Recent Outstanding Value Italian Wines

During a recent Italian dinner, the following Italian wines were served.  Everyone raved about how good they all were and I would consider them "value" wines.  Most are still available.  I recommend wine-searcher.com as a starting place to find them.

Great Value Italian Wines

Masottina Masottina Prosecco DOC Treviso NV $10.70/bt D96 WE91

Winemaker Notes

The “Masottina” wine-growing and wine-producing company was established in 1946 on the slopes of the Conegliano hills. An art and wine town, called the “pearl of Veneto” because of its harmonious urban structure, Conegliano, only km 50 from Venice, was already famous in the Middle Ages for its prestigious wines that were sent all over Europe. From the vineyards wreathing its sweet hills, the town appears in all its splendor, with the richness of its extraordinary medieval and Renaissance architecture. A capital of wine for more than 2,000 years, it boasts Italy’s most ancient oenological school; yet, above all, it is a place where happy encounters take place, what with a millennium-old civilization and extremely sweet landscapes, -the center of one of Italy’s most celebrated oenological districts, whose wines are renowned and demanded the world over. On the southern slopes of Conegliano bright hills, where, on the land of an ancient monastery, one of Masottina’s new locations is being set up, vines have been cultivated for more than 2,000 years and - nowadays - with modern criteria, thus producing grapes that have already been pre-selected in the countryside to obtain high- and renowned-quality wines. This is where the Prosecco is born - a fresh white, fruity, extremely pleasant wine-, which is appreciated throughout the world. This Prosecco Treviso DOC has a pale straw yellow color with faint jade undertones. The nose is elegant, fresh and sincere. Citrus fruits, lemon, grapefruit, mandarin, and cedar. Clear hints of apple, fresh and sweet. Finish his story with slight notes of mint and fresh almond. In the mouth, it is fresh, lively, enveloping, alive with nuances of citrus that shine with almost fragrant freshness. Long, persistent in its harmony, mottled with a tenuous sapidity. Prosecco Treviso DOC Brut produced by Masottina is made from 100% Glera. Glera is small white grape that is mainly cultivated for producing Prosecco (minimum 85% Glera grapes in its wine composition). From the Karst hills near Trieste, Prosecco production spreads over the province of Treviso, especially in the areas of Conegliano and Asolo. The harvest is carried out in September and, after the first fermentation at a controlled temperature by selected yeasts, the second fermentation takes place in an autoclave, at a low temperature. The wine completes its aging in the bottle for about 1 month.

Decanter: 96 Points

"Possesses a very intense, deep nose with notes of pear, peach, elderflower and almond. This flows onto a mineral-drenched palate with touches of eucalyptus. Great length and depth of flavor."

Wine Enthusiast 91

"Delicate scents of honeysuckle and white stone fruit mingle together on this. It's fresh and polished, with green-apple, white-peach and nectarine flavors balanced by crisp acidity and a silky pelage."

2018 Antinori Tenuta Guado al Tasso Vermentino, Bolgheri $23.53/bt D91(2016) WS89(2015)

Winemaker Notes

The Vermentino from Guado al Tasso has a straw yellow color with greenish highlights. On the nose, it presents an ample range of fragrant and intense aromas of yellow fruit, white flowers, and notes of citrus that complete its aromatic profile. On the palate, it is pleasing, savory with an excellent balance between freshness and minerality. A lengthy finish with hints of citrus fruit.

Serre dei Roveri Barolo DOCG 2013 $24.99/bt IWR90

Wine Maker Notes:

The Barolo Serre Dei Roveri DOCG is a soft, relatively small-boned and "ready to drink" wine from three different communities in the Barolo area: The grapes from La Morra - on blue-gray limestone-marl-soil growing - are responsible for the soft, fruity character. The powerful, spicy component comes from the wine grapes from Monforte d'Alba and Castiglione Faletto. It has a very fragrant complexity: Ripe red and black fruits, hints of roses and violets, spicy-peppery nuances and a hint of licorice. The tannins are velvety soft and warm.

IWR 90

This Barolo exudes inviting aromatics of red fruits, alongside damp earth which is underlined by blood orange purèe, and cigar box which all take shape in the glass. Medium-bodied, layered and well-structured around fine tannins which linger grip hold on the finish. While this is already appealing, it appears it will also age nicely with some short-term cellaring. (Best 2018-2028) - December 2017 (OB) International Wine Report

Castelgreve Chianti Classico Riserva 2013 D95 WS92 $13.89/bt

Winemaker Notes

Very intense ruby red color, It opens with a complex and elegant bouquet, with a nuance of mature fruits and vanilla. Soft on the palate, well balanced with a persistent aftertaste. U.P.

