November 1999
"Monte Cristi" named one of the top 100 wines of the year
Michele Castellani's 1993 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico "Monte Cristi" was named as one of the year's top 100 wines in the Winter 1999 Annual Buying Guide of Wine and Spirits magazine. In the same issue, it was named as the Best Verona Red. It garnered a rating of 92. Wine and Spirits chose these 100 wines over 5,203 tasted in 1999. These wines "represent the best of their class and category". The tasting notes from Wine and Spirits: "Don't drive your Lincoln Navigator after even one glass of this wine. Its supercharged richness will plow right through a red light or stop sign. The new oak polish and full, blunt fruit make this seem more like a modern, overly generous table wine than an Amarone. It doesn't have the layers of flavor yet, but they should develop out of the Christmas cookie flavors and intoxicatingly lush fruit. A new style, and quite a beautiful one."
In the November 1999 issue of "SAVEUR", Castellani's Soave Classico "Colle Olivi" 1997 was chosen one of the 5 best Soave Classico's from Verona and was said to have "a very nice flavor(with a breath of tropical fruit), a generous aroma,(there's a bit of chardonnay and pinot bianco in the mix, and their breed shows through), and a crisp, lingering finish".
"Tastings" Beverage Testing Institute Ratings - Contratto
The 1999 Holiday Issue of "Tastings", the beverage journal of the Beverage Testing Institute singled out the Contratto Estate of Piemonte with an article on its superb Barbera's and a review of its most recent vintages:
"For years, Contratto was one of the oldest and best-known producers of dry sparkling wines in Piedmont. In 1994, Carlo and Antonella Bocchino, producers of some of Italy's very finest grappas, purchased the historic company. The brother-sister duo set about making Contratto a showpiece estate and decided to focus exclusively on a small range of single-vineyard wines. They now only bottle wines from vineyards they control. The results have been swift and spectacular - Contratto's wines are consistently outstanding and, better yet, are reasonably priced."
"Contratto has excelled in particular with two Barberas - 'Solus Ad' and 'Panta Rei'. This should come as no surprise. When they took over the estates, their first move was to lure away the famed consulting enologist, Gian Carlo Scaglione. Scaglione was best known as the brains behind Bologna's 'Bricco dell'Ucellone', Piedmont's first new-wave, oak-aged 'Super Barbera'. Bricco dell'Ucellone is consistently one of Italy's most coveted wines, and Contratto's 'Solus Ad' follows in its footsteps. The 'Panta Rei' ('serendipity' in Italian) is made to be somewhat less formidable. It fits the ripe, lush, forward style of Piedmont's 1997 vintage perfectly. It is aged in French oak for nine to ten months, as opposed to two years for the 'Solus Ad'. This has served to magnify an amazing intensity of pure fruit. At less than $15, it is an absolute steal and provides a perfect glimpse of the glories yet to be released from 1997".
The "PELAGO" Phenomenon
I remember it well! I was sitting at my desk when I received a phone call from Michele Bernetti, the export manager and scion of the Bianchi-Bernetti family of Umani Ronchi. Michele told me that the recently released Pelago 1994 had won the Gold Medal at the 1997 London International Wine Challenge as the "Best New Entry". I commented on how nice that was and, although excited, I returned to my work. The next day Michele called me again, this time a little more breathless, and told me that the 1994 Pelago had won the Gold Medal for the "BEST RED WINE, ITALY". Well, you can imagine how I felt. Here we have an estate and winery from Le Marche (top notch, yes, emerging as a force, yes, but still, from Le Marche, not Piemonte) and, in its first year of life, Pelago is judged as the best red wine in all of Italy, including Tignanello, Gaja, etc.
It took all day for me to settle down from the excitement of that news, but no sooner had I started to relax, when Michele made "THE" phone call. He asked me if I was sitting and I answered yes, albeit on the edge of my seat. He proceeded to tell me an unbelievable thing. Pelago 1994 had been judged as the "BEST OVERALL WINE, RED" in the world. Unbelievable! You know what? It could not have happened to a better wine nor to a better family than the Bernetti's. With the essential advice of Giacomo Tachis and their own desire and persistence, they produced on of the world's best wines, an exceptional blend of Cabernet, Montepulciano, and Merlot. And they have replicated the quality in the 1995 and now the 1996 vintages, all winning gold medals around the world. The bad news: Pelago is severely allocated to only about 1200 bottles for the United States. Have you ordered your allocation yet? Complimenti to the Bernetti family!!
Mario Belardino
Bedford International
President
Contratto's ratings
1995 "Tenuta Secolo" Barolo Cerequio-Rated 92; Price:$69.99
"Brilliant ruby-garnet hue. Perfumed sandalwood and spice aromas suggest a generous oak accent. A lean entry leads to an angular, well-cut moderately full bodied palate showing precise flavors and firm structure that are the hallmarks of real pedigree. Drink now or later."
1997 "Solus Ad" Barbera D'Asti - Rated 93; Price:$44.99
"Brilliant ruby purple hue. Exotically attractive vanilla, plum, and mineral aromas. A lush entry leads to a full-bodied palate with supple tannins and buoyant-but-not-sharp acidity. Shows fine fruit concentration and finishes for a mile. Drink now or later."
1997 "Panta Rei" Barbera D'Asti - Rated 90; Price $13.99
"Bright, brilliant ruby hue. Intense fresh berry and flower aromas jump from the glass. A crisp entry leads to a medium-bodied palate. Quite ripe, but buoyed by vibrant acidity. Clean, varietal, and pure. Great fruit. Drink now."
1998 "Le Arnelle" Gavi di Gavi - Rated 87; Price: $15.99
"Brilliant straw hue with a slight spritz. Pure mineral and citrus peel aromas. A lean entry leads to a medium-bodied palate with firm acids. Rounded, bready finish. Clean. Drink now."
