Azienda Agricola San Giuseppe Winery

• 

  July 2009

  San Giuseppe Pinot Grigio Veneto IGT 2007

  Snoothrank: Starting at $11^.99

  color-pale straw nose-herbs, melon, & mineral mouth-stone fruit finish-simple buy it drink it

  Wine review by blog4wine

  
  
• 

  May 2009

  San Giuseppe Pinot Grigio 2005

  Snoothrank:

  I actually enjoyed this wine quite a bit, more flavor than other wines that I had. Something I would be interested in getting again.

  Wine review by nothingt3d

  
  
• 

  March 2009

  Barolo Riserva San Giuseppe Cavallotto 1989

  Snoothrank:

  This really has a wonderful nose with intense aromatics of tar, earthy, smoke, oystershell, licorice, coffee and roses. In the mouth this is very smooth yet packed with tannins. With air the tannins become a touch abrasive giving this a bit of a rustic feel. The flavors are slightly... Read moreThis really has a wonderful nose with intense aromatics of tar, earthy, smoke, oystershell, licorice, coffee and roses. In the mouth this is very smooth yet packed with tannins. With air the tannins become a touch abrasive giving this a bit of a rustic feel. The flavors are slightly evolved with a nice core of chunky cherry fruit and a dense, lingering finish but this was outclassed this evening by the Vietti line-up. 2010-2022 90pts    (hide)

  Wine review by Gregory Dal Piaz

  
  

