(FLACCIANELLO Fontodi) UPDATE: 2009 - The Importance of Being Earnest While it is still far too early to make broad-based generalizations regarding 2009, I will cautiously do so anyway. The 2009 vintage in France continues to take shape and, after talking with prominent winemakers in the Cote d'Beaune, Cote d'Nuits and Bordeaux the style and potential of the vintage has become clearer. 2009 is a powerful, low-acid vintage with a streak of 2003, a dose of 2005 and something like 1990 or even 1982 in the mix. It is more 1947 than 1961 - different strokes that have proven to be equally collectable. From a drinking standpoint, classicists may prove to enjoy 2005 more than 2009 (due to 2005's tannic sense of power) but you cannot discount the unique nature of 2009: massively ripe, low-acid material that should retain a sultry sense of dignity and never get to 2003 levels. One winemaker called 2009 the Oscar Wilde vintage where 2005 was more Byron meets Carl Sandburg. Alcohols are high, higher than 2005 (in a 1947 or 1959-like way) but not as high as 2003. As I penned last week, classicists should be stocking up on 2008 in Bordeaux and 2007 in Burgundy - transparent vintages with plenty of intrigue. Those that like riper more exotic fruit (but found 2003 too much) should be enthralled with the lower acid, lower tannin frame of the 2009's. The fruit is, in many cases, as close to perfect as some remember but "perfect" is in the eye of the beholder. There are already Pomerol producers making outlandish claims with phrases such as "a rebirth of 1947" - we'll see, but the John Kapon's of the world are certainly licking their chops. So, Vintage of the Century? Probably not, but many will make the case that this is the most flamboyant vintage since 1982 and everyone knows how that turned out from an investment and drinking perspective... Stay tuned. - Jon Rimmerman *********************** Shipping The fall shipping season is slated to begin in mid-late October and last through Thanksgiving and/or early December (if the weather cooperates). We will keep you updated over the next few weeks but expect parcels to arrive on the East Coast the week of October 26th. Midwest, West Coast, Northwest, Mountain, Southwest and Southeast will follow thereafter. Please remember, you may receive as many as 3-4 different shipments during the season. What you receive on your first shipment has little or no baring on what you may ultimately receive by the end of the season. The jigsaw puzzle of packing is formed by actual arrival dates of the wine, not by offer date - therefore, you may receive something you ordered only a week ago but not something from six months ago that is still in-bound. WE WANT YOU TO GET YOUR WINE - we work as hard as we can and as long as we can to pack and ship your wine as soon as it arrives. If you are frustrated over long pre-arrival times, remember this rule: winemakers have a mind of their own - schedules set with us are rarely followed - they have better things to do such as chop wood for the upcoming winter or corral a herd of wild boars instead of putting BATF stickers on the bottles. In other words, there is no ill-will on their part and you will eventually get your wine, they just live a different life than you or I which dictates different priorities - precisely why they were so alluring to begin with. In the end, we nudge and cajole and eventually the wine shows up - we just have to be patient. The good news is that this year, schedules have worked out quite well. The vast majority of wine/food from the winter/spring/summer has already arrived or is in-bound and will arrive with plenty of time to ship - it should be a banner shipping season with very few carry-overs. In addition, there should be no surprise when a box (or boxes) arrive at your doorstep - UPS will send you an email alert several days prior to arrival so you can plan accordingly. Watch this column for upcoming departure dates in October and November. The wait is almost over! ************************* Weekend Dear Friends, A few wines of interest, both have had a large number of re-order requests so here you go... 2006 Walnut Block Pinot Noir (Marlborough) LIMITED 6/person The Walnut Block is a wine many of you have enjoyed but found it too expensive at $30 or more. I was just offered this parcel at a laughable price and it's too good of a deal to pass up. Produced to compete at a very high level (with the best of Marlborough and Otago) the Walnut Block is a great everyday alternative to more expensive Oregon and New Zealand wines. 