A
Note from Sergio
In the late
1990s while on a trip through Toscana with three
wine buyers, I settled for a few nights at Albergo
al Brunello di Montalcino, a comfortable three-
star hotel just south of the town. The hotel
owner, using his hand-selected wine list full
of hard-to-get old gems as a lure, invited us
to dinner in his restaurant.
That night in an empty dining
room, we drank vintage after vintage of Soldera,
Biondi-Santi, and Il Poggione with our slabs
of salami, pinci with oil, garlic and breadcrumbs,
and a thick stew of wild boar.
As the night went on, the owner
admitted that he was curious: why were we ordering
so very many different bottles? In the States,
we told him, there are hardly any old vintages
of Brunello that have been stored correctly,
so we were doing a bit of research.
“Then I have the perfect
wine for you,” he announced, jumping up
from the table and disappearing into the cellar.
He returned with a full decanter and started
to pour. We each took a sip of the rich ruby
red wine.
“What do you think?”
our host asked eagerly. “It’s only
ten years old, you know.”
The wine was impressively rustic
with a strong presence, obviously well crafted
and pure. In a quick attempt to avert the self-inflicted
embarrassment that often accompanies blind tastings,
I asked for the name of the wine.
“It’s a Rosso di
Montalcino from Baricci,” he said.
We all looked at each other,
simultaneously baffled and impressed.
“A Rosso?” I marveled.
“And who is Baricci?”
“Nello Baricci.”
After tasting a few more vintages
of Baricci, I was desperate to meet the man
and get some of his products.
“Where’s this winery
located?” I asked.
“He’ll never sell
you any wine,” our new friend said dismissively.
“He makes barely enough for his clients
in Italy, and then he sells a few bottles to
Germany. That’s all.”
Since that night, I’ve
been on a constant quest to buy more Baricci—but
I can never manage to get enough to keep myself
sated, much less my clients. I drink them at
my table and keep a few precious bottles tucked
away at home, but buying in any kind of bulk
has proven impossible. He simply doesn't make
enough to go around.
Though these wines have almost
never been available in the States, this year
I managed through due diligence and patience
to purchase enough Baricci to sell. I feel so
strongly about Baricci’s Rosso that it
will be the only Rosso included with this offer.
The focus of today's Brunello
offer is the 2001 vintage. After several years
spent tasting the '01s from barrel to bottle
and one final trip to Montalcino last month
that involved marathon tastings of the last
hundred or so wines for my final selection,
I can unequivocally say that the vintage produced
great, sturdy wines with huge personalities
and spirit, full of complexities that underline
the great deliciousness of Sangiovese without
overwhelming it.
I’ve listed below my picks
for the best wines from the vintage (excluding
a handful that aren’t yet available).
These wines—which are the opposite of
those that contemporary judges misguidedly score
favorably for their blending techniques—represent
the essence of authentic Montalcino.
For more specific questions
or to make a purchase, please contact Perry
Porricelli at 212.473.2323.
My best,
Sergio Esposito
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