Two iconic Italian producers

It doesn't always cost a small fortune to taste the talents of great producers, and these wines are two great examples. Up first was the 2003 Bruno Giacosa Nebbiolo d'Alba. This wine isn't from a great vintage, and it certainly won't ever match up with the great Barolos and Barbarescos from Giacosa, but this wine was surprisingly full of life. Perhaps the age has allowed the tannins to soften somewhat, and the fruit is still there, which I was afraid would not be the case. I'd imagine that less talented winemakers wouldn't have crafted a wine that would stand up like this, but Giacosa has. I still have one more bottle of this, and will report on it in the coming months.

The second wine was a step up, as it is a young wine from a great vintage, just a lower-end production (though no slouch at $30 a bottle). The 2006 Fontodi Chianti Classico is really a treat. It is still quite young, and will benefit from a few years of age, but it is one of the best mid-level Chiantis I have had. This wine has everything I could ask for, with fruit, tannins, and acidity, which balanced out after a couple of nights. With a few years of bottle age, this will be a phenomenal wine. I have a bottle of 2004 still in the cellar, and another bottle of this 2006 as well. Of course, I had tasted this wine at Vinitaly and knew its potential, but just had to try it again to confirm. For those who might not be able to afford Fontodi's flagships (Flaccianello and the Vigna del Sorbo Chianti Riserva), this is a wonderful choice.

Two from the Veneto

I've had a pair of wines from a couple of my favorite producers in the Veneto over the past few weeks, one that's been a regular, and one the is a rarity around here these days. First up was the regular, the 2007 Brig'aldara Valpolicella. It hadn't been too long since my last bottle, but with this wine being available for a song locally, I've been a big buyer. The wine was just as good this time as last - simple, with lots of bright red fruit. It's a great everyday drinking wine that will go well with a variety of foods.

The next was was a bit more serious, but still a well-priced example of the potential in the Veneto. The 2005 Speri Ripasso adds the extra dimension from the Ripasso method, but is still more of an everyday wine. It's unfortunate that the Speri wines have become more difficult to find around here, as they are a great producer of traditional-styled wines from the Veneto. I definitely recommend searching their wines out if available in other areas.

2001's from Southern France - a lesson learned

I've opened a couple of aged French wines from the cellar lately, and just got to them in time. 2001 was 9 years ago now, so many wines will be showing their age. First up was the 2001 Patrick Lesec Kristial Chateauneuf du Pape. This wasn't a particularly expensive Chateauneuf, and was stored in my passive cellar for years. As such, I wasn't surprised at its advanced age. The wine still had some nice terroir and a bit of dark fruit from the Grenache, but it wasn't a stunner. I enjoyed the wine on the first night, but by the second, the soy notes characteristic of a very advanced Chateauneuf were creeping in.

Up next was the 2001 Chateau La Roque Pic St-Loup Cupa Numismae. I'm sad to say that having multiple vintages of this, I seem to have kept them all too long thinking the Mourvedre-dominant blend needed years to settle. Instead, these wines (again stored passively) seemed to age quickly. This wine was similar to the Lesec in that on the first night, it was still good, though not great. On the second night though, things were evolving fast, and it wasn't as enjoyable. Overall, I'm glad I didn't wait any longer on these two wines, and wish I had probably opened them a bit sooner. I'm trying to do a better job at cellar management, so expect more picks from there in 2010 as I grab wines before they begin to fade.

Finally back for 2010 - starting with Montalcino

Ok, so it's not Brunello, but I'll begin 2010 with the latest on Rossos from two of my favorite producers. First up was my latest bottle of 2004 Val di Suga Rosso di Montalcino from Tenimenti Angelini. I've had this wine several times before, and continue to enjoy it. The 2004 is really drinking well right now - in my opinion hitting its stride. I really think this is a great example of how Rossos still need a little time in bottle to develop, as this wine is so expressive with plenty of red cherry fruit and great balance of acidity to go with it.

Up next, I had my first bottle of 2007 Il Poggione Rosso di Montalcino. I've mentioned the 2006 before, which is a true gem, but quickly disappeared from store shelves. The 2007 might not be quite as good, but it is still a very nice bottle of wine. The wine is also quite young, but I wanted to go ahead and try a bottle (I've already purchased a couple more bottles to put in the cellar). For current drinking, I'd take the 04 Val di Suga, but in time this will probably be the better wine. Whatever the case, these are both wines and producers that I would recommend.