This must be why he covers Italy...

WINE TALK
1

On Twitter:

JamesSuckling “Then here are my top five wine producers ever: Latour, d’Yquem, Haut-Brion Domaine de la Romanee Conti, and Lafite-Rothschild”

2

I’m not sure what the meaning of your post is. I’m pretty sure these five 5 estates would appear on a majority of critics top 5 list, irrespective of a professional tasting beat. I think one thing that these estates have that would vault them into a top 5 all time best category is a century plus track record vs. most of the great Italian producers have really flourished over the second half of the 20th century. Now if it were a top 10 or 20 list, and Suckling omitted an Italian producer, I feel your post would have more merit.

3

i knew it, James Suckling is chinese.

4

[rofl.gif]

5

[rofl.gif] [rofl.gif] [diablo.gif] [diablo.gif] [laughingneqw.gif] [laughingneqw.gif]

6

Hey Roberto,

Correct me if I’m wrong but Suckling also covers Bordeaux for the WS.

7

I think you have to look at the bigger picture beyond the 140-character twit… it’s not just that the guy’s favorite wines are Bordeaux but that his preference for Bordeaux leads him to champion Tuscan wines that are trying to taste like Bordeaux. This is the guy who gave scores in the 60s and 70s to Soldera and Biondi-Santi while championing wines like Ornellaia as the best Tuscan wines ever made.

There’s also a subtler issue buried in there in that all 5 names on the list are blue chips that would appear on any consensus best-of-the-best list. Sure, you can’t argue against it on the merits, but where’s the value-add in a critic’s regurgitating the 5 names that would appear on the 5 best wines in the world Family Feud survey? C’mon, at least give us one idiosynchratic preference to let us know you’re not a mindless automaton! No guts, no glory James! It’s not too late!

8

I hear ya, at least he should have had the decency to have thrown a Lambrusco in there! [wow.gif]

9

Maybe the keyword is “ever” - based probably on a 100+ year sample of the winery I can see how the Bordeaux and DRC top out that top 5 list.

Which Italian wineries have the longest history of quality, and how far back can one go?

10

Keith, well said.

11

Falerian wines

http://books.google.com/books?id=WZwHPa8FfpYC&pg=PA134&lpg=PA134&dq=ancient+famous+italian+wine+naples&source=bl&ots=CODq3IO6Tq&sig=UlHcqYaj8mJsdTkvUyvI4zLUHPQ&hl=en&ei=O-I3SrbSGYuolAeI6oHvDQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=8" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

12

Fratelli Agnes Oltrepò Pavese Bonarda Millennium 2004, Lombardia
The deeper, more structured big brother of the Possessione, with coffee and licorice notes on top of even denser fruit. The label relates the story of how an ancestral Count Anselmo of Rovescalla paid a debt in 1192 (!) with 600 amphorae of his best wine. That was one lucky creditor!

Azienda Agricola Mustilli,Sant’Agata dei Goti, Campania
Ana Chiara Mustilli is one of the huge crop of young, enthusiastic women at the helm of hundreds of Italian cantine. Her family have been intimately connected with the history of the zona since the 1500’s and estate bottling branded wines since 1960. The wines are packed with the full on flavors of the zona which has been famous among wine lovers since Roman times. They are made in cellars under the family home that are so old they provided refuge for Pandolfo IV of Capua and Bishop Basilio di Montecassiano throughout a nine year siege begun in 1038…this isn’t Napa Valley! The family also runs a small agri-tourismo that has landed on a list of The 100 Most Romantic Places in Italy and a trattoria where you can eat and, of course, drink well.

Just two of many examples…

13

Maybe it’s someone pretending to be James. How can you know for sure?

I was following “Christopher Walken” for months then his Twit account got deleted because … it wasn’t him!

Just puttin’ that out there. James was on Facebook for like a month before he deleted his account so … hard to imagine he went off to join Twitter.

14

Speaking of . . .

No Italian either bit I could not think of that killer Moscato d’Alba producer . . . . [emot-words.gif]

http://www.garagistewine.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=6730" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

15

What did Christopher Walken say? I might join Twitter just for that…it would have to be some sort of voiceover Twitter technology, though.

Does Mr.T have a Twitter account?

16

“Christopher Walken” was full of all sorts of amusing musings on life. Sad the account is gone.

17

I disagree. I think if someone asks you for your top 5, you want to cover more ground.

And how could he not include Giacosa? [shrug.gif]

18

Or G. Conterno? I’ve had all of the top wines produced by Lafite, Latour and d’Yquem since the '61 vintage and I’m a HUGE Bordeaux lover/drinker, but I’d still would rather drink a great Giacosa or Monfortino.

19

Not to mention Quintarelli and Bea…

20

Keith, You’re Dead On.

It was a pointless Twitter post: So unenlightening it simply makes him look like the most boring “elite” wine drinker, er, critic, out there.