MARIANI’S
Virtual Gourmet
"Heirlooms"
(2017) Photo by Galina
Dargery
❖❖❖ IN THIS ISSUE MALÁGA, Part One By Gerry Dawes NEW YORK CORNER MIFUNE By John Mariani NOTES FROM THE WINE CELLAR WINES I'M DRINKING NOW By John Mariani ❖❖❖ THE MAGIC OF MÁLAGA Part One Story and photos by Gerry Dawes ![]() Antigua Casa de Guardia Until a trip in early May to attend the Málaga Gastronomy Festival, I was oddly ignorant about Málaga and its unique culinary traditions. For more than forty years I have wandered Spain, incessantly crisscrossing the country from top to bottom, leaving few stones unturned. It would seem that I would have delved more deeply into the major Andalucian city—birthplace of Pablo Picasso and hometown of Antonio Banderas. A couple of
times, we ventured just east of Málaga’s harbor
for
lunch at one of the famous chiringuitos
(way casual beach restaurants) on the Pedregalejo fishermen’s
beach (below). And there were particularly memorable non-Spanish dinners at Le Pic Nic, a restaurant run by a very eccentric middle-aged French couple, she cooking marvelous old-fashioned French country food such as rabbit in a cream sauce while he waits the tables and dispenses the vino. Another memorable night took place on an American aircraft carrier anchored in Málaga harbor. We had somehow met a U. S. Navy Captain pilot, with whom I had hit it off, since I had flown off aircraft carriers on Navy aircraft chasing the Soviet fleet around the Mediterranean when I was a Russian linguist enlisted man. I invited the Captain to our house in Mijas for paella, and he invited us to have dinner with him in the Admiral’s stateroom on board the aircraft carrier John F. Kennedy in Málaga harbor. At that time I
visited the evocative Moorish fortress, the
Alcazaba,
which begins at the edge of the old quarter near
the restored ruins of the
Roman theater. And I visited a few bars and
restaurants, the most
memorable of which were the venerable 19th century
Málaga wine-dispensing
bodega Antigua
Casa de Guardia and the emblematic
flamenco-and-bullfighter-centric restaurant in the
old quarter near Málaga’s
cathedral, El
Chinitas, which took its name from the
19th century Málaga café
cantante-teatro Chinitas, So, after some fifty wine-and-gastronomy travels and personal visits to Spain over the past decade, I found myself in Malaga again for the city’s Gastronomic Festival. First off, it helps to separate Málaga city from the storied and somewhat notorious Costa del Sol, famous for its beaches, booze and high-rise package-tour hotels and apartments blocking views of the Mediterranean for miles. Much of the Costa del Sol caters to mass tourism and is attractive as a retirees’ haven. As home to Marbella, where I also once lived before it became the full-bore, high-rent magnet for well-heeled, but not well-behaved, nuevo Euro-ricos, it lured Spanish celebrities, aristocrats, yacht owners, corrupt politicians and those attracted to that scene, which might be likened to a mini-Las Vegas, but by the sea and without the surfeit of casinos. Although
there are plenty of foreign visitors, Málaga has
managed to
maintain its very singular Andalucian
character. This ancient city that
the Phoenicians knew as Malaka now deserves to
break into the ranks of the
not-to-be missed Andalucian classics—Sevilla,
Granada and Córdoba—and become
the fourth must-see city on the Andalucian
circuit. And, like those other
three cities, the restaurants, tapas bars and
shopping in Málaga are
intertwined with central city sites of real
tourist merit such as the restored
Roman theater, the 8th century Augmenting the
city’s historical treasures, Málaga, in just a
little
more than a decade, has become a serious art
museum attraction with the Picasso
Museum (opened in 2003), the Casa Natal de Picasso
(the artist’s restored home
of his youth), Museo Carmen Thyssen (a collection
of more than 200 paintings
from the collection of the Spanish baroness who
owns many of the paintings at
the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza in Madrid), el
Centro de Arte Contemporáneo,
Centre I will not try to claim that Málaga’s restaurant scene rivals Barcelona, San Sebastián or Madrid, but I found there were some good authentic regional restaurants, augmented by the classic chiringuitos, those legendary beach-front joints specializing in wood-fire grilled sardines and whole fish; funky, wonderful old-time tapas bars; churros and chocolate emporiums; the great Atarazanas market and its market bars; and some promising modern cuisine restaurants. And there are more than enough tourist attractions and ambience to warrant a serious visit and even an extended stay in this ancient, yet simultaneously modern, international and vibrant quintessential Mediterranean city.
