Like so many wine geeks, I often prepare to turn off my wine palate when attending work or public events. But, tonight I actually found some pleasure in the offerings.
During the aperitif portion of the dinner in particular I was very pleased with the 2006 Deltetto Roero Arneis "San Michele" as it had firm flavorful fruit with a bit of depth and enough energetic and lively minerality around the finish to let me focus on what was in my mouth and not what was coming out of my companion’s mouths. It fell apart a bit over the salad with radishes, but such is life. And I understand this is a Direct Import of the Tabard Inn. Good for them!
The 2005 Hess Estate Cabernet Sauvignon ‘Allomi’ started with seventeen strikes against it for Rahsaan but the way it provided bowls of ripe fruit and a decently-fine tannin structure made it a very soothing wine compared to the sticky sweet blobs of red wine that sometimes get poured at these dinners.
I’m not running out to purchase either wine but they were drinkable for one or two glasses and for someone with such low expectations it was a surprising victory.