Once again last week I turned to one of my favorite wines, the Allegrini Palazzo della Torre. I've already had the 2005 vintage a couple of times, but there's something new I wanted to report from this particular experience. I actually opened this bottle and drank a little on a Friday, but then did not come back to the remainder until the following Tuesday.
Amazingly, when I drank it after 4 days, it had really blossomed and was drinking on a totally different level. The fruit was bursting forth from the glass, the wine had put on a little weight, and it was just in a great spot. I seriously believe this could have passed for a top end Valpolicella (such as Bussola's TB) on this night. It was one of the most enjoyable bottles of wine I've had at home recently, and makes me think that 3-4 years of bottle age will probably bring this wine to this point. I always like to save a bottle or two of each vintage, and based on this experiment, I have a good idea when the 2005 will be in its prime.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
2001 Patrick Lesec Cornas Cuvee Sarah
I've been starting to pick through the crowded cellar in search of wines that may have gotten lost in the shuffle and might need drinking in the near-term. One of the first ones I picked out was the 2001 Lesec Cornas Cuvee Sarah.
I know wines from Cornas need some time to settle down, but this wasn't a very expensive bottle, so I figured it may be time. Turns out I was right, as the wine was beginning to fade. The first night began ominously, as when I opened the wine and poured a first sip, it tasted like cough medicine. Thankfully after 10 minutes or so it settled down, and was actually pretty nice, with some deep dark fruit on the palate.
However, the second night the fruit wasn't as prevalent and the wine seemed to be starting to come apart a bit. There wasn't any acidity or tannin noticeable, and the wine really didn't stand out in any way. I was a bit disappointed overall, but again got a good idea of the aging that goes on in my passive cellar (not optimum conditions, and sometime things do age more quickly). I do think this was a pretty good wine, it just was nearing the end of its life. I have a different cuvee of 2001 Lesec Cornas that should age a little better, and will likely try it in the coming months expecting better results.
I know wines from Cornas need some time to settle down, but this wasn't a very expensive bottle, so I figured it may be time. Turns out I was right, as the wine was beginning to fade. The first night began ominously, as when I opened the wine and poured a first sip, it tasted like cough medicine. Thankfully after 10 minutes or so it settled down, and was actually pretty nice, with some deep dark fruit on the palate.
However, the second night the fruit wasn't as prevalent and the wine seemed to be starting to come apart a bit. There wasn't any acidity or tannin noticeable, and the wine really didn't stand out in any way. I was a bit disappointed overall, but again got a good idea of the aging that goes on in my passive cellar (not optimum conditions, and sometime things do age more quickly). I do think this was a pretty good wine, it just was nearing the end of its life. I have a different cuvee of 2001 Lesec Cornas that should age a little better, and will likely try it in the coming months expecting better results.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Another Friday night at Bin 75
Tis past Friday night, I went up to Bin 75 in Alpharetta again for a BYOB tasting. Keith had been busy so the full blind format wasn't in effect, but there were still a few folks and some great wines.
When I arrived, three bottles were already open on the table. I began with the 2006 Guidalberto from Tenuta San Guido, a wine I'm familiar with from our Vinitaly tastings. This is a great wine, but still needs a couple of years to really flesh out and show its full potential. Next I tried the 2005 St. Cosme Cote Rotie. This wine was young, but already showing plenty of fruit. The structure, the fruit, and the minerality were all in very good balance and made this a wonderful wine. I still think a few more years of age will make this wine even better, but it is a great wine already.
The third open wine was the 2005 Torre Muga Rioja. This wine is a more modern-styled Rioja and still shows some oak, but is a very nice wine that I think will balance out over the next few years.
After those three, we went to the wine I had brought. I had it in a brown nag, so we tasted it blind. I will admit, I'd have had no idea what this was, as the nose was initially a bit musty while the palate wasn't showing too much typicity. The wine was the 1997 Argiano Brunello, and while it ended up quite tasty, I still never really hit it as a Brunello.
After that, we had one more blind wine. We all agreed it was also a little aged, but the region did split us. I thought it could be a blended Chateauneuf, but in the end Keith had it right with a Northern Rhone. The wine was a 1999 Paul Jaboulet La Chappelle Hermitage, a legendary wine that was starting to lose its luster by 1999. I was amazed at the age here - a 1999 Hermitage shouldn't be showing this much age to me, but this wine didn't have more than a few years of life remaining.
