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| 20.07.2005 Festival of Tuscan wines from Isole e Olena (22 – 29 July) |
 When a family from Piedmont comes to Tuscany and gets involved into the winemaking… quite good wines are to be expected soon. Sassicaia, for example. Or Cepparello. And if in case with Sassicaia it is a question of excellent Tuscan version of the purely Bordeaux subject (namely – Cabernet Sauvignon), when speaking of Cepparello we deal with purely local Sangiovese grape. I would go further and dare to state that by and large, Cepparello is a majestic monument to the precious Sangiovese, erected in its life-time. Would you like to know the name of the sculptor? Paolo De Marchi. It was his father who bought vineyards and lands of Isole e Olena in the middle of the 20 century. Over a quarter of a century the grapes were being sold to the merchants, until Paolo got down to the business in 1976. By that time he had both education (Doctor of oenology, Turin University) and some experience (gained in California). Somehow Paolo is able to manage vineyards, winery and the office at once. Of course, he cannot make it without help of, for instance, venerable consulting oenologist Donato Lanati (to the point, another Piedmontese). Have they found a formula of an ideal wine, you may ask? I think, the answer is “no”. For this exploration should never cease. And this is not the point to keep pace with changeable tastes of mass consumers. Let’s say you add an allowed amount of Cabernet to Sangiovese. While the result officially could be called Chianti but effectively you get something else, say, another Super-Tuscan. While if one add just a bit of Syrah, the result will be quite different. Delicate make-up will only emphasize the beauty of the model. Recently I had the opportunity to ask Paolo De Marchi about his favorite Isole e Olena wines. I believe it would be incorrect to render his answer outright, though it is indirectly shown in the list of wines represented at the festival. Apart from those already mentioned we will be pouring Chardonnay and Syrah. Both are “in purezza” (like Cepparello). And both refer to Collezione De Marchi, in which Cabernet Sauvignon appears as well (remember, the one that was not added to His Majesty Sangiovese).
Finally, I cannot help reciting Will Lyons from Scotland on Sunday: “De Marchi's wines are sophisticated and balanced, possessing grace, finesse, generous fruit and lively complexity. Tasting them is akin to listening to Handel: it is both an intellectual and a seductive pleasure.”
Sergei Gusovsky
Read about special menu of the festival here |
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| 30.06.2005 Festival of Campania wines from Feudi di San Gregorio (1 – 8 July) |
 The new festival is dedicated to one of the most fashionable wine producer of Italy, namely, Feudi di San Gregorio. The reasons for this "fashionableness" are quite clear. Magnificent wines produced both from ancient grapes and ubiquitous modern traveler called Merlot; star connoisseurs-oenologists (Attilio Scienza, Riccardo Cotarella) assisting to a gifted residential winemaker Mario Ercolino in every way. The latter is one of the Ercolino brothers, whose family owns the spacious Feudi estate, named in Saint Gregory the Great's honour. Other reasons for the popularity one could look for in regular high ratings, given to the Feudi wines on either side of the ocean. It is rather important that not only Robert Parker, but the local arbiters (Gambero Rosso, Vini Veronelli, etc.) cast no doubt on the quality the wines. Founded just in 1986, Feudi already managed to burst into Italian wine Olympus, which is quite a crowded place. Serpico (made of Aglianico grape) and Patrimo (100% Merlot) are constant to win “the three glasses” from Gambero Rosso. This year the white Cutizzi joined them, a single vineyard wine produced from the Greco di Tufo. Apart from these official star-wines, during the festival we will also going to pour a charming white from Fiano di Avellino grape, as well as couple more reds: traditional and famous Taurasi and outlandish newcomer Primitivo di Manduria from the neighboring Puglia province. By the way, the city of Manduria was reduced to ashes by the ancient Romans, having not forgiven the city's offering the shelter to Hannibal. It is there, that the grape of Primitivo shows its best. Perhaps, the blood of the Great Carthaginian’s warriors and Roman legions was shed in no vain? To continue historical speculations one cannot help making the following remark: above-mentioned Gregory the Great was not only one of the youngest prefects of Rome, but the person who, having had another calling, with time became a Pope and, besides all, managed to carry out liturgy and choir reforms. It is in his honor that some of the church chants are called Gregorian.
