MCF Rare Wine

All Kinds of Delicious Wintry Reds Have Arrived...

It's the first Saturday in December and, if you're like me, visions of braised lamb shoulders or stew or baked ziti or whatever other winter soul food bliss are constantly dancing about your brain.

And to accompany such beautiful treats of the gastronomic universe, one needs a selection of wintry reds from across the density spectrum at your disposal.

A bunch of tasty things have just landed, so...you know...

...get to it...

Domaine Giachino Freres Giac 2016 $20
This is a really neat little blend of Persan and Gamay from the Isere department of France.  Picture a softer Beaujolais, but with a more musky, leafy earth to it and a wonderfully floral/perfumed edge.  The persan adds an element of somewhat exotic herbs to the mix.  Roast chicken night baby...

Peter Schandl Blaufrankisch 2015 $19
Austrian reds haven't made it to the list much lately, but I'm really digging this Blaufrankisch from Schandl right now.  While many Blaufrankisch can be all about the dense red fruit, this one's all about the lively herbaceous side of things.  Its racy acidity and savory herbs balance wonderfully with the elegant red fruits.

Caves des Tilleuls Pinot Noir Vetroz 2008 $34
We jump from Austria to Switzerland for what I imagine is probably the first Swiss Pinot Noir many of you have even read about, let alone tasted, but this is one of the coolest wines on the shelf right now.  And I emphasize 'cool', here as the dainty, light, airy personality will really draw you in and, once you're there, all kinds of mature Pinot nuance emerge (I forgot to emphasize the fact that it's an '08, so it's already nicely matured).  This has delicate poultry written all over it...

Cantina di Lisandro Casavecchia Cimmarino 2013 $21
Be forewarned, I'm about to blast you with Southern Italy because...that's what I do.  Lisandro (maker of the lovely Pallagrello Bianco that was such a hit all Summer) also makes some nice reds and this Casavecchia is a great example of that.  While it's probably not the most obscure of the Campanian varietals, it's certainly not well-known, either.  Casavecchia offers a slightly friendlier profile than Aglianico or Piedirosso, but the mineral, volcanic backbone is still quite present.  What I really like here is the approachable fruit that is balanced by just a touch of the smoky spice that Campania is known for.  

Cantina del Notaio l'Atto 2014 $20
Notaio has been a stalwart of the American market for a while now, but their wines are still very underappreciated.  This lovely Aglianico from Basilicata, to me, shows the less spicy/smoky/animale side and expresses about as much of the red fruit end of spectrum as this grape possibly can, and also about as elegantly.  The Agli tannins are there, but they don't dominate and the end result is quite friendly.

Musto Carmelitano Maschitano Rosso 2014 $15
Two Aglianico from Basilicata in the same offer?!  Yes, of course you're not surprised, it's me after all.  I mentioned above how the l'Atto doesn't express as much of the spicy/smoky/animale elements so typical of the grape, but this Maschitano Rosso (a longtime favorite of ours) from Musto has those notes in spades.  Dark, volcanic, powerful, burly and incredibly complex, I actually instagrammed last night that it may very well be the best $15 you can spend in wine right now.  When you take into account all it has going on and how authentically it expresses both place and grape, I can't argue with myself!  Oh, and you could easily let this one go for a decade and will only get better.  I always say that traditional Aglianico is the final frontier for ageworthy values and this wine is a prime example!

SIX PACK (1 of each) $129
MIXED CASE 2 of each, w/10% disc) $232.20

To order, please reply to this message or call 212.255.8870.

Matt Franco