❖❖❖ NEW
YORK CORNER
By John Mariani MIFUNE
245 East 44th Street (near Third Avenue) 212-986-2800 ![]()
It
wouldn’t be the first time a restaurant was
named after a celebrity—there’s a Sinatra and a
Picasso in Las Vegas, Michael
Jordan steakhouses in Chicago and NYC, and a
Piaf in Puerto Vallarta. So why
not a restaurant named after Japan’s favorite
action hero, Toshiro Mifune, star
of such classic samurai movies
You might expect in such a venue some kind of
flamboyant décor in homage to the actor, but in
fact there’s only a photo of
him. Otherwise,
the restaurant,
designed by Katsunori Takeuchi, consists of a
well-lighted, simple 11-seat
counter that leads to a large, high-ceilinged main
room done in traditional natural wood, with three
large shoji style panels on the far wall
accented with the Mifune family
crest. There also is a subterranean dining room
with semi-private tables for
groups of four to eight, at which about 18
courses are served omekase
style.
A sensible way to see what
Mifune is all about is to order the reasonable
five- or eight-course tasting
menus ($80 and $120), based on
A
crispy scallop, battered with crunched up arare
crackers (right),
was excellent with a
bonito dashi
cooking broth that
really stimulated the appetite.
Red shrimp
I was happy that the now ubiquitous wagyu-style
beef was not
served; instead,
first-rate and well-aged, lightly smoked Angus
beef added a
Two desserts ended the meal the way Japanese
desserts usually do, not with a bang but with a
soothing ending: French blancmange was
scented with soba tea and
served with caramel ice cream; matcha
(ground green tea) mousse with azuki
beans, fruit compote and kinako
(soy
bean flour) ice cream wasn’t very interesting,
proving that French desserts are
almost always going to trump a course Japan has
only recently adapted. There
are, of course, several sakes listed, and
the wine list encourages you to get away from the
usual beer order. There are
also plenty of novel cocktails with aching names
like the Drunken Angel and the
Seven Samurai. Mifune
is one of many Asian restaurants near the
U.N., thereby drawing the kind of clientele
steeped in good Japanese cuisine.
And with its grand design and devotion to a
Japanese movie star, it happily
deviates form the usual ultra-minimalist style of
so many others.
I suspect you might visit Mifune ten
times and rarely get the same exact dishes twice. Mifune is open for lunch: Mon-Fri;
11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. (last order 2 p.m.),
Dinner: Mon-Sat. ❖❖❖ NOTES FROM THE WINE CELLAR
![]() By John Mariani Having just
returned from France, where I drank
exclusively French wines, I have been
indulging at home in a wide variety of
bottlings from all over the world.
Here are some of my favorites at the
moment. Tommasi Rafael Valpolicella Ripasso
2014
($25)—Valpolicella seems Tenuta Santa Maria Alla Pieve
Amarone
2010
($90)—While we’re on the subject of
Amarone, this is a convincing example that this
once leathery style wine can be
made with considerable finesse.
It’s not meant to be delicate but it should
be fresh and fruity, as this
one is. The label is in the stable of Bertani
wines, which have always produced
big, beautiful Amarones, and at 15% alcohol, this
example is somewhat below
more brutish bottlings and therefore far more
versatile. It will be ideal for
Thanksgiving turkey with side dishes that can
often have a sweet component.
Porer Tenuta Lageder Pinot
Grigio 2013
($20)—Rare is the Pinot Grigio worth its
price in this country and rarer still is one that
can take four years of age.
Lageder, in the southern Tyrol, takes full
advantage of the sunny climate,
using a trellis system (unusual in Alto-Adige,
where the pergola system is
traditional), aiming for “biological balance,”
relying on solar energy,
geo-thermal warmth and natural convection
currents. Grapes gently push their
own way via gravity down a tower during successive
stages of vinification. Such care manifests itself
in a very
rich, well-developed structure, 13% alcohol and a
proper acid-fruit balance. Dow’s Quinta Senhorita da Ribeira
Vintage Porto 2006
($60)—Vintage Ports are among the
world’s greatest values, Assobio 2013
($13)—The Douro does not just produce its famous
Port wines; more and more the
region is exporting a range of solidly knit, well
made red wines like Assobio,
whose D.O.C. designation doesn’t tell you much
about its origins. Assobio
refers to a hillside with high vineyards, but it’s
made from Touriga Nacional,
Tinta Roriz and Touriga Franca, giving it depth
and charm. Very well priced. Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars S.L.V.
