Enzo Mecella, Rosso Piceno

[Innkeeper]

1997 Enzo Mecella, Rosso Piceno (DOC), "Colle Malvano", $8.99 (Wine Expo). This $9 bomb in a bottle from Roberto is not to be missed. Rosso Piceno is a blend of sangiovese and montepulciano from the Marches in East-Central Italy This one may have been a prototype for modern California Cabernet. The grapes are picked with very high brix, and made into a big, jammy wine that may or may not have a future down the road. But, right now it is terrific and cost $9, $190 NOT!

On the nose you get a sense of an upscale butcher shop, raisiny fruit upfront, earthiness on the palate that you could grow peas in, with smooth, smooth tannin in plentitude. A lingering finish makes you forget this is $9 juice.

Matched it with mesquite grilled Hamburgers alla Orson Welles and garlic bread. Have proffered this recipe before, but can't find it anymore. It originally comes from a circa 1972 cookbook by a fellow named Charles Virion, who on the way up was personal chef to Welles for whom he created it. So, for you's on the Left Coast:

HAMBURGERS ALLA ORSON WELLES:

1 lb Lean ground beef
1/4 lb Finely ground ham
1 Small onion minced
2 1/2 tbl Butter
1 Egg
3/4 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Pepper
1/8 tsp Ground thyme

Nuke onion in butter. Add to meat with everything else. Form into four patties. Refrigerate for at least an hour, preferably overnight. Smoke-grill over high heat/coals for fifteen minutes, turning once.

[winoweenie]

Great reci.....I never thought of using ham instead of pork. I'll try that sucker tomorrow, (allowing overnite storage with one addition. ..I like to add a dollop of cognac.) tanks IK. WW

[Botafogo]

IK, I just forwarded your review to Enzo along with an order for more of that gorgeous juice. He is a real find, we have two other (pricier but worth it) selections from him as well...

Roberto

[Innkeeper]

After Roberto got his next shipment in a few months ago we got the better part of a case of it along with a couple of other interesting things. It (the '97) is still sensational. If he still has some (it goes fast) get some. It could be the best under $10 wine you could get anywhere.

On the way home from New Hampshire today we stopped in Yarmouth for our principal meal of the day in a lovely waterfront restaurant called the Royal River Grillhouse. Bev had a beef stir fry washed down with Buckley's Shiraz. I had a shellfish and penne dish that was wonderful and drank Allagash White Beer with it. That is our first Belgian style beer made in Maine.

Tonight we just had some Gouda and crackers with the Colle Malvano and Maine Strawberries for dessert. It all adds up to a maavolous day.

[Innkeeper]

The 2000 is available from Wine Expo for $7.99, a dollar less that the '97 was! We had a box arrive about ten days ago, so we popped one to quaff during the trick or treating last night. It is simple marvelous. Get your box while the gettins good.

[This message has been edited by Innkeeper (edited 11-01-2003).]

[quijote]

Innkeeper and Company....

Today I bought a 1997 Tenuta Cocci Grifoni Rosso Piceno "Superiore" at a store for $10 (and I decided to buy because I remembered that had posted on a Rosso Piceno).

If it's from 1997, is it going (or gone) downhill? Should I expect the taste to be raisiny and jammy like the Enzo you posted on? What food would go well with it?

[Innkeeper]

Ah, I thought I saw a recipe up above. The wine should be fine.

[Innkeeper]

Yesterday I cut up the remains of the whole ham we purchased from a special place in Bangor for two of our Christmas parties. We had already hacked two additional meals off it for ourselves. Still ended up with a bunch of meat. I cleaned up the "good" pieces and put them up in eight dinner size portions for us, and then ground all the rest. This produced 4.75 lbs of ground ham. Put up two pounds for a future ham loaf, and then made seven one fourth pound packets. Sure could have come up with four more ounces and had another ham loaf, but now we can have Hamburgers alla Orson Wells seven times!

Had the first ones tonight with a bottle of Enzo's Rosso Piceno. She loved them too.

L'amore e uno sinfonia in cui i baci sono le note piu dolci.

[Innkeeper]

Quaffed the last bottle of '00s yesterday 'tween things. Lovely.

[Innkeeper]

Popped one of two '02s we recently received from Wine Expo last night. It is still $7.99 and ole Enzo has not lost his touch. This is one of those that you can drink year after year and hardly ever notice any difference. Matched it with a large eggplant pizza. Lovely Friday night.

[Innkeeper]

Had the first half of the second bottle tonight with salmon cakes, and leftover peas and sweet pots. It is still drinking lovely, and matched well with the food. Did drink it up before the leftover pumpkin pie.

[Innkeeper]

Had the other half tonight with leftover Thanksgiving. Of course it went with it. This wine goes with just about anything, and is also just fine by itself.

Just ask Foodie. He and moi killed a bottle on his deck once upon a time while the sun setted over Keuka Lake.