Due Bicchieri – Two Glasses

Discovering Italian Wine Through Tasting & Conversation (About us)

[duebicchieri-blog]

Tasting 2017 La Staffa Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico

K: It's in the 90s in Brooklyn today, so the cellar is up to the low 60s...think I need to do a general cleaning of (and, possibly re-seal around) the Wine Guardian. In any case, I've moved the bottle to the fridge and will plan to pop & pour in an hour and a half or so.

A: Just fired up the grill. I’ll be ready to open in a bit over an hour.

K: Going with a pollo asado burrito, smothered with green chili over here. What's going on the grill?

A: I brined some pork chops. Grilling those along with some peaches and some asparagus. Which is fortuitous because I’m getting a lot of stone fruit on the nose. Stone fruit and honey.

K: Grilling the peaches? Love them when they're good...sounds awesome. Yes, stone fruit and a bit of wet wool. I might've guessed this was Chenin by the nose. Asparagus is supposed to be hard to pair, yes? This might have the acidity to hang. The palate is much more Sauvignon Blanc.

A: Yep, grilling the peaches. Asparagus is a tough pairing… which is why I basically ignore it. When you suggested it, I thought this wine would work well with the peaches and the pork. And it does work pretty well. On the palate, it’s lighter than on the nose, but it has a nice bit of energy. This seems like a great summer sipper.

K: Precisely. The giant sun on the label was what prompted me to suggest it! I'm getting a bit more fruit in both the nose and palate as I enjoy some (quite spicy) popper-esque Jalapeño croquettes. It's slightly tropical, which might jive with your honey interpretation earlier. The mango/papaya family, I think. The body is light, the acid is medium high. Really enjoyable.

A: Yeah, I’m loving the brightness, the acidity. The nose has improved, too. It’s now got a little bit of an ocean note to it, some of that funk.

K: It's improved miles from when I opened it just 45 minutes ago. When I cracked it, I was a bit disappointed, thinking it was pretty muted and undifferentiated. As quaffable as it is, I think it needs food of some sort to bring out the complexities. There's something of a well-aged hard cheese happening on the nose now, yes. Not getting salinity, which I normally am quite sensitive to, but also typically associate with more of a green/olive character, which this isn't showing to me...at least not yet. This would be great with a cheese/charcuterie plate or maybe even a seafood tower. Stick a giant sparkler in it to set off that sun motif on the label and charge $100, instead of the $20 we paid.

A: Agree, there’s no salinity on the palate, but I’m still getting an ocean tone on the nose. And it has developed a ton over the past half hour, which I’d never have expected given how thin it was to start. Another damn good wine for a pittance.

K: I think I see...there's something there that's putting me in the mind of weeds struggling to grow on a sheer seaside cliff face. But, then I'm suggestible. Yes, very happy/surprised with this.

[duebicchieri-blog]

Tasting 2017 Gulfi Sicilia Rossojbleo Nero d'Avola

A: Back after a long layoff.

K: Yes, indeed. And, after a long week and before a 4am wake up call for tomorrow's flight I'm going to enjoy this.

A: After an hour long decant here, the nose is pretty rustic.

K: I'm more taken aback by the color...like cherry jello before it starts to cool. It's shiny and intense but also rather transparent. What are you cooking tonight?

A: Making homemade pizza. Sauce from scratch on the stove, dough I mixed last night. But yeah, agree, the color is intense. I’m still enjoying the nose though. It’s something like a prairie field to me. Wild flowers, herbs, and grass.

K: Sorry, had to step away to put the reverse sear on a ribeye...have some garlicky shrooms and cheddar-broccoli gratin as well. I'm digging the meadow vibe, maybe things are presenting just a touch more austere here but freshly cut grass and some petrichor are definitely present. Pencil shavings, too.

A: Nice. Finally dipped my toes in the water. The fruit is a bit subdued, and there’s a little candy to the finish. But I love that the tannins are pretty well integrated. And it has a nice tart finish.

