Gaja and Friends Vintage Piedmont White Truffle Dinner Friday, November 1st 7:30pm
"The secret of staying young is to live honestly, eat slowly, and lie about your age."
Lucille Ball
There is nothing that is quite as decadent as white truffles but if you are going to pair a wine with this unique culinary experience Nebbiolo would be my first, second and third choice. The Piedmont is one of the world's most unique grape growing regions and is the only area where the Nebbiolo varietal makes a high-quality age worthy wine. This is also the only part of the world where you find the white truffle. These truly unique fungi are not only very intense in flavor but also incredibly expensive pound for pound the most expensive food in the world today. This is one of the only times when it comes to food and wine where the food almost always costs more than the wine here at our “Once in a Lifetime” events at the Wine Watch.
Join us as we experience one of the rare culinary treats alongside some of the great wine producers of the Piedmont with a selection of every top wine that Angelo Gaja makes in the Piedmont along with some other great producers from epic vintages now fully mature. Chef Toni Lampasone will be making a special tasting menu to accompany the wines. The fee for this event is $595.00 + tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com.
Gaja and Friends and White Truffle Dinner
Friday, November 1st
7:30 PM
1997 Gaja Sperss Langhe
1998 La Spinetta Starderi Barbaresco
1999 Altare Barolo Brunate
2000 E. Pira Barolo Cannubi
2007 La Spinetta Barbaresco Starderi
2007 Gaja Sori San Lorenzo
2010 Altare La Villa Rosso
2010 Paolo Scavino Barolo Cannubi
2010 E. Pira Barolo Cannubi
2013 Paolo Scavino Barolo Bricco Ambrogio
Menu
Parmesan Reggiano and Prociutto di Parma
Egg Flan with White Truffle
Gnocci with White Truffle and Kerry Gold Butter
Wahoo Sashimi with Fontodi Olive Oil and White Truffles
Osso Bucco Ravioli with White Truffle Creme Sauce
Chocolate Bark
The fee for this tasting which includes dinner is $595 + tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com. Please let us know when you make your reservation if you do NOT like veal and Toni will be glad to make you chicken.
Angelo Gaja
2022 Gaja Rossj Bass Langhe DOP
Price: $112.50 Your Price: $99.00 Quantity in Stock: 3
Golden color with greenish hues, Rossj-Bass shows an elegant and complex nose, with floral notes of wisteria, lemon balm and acacia flowers, fruity nuances of peach, swiftly leading the way for a slight saline note. On the palate is intense and crunchy, with a vibrant structure that resonates with citrus fruits and mineral elements. It shows itself little by little, with refreshing minerality and a long finish.
2014 Gaja Sori Tildin Langhe-Barbaresco
Price: $600.00 Sale Price: $495.00 Quantity in Stock: 1
Perfect fruit and tannin ripeness are the main features of the 2014 vintage. The 2014 Sorì Tildin keeps evolving in the glass, from the lively juiciness of the fruit expression into the complexity of the savory notes of fresh leather and black pepper.
The wine shows an intense expressiveness of aromas. Spices like cinnamon and clove along with hints of cola and savory herbs are immediately available in the glass. On the palate, Sorì Tildin is more approachable than usual, with silky tannins, well balanced acidity and the signature mineral, almost salty, finish.
Sorì Tildìn is widely considered one of the greatest growing sites in Italy today. Purchased in 1967, the 8-acre vineyard is situated in the township of Barbaresco. It was first vinified as a single-vineyard wine in 1970.
