Christian graciously treated us to a delicious Italian dinner out in a local restaurant where we were exceptionally allowed to bring our own wines (the chef plays cinque birilli at Patrick’s pool hall).
Castello di Ama Merlot L’Apparita 1993
My second to last bottle, and the best ever I have tasted of this wine. It is true that it holds such fine sediment it almost cannot be properly decanted when the bottle has been moved the same day (if not longer), and that this was the first time I let one rest in upright position for a day, decanted it at home (into a low surface virtually bottle-shaped decanter) cool from the cellar, and carried that through a chilly winter night to the restaurant, where it was poured still too cold to be enjoyed right away. What was so different? First of all what oak there may once have been barely showed anymore other than in something like a pink marzipan sweetness floating in florality (Remo, who much preferred this bottle to one in May last year, said it was like a flower just coming into bloom at this instant). The youthful gloss to the full ruby-red colour (yes, this even looked better!). More importantly, it was impossible to tell what was more seductive, the sweetly ripe florality of the fruit, or the gingery freshness of the acids, or the harmony and length of it all. One of the two or three greatest bottles of Apparita I have ever had, along with the great 1987 (and an exceptional bottle – as with the 1993, not all are the same – of the 1990). I am stunned to think this once started out much like the 1997 Masseto... Rating: 96-
Avignonesi & Capannelle Toscana 50 & 50 2004
Thanks to Christian. A blend of Sangiovese and Merlot. Purple-ruby that is dark, but not really dense. Huge thistle, vanilla and caramel from the oak. Extremely modern-styled, if quantitatively speaking balanced wine. Smells like a blend of something half-bright and half-tired. Some duck meat to grape peely blackberry and mocha, backed by healthy acidity and tannin, neither of which seems to have much flavour, let alone life of its own. Fairly high alcohol which integrates well, but that I am afraid may stick out like a sore thumb in the long run. Neither hot nor roasted. Quite strong minerality if totally non-descript in terms of terroir. Quite long on the finish, although by no means endless as Christian claimed – who kept raving about this. Remo was politely tight-lipped, whereas I could not bring myself to finish the second glass I was poured against my will. Having said that, there is little inherently wrong with the wine, other than that it lacks personality (oddly enough, Christian finds this utterly unmistakable). Should probably mention this is rather outrageously priced... Rating: ~90-?
Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape 1990
Thanks to Remo. A pristine bottle, perhaps the best I have ever had (certainly a less variable wine than the 1989). Garnet-ruby, soft black reflections, some orange at the rim. Another 1990 Beaucastel that tasted better than it smelled: some horse sweat, leather and baby poo (I realize some people are delighted by the latter in particular) on the nose. The horsiness integrated quite admirably with airing, by the way, and at any rate, it was not bothering to begin with. A bit cheesy raspberry coulis with a touch of rowan berry on the palate, complex and quite deep, not too soapy at all, a well-balanced, harmonious wine, and very long on the finish. Hard to tell if this is still on the way up or safely arrived on its plateau of maturity, but I would not hesitate pulling a cork now and then. Rating: 94+/95-?
Greetings from Switzerland, David.
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„J'ai gâché vingt ans de mes plus belles années au billard. Si c'était à refaire, je recommencerais.“ – Roger Conti