Avignonesi Vino Nobile Di Montepulciano Wine Tasting with Special Guest Gabriele D'Errico

“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....

I have also always said that Vino Nobile de Montepulciano is the best value in Tuscany, you get a similar quality wine to Brunello di Montalcino at close to 50% of the price and Avignonesi is one of the benchmark wineries from this region. 

I’m trying to keep the Wine Bar busy every Thursday Friday and Saturday night with a great opportunity to come out and drink with us so you can plan on us hosting a great wine tasting at least three nights a week until Thanksgiving and then its holiday gift box time.   

We have the ambassador for Avignonesi winery Gabriele D'Errico here this evening to talk about the wines and to tell us the story of this most excellent winery from Tuscany.  The fee for this tasting is $125 + tax and this includes dinner!  For reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com.

Avignonesi Wine Tasting at Wine Watch with Special guest Gabriele D'Errico
Friday, October 11st
7:30 PM

2005 Avignonesi Sauvignon Blanc Cortona
Price: $19.75   Sale $17.38     Quantity in Stock: 32
I don’t know if they still make this wine but we have a bunch of it and the last time I tasted it the wine was still excellent! 

Avignonesi Rosso di Montepulciano 2017
Price: $16.25       Sale $14.30

The Rosso di Montepulciano is delicately spicy, with intense aromas of red berry fruits and hints of linden in flower with an elegant touch of violets. The flavor is smooth, complex and long lingering, expressing a beautiful harmony between freshness, acidity and sweetness.
90% Sangiovese, 10% Canaiolo and Colorino

Avignonesi Vino Nobile di Montepulciano 2015
Price: $22.25       Sale $19.58

(92 Points) Since acquiring the property in 2009, Virginie Saverys has worked to convert all 162-plus hectares of vineyards to organic and biodynamic practices. In 2015 the Sangiovese was harvested relatively early, between 10-28 September. Hints of dried rose petals, violet, pepper and black tea add complexity to fragrant red cherry and strawberry. While light on its feet and immediately appealing, it has the substance and structure to hold for the next eight years.  Decanter

Avignonesi Vino Nobile “Poggetto di Sopra” 2015
Price: $64.25       Sale $56.54

The Alliance is a group of six Nobile producers - Salcheto, Poliziano, La Braccesca, Dei, Boscarelli, and Avignonesi - all sharing the  dedication  to  Nobile’s  rediscovery.  The  six  winemakers  have  coordinated  their  respective  work  and  each  crafted  a  cru  100% Sangiovese Nobile  specifically for this project.The Poggetto di Sopra brings out the characteristics of its environment, recalling the clay soil it lays upon.
PASSIONATE like the radiant sun of this vintage...Harmonious wines warm and charming on the canvas the marriage between light and matter. The variable weather conditions of this vintage with the right timing enabled us to make powerful, yet elegant wines.
The wine shows grace and elegance, the bouquet is complex with tones of raspberry tart, indian spices, especially clove and cardamom. The tannins are silky with a long lingering finish.

Avignonesi Desiderio 2014
Price: $52.25       Sale $45.98

The Desiderio Merlot is named after the white bull you see on the label. This impressive animal, weighing 1,673 kg / 3,688 lbs, lived on Avignonesi's estate Le Capezzine towards the end of the 19th century. He was, in fact, the largest bull in Cortona and was used to sire the rest of the cattle from the local breed "Chianina" in the region. The Chianina has earned its fame as the breed which gives us the delicious meat for the famous "bistecca fiorentina " (Florentine T-bone steak) and is easily recognizable due to its striking white colour. The bull Desiderio is known and recognized as one of the forefathers of the Chianina breed, together with another bull by the name of Donetto. In fact, when you savour a bistecca fiorentina today, there is a good chance you will find some Desiderio DNA in it. Avignonesi decided to honour this majestic animal by naming one of its most emblematic wines after it: the Desiderio Merlot, which, just like the bull, is full, impressive, and sensual.

Avignonesi Grifi 2012
Price: $34.50       Sale $30.36

(90 points) Offers a core of pure cherry and blackberry, accented by tar, underbrush and leather flavors. Winds down, revealing a layer of strict tannins on the long finish. Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon. Best from 2019 through 2027. 2,150 cases made. -BS (Oct 31 2017) Wine Spectator

Avignonesi 50/50 2012
Price: $112.00    Sale $98.56

50&50 has a deep, dark ruby colour. It has huge depth on the nose revealing gorgeous aromas of black cherries, raspberries and tea leaves, with a core of vanilla, roasted almonds, tobacco and leather. On the palate, it is warm and elegant with firm tannins and a solid structure which is lifted by a well-balanced acidity. Luscious, with a very long, caressing finish.
"The unique merge of Chianti Classico Sangiovese and Cortona Merlot, 50&50 is an extraordinary wine which mirrors the incredible span of Tuscan wine quality across the appellations. A visionary wine. "

Avignonesi Vin Santo (375ml) 2002
Price: $238.50    Sale $209.88
(97 points) This is an impossibly delicious wine born under one very lucky star. The 2002 Vin Santo di Montepulciano undergoes such a long aging regime in tiny oak vessels, everything must line up perfectly if the wine is to show this level of quality and perfection. Any minimal spoilage or oxidation in any single barrel could mean destruction. I tasted this sample in a precious 100 milliliter bottle. The bouquet puts forth a stunning array of honey, candied fruit, dried apricot and brown sugar aromas.  Monica Larner, Wine Advocate (Issue # 234 - Dec 2017)

Menu
Tuscan White Bean & Escarole Soup with Pecorino-Rosemary Croutons
Gnocchi with Sage Brown Butter & Recorino
Rosemary, Sage & Fontina Stuffed Pork Loin wrapped in Prosciutto served with Wild Mushroom-Sangiovese Natural Sauce served with Grilled Vegetable Au Gratin
Hazelnut Biscotti with Orange Lavender Honey

The fee for this tasting which includes dinner is $125 + tax for reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com

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.

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

They respect the heritage of Montepulciano, where Sangiovese wines have been produced for centuries, and they wish to contribute to its future by being the finest representative of its heritage that they can be. They 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.  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.

Virginie was born in Ghent, Belgium and graduated in law from the University of Paris in 1983. Virginie was brought up in a family that always enjoyed fine wines and, as a wine lover, decided to invest in the Avignonesi winery in 2007, after having retired from her highly successful legal career and moving to Tuscany.  In 2009 she bought the whole of Avignonesi with the intention of taking a winery already recognised for its quality, innovative research and experimentation to a new level of excellence.

She is a strong believer in organic products and homeopathic medicine, so converting the winery to sustainable farming methods was a natural choice. Her aim at Avignonesi is to produce wines which do not only mirror the distinct identity of the terroir of Montepulciano, but wines which are healthier for her customers, healthier for the land and therefore for future generations.

We have one bottle of the ultra rare…

1986 Avignonesi Vin Santo Occhio di Pernice (375ml)
Price: $350.00    Sale $308.00       Quantity in Stock: 1

This is a truly unique, produced with the best grapes of Sangiovese and aged 10 years in small barriques.  Dense and dark, Occhio di Pernice is rich with aromas of dates, dried plums, and fruitcake, coupled with warm baking spices and candied lemon.  A “Once in a Lifetime” wine experience!