It would be to the point to finish these notes on Feudi di San Gregorio with the recommendation to visit their informative site www.feudi.it. One should also appreciate its beauty and style - didn’t we say they at Feudi are very fashionable?
Yet, few words about the special menu: don't miss it!
Sergei Gusovsky
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| 27.05.2005 Festival of Alto Adige wines from San Michele Appiano (27 May – 3 June) |
 After a tedious pause caused both by joyful events (The Lent) and by the wish to guard the precious wines from possible careless consumption during Eurovision Song Contest 2005, Kyiv, Ukraine, we are happy to continue our acquaintance with the world of Italian wines. This time the festival is dedicated to the northern province of Alto Adige, which is traditionally considered to be a part of Southern Tirol (Sud Tirol). The San Michele Appiano co-operative (or, in the German way, St. Michael Eppan) was founded in 1907 and by now it comprises about 340 members possessing 340 hectares of vineyards in common. One would logically presuppose a large production volume and ordinary wine. Just the reverse! For many years the wines of this co-operative have proved their top quality, and inconceivable is the way San Michele Appiano manages to produce from 5 to 10 extra-class wines annually. Actually, there is an “official top line” (called St. Valentin) out of which we will show three white wines (Pinot Bianco, Gewurztraminer and Sauvignon) and one red (Pinot Nero). However, even beyond St.Valentin some nice, if not delicious surprises await us. Namely, single-cru Riesling Montiggl and indigenous red variety Lagrein.
Few words about Sauvignon St. Valentin. It is considered to be the most designated wine of the co-operative. One can dedicate poems and stories to it. Or even novels. No oak, just the essence of pure fruit. To my mind, only Sauvignon Ronco delle Mele from friulean Venica&Venica winery can be compared to St. Valentin. The wine is strict but chic, delicate but lively, undoubtedly dry but stunningly fragrant. Utterly delicious wine, indeed.
It's beyond my understanding how the tiny team consisting of three people (Head Oenologist Hans Terzer and managers Anton Zublasing and Gunther Neumair) contrive to provide for annual production of almost 3,000,000 bottles of wine of such quality. The matter also concerns hundreds of members of the co-operative who are persuaded (forced? entreated?) to produce grapes of perfect quality, and that to the prejudice of quantity! Of course, there are helpmates and assistants, surely the terroir (the soil, the slopes, the climate) is important, but obviously, there is something more to it. Obviously, pride and philosophy have something to do with what happens in San Michele Appiano. May I suggest that the people in Sud Tirol are also quite special?..
This wine festival is organized by Wine Club Pantagruel, Kyiv.
Sergei Gusovsky
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| 16.02.2005 Festival of Sardinia wines from Sella&Mosca (18-25 February) |
 Back in 1899 two wealthy Piedmontese families (one was called Sella and another – Mosca) purchased a big plot of marshy land in the Northern Sardinia. They originally aimed at building a vine nursery, as Italy had just barely survived the attack of phylloxera. Since 1961, the household has been managed by Mario Consorte, who is also honoured to be the President of Association of Italian Oenologists. Namely, this man is solely responsible for the very unfashionable confession of Sella&Mosca to the high-training system of the vine formation known as pergola. The gathered grape out of such a vine enables to move the organoleptical balance from the power and rich ripeness towards delicacy and fruitiness. In this respect Sella&Mosca stand a bit apart from Sardinian mainstream. Every sample presented during the festival definitely demonstrates fresh aromas of ripe fruits and berries. If in case of white Vermentino di Gallura – these are subtle hints of apple, then in case of red wines we get the following: in Carignano – cherry and strawberry, in Cannonau – violets and in precious Cabernet Sauvignon called Marchese di Villamarina – currants and warm notes of hay. Well, the contemporary aspects of winemaking were unlikely not to have been reflected on the Marchese di Villamarina style that is aged for 18 months in the small barrels made from French oak of Troncais. Nevertheless, generally speaking, the particular pleasure is brought by an opportunity to familiarize ourselves with a number of unique local grapes. That is because Vermentino, Carignano and Cannonau may be quite considered as aborigines as despite they came to Sardinia from Spain, they have been cultivated on the local lands for a few centuries and therefore little resemble their ancestors (rather except for the set of DNA).
