and more:
• Conterno-Fantino 1990 Monprà
• Solaia: Historic Flashback
• Catch IWM in Miami & Chicago!

A Note from Sergio

The team of Claudio Conterno and Guido Fantino manage to incorporate innovation and technology in much the same way the neighboring Valentino of Rocche dei Manzoni and Domenico Clerico have without eliminating the personality of the Nebbiolo grape. This is because they believe in the strength of their land and its influence on their grapes and therefore only the finishing touches are applied in the cellar. Today, I am featuring small quantities of their 2000 and 2001 Barolos from two plots on the historic Ginestra hillside (Sorì Ginestra and Vigna del Gris) and their softer and more approachable Parussi from the Castiglione Falletto township (commune). In addition to these limited production Barolos, I am pleased to offer Monprà from the historic 1990 vintage – an exclusive offer from IWM and must-have experience for the connoisseur!

From Piemonte, I return to the Tignanello estate for a historic bottling of Antinori’s signature-blend Solaia. The 2002 harvest was one of the most challenging in recent years – in my opinion it was a pleasant break that forced producers to make less extracted, high alcohol, sappy wines – probably not too popular in the international market but well liked for drinkers that value finesse, texture and silkiness over richness. To maintain the excellence of Antinori’s flagship wine, the Solaia is not produced in poor vintages. That is a hint to anyone who might dismiss this wine due to lack of hype for the vintage. The 2002 constitutes a different make-up from its standard three grape blend, and this time excludes the Sangiovese and focuses on the later ripening Cabernets. This decision takes the wine back to its infancy, where its debut in 1978, which I’ve recently had and can attest that it’s still drinking magnificently, was crafted exclusively from Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, making this a unique treat for the collector.

Read on below for more on this vintage flashback, the rare 1990 Monprà, and the limited-production Barolos from Conterno-Fantino (as well as other offerings from the legendary Ginestra vineyard). Should you have any questions or wish to purchase these wines please contact a Portfolio Manager at 212.473.2323 or via e-mail at Perry@italianwinemerchant.com.

All the best,
Sergio Esposito

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Conterno-Fantino Sorì Ginestra

It is rare among the individualistic personalities that exist in the Langhe Hills to find two young winemakers with such a strong willingness to work together. In 1982, at the tender age of 18, Claudio Conterno and family partnered with Guido Fantino (ex- cellar master at Prunotto and another young rising star) to form the Conterno-Fantino estate. The nucleus of their efforts was cru Ginestra, which grew to include Vigna del Gris located on the same hilltop in the commune of Monforte d’Alba (known for austere, structured Barolos). Early ambitions incorporated the traditional approach set by their parents. But in 1985 the duo decided to experiment with a Nebbiolo/Barbera blend in what is now the legendary Super Piemonte, Monprà, which included the use of barrique. In 1994 they built a state-of- the-art winery in the Bricco Bastia area where they brought innovation and technology to the Nebbiolo vines they had mastered. The pair remains at the forefront of advancement in quality winemaking, and they firmly believe that vigilant viticultural practices are the essence of great wine.

Conterno-Fantino 2001 ‘Sorì Ginestra’ – $89.95
This house’s flagship Ginestra has received critical acclaim from Veronelli, Gambero Rosso, and Wine Spectator. While I don’t endorse the rating system, I agree this is an exceptional wine. Combined with an altitude of 300 meters, the southern exposure on the historic vineyard plot provides ideal sunlight through the early morning and afternoon. The marly, calcareous terrain here is conducive to remarkable structure and cellar life. With the 2000 vintage experiencing warm weather year round, harvest took place early, on September 29, with a temperature- controlled fermentation lasting just six days to produce an approachable blockbuster, as opposed to the more structured and austere 2001 vintage which demands patience and cellaring.

Also available:
Conterno-Fantino 2000 Barolo ‘Sorì Ginestra’ – $69.92

Legendary Ginestra Cru Six Pack
Like Cannubi and Bussia, Ginestra is one of Barolo’s historic vineyards that has captured the eyes of Domenico Clerico, Paolo Conterno, Elio Grasso, and Seghesio. Located in the commune of Monforte d’Alba, in close proximity of the Serralunga border, the wines of this area tend to be dark in color, potent in structure and highly concentrated. However, producer style does have a substantial impact on the final product especially through the innovative eyes of Clerico and Conterno-Fantino. Here are three prized wines from the legendary Ginestra vineyard that will provide a better understanding of producer variance:

Ginestra Six-Pack
Paolo Conterno 1999 Barolo ‘Ginestra’ – $88.00
Conterno-Fantino 2000 Barolo ‘Sorì Ginestra’ – $69.92
Clerico 2001 Barolo ‘Ciabot Mentin Ginestra’ – $64.95
6 pack (2 of each) – $445.74 Order Here

Click for more Barolo from IWM!

