Wine spotlight, by Marini’s: A selection of Our Five Finest
Our sommeliers at The Marini’s Group have finalised their selection of the best wines they’ll be serving in the first half of 2015. Here we’ll run through what you can expect from five of the finest wines across our menu this January, whether you’re researching for your own cellar or searching for what to look for this year.
Jarno Rosso
Jarno Trulli, Former F1 Driver
Our first pick is the delightful 2007 Jarno Rosso, made from the Montepulciano grape in the Abruzzo region of Italy. A full-bodied and rich red, the Jarno Rosso has strong notes of faded grape, spice, liquorice and forest fruits as well as lighter notes of vanilla, chocolate and faded rose. Our sommeliers advise that this wine pairs well with veal tenderloin, the Osso Buco or Vitello dishes.
The Jarno Rosso comes from the vineyard of Italian Formula 1 driver Jarno Trulli, a close friend of Modesto Marini. Don’t imagine that has influenced the selection of our sommeliers, however, as Trulli has worked hard to create a wine with harmonious and elegant tannins, which give the Montepulciano d’Abruzzo wine a long, intense after-taste, with final notes of preserved fruits and tobacco.
Jarno Bianco
Jarno Bianco
If your guests prefer white wine, Trulli’s Abruzzo vineyard also offers an intensely spicy white wine from 2009, made from an expert combination of Trebiano, Malvasia and Cococciola wine grapes. Hints of dehydrated grapes, yellow flowers, lemon, vanilla and tropical fruits make this white a smooth, silky delight on the palate.
An exquisite dish deserves a special companion. At Marini’s on 57, your sommelier would advise pairing this wine with the Capellini Aragosta, or little hair pasta cooked with Maine lobster tail.
Castello di Querceto
Castello di Querceto
Made with the Sangiovese and Canaiolo wine grapes, the Castello di Querceto from 2012 is dry with a soft and elegant body. With notes of red fruits and earthy Tuscan roots, this red has good Sangiovese tannins to compound a delicate flavour. Our sommelier would pair this with the Parpadelle Al Tartufo, a home-made broad, flat pasta cooked in clarified butter and accentuated with shaved truffle.
This Chianti is relatively exclusive, as the vineyard at Castello de Querceto prides itself on creating the optimum soil content and micro-climate for its grapes, and as such, the wine is found only in limited release when conditions are most satisfactory.
G.H. Mumm, “Cordon Rouge” Brut
G.H. Mumm, “Cordon Rouge” Brut
If you’re celebrating a special occasion, our only French inclusion into our sommeliers’ wine list will be perfect for you. G.H. Mumm is the undisputed leader in creating champagne perfectly paired for the restaurant experience, and this Cordon Rouge Brut champagne is exemplary.
A premium champagne’s perfect accompaniments are caviar and oysters, and Marini’s on 57 is no exception, offering our champagne with a selection of Sevruga, Imperial or Beluga caviar or fresh Belon oysters.
The lightness of this champagne comes from the Chardonnay grape variety blending well with the fruitiness of the Pinot Noir and the roundness of the Pinot Meunier grapes. Long ageing adds flavours of vanilla, roasted nuts and hints of toast to the infusion, which make it a perfect accompaniment at fine dining.
Antinori, Tignanello IGT
Antinori, Tignanello IGT
Our final Italian on the list is the Antinori from the Tignanello region, an intense ruby-red combination of Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc grapes. Aged in barriques for twelve months, with twelve more in the bottle, this wicked combination gives strong notes of red fruit, raspberries and liquorice. A rebel amongst the conservatives, the Antinori was one of the first Chianti reds not to use white grapes. This fine red pairs well with Marini’s Filleto Di Manzo or the dry-aged Wagyu Tagliata.
On the palate the wine feels very young, with firm tannins that offer polish and finesse balanced with a tonic acidity and savoury mineral notes. These add length and persistence
The Perfect Reserve
We hope the guidance from our sommeliers will help you with your decision-making when choosing the perfect wine to go with your food this 2015. In the end it comes down to personal taste, as recommendations on heritage, notes and pairing can only go so far in helping you decide what’s right for you. And remember, part of the enjoyment of wine is the exploration as you search for the perfect reserve to accompany your fine dining experience.