DINNER WITH MONTHLY GROUP AT FORLINO’S - Forlino’s, One Fullerton, Singapore (26/10/2013#
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NV Delamotte Champagne Brut - France, Champagne, Côte des Blancs, Champagne
A simple but nicely put-together NV Brut - this was a good way to start a dinner. The nose showed very classic scents of yeast, apple and lemons with a little line of mineral. This was reflected on the palate with its apple flavours and zesty lemon counterpoints, all laced with fresh, zippy acidity and a lively mousse. There was again a little kiss of mineral at the finish. Not exactly fine, nor was this very complex, but it is an eminently drinkable and very pleasant. Much better than the poor bottle I had the last time. #89 pts.# -
NV Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Champagne Brut Rosé - France, Champagne
As always, this was consistently good without being great. The nose was perhaps a little more complex than the palate, with nice notes of strawberries and raspberries with brighter lemony scents, then a bit funky earth and a little suggestion of minerality. In the mouth, this was a pretty simple expression of strawberries and apples spiked with a bright lemony balance and lifted by a lacy mousse. Very pleasant. It then finished with surprisingly long linger of stony mineral. Pretty nice stuff; good for a big group dinner like we had. #90 pts.# -
2010 Pieropan Soave Classico Calvarino - Italy, Veneto, Soave Classico
We had the benefit of drinking this wine with some beautifully cooked seafood antipasti, and it really shone in the context. The nose was quite classic Soave, with beeswax, peach and pear aromas along with some floral notes and a waft of spice and mineral. The palate had a nice balance to it - it was rather soft and fleshy in its melon and pear flavours, with a typical Gargenega richness, but there was also a nice bit of freshness and a good mineral backbone that kept it well-focused. Warm, spicy notes that were nestling in the background then slowly came to the fore at the finish. A nice wine that was drinking well young. I think it may have been a tad simple on its own, but it worked very well with both our Stracciata and grilled octopus appetisers. #90 pts.# -
2007 Domaine Saladin Côtes du Rhône Villages Paul - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône Villages
This was the best bottle of the 4 I had, perhaps because it also had the benefit of sitting in a decanter for an hour-and-a-half and in the glasses for slightly longer. Whatever the case, this was actually a really nice Côtes du Rhône. An attractive nose of black cherries seasoned with spice, garrigue and dried earth along with a little meaty undertone led the way into a fresh, lively palate, where a fine-boned structure of smooth, velvety tannins and well-integrated acidity formed a nice backdrop for the wine’s youthful flavours of black cherries and plums. There were little nuances of meat, spice and garrigue on the mid palate, and then a more mineral, dried earth tone on the finish. Very nice. This needs time yet - it will probably benefit from another 2-3 years in bottle - but this is actually very enjoyable even now. #91 pts.)
Posted from CellarTracker
