dry weekend . . . really
27 October 2008
24 October 2008
and the saga continues ...
and the investigating mags have their say.
“Recent news published in the mass media — local and national — with regard to the investigation of ‘Brunello di Montalcino’ has prompted the Siena Prosecutor’s Office to provide some clarification in order to ensure that all producers and consumers receive correct information.”
According to the statement, “the Siena office of the Italian Treasury Siena and the Florence office of the Central Inspectorate for Quality Control of Food and Agricultural Products have conducted numerous investigations ordered by the Siena Magistrate. Seizures were ordered in corporate offices and in private homes; documentation was seized at the Brunello Producers Association and analyzed; vineyards were inspected; photographic surveys were conducted on the ground and from the air; and substantive analysis was made of financial and other documentation.”
The investigation began in September 2007.
The investigation has revealed that "many of the companies implicated have violated the appellation regulations for Brunello di Montalcino DOCG and Rosso di Montalcino DOC ."
Authors of the statement, magistrates Nino Calabrese and Mario Formisano, who both signed the letter personally, wrote: “6,500,000 liters of Brunello di Montalcino and 700,000 liters of Rosso di Montalcino were impounded. Roughly 1,100,00 liters of Brunello di Montalcino have been declassified to IGT Toscana Rosso. Roughly 450,000 liters of Rosso di Montalcino have been declassified to IGT Toscana Rosso.”
“Following declassification, the producers implicated in the investigation requested that their wine be released.”
The wine was released, write the magistrates, only after producers agreed to declassify the adulterated wine and after “the remaining quantities of wine were found to be in conformity with appellation regulations, in part through laboratory tests.”
“Recent news published in the mass media — local and national — with regard to the investigation of ‘Brunello di Montalcino’ has prompted the Siena Prosecutor’s Office to provide some clarification in order to ensure that all producers and consumers receive correct information.”
According to the statement, “the Siena office of the Italian Treasury Siena and the Florence office of the Central Inspectorate for Quality Control of Food and Agricultural Products have conducted numerous investigations ordered by the Siena Magistrate. Seizures were ordered in corporate offices and in private homes; documentation was seized at the Brunello Producers Association and analyzed; vineyards were inspected; photographic surveys were conducted on the ground and from the air; and substantive analysis was made of financial and other documentation.”
The investigation began in September 2007.
The investigation has revealed that "many of the companies implicated have violated the appellation regulations for Brunello di Montalcino DOCG and Rosso di Montalcino DOC ."
Authors of the statement, magistrates Nino Calabrese and Mario Formisano, who both signed the letter personally, wrote: “6,500,000 liters of Brunello di Montalcino and 700,000 liters of Rosso di Montalcino were impounded. Roughly 1,100,00 liters of Brunello di Montalcino have been declassified to IGT Toscana Rosso. Roughly 450,000 liters of Rosso di Montalcino have been declassified to IGT Toscana Rosso.”
“Following declassification, the producers implicated in the investigation requested that their wine be released.”
The wine was released, write the magistrates, only after producers agreed to declassify the adulterated wine and after “the remaining quantities of wine were found to be in conformity with appellation regulations, in part through laboratory tests.”
stuck
dinner at the pharmacy ... had no choice as traffic was nasty this evening.
duca di saragnano chianti riserva 2004
ruby; floral,cherry, plum; plum, mineral/chalk, not much else, savoury?, lean, slight alcohalic burn; tannins a little furry(?); wish the acid had a little more edge to it (but it's not dull by any means); short but the aforementioned burn sticks around; 13%; POP! not much point to this one, heaps of other alternatives. the glass of stock standard castello di querceto chianti 2007 had yesterday was more fun ... had that nice sharp acidity which is missing here.
prawn ravioli, another pork chop, pinenut and lemon tart and a shot of gianni gagliado's grappa, cannot remember what it's called but it was not happening ... wimpy and short ...
duca di saragnano chianti riserva 2004
ruby; floral,cherry, plum; plum, mineral/chalk, not much else, savoury?, lean, slight alcohalic burn; tannins a little furry(?); wish the acid had a little more edge to it (but it's not dull by any means); short but the aforementioned burn sticks around; 13%; POP! not much point to this one, heaps of other alternatives. the glass of stock standard castello di querceto chianti 2007 had yesterday was more fun ... had that nice sharp acidity which is missing here.
prawn ravioli, another pork chop, pinenut and lemon tart and a shot of gianni gagliado's grappa, cannot remember what it's called but it was not happening ... wimpy and short ...
