The Iron Chevsky Wine Blog

Produttori del Barbaresco is the benchmark producer of Barbaresco. Always reliable in quality, they represent remarkable value too. And with their 9 single-vineyard riserva cru's, you get a look at the nuances of the various terroirs of Barbaresco. Though 2011 was a warmer than ideal year, it is considered a good vintage in Barbaresco, with wines on the riper, richer, darker, sexier end of the scale, but with good tannic structure and sufficient acidity, giving them serious ability to age. The fruit is by no means roasted or raisiny, as may happen in hot years. In short, 2011 vintage in Barbaresco is a vintage of considerable early appeal, but with serious capacity to age. Here are my impressions of the 2011 line-up from Produttori del Barbaresco, in the order I tasted them. There was a clear familial similarity among all the wines, including the Normale bottling. They were suave, rich, ripe, and tannic, shifting from red berries to blueberries and plums, hints of herbs and spi...

Great dinner last weekend at Chris & Molly's (our dear friends) - Chris is a master griller and he impressed once again with his lamb chops! (pun intended). Serious winos in attendance contributed a tasty array of wines. While most of the wines delivered, the consensus seemed to be that the 1996 Clape Cornas stole the show with the lamb. I especially liked the 2002 Beaune-Greves 1er Cru burgundy from Michel Lafarge, even though it was perhaps a bit too bright and delicate for the lamb, but so satisfying, complex and charming like only an aged burgundy can! Here are the wines and dishes to salivate over: Champagne starter. Fascinating wine - a 1987 Corton-Charlemange white burgundy from Mommessin, the producer of the famous Clos de Tart grand cru - who knew he had a white grand cru! Silky texture, copper tones (color and palate), unfortunately over the hill, with oxidized notes. Still a rare treat. The '97 Brunello Poggio Alle Mura from Castello Banfi was in goo...

Five years in a row I have now attended this great event in San Francisco, organized by Wine & Spirits Magazine . As usual, fantastic ambiance of hors d'oeuvres , wines , chocolates and coffee, live music, and well-dressed people, with a gorgeous view from the City View at Metreon! I did not intend to provide exhaustive coverage. The following sampling of tweets reflects subjectively my most memorable wines at the event: Le Moine Charmes Chambertin 2010 Grand Cru Burg best wine W&S Top 100 2013. Spectacular. Rich focused powerful. Wow. pic.twitter.com/3oVbfaGGlc — Gary Iron Chevsky (@IronChevsky) October 16, 2013 Ridge Monte Bello 2009 - best new world red at W&S Top 100 Wineries 2013. Complex, delicious, great acid, incomparable. — Gary Iron Chevsky (@IronChevsky) October 16, 2013 Louis Roederer Cristal 2005 - best Champagne at Wine&Spirits Top 100. pic.twitter.com/PavSjb4ZDq — Gary Iron Chevsky (@IronChevsky) October 16, 2013 JJ Prum very good, es...

This time of year, top Italian restaurants are bringing in white truffles - a delicacy from Piedmonte (Northern Italy), which also happens to be the home of Barolo and Barbaresco wines. Last night at Donato Enoteca, it was absolutely phenomenal. I have vividly described the decadent experience at length a couple of years ago , and it continues to be special every single time. Man o man, that raviolo with runny egg yolk inside and white truffles on top - paired with Produttori del Barbaresco Moccagatta Riserva 2004 and Francesco Rinaldi Barolo Brunate 2004 (both wines beginning to approach their drinking window) - orgasmic !

Watching a little TV on a weekday night, trying to forget the pressures of corporate deadlines, meetings, objectives, metrics, how to keep 15 million users happy and one million competitors dead... What else does one need but a bottle of 2006 Ca'Rossa Roero Audinaggio and a plate of spinach ravioli with tomato basil garlic sauce with a few chunks of truffle cheese like Boschetto al Tartufo melted in. Killer Nebbiolo for $32-35. As good as most Barbarescos out there from a solid vintage. Truffles, faded roses, and a little meat. Don't bother me - I am eating! ...and drinking Roero! See more of my Roero raves here .