K: I've had a couple sips over the last hour and it's evolved quite a bit, but the acid is the most consistently delicious thing about it for me. Raspberry, definitely as you mentioned, tart. This steak is fatty, and the wine is helping a ton. Getting some more of the wild flower elements you mentioned, maybe some thistley bits, too. You mentioned the tannins...are you tasting any oak? That candy sweetness, I sort of associate it with bourbon/oak.

A: I’m definitely getting candy sweetness, but it’s not oaky. The oak is a background element, which is where I like it. There’s a lot to like about this wine, but the front palate is weak. It’s weird, honestly. You don’t taste much of anything at first, and then it slowly builds to a decent finish. I can’t recall another wine that sneaks up on you quite like this.

K: For a $20 bottle with a relatively one-note attack, it has an exceptionally long, multi-faceted finish. Getting a bit more fruit on the nose, two hours after decanting. Cranberry and maybe plum, but wet sidewalk and now some old spice box are still the predominant aromas. When you talk about wines that seem sort of dumb, but sneak up on you, particularly in the context of wines we've had together, I'm reminded of some of the (supposedly) lesser vintage Penfolds. Those wines always find a way to finish incredibly strong, regardless of how they start.

A: Agreed. The finish is multi-layered, persistent. Between that and the nose, I am quite content. And it held up well against pizza. How’s it pairing with the ribeye?

K: Nero d'Avola and pizza are typically a match made in heaven, so I'm not surprised. The acid kept the fatty steak in check, but flavor wise it was a touch lost, particularly given the heavy amount of garlic across the mushrooms and maitre d’ butter. I'm finishing a glass watching the final minutes of a scoreless playoff hockey game, and I can't help but sense a metaphor… not the start anyone wanted, but it'll have a thrilling end.

[duebicchieri-blog]

Tasting 2017 Fongoli Umbria Maceratum

K: What looks to be a special wine, for a special guest appearance by friend of Due Bicchieri, Mr. Troy Sidle, head bartender of ZZ’s Clam Bar in NYC. Trebbiano Spoletino, in an apparently orange and slightly sprightly application. Either of you ever had anything like this before?

A: About to crack this open here. Nope, never had anything remotely like it.

K: Popped and poured for T & myself into white wine stems. Tight, small cork. Color is pretty gorgeous, whiskey-hued...looks more like apple juice than wine.

T: The wine is such a cool color. It comes across as iridescent even though it’s cloudy.

K: Yes, shiny despite being somewhat less than clear. We're going to drink this with a cheese plate, a couple of cheeses from southern France (Basque, Auvergne), applewood smoked salami, figs and blood oranges. How about you?

T: Andrew, great to chat with you again.

A: Great to chat with you as well. Lord knows, I better catch you here because I can never get in to ZZ’s Clam Bar. ;)

A: Yeah, iridescent is a perfect descriptor. I don’t have a lot of experience with orange wines, but I’ve never seen one this cloudy. Is that sediment that will gradually fall out? To answer your question, Karl, making some tacos with leftover roasted mushrooms, peppers, onions, and fennel from the other night.

K: Nice. I wasn't sure it was cloudy vs. just a different color than I've ever seen, but yeah, on further inspection, it definitely looks like there's something in suspension. When I opened this, the nose had a bit of sulfurous funk, which blew off quickly leaving behind some dried apricot, rosemary. Very complex, but not incredibly appetizing, to be honest.

T: There’s a barnyard funk that’s subtle. I was expecting it to complement the cheese more than it is. I’d pair it with fresh veggies and cured salmon perhaps. The tannins are mild to moderate, would you agree?

A: I definitely got sulfur on the nose when it opened. It’s blown off a bit, but there’s still some definite funk. It’s tasting a little bit thin and a bit tinny to start. I just popped and poured. Maybe this need some air?

A: [Narrator: It didn’t need air.]

K: Have topped off our glasses a couple times and it does seem to improve over time. I'm surprised by the relatively restrained acid. The fruit/tannin are in pretty good balance. It's different, but not a lot of there there at the moment.