2006 Fontodi Flaccianello (Panzano) LIMITED 24/person We're already offered this wine in formats up to 18.0lt but we continue to receive 750ml requests almost every day - I've finally found a parcel and it's winery direct. Basically, the winery is sold out of the 2006 - they are not holding back stock like the Bordelaise to artificially inflate demand and price. What's out in the world is what there is - there's no additional wine to off-set depletions. For the lowest prices, try some of the grey market sources such as Premier Cru (at last check they has this for $59-69) or even Woodland Hills on 2nd tranche at $90-95. If they are sold out, there are a myriad of sources in Europe with a few bottles available in the $50's and many of them will direct ship to you from the UK or Germany. With that, this is the last of the winery-direct stock available - it's not cheap but it has the finest provenance you can find. To put this in perspective, US wholesale on this wine is now over $100 and I expect auction values to follow suit. 99pt wines are few and far between and they usually continue to escalate in price as stock dwindles. This parcel is directly from Fontodi: Thank you, Jon Rimmerman Garagiste Seattle, WA NZ7460 Italy9234
(FLACCIANELLO Fontodi) 2006 Flaccianello Dear Friends, Ok, we don't have 750ml's but we do have 18.0lt's. These are absurdly expensive but only a few were made (I believe 3 of each). Together, the two formats represent the majority of the best barrel of 2006 Flaccianello that Giovanni Manetti personally selected. As a cellar center-piece, the bottles are jaw-dropping to look at. I'm not sure how you improve upon one of my favorite wines of the year but either of these are convincing subjects. In addition, high-level acclaim plus extreme rarity usually add up to something with interesting collectable value down the road... Both are directly from the winery with impeccable provenance, to be transported on their own pallet: 2006 Fontodi Flaccianello 12.0lt 2006 Fontodi Flaccianello 18.0lt Thank you, Jon Rimmerman Garagiste Seattle, WA Italy6341 Italy6342
(FLACCIANELLO) 2006 Flaccianello Dear Friends, I remember standing outside the winery, talking to Giovanni Manetti of Fontodi two years ago about the 2004 vintage but he couldn't stop giggling. When I asked him why (I found it to be somewhat rude) he said he couldn't help it. He had just walked out of the barrel room a moment before our meeting and his mind was obviously still within its walls. I asked him what he was doing and he replied "looking at the 2006s - the greatest vintage of my life". Not sure what else I can add to that. The 2006 vintage in Tuscany is going to have a lasting impact on the market (both primary and and at auction). It is just what the doctor ordered for an Italian contingent scrambling to combat a slumping world economy and relative ambivalence to great examples like 2004 Brunello. The 2006s have exemplary quality and they will undoubtedly have the critical praise to match, a pre-requisite to stimulate consumer spending. It will be tough to downplay the 2006s no matter what camp you are in - they are magical from a variety of perspectives. With any top year, there are a handful of wines that are a notch above everything else. While I have yet to try all of the top bottled 2006s, my guess is that (along with the 2006 Ornellaia and a few other contenders), this will vie in the long run for WOTV honors among a group that is probably the most successful as a whole since 1990. From barrel, this wine had elements of 1989 and 1990 Bordeaux mixed with something like a top vintage of Soldera - it's a ravishing and potent take on a specific slice of ground near Panzano that takes your breath away simply due to its iron-clad purity and varietal character. Despite it's masculine power, it is still balanced and multi-layered in the way the very best examples in the world are - like a complete 24 hour day instead of just the sunrise. Antonio Galloni doesn't dole out 96pt scores very often for Sangiovese (I think this is the highest rating he's ever given a pure Tuscan Sangiovese - maybe a vintage of Percarlo or Cerbaiona received 96pts but that's it). If you have the patience and a cold cellar, this wine should age into a magnificent snapshot of one estate's dream to produce the finest wine in the world. A few little-known facts about Flaccianello and Fontodi: 1) Fontodi is a self-sufficient/sustainable farm - no pesticides, herbicides or chemicals are ever used. Twenty-two cows reside on the property that produce manure and compost for the soil - they are fed a strict diet of grass and natural products only produced on the farm - this is truly a cycle of life situation as they eat what they (in some way) help produce. 