TN: '02 Gentil, '90 Vetrice Rufina Riserva

thanks for notes. I actually usually like the Gentil, unsure why I don't buy more often. Usually a good deal at under$10.

It's funny, around here we seldom see a Riserva from any of the Chianti appelations other than Classico. Dale

Dale Williams Drop "damnspam" to reply

Dale, Frescobaldi's Nipozzano(sp) Chianti Rufina Riserva is widely available and was the top in their line until they succumbed to super-tuscan mania and started promoting their Montesodi bottling, which is now a Chianti Riserva. The Chianti Rufina is the best of all the other zones outside of classico and is often better then many run of the mill Classico's. For the most part, lazy merchants resist the Rufina Riservas because they cost as much as the Classico's(the Tuscano's know their true worth) but lack their instant recognition to a customer taught that Classico is the ne plus ultra of Chianti zones. Rufina is a "hand sell" and store owners usually don't like "hand selling" as it interrupts their time on the 'puter or phone with their broker. Of course that's what places like Zachy's are geared up for "hand sells". But 95% of so called wine shops usually have an owner-"expert", a clerk to watch for theft, someone to run the lottery machine and a cashier or two. Maybe they hire someone like me to be their wine expert for Friday night and Saturday and holiday season, but they really want to move their merchandise, so even the time a designated "expert" spends to sell one bottle to a customer, is not cost effective. What they really want experts to do is "plus" their sales by pushing overstocks and mixed cases, not just one bottle. This is also the premise of wine superstores where the clerk- experts are timed by supervisors and told not to waste time chatting with wine geeks. The days of having your experts build trust in a customer by understanding their palate and pocketbook are long gone.

If the stores don't want Chianti Rufina, the wholesalers are going to resist buying them and importers then resist ordering them. Meanwhile, cork-dorks in Germany, Switzerland and Luxembourg are gobbling them up. That's why you don't see much Rufina out there in the USA besides the Frescobaldi products.

Dale/Joe:

I really like the Rufina's. With fruit that is grown at slightly higher higher altitudes, I find that the best has the kind of acid I'm generally looking for when I think Chianti. Also, they seem to be less subject to the super-tuscan/new Chianti wave than the Classico producers are. I may be wrong, as these are just impressions based on very limited samples, but I'm guessing that it is harder to get super-ripe fruit that will support high(over) extraction and new oak from the Rufina vineyards.

Over the years, I've not seen a lot of Rufina riservas, but when I do and the price is not outlandish, I'm good for a few bottles. If those are good, I'm generally going back to snap up more. (And they generally are good.)

Joe...I've not seen much (if anything) of Riservas other than Classico and Rufina. Anything else the Germans, Swiss, and Luxembourgeois are snapping up that we are missing?

Jim

Nebbiolo based wines of Novarra-Vercelli: Gattinara,Ghemme, Fara, Sizzano and Spanna. Most in US are Vallana, Desilani & Cantelupo(only Ghemme)

also Valtellina ie Valtellina, Inferno, Sassella, Valgella,Sfursat in Lombardy

NE Piemonte: Bramaterra and Lessona--only Sella in US

The Alp Twins: Carema in Piedmont & Donnaz across the border in Aosta

All are "lighter" then Barolo/Barbaresco and don't usually do well with Parker, he did attend an old Dessilani-Vallana tasting I conducted but those were wines made by elderly men who are long gone Vallana's son in law, is good but not the old man, same with Desilanni and people I represented, Giuseppe Bianchi.

Also in the Langhe, Roero, Nebbiolo delle Langhe, Nebbiolo d' Alba

In Tuscany, the Chianti Colli Senese, Vino Nobile and Carmignano have never really caught on

The US market has not embraced the wines of Alto-Adige, or Friuli---besides the low end plonk

Besides Bolla, Bertani, Masi,Allegrini, Zenato you do not see many fine Valpolicellas or Amarone's.in the US--Having tried to peddle my best producer in New England, I can tell the La Ragose, Quintarelli, Dal Forno, Tommasi are found in Boston area and NY but nowhere south. My guys Ca Del Monte, were very good in the DC-MD market but outclassed in Boston.

On the Left Coast, SF is a great Italian market but not LA for these lesser known wines.

Other hubs of Italian wines are St Louis, Chicago and Detroit. Two stores in DC are good Cal-Woodley & McArthur's but they just learned in Atlanta that Chianti comes in more than Classico and normale. Barbaresco is only now catching on. Most "Italian" Restaurants South of Richmond Va, have one chianti on their list, the rest is white zin and low end California sold for