WS92

The wine produced mainly from Sangiovese grapes, with a very intense ruby ​​red color. It presents a complex, elegant bouquet with notes of ripe fruit and tertiary aromas such as vanilla. On the palate, it is a soft and balanced wine, with a persistent finish.

Decanter 95

"Very charming and attractive nose with herbal hints and menthol tones. Intense and complex on the palate, with generous layers of red forest fruits, spice, and leather. A very seductive style, with plenty of charm and complexity." - Andrea Briccarello Bodegas

2018 Paolo Saracco Moscato d'Asti, Piedmont, Italy.  WE 92 Vin93 WA92 $18.03

Winemaker Notes

Saracco Moscato is as sweet and seductive as the hills where it is born and grows; as vibrant and sharp as the mountains that surround and protect the land on the horizon; refreshing and effervescent, like the wind rushing down from the Alps towards their hills. Served cold with its delicate and persistent bubbles, it is like a refreshing shower in summer.

Vinous 94

Luminous pale straw-green with golden tinges. Captivating aromas of orange blossom, lemon verbena, vanilla, sage, and ripe grapefruit nectar. Dense, juicy and suave, presenting a multilayered, complex set of flavors similar to the aromas. The finish is very long, resonating with a floral top note and delightful vibrancy. Outstanding, concentrated, complex and very pure Moscato d'Asti.

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate 91

The pretty 2018 Moscato d'Asti pours to a creamy and foamy appearance and pale gold luminosity. The wine is beautifully fragrant with white flower, star jasmine, and honey. As the wine warms in the glass, you might notice some dried sage or oregano leaf. The effect is very Mediterranean and bright. That subtle sweetness hits the spot (and is balanced against the wine's natural freshness). The alcohol content of the wine is a mere 5.5%.

Les Pres d'Eugenie Maison Guerard

My wife and I have been blessed with countless opportunities to travel the world and we have been as far east as Turkey and as far west as Xian, China. It is no secret that we prefer France. But in all our years of travel only until September have we visited heaven. Les Pres d'Euigenie and its 3 star Michelin restaurant Restaurant Michel Guerand is a haven from the world. A small country palace, on the borders of the Landes and Béarn regions, a romantic haven, a feast for the senses, for pampering your body and letting your mind wander. The property is a family home and is an invitation to happiness. Fairytale gardens, aristocratic abode, and symphonic cuisine. In the small village of Eugenie des Pains, once placed under the patronage of Empress Eugénie, herb gardens, majestic trees, and ancient roses line the pathway to a stunning spa, La Ferme Thermale®. In the kitchen, Michel Guérard, who "cooks the way a bird sings", creates celestial marvels. Everywhere else, Christine, his wife casts her poetic touch. The grounds, the rooms, the furniture, the linens, all come together in a symphony of rest, reflection, and frankly downright hedonism of food, wine, and pleasure. We have never been pampered and cared for as we were here. 

Michel Guérard was born in 1933 in Vétheuil into a family of butcher-breeders. He did his professional apprenticeship at the pâtissier-traiteur Kléber Alix in Mantes from 1950. After his military service in the Navy in 1957, he was hired at Crillon as a pastry chef and chef saucier. After winning the contest of best worker in France in pastry, he became pastry chef of the Lido then second Jean Delaveyne in Camellia (2 stars in the Michelin Guide ) in Bougival.  In 1965, he moved to a bistro of Asnières-Sur-Seine (formerly a North African bistro bought by candle 2 ) which soon became the Pot-au-Feu, considered a Mecca of Parisian and international gastronomy. He became one of the founders of the " nouvelle cuisine " by inventing his "crazy salad" (made from foie gras that replaces vinaigrette). The red Michelin guide gives him his first star in 1967. In 1971, he won the second macaroon in the Michelin guide, and in 2017 he celebrated 40 years of its 3 stars in the Michelin Guide.   One of our dinners was only 500 calories and was a feast for both the eyes and senses. I am not a big vegetable fan but I must admit after dinner I felt rejuvenated and calm and satisfied. I would never had thought that could happen with a 500 calorie mostly vegetable dinner. Every meal here from breakfast(which they insist must be taken in the room and borders on opulence overdone with close to 30 items) to dinner is a memorable lifetime experience. I have always written that I question the costs of 3 star Michelin restaurants but as I said years ago regarding Le Grande Vefour in Paris no this is not an inexpensive experience. But it is one that I will never forget and long for what time I have left. Was it worth it? No question. Was it once in a lifetime experience? I hope not. In the back of my mind, I am longing to return. Please take the time to review their website and pictures and review their menu items. I am willing to bet someplace, somehow, you will find the means to go there once. 

