Last Friday was the International Wine and Food Society Manila Branch Italian lunch at Caruso. This was a BYOB event and so we had over 20 bottles opened. It was impossible to taste everything available so I concentrated on a couple of the wines opened at my table.
Cordero di Montezemolo Barolo Enrico VI 2000 - Good nose. Sweet, rich and a little smoky. Dry finish. Not quite ready although it probably doesn't need a lot more time. Barolo in a modern style. Very good.
Bruno Giacosa Barbera d'Alba 2007 - Ripe berries on the nose. Medium bodied. Juicy but dry and acidic. Elegant. Good length. Perhaps needs some time to integrate the acidity better. A little harsh now. Try again in 2 years or so.
Banfi Cum Laude 2006 - An IGT of Sangovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah. Sweet nose. Toffee. Very sweet in the "International Style." Grape juice concentrate. Good if you like this sort of thing but there's nothing that says "Tuscany" or even "Italy" in this.
Paolo Scavino Barbera d'Alba 2007 - Sweet and juicy. Rich, rather modern. Long finish. This is already approachable but perhaps could use some time to lose some baby fat and develop more interesting flavors.
Umberto Cesari Tauleto 2000 - An IGT but 100% Sangiovese if I heard correctly. Complex nose. Tobacco and Worcestershire sauce. Very slight earthiness. Sweet and modern flavor profile. Still rather tannic. I think this can still age pretty well as the wine is well-balanced. Try again in 3 years.
Allegrini Amarone 2000 - Sweet like a light port. Chocolate, plum and raisins. Fine, dusty tannins. Well-balanced and no heat despite the high alcohol. Good to drink now but probably still has a bit of upside. Excellent.
Barone Ricasoli Chianti Classico Riserva 2006 - A technically very correct wine but not particularly interesting. Perhaps this suffered from being tasted after an excellent Amarone. Bland. It's been a while since I've had a Ricasoli but I seem to recall they were more interesting than this.