mylifestylenews: Brunello di Montalcino Exclusive Wine Pairing Dinner @ 8 1/2 Otto e Mezzo Bombana

2012-12-19

Brunello di Montalcino Exclusive Wine Pairing Dinner @ 8 1/2 Otto e Mezzo Bombana

Brunelle di Montalcino wines held an exclusive wine pairing dinning at the 3-star Michelin Star restaurant 8 1/2 Otto e Mezzo Bombana featuring their top 4 wines: Casanova di Neri, SanFilipo,Siro Pacenti and Valdicava with sumptuous dinner prepared by Chef Bombana himself as well as the wine makers' presence from region made the delightful evening unforgettable one. The dinner began with the welcome drink <Legras & Haas> Grand Cru Blanc de Blanc Champagne before everyone were seated for the wine pairing meals. Vincenzo Abbruzzese, Winemaker of Valdicava delivered a short and welcpme speech followed by the introduction of the various wines served in the evening.

Monetizing is an extraordinary place. Uphill, south of Siena, Tuscany, in the very heart of Italy, home of ancient Etrurians. The village still keeps its austere appearance, overlooked by the fortress and the agile belfries. The area has very favourable conditions: seventy percent of the territory is hilly, protected from freezing, cleaned by breezes which bring the breath of the not so distant sea. The climate is purely Mediterranean, the landscape is dotted by woods, cypresses and olive trees. And by grapevines of course, facing the Mount Amiata. The land is motley, rich of limestone, with schists of “galestro” and “alberese”, alternate with clayey or alluvial soil: just ideal for grapevines. The Sangiovese grape variety has found in Montalcino the best conditions to express itself with its vigour and personality.

The Brunello di Montalcino belongs to the wines’ top aristocracy, where time going by makes wines more and more precious, until they can express their excellence after ten or even thirty years. Ruby colour, which become vivid garnet-red while aging, bright and brilliant, the Brunello has intense flavour, complexity, it is wide and ethereal, on the palate is dry, tannic, with a long aromatic persistence. No fashion has ever led Montalcino to change the severe rules about production, which guarantee the Brunello’s austere nature. This requires to patiently wait for the Wine to open itself, uncorking the bottle at least one hour before tasting. Eccellenze Montalcino are Casanova di Neri, San Filippo, Siro Pacenti, Valdicava, major wine makers in such an excellent area, who joined in as they share an essential idea, a strict and a strong interpretation: the top quality can be reached only through a hard work in the vineyard, pursuing perfection in every single grape. Because top wines rise up between the sun and the land, first. Next, in the cellar, we only have to protect their quality. That is a crucial idea, but a lifestyle as well, that Montalcino wants to spread through the Brunello: bottled on the hills surrounding an ancient mediaeval village, the Wine arrives into China to be tasted by those who know that the pleasure of life is to get the best from oneself too.

Giacomo Neri

The Casanova di Neri family has longstanding traditions: first grandfather Giovanni, then his son Giacomo, with his wife Enrichetta and their three children Giovanni, Gianlorenzo and Marianna. In all these years, Casanova di Neri has invested a wealth of tradition and prestige in continuing to grow, starting from the vineyards, from twelve hectares to sixty absolutely excellent hectares now, cared for with almost maniacal attention. The cellar, partially below ground, is such that the grapes and must can be worked by gravity alone, with no machine pressing, the two underground barrel cellars and the room for in the bottle refining, guarantee perfect aging, thanks to naturally constant humidity and temperatures. This attention was rewarded by the experts, with the Grand Prix and the gold medal at Vinexpo 1986 in Bordeaux, and recognition as Wine of the Year 2006 by the influential American magazine Wine Spectator, with the “vigna” Brunello di Montalcino Tenuta Nuova 2001. In recent years, the estate of Casanova di Neri has become world famous due to its incredibile Brunello di Montalcinos, in particular its super blend Tenuta Nuova and single vineyard Cerretalto. It also makes an incredibile, pure, and powerful Cabernet Sauvignon called Pietradonice. Owner Giacomo Neri has made two 100-point wines already in his career: 2006 Casanova di Neri Brunello di Montalcino Tenuta Nuova and the 2001 Casanova di Neri Brunello di Montalcino Cerretalto. The 2007 wines are sure to be phenomenal quality as well.

