From dinner at L'Opera with Lester, Bill, Brendan and Paolo.
Whites:
Claymore Joshua Tree Clare Valley Riesling 2008 - Very dry, steely, stony and flinty. Grapefruit. Too austere for my taste.
Seresin Marama Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2010 - Initially, very good and interesting. The oak gives a nice dimension to this wine but after sipping for a bit it gets rather tiring as the application of the wood is a bit heavy handed. Typical Sauvignon Blanc. Ripe guava mostly. There's an intriguing caramel note that I assume comes from the oak.
Reds:
Tulbagh Mountain Theta Syrah 2003 - Soft and plummy. Nicely put together. Ripe fruit and no rubber notes I associate with South African Reds. Very good.
Castello Banfi Poggio all'Oro Brunello di Montalcino 1999 - Very dar. Sweet and soft. Rather international in style. Still mostly fruit - probably close to peak. Good wine but not very interesting.
Carpineto Molin Veccio IGT 1999 - Minty on the nose. Mostly cherry and a little raspberry and maybe some blackberry. A little mushroom as well. Slightly sour on the finish but very easy to drink. Soft tannins. About at peak now. Very good.
Jean-Luc Colombo Les Ruchets Cornas 1999 - Leather and earth. Soft tannins and some coffee notes. Rather sweet. Very good.
Allegrini La Poja 2007 - Rich and sweet. Big wine. Not quite amarone but a junior version of one. Would be nice with blue cheese.
Dessert:
Avignonesi Occhio di Pernice Vin Santo di Montepulciano 1999 - Thank you Paolo for this very generous treat! Rich, syrupy and oily. Very complex. Lots of fig, raisin, prune, caramel, honey, burnt sugar, date and coffee. So concentratedyou can drink it drop by drop and still get a good impression of the wine. A little goes a very long way. Endless finish. Very sweet but impeccably balanced. A great privilege to drink this. Beautiful wine and a true classic.
We finished with some very nice amaro and grappa.