Five members of our dinner group convened at one of Santa Barbara’s best Italian restaurants, Olio e Limone Ristorante, to enjoy another fabulous meal along with 7 superb wines.
The wines were so good, that all stood out as being stupendous and equally so across the board. It was one of those evenings we all deserve to have after having some of those times where a few of the wines were flawed or shut down and ungiving. This night was the antithesis of those times.
2008 LOUIS ROEDERER BRUT ROSE- this was just absolutely the bomb as it was loaded with bright and fresh red fruit delivered in a creamy, rich mousse; on the palate, spicy red raspberry, red cherry and strawberry fruit was most prominent; it sustained marvellous balance, weight and feel all the way through; it was continuously served with a good chill and the flavor profile was still uber expressive.
2017 SCHLOSS GOBELSBURG RIED RENNER KAMPTAL AUSTRIA- Grüner Veltliner; no doubt, this is the very best Grüner I’ve ever had; following the amazing inviting aromatics which included licorice and spice infused lemon lime, came more citrus notes with peach, pear and minerality melding in; it was delivered in an unexpected and much appreciated oily, viscous texture that also served to enhanced the long, spicy finish; like the Roederer Rose, it just rocked all the way through; the long finish additionally placated my palate by gently massaging it with grace and charm.
About the producer: The Zwettl Monastery was founded in 1074 and in 1171 the Monks of Zwettl were granted their first vineyards: Heiligenstein & Gaisberg–the oldest documented sites in the Kamptal. The estate and Castle Gobelsburg was controlled by as many as 19 different families between 1074 and 1740, and in 1786 absorbed the famous Kammern Winery and vineyards. Two hundred years later Eva and Michael Moosbrugger were granted the winemaking and viticulural contract in 1996, and with the help and guidance of Michael’s mentor Willi Bründlmayer, the winery has regained its prestige and considered to be a leader in quality and innovation. In 2006 Michael Moosbrugger was awarded as ‘WINEMAKER OF THE YEAR’ by the Austrian magazine Falstaff, the highest award given to an Austrian winemaker, and in 2009 and 2010 the estate was acknowledged as ‘ONE OF THE TOP 100 WINERIES OF THE YEAR’ by Wine & Spirits Magazine.
1998 di BRUNO GIACOSA FALLETTO di SERRALUNGA ALBA LANGHE BAROLO- this was poetry in a bottle and fortunately, my 2nd exposure having had it a couple of years ago probably from the same source; it had been decanted a couple of hours prior to serving and could have stood more, the nose offered exceptionally pleasing ripe red fruit which in the taste profile turned out to be spicy and sweet dried red cherry and raspberry; the mouthfeel was simply amazing with super soft tannins until just past mid palate when yet to evolve stiff tannins took over and strongly supported the contention this wine has the acidity and structure to go for a very long run; its extra special now with lots of promise for even greater things in the future.
2006 ETTORE GERMANO LAZZARITO RISERVA SERRAUNGA di ALBA BAROLO- the color was a deep, dark, rich, vibrant purple; the nose was so good that I just hung out with it and took maybe 5 minutes before tasting the wine; the perfume consisted of earthy, spicy and clove laden red and black raspberry with ever changing nuances but always coming back to the spicy raspberry; when I finally got into tasting it, I was even more impressed as it gave generous amounts of what I had just discerned in the aromatics; the mouthfeel was really soft and smooth rounding out the entire sensory experience; I went back later on to see if I had just imagined all of the wonders only to find out everything was still there, almost exactly in same place. Wowzer wine. That’s 4 in a row. Can it continue?
The answer is YES!
2009 DOMENICO CLERICO PAYANA LANGHE BAROLO- anything I’ve ever had from DC has been fantastic and this bottle shined ever so brightly with super spicy fruity notes that drew oohs and aahs from the gallery; when making notes on this one, I wrote down “super spicy and fruity” and then re-tasted and wrote the same thing down minutes later; the great thing about this is the super spicy fruit is still in balance as everything else is super; more specifically, chocolate covered black cherries gets the dominate taste profile that keeps coming on layer after layer. Another wowzer!
2009 GIOVANNI CORINO VINA VIACHINI LA MORRA BAROLO- Robert Panzer, I could kiss you, well maybe a big hug anyway, for all of the wondrous wines I’ve had from Corino; this one was as good as any, if not better than most and on this night, it fit in perfectly with an all-star performance by every wine; I decanted it mid morning and gave it some revolutions a few times until replacing the cork and heading off for dinner at 6;30; the dark, rich youthful purple color was expected but what occurred beyond that was pure pleasure; mildly sweetened fresh blueberries jumped out of the glass and into my olfactory cells which are now signalling my taste receptors to get ready; those cells had to have assumed smily faces as rich and luscious plum, black currant and black raspberry graced the palate generously and gently; the soft, velvety texture added to the overall experience and the long, sustained finish just completed the deal with class and integrity.
2007 MASSERI LI VELI VALDANA MONTECRISTO ALEATICO PASSITO DELL`ELBA VIGNETO- 500 ml; made from Aleatico from the island of Elba located in the Puglia region {the heel}, my dentist loves it when I come in for a teeth whitener; it means I’ve been drinking some great wines, especially the kind that our Prince of Sweets brings to EVERY occasion; this was, yes, inky, black and poured just like it looked, syrupy; I had no idea as to what to expect on the palate and it turned out to be coconut and mint infused red cherries, very tasty and a little dropper would have been the proper way to serve it = by the drop/ drops, if you’re really brave.
A little about Passito wines: Its an Italian word for wines made by the appassimento process where grapes are partially dried on straw mats or pallets in airy rooms or barns in order to concentrate the grapes’ flavors and sweetness prior to vinification. As the grapes shrivel and lose water they become full of concentrated sugars and flavors. After anywhere from 3 to 6 months, the semi-dried grapes are gently pressed and the juice fermented until it reaches the desired level of sweetness and alcohol. Most passito wines will spend some time in oak barrels to develop additional flavors and complexity in addition to time resting in the bottle prior to release for sale. Italian wines made in the passito style include both red and white wines. \ \  A long tine ago, I had the idea that Barolos were only supposed to be big, tannic monsters that made your mouth pucker and your mind wish you hadn’t opened the bottle so soon, say within 40 years of its vintage. The two 09s we had certainly belie any conceptions about not drinking some Barolos young. We all were grateful for the experience and for every wine giving the best it could give.
Cheers,
Blake
