Valle del Noce 2003 Donato d’Angelo
$46.00 (10% discount for 12 or more)
Few winemakers define a generation the way that Donato d’Angelo has. Considered by many the greatest producer of Aglianico del Vulture, he creates wines that are “clearly in a class by themselves,” as Shelly Wasserman noted in his landmark work Italy’s Noble Red Wines (1985). Although until recently the appellation has been known only to a handful of collectors and Italian wine connoisseurs, Aglianico del Vulture is one Italy’s most powerful and collectible red wines and is suitable for long-term aging. It is made from 100% Aglianico grown in the volcanic subsoil in the southern-facing foothills of Mount Vulture in Basilicata (the region that forms the insole of Italy’s boot). Many compare it to the wines of Piemonte and Bordeaux in terms of its muscularity, grace, and nuance. Donato’s Valle del Noce (or “Walnut Valley”) cru is vinified in traditional, large old oak barrels (botti) for up to 24 months before bottling, it is then is aged in bottle until Donato feels is it ready to be released. “This wine can age for upwards of 20 and 30 years,” Donato told us when we saw him recently at Vinitaly. If opening now, he recommends decanting and aerating for a few hours before serving to allow the tannins to mellow. Look for licorice and balsamic notes in this complex and structured wine, with hints of volcanic minerality imparted by the distinctive terroir of the cru.
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Featured Class:
Italian Wine and Civilization
Wednesday, May 2, $65.00
Above: a woodcut inspired by Boccaccio’s tale of Andreuccio da Perugia, one of the readings featured in the Italian Wine and Civilization class.
From Pliny the Elder to Petrarch and Boccaccio, from Machiavelli and The Prince to unified Italy’s first two Prime Ministers — Cavour and Ricasoli — wine has always played an important role in Italian history, culture, its economy and even its politics.
Italian food and wine historian Jeremy Parzen (Vino and I Trulli’s Marketing Director) pours 10 wines and discusses their relationship to Italian history and culture — from antiquity to the modern era. (To register, send an email to register@vinosite.com.) The wines Jeremy will be pouring include:*
- Prosecco Extra Dry NV Cima da Conegliano
- Ageno 2004 La Stoppa
- Orvieto Lunato 2005 Tenuta Le Velette
- Greco di Tufo Nova Serra 2005 Mastroberardino
- Lambrusco Mantovano 2005 Medici
- Carmignano Ris. 1996 Villa di Capezzana
- Chianti Classico [vintage TBD] Castello di Brolio
- Barolo Massara 1998 Castello di Verduno
- Vin Santo Ris. 1994 Travignoli
- Marsala Ris. Vergine Solares 15yr. Baglio Oneto
*Wines subject to change with availability.
To register, send an email to register@vinosite.com.
Posted by Vino NYC 
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