99 Brunello is a superb choice. Le Chiuse Pertimali Ciacci Piccolomoni Agostina Pieri Lisini
Also there will probably be a lot of 97 Brunello Riserva. These are now going for $100 to $135 a bottle here.
Costanti Ciacci Piccolomoni Le Chiuse (one of the best) Val di Cava Riserva Madonna del Piano Lisini Ugolaia
The 98 Brunello may be a vales, but for short term drinking. If you can get them for less than $45 or 50 a bottle. I like Pertimali and Ciacci a lot. Le Chiuse, Fuligni are also nice. Stay away from Banfi in general and 98 in particular.
For 97 Brunello, Silvio Nardi is a bargain at €27 to 30 as is Il Poggione (I think that's the spelling, it has a black label with red script writing)
From Montepulciano you cannot go wrong with Innocenti- Vino Nobile, Riserva, and Acerone which is his super Tuscan and really yummy. 99 and 2001 are great vintages. Dei and Avignonesi are fine but widely available here.
2001 is very fine from Morellino di Scansano. Le Pupile, Moris Farms, Erik Banti are all great producers. Poggio Valente, Saffredi both from Le Pupile, Avvotorre from Moris Farms, and Annoquatro from Banti are all super Tuscans: from 2001 are worth looking for and much cheaper there than here.
Monte Cucco is a new area in the Maremma getting huge press but I have yet to begin to explore. Another wine for the to do list.
2001 is great from Chianti and riserva are not coming onto market. La Leccia (look for Brucgiana super Tuscan), Terrabianca, Fonterutoli (riserva di Castello), Monte Vertine (Riserva, Il Sodaccio and Pergole Torte are all increasingly fine and expensive), Isole e Olena (Ceparello has become a buzz word and very expensive here), Fontodi are favorites. Castello di San Polo in Rosso is hard to find there, almost impossible here, and a stunner.
Do go to Osticcio in Montalcino for tasting and snacks. Il Pestello in Castellina, Bar Orso and Terra di Siena in Monteriggioni are also favorite sports to stop at. Bar alle Logge in Montalcino is second only to Bar Orso for sitting and enjoying life over a cappuccino or aperitivo with a bite to eat.
Posts: 4614 | Location: Casa del Fenicottero Rosa, Silver Spring, MD USA | Registered: 06 August 2002
Hey Dean, where do you get Dei here? I've always had the darndest time trying to find it - which is why we came home with 6 bottles on our last trip. Had the Santa Caterina on Saturday Night (make up for the accident) yummm.
Run don't walk to this place and buy the Le Salette Ripasso. THis is a stunning wine and the price is right.
Ripasso is a "baby Amarone". Amarone is made from grapes dried in trays after harvest (Even some Valpolicella's are made with this drying process as well). After the Amarone fermentation, the skins are pressed to separate them from the wine. Since Amarone is made from such concentrated grapes, it reaches a high alcohol level which stops the fermentation, not a complete conversion of sugars into alcohol. Thus there are unfermented sugars left in the wine and, more importantly, the skin. "Regular" Valpolicella is poured over the skins and allowed to sit, extracting this sugar. The yeasts now can referment the Amarone skins and extract flavors and sugar from the pressed skins. The resulting wine is called a Ripasso.
Ripasso is not quite as huge as an Amarone but it is fuller and richer than the Valpolicella it started out as. They are a great value and Le Salette is now one of my favorite wines. FOr under $25, buy it and serve it with big flavorful foods!
They also have the Ciacci Piccolomoni Rosso 2001 for $24.00 which is a great buy. Its probably $21 over there right now with the euro dollar rate being what it is. Pertimali and Siro Pacenti Rossos were well priced too
On my list, I forgot to mention the 2001 and 2002 Rosso di Montalcino. The 2001s are great: Costanti, Lisini, Le Chiuse, Ciacci, Pertimali, Siro Pacenti, Gianni Brunelli, Le Cerbaiona are all very fine amongst a huge number of great wines. In 2001 some Rosso will be superb even thought the vintage is not great because what would normally be brunello was used for Rosso. Pertimali is not even going to make a Brunello and his 2002 Rosso is astoundingly good. Not as good as the 2001 perhaps but almost. The 2001 Rossos can take some age (5 to 10 years) while the 2002 will probably be early drinkers.
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