2007 Gaja Sori Tildin Langhe
Price: $700.00 Sale Price: $595.00 Quantity in Stock: 1
(97 Points) The 2007 Langhe Sori Tildin opens with a huge, kaleidoscopic bouquet that immediately draws me in. A remarkably vivid wine, the sensual Sori Tildin caresses the palate with silky, textured fruit, showing incredible power, length and class. There is a transparency to the wine that is beguiling. Once again, the finish is eternal. Sori Tildin is one of Gaja’s more nuanced wines, and in 2007 it is breathtakingly beautiful. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2037. (AG) Review Date: 02/2010, Wine Advocate
1999 Gaja Sori Tildin Langhe
Price: $650.00 Your Price: $572.00 Quantity in Stock: 1
(95 Points) The 1999 Sori Tildin is a knockout wine. It offers a classic, expressive nose of flowers and spices and somewhat austere profile of sweet red fruit, minerals and menthol on a mid-weight frame. It is the hardest of these wines to read today, but I found myself coming back to it often and discovering new nuances with each taste. It is clearly a wine of much potential and should start to drink well in another few years and last until age 25-30. It will be a fascinating wine to follow. Drink after 2011, 03/06 Italy Report # G7 May 2006
2009 GAJA SPERSS LANGHE
Price: $450.00 Your Price: $396.00 Quantity in Stock: 1
(96 Points) "Good deep red. Knockout, almost liqueur-like nose combines plum, redcurrant, red licorice, marzipan, menthol, tobacco and loamy earth. Large-scaled, broad and deep, with its powerful sweetness leavened by strong minerality and a distinct medicinal reserve. As concentrated as a solid. The slowly building finish shows inexorable length, saturating the palate with salty minerality. I'd bet on this one for the long haul." Stephen Tanzer - Vinous Media
2019 Gaja Darmagi Cabernet Langhe
Price: $452.25 Your Price: $397.9 Quantity in Stock: 1
First Cabernet Sauvignon post-phylloxera planted in Piedmont, Darmagi is a single vineyard situated in the municipality of Barbaresco. It was Giovanni Gaja, Angelo’s father, who involuntarily named this wine, because when Cabernet Sauvignon was planted instead of Nebbiolo, his first comment in Piedmontese dialect was Darmagi! (What a pity!).
Vineyard Profile: Planted in 1978, Darmagi is Angelo Gaja’s tribute to the prestigious Cabernet Sauvignon variety, with a clear expression of the Langhe.
Appellation: Langhe D.O.P.
First Year of Production: 1982
Vintage Report: Scarce snowfalls in general in the winter months with a start to the growing season that was marked by a dry spell. The months of January and February were dry with average and relatively low temperatures. Creating optimal conditions as they helped to protect against the onset of diseases. Abundant rainfall (200 mm) with average-low temperatures (15-17°C) in April and May. At the end of June, the temperatures rose sharply and proved stressful for the vines with signs of browning appearing on the leaves. From mid-July onwards, the first significant rains set in with 200 mm falling in Barbaresco. Temperatures settled at around 26-30° degrees for the rest of the summer. More rainfall resulted in a total of 800 mm from the beginning of the year to the end of August. The warm soil with a high water content allowed the phenolic ripening to progress. We started the harvest in Barbaresco at the same time as the harvest in Barolo. However, the harvest lasted longer in Barbaresco (rainier and cooler) with a slightly higher yield.
Vinification
Fermentation and maceration for around three weeks followed by aging in oak for 24 months.
Technical Information
Varietal Composition: Cabernet Sauvignon
Tasting Notes: Intense cassis and blueberries on the nose with hints of forest notes, such as tree bark, a trace of iodine rounded by sweet wood aromas. Soft tannins with nice acidity. In the mouth, it is smooth and velvety, elegant.
2011 Gaja Pieve Santa Restituta Brunello di Montalcino Rennina
Price: $169.00 Your Price: $148.72 Quantity in Stock: 1
(94 Points) The 2011 Brunello di Montalcino Rennina is made from a blend of fruit from three different vineyard parcels. The sites total 25 hectares, with 15 located next to the church, or the Pieve, after which this estate is named. The sites have southwest exposures and different soil types. That flexibility explains the smooth and seamless bouquet offered by this wine. Compared to the single vineyard Sugarille expression, Rennina is more open and immediate. The wine presents fleshy and beautifully plump aromas of red cherry, dried blackberry and exotic spice with tobacco and chocolate at the back. - Wine Advocate
2019 Gaja Sito Moresco
Price: $85.50 Your Price: $75.24 Quantity in Stock: 9
Angelo Gaja is known for producing elegant, opulent wines that are true to their origins. He is a pioneer in the production of single-vineyard wines in Piedmont. Several estate-owned vineyards provide the grapes for Sito Moresco, among which is the twenty-five-acre Sito Moresco vineyard in Barbaresco. The name means "Moresco's site" and refers to the former owner of this vineyard Sito Moresco combines complexity and longevity with refinement and accessibility. Ruby red in color, this wine offers a pure nose with aromas of small fruits. On the palate, it is elegant and balanced with fine tannins and a fresh finish.