2010
($108)—Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars’ reputation goes
back to the boom period in
California wine in the 1970s, when its Cabernet
Sauvignon won the 1976
“Judgment of Paris” tasting. S.L.V.’s first
vintage was 1972 and it has
remained consistently a beautiful example of how a
broad-shouldered California
Cab, made by Marcus Notaro, can
achieve excellence without going above 14%
alcohol. It can even age well—not
something a lot of California Cabs
do—but right now it’s velvety, robust and the kind
of wine that begs you cook
up a steak or stew for mid-autumn. ❖❖❖
![]() DEPT. OF WRETCHED EXCESS, Nos. 3,445 and 3,446
AND ON A CLEAR DAY YOU
CAN EVEN
❖❖❖
Wine
Column Sponsored by Banfi Vintners
Wine
is a joy year-round but in autumn in particular, one
grape varietal has really taken center
stage in my daily activities – that most Italian of
grapes, Sangiovese, and its
ultimate expression – Brunello di Montalcino. From
mid-September
through mid-October, the Sangiovese grown for our
various styles of red wines are
be harvested, culminating with the top selection for
Brunello di Montalcino.
Second, cooler weather here means it is
time to start enjoying more red wines and especially
Sangiovese based
wines. That
includes Banfi’s cru
of Brunello, Poggio alle Mura, literally the cream
of the crop of our
Sangiovese vineyards. Alongside our Poggio alle Mura
Brunello di Montalcino,
this year we introduced two more wines from the cru
Poggio alle Mura – a Rosso
di Montalcino and a Riserva of Brunello.
Rosso is sort of like the younger brother of
Brunello, also made from
100% Sangiovese grapes but usually a selection from
younger vines and the wine
is aged only two years compared to the four required
for Brunello.
The Riserva, on the other hand, is an
even more selective harvest of Sangiovese, and ages
for an additional year
before release. What
is so special about this cru Poggio
alle Mura? Well,
it is the result
our over 30 years of ongoing research at my family’s
vineyard estate, Castello
Banfi (above). When we
first began
planting our vines there in the late 1970s studies
from the University of
Bordeaux indicated which strains of many varietals
we should plant, based on
the soil type and microclimate of each vineyard. But when it came to the
region’s native Sangiovese, there
was only local lore, no scientific research. So we took it upon ourselves
to figure out this vine, and
set off on three decades of incredibly detailed
research. We
started with 600 apparent variations
on Sangiovese, because it is so susceptible to
variations in weather and soil,
and narrowed that down to 160 truly genetically
different clones.
We planted a vineyard with two rows of
each type, made wine from each of them, and charted
the differences – remember,
you only get one chance a year to make wine, so this
took time. It
took about ten years to get some
concrete results, though we continue to experiment
today and always will – you
never stop learning in science and nature! Once we determined which were
the best, complementary clones
that could be planted together to make the best
Brunello, we chose to plant them
in what we determined to be the optimal vineyard
sites. Coincidentally,
the best soils and
climate conditions are in the slopes surrounding the
medieval fortress today
known as Castello Banfi, known since Etruscan times
as Poggio alle Mura – the
walled hilltop.
Hence the name of
our this study was our
Brunello, all of our Sangiovese-based wines,
including the super Tuscans
SummuS, Cum Laude, and Centine, benefitted from this
work. And
that’s the third reason for
celebrating Sangiovese this month, for the range of
wonderful reds that usher
us into autumn!
One wine in
particular was inspired by our research – the
BelnerO, a Sangiovese dominant
blend with what I like to call a kiss of Cabernet
and a whisper of Merlot. We grow the grapes a little
differently
for BelnerO than for Brunello, make the wine with
less oak aging and released
it earlier from the winery, providing a counterpoint
to Brunello and a lovely
terroir-driven wine in its own right.
If
you know Italians, you know that by nature we are
multi-faceted,
varying in mood, and always passionate.
As a nation, we span from the hot sunny
beaches of Sicily near the
African coast to the rugged mountains and Alpine ski
slopes of Trentino-Alto
Adige in the north.
Sangiovese is
grown in almost all of Italy’s regions and reflects
the unique nature of each;
it is most famous (rightfully so) in Tuscany, yet
even there it reflects the
nuances of each hilltop, valley and subzone. It has something a little
different to say in Brunello than
Chianti, Morellino than Vino Nobile di
Montepulciano, Rosso di Montalcino than
Super Tuscan blends.
Here
is a smattering of Sangiovese-based
wines that you may wish to get to know better,
reflecting a spectrum that
appeals to every occasion, every taste, and every
budget. We
can assure you that the conversation
will never become boring.