• March 2009

  Well it’s been a year since I last had dinner in New York with Luca Currado. A year ago I really raided my cellar and pulled an almost complete vertical of Vietti’s Barolo Rocche with vintages spanning 1967 to 2004. It was an epic tasting, one of the greatest tastings of my... Read more Well it’s been a year since I last had dinner in New York with Luca Currado. A year ago I really raided my cellar and pulled an almost complete vertical of Vietti’s Barolo Rocche with vintages spanning 1967 to 2004. It was an epic tasting, one of the greatest tastings of my life, and the greatest vertical of Rocche that Luca had ever had the pleasure of enjoying. Many of those wines were, in fact, made by Luca’s father Alfredo, a visionary for the region and one of the men at the forefront of the cru system in Barolo. I had posted my notes of that tasting on the various wine boards, as did other attendees, and I was more than a little surprised to see a printout of those notes added to the reviews stacked on the table in the tasting room at Vietti this past May. In fact the tasting room was the family’s living room as the winery was undergoing renovations but suffice it to say the entire Currado family enjoyed that tasting nearly as much as I did!. When we spoke then about the next dinner in New York Luca asked that it be a lower key affair and I quickly agreed. It’s not every day, or every year even, that I can put together a tasting like that so for this years visit I suggested a smaller group and a horizontal tasting of Vietti’s 1989s. 1989 is one of the truly great vintages for Piedmont. It produced powerful wines with tremendous reserves of perfectly ripe fruit. The wines were a little slow out of the block, and in fact many claimed the 1990s to be superior but they were suckered by the opulence of the fruit from that warm vintage, a harbinger of things to come. 1989 is without a doubt the vintage of the decade and is just entering its peak-drinking window so I was very excited to be trying the Vietti line-up. I have a long love affair with Vietti that goes back to their 1978s. I went to a wine shop in Queens, NY many moons ago with, what was then, a large sum of money. I was going to buy a case of Italian wine and there was no better place to go than this particular shop.  I browsed for a while then was helped by a man who had not only an encyclopedic knowledge of the wines but an electrifying passion! Well I bought some wine but instead of leaving with a case to enjoy I left with 4 bottles, that I was supposed to cellar. Now granted 2 were magnums but to a youthful an impatient young man the idea of cellaring wine lacked a certain appeal. So I drunk one of the magnums first, a 1978 Aldo Conterno Barolo, hard as nails. Yuck!  What had I done? I opened the other wine and it was simply sensational. Perfumed and balanced, richly fruited subtle yet complex and endlessly evolving! It was the 1978 Vietti Rocche and, as they say, the rest is history! Well we were not planning on making much history this night but we did get around to sharing some great wine, captivating conversation, and a wonderful meal with friends. History or not that’s what I call a successful Sunday night! We started the vening with a bottle of 1985 Henriot Enchanteleurs. This started off decidedly oxidized yet cleaned up quite well with air. By the end of the evening it had just a hint of sherry on the nose but the dried orchard fruits were clear and bright with a fine mousse and gentle spice tones.  88pts We then moved on to the 2002 Drouhin Marquis de Laguiche Montrachet.  This is really a brilliant bottle of white Burgundy. The nose starts off with a touch of brie and smoky firepit. There is still an obvious oak tone and notes of candied pineapple but in the mouth this is clean and pure with spectacular mineral cut and great depth. Still awfully young this was a treat and sure to improve for years! 95pts And then we were off to the races starting with the 1989 Vietti Barolo Castiglione. This base bottling was a blend of many vineyards, mostly likely including Bussia, Ravera Novello, Ravera Mosconi, Bricco Boschis, Valletta, Brunella, Foassati, and Ciabot Berton. This delivers above it’s paygrade with such wonderful, layered aromatics that revealed fresh herbs, sandy soil, sour cherry and currant fruit and hints of bay leaf, minerals, and briarwood. In the mouth this offered well-resolved tannins with fine focus. To the transparent, light red fruit. There were lovely notes of rosehip, roast meat and sandalwood and the palate and a haunting finale of roses in the mouth. What a steal this was. Firmly at peak but I see nothing to gain from keeping this any longer and it may have been better a few years ago. 2009-2014   91pts Next up was 1989 Vietti Barbaresco Masseria. This showed a touch of oxidation on the nose, perhaps a bit of ill storage along the way with notes of beef bouillon dominating the nose yet there were notes of dried herbs, earthy, coffee and smoke adding complexity. In the mouth this was deceptively soft and juicy at first yet remains packed with soft tannin. There is lots of tarry fruit here with good length but that tannin does poke out on the end. It’s a bit blocky and lacks the elegance that one might expect from Barbaresco but still put on a good showing for itself. 