2021 GREAT WINES OF ITALY MASTERCLASSES

/// HOSTED & PRESENTED BY JAMES SUCKLING ///

UNDERSTANDING 100 POINT WINES FROM ITALY

Masterclass Tasting

November 8, 2021 (Monday); 6 P.M. – 7 P.M.

@ James Suckling Wine Central

(6 x 100-point wines to taste) / HK$1,288 per person incl. `1 artisan cheese and charcuterie platter per person

LIMITED TO 12 PAX

This is an incredibly rare opportunity to taste a selection of six perfect-scoring 100-point wines with world-acclaimed wine critic James Suckling himself. James has been tasting wines from Italy for more than four decades and has been visiting the country regularly since 1983 when he first traveled across Italy with a group of US wine merchants. As many of you know he has a home not far from Florence, and usually I try to visit at least once or twice a year.

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This Masterclass will unveil what makes a JS 100-Point wine: from complexity of aromas and flavors, tannin quality and structure, to balance, intensity and length. A reflection of the best terroir and dedicated work in the vineyard and winery, this selection of wines will showcase how producers in Italy, in particular Tuscany and Piedmont, strive for and manage to deliver perfect wines with the potential to age for decades. Join this special wine tasting and roundtable conversation and get to meet James personally and in an exclusive setting – the tasting is limited to 12pax only.

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AND THERE’S MORE….

Guests will be treated to an artisan cheese and charcuterie platter to round off the evening and will be welcome with an aperitivo.

Guests may decide to stay on and have dinner after at James Suckling Wine Central and sample Chef Albert’s incredible wine-friendly food, including the delicious Organic Yellow Brick Chicken, USDA Prime Petit Tender Beef Tataki or his insanely creamy Rigatoni Alla Cabonara.

Barone Ricasoli Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Ceniprimo 2018

100 POINTS

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Ciacci Piccolomini d’Aragona Brunello di Montalcino Pianrosso 2015

100 POINTS

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Eredi Fuligni Brunello di Montalcino 2015

100 POINTS

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Livio Sassetti Brunello di Montalcino 2016

100 POINTS

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Roberto Voerzio Barolo La Serra 2015

100 POINTS

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Valdicava Brunello di Montalcino Madonna del Piano Riserva 2015

100 POINTS

Ciacci Piccolomini d’Aragona

This historic property, built by a 17th-century bishop of Montalcino, has been crafting balanced, precise, beautiful reds since the 1980s.Paolo and Lucia Bianchini, whose father Giuseppe was bequeathed Ciacci Piccolomini d’Aragona by its noble owners, primarily make two Brunellos: a regular bottling and a single-vineyard wine, Pianrosso. The latter is always a step up in terms of quality with more concentration and depth of fruit on the palate.

Eredi Fuligni

Back in the 1980s, James had already fallen in love with the Brunellos di Montalcino that Eredi Fuligni produces when the 1988 vintage first caught his attention. Situated on the northern slope of Montalcino, this small winery makes wines with incredible finesse and intensity. The wines are as complex and refined. The wines here show perfect balance and exquisite complexity.

Livio Sassetti

The Sassetti family makes wholesome, intense Brunellos with gorgeous fruit and ripe tannins. The decadent, almost earthy character of their wines can largely be attributed to vineyards located in northeast Montalcino. Livio and Lorenzo Sassetti also own vines in the south to balance the blend. James has been tasting their Brunellos since the early 1980s, and feels the best wines are coming out today.

Ricasoli

The noble Ricasoli family of Brolio Castle has been associated with Tuscan wines since the 1870s when Baron Bettino Ricasoli is said to have originated its formula. In recent years, the estate – the largest and oldest in the region – has emerged once again as one of the leaders of Chianti Classico.

Roberto Voerzio

Having crafted more 100-point wines than any other Italian winemaker, Roberto Voerzio is a living benchmark in fine winemaking. He works with dedication and exactitude in the fields and it shows. Voerzio’s single-vineyard Barolos in the heart of the Langhe are some of the most profound reds in the world, showing incredible depth of fruit and structure.

Valdicava

There is something almost mystical about the Brunello di Montalcino from the wonderful estate of Valdicava. The mystique must emanate from the sublime vineyards on the north side of Montalcino, where the sangiovese grapes are exquisite, and, of course, the guru-like dedication of owner Vincenzo Abbruzzese, who hired the dream team of winemaker Attilio Pagli and agronomist Andrea Paoletti to enhance the property that had belonged to his grandparents. Valdicava makes a regular Brunello bottling, as well as a single-vineyard riserva, Madonna del Piano. The 2001, 2006, 2010 and 2015 Madonnas all scored 100 points.

This masterclass tasting at James Suckling Wine Central is part of Great Wines of Italy 2021 Grand Tasting & Masterclass Program throughout November – a series of curated tasting events featuring close to 100 of Italy’s greatest producers and their top-scoring wines. Check out the full line-up of all masterclass tastings and other programs during the tasting month at: www.jamessuckling.com/event/great-wines-italy-hongkong-2021

Book your ticket now to reserve your seat!

For question or enquiries, contact us at eventsAsia@jamessuckling.com or via phone at 2539 7999.