TRADE LUNCH: Vertical tasting of "Il Carbonaione" at Grano, September 29, 2008.

The Time and Date: Monday, September 29, 2008  Noon to 2:30 PM

The Event: a tasting of Podere Poggio Scalette's "Il Carbonaione" with the owener Vittorio Fiore. The wine agency is Profile Wine Group.

The Venue: Grano

The Target Audience: wine media and sommeliers and restaurateurs

The Availability/Catalogue: there is a Vintages Internet release of 10 cases (60 bottles) of the 2004, about $64 for licensees.

The Quote: The property is in Greve (Chianti Classico) and the majority of vines are 70 years old. The grapes are Sangiovese di Lamole, an original clone. Fiore's top wine is Il Carbonaione, with its first vintage in 1992. He consistently used French (90%) and US (10%) oak, with the latter used for promoting aromatics.

The Wines: malolactic fermentation is used. The clone does not exhibit any sour cherries, just cherry notes. We went from 2004 through 1992.

 

**** Four Stars (91+ in Quality/Price Rating terms):

-Il Carbonaione 2001: slightly mature nose and colour, ripe flavours keep on coming, good long finish a bit tannic. Only bottles left in the cellar are magnums. My fave wine with the food.

-Il Carbonaione 1999: eucalyptus on the nose, but dissipates with a touch of brett returning. Generous mouthfeel, some mocha tones and a fruity mid-palate.

-Il Carbonaione 1994: burnt nose, good aging, still vibrant, bright, slight hint of mint, medium-bodied, a bit light on the finish, may be beginning to fade?

 

***1/2 Three and a Half Stars (88 – 90 in Quality/Price Rating terms):

-Il Carbonaione 2004: dense but fresh nose, somewhat closed, minty, textured ripe cherries, hot finish, chewy at times, soft ML.

-Il Carbonaione 1992: incredible Bordeaux character, principally from the leafy tones, some underbrush, soft on mid-palate, excellent finish.

 

*** Three Stars (85 – 87 in Quality/Price Rating terms):

-Il Carbonaione 1996: old nose, old mouthfeel and finish. A bit tired? Flat, lean, did not evolve and died in the glass, turning shrill an hour later. It has been described as "lean and compact", and initially went well with food.

 

The Food: following foccacia breads, we had an assortment of salamis, prosciuttos, and sausages with tomatoes and basil and mozzarella. The pasta was with rabbit, tomatoes and garlic. The main was pistachio crusted lamb chops. We were able to try the wines against the food, and vice versa. It was a stunning and enjoyable lunch, since we had all six verticals to try.

The Contact Person: info@profilewinegroup.com

The Marketing Effectiveness (numerical grade): 90.

 

Chimo!  www.deantudor.com