What a Pity

Angelo Gaja needs no introduction. The revolutionary winemaker was the first to use French oak barrique in vinification  to soften tannins of the Nebbiolo in his Barbaresco, allowing the wine to be more fruit concentrated than traditional expressions of the grape.

His ingenuity doesn’t stop there. Gaja brought international varietals to Piemonte, and first dug up Nebbiolo vines to plant Cabernet Sauvignon. The vineyard became known as Darmagi, transalted “What a Pity.” The phrase was uttered by his father, also a legendary winemaker, when he would walk by the site where once Nebbiolo proliferated.

Gaja went on to plant Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc as well, but  continued to produce Barbaresco. He has three of the famous cru sites in the Barbaresco DOCG, including Sori Tildin, Sori San Lorenzo, and Costa Russi.

Last night we tasted the 1998 Gaja Darmagi. Unlike a typical California Cab, this wine lacked pronounced oak, and its tannins were very well integrated. Don’t get me wrong. It was a big wine, but the word velvet comes to mind when I try to describe it.

Yet, I’m not saying it was on my top-10 list of wines that I’ve tasted. The wine sells for a minimum of $150, and is generally far more.  There’s only one word that comes to mind when thinking of spending that much on an Italian Cab: Darmaji.

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Among friends

Choosing a bottle of wine from a restaurant’s offerings can be daunting. It is helpful – to an extent – to know the style of wine that you enjoy but, because of varied vinification, there’s no guarantee that a varietal from one region will taste the same from producer to producer.  Over the past week, I’ve had the fortunate experience of stumbling across two wine menus that were not only familiar, but noteworthy.

Last night I went to Il Bagatto in the East Village and was quite impressed with the wine menu as I sat at the bar with my friend as we waited for a table at the restaurant next door. The list was expansive, including a solid representation of Italy. I saw on the list the Briccotondo that I had recently and loved. It was a 2007  barbera from Piemonte from a producer called Fontanafredda. From what little Internet research I have conducted, I conclude that the bottle generally retails anywhere between $10-15. However, I’ve been unsuccessful at locating a bottle in New York since I returned from London, where I first discovered the wine.

I didn’t choose this bottle last night, which was listed at $35. Prior to arriving at the restaurant I’d had a glass of Turlo from Umbria and decided to stick with the southern Italian theme for the night. I also find that southern Italian wines offer better value on most restaurant menus. I chose a Primitivo from Puglia off Il Bagatto’s menu. It was a full bodied, fruit forward wine that pleased both me and my dining companion. The bottle cost $39.

Narrowing my selection down to that bottle was difficult, however, as the list is stocked with a range of reputable and consistent producers, including La Spinetta, Quintarelli, Talenti, Cacchiano and Antinori to name a few.

The wine menu I encountered last Sunday at Maialino at the Gramercy Park Hotel offered a similar experience. This restaurant definitely attracts a different clientele, and prices were marked up even more. Again, I encountered acquaintances including Talenti, Quintarelli, Movia, Bovio, Poggio di Sotto and Fontodi. In fact, the menu closely coincides with the inventory at the wine shop in which I work part time.

On this particular evening, my dining companion and I selected the 2001 Rosso di Talenti, at $52. This was a bit harder to wrap my head around, knowing that Talenti’s 2004 Brunello di Montalcino retails for around $55. (The 2000 vintage on the menu was listed for $80.)

Mark-ups on wine are inevitable when dining out; yet, I’m happy to pay up for a bottle that’s sure to please. The cost of taking a chance on an unknown is sometimes far greater than the sticking to the safety of familiarity. I prefer to limit experimentation for home tastings.

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