Finally, we concluded the tasting with one more modern Spanish wine, the 2006 El Nido. This is considered a new Spanish blockbuster, but I have some real concerns. The wine seemed almost overly extracted with just gobs of fruit hitting you right off. There is some acidity here, but very little tannin to suggest that several years of aging could really balance this wine out. I see the initial pleasure one could get out of this wine, but after some of the other things we tried, it just didn't stack up.
Overall, the St. Cosme Cote Rotie was my winner for the night - this wine showed why I really do love Northern Rhones, and would probably drink them more than anything if I could afford to. The St. Cosme is actually fairly affordable for a Cote Rotie though, and I will probably look to add some to the cellar.
When I arrived, three bottles were already open on the table. I began with the 2006 Guidalberto from Tenuta San Guido, a wine I'm familiar with from our Vinitaly tastings. This is a great wine, but still needs a couple of years to really flesh out and show its full potential. Next I tried the 2005 St. Cosme Cote Rotie. This wine was young, but already showing plenty of fruit. The structure, the fruit, and the minerality were all in very good balance and made this a wonderful wine. I still think a few more years of age will make this wine even better, but it is a great wine already.
The third open wine was the 2005 Torre Muga Rioja. This wine is a more modern-styled Rioja and still shows some oak, but is a very nice wine that I think will balance out over the next few years.
After those three, we went to the wine I had brought. I had it in a brown nag, so we tasted it blind. I will admit, I'd have had no idea what this was, as the nose was initially a bit musty while the palate wasn't showing too much typicity. The wine was the 1997 Argiano Brunello, and while it ended up quite tasty, I still never really hit it as a Brunello.
After that, we had one more blind wine. We all agreed it was also a little aged, but the region did split us. I thought it could be a blended Chateauneuf, but in the end Keith had it right with a Northern Rhone. The wine was a 1999 Paul Jaboulet La Chappelle Hermitage, a legendary wine that was starting to lose its luster by 1999. I was amazed at the age here - a 1999 Hermitage shouldn't be showing this much age to me, but this wine didn't have more than a few years of life remaining.
Finally, we concluded the tasting with one more modern Spanish wine, the 2006 El Nido. This is considered a new Spanish blockbuster, but I have some real concerns. The wine seemed almost overly extracted with just gobs of fruit hitting you right off. There is some acidity here, but very little tannin to suggest that several years of aging could really balance this wine out. I see the initial pleasure one could get out of this wine, but after some of the other things we tried, it just didn't stack up.
Overall, the St. Cosme Cote Rotie was my winner for the night - this wine showed why I really do love Northern Rhones, and would probably drink them more than anything if I could afford to. The St. Cosme is actually fairly affordable for a Cote Rotie though, and I will probably look to add some to the cellar.
Monday, July 20, 2009
2007 Sportoletti Assisi Rosso
My latest Italian wine was a new one for me. I've heard of Sportoletti, as their Villa Fidelia is a very well-known wine, but this was their entry-level product. The 2007 Sportoletti Assisi Rosso received pretty good reviews, but I wasn't blown away. The wine is decent, just not what I expected. My initial impression was that this wine could pass for a good young entry-level Bordeaux - nice, just not my style. I figured the wine was at least 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, and was shocked to read the it is actually 70% Sangiovese, with 20% Cab and 10% Merlot.
The second night the wine remained the same, a well-made wine, but just not what I was really looking for. If you like these type of wines, check this out as the $20 price is comparable to what I would expect a similar Bordeaux from a decent vintage to cost. But if you are looking for more typical expressions of Sangiovese, there are many better choices.
The second night the wine remained the same, a well-made wine, but just not what I was really looking for. If you like these type of wines, check this out as the $20 price is comparable to what I would expect a similar Bordeaux from a decent vintage to cost. But if you are looking for more typical expressions of Sangiovese, there are many better choices.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Two from the Rhone
Last weekend I was updating my cellar inventory and started to notice several wines that need drinking, so I figured it's a good time to start selecting some of them. Up first was the 2000 Domaine du Joncier Lirac. I remember drinking this wine in the summer of 2003 while in France, and it was fantastic. I found some here soon after and drank a few, but also saved one. Alas, this wine was on its last legs. I knew there was trouble when the cork crumbled on opening, a rare thing when I use my Screwpull opener.
