Chrismas Eve Wine

[James Roscoe]

1999 Allegrini Amarone Della Valpolicella Classico served with rare duck breast in reduced dried cherry sauce with comté scalloped potatoes and salad. This might be in my top ten all-time wines. Layers of figs and prunes with clove and cinnamon on the finish. This had a nice brick red color. It was still big and powerful with plenty of years of life ahead of it. It is in a very nice place. As a total coincidence, I received the 2008 bottling the next day. That will be sleeping for another ten years! All in all a great dinner with my wife and girls in Charleston, SC!

[David M. Bueker]

Sounds really delicious.

I like Valpolicella wines and Amarone wines but don't have the Amarone very often. It is a special occasion wine for me. According to my CellarTracker notes, I have seven bottles of Amarone from five different producers, so I should open at least one soon. None of them are older than the 2004 vintage however.

Started with a bottle of 1995 Jean Laurent Blanc de Blancs, disgorged September 2004 and resting in my cellar since November 2004. At the peak of its drinking window for me with miniscule bubbles, ripe (not rotten) apple on the nose and good flavors in mouth. Not showing a lot of yeasty flavors which is style I like.
Then on Christmas day we moved on to drink bottle of 1990 Chateau Montrose with roast prime rib of beef. This was really an enjoyable Bordeaux right now but I don’t think it’s near to the greatness it might reach. I’ll try to keep my hands off the remaining bottles for at least another year.
Cheers and hope yoy all had a Merry Christmas,
Gary