'96 Calatrasi Terrale Primitivo di Tarantino

[ddf68]

I wish I could take credit for this one, but of course I got it on Roberto's recommendation from a previous thread. Good purple color, ripe black fruit, solid mid palate followed by a peppery note and good length on the back end. Not only a righteous wine, but a great deal at twice (or thrice) the price.

ddf

[Botafogo]

And, it's all GONE (400 cases ten days!), Roberto

[ddf68]

Roberto, is Botafogo from the Brasilian soccer club?

ddf

[Botafogo]

It is the name of a neighborhood in Rio (where the marina is),and hence the soccer team but I am more of a Flamengo fan (their cheerleaders take extra care to expose as much Bum Bum as possible). It is also the portugues spelling of Buttafuoco, which is one of our favorite wine zones in Lombardia. And, YES, Joey is a customer, he was in on Saturday buying mixed cases of Buttafuoco for Christmas presents and checking out the chrome on my '64 Volvo P-1800 to see if he can bring it back to like new.....

[This message has been edited by Botafogo (edited 11-14-2000).]

[mrdutton]

I really appreciate your sense of self and your sense of humour...............

[Thomas]

Aha! Roberto is a made-up name and Botafogo is the Brazilian cover name that Tony uses. You have exposed yourself (Mayor Giuliani has an entire police department ready to pounce on those in this city who expose themselves. ...)

[Botafogo]

Uh.....who's Tony???? And my mother always called me Roberto Giovanni because she wanted me to be an opera singer.

Robertinho, uma Carioca no coraçao que tem saudade infinita por a Cidade Maravilhosa. Só 61 dias ate eu posso voltar!

[ddf68]

Does anybody read Portugese?

ddf

[Botafogo]

Sua primeira aula:

"Robertinho, uma Carioca no coraçao"

Robbie (diminutive) a Carioca (resident of Rio) at heart

"que tem saudade infinita por a Cidade Maravilhosa."

that has infinite homesickness for the Marvelous City (Rio)

"Só 61 dias ate eu posso voltar!"

Just 61 days until I can return!

And I can't friggin wait!!!!!!!!!


[This message has been edited by Botafogo (edited 11-15-2000).]

[Scoop]

A nice detour, but back to the Primitivo:

Another worthy bottling is the Felline '97. It has some Zin-like fruit and chocolate notes, but it's very layered, balanced and restrained -- elegant almost -- compared with it's exuberant Cali-cousins (I know, the Zin-Primitivo thing is controversial). It's that "old world" thing working here, I guess. And very food-friendly.

It's approachable now, but it could stand some bottle age. At $16.00 a bottle retail (Manhattan), it's a value.

Cheers,

Scoop

[This message has been edited by Scoop (edited 11-17-2000).]