Italian Winemaker Visit: Claudio Icardi to present his wines at Spiritus

"We are very pleased to welcome back our friend Claudio Icardi, owner/winemaker at his family estate in Piedmont, to Spiritus this Wednesday for a special in-store wine tasting. Claudio will pour four of his wines and entertain you with his engaging personality. Do not miss this opportunity to meet the winemaker and ask your questions!"

FREE IN-STORE TASTING
Wednesday, June 29th from 4:30 to 6:30 PM

2009 Icardi Cortese L'Aurora
White Wine; other white varietal; Piedmont;$18.99
Cortese is the same grape also known as gavi. This is a terrific summer white with pleasing notes of pineapple and citrus, but also minerality and refreshing acidity.

2007 Icardi Pinot Nero Langhe Rosso Nej
Red Wine; Pinot Noir; Piedmont;$32.99
Celebrated Italian wine critic Luca Maroni calls it "the best Italian pinot noir ever", while awarding it a whopping 98 point score. The glowing praise flows as suave, powerful, harmonious and creamy with voluptuous notes of black currant, cherries and balsamico. The seduction is complete. Leave it to the Italians to get the heart racing of pinot noir lovers everywhere!

2008 Icardi Barbera d'Asti Tabarin
Red Wine; Barbera; Piedmont;$18.99
Claudio holds true to the traditional style of his ancestors, turning his back on the modern trend of more extraction and heavy oak. This barbera is fashioned in stainless steel tanks, never seeing a stave of wood. The exceptional purity of this wine immediately captured my attention as the palate bursts with fresh wild cherries leading to an impressively long, clean finish.

2006 Icardi Surisjuan Nebbiolo
Red Wine; Nebbiolo; Piedmont; $31.99
The Icardi family has been growing grapes in this Piedmont region since 1914. Imagine a wine so provocative, surging with scented perfume and floral tones on the nose, yet with masculine force it grips your palate with brawny tannins and dominating structure. More often than not, nebbiolo's tannic stars need years to fully develop into the masterpieces they are destined to be, but this one is remarkably ready to drink thanks to the ripe flavors of the excellent 2006 harvest.