Conterno-Fantino Vigna del Gris & Parussi

Conterno-Fantino 2001 Barolo ‘Vigna del Gris’ $89.95
The ‘Vigna del Gris’ vineyard lies just 100 meters from the more famous Sorì Ginestra plot within the ‘Ginestra’ vineyard in Monforte. “The subsoil in ‘Vigna del Gris’ is slightly more sandy, but is mostly calcareous like ‘Sorì Ginestra’ and the exposure is to the southeast,” explained Guido Fantino. The Barolo ‘Vigna del Gris’ is dark ruby red-granite. Cigar box, spice, red and blackberries on the nose, it is full- bodied and concentrated with a nice balance of acidity and tannin.

Conterno-Fantino 2001 Barolo ‘Parussi’ $69.95
Conterno-Fantino 2000 Barolo ‘Parussi’ $64.95
“‘Parussi’ is a vineyard that we rent in Castiglione Falletto (wines produced here typically land in the middle ground between the austere, concentrated wines of Monforte and the aromatic, elegant wines of the Barolo township ),” says Guido. “The soil [calcareous and arenaceous] is looser than in Monforte and as a result, our Parussi is a very elegant, refined Barolo, a little bit lighter and approachable than the wines from our Monforte vineyards.” The Parussi is dark granite in color, intense on the nose with persistent notes of spices, oak, and raspberry. On the palate, elegant and flavorful with polished tannins.

Conterno-Fantino 2001 Six Pack
The Barolo ‘Sorì Ginestra,’ ‘Vigna del Gris,’ and ‘Parussi’ Six Pack offers Barolo lovers the opportunity to taste two Monforte wines and a Castiglione Falletto wine side-by-side. While both townships lie to the east of the Barolo-Alba road and share Helvetian-era subsoil (which makes for wines that tend to come around more slowly than those made to the west), this pairing perfectly illustrates the marvelous differences between Barolo crus.

Three 2001 Cru Barolos of Conterno-Fantino Six-Pack
Conterno-Fantino 2001 Barolo ‘Parussi’ – $69.95
Conterno-Fantino 2001 Barolo ‘Sorì Ginestra’ – $89.95
Conterno-Fantino 2001 Barolo ‘Vigna del Gris’ – $89.95
6 pack (2 of each) – $499.70

Click to order Conterno-Fantino!

Conterno-Fantino 1990 Monprà

Conterno-Fantino 1990 Monprà $69.00
Conterno-Fantino began making Monprà, a Langhe Rosso blend, in 1985, their first experiment with barrique-aged wines. The 1990 bottling was among the last vintages where they did not add any Cabernet to the blend. “In the olden days, they used to add small amounts of Barbera to the Nebbiolo to give it more color,” says Guido Fantino. “Until 1993, we made this wine with 50% Nebbiolo and 50% Barbera grown in the township of Monforte. We gave it a fantasy name, Monprà, which means ‘the hill in the pasture’ in our dialect.” The 1990 Monprà was classified as a Vino da Tavola (the Langhe Rosso DOC did not go into effect until 1994). Fermentation lasted 10 days with repeated pumping over (the winery had not yet installed rotary fermenters). The wines were aged separately for 18 months in French oak before being blended and bottled.

The wine is granite red in color, medium-bodied with great depth. As it begins to aerate in the glass, it presents notes of currant, raspberry, and blackberry preserves, sweet tobacco, licorice, black pepper and hints of mint. After a few minutes, stronger notes of mint, herbs, anise, cocoa, and yeast begin to emerge. Powerful and elegant in the mouth, the wine shows the richness of Nebbiolo’s soft, supple tannins. The finish is persistent, with notes of anise and licorice.

More Super Piemontese
What is a Super Piemontese blend? Often they are technically classified as Langhe Rosso DOC, Monferrato Rosso DOC, or Piemonte DOC. But this category is not limited to these DOCs nor are they exclusive to this category, as there are many great single-vineyard monovarietal wines that fall into these classifications. In fact, these three classifications act as umbrella denominations for wines that do not necessarily fit the rigid regulations of established DOCGs like Barolo and Barbaresco. This category also encompasses wines that break the rules and are labeled simply Vino da Tavola or IGT. Super Piemontese Blends are among the most approachable wines from the region and in many cases, they represent the best value in terms of quality and price.

The predominant appellation is Langhe Rosso, which includes all the winegrowing townships in Cuneo. It refers to the Langhe Hills – where Barolo and Barbaresco are produced – and it allows producers here to experiment with different approaches to winemaking. Certain producers, generally of the modern (or moderately modern) school, believe that these additional grapes can soften or add fruit to the more angular Nebbiolo.

