Archive for the ‘Whites’ Category

Posted on January 25, 2009 - by admin - (Comment * FaceBook It * Send to Friend)

A World of Whites

Albino Armani PINOT GRIGIO “io” (Trentino) 2007 $8/24
From one of the most historic family wineries in northern Italy, its heritage is traced back to the early 1600s. This Pinot Grigio is aromatic, bright and fresh with notes of pear and light citrus, delicious as an aperitvo or with a light seafood or pasta dish.

Pilandro TREBBIANO di Lugana (Lombardia) 2007 $8/24
A highly aromatic wine made from 100% Trebbiano di Lugana. The winemaker, Pietro Lavelli, is one of the most respected producers in the area, not only for his amazing wines, but for his fantastic salame! With bright notes of passion fruit and citrus, this Trebbiano has enough flavors to match even Pietro’s salame!

VERMENTINO (Sardegna) 2007 $8/24
This is a fruit forward wine with aromas of white flowers, rosemary, apricot and lemon. A crisp white, this Vermentino is a perfect balance between expressive herbaceous fruit and a somewhat restraining core of minerality. Wonderful paired with seafood pastas. Small production.

Era INZOLIA IGT Organic (Sicilia) 2007 $10/30
This organic grape is grown in Sicily and crafted in Piemonte. Rich clean tropical fruit with nuances of ripe pears, pineapple, almond and apricot; this wine has a distinct New World feel with well-defined, up-front fruit and great balance. Joe loves this organic wine for its distinct Bazooka Bubblegum nose!

Monte Tondo SOAVE CLASSICO “Monte Tondo” (Veneto) 2007 $11/33
2006 was a great year for Italian whites and this Soave is no exception! At 3,000 cases, it is the biggest production wine from the Magnabosco family. The wine is 100 percent Garganega, and is fermented in steel tanks. It has a floral bouquet laced with scents of exotic fruit and mineral aromas with a long finish. This Soave Classico makes an excellent aperitivo and is ideal with appetizers, fish, shellfish, and white meat.

San Giovanni LEO GUELFUS Falerio dei Colli Ascolani (Marche) 2006 $11/33
The Falerio dei Colli Ascolani from the Marche region east of Tuscany is a surviving testimonial to the outstanding reputation of the wines of Picenum enjoyed in the period of the Roman Empire. Marta is a unique blend consisting of 30% Pecorino, 30% Trebbiano, 20% Passerina, and 20% Sauvignon Blanc. This wine has a salty, brine-like quality making it an excellent choice with shellfish, seafood and pasta in cream sauce. 6,500 bottle production. During a visit to Marche, Joe met Giovanni, the producer of this Falerio. Joe says, “Giovanni is the nicest of men: the kind who would give you the shirt off his back!”

CIAVOLICH CHARDONNAY “Terre di Chieti” (Abruzzo) 2007 $13/39
It is hard to believe that this is an un-oaked Chardonnay, but it is. The Ciavolich Chard from Abruzzo is a rich, refined wine, complex and elegant. It has an intense golden color with hints of toasted nuts: complex and lasting with bold and persistent fruit. Only 400 cases made. A point of interest: the label is written in Braille!

Cordero di Montezemolo ARNEIS delle Langhe (Piemonte) 2007 $13/39
Coming from an area renowned for its robust reds (Barolo), the people of the Piedmont drink Arneis in the summer. This lovely white shows a particularly floral bouquet of chamomile, with notes of apricots. On the palate, it is mild and elegant, an extremely well balanced wine. This beautiful white is produced by the Montezemolo family. They have owned their land since feudal times and they continue to be an important part of the regions heritage as well as being the CEO of Ferrari! Joe says, “Check out their elegant Barolo!”

Tasto di SETA “Malvasia” (Emilia Romagna) 2007 $13/39
This Seta is a bright straw-yellow with an intensely aromatic floral nose of acacia, cypress and mint. It is balanced and soft on the palate with excellent length. This vineyard is located in a region known for its good food as well as its good wines. Great as either an aperitivo or as a dinner wine: it is perfect when paired with fresh pasta dishes, vegetable dishes, salami and white meats. Seta is also exceptional with fat-fleshed fish and seafood stews.

Tenuta LUISA (Friuli) 2007 $14/42
A 100% Sauvignon grape, this wine has a pale golden color. The bouquet is refined and typical of the variety, with hints of sage, bell peppers and tomato vines. Well-balanced and structured with excellent acidity, it pairs well with pasta and risotto as well as various flavorful dishes with seafood and crustaceans.

Alberto Longo Falanghina ‘Le FOSSETTE’ (Puglia) 2007 $15/45
The area around Lucera in Puglia is known for its archaeological finds. Le Fossette is an archaeological term for an indent in a pot or vase used for drinking. Typically, the Falanghina grape is found in Campania, but in Puglia it has a more intense straw color with green highlights thanks to the climate and soil of the region. The bouquet is persistent and rich with fruity and floral notes. 500-case productions.

GAVI di GAVI La Meirana (Piemonte) 2007 $16/48
This wine is produced in a single vineyard, La Meirana: one of the oldest and most famous vineyards in Piedmont. Gavi is made exclusively from Cortese grapes and is a pale yellow with green highlights. The perfume is fine and delicate with hints of anise and flowers. Dry on the palate, elegant with a great finish. Perfect with grilled fish, sea salt bream and fish soup.

Ciavolich PECORINO Colline Pescaresi “Aries” (Abruzzo) 2007 $16/48
Not the cheese but rather the wine! This Pecorino is certainly a wine experience. The miniscule 4000 bottle production of Aries is rich and full bodied with a deep golden yellow color. The taste is velvety and harmonious with a honey flavor and an alcohol content of 14.5%, as well! The Ciavolich family has been cultivating the land between Chieti and Pescara in Abruzzo since 1853. Pecorino is excellent with entrees containing rich sauces as well as strong cheeses. The nose of this Pecorino is incredible and Joe wishes they made cologne that smelled this good! Joe had the privilege of serving Chiara Ciavolich at the Enoteca during her visit to New York in February 2009. We also serve her Chardonnay: an equally interesting white!

Mazzolino Chardonnay “BLANC” (Lombardia) 2005 $18/54
From a tiny producer in Oltrepo Pavese in Lombardia, this Chardonnay is rich and complex with notes of hazelnuts, vanilla and citrus. This French winemaker combined French technique with Italian soil to produce an exquisite wine that is delicious when served with risotto, lobster, and creamy pasta dishes. When Joe visited the winery’s cantina, Jean Francois, the winemaker, swore he could see France from the hills of Pavia!

Ca’ Lojera Lugana “RISERVA del LUPO” (Lombardia) 2005 $18/54
Ca’ Lojera in Lombardia means “House of the Wolves” and harkens back to when smugglers would occupy lakeside farms to do business. Strangers who came near were sent away by signs warning that wolves prowled the land. This Lugana displays a perfect blend of citrus fruit and minerality, and it is excellent with seafood.

Monte Tondo SOAVE SUPERIOR “Foscarin Slavinus” (Veneto) 2006 $19/57
This soave is created by pruning the vines by 40% to obtain the best quality Garganega grapes possible. After fermenting in oak barrels for one month, the wine matures in steel tanks for 2 years. Foscarin Slavinus has a fruity bouquet laced with scents of peach blossom and banana. This full-bodied wine received 92 points in the most recent Wine Spectator—the highest score ever for a Soave!

View our Red Wine list.