LOTS OF ITALIANS AND A COUPLE OTHERS - Cleveland (12/13/2015)
Last night my wife and I were joined by two friends at our favorite high end Italian restaurant for an amazing 12 course dinner. The meal took about 4.5 hours. There was lots of wine served but with some much time and so much food, it seemed (to me) to be just about the right amount. It was a great meal in the best of the Italian traditions where the food, the conversation and the wines were seamless. Its hard to adequately describe just the wines, but here goes:
A start to the evening:
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2000 Bollinger Champagne La Grande Année - France, Champagne
Corked. Slight at first on the nose, but got worse. Definitely on the palate. Drinkable, but why. You could get a great wine underneath but no fruit and an odd tca after taste. Bummer. NR (flawed) -
2011 Movia Ribolla Gialla - Slovenia, Primorska, Goriška Brda
Back on track. IIRC, the vineyards for this are mostly in Slovenia but some cross into Friuli. Golden in color. I would guess this saw some skin contact but maybe not. The nose is really nice with pears and a slight herbal note. On the palate, full bodied but definitely a nice back bone of acidity to carry the weight. Slightly oily texture. Lots of pears but also a honeyed note. Worked well with the initial courses of food. (92 pts.)
Our reds:
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2006 Fattoria di Fèlsina Berardenga Fontalloro - Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT
I knew this would be young, but I thought that was a good place to start with the reds. The bottle had been opened and allowed to breathe for 12 hours. Deep ruby in color. The nose is really nice cherries, dark cherries, slight charred wood and a bit of tea leaves. It actually is drinking well if young. Open and plush. Delicious. Black cherries, licorice and a bit of tarragon notes. Nice acidity but not as strong as I might have expected. Certainly more approachable than I might have guessed. I went back for a taste later in the night and it really showed nice layering. (94 pts.) -
2003 Paolo Bea Montefalco Rosso Riserva Pipparello - Italy, Umbria, Montefalco, Montefalco Rosso
This is in a perfect place IMO. I doubt it gets better from here. I was impressed. Still fresh and vibrant fruit but showing layering and tertiary development. Ruby in color. The nose has cherries, tobacco, plums, slight coffee and forest floor notes. Medium to full bodied. Complex layers of plums, cherries, dried cherries, crushed tobacco, and slight earth on the palate. Great balance. Long finish. If you have one, open it. This was pop and pour and it was on point. (95 pts.) -
1997 Azienda Agricola Montevetrano Montevetrano Colli di Salerno IGT - Italy, Campania, Colli di Salerno IGT
This was really good. It was allowed to breath for an hour and then decanted for sediment. It took just a few minutes to blow of bottle stink and then kept getting better. Ruby in color, bright just a hint of showing some age. IIRC, this is mostly Cab, some Merlot and some indigenous grapes (Aglianico?). The nose is great with cherries, sour cherries, cassis, tobacco and slight dark chocolate notes. On the palate, the fruit is no longer exuberant but still there. Lots of cassis and cherries, layered with tobacco, slight spice, slight earth and plums. Great acidity. Pin point balance. Long finish. Just gorgeous. (96 pts.) -
2007 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Santo Stefano - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco
When I put the wines on the table, this, of course, got the oohs and ahhs. Since it was not amazingly better than the other wines, I think there was some disappointment. That is a testimony to the other wines IMO as this was everything it should have been IMO. This was opened and allowed to breathe for 13 hours or so, prior to pouring. Ruby in color. The nose is great, very perfumed. Cherries, slight floral notes, camphor, spice and cedar. Very nice sinewy texture. Still medium tannins. On the palate, cherries, slight tea. Tight layering. Great acidity. Long finish. The other thing about this wine is that it is so elegant. Perhaps that made it seem a bit demur compared to other wines on the table. Who cares. It wa outstanding. (95 pts.) -
2004 Foradori Granato Vigneti delle Dolomiti IGT - Italy, Trentino-Alto Adige, Vigneti delle Dolomiti IGT
My WOTN (among serious competition). Despite the copious amount of wine already consumed, this grabbed my attention. The bottle was opened and allowed to breathe for an hour. Ruby/purple in color. The nose is great. No barnyard or off aromas (I have seen this before in this bottling). The nose has plums, cherries, coffee, slight green tobacco and slight graphite. Sensuous texture. On the palate, complex, deep, layered with fresh, vibrant fruit. Lots of plums, dark cherries intertwined tar and charred earth. Great balance. Lovely acidity. Great with food. A truly special wine IMO. (96 pts.)
Dessert:
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1999 Tokaj Kereskedöház Tokaji Aszú 6 Puttonyos - Hungary, Tokaji
This was served a bit too cold, but once it warmed up at the table, it was great. Golden in color. The nose is very interesting with honey, maple/butterscotch, dates and slight orange notes. On the palate, this is sweet but not cloying. In fact, i was expecting more sweetness, but it has probably lost a bit at 16 years from vintage. Not this this showed old as it definitely is fresh and vibrant. Good acidity. Food friendly. Very pretty wine. (93 pts.)
Thanks to Chris and to Annemarie for joining Jane and I. It was a great night.
Posted from CellarTracker