#signorello

About a month ago, a friend of mine invited me to the California Wine Show at the Fairmont Royal York hotel in Toronto. Throughout the day I tried more Chardonnay than I usually drink in a year, and I think the entire room could have been drowned by the amount of Cabernet Sauvignon that was presented, but there were also a lot of exciting bottles to try. Here were my favorites of the day:

Artesa Carneros Chardonnay 2009

Carneros is a wine region that encompasses parts of Sonoma and Napa, but has a cooler climate well suited to grapes like Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, both of which were being tasted at the show.

This Chardonnay is a fantastic example of a buttery, fruity, slightly oaky Californian Chardonnay, but with a great edge of acidity and minerality, and a refined, elegant quality that set it apart from most of the competition that day. The Pinot Noir, not pictured, had a velvety texture with just enough jamminess and to add weight, but not enough to overpower the fantastic grape, berry, and earthy/mineral notes that help this taste (in my opinion) well above its price point. The presenter said he hopes to bring these through Vintages, so if you see them, they will be well worth the ~$25 for the bottles.

Signorello Napa SETA Sauvignon Blanc/Sémillon

Tonight's dinner was Inspired by Mario Batali

Spaghetti all'Amatriciana: Strozzapreti pasta with sautéed diced pancetta, red onion, tomato paste, hot red pepper flakes, strained tomatoes, parsley and Parmigiano-Reggiano...magnifico!

After dinner salad: Butterhead Boston lettuce, homemade lemon-vinaigrette with bold slices of Parmigiano-Reggiano