Tua Rita Wine Dinner at Casa D'Angelo

“The only way of rendering life endurable is to drink as much wine as one can come by.”
- James Branch Cabell, Beyond Life

And we are trying to drink as much as we can come by over the next few months as the holidays approach as we are too busy here to drink in the month of December.  So there is an incredible line-up of wine event for the next month in a half.

Here is a brief rundown on what we have coming up till the end of November:

10-13:Seven Hills dinner with Erik Mcglaughlin at Cafe Maxx
10-14:Zinfandel Petite Sirah Wine Tasting at Café Maxx
10-15:Cooking Class Oysters and Chocolate
10-16:Vintage Barolo Tasting at Cafe Maxx
10:20:Tua Rita Dinner at Casa D'Angelo
10-21:Pomerol St. Emilion Tasting at Wine Watch
10-22:Drappier Champagne Tasting at Wine Watch
10-23:Symphony of the America Event at Pier 66
10-27:Tablas Creek Wine Dinner at Cafe Maxx
10-27:Antinori Wine Dinner with Alessia Antinori at Casa Di Angelo
10-30:Woodward Canyon at Cafe Maxx Thomas Woodley
10-30:Gaja White Truffle Dinner at Wine Watch

November

11-3:Diana and herve from Vinalba at Wine Watch
11-4:Paulllac versus Margaux Tasting at Wine Watch
11-6:1982 Bordeaux Tasting at Wine Watch
11-10:Testarosa Winery Dinner at Cafe Maxx
11-11:Avinonesi Wine Dinner at Cafe Maxx  Vertical tasting of Desidario at Cafe Maxx
11-12:Chateau Palmer Dinner at the Fontainebleau with Jean-Louis  Carbonnier
11-13:Vintage Port Tasting at Wine Watch
11-14:Discovery Center Event
11-14:I Care I Cure Charity Event at Exclusive Motoring in Miami
11-17:Jed Steel Wine Dinner at Cafe Maxx
11-18:Canalicchio di Sopra Versus Valdicava Brunello Tasting at Wine Watch
11-18:Zap Event
11-19:French Cuisine & Desserts Cooking Class with Champagne at Cafe Maxx
11-20:Vintage Madeira Tasting at Wine Watch going back to 1837
11-21:Champagne Tasting at Wine Watch (This is the Big One 75 -100 different sparking wines)

I am glad to be doing some events with Casa D'Angelo once again.  We have two great events this month at the Fort Lauderdale location and this one with Tua Rita winery will be one of the highlights of the year for Italian wine lovers.

Rita Tua and her husband, Virgilio Bisti, bought approximately 37.5 acres of land in 1984 and planted it with Cabernet and Merlot. They later purchased an additional 17.5 acres of land, bringing the total estate to 55 acres, of which about 45 are planted with vines. The winery released its first vintage in 1992, and soon began receiving praise and accolades from wine enthusiasts worldwide for its rich, full-bodied wines. In just five short years, its 100% Merlot had achieved cult-like status, receiving outstanding ratings from the world’s most prestigious wine critics and publications. Critic Robert M. Parker Jr. said the 1999 Redigaffi was “as close to perfection as a wine can get.” The following year, he gave the 2000 Redigaffi a perfect 100 score. The winery’s Bordeaux blend, Giusti di Notri, also garners near-universal praise.  Little wonder that Tua Rita’s wines are considered among the most difficult to find in Italy.

Tua Rita Wine Dinner at Casa D'Angelo with Guest Speaker Paola Banchi
Tuesday, October 20, 2015
7:00 PM

First Course

Zucchini flowers stuffed with prosciutto & mascarpone cheese on a bed of microgreens & roasted tomato coulis

Tua Rita Perlato del Bosco 2012  
Price: $33.00       Sale $29.04          Case $337

“The 2012 Perlato del Bosco brings together classic Sangiovese flavors with the breadth and power that are typical of the wines of Suvereto. An exceptionally balanced and harmonious wine, the 2012 is built on a core of deeply expressive fruit. Today, the flavors are naturally quite primary, but greater complexity will develop with further time in bottle.”  (92 Points)  Vinous- Antonio Galloni Agosto 2013

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Fat rigatoni with white ragu Genovese style

Tua Rita Giusto di Notri 2011    
Price: $87.00       Sale $76.56          Case $888

