Recently Gabriele and I have had three excellent wines while dining out. Two were Italian, and one was a Bordeaux.
We had a nice Barolo while away for a week on vacation in West Virginia. We had dinner at the Press Room restaurant in Shepherdstown – nice place and recommended. (Bistro 112, a French place right across the street, is also very good.) The wine list was reasonably broad and the mark ups not bad, and we chose the 2014 Fratelli Alessandria Barolo.
I recognized the Alessandria name as a good producer, which made pulling the trigger on an Italian wine we hadn’t had before easier. (If Gabriele doesn’t like what we order, that puts a damper on dinner.) The Barolo was light in body but very flavorful, cherry-led fruit and flowers, very balanced tasting. Barolos are made from the Nebbiolo grape and some can be very tannic unless stored for years. This wine was very balanced and aromatic, what is sometimes called the “Burgundian” style of Barolo.
The second Italian was enjoyed closer to home at Mia’s in Old Town, Alexandria. By good fortune we went there on a Wednesday, which turned out to be half-price wine night. There was a super Tuscan on the list and we went with that, the 2016 Gaja Ca’Marcanda Promis Toscana. Gaja is the maker, Promis the name of the wine and Ca’Marcanda is the estate. (See here for primer on reading Italian labels.)
Often Super Tuscans are a mix of Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvigon, but not this wine. It’s Merlot, Syrah and just a little Sangiovese, which made for a delicious combination. There’s a lot of fruit but enough tannins to keep it from being flabby, as well as some tobacco and minerality. It’s ranked highly by both Wine Spectator and James Suckling.
Supposedly this is an entry level wine from Gaja, so we’ll look for that name in the future. This is the wine to buy for the friend who thinks all Italian wines are weak or astringent.
The final wine is another entry in the search for a quality Bordeaux at an affordable price. It’s the 2016 Cru Monplaisir Bordeaux Superieur. The Bordeaux Superieur means the wine is not from a famous appellation in Bordeaux, which explains the affordability. But the vineyard is very close to Margaux territory, a prestigious Bordeaux area.
How we ended up enjoying it at Bistro Sancerre in Alexandria (highly recommended) was a case of serendipity. In early February I got an email from Arrow Wine in Arlington, extolling the virtues of this wine:
“This deep ruby/violet purple colored Bordeaux has expressive aromas of blackberries, plums, and blackcurrants with herbs and cocoa. The palate has impressive concentration. It shows powerful flavors of black fruit, herbs, and cinnamon-stick spice. The texture is all class; this is like a fine Margaux in its round, supple and velvety mouthfeel. The finish is long and expressive, with elegant tannic structure. Give it half an hour in a decanter, or run in through an aerator to let the flavors unfold and express themselves. Better yet, let it age in the bottle for a year or more. It will only get more velvety and harmonious. Serve it with a leg of lamb, rib-eye steaks, or an herbed tenderloin. This is a treat. And it’s a sensational value.”
So I made a mental note to drive to Arlington and get some. But I never got around to it. Then we went to Bistro Sancerre. Run by the same people who own Grand Cru in Arlington, the restaurant has the same concept acting as a wine shop as well. Bottles line the walls, and you choose which one you’d like to have with dinner. The prices contain a very reasonable markup from retail.
I started looking at the bottles, and there is the 2016 Cru Monplaisir. When something like that happens, it seems meant to be. Without getting the email, I would probably not have picked the wine. It was everything Arrow said it would be, it was a great companion to my venison and Gabriele’s steak frites.
I hope this post acts like that email for you – give these three red wine winners a try. Happy spring, and good drinking.