Roberto Giannelli

The Tenuta San Filippo is in the splendid land to the East of Montalcino, which produce refined, long living Brunello wines. This, however, was just not enough for Roberto Giannelli, the owner. The eleven hectares of vines have become the diamond set in his jewel of a vineyard, brilliantly restructured. Here, Roberto blends past wisdom with the evolution of technical knowledge and a never ending quest for excellence. His care for production ranges from painstaking monitoring of the grapes, through rapidity of harvest and pressing, to eight day fermentation in steel cisterns, forty days malolactic fermentation in large oak barrels and long aging in barriques, research known and recognised by international connoisseurs which gained up to 96/100 from Wine Spectator. Roberto Giannelli, owner of the Brunello di Montalcino estate of San Filippo, bought this property a few years ago and quickly began making stylish and elegant Brunellos. He has fallen in love with this small, deluxe quality estate with about 12 acres of vineyards in the Brunello appellation. His Le Lucére, a single vineyard Brunello, shows a unique, almost Burgundian richness and texture. Le Lucére also comes in a reserve Brunello in top years. The 2004 and 2006 are wonderful reds.

The country vocation of the Siro Pacenti property is a tale told to visitors by the pretty farmhouse, maintained with religious dedication at the heart of the business which stands at the feet of Montalcino village, and by the fields of cereals, the olive groves and woods which crown twenty hectares of vines. The highest expression of this peasant vocation is manifest in the cellars, a genuine temple to tradition. Here the Sangiovese grapes, each from their own vineyards, are transformed and matured separately. At least a year must go by, with many tastings before the assembly is decided, to generate another excellent vintage of Brunello di Montalcino. In these phases, the severity of the owner, Giancarlo Pacenti, is proverbial: in 2002, the difficult led to a decision not to produce a Brunello which would not have reached the quality which enchanted its’ admirers, almost achieving perfection, with 98 points in Wine Spectator’s assessment. The winery of Siro Pacenti, located on the northern slope of Montalcino, is a leader in the production of Brunello, producing dense and powerful wines through the precise and able winemaking of owner Giancarlo Pacenti. Pacenti makes his Brunellos with vineyards on the northern and southern areas of the appellation giving them beautiful balance of richness and freshness, no matter the vintage. His wines age beautifully, especially the gorgeous 1997.

Vincenzo Abbruzzese

Vincenzo Abbruzzese, winemaker at Valdicava, likes to highlight the roots of tradition and re-evoke the inheritance of values which made Brunello di Montalcino great. On the 27 hectares of vines, at the heart of a 135 hectare property, the theses of history and the antitheses of modernity produce the synthesis of an almost perfect Brunello, worthy of 100 Wine Spectator points with both the 2001 and the 2006 versions of the “vigna” Madonna del Piano Riserva. The call of the most authentic tradition drove Vincenzo Abbruzzese to dedicate himself to working with grape only Sangiovese, making wine separately from each vineyard. This novelty introduced by Valdicava then became the standard for all the best producers Brunello di Montalcino. The memory of Bramante Martini, Vincenzo’s grandfather, founder of the Brunello Consortium, guardian of the culture and character of this wine from the very beginning, still inspires production at Valdicava, an equilibrium of tradition and innovation. Something almost mystical comes through the Brunello di Montalcinos of this wonderful wine estate. Firstly, it has to be from the sublime vineyards located on the northern side of Montalcino that produce exquisite grapes. Secondly, it is the guru-like dedication in the vineyards and winery of owner Vincenzo Abbruzzese. He is a genius in combining the two into perfectly crafted examples of Tuscan Sangiovese. He makes a regular bottling Brunello as well as a single vineyard reserve called Madonna del Piano. The latter in 2001 was a perfect wine - 100 points. The Riserva vintage 2006 will blown you away. Amazing aromas of blueberries and flowers, with black truffles and pie. Foie gras, mushrooms and white truffles too. Powerful, with great depth of gorgeous fruit and ultra-fine tannins. It fills your mouth with fruit and ripe tannins. Complex and long. A breathtaking wine. Truly glorious. Better in 2015.

<Warm Lobster Salad> on roast porcini, savoured with Cinta sense ham pairing with San Filippo "Le Lucere" Brunello di Montalcino 2007 and Siro Pacenti Bruncello di Montalcino 2007. The <Burrata Cheese Ravioli> with black olive and eggplant sauce, cherry tomato and basil paired with Casanova di Neri "Tentuta Nuova" Brunello di Montalcino 2007 & Valdicava Brunello di Montalcino 2007.

The <Jerusalem Artichoke Risotto> with fine Italian Cheese and white truffle from Alba paired with San Filipo " Le Lucere" Brunelli di Montalcino Riserva 2006 & Siro Pacenti "PS" Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2006. The <M9 Tajima Beef Sirloin and Beef Cheek> with the red wine and plum sauce, confit vegetables paired with the Valdicava "Madonna del Piano" Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2006 & Casanova di Neri "Cerretalto" Brunello di Montalcino 2004.