One of my favorite Tua Rita wines, the 2011 Giusto di Notri sees 60% Cabernet Sauvignon blended with 30% Merlot and a smaller component of Cabernet Franc. Inky dark and impenetrable, this is a hearty Tuscan red to pair with a succulent slab of charcoal-grilled steak and spicy barbecue marinade. The wine is exceedingly soft and opulent with gorgeous tones of black cherry, rum cake, crushed granite, cured meat, leather and exotic spice. This is a huge wine, in a resoundingly positive way that rewards a beautiful and intense drinking experience. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2028.   Stefano Frascolla and Tua Rita have almost single-handedly put Suvereto on Italy’s winemaking map. His latest releases are nothing short of spectacular.  Wine Advocate #208, Aug 2013

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Grilled bison tenderloin wrapped In speck, cauliflower mash and black mission fig sauce

Tua Rita Syrah 2010           
NA

“Mocha, espresso, plums, blackberries and savory herbs emerge from Tua Rita’s 2010 Syrah. Even with all of its power and intensity, the 2010 never seems to fully come together in the glass, which has been my impression on all three occasions I have tasted it. Today, the 2010 is quite raw and shows less of the visceral thrill of the very best years. Perhaps those qualities will develop in bottle but historically this has been a very showy wine when young, so I have some reservations about that happening.”  92 points Vinous- Antonio Galloni  Agosto 2013

Tua Rita Syrah 2011                  
Price: $250.00    Sale $220.00       Case $2550

“The 2011 Syrah is an outstanding wine that evokes the elegance of the Rhone Valley with that of the Rhone Ranger in California. But it also shows a true Tuscan heart with warm climate tones of ripe blackberry and spice. The wine’s appearance is inky black and its long list of aromas include cured meat, barbecue spice, grilled herb, black mineral and blackberry pie. There’s even a balsamic note of cola or rosemary oil that pops at the end. You can count on a long drinking window with this gorgeous Syrah. Anticipated maturity: 2016-2035.” 97 points Wine Advocate – Monica Larner Settembre 2013

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Polenta crusted rack of lamb, Yukon potato tortino, rosemary sauce

Tua Rita Redigaffi 2010 
Price: $375.00    Sale $330.00       Case $3825

The 2010 Redigaffi is even more impressive with seamless integration of ripe fruit and oak spice that meet each other perfectly in the middle. It soars to new heights of elegance and power, imparting beautiful tones of black fruit, polished river stone, bacon fat and black pepper as it makes its steady ascent. The mouthfeel is fleshy and generous and there is plenty of backbone here to carry the wine forward throughout the years. Anticipated maturity: 2016-2038.   (97 Points) Wine Advocate #208, Aug 2013

Tua Rita Redigaffi 2011     
Price: $353.00    Sale $310.64       Case $3600

The 2011 Redigaffi (one of Italy’s iconic Merlots) is a little shy at first and needs a few extra minutes to warm in the glass. Once it does, it bursts open with sweet fruit, blackberry, dark leather and Oriental spice. The wine is beautifully balanced and enormously expressive. It hits the high notes and the low ones with tip-top precision. I loved the purity of the sweet tobacco and crushed white pepper you get on the seductively long finish. It’s a baby now, and needs more aging time. Anticipated maturity: 2016-2035.  (96 Points) Wine Advocate #208, Aug 2013

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Pistacchio & bufala ricotta cannoli,  Sea salt caramel sauce

Maculan Torcolato 2010 
Price: $45.00       Sale $39.60          Case $459

"The irresistible 2010 Breganze Torcolato (375ml) is 100% Vespaiola aged in both new and used oak. The Vespaiola grape is distinguished by aromas of honey, sweet yellow rose and musky peach. This wine shows those varietal characteristics nicely with added layers of sweet almond, caramel and cinnamon. Fresh acidity is a key contributor to the beauty and balance of the mouthfeel. Drink: 2015-2028. 93 points.

These are some of the best wines I have seen from Maculan. Besides the iconic Fratta red blend, the true standouts are the three precious dessert wines presented this year. "  Monica Larner, Wine Advocate (216)

The price is $350.00 per person all-inclusive, for reservations call 954.564.1234.

A bit about Tua Rita Winery

This estate was purchased in 1984 and was founded on Rita’s and Virgilio’s insistence of retreating to a quite place to spend their retirement by cultivating the land and being with family, their two greatest passions.

