Avignonesi Tasting at Wine Watch

“Most bad," the host concluded. "If you ask me, something sinister lurks in men who avoid wine, games, the company of lovely women, and dinnertime conversation. Such people are either gravely ill or secretly detest everyone around them.”

― Mikhail Bulgakov, The Master and Margarita

I have always said I don't trust people that don't drink wine....

We have a lot going on next week with one of our biggest charity events of the year coming up on Wednesday April 23rd, Share our Strength's taste of the Nation Palm Beach. 

Every year we get a few winery personalities coming in for the event so I figured we should have an event the night before to warm up the palate.

I have always said that Vino Nobile de Montepulciano is the best value in Tuscany for a high level wine.  You can get a similar quality wine that you can find in Montalcino for close to ½ of the price and Avignonesi this is one of the benchmark wineries from this region.  Join us as we welcome Giuseppe Santarelli director of Sales for Avignonesi winery from Montepulciano to town as we sample the new releases from this winery along with a few older releases that Giuseppe has sent in for this evening.

Join us as we showcase the newest releases from this winery along with a few small courses prepared by Wine Watch Caterings Toni Lampasone.  The fee for this tasting is $65 + tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463.

Avignonesi Tasting at Wine WatchTuesday, April 22, 20147:00 PM

Avignonesi Rosso di Montepulciano 2011

Price: $20.00 Sale $17.60 Case $204

Medium ruby red color with typical varietal aromas including strawberries, raspberries, fresh blood plums and cranberries with hints of rosemary and thyme. A burst of fruit on the palate leads way into velvety tannins balanced by a fresh acidity and a long lasting, delicately spicy finish.

Avignonesi Vino Nobile di Montepulciano 2011 

Price: $32.00 Sale $28.16 Case $327

These wines are made from 100% Estate fruit, they cut the production to do this and they are all biodynamically farmed, 100% Sangiovese with minimal use of new oak, 2nd and 3rd passage.  Fresh plowed earth, dark spices, coco and some floral notes, nice complexity with dark cherry and wild strawberry fruit, dried meats, opens up nicely but needs some time.  A good amount of freshness and dark cherry fruit with fresh herbs and some dark earth and spice notes nice complexity here, balanced finish.  Finish 40+ Excellent

Avignonesi Vino Nobile di Montepulciano 2005

NA

The estate’s 2005 Vino Nobile di Montepulciano is an accessible, easygoing wine. The wine offers an attractive perfumed quality to its fruit, with excellent length and poise. It should drink well over the next few years. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2012. Avignonesi remains a solid producer in the Montepulciano and Cortona appelations, yet it is with their Vin Santos that the estate truly excels. These are some of the most unique and intense sweet wines being made anywhere, even if the 1996s don’t seem to possess the complexity of the very finest vintages.   Wine Advocate #177, Jun 2008

Avignonesi Desiderio Merlot 2010  

Price: $64.00 Sale $56.32 Case $653

Intense, deep red in colour, this wine shows ripe and fresh forest fruits such as blueberry and raspberry. Lots of character. Desiderio 2010 is long, silky and full-bodied, with a concentrated, harmonic structure accentuated by a vibrant acidity.

Avignonesi Desiderio Merlot 2003

NA

This is an older vintage of this wine and should be showing beautiful right now.   

Avignonesi Grifi Toscana IGT 2010

Price: $60.00 Sale $52.80 Case $612 

60% Sangiovese and 40% Cabernet Sauvignon.  Bright ruby red colour with aromas of fresh red fruits such as cherries underlined by hints of rosemary, thyme and undergrowth. Intriguing and seductive, this potent wine has a notable, yet soft tannin structure with a long, savoury finish.

Menu

Wild Mushroom Carpaccio finished with Roasted Garlic Aioli & Parmesan Crisps

Orecchiette Pasta tossed with Lamb Ragu and finished with EVOO and crunchy ciabatta bread

A bit about Avignonesi Winery:

The winery is named after the Avignonesi family, the founders of the original estate. Constant research and development aimed at expressing the true character of the Montepulciano terroir has, over time, earned the winery a well-deserved place among the flagship producers of Tuscany. In 2009, Avignonesi was acquired by Virginie Saverys who has since introduced organic farming methods to craft distinct, genuine wines with an even stronger character, and has acquired additional vineyards and a state-of-the-art winemaking facility in the Montepulciano appellation.

We believe that the life force of the earth and the uniqueness of our terroir are at the heart of our brand. Avignonesi is reborn from the soil of our vineyards with each vintage in wines that mirror the subtle flavours of the site and the special traits of each year. Our wines express the richness and beauty of the Montepulciano territory.

We respect the heritage of Montepulciano, where Sangiovese wines have been produced for centuries, and we wish to contribute to its future by being the finest representative of its heritage that we can be. We respect the innate character of each wine and seek to follow its natural evolutionary path from the soil to the cellar and - finally - to the bottle.

    “Healthier wines for healthier people, but also a healthier land and a healthier environment to pass on to future generations.”