After getting the cork out (or pushing some parts in) I found a wine that was not totally devoid of fruit, but certainly faded somewhat. Once the wine had a little time to get some air, it was actually decent, with some nice aged notes. However, it was obvious there wasn't much life left, and the second night confirmed that - there was very little left. It can be disappointing when I end up with a wine past its prime, but for wines like this it is also a learning experience for me. I do have a 2000 Mordoree Reine de Bois Lirac still in the cellar, and I expect it has a little more stuffing to still be drinking well, but I doubt I will leave it too much longer.
Later in the week, I came back to my regular selections with a 2005 Grand Veneur Reserve Cotes du Rhone. This was a nice, easy drinking Cotes du Rhone, made of 70% Grenache, 20% Syrah, and 10% Cinsault. I actually had a bottle of this in April 2008 and didn't come away as impressed as I was this time - it seems the age has certainly helped this wine. The second night, the wine was just as nice, suggesting it has a couple of years of life still. I've become a big fan of this producer, and they make very good wines from this up to their Chateauneufs. It is certainly among the several high-quality, affordable Cotes du Rhones I'd recommend.
After getting the cork out (or pushing some parts in) I found a wine that was not totally devoid of fruit, but certainly faded somewhat. Once the wine had a little time to get some air, it was actually decent, with some nice aged notes. However, it was obvious there wasn't much life left, and the second night confirmed that - there was very little left. It can be disappointing when I end up with a wine past its prime, but for wines like this it is also a learning experience for me. I do have a 2000 Mordoree Reine de Bois Lirac still in the cellar, and I expect it has a little more stuffing to still be drinking well, but I doubt I will leave it too much longer.
Later in the week, I came back to my regular selections with a 2005 Grand Veneur Reserve Cotes du Rhone. This was a nice, easy drinking Cotes du Rhone, made of 70% Grenache, 20% Syrah, and 10% Cinsault. I actually had a bottle of this in April 2008 and didn't come away as impressed as I was this time - it seems the age has certainly helped this wine. The second night, the wine was just as nice, suggesting it has a couple of years of life still. I've become a big fan of this producer, and they make very good wines from this up to their Chateauneufs. It is certainly among the several high-quality, affordable Cotes du Rhones I'd recommend.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Vinitaly 2009, part 6
I'm still not going to be able to finish with this entry, but will be one step closer to completing the recap of this mammoth event. Early in the afternoon, we left the main Toscana pavilion in search of some other regions. Our first stop was Argiolas, one of the best known wineries on Sardinia. There we were able to taste the 2007 Costera IGT, the 2007 Korem IGT, and the 2007 Turriga IGT before finishing with the 2007 Angialas Bianco Passito dessert wine. I have had the Costera many times before, but the others were all new experiences and quite enjoyable.
Next up, we somehow ended up back to wines from Toscana, beginning with Isole e Olena. There we had the 2007 Chianti Classico followed by the 2006 Cepparello IGT. One theme we were finding among many of these producers was the family help - here one of the sons of the proprietors was pouring for us, though he is actually in school still getting his Architecture degree.
Our next stop was at Bastianich, the estate of famed chefs Lydia and Joe Bastianich (and their business partner Mario Batali). We had actually run into Lydia the night before in Verona and spoken with her briefly so we were quite happy to make a stop. While there, we tasted the 2007 I Perazzi Morellino di Scansano, followed by both the 2005 and 2006 vintages of the Aragone Maremma IGT. The Morellino has been a favorite of mine over the last several months, and the Aragone was quite nice as well.
From there, we went to taste the wines from Petrolo, a maker of a couple of Supertuscans. There we were able to sample both the 2006 Torrione IGT and the 2006 Galatrona IGT, which I found very intriguing (and tasty) for a 100% Merlot.
We capped our visit to this pavilion (and almost all of our Toscana tastings) with a stop at Fattoria Le Pupille, a winery I was familiar with for a couple of wines, but had no idea their lineup was so extensive. We began with a white, the 2008 Poggio Argentato, followed by a rose, the 2008 Rosa Mate. Moving onto the reds, we started with the 2008 Pelofino IGT, then the 2007 Morellino di Scansano and the 2006 Poggio Valente Morellino di Scansano. Finally, we stepped up to the 2005 Saffredi IGT before finishing with the 2005 Sol Alto, a sweet white. Overall, it was quite a diverse lineup of wines from this producer, though the Saffredi remains the star.
At this point, we were admittedly in a zone and later Dad would admit not remembering all of these stops. We were trying to cram as much in as we could but still get some real value out of the tastings. Without my admittedly limited notes, we would've never remembered everything, but we were still working hard to judge what we liked and didn't like. A few gems still remained, but I will save that for one final post.
