Our dinner group enjoyed a casual and fun evening at Olio Pizzeria with lots of tasty bites and some wines, mostly Italian, including:
NV BOLLINGER BRUT ROSE- delightful; lots of toasty red cherry flavors abound moving into a strawberry shortcake treat; its full on, rich and lush; having had many bottles in the past few months, this is a consistent winner IMHO.
2010 HENRI BOILLOT CORTON CHARLEMAGNE- loaded with minerals, tart green apples and pears, it had a thick, oily texture which coated the palate with more pleasure with its treasures; nice structure to support longevity.
2011 PIERRE MOREY BOURGOGNE ALIGOTE- a different taste profile from what I expected; quite dry, green apple, lemon-lime citrusy notes, bracing acidity with lots of minerality.
2010 ORNELLAIA POGGIO ALLE GAZZE MILLEVITI- made of Sauvignon Blanc, this is nice and refreshing, pleasant on the palate; herbal with minerallity.
2010 MONTEVERTINE TOSCANA ROSSO- 90% Sangiovese, 10% Canaiolo; decent wine which is made of fruity good Sangio with some tartness and spiciness to please.
2006 FONTODI CHIANT CLASSICO- fairly serious Chianti with good complexity and depth with aging qualities of secondary fruit showing up; some black cherry, but more dried black currant and plums by mid palate.
2012 OCCHIPINTI SP 68 TERRE SICILIANE ROSSO- more one dimensional as this fruit bomb emulates jujube candy with an assortment of flavors of the red variety.
2002 DAL FORNO ROMANO VALPOLICELLA SUPERIORE- a big wine with massive flavors; chocolate, anise, licorice, black cherry Eucalyptus, pine and menthol are just a few I detected; it carries a large backbone of tannins to support the long aging process this is assured to do.
2006 ROCCA di MONTEGROSSI GEREMIA- 60% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon; beautiful fruit forward wine with an emphasis on black and blue aided with a touch of cedar and ever so little mintiness; very tasty.
2008 TENUTA BELLAFONTE MONTEFALCO SAGRANTINO- 100% Sagrantino; an amazing wine with layers of complexity and rich, ripe wild black spicy fruit.
2010 TUA RITA REDIGAFFI- plums and blueberries dominate the fruit profile and a soft, smooth mouthfeel highlights the tactile senses in this wondrous wine; another consistent winner among the best of Tuscany.
2006 BUSSOLA AMARONE della VALPOLICELLA CLASSICO- this was quite a treat; it was lively, fun and playful as a myriad of flavors danced across the palate; there`s some spiciness to add to the nice coffee, cedar and leather notes supporting the
black cherry/ berry fruit; a remarkable Amarone.
2010 WATERBROOK LATE HARVEST SEMILLON ICE WINE COLOMBIA VALLEY- very good with loads of flavors, especially sweet white cherries with cinnamon spice and clove.
2009 RIEUSSEC SAUTERNES- loved this; full on peach, apricot fruit backed up with less subtle lemon and lime marmalade delivered in a light yellow substance that is simply delightful; a fitting end to this glorious dinner.
Cheers,
Blake