https://www.relaischateaux.com/us/france/restaurant/les-pres-d-eugenie-michel-guerard-landes-eugenie-les-bains

The Caves of Rouffignac and Lascaux in Southwest France

News flash, on your travel bucket list, should be the prehistoric cave paintings, drawings, and engravings in the southwest of France. Truth be told, there are many caves all over, some bigger than others. There is a small one outside of Bourg, France north of St. Emilion. But in reality, the two most famous are Rouffignac and Lascaux, which I had the good fortune to just visit and I highly recommend them as a go-to place in your future travels. Just imagine being on an everyday stroll or walk in the woods and noticed this gaping hole in the ground. Curiosity consumes you and after walking a few feet inside you suddenly see an intricate drawing of animals all over the place. You quickly realize that these works of art have been here for a long time and you are not the first human to walk into that cave. It is almost like landing on the moon. Chills run up and down your spine. 

The cave Rouffignac is an ornate cave located in the heart of Perigord, in the town of Rouffignac-Saint-Cernin-de-Reilhac, between Bergerac and Sarlat, a small medieval city I also recommend visiting, in the department of Dordogne ( France ). The site is home to more than 250 engravings as well as line drawings dating from the Upper Paleolithic (Magdalenian, more than 13,000 years). The cave has been known for centuries and was described in 1575 by François de Belleforest, so it had been discovered over 400 years before.  More than 8 kilometers long, this cave is one of the largest ornate caves in Europe. The visit, in an electric railway, makes traveling 4 kilometers round-trip in the main galleries. Scientists have determined that by controlling the number of visitors on a given day there is no risk of deterioration of the artwork. This is also because manganese oxide was used in drawing the drawings, which come from Romaneche, 450 Km away. Manganese oxide is basically black rock and because it is not a vegetable paint of sorts it's not going to deteriorate to any degree. In order to provide the open railway cars to see the artwork, the cave had to be dug out because 13,000 years ago the cave was only about 3 or 4 feet high and the artists had to lay on their back to draw the pictures. Research has identified innumerable traces of claws and burrows left by cave bears before human intervention. About 13,000 years ago ( Magdalenian ), these galleries were decorated with 158 mammoths associated with woolly rhinos, bison, horses, and ibex. The figures are deeply engraved or painted black. Four human figurations and tectiform signs are also present. Scientists believe the artwork was done by no more than 5 individuals over a period of weeks but not longer than a year. So they lay dormant with no human visitors for thousands of years. 

The cave of Lascaux, located in the town of Montignac in Dordogne, in the Vézère Valley, France, is one of the most important caves decorated with Paleolithic by the number and aesthetic quality of his works. It is sometimes nicknamed "the Sistine chapel of the parietal art " or "Sistine Chapel of the Perigordian " according to an expression attributed to Henri Breuil 

According to the most frequently told version, on September 8,1940, Marcel Ravidat discovered the entrance of the cavity during a walk on the commune of Montignac in the Dordogne with his comrades Jean Clauzel, Maurice Queyroi, and Louis Périer. During this walk, his dog Robòt pursues a rabbit that takes refuge in a hole located where a tree had been uprooted: an opening about 20 cm in diameter opens at the bottom of this hole, impossible to explore without a work of disobstruction. By throwing stones to try to bring out the rabbit, Marcel Ravidat finds that the hole communicates with a large cavity. As it is located 500 meters from the castle of Lascaux, he thinks it is the exit of an underground.When he walked in he was overwhelmed with the art that he saw and told others, within days most of the town had visited. 

Unfortunately, as early as 1955, the first signs of deterioration are noted. They are due to an excess of carbon dioxide induced by the visitors' breathing, which causes an acidification of the expired water vapor corroding the walls. In 1957 the government set up a first system intended to regenerate the ambient air and to stabilize the temperature and hygrometry. The visits, however, continue to follow one another at the fast pace of more than 1,000 tourists a day, releasing about 2,500 liters of carbon dioxide and 50 kg of water vapor in a cavity whose volume is relatively low, of the order of 1,500. In 1960, the "green disease" appeared: carbon dioxide emissions from visits, a temperature too high and artificial lighting allow the dissemination of algae colonies on the walls. The enrichment of the atmosphere with carbon dioxide generates the "white disease", a veil of calcite deposited on the walls and on certain works. In 1963, microorganisms continued to proliferate despite the introduction of ozone filters. On April 17, 1963, André Malraux, then Minister for Cultural Affairs, decided to ban Lascaux access to the general public. A few years ago, an exact replica of the caves was open through the use of lasers and the reproduction is an exact copy of the original. Guided tours are conducted daily and you have to make an appointment. What I found so interesting is the abdominal areas of the animals are painted or etched around holes in the wall. It is obvious the intent was to provide as close to a three-dimensional depiction as possible. You can see the bellies of the animals protruding on the opposite side and it is obvious the artists were highly talented and trying to reproduce the animals as close as possible. At Lascaux, many of the animals are painted in color and the paint is what would deteriorate due to atmospheric changes. 