T: Karl just made crudités (Editor's note: cut up some carrots and radishes, retrieved some recently made garlic mayo from the fridge) got fun things happening now.

K: Anyone have any flavor notes?

T: Chamomile, apple sauce, kiwi, candied banana, hay, golden raspberry

A: I’m getting the candied banana… along with tangerine? It tastes more tropical to me than anything else. But it remains a thin wine. A little fruity up front but with very little body and not much of a finish to it. But I agree it’s decently balanced. If memory serves, this was the most expensive wine in the case we bought together. Which is not what I would have expected.

T: Is this a typical style to come from this region? I don’t know much about it.

K: Yep, $32 retail. So, significantly above our $20/btl average. Tropical is right...some passion fruit and banana, yes. But, thin is the word that's sticking with me, too. I can't help but feel I'm missing something. And, I don't know if I've ever had another wine from Umbria, so no idea if this is regionally consistent.

A: I’m getting hay now, too. That’s a great, great note. This wine has a unique, odd flavor profile. It worked ok with roasted vegetable tacos, but honestly, it’s a stubborn wine that doesn’t work with something like that.

K: It came around a bit with our raw veggies, but yeah. Temperamental, to be sure. It was educational and by no means bad. But, it isn't the best wine we've had so far by a wide margin, and the novelty doesn't support the up-charge in my mind.

A: I feel like we need to invite Troy back for a better wine. This was fine, but not at all special.

K: Absolutely! Maybe we can all get together and pop something we'd anticipate to have a better showing? Open That Bottle Night isn't too far off…

T: I’m in. And let’s meet again in person next time we’re all in New York - and of course we’ll get you in to ZZ’s.

[duebicchieri-blog]

Tasting 2015 Ausonia Pecorino Abruzzo

K: I didn't know we were doing cheese...isn't Pecorino a cheese? Yes, hard sheep's milk cheese.

A: Is this thing on? I’m getting some funk, as if from a raw sheep’s milk cheese, but it’s super duper fruity, like a pear and peach bubblegum.

K: Reading you, Chicago. Yes, we are a go...after an aborted attempt to taste this wine a couple weeks ago when my bottle was sadly corked. The shop replaced it without batting an eye, but then Thanksgiving got in the way. This time, instead of wet cardboard, I'm met by a nose of spring flowers, there's something kinda woolly about it, with some clay as well. Aerating the wine, I get a distinct tinge of cat box. Are you getting any ammoniated notes? Maybe that's the cheesy funk?

A: No, you’re absolutely right. I’m totally getting the ammonia now. This is a very odd wine. It’s fruity on the nose and up front and yet also very lean and austere. After a quick burst of flavor, it’s very saline, mineral, and, yes, ammonia. Sorta like cheap gum.

K: Thing is, it doesn't ruin it for me the way VA typically does...it's different. The color may also be subconsciously affecting my perception of ammonia vs. funk. It's a clear and bright, pale yellow. I'm also recovering from a bad cold. Flavor wise, I agree it's very Juicy Fruit on the entry, but then it's dominated by the acidity and the only flavors are those rocks and minerals discussed above. Are you cooking? Or, planning to try it with food?

A: Pairing this with leftover turkey. I like to moneyball grocery stores the day after Thanksgiving, buying up turkey thighs and squash and sausage and cream cheese. So, I sous vide’d a couple turkey thigh Thursday - Saturday and finished them on the grill tonight. I thought it would be a good pairing, but this wine is tasting a bit sweet. Maybe that’s coloring my perception of the wine a bit.

K: Hmm...with my green chile & cheese tamales it's losing the fruit entirely. Maybe a bit of key lime peel, and still with the cat box. Gonna be blunt and say I'm not sure what WOULD pair well with this.

A: Yeah, I think the wine is too lean for green chile & cheese tamales. It’s too lean for turkey and dressing and gravy too. Maybe this is just meant to be an aperitif, sipped outside in summer before opening something serious?

