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- Silverstone's previous recommendations |
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- Silverstone's previous recommendations |
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Tratturo del Re |
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Kendall-Jackson |
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November 2001 |
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Not long ago I wrote about Kendall-Jackson wines and how they had become the wine world equivalent of Coca Cola and American Express. "Kendall Jackson Spoken Here" would be a suitable sign to hang on the door of most restaurants. K-J are about to offer some discounted prices in our state, so I thought I'd share this information with you, well in time for your holiday shopping. K-J source their grapes from prime vineyards along California's True Coast, where the cooling fog and ocean breezes from the Pacific create a long growing season. The fruit ripens slowly and evenly, developing intense, concentrated varietal aromas and flavors. Here are the wines on sale in November along with some cheese suggestions: |
The Vintner's Reserve label showcases coastal California grapes that have been hand-crafted into wine with intense fruit forward flavors, complemented by soft, rich textures, born from expert winemaking and months of barrel aging. 1997 Vintner's Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Cheese: Italian Gorgonzola D.O.P.: Imported from Italy, "Gorgonzola" is one of the world's traditional blue cheeses. Cutting through its cylindrical shaped wheel, with its hard, colorful, striated rind, reveals a creamy-beige color |
interior characterized by striations of greenish-blue mold. Two styles: Sweet (dolce) which is softer, milder and quite aromatic; Picante (more aged) which is firmer and more assertive in flavor. 1998 Vintner's Reserve Merlot Cheese: Traditional English Farmhouse Cheddar. English Farmhouse Cheddar, aged at least 9 months to one year, was featured. The texture, creaminess and body of these "Farmhouse" cheeses is derived from the milk obtained from |
the cows indigenous to the region where the cheese is produced. 1999 Vintner's Reserve Chardonnay. The Grand Reserve range of wines are crafted from a refined selection of vineyards within California's cool coastal appellations.The finest fruit and artisan winemaking techniques yield age worthy wines of exemplary depth and complexity. |
1998 Grand Reserve Chardonnay. Cheese: (For both Chardonnays): Pierre Robert, a triple cream, soft-ripened cheese from France, which ripens from the outside in. This richness is achieved by adding cream to the milk. Pierre Robert develops a wonderful white flora on its rind, characterized by the appearance of beige colorations as it ripens. Let warm to room temperature prior to consumption. |
Some time ago I wrote about a young wine importer called Anthony Iatesta. Tony is not your everyday kind of wine importer. First, he has - up to now - only one brand of wine (the $8 Italian "Saraceno") - and second every time I meet him his wife is pregnant. Either it's the longest pregnancy in history or Tony intends to own his his own soccer team. He is the only person I know who has more children than wine in his portfolio! I heard from Tony recently and discovered that his wife wasn't pregnant. And that's because she'd given birth the night before! Tony also informed me his portfolio of wines had doubled. |
"That's amazing" I responded...but after a brief pause, I realized he previously had only one wine, so now if my math was correct he had TWO! "Yes" he said " we're expanding". If it weren't for the fact that I find Iatesta thoroughly amusing, I might have ended the conversation at that point. I do not know anybody else who can survive in the wine business with one - excuse me - two wines. But the truth is, both wines are pretty amazing and ridiculously affordable. Since I've reviewed Saraceno before (please write to me for a copy if you missed the review) I wanted to mention the new expanded portfolio. In other words the second wine now available in |
PA Liquor stores around the Main Line area. Tratturo del Re is the white wine counterpart to the red Saraceno. It is made from the Bombino grape by Cooperative Svevo which is located in the south-eastern part of Italy in the Apulia region. Bombino Bianco thrives in this region, and is often confused with the Trebbiano grape. The grapes ripen late and produce high yields. The winery combines traditional winemaking techniques with sophisticated, modern equipment and an improved vinification and aging process. The climate in this region is downright arid, so irrigation is essential. Water is obtained from the rivers or from melting ice caps from the |
neighboring mountain ranges. The grapes thrive on the sand and gravel soil on which they grow, and the juice is fermented and aged at low temperatures, soft pressed and refined inside temperature controlled stainless steel tanks. which guarantees freshness of flavor and captures the natural fruit flavors of the grapes. I found the wine to have a gorgeous scent, and a delicious, light, honey coated, flavor which sat long and pleasantly on my tongue. You may want to buy several bottles since Mr. Iatesta has a veritable population of mouths to feed. Perhaps instead of calling this wine Bombino, he should have named it Bambino. After all, like everything else in his life, this wine is his new baby. Cheers! |
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Best of the Red Bunch |
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- Silverstone's previous recommendations |
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