Wine & Spirits - Summer 2023 - 57

And these are just
the lead-off hitters
on a deep bench
of values from the
team at Winebow.
➤Dalla Terra,
Napa, CA
SCOUTING ITALY
Dalla Terra runs
These four specialist
importers won't
disappoint as your
go-to talent scouts.
Y COBB, THE BEST BATTER IN THE HISTORY OF BASEBALL, HIT .356
over his career. This year, importers who sent us wines that
retail for $25 or less averaged a little better-we recommended
.361. But some of those importers, in fact, connected more than half
the time, scoring recommendations from our panels over a signifi cant
number of at bats...along with the occasional home run.
➤Vintus, NY
Michael Quinttus
brought a JD from
Yale to Kobrand's
team before starting
to develop his own
network of suppliers
in 2004-and a
crack import and
distribution team to
win for them. France
and Italy are the
home bases for most
of the Vintus growers
and producers-
in the Under $25
league, think talent
in Bordeaux, like
the Thienponts at
Puygueraud in Francs
Côtes de Bordeaux
(90 points for the
2018), or Trediberri
in Italy's Piedmont
(91 points for the
Barbera d'Alba and
90 for the Langhe
Nebbiolo, both
2021s). Masciarelli,
Paternoster, Poggio
al Tufi , Tommasi
and Attems
all scored in the
Italian division. Finca
Decero raised the
fl ag for Argentina
with two 89-point
malbecs. Bringing
them all home was
the Costalara Ribera
del Duero 2020 from
Pagos de Anguix,
with 93 points for a
$25 wine.
➤Winebow, NY
The import company
Leonardo Lo Cascio
started in 1980
has grown from
the Italian minor
leagues to one of
the powerhouses in
the US. Today, led
by CEO Dean Ferrell,
Winebow has grown
to represent wines
from 12 countries,
distributing to 19
states. Winebow
submitted 61 wines
to our tasting
panels priced $25
or less and we
recommended 31 of
them, the most hits
of any importer with
a batting average
higher than .500.
Their home runs
start with Catena
(94 points for the
2021 High Mountain
Vines Chardonnay
from Mendoza,
Argentina). Then,
they loaded the
bases from Chile (92
points for the 2019
Maipo Antiguas
Reservas Cabernet
Sauvignon);
Austria (92 for
the Stadt Krems
2021 Kremstal
Steinterrassen
Riesling); Greece
(Domaine
Papagiannákos
2019 Markópoulo
Vientzi Savatianó
and Retsína of
Mesógaia, both
93 points while
Gai'a scored 92 for
the 2019 Neméa).
Returning to
their home-team
advantage in Italy,
Winebow brought
in a 91 score with
Zardetto Extra Dry
Prosecco Superiore
and 90 for Castellare
di Castellina's 2021
Chianti Classico.
T
➤Broadbent
Selections,
Richmond, VA
SCOUTING PORTUGAL
AND SOUTH AFRICA
Bartholomew
Broadbent focuses
Broadbent
Selections on valuepriced
wines under
his own label from
Portugal's Douro and
Dão. His exceptional
selection of wines
from South Africa
earned top ratings
for Delaire Graff
(2020 Reserve
Chardonnay)
and DeWetshof
(2022 Robertson
Limestone Hill
Chardonnay) both
at 91 points. A.A.
Badenhorst's
Secateurs wines
from Swartland, and
Beaumont from Bot
River also netted
recommendations
for wines under
$25. Broadbent's
value buys extend
to off erings from
Weinert in Mendoza,
Elderton in South
Australia and Bindi
Sergardi in Tuscany.
on the premise of
founder Brian Larky:
Pick one A-team
grower from each
important region
in Italy and those
players would
have enough pull
in the US market
that they could go
direct to distributors
and cut out some
of the three-tier
distribution costs.
Larky, now working
in partnership
with Scott Ades,
has assembled an
enviable portfolio
of Italian family
wineries, assisting
in their distribution
and keeping their
prices competitive.
He presents Adami,
with six Proseccos
earning 90+ scores
(including two at 93);
Badia a Coltibuono
with an exceptional
2020 from Chianti
Classico; Casanova
di Neri from Montalcino;
Li Veli from
Salento; and La
Valentina with a
$17 Pecorino from
Abruzzo.
➤Georgian
Wine House,
Beltsville, MD
SCOUTING
THE REPUBLIC
OF GEORGIA
The natural wine
boom in the states
has shone a light
on wines from the
Republic of Georgia,
and the most reliable
name we've found
to connect us with
aff ordable and
delicious qvevri wines
is the Georgian Wine
House. Launched in
2004 by Dr. Mamuka
Tsereteli (now an
adjunct professor
at American
University in DC,
and Senior Fellow
at America Foreign
Policy Council) to
build awareness
of Georgian wine,
they scored in our
recent tastings with
wineries including
Orgo (92 points for
the 2020 Kakheti
Rkatsiteli); Teliani
Valley (91 points for
the 2020 Kakheti
Saperavi Selection);
Tevza (91 points
for the 2020 Kartli
Chinuri); and
Vinoterra (91 points
for the 2020 Kakheti
Kisi). The fi rm's
off erings extend into
Hungary, as well.
➤Vino del Sol,
Ft. Worth, TX
SCOUTING ARGENTINA
Matt Hedges
got turned onto
Argentine wine
during a college year
in Buenos Aires,
then worked up a
business plan while
studying for his MBA.
He partnered with
Argentine sommelier
Alejandro Darago
to launch Vino del
Sol in 2004, and
has since expanded
from Tapiz and Zolo
in Mendoza, to
Wapisa in Patagonia
(90 points for the
2022 Pinot Noir and
the 2021 Malbec)
and Estancia los
Cardones in Salta
(92 points for the
2021 Sobre Salta
Malbec). He's also
scored in New
Zealand (Taonga
2022 Sauvignon
Blanc, with 90
points) ●
SUMMER 2023
WINE & SPIR IT S
57
Wine & Spirits - Summer 2023

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