However, the absence of remarkable Anghelu Ruju in the list of festival wines may cause a slight disappointment. Virtually, this is a Sella&Mosca’s answer to the Portuguese port ingenuity. You should certainly try this vino liquoroso at the earliest convince. This wine is made of the sun-dried Cannonau, and after the fortification it is matured in the oak casks for over eight years. This incredible wine has an exceptional concentration and unique nature. Please, accept our apologies for not being able to bring it to the festival…
Read more about special menu of the festival here.
Sergei Gusovsky |
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| 25.01.2005 Festival of Lazio and Umbria wines from Falesco (28 January – 4 February) |
 When Falesco winery was set up in 1979 not far from Rome, in a literal sense it was “doomed” to success. Its owners, brothers Riccardo and Renzo Cotarella, are one of the most brilliant and successful representatives of the new wave of Italian enologists owing to which the reputation of Italian wines made the real cosmic rise. The sweet to the Ukrainian heart parallel with the Klitchko brothers is obvious: in 2001 the Wine Enthusiast named the Cotarella brothers as the best enologists in the world. In the same year Associazione Italiana Sommelier (AIS) awarded the wine Oscar (Oscar del Vino) to the younger of brothers (Renzo), and in 2002 – to the older one (Riccardo). At present, Riccardo (“the Robert Parker’s beloved winemaker”, “the King of Merlot”, etc.) has expanded the sphere of his influence and became the first Italian to consult in Bordeaux where he obtained high marks for his Chateau Rollan de By. Meantime, a few years ago Renzo has been appointed as the general manager of Antinori.
Though, it is time to switch to the description of the festival wines. White Poggio dei Gelsi is a rare blend of Malvasia, Sauvignon and Moscadello with the splendid harmony of aroma and taste. The next white, called Ferentano, is a tiny production from the 3 hectares of the local Roscetto vineyard, barrique aged and quite predictably will please all the connoisseurs of the modern whites. Out of the three reds, the Vitiano (equal parts of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese) impresses by the price/quality ratio. It was rightfully awarded the star by Gambero Rosso. Famous Montiano belongs to the Supreme League of Merlot of Italy (along with Masseto, Redigaffi, Messorio, Galatrona, Vigna l’Apparita, Desiderio) and since 1994 has been routinely picking-up the “tre bicchieri” mark. And finally, Marciliano (Cabernet Sauvignon/Cabernet Franc) – an apparent endeavor to show what the chances of the typical Bordeaux blend are in the South of Italy. Undoubtedly, the very Italian, the very intensively structured wine. It would have only gained if stored in the wine-cellar for another ten years…
As a digestive, the barriqued Montiano grappa would be an ingenious option. Indeed, the very unusual grappa. If you didn’t happen to taste soft, embracing version of this drink, try not to miss such a rare opportunity.
