MOSTLY ITALIANS PLUS SCARECROW AND FONSECA - Our favorite high end Italian (11/23/2014)
Last night my wife and I joined another couple for some multi-course high end Italian fare. The wines were served non blind over the course of the evening, loosely following the order of the food.
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2007 Movia Veliko Bianco (Belo) - Slovenia, Primorska, Goriška Brda
Golden in color. The nose is slightly oxidized but in a good way. Also citrus (oranges) and peaches. Medium body, slightly viscous. A nice backbone of acidity. The palate is more citrus and peaches and is quite vibrant. Long finish. Plenty of life left here, it really hasn’t aged a whole lot for a 7 year old white wine. This is IIRC mostly Ribolla Gialla with Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Blanc. (92 pts.) -
2001 Bruno Rocca Barbaresco Rabajà - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco
Gorgeous showing for this wine. Seems to be at peak but no hurry. Ruby in color. The nose has cherries, plums, sandalwood, roses and tar. This bottle was purchased on released. Medium bodied. Beautiful layering with vibrant cherry fruit, slight tannins, and some spice. Perfect balance. Long finish. Pop and pour, this improved while we drank it, but it was gorgeous anyway. If you have more than one, time to check in. (94 pts.) -
2005 Luce Brunello di Montalcino - Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino
Great showing for this although I would never have pegged it blind for Brunello. Purple/ruby in color. The nose has black raspberries, plums, and blueberries with spice, dark chocolate and charred wood. Young and powerful, it is just starting to show some signs of early adulthood. Delicious and fruit forward. Firm tannins. Lots of black raspberries, plums and dark cherries on the palate. Voluptuous texture. Long finish. Enough acidity to work fine with food. (93 pts.) -
2000 Paternoster Aglianico del Vulture Don Anselmo - Italy, Basilicata, Aglianico del Vulture
Wow, this is why you need to cellar Aglianico. At 14 years from vintage, this is only starting to show what it has. We gave this bottle about an hour to breathe and it continued to improve in the glass. Purple in color. Raspberries, black raspberries, leather, black licorice and a herbal/minty notes on the nose. On the palate, this is layered and complex but at the same time, vibrant fruit. Juicy acidity. Light tannins. Slightly jammy boysenberries and dark cherries and a hint of dark chocolate powder. (93 pts.) -
2006 Scarecrow Cabernet Sauvignon - USA, California, Napa Valley, Rutherford
Purple in color. Purple in color. The nose has cassis, graphite, black raspberries, and smoke. Full bodied. On the palate, This is still a big wine and drinking very young. Lots of juicy cassis. It is very deep if still very young. There is a juicy, slippery texture. Just a delicious wine. (94 pts.) -
2000 Fonseca Porto Vintage - Portugal, Douro, Porto
From a 375. This is tight and partly shut down. The nose has black raspberries, some chocolate and slight raisins. Full bodied. Slightly sweet. Nice balance. Good texture. Fresh black raspberry fruit on the palate. Long finish. Still, I had hope for more. (92 pts.)
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