2019 Gaja Ca Marcanda Camarcanda Bolgheri
Price: $199.00 Your Price: $175.12 Quantity in Stock: 17
(97 Points) This is a gorgeous vintage that continues to flesh out beautifully. I added an extra point to my score since the last time I tasted the 2019 Bolgheri Rosso Camarcanda in order to underline the great potential of this vintage. This wine could legally be a Bolgheri Superiore, but Angelo Gaja prefers not to use qualifying wine terms such as Superiore, Classico or Riserva in his various wine projects spanning from Piedmont to Tuscany to Etna. Semantics aside, this is a gorgeous wine—one of the best made at Ca' Marcanda for sure—with impressive intensity and balance. Dark fruit and blackberry are contrasted against spice, tobacco, grilled rosemary and Mediterranean bramble. The 2019 vintage saw favorable weather conditions and "just the right amount of rain," Gaja says. (ML) Review Date: 01/2023, Wine Advocate
With respect to the previous vintage, the higher proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon in the Camarcanda leads to a precise and straightforward character. The nose opens with earthy and balsamic notes of violet, roots, bark and sap. The palate is rich, with concentrated and crunchy notes of blackberry, blueberry, licorice, flint and red orange. The finish is savory, almost meaty, with a precise note of iron that lingers in the aftertaste. Fine–grained tannins, embraced by a mellow body of strong personality. The backbone of this wine is the firm structure perfectly balanced by the fruit concentration. Remarkable ageing potential.
Blend: 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Cabernet Franc
La Spinetta
2017 La Spinetta Barolo Campe
Price: $186.50 Your Price: $164.12 Quantity in Stock: 1
A complex and majestic Barolo, with an aromatic profile that ranges from rose petals to plum and black berries, leading up to white truffles and underbrush. The tannic structure is solid and harmonious, with a full and mighty finish.
2008 La Spinetta Barbaresco Starderi
Price: $235.00 Your Price: $206.80 Quantity in Stock: 2
(93 Points) The 2008 Barbaresco Vigneto Starderi is the biggest, most powerful and also most complete of the 2008 Barbarescos here, but it will require considerable patience. Huge, massive tannins provide the backdrop to a core of expressive dark fruit, flowers, mint and licorice. This is a virile Barbaresco with plenty of stuffing to age well, but it needs time for the tannins to soften. Anticipated maturity: 2016-2026. Wine Advocate #197, Oct 2011
2007 La Spinetta Barbaresco Starderi
Price: $235.00 Your Price: $206.80 Quantity in Stock: 1
(94 points) The 2007 Barbaresco Vigneto Starderi bursts from the glass with red berries, sweet spices, roses and mint, all of which come together on a powerful, richly structured frame that is the hallmark of Barbareschi from Neive. The Starderi is the most tannic of the estate’s 2007s but it is a wine with significant promise and a long road ahead of very fine drinking. Anticipated maturity: 2017-2027. Wine Advocate #192 Dec 2010
2006 La Spinetta Barbaresco Starderi
Price: $235.00 Your Price: $206.80 Quantity in Stock: 2
(93 Points) Wonderfully floral, with cream and berry aromas. Full-bodied, with round, chewy tannins and lots of fruit. Generous and rich for the vintage. Best after 2012. 1,200 cases made. -JS Wine Spectator Issue: Sep 30, 2009
2007 La Spinetta Valeirano Barbaresco
Price: $235.00 Your Price: $206.80 Quantity in Stock: 1
(94 Points) Suave and silky, this red boasts wild aromas and flavors of menthol and forest underbrush to complement its sweet cherry and berry notes. Opulent and dense, with complexity and a lingering aftertaste of fruit, woodsy spices and mineral. (BS) Review Date: 12/2011, Wine Spectator
2008 La Spinetta Barbaresco Valeirano
Price: $235.00 Your Price: $206.80 Quantity in Stock: 4
Red cherry kirsch and lovely licorice spice on the nose floral notes, a big and seductive wine with a lot of ripe and seductive red cherry kirsch like fruit. Big and chewy on the tongue with layers of red cherry fruit spice and dried rose petal fruit a bit lighter than the Starderi this year but still has great length and lots of fresh acidity through the finish. Finish 45+ MOST EXCELLENT
2008 La Spinetta Barbaresco Gallina
Price: $215.00 Your Price: $189.20 Quantity in Stock: 3
A soft and persuasive Barbaresco. Velvety tannins and great body define this wine, that ends with a fruity finish and floral note.
