I had the good fortune to be invited to lunch today at Cafe Ysabel to try some samples of Italian cheeses and various salamis and hams from a new importer anxoius for some feedback on their items. The only condition was that those of us invited were to bring wines (preferably Italian) to lubricate the meal.
Generally, the cheeses and hams were pretty good except for an obviously over-ripe Taleggio and Gorgonzola and a Bresaola that just didn't taste quite right.
The wines:
Montes Limited Selection Oak Aged Pinot Noir 2006 - Brought by Johnny who says he doesn't have any Italian wines. Sour cherry. A touch of oak is well-integrated. Light and easy. Not bad.
Alma Rosa Pinot Gris 2006 - From Santa Barbara. Subdued nose. Melon. Crisp acidity on finish balances the somewhat viscous texture. Sort of like Gewurztraminer light. Not bad.
Michele Chiarlo Barbera d'Asti La Court 1999 - Very dark. Lovely nose of coffee and berries. Perfectly ripe fruit but not at all sweet. Good, food-friendly acidity on the finish. Quite smooth, medium-bodied. Easy to drink. Absolutely perfect now. Excellent.
Mandolina Toccata 2002 - Another wine from Santa Barbara. Sangiovese, Cab Sauv, Cab Franc, Freisa and Merlot. A little hot. Sweet. Very spicy. Slightly over-oaked. Very ripe and rich. Very good in a way but could have been much better with a bit of polishing. I doubt time will round this out as the tannins are already rather soft.
Banfi Poggio alle Mura Brunello di Montalcino 2001 - Very dark, young, tannic. Coffee, spices, tobacco leaf finish. Complex and still a bit tightly wound. By itself, defnitely needs time. However, with the spaghettini with a lamb ragu this wine was outstanding.
Hetszolo Tokaji Aszu 6 Puttonyos 1995 - Light amber. Marmalade, butterscotch and apricots. High acidity makes it rather easy to drink. Doesn't seem as rich as other 6P wines I've had but still very good. Particularly well-matched by another chunk of Gorgonzola, this time a fresh one, that Chef Gene had brought out.