Joe's Winos Wine Club FEBRUARY 2018

MELINI

ORVIETO CLASSICO SECCO 2016

The Melini Winery is one of Chianti's most historic producers. Dating back to 1705, Laborel Melini is credited with the "fiasco strapeso" (straw flask) that first allowed the export of Chianti to foreign markets. Orvieto was once a Papal stronghold and one of the richest cities in Italy. As Orvieto became famous, it was renamed 'The Pope's Wine' and was used to pay the workers who built the Cathedral of Orvieto. The Italian Renaissance painter Luca Signorelli asked for payment of his 'Last Judgement' frescoes in the Cathedral to be made with 1000 litres of Orvieto wine every year. Sourced from vineyards surrounding the town of Orvieto in the Umbria and Lazio regions, this Orvieto Classico is a field blend of 45% Procanico, 20% Verdello, 15% Grechetto, 10% Malvasia, and 10% Drupeggio. Notes of almond, baby's breath flowers, bees wax, dried lemon and wet stone lead to rich and round palate with hints of yellow pear, lemon peel and delicate minerality.

Pairings:

Best known as an aperitif, seafood chowder, penne pasta with prosciutto and asparagus

RE MANFREDI

AGLIANICO DEL VULTURE 2012

Aglianico “alli-yawn-nico” is grown in Italy's Campania and Basilicata regions. This full-bodied wine, grown at the base of extinct volcanoes, is considered alongside Nebbiolo and Sangiovese to be one of Italy's top 3 varietals. These wines can be quite rustic and in their youth, offer powerful tannins and a very dark earthy profiles (Tar, Coffee, Licorice). Considered the "Barolo of the South" these wines have the potential to mature for decades and only continue to reveal more and more complexity with time. Re Manfredi's estate and vineyards sit at the base of the 4,300 ft extinct volcano, Mount Vulture. Here, lava mixed with soil rich in clay and calcium create an unusual ‘volcanic’ terroir not often seen in European wine. These vines are an average of 30 years old and are planted around a 1200 ft elevation on the volcano. This Aglianico del Vulture offers an intense nose of blackberry compote, Balsamic, leather, hoisin, fresh chopped herbs, pipe tobacco, violet and licorice. The palate is rich with chewy tannins and brings plenty of baking spices, fig and pencil shavings. The prominent minerality showcases the influence of the volcanic soils here. Aglianico grown in the flat lands of Campania are less age-worthy and lack that particular characteristic. This powerful old-world red is a perfect pairing for rustic or funky fare and should be opened at the beginning of meal prep to give it time to open up and develop. We should thank Frederick Wildman's Tiffany Werne for helping make this happen. She was able to squeeze this $35.99 wine into the club!

PAIRINGS:

Beef Brisket, Smoked Pork, Braised Oxetail, Charcuterie, Venison, Portobello Mushrooms