2007 La Spinetta Barbaresco Gallina
Price: $215.00 Your Price: $189.20 Quantity in Stock: 4
(93 points) The 2007 Barbaresco Vigneto Gallina is focused and nicely articulated. This is a rather firm, nuanced Gallina from La Spinetta with gorgeous length, tons of detail and fabulous overall balance. It is at once more concentrated and also deeper than the Bordini, so another few years in bottle seem a prerequisite. The Gallina is the most improved wine the estate’s lineup. The 2007 is quite possibly the most polished, elegant Gallina I have ever tasted here. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2027. (AG) (12/2010) Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
2022 La Spinetta Rose di Casanova Il Rosato
Price: $20.25 Your Price: $17.82 Quantity in Stock: 6
Made from 50% Sangiovese and 50% Prugnolo Gentile, this lovely pale pink rose has a spicy character with aromas of sliced ripe peaches, chalk and dried flowers. On the palate, it has flavors of tart cherry and pomegranate, and is bone dry with a seriously mineral edge and mouthwatering acidity that shames many Provencal pinks. A complex and serious wine, this is one rose you can age and pair with poultry, fish and any type of appetizers.
Grape variety: 50% Sangiovese and 50% Prugnolo Gentile
Alcohol content: 12.5% by vol.
2022 La Spinetta Vermentino Toscana IGT Tuscany, Italy
Price: $25.50 Your Price: $22.44 Quantity in Stock: 19
Vermentino is the typical white wine of Tuscany so this was a natural choice for a white wine and it does well in the south where their vineyard is located. A fresh floral character to the green apple and white grapefruit citrus fruit along with a light gravelly mineral note. A light and refreshing wine on the tongue with a light ginger spice and floral notes showing on the finish. Finish 35 Very good
2022 La Spinetta Piccolo Derthona Timorasso Colli Tortonesi Piedmont, Italy
Price: $28.50 Your Price: $25.08 Quantity in Stock: 9
Tasting Notes: Color: straw yellow
Bouquet: notes of cedar and acaia flowers, enriched by slight notes of petroleum
Taste: a taste reveals inviting acidity, supported by extraordinary structure. Hints of grapefruit and white flowers are in perfect harmony with marked acidity. It has a long and clean finish
2023 La Spinetta Biancospino Moscato D'Asti
Price: $24.00 Your Price: $21.12 Quantity in Stock: 1
Very fresh with a hint of mandarin orange, a wine that is surprisingly good with fresh peach and pear fruit slightly sweet and slightly frizzante with pretty floral notes through the finish. Finish 35 Very Good
E. Pira
2019 E. Pira & Figli Chiara Boschis Via Nuova, Barolo DOCG
Price: $124.50 Sale Price: $105.60 Quantity in Stock: 1
(97 Points) "More citrus character emerges from the 2019 Barolo Via Nuova, which is lifted, elegant, and fresh with orange peel. On the palate, it has outstanding energy, with finely coiled tannins, more linear drive, and refreshing energy in its notes of pomegranate, raspberry, and crushed stones. I love this wine now, and it will be fantastic over the coming decades." 05/23 Jeb Dunnuck, Audrey Frick
2018 E. Pira & Figli Chiara Boschis Via Nuova, Barolo DOCG, Italy
Price: $115.75 Your Price: $101.86 Quantity in Stock: 5
2017 E. PIRA & FIGLI CHIARA BOSCHIS VIA NUOVA, BAROLO DOCG, ITALY
Price: $90.00 Your Price: $79.20 Quantity in Stock: 10
2015 E. PIRA & FIGLI CHIARA BOSCHIS VIA NUOVA, BAROLO DOCG, ITALY
Price: $112.50 Your Price: $99.00 Quantity in Stock: 10
2018 E. PIRA & FIGLI CHIARA BOSCHIS MOSCONI BAROLO DOCG ITALY MAGNUM
Price: $345.00 Your Price: $303.60 Quantity in Stock: 1
2018 E. Pira & Figli Chiara Boschis Mosconi, Barolo DOCG, Italy
Price: $130.50 Your Price: $114.84
