My Personal Recommendation For You

Franco Martinetti ‘Sul Bric’ Monferrato Rosso 1998     Piedmont, Italy     (Regular $64.99)     Now $39.99     Case $34.99

92pts Wine & Spirits / Vintage Report Card Grade “A”/ Save 46%!

"The 1998 is in prime drinking window right now, delightful layers are showing more. I am proud of this wine." – Franco Martinetti (March 6, 2014).

By and large, American culture seems to be obsessed with the “present”, often favoring instant gratification over distant pleasure. But there’s a real beauty and deeper sense of appreciation to experiencing a wine that has been properly cellared – and this is just the experience! We were recently able to source a very limited quantity of Martinetti’s ‘Sul Bric’ Monferrato Rosso from the acclaimed 1998 Piedmont vintage, and at a price that is a near give-away!

Franco Martinetti of Torino (pictured), is Italy’s well-known gourmet and wine producer from Piedmont in the north-western corner of the Italian Peninsula – arguably Italy's finest wine region. All his wines are characterized by an almost manic-like research for “elegance and balance”. Naturally, the region's proximity to France has had an influence on Franco in that he could be defined as an Italian wine producer with the French wine title, eleveur: the person, who after having addressed the work in the vineyards, especially for what concerns the pruning and the green harvest, sets the date for the beginning of the harvest, selects the grapes and oversees the vinification from the barrel to the bottle.

Barbera, the region’s dark-skinned workhorse grape (and the most widely planted varietal), is responsible for a growing number of primo wines. They’re noticeably less tannic than their Nebbiolo-based counterparts, making them more enjoyable to more palates. This has made Barbera very popular in recent years, not only among consumers, but to local winemaker’s like Martinetti as well. The grape has proven itself to blend superbly well with Cabernet Sauvignon, the most popular of the French varietals grown on the hills of Monferrato. This blended masterpiece is a testament to that coupling!

Review:

“Delicious, with blackberry and plum aromas and flavors. Medium-bodied, with a caressing texture and a long, smoky aftertaste. Best after 2000. 1,600 cases made.”

– James Suckling/Wine Spectator