by Mark S » Fri Sep 16, 2011 9:03 pm
It's always a pleasure hosting Steve for his annual celebratory dinner at my place. (Actually, it's never an elaborate affair but gives me the chance to try cooking new things and for us to pop more than a bottle). This last time was no different. For starters, we had Movia's Pinot Nero 2004, which was a different take on pinot noir. Definately on the richer side of Burgundy, this showed ripe while still maintaining varietal character. Oak shows as well, but doesn't intrude. An Olga Raffault Chinon 'les Picasses' 1996 had beautiful floral notes on the nose. Smooth and still youthful on the first night, this lost vitality on the 2nd, so perhaps now is as good a time as any to pop one of these. Thanks to Steve for bringing these. Next up was Giacomo Conterno's Barolo 'Cascina Francia' 1998. This showed more reserved than a bottle I last had several years ago, with a rather muted nose, dense, richer and more youthful than that earlier bottle. With time and in the mouth, orange rind shows, belgian ale coriander, rosehips and gentian leaf. Nice, and kept well for the next 2 days. Lastly (or maybe firstly), we had Vodopivec, Venezia Giulia IGT, Vitovska, 2004, an orange wine if there ever was one. Initially, this didn't have much of a nose either, but really blossomed with air into tangerine and jasmine flowers. The requisite apple pomice was there as well (orange, after all). This was really nice, and had none of the glue notes that Thor mentioned back when he was posting here. The 2nd night, not as showy, but still a nice drink.
