Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/856981
90 / the tasting panel / august 2017 Cantine Florio 2003 Targa Riserva 1840 Mosto cotto, or cooked grape must, is one of the secret ingredients used to make the Targa Riserva 1840. "To make a good mosto cotto, there is a very fine line that falls just before overcooking the must to retain a spicy char- acter. We believe in this so much we don't buy cooked must; we do this ourselves," explained Roberto Magnisi. Grape variety: 100% Grillo. Region/Denomination: Sicily, Marsala DOC. Vineyards: Coastal strip of the towns of Marsala, Petrosino and other inland areas of the province of Trapani. Terre rossa soils, low in fertility and rich in silica. Winemaking: Extraordinarily ripe grapes with a high sugar content are harvested by hand. Fermentation takes place at a controlled temperature, and the resulting wine is blended with fortified must, cooked must (mosto cotto) and wine brandy. Matured at least seven years in oak barrels. Tasting Notes: Superbly elegant; cherry chestnut aromas integrated with golden apple, pear and ripe kiwi. Incredible finish with perpetual hazelnut aromas. —Juan Lizarraga Court-bouillon, almond, caramel and seaweed. —Steve Hua Sartori di Verona 2009 Corte Brà With pride, Andrea Sartori points to an obscurity. "Oseleta is an abandoned grape our region that we're trying now to bring back. Oseleta means 'little bird,' because the bunch is so small you can keep it in your hand. This is why it's rarely seen anymore; it doesn't make sense economically. But it fits well in this blend. We produce 20,000 to 30,000 bottles of Brà—but not every year." Grape varieties: 50% Corvina, 30% Corvinone, 15% Rondinella, 5% Oseleta. Region/Denomination: Veneto, Valpolicella Classico DOC. Vineyards: Corte Brà vineyard in the northern hills of Verona. Clay and calcareous soil. Winemaking: The grapes are carefully selected, placed in small crates and air dried for three to four months. At optimal dryness, only the best grapes are hand-selected and fermented in temperature-controlled stainless steel for about 30 days. The wine is transferred to traditional tanks for malolactic fermentation and is then aged in various sized oak casks for about four years. At least six months of bottle aging follows. Tasting Notes: Black cherries, black berry, pomegranate, coffee, chocolate covered almonds and sage. A hint of lavender. —Rose Johnson Coffee, mocha, dark chocolate, dried fruit, figs and raisins. —Miklos Katonah Juan Lizarraga, Sommelier, Ferraro's, takes copious tasting notes. Andrea Sartori, family proprietor of Sartori di Verona, in UNLV's International Gaming Institute.