(96 Points) Chiara Boschis has recently purchased more vineyards in the Mosconi cru located at a cool 370 meters in elevation in Monforte d'Alba. Sourcing its fruit from an organic 1.9-hectare parcel, the 2018 Barolo Mosconi is available in a slightly larger production of 9,000 bottles. This is terrific news for those who love the focus and precision that Chiara Boschis is known for. The Mosconi carries generous fruit weight and volume over a streamlined mouthfeel and tight tannins. The wine ends with fresh notes of blackberry, plum and wild rose. - Wine Advocate
2017 E. Pira & Figli Chiara Boschis Mosconi, Barolo DOCG, Italy
Price: $130.50 Your Price: $114.84 Quantity in Stock: 31
2016 E. Pira & Figli Chiara Boschis Mosconi, Barolo DOCG, Italy
Price: $127.25 Your Price: $111.98 Quantity in Stock: 15
2015 E. Pira & Figli Chiara Boschis Mosconi, Barolo DOCG, Italy Magnum
Price: $309.00 Your Price: $271.92 Quantity in Stock: 1
2015 E. Pira & Figli Chiara Boschis Mosconi, Barolo DOCG, Italy
Price: $126.00 Your Price: $110.88 Quantity in Stock: 6
2019 Pira & Figli Chiara Boschis Cannubi, Barolo DOCG Magnum
Price: $465.00 Your Price: $409.20 Quantity in Stock: 1
2019 E. Pira & Figli Chiara Boschis Cannubi, Barolo DOCG
Price: $184.50 Your Price: $162.36 Quantity in Stock: 2
(98 points) I had the chance to walk the Cannubi vineyard with Chiara Boschis this past fall. You really don't get a sense of how steep the inclines are and how powdery the soils are until you are there, struggling with each difficult step. She navigates the difficult terrain effortlessly. The 2019 Barolo Cannubi shows an etched or three-dimensional quality with sharp fruit flavors, blue flower and chalky stone. There were some weather extremes during the growing season, but everything balanced out in the end. Phenolic ripeness was easily achieved. Chiara Boschis describes 2019 as a cross between 2016 and 2017. In her portfolio, Via Nuova is the classic Barolo, Mosconi has the power and Cannubi shows the finesse of Nebbiolo. Wine Advocate
2018 E. Pira & Figli Chiara Boschis Cannubi, Barolo DOCG, Italy Magnum
Price: $420.00 Your Price: $369.60 Quantity in Stock: 2
2018 E. Pira & Figli Chiara Boschis Cannubi, Barolo DOCG, Italy
Price: $171.00 Sale Price: $150.48 Quantity in Stock: 22
2015 E. PIRA & FIGLI CHIARA BOSCHIS CANNUBI, BAROLO DOCG, ITALY 3 Liter
Price: $725.00 Your Price: $638.00 Quantity in Stock: 1
2015 E. PIRA & FIGLI CHIARA BOSCHIS CANNUBI, BAROLO DOCG, ITALY Magnum
Price: $375.00 Your Price: $330.00 Quantity in Stock: 9
2000 E. Pira & Figli Chiara Boschis Cannubi Barolo
Price: $240.00 Sale Price: $195.00 Quantity in Stock: 3
2020 E. Pira Dolcetto D'Alba
Price: $29.50 Your Price: $25.96 Quantity in Stock: 5
2021 E. Pira & Figli Chiara Boschis Barbera d'Alba Superiore, Piedmont
Price: $49.50 Your Price: $43.56
2020 E. PIRA & FIGLI CHIARA BOSCHIS BARBERA D'ALBA SUPERIORE, PIEDMONT
Price: $49.50 Your Price: $43.56 Quantity in Stock: 7
2021 E. Pira & Figli Chiara Boschis Langhe Nebbiolo Piedmont, Italy
Price: $52.50 Your Price: $46.20 Quantity in Stock: 16
2000 Paolo Scavino Barolo
Price: $135.00 Sale Price: $110.00 Quantity in Stock: 1
2000 Paolo Scavino Carobric Barolo
Price: $210.00 Sale Price: $175.00 Quantity in Stock: 2
2003 Paolo Scavino Rocche dell'Annunziata Riserva Barolo 3 LITER
Price: $1173.00 Your Price: $1032.24 Quantity in Stock: 1
(93 Points) The 2003 Barolo Riserva Rocche dell'Annunziata is the most forward of Scavino's 2003s. The aromatics are just beginning to enter an early plateau of maturity, although there is more than enough pliancy and depth to allow the Rocche to drink well for another handful of years. Sweet tobacco, cedar and dried flowers meld into the resonant finish. Although the balance here is impeccable, the Rocche does show the most evidence of the warm year in its slightly cooked, roasted flavors. Vinous