Next up, we somehow ended up back to wines from Toscana, beginning with Isole e Olena. There we had the 2007 Chianti Classico followed by the 2006 Cepparello IGT. One theme we were finding among many of these producers was the family help - here one of the sons of the proprietors was pouring for us, though he is actually in school still getting his Architecture degree.
Our next stop was at Bastianich, the estate of famed chefs Lydia and Joe Bastianich (and their business partner Mario Batali). We had actually run into Lydia the night before in Verona and spoken with her briefly so we were quite happy to make a stop. While there, we tasted the 2007 I Perazzi Morellino di Scansano, followed by both the 2005 and 2006 vintages of the Aragone Maremma IGT. The Morellino has been a favorite of mine over the last several months, and the Aragone was quite nice as well.
From there, we went to taste the wines from Petrolo, a maker of a couple of Supertuscans. There we were able to sample both the 2006 Torrione IGT and the 2006 Galatrona IGT, which I found very intriguing (and tasty) for a 100% Merlot.
We capped our visit to this pavilion (and almost all of our Toscana tastings) with a stop at Fattoria Le Pupille, a winery I was familiar with for a couple of wines, but had no idea their lineup was so extensive. We began with a white, the 2008 Poggio Argentato, followed by a rose, the 2008 Rosa Mate. Moving onto the reds, we started with the 2008 Pelofino IGT, then the 2007 Morellino di Scansano and the 2006 Poggio Valente Morellino di Scansano. Finally, we stepped up to the 2005 Saffredi IGT before finishing with the 2005 Sol Alto, a sweet white. Overall, it was quite a diverse lineup of wines from this producer, though the Saffredi remains the star.
At this point, we were admittedly in a zone and later Dad would admit not remembering all of these stops. We were trying to cram as much in as we could but still get some real value out of the tastings. Without my admittedly limited notes, we would've never remembered everything, but we were still working hard to judge what we liked and didn't like. A few gems still remained, but I will save that for one final post.
Monday, July 13, 2009
2007 Borsao Campo de Borja
Late last week I finally broke the Italian run with my favorite wine value anywhere, the 2007 Borsao Campo de Borja. As I've mentioned before, this wine delivers almost every year and continues to hold an incredibly low price.
The wine is 80% Tempranillo and 20% Garnacha and gives off a great deal of primary fruit with just a hint of earthiness. It's a lighter, easy-drinking wine that is perfect for a midweek choice during the summer. I drank it over two nights with grilled pork chops, and loved every sip. For about $7, there remains no better value on the market, especially one that has delivered such consistency over several years.
The wine is 80% Tempranillo and 20% Garnacha and gives off a great deal of primary fruit with just a hint of earthiness. It's a lighter, easy-drinking wine that is perfect for a midweek choice during the summer. I drank it over two nights with grilled pork chops, and loved every sip. For about $7, there remains no better value on the market, especially one that has delivered such consistency over several years.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
My first blind tasting
Of all the tastings I've done, until last week I had never participated in a full-on double-blind tasting (where nothing is known about the wines). I finally managed to go to a Friday evening tasting at Bin 75 Wine Bar adjacent to Hinton's Wine Store in the north Atlanta suburbs. At the tasting, everyone brings a bottle (minimum purchase price of $40) and then the group tastes together. I had no idea what to expect, and was truthfully a bit concerned about how I would do in identifying wines.
The were about a dozen folks in attendance and I arrived just as the first wine was being poured. I won't go into details about each due to the number of wines tasted, but I was quite happy with my tasting performance - I never identified a specific wine, but I was able to ID the grape and country most of the time, and several times got the region as well. I never nailed a vintage, though I was close on a couple.
The tasting featured a great range of wines, and also offered some great contrasts withing certain regions and even among different vintages of the same wine. We began with the 2000 Chateau St. Jean Cinq Cepages, followed by the 2004 Descendientes de Jose Palacios Villa de Corullon Bierzo, a wine I liked but could not identify,
We then hit a stretch of Barolos - the 2004 Francesco Rinaldi Cannubio led off, but had some sort of acidity issue. Up next was the 2000 Pira-Chiara Boschis Via Nuova, which was really fantastic. I was able to have a little more later in the evening and it was even better - a Barolo that could make anyone a fan of Nebbiolo. We followed that with the 2000 Pio Cesare Ornato, and it was amazing to taste the difference between these two from the same vintage. This wine tasted older and had no real typical Nebbiolo characteristics.