Sergei Gusovsky
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| 08.12.2004 Wine Festival: whites of Friuli (from Borgo del Tiglio and Venica&Venica) and reds of Basilicata Paternoster (December 10 - 17) |
 Again a national team enters our wine festival, and for the second time on the row Friuli is a host of white wines. The winery of Borgo del Tiglio occupying a total area of 9 hectares produces a bit less than 30,000 bottles. Absolute is uncompromising attitude of intelligent Nicola Manferrari whereby he tries to derive the very nature of wine that he, Nicola Manferrari, considers to be reflecting the truth. Nowadays only a few would decide to allow for fermentation in barriques and a rare winemaker would devote an essay to each of his wines. Moreover, if one considers pharmaceutical past and a placid tempo of geographical expansion of sales... To cut a long story short, we’ve had sheer luck. By the way, many winemaking moguls consider Tocai Friulano of Borgo del Tiglio as a standard bearing and his 1,200 bottles of Malvasia Istriana have their buyers long before they are actually filled up.
The brothers Gianni and Giorgio Venica produce the best of Sauvignon Blanc in Italy. This opinion refers to me, Sergey Gusovsky, the author of wine essays of osteria Pantagruel. I cannot but put my name to such an ultimate statement. I am ready to stand for my opinion and argue it. I take responsibility to state that even those who are not used to a glass of wine (or simply have no affection to it) will necessarily react to this amazingly persuasive wine... Alongside with this wine we will feature another beauty - aromatic Pinot Bianco, in which the Venica&Venica winery might rightfully take pride.
Reds of Basilicata will be a logical continuation of the recently held wine festival of Campania. These south provinces are neighbors and each of them considers their version of the ancient Aglianico grape to be the best. Basilicata stands for Aglianico del Vulture that grows on the volcanic soil of mount Vulture and Venosa plateau, the former being especially powerful. The family of Paternoster that is considered to be one of the local patriarchs of winemaking was lucky to own a few hectares of the Vulture slopes. Two Aglianicos will be presented at the festival: Synthesi 2001 and Don Anselmo 1999. It should be noted that only 3 hectares of old vineyard bear fruit for the rare and unique Don Anselmo. This wine is available for sale only 6 years after the harvest and despite being a little heavy it shows a gorgeous fruits that are richly imbued with exotic spices and properly balanced by tannins and acidity. Such a wine could NEVER be found being served by the glasses but you do have a whole week of unprecedented tasting.
Sergei Gusovsky |
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| 26.10.2004 Wine Festival of Friuli whites from Lis Neris and Tuscan reds from Le Pupille (October 29 - November 5) |
 The theme of the coming festival might be interpreted as a “National Team of Italian Wines”. The stereotypes that sometimes come up to life imply the following statement: white wines come from Friuli and the red ones come from Toscana. Such team is bound to have reservists, but only red wines are impressive – Piemont and the South. As for the main participants both Lis Neris and Fattoria Le Pupille could rightfully claim prize ranks among the world team (interestingly, are there people on the earth that could head it?) To continue football associations, both producers may be rightfully considered as clubs where both local team players and legionaries successfully collaborate. Lis Neris produces the outstanding Pinot Grigio (called Gris), aromatic Sauvignon (called Picol) and the mighty Chardonnay (known as Jurosa). Having chosen the best components of each of the trio, the owner and “leading trainer” Alvaro Pecorari (an architect by education) created a universal composition and named it Lis. None the interesting is the brave attempt of mister Pecorari in the domain of red wines, where he produced Merlot with a touch (10%) of Cabernet Sauvignon. Do you wonder if there is anything else? There is Confini, a unique wine with elegantly appointed sweet flavours. The wine of the winners and their beloved ones.
It is high time we approached the line of red wines. Here, the wonderful Elisabetta Geppetti takes the lead. Her former advisors were Giacomo Tachis, Riccardo Cotarella, Luca d’Attoma, - a critical mass of modern Italian winemaking. Nowadays, the Frenchman is allowed to be the Head Coach. Besides, Christian le Sommer supports little-known “clubs” of the “Bordeaux league”: Chateaux Lafite - Chateaux Latour. Two players deserve a couple of words to be said about them: a fine Morellino di Scansano (called Poggio Valente) and the super-Tuscan Saffredi. The former one is fruity and fresh but still powerful Sangiovese and the latter is a combination of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot supported by rare Alicante grape.