K: Perhaps, but then I presume the ammonia is a flaw? Because, without food, it's the impression that lingers. The one CT note out there calls this Medium to Full bodied...I just don't see it. Taking a break to put the kiddo to bed. Wonder if this is going to evolve.

A: Yeah, I reject that medium to full bodied comment. But I’m not sure the ammonia is so pronounced as to be a flaw. Maybe it is; maybe it isn’t. Question for you. Is this drinking a little hot?

K: It is! That may be accentuated by the tongue-scraping acidity that remains dominant. It's kind of an assault on my palate at this point. The label says 13.5%. Not sure I can argue with that, but it's definitely abrasive.

A: Mine hasn’t evolved much after almost two hours of air. I think it is what it is, at this point. I wouldn’t say I’m disappointed, but this is the first wine we’ve done where it didn’t punch above its weight.

K: It was certainly informative, so I can't be too upset (for $20). That said, it reminds me of nothing so much as the heads of a juniper-less New American gin, which is not something I'd care to find in my glass again anytime soon. I'll close by suggesting a possible pairing...iffy oysters. You can blame any off aromas on the wine.

[duebicchieri-blog]

Tasting 2016 Monte Bernardi Chianti Classico Retromarcia

K: Hey, a wine where I actually have a few preconceived notions! Chianti is supposed to be a red sauce wine wrapped in wicker, right? But, this bottle looks like it was designed by 1950s Detroit. Appropriately enough, it's Detroit-style pizza tonight from Emmy Squared. Pepperoni with Calabrian chili.

A: Ooh, good pairing. I’m going more conventional. Gnocchi with a garden tomato sauce I made this summer and then froze. Chianti does seem to have avoided modernist style labels. Why is that, do you suppose?

K: I don't know...it feels like one of the few regions that has had mass-market appeal in the US for a long time, so perhaps there's been no need to change/update marketing? Didn't decant this, which may be part of the reason it has a really shy nose. I'm smelling violet, faint (mulling) spice, apple core... black cherry, but with an edge to it, like cherry yogurt? That's probably just heat. This presents as a bit hotter than the listed 13.5%.

A: I popped and poured. (Straight home from work.) I definitely get the black cherry. It’s almost sweet, like a black cherry cola. It feels more new world than a classic Italian Chianti. Except on the nose, which is faintly floral.

K: Completely agree, particularly when first open. It's been breathing for about an hour now, and the thing that's changed the most is the presentation of the tannin, which is now feeling a bit more integrated. I still get flavors of juicy red fruit (strawberry, cherry), and good acidity, but where I felt dusty, drying tannin and a short finish at the start, I now get a much more refined, lingering finish. It stood up to the (significantly spicier than expected) pizza in both incarnations, but I'm enjoying it now on its own, which I couldn't have said an hour ago.

A: Ah, I guess mine just needs more time then. Here, it’s still a bit thin, tannic, and as you noted, hot. But I’m looking forward to it evolving a bit over the next hour.

K: Yes, my initial note was that on its own, it felt a bit thin...but, now it feels fine? Air seems to be helping with the apparent ABV too, or maybe the ABV is helping itself vis-a-vis my criticality. Interested to hear how it evolves for you.

A: Oh, I’m seeing it now. After almost an hour, it feels like a different wine. It has some heft. And the alcohol has receded. This needed air. It’s not stupendously complex or layered by any means, but it’s respectable. It has length, gravitas. What I love about this project is seeing how there’s tremendous value from inexpensive Italian wines. We’d have to look pretty hard to find equal value for $19.99 anywhere else in the world, right?

K: Absolutely. My current go-to pizza wines are John Holdredge's second 'Oscuro’ label, where he's working with traditional Italian varieties in Sonoma. It's a great project, but it's 2x the cost of this, even with a club discount. I could see this bottle being something I'd regularly reach for in any sort of weekday 'red sauce’ capacity, or maybe even a barbecue. It’s not heavy, even as it gained weight, but it sticks with you in the way a lot of quaffable wines don't. Are you smelling any fennel seed, or have I gone off the rails, now?