It was exactly this enthusiasm that pushed them to concentrate their energies and means to exploit the great potential which this small plot of land was hiding.

The winery, located in Notri in Suvereto, lies approximately 100 meters above sea level and is made up of medium-textured, clayey lands, rich in micro-elements such as iron and zinc that distinguish the wines with “mineral regionality” and in which the international varieties find rather favorable environment.

It was thus by a lucky intuition that the couple planted Merlot  and Cabernet Sauvignon, because by blending the two grape varietals Giusto di Notri was born in 1992, which was an instant sucess in the national and international press for its depth and “Tuscanicity” encountered in the glass.

Later they decided to leave two barriques of Merlot and make them into wine without blending.  In 1994 Redigaffi would become a cult wine and one of the first Italian wines to obtain a perfect 100 point score from Robert Parker Jr. with its 2000 vintage.  It’s praise like this that enabled Tua Rita to be added to the list of the 100 best wineries of the world according to the prestigious Revue du Vin  de France.
An escalation of successes began for Tua Rita that over the years led it to expand and modernize the cellar. Thanks to the collaboration of their son-in-law Stefano Frascolla (owner of the winery of the same name) and of oenologist Dr. Stefano Chioccioli the winery today extends over 50 Hectars of which  30 Hectars are under vine.  Production stands at 110.000 bottles, spread among five red wines and two white ones.

Here is the line-up of wines produced at Tua Rita Winery:

Redigaffi, 100% Merlot this wine spends around about 27 days on the skins and is aged on the lees in new French barriques for about 18 months.  The wine is bottled early June is aged another  6 months in the bottle before released.

Syrah, 100% varietal and is aged in New French barriques for 20 months.

Giusto di Notri, a blend of 30% Merlot, 60 % Cabernet Sauvignon and 10 Cabernet Franc.  Tipical Bordolais blend, it can be considered the most representative wine of the farm.

Harvest during the 2° and 3° week of September, it is vinified in wood for about 25 days and then aged in French barriques being used for the first and second time for about 18 months. After a 6 months bottle-aging it can be release on the market.

Rosso dei Notri can be considered as the second wine of the farm because it is made by using the second selection.  It is a young wine that is made to be enjoyed early.  Harvested during the second and third week of September according to the traditional systems of maceration, the Sangiovese is agied in steel and the other varietals are aged for three months in French barriques.

Lodano is a perfect combination of aromatic grapes such as Traminer, Riesling and Chardonnay. It is unusual find on the Tuscan coast a wine with the characteristics of Lodano, born as an experiment, has a great success in Europe and in the world, thanks to the freshness and softness of its fruity notes.  It is aged for about 8 months in French barriques being used for the first time.

Perlato del Bosco Bianco, this young and fresh wine represents the white grape varieties that are typical of the Tuscan coast.  This wine is aged in steel is ready to drink upon release.

Perlato del Bosco Rosso, a blend of 60% Sangiovese and 40% Cabernet Sauvignon.  We could call the Perlato del Bosco a traditional wine cause is composed by a majority of Sangiovese, but the Cabernet Sauvignon makes it a bit more international in style but it still maintains its typical Tuscan earth.  This wine is vinified for 18 days with the traditional maceration’s system and aged for about 15 months in French barriques used for the second and third time.

Older Vintage Tua Rita wines Available at Wine Watch

2003 Tua Rita Giusto di Notri
Price: $75.00       Your Price: $66.00
Quantity in Stock: 9
 (91 points) Although the 2003 Giusto di Notri, a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc, may not quite reach the level of the 2004 it too is outstanding. Boasting an attractive set of super-ripe fruit, earth, herb and well-integrated oak sensations, it is a plump, juicy Giusto di Notri that should provide its best drinking within the next few years. Like so many 2003s it suffers from slightly hard, drying tannins but there is enough fruit to provide balance and the tannins have become better integrated since I last tasted this wine a few months ago. Anticipated maturity: 2007-2013. Wine Advocate # 169 Feb 2007

2008 Tua Rita Giusto di Norti Rossa Toscana
Price: $88.50       Your Price: $77.88
Quantity in Stock: 3

(93 points) A soft, fruity red, with currant and dark berry notes. Full-bodied and attractive already. The tannins are wonderfully polished and ripe, with a persistent finish. 60 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 30 percent Merlot and 10 percent Cabernet Franc. Best after 2011. –JS