23 October 2008
21 October 2008
the accused sez ...
Banfi Brunello released October 20, 2008
Kerin O'Keefe
Siena prosecutors have released Banfi's 2003 Brunello, confiscated in April as part of an investigation into commercial fraud regarding grape blending.
Banfi's proprietor Cristina Mariani-May made the announcement today. 'This clearance closes the case for Castello Banfi Brunello,' she said. 'Our Brunello has been liberated.'[update: see post above, ... why didn't she just clear the air by stating unequivocally that none of their stuff was found adulterated, therefor released and would not be declassified? ... deafening][update2: cos half of the stuff is shonky here]
She said the formerly impounded stock will be shipped worldwide immediately [ BUT AS WHAT?], and that the 2004 will be released in February 2009 as regularly scheduled. Banfi was among several high-profile producers, including Antinori and Frescobaldi, whose wines were confiscated during what is still an ongoing investigation involving nearly 90 Brunello estates according to local sources. Banfi's wine was cleared after a controversial laboratory test that measures the wine's anthocyanin level demonstrated the wine was exclusively Sangiovese.
Earlier this year Antinori's Pian delle Vigne Brunello was also released, as was half of Frescobaldi's as-yet-unbottled 2003 Brunello.
Kerin O'Keefe
Siena prosecutors have released Banfi's 2003 Brunello, confiscated in April as part of an investigation into commercial fraud regarding grape blending.
Banfi's proprietor Cristina Mariani-May made the announcement today. 'This clearance closes the case for Castello Banfi Brunello,' she said. 'Our Brunello has been liberated.'[update: see post above, ... why didn't she just clear the air by stating unequivocally that none of their stuff was found adulterated, therefor released and would not be declassified? ... deafening][update2: cos half of the stuff is shonky here]
She said the formerly impounded stock will be shipped worldwide immediately [ BUT AS WHAT?], and that the 2004 will be released in February 2009 as regularly scheduled. Banfi was among several high-profile producers, including Antinori and Frescobaldi, whose wines were confiscated during what is still an ongoing investigation involving nearly 90 Brunello estates according to local sources. Banfi's wine was cleared after a controversial laboratory test that measures the wine's anthocyanin level demonstrated the wine was exclusively Sangiovese.
Earlier this year Antinori's Pian delle Vigne Brunello was also released, as was half of Frescobaldi's as-yet-unbottled 2003 Brunello.
18 October 2008
no grape tonight
friends wanted to do some barley instead. following were at hand.
1)aberlour a'bunadh batch #17 nas 60.2% [700ml] (speyside)
deep burnt orange; sherry, chocolate(?), candied fruit, fruitcake, nougat, did i say sherry?; follows onto palate, malt, bit of wood; sweet entry, rich, mouthfilling, smooth but with an underlying alcoholic burn (had it with a coupla drops of water); long
2)laphroig 10yr 43% [750ml] (islay)
as before, smoke, seaweed, peat and iodine to the fore (hey, where's the teka maki?) but this time had an oatlike flavour running thru ... nice [earlier]
1)aberlour a'bunadh batch #17 nas 60.2% [700ml] (speyside)
deep burnt orange; sherry, chocolate(?), candied fruit, fruitcake, nougat, did i say sherry?; follows onto palate, malt, bit of wood; sweet entry, rich, mouthfilling, smooth but with an underlying alcoholic burn (had it with a coupla drops of water); long2)laphroig 10yr 43% [750ml] (islay)
as before, smoke, seaweed, peat and iodine to the fore (hey, where's the teka maki?) but this time had an oatlike flavour running thru ... nice [earlier]gamble
with my strike rate ... shouldn't have but ......
faiveley volnay 2000 (village stuff)
very pale garnet (portent of blandness?); kirsch, plum, a bit floral, a little cedar and cinnamon, musk(?), someone said sarspirilla, grilled meat, sweaty t shirt(?); very very little brett taint, thank god; lean mouthfeel; unripe plum ... that's it!!!, slight minerality; fine tannins; pleasent amount of acidity; short, short, short, lean, lean, lean; 13%; waited for it to at least open up a little ... please ... 30mins., 45mins., 60 mins. ..., it does not oblidge, not even food helps. FIZZLE! not happening at all. price performance ratio is woeful.
faiveley volnay 2000 (village stuff)very pale garnet (portent of blandness?); kirsch, plum, a bit floral, a little cedar and cinnamon, musk(?), someone said sarspirilla, grilled meat, sweaty t shirt(?); very very little brett taint, thank god; lean mouthfeel; unripe plum ... that's it!!!, slight minerality; fine tannins; pleasent amount of acidity; short, short, short, lean, lean, lean; 13%; waited for it to at least open up a little ... please ... 30mins., 45mins., 60 mins. ..., it does not oblidge, not even food helps. FIZZLE! not happening at all. price performance ratio is woeful.