A: No, I get that, too, now that you mention it. The nose is a little like grandma’s spice cabinet, opened for the first time in years, after she was shut away in the old folks home. Your comment that the label was imported from 1950s Detroit is so perfect, by the way. I’m shaky on my Latin roots. What does Retromarcia mean exactly? Old fins, perhaps?

K: Hah! Google translate tells me it means 'reverse gear’ (retro being a Latin prefix referring to backwardness), which explains the gearbox motif on the capsule, but doesn't help me understand anything about the wine. Does it make anything click for you?

A: Wow, nobody’s going to believe we didn’t draw that up in advance. I’m guessing this is a step back to a more old school style of wine making, perhaps? But if so, my Italian wine palate is not schooled enough to suss out that nuance. I still love the branding, though. Old Detroit metal is my jam. I bleed GM blue. And puree metaphors at breakneck speed.

K: Trust us, dear reader, we don't have budget to script this stuff! I'm not a car guy, but I like a good font, and this packaging toes the line of camp in a great way. Also, in giving the bottle a more thorough once over just now, I see the grapes are certified organic. That doesn't mean a lot to me, in and of itself, but it's another detail you'd be hard pressed to find elsewhere at this price point. Any other final thoughts?

A: Just killed my last glass. Honestly, this was a solid wine, and I regret not buying more. I bet it really would strut its stuff with a few more years in the bottle.

K: Solid, yes. I saved a glass or so for tomorrow to see if it continues to change. Will report back. … Not much worth reporting on day 2. Definitely in reverse with a touch of acetone on the nose and an essentially flat palate. Wish I'd had the endurance to finish this off last night. No second gear on this one, but I can't expect one for $20.

[duebicchieri-blog]

Tasting 2017 Argiolas 'Costamolino' Vermentino

K: What can you tell me about Sardinia/its wines?

A: Sadly, not much. I do know that Vermentino is the predominant white grape of Sardinia, even if it’s also grown elsewhere. But hold on for a bit. I’m going to see Ant Man & The Wasp in an hour.

K: Sure thing. I'm sure I've had Vermentino before, but couldn't say when/where. Cooking a pan-Asian feast tonight for an odd mix of friends who all happen to be in Brooklyn. Will squirrel this bottle away and take as many opportunities as I can to try it with various foods.

A: I’m back. Sorry about that. Movie was longer than I thought. Really they should have cut everything by 30%. Except the scenes with Michael Pena. You try the wine yet?

K: No worries, just getting into it...had a cava a friend brought with dinner. This Vermentino, though...holy juicy fruit, Ant-Man! Ripe pear (juicy pear jelly belly) and juicy fruit gum, and a touch of mint (maybe shiso?) on the nose.

A: Yeah, definitely getting loads tropical fruit. Melon and papaya. And a long tangy finish. Hold on, got to work on the fried rice I’m making for dinner.

K: The palate is more juicy fruit. Overripe yellow apple, honeydew melon, and yes the sulfury tang I associate with papaya, for sure. It's pale yellow with flashes of green, clear and clean, and with a bit more weight than I anticipated based on the color.

A: Agreed. With some air, it’s getting some heft. I still get the fruit and the acid, but now, I’m tasting a little bit of honey and nuts. Really surprising. Are you getting this?

K: Yeah, if I closed my eyes, I might convince myself I was drinking Chenin from the Loire. There's some sweet roundness, but still prominent acid. It's needing food. Could go for some hard cheese, maybe figs and apple slices.

A: Definitely a food wine, I’m thinking this is going to go well with my fried rice. I was reading that this winery was one of the first to stick with old vines for vermentino, rather than regularly replanting. They claim it gives the wine more density, more heft. I’m not sure if it’s the old vine thing, but it seems to be working for them.

K: Interesting, I believe it. Anything about it suggest an island wine to you?

