1990 Aldo Conterno Barolo
Byob’d at Peasant, a Northern Italian restaurant in the Nolita area of Manhattan.
The nose on this was very appealing showing minerals, mushrooms, and floral notes. However, the wine, as the con-census indicated, appeared to be more advanced than it should have been at this point. Oxidized with high tannin level and some sour cherries. Menthol was also present. It’s the last of a 3-pack that I purchased many years ago and this one was never in the same tasty league as the 2 that I drank over the years. NR
1990 Paolo Scavino Barolo
Also at Peasant; bottle courtesy of Jun B.
Another pleasant and comple bouquet of earth and mushrooms with a nice balance of red fruit. The wine still showed some lively tannin with good acidity from layers of cherries and raspberries and was elegantly-mature Medium-bodied. Good lengthy finish. A-
Billecart-Salmon Brut Reserve NV Champagne
At home for some after-dinner drinks with Ren and Irene
Yeasty, sourdough, pineapple, kiwi and just oh-so-slightly tangy. Quite rich, with some almond notes. A nice drink to unwind with. B+
1989 Chateau Montelena Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, California
Jun B’s bottle. Smelled of wood, leaves and very ripe fruit. Blueberries, sweet fine tannin, tea and mocha notes. While I wasn’t much into it, it was liked by most of the non-wine geeks. B
2005 Ch. Lascombes, Margaux
Ren bought a 6-pack at a good price from a local store and wanted to try out a bottle. Poured and left in the decanter for about 1-hour prior to drinking. Very nice complex bouquet with tree bark, tobacco, somebody said fresh fish, I said ripe bananas. Very tannic, layers of blueberries, muscular and tightly structured, but appears to be well-rounded and balanced. Good length and tastyness at the finish. I took the last pour from the decanter at the 3-hour mark and the wine was completely shut down. I’m impressed with this 2005 from Margaux. A-