17 October 2008
what's next?
new research shows:the more you drink, the smaller your brain becomes, and as little as eight drinks a week could cause damage!!! here
what's next? smoking causes cancer? ...... er, you mean it does?
montalcino bites back
Kerin O'Keefe
The Consorzio of Brunello di Montalcino is suing two major Italian newspapers for defamation.
L'espresso, a weekly publication, and the daily La Repubblica, ran articles on 4 April this year on two scandals – the Brunello grape blending scandal, and the massive investigation into wines made with potentially harmful products, led by the prosecutor's office inTaranto, Puglia.
L'espresso even used the headline 'Benvenuti a Velenitaly', which literally translates as Welcome to Poison Italy. It was also a pun on Vinitaly, Italy's most important wine fair, which opened as the articles appeared.
Patrizio Cencioni, president of the Brunello Consorzio told decanter.com the articles, published close to each other, damaged Brunello's image by association. 'We're suing for unspecified damages, because we feel these two articles have hurt Brunello's image by insinuating that Brunello was harmful to consumers, which of course is not true.'
International consumers became confused over the issues and concerned that drinking Brunello could be dangerous, Cencioni added.
Shortly after the article many importers asked Brunello makers for certification that their product was safe, Cencioni said.
He and others feel that later problems over certifying Brunello for US importation may have been generated by the negative fallout from the articles in question.
The Siena prosecutor running the investigation in Montalcino, and the Minister of Agriculture, Luca Zaia, have publicly confirmed that the Brunello case concerns only grape blending, which is illegal under the wine's strict production code.
L'espresso and La Repubblica are both owned by Gruppo Editoriale L'Espresso Spa.
The Consorzio of Brunello di Montalcino is suing two major Italian newspapers for defamation.
L'espresso, a weekly publication, and the daily La Repubblica, ran articles on 4 April this year on two scandals – the Brunello grape blending scandal, and the massive investigation into wines made with potentially harmful products, led by the prosecutor's office inTaranto, Puglia.
L'espresso even used the headline 'Benvenuti a Velenitaly', which literally translates as Welcome to Poison Italy. It was also a pun on Vinitaly, Italy's most important wine fair, which opened as the articles appeared.
Patrizio Cencioni, president of the Brunello Consorzio told decanter.com the articles, published close to each other, damaged Brunello's image by association. 'We're suing for unspecified damages, because we feel these two articles have hurt Brunello's image by insinuating that Brunello was harmful to consumers, which of course is not true.'
International consumers became confused over the issues and concerned that drinking Brunello could be dangerous, Cencioni added.
Shortly after the article many importers asked Brunello makers for certification that their product was safe, Cencioni said.
He and others feel that later problems over certifying Brunello for US importation may have been generated by the negative fallout from the articles in question.
The Siena prosecutor running the investigation in Montalcino, and the Minister of Agriculture, Luca Zaia, have publicly confirmed that the Brunello case concerns only grape blending, which is illegal under the wine's strict production code.
L'espresso and La Repubblica are both owned by Gruppo Editoriale L'Espresso Spa.
11 October 2008
stayed on for dinner
friends came over before the barbaresco was finished, so stayed on for dinner.
lungarotti rubesco vigna monticchio 2000 (sangiovese 70%: canaiolo 30%) [umbria]
dark ruby, young; musk and sweaty t-shirt (initial whiff then dissipated ... thank god), dark cherry, ripe plum, a little floral; sweet ripe (but not "over") fruit, plum and red berries (cran?), raisins, fleshy and very smooth (lush?); very fine and ripe tannins but could do with a little more acid to balance the rich fruit (sample had last year seemed to have a nicer balance ... but then, don't trust my memory); medium bodied and longish; 14%; BANG! altho a nice chianti would be more refreshing methinks.
barbequed ribs and bacon sandwiches ... must really learn to get my nutritional requirements from other kinds of food.
