Tua Rita di Nostri now reaching its drinking window

Last Thursday I shared the last part of one of the finest wines in my recollection. My friend Norman Sugrue was memorialized and interred. There is no wine so great as friendship with a giant. Norman was certainly one. A fellow who served the Rehoboth community well in several capacities and was a friend to many, he will be sorely missed. R.I.P. Norman.

I searched high and low for an appropriate homage and was able to find a 2005 Tua Rita di Nostri, an explosive Tuscan that was reviewed here in 2009. It is not only reaching its drinking window, but is on sale. By comparison, the Tua Rita was released at $99, and it can be found under $50 when you buy six. The wine was rated 95 by WE and 93 by WS. At this price, I add in two price points and give it a 96. This beautiful Bordeaux blend of Cab, Merlot, Cab Franc and Petit Verdot will cellar an additional 15 years at least. It is very complex, with black cherry, currant, spice, herbal and cola aromas. The wine is in balance, although the tannin is slightly elevated, indicating it will cellar. Coffee and toasted oak flavors give way to raspberry jam in the very long finish. Back up the truck if you cellar.

For those trusting readers who kept their powder dry, the Greppi Greppicante Bolgheri 2007, reviewed here in April 2010, is in its perfect drinking window now. Initially on the market at $22, it ratcheted to $30 when WS placed it No. 46 on its top 100 list in 2009. Your local wine purveyor should be able to bring it in for you at $250 per case and still make a fair profit. It probably has two years of shelf, so only buy the amount you will drink in a year or so.

I'm embarassed to tell you I just sampled my first Granato, made from Teroldego grapes in the Campo Rotaliano foothills of the Trentino mountains. Foradori Granato 2007 crossed my desk as a recommendation of my Italian guru, Anthony Galloni, who writes for Parker's Wine Advocate. He has rarely steered me wrong.

Although the wine needs two or so years in the cellar, it has great promise. Raspberry, floral-herb and spice aromas come through with a swirl or two. Appropriate levels of smooth tannins and hints of oak let you know "hands off, " but on the whole indicate a remarkable wine, 95 points and look for it to come in under $40.  You can bet I will be reviewing more from Foradori in the future.

I would be remiss if I didn't refer Chardonnay drinkers to the July issue of Wine Spectator. You will find 100 90-point or better California chardonnays reviewed. Generally speaking they did an outstanding job based on the several I have sampled. Some have been reviewed here. The info is worth the price of the issue. James Laube' s article on terroir is well done also.

In the same issue several wines appear as must haves. Avoid the Robert Mondavi Oakville 2008. The hearty endorsement will drive the price up. With 13,700 cases produced, it will come back as the furor subsides.

The 2008 is definitely well made and will cellar well, but no need to pay up for a wine that could use a few more in the cellar. At $360/case it will be a pretty good buy. Take a peek at some of the other wines’ production numbers to get an idea how large this overhang is.

Had a very nice meal at the Cake Bar in Lewes recently. Good service, fair prices and an adequate wine list. Very lovely.