Our next two wines were well out of my normal range - a 2004 Carlton Hills Pinot Noir from Oregon and the 1993 Heitz Cabernet Sauvignon, a wine that stumped everyone, especially with its freshness for a 16-year-old wine.
We then had two wines that stumped most everyone - the 1998 Castello di Rampolla Sammarco and the 2005 St. Jean Cinq Cepages. I was amazed at the difference between this Cinq Cepages and the 2000, as this wine did not have as much of a Cab profile and actually had me leaning toward an Aussie blend.
Our next wine was my contribution for the night, the 1996 Henri Bonneau Chateauneuf du Pape. Everyone knew it was a Chateauneuf, as it had the typical profile, but it was also in a great sweet spot that showed all the greatness of an aged Chateauneuf. Several folks thought this was the wine of the night, and I would struggle to disagree (though the Boschis Barolo gave it a great run).
The final wine of the original lineup was the 2003 Remirez de Ganuza Rioja, which was way too oaky for me, especially for a wine with a few years of age on it. After that, more wines popped up as folks wanted to keep going. The first was the 2004 Domaine de Courbissac La Liviniere Minervois, which tasted like a Southern Rhone Grenache. We then had the 2005 Duhart-Milion, a great young Bordeaux that is probably just starting to shut down now.
The tasting continued with three final wines from Tuscany (though again we did not know this). First was the 2001 Il Poggione Brunello, which was quite nice. There were many jokes throughout the evening about "when in doubt guess Brunello," but here I was certain the wine actually was Brunello. Next we had a 2003 Giovanna Ciacci Brunello, which was unfortunately corked. To give us a better finish, we then had the 2006 Querciabella Chianti, which was quite nice even though I could not identify it as a Chianti.
Overall this was a fantastic evening. I loved being able to taste such a wide variety of great wines, and was happy to see that my palate has developed enough to at least recognize many grapes and some regions. I certainly plan to attend more of these tastings in the future and will try to make sure to write up recaps of them. I'm certainly grateful to Keith Lofton at the Wine Store for inviting me to this group, as it was a wonderful evening and a lot of fun for me.
The were about a dozen folks in attendance and I arrived just as the first wine was being poured. I won't go into details about each due to the number of wines tasted, but I was quite happy with my tasting performance - I never identified a specific wine, but I was able to ID the grape and country most of the time, and several times got the region as well. I never nailed a vintage, though I was close on a couple.
The tasting featured a great range of wines, and also offered some great contrasts withing certain regions and even among different vintages of the same wine. We began with the 2000 Chateau St. Jean Cinq Cepages, followed by the 2004 Descendientes de Jose Palacios Villa de Corullon Bierzo, a wine I liked but could not identify,
We then hit a stretch of Barolos - the 2004 Francesco Rinaldi Cannubio led off, but had some sort of acidity issue. Up next was the 2000 Pira-Chiara Boschis Via Nuova, which was really fantastic. I was able to have a little more later in the evening and it was even better - a Barolo that could make anyone a fan of Nebbiolo. We followed that with the 2000 Pio Cesare Ornato, and it was amazing to taste the difference between these two from the same vintage. This wine tasted older and had no real typical Nebbiolo characteristics.
Our next two wines were well out of my normal range - a 2004 Carlton Hills Pinot Noir from Oregon and the 1993 Heitz Cabernet Sauvignon, a wine that stumped everyone, especially with its freshness for a 16-year-old wine.
We then had two wines that stumped most everyone - the 1998 Castello di Rampolla Sammarco and the 2005 St. Jean Cinq Cepages. I was amazed at the difference between this Cinq Cepages and the 2000, as this wine did not have as much of a Cab profile and actually had me leaning toward an Aussie blend.
Our next wine was my contribution for the night, the 1996 Henri Bonneau Chateauneuf du Pape. Everyone knew it was a Chateauneuf, as it had the typical profile, but it was also in a great sweet spot that showed all the greatness of an aged Chateauneuf. Several folks thought this was the wine of the night, and I would struggle to disagree (though the Boschis Barolo gave it a great run).
The final wine of the original lineup was the 2003 Remirez de Ganuza Rioja, which was way too oaky for me, especially for a wine with a few years of age on it. After that, more wines popped up as folks wanted to keep going. The first was the 2004 Domaine de Courbissac La Liviniere Minervois, which tasted like a Southern Rhone Grenache. We then had the 2005 Duhart-Milion, a great young Bordeaux that is probably just starting to shut down now.
