Friday we were invited to dinner at I Trulli restaurant on east 27th street in NYC to celebrate the Birthday of fellow wine lover and good friend, Eric Guido. The planets must have aligned, because in one hour we drove in (from Queens), parked (on the street!) and made it to the restaurant on time, our table was al fresco in the outdoor garden, and the weather was perfect. Now we could relax and enjoy the party.
From the wine menu we started with a tasty Prosecco and followed with a smooth Soave to match the appetizers, and the food as usual was delicious... but what followed is what I want to focus on here. Eric pulled out all the stops, bringing with him 3 picks from his wine cellar, a Paolo Bea Sagrantino di Montefalco, a Giuseppe Quintarelli Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Riserva, and for dessert a Giuseppe Quintarelli Amabile del Cere Passito.
Paolo Bea Sagrantino di Montefalco 2003 DOCG
Aged 24 months in stainless steel before being racked into large oaken casks to undergo an additional 24 months of barrel aging prior to being bottled. Savory and gamey aromas of sausage, earth, and mushrooms hovered, while dusty dried flowers, dried cherries, strawberries and flavors of chocolate were woven around coffee and cream filled cherries, finishing long and refreshing.
Giuseppe Quintarelli Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Riserva 1995 DOC
This exotic, exquisite Amarone from Quintarelli evoked many interesting descriptors at our table of eight: nutty, buttery, caramel, bright ripe cherries, fortified, hazelnut, smoked meats, pastel, raisins, resinous, violets, marzipan, butterscotch, extremely intense cherry vanilla ice cream, port, smoke and Harvey’s Bristol Cream.
Giuseppe Quintarelli Amabile del Cere Passito 1990 IGT
Garganega grape, almonds and walnut aromas with flavors ranging from fig to rum to orange citrus to smoke, ending with a caramel that reminds me of a Log Cabin. The beautifully sophisticated aromas and flavors stayed with me throughout the night... I savored them all as long as I could.
All photos by Eric Guido
1 comment:
It was great to have you there, Dave. I can't think of a better crowd to have opened these bottles with. That dinner was fantastic and the only thing better than the food and wine were the friends I shared them with. Thanks
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