Weekly Wine Bullets (June 20)
Sangiovese, The Beach Boys, and an Amex Platinum Bordeaux itinerary from 1994
Happy Friday friends. Hit reply and let me know what you’re drinking this weekend.
Book I’m reading
My sister gifted me this 1st Edition (1971) of the World Atlas of Wine by Hugh Johnson. I love the vintage-looking images and maps, but one of the coolest things about this find was the previous owner had taped their Bordeaux trip itinerary from 1994 to the front, and this lineup of tastings is insane: four of the five First Growth’s of Bordeaux, plus other names like Petrus and Cheval Blanc. From the “Platinum Card” heading, it appears to be an Amex rewards trip. Now all you get from Amex is an hour-long wait to drink free Prosecco in a crowded airport lounge...
If you want to beef up your wine knowledge, the World Atlas is a great resource. You can find the most recent edition on Amazon for $30.
List I’m reading
The World’s Best 50 just released their new restaurant list. Coming in at #1 is Maido in Peru. I wrote about Elkano two weeks ago which came in at #24.
Scoreboard Update
Speaking of Bordeaux, in case you missed this post last week, I’m giving away a bottle of aged Bordeaux to the four people who refer the most new subscribers by the end of June, plus a bonus bottle to one of the new subscribers. Scoreboard update is as follows:
1st: Wade Hartman at 19
2nd: Allison Murphy at 14
3rd: Ana Murillo at 9
4th: Dave Peterson at 4
There are a whole slew of people at 2-3 referrals, and you only need top 4 to win! I appreciate you guys helping spread the word about this newsletter.
Cork Beats (wine+music pairings)
In honor of Brian Wilson, who passed away this week, I’m listening to Pet Sounds while drinking some white Burgundy. The Beach Boys’ signature sound of layered vocals and harmonies is my ideal pairing for this equally complex and layered Chablis from Daniel-Etienne Defaix.
Some great bottles this week
Last week we hosted a Central Italian-themed dinner party, and I poured a lineup of four Tuscan Sangiovese wines. It was a cool experiment to drink the Sangiovese grape in four different forms — Chianti Classico, Rosso di Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino, and a Brunello Riserva.
Castell’in Villa is probably my favorite Chianti producer, so that bottle in particular stood out for me. The owner and driving force behind the wines, Coralia Pignatelli della Leonessa, aka “the Princess”, has high standards for quality and produces wines that age gracefully. Finding one with age is tricky (I bought this 2006 vintage at the winery) but their current release Chianti Classico is more accessible — I found it for $35 here. If you’re in Charlotte I believe Bar a Vins sells this.
Good Post this weekend Mitch. Two things:
First - Rosso di Montalcino has become one of my favorites for a really good wine at a really good price. Irroso from Casanova di Neri can be had for about $24 at Total Wine in Cornelius.
Second - Amex Platinum used to have a travel option called "By invitation Only" that you could purchase with either dollars or points (if you had enough). They were the high end events that were offered for Platinum and Centurion members only. Today they are called Amex Premium Events Collection. Right now they have an exclusive experience at the Formula 1 Heineken Las Vegas Grand Prix. It includes three days viewing the qualifying and the main event the Paddock club with a Pit Tour, and a meet and greet among other things. All for the low price of $11,500 per person. Who wants to go?
They also have two other packages for wine lovers: a Napa Valley experience during harvest for $4,800 per person. And for those on a budget, a Willamette Valley experience for only $1,800!
Oof that Sangiovese lineup 🤤