The tasting continued with three final wines from Tuscany (though again we did not know this). First was the 2001 Il Poggione Brunello, which was quite nice. There were many jokes throughout the evening about "when in doubt guess Brunello," but here I was certain the wine actually was Brunello. Next we had a 2003 Giovanna Ciacci Brunello, which was unfortunately corked. To give us a better finish, we then had the 2006 Querciabella Chianti, which was quite nice even though I could not identify it as a Chianti.
Overall this was a fantastic evening. I loved being able to taste such a wide variety of great wines, and was happy to see that my palate has developed enough to at least recognize many grapes and some regions. I certainly plan to attend more of these tastings in the future and will try to make sure to write up recaps of them. I'm certainly grateful to Keith Lofton at the Wine Store for inviting me to this group, as it was a wonderful evening and a lot of fun for me.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
The Italian stampede continues
I guess I really have been drinking a lot of Italians lately because I have two more to report on now. The first was the 2007 Conterno-Fantino Barbera d'Alba - a repeat that was opened initially when Mom and Dad were her last week after we finished off the Quintarelli. I was anxious to see what Dad would say, and he quickly agreed that this was quite a nice wine, with plenty of fresh fruit to offer immediately along with a bit of structure to it that carries it up a notch. I was again impressed with this wine, and it was just as good on the second night.
The second Italian of the week was the 2004 Viticcio Chianti Classico Riserva. I've had Viticcio's Riserva in prior vintages (and still have a 2001 in the cellar) and found it to be a very good wine for the price. The 2004 is of course from a great vintage in Chianti, and this wine shows its pedigree. It is still quite fresh, with nice fruit and a good overall balance. I thought it was even better on the second night, suggesting a bit of aging is still a good idea. This is definitely a great wine for the price - most top Chianti Riservas will sell for a good bit more than the $20-$25 this wine is available for.
The second Italian of the week was the 2004 Viticcio Chianti Classico Riserva. I've had Viticcio's Riserva in prior vintages (and still have a 2001 in the cellar) and found it to be a very good wine for the price. The 2004 is of course from a great vintage in Chianti, and this wine shows its pedigree. It is still quite fresh, with nice fruit and a good overall balance. I thought it was even better on the second night, suggesting a bit of aging is still a good idea. This is definitely a great wine for the price - most top Chianti Riservas will sell for a good bit more than the $20-$25 this wine is available for.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Vinitaly 2009, part 5
I should be finishing off the Vinitaly recap finally with this post but Saturday afternoon we really hit another gear as we tried to get as many tastings in as possible before heading home. Following lunch at our usual spot in the Toscana pavilion, I gave Dad one more hour to spend in his favorite region before expanding our horizons.
Our first stop featured three Brunellos that have now received very high scores from the Wine Advocate. We started with the wines from Salicutti, and first had the 2006 Rosso di Montalcino, followed by their 2004 Brunello. Up next was the 2004 Pian dell'Ornio Brunello, and finally the 2004 Stella di Camp'Alto Brunello. Truthfully, I didn't find anything that stood out about these wines - nothing wrong, but they were not among my stars of our Brunello tastings.
Our next stop was one of my favorites - Ciacci Piccolomini. We began with the 2007 Rosso di Montalcino, followed by the 2004 Brunello and the 2004 Brunello Pianrosso, which was among my top Brunellos of the week. From Ciacci we made a quick stop for the 2004 Fuligni Brunello before trying some other Tuscan wines.
We continued on to Brancaia, where we had a great tasting in 2008. This year was very good as well, beginning with the 2007 Tre IGT, another good vintage for one of my favorite value-priced wines. We then had the 2006 Chianti Classico, the 2006 Il Blu IGT and the 2007 Il Blu IGT before finishing with the 2006 Ilatraia.
Next, I convinced Dad to stop at Fontodi, a winery I have always heard so much about. There we tasted three wines from the outstanding 2006 vintage, beginning with the Chianti Classico. Next up was the IGT Flaccianello, a 100% Sangiovese selection that was one of my overall stars of the day. This is an outstanding wine that really shows off what Sangiovese can do. We finished this trio of 2006's with the Chianti Classico Riserva Vigna del Sorbo.