Summing it up, we dare to make a presumption: if you have not become intrigued in the oncoming play, you do not deserve accompanying specials from the Chef Passalaqua.
Sergei Gusovsky
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| 15.10.2004 Festival of Campania Wines from Mastroberardino ( 8-15 October) |
 Well, who could blame those willing to extend the summer and its warm evenings, light clothes and smooth movements… May be, with the festival of Italian southern wines we will somehow deceive ourselves, You, time…
The province of Campania may pride itself upon Vesuvius, Naples and the fact that it was here that pizza became a culinary phenomenon. Also there should be a deserved pride upon the island of Capri and Amalfi coast. And finally upon wines, the wines with long and noble history. It was Campania where the famous Falernian wine, inexhaustible source of enjoyment for Horatio, was produced. Nobody else but Pliny in his Naturalis Historia mentioned the white grapes Apianis and Aminea Gemella, which are today referred to as Fiano and Greco di Tufo respectively. By the way, this summer we have already featured Greco produced by Di Majo Norante (few may remember that all available cases were drunk well before the end of the festival). This time the floor is given to the patriarch of Campanian winemaking – Mr. Antonio Mastroberardino – whose efforts and perseverance in the recent 50 years contributed to the revival of unique local grapes. Alongside aromatic whites imbued with the freshness of flowers and fruits, Mastroberardino is known for its red wine called Taurasi, which is produced from the ancient Aglianico grape. A number of revered specialists put it on the same footing as Tuscan Sangiovese and Piedmont Nebbiolo. If you are skeptical about such a statement, note that it is required for theTaurasi to be aged for at least 3 years and for the Riserva – 4 years. What an obvious comparison with Brunello and Barolo, ah? During the festival two Taurasi will be served by the glass: Radici and Radici Riserva. It should be accentuated that Mastroberardinos (sons Carlo and Piero follow in the footsteps of their father) make a point of not using foreign grapes giving all their love and care to the local ones. However, they are not as conservative in the issues of technology and gladly experiment with French barriques. Knowing about Burton Anderson's recommendations, who is calling upon to drink Radici from the ample Burgundy glasses, it comes as no surprise that we have a splendid opportunity ahead of us to really get distracted from the oncoming autumn.
Sergei Gusovsky
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| 08.09.2004 Festival of Trentino wines from Foradori and San Leonardo (September 10 - 17) |
 Here we are, the fifteenth wine festival of osteria Pantagruel is dedicated to the province of Trentino. It is likely that the place itself is more familiar to many people than Toscana or Piedmont. The Garda lake and skiing resorts of the Dolomite Alps are no longer secrets for those who prefer to spend their vacation in Italy. Though, it is most likely that only a few have heard of the wines of this province. It should be mentioned in the beginning that the microclimate of the riverbed of the Adige and various soil of its banks granted the winemakers freedom to dedicate themselves to whites or reds as well as to local or international grapes. This explains why the festival will feature two producers - Foradori and San Leonardo. The matter is not only the high marks that their wines unceasingly get. The art of winemaking that every winery demonstrates speaks louder than words.
Due to the untimely death of her father Elisabetta Foradori had to undertake management of the family business immediately after graduation from the wine school at San Michele all?Adige. At this, from the very start (the mid of 80s) she was making her best to secure the future of the unique local grape called Teroldego. In those times not many people could believe that by the end of 90s Granato, the major wine of Foradori (100% Teroldego), would have taken a strong position on the enological Olympus of Italy. The festival will feature four (!!!) vintages of Granato: 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001. Besides a lighter version of Teroldego (named simply Foradori) imbued with aromas of ripen red fruits, the white Myrto containing Sauvignon, Pino Bianco and amazing Incrocio Manzoni is not less interesting. Very bright, awesomely tasty and, regretfully, very scarce (only 15000 bottles) wine. Hopefully, the tedious work of selecting the best vines for further reproduction combined with the restricted amount and uncompromising approach to the quality of each harvest will guarantee a great future not only to the owner of the industry, but to the loyal admirers of her talent. Please, draw attention to the beautiful and elegant site of Foradori. Probably, in many aspects it reflects the taste of charming Elisabetta Foradori.
