Marchesi Di Barolo Dinner at Cafe Maxx with special guest Valentina Abbona

"Wine is dead." - Aimé Guibert

Who is this person Aime Guibert and to start such a horrible rumor!! There should be some punishment to Aime for starting this rumor- unless of course he is already dead. 

This is one of the historic properties of the Piedmont and we are always happy to help spread the word about these wines whenever we have one of our friends who specialize in the Nebbiolo varietal in town. 

A few years ago we did a dinner with Anna Abonna and she was so impressed with the food and our wine drinking people she said that she would be back to repeat the performance the next time they were in town.  This year we have the next generation from this famous property located in the town of Barolo in to share the word about this noble wine producing region.

Chef Oliver Saucy has put together an incredible menu to accompany the wines and we have Valentina Abbona here to tell us the story of the Marchesi Di Barolo Winery.  This dinner is $115 + Tax + gratuity, for reservations call 954-523-9463.

Marchesi Di Barolo Dinner at Cafe Maxx with special guest Valentina Abbona

Wednesday, June 18, 2014 

7:00 PM

 

Pass Arounds

Crispy fried calamari with lemon-garlic remoulade

Herb and pepper seared tuna skewers and balsamic aioli

Grilled prosciutto wrapped shrimp with melon

2011 Marchesi Di Barolo Gavi     

Price: $21.00    Sale $18.48    Case $215

A very light and refreshing wine with aromas of fresh golden apples, chamomile flowers, a light chalky mineral nuance and hints of green almonds.  A light and refreshing wine on the tongue with

2011 Marchesi Di Barolo Dolcetto     

Price: $21.00    Sale $18.48    Case $215

Light blackberry fruit with hints of black earth and dark spice and some dried floral notes.  A very light and refreshing style of red with a short but pleasant finish would be nice slightly chilled on a hot summer day.  Finish 25+    Good +

 

First Course

Sterling silver beef carpaccio, grilled Portobello, shaved parmesan, extra virgin oil Truffle aioli, basil and crostini

2011 Marchesi di Barolo Barbera Maraia     

Price: $14.25    Sale $12.54    Case $146

A forward and fruity wine with blackberries, red fruit jam, spicy hints of vanilla and toasted hazelnut notes.  Bright berry fruit on the tongue with smooth silky tannins and bright fresh acidity pretty floral notes with a short but pleasant finish.  Finish 35+    Very Good

2011 Marchesi Di Barolo Barbera Ruvei     

Price: $21.00    Sale $18.48    Case $215

Dark berry fruit with hints of fresh earth, black truffle and dried floral notes, tar and black spice, very fruity with some nice black earth.  A good amount of black cherry fruit with smooth silky tannins and a good bit of that earthy black tar and truffle notes.  Finish 35+    Very Good +

 

Second course

Hudson Valley foie gras and duck ravioli with Swiss chard and cherry demi glaze

 

2010 Marchesi Di Barolo Barbaresco     

Price: $50.50    Sale $44.44    Case $515

A very pretty bouquet of red cherry fruit with truffle and exotic spices, dried rose petal and red licorice very well endowed.  A solid core of red cherry fruit with an almost liqueur like concentration, with dry tannins at the end and an array of that spice and floral nuance from the nose through the finish.  Finish 45+    Excellent +

 

Third course

Roasted split bone marrow with braised short rib of beef and seared sea scallop

2008 Marchesi Di Barolo Barolo    

Price: $52.50    Sale $46.20    Case $536

This is a classic vintage in the Piedmont which means it will take the wines a bit longer to come around.  Dark spices, tar and truffle notes to the red cherry berry fruit and fine herbs, nice complexity on the nose, absinthe, tobacco spice.  Nice structure on the tongue with layers of dark spices, fresh berry fruit, lovely balance, this wine has a light smoky note through the finish, but has everything in proportion.  Finish 45+    Excellent

2008 Marchesi Di Barolo Barolo Cannubi   

Price: $111.00    Sale $97.68    Case $1132

A very complex array of dark cherry fruit, aromas of roses, vanilla and licorice, exotic spices and toasted oak, notes of absinth.  A very elegant style of Barolo with lots of nuance, truffle and fresh earth with firm tannins and a firm hand of acidity and a dry tannic finish, this wine needs time, tar exotic spices and a long finish.  Finish 50+    Most Excellent

 

Dessert

Café Maxx apple and frangipane tart with caramel sauce and cinnamon ice cream

2012 Marchesi Di Barolo Moscato D'Asti

Price: $19.50    Sale $17.16    Case $199

The aroma is intense, rich in aromatic scents – in particular, it reminds to the orange blossom, peach and apricot – in perfect balance with the low alcohol percentage and the acidity, never very high, which gives the product a pleasant  freshness.

