Wines and Beyond

Red Wine by Gaja from Piedmont, Italy. Color: Dark ruby/purple Aroma: A captivating and refined nose with well-integrated aromas of blackberries, violets and roasted coffee beans. Taste: Elegance and crystal purity characterize this extremely complex and densely woven wine with an aging potential of decades. Complex, fresh aromas of concentrated blackberry, grilled meat and chocolate. Full-bodied and chewy, with caressing tannins and a long, long finish. A brick house and beautifully decorated. Powerful. Best after 2012. Wine Spectator 97 Points The 2004 Costa Russi is irresistibly sexy and opulent. As is typically the case, the wine is more overtly fruit-driven, with a round, supple personality. Sweet, long and richly-textured, it is just plain awesome in its display of generous, vibrant fruit, tar, smoke, minerals and herbs. It is the finest Costa Russi yet. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2024. -Wine Advocate

Red Wine by Gaja from Piedmont, Italy. Aged 12 months in barriques; plus an additional year in large oak casks. Of all Gaja single-vineyard wines, Costa Russi often shows the most captivating and refined nose. Elegance and crystal purity characterize this extremely complex and densely woven wine with an aging potential of decades.

Red Wine by Gaja from Piedmont, Italy. The word Sor? means a hilltop with a southern exposure. Tild?n was the nickname of Angelo Gaja's grandmother, Clothilde Rey. She was a visionary who was instrumental in acquiring some of the choicest parcels for the Gaja Estate, as well as being the inspiration behind Angelo's continuous quest to innovate. Deep purple. Complex aromas of toast, minerals, sour cherries, cedar and spices. Displays the roundest tasting profile of all Gaja single-vineyard wines. The rich body, subtle texture and fine, ripe tannins are typical for this wine of great finesse, the quintessential expression of the land and the Nebbiolo grape. This wine has extraordinary aging potential--more than forty years in outstanding vintages.

Red Wine by Gaja from Piedmont, Italy. The 2003 Sori San Lorenzo is simply awesome. Boasting the darkest color of these wines as well as captivating aromatics, it is a brooding effort packed with notes of earthiness, tar, smoke, grilled herbs, cassis, licorice and super-ripe plummy fruit. It shows the qualities of 2003 in its full-throttle, expansive style yet it also possesses remarkable balance as well as fine tannins for the vintage. Although there is a little heat on the finish, I found this an utterly compelling wine. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2020. -Wine Advocate Almost always the most powerful and austere of Gaja's 5 single-vineyard wines, requiring a longer time to fully develop. Highly concentrated currant and black cherry fruit with a hint of coffee in addition to aromas of fine herbs, minerals and exotic spices. A very focused, concentrated wine with a long, lingering finish and refined tannins, it has excellent aging potential.

Red Wine by Gaja from Piedmont, Italy. Color: Dark ruby/purple. Aroma: A captivating and refined nose with well-integrated aromas of blackberries, violets and roasted coffee beans. Taste: Elegance and crystal purity characterize this extremely complex and densely woven wine with an aging potential of decades Plenty of fresh blackberry and cherry aromas follow through to a full-bodied palate, with fine tannins and a chewy finish. Well-structured for the vintage. Very fresh and lively. Best after 2008. Wine Spectator 94 Points

Red Wine by Gaja from Piedmont, Italy. Color: Garnet Aroma: The nose is almost sensual in its complexity, with aromas of forest fruits, plums, licorice, mineral and coffee scents. Taste: Long, complex finish with fine, silk-like tannins and good acidity; dense structure, full of super-ripe fruit. Gaja's 2003 Barbaresco may well challenge its bigger siblings as the most successful of these new releases. Made in a style that combines expressive aromatics, the ripeness of the vintage and classic structure, it is an awesome effort. Though it offers plenty of super-ripe fruit and notable concentration, it never comes across as being heavy and displays exceptional overall balance. -The Wine Advocate

Red Wine by Ceretto from Piedmont, Italy. The estate's top Barbaresco is the Bricco Asili. Made from vines that are over 25 years old and aged in 100% new oak, the 2001 displays a deep color and is darker, richer and more concentrated than the Bernardot, with notes of licorice, tobacco and spices dominating the nose. On the palate it is masculine, austere and balsamic, with flavors of dark fruits and plums, finishing with chewy tannins. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2021 Robert Parker's Wine Advocate 92 Points

Red Wine by Giacosa from Piedmont, Italy. The 2001 Barolo Falletto displays a more deeply colored, rich translucent ruby color. It opens with a sweet, balsamic nose of spices, oak, and minerals, and is packed with layers of deep, dark fruit that gradually open to reveal themselves on a big, strapping frame, with outstanding length and a beautiful note of freshness to cap off the finish. An Azienda Agricola Falletto di Bruno Giacosa bottling. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2023. -Wine Advocate

Red Wine by Ceretto from Piedmont, Italy. A complex, ethereal bouquet with hints of dog-rose, violet and liquorice. With its caressing, dry taste, in the mouth this wine highlights the excellence in the range of Barbarescos. Though it is capable of exciting the taste-buds after just a year in the bottle, the sensations are sure to increase on ageing: we recommend 3 to 15 years.

Red Wine by Pio Cesare from Piedmont, Italy. Ornato is the name of the estate vineyard owned by the Pio family in Serralunga d'Alba. Ornato is more modern in style than Pio Cesare's traditional Barolo, but still true to its roots. The characteristics of the soil, the microclimate and favourable exposure, allows the grapes to become extremely rich. Fermentation at a slightly higher temperature, together with skin maceration for 12 days, produces a wine with great soft tannins. The first Barolo Ornato was produced in 1985. Since then, it has only been produced in outstanding years. Barolo Ornato has a deep crimson red color and its nose exhibis intense fruit scents. On the palate, the tannins are fat and found, yet also mellow and elegant. Concentrated flavors of ripe fruit previal with subtle hints of tobacco, chocolate and pepper, culminating in a rich finish.