2009-2016 88pts We followed this with the 1989 Vietti Barolo Brunate. What a nose, intense with limestone, copper, earthy and starchy notes that were just a touch burnt. This was just smoking, or so it seemed with huge notes of pipe tobacco and hot asphalt rising from the glass and yielding to light notes of astringent red fruit and a lovely dried thyme tone. This has really sweet fruit on entry with polished tannins and airy red fruits. At first this had a sexily supple mouthfeel with rich red fruit and great length but it lacks a bit of precision and gets a little muddy across the back end before leading to the finish which is just a touch coarse. There are masses of fruit here but this does trade some precision for that richness. Still excellent. 2009-2017 92pts. And then we had the chance to revisit the 1989 Vietti Barolo Rocche. Last year’s bottle was absolutely great, open and giving. This bottle started out with a touch of jammy raspberry on the nose and smelled very taut and sinewy with slowly growing notes of berry fruits, iron, turmeric, fenugreek and a touch of green anise seed. In the mouth this was zesty, precise and incredibly well balanced. A bit closed and decidedly youthful this bottle none-the-less thrilled with it’s balance and vibrancy. It opened somewhat over the course of the evening revealing a nice floral tone with hints of rosehips and dried raspberry fruit. The finish is long with a lovely stony minerality and echoes of used pipe and soil. This is going to be a fantastic bottle when it’s mature. 2010-2030 96pts and going to improve! Our next bottle was the inaugural Vietti bottling from an excellent vineyard in Serralunga. The 1989 Vietti Barolo Lazzarito offered up a curious nose that combined rather evolved tones of chocolate, earth, old leather books and salted Japanese plums with a very subtle acetic whiff adding lift and a deceptive freshness.   In the mouth this is dark and brooding with great acids but intense tannins. It’s a dark, muscular, very masculine wine with dark fruit edged in bitter fudge and deep licorice tones but it does not have the fruit to outlast these strapping tannins. The finish is very long and lightly medicinal with more licorice but at the same time almost painfully tannic. For the masochists out there! I don’t know if you should drink this now or wait, either way it’ll have issues! 89pts We came to our final bottle of the Vietti line-up, the 1989 Vietti Barolo Riserva Villero needing to end on a high note. The nose quickly turned things around! What a seductive nose, absolutely fresh with wonderfully ripe red cherry fruit, and soft subtle perfumes of herbs, flowers, menthol and sandalwood. In the mouth this saw simply silken elegance. The tannins are polished; they are like tiny buckyballs in the mouth forming a virtually seamless presence that tastily completely engulfs your mouth. There is lovely fruit and a huge rose element but that texture is phenomenal. I expect this to age rather slowly but I’m not sure it can get any better than it is now. 2009-2019 96pts We did have one other bottle on the table, a 1989 Cavallotto Riserva San Giuseppe and being the wine geeks that we are we wasted little time in reviewing it for, umm, your pleasure.  This really has a wonderful nose with intense aromatics of tar, earthy, smoke, oystershell, licorice, coffee and roses. In the mouth this is very smooth yet packed with tannins. With air the tannins become a touch abrasive giving this a bit of a rustic feel. The flavors are slightly evolved with a nice core of chunky cherry fruit and a dense, lingering finish but this was outclassed this evening by the Vietti line-up. 2010-2022 90pts We ended our evening with a 1971 Baumard Quarts de Chaume. Showing fairly freshly on the nose this had notes of exotic flowers and mint over quincy fruit with a lanolin edge. In the mouth there were notes of golden raisins and blond tobacco. This was curiously both soft and steely with not much fruit left. I returned to the dregs of the Barolo instead! As always it was a pleasure to spend a few hours with Luca and my friends and if I might quote Luca “After many days ... Talking and trying to promote Piemontese Wines ... It was Just perfect the nice evening with all of you ! Specially with one of my favorite vintage ! Is really a pleasure to share an evening with persons that appreciate what we ( we = all piemontese producer ) do here ... You do not have an idea how much make us happy !” Luca, thanks to you and all Piemontese producers for doing so much to make us happy! Photos by Brad Kane Gregory Dal Piaz Community Manager Snooth    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic 1989 with Luca Currado by Gregory Dal Piaz

