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.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)