From Fontodi, we then stopped at another favorite from last year, Tenuta San Guido. Known best for their top wine Sassicaia, last year we discovered the Guidalberto for the first time and were excited to taste it again. Howevetr, up first was another new wine, the 2007 Le Difese IGT, a similar blend to Guidalberto, but priced much lower. It was very good, but as we have come to find, it is no secret and difficult to find in the US right now. We then had the 2007 Guidalberto, which was quite nice again. At that point, we finally had a bit of good luck - thanks to the generosity of the folks at Tenuta San Guido (and likely also based on our appreciation of the first two wines we had tasted), we were offered a tasting of "another wine they made in 2006." This was of course the Sassicaia, and it was certainly a treat. It will likely be another star of the 2006 vintage, and a wine I doubt I will be able to actually afford when released. I am glad I got to taste it, though I think the other wines from Tenuta San Guido are also great products as well, and much more in my price range.
At this point, we moved on past the wines of Toscana, though a few more would make it in later in the day. With so much left to cover though, I will wrap this post and complete our final portion of Vinitaly tastings later.
Our first stop featured three Brunellos that have now received very high scores from the Wine Advocate. We started with the wines from Salicutti, and first had the 2006 Rosso di Montalcino, followed by their 2004 Brunello. Up next was the 2004 Pian dell'Ornio Brunello, and finally the 2004 Stella di Camp'Alto Brunello. Truthfully, I didn't find anything that stood out about these wines - nothing wrong, but they were not among my stars of our Brunello tastings.
Our next stop was one of my favorites - Ciacci Piccolomini. We began with the 2007 Rosso di Montalcino, followed by the 2004 Brunello and the 2004 Brunello Pianrosso, which was among my top Brunellos of the week. From Ciacci we made a quick stop for the 2004 Fuligni Brunello before trying some other Tuscan wines.
We continued on to Brancaia, where we had a great tasting in 2008. This year was very good as well, beginning with the 2007 Tre IGT, another good vintage for one of my favorite value-priced wines. We then had the 2006 Chianti Classico, the 2006 Il Blu IGT and the 2007 Il Blu IGT before finishing with the 2006 Ilatraia.
Next, I convinced Dad to stop at Fontodi, a winery I have always heard so much about. There we tasted three wines from the outstanding 2006 vintage, beginning with the Chianti Classico. Next up was the IGT Flaccianello, a 100% Sangiovese selection that was one of my overall stars of the day. This is an outstanding wine that really shows off what Sangiovese can do. We finished this trio of 2006's with the Chianti Classico Riserva Vigna del Sorbo.
From Fontodi, we then stopped at another favorite from last year, Tenuta San Guido. Known best for their top wine Sassicaia, last year we discovered the Guidalberto for the first time and were excited to taste it again. Howevetr, up first was another new wine, the 2007 Le Difese IGT, a similar blend to Guidalberto, but priced much lower. It was very good, but as we have come to find, it is no secret and difficult to find in the US right now. We then had the 2007 Guidalberto, which was quite nice again. At that point, we finally had a bit of good luck - thanks to the generosity of the folks at Tenuta San Guido (and likely also based on our appreciation of the first two wines we had tasted), we were offered a tasting of "another wine they made in 2006." This was of course the Sassicaia, and it was certainly a treat. It will likely be another star of the 2006 vintage, and a wine I doubt I will be able to actually afford when released. I am glad I got to taste it, though I think the other wines from Tenuta San Guido are also great products as well, and much more in my price range.
At this point, we moved on past the wines of Toscana, though a few more would make it in later in the day. With so much left to cover though, I will wrap this post and complete our final portion of Vinitaly tastings later.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Dinner with Mom and Dad
My parents stayed with me Saturday night on their way home from Greece. We were having steaks for dinner, and though I'd usually go for something from the Rhone or Australia, Dad wanted something Italian. Not having much time to let something open up (long story), I gave him a few options and he went with the 2002 Giuseppe Quintarelli Primofiore.
I'd had a bottle of the 2001 Primofiore last fall, and found that it took some time to really come around, but the 2002 did not have such issues. It was certainly a little tight at first, but over the course of an hour or so, opened up nicely. It wasn't a full-force style that an Amarone can be, but had a certain understated elegance to it. The wine had great balance to it, and really ended up being a very nice bottle. With my most recent Quintarelli being the 94 Alzero, this was much different and not on that level, but still quite enjoyable.
I definitely think the Primofiore, as a wine that is pretty easily available here, is a nice wine to pick up in most vintages - not a blockbuster like his greatest wines, but still an interesting and enjoyable product from an iconic producer.