 

Dinner is $115 + Tax + Gratuity, for reservations call 954-523-9463.

 

 

A bit about the Town of Barolo:

 

In the Western Langhe, at about 13 km from Alba, is placed the village that gave the name to the “King of the wines” and that is considered the heart of its whole production. Barolo is a small hilltop village, surrounded by vineyards that every day renew the emotion of the life, whether you are in the sunlight or in the secret dark of some cellar. The property of the “Marchesi di Barolo” is placed in this idyllic atmosphere, where its historical vineyards reinforced by the time-expired and harmoniously pictured on the hills, find, every day, a confirmation for the quality of its grapes and wines.

 

Barolo is not only known for the production of its high quality wine, but also for its history rich of art and culture. The two magnificent castles located in the village are its symbols. The main manor of the village, the “Barolo Castle”, was a stronghold during the Saracen invasion of the X century. In the 1250 the castle became feud of the powerful Falletti family, the Marquis of Barolo, who owned at that time, more than twenty castles and fortresses. In the 1970, after a financial competition called by Barolo population, the castle became property of the municipal administration that decided to turn it into a public structure in the service of the Alba area. Nowadays, it hosts the “Regional Enoteca”, supported by the 11 villages of the Barolo municipality and by a professional hotel school. All the rooms were restructured and now they are open for public visits and wine-tastings. Ethnographic shows that represent jobs and techniques tied to the viticulture and to the wine processes, are the perfect frame for these public events.

 In the square in front of the castle there is the Romanesque “Parrocchiale di San Donato”, an old chapel owned by the Falletti family. Successively, it was enlarged for the public cult. Below the presbytery is in fact placed the sepulcher of all the ancient tenants, from the end of the 1500 to the extinction of the family.

The other manor, the “Volta Castle”, is located between the villages of Novello and La Morra. An old legend narrates that an inhabitant of this castle was used to lead a dissolute life and open its magnificent halls to joyful banquets. A night, after that a lavish dinner was transformed into an orgy, the floor of the “mirrors room” collapsed and the abyss got down all the sinners. Even now, it is told that plaints and shouts can be heard under the old walls and that strange flames can be seen run through the uninhabited halls.

In the vicinity of Barolo, the ancient “Oratorio di San Pietro delle Viole” opens to incredible sceneries that allow to admire the characteristic slow dance of the hilltops: they come one after the other without break.

For almost the entire year, Barolo and Vergne are enlivened by feast days. The cultural and recreational meetings held in the “Barolo Castle”, are periodical appointments. The second Sunday of September there is the “Barolo wine feast”, an ambitious happening that brings together historical customs shows, national contests and a great number of “madonnari” who compete drawing Bacco’s emotions.

 The Cellars of Marchesi di Barolo are located in the village of Barolo, overlooking the castle of the Marquis Falletti.

 In fact, the building which today houses the winery also belonged to the Marquis Falletti and became, upon the extinction of this prestigious dynasty, the site of the charitable foundation called Opera Pia Barolo.

 

La Marchesa Giulia Vittorina Colbert di Maulévrier

 

The Marquise Giulia Vittorina Colbert di Maulévrier, great-grandaughter of the Finance Minister to the Sun King, was born in the Maulévrier Castle in Vandee, France, June 26, 1786 and, in 1806 in Paris, married the Marquis Carlo Tancredi di Barolo.

Once settled in the Palazzo Barolo in Turin, Giulia and her husband worked incessantly to realize ambitious projects geared towards helping the city’s most needy.

 In his book “The Land of Barolo,” Cannon Domenico Massè refers to: “...that type of wine, that goes today by the name of Barolo, made by the Marchesi of Barolo at the beginning of the 1800s, which they produced with all due care on their vast estate at Barolo… In addition to the Marchesi Falletti, another person who made a major contribution to the fame of Barolo was Count Camillo Benso di Cavour, who brought Count Louis Odart to his castle at Grinzane to fabricate the famous Barolo that he served at his diplomatic lunches to the inevitable delight and admiration of his discerning guests”.

