Back in July, I got together with a friend who formerly owned my favorite wine shop in Wichita (KS). Decided it was time to crack my 1990 Campogiovanni, and made lasagna verde al forno, one of my labor-of-love specialties, and the only dish worthy of such an evening.
While waiting for the wines to decant and the lasagna to bake, we had a glass of Villa Maria, Sauvignon Blanc, Private Bin, Marlborough 2009 - didn't take any notes, but a 3 star wine.
Got everything I had hoped for from this treasure of mine:
San Felice, Campogiovanni, Brunello di Montalcino 1990
Medium-dark garnet, toward amber at the rim. Not much on the nose at first, but after 2 hours in the decanter it screams bright red fruit, raisen, and gravel, and at 3 hours its just beautiful. At two hours and beyond the palate reveals bitter cherry, blackberry, raisin/portlike notes, sweet strawberry currant, blueberry, raisin bran, orange rind, hints of herbs, gravel, cherry pie, and tar. Juicy and beautiful. Sweet but dark and intense. A lovely mature Brunello. Certainly the best Brunello I've ever had, and possible the best Italian wine I've had. Still has 5 - 10 years ahead of it, but is really nice now with 3 hours in the decanter. **** [7/6/11]
Opened as a backup, because the Ornellaia sadly smelled very suspicious:
Casanova di Neri, Tenuta Nuova, Brunello di Montalcino 2004
Dark garnet. Deep, rich nose of blackberry, currant, hints of red plum, orange rind, roses, herbs, sandalwood, and gravelly earthiness. Ripe nose, but with some lovely aromatics emerging. On the palate, cherry, blackberry, currant, orange rind, roses, herbs/tobacco leaf, sandalwood, and a touch of earth. Ripe, big body, a bit low in acid. A very pleasant wine, but lacks the class and distinction Brunello should have. Returning over an hour later, hs brighter red fruit and blackberry, and better typicity. Drink over the next 5 - 10 years. *** [7/6/11]
Still, gotta give it a chance. Glad we did:
Tenuta dell'Ornellaia, Ornellaia, Bolgheri 1999
Medium dark ruby. Cork smells tainted, wine smells like fertilizer, but with some really nice dark fruit, orange rind, herbs, and earth. Similar on the palate, with really nice dark fruit and Tuscan typicity, but also a nasty woody note. Good savory claret quality. Clearly there is a wonderful wine hiding beneath the funk. A good bottle probably has 5 years or more ahead of it. What a pity! My guess for a good bottle: **** [7/6/11]
Nothing in my experience prepared me for this:
Dr. Pauly Bergweiler, Riesling Eiswein, Graacher Himmelreich, Mosel 1996
Amber, but gold with hints of green when held against the light. On the nose, pure honey, like sticking your nose in a honey jar, with a whiff of apricot and honey suckle. On the palate, tart tangerine, huge acidity, pure liquid honey, white flowers, tropical fruit, and apricot, with some burnish. Viscous and incredibly sweet, but with screaming acidity. I've never experienced anything like this - it is in a different dimension from ever other dessert wine I've had. Seems as if it can age indefinitely. **** [7/6/11]