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La Bottega, The Grove's Newest Wine Shop
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Terralsole Wine Tasting
I attended the first wine tasting at the new La Bottega, Miami’s newest wine shop. Located in Coconut Grove on Main Highway, just South of downtown Grove, La Bottega promises to add a nice dimension to the local ambiance. Its pleasant spot with a nice, somewhat eclectic, collection of wines.
The tasting started with a pleasant glass of Servo Suo Prosecco. It was a light, lemony palate cleanser that was a welcome end to a hectic day – and a great start to the evening.
The main tasting featured 5 wines from Terralsole, a winery located in Montalcino, Italy. Our first wine was their 2006 Rosso di Montalcino, made from 100% Sangiovese. On the nose, I found cigar box, dark cherries, smoke, white pepper, and a pleasant spiciness. The wine was a little tannic because of it’s young age, but had very nice flavors, including licorice, chocolate covered cherries, with a smoky, herbal, back taste. The finish was medium, soft, and faded to a pleasant sweetness.
Next up was their 2002 Brunello de Montalcino. I found it spicy, with hints of dark fruit and a smoky note. On the tounge, tannic, earthy, with chocolate and coffee flavors. Medium finish, fairly soft on the tongue. The tasting notes indicated that this was a bold wine; I found it somewhat so, but not very aggressive. I think that several more years of aging are necessary for this wine to come in to its own.
The third wine was their 2005 Coldor, a nice expression of Merlot. This wine had a fairly light aroma, with cherries and light spicy notes, but the flavor was more complex, with herbal notes, chocolate, dark berries and a hint of unripe cherries. On first try, I wasn’t impressed with this wine, but something kept tickling the back of my brain; I tried it a second time and found it to be a very nice quaff. I think it needs a little more aging, but it turned out to be a nice wine.
Next was their 2005 Solista Syrah. This also had a light aroma, and was my least favorite of the wines. I didn’t dislike it, but I didn’t find it to be overly complex. It did have a nice acidity, with cherries, licorice, and a slight peppery note. The tasting notes claim it’s intense and full-bodied; not sure if it was palate fatigue or what, but it didn’t hit me that strong. I’d be willing to take another shot, though!
The last wine was the best – Pasticcio (I did not get the vintage). This is a blend of 55% Cab Franc, 30% Merlot, 15% Sangiovese. On the nose, dark plums, dark berries, chocolate, smoke, herbal. On the tongue, it was intense. Tannic (needs aging or decanting) but not overly so. Blueberries, herbal, earthy, smoky. Nice and fruity, with a good finish that was softer than I expected. Winner of the evening!
Henry Barrow, a familiar name on the local wine scene, is is planning bi-monthly wine tastings, to highlight a variety of wines and producers. Next Thursday, (November 12th), they’re going to feature wines from Peter Figge and the Perry Moore winery – two of my favorites. For information on these and other tastings, or on the store itself, e-mail Henry directly.
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