Lunch: Cecchi Family Estates

by Rob Bralow, Wine Post Editor

The world is full of people. Even better, the world is full of people trying to make something new, exciting, and refreshing. I find that this is especially true in the world of alcoholic beverages, especially wine.

I was treated to a press lunch where roughly ten other journalists and I tasted through the offerings of the Cecchi Family Estates, imported by Banfi Vintners. Cecchi started as a négociant family, lead by Luigi Cecchi. Today's Luigi Cecchi, grandson of the first, began purchasing land throughout Italy, including vineyards in the famous Chianti Classico region.

Andrea Cecchi, the current generation proprietor along with his brother Cesare, lead the lunch and expounded on the family philosophy of earth driven wines. Tasting through the wines I could see what he meant. They all had a lot of rich and rustic qualities, certainly wines that screamed for food.

There were three wines that stuck out to me at the tasting. The first was the aperitif wine, the 2009 Litorale Vermentino Maremma Toscanna. This white wine was beautifully floral, with a light perfume of red grapefruit, lemon zest, and soft minerality. It was very pleasant to drink and had I not known there were bigger fish coming down the stream, I might have indulged myself unhealthily.

The second wine I took note of was the 2006 Villa Cerna Chianti Classico Riserva. I almost did not want to take my nose out of the glass and taste the wine, it was that good! Rich tea leaves, a soft mix of red and black fruits, and a spicy complexity made me go back again and again to see what I could find. I was absolutely shocked when I was told this wine sold for under $25. Incredible value.

The last wine was really the spotlight wine of the afternoon. The Cecchi Family's new wine, COEVO is a quintessential super-Tuscan. The name means "contemporary" in Italian and also alludes to an "EVOlution." On the bottle is one of the famous quotes from St. Augustine:

Time does not exist. It is only a dimension of the spirit. The past is past. The future does not exist, as it has yet to happen. And the present is only one instance of separation between past and future.

Whether you feel philosophical or not, this wine is certainly worth seeking out for the experience. With a strong Sangiovese base, the 2006 COEVO is a blend with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Petit Verdot. The wine is huge, larger than life fruit with a dry background. Definitely in a more modern style, I believe this wine may need a year or two to integrate the flavors together.

Disclaimer: This write-up is a direct result of a press lunch.

Quick Taste: Rocca Family Vineyards Bad Boy Red

By Rob Bralow, Wine Post Editor

I am so jaded by marketing gimmicks. I see funny names, wacky labels and stupid stunts in wine every day. Maybe even twice a day. A few days ago a very good customer came into the store asking for Effen Vodka. Why did she want it? So that she could give it as a gift and say, "Here's an Effen Vodka. Now make me an Effen drink."

So when I received a bottle of 2007 Bad Boy Red from Rocca Family Vineyards, I was anything but enthusiastic. There it is, with that shadowed cowboy looking down as his hat covers his eyes. It screams marketing, which tends to mean that the juice in the bottle came as an afterthought.

I tasted the wine and did a double take. I needed to make sure the wine I had poured in the glass actually came from the bottle I had in front of me. This was a serious wine and I had been treating it like crap since I got the bottle! The nose had beautiful violets and black fruit pouring out of it, soft and smooth. The taste was velvety with excellent blueberry and blackberry, topped by a spicy kick in the finish as the alcohol warms you up.

I was seriously impressed with this wine. It goes to show that you never know what is in the bottle until you taste it. The price on this is about $30, and worth every penny.

Disclaimer: I received this bottle as a media sample.

Quick Taste: Dubonnet Rouge Grand Aperitif de France

By Rob Bralow, Wine Post Editor

I must admit, that I am rather unfamiliar with the world of aperitif drinks. I know that there are a few out there, but they never appealed to me as a drink. There is always a white or sparkling wine that would work in the place of an aperitif. Do not misunderstand me, Dubonnet is a wine and according to the website is a "aromatized" wine, one that has been fortified and flavored with botanicals.

I received a bottle of Dubonnet Rouge to taste and was immediately thrown by the note on the bottle that said, "Serve Chilled."

Well, being the good drinker that I am, I went and put the bottle in the fridge for a while. And then completely forgot it was there (doh!).

When I finally pulled it out, I had to sit down and taste it. The aromas were of sugared prunes and smoky oranges. Definitely a fortified wine. There was even a little nuttiness, but not overwhelming. The taste was similar, with more of a cloying sweetness to it. I am not sure I would have this wine before a meal, but it might be a nice pairing with desserts.

A bottle costs roughly $10-$13, so if you are interested in trying it, the purchase will not hurt the wallet.

Disclaimer: I received this bottle as a media sample.

Quick Taste: St. Francis Old Vines Zinfandel

By Rob Bralow, Wine Post Editor

It is possible to over-do a wine. I think that is what happened with the 2007 St. Francis Old Vines Zinfandel. I was excited by the nose, with some cranberry, and even a spicy note that I thought was fresh cut horseradish (one of my favorite smells... yup, I am a little weird). However, there was also a heavy blanket of butterscotch and caramel, indicating that this wine had seen some oak.

I did not really know how much oak until I tasted the wine. The initial taste of the wine was all sweet raspberry that faded quickly into an extremely dry finish. I wanted more fruit or at least more of a balance between fruit and the structure. That said, just the other day I had a customer ask me for this wine specifically in the store. Always interesting to see what people's tastes are. That is what makes

Disclaimer: I received this wine as a press sample.

Quick Taste: Domaine de la Perriere Sancerre

By Rob Bralow, Wine Post Editor

I am way behind on reporting on my tastings, so for the next few weeks expect a ton of short, "Quick Taste" segments until I get caught up. I have plenty of longer posts to write, but for now here are some of the samples I've tasted.

I was sent a bottle of the 2008 Domaine de la Perriere Sancerre by the importer and was reasonably impressed. This brand is one of the Guy Saget portfolio of wines, one of the larger producers from the Loire Valley. Since this is from Sancerre, the grape in the bottle is Sauvignon Blanc. The smell was extremely mineral with a healthy background of flowers and rich herbaceous aromas. The wine had a racy acidity, with lots of lemon citrus, and steely minerals. The average price is about $22. I think this is a good quality wine, although perhaps slightly pricey.