2009 Abbazia di Novacella Kerner at Gary's Wine & Marketplace NJ Wine Store

http://www.garyswine.com/fine_wine/italy/14727.html

Wine Advocate 90 Pts and Tremendous Value from Italy
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At a recent dinner featuring a great lineup of wines like Solaia, Quintarelli Amarone, and Shafer Hillside Select there was another wine that shined that isn't nearly as popular or similarly priced. It was the white wine that started the evening off, the 2009 Abbazia di Novacella Kerner. The perfect crisp white with great flavors of white fruits, with minerality and good weight as well.

I know what you're saying. What is Kerner? Kerner is a hybrid grape produced by a crossing of Trollinger (a red grape variety) and Riesling. Think of it as a Riesling with a bit more character and more full-bodied.

Anyway, it's a great bottle of wine that needs to be tasted to understand just how good it is. How many of us have actually tasted a Kerner before? Try this delicious example of Kerner and add another variety to your lifetime list of grapes tasted.

Antonio Galloni Wine Advocate 90 Points -- The 2009 Kerner is another fabulous wine from Abbazia di Novacella. The taut, mineral laced Kerner caresses the palate with expressive aromatics, chiseled fruit and fabulous overall balance. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2012.These entry-level, unoaked whites from Abbazia di Novacella in the Valle Isarco deliver plenty of bang for the buck.

http://www.garyswine.com/fine_wine/italy/14727.html

Gary's Wine & Marketplace - Madison | Bernardsville | Wayne
1308 Route 23 North • Wayne, NJ 07470 • 973-633-3900
E-mail: info@garyswine.com • Toll Free: 1-888-99-GARYS
http://www.GarysWine.com • Buy Wine Online • NJ Wine Store

2007 Tenuta dell'Ornellaia Ornellaia at Gary's Wine & Marketplace NJ Wine Store

http://www.garyswine.com/fine_wine/italy/13928.html

7 points and One of Tuscany's Best
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James Suckling on the 2007 versus the 2006 vintage in Tuscany: "The 2006s seemed a little more aromatic, with finer tannins and a racier, more refined character overall, while the 2007s were rich and powerful, with a riper and rounder mouthfeel. I think, if I remember correctly, the growing season was a little hotter in 2007 and the harvest for most producers was a little earlier. So that's why they may seem a little more concentrated with riper tannins than the 2006."

The Wine Spectator rated the 2007 Ornellaia at 97 points, their highest rating for Ornellaia since the 2004, which was the #7 wine in the Top 100 of 2007. It's also higher than the 1998 they ranked as the #1 wine in the Top 100 of 2001. Where will the 2007 finish up in the ranking this year?

We tasted the 2007 Ornellaia a few weeks back and it was showing much more concentration than the 2006 did when we tasted it a year ago. It is not as tannic or as tightly structured as the 2006, but it certainly is a great Ornellaia that probably will drink better than the 2006 at a much earlier age. It would be best to wait for a couple of years before opening the 2007, if you can resist the temptation to drink it right now. Then, drink the 2007 while you wait for the 2006 to mature in the bottle.

Wine Spectator 97 Points -- A wine that does everything right and puts it in beautiful balance. Full-bodied, yet reserved, silky and elegant, with wonderful fruit and friendly tannins. Best after 2012. -JS

Antonio Galloni Wine Advocate 93 Points -- The 2007 Ornellaia is remarkably open and accessible, very much in keeping with the personality of the vintage. Clean, minerally notes frame a core of silky, perfumed dark fruit, mocha, spices, licorice, grilled herbs and leather that impresses for its exceptional length. The 2007 is not a big, massive Ornellaia, but rather a wine built on elegance and finesse, both of which are on full display. The 2007 should drink well with a minimum of cellaring, but whether it will make old bones remains a question mark at this point. The 2007 Ornellaia is 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2022.

http://www.garyswine.com/fine_wine/italy/13928.html

Gary's Wine & Marketplace - Madison | Bernardsville | Wayne
1308 Route 23 North • Wayne, NJ 07470 • 973-633-3900
E-mail: info@garyswine.com • Toll Free: 1-888-99-GARYS
http://www.GarysWine.com • Buy Wine Online • NJ Wine Store