2015 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru “Les Chalumaux”Comtesse de Chérisey
France | Burgundy
$120
Producers
Enjoying a bottle of wine sometimes seems like a mysterious art form. Temperature, glassware, pairing? To decant or not to decant? Was it aged properly? Were the production methods ethically acceptable? Will today’s atmospheric pressure, biodynamic forces, and planetary alignment allow my wine to shine?
Fortunately, this pink sparkler from Prosecco queen Cinzia Sommariva evades the need for such philosophical musings. Spotlighting the local Raboso grape with an elegant splash of Pinot Nero, it features seductive aromatics, low alcohol, and a piquant dry finish that scream for anytime, anywhere quaffing.
—Anthony Lynch
Wine Type: | sparkling |
Vintage: | NV |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | 60% Raboso, 40% Pinot Nero |
Country: | Italy |
Region: | Veneto |
Producer: | Sommariva |
Vineyard: | Vines 5-15 years old |
Soil: | Mineral-rich and rocky clay |
Farming: | Sustainable |
Alcohol: | 11.5% |
Sommariva Italy | Veneto | Prosecco di Conegliano-Valdobbiadene Superiore
Sommariva Italy | Veneto | Prosecco di Conegliano-Valdobbiadene Superiore
Giuseppe Quintarelli Italy | Veneto
Giuseppe Quintarelli Italy | Veneto | Veneto IGT
Gregoletto Italy | Veneto | Colli Trevigiani
Giuseppe Quintarelli Italy | Veneto | Recioto della Valpolicella
Italy’s most prolific wine region by volume, the Veneto is the source of some of the country’s most notorious plonk: you’ll find oceans of insipid Pinot Grigo, thin Bardolino, and, of course, the ubiquitous Prosecco. And yet, the Veneto produces the highest proportion of DOC wine of any Italian region: home to prestigious appellations like Valpolicella, Amarone, and Soave, it is capable of excelling in all three colors, with equally great potential in the bubbly and dessert departments.
With almost 200,000 acres planted, the Veneto has a wealth of terroirs split between the Po Valley and the foothills of the Alps. While the rich soils of the flatlands are conducive to mechanization, high yields, and mass production of bulk wine, the areas to the north offer a fresher climate and a diversity of poor soil types, ideal for food-friendly wines that show a sense of place. Whether it’s a charming Prosecco Superiore from the Glera grape, a stony Soave or Gambellara from Garganega, or a Corvina-based red in any style, the Veneto’s indigenous grape varieties show real character when worked via traditional production methods.
Since his first visit in 1979, Kermit has regularly returned to the Veneto to enjoy its richness of fine wines and local cuisine. Our collaboration with Corte Gardoni, our longest-running Italian import, is a testament to this. The proximity of beautiful cities like Verona and Venice, with their deep culinary heritage, certainly doesn’t hurt, either.
Corte Gardoni Italy | Veneto | Bardolino
Giuseppe Quintarelli Italy | Veneto
Sommariva Italy | Veneto | Prosecco di Conegliano-Valdobbiadene Superiore
Gregoletto Italy | Veneto | Prosecco DOC Treviso
Gregoletto Italy | Veneto | Colli Trevigiani
Giuseppe Quintarelli Italy | Veneto | Veneto IGT
Giuseppe Quintarelli Italy | Veneto | Recioto della Valpolicella
Giuseppe Quintarelli Italy | Veneto | Recioto della Valpolicella
Davide Vignato Italy | Veneto | Gambellara
Giuseppe Quintarelli Italy | Veneto | Veneto IGT
Giuseppe Quintarelli Italy | Veneto | Veneto IGT
Davide Vignato Italy | Veneto | Gambellara
Every three or four months I would send my clients a cheaply made list of my inventory, but it began to dawn on me that business did not pick up afterwards. It occurred to me that my clientele might not know what Château Grillet is, either. One month in 1974 I had an especially esoteric collection of wines arriving, so I decided to put a short explanation about each wine into my price list, to try and let my clients know what to expect when they uncorked a bottle. The day after I mailed that brochure, people showed up at the shop, and that is how these little propaganda pieces for fine wine were born.—Kermit Lynch
Drinking distilled spirits, beer, coolers, wine and other alcoholic beverages may increase cancer risk, and, during pregnancy, can cause birth defects. For more information go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov/alcohol
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