Lots of opportuinities for drinking this past week so lots of short notes from 3 events I attended.
Lunch at Pepato with Jojo, Arnie, Vince, Johnny and Monty. All Italian wine.
Ceretto Barbaresco Asij 2004 - Fruity. Mint, leather. Slightly hot. Tannic and chewy. Good but needs decanting and food.
Solaia 2002 - Bad year. Very dark, soft, a bit hollow. Weak finish. Still, a good wine and ready to drink.
Ruffino Modus 2001 - Super Tuscan. Deep purple. Lots of chocolate. There's an herbal quality to the nose. Smoky, very tannic. Well balanced but needs to age a few more years.
Casanova di Neri Tenuta Nuova 2001 - Brunello di Montalcino. Minty. Sweet fruit with good acidity. Coffee. Great balance. Excellent wine.
Sugarille 1998 - Brunello di Montalcino.Very dry. Tannic, acidic, cedary. Not quite integrated. Needs food.
Banfi Poggio Alle Mura 2001 - Brunello di Montalcino. Very chocolatey. Sweet fruit. Very good but should improve some more.
Dinner with Kitt and Johnny at Lemuria.
Chateau de Villeneuve 2005 - Saumur Champigny. Slightly cheesy. Strawberry and coffee. High acidity. Good with food.
Miner The Oracle 2003 - Toasty coconut. Sweet fruit but dry on the palate. Bitter chocolate. Medium weight. Long finish. Very good.
Dinner with Dennis at his home.
Casanova di Neri Tenuta Nuova 2000 - Brunello di Montalcino. Sweet and slightly pruney. Good acidity and balance. Tannic. Very good but needs time.
Ruffino Ducale Oro 2000 - Chianti Classico Riserva. Shrill acidity that demands food. Some bittler cocoa. A letdown after the Brunello.
d'Arenberg The Laughing Magpie Shiraz Viognier 2006 - Decanted one hour. Beautiful nose. Menthol, berry. Very rich. Excellent.
Tablas Creek Esprit de Beaucastel 2005 - 44% Mourvedre, 26% Greanche, 25% Syrah, 5% Counoise. Not much on the nose. Spicy. Quite sweet but not heavy or cloying. Good acidity balances the sweetness. Tannic. Slightly creamy oak. Medium bodied. Exceptional balance. Lovely wine that's already quite good but should be better in a year or two. Nobody's going to mistake this for Chateauneuf du Pape, let alone Beaucastel however, this is definitely excellent.