M'tucci's Wine
/Every fall, the announcement is made around the world, Le Beaujolais Nouveau est arrive. In New Mexico M’tucci’s is saying, “È arrivato il vino di M'tucci!” Regardless of the language you use, M’tucci’s wine has arrived and you are going to love all of them. I do.
“We wanted something different. That was the most important thing,” explained Company President John Haas. “We didn’t want to just have Cabernet or Merlot. We wanted rarer varietals grown in America that are a little more Old World European style.”
We chose to make our wines from Verdelho (Bianco), Charbono & Carignan (Rosso), and a single varietal Dolcetto. It was also important to create affordable wines that would be priced at $8 a glass.”
Here are the tasting notes from a recent session with John Haas, Partner Austin Leard, M’tucci’s Moderno General Manager Amanda Romero and Bar Manager Matt McMillian.
2019 Bianco – 100% Verdelho – Contra Costa County, CA
Peach, Green Apple, Honeydew, Balanced Acidity
Thanks to the acidity, this will pair really well with almost the whole spectrum of white wine pairings. Most people will consider this to be similar to Sauvignon Blanc. It’s a Portuguese grape native to the island of Madeira. It’s one of the four “noble” grapes of Madeira. It is very rarely planted in the US.
2019 Dolcetto – 100% Dolcetto – Russian River Valley (Sonoma County), CA
Black Cherry, Cranberry, Tobacco Leaf, Medium Tannin & Light Acidity.
Perfect compliment for charcuterie but will stand up to other dishes where other bigger-bodied red wines would typically be paired because of the tannins. (Editor’s Note: I had a glass with the Five Pork Bolognese yesterday and It was terrific). It would be considered similar to a Pinot Noir, but has a bit more depth and more tannin. Dolcetto (little sweet one in Italian) is best known as a varietal from Piedmont in Italy and for being a bit drier, which this American version definitely shows. Another rare varietal in American winemaking
2018 Rosso – 70% Carignan, 28% Grenache, 2% Charbono – Mendocino County, CA
Leather, Vanilla, Pomegranate, Balanced Tannin, Long Finish
This wine has really impressed us in all of our tastings. Think of it as a bit of a merlot/cab/Syrah type blend. It’s got big enough tannin to stand up to almost any red meat, but will also pair great with tomato sauces and even to charcuterie. Carignan has Spanish origins, but is more common in French wines. Grenache is used in many of the popular wines from the Rhone region in France. It is called Garnacha in Spain and is a common blending partner with Carignan, which results in a nice tannin and balance. Charbono (also called Charbonneau) originated in the Savoi region of France. It was confused as Dolcetto in the early days of California winemaking, but is definitely a different grape. It commonly has high acidity and rich, fruity complexity. It is called Bonarda in Argentina, where it’s the second most planted grape behind Malbec. This wine will continue to get better with each year in the bottle.
Try a glass for $8 or a bottle for $32. Due to NM Liquor laws, you can’t buy an unopened bottle for take out, but you can grab a seat, order a bottle, have a taste, then we’ll package it for you to take home. Them’s the rules.
Recent Instagram comment from one of our guests: “We picked up one of each Monday night . . . so far we have tried the tortellinis, the meatloaf and the green chile stew. They were all excellent, but in particular the meatloaf was 5 star restaurant worthy. We froze the other three just to see how well they reheat. This is a very cool and creative idea. Thank you!”
You should try one or all six!
Clockwise from top left:
Spinach, Roasted Mushroom, Ricotta Cannelloni with Alfredo Sauce
Roasted Herbed Meatloaf, Balsamic-Tomato Sauce, Mashed Potato, Sweet Peas & Caramelized Onion
Five Cheese Tortelloni with Angus Beef & Sackett Farms Pork Bolognese Sauce
House Applewood Smoked Bacon, Roasted Chicken, Smoked Gouda Mac & Cheese with Truffled Bread Crumbs
Porcini & Red Wine Braised Brisket, Creamy Pecorino Polenta, Fire Roasted Corn
Chef Cory’s Sackett Farms Braised Pork & Green Chile Stew
M’tucci’s Retail Charcuterie & Farmer’s Butchers Boxes
Both of these items are available at all locations in the first part of the New Year!
Weekend Specials
M’tucci’s Italian
Announced on Saturday
Sunday Only: Full Rack of Baby Back Ribs, Salt Water Potatoes, Sautéed Spinach and House BBQ Sauce for $27
M’tucci’s Moderno
Announced on Saturday
Sunday Only: House Made Lasagna with Herbed Ricotta, Five Pork Bolognese and Roasted Tomato Marinara. $16 (it’s large)
M’tucci’s Twenty-Five
14 oz Prime NY Strip - Crispy Salt Water Potatoes, Grilled Asparagus, Smoked Blackberry Bone Marrow Butter $29
Gelato: Coffee, Chocolate Peanut Butter
Sorbetto: Blood Orange Prosecco
We would like to thank you for all of the support through 2020! In honor of the New Year, we are offering a special for only $25! This includes: Four Chocolate Covered Strawberries, Two White Chocolate-Prosecco-Strawberry Cakesicles, and a choice of a 1/2 Bottle of either Vara 'Silverhead' Cava -or- Gruet Brut Rose RSV. Dine-In Only.
TOGO, we are pairing the desserts with Salted Caramel Gelato (no sparkling wine) for only $15. Tonight until 9:00. Happy New Year!
We are closed today, New Year's Day.
Goodbye 2020!
Thanks for reading. See you next Friday. Ciao!