 Commendator Emilio Pietro Abbona

 

With the demise of Marquise Giulia Colbert di Maulèvrier in 1864, the line of the Falletti of Barolo came to an end, but her legacy was perpetuated by the still-extant charitable foundation Opera Pia Barolo. At about this very same time, Pietro Abbona was born and, in 1895, began working in the family’s winecellars in Barolo. Thanks to his hard work, tenacity and skill, he was eventually able to acquire the cellars of the Marchesi di Barolo estate, along with the vineyards and the La Volta Castle.

 Thus Massimo Martinelli, in his book Barolo As I Know It, says: “Of the personages connected with the name Barolo, some may be considered of historic importance, real and true pioneers...(of these) people first place goes to Pietro Abbona, undisputed patriarch of Barolo...who, as an unquestionable stand-bearer, made the wine of his region known throughout the world. It was from his winery that Barolo made its first historic steps. His large wood casks (some of which one can still be admired today in the cellars in Barolo) were in fact part of the legacy of the Marquise Falletti. Commendatore Abbona inheredited a longstanding tradition, a love of the vineyards, the wineries and wine itself, and he brought his label displaying the castles of Barolo and Serralunga to the furthest tables. And it is with pleasure that we recall this great contribution.”

 

Neighbor Hood Nights is back at Cafe Maxx    

For those of you who are going to be here for the summer months, relax and enjoy a small slice of luxury right around the corner! Join Darrel & Oliver for dinner, and relax while the summer heats up.

This promotion will be offered four nights a week, every Sunday through Wednesday, beginning Mother’s Day, May 10th, through September 31. Enjoy this summer long promotion featuring an amazing three course summer menu for $40 dollars.

Chef Oliver has been working with his purveyors to provide us with the freshest ingredients at their peak of flavor and value. Oliver and staff wi ll be highlighting seasonal favorites from our ever changing menu. The NEIGHBORHOOD NIGHTS menu will be updated monthly.

Darrel & Oliver’s “Neighborhood Nights” Menu

Three course summer menu $40 dollars; tax and gratuity not included; not valid with any other offer

Menu offered Sunday-Wednesday, thru September

 

First Course

Soup of the day

Slice of Caviar Pie

Caesar Salad prosciutto, Parmigiano Reggiano & garlic croutons

Tempura Fried Calamari, sweet chili vegetable slaw, baby greens & spicy mayo

Kobe Beef Meatballs in Asian barbeque glaze stir fry vegetables with ginger and sesame

Duck & Smoked Mozzarella Ravioli brown butter, basil, sundried tomato and Parmigiano Reggiano

Mediterranean Chop Salad roasted pepper dressing, olives, cucumber, tomatoes, artichokes and feta

Almond Crusted Goat Cheese Salad green beans, endives, peach dressing, frisee greens

Tomato Mozzarella Salad tomato carpaccio, greens, balsamic, basil and onionsDouble Melon & Lobster Gazpacho

 

Main Course

Jumbo Shrimp Scampi fettuccine, tomatoes, primavera vegetables, herbs & pernod garlic butter

Sweet Onion Crusted Snapper, Madeira sauce, seasonal vegetables and gaufrette potatoes

Three Pepper Crusted Petite Fillet Mignon with blue cheese au-gratin, shallot thyme butter & red wine sauce

Bourbon & Peach Lacquered Duck Breast, walnut goat cheese, pearled couscous risotto, grilled peaches, primavera vegetable kale

Grilled Braised Short Ribs of Beef, jalapeno BBQ, roasted corn and andouille polenta, corn sauce, onion rings and seasonal vegetable

Cashew & Macadamia Crusted Tile Fish, tropical fruit salsa, cilantro & coconut milk jasmine rice, crispy plantain, citrus butter

Breast of Chicken Paillard, Wild mushroom marsala, Yukon potato mash and roasted vegetable mix

Sesame & Teriyaki Seared Yellowfin Tuna, citrus ponzu, vegetable slaw, udon noodles

 

Dessert

 

Bread pudding of the day

Fallen Chocolate Soufflé Cake with vanilla ice cream & chocolate sauce

Warm Apple & Frangipane tart with caramel sauce & cinnamon ice cream

Tropical carrot cake with coconut cream cheese frosting

Café Maxx’s Key lime pie

 

May-June 2011 .Café Maxx reserves the right to add gratuity...Visit us on the web: www.cafemaxx.com

• 2601 E. Atlantic Boulevard Pompano Beach FL 33062 • phone:  954.782.0606 • fax: 954.782.0648

 

Please be advised that parts of our menu may contain raw or scarcely cooked selections that may be harmful to those with compromised immune systems or those who may be pregnant