By Len Presutti
Boston is famous for many things, being the cradle of liberty, baked beans and one of the biggest and best consumer wine events in the country, the Boston Wine Expo. With more than 2,000 wines being poured from more than 200 wineries from around the world and amazing food from some of Boston’s best restaurants, the 2015 Boston Wine Expo is a feast for the senses. It must be experienced to be believed.
For food lovers there are two Celebrity Chef Stages spotlighting the hottest chefs (sharing their recipes) and
cuisines from throughout Boston and New England.
For wine lovers, in addition to the aforementioned 2,000 wines presented for your tasting pleasure there are world class wine seminars. Having been a Seminar Committee Member for about a dozen years, I felt compelled to share some of them with you.
Complete Ten Year Bordeaux Vertical of St. Estephe’s Chateau Meyney with its Rising Star Winemaker Anne Le Naour and Jean-Christophe Calvet of Aquitaine Wine Company
Anne Le Naour has worked with world renowned Bernard Magrez, the owner of Château Pape Clément and side by side with superstar consultant Michel Rolland. She is the only female Winemaker on the Left Bank of Bordeaux, working at a classified growth property.
Anne will be joined by the knowledgeable Bordeaux negociant, Jean-Christophe Calvet of Aquitaine Wine Company, who will be present to comment on the wines.
A Frog’s Leap Napa Cabernet Sauvignon Vertical (2012, 2007, 2002, 1997 and 1992) led by John Williams of Frog’s Leap Winery with the Art of Winegrowing – Organic, Biodynamic and Dry Farming
This one is going to be a ton of fun. John is one of the most entertaining, as well as one of the best known and loved winemakers in all of Napa. When you pull the cork of one of his wines, instead of the, many would say, pretentious imprint of the winery logo, his simply states ‘Ribbit.’ The winery motto is “Time’s fun when you’re having flies.” It seems the only thing John is serious about is his wines, which are always vibrant, balanced and welcome at any dinner table.
Opus One Winemaker Michael Silacci: Beyond the Icon Looking Backward and Looking Forward: A Vertical Tasting of the 1988, 1996, 2001 and 2010 Vintages
Opus One invites you to join Michael Silacci as he pulls back the curtain for a behind the scenes glimpse of everything Opus One. The session will begin with a retrospective look at the founding partners, Baron Philippe de Rothschild and Mr. Robert Mondavi, and their vision to create and perpetuate the joint venture. The session will evolve as Michael discusses fulfilling the founder’s vision by embracing tradition while infusing innovation in the vineyard and the cellar. He will share his ideas on clonal selection, the isolation of wild yeast from estate vineyards, and an obsession with eliminating cork-taint. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity!
The Best of Chianti Classico Just Got Better! A Discussion and Tasting of the New Gran Selezione Classification with Winemaker Leonardo Bellaccini as Well as a Vertical Tasting of his Superb Chianti Classico Riserva ‘Poggio Rosso’
The highest classification for Chianti Classico is now Chianti Classico Gran Selezione, not Chianti Classico Riserva! Learn all about this exciting development with Leonardo Bellaccini, the winemaker at San Felice. His debut Gran Selezione, the 2010, was awarded a 94 point score by Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate (the highest point score they gave for Gran Selezione) saying of it…“Extremely full and generous, the 2010 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione is a seductive wine with the bold intensity and layering of a super Tuscan. The results are gorgeous, thanks to the rich softness the wine imparts in the mouth. Pristine flavors of dark fruit, smoke and pressed roses caress the palate.”
To show the aging capability of Chianti Classico, Leonardo will also conduct a vertical of his acclaimed Chianti Classico Riserva ‘Poggio Rosso.’ He will present the 1995, 1997, 2000, 2006, 2010 as well as the not yet released 2011.
