Monterey- Part 2!

From the folks at Nice Matin, another restaurant in their portfolio and they are offering FREE corkage on Saturdays! We tried it out earlier this month and I enjoyed the food so much that we are going back!

They are located at: 37 E. 50th and Madison Ave.

So join me for a night of mostly Itallian wines. For this dinner we will have one white wine , followed by 4 red wines. Should be fun!
We will have a 7pm reservation.

Here is a link to their menu...
Monterey Dinner Menu

Just a reminder of our usual rules:

** The cost of this event is $76 and is for the cost of the wines only.

NOTE: Meetup has started charging a "Partner Fee" that is above and in addition to the listed price of the event. It comes to approximately $4 more for each RSVP. You will see this charge when you complete your rsvp and pay for the event. Sorry! Meetup+ members are exempt from this charge.

You will also have to pay the cost of your food (plus 33% for tax and tip). Please order at least two courses (i.e. a main dish and either appetizer or dessert) for your dinner. There are very few restaurants that allow us to bring our own wine for a Zero corkage fee. We must be good guests to encourage the restaurant to continue to be generous to us.

Please read and understand the group's cancellation policy. If you take spot, then cancel, and no one else takes the spot, you will not receive a refund or credit. No refunds or credits will be given for no-shows or late cancellations (unless someone else takes your spot). All cancellations are subject to a $7 service fee.

Please use public transportation - NO DRINKING AND DRIVING!

The Wines :
2021 Raul Pérez Rías Baixas Sketch ($100) - WA 96 points,"The nose of the 2021 Sketch is plethoric and expressive. This comes from one single vineyard that is close and similar to those from the Atalier vines, with a strong sea influence (you see the sea from the vineyard), straight, vertical, marine, with notes of iodine and seashells, with citrus acidity and very tasty flavors. It's sharp and austere (the label shows 12.5% alcohol) and vibrant. It has purity and delineation, and it's clean and precise like a laser cut. There are around 2,000 bottles. (drink 2023-2031)" NOTE: the Definition of Plethoric is "excessively abundant, overfull, or bloated. It describes a state of having way too much of something, sometimes to the point of being swollen or pompous" FRANKLY, I don't understand how that adjective can be used in a wine that got 96 points!!

2001 Antinori Tignanello ($160) - an auction purchase.
Wine Spectator, 95 points (from an October 2019 tasting), "Dense and rich, laced with black currant, cherry and licorice flavors. Mouthcoating and complex, this lingers beautifully on the long finish. -- Non-blind Tignanello vertical (October 2019). Drink now through 2033"

2015 Montevertine Le Pergole Torte Toscana IGT ($156) - WA (96-98) points, "Tasted as a barrel sample, the 2015 Le Pergole Torte is a 100% expression of Sangiovese sourced from the estate's oldest vines (between 30 and 50 years old). Like the other wines from Montevertine, Le Pergole Torte sees both its alcoholic and malolactic fermentations in cement, and the wine later ages in new oak barrels for 12 to 18 months depending on the vintage. After that first phase in barrique, it goes into large botte to complete its integration. This gorgeous vintage opens to a deep, dark appearance with a velvety presentation of dark fruit and black cherry flavors. The wine's textural richness is ultimately what sets this fantastic vintage apart."

2018 Duemani Cabernet Franc CiFRA ($35) - An Italian Cabernet Franc! WA 91 points, "Bottled in July 2019, the 2018 Cabernet Franc CiFRA is an easy take on this Bordeaux grape that saw only cement. Without the wood, this is a tighter and spicier expression with lots of tension, freshness and energy. It's more vertical than horizontal and less impactful in the mouth. This is an entry-level Cabernet Franc to pair with a steak salad sprinkled with Gorgonzola. (drink 2019-2026)"

2010 Paolo Bea Montefalco Sagrantino Secco Pagliaro ($80) - WA 94 points, "I was absolutely impressed by this wine from Giampiero Bea. In fact, I bought a second bottle to share with my colleagues at the Wine Advocate year-end editorial meeting. The 2010 Sagrantino di Montefalco Pagliaro is gracefully tamed and tranquil. All those biting tannins that you might expect from the structured Sagrantino grape have been delicately subdued and rendered silky and smooth. It's magic. The wine opens to a dark garnet color with luminous ruby-like sparkles. The bouquet delivers fine aromas of dried cherry and exotic spice. This is one of the nicest wines I have tasted from this creative producer in Umbria, and the wine is drinking mostly beautifully starting at this very moment in time. (drink 2018-2032)"