprise party for them a few weeks ago and they wanted to take us out to dinner to say thank you. Since we were going to one of our favorite restaurants, the Rajun Cajun in Belmar, NJ (1102 River Road, Belmar, NJ 07719 Phone:732.280.6828), I figured I would surprise them one more time with a nice, but hard to find bottle of 97 Regusci Merlot. Now, for a little history, the wife and I went to Napa for the first time for our 10 year anniversary. My sister-in-law suggested we stop at Regusci because they had some excellent wines at rather reasonable prices. We picked up a case when we were there (half Cab/half Merlot) and this was was the last bottle we had left. I was holding onto it for a special occasion, and this seemed like the perfect reason to open it.

When I first pulled the cork, I was amazed at how deep purple - almost black - the bottom was. It had almost no scent and even after a quick sip, it was very tight. I let it breath through the appetizers (blackened steak and Mahi bites) while we enjoyed a nice Sangiovese from Umbria (more on that later). The great thing about the Rajun is they never rush you - hell, you could probably stay all night and listen to the excellent acoustic guitar sounds that fill the place. When dinner arrived, I somewhat hesitantly poured the Regusci for everyone. After a quick toast, the expression on everyone's face said it all. The wine blossomed into everything I had hoped for. The bouquet was still a bit tight, but the initial pepper hit mellowing into a caressing, velvety black cherry finish brought smiles to everyone's face. The second and third tastes confirmed that this bottle had a lot more to give, and over the next 15 minutes in the glass, really opened up, getting better as the night went on (if that was possible). It paired very well with both the blackened pork chops as well as the blackened tuna and catfish - not to mention the red beans and rice.

So, as I said, it was a bittersweet night. I had opened the last bottle of that special trip so many years ago, but it was with great company who appreciated it as much as I did. What more of a special occasion could I ask for?

2003 Charles Krug Cabernet Sauvignon

The 2003 Charles Krug Cabernet Sauvignon (Paid $18.00) was, to be honest, quite a pleasant surprise. With the bad reputation the 2003 Napa Cab's have, I was a bit leery about pulling this out of the cellar. However, it was an unusually cold and rainy September night and considering the wife had made a wonderful dinner of sausage and peppers, I decided to open up something that was hopefully going to stand up to the bold flavors of dinner.

Now, in all honesty, I've for the most part avoided the '03 Napa Cabs, but I had heard that this one in particular was a lost gem. After pulling the cork, I was still a bit worried since the bouquet was very faint, but after a few minutes in the glass, it opened up a bit. While it had very nice color, it was definitely on the lighter side when it came to taste. The pepper and plum where still there, but just not as up front as one would expect. It wasn't as astringent as I've heard many of the '03s are, and in fact, had a surprisingly nice mouth feel and finish, even though the finish wasn't very long.

All in all, a pretty enjoyable bottle, albeit a bit pricey. You can definitely find bottles as good or better for $4-$6 less, but if you already have a bottle, go ahead and drink up. It probably wont age much more and is still enjoyable.

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Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio

Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio (Paid $18.50-$22) is a clean, crisp Pinot Grigio from the Valdadige region of Italy. This refreshing Pinot has become a house favorite lately as the hot summer months really limit the desire for the big jammy reds or over-oaked Chard

The Santa Margherita Pinot is rather light in color with perhaps a slight hint of green in the glass. We'll typically have this with a nice Chicken dish (think Marsala or Francese) or perhaps some fresh Fish.

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The New De Lorenzo's

If you've read the post regarding my favorite BYO's, or if you live in central New Jersey, you'll have heard of De Lorenzo's Tomato Pies.

For the uninitiated, De Lorenzo's has The Best tomato pies. Period.

Recently, a new De Lorenzo's opened up and, even though I didn't think it was possible, improved upon a very long standing level of excellence. The new digs in Robbinsville, New Jersey are modern, spacious, is peppered with family pictures from generation past, but above all, server the same great pizza as they did on Hudson St. Sam Amico, third-generation pizzaiolo, has continued the family tradition of making the best tomato pies in the country. As I've commented on before, I've been going to the two original De Lorenzo's for at least 20 years and without question, Sam is making his grandfather proud. You can still only get tomato pies here, but he's added a few very nice salads (try the Mixed Greens salad) to hold you over while you wait - and yes - you will wait, but it is SO worth it.

While still a nice cheap night out for a family, its also very nice to be able to use your credit card - something you cant do at either of the other De Lorenzo's. It is typically about $50 for a family of four, but each of my rapidly growing sons devour their own pie, so all in all, still quite a bargain in my eyes.

De Lorenzo's Tomato Pies
2350 US Highway 33
Robbinsville, NJ 08691


609-341-8480

www.delorenzostomatopies.com

Open That Bottle Night

If you read the Wall Street Journal, you have probably read the weekly "Tastings" column by Dorothy Gaiter and John Brecher. Dorothy and John have been writing their weekly column for a number of years and to be honest, I truly look forward to each column.

Several years ago, Dorothy and John started an "Open That Bottle Night" - a night that gave you a reason to open up one of those long-collecting-dust bottles that's been sitting on a shelf somewhere. The thought being, that, too many times great bottles of wine are drunk too late because people are waiting for just the right time.

This year was OTBN #9 and the first time we took part. We invited over about 5 or 6 couples and asked them to each bring a bottle wine they've been holding on to and waiting for a reason to drink.

We started out with some lighter wines, while we were waiting for everyone to arrive and picking on the appetizers. Once everyone arrived, we spent the night drinking a number of different wines from various regions around the globe. The highlights of the evening were a 2003 Barolo from Mauro Molino, and another '03 Barolo, "Gavarini Chinera", from Elio Grasso. I dipped down into the cellar to grab a 1997 Regusci Cabernet that we picked up on our 10th anniversary trip to Napa as well as '97 Dominus (which was the first bottle I ever spent over $100 on). Lesson learned - the Dominus definitely got better as it breathed. It had an interesting odor to it when I popped the cork, but after about two hours, it was divine!

After all was said and done, OTBN was a great success and our guests were already talking about what they were going to bring next year. Looks like we'll have to start planning early next year!

Estancia Pinot Noir Pinnacles Ranches 2005

Estancia Pinot Noir Pinnacles Ranches 2005 (Paid $10.62) Light Strawberry colored, clean and crisp. Instead of the typical Chianti, I decided to bring this with us on our weekly visit to DeLorenzo's. While it was a bit too light for the Sausage and Garlic pizza, it was very drinkable. Not being a big white wine drinker, I'm always looking for a nice red to serve with light-fare meals. This would have gone very well with a Peach Glazed Tuna Steak or Lemon Grilled Swordfish.
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