2) The first vintage of Flaccianello was 1981 - they thought it would be the only one after a poor year...then came 1982. 3) No yeast or culture is added - only the wild yeast of the property starts the fermentation. 4) In 2006, there was no rain in September and in October which Manetti believes added a special, deep perfume to the nose absent in other great years like 2004. This resulted in a vintage with 30-40% less wine as a whole (keep that in mind). 5) They produce a Pinot Noir with vines taken from Burgundy in the mid 1980s. With such a small parcel, only 200-300+ cases can be produced. Giovanni Manetti makes the wine himself without Franco Bernabei's help (Bernabei helps make the Chianti and Flaccianello): As a side note, I normally go to bat for other retailers with great prices but not this time. While the wine is available from Premier Cru, I would be very certain they can deliver it before committing your hard-earned money (if you see this listed for less than $99.99 in the US, I would be suspect). After listening to Fontodi and their rant about grey market betrayal over the last few vintages by some of their best wholesalers around the world, it is a very safe bet that many of the normal European or Asian sources will never see 2006 Flaccianello. My guess is that the European/Asian grey market suppliers have been pre-selling something they think they can get at a price that is basically winery cost. What I do know is Fontodi has not issued pricing to any market except the US - they've also decided not to send 2006 Flaccianello to any market except the US until at least summer/fall of 2009 so they can keep track of it - none in Italy, the rest of Europe or Asia (I would be suspect if you see current listings in Italy under $80 as well). In the wine trade, fall of 2009 is a long time from now and a lot can happen. The winery wants to eliminate the grey market for their goods and the only way to do so is to send one shipment at a time and to keep track of every bottle via a numbering system. The above paragraph is not intended as a scare tactic or other - I know many of you are tempted by low-prices with "pre-arrival" situations but this is one instance where the uncertainty of delivery is quite high. With that said, our parcel is set to dock in in March and will be delivered to you during the spring shipping season. This lot is directly from Fontodi's cellar with the finest provenance available. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED as a potential legend in the making: 2006 Flaccianello della Pieve (Fontodi) It will ship during the spring shipping season. Thank you, Jon Rimmerman Garagiste Seattle, WA Italy6939
By Jon Rimmerman
(FLACCIANELLO Fontodi) UPDATE: 2009 - The Importance of Being Earnest While it is still far too early to make broad-based generalizations regarding 2009, I will cautiously do so anyway. The 2009 vintage in France continues to take shape and, after talking with prominent winemakers in the Cote d'Beaune, Cote d'Nuits and Bordeaux the style and potential of the vintage has become clearer. 2009 is a powerful, low-acid vintage with a streak of 2003, a dose of 2005 and something like 1990 or even 1982 in the mix. It is more 1947 than 1961 - different strokes that have proven to be equally collectable. From a drinking standpoint, classicists may prove to enjoy 2005 more than 2009 (due to 2005's tannic sense of power) but you cannot discount the unique nature of 2009: massively ripe, low-acid material that should retain a sultry sense of dignity and never get to 2003 levels. One winemaker called 2009 the Oscar Wilde vintage where 2005 was more Byron meets Carl Sandburg. Alcohols are high, higher than 2005 (in a 1947 or 1959-like way) but not as high as 2003. As I penned last week, classicists should be stocking up on 2008 in Bordeaux and 2007 in Burgundy - transparent vintages with plenty of intrigue. Those that like riper more exotic fruit (but found 2003 too much) should be enthralled with the lower acid, lower tannin frame of the 2009's. The fruit is, in many cases, as close to perfect as some remember but "perfect" is in the eye of the beholder. There are already Pomerol producers making outlandish claims with phrases such as "a rebirth of 1947" - we'll see, but the John Kapon's of the world are certainly licking their chops. So, Vintage of the Century? Probably not, but many will make the case that this is the most flamboyant vintage since 1982 and everyone knows how that turned out from an investment and drinking perspective... Stay tuned. - Jon Rimmerman *********************** Shipping The fall shipping season is slated to begin in mid-late October and last through Thanksgiving and/or early December (if the weather cooperates). We will