T. Edward is a wine importer and distributor that specializes in high quality, natural wines. Amanti Vino is an upscale shop with a broad range of wines in Montclair, NJ. Last night, the two came together to present a wonderful wine tasting in the warm and welcoming Irving Mill restaurant.
More than 200 guests came to drink fine wine, enjoy delicious cheese, and support MOSCOT Mobileyes Foundation, which provides free medical eye care and eyewear to New York City’s underserved populations.
The crowd of wine lovers enthusiastically sipped from more than 20 wine producers' tables. The event began at 6:30 p.m., and wine makers and marketers continued pouring beyond the event’s 9:00 p.m. closing time.
Attendees were delighted to meet winemakers from far flung vineyards, including a quartet of wineries from Oregon’s Willamette Valley, a region well known for its mastery of Pinot Noir. Paul De Lancellotti described how he keeps three of his family’s seventeen acres to make his own wine. His 2005 Library Pinot Noir was beautifully balanced with great structure and ripe cherry fruit. The Patton Valley Vineyard’s Lorna Marie Willamette Valley 2007 Pinot Noir was also very impressive, having achieved wonderful ripe fruit in a year that some Willamette winemakers saw as a challenge.
American wines formed the majority of the bottles, but France was represented by Christian Dalbavie of Thunevin Ets Wines. He poured two Bordeaux: a light and fruity Domaines des Sabines Lalande de Pomerol 2005, which was moderately priced at $26.99, and the stand out wine of the night, Virginie de Valandraud St. Emilion Grand Cru 2006. This rich wine had great structure and was a blend of mostly Merlot (70 percent ) and Cabernet Franc (25 percent). According to Christian, 2006 has been overshadowed by the great 2005 vintage in St. Emilion. This "sleeper vintage" may afford some good values from this region.
While the majority of wines served were red, there were two white wines that garnered enthusiastic attention from the crowd, both poured by Skip Karabian of Elizabeth Spencer wines. Their Sauvignon Blanc Mendocino 2008 had a lean, mineral profile reminiscent of French Sauvignon Blancs like those of Sancerre. He also poured a Chardonnay Sonoma Coast 2007 which had a complex and creamy flavor profile that was very much like a Burgundian style Chardonnay. This was well priced at $32.99.
In addition to all the wine tasting, guests made frequent visits to a bountiful selection of cheese set on a huge stone table by the bar. These were provided by Tallmadge Cheese Market, also of Montclair.
This was Amanti Vino’s first New York City wine event and it showcased their selection of T. Edward wines very well in the convivial atmosphere of Union Square’s Irving Mill.
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