Thursday, February 21, 2013

Viva Sonnino!

This morning my Cousin Antonio Contenta passed away at 92 years old.  I had the pleasure of visiting the family in Sonnino, Italy a few times.  They are always amazingly hospitable... Long live Sonnino.. Antonio, sarai sempre ricordato! Jone!

Here I am with Antonio (second from right) while visiting with the Contenta family, Sonnino Italy 2009.

Friday, February 8, 2013

Napoli e Il Vesuvio


Photo of the day, ''Naples at Night with Vesuvius as a threatening black hole in the middle.'' Shot by Dutch Astronaut Andrè Kuipers (Flickr).  

Saturday, February 2, 2013

2013 Benvenuto Brunello favorites

The 2007 Brunello Riserva from Gianni Brunelli showing Sangiovese's true colors...


On Thursday I checked into Gotham Hall in New York for the 2013 Benvenuto Brunello tasting of the 2008 releases.  Great wines were poured from Il Poggione and Col d'Orcia (Some bonus Col d'Orcia Poggio Al Vent 2004 and 1998 drinking insane at the moment).

The 2007 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva from Gianni Brunelli was the most exciting bottling for me.  The most naturally elegant Brunello I have tasted and leaning towards the feminine side of Brunello with it's lean but full flavored gamey fruits.  Striaght up delicious stuff...  I can already hear the big Amarone business men talking shit about this wine.. they would probably say it tastes more like a rose than Brunello.


My favorite bottling of Rosso di Montalcino was the 2010 by Donatella Cinelli Colombini.  This wine really stood out with its minerality, earth and approachable fruit.  This spends just two months in large botti and the rest in steel.