  
  

• January 2009

  We've got a great set of updates for you this week. In fact, Snooth HQ is buzzing over them. Let's get right in there. A couple of weeks ago we launched the first of our "What's Happening?" pages. These pages are designed to uncork everything that's going on inside the Snooth... Read moreWe've got a great set of updates for you this week. In fact, Snooth HQ is buzzing over them. Let's get right in there. A couple of weeks ago we launched the first of our "What's Happening?" pages. These pages are designed to uncork everything that's going on inside the Snooth bottle. Snoothers like you around the globe are reviewing wines, searching, adding details and winemaker's notes, images, and talking to each other. This last point is what we're after now. We constantly talk about how social wine is. The new social page is full of information about who's on Snooth, including a Discover section similar to that on the wine page, highlighting active wineries and regions, great reviews for you to read, popular grape varieties, and, pictured below, some of the great wine review writers on Snooth. Another exciting benefit of the social page is a friend recommender. Snooth will show you other users who are similar to you -- and why! Here you'll see three Snooth users living in my area. If I friend them, I can see on my Grapevine what they're drinking, share wines with them, see which groups they're following, what they're talking about on the forum, and more. This is a great and powerful way to expand your Snooth tasting network, meet new people, and drink better wine! One of the things that's so great about Snooth groups is that you can see very clearly what's similar about all of the wines in a group. Whether it's by varietal, region, or the producer all of the wines have something in common. But what if the only thing that the wines have in common is that they were all served at the same dinner party, or enjoyed with a favorite friend. That's such an important part of wine and just how social it is. Well, now you can group your wines together any way you like. Really. Let's take a quick example. As some of you know, every Friday Snooth HQ pops a bottle or two of wine -- a great end to the week and one of our beloved traditions. I want to bring those wines together. As I'm writing my review (the best way for me to remember what I've liked in the past), I can tag the wine however I like. A few wine Fridays ago we were fortunate enough to share the Barolo Riserva Bricco Boschis San Giuseppe Cavallotto 1999. When I'm adding my review, I can quickly tag wines with something memorable. As the screenshot shows, I've tagged this wine with "Snooth Wine Friday". Now, this is the exciting part. A group is created for that tag, and in a few short minutes the newly tagged wine will find its groups. Check out the Snooth Wine Friday group in action! Now I can send the group page to all of my friends -- they can quickly see which wines we've been drinking, what we loved, quickly click to search for those wines, and seamlessly buy a bottle. And if I'm having a bit of trouble remembering what we were drinking a few months back, it's only a few clicks away from My Groups.    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic Social Groups by mark

  
  
• 

  December 2008

  Barolo Riserva San Giuseppe Cavallotto 1978

  Snoothrank:

  This opens with an intense black raspberry preserve note then takes on a redder, candied edge tot he fruits with smoky, medicinal nuances and a touch of seaweed creeping in. Rich, cound and bright in the mouth with zesty acids that support sour cherry fruit full of herbal top notes.... Read moreThis opens with an intense black raspberry preserve note then takes on a redder, candied edge tot he fruits with smoky, medicinal nuances and a touch of seaweed creeping in. Rich, cound and bright in the mouth with zesty acids that support sour cherry fruit full of herbal top notes. The very ripe tannins are abundant makes this rich and chunky but not particularly elegant. 89pts    (hide)

  Wine review by Gregory Dal Piaz

  
  
• 

  November 2008

  San Giuseppe Lambrusco 2005

  Snoothrank:

  I had the 2006 vintage of this wine. It was fruity and tasted of strawberries with light bubbles. It was very drinkable, though a bit forgetful as a wine.

  Wine review by abeth

  
  

