2003 Michele Chiarlo Barolo Tortoniano

I found this wine for half price at World Market. I don't usually buy my wine from Cost Plus but I know that they have several decent wines that are highly discounted right now, so I have been stopping in periodically to see the deals.

This 2003 Barolo from Michele Chiarlo is a good example of a mediocre Barolo, but one that is worth the discounted price tag. It shows some of the typical nuances of Nebbiolo but is just lacking the real depth that you can find in top class Barolo.

On the nose I get aromas of plum, cranberry, cola nut, tea leaf, raisin, and wet soil. It's a bouquet that changes a lot in the glass and develops quite a bit. Sometimes it will just smell like sour cherry, and then sometimes you'll get these aforementioned and deeply nuanced aromas.

On the palate the wine shows flavors of plum, cranberry, raisin, and cola. This is a very lightly textured wine that is really dry but doesn't hold an ounce of weight. It's a total food wine that would integrate perfect with red sauced pastas. It lacks a bit of fruit, but it just might appeal to the old world palate for it's elegance. 88 points

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Minestrone Soup

This just happens to be one of my favorites and I could probably eat it almost everyday and be perfectly content. While there are many different interpretations of this wonderful soup I like mine to be made with the following: beans, onions, celery, carrots, stock, potatoes, tomatoes, and ham.

Traditionally it is said that Minestrone was made with ingredients that were pooled from other dishes, often side dishes or "contorni" plus whatever was left over.

Wikipedia :

"There are two schools of thought on when the recipe for minestrone became more formalized. One argues that in the 1600s and 1700s minestrone emerged as a soup using exclusively fresh vegetables and was made for its own sake (meaning it no longer relied on left-overs), while the other school of thought argues that the dish had always been prepared exclusively with fresh vegetables for its own sake since pre-Roman times, but the name minestrone lost its meaning of being made with left-overs."

Wine Pairing Suggestions: Primitivo, Grignolino, Chianti, Soave

2004 Casanova di Neri Tenuta Nuova Brunello di Montalcino

This wine is of no small reputation and actually one the Wine Spectator wine of the year in 2006 for the o1' vintage. I had the opportunity to taste that wine on a couple of separate occasions and let me tell you that the wine lives up to all the hype.

The winery was founded in 1971 when Giovanni Neri bought a large estate within the Tuscan region of Montalcino. Today the estate consists of 36 hectares and is divided into four quite distinct areas: il Pietradonice in Castelnuovo dell'Abate, le Cetine in Sant'Angelo in Colle, il Cerretalto and il Fiesole near the farmhouse of the same name facing Montalcino.

The Tenuta Nuova is sourced from the vineyards of Pietrodonice and Le Cetine and is aged in small oak casks for 24 to 30 months according to the vintage and then for at least a year in the bottle.

I think the most amazing part of this wine is it's incredible depth of aroma. As with the 2001, this new vintage has an amazing bouquet worthy of a classic wine. Loads of crushed berry, sandalwood, leather, chocolate covered cherry, and dried flowers are all eloquently displayed and unfold relentlessly on the nose.

On the palate intense flavors of ripe cherry, semi-sweet chocolate, leather, cedar, and violets all come together on a silky textured structure. The wine has very tight and rigid acidity and the tannins to help it aged for at least a decade or two. It's racy, powerful, intense, and full of depth and complexity.

This wine is still very young and will probably hit it's stride in a few years although it's drinking beautifully right now. I think it's a bit more loud and perhaps more exalting then the 01' but maintains it's class and sexiness and it a classically made wine meant to age.

Average Retail: $69-$89
Vino Blog Rating: 10/10

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Ossobuco alla milanese

Ossobuco alla milanese which is commonly referred to as "osso buco" or "osso bucco", is a traditional dish from Milan, Italy the capital of Lombardy.

It is made using braised veal shanks and often garnished with "gremolata" which is a mixture of parsley, garlic, and lemon peel. It is also often served with saffron enhanced rissoto.

Their are many styles in which osso bucco is made and depending on tradition some people used tomatoes and some do not.

Here are a few recipes that you can look over and decide how to best prepare the dish:

Food Network - Osso Buco

Food Network - Osso Buco Milanese

Simply Recipes - Osso Buco

Epicurious - Osso Buco

My recommendation for a wine pairing would be Barolo, Barbaresco, or Brunello di Montalcino. If you low on money than I Barbera d' Alba will work too if you get the right one.

2008 MandraRossa Syrah - I.G.T. Sicilia

This wine is really an exceptional value for around ten bucks. It's made from 100% Syrah grapes that are hand picked and stainless steel fermented. I love the value that is available in Sicily, especially with warm weather grapes like Syrah and of course Nero D' Avola.

On the nose I get aromas of blackberry, plum, black pepper, and a touch of earth. There is nice fruit purity here and because of the way it's made (Stainless Steel Fermented) I think the fruit shines through nicely.

On the palate the wine has a nice full texture and shows flavors of mixed berry, pepper, and hints of dark chocolate. It's a very nice and easy drinking wine and has enough complexity to make it more than just your every day table wine.

Average Retail: $10-$12

Vino Blog Rating: 7/10

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Provolone Cheese

Although it's produced in other parts of the world Provolone is an Italian cheese that originated in Southern Italy. It's still produced in a variety of different shapes but the most common is a thick sausage type shape like seen in the photo. The most important Provolone production region is currently Northern Italy in the regions of Lombardia and Veneto.

Provolone is a whole-milk cow cheese that is semi-hard and varies in taste a flavor profile based on the style it's made in. Dolce (mild Provolne) is aged for two to three months, and it is supple and smooth with a thin waxed rind. Provolone Piccante is aged for six months to two years, it is darker with small holes and a spicy flavor.

2008 Fazi Battaglia Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico

This Verdicchio is made from hand harvested grapes from the estate vineyards of Fazi Battaglia in the classico zone of the Castelli di Jesi in the Marches region of Italy. It's 100% Verdicchio fermented in stainless steel.

This straw yellow colored wine has a beautiful bouquet of white peach, white flower, lemon zest, bread crust or yeast, and hints of mineral.

On the palate the wine is fresh and young and shows hints of citrus, white table grapes, mineral, and light hints of almond. It has quite a ling finish and a bright acidity which would help it to pair very well with shellfish and white sauced pastas.

I like this wine but it needs to be served with food to get the maximum experience out of it. The packaging is very elegant and classic for this type of wine.

Average Retail: $8-11
Vino Blog Rating: 7.5/10

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