A few nice wines enjoyed over this past week
2001 Sandrone Le Vigne – this wine has come together nicely. A few years ago, I found it to be confected and disjointed. This night, the nose was redolent of menthol, floral, and cherries that followed through on the palate. Other than prominent tannins, it was subtle and balanced, with a finish that was nice and long. Lovely to drink now and paired well with chicken saltimbocca.
Kim and I were joined by our spouses for dinner at the excellent Lake House, and we brought the next 2 wines
2007 Henri Boillot Bienvenues-Batard Montrachet – Boillot has turned out to be my favorite producer of white Burgundy. There was pure honeysuckle on the nose. Intense flavors of Granny Smith apple and lemon oil with a mineral streak, and accentuated by honey in the persistent finish. I went back to it at the end of the evening, and it showed exactly as it started out – stunningly good.
2000 Giacosa Barbaresco Asili Riserva – this offered such layers of aromas that I didn’t want to take my nose out of the glass. There was black olive, mushroom, and cherry liqueur exploding from the glass. It started out with a strong palate presence, but it seemed to be shutting down. Throughout the evening, there was a great attack and mid palate but the finish weakened as we got to the end of the bottle. There appeared to be power under the complexity, but the tannins were drying and becoming leathery. Fingers are crossed that it just needs more time to come together.
2002 Henri Boillot Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Embrazees – as it turned out, another fabulous Boillot. The color was a light golden. The nose was crisp and vibrant with citrus, peach, and acacia honey. I could stop now and be happy, but took a sip. The first taste was of pear nectar. There was a slight creaminess with a lingering aftertaste of pears and minerals. A little saltiness remained, but a lovely wine.
2000 Rudd Chardonnay Bacigalupi Vineyard – my friend is a big Rudd fan and opened a bottle with us on his boat to accompany a delicious lobster salad. It was alive and well, and fresh tasting. Mostly butterscotch, with a little citrus. Nice mouthfeel to it, but pretty much a one note wine. Nevertheless, it was enjoyable with the food and in the setting.