• October 2008

  While I ran late for the start of this tasting I did sit with Alfio for dinner just two days earlier when we had a chance to discuss the turbulent times Barolo went through in the 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s. Though it is hard to believe there just wasn’t much of a market for... Read more While I ran late for the start of this tasting I did sit with Alfio for dinner just two days earlier when we had a chance to discuss the turbulent times Barolo went through in the 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s. Though it is hard to believe there just wasn’t much of a market for these wines until the fairly recent past. Jokingly I said that this has turned out to be a good thing for us today as there are still significant stocks of back vintage wines in cellars and restaurants around the world. I had bought much of the Cavallotto line-up when it was offered to the New York market two years ago and have enjoyed many bottles over these past years but I had to experience a vertical like this. San Giuseppe Bricco Boschis Riserva Vertical 1971 Opening with a touch of espresso crema and spicy Speck notes this gains lovely intensity with an orange rind edge to the meaty, smoky notes and gains a bit of earthy pipe tobacco and oyster shell with time. A touch drying with austere tannins still in evidence this none-the-less fills the mouth with it’s evolved, dried fruit notes that gains sweetness while the wine opens in the glass. Really elegant and refined on the finish which shows a touch of heat but is long and offers a deep note of tarry, cocoa tinged earth that lingers. 94pts 1978 The light and elegant nose opens with an array of tobacco tinged nut meats and is a bit fresher than the 1971 though it lacks the intensity that wine offered. Ripe tannins frame a powerful, darkly fruited midpalate which picks up a bit too much nuttiness, seemingly revealing more oxidative notes than the nose would have indicated. Complex in the mouth though finishing a touch dry and shortish. I’ve had better bottles of this. 90pts 1985 The nose offers up jammy fruits but there is admirable freshness in the menthol, green olive, caper, and green tobacco tones that add interest. Big and powerfully fruity in the mouth this still has a fair amount of ripe tannin to resolve but the ripe fruit is in balance and the tannin accentuates the emerging, fine tea like notes on the back end. Finishes long and firm if a bit less broad than the older wines but still an excellent ’85 with years of positive development left. 93pts 1989 While this closed up in the glass it opened with intense candied violet tones and liquory, slightly jammy fruit. Notes of ripe herbs add depth. Almost seamless in the mouth with tons of ripe, round tannins and excellent acidity supporting a taut core of tarry fruit. Really poised and deep in the mouth yet very young with a long fine finish. This gives the impression of being broad shoulder and muscular with a tight waist. Watch out, this one might hurt you! Will improve. 94pts 1990 While this lacks a bit of freshness it is very complex with layered notes of earth, salame, and a slight roasting chestnut tone. In the mouth it is refreshing with it’s crisp tannins and solid acidity but lacks some flesh. The flavors are fairly savory and while the tannins are big the wine doesn’t show the balance need leading to a round, soft finish that lacks complexity. 89pts 1999 The reticent nose reveals some deep, dark notes of earth, dried flowers and fruit with an almost tropical top note of pomegranate. Very focused in the mouth with a cylindrical feel to the meaty, ripe fruit. Very precise with excellent cut and balance and a powerful, if closed feel. Will definitely improve and have a very long life 92pts 2000 This on the other hand is still open and reveals a bit of fudgy, lushly ripe fruits on the nose married to ripe herbs though it is a bit hot. Big and blowsy in the mouth this is fleshy yet lacks some definition at this point. Quite tannic on the back end turned hard and tight on the finish, this closes up in the glass. A bit harder to get a read on at this stage but lacks the balance of the 1999 90pts    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic A vertical tasting with Alfio... by Gregory Dal Piaz

  
  
• 

  October 2008

  Barolo Riserva San Giuseppe Cavallotto 1989

  Snoothrank:

  While this closed up in the glass it opened with intense candied violet tones and liquory, slightly jammy fruit. Notes of ripe herbs add depth. Almost seamless in the mouth with tons of ripe, round tannins and excellent acidity supporting a taut core of tarry fruit. Really poised and... Read moreWhile this closed up in the glass it opened with intense candied violet tones and liquory, slightly jammy fruit. Notes of ripe herbs add depth. Almost seamless in the mouth with tons of ripe, round tannins and excellent acidity supporting a taut core of tarry fruit. Really poised and deep in the mouth yet very young with a long fine finish. This gives the impression of being broad shoulder and muscular with a tight waist. Watch out, this one might hurt you! Will improve. 94pts    (hide)

  Wine review by Gregory Dal Piaz

  
  
• 

  October 2008

  Barolo Riserva San Giuseppe Cavallotto 1978

  Snoothrank:

  The light and elegant nose opens with an array of tobacco tinged nut meats and is a bit fresher than the 1971 though it lacks the intensity that wine offered. Ripe tannins frame a powerful, darkly fruited midpalate which picks up a bit too much nuttiness, seemingly revealing more... Read moreThe light and elegant nose opens with an array of tobacco tinged nut meats and is a bit fresher than the 1971 though it lacks the intensity that wine offered. Ripe tannins frame a powerful, darkly fruited midpalate which picks up a bit too much nuttiness, seemingly revealing more oxidative notes than the nose would have indicated. Complex in the mouth though finishing a touch dry and shortish. I’ve had better bottles of this. 90pts    (hide)

  Wine review by Gregory Dal Piaz

  
  

prev 1 2 next