lungarotti rubesco vigna monticchio 2000 (sangiovese 70%: canaiolo 30%) [umbria]dark ruby, young; musk and sweaty t-shirt (initial whiff then dissipated ... thank god), dark cherry, ripe plum, a little floral; sweet ripe (but not "over") fruit, plum and red berries (cran?), raisins, fleshy and very smooth (lush?); very fine and ripe tannins but could do with a little more acid to balance the rich fruit (sample had last year seemed to have a nicer balance ... but then, don't trust my memory); medium bodied and longish; 14%; BANG! altho a nice chianti would be more refreshing methinks.
barbequed ribs and bacon sandwiches ... must really learn to get my nutritional requirements from other kinds of food.
not really happening
ceretto barbaresco asij 2004garnet light; dried flowers, plum, bit of tar, mushroom/natural gas (kid you not), bit of cedar; dried plum, blackberry/blueberry (hint), tar, musk? (hint), chalky, initally nothing much going on as far as flavours are concerned, raisins; fine tannins, alcohol little hot; balanced acidity; light/medium bodied; short/medium length, early swigs had no length at all ... became water after midpalate!, lenghtened and broadened somewhat after 45 mins. (slight update: needs 90 mins.); 13.5%; BANG! (-); needs air and food; and prices are rising ...
some roast pork helped.
05 October 2008
many ways to skin a ...
but we could not even find one ... frustrating game. for sure they were defensive but ... aren't we are supposed to beat teams like this? rescue jobs are great but the 2 missing points are irreplaceable ...gooners 1 (cesc in stoppage time ...arghhh!): black pussies 1
some stats,
attempts at goal: us 18, them 8
corners: us 7, them 1
one rvp goal disallowed
wengker and the block cats ... no point moaning, deal with it, man.
04 October 2008
nightcap
at a friend's.
1)chateau gaumaran 2002 (medoc ... supposedly merlot led ... dunno)
none of us had seen one before. this sample came via hongkers. a search on the net revealed very little, even then in french.
seems like this is one insular label with a serious seige mentality......some weird (albeit badly translated) stuff on a site featuring this stuff:
Natural demand side of our French wine and safeguard our AOC and our know-how!
Technologies French wine is much more healthy and hygienic than s'autorisent producers in the southern hemisphere.
There was no difference between a Chilean sauvignon, California or New Zealand.
The New World wines are wines chemical which is a price while our French wines express their soil and a way of working.
The New World makes use of oenological practices (outlawed by Europe) who try to artificialize wine and transform a name of a universal standard drink "high technology".
Prefer the cork and at the same time, safeguard the ecosystem of the Mediterranean oak forest cork!
The use of cork has been certified by a favorable carbon (test implemented by Oeneo bouchonnier).
dull blood red, bit of bricking; bit of plum initially, then slowly revealed more exotic? and savoury scents, mushroom, damp earth, pickled jalapeno, soy, capsicum, latter 2 intensified as time went by; almost salty palate of said soy and capsicum/chilli (there's even a prickly aftertaste like the real thing!); fine tannins and moderate amounts of acid; textured mouthfeel like some of those riberas; longish; 12.5%; POP!,barely, didn't gag. don't even know if this is a typical bottle. anyway, a curiosity.
2)dr. loosen uziger wurzgarten riesling kabinett 2003
last of 2 dozen obtained by my aforesaid friend, rest were polished off when fresh.
gold; citrus (more oranges than lime/lemon), pear, apple (red not green, my 13 yr old friend opined), honey, kero; more than off dry; fruit follows onto the palate, orange blossom honey?, someone said pineapple, oatmeal, chalk/mineral; mouthfeel plump, rich but not flabby; enough minerality and acid to prevent things from decending into lolly water territory (03 had a sweltering summer); long; 8.5% BANG! nice one.
1)chateau gaumaran 2002 (medoc ... supposedly merlot led ... dunno)
none of us had seen one before. this sample came via hongkers. a search on the net revealed very little, even then in french.
seems like this is one insular label with a serious seige mentality......some weird (albeit badly translated) stuff on a site featuring this stuff:
Natural demand side of our French wine and safeguard our AOC and our know-how!
Technologies French wine is much more healthy and hygienic than s'autorisent producers in the southern hemisphere.
There was no difference between a Chilean sauvignon, California or New Zealand.
The New World wines are wines chemical which is a price while our French wines express their soil and a way of working.
The New World makes use of oenological practices (outlawed by Europe) who try to artificialize wine and transform a name of a universal standard drink "high technology".