Recommendations for
Celebrating Sangiovese BelnerO Proprietor’s
Reserve Sangiovese – A refined
cuvée of noble red grapes
perfected by our pioneering clonal research. This
dark beauty, BelnerO, is
produced at our innovative winery, chosen 11
consecutive years as Italy’s
Premier Vineyard Estate. Fermented in our patented
temperature controlled
French oak and aged approximately 2 additional
years. Unfiltered, and Nitrogen
bottled to minimize sulfites. Castello Banfi
Brunello di Montalcino – Rich, round, velvety
and intensely aromatic, with flavor hints of
licorice, cherry, and spices.
Brunello di Montalcino possesses an intense ruby-red
color, and a depth,
complexity and opulence that is softened by an
elegant, lingering aftertaste.
Unfiltered after 1998 vintage. Castello Banfi Rosso
di Montalcino – Brunello's "younger
brother," produced from select
Sangiovese grapes and aged in barrique for 10 to 12
months. Deep ruby-red,
elegant, vibrant, well-balanced and stylish with a
dry velvety finish.
Poggio all’Oro
Brunello di Montalcino Riserva – A single
vineyard selection of our most historically
outstanding Sangiovese, aged five
years before release, the additional year more than
that required of Brunello
including 6 months in barrel and 6 months more in
bottle to grant its “Riserva”
designation. Incredible
elegance
and harmony. Intense with lots of fruit and subtle
wood influence. Round,
complete, well balanced with hints of chocolate and
berries. Unfiltered after
1998. Poggio alle Mura – The first tangible
result of years of intensive clonal
research on Montalcino’s native Sangiovese grape. Estate bottled from the
splendidly sun drenched vineyards
surrounding the medieval Castello from which it
takes its name.
The Brunello di Montalcino is seductive,
silky and smoky.
Deep ruby in color with an expressive
bouquet of violets, fruits and berries as well as
cigar box, cedar and exotic
spices. The Rosso
di Montalcino is
also intense ruby red. The bouquet
is fresh and fruity with typical varietal notes of
cherry and blackberry,
enriched by more complex hints of licorice, tobacco
and hazelnut.
It is full bodied, yet with a soft
structure, and a surprisingly long finish. The Poggio alle Mura Brunello di Montalcino
Riserva is deep ruby red
with garnet reflections and a rich, ample bouquet
that hints of prune jam,
coffee, cacao and a light balsamic note.
It is full and powerful, with ripe and gentle
tannins that make it
velvety and harmonious; this wine is supported by a
pleasing minerality that to
me speaks soundly of that special hillside in
southern Montalcino. SummuS – A wine of
towering elegance, SummuS is an extraordinary blend
of Sangiovese which
contributes body; Cabernet Sauvignon for fruit and
structure; and Syrah for
elegance, character and a fruity bouquet.
An elegant, complex and harmonious red
wine.
Cum Laude – A complex
and elegant red which graduated “With Honors,”
characterized by aromas of juicy
berries and fresh spices. Centine – A Cuvee
that is more than half Sangiovese, the balanced
consisting of equal parts of
Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.
Vinified in a firm, round style that easily
accompanies a wide range of
dishes, this is a smooth and fragrantly satisfying
wine with international
character, and a perennial favorite at my own dinner
table.
Banfi Chianti
Superiore – The
“Superiore” designation signifies stricter
government regulations regarding
production and aging requirements, as compared to
regular Chianti.
An intense ruby red wine with fruit
forward aromas and floral notes.
This is a round wine with well-balanced
acidity and fruit.
Banfi Chianti
Classico – An
enduring classic: alluring bouquet of black
fruit and violets; rich
flavors of cherry and leather; supple tannins and
good acidity for dining.
Banfi Chianti
Classico Riserva – Produced
from select grapes grown in the
"Classico" region of Chianti, this dry, fruity and
well-balanced red
has a full bouquet reminiscent of violets.
Fonte alla Selva
Chianti Classico – This is our newest
entry into the Chianti arena, coming from
a 99 acre estate in Castellina, the heart of the
Chianti Classico region. The wine is a captivating
mauve red
that smells of cherry, plum and blackberry with
hints of spice.
It is round, full and balanced with
very good acidity.
Col di Sasso – Sangiovese
and Cabernet Sauvignon. Luscious, complex
and soft with persistent notes of fruit and great
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and Elle Decor.
"I’ve designed this site is for people who take
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NEWSLETTER is published weekly. Editor/Publisher: John
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Editor: Walter Bagley. Contributing Writers: Christopher Mariani,
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Hochstein, and
Brian Freedman. Contributing Photographer: Galina
Dargery. Technical Advisor: Gerry McLoughlin.
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