Rocca di Castagnoli Wines

[The gang with Max at Rocca di Castagnoli]

Vino Girl is back from Italy (heavy sigh) and ready to report on some of the wonderful wineries I was able to visit in the exquisitely beautiful region of Tuscany. One of my favorites – and, I might add, the official “everyday drinking wine” of our villa — was Rocca di Castagnoli.

My friends discovered the winery during their initial windy, undulating drive to Villa L’Aiaccia just outside of Gaiole in Chianti. They stopped in to stock up for our first night in the villa (it’s good to have friends with foresight) and, after tasting both the reds and the whites, we became regular customers of the winery.

Rocca di Castagnoli is situated right in the center of the Chianti Classico region, atop a hill overlooking some of their vineyards. The winery building exhibits a great balance between traditional and modern touches. The winemaking and philosophy are very traditional but the tasting room and facilities are sleek and modern, providing a striking juxtaposition with the breathtaking landscape just outside the windows.

The Rocca di Castagnoli wines are all well-priced and high quality. We tasted nothing above 30 or 40 euros, which translates to roughly 40 to 55 dollars. The wines we drank everyday were about 7 euros, or under 10 dollars, and were very refined for the price. Rocca di Castagnoli is also associated with other labels, including Castello San Sano, Tenuta di Capraia, Poggio Maestrino Spiaggiole and Poggio Graffetta, through the sales firm Alimenta. Although we did not taste all of the labels, I would seek them out given the quality and care put into the Castagnoli wines.

On our final day at Villa L’Aiaccia we decided to hike up the hill and take a tour of our “local” winery. We were shown around the winery by our knowledgeable and exceedingly congenial host, Max. We concluded the tour with a tasting and more than a few laughs — a fitting ending to our stay in Gaiole. A generous taste of four wines later, we were carefully plodding our way back down the hill to enjoy our last dinner with our favorite $8 Chianti Classico (review below) .

2004 Rocca di Castagnoli Chianti Classico
The hands-down best “everyday drinking” Chianti Classico tasted on a recent trip to Tuscany. Well balanced with clean red and blue berry fruits and a pleasant earthiness. The tannins are silky and the refreshing acidity makes you want to go back for another sip. A refined wine with good depth and impressive finesse for the price. Great with food — pairs especially well with various Tuscan specialties including roast pork, mushroom risotto and cured meats. A

Give a Holla! for 2004 Howell at the Moon

Ok, I admit it. I went into the NYC unveiling of the 2004 Howell at the Moon Cabernet (first release) last night with a little bit of a ‘tude. I did not know much about the winery or the vineyard although winemaker Sarah Gott has quite the reputation for making big Cali wines, most notably Quintessa.

What I did know is that Winemonkey and I tried (and failed miserably) to find Howell at the Moon last August when we made a trip out to Napa. We were scheduled for a visit but after circling through Howell Mountain and stopping in front of one unnumbered property after another, we had to give up in order to honor our appointment at Lail. (One honors an appointment with the charming Robin Lail, but that is another story)!

Although the venue for the event was questionable (restaurant row Italian), the thought behind it was admirable (dedicated to 9/11) and the wine was showing extremely well.

The big, dark berry fruit was full of intensity right from the start. The full-bodied palate has lots of ripe berry flavor, a velvety texture and good underlying acidity. I noted some herbal elements as the wine emerged, which gave it a pleasing warmth. The wine is well balanced with a classic Cabernet black currant finish. It could probably benefit from a little time but it is drinking quite well now. Delicious.

Intensity: A
Complexity: B+
Balance & Structure: A
Current: A
Peak: A

Incidentally, the 2005 barrel sample was also on hand. The wine was very dark and intense as well as hugely tannic. It was juicy with, again, great underlying acidity. Overall, good potential and balance and peaking at an “A”.

Bring on the Vino - Andiamo!

Well, amici, I am off to Italy on Thursday and looking forward to eating and drinking my way through Tuscany. Vino Girl starts off in Florence and then heads down to Gaiole in Chianti, where we have rented a Tuscan villa with friends.

Although I have tried to pull back somewhat on assuming responsibility for everyone’s good time (a bad habit to be sure) I have donned my Cruise Director hat and set up some wine tastings in Chianti as well as Montepulciano and Montalcino. So far the lineup includes Castello di Ama, Badia a Coltibuono, Castello di Brolio, Avignonesi, Poliziano, Biondi Santi and Castello Banfi (oh they are going to kill me!). I was lucky to actually get so many visits planned as harvest is happening early in Italy this year and the wineries will be abuzz with activity.

I will report back about the wines and the hospitality when I return (no high speed internet at the villa.) With all the vino and pasta, truffles, bistecca and gelato I can only hope I will be able to fit in my chair come October! Ciao for now.

PS: I was going to end with a quote from Cruise Director extraordinaire Julie McCoy but it seems, well, she didn’t really have much to say! It's all about Captain Stubing.

PPS: I bet you were wondering what Julie McCoy could possibly have to do with anything wine related!

Hedonistic Takes on New Meaning in Napa

Napa, California is already known for its so-called hedonistic wines and now the county’s farm bureau is taking the term to a whole new level. Due out in October 2007 is the “2008 Napa Uncovered” pinup calendar, featuring 13 male members of the Napa County Farm Bureau in various states of undress around the vineyard. The calendar is an effort to raise money to protect agricultural resources.

Clearly this is not a new idea in the world of marketing and promotion. Neither, however, is it completely original in the wine industry. Winemakers from the Côtes de Bourg in Bordeaux tried the stunt a few years back. Let’s just hope there is no “judgment of Paris” over this one!

Good Stuff Goin' On

Loyal Drink the Good Stuff readers may have noticed a slight lag in blog entries of late and for that we apologize. Winemonkey and Vino Girl have a lot going on these days (excuses, excuses) not the least of which is the fact that yours truly Vino Girl is writing a book. “A book about what?” You ask. A book about wine, dummies!

Speaking of dummies, the book is part of a series along the lines of the “Dummies” handbooks and “Complete Idiot’s” guides and is called “At Your Fingertips.” (Much nicer ring to it, wouldn’t you say, than the “Absolute Moron’s Manual” or the “Mental Defective, Halfwit, Jackass Guide”). In fact, “At Your Fingertips” is brought to you by Alpha Books, a division of the Penguin group, which also publishes the “Complete Idiots” guides.

Anyhoo, you can decide for yourself whether or not I have the talent to write "Wine At Your Fingertips" when it comes out in the fall of 2008. For now, let me get back to our running list of excuses…

Winemonkey is heating things up in Greece at the moment, where he is vacationing in Athens, Crete and Santorini. Let’s just hope he is staying away from any stray fires and, more importantly, Retsina.

Vino Girl is preparing to jet off to Tuscany when Winemonkey returns, spending a few days in Florence and a week in Chianti. Let’s hope for some good Sangiovese stories upon my return.

When I am not in Italy eating and drinking to my heart’s content and I feel I need a break from my book writing (that means now), I will absurdly take that break and write for the blog. Until then, CHEERS, YIAMAS, SALUTE!