Some of Italy’s rarest and most sought-after wines are being poured at a Decanter event next month – including the superb and almost unavailable Barolo 2001s.
Decanter’s Great Italian Fine Wine Encounter – with 85 stands the biggest of its kind ever held by Decanter – will showcase wines from such great names as Antinori, Frescobaldi, Planeta, Isole e Olena, Bava, Allegrini, Donnafugata and dozens more.
Three masterclasses at the 15 May event in London’s Landmark Hotel present wines that in many cases are almost impossible to find.
Ian D’Agata’s Barolo masterclass consists of 12 Barolo 2001s, a vintage recognised now as superior to the renowned 1997 and on a par with the great 1998 – and sold out worldwide.
In another masterclass Steven Spurrier introduces the ‘New Frontier of Tuscany’ – classic producers like Fontodi, Antinori and Isole e Olena compared with producers from coastal regions, including Fattoria Nittardi and Fattoria Le Pupille.
Lastly, Amarone Families is an opportunity for wine lovers to take part in a tasting originally created for the international press as the launch of the new Amarone Families Association.
This will show Amarones from 1988 to 2000, including the sought-after Allegrini DOC Classico 1997 and the Masi Costasera DOC 1988.
Decanter’s Great Italian Fine Wine Encounter will also be packed with celebrities. As well as well-loved figures like Oz Clarke signing a selection of his latest books, wines at the stands are being poured by the owners and winemakers themselves.
These include Albiera Antinori from Marchesi Antinori, Francesca Planeta from Planeta, the leader of the new wave in Sicily, and Paolo de Marchi from Tuscany’s Isole e Olena who will be bringing a preview of wines from his new estate in Piedmont.
There will also be a chance to meet Peter Femfert, the Frankfurt art dealer with an estate in Tuscany, whose Nectar Dei from the Tuscan Coast recently won a 5-star Decanter award.
And for those who are interested in one of the great Italian success stories of the last few years, the rise of Prosecco, premium producer Bisol will be hosting a wine and food matching masterclass in the Discovery Theatre.
Tickets for the Decanter Great Italian Fine Wine Encounter, Saturday 15 May 2010 the Landmark Hotel, London NW1, can be bought online at www.decanter.com/events
Written by Decanter staff