A: Honestly… no, not much. Maybe it’s just me, I think of a thin, flinty-ness with island whites, and I’m definitely not getting that here. But that’s not a bad thing. I actually like this wine quite a bit. It’s tasty and super quaffable but there’s a little bit more going on here too.

K: The long, crisp finish and heavy acid keep me from quaffing, but I'd drink this on the patio all day and I wouldn't get bored. Just checked, and this was $12 (on sale, delivered) from a large retailer in New Jersey. What a steal! Made a quick plate of ripe figs and goat’s milk Gouda that's taken the edge off, now. Very pleased.

A: Fine, sessionable, if not quaffable. Still, a great deal at just $12. Or $17 in Chicago.

[duebicchieri-blog]

About us

Two friends - one in Chicago (A) & one in New York (K) - who love wine and want to develop a deeper understanding of the wines of Italy. Several times a month, we'll open the same bottle and share our thoughts in real time. We hope you’ll read, taste, and learn along with us as we explore the wines of Italy in our two glasses.

[duebicchieri-blog]

Tasting 2015 Pistus Etna Rosso

A: You decanting this?

K: I probably wouldn’t have if you hadn’t asked, but ok.

A: I'll decant for an hour.

K: Alright...FML, we ordered sushi for dinner. Guess I'll be assessing this one sans food.

A: Push to tomorrow?

K: Nah, tomorrow I'm driving after dinner. I think it'll be interesting with the sweet potato tempura, at least. Forward!

…I opened the bottle when the sushi got here. Couldn't resist pouring a taste. (Zalto Universal Glass) It actually works with the pork gyoza and tempura...grippy tannins fade with food, and there's some savory elements, dried red chili powder, faint umami.

A: Grilling Moroccan spiced lamb burgers now. Will check in with the wine shortly.

K: Nice. An hour decant, and I'm now approaching this head on. Nose has crushed dried mountain flowers, lilac & lavender, but also still dried red pepper. It's rocky, like all the above pulverized in a molcajete. In my limited experience with Etna wines, I've never failed to 'taste the volcano’. Flavor of cranberry and something earthy...maybe beets? Dusty (ashy? heh) tannin. Hey, was the cork on your bottle remarkably tiny?

A: Yeah, the cork was TIGHT. I honestly don’t know how it kept the wine in there. After an hour decant, I’m impressed how approachable this is. It’s not nearly as tight as I feared. I don’t get much of a nose -- but then I’ve been minding the grill -- but the palate is cranberry, blackberry, and some black powder. Honestly, it’s pretty damn good.

K: It's awfully tasty for how young it is. The wine is dry in a way I'm not generally accustomed to...old world, austere. ‘Classy’ tannins. I don't drink a lot of Bordeaux, but when I do it's cheap and fruity. This tastes like it was expensive to make. The oak is not obtrusive, but it never lets you forget it's there. Wishing I had a juicy burger right about now. On the second full glass I'm getting some barnyard notes on the nose, good cheese or bad feet as they say. Dusty, rocky, gritty. Some more cooked fruit flavors...plum...the berries you mentioned. I just pushed the cork fully back in the bottle with minimal effort...I don't understand how that's possible.

A: You nailed it. The wine is dry but not at all tannic. Maybe that’s why it’s so accessible so young. It’s tart and acidic and fruity and brambly. Pretty well balanced too. An outstanding value at $20. (Which means it cost me $30 here in Illinois.) And yeah, this was a great burger wine. I’m going back to the store to pick up a couple more bottles to lay down. I don’t expect it to last forever, but I want to see how this wine develops after another three or four years. But I may dip the bottles in wax. There’s no way that skinny little cork will go the distance.

K: Brambly, yes! There's something of an underbrush character to it that was constant. I paid $28 (after tax) at Chambers Street, so not sure anyone in the US is seeing this for $20, except in a remainders bin (which it should never hit). I really enjoyed this wine, but not sure about running out to get more. It held my interest through the bottle, but it didn't strike me as a terribly compelling candidate for bottle aging. Good call on the wax, though.