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Local Event Premier Host
Cost: $125.00
“We are thrilled to welcome Alessia Antinori, winemaker and daughter of Marchese Piero Antinori, for a sit-down seminar and guided tasting of Alberico and legendary Fiorano wines. I am extremely excited to taste the Fiorano wines – these are ‘unicorn’ wines that I have only tried a few times, and can never get in the store! Some of you may know that in the 1940s, Prince Alberico Boncampagni Ludovisi, Alessia’s grandfather, planted Bordeaux varieties on his property just outside Rome. He made wines under the Fiorano label the way he wanted to – no chemicals and with minimal intervention – at a time when organic agriculture was not yet the rage. He produced miniscule amounts of wine that collectors coveted, but in 1995, after harvesting his final vintage, he pulled up virtually all of the vines. However, a few vines survived, and Alessia has made it a personal project to bring the portion of the estate she inherited back to life. She is now making wines under the Alberico label, named for her grandfather, and will be pouring some of the Bianco and Rosso Alberico releases as well as rare library wines from Fiorano.
This sit-down seminar will take place in the Main Room above the Wine House and the flights of wines will be paired with small plates provided by Chef Maiki Le. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to meet Alessia Antiorni and taste some extremely rare, impossible-to-find wines!” – Lance Montalto, The Wine House
Wines to be poured:
2017 Alberico ‘Appia Antica 400’ Lazio Bianco ($20)
2015 Alberico ‘Alberico’ Lazio Bianco ($105)
2016 Alberico ‘Appia Antica 400’ Lazio Rosso ($25)
2013 Alberico ‘Alberico’ Lazio Rosso ($105)
2010 Alberico ‘Alberico’ Lazio Rosso ($180)
1994 Fiorano Lazio Rosso ($360)
1993 Fiorano Lazio Rosso ($360)
1990 Fiorano Lazio Rosso ($360)
1987 Fiorano Lazio Rosso ($360)
ABOUT FIORANO
At the suggestion of Tancredi Biondi Santi, possibly Italy’s most renown enologist in those days, the Prince of Venosa planted Bordeaux varieties on his estate at the gates of Rome in Lazio in the late 1940s. He steadfastly farmed his lands organically from the beginning, even in the times when the big conglomerates were promising us “better living through chemistry.” His wines, though nearly impossible to buy because of the prince’s irascible character, became a cult sensation in Italy, and eventually arrived on our shores as well. The white, the only Semillon “in purezza” produced in Italy to this day, and the red, from Cabernet and Merlot, elicited the swooning praise normally reserved for religious experience! The prince continued his work until 1995, when in ill health, he retired to a hotel in Rome. Perhaps out of jealousy, perhaps for no reason at all, the prince ripped up almost all of his old vines before retiring. When he passed in 2005, his estate was divided among the prince’s heirs. The prince’s daughter had married Piero Antinori, and Piero’s daughters Alessia, Albiera and Allegra took on the inherited property as their personal project. They found four rows each of old vine Merlot and Cabernet, as well as three rows of Semillon grapes planted by the prince that had survived. They make a minuscule 500 bottles of red wine, and about 1000 bottles of the Semillon. Both wines are called Alberico to honor their grandfather and the traditions he passed down to them. Two entry level wines came on line in 2016 made with massal selections from the old plantings of the prince: known as Appia Antica 400, the address of their grandfather’s villa and their mother’s birthplace, they are great value-priced windows into this unique terroir, jealously fostered for so many years by the Prince of Venosa!
ABOUT ANTINORI
The Antinori family has been committed to the art of winemaking for over six centuries since 1385 when Giovanni di Piero Antinori became a member, of the “Arte Fiorentina dei Vinattieri”, the Florentine Winemakers’ Guild. All throughout its history, twenty-six generations long, the Antinori family has managed the business directly making innovative and sometimes bold decisions while upholding the utmost respect for traditions and the environment. Today, Albiera Antinori is the president of Marchesi Antinori with the continuous close support of her two sisters, Allegra and Alessia, all actively involved in first person in the business. Their father, Marchese Piero Antinori, is the current Honorary President of the company. Tradition, passion, and intuition are the three driving forces that led Marchesi Antinori to establish itself as one of the most important winemakers of elite Italian wine.
Cancellations must be received at least 48 hours before start time for a refund or transfer to another class or event.
Hosted by
The Wine House
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