A couple weeks ago I had a rare opportunity to taste truly wonderful wines at the Liquid Art House in Boston. I dragged my best friend out with me at 10:00 at night (a late night wine tasting...a first for me!) to swirl and sip fine Italian wines. The location for the tasting added a great vibe to the event. If you are looking for an interesting restaurant, this would be the place to go. This unique gallery-restaurant concept showcases pieces from local, emerging and established artists for your viewing/eating pleasure.
One of the wines that I was looking forward to tasting was Luce, which the distributor above proudly showed off. Luce is a Montalcino, which is a blend of nearly equal parts Merlot and Sangiovese. It is unique because it was the first wine created in Montalcino by combining these two grapes. The Merlot lends its softness while the Sangiovese grape provides structure and elegance. Luce displays delicate notes of wild berry fruit including black cherry, blackberry and black currant. Notes of cinnamon, vanilla, and nutmeg also linger on the nose. The palate is elegant and soft with silky tannins, great structure and a touch of mint on the finish. It is completely sold out in Massachusetts but the 2012 vintage is set to be released late-Spring 2015!
While I had many favorites...not difficult to do when all the wines score over 90 points and are $$$...my budget friendly choice was the Montesodi Chianti Rufina from Marchesi De' Frescobaldi. It is 100% Sangiovese grapes hailing from Tuscany. The Frescobaldi family has been making wine for more than 700 years. Their wine-making philosophy is that each of their nine estates operates independently with the goal of making wine that best represents the site of its origin.
From the Castello di Nipozzano estate, Montesodi is produced from grapes grown in the Montesodi vineyard, which is regarded as the finest on the Tenuta for growing Sangiovese. It's wine profile was described by the man pouring as velvety, supple and well-balanced. On the nose I detected notes of blueberry, black berry and raspberry fruits. Also some violet floral notes with a spiciness from black pepper. The finish is long and elegant dominated by licorice undertones. A great buy if you are looking for a Chianti for a special occasion!
Have a great weekend!
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