Both caves are impressive and to me, it is important to visit both as you get to see differences in technique and style which in or itself is significant given the time period the works were done. It still is amazing to think that a few artistic individuals 20,000 to 30,000 years ago did these major works of art never to be seen again for tens of thousands of years. 

2019 Bordeaux France Update

I have just returned from another great trip to France and had the opportunity to again visit with my agent many wonderful vineyards in the Bordeaux area. I can share with you some of the insights I gained during my visit and hope they may help you with your wine buying in the future. 

#1. For 2019 the weather was almost perfect. In Bordeaux, there was no hail, frost, fungus, too much rain, etc. The summer was hot and near the end just before harvest the days were hot but the nights were cool. Many Vintners were hoping for some light rain just before harvest but the last rains were in August. The result is grapes that are highly concentrated with maximum and almost perfect maturity. I tasted grapes right off the vine and to me they were perfectly balanced with just the right amount of sugar and acidity. To me, it appears the 2019 vintage will be another great one for the history books. Consequently, for the first time since 2008, I purchased Bordeaux futures while there. The wines will be beyond great and I was able to purchase the futures while there for the 2018 prices so I feel like I should have done well with pricing. But as usual, time will tell. I attended harvest in St. Emilion and all Vintners told me it should be one of the greatest years. 

#2. Production has increased at least in Bordeaux. Burgundy did have hail again in 2019 so Borgogne's production remains low but the weather was perfect in Bordeaux leading to higher production for 2019. All of the vines I saw were very healthy, no mildew, and just the right amount of clusters of wine, again with ideal maturation and concentration. Hopefully with full production, the prices will be stable, another reason to buy 2019 futures as at least this week there had been no increase over 2018 prices so to me 2019 right now seems like a bargain. One thing that might cause prices to rise is most of the vineyards continue to upgrade and purchase new equipment for their production facilities. Chateau Beaurgard in Pomerol had one of the most impressive new facilities we saw this time around. 

#3. Since our last visit to Bordeaux only 2 or 3 years ago the population has exploded. On our last visit, we saw sky cranes everywhere primarily building apartments and the construction is 3 times more than then and looking in a 360-degree circle all you see is sky cranes and construction. As a result, traffic is now at a standstill. It used to take 45 minutes to an hour to go up the left bank and St. Estephe for example. Plan on 2-hour drive now. It seems like lots of the younger generation have found Bordeaux to be a perfect laid back place to raise a family and they are coming to Bordeaux in large numbers. At night the streets are twice as crowded and reservations for dinner are now a must. 

#4. I continue to highly recommend Cote du Bourg area wines. They are almost as good as the first growths and I found some outstanding wines at 8 Euro a bottle and constantly wondered if I was missing something or just plain wrong because I cannot fully understand how they can make that good wine at that low price. Everyone I spoke with confirmed that the vintners in Bordeaux consider Bourg wines some of the best up and coming wines in the area and tremendous bargains and frankly many French wine lovers drink mostly Cote du Bourg wines. 

#5. We had a great time at Chateau Gazin in Pomerol and spent the day at harvest with the owner and tasted the grapes and wine. Their vineyard is adjacent, right next door, their last row of vines the next row is Petrus. We observed the land, soil, grapes, and watched the harvest. I have had Petrus and I can pretty much say a glass of Petrus blinded next to a glass of Gazin I seriously doubt anyone could tell the difference. A bottle of 2015 Petrus is $3600 a bottle of Gazin 2015 is $80. Go figure. 

#6.  One of the major highlights of this trip was visiting Chateau D'Yquem in Sauternes.  It remains one of the greatest wines in the world and the Chateau and grounds are spectacular and have to be visited to truly appreciate them.  It should be on everyone's bucket list.  We tasted the 2017 and I have had better years but I agree with Guitry who said "after Mozart the silence that followed was still Mozart.  After a sip of Yquem, the moments that follow are till Yquem"(From quote by Frederic Dard). 

I always will recommend trips to Bordeaux. The area has over 8000 vineyards and you will never see them all. The food is exquisite and very French, even at a small cafe. Bordeaux people are laid back, friendly, and helpful and seem to have no stress. It is an envious lifestyle, I recommend you go sometime. We recommend the Quality Inn, 3 stars, one block south of the Opera house. It is clean, convenient, and the staff is friendly and helpful. You can be on a tram or walking within 5 minutes so the location is perfect and the price is 1/3 similar places within the same block.