Red Wine by Paolo Scavino from Piedmont, Italy. The Bric del Fiasc is noticeably deeper and richer, with notes of sweet dark fruit, tar and scorched earth. Made in a big, bold style, this is a powerhouse of a wine that has enough fruit to balance the tannins, although it is not for the faint of heart. As opposed to Cannubi which has loosely packed, sandy soils, at Bric del Fiasc the soils are more compact and thus retain water better, which helps give this wine a little more freshness, says Scavino. (90-93), 11/05 With his boyish enthusiasm it is hard to believe Enrico Scavino has a full 50 vintages under his belt. I started working at the family estate when I was a young boy, says Scavino. I remember the 1958 vintage in particular. We had a very cool spring and many vineyards were affected by peronospora (a fungal disease that can affect the vines). Flowering was irregular and the plants carried very little fruit. We made a rich, concentrated Barolo that year that was a huge hit with our customers. It was a great way to start, and I've been hooked ever since. -Wine Advocate 90-93

Red Wine by Prunotto from Piedmont, Italy. Ruby red with orange reflections. Full on the nose with hints of raspberry, cedar, cassis, mint, dry roses and violets. With age, truffle and tar notes will enrich the bouquet. Prunotto's Barolo is dry, full bodied and elegant with an ideal balance of fruit, body, acidity and tannins. A delicious, versatile Barolo that can be served with a wide array of foods, from rich meat-based pasta or polenta to omelettes, casseroles, stews, grilled meat and cheeses.

Red Wine by Pio Cesare from Piedmont, Italy. The Nebbiolo grapes used to produce this Barolo come from Pio Cesare's family vineyards around the village of Serralunga d'Alba. Their own grapes account for about 70% of their production, and they also source grapes from the most favorable areas in Castiglione Falletto and Monforte, using the same sources they have been using for the last hundred years. These are growers with whom Pio Cesare has been dealing for generations. Their Barolo has always been produced through careful blending of grapes from different vineyards. The grapes from Serralunga give a full body, the ones from Castiglione Falletto offer an ethereal and tempting nose, and those from Monforte provide class and a refined nature. The color is an intense glossy garnet, with orange reflections. The bouquet is ethereal, with hints of violets, blackberry jam, licorice and cloves. The palate is dry and austere, with a lingering hint of almonds.

Red Wine by Prunotto from Piedmont, Italy. Medium red. Primary aromas of cassis, mint, flowers and licorice. Dense, chewy and structured, with a strong impression of extract. A plump, sweet, nicely balanced Barolo that finishes firmly tannic, with good cut and grip. International Wine CellarRuby red with orange reflections. The nose is full with hints of dry roses and violets. With maturity truffle and tar come through in the perfume. Dry on the palate, full bodied and elegant with an ideal balance of extract, alcohol,acidity and tannin. Recommended with roasted red meats, game and full flavored cheese.

Red Wine by Vietti from Piedmont, Italy. Pale ruby color with garnet hues and powerful aromas of rich, ripe cherries with intricate complexities of spice, tea leaves and rose petals. With strong, rich tannins, crisp acidity and masculine structure, this ageworthy Barolo shows incredible finesse with excellent balance, integration and a long, lingering finish. Food pairings: Hearty stew, wild game, roasted red meats and sharp, aged cheeses.

Red Wine by Prunotto from Piedmont, Italy. Garnet color with good intensity. The perfume is deep and complex with hints of licorice. Full-bodied and velvety with excellent balance. The wines structure and characteristics lend it to meat dishes and aged cheeses.   90 points.  Very attractive aromas of blackberry, spice and black licorice. Full-bodied, with velvety rich tannins and a long, caressing finish. Extremely well-done...

Red Wine by Batasiolo from Piedmont, Italy. Visual Aspect: Deep ruby-garnet red. Nose: Ethereal and intense, with notes of spices and dried fruits offering great finesse to the nose and palate. Palate: Full-bodied wine highlighted with plum and cherry flavors and a velvety elegance. Food pairings: Ideal for accompanying white or red meats, meats with sauces and medium to mature cheeses.

Red Wine by Marchesi di Barolo from Piedmont, Italy. One of the great names in Piedmontese winemaking, Cantine dei Marchesi di Barolo dates back as far as the 12th century, when the land-owning Falletti family of Piedmont's Barolo district was granted titles of nobility. Today the estate owns about 100 acres of vineyard in the Langhe, including some of the finest vineyards in the district. The Marchesi di Barolo cellars have been owned since 1929 by the Abbona family, who make their home in the large, yellow-fronted villa overlooking the terra cotta rooftops of the picturesque village of Barolo. Like their Falletti predecessors the Abbonas are committed to conserving the estate's time-honored reputation. Production Area From prime estate vineyards planted in calcareous, clayey soils on the moderately inclined hillsides of Piedmont's Barolo district. Grape Varieties 100% Nebbiolo Vinification Following destemming, handpicked grapes are soft-pressed. Fermentation occurs at controlled temperatures in thermo-conditioned vats. Maceration lasts 10-18 days with racking of the wine only after all sugar content has been converted to alcohol. The wine is aged 2-3 years in a combination of small, new and older, used Slavonian oak casks. The wine is further aged six months in bottle prior to release. It can be cellared for 15-20 years. Color Deep ruby red with orange highlights. Bouquet Intense rose bouquet with scents of licorice and spice. Taste Full-bodied, dry and elegant. Serving Suggestions A perfect complement to red meats and ripe cheeses. Serve at a moderate room temperature.