2005 Paolo Scavino Bric del Fiasc Barolo 3 LITER
Price: $739.50 Your Price: $650.76 Quantity in Stock: 1
2010 Paolo Scavino Cannubi Barolo
Price: $195.00 Your Price: $171.60 Quantity in Stock: 2
2010 Paolo Scavino Barolo D.O.C.G.
Price: $120.00 Your Price: $105.60 Quantity in Stock: 6
2016 Paolo Scavino Novantesimo, Barolo Riserva DOCG Italy
Price: $345.00 Your Price: $303.60
2017 Paolo Scavino Barolo Bricco Ambrogio
Price: $63.00 Your Price: $55.44 Quantity in Stock: 1
2017 Paolo Scavino Barolo Monvigliero
Price: $75.00 Your Price: $66.00 Quantity in Stock: 5
2018 Paolo Scavino Barolo Monvigliero
Price: $100.25 Your Price: $88.22 Quantity in Stock: 19
2018 Paolo Scavino Barolo Ravera
Price: $97.50 Your Price: $85.80 Quantity in Stock: 9
2018 Paolo Scavino Barolo Cannubi
Price: $112.50 Your Price: $99.00 Quantity in Stock: 29
2018 Paolo Scavino Barolo Bric Del Fiasc
Price: $112.50 Your Price: $99.00 Quantity in Stock: 13
2018 Paolo Scavino Barolo Carobric Magnum
Price: $255.00 Your Price: $224.40 Quantity in Stock: 1
2019 Paolo Scavino Barolo Prapo
Price: $107.00 Your Price: $94.16
2019 Paolo Scavino Barolo Ravera
Price: $90.00 Your Price: $79.20 Quantity in Stock: 4
2020 PAOLO SCAVINO BAROLO PRAPO
Price: $101.00 Your Price: $88.88
2020 Paolo Scavino Bricco Ambrogio Barolo
Price: $88.50 Your Price: $77.88
2020 Paolo Scavino Barolo Monvigliero
Price: $105.00 Your Price: $92.40 Quantity in Stock: 6
2020 Paolo Scavino Langhe Nebbiolo
Price: $30.00 Your Price: $26.40
2021 Paolo Scavino Vino da Tavola Rosso Piedmont
Price: $16.25 Your Price: $14.30 Quantity in Stock: 5
2016 Elio Altare Barolo Cannubi
Price: $228.00 Your Price: $200.64 Quantity in Stock: 1
(97 Points) Fruit for this wine comes from a leased vineyard site in Cannubi (in the comune of Barolo), and the first year of production was 2011. This is a passion project very much spearheaded by Elio's rambunctious and curly-haired daughter Silvia Altare. The 2016 Barolo Cannubi represents a beautiful departure in the family portfolio. Within this collection of new releases, the Cannubi best articulates the purity of the Nebbiolo grape. Like the other Baroli, it is aged in oak for two years (with 20% new barrique). There is greater varietal purity here with etched and linear fruit tones followed by ethereal smoke, tar and white licorice. I love the mouthfeel too, with that sudden point of cherry sweetness that is followed by elegant texture and acidity. (ML) Review Date: 07/2020, Wine Advocate
2010 Altare La Villa Rosso
Price: $88.50 Your Price: $77.88 Quantity in Stock: 4
1999 Elio Altare Brunate Barolo
Price: $195.00 Sale Price: $165.00 Quantity in Stock: 7