Despite Saturday morning being a little drab and grey, The One and I decided to take a trip to Thame, by way of a change of scenery. Whilst there we visited a couple of kitchen shops, a ladies outfitters (where a very attractive woollen poncho-type-top was acquired) a supermarket and our favourite deli: Umberto's. I mentioned Umberto's last week as the source on two separate occasions of Franciacorta and it is a coincidence that this week's pick was also found there.
Umberto is a charming man who makes shopping in his deli a very enjoyable experience. He has great enthusiasm for everything he sells and make his customers feel they have made great choices, which is as it should be.
I wasn't intending to buy any wine there yesterday, but he had two bottles which he explained were 'bin ends' and that I could have them both for £25, instead of the original £30+ prices that they had been marked up with. The white, a Vermentino, came from Leonardo Da Vinci's estate, so that must be very expensive....
Week T (2019) Dogajolo Carpineto, 2016. Majestic £11.99 (£9.99 mix six).
This is a 'Super-Tuscan'. A bold claim when you consider that Dante, Galileo, Puccini, Da Vinci, Machiavelli, Boccaccio and many more all came from that part of the world. However, in this case the 'super' doesn't mean bigger and better than, rather it means above or at least outside the rules that determined how wines of Tuscany could be made until the 1970's. At that time some producers of Chianti felt the rules were too restrictive and that being limited to Sangiovese as the permitted grape variety was preventing the improvement and development of wine styles in the region and so started making wines using other 'international' varieties even though this meant they had to label the wines as IGT rather than DOC. That is to say, they gave up some marketing advantage in order to follow their own preferences.
This Super-Tuscan is a blend of 70% Sangiovese and 30% Cabernet and 'other varieties', where the exact percentages vary with vintage to give the producer, Carpineto, the ability to manage the flavour profile to get the best balance each year.
Carpineto describe the Dogajolo range as their Baby Super-Tuscans, as they are designed to be drunk young. Interestingly, they recommend a serving temperature of 15-16C in the first year (after production) and then a warmer18-20C thereafter. At the time of drinking we are into year two, so I have not lightly chilled this bottle and will never know if the advice is useful!
We drank it with a meal of sausages, Brussels sprouts, peanut-butter sweet potato gratin and a game of cards, so hardly a classic Tuscan pairing, however, it was very drinkable, soft and fruity and surprisingly well-developed for a young wine.
Umberto's slow-dried pasta, olives, Cannoli and other cakes, pastries and sweetmeats are all outstanding and whilst I will be a little cautious with respect of wine price labels I will certainly look forward to our next visit.
Umberto is a charming man who makes shopping in his deli a very enjoyable experience. He has great enthusiasm for everything he sells and make his customers feel they have made great choices, which is as it should be.
I wasn't intending to buy any wine there yesterday, but he had two bottles which he explained were 'bin ends' and that I could have them both for £25, instead of the original £30+ prices that they had been marked up with. The white, a Vermentino, came from Leonardo Da Vinci's estate, so that must be very expensive....
Week T (2019) Dogajolo Carpineto, 2016. Majestic £11.99 (£9.99 mix six).This is a 'Super-Tuscan'. A bold claim when you consider that Dante, Galileo, Puccini, Da Vinci, Machiavelli, Boccaccio and many more all came from that part of the world. However, in this case the 'super' doesn't mean bigger and better than, rather it means above or at least outside the rules that determined how wines of Tuscany could be made until the 1970's. At that time some producers of Chianti felt the rules were too restrictive and that being limited to Sangiovese as the permitted grape variety was preventing the improvement and development of wine styles in the region and so started making wines using other 'international' varieties even though this meant they had to label the wines as IGT rather than DOC. That is to say, they gave up some marketing advantage in order to follow their own preferences.
This Super-Tuscan is a blend of 70% Sangiovese and 30% Cabernet and 'other varieties', where the exact percentages vary with vintage to give the producer, Carpineto, the ability to manage the flavour profile to get the best balance each year.
Carpineto describe the Dogajolo range as their Baby Super-Tuscans, as they are designed to be drunk young. Interestingly, they recommend a serving temperature of 15-16C in the first year (after production) and then a warmer18-20C thereafter. At the time of drinking we are into year two, so I have not lightly chilled this bottle and will never know if the advice is useful!
We drank it with a meal of sausages, Brussels sprouts, peanut-butter sweet potato gratin and a game of cards, so hardly a classic Tuscan pairing, however, it was very drinkable, soft and fruity and surprisingly well-developed for a young wine.
Umberto's slow-dried pasta, olives, Cannoli and other cakes, pastries and sweetmeats are all outstanding and whilst I will be a little cautious with respect of wine price labels I will certainly look forward to our next visit.
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