Helping a friend with a north-east Italian Wine List

I am helping a friend in northeast Ohio who is opening a restaurant featuring northeast Italian cuisine. This will be a high end restaurant with a James Beard chef. we are in the process of meeting with local vendors to put together a wine list including glass pours, and also some bottle pours. Obviously, the vendors are mostly showing us by the glass stuff which is fine. Of course, on prerequisite is that the wine is available in Ohio (or can be). Thiese, Skurnik and Rosenthal wines are represented in part, but if anyone has a suggestion, I would love to hear it. Here is a look at what I tasted this week, more to come next week:

• 2006 Cliff Lede Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap District 91 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Stags Leap District

  (4/6/2013)

  This is in a very nice place right now. It is not a super ripe cab but there is plenty of fruit. Shows nice underlying layering. Held up just fine over two nights, so no worry on timing. Might get more complex, I am not sure about better. It is an outstanding wine that provides nice value on Napa terms.

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• 2010 Domaine Huet Vouvray Sec Le Mont 92 Points

  France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray

  (4/6/2013)

  I think 2010 is a great vintage for Huet. This was from a 375. It is still showing as a baby. Great acidity. Nice fruit. Medium bodied. These are so delicious young.

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• 2003 Château Branaire-Ducru 92 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Saint-Julien

  (4/8/2013)

  A bit of funk but not much. It drinks about like how I would expect it to drink around 10 years from vintage. Not for the long haul? Perhaps, but this is certainly a twenty year wine based on this bottle. Plenty of fruit left, just started to show some layering. Glad to have a couple more in the cellar.

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