Palazzetto Ardi: Entusiasmo!

Some winemakers are shy,and others less so: Carlo Sitizia contacted me in the course of Vinitaly a few years ago and asked me if I would like to come visit his agriturismo and taste his wines.

During Vinitaly wasn't practical, but I drove over towards Vicenza and was very pleased I did. He and his wife, Michela, have taken over a 14th century farm complex that had become a granary/warehouse, and transformed it into Palazzetto Ardi, a beautiful and dynamic farm. They are completely biodynamic, and Michela somehow found time to become an accomplished chef while tending to crops and critters of all kinds. I have posted a number of her recipes on About.Com, and am very pleased to say that they recently held tastings and a dinner in New York, at the Yale Club.

But the object of this post is of course to talk about their wines.

Entusiasmo di Palazzetto Ardi Rosso IGT Veneto 2006
This is a Cabernet; it's pale ruby with white rim. The bouquet is bright, with lively brambly acidity mingled with greenish vegetal accents and savory notes, and underlain by chewy berry fruit. On the palate it's delicate, with fairly rich berry fruit supported by smooth berry fruit acidity,a nd by smooth sweet tannins that flow into a fairly long berry fruit finish that becomes bfambly as the fruit, cranberry mingled with cherry, fades. It's an extremely welcoming wine, one that you will set out, and people will drink. At which point you'll need another. What more can I say, other than that it will be perfect with simple grilled meats or light stews? Worth seeking out.
88

Entusiasmo di Palazzetto Ardi Rosso IGT Veneto 2007
This is a Cabernet Franc; it's deeper ruby with black reflections and white rim. The bouquet is powerful, with brambly bitterness and some vegetal accents, which gain depth from brisk acidity and sea salt. Quite harmonious, and pleasant to sniff. On the palate it's medium bodied, with fairly rich bitter vegetal accents and some minerality more than fruit; there's also brambly acidity and the tannins are deft and vigorous. In short, scrappy, and though it won't work for you if you look for the fruit driven smoothness of ripe New World wines, if you prefer a more aggressive style it will drink very well with foods, and go very quickly. A particular wine that's not for everyone, but if you like the style you will like it very much.
88-90

Note: Palazzetto Ardi is imported to the US by Green Grape

Palazzetto Ardi's Rosso: A Fine Organic Wine

About 15 years ago I visited an Organic Fair in Piemonte, where about half the booths featured wines. And didn't find one worth drinking: They all stank, and when I said so, the winemakers looked at me with horror in their eyes, and said "But they're Organic!" This quality was, as far as I could tell, the only reason to buy them.

Times have changed considerably, and now the only way you'll be able to tell many wines are organic is to read the fine print on the label. Or to visit the winemaker; Carlo Sitizia contacted me a couple of years ago and asked me if I could stop by Palazzetto Ardi, the place he and Michela Cairolaro had taken over.

I said yes, and after Vinitaly drove towards Vicenza, and then ventured out into the flatlands south of Gambellara following his directions. The road was about as wide as my desk, with a drainage ditch alongside, and I confess to wondering what I was getting into.

All doubts vanished when I turned onto their drive: Palazzetto Ardi is a beautifully restored 17th century farm complex with livestock, fields (Michela was picking asparagus when I arrived), and a small but impeccably kept vineyard. Which produces excellent wine:

Entusiasmo di Palazzetto Ardi Vicenza Doc Rosso 2006
Lot 1/2007
This is a Cabernet; it's delicate ruby with brilliant reflections, and has an elegant bouquet with forest berry fruit supported by cranberry acidity and delicate vegetal accents. Deft, and lithe. On the palate it's medium bodied, with brambley cranberry-forest berry fruit supported by clean scrappy tannins and sour berry fruit acidity that flow into a clean fruit-laced finish with cranberry underpinning. Quite nice, in a scrappy tomboyish key, and it was a perfect match for the creamy radicchio risotto my Mother-in-Law was serving as a first ocurse, while it also had the body necessary to work well with the roast lamb that followed it.
Worth seeking out, and you can expect the bottle to go quickly.
2 stars

A little more about Palazetto Ardi: Michela and Carlo both did other things before marrying and deciding to withdraw from the grind of city life. And like many people who have decided to follow this path, they have done so with considerable enthusiasm; Michela is an accomplished chef, and in addition to offering hospitality they hold classes for local school children, organize cycle tours, and do much more.

In short, if you're planning to visit the Veneto and are willing to drive or take the train (there's a station nearby) you should consider staying at Palazzetto Ardi.