I Quaranta 'Momento' vino di tavola and a Cork and Demon Wine Tour Update por la gente

The story of the Tenuta I Quaranta estate is the story of a lightning strike, of love at first sight...

Reading the brief biography of this super-amazing woman (a car designer who cured her ennui with a degree in onology) will make you wonder aloud, "Jeez-o-Pete, what have I done with my life?" Or, maybe, like me, you'll wonder, "How can my skin look that fantastic at forty???" Either way, both the wine and the woman who made it have a great chance of making themselves well known.

I was first introduced to this bianco by the only wholesaler in Texas to receive it. According to him, there were only 150 bottles shipped to America. Yeah, bottles, not cases. I have had the luck to drink the better part of two of those.

The name 'I Quaranta' represents the age at which winemaker Annalisa Batuello (did I mention how fabulous she is?) released her first vintage.

This vino di tavola is fully Chardonnay, in stainless steel. The color is deep golden and bright. Up front is silky-soft ripe tree fruit, with good acid balance and hints of savory spices. I noticed something I never had before: I could feel the slight, fuzzy-soft tannins that some whites have. Sigh. Lovely.

The only thing that bugged me about this wine was that it seemed a little boozy-hot. I've left a message with the distributor to see if he knows any reason why this might be. But despite that, the whole package, from label to swallow, worked for me. As a matter of fact, it reminded me of all the pretty things Chardonnay can do if you don't turn it into a G*ddamn coconut macaroon.

Cork and Demon's Western Wine Tour Hootenany 2006 Update: So far, so good with the planning. Got my map up on the wall and even some o' those fancy map pins. The Texas leg is shaping up nicely. The whole Texas Wine (capitals intended) thing is still perplexing me: why aren't we making really great wine now? Yeah, yeah, there's a few that stand out, but like I said, you put those on the market at those krazier-than-shit prices and they don't compare in complexity or quality. I don't have my MS or anything, but I don't think you need it to know that you've had better juice for far less clams. So needless to say, I'm hoping to learn as much as I can about what's going on out there.

Clinkies.