”
A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some
fava beans and a nice Chianti.
”
– Hannibal Lecter, from the movie
”
Silence of the Lambs.
”
“A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti.” – Hannibal Lecter, from the movie “Silence of the Lambs.”
Tuscan wines are just like the surrounding hillsides and architecture that you find in the region – romantic, breathtaking, unique and colorful.
The star in most wines from Italy is the sangiovese grape, which is a native varietal of the country. This late ripening grape is the backbone to a distinct wine style that has become synonymous with the central northwest region of Italy: Chianti.
I connected with friends to enjoy some of these wines and to pair them with food.
We started with a pasta course consisting of multi-grain penne, which was cooked until al dente. The pasta was tossed with olive oil, butter, a pinch of red pepper flakes, fresh Parmesan cheese and coated with a parsley-chive sauce. This was paired with a wine I love, both for its simplicity and price, a 2001 Isole e Elena Chianti Classico. This $17 wine was medium-bodied, fragrant and had notes of sour cherry.
The winemaking rules associated with Chianti have changed over time. At first, you could only use sangiovese. Around the middle 19th century, ideas were imposed to add 30 percent white grapes to the wine, mostly Malvasia Bianca and Canaiolo. Since 1995, Chianti can now be made entirely of sangiovese, although many producers use a very small percentage of white grapes.
Our next course would feature two more Chianti Classicos, a 2001 Felsina Chianti Classico and a 2001 Fontodi Chianti Classico.
These were paired with a grilled T-bone steak. The steak was seasoned with oregano, salt, pepper and a quick rub of garlic. The butcher had been asked to cut the steaks thin, about 5/8 of an inch thick. Since we were also grilling garden-fresh zucchini and plum tomatoes on skewers, the steak cooked quickly to a nice medium-rare, timed perfectly when the vegetables had to be pulled off the heat.
The Felsina had lively flavors of sour cherry and red currant fruit. The Fontodi was more herbaceous. Both had a stronger earthiness than the Isole e Elena, but were nicely balanced. The fruit flavors went well with the sweetness of the vegetables, brought out by the charring on the grill. The spice of the meat seasoning went well with the rustic appeal of the wines. Each wine was $24. Each Chianti was delicious, but my favorite was the Fontodi.
The simplicity of the previous dishes led us to a simple dessert, a combination of assorted cheeses, home-dried apricots and green grapes. We opened two wines with dessert.
Breaking away a bit from the wonderful Chiantis, we enjoyed another popular wine from Italy, a 1999 Baricci – Brunello di Montalcino. Brunello must be made from 100 percent Brunello, a clone of sangiovese. These wines, stronger in fruit and tannins than Chianti, can be enjoyed as soon as they are released, but hit their stride after 5-8 years of bottle aging. These wines are more expensive, this one was close to $40 per bottle. The few Brunellos that I have tried have often exceeded my expectations and could be considered one of the quintessential sangiovese wines, as well as a quintessential food wine.
To show how nice it can be to establish a relationship with a reputable wine merchant, someone pulled out a 1971 Albala – Don PX Gran Reserva. This was a special sherry from Spain that became available in March.
My friend had received an email from one of his wine merchants, who advised buying some bottles of this nectar immediately. A 375ml bottle cost $23. One taste of this luxurious, silky wine left most everyone speechless. Nice sweetness, caramel, toffee and mandarin peel. When we finally came out of our trance, we could only smile and wish there were bottles we could buy. What we found out was only a few cases were released and available back in March. The limited supply was quickly purchased by avid wine enthusiasts. If there had been any chance of securing this wine, I would have bought a case or two on the spot. Lucky for me, a second bottle was opened! Even luckier is the fact that I have good, generous friends.
Cheers!