keep you updated over the next few weeks but expect parcels to arrive on the East Coast the week of October 26th. Midwest, West Coast, Northwest, Mountain, Southwest and Southeast will follow thereafter. Please remember, you may receive as many as 3-4 different shipments during the season. What you receive on your first shipment has little or no baring on what you may ultimately receive by the end of the season. The jigsaw puzzle of packing is formed by actual arrival dates of the wine, not by offer date - therefore, you may receive something you ordered only a week ago but not something from six months ago that is still in-bound. WE WANT YOU TO GET YOUR WINE - we work as hard as we can and as long as we can to pack and ship your wine as soon as it arrives. If you are frustrated over long pre-arrival times, remember this rule: winemakers have a mind of their own - schedules set with us are rarely followed - they have better things to do such as chop wood for the upcoming winter or corral a herd of wild boars instead of putting BATF stickers on the bottles. In other words, there is no ill-will on their part and you will eventually get your wine, they just live a different life than you or I which dictates different priorities - precisely why they were so alluring to begin with. In the end, we nudge and cajole and eventually the wine shows up - we just have to be patient. The good news is that this year, schedules have worked out quite well. The vast majority of wine/food from the winter/spring/summer has already arrived or is in-bound and will arrive with plenty of time to ship - it should be a banner shipping season with very few carry-overs. In addition, there should be no surprise when a box (or boxes) arrive at your doorstep - UPS will send you an email alert several days prior to arrival so you can plan accordingly. Watch this column for upcoming departure dates in October and November. The wait is almost over! ************************* Weekend Dear Friends, A few wines of interest, both have had a large number of re-order requests so here you go... 2006 Walnut Block Pinot Noir (Marlborough) LIMITED 6/person The Walnut Block is a wine many of you have enjoyed but found it too expensive at $30 or more. I was just offered this parcel at a laughable price and it's too good of a deal to pass up. Produced to compete at a very high level (with the best of Marlborough and Otago) the Walnut Block is a great everyday alternative to more expensive Oregon and New Zealand wines. 2006 Fontodi Flaccianello (Panzano) LIMITED 24/person We're already offered this wine in formats up to 18.0lt but we continue to receive 750ml requests almost every day - I've finally found a parcel and it's winery direct. Basically, the winery is sold out of the 2006 - they are not holding back stock like the Bordelaise to artificially inflate demand and price. What's out in the world is what there is - there's no additional wine to off-set depletions. For the lowest prices, try some of the grey market sources such as Premier Cru (at last check they has this for $59-69) or even Woodland Hills on 2nd tranche at $90-95. If they are sold out, there are a myriad of sources in Europe with a few bottles available in the $50's and many of them will direct ship to you from the UK or Germany. With that, this is the last of the winery-direct stock available - it's not cheap but it has the finest provenance you can find. To put this in perspective, US wholesale on this wine is now over $100 and I expect auction values to follow suit. 99pt wines are few and far between and they usually continue to escalate in price as stock dwindles. This parcel is directly from Fontodi: Thank you, Jon Rimmerman Garagiste Seattle, WA NZ7460 Italy92349/26/2009, (See more on Garagiste...)
By Jon Rimmerman
(FLACCIANELLO Fontodi) 2006 Flaccianello Dear Friends, Ok, we don't have 750ml's but we do have 18.0lt's. These are absurdly expensive but only a few were made (I believe 3 of each). Together, the two formats represent the majority of the best barrel of 2006 Flaccianello that Giovanni Manetti personally selected. As a cellar center-piece, the bottles are jaw-dropping to look at. I'm not sure how you improve upon one of my favorite wines of the year but either of these are convincing subjects. In addition, high-level acclaim plus extreme rarity usually add up to something with interesting collectable value down the road... Both are directly from the winery with impeccable provenance, to be transported on their own pallet: 2006 Fontodi Flaccianello 12.0lt 2006 Fontodi Flaccianello 18.0lt Thank you, Jon Rimmerman Garagiste Seattle, WA Italy6341 Italy63429/14/2009, (See more on Garagiste...)
