Back in the mid’70’s, Milano Wnry was founded just South of Hopland in a partnership of Jim Milone/GregGraziano/LoriPacini. Greg sold out to Jim about 1980. The winery was sold in 2001 to the Starr’s.
In the late '70’s-thru the '80’s, Milano (along w/ Jed Steele at Edmeades) under Jim produced some of the greatest wines ever made in MendoCnty. Particularly Zin/PS/CS. Ever made to this day. Big/extracted reds. These were some of the first wines to draw my interest to MendoCnty and first showed me that MendoCnty could make wines with the best of them in Calif. I still believe that… but data points are a bit sparser now.
Has anyone had recently any of those Milano reds from those glory yrs??
Anyone had any of the recent Milanos under the Starrs?? Curious as to what they’re like these days??
Tom
I remember the last time you visited us 5-7 years (ago?) that we went to Milano and another stop or two in Hopland. I easily remember the wines there were embarrassing, oxidized and terrible. Funny, Lynne and I drove past there in the past month and we wondered aloud what’s going on there. Pretty sure they own no vineyards and we’re possibly buying bulk stuff to bottle. I’ll make a few inquiries.
FYI Greg Graziano is alive and well making very good wines. He custom crushed some fruit for me in '20 and has since bought it from us. I actually have 12 cases of a barrel he made for me and although on the ripe side, it’s lovely.
Thanks, Casey… I was hoping you’d chime in here.
I vaguely remember we stopped in at Milano. But had no recollect Of the wines.
I don’t think Jim Milone owned any vnyds, but was mostly just buying grapes. I recall he made a dynamite PaciniVnyd Zin.
Tom
The Zins were powerhouse wines, sold a couple of cases of the 1977 Pacini. They were in the inventory left behind by the store’s previous owner.
If I list what else was in that inventory, you all would think I am lying; a 1959 Joe Heitz Cab with an old school, red bordered gum label and handwritten in pencil. True!
Some gent in Texas may still have it.
I vaguely remember Milano, I think. Gold label? Chardonnay?
Yup… I seem to recall there was some gold embossing on the label.
And they did make a Chard. And I seem to recall a botrytis Riesling.
Tom
I remember some of the Edmeades Zin and PN from the 90’s and frankly they were way too zingy for me. Still makes me leery of everything outside of the core RRV zone, although now with global climate improvement I guess the (incredibly vague) Sonoma Coast can be ok too.
In the late 90s I did some work up in mendo and my boss loved this place. I do believe they had vineyards or a vineyard they farmed nearby with zin and ps. The son was into karate and would tell the story of how they had a huge beehive in the eaves of the winery(was probably three stories high)that he knocked off and the swarm caught up to him as he tried to run
I haven’t opened it yet, but I have a bottle of 1980 Late Harvest Pacini Zinfandel in the cellar (birth-year wine). Should I be excited?
Well, Rich…that was in their hey-day. So likely to still be good but nothing exceptional given that age.
Tom
Come one now Tom…1980 isn’t THAT old (keeps telling himself over and over) 
I’ll report back once I open it!
Well I’ll be damned. This wine was REALLY good! I was shocked at the acidity/how fresh it was. Wish I had another, but this looks to be bottle 1 of 2 in CT.
Thanks rich!