Amazingly, even serious winos don't seem to know Roero . Specifically Roero red wine, made from Nebbiolo, and in many vintages just as elegant, intense, and charming as Barolo and Barbaresco. A neighboring appellation (DOCG since 2004), Roero is better recognized for their white Arneis wine - the most famous white wine export of Piedmonte, which I love on its own right. But it's the red that I am happy for so many others to overlook, thus keeping prices down for those in the know. Here is a very good article on Roero from the Dehli Wine Club (of all places!). A quick excerpt is telling: The aging periods required by law are significantly different - Barolo needs to undergo 3 years, while Barbaresco can age only for 2 years. Roero can do with a year and a half as it can be released on July 1, second year after harvesting. So the Barolo and Barbaresco producers would claim that Nebbiolo grape requires long aging to tame the tannins... The young Roero is too tannic, closed and n...

If you've never had white truffles, oh well... Splurge! Don't let the looks deceive you - it's one of those life's pleasures along with cod liver, duck fat, pork belly, foie gras, and sushi that must be experienced for the amazing umami that just makes you happy. Don't confuse white truffles with black truffles or chocolate truffles. White truffles are extremely rare and prized pretty much at the very top of the food chain, found in the woods of Piedmonte (Northern Italy) by specially trained dogs, and sold for thousands of $$ per kilo. They come each year around October/November, and they are devoured quickly, no matter the cost. The other day I talked about impressive but not inspiring . Last night the annual white truffle menu at Donato Enoteca delivered bliss in full inspiring glory at a fraction of what one'd pay some place else . I brought a bottle of 2003 Roagna Barbaresco Paje from a much maligned 2003 vintage, and it had plenty of acidity and wonderfu...

Ahh, living on the creamy edge of high life...! North Berkeley wine is a full-service importer, retailer and wholesaler that specializes in fine wines from France, Italy and Chile. At their portfolio tasting last week, I checked out a few Burgundies and Italian goodies from the Fall lineup (sounds like a fashion show, doesn't it?!), out of 100 or so different wines. Not many shook my world, but here are a few that are worth mentioning IMHO. Two red Burgundies were head and shoulders above all French wines at the tasting: 1. Wine of the Tasting - Frederic Magnien 2007 Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru . While in general I find most 2007 red Burgundies to be lacking power and plushness, even struggling at the Grand Cru level, this one was balanced, elegant, and quite good and charming, though not a powerhouse either, but one of the better red wines from Burgundy in 2007. Price? Don't ask! ($180/btl). 2. Gerard Raphet 2008 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru "Les Combttes" - good intens...

Warning Warning - wine geekiness alert!... In a recent Gaja and Burgers post, I talked about Gaja Gromis Barolo 2000, and raised a question about the connection of Gaja Gromis and Gaja Dagromis. For the wine geeks such as myself this connection needed to be explored. And since there was little-to-nothing on the internet regarding this topic, I emailed Gaia Gaja, the daughter of Angelo Gaja. She and I had recently met at a dinner at Donato Enoteca . Dear Gaia, ... I need a clarification. From my research on the internet, it is not clear what is the relationship between the Gromis Barolo, the Gromis Conteisa Cerequio Barolo, Conteisa Langhe and the Dagromis Barolo, and when some of the labels changed. Dutifully Gaia responded. Here is the fascinating Gaja trivia that I learned. In 1995 Gaja bought a propriety in La Morra. The property is 10 hectares, almost all included in the Cerequio vineyard. The winery (an obsolete building which they do not use) had a stock of older vintages. It to...

September 11 is my lucky day. It's my birth day. Or is it my un-lucky day? After 2001, I am not sure anymore. At least, everyone thinks it's memorable. I always feel mixed. This year Rona was sick, so mom-in-law flew over to help take care, and I headed for a few hours to my grandma's in San Francisco to have dinner with my folks, whom slowly over the past several years I've been bringing into the world of fine wine. I suppose decades ago they brought me into the world of not-so-fine Ukraine, so it's only fair that I do something for them now. Even my 87 year-old grandma (and doing fine, thank you very much), who treated alcoholics for 30 years as a doctor in Odessa, and has given me many a raised eyebrow when hearing me talk about wine, doesn't mind sipping on some fine Barbaresco herself anymore. What's the world coming to!!! Russian-Jewish meals always have an appetizer course, family-style, with lots of dishes overwhelming the table. Marinated herring is...