The producer of wonderful red wines of Bordeaux type Tenuta San Leonardo has been in possession of the family of dukes (marquises) Guerrieri Gonzaga over centuries. An intelligent person cannot avoid a series of associations with the name Gonzaga. The Gonzagas had been the rulers of the city of Mantova since pre-renaissance time. This is the city where Shakespearean Romeo had to go into hiding. It was the duke of Mantova who sang in the Verdi's opera Rigoletto: "La donna e mobile". The Gonzagas had always been the owners of marvelous castles, palaces and gardens, trendsetters in the arts, morals and manners of the haut monde, patrons of artists and poets. Peter Paul Rubens served at court of Gonzaga. In those times the collection of the Gonzagas was one of the most famous in Italy - it contained the works of Bellini, Tizian, Tintoretto, Paolo Veronese, Mantegna, Leonardo da Vinci, Andrea del Sarto, Rafael, Correggio, Giulio Romano. More than once the family of Gonzaga joined in marriages with other renowned families, i.e. Medici. Shall we go on? The Cameo of Gonzaga is one of the most glorified masterpieces of antiquity and pride of the Saint-Petersburg Hermitage. There was also a saint in the clan of Gonzaga, Aloysius (born Luigi) Gonzaga (1568-1591), who was canonized by Benedict XIII in 1726 and was proclaimed the patron of Patron of Catholic youth. However, let us go back to the present time. The head of the family marchese Carlo Guerieri Gonzaga can rightfully take pride in the relations to the elite of Italian winemaking. In 60s he was directly involved in making of the first vintage of Sassicaia. For a long time the consultant of San Leonardo had been the living classic, the great Giacomo Tachis, who was later replaced by not less revered Carlo Ferrini who is also assisting to such vineyards as Fonterutoli, Ricasoli, Fattoria dei Barbi, Casanova di Neri, Poliziano. Two wines are going to be presented during the festival: the refined Merlot and famous San Leonardo. One can tell stories about them that are not shorter than the Gonzaga family ones, but what sense does it make when there is an opportunity to taste them?
Sergei Gusovsky
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| 11.08.2004 Festival of Tuscan wines from Querciabella (August 13 - 20) |
 As far back as 1972 Giuseppe Castiglioni, an owner of a big steel business in Mexico, made a decision to invest into Toscana vineyards. The real wine connoisseur and gourmet was well aware of what he wanted to get out of his new business. A typical perfectionist as he was, Castiglioni invested heavily and well, built new cellars and expanded vineyards. His resident winemaker Guido De Santi is an old fiend of the great Giacomo Tachis (author of renown wines Tinianello and Solaia). Warm relations of the venerable enologists were no hindrance for Tachis' becoming an official adviser of Querciabella, which implies impeccable style that would be handed down to Giuseppe Castiglioni's son Sebastiano, and then probably grandchild Orlando.
A few words about the wines though: whether it is basic Chianti Classico or great super- Toscana wines, they are guaranteed to gain admirable evaluations of recognized critics. For instance, the Englishmen Hugh Johnson and Oz Clarke praise Chianti to the skies and Italian publications Gambero Rosso, AIS, Vini Veronelli as well as the American Robert Parker vote for Camartina. Jancis Robinson who won herself fame through her column in the Financial Times rates the white super-Tuscan called Batar as extraordinary. Luigi Veronelli opined for the recently presented wine Palafreno (blending of the sorts Merlot and San Giovese) as follows: ecstatic enlightenment.
Aesthetes will have no regrets if they cast a glance at the wine labels of Querciabella. The modern artist-metaphysician Bernardino Luino and the prominent script author John Downer made a great job elaborating upon them. |
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