The Tasting Panel magazine

January 2016

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24  /  the tasting panel  /  january-february 2016 NEW YORK CITY SIPS story and photos by Lana Bortolot F or this edition, we went to the wrong restaurant (Lupulo on the West Side instead of L'Apicio on the East), an emerging new wine bar and a wine-themed private loft. We appreciated the good will of Tommaso Marzi, who excused us for being in the wrong place at the right time. Once corrected, we spirited a cab out from another rain-drenched New Yorker (sorry, business called!) for a tasting of the Sangiovese he and his brother Federico make under the Bibbiano label in Chianti Classico. They run the estate their father established in 1969, converting to organic in 2009 as "a way to get deeper and deeper into the estate." He eschews use of oak, saying, "It's very important—when making furniture," and the result are precise wines of a pure character, able to age up to 20 years. The Marzis use vineyards micro-zoning to understand which plots and rootstocks best express the Sangiovese of their generation. Napa Valley Vintners hosted a roundtable at Wine Disciples Enoteca to showcase wines in their "elegant and afford- able" category. Chris Vandendriessche from White Rock Vineyards, Allison Steltzner from Steltzner Vineyards and John Skupny from Lang & Reed, presented wines from their estates as well as from select NVV members (which number more than 525). Their Manhattan mis- sion: showing that the AVA's family-owned wineries offer "top quality wines you can dial into," Allison said. Acknowledging competition from affordable imports, John noted that older vineyards in Napa can offer great value. "What we want to provide in the end for consumers is dif- ferent than a $100 bottle." Chris agreed, saying, "You can make fabulous wine in Napa and sell it for a profit" without losing your customers. The featured wines ranged from $20 to $48. Geneviève Janssens, longtime Head Winemaker for Robert Mondavi Winery, teamed up with wine author Mark Oldman for a dinner commemorating the winery's 50th anniversary. Held at "The Wine Sanctuary," Mark's wine-themed downtown apartment, the party kicked off with a special preview trailer of the new documentary Somm: Into the Bottle, in which Mondavi is featured. Geneviève said the milestone noted in the move (sorry, no spoiler alerts) also marked the year the winery decided to make a wine that "spoke of place." Featured at the table: 2006 Fumé Blanc Reserve from To Kalon, a place Geneviève calls a first growth for its deep expression of vintage. A New Year in New York City At the Napa Valley Vintners' roundtable at Wine Disciples (left to right): Chris Vandendriessche, White Rock Vineyards; Patsy McGaughy, Communications Director for Napa Valley Vintners; Allison Steltzner, Steltzner Vineyards; and John Skupny from Lang & Reed. Tommaso Marzi from Bibbiano in Chianti Classico at L'Apicio. Robert Mondavi Head Winemaker Geneviève Janssens with Mark Oldman at his "Wine Sanctuary" home in Chelsea.

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