Friday Sips

2011 PAOLO PETRILLI
C'ACCE MMITA DI LUCERA 'AGRAMENTE'
$17.99 BTL./$215.88 CASE

There are two things before we go any further about these wines from this tongue-twisting northern Puglia growing region. One, is we don’t even try to butcher the name of C’Acce Mmita di Lucera, we just call them by their proprietary names, this one is Agramente. Two, get the image of Southern Puglia and Primitivo and Salice Salentino out of your minds, these wines are made using the Nero di Troia grape and enhanced by others such as Montepulciano, Sangiovese and Bombino. One last item, these wines are stupendous and we are utterly thrilled to have them back and being directly imported with prices now reduced by 20% and more!!

Consistently over the last several years, Agramente has become one of my favorite Italian reds. Made from a blend of 60% Nero di Troia, 15% Sangiovese, 15% Bombino and 10% Montepulciano aged entirely in tank, this wine is one of the most compelling and engaging Southern Italian wines out there. Italian hedonism at its finest, this hearty red wine shows off plenty of a combination of savory raspberry, blackberry, smoked earth, rosemary and sage. In the mouth, it is robust and mouth filling with sensual fruit on the surface, giving it the impression of being easy and promiscuous, but in actuality, it is a lot more complex and cerebral than what is seems. The finish is spicy and stunningly long. A wine with attitude requires food with attitude and we recommend pasta with buffalo meatballs or some ripe cheese that will permeate throughout the room. Drink this stunner over the next 7-8 years. Was once $25.99, this wine is now very lovable at 18 bucks and will allow for more folks to have a chance at this incomparable Italian wine.

2010 PAOLO PETRILLI
C'ACCE MMITA DI LUCERA 'FERRAU'
$21.99 BTL./$263.88 CASE

The Ferrau cuvee is something very new to us and actually, this past weekend was the first time that I have ever sampled it. Safe to say it is a kickass bottle of Italian red wine and is one that over-delivers at its price level. Ferrau, named after the Italian painter Ferrau Fenzoni, is a blend of 50% Nero di Troia and 50% Sangiovese. This red is the essence of balance and smoothness. You must remember when it comes to Puglia, there are two separate growing areas. The northern portion near the city of Daunia consistsof small growers who focus on finesse and sense of place while the majority of wines from Southern Puglia can often be industrial, prune-soaked alcohol bombs made from Primitivo or Negroamaro grapes.

Open-armed, warm and inviting like other S. Italian red wines, a unique and pleasant smokiness permeates throughout this delicious blend. Crushed berry, licorice and spicy earth compliment the smokiness nicely and carry over into a texture that possesses plenty of generosity along with spirited tanginess that is so very Italian. Seemingly, the denizens of Northern Puglia pair this wine with spicy, tomato-based lamb served over orrechiete pasta and you should do the same. Drink this beauty over the next decade. Only 300 cases of this wine are annually produced so we are more than fortunate to even have the chance to open it for you all to try!

2012 PAOLO PETRILLI
NERO DI TROIA 'IL GUERRO'
$23.99 BTL./$287.88 CASE

Petrilli is very well known throughout Italy for his excruciatingly limited and delectable pomodori (tomatoes) and are a true sense of pride for the man. Only 12 acres of tomatoes are planted to go along with the minute 23 of vines, which covers four different cuvees. When it comes to the vino, another source of pride in Paolo's cellars is this 100% Nero di Troia wine. The moniker of this cuvee, "Il Guerro" translates into "the Boar", which is a nod to how laborious it is to work with this finicky grape varietal. Lastly, only 250 cases are produced of this smoky, spicy, full-on gorgeous wine.

Not seen much outside of Northern Puglia, the Nero di Troia grape is uniquely Southern Italian and has a personality that moves from being moody, dark and haunting to turning playful and vibrant all while the wine unfolds in the glass. The initial sensory aspect of Nero di Troia when you smell it is smoked plums and this special version is staggeringly rich in both aroma and flavor. Delivering ripe but perfectly fresh fruit, cloves, cinnamon, and chocolate, and mouth-coating, deep tactile sensations which combine iron, power and a enveloping, voluptuous texture that's infinitely deep, structured and long. The ultimate in iron fist in velvet glove, this wine will pair extremely well with slow-roasted lamb jacked with herbs and spices. Extremely accessible now but will be at its ultimate 2017 – 2024. The previous time we offered this wine a couple of years back, we had to sell it at $34.99, the new price reflects having no one in the middle taking a bite out of it.

2014 GIOVANNI ALMONDO ROERO ARNEIS
'VIGNA SPARSE'
$13.99 BTL./$167.88 CASE

Recently our friend Pancetta told a story relating at how one of his Barbaresco producers, Signore Cigliutti, doesn’t touch white wine...unless it is Arneis from Almondo! This says quite a bit because the Cigliutti family are regarded as some of the finest within Barbaresco so it only makes sense that they would drink from one of the finest white wine producers in all of Piedmont. The Almondo family have been farming this land for three centuries but Giovanni Almondo was the first to make wine. His son Domenico started producing wine in 1980 from grapes that his papa used to sell off in bulk. By 1984, he was selling to the US, Switzerland and others and the reputation of the estate soared. Now joined by his two sons, Domenico’s wines continue to impress. Based in Monta in Piedmont’s Roero region, these are some of the finest white wines emerging from this famed region.

Arneis is one of the most overlooked white wine varietals around in terms of sheer enjoyable, fun, and delicious wines. Fresh off polishing off a bottle of this wine over the weekend, we had to take the stand and “testify” about how good it is. Classic, beautiful aromatics of white peaches and flowers lead into a rich, mouthful of citrus fruit and spice. Often times we talk about wine with food, but this one tastes just great on its own. If you are going to enjoy it with food we would recommend fish, preferably white fish done with a citrus marinade or fruit salsa or it can easily make for a perfect aperitivo or a fine porch pounder.

2014 GIOVANNI ALMONDO ROERO ARNEIS
'BRICCO DELLE CILIEGIE'
$19.99 BTL./$239.88 CASE

One of the prized jewels in the Almondo lineup is the Bricco delle Ciliegie. 11 acres of vines encompass a hill that up until 70 years ago was farmed with cherries (hence the name Ciliegie). Spread out over several parcels, the soils at this site change like an obstacle course and they all play a vital role within the wine.

An Arneis that doesn’t mess around, the delicious 2014 floods the senses with beautiful aromas of anisette, smoked peach, apricot, white flowers and minerality that impeccably balances its rich mouth-coating quality. The texture is layered and inviting with great quench along with awesome bursts white spice infused stone fruit energy. Serious business and very much for the lover of the great whites of the world. Accessible on its own, fresh cheeses, roasted chicken or a fresh pasta dish with shellfish will make this fly even higher.