Monprà and Super Piemonte Six-Pack
Conterno-Fantino 1990 Monprà – $69.00
(Nebbiolo, Barbera)
Gaja 2000 Sito Moresco – $59.95
(Nebbiolo, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon)
Cascina Ebreo 1999 Segreto – $60.50
(Barbera, Nebbiolo)
Aldo Conterno 2001 Il Favot – $58.00
(Nebbiolo - please note that this wine is classified Langhe Nebbiolo)
Parusso 2000 ‘Bricco Rovella’ – $38.66
(Nebbiolo, Barbera, Cabernet Sauvignon)
Clerico 2001 ‘Arte’ – $39.00
(Nebbiolo, Barbera, Cabernet Sauvignon)
6 pack (1 of each) – $325.11

Click for more wine from Piemonte!

Solaia: Historic Flashback

Antinori 2002 Solaia $109.00
Solaia, the flagship wine of Italy’s best known producer, is the golden child of Piero Antinori and esteemed enologist Giacomo Tachis, whose magic touch has graced the greatest of Super Tuscans (Sassicaia, Tignanello, Sammarco, and Argiano). The wine was born in 1978 as a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. In 1982 the winemaker began to include Sangiovese. The grapes used to make this wine are grown exclusively in the eponymous vineyard (named for its excellent exposure, from sole, Italian for “sun”), a 10-hectare plot on the Tignanello estate. Antinori only makes the Solaia wine in good vintages (for example, the 1980, 1981, 1983, 1984, and 1992 vintages were not released).

Historically, Solaia has been made using 75% Cabernet Sauvignon (which gives the wine its famed potential for aging), 20% Sangiovese (which gives the wine its finesse), and 5% Cabernet Franc (which imparts aroma). The 2002 Solaia is a rare vintage where the winemaker chose not to use Sangiovese (which did not ripen as hoped). The result is an opportunity to taste and cellar a Solaia that harkens back to its earliest vintages when Antinori and its enologist Tachis made the wine without Sangiovese. This unique vintage is sure to be among the most collectible in recent memory.

Also available:
Antinori 2001 Solaia $164.91
Antinori 2000 Solaia $789.00 (3.0L)
Antinori 1990 Solaia $389.00
Antinori 1988 Solaia $269.00

Click for more Super Tuscans!

Catch IWM in Miami and Chicago!

Miami International Wine Fair
Featuring Sergio Esposito
James L. Knight International Center
Saturday, October 1, 2005
2:00-7:00pm
Florida’s largest wine trade show will return for its fourth annual edition to the James L. Knight Center in Downtown Miami during the first weekend of October. This comprehensive program of sit-down tastings, wine dinners, and a Grand Tasting attracted over 4,000 visitors last year and included nearly 400 wineries from 19 countries. IWM’s own Sergio Esposito will present a Revival of Classical Italian Wines tasting (Oct. 1, 5-6pm), which will include wines from Bea, Mascarello, and Quintarelli as well as the obscure sweet wine from 1959, Solaria Jonica. Be sure to stop by the IWM table at the Grand Tasting!

Chicago Wine and Food Festival
Featuring Sergio Esposito and IWM
Friday - Sunday, October 22-23, 2005
Chicago’s third annual three day event has quickly become one of the largest festivals of its kind in the country. This year Sergio Esposito and IWM will be involved in three events in our effort to bring quality Italian wine across the country.

Reserve Wine Tasting
Saturday, October 22, 2005, 1:00 – 3:00pm at Peninsula Hotel
This year’s reserve tasting will be presented at the Penninsula Hotel in downtown Chicago, and will put some of the finest wine to come from the Boot up against the first growths of Bordeaux and cult Cabernets of California. Catch Sergio as he presents Italy against these cellar staples.

Revival of Classical Italian Wines Seminar with Sergio Esposito
Sunday, October 23, 2005 at Kendall College
Catch Sergio Esposito as he provides a lecture on the The Revival of Classical Italian Wine. Like Miami, he will showcase the likes of Montevertine, Mascarello, Quintarelli, Movia and a special 1959 dessert wine.

Grand Tasting Event
Sunday, October 23, 2005, 11:30a.m. - 5:30pm
On that same day, IWM will be pouring at the Grand Tasting with red and white wines that will range from the indigenous Ribolla Gialla grape varietal found in the Friuli region of northern Italy, to the king of wines, Barolo and a rare vintage treat.

Visit the Miami Wine Fair website and click on "seminars" for more on Sergio's Revival of Classical Italian Wines tasting!