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A Note from Sergio

"Delicious" might be the most underused word in wine vocabulary. When I read wine reviews, I see a lot of words that kind of apply to wine. For example, I notice lots of analogies that liken the taste of wine to something else: berries, cherries, citrus, leather, tar, roses, nettles, cloves, cinnamon, smoke, chocolate, espresso or even cat pee. I also see terms that supposedly give an idea of what the wine feels like as you drink it; unctuous, silky, biting, balanced, rich, flabby, intense, aggressive, and harmonious all come to mind. And then there are the words that writers use to give their overall impression of the wine--usually adjectives like gorgeous, stunning, strange, exuberant, bold, rustic or, perhaps damning with the faintest praise, respectable.

I understand the usefulness of these words and phrases. It's difficult to find words that adequately express a sensory experience like drinking wine, especially when you're working in a limited word count. I know from my own work the frustration of describing a wine ("Sultry light colored Nebbiolo is like a perfectly written thin book. You savor each sip or word and never want them to end," is what I tweeted about a wine I tasted recently). Describing the taste of a wine to someone who hasn't tasted it is like trying to describe the feel of silk to a person without fingers. Sure, there's flesh memory to build on, but it's always going to be inaccurate, and language is always going to fail.

The thing is this: in building a lexicon of "useful" wine terms people have lost sight of what's really important about wine. And what's really important about wine is that it is, at its core, delicious. For me, deliciousness is the crucial difference that sets apart Italian wines in general and Italians in specific. To Italians, a wine either is--or isn't--delicious. A meal either is--or isn't--delicious. You enjoy it, it nourishes you, you want more of it, it satisfies you--or it doesn't.

I say all of this as a prelude to introducing the two featured wines for this week's e-letter, the 2005 Talenti Brunello and the 2005 Fuligni Brunello. 2005 was a fussy growing year. It was really sunny and warm, until suddenly it wasn't, and winegrowers had to worry about their grapes in the unrelenting wetness.  The mark of a really excellent producer is the ability to finesse a great wine from a rough year. Both Talenti and Fuligni are able to do that consistently. But in 2005, they each made wine that exceeds their customary level of expertise.

There's a cavalcade of analogies, metaphors and adjectives I could martial to describe the two wines I'm offering this week. But I don't think I need to. I can just say that these wines are it. They're delicious. Drink one yourself and see how beautiful--and complex--that simple word can be.

My Best,

Featured Wines

Talenti
Brunello di Montalcino 2005, 750ml, $54.00
A Brunello made by one of the longtime Montalcino masters is a beautiful thing indeed. Rich without being saturated, full of fruit without being extracted, the '05 is a testament to the estate's skills; it feels like a wine who was the offspring of a golden summer. Plush and complex, this wine is flush with red cherry, smooth with spice, touched with floral scents, and struck with a vein of minerality. If a Brunello can be likened to a symphony, this is one. Drinking now to 2025 and beyond.

Fuligni
Brunello di Montalcino 2005, 750ml, $63.12
Another master estate, Fuligni likes to give traditional Brunello an international twist, and in so doing, they make fabulous wines even in tough years. The '05 Brunello has the healing touch. Sinuous and lithe, this Brunello's core of red fruits is sitting pretty on a pillow of new leather, tobacco and a touch of vanilla. Warm, rich and harmonious, this '05 brings that ineffable Tuscan serenity wherever it goes. Drinking 2010-2025.

Everyday Wines for $25