By Jon Rimmerman
(FLACCIANELLO) 2006 Flaccianello Dear Friends, I remember standing outside the winery, talking to Giovanni Manetti of Fontodi two years ago about the 2004 vintage but he couldn't stop giggling. When I asked him why (I found it to be somewhat rude) he said he couldn't help it. He had just walked out of the barrel room a moment before our meeting and his mind was obviously still within its walls. I asked him what he was doing and he replied "looking at the 2006s - the greatest vintage of my life". Not sure what else I can add to that. The 2006 vintage in Tuscany is going to have a lasting impact on the market (both primary and and at auction). It is just what the doctor ordered for an Italian contingent scrambling to combat a slumping world economy and relative ambivalence to great examples like 2004 Brunello. The 2006s have exemplary quality and they will undoubtedly have the critical praise to match, a pre-requisite to stimulate consumer spending. It will be tough to downplay the 2006s no matter what camp you are in - they are magical from a variety of perspectives. With any top year, there are a handful of wines that are a notch above everything else. While I have yet to try all of the top bottled 2006s, my guess is that (along with the 2006 Ornellaia and a few other contenders), this will vie in the long run for WOTV honors among a group that is probably the most successful as a whole since 1990. From barrel, this wine had elements of 1989 and 1990 Bordeaux mixed with something like a top vintage of Soldera - it's a ravishing and potent take on a specific slice of ground near Panzano that takes your breath away simply due to its iron-clad purity and varietal character. Despite it's masculine power, it is still balanced and multi-layered in the way the very best examples in the world are - like a complete 24 hour day instead of just the sunrise. Antonio Galloni doesn't dole out 96pt scores very often for Sangiovese (I think this is the highest rating he's ever given a pure Tuscan Sangiovese - maybe a vintage of Percarlo or Cerbaiona received 96pts but that's it). If you have the patience and a cold cellar, this wine should age into a magnificent snapshot of one estate's dream to produce the finest wine in the world. A few little-known facts about Flaccianello and Fontodi: 1) Fontodi is a self-sufficient/sustainable farm - no pesticides, herbicides or chemicals are ever used. Twenty-two cows reside on the property that produce manure and compost for the soil - they are fed a strict diet of grass and natural products only produced on the farm - this is truly a cycle of life situation as they eat what they (in some way) help produce. 2) The first vintage of Flaccianello was 1981 - they thought it would be the only one after a poor year...then came 1982. 3) No yeast or culture is added - only the wild yeast of the property starts the fermentation. 4) In 2006, there was no rain in September and in October which Manetti believes added a special, deep perfume to the nose absent in other great years like 2004. This resulted in a vintage with 30-40% less wine as a whole (keep that in mind). 5) They produce a Pinot Noir with vines taken from Burgundy in the mid 1980s. With such a small parcel, only 200-300+ cases can be produced. Giovanni Manetti makes the wine himself without Franco Bernabei's help (Bernabei helps make the Chianti and Flaccianello): As a side note, I normally go to bat for other retailers with great prices but not this time. While the wine is available from Premier Cru, I would be very certain they can deliver it before committing your hard-earned money (if you see this listed for less than $99.99 in the US, I would be suspect). After listening to Fontodi and their rant about grey market betrayal over the last few vintages by some of their best wholesalers around the world, it is a very safe bet that many of the normal European or Asian sources will never see 2006 Flaccianello. My guess is that the European/Asian grey market suppliers have been pre-selling something they think they can get at a price that is basically winery cost. What I do know is Fontodi has not issued pricing to any market except the US - they've also decided not to send 2006 Flaccianello to any market except the US until at least summer/fall of 2009 so they can keep track of it - none in Italy, the rest of Europe or Asia (I would be suspect if you see current listings in Italy under $80 as well). In the wine trade, fall of 2009 is a long time from now and a lot can happen. The winery wants to eliminate the grey market for their goods and the only way to do so is to send one shipment at a time and to keep track of every bottle via a numbering system. The above paragraph is not intended as a scare tactic or other - I know many of you are tempted by low-prices with "pre-arrival" situations but this is one instance where the uncertainty of delivery is quite high. With that said, our parcel is set to dock in in March and will be delivered to you during the spring shipping season. This lot is directly from Fontodi's cellar with the finest provenance available. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED as a potential legend in the making: 2006 Flaccianello della Pieve (Fontodi) It will ship during the spring shipping season. Thank you, Jon Rimmerman Garagiste Seattle, WA Italy69392/27/2009, (See more on Garagiste...)