I'd had a bottle of the 2001 Primofiore last fall, and found that it took some time to really come around, but the 2002 did not have such issues. It was certainly a little tight at first, but over the course of an hour or so, opened up nicely. It wasn't a full-force style that an Amarone can be, but had a certain understated elegance to it. The wine had great balance to it, and really ended up being a very nice bottle. With my most recent Quintarelli being the 94 Alzero, this was much different and not on that level, but still quite enjoyable.
I definitely think the Primofiore, as a wine that is pretty easily available here, is a nice wine to pick up in most vintages - not a blockbuster like his greatest wines, but still an interesting and enjoyable product from an iconic producer.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Two more from Italy
My consumption of Italian wines continues at high level these days, though again I have two wines from very different regions to note. Both of these wines are perennial favorites and the latest releases. Up first was the 2005 Allegrini Palazzo della Torre. This was my second bottle of this vintage, and again a good experience. I think 2005 may be one of the better vintages of the past several years, though the overall consistency of this wine from year to year amazes me. It's such a friendly, straightforward wine that goes well with so many foods, and that makes it appealing to drink quite often. I've already got more bottles waiting.
Up next was the 2007 Tua Rita Rosso dei Notri. I've previously had the 2005 vintage of this wine, but this was my first bottle from 2007. It is another strong effort from this great producer, and a wonderful introduction to their wines. As with the Allegrini, it is also a great food wine, with the ripe fruit and hint of spice doing just enough without being overpowering. It can match up well with several things, and this time it was with roast chicken and vegetables.
Overall, these two wines, both at around $20, offer immense pleasure and great options for a nice bottle of wine with a good dinner. I enjoy them both and anticipate more tastings of them over the coming months.
Up next was the 2007 Tua Rita Rosso dei Notri. I've previously had the 2005 vintage of this wine, but this was my first bottle from 2007. It is another strong effort from this great producer, and a wonderful introduction to their wines. As with the Allegrini, it is also a great food wine, with the ripe fruit and hint of spice doing just enough without being overpowering. It can match up well with several things, and this time it was with roast chicken and vegetables.
Overall, these two wines, both at around $20, offer immense pleasure and great options for a nice bottle of wine with a good dinner. I enjoy them both and anticipate more tastings of them over the coming months.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
A trio from Southern France
I've had three different wines from Southern France in the past couple of weeks that offered a great look at the 2006 and 2007 vintages and the different wines coming from them. Up first was a wine from the highly acclaimed new vintage, the 2007 Domaine St. Damien Cotes du Rhone Vieilles Vignes. I'd had this wine's sibling a few months ago and came away a bit underwhelmed so I was hoping for a better showing from the old vines cuvee. Unfortunately, I had some of the same issues, again finding this wine a little too hot and unsettled. For a wine the got a 90-93 rating from Parker, I'd expect more. It is a trend with the 2007 wines so far though, so most of those that I have are now being set aside for at least several months to see if they balance out a bit.
2006 has become a somewhat forgotten vintage in the Rhone thanks to the hype around 2007, but I think overlooking it is a big mistake. The 2006 Les Aphillanthes Cotes du Rhone-Villages Trois Cepages is a great example of the potential from this vintage. A blend of equal parts Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvedre this is a full bodied lush wine that is drinking well now but has some stuffing to last a few years too. It was really a treat, and a wine I highly recommend, especially with several retailers here marking it down to under $20.
Finally, I had another 2006 in the same style, but not from the Rhone. The 2006 Pegovino Vin de Pays d'Oc is made by Laurence Feraud of Pegau, and is a fantastic value. For under $10 you get a wine that shows much of the typical peppery flavors of Grenache, but with some Syrah to balance it out a bit. I'd had this a couple of months ago, and this bottle was just as good. It's definitely a wine to put at the top of my super value list.
2006 has become a somewhat forgotten vintage in the Rhone thanks to the hype around 2007, but I think overlooking it is a big mistake. The 2006 Les Aphillanthes Cotes du Rhone-Villages Trois Cepages is a great example of the potential from this vintage. A blend of equal parts Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvedre this is a full bodied lush wine that is drinking well now but has some stuffing to last a few years too. It was really a treat, and a wine I highly recommend, especially with several retailers here marking it down to under $20.
Finally, I had another 2006 in the same style, but not from the Rhone. The 2006 Pegovino Vin de Pays d'Oc is made by Laurence Feraud of Pegau, and is a fantastic value. For under $10 you get a wine that shows much of the typical peppery flavors of Grenache, but with some Syrah to balance it out a bit. I'd had this a couple of months ago, and this bottle was just as good. It's definitely a wine to put at the top of my super value list.
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