Prefer the cork and at the same time, safeguard the ecosystem of the Mediterranean oak forest cork!
The use of cork has been certified by a favorable carbon (test implemented by Oeneo bouchonnier).
dull blood red, bit of bricking; bit of plum initially, then slowly revealed more exotic? and savoury scents, mushroom, damp earth, pickled jalapeno, soy, capsicum, latter 2 intensified as time went by; almost salty palate of said soy and capsicum/chilli (there's even a prickly aftertaste like the real thing!); fine tannins and moderate amounts of acid; textured mouthfeel like some of those riberas; longish; 12.5%; POP!,barely, didn't gag. don't even know if this is a typical bottle. anyway, a curiosity.
2)dr. loosen uziger wurzgarten riesling kabinett 2003
last of 2 dozen obtained by my aforesaid friend, rest were polished off when fresh.
gold; citrus (more oranges than lime/lemon), pear, apple (red not green, my 13 yr old friend opined), honey, kero; more than off dry; fruit follows onto the palate, orange blossom honey?, someone said pineapple, oatmeal, chalk/mineral; mouthfeel plump, rich but not flabby; enough minerality and acid to prevent things from decending into lolly water territory (03 had a sweltering summer); long; 8.5% BANG! nice one.
03 October 2008
a miss
ceretto barolo zonchera 2001
the usual place had a coupla bottles of this stuff. thought it might be nice to see it now as the last time was about a year ago. nowadays, it's the 03s and 04s on the shelves.
as bad luck would have it, the sample uncorked had basically gone south. think our friend brett, had a hand. whiff of bandaid ... whoa boy ... then absolutely nothing ... flat ... no flavours whatsoever, nada. was just a slightly acidic rose coloured liquid. FIZZLE!
rejected it and waited for the management to concur ... they did. would not have continued with it even if they had not. decided not to chance it and try the other bottle ... same shipment, same ullage.
had to go with the old standby:
pio cesare barolo 2003
thankfully, it was as expected. BANG!
barbequed ribs and other porky stuff ... uurgh ... really got to start eating something else.
the usual place had a coupla bottles of this stuff. thought it might be nice to see it now as the last time was about a year ago. nowadays, it's the 03s and 04s on the shelves.
as bad luck would have it, the sample uncorked had basically gone south. think our friend brett, had a hand. whiff of bandaid ... whoa boy ... then absolutely nothing ... flat ... no flavours whatsoever, nada. was just a slightly acidic rose coloured liquid. FIZZLE!
rejected it and waited for the management to concur ... they did. would not have continued with it even if they had not. decided not to chance it and try the other bottle ... same shipment, same ullage.
had to go with the old standby:
pio cesare barolo 2003
thankfully, it was as expected. BANG!
barbequed ribs and other porky stuff ... uurgh ... really got to start eating something else.
02 October 2008
quiet tea time thursday
domaine courbis cornas "champelrose" 2005
purple/ruby; blackcurrents, cherry, mushroom, sarspirilla/cream soda?, soy, dried flowers/violets/ hint of jasmin, some creamy wood; same fruits on the palate, a mineral feel, broadens with time, graphite?; backbone of powdery/furry tannins; balanced by fresh and bracing acidity; linear and long; 13%; young and needs food now (think fat pork) although i enjoyed it without; has time on its side ... 2 mo years?; BANG!
purple/ruby; blackcurrents, cherry, mushroom, sarspirilla/cream soda?, soy, dried flowers/violets/ hint of jasmin, some creamy wood; same fruits on the palate, a mineral feel, broadens with time, graphite?; backbone of powdery/furry tannins; balanced by fresh and bracing acidity; linear and long; 13%; young and needs food now (think fat pork) although i enjoyed it without; has time on its side ... 2 mo years?; BANG!
eng and chang with big boots?
"their best moment was the opening goal when adebayor, having sliced through the portuguese champions' defence on to cesc fábregas' delightful ball, waited and waited before cutting back from the right for the arrival of van persie, who had strained every sinew to get there ahead of his markers. The dutchman returned the compliment for the second goal, albeit from a right-wing corner that adebayor headed down and in." ...herelike part of the script of a hollywood "sarkker" movie ... urghh!
01 October 2008
four but coulda been more
rvp 2: yoyo 2: fc porto 0great result but one cannot help feel the lack of sharpness at the last moment when goin for goal. could easily have been a half dozen.
to put the win in perspective, the portmens' defence was just woeful ... and bruce banner did not transform.
up next, more puddytats ..........
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