- 2003 Antinori Tignanello Toscana IGT - Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT (1/15/2007)
Very dark red. The scents are actually pretty nice and not as freakish as many 2003s have been though there is a bit of roasted character to it: it is darker toned than usual, but still has plenty of cherries and sandalwood. There is plenty of oak, but it seems harmonious with all the other components and though a bit of an oakophobe, I oddly enough didn't find it distracting in this wine. The palate is herbal, juicily astringent just as Sangiovese should be, still rather tannic but the tannins are so ripe it doesn't matter. The acidity is on the low side, but the astringency keeps the wine tasting fresh. Sounds pretty nice, doesn't it? Yet I didn't like it, though the aromas in themselves were very nice. This was just too thick, too ponderous and it was too much work to drink it. - 2003 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (1/15/2007)
This bottle was a very pleasant surprise. I had tried this before and frankly thought it pretty bad: jammy and raisiny and overripe. This bottle however was pretty nice: sure it's very ripe, but it isn't over the top. Sure the fruit is very sweet but it isn't confected nor jammier than what I would expect from CdP. It has peppery, red toned fruit that I associate with Grenache and delightful amounts of earthiness and leather I associate with Mourvèdre, but no Brett that I can see (nice though this is, I do miss when the wines could be called Brettcastel).
The palate is very sweet, but has enough savoury notes and tannins, and even some noticable acidity to keep it in balance. The aftertaste is very long, savoury and even herbal but is marred somewhat by heat (label says 13,5%). Considering how bad most of my experiences have been with 